Incom R&D - Project Starry Night (Corellia)

[Long Gone]

The new Incom Corporation Development Center was elegant, modern and above all else...heavily guarded. Incom Corporation had spared no expense to ensure that it's corporate secrets were kept exactly as they were meant to be, secrets. There were many reasons Incom Corporation decided to hole up in Omega Protectorate territory as opposed to Republic Space, one in particular was security at the moment was tighter in OP territory. In addition to providing land and security to Incom, Omega Protectorate agreed to provide escort services to and from the Development Centers to Fresia and Ranklinge. It was a nice deal, one which proved to be mutually beneficial for both parties.


Alyesa Praxon stared at the material before her, a slender eyebrow raising in question as she looked at the team of developers and then the flimsy before her. "This is it?" The team nodded cautiously as Alyesa took the piece of flimsy material within her fingertips, they seemed to gasp in horror as she grabbed the "ancient" material.


"This is what the old model Stealth-X's used?" She said amused as she examined the material more closely before setting it back down on the white glass. The speckles of star material would shimmer and shine against the soft light that provided.



The lead researcher stepped forward, fumbling with his words as he spoke. "We believe it was...excellent for the time period but there are modifications that can be done." He waved his hands a bit infront of him as he approached the material from the side. “For example, the way the material is made and the pattern can be altered.”


Alyesa nodded softly, indeed the material seemed to be a bit flimsy, but she always thought it was applied as a paint or a metal coating. “Perhaps a direct metal application or painted coating. I have an idea which we’ll focus on when this is done on how to underlayer this to make it even more better than the original concept.”


She brought her hand up to her chin and sighed. A single finger went across her chin before her hand fell down. “I want to ensure a ship doesn’t have to rely on Stygium, although this measure by any means won’t be any less expensive and could indeed be more expensive in the long run, we need an alternative option that actually negates sensors.”


She nodded to herself, well to the development team. “Let’s get to it gentleman. We have work to do.” The development team nodded briefly, the lead researcher coming up and grasping the white glass tray which held the flimsy Star Reflector material. The project would focus primarily on enhancing the phasing of the Star Reflector material which Incom had patented, implementing better coating measures as well as offering a wider variety of ways to apply it.


They wouldn’t just cover their own Stealth-X fighters when that design was done, but offer it to select high-end individuals and even a capital class vessel or two. It was a bold idea, one which would cost a pretty penny but no doubt with how the XJ-9 product was selling and the new contract with Omega Protectorate, it would provide more than enough to proceed forward with that and other projects.

 

[Long Gone]

Alyesa looked over the schematics for the Star Reflector paint and then the Night Shade Camouflage, an eyebrow raising as she monitored the statistics on the board compared to the old technology of the XJ3 Stealth-X series. There were considerable improvements in the matter in which wave technology and other forms of detection were absorbed into the material. The difference of radar and sensor negating measures was around 2.5%, which was modest. Of course, there was other material to be worked on to increase the star-fighter to make it more agile and powerful in combat. For now, they would focus on the element of surprise.

She brought the new flimsy sheet up and examined it in the light, hazel orbs glancing at the glowing speckles and the matte looking black paint test sheet. Statistically, the modified XJ-3 Series that Incom Corporation would develop into the new XJ-7 would be more invisible than the last to sensors and near invisible to the naked eye. Save for the communications and weapons firing of course, no one would be able to bypass that unless there was a way to develop a communications array which operated on frequencies that were literally unknown to the Universe. Again, the impossible.

Well, nothing was impossible but too much money had been dumped into this project right now to develop it, maybe that would be saved for another time.

 

[Long Gone]

The newest application was ready for testing.

Alyesa watched as the technicians began applying the Starry Night Reflective Coat ontop of a hulk of starfighter alloy that was being used for this particular application. Alyesa on the other hand was behind a different array of sensors and read-outs, watching as the application process took shape and the greyish hulk began to blacken and speckle just faintly and eventually begin to develop unique shapes that simulated the night sky. She would manipulate the back-drop behind the starfighter hulk, switching it from a grey-screen to a fully starlight sky.

And within a second, it was as if the piece of starfighter had vanished before the naked eye...atleast at the 50 meter range. As the technicians continued to apply the technology, the more metal would disappear into thin air it would seem. Alyesa would nod softly to herself, as she watched the visual sensors begin to manipulate their own read-outs. The different laser points set up would fire off short beams to simulate visual sensors from various ranges, attempting to replicate human and other types of beings visions. As the readings came back, they would be a 13% increase over the original Stealth-X application.

Quite an impressive increase considering the amount of technology the had to go off of, then again the application hadn't been used in such a manner in almost eight hundred years. With every company or person relying on the extremely expensive route of stygium, this would become a method that was easier to access and of course less dangerous. She couldn't guarantee the expense portion, as it was already costing a pretty penny just for research and development.

 

[Long Gone]

Alyesa would get closer to the now starry reflective sheet of metal that came from some junkyard heap on some distant planet and would stare at it in awe. This once grey, dull, scrap piece of metal had been turned into a thing of beauty...but they weren't done yet. Visual sensor paint had been applied, but now it was time for the good stuff. She turned to her Chief Designer and nodded after running a hand along the streamlined, star-streaked hull. A sense of pride overcoming her as she returned to her station for observation, the Chief Designer beginning the application of the NightShade technology that Incom Corporation had developed.

It was no different than the original application that Incom used on the Stealth-X before save for a more modernized approach with the layered Starry Night reflector coating underneath to increase "invisibility" to sensors both visually and electronically.

As the application process began, Alyesa too would begin her own testing. She would manipulate the buttons and the screens to test every range of sensors possible. She would test the non-applied side versus the side that had a fresh coat of the thin layer of NightShade technology over it. The difference between the sensor absorption and detection was astounding. As the coating of NightShade progressed across the hulk of the Starfighter remains, the piece became invisible to all known facets of modern sensors. Instead of having an effective rate of 98.7 as the old Stealth-X appeared to have according to data flimsies which were recovered from archived databases, the increase was an astonishing .9 percent.

 

[Long Gone]

There were other applications to consider as well.

Alyesa stared at the various readouts as the multitude of computers continued to press the figures together, arranging various degrees and shapes of the paint and layer of flimsiplast across the hull of the Starfighter. It would be considered for dropships and even capital class vessels. Of course, the larger the vessel was, the more expensive the project itself would cost.

The possibilities for this type of technology was no different than the Stygium crystals, except for it was a synthetic material and could be recreated by Incom Corporation, of course she would have to ensure that there was no way to reverse engineer it.

That would be a simplified process, it would be no different than putting a brand on another item you intended to mass market.

 

[Long Gone]

Another night in the bowels of this forsaken place.

This is what happens when something consumes the mind of an engineer.

Well, atleast that is what she was led to believe. Different application processes and checks were still being calculated on the Starry Night Anti-Detection System. Numbers had to be run, systems had to be pushed to the limit, different angles and backgrounds, the whole process had to be tested and tested again before the fun stuff really started.

The field application.

When it was ready for field-testing, then she would get excited, for now, she was anxious. There was a sense of patience and understanding that this whole thing would pay off and she would be able to get the thing up and running and field these out to the Jedi and the Republic in their fight against the One Sith soon....very soon.

 

[Long Gone]

Her eyes were burning, even through the lined and tinted lenses.

"You need to increase the tint by atleast 4% to get the effect we are going for, otherwise the pilot is going to have an issue." She yelled over the noise of the sun generator.

The leader designer nodded and began taking notes as they shut down the machine, Alyesa walked away from piece of transparisteel that was being tinted with a new type of blast-tint technology. Well, one couldn't call it new, it was more dark than the original and able to adjust in a slight varying degree in order to accommodate the needs of battle. Nothing overly special, just something to add a bit of protection for the pilots eyes was all.

Had to take care of the pilot in the end.

Speaking of taking care of someone, Alyesa needed to take care of herself. One of the technicians this morning noted how she looked a little pale and under the weather, which in turn prompted her to give him a half-hearted "Go jump in a furnace smile."

Maybe she did need a break, but then again, it would have to wait until this was done. The damned Stealth-X Project had to be completed, time was running short and people needed this item, badly.

 

[Long Gone]

The newest X-Wing model had arrived from Fresia a few hours after Alyesa awoke the next day.

It was a sleek model, a bit smoother in design than the other models had been and included the traditional four engines as opposed to the split engines like the newest XJ-9 did. However, these new engines were more powerful and boasted speeds faster than the XJ-9. It would also have a faster and harder hitting weapons system and advanced shields and targetting. The biggest thing beyond the stealth would be obviously the hyperdrive. The ship would be the premier vessel in strike capabilities against enemies both near and far to the Republic and the Jedi Order.

Alyesa would watch in amazement as the coat of paint was applied to the flawless looking vessel, and shortly after, the designers would begin placing the flimsyplast over the coat of quick-dry paint.

Soon, it would be ready for field-grade testing. Fortunately, they were in a secured location where Omega Protectorate Forces provided ample enough security at such long ranges there was no way to have any type of corporate sabotage if they were to take the thing up in space for light testing.

 

[Long Gone]

Alyesa sat onboard the Stormhead Frigate "Independence". The communications chatter had been silenced for the field testing of the Stealth-X project and the immediate area had been secured by both Omega Protectorate Forces and Incom Corporation's Defense Fleet. Alyesa would look to the Communications Chief and the Captain of the ship and give them both a nod.

There was a small chatter amongst the two of them, and a confirmation from the pilot before a small jolt shook the craft they were on. The sound of an X-Wing roaring by caught her attention, but visually, she didn't see it. She looked around the Command Deck to see the reactions of individuals, and they had the same gaping expression she did. "Where is it..." She found herself whispering as she stared out into the starry abyss. She couldn't find it, and that was the intention.

"Run a full sensor sweep." She made a motion to the Sensor Station, and the Ensign acknowledged and soon came back with a negative. "Nothing on radar ma'am, we're unable to detect it."

"Captain, hail the ship.." She said quietly.

As soon as he hailed the X-Wing, and the pilot replied back, it showed up as a small, faded blip on the radar and quickly disappeared. "Something we're unable to work past, but no matter...I'd say it's a success!" She yelled out, and the deck itself erupted with cheers.

 

[Long Gone]

It was time to move onto the next piece of the rather large puzzle.

A complicated puzzle at that.

She had so much more work to do before she could truly put this thing to the test, especially up against some of the best fighters in the Galaxy. She wanted this one to be one of the best of the best, of course if someone wanted the best, they would have to pay the price for it.

The technology was there, the components were there. They just needed to be modified to be better than what they used to be. It was all a matter of throwing things together and making something worth it, well worth it to her. This was going to be her defining moment, her legacy. No other piece of work in Incom Corporation would be able to define her.

She pulled the black sheet over the semi-completed model of the XJ-7, a happy sigh escaping her lips as she secured it down with the help of some of the engineers and technicians. For now, it was time to rest before moving on to the next bits.