O Light to Us That Wander Here

[Ultimatum]

After much consideration, a decision had been made. Ultimatum would turning his attention to outfitting a war force. Obviously there would be those who disagreed with such action, for the droid's purpose had not originally been preparation for battle, but times were changing and the chaos of the galaxy could be ignored only so long. He had seen much and taken part in the fights, but only now did he decide to up his work in that area. Of he knew that combat was little more than a temporary solution. It was however the only solution he had access to at this time.

To create a battle fleet that could effectively prove that which he intended he would need to build everything from the ground up. He decided to start with the fighters, the foundation of any force. Air superiority and a danger to most ground based weapons. However, what was the purpose of just another fighter that would fly around and dogfight and blast ground targets? This had to be special, it had to stand out among the myriad of fighters and excel in ways that others could not.

Ultimatum had decided to name the new lines of ships, the entire battle fleet would be called this, the Wrath-class. Not an exceptionally original name, but then again, names did not matter to the droid as much as what it represented. This first line of ships would be called Awe, for that is the emotion they were intended to evoke in those that saw them in battle. He already had the initial concept and overall appearance ready. He merely needed assistance in planning and executing the intended additions along with some other lesser issues. That was why he had called an acquaintance who more experience in the field of ship building than he. There was another who Ultimatum had come across, who wished to help as well if he could. He had sent a data-package to each along with an invitation to LOOM's main shipyard above Mustafar, the Foresight.

[member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Titan Kryze"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

Matsu clasped her hands behind her back while she was looking over many of the things, an invitation to Mustafar was not a bad thing... strange sure but she had met with and worked with the droid in question while she was going over many of the things. A look on her face before she clasped her hands walking with Harmony for all of the droids needs. She was still a HRD with the sleek silver skin and hair as well as some of the visor and new gear that worked for their purposes. Namely improving and working on Sasori's base and foundation of tech. "We should be arriving soon, hopefully we just won't be involved in helping with an invasion fleet." That was the main concern as they had some tech that blew a number out of the water as well as Quiet for developing new things.

 

[Ultimatum]

It would need to be fast and yet maneuverable, the two were sometimes difficult to obtain in equal amounts. There was a balance point where the ability to turn was aided by speed, yet at the same time moving fast often made for wider turns, therefore less maneuverable. The idea was to avoid allowing enemies to get behind, after all most dogfights were won or lost based on the acquisition of a rear position. While there could be an argument that it was the head to head charge where the most casualties took place, it was the most inefficient attack method as both sides would lose people. With limited resources like ships one wanted to limit casualties as much as possible and part of that was avoiding the head to head charge that often leveled the battlefield to whose targeting computer was better and missiles faster.

Therefore, the fighters had to be superior to most others. Which meant that it would need to be able to outperform others. That alone would make it special. He just needed to find a design that would work with what would need to be put on. He looked forward to having the aid of more experienced people, the droid could look up a lot of what he would need on the HoloNet, but having someone who was a verifiable source of knowledge was better in the long run.

[member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Titan Kryze"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

Matsu was heading in and well when it came to fighters there were few that competed speed and maneuverability wise with the new model Phenex Class Jedi Starfighter. They were fast, had weapons as needed but could handle space and function underwater with built in overdrive engines so their interceptor speeds could double or even triple able to push them to speeds few other fighters could reach easily. Add in a modular weapon slot for what they needed and jedi aces able to use the force enhancing effects to augment their own piloting skills. It gave something before she was walking to go and meet the large droid with Harmony staying by her side. "THis is a better looking place then i remember. Less black and fire, more mechanical and homey."

 

[Ultimatum]

When [member="Matsu Ike"] had arrived, Ultimatum was proud to hear her praise of the shipyard. It had indeed been cleaned and repaired since last she had seen it. During the Alliance's take over of the planet, an associate of his who had had access to the shipyard had started its weapons firing in defense of the planet, it had taken some fire before Ultimatum overrode the alerts and ordered a complete shut down. Since then he had had repairs done and some updates to the systems to ensure his control should such an attack occur again.

"Good to see you again, Madam." He bowed his head and then focused back on Ike before continuing, "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I trust your trip was without incident?"

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

"Always." Matsu looked at him with a small look on her face and then smiled. If the droid had emotion she was not sure... Harmony did but she was also programmed to interact and work with humans. Trained for the important tasks that came with it as she could provide a few new ideas here and there. Like getting the La Rasa and Quiet bodies that they could operat around the Saratai ships or the bases for things they needed to do. "I find most things leave me alone when it comes to traveling around the galaxy, my ship is not very pretty or improtant looking so they leave it and what is inside alone." She went with Harmony. "Now what is it you are trying to make? I have developed a slew of new technology that makes production and manufacturing far easier."

 

[Ultimatum]

The droid was glad to hear that Ike had little trouble with the travels. The area was not well known for its pirates and Ultimatum had yet to really have any issue with rogue elements, but it was a concern nonetheless. The very fact that they were here right now was proof to the fact that the galaxy was in a state of disarray, building fighters and machines of death. It was all a rather depressing thought cycle, that his existence had been made necessary by the very thing that he had been made for. If war were ever gone then he could at last safely enjoy himself, but until then he would need to dirty his hands with such things as war and battle.

He responded to her question, "I am attempting to manufacturer a fighter that is faster and more maneuverable than most other fighters. To limit its capacity as an invasion vessel it would be preferable to make it specialized for atmospheric combat. As a defensive measure they are to be superior to potential enemy ships of different sizes. Rather than focus on any specific size I plan this vessel to fulfill the role of the fighter with a strong payload and good armor along to make it capable of being on equal footing against most enemy ships." It was not impossible for the vessel to be used as an invasion craft, but that would require putting a carrier ship into the atmosphere, or releasing the fighters in space where they were far more vulnerable. He wanted to hear [member="Matsu Ike"]'s opinion on such a craft before he showed her the basic schematics he had drawn up.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

Hmm a fast fighter with good armor support and weapons was a tall order but she supposed it was possible. THere could be some ways to make it work as she walked and spoke for a moment. "There might be a couple of ways, our latest starfighter uses a synthweave that when being used by a force user can become ten times stronger while still maintaining its speed. We just didn't give it a lot of guns. Another ship we developed has ablative armor that could be used to give a faster ship more defense when it really needs it at the right moment and I know Damorian has been working on a new engine designed to give better performance." She said it but there was some small looks on her face depending on what he wanted.

 

[Ultimatum]

While the offer of an armor that could be ten times stronger when a Force user was incredibly tempting, and probably a very good armor, it was of little use to him unless he could consistently man these vessels with Force users. How could he expect to accomplish that feat? The answer was that he could not. Firstly he would need to find a method of identifying Force users consistently, something that was within the plausible realm as studies into crystals he had gotten were proving. However the problem became forcing to act as pilots for combat vessels. That was something he would not do.

The ablative armor seemed intriguing, and probably a likely solution. He would need to keep that in mind for future construction as well. "And that's exactly why I knew asking for you would be a good idea. So much more information. Would you have any recommendations in these areas? I do not believe that the synthweave armor would be helpful for this craft if only because it is unlikely I will have access to enough Force users to man a defense force of these craft."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

Hmm she could work with that while going over some of the things and she spoke. "It is something possible but yes it could be a tricky thing." She was walking before going over to some of the things while she stepped. "Though the use of cloning and some of the new information we have discovered might prove useful in that field though that is for later." She had some ideas of what they would be able to do and use before clasping her hands behind her back with a nod of her head. Tapping it when she brought up the information from the saratai class and brought up the ablative armor sections she could work with. Some new ideas before nodding. "We will make something very nice for you and your droids though. I know a few new tricks as well."

 

[Ultimatum]

Cloning was a potential answer to that problem. But the complexities and costs of setting up a system to maintain that specific form of piloting system. Mustafar was naturally rich in the vast majority of metals required to build fighters, droids, weapons, and similar devices. It was easier to keep the manufacturing requirements as close as possible to the base of operations.

The ablative armoring that she brought up was quite appealing. There was much that this could do to help increase the strength of the ship. But he was intrigued by the idea that [member="Matsu Ike"] seemed to have. He wanted to know more. "I am glad to hear that. What do you have in mind? I might be able to get droids working on the frame and basic hull."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

"Well the best for ablative armor would be impervium as it allows for a very high level of protection. Second best would be a matrix composite over a ships hull and if can be a lighter weight hull with desh-terethium. Allows you to even it all out while still being able to compete with most of the other ships that will be faced." Few ships could get speed and armor while still being fairly comfortable. Force hardened and force imbued allowed you to sort of cheat with that skill because you were giving it far superior levels of protection. "I would suggest looking into it as well as alusteel whihc can be a superior metal for protection when you want to work on many of the things."

 

[Ultimatum]

All three concepts had merit, it was just a matter of deciding upon the most cost effective for a ship that would hopefully see widespread use. Matrix based armor was definitely a good idea, given that it was usually stronger than most other types while retaining a relatively light status. After all, matrix armors were sometimes worn by individuals seeking to give themselves near impervious protection against common blasters. Impervium was a considerably stronger metal, perhaps one of the hardest available for ship production. The difficulty with it was that it was not always easy to obtain, therefore limiting the production capabilities of any vessel made by it. Alusteel was perhaps another answer, while not as powerful as either of the other two it was a very easy to obtain alternative that was fairly strong.

So the decision would come down to attempting to balance availability and strength. At the end of the day, quality was more important than quantity, therefore Matrix armor was likely the decision to go with. The fact that it could be produced with relatively easy to obtain metals, such as Desh and Terenthium, and was strong enough hold against enemy fire. Now the issue was to find the optimum way of making this metal. Certainly the HoloNet was available, but with such things as metal working it was best to ask professionals, such as [member="Matsu Ike"].

"I believe the Matrix plating is the solution for this craft. Do you know the procedure for its production?"

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

Matsu looked at him with a nod of her head. "Yes I do, I have and do use it plenty with some of my production ships to design plating for them to replicate." The jedi master brought out her hand with te small palm holo. "We developed it for the Saratai class and its production needs can be met by the ship but it is not as expensive for us. Given Sasori's majority of works that uses converters to make its own materials. Same if not better quality for we can work on many of the things using raw materials found on worlds like Blenjeel, Deneba, Jakku and some other desert worlds. The raw salvage, sand, rock all can be broken down, converted and processed out into what we require."

 

[Ultimatum]

"What sort of converters do you use? Molecular Furnaces?" He had used furnaces in most of his factories because they were so useful at changing unwanted materials into usable ones. His explorations into the HoloNet had yet to show a more useful set of equipment, but if there was better out there he would try to update things to make his systems better. It would help both the current endeavors and those of the future. Even if that were so, he contemplated the thought of not producing the metal so much as having it produced and then working it. It was a concept that he was not entirely against, but definitely was not preferable. Ultimatum liked to maintain a degree independence from most organics, if only because of the stereotypes about droids.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

"Yes, well not quite molecular furnaces. THe species who made the devices made far superior and more portable versions of the converters. It allows you do have all the benefits without needing to have a massive ship or facility. We've just been able to use them in different sizes including some of our bigger and larger ones." She said it with a small look on her face while walking over with some of the bigger things until her attention went to what she had on her forearm datapad bringing up the design of the Joshu. "We've also worked allowing it to use the information we found from an ancient jedi about the technology using the force and energy. We used his journal and the infinite engine."

(go post in Sakura station)

 

[Ultimatum]

An infinite engine? That was something that Ultimatum had come across in his studies of ancient technologies. That was a Rakata invention, from the technology of the Star Forge. Such a device would make any company into a galactic superpower, eventually. If such a thing were actually available then the power that that person held, even a Jedi, then it was truly a terrifying prospect to the droid. Any organic was incapable of harnessing that power safely, Ultimatum held nothing against them, but he felt that it was simply not in their best interest to have such things. While not a perfect analogy and certainly one that gave the wrong circumstances, it was akin to children with the tools of their parents and Ultimatum was the one who kept the dangerous tools out of their reach.

"Where did you come across the species who invented the molecular furnaces? I had been under the impression that they were not a certain species creation but just a simple machine of some long ago galactic power." Such knowledge could help him in his own work. He wondered if the organic saw LOOM as competition, in reality the company was nothing more than a method to reach an intended goal for Ultimatum. He wasn't out for the money, in fact he had yet to release any product to the larger masses, mostly remaining as a contract company for specific people and larger factions.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

"I do not know, the species we found on Karra with the converter cubes has long since been extinct their technology considered legend and magic by the locals." She moved a little looking at him. "But their technology when we finally managed to find it wasn't technology like some of the others and when we discovered the journal showing how to reverse engineer rakata tech and make it from human technology so that colonies that were visited could be given their own self sustaining systems we had to try. The rakata gave Corellian's hyperdrives that they reverse engineered so we could travel the stars why not find a way to use some of the tech they learned from the Kwa. We've taken the next steps and just continued to go towards the course of it all." She shrugged walking with him as they had the technology that many others didn't and sent out teams to chase the legends and myths that usually led to discoveries.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum had never heard of Karra, he would need to look that up at a later date. They were reverse engineering Rakata tech to make human versions? That must be an incredibly intriguing development, and a very useful invention. He wondered if they were capable of the theoretical limits of the Infinite Engines. He would have loved to see what they were capable of, though the concept was still concerning.

He asked, "So with these convertors you can build the matrix plating? Would you suggest any alterations to the design to help with the production?"

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Ultimatum"]

"There are always small alterations you can make, one of our strongest designs that has been getting tested well is the mesh work we have been developed. Incredibly lightweight, comes out stronger then beskar and gets stronger and stronger as it ages." The real trick had been getting it designed to synthweave and work with everything they could make. "We've been experimenting to get it into a place it can be used in everything we make for clothing, armor, hull plating. Synthweaving it together with other components to strengthen them like in the jedi starfighters we designed that serve as a large amplification chamber." She clasped her hands here though. "For you though with matrix armor I would suggest having primary facilities to develop it and test it to see how it goes.