A race of friendly, birdlike aliens from Star Control 2. They are of the same species as the Yehat, but the two long ago split into separate worlds and cultures, because the warrior Yehat could not tolerate the Pkunks' peaceful philosophy.
Their warship is the tiny Pkunk Fury. Though quite fragile, it has the best speed of any ship in the game, and is perhaps third best in maneuverability. Only vessels with special movement types-- the inertialess Slylandro and Arilou-- have a tighter turning radius.
The Fury's weaponry consists of three short-range, rapid-fire cannons, aimed out the front and both sides of the ship. Each individual projectile does minimal damage, but the high rate of fire largely compensates for this.
Unlike most ships, the Fury does not have power cells that regenerate over time. Instead its weapons are fueled by the psychic energy of the Pkunk captain, as he works himself up to a battle frenzy by yelling insults at opposing ships. Enemies of the Pkunk suffer a constant barrage of such expletives as "nitwit," "jerk," "baby," and "worm."
By far the most impressive Pkunk ability is a limited kind of immortality. Sometimes when a Fury is destroyed, instead of losing the battle it will immediately respawn undamaged, accompanied by an impressive choral "Hallelujah!". This may happen many times in a single fight, which can prove very frustrating for the opponent.
When controlling a Pkunk ship in battle, your basic strategy is to hit and fade. You are too fragile to take many hits, so use your speed to dodge or outrun enemy shots. Make your way close to the enemy, unload all your ammo in a broadside, then run away to a safe distance. Dodge some more while yelling insults to replenish energy. Repeat as needed.
When fighting against a Pkunk, success will depend on your ship choice. The worst are slugs like the VUX and Mycon, who have basically no chance to hit the speedy Pkunk. The ideal choice would be the Chmmr or Kohr-Ah, which have omnidirectional defenses that negate any dodge advantage. In the mid-range ships, there is no complex strategy; just remember to avoid dogfighting and fancy maneuvers. Keep your distance, aim carefully, and try to land that one good shot.