The Big Catch (ビッグキャッチ, Biggukyatchi) was a pirate ship, leading a small fleet, which was destroyed by the Grand Cross. Its captain was Stone.
Design[]
Exterior[]
The Big Catch had a catamaran structure with two long rocket-like hulls joined at the rear by a large engine. The bridge was located on top of the starboard hull near the front. A turret with three cannons was at the same position on the port hull. Behind both of those, either side on top of the hull, were two single cannons. Towards the rear of the ship, on each of the hulls, were two missile pods, one behind the other, on top of the hull, and a cut-off fin (possibly holding a radar mast) on the bottom. Two extra smaller engines were located on the outer side of the rear of the hulls, connected by diagonal fins. The large central engine connecting the top hulls at the rear had two three cannon turrets either side on top, just behind the large engine cone. A structure similar to a conning tower was located just behind them on top. The central engine had one nozzle while the ones built into the hulls had four [1].
Interior[]
Bridge[]
The Big Catch's bridge
The Big Catch's bridge had a similar structure to most pirate ships from the War of Independence with a raised section with the captain's seat, the emblem behind it and two consoles either side, and a lower section with the steering wheels, displays and consoles either side for radar and navigation, and two other consoles behind them. The control room had grey walls and yellow on the seats and the sides of the consoles and the elevated platform. The captain's seat had spotted fur over it [1].
Colour Scheme[]
The Big Catch was primarily yellow with black bands, silver on the tops of the nose cones and teal engine cones. Its pirate emblem was painted on the outward side of the hulls at the rear, just in front of the missile pods. The engines produced blue emissions when operating.
The Big Catch's emblem consists of a skull with horns. Three dull yellow fangs are positioned in a line either side of the lower skull.
Technology and Combat Characteristics[]
The Big Catch possessed numerous triple and single gun turrets as well as beam dispersers and four missile pods.
History[]
The Big Catch had been operating for a long time (though not as long as the Original Seven) [1].
Pirate Hunter Arc (Anime-Only)[]
Due to the attacks on various frontier pirates, Captain Marika Kato of the Bentenmaru had Show of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Union arrange them a job escorting the Big Catch in order to provide protection against the Pirate Hunters. Captain Stone reluctantly agreed.
Shortly after the Bentenmaru rendezvouzed with the Big Catch and its fleet, an unknown ship touched down ahead of them. Against Marika's advice, the Big Catch and its escort ships moved in front of them and prepared to attack, intending to incapacitate the incoming ship then board [1].
Immediately after exiting subspace, the ship, the Grand Cross opened fire on the pirates, quickly scoring hits on the escort ships Clover, Crocus and Hyacinth. Stone ordered his crew to launch beam dispersers into the surrounding space as the Grand Cross commenced electronic warfare. The Big Catch then exchanged fire with the Grand Cross. The enemy scored a hit on the Big Catch's port-side missile pod, however shortly afterwards, the Grand Cross powered down.
Damaged, Stone decided to flee and the Big Catch made a 180 degree turn and fled. However the Grand Cross then shocked the pirates by utilising its gravity control technology to rapidly zigzag to in front of the Big Catch, prompting Stone to call it a "monster". The Grand Cross then unleashed a close-range laser barrage, devastating the Big Catch and its fleet [1].
The Big Catch caught in the Grand Cross's laser barrage
As the Big Catch fell silent, the Parabellum touched down and fired on the Grand Cross. Shaken by the missile barrage, the Grand Cross retreated. After Ironbeard warned the Bentenmaru of the danger posed by the Grand Cross, the Parabellum departed and the Bentenmaru attempted to rescue the crew of the Big Catch [2].
They succeeded in saving the crew, most of whom were heavily injured, however they were unable to keep the fires onboard the Big Catch from reaching the ship's ammunition stores, which detonated and destroyed the ship. Afterwards, the Bentenmaru and the remainder of the Big Catch's fleet departed [2].
Fever Mouretsu Pirates (Game-Only)[]
Stone and the Big Catch appear as opponents for Marika and the Bentenmaru in the game's first Galaxy Episode. Depending on circumstances, the two face each other either in a swordfight or ship-to-ship, with the outcome resting on the player's actions [3].
Crew[]
- Stone (captain)
Uniform[]
The crew of the Big Catch wore dark grey trousers and jackets with light grey on the front, dark grey on the rear and black lining.
Escort Fleet[]
- Escort Ships (same design as Lightning 11, yellow colour scheme)
- Clover
- Crocus
- Hyacinth
- Fighters
- Falcon-1
- Falcon-2
Trivia[]
- The Big Catch's escort ships are all named after types of flowers.
- Another ship called the Big Catch, a sightseeing ship, appears on a navigation screen in Mouretsu Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace.
References[]
| Frontier (Letter of Marque) | Bentenmaru • Barbaroosa • Hakuchou • Kokuchou • Silver Fox • Big Catch • El Santo • Viracocha • Shangri-La • Southern Island • Low of War • Dark Star • Love Machine • Hakugin Go • Murakamimaru • Back Slash • Lucky Star • Karyoubinga • Sinbad • Death Shadow • Glamorous Ridis |
| Frontier (Unlicensed) | Chimaera of Skylla |
| Galactic Empire | Parabellum |