An Atoll among the Stars

[Gir Quee]

Deluge-class Battle Carrier Soresu, in orbit via Kashyyyk

Gir clasped his hands behind his back as the battlecruiser entered geosynchronous orbit over the Silver Rest. Half a dozen smaller ships of the Silver Spacey had already formed a standing perimeter over the jedi temple, yet even with the Soresu's presence he didn't feel like the Silver Jedi's temple was secure from space. Rumors had spread of massive warships being built by the Sith Empire, and Admiral Quee had already seen first hand that the First Order and Galactic Empire had built massive star destroyers that dwarfed even the Soresu's size. And based on those governments' modus operandi, an orbital strike wasn't a possibility that they could rule out. Gir turned his attention to the bridge's massive holo-projector, which currently disappeared the scant orbital traffic above the jedi temple. Captain Noor, a grizzled veteran from Lantillies, turned his red cybernetic eye on Gir.

"Not much here."

"Not yet," agreed Gir.

The battle carrier's captain offered a shrug, "But if we do not bring something here, they will."

"Without doubt," agreed Gir, "but that's why we're here. Survey the area, and establish defenses..."

Noor silently stared him down. Gir met his gaze openly, expecting some criticism to finally escape the other man's lips. Scuttlebutt had it that Noor disapproved of both Gir's involvement with Lucerne Labs and their mission here: a conflict of interest. Gir couldn't entirely fault the man's skepticism.

 

[Gir Quee]

Noor turned his gaze from him back to the holo, with his eyes appearing to track a gray-plated shuttle as it skirted across the world's atmosphere. Gir waited, still expecting some remonstrance from the cyborg, but none came. Gir stepped forward and began to fiddle with the holo-projector's controls. The image began shift, with the shuttle becoming an almost unnoticeable speck as Gir zoomed out to view the whole of Kashyyyk and its trio of moons. Gir's eyes briefly rested on a moon covered in swathes of green and blue known for its farming community.

"Kashyyyk's moons each generate enough of a mass shadow to pull many ships from hyperspace before they enter Kashyyyk's orbit."

"But not all," mumbled Noor.

"And that's our chief concern," agreed Gir, leaning up on the holo-projector's railing, "because with enough delay, the Silver Rest can be safely evacuated or better prepared for defense. We just have to buy that delay in those areas where the orbitals do not produce enough mass to prevent immediate jumps."

"Delay by firepower, I'm assuming?"

Gir nodded, "We won't likely be able to completely push back a full-on assault, but if we put up durable fortifications with long-range weapons, we can make some approach vectors unappealing or block movements to immediately mass land large numbers of enemy troops."

"And that's where the stations come in, I'm assuming?"

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir nodded, "Stations and mines."

Gir had a well-known penchant for using mines that had existed since his formulative years as a young Republic officer. There were few platforms that were both cheap and yet carried exotic firepower. Mines were both, yet by themselves had little staying power either offensively or defensively. Noor once again turned his eyes on the man, and Gir felt the uncomfortable gaze of the man's red cybernetic eye. He blinked. That's bright enough that it has to annoy some other people as well...

"They paid you a lot for these."

"They paid Lucerne Labs a fair market price," rebutted Gir quietly, "just like everything else. Like the Soresu here."

A brief silence permeated their immediate space before a voice called down to them.

"Admiral, Captain...Lucerne Industry has entered the area."

Gir turned his attention back to the holo-projector and zoomed back in. A boxy starship almost half the Soresu's length had reverted just beyond the gravity well of one of world's moons. Yet even not fully zoomed in, Gir could recognize the lines as one of his company's Hephaestus-class Factory Ships. Lucerne Industry...He tried to recall the ship's last assignment, but he couldn't recall if that was one previously assigned to the Kwookrrr or one that had been on loan to the Galactic Alliance previously. Gir flipped his headset's microphone down and changed the comlink's frequency.

"Lucerne Industry, this is President Quee. Come to heading 34.86.59."

A soft female voice answered him, "Understood, we'll be there soon mister president."

 

[Gir Quee]

It several hours for the Lucerne Industry to gradually plow through space and arrive at the Soresu's location. During that time, Gir double-checked the astrophysics of the immediate space around them. Several of the platforms wouldn't have any propulsion of their own, and the results could be devastating if they were drawn into Kashyyyk's or any of the moon's gravity wells. Yet after rechecking the calculations, and having the ship's navigators recheck the company's own calculations, he was satisfied of the safety margins. Noor seemed to scrutinize his every move initially, but he gradually backed away and became absorbed in running the Soresu's day to day operations.

As the Lucerne Industry neared the Soresu's location, the blonde man turned his attention from physics to the psychological. He briefly read the dossier and biographies of the Industry's officers, focusing on Captain Chro's and Chief Engineer Lantas. Chro's background seemed unremarkable to him, aside that she too was a member of the Lantillian Spacers' Brotherhood. Lantas appeared to be a far more eccentric person, appearing to have meddled in almost every sort of technological field imaginable, but staying in none for long. He had been with the company for a scant three months, long enough that he had just started to fully understand the capabilities of his mobile factory. Gir began to pull up the ship's latest records to understand how the ship was currently configured to better understand what they should begin constructing first. He peered through the ship's records, noting that it had last been used to produce large-scale construction droids for Kwookrrr. He pulled up the droid's schematics and arched an eyebrow as he considered the component commonalities between the droids and what would be needed for their project here. It'll be easier to make the satellites first...

 

[Gir Quee]

As Gir pondered the specifics of the construction, he became aware that Captain Noor had reappeared at his side. The cybernetic eye seemed focused on scanning on his face, causing Gir to slowly turn around to face the ship's captain. Despite being taller than the other man, Gir suddenly felt like he was the one being stared down on.

“Yes captain?”

“Several corvette carriers have appeared and began to deploy the tractor beam satellites.”

Gir nodded, “That's good news.”

“They're government satellites.”

“Yes,” said Gir, with a slight frown.

“You don't see an issue with using government property to make a corporate profit?”

So that's where this is headed at. Gir folded his arms. On one hand, part of him dearly wanted to remind him about questioning a superior officer in public. On the other hand, he was all too aware of how sketchy it would seem if not only did they share a close corporate-government relationship, but one that was even shielded from its own directly involved personnel. Any attempts by him to make things private would suggest cronyism. Gir slowly let out a sigh.

“The satellites are going to be a permanent part of the world's defense,” said Gir, uncrossing his arms, “their use in construction will be incidental. And that's something that I have already negotiated for when the contract was signed. But I don't trust you to my word on it.”

“You don't?”

Noor's face briefly flickered into a semi-puzzled look that quickly changed to one of mixed suspicion and curiosity. Gir eyed him down steadily as he began to fish in one of his uniform's pocket. Eventually, his hand found a trapezoidal data chip, which he promptly offered to Soresu's captain.

“Go ahead and view this,” said Gir, looking around the bridge to meet the gazes of the few crewmembers who openly stared at them.

“You can even place it on the bridge's main holo-projector and let other people see it as well.”

 

[Gir Quee]

The holo-projector's wispy light resolved to reveal Gir dressed in suave black suit sitting across from pair of wookiees and a half dozen officials in some variation of the ISAF uniform. The blonde man briefly moved his hands across the polished wood table before briefly glancing off the camera towards an unknown figure.

“War will come again to Kashyyyk,” stated Gir dryly, “the presence of the Silver Rest almost certainly means that we will encounter an intrusion by the Sith or by some other darkside affiliated organization.”

One of the wookiee elders barked out a few brief words which an offscreen protocol droid was quick to translate.

“Let them come. They have come before, but we remain.”

A grizzled man in an ISAF uniform leaned forward, “Chief Wariekrrr, no-one hear doubts the strength and bravery here. I understand that Admir...errr...President Quee here has stood among your kin in battle here on Kashyyyk. I understand that your proposal addresses orbital defense, does it not?”

“It does,” said Gir, “many defenses best work in layers. With one layer impeding assaults as the one behind it rallies and readies for defense. This also gives more time for reinforcements to arrive. My idea here is to insert another such layer between our routine space patrols and the world below. Defensive stations would not only add such a layer, but could be used to bolster the layers in front of and behind it.”

“Stations which your company designed and will build,” said a blonde female, “you clearly have a vested interest in this.”

“I do,” admitted Gir quietly, “which is why I'm here in a business suit and not a military uniform.”

“The idea has merit though,” said the first officer, “even if the Admiral has a vested interest in it. Would anyone aside from Mr. Quee objected if we bought such stations from another supplier? No? Then I take it that the base idea is sound?”

Silence answered the admiral.

Admiral Kyal shook his head, “The question is then with the supplier of these stations, is it not?”

 

[Gir Quee]

The female officer bit her lip briefly, “We're aware of your Breakwater battle stations, Mr. Quee. Am I to assume that this is what you are offering this council?”

“Yes and no,” said Gir, leaning forward, “The Breakwater's abilities are known to you. You know of their firepower, durability, and ability to carry large numbers of ground troops. I think that these are important qualities for this potential contract. However, the large numbers of these stations that would be needed to cover an area like I am suggesting would be highly expensive. And perhaps just as importantly, appear intrusive in the night skies.”

“I did not take you for a romantic,” said the blonde woman, “though I suppose that intrusiveness is a viable political consideration to take into account. You would suggest a combination of stations or platforms then?”

Gir nodded, “A pair of battle stations, and a network of these satellites...”

With that last word, Gir slid over a miniaturized holo-projector towards the middle of the table. Light burst out from it to create a floating image of a four-lobed stations that seemed unusually thick for its size. Gir was certain that they had not seen the Reef-class Defense Satellite before, because none had been previously built.

“These satellites are frigate-sized,” stated Gir, “making it possible to cover more area with them than by a single battle station. Each one is also entirely automated, meaning that longterm operating costs will also be significantly cheaper. I think that you all can see the weapons emplacements on them.”

“Hypervelocity cannons and homing lasers,” observed Kyal, “and I would take it the shielding to go with that, given that I don't see any drives on this either.”

“Correct.”

“You don't see a lack of mobility as an issue?”

“There are always tradeoffs,” answered the man from Hast, “but given that the world below them won't be moving, I'd say that their durability is more important than their speed. I was going to suggest that tractor beam satellites be employed in conjunction with these satellites.”

“To keep enemies from escaping their considerable range?” smiled the grizzled veteran, “but I suppose that if nothing else, they would slow down some faster craft than these weapons would otherwise have trouble tracking...”

Gir nodded, “These stations aren't meant to replace the standard patrol fleets stationed here, but to augment them. Long-range weapons to keep them at bay and the durability to withstand attacks allowing them to blunt advances towards the planet below.”

Kyal turned his eyes to the rest of the assembled council.

“We will have a private discussion momentarily, Mr. Quee. If you would vacate the room while we do so.”

Gir nodded and disappeared offscreen.

 

[Gir Quee]

A brief burst of static fizzled around the image before the holo-footage returned, showing Gir starting to sit down in the chair again. The blonde man's eyes darted among the table's occupants. Admiral Kyal leaned back as he met Gir's gaze, but the grizzled veteran didn't speak. Instead, he merely looked at one of the wookiee chieftains, who began to rumble his throat before stringing along a series of barks, growls, and moans that the protocol droid began to rapidly translate.

"It is unusual for someone to do business on a scale this large and act as a war leader in the same area. Nonetheless, at least one of our people owes you a life debt from your actions before, as do others from your intervention when our world was a member of the Republic. We trust that your actions and intentions are honorable based on your history with us previously. Do not abuse the trust we are placing in you."

"Thank you, Chief Wariekrrr. I will strive to live up to the reputation that I have earned among your people."

"On a more immediate concern, we have all decided that these defenses need to come online as soon as possible."

"I can have factory ships here within a week. One of my factory ships, the Lucerne Industry, is only several days away."

"You misunderstand," said the woman, "we did read the contract that you proposed. We want the timeline advanced on that."

Gir blinked and hesitated, "I can see what resources I can divert from other projects to try and speed up the process..."

"The ISAF fleet should be involved," bluntly stated Admiral Kyal, leaning forward, "we have extra ships on patrol that doubtlessly could be put to use for such an important task. None of them are factory ships, but they can carry and move things to aid in construction. I will also be ordering your Soresu to join in these efforts to act as the command element for this project."

"Thank you sir."

"We will be making one other change to your contract. We will be providing the tractor beam satellites. We have some extra stock that was used...on a different project recently. We will retrieve them."

Gir shifted in his seat, "I understand that this will doubtlessly save cost. But the contract Lucerne Labs drew up relied on us supplying them in order to aid our work effort before turning them over to your full control. These tractor beams can assist in constructing the Reef satellites by moving materials, modules, tools, droids, and the like. I can't keep this timeline, much less speed it up, unless I can have access to the satellites right away."

Kyal glanced at the wookiee chief, who merely bobbed his furry head up and down.

"The satellites are not the fleet's, but those of Chief Wariekrrr's tribe. But it appears that he is willing to fulfill your request. I think we must, if we are to complete this on a practical matter."

"I do appreciate that."

Commander Swen broke her silence, "Then we all agree to the terms of the contract."

Gir nodded, "I do, on the behalf of Lucerne Labs."

"So do we all then," said Kyal, "I expect you to provide us with timely updates on your progress with this endeavor. I don't have to tell you that Commander Swen here will be keeping close track of your progress...."