Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

[Captain Larraq]

"Show me again." Rygel Larraq said as he stubbornly held the effects of his second day of sleep deprivation at bay. Scattered papers littered his desk, the occasional escapee finds its way to the growing pile of discarded files, folders, and stacks of paper that encircled his workspace like an invading army of barbarians laying siege to what would otherwise be an orderly and pristine office. Here and there, dark circular stains marked his desk like crop-circles in a field, the only evidence remaining of a dearly departed mug of coffee. Three such mugs were scattered about his desk. Each one long-since cold and fermenting like a corpse upon the ground, the dark stain of its spilled contents surrounding it like chalk around a corpse.

"According to the seller, Echani Graphite possesses thermal and kinetic resistances as well as an overall durability that is similar to Beskar." The recorded voice echoed once again in a dirty and distorted holographic projection on top of his desk. "We didn't believe it at first, but initial tests would seem to back up this claim. It is cheaper, easier to manufacture, and uses a fairly common mineral composition to achieve its level of durability. The only... noteworthy limitation to the product is that it these properties are only obtainable when manufacturing the Graphite into cylindrical rods."

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq's hand went to one paper, then another as he slid each aside looking for one in particular. The Clan Dem'adas' combat report for the Primeval Invasion of Wayland. They had managed to hold steady at Fort Monroe. Olivia herself had played a part in the defense of the planet, but the rest of the world had been overwhelmed before reinforcements could arrive. <Not like there was much there anyway.> Larraq thought to himself through the fog and confusion of exhaustion. <Filthy Kremlins.>

His eyes skimmed the report until they found what they were seeking. Several of the defensive bunkers worked into the trench-lines around Fort Monroe had included Echani Graphite as a sort of... mesh reinforcement for their construction. Not only had the bunkers held up to the concentrated efforts of the Primeval's assault on the position, but the people inside were able to survive a friendly-fire misshape with an entire salvo of flame carpet warheads. <Alright... so it can take a beating.> He thought absently as he returned the paper to where he had found it and tried to organize his thoughts.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"This mesh... It's typically worked into duracrete?" Larraq asked his desk.

A moment of silence later, the holographic image of one of his engineers appeared over the desk as his voice responded to the question. "The mesh is, that's correct. There is also a Reed variant that is used with Durasteel." The older man with salt and pepper hair and a thick mustache said. "The Graphite itself is used for a wide variety of creations. From weapons and armor to cabling and storage containers. If you recall, the cable launcher in your Beskar'gam is Echani Graphite."

Larraq arched an eyebrow at the comment. If the material was a component of his own Beskar'gam, then it was something he should have already been familiar with. <What time is it anyway?> Larraq wondered as he tried to recall how long he had been awake for.

"So what's the difference between the Mesh and the Reed underlay?" Larraq asked as he leaned forward, resting his elbows upon his desk. "Which would we want to use with our own metal plating?"

 

[Captain Larraq]

"The biggest difference is in scale." Said the walrus-looking man in the hologram above Larraq's desk. "If we're talking personal armor, you'd want the wire mesh. If you're talking vehicles, buildings, or starships... you'd want the Reed underlay. It's more like a cross-thatching of metal bars while the mesh is more like... thick fishing wire woven into a near-fabric material."

"Starship plating, Jamie." Larraq said as he fumbled with one of the cold and near-empty mugs of discarded coffee, eventually able to bring the cold swill to his mouth in a desperate attempt at a few more hours of wakefulness. "Of course we're talking about starship plating. So how much of this Graphite would we need to reinforce capital ship armor plates?"


"That... would depend on the metal and how dense the Reed-mesh." Jamie began as his eight-inch tall holographic self began rubbing the mustache on either side of his face with his index and thumb. "Too thick and it would compromise the structural integrity of the metal, causing the metal to fragment and break away from the mesh after sustaining a fairly moderate amount of kinetic damage. Too thin and the Reeds wouldn't confer any tangible structural benefit to the metal plating... causing the rigidity differences between the Reeds and the metal itself to weaken the entire structure under pressure."

 

[Captain Larraq]

"The goal here is to take the next step after the Type 2.5 project, Jamie." Larraq said after a brief sigh. He couldn't tell if he was somehow hard to understand at the moment, or if he was the one having a hard time understanding. <I need sleep.> He thought to himself briefly before elaborating for the sake of himself and the engineer that had to deal with him in his current state. "We'd be working this into Mandalorian Steel plating. Could we reinforce Mandalorian Steel plating with this Mesh."

"Well... that would not be an easy task." Jamie said as his holographic self shifted his stance and crossed his hands over his chest, obviously in thought over the proposition. "Normal Iron or Steel can simply be poured over the mesh and pressed into plating. Mandalorian Steel, like Beskar, needs to be treated and forged in very specific conditions. Any plating of suitable size would need to be hand-forged with very specific internal matrix's in order to properly bond to the Graphite core."

"But it could be done?" Larraq said as he tipped over the other two mugs on his desk to confirm that they were empty.

"Yes. It would take a few practice runs to get the specifics right... but it could be done." Jamie said as Larraq fumbled with his datapad, ordering a fresh pot of coffee be brought to him.

"I want your best guess..." Larraq said as he leaned back into his chair and waited on his coffee. "What sort of results could we expect from this?"

 

[Captain Larraq]

"With Echani Graphite Reeds at the core... in the right percentages... We'd be looking at thermal resistances as close to that of Beskar as possible without actually using Beskar." Jamie said, his hologram making the occasional hand gesture as he began to pace back and forth, obviously intrigued by the idea. "The plating wouldn't be much heavier than standard Mandalorian Steel plates, but would possess a marked improvement in kinetic durability. I wouldn't be sure until we ran some tests with the final product, but I'd hazard a guess that the plating would be nearly invulnerable to small caliber weapons and highly resilient to laser cannons and turbolasers."

"That sounds impressive..." Larraq said to the hologram as a fresh pot of coffee entered the room in the hands of a service droid, four fresh mugs coming with it. <Wait, there was a fourth mug? Where'd it go?> Larraq absently thought as the droid placed the pot and mugs on his desk and began collecting the old and discarded pot and mugs. "but how does it compare to... just using Beskar Rods in a similar manner?" Larraq asked as he watched the droid bend to pluck an empty mug from the floor on the far side of his desk. Apparently... the fourth mug had fallen at some point.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"For one... Echani Graphite is lighter weight and more flexible than Beskar." Jamie explained, his hands again returning to their previous crossed-over-chest position as he stopped his pacing. "If used as a Rod underlay for metal plating like this... there would be no way to pair the physical limitations of Mandalorian Steel with the capabilities of Beskar. Just like using too thin a coverage of Reeds, you'd end up with rigidity differences between the Beskar Rods and the Mandalorian Steel plating. Any torque or pressure at all and the Mandalorian Steel would try to bend while the Beskar rods would hold firm. Eventually, the Mandalorian Steel plating would shatter."

"What if we layer it like we do with the Myrkava Tank and Rekali Fighter?" Larraq asked, recalling the effectiveness of both of those designs on the battlefield as he basked in the warmth radiating from the mug held between his hands. "Do a thin layer of Beskar and sandwich it between Mandalorian Steel..." He proposed before taking a long, loving sip of the black liquid cradled between his hands.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"For one, that wouldn't work on this scale." Jamie answered looking genuinely annoyed by the idea. "Even if we could afford it. While the individual plates could withstand a greater punishment, every ship constructed in such a manner would require extensive repairs at drydock after every battle. The rigidity differences between Beskar and Mandalorian Steel simply don't complement each other."

"Alright." Larraq anwered after a long moment of simply basking in the joy of warm coffee. "Thanks Jamie. Get your department ready to begin prototype manufacturing and testing. I'll see what I can do to get us a supply of Graphite."

"Sure thing boss." Jamie said before closing the line.

<And now...> Rygel Larraq thought to himself and his finger scrolled through the contacts list on his dataslate. <For bribes and checkbooks.>

After a few moments of searching, he had found the number for Abregado-Rae's administrative department. A few moments later, after a brief trip to the restroom to splash water on his face and make himself look a bit more presentable, he initiated the call.

When the secretary answered the call, Larraq put on the typical boisterous demeanor of a CEO. It didn't really suit him well in most cases, but those not of Mandalorian blood tended to expect as much from those... with credits to spend. "This is Rygel Larraq of Mandal Hypernautics." Larraq said with a fake grin and the assumed attitude of a man with more money than sense. "I'd like to proposition your boss. Put him, her, it, whatever on the line."

Absently, Larraq vaguely wondered if it would be [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] or [member="HK-36"] that picked up the call.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Captain Larraq"]


As it happened, Larraq's call would go to Siobhan. Or rather one of her many secretaries. This one was an Atrisian and not a particularly pleasant one. "As I'm sure you know given your position, Mr Larraq, my boss is Countess Siobhan Kerrigan. It pays to know such things. I will see if she's available for your call. I'd strongly suggest a change in tone."


A bit of time passed, during which the Mandalorian business moghul might be entertained by the usual music you got when you were stuck on the holophone. It was more annoying than entertaning after a while.


Subsequently, a holographic projection of Siobhan Kerrigan would manifest. The woman was wearing a fancy black suit and seated behind a fancy mahogany desk in a throne-like chair. She certainly looked haughty and probably had just as much ego as the Mandalorian. "Lady Siobhan Kerrigan. I've been told you have a business proposition for me, Mr. Larraq?"

 

[Captain Larraq]

As it happened, Larraq's call would go to Siobhan. Or rather one of her many secretaries. This one was an Atrisian and not a particularly pleasant one. "As I'm sure you know given your position, Mr Larraq, my boss is Countess Siobhan Kerrigan. It pays to know such things. I will see if she's available for your call. I'd strongly suggest a change in tone."

<And I'd strongly suggest you eat a-> Larraq thought to himself in his sleep deprived state, cutting the thought off before SWChaos's PG-13 rating interfered with his narrative as well as losing his train of thought as the call-holding music began playing. While it was catchy and amusing at first, causing Larraq's head to bob from side to side as he sipped his coffee and listened to the simple and repetitive tones, it quickly wore out its amusement.

Subsequently, a holographic projection of Siobhan Kerrigan would manifest. The woman was wearing a fancy black suit and seated behind a fancy mahogany desk in a throne-like chair. She certainly looked haughty and probably had just as much ego as the Mandalorian."Lady Siobhan Kerrigan. I've been told you have a business proposition for me, Mr. Larraq?"

Larraq jerked forward as the call abruptly cut to a real person with no warning, nearly managing to both choke on and spit out his coffee as [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] began speaking. A quick cough or two later, and Larraq had composed himself enough to begin speaking. Biting back the temptation to suggest that she transfer her secretary to Nal Hutta, Larraq instead sat what was left of his coffee on the desk and began the

"Greetings Lady Kerrigan, you hear correct." He said, beginning pleasantly with the woman. "I've been hearing some good things about the Echani Graphite your company produces and some even better things about what you've been doing with it." Larraq added ernestly, giving an honest complement where one was deserved. "Weapons, armor, tools... lots of great stuff. But it's the effect it has as an industrial construction material that's peaked my interest. I'd have to run some samples through my prototype department, but if it can live up to the reputation, I think it would fit fairly well with an upcoming project of ours. If so, I'd like to know what sort of supply contract your company is capable of keeping up with." He continued as he fought back the urge to draw life and caffeine from the hot mug of coffee resting in front of him. Finding a natural pause in the flow of the conversation, Larraq afforded himself a sip of his black, lifegiving source of alertness before finishing his proposal. "And, of course, your fee for the product."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Captain Larraq"]


Siobhan was probably more amused by the man's reaction than was appropriate. She preferred Atrisian tea to stimcaf. "Thank you. We're very proud of the Echani Graphite. I can't take credit for harnessing it. My predecessor did that, but I'm happy to continue the tradition," she began. Her tone was cordial. Complimenting her company's work put her in a good mood.


"In principle, we can deliver Echani Graphite in significant amounts, though it's a costly, restricted materiel since its properties come so close to Mandalorian iron. A company like MandalHypernautics should be able to meet our expenses though, and we could increase production in return for a suitable contract. What's the scale of the project you'd like a supply contract for and which materiel do you want? As I'm sure you know, aside from the baseline product, we also sell graphite mesh and reinforced durasteel. Their production is smaller scale, though. I believe Fort Monroe was made out of the reinforced durasteel." A supply contract would cost a lot of imaginary credits, but the Mandalorian should be able to afford it.


http://starwarsrp.net/topic/29809-argh-echani-graphite-and-gados-electrite/
http://starwarsrp.net/topic/44841-argh-graphite-mesh-reinforcement/
http://starwarsrp.net/topic/31246-argh-graphite-reinforced-durasteel/

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Yes, I've been made familiar with your range of products." Larraq said cordially as his eyes glanced towards the numerous document cluttering his desk and his hand lowered his coffee mug. "It's actually the capabilities of the reinforced Durasteel that's caught our attention. The addition of Echani Reeds to the core of Durasteel plating massively increased the overall durability of the product. Enabling it with withstand some impressive ordnance." He added as he picked up one of the nearest documents. His eyes skimming the document as he continued speaking. "We have a new alloy that we are experimenting with over here and I believe that introducing an Echani Graphite Reed-mesh as the core of plating made with this alloy will produce something... interesting." He said, pausing briefly as his eyes danced over the section that hypothesized the expected structural durability of Mandalorian Steel plating should it prove capable of functioning properly with Echani Graphite reinforcement. "Though it will take a few rounds of prototypes to figure out the exact construction format to achieve optimal performance."


"In terms of project scale..." Larraq said as to dropped the file back onto his desk with the rest of the sliced plant-corpses. "Well that will depend on the results of the initial testing. If the prototypes fail to live up to expectations... that will be it. But if things go according to plan, we should be needing roughly..." Larraq paused as he shuffled through papers until he found the exact estimate. "Enough graphite to produce 5,000,000 three meter by three meter squares of plating per unit, supplied at a fairly regular rate. As an initial contract anyway."

"We'll be able to handle the forging and pressing aspect on this end, but we'll need the graphite supplied." Larraq said as he leaned back against his chair and scratched his eyebrow. "If we can engineer a plating that meets our expectations, we'd likely end up looking to increase our supply contract to expand the range of projects we can utilize this product with. But for now it will be on a wait-and-see basis."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Captain Larraq"]

Now it was Siobhan who looked surprised. "I confess you've caught me a bit off-guard," she chuckled slightly. "We can make an initial shipment of the graphite for prototype testing, that's no problem. But the order for your project is on a tremendous scale. Enough for three battlecruisers. We would not be able to deliver such a massive supply instantly, but in stages once we've increased production to a sufficient degree."


Coincidentally, she and [member="HK-36"] had been discussing expansion of graphite production, so this was actually quite convenient. Picking up a ceramic cup, she sipped her Atrisian tea. Stimcaf did not really agree with her.


"I believe this could be very lucrative. Your new alloy and desire to combine it with the Echani Graphite Reed-mesh has piqued my interest. I understand that this all still hypothetical and dependent on the prototype's performance, but could you elaborate on it a bit? I'd like a combined product to be made available for us as well, so that we can sell and use it, too."

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"The Alloy?" Larraq said as he continued to lean into the back of his chair. His finger gently tapped for a moment as he weighed his discomfort with disclosing the nature of the material. "We're calling it Mandalorian Steel. It's not an easy thing to make and it's less about the alloy than it is about the manner in which it is forged... but the properties are impressive." He said as he made up his mind, leaning forward briefly to reclaim his coffee mug. "It's already beginning to completely replace Durasteel within the Clans and is far more abundant than Beskar."

"The raw materials that make up Mandalorian Steel are actually incredebly common, which has been an incredible boon to the local economy. But its creation requires... a human touch. It's not the materials that make Mandalorian Steel impressive, but the specific manner in which its various elements are shaped and forged." Larraq said as his eyes got lost within the swirling black liquid in his mug. "You see, the only problem we're having with the metal is that it cannot simply be poured into a vat and pressed to shape. Each piece of Mandalorian Steel is hand crafted by adept level Beskar Smiths with years of training in Mandalorian metalworking traditions. The best automation we've managed at this time is training droids to perform to... roughly apprentice standards." Larraq added as his eyes found their way back into the direction of Ms. Kerrigan.

"I'll be honest, I'm not entirely comfortable with disclosing this information with a Yaimi (neighbor), but both your company and the disbanded Protectorate have a history of good relations with the Clans." Larraq said before taking a brief pause to sigh quietly and take a sip of his coffee. "So I'm choosing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"The military and industrial arm of the Mando'ade recently stretched a bit farther than the planet could keep up with. It was decided that we needed to scale back our use of Beskar in large scale war efforts. But we had already created an industry that supported thousands of families by putting men and women to work forging Beskar. So..." Larraq said, pausing briefly for another sip of his stimcaf. "To try and prevent an economic decline, several independent projects were launched to see what these unemployed smiths were capable of producing when forced to work with... inferior materials."

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"In the end, the manufacturing process of making Mandalorian Steel is nearly identicle to forging Beskar. There are several subtle differences and some of the more fanatical smiths will chew your ear off talking about the differences between forging the two metals..." Larraq said with a wide, dismissive jesture from his left hand. "But by and large, it's the same."

"Which presents a problem." Larraq said as the softness in his eyes changed. "Manda knows I'm more than comfortable with sharing technology with other companies. ArmaTech and Mandal Hypernautics have been making some impressive headway in recent years and MandalMotors and MandalTech are not far behind."

"I can't blame you for being as interested in what we're working on as I am, and in most cases I'd be more than willing to negotiate a trading of technology in exchange for royalties..." Larraq said, trying in earnest to not come off condescending. "But this is as close to the heart of the Mandalorian people as the Resol'nare. I can't just give you a manufacturing contract and ship the minerals to your factories. And while I'm fairly sure even my own sister would have me shot if I agreed to teach [member="HK-36"] how to make Mandalorian Steel..." Larraq said, pausing briefly as he sat his mug of stimcaf on the arm of his chair. "I'll tell you what I can."

"When forging these prototype plates, the Mandalorian Steel will have to be bonded to the surface of the Graphite Reeds on a molecular level." Larraq said as he leaned forward in his chair and made the 'ancient aliens' hand gesture. "That base connection becomes the foundation from which the entire structure is built upon. Specific ores and minerals are added to the cooling metal as these molecular bonds are spread, structure by structure, throughout the metal at precisely timed intervals... It takes years of training and thousands of failed attempts before our smiths are capable of getting it right."

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Which in and of itself is the problem." Larraq said as he leaned back once again. "Your company simply doesn't have the specialist manpower to manufacture what I'm proposing on their own. And I can't be seen doing anything to change that. In our culture, Beskar Smiths are like rocket scientists and professional sports players rolled into one. There is no more noble profession on Mandalore except that of mother and teacher."

"The plating will have to be made in Clan space." Larraq said as he picked up his coffee mug again. "There simply are not enough suitably trained smiths anywhere else in the galaxy, and if I have any hand in changing that fact my own sister will hang me by my entrails and call me Aruetii and Dar'manda."

"But what I can do..." Larraq said as his eyes focused far into a distance that was not there. "Is help you set up manufacturing facilities on this side of the galaxy. Taris, Bandomeer, wherever. So long as it's within Clan borders. You set up shop, bring in your assets, and we'll send in private contractors to handle and oversee the smithing process."

"Once the plates are made, I don't care what you do with them." He said, moving to take a sip from his mug but not finding enough time between words to do so. "Sell them, sleep on them, work them into projects, I don't care."

"But..." Larraq said as he put down his coffee mug without drinking from it, pausing his speech as he looked into the holographic eyes of Siobhan Kerrigan. "Any internal security cameras, documents, droids, anything... No record of what goes on within that factory leaves the planet. Droids no longer working as smiths get their memory wiped. Any security footage of the smiths at work gets wipe. Documents even as vague as detailing individual manufacture times and raw materials used... never leave the facility."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Captain Larraq"]


"Ah, yes, the Mandalorian steel," Siobhan responded. It was somewhat familiar to her. The wrist bolter incorporated some of it. Of course, that part of the design had been outsourced to Gotal'veman. Firemane sold the finished product on the market, the Mandalorian company got royalties. Win-win.


She looked thoughtful for a moment, jotting down some notes. "I understand your dilemma. Mandalorian steel has to be worked by beskar smiths and I'm not too proud to admit that neither the Guild of Hammers nor Firemane employs those. While I've fought for the Mandalorians many times it would be inappropriate to ask them to pass on the secret to what's largely a foreign company."


Siobhan was considered a Mandalorian and two of her acolytes, Tempest and Elpsis, had joined her, but both Firemane and the Guild were based outside of the territory controlled by the Clans or the Crusaders.


"So all in all, I believe your proposal is reasonable, including the caveat about keeping the smiths' work secret. The Guild has been looking towards expanding into the Clans' space, so this tallies nicely. We will, of course, want to vet these private contractors you bring in, but not meddle with the smithing process."

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"That's good to hear." Larraq said as he drew a cigarette from his breast pocket and placed it between his lips. A flick of a lighter and an inhale later, a stream of smoke drifted from the Mandalorian businessman's mouth and towards the ceiling of his office. "I'll have a contract written up and on your desk within the hour." He said as he ran a mental list of bullet points through his mind.

"As soon as you get the Graphite out this way, I'll have my people begin working on some prototypes." Larraq said as he tried to estimate how long it would take to get a shipment from Firemane's quadrant of the galaxy to Mandalore. "And assuming we can get one with the properties we're looking for, we'll have a few plates sent your way for review and testing while you're getting your new factories up and running."

"In the meantime..." He said with a pause and a genuine smile. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Captain Larraq"]


"Likewise. I look forward to doing business with MandalHypernautics in the future. We'll be in touch," Siobhan cut the connection, ending the call. Then she brought the ceramic cup to her lips and took a sip from her Atrisian green tea.


Assuming this business venture went as planned, it would be extremely lucrative for the Guild of Hammers and help propel them to the next level. This would also be beneficial for Firemane's projects. Win-win situation, as far as she was concerned. Putting the cup down, she sent a message to [member="HK-36"] and [member="Tegaea Alcori"], informing them of the deal.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Captain Larraq"],

The droid would eventually receive the message,

"How much graphite does he want?!"

HK asked for confirmation as he saw the number, throwing his beach towel to the ground,

"The trip is cancelled!"

He called out to someone off-screen,

"We have to go make graphite for the next century!"

"Aww."