That's an imperial capital ship. Sadly this isn't new. Attacked capital ships have been around since the start of hostilities with the thargoids and are permanent features of the system.
Thargoid Interactions
- Thread starter Ozric
- Start date
ahh ok, bummer then but oh well at least for a few thrilling minutes last nite my newb ignorance was sheer space BLISS !
Is it new that the Thargoids are abducting passengers now?
They always have (for the invasion)
Do we know that they do with them?
Depends.
- For the longest time, Interceptors have scooped up cargo containing humans (as in, Escape Pods, Imperial Slaves/Slaves, Hostages, Political Prisoners etc), but certainly won't fight you for them, and don't care if they're in your cargohold. What they're doing with them is anybody's guess.
- For the invasion, and specifically within the invaded territories, the Scythe will fight you for human cargo, whether it's passengers, escape pods, slaves, whatever.... and their behaviour will change depending on whether or not you are carrying them. Scythes return these to the Titans, where they are put into Thargoid Bio-storage Capsules. There's a few Galnet articles suggesting people who were in these and were rescued were "modified" in some way... but it's certainly hotly debated as to whether it's anything notable or not.
Personally, I don't put weight in claims that they're about to become a "zombie army" for the Thargoids or pose some existential threat. but that's definitely a common theme. My own thought is that they've been prepared, maybe even immunised, against some other threat.
Threats to whom?