Guns n Powder

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

Aboard CSS Arbiter.

The room was decked out. Clad in the colors of her house, lavish whites and dark blues. At the end of a long table sat the Queen admiral, uniform impeccably pressed, Beret drooped over one eye so the flash was a bit tilted. Servants of the House flanked her on each side, and farther back two Royal Marines.

But this was no battle.

Perhaps of wits?​

She took another sip of her wine and checked her chrono. It was dirty, beaten and pocked with carbon. A testament to her olden Pirate days.

"So are we expecting our guest soon?" She asked in a neutral tone.

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva arrived at the designated meeting coordinates in her usual fashion, aboard a Warship, heavily armed, and well guarded. One could never be too careful. From her Cruiser she traveled via Gunship to the CSS Arbiter to meet with this "Queen Admiral." She rather liked the way the title rolled from the tongue, but she'd never admit as much aloud.

Immediately upon their arrival, Zenva and her two bodyguards were relieved of their weaponry, an understandable precaution. She knew that even devoid of their firearms, she and her fellow Zabrak could be deadly if necessary. Nonetheless, she hoped such knowledge would not be put to the test. Fighting her way free of a capital ship with not but a few unarmed guards beside her was not something she wanted to do.

In short order the Zabrak Matron, and her two bodyguards were lead through the ship. Zenva, wrapped in her blood red leather trenchcoat, soon came face to face with this Queen Admiral. The Zabrak inclined her horned head slightly, one of the few gestures of respect she offered anyone in the galaxy. A smile curled her black painted lips.

"Greetings, your Majesty. My name is Zenva Vrotoa. I am honored to make your acquaintance."

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

The Queen Admiral rose at her new visitor and rendered a curtsy.

"Well met Zenva Vrotoa. Please have a seat and make yourself at home here. Attendants, please fetch us refreshments."

She took her own seat and steepled her fingers, as her aide opened up a file on a data pad nearby and cast it to a holo projector mid table. The Zabraks looked a bit unnerving to Katarine, but in the Commonwealth Systems, all folks whether xeno or not we equal citizens. They were something a newer more vicious form of the Republic.


"Now my sources on Nubia in the Merchants Ministry tell me you have some high grade goods to sell. The Commonwealths ears are open to hear what those are."

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

One hairless brow quirked up as the Queen Admiral dipped a curtsy before the Zabrak. How bizarre, she mused silently. Never had she seen one of these self proclaimed Royalties show such respect to what so many of them counted as a mere commoner. Zenva's title had been earned through bloodshed, and rigorous labor. One her clansmen could strip from her the moment enough of them felt she was leading their clan improperly. The Matron, as her clansmen called her, nodded her crimson and black marked head once more before slipping into the offered chair.

"Thank you, Majesty." The Zabrak folded one long leg atop the other, her riding boot bobbing slightly in the air. "While I'm not sure what you have heard, Majesty, I'm sure I should be thanking someone for speaking so highly on my behalf." One of the Matron's hands waved through the air almost lazily. The guard to her left stepped forward to place a small projector of her own on the table, and quickly began tapping on a datapad. A moment later a little blue hologram of the Cruiser she had arrived in appeared.

"Thank you, Kil'kae." The soldier nodded her head, and returned to her post behind the Matron. "The Grand Hammerhead Class Medium Cruiser. Six hundred, and fifty meters of assault ship. She boasts two heavy rail cannons, which fire a massive six meter long, nine ton, titanium round. These fire after a volley of three capital class plasma rail guns. If you bring up your ships sensor read outs," The Matron gestured toward the Queen's attendant to obey. "You'll have a nicer view of one."

The Zabrak flashed a smile, her pearl white serrated, shark like teeth sparkling vividly against her crimson features, and blackened lips. "Or am I mistaken in understanding what her Majesty desires to hear about?"

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

All this talk of Rail Cannons began to get her excited inside. She loved nothing more than to sink some high velocity heavy kinetics into the sides of her enemies. Plus they were good for orbital bombardment too, creating additional seismic activity much better than your standard laser.

"Aides."

And alas she was looking at one hunking piece of beauty. It reminded her of a simpler time, when ships were smaller and packed less weapons. But this one was nice. She could easily envision another core section of her Battlegroup filled with them, lobbing artillery downrange at the enemies fleets.

"Aye I am very interested in this. Tell me more about its capabilities or a time it's seen combat. Also we'll need to know you're asking price. We'd be happy to set up a contract for long term supply and repair. Possibly we'd like em refitted in a few years, once tech gets outdated."

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

The Zabrak Matron's lips settled into a rather openly smug smirk. Clearly she was pleased that this Queen Admiral showed such interest in her creation. "Happily, my Lady. This particular model of Grand Hammerhead is nicknamed The Typhoon in my catalogue." Once more the Zabrak's hand waved, her guard stepping forward to place the datapad on the table beside the projector it was linked to. Once the guard had returned to her post, Zenva continued. "Feel free to browse."

Zenva sat upright, her legs changing which was atop, as she cleared her throat. "The Cruiser's primary weapons, the five forward rail weapons, fire on a six second cycle. The twin massive drivers fire, weakening, or potentially disabling a target's shields. This is followed by a volley with one second spacing from the three plasma rail guns. These weapons are designed to burn shields and melt ship armor. A one second delay after the third plasma round allows for the plasma volley to burn into a target, and the twin mass drivers fire once more. In an ideal situation this final shot from the M.A.R.C One's will punch through the target's weakened armor, dragging the magnetically charged plasma in behind them."

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

The sounds of guns range in her ears already.

She tilted her head and leaned in.

"How much will these be then? For about a hundred?"

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Her boot hit the floor harshly as the Zabrak Matron leaned forward, disbelief written plainly across her sharp, crimson features. "H-hundred? One hundred?" She stammered. "Majesty, do you grasp the scope of what you ask for? These are multimillion credit pieces of hardware. With hundreds of thousands of credits worth of support craft to each one. You're asking for several billion credits in star ships, Majesty."

Zenva leaned back in her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose as though she had a headache. When she looked up once more her face was set in a cold, determined expression. "The fact of the matter, your Majesty, is that I don't have one hundred of these to hand you. I don't have thirty of these to hand you. The twenty I have in drydocks alone, my Lady, would cost somewhere around three quarters of a billion credits."

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

She kept her displeasure from her face but nodded. At those numbers it would indeed be a stretch.

"We'll take ten then. Can we consider this a deal?"

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva nodded her horn head respectfully, a small smile on her coal painted lips. "Very well, your Majesty. Kil'kae, draft a sales receipt." The soldier behind the Crimson Lady nodded, and moved to recover her datapad.

While her command was being carried out, the Zabrak continued. "Perhaps I can still be of greater service, my Lady. You require a large naval presence by the sound of it. What would you say if I could still provide you with it?"

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

Katarine nodded.

"Sell me your pitch."

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva nodded, continuing in a neutral, business like tone. "You have an obvious desire to increase the capabilities of your Fleet. Would you be interested in investing in the construction of a new shipyard? One inside Commonwealth space. With a new facility, I could build you a fleet at a much reduced cost."

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

Katarine nodded.

"A new shipyard would be great. We currently have a Jast Orbital shipyard and several other defensive platforms around the orbit of Nubia. That'll help keep the defenses up for your enterprise."

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

"Excellent!" Zenva replied, enthusiasm coloring her tone. "I'll have Kil'kae here draft you a sales receipt for the ten Cruisers, and I will begin drafting schematics for a new shipyard the moment I am returned to my office." With that the Zabrak flowed from her seat. "Unless there is anything further you desire to discuss, Majesty?"

[member="Katarine Falcon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

She shook her head.

"That would be all. Anything from you?"