I think we discussed a form of jump gate ring in space (like a stargate in space). One of the ideas we had was to hollow out a tubeular passage through an asteroid put projectors in the passage to dump power into the jump emitters on a ship/object jumping out. The ship would require at the minimum emitters and a Jump drive. No excessive power plant, or batteries. Normal reactors would be used to power a current though the emitters to begin forming a micro jump (say a few meters) and the gate would zap the ship with enough power to send it half way across the galaxy.
I mention this because the latest book postulates using a gate without the need of a Jump drive. Emitters and a Jump field generator I feel would be a minimum requirement as otherwise you are just zapping a ship with an energy beam and that can't be healthy...
Coupling the jump gate asteroid idea with the Zaruzari Jump Asteroid idea would allow say the Corinari to build and distribute the gates to far distant parts.
I think Deliza will take the technology a step further. They don't have the time or manufacturing base to create anything like that now. However, I could see Deliza building a jump railgun based on the "no jump tech" jumping. That would be the great equalizer for the Aurora. Load the round in the chamber, at the moment of firing the gun, create a jump field around the round and trigger it. Guaranteed to never miss a target, and can be fired from a significant distance away. It could also be used as an anti-chase deterrent. Charge a bunch of "chaff" with a jump field, and once you jump to a new destination, send it backward against your previous route. When the Dusahn follows, they smash into it.
Taking the jump gun a step further, they could use the stealth emitters maybe? Like a TOT attack against a Dusahn warship from lightyears away when their shields are down and completely susceptible to kinetics. They could dump a lot of ordinance without being seen, and without exchanging any real fire.
The railgun idea is pretty outstanding if the bubble thing holds. You would have a chamber at the end of the barrel and jump the inert slug or explosive warhead as close as possible. There would be no need for propellant and guidance making the cost almost a non issue, only recycle time of the jump field would determine rate of fire.
AS to jump gates, I suspect they would not have to be point to point but would depend on the vector and delta-V of the ship being jumped as to where it ends up. Good for one way trips or getting twice as far on the same amount of food provisions and less time than a ship with internal jump systems alone.
Yes Jump gates would be stepping off points where your own jump is extended by adding massive power. A big one could be used to fire a smaller one to set you up for return journeys. But largely the jump is based on the normal of vector, speed and power. Because of the nature of such a gate there would be wiggle room for ships to enter the gate at an angle to jump in vastly different directions.
The thing about Jump chasing is that it is incredibly difficult to perfectly follow someone trying to escape jump as the slightest change in vector and range can radically push out the chances of kill/capture. The jump dog fighting we have seen to date has been simply outstanding flying. Because of the difficulty pilots would generally have to rely on there guidance systems to line them up for chasing jump fighters. With that in mind dropping the equivalent of chaff should be very effective for escape jump tactics... as long as it can be deployed far enough away from the hull of the ship to avoid being caught in the jump field and transition with you. As to shooting a Jump chased- your looking for a good targeting computer.
If it's possible to jump without a Jump drive I imagine you would still at least need emmiters to carry the jump field. A solid shell with in built emmiters fired from a modified railgun with a Jump field generation would be a nice surprise. You still have to account for the targeting over light minutes of distance which is problematic.
I still prefer the idea of a jumping object requiring emitters and at least an added jump drive if not the power supply.
Elliptical jump gates would actually be able to allow an identical second gates to pass though it. No moving parts and a single standard model would make the project simpler and more cost effective. Simple and elegant solution to the problem of getting home from a long Jump - take a gate with you.
Being able to take the Gate with you would depend on the size of the gate and the ship either carrying it internally or towing it. Carrying it internally would require it to be disassembled for reassembly at the destination.
I'm more interesting in the transit fees. Whoever controlled the gate could ask for whatever fee they wanted like a toll. If Deliza were too do that she could easily recoup the Ta'Akar family fortune and reassert her family's rule of Takara.
The elliptical jump gates would have manuvering trusters and between themselves and the portal gate would have enough power to long jump if not as far as a smaller faster ship, more then enough for a heavy cargo ship. You don't have to disassemble because it would fit though when it flips onto its front and turns sideways like how a letter fits though a letterbox. Fees would be low to start but would be constant over the life of the asset and it wouldn't need much in the way of repair as all the main components are common and standardized
