It's a Pity, Boz (SSC)

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Abaigeal E'ron"], [member="Tempest"]


"Jedi business. Riiight. Make sure you recite the Code five times whilst bowing in the direction of Ossus. Otherwise you'll turn dark side, dress like a goth and look like a zombie," Elpsis said in what she considered to be the best imitation of a prim and proper Jedi.


She looked at Tempest, debating whether to be feel annoyed or not. "Aww. You're keeping me company? That's nice. You're hot when you're dominant. You got a pair of cuffs with you?" she asked innocently, returning the kiss with great eagerness. "Bye, Aba. Have fun."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Audren Sykes"]

Tegaea nodded, then shrugged. “Your modesty does you credit, Audren. I will certainly contact [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] for advice if he is still on-planet. For now though, would you like a tour anyway? It always helps to get another perspective on things. Besides, our daughter has mentioned you before.”

The Kerrigan-Alcori brood was getting larger by the year. No one could adopt like they could!

For both their benefits she pointed to one of the smaller forts being constructed. When finished it would be a hexagonal defensive work with its own mini shield and a trio of Ballista turrets along with smaller weapons.

“Want to take a closer look on the way to the hanger? Maybe if not as a pilot, you can give your opinions as a Jedi if you had to attack this?”

Public displays of affection tended to upset people…especially Jedi…so Tegaea stroked her hand down Siobhan’s back and gave her a light pat on the rump. She didn’t want their guest getting too uncomfortable after all!
Of course, she was hoping she’d given out the right signal, but perhaps Siobhan would misunderstand it!

“Good idea, love, I’ve been waiting for those fighters to arrive, and they’re a good piece of tech. I would also like your input on using some of the graphite to reinforce the walls, especially around the hanger openings.”

She paused. “Oh, I heard from Tempest and Aba, they’re at the space station with Elpsis. She should be out of hospital in a couple of days.”

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami was indeed still on planet. He had landed on the outskirts of the settlement a bit after the battle was over. He was resting, sitting on the upper right wing, leaning against the engine compartment. His head was resting on his hands as he let his mind wander. He was not quite as uncaring as he came off to many whom he didn't know well. He was surprisingly soft spoken when not under duress, though the sense of humor was almost always the same. He sighed at the thought that he would be the last one to carry on the legacy of an entire squadron now. More than the legacy though, the ideals is what really weighed on him. So few pilots these days seemed to care about any shred of honor in a fight. It was just about who could kill who faster. Death of a fellow pilot who could give you a run for your money should be the last option, not the first. Could it lead to your demise? Sure, but at least you would still have your honor intact and go down fighting. Eight had no chance of recovery with how close to the ground he had been, what Kurayami had done was an act of mercy, granting him a quick death over the possibility of languishing on the edge after a crash. The craft had been inverted before tumbling wing over wing. It was sad, but he knew Eight had done everything he could and that even a few hundred feet more he would have had a chance.

His replaying of the battle in his mind was interrupted by a ping. Another message, this one from [member="Tegaea Alcori"]. Not a name he could say he recognized, but the channel was one of the standard SSC channels. His name had come up an a discussion between her and [member="Audren Sykes"] about hangars. Something about input on the design? He shrugged and slid down off the wing, jumping back into the pilot seat and closing the canopy, He only trottled up to a quarter of full, since he'd have to keep an eye out for a new structure. Not that it should be too hard, but with so much prefab construction and salvaged parts serving as housing, it might not be too easy.

After a relatively thorough grid pattern search, he noticed a fighter set down near a pre-fab building. Making sure to leave a decent amount of open space between his fighter and the other he set down. Climbing out of the cockpit, he let the canopy slide forward as he dropped back down into the sand and made his way towards the pre-fab. Upon entering the structure, Kurayami looked around. Audren was easily enough visible and he did recognize him as the other guy that had been on that fateful trip to the place with all the cannibals. Some forced landing on a beach and angry tribe people who didn't like technology, or something like that. He nodded as he started towards him, noting the woman he was currently speaking to. As he approached the pair he unsealed and removed his helmet, nodding politely towards them. He didn't wish to interrupt their discussion so he would wait for a break before introducing himself.

 

[Audren Sykes]

"And you as well, Ms. Kerrigan."

It would have been better to respond to her with title as she had him, but no title had been provided. She was married yet had a different last name...miss would have to do. He did wonder who exactly their daughter was, none that he could remember had the last names of Kerrigan or Alcori.

The mention of Rekali fighters was unexpected. Tegaea seemed to know his name by sight though they'd never met, perhaps Siobhan knew which ship he flew. He wouldn't put it past any c-level executive to have sources of information beyond that of normal beings. That she immediately associated Kurayami with Aquila 13 only lent credence to that line of thought.

Siobhan had expressed a desire to see the hangar, and he had already stated that he'd come along. When she gave the offer to look at a fort as well first, he nodded his acquiescence. No reason not to, though from what he could tell from the holo it would be well-defended. The positioning of the larger weapons - assuming they had full rotation capability - would allow up to two of them to focus on the ground in any direction at a time, and if the altitude was high enough all three could focus on the air. The faint glow of the shield also showed. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a new entry to the prefab unit, none other than Kurayami himself. Convenient timing was convenient.

"Ah. Ladies, please meet Aquila 13, more commonly known as Kurayami Bloodborn. Kurayami, this is Tegaea Alcori and her wife Siobhan Kerrigan, joint CEOs of Firemane Industries. We were about ready to go tour the new hangar and bases. Would you care to come along, offer your opinion?"

The Sephi was making a couple of assumptions here. First that Bloodborn didn't know either of the two women and second that they would want him to come along. Well, Tegaea had said that she would ask him for advice.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]


Siobhan liked to see her clan prosper and grow. Though presumably an intervention would be necessary at some point if she kept adopting waifs and strays. Then again, it might give her a good excuse to construct a palace if the villa ever ran out of room.


She gave Audren a nod. He seemed very formal, but an alright sort. A clearly content sigh escaped her throat when Tegaea patted her tight toosh and she leaned into the touch, wiggling her butt for her wife's inspection. But alas it was over too soon. Her wife was such a tease. Or rather just possessed more decorum than Siobhan.


By now Tegaea could probably read her wife pretty well and thus would be able to translate the eager, almost feral glint in Siobhan's eyes. It was Siobhan's 'I'm so going to drag you into the nearest room and ravish you soon' look. "Good to hear Elpsis' recovering. She's stopped being a whiny brat. As for the graphite, using it is a good idea. I'd recommend the Graphite Mesh Reinforcement to augment the walls since it would cushion impact. We could use the Graphite Reinforced Durasteel for the hangar doors and blast doors, especially those to the command centre and reactor. By the way, I love your boots. They look magnificient on you, darling."


However, before Siobhan could fawn more over her wife, a newcomer entered the room. This one she didn't know by name, but he carried himself with the stance of a soldier and looked like a pilot to her. Then Audren spared her from enquiring his name by introducing him. Siobhan noted that Tegaea had probably not introduced them with their titles. Admittedly if Siobhan had her way she'd need a herald any time she met someone new and it would take ages to recite them all. "Nice to meet you, Mr Bloodborn," she didn't know his rank, after all. "We're the Countesses of Santaissa. I heard you fought bravely during the battle. My commendations. We'd appreciate any input you can offer."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

Tegaea eyed her wife, realising too late that signals had become mixed. She just hoped that she didn’t get pounced right here and now. That would probably give the Jedi a bit more than they expected!

It was best to distract everyone by going on a tour!
“Pleased to meet you, Mr Bloodborn. My compliments and thanks for your heroics during the battle. Please, join us.”

“I think your suggestions are perfect, dear. The hanger exits present a point of weakness, so using the superior materials will help limit this danger.”

She led the little party across the arid plain. It was being made intentionally more plain by abrading and flattening every imperfection in the area around the base. This would leave no places for enemies to hide and would allow rapid reaction forces to move swiftly.

When they reached the first fortress the mini shield generator was just being fitted. The fort itself was built strongly, able to resist all but the heaviest bombardment if the shield fell, and was able to fire across the flat plain at any attacker.

“There’s going to be six of these forts, each with covering fields of fire so an enemy cannot easily bypass it and push on the to the hub.”

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

When it looked like there was a break in the conversation coming along, Kurayami prepared to introduce himself only to be beaten to it by Audren. His eyes scanned the group who stood before him. He looked over to the holoprojection for a momenttaking in an overall impression of it. Seemed pretty standard for planetary defenses from what he knew of them. He bowed slightly when Audren introduced him to the two women. A gentle smile played over his features as he finally spoke.

"Audren, good to see you again, and this time we aren't being chased by cannibals. Ms. Kerrigan, and...other Countess. Forgive me I am still rather new to the organization and am not familiar with those in the upper echelon as of yet. I thank you both for the recognition of a job well done, but I accept nothing less than my absolute best effort. Though unfair at times, I expect no less of any ally. Graphite mesh reinforcement and graphite reinforced durasteel? Sounds like an expensive proposition for an outpost such as in the holo."

To say he was a bit out of his element might be a bit kind. He seemed to have a bit of trouble in being relaxed at times around higher-ups. He still saw himself as little more than a pilot and soldier in the grand scheme of things. He didn't voice any of these thoughts though they did cross his mind. They wanted his opinion on their construction of a hangar, that was his job right now.

"I would be happy to join you all on the tour of the building sites and provide what input I can manage. I was never involved in the building of a hangar personally, just spent more than my fair share of time in them."

He followed quietly and listened as Tegaea detailed the basics of how many forts would be built and the amount of coverage each would have in terms of firepower. Flattening out the ground as they were would provide useful for a wide array of vehicles and a small fighter may even be able to fit in between some structures in an emergency landing situation. Just looking at the way the fort was being constructed and the size of the mini shield generator he had a feeling that he would not wish to be going up against the finished product, no matter the circumstances.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Audren kept silent about the materials being used for the walls and doors. In and of itself, graphite was a relatively popular metal. Certain versions were stronger than others, such as the Echani graphite he'd used as the base cylinder of his lightsaber. There was no way to know if she was talking about the same type or another, and it really didn't matter. He did agree with Kurayami that the uses sounded expensive. Probably for the best though.

"Expensive, but essential. Did you have anything in mind to prevent the hangar from being targeted in the first place? A big metal door will no doubt attract attention."

The introduction Siobhan made, claiming the title of Countess for them both, resulted in the barest rise of the Sephi's eyebrow. Had he not worked to control his reaction, the eyebrow would likely have put a hole in the ceiling. Tegaea hadn't said anything about being a Countess.

As the group moved across the expanse, the Jedi saw machines working. Some were breaking or wearing down higher spots, others were filling in those dips. After all of it was said and done, what had once been a natural plain with gentle differences would be perfectly flat. Not a single rock to hide behind. The fortresses would still be vulnerable from the air, but he could tell at a glance that this one was built to withstand heavy bombardment even without the shields that were being installed. Air was the most common approach, but there would be another as well.

"What about attackers tunneling underneath or long-term siege? What sort of plans are in place for that?"

He couldn't imagine traveling the distance of the plain - or even a part of that - in a cramped tunnel underneath a war. Space would be tight...nope, not having it. But there are those who would, and a tunnel positioned correctly could deliver infiltrators or potentially explosives that could greatly damage the place. A siege would be the more expedient way to assault, merely starving the inhabitants until they surrendered or died. That assumed that backup didn't arrive from the Sanctum, but given that this would be a border world - a fortress world - there would no doubt be those who would try.

Redundancy could be useful as well, something shown by Coruscant in the past. Multiple hubs, set to activate if others failed and assume control of the situation should the need arise. It would be more expensive of course, but the architects of the defensive layout would determine if the added expense was worthwhile or not.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Audren Sykes"]


Siobhan seemed to realise that now was no the time for amorous pursuits. So rather than pouncing her wife, she linked arms with her. That was good, coupley behaviour and made her limp seem less obvious! So the tour began and soon they reached the entrance of the base. Heavy guns and Keraunos missile turrets were well-concealed on the mountains, providing cover against assault and keeping the air space clear. Soldiers wielding bolters or blaster rifles and heavily armoured battle droids were on patrol.


"The graphite is expensive, but the Coalition wants this to be a fortress world since it's the western frontier, so I'd say it's worth the investment," she responded to the pilot. Of course she'd say that, since Firemane was being paid to build the base and supplied the graphite!


She glanced over to Audren when he brought up several crucial points. "The hangar has an energy shield to make an attack more difficult. Moreover, it comes out near the top of the mesa, so ground troops cannot reach it. Those missile turrets you see on the mountain fire homing missiles to shoot down fighters and transports," she pointed upward to the mountains.


"As for tunnelling underneath, the base does have a cushioning system. If you have ideas for how to stop moles without digging even deeper, they'd be welcome. The base is stocked with supplies for six months. A prolonged siege will put them in trouble, but it would tie enemy troops down. And if I was the commander I'd go on the offensive before getting bogged down in a static, positional defence. We've laid land mines to make a direct assault more difficult."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

Tegaea happily helped support her wife as she gave an overview of the features of the fortress. She didn’t add anything to this because Siobhan seemed all over the details.

“It’s positioned as far away from the main defences as practical, with just a couple of easily defended passages linking it to the main base. It’s not perfect, but it should do well.”

 

[Tempest]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"] [member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

“I may have a pair of cuffs, if you’re good,” Tempest said sternly, followed by a wink.

“Take care, Aba, I’ll see you later!” she said, giving the Jedi a final hug.

“But when you’re recovered enough to leave here, Elpsis, I’ve got some cabins set aside for us. They probably won’t want you leaving the station for a few more days after you leave the hospital, just so they can keep you under observation.”

Outside, a new batch of components for the docking array were being towed into place.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Abaigeal E'ron"]


"Good? Me? You know I always am," Elpsis snarked. "Or at least you can educate me. Good thing the bed's big enough for two, eh?" Very considerate of Firemane to give her one that was big enough.


Thusly, the two lovers were left alone. Elpsis didn't look happy at the prospect of still being stuck on the station. She gave Tempest's hand a fond pat, looking over at the flowers briefly. "Not happy about being stuck on the bloody station, but if you're there that's cool. Better than a bloody hospital. You're real sweet, y'know."

 

[Audren Sykes]

The defenses put into place were formidable indeed. An energy shield dedicated to the hangar, elevation to prevent ground troops from easily getting in, and missile turrets positioned to shoot down incoming vessels, fighters or transports. Internally, there were few passages leading into the base, easily defended. Smart. But still visible, still a target. Stick a camo net on the outside of the graphite door and it suddenly became less of one. Once craft started launching it would be visible of course but until that point it simply wouldn't be there.

"Add a camouflage net to that door then and you'll be sitting pretty."

Siobhan had a point about the tunneling. There really wasn't much of a reliable way to stop moles without digging down to the mantle, and that would be a monumental waste of resources. Even if a simple barrier were dug then filled with some high-density compound the expense would be tremendous, wasteful, and possibly do little more than slow the enemy. That didn't mean he didn't have options though.

"Maybe not stop them, but detect them ahead of time. Seismic sensors hooked up to analysis computers maybe. Get a direction and prepare a concentrated defense should it be necessary."

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]
“I don’t think the nurses would approve,” Tempest pointed out gently. “Plenty of time for that later, once you’re well. Think of it as incentive!”

“Well, Siobhan’s put me in charge of overseeing the station’s construction. You know, motivate the construction crews and such to make sure they stay on schedule. Never really tried that before, but I’m sure I can find new ways to motivate them, after all the Kerrigan is not as forgiving as I am.”

She’d have to use those lines sometime. She couldn’t think where she’d heard them.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


Proving that she was perhaps not the most pop-cultured crayon in the box, it took a while for Elpsis to get the reference! "Motivate them, huh? Just don't Force Choke anyone. Before you knew it you'd be ranting about unlimited power and look all pasty. I like you in black," Having duly parodied certain holovid plots, she pulled the Dahomian into a kiss. Black was beautiful! Clearly Elpsis needed to be introduced to the rest of the Dahomian clique.



Presumably the moment for a time skip was at hand. Even though this might contradict the timeline of how things were proceeding planetside. But it would allow Elpsis to finally leave the bed. Presumably minions kept building the station in the interim.

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami listened quietly, taking in the details of the construction. From what he understood such materials were going to cost quite a bit of money to get a hold of in the needed quantities. This was a case of quality over quantity however, and he knew how important quality was when it came to such fortifications. A well constructed hangar could withstand far more punishment than it would seem to be capable of taking. Camouflage netting was mentioned by Audren, to provide another layer of defense against visual detection. The graphite would help absorb sensor readings to a degree which would also help, though to provide additional protection faceting or smoothly blended shapes would help deflect more traditional scanning means and minimize returns. Dedicated shielding as well, this was quite a fancy setup he had to admit.

"Overall, I am not sure what I can add in terms of design elements. Though I am curious as to what level of faceting or blended shaping you were planning on using. While the graphite will help minimize returns for scans, the use of facets or smoothly blended shapes would help minimize returns even moreso. But more than that even I am curious as to what you see the main purpose being for. Is this more of a general use hangar or purely focused on combat? How many ships are you trying to fit in here and where do you plan on stowing any explosive ordnance? I know you are planning on this structure being able to take a serious beating, and from what I have heard you discuss and the brief glimpse I got of the plans before it will do that beautifully."

Those were his major questions that he had and Audren's point about seismic sensors to help pinpoint any possible tunneling attempts was a good one, it would be interesting to see what they thought of such an addition.

[member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Siobhan was rather sexist, but the two men with them brought up good points. Enough for keep her from going on a femnazi rant. Probably helped that they'd been polite and respectful. "If I recall correctly, your company put a new camouflage netting on the market Is that correct? It could be useful. I hadn't considered seismic sensors. It's a good point. We have some rather sophisticated machines that could be outfitted with them." she gave a nod towards Audren then glanced towards the pilot.


"I believe my wife can say more on the technical details you asked about. It'll be a military hangar." That included the pros and cons of protection faceting and smoothly blended shapes. Besides, it would give Tegs the chance to say more than in the last posting round!

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] [member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

“It will be a military hanger, yes. Other ships can land on the plains around with supplies etc. We’re hoping to hold two whole squadrons, one fighter and one bomber, to give ground support. I had not considered blending too much, but you’re right, it could be a very handy surprise to have when the time comes. If the enemy is not expecting these ships to be there they’ll be more lax with the anti-air, allowing us to hammer them unexpectedly.”

“You do raise a good point about ordinance though. We will have to ensure that the ordinance we do have is stored safely. The last thing we want is for some rogue bolt to get in and detonate a pile of bombs.”
She shuddered. That would be disastrous. After all the structure was designed to resist external, not internal detonations.

“If you have some experience with concealing the structure, Mr Bloodborn, I would appreciate your assistance in helping set this up. Seismic sensors are a good idea. I’ll get some ordered in right away, good work, Jedi Sykes!”

“Any other points you can think of at the moment? Otherwise, we can go to the top and I can show you the battery.”

 

[Tempest]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]
A mere ripple in the space-time continuum later, and Doctor Osway entered the room. The green Twi’lek looked very stern and precise.
“Ms Kallikora, I believe your injury had healed enough for you to be moved to a private cabin on this station. However, I do not want to hear any reports of you trying to leave. You are here for observation and for your own good,” she said sternly.
“She’ll be better in no time!” Tempest declared, then winced as Osway turned to her.
“Miss Tempest, I trust you will not encourage her to unhealthy or rash decisions?” she stated.
“No, Doctor,” she said meekly.
“Excellent. I hope you get better very soon, Elpsis,” the Doctor said, smiling slightly as she left.
Tempest coughed slightly, blushed. She’d unconsciously assumed a very specific position as Osway had spoken. Now she busied herself bundling up Elpsis’ possessions so she could move without the redhead asking embarrassing questions!

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"I think I like her!" Elpsis suddenly exclaimed somewhat randomly. "You looked so meek and submissive. It's cute. Are you sure she's not a secret dominatrix?" she asked innocently. Yep, she was really enjoying Tempest's embarrassment.


She wondered whether someone could give her tips about how to make the Dahomian this obedient...In any case, she slowly sat up in bed and tried to stand, though she was careful not to exert herself. Perhaps she knew her limits a bit better than a certain Countess. "So, are you gonna show me around the station?"