The towing would work as if towing a derelict. If the Putrid Atrocity is too good once used, I’ve thought about simply dropping the Switchblade part. Ships being towed automatically dock at islands when the towing ship docks, so getting gold slowly isn’t completely out of the question. Something like Hades’ Realm would be really nasty to tow it with, maybe even OP I think. So I might jack up the cost a bit when considering the possibilities.
Yes, Newborn Menace must be eliminated first (and stay eliminated) to even target an enemy crew in the first place.
The new Vaki ships look like a conundrum. The ability to not carry crew severely hurts them, to the point where both may be overpriced.