Naboo System: Points of Interest

[Ashin Varanin]

Ajira's nine o'clock was a final review of recommendations for expansion throughout the Naboo system. While expansion would limit the ability of Theed Hangar's defense forces to protect the company's assets, most companies this size had locations fifty thousand light-years apart, rather than one pre-plotted microjump away. Between Theed Hangar's ships, the Royal Naboo Security Force, and the Galactic Alliance system defense forces, pretty much anything in the Naboo system was more or less guaranteed a decent amount of protection. Not that this was a militaristic place in any way, but the new king was ex-RNSF himself, and Naboo had seen its share of aggression from various corners.

First item on the list was the Enmaekeda Nebula. An astronomical curiosity, this nebula was tiny, visible, and self-contained. It existed within the Naboo system as a region of dense greenish gas and dust. An old trade route ran through it, and in its day the route had experienced all manner of trouble with pirates. So far as Ajira was concerned, the Enmaekeda made a good solid spot to station a reversion sensor for early warning, as well as a small fighter support platform -- a hidden fighter base for flanking and interception purposes.

The review, however, was not precisely a meeting, and she'd blocked off the entire day for this. RNSF and Theed Hangar had decided to partner to develop a high-accuracy microjump pattern for the Naboo system proper, and she'd be using that pattern to assess the locations in question during the review. Between the microjump calibrations and advanced probe telemetry, the day's work would go a long way toward testing the new Jamillia-class cruiser.

CC: [member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

A similar tiny, bizarre nebula existed elsewhere in the system: the Obligon. It overlapped somewhat with an asteroid group called Arrissa's Field. The asteroids and the nebula had both seen their share of pirate action throughout history. These days, the RNSF was strong, Galactic Alliance forces were present, and pirates generally ambled along to greener pastures. Stationing a permanent, if modest, presence in the Obligon Nebula and/or Arrissa's Field would help with that -- either RNSF forces or Theed Hangar starfighters, it didn't matter much. The asteroid cluster had its share of resources, suitable for mining, and that played into the Theed Hangar mindset: self-sufficiency within the Naboo system. As much as possible, Theed Hangar sourced its materials from this system.

Ajira's RNS Jamillia, a prototype star cruiser, spent a good while navigating through the Obligon and Arrissa's Field, scoping out likely locations. Its escort stayed close at hand, a flight of Soruna-class Naboo Starfighters, more than capable of handling any stray piratical action. Once she finished evaluating the place, she added her own observations to the mass of internal Theed Hangar reports and recommendations regarding expansion into Arrissa's Field and the Obligon Nebula. Probe telemetry data also helped calibrate the Jamillia's SIGINT systems.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The next link in the microjump net, and the next point on the review, was relatively prosaic: the planet Widow. Naboo's orbital position was third, Widow's was fourth. Despite existing within the habitable zone, Widow was a barren, rocky wasteland without much to recommend it, especially to Naboo sensibilities. That said, its moon had a shallow gravity well, suitable for low-cost mining operations and for starfighter deployment. The moon of Widow could serve as a patrol base for interception or customs duties; it had served as such, in fact, about five centuries ago. Theed Hangar work crews were already engrossed in reactivating old facilities and renovating dilapidated locations, under RNSF starfighter overwatch. The Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps were, at heart, engineers after all. Ajira's visit here was more to tweak the microjump beacon than anything -- the Jamillia's Theed Hangar engineering crew needed to adjust some technical details that, frankly, she didn't understand.

From there she took another link back to Naboo and had lunch with Lady Grantham, then rendezvoused with the Jamillia again and resumed work. She jumped to Widow once more, and from there onwards.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The fifth planet in the Naboo system, dubbed Storm, was a gas giant that received just barely enough sunlight for some of its moons to be habitable. It had plenty of them, though, and Theed Hangar considered Storm's moons to be ideal resources. Once upon a time, major corporations of history had thought so too. TaggeCo, for example, had build a base on Storm Ten, a location that Theed Hangar might reopen as an RNSF forewarning post, a starfighter patrol base, and a mining site. On balance, having examined the gas giant's moon system and this moon in particular, Ajira was inclined to agree. An expanded presence would also help regulate traffic to and from Storm Three, a chilly but survivable penal colony much closer to the gas giant. Due to the complexity of the moon system, a single microjump beacon would be of little use. Instead, Theed Hangar had deployed eight in a broad, shared orbit just past the thirty-second moon. Anyone using the new microjump network to reach one of Storm's moons would have to come in from there, which meant a bit of delay but nothing egregious -- nothing compared to the time the network would save. An additional emergency beacon was suppose to be placed within the gas giant's atmosphere, but Ajira recommended against it in her report notes, for security and expense reasons. Force alone knew it would cost enough to set up eventual mining and refining operations throughout the thirty-two moons.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Core samples had confirmed pre-Dark Age rumors that the huge asteroid-slash-small planetoid called the Adamant Mass had something juicy in the centre. The Mass merited its own microjump link, as well as further mining operations. After reviewing the place and even taking a quick, bouncy walk on its 0.05g surface, Ajira signed off on recommending the Mass for a Theed Hangar mining facility and starfighter staging base. Like the other small patrol/intercept bases throughout the system, this one would house a couple of squadrons of fighters and a good set of advance warning sensors. Based on orbital positions and times, these little bases would be able to give comprehensive advance notice of any significant arrival to the Naboo system -- convoys, fleets, that kind of thing. They'd also be able to scramble enough of a military presence that reinforcements could deploy in time, from virtually anywhere else in the system, via the microjump network. As icing on the cake, these moonlets and stray emplacements could mount full-scale interdiction generators, the kind of gravity well projectors that could lock down an area with a radius ten times greater than a planet. Still astronomically tiny, of course...but there were only so many routes in and out of the Naboo system, and really only the one big route out to Enarc. Most of those routes were on the orbital plane, or close enough. Ajira, Theed Hangar, and the RNSF had selected sufficient moons that, at any given time, one was usually in position to drop interdiction for any given route. There would be holes, there might be new routes on occasion, but the potential interdiction coverage was good enough for most purposes. Similar gear was installed over Storm and Widow, and in the asteroid clusters.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The Scintilla Steel was another of the asteroid clusters that dotted the Naboo system. This one, however, for various reasons, was of special interest to both Ajira and the Jamillia's strategic overview. For one, it included one of the tiny, anomalous nebulae, like the Enmaekeda or the Obligon. For another, it was home to a large asteroid of unique properties. Spherical or close enough, like the Adamant Mass, this one had a semi-molten interior and enough crust density to sustain it. That heat was useful, molten rock was useful too, and gravity was low enough to minimize the risk of putting a facility on the surface. Negligible, really, 0.01 or less. Specialized mining gear from Sullust, courtesy of Galactic Alliance affiliation, could refine the magma in bulk. Theed Hangar opted against putting interdiction gear or a fighter base on the large asteroid; instead, they put the former in the mini-nebula and the latter in the asteroid field proper. It was at this point that Ajira prevailed upon various planners to move all interdictors a good distance from any asteroids. Gravity wells had a tendency to attract them, funnily enough. Interdictor use would compress the mini-nebulae, but that only made them more worthwhile for gas mining, more efficient. In the meantime, which should be decades, the nebulae offered a good deal of cover for the gravity well projectors.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

INCIDENT REPORT - NOTES

Lady Cardei,

A brief summary and a few notes based on the attached RSF/GA incident reports:

• A group of military-grade starships (Contact A) exited hyperspace at the edge of the Naboo system.
• Shortly thereafter, a single modified CR90 (Contact B ) exited hyperspace near Naboo.
• Combined Galactic Alliance and Naboo forces under the command of Admiral Siev moved to intercept Contacts A and B.
• Contact A left the Naboo system immediately without responding to hails, but Naboo SUREC probes confirm that Contact A remained within a handful of parsecs of the system.
• Contact B cut power to engines when challenged. Contact B identified itself as the Red Dart, commanded by Captain Hala Jast.
• System defense forces verified that Contact B ('Red Dart') was unscheduled and unapproved. Contact B was ordered to exit the Naboo system. System defense forces prepared to fire a warning shot. The Contact B situation was resolved.
• A transmission was noted from a single vessel (Contact C). Multiple scans were unable to get a lock. The vessel is believed to be a military-grade stealth small craft. Contact C identified itself as the Wild Turkey and requested docking permission. Due to the security situation and the inconsistencies in the vessel's approach, permission was not forthcoming. However, Contact C approached Theed close enough for tentative visual identification as a former Rebel Alliance ESB-8a Nevermore-class bomber, a distinctive vessel. The Nevermore-class has military-grade sensor stealth coating, but no visual stealth capabilities.
• Comscan noted communications between Contacts B and C. This communication is the only non-circumstantial evidence that the two attempted infiltrations are linked by more than coincidence.
• Based on system defense forces, long-range scans from planetary emplacements, and probe telemetry, Contact A has been positively identified as the unique heavy cruiser Home One, the flagship of the former Rebel Alliance. Its escorts are believed to be the noted Rebel Alliance unit known as Red Fleet, comprising four light star destroyers, two heavy cruisers, two frigates, and a number of small craft.
• Theed Hangar analysts believe that Red Fleet contains several vessels which cannot be supported logistically by any organization but an established multisystem goverment or a major corporation. In theory, one such corporation might be ECHO Esprit, which built Home One, Red Fleet, and the Nevermore, and which is headquartered near Naboo at Praesitlyn.
• There is no question that Contacts A and C are former Rebel Alliance assets. Their cohesive deployment, so long after the Rebel Alliance became defunct, suggests that former Rebel Alliance leaders may still be in command.

Outstanding Questions:

• What inspired seven major Rebel Alliance ships, likely the bulk of their remaining forces, to make an incursion on Naboo?
• Who funded them?
• What government or corporation is providing logistical support for Red Fleet, with an eye to interfering with Naboo sovereignty?

Lady Shambleau
Office of Lady Cardei
Theed Hangar

CC: Office of His Majesty [member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

INCIDENT REPORT - NOTES

Lady Cardei,

A few notes based on the attached RSF/GA incident reports:

• RSF noted a suspicious protocol droid attempting to enter a secure area outside the palace security cordon. Security scanners revealed the droid to be of unusual density. Trace element recovery indicated phrik construction, probably throughout the droid's frame. Scans, and security camera footage extrapolation indicate bodily proportions and internal structures 87% compatible with an HK-series assassin droid. This is in line with the droid's behavior.
• Various public and privately owned rooftop security cameras captured footage of multiple intruders. As you know, a full security response was initiated. Of special note: these individuals, though wearing nondescript civilian clothing, are believed to be Atrisian in origin due to biometric factors.
• Due to potential congruence with anti-establishment/nationalist tactics, as well as the Atrisian connections and unusual fringe Gungan activity in the city (Annex C), we suspect a link to Ani Malgus, a former RSF pilot raised by Gungans. During the Techno Union invasion of Naboo, he announced himself as one 'Darth Mythos' to a large number of Gungans. Darth Mythos/Ani Malgus was King of Atrisia for some time after the Kahoshi administration, and a member of the One Sith. His Atrisian royal guard, as well as special operators, saw action on Naboo against the Techno Union alongside the Gungan army. Ani Malgus represents the strongest known connection between Atrisian operatives and Naboo. While we have no more than circumstantial evidence, we strongly recommend looking into Mythos. Ordavo within the Triumvirate indicates that Mythos is currently a terrorist with a plethora of vendettas and enemies. His previous associates should be examined in greater depth for potential involvement.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The Jamillia's multi-day transit through the Naboo system's points of interest was, in a way, a fairly shallow mapping expedition. The point wasn't to get an exhaustive strategic scan right now, but to set the groundwork for ongoing scanning. That, and identify suitable locations for defensive or industrial installations. In this, the expedition served political masters as well as Theed Hangar's internal purposes.

Shallow or not, though, the round trip had served to calibrate the Jamillia's probe telemetry operations in a fairly thorough way. The idea here was to familiarize the Jamillia's systems with a wealth of current and future data sources related to the Naboo system and comparable phenomena. Outside the Naboo system, the Jamillia wasn't the most exceptional beast, but within this system there was no reason it had to bow to anyone or anything. Its probe launchers offered comprehensive situational awareness and a variety of strategic, tactical, intelligence, and law enforcement options. When accompanied by the new Handmaiden-class escorts, the Jamillia had a reasonable chance of survival against most midsize forces, though it wasn't primarily a front-line ship.

Respectable though not exceptional, then - except in certain systems with which it had thoroughly familiarized itself. A defensively minded ship, at a significant advantage when playing on the home field. Its name, too, spoke to a benevolent and stalwart supporting role: the Jamillia's probes could offer a range of support options to the local Galactic Alliance forces, and other allies. Not a wonderful ship, not a totipotent ship, but for its role, very very competent.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

One final point of interest served as the capstone for the Jamillia's cruise. The Naboo ship of the line microjumped to the tiny, insystem Obligon Nebula again, and submerged itself in the dense greenish gas. In short order, the Jamillia passed the Naboo early warning emplacement and a small fighter deployment platform. Another shape presented itself: it looked like a fist clamped around a spike.

The fist was a research armature, a station in all but name, comprising hundreds of sensors, test modules, laboratories, and small-scale prototyping facilities.

The spike was the Chimaera.

On the bridge of the Jamillia, Ajira drew a shaky breath. The Chimaera had been her former self's flagship in the Sith Empire and the Fringe Confederation. She knew all its scars from the Republic and the Ssi-Ruuk and the Omega Protectorate and the Sorcerers of Rhand. Her former self's wife, the longtime Queen of Eshan, was a minor shareholder in Theed Hangar. Her Majesty and one of Ajira's aides had retrieved the old Star Destroyer from the Unknown Regions. Now it served as a testbed and a research opportunity on a grand scale. Kuat Drive Yards, Seinar Fleet Systems, Iron Crown Enterprises: three of the galaxy's biggest shipbuilders had done some of their best work on this many-times-modified ship over the years. And even they didn't fully understand how the reactors worked.

The Jamillia arced a slow loop around the inert Chimaera, then left the old warhorse in peace.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

TO: Office of Nemo Ven, Supreme Commander, GADF
FROM: Office of Director Lady Ajira Cardei, Strategic Security Branch, Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps, Naboo
RE: Update on Probe and Deployment Technologies

This note outlines recent Naboo advances in reconnaissance probe technologies and deployment options. These technologies should be ready for deployment within the timeframe of your flagship development program. Appendices to this note include performance files on the listed projects.

• The Strategic Intrasystem Active Reconnaissance (SIARC) probe obtains comprehensive scans of enemy forces and areas of heavy cover, such as dense nebular regions. Its secondary mission profile is advance warning through hyperspace traffic detection. Status: fully operational.
• The Interdiction and Customs Inspection (INCIS) probe obtains in-depth short-range scans of unknown vessels. Its secondary mission profile is tactical interdiction via a miniaturized pulse-mass generator. Status: fully operational.
• The Extended Prospecting and Atmospheric Reconnaissance (EXPARC) probe scans astronomical bodies and phenomena for in-demand raw materials and lifesigns. Status: fully operational.
• The Superluminal Reconnaissance (SUREC) probe is hyperspace-capable and operates with multirole functionality. The SUREC probe is suitable for prospecting, exploration, strategic or tactical missions. Status: fully operational.
• A dedicated launcher (RASP) can deploy all of the above probes, and is compatible with others on the public market. The launcher is calibrated for maximum compatibility with Galactic Alliance starship engineering.

This office will update you as further technologies receive final approval from His Majesty's Office. Ongoing development projects include several other specialized drones.