like the x-wing always resonated with me because its this tiny lil ship but it has a hyperdrive so its still independent and mobile. You could have a pilot in it. You could have no pilot and just operate it yourself without one. Either way, really. I'd probably spend some time with a pilot and some time without one.
Like I dont want to be in a drone because they're
- a bit too small for me
- usually tied to a mothership, which is cool and a great relationship dynamic, but its not what im thinkin about
but starfighter hits that perfect size. Similar vibes to mechas I guess. Similar level of intimacy I imagine.
Plus you're maneuverable, you're quick, you can outrun big ships but you've still got some firepower if you need it. You've got a cargo bay but not so much that you'll start hoarding. You can land in most spacesports without running into size restriction problems. also gives you a good excuse to leave behind some subroutines to make the process easier next time you're around ;), no one expects the lone independent starfighter to be hacking into their systems.
Also the relationship between a mechanic and a starfighter I feel is probably a lot like sort of a bike mechanic relationship. I'm not really sure how better to explain that but yeah.
EDIT: alright tangentially I'm now also thinking about the intimacy in the dynamic of hibernation in such a ship. Some sci-fi settings do it with like cryo sleep or tech things. Others introduce it through a more magicy method (or the pilot can Just Do The Hibernation). I think I remember in the heir to the empire trilogy it's introduced as luke doing some kinda Force Hibernation and basically relying on R2 to be the one to wake him out of it, early if necessary, or when they get to wherever. And, it's been ages so maybe I'm just making this memory up, but I feel like I remember him having trepidation as to like "damn what if R2 never wakes me up and I'm just asleep forever" or something like that.
Anyways I really like that. A lot of sci-fi that involves cryo sleep plays with the violation of that intimacy, AI systems waking people up too soon or not at all out of malice. But not enough explore the scenarios in which it's not violated, and what that relationship can look like.
