Procurement Meeting (ask first)

[Jorus Merrill]

ZORONHED
ZONJU V

Zonju’s capital had a distinct visual character: archaic brown stone, canyon walls, the occasional obelisk, sun, heat, and windblown sand. Also lots of swoop bikes. Jorus dodged two and slipped into the shade of a government building.

They'd be meeting under a portrait of Zonju's cyborg king, at a stone conference table. A small holoprojector in front of each chair could interface with standard datacards or datapads for presentation purposes. The room came liberally supplied with ice water, a bit of a luxury. Jorus filled a glass and took a seat. He wasn't the first here - that went to His Majesty's silver protocol droid, representing the local crown.

“Gorram, would you look at that.”

That was Shenna'vala, his deputy chief engineer. The tiger-striped Twi'lek mechanic procured two glasses for herself and took a nearby chair.

“Hot out or something?”

She slugged half a glass and grimaced. “Ahh. Yeah, we had to close the bay doors. Bit of a grit storm blew in during some finicky work.”

“The royal speeder rewire? Yeah, that'll do it. Good call, sorry it sucked.” Jorus held the glass to his temple. “And sorry I couldn't be there. Prep brief. I haven't done formal procurement since you were in high school.”

“Never really went.”

“No kidding? Me neither.” He set the glass aside and called up the agenda and guest list on the holoprojector. “Okay, looks like we had some last-minute changes. We've got a [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] - why does that name sound familiar?”

Shenna mimed an explosion. “Dagobah.”

“Oh yeah? Good for her. Uh, an [member="Anaara Clandestine"] from one of the Sasori branches. And [member="Natalie LaForte"] from the Intergalactic Monetary Fund. There's a couple of may-attends but those are the big ones. [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] and someone from Kiribi [[member="Jyoti Nooran"] if interested] might drop by too. They've all gotten a full briefing package on what the Coalition needs. Folks should be here any minute.”

The Zonju sun had shifted. Jorus got up for just long enough to draw the blinds and refill his glass.

 

[Anaara Clandestine]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

The invitation and chance to make something was well... worth it. As the business manager and rep who could go off world or out and about she got a lot of use. The yacht itself she traveled on was impressive and meant to show some skill. Meeting places, suites for visitors and one of the few things that might be useful. A gravity lattice used to hold ships while increasing space. She had found it in some of the older designs for ships like the venture. She had used it in a way to test out some fo the new upgrades that they had developed and few could really talk about them. The hardlight projector working to disguise the ship as just a larger version of itself. Someone more akin to a star destroyer instead of the normal sized yacht but moved through to the hanger.

"Is all in readiness?" She was looking at the design of the yacht as they moved through the hallways into the hanger. She could see the runabout shuttle that would take her down to the planet below. Anaara stood in the formal business attire made from skylar. It was fitted to her for the look while her hair was down over her shoulders when she entered the shuttle to go down tot he planet itself. S meeting place she hadn't been before. She made her way down to the planet and into the area getting led towards a meeting room with refreshments before she took a seat. Eyes flicking over and seeing Jorus there as well as any other who might be coming in. "Thank you for having me." She said it and offered a smile taking a seat and bringing up the projector in her palm around her hand. TO see what they had for the design of this ship from space and utilities."

 

[Kalla Caranthyr]

"Right... You can do this... No big deal... It's just a meeting headed by one the galaxy's most successful business men... and I'm sure there's only going to be a few massive corporations looking to fill the order..." Kalla quietly swore under her breath as she picked at one sleeve. She felt woefully underdressed, underprepared, and utterly out of her league as she stepped through the streets and headed towards the building marked on the invitational message. After getting pulled out of her escape pod, she had drifted through the Outer Rim for a few weeks. It had been... interesting. Normally when she fell into a drifting phase, she couldn't really remember what happened or what she did. But this time, the memories had stuck with her, and that was disconcerting. She didn't like remembering.

So that had meant she had to take a good, hard look at her life. And she didn't like where she was, where she had been stuck for years; in debt up to her ears, life shackled to a rampant addiction, and next to nothing to show for all that pain and wasted time. So she sold what little salvage she had collected, put together some paperwork and bought the rights to a small, useless asteroid in the Silken system to eventually set up shop on, and made a little start-up corporation for herself. It had felt pretty good, especially with some of the aid in getting the necessary equipment and personnel set-up.

Then came the crippling realization that now she actually had to do something with all that. People expected a return on investments, paychecks had to be cut, bills needed to be paid. Sure, she had some credits to take care of some of that, and there was a bit of a grace period where it was expected that she'd have to spend more money than was brought in, but... the responsibility was not something she was used to, and it took a lot of will for her to not dive right back to the spice and just forget about this insane idea of hers.

Taking a steadying breath, she started up the steps and put the ideas together in her head. She had seen the briefing package and given it a thorough read. The concept wasn't exceptionally aggressive; in fact if she had to judge it critically it seemed like something of a lowball. That was good though; it gave her some wiggle room to try and make improvements or design choices that might give her a leg up over the competition. In her mind, that voice of doubt began to come back to the surface making her wonder if there was anything she could offer than some flashy, big-wig corporation couldn't? Rather than listen to that voice this time though, Kalla did her best to put it aside and move on to the meeting.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Yay another backwater planet.

Naturally, she had made arrangements to travel to the planet prior to sunrise being a vampire and all, and as such was standing underneath the guise of the building's shade, probably for a few hours at least staring into the ground. As a contingency plan she had also brought an umbrella, looking even more so out of place given the blistering heat. She must have missed [member="Jorus Merrill"] passing through the doors, not that she knew what he looked like anyway. Probably a similar situation for him as well.

Things had gotten uncomfortably hot as the day went on, even standing in the shade seemed to not be enough to combat the heat. Occasionally, she attempted to adjust the straps of her dress a few times. Time really lost itself during this, as two more individuals, [member="Anaara Clandestine"] and [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] entered the building, it would be roughly 20 minutes later that Natalie herself would make headway for the meeting point, looking a tad more extravagantly dressed than the others in the room. As she finally made her entrance, she raised her sunglasses to the top of her head, discreetly left her umbrella at the door and moved to her own place.

Her eyes darted from person to person before opening her mouth.

"How fabulous it is to meet such wonderful people!"

It was meant to sound sarcastic, though her tone of voice probably made it sound more friendly.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

The last few weeks were eventful to be sure. So when Fiolette was asked back to Zonju V it seemed to be a bit more of a relaxing task all things considered. It also provided the opportunity to check in on Clarras, the coalition's joint military base. It was a rather large structure and provided just about everything they needed it also gave the people of Zonju V a place to get food, medicine, and general humanitarian aid. The base itself was operating smoothly, "see to it that these get to the outpost." Fiolette handed off a crate to a coalition soldier, she walked down the boarding ramp and was met with her assistant Sven Petrovsky.

"Meeting with [member="Jorus Merrill"] at Zoronhed, ma'am. You're running late." He seemed a bit upset by her running late, and so she put a hand on his shoulder gave it a squeeze and walked past him.

She was dressed in what could best be described as desert combat fatigues, her blonde hair was pulled back and she crossed the hangar of the freight yard. "Tell them that I'll be by shortly, I've got to see to the naval base first."

"Ma'am."

"Petrovsky, as much as I appreciate your efficiency, I'm sure the good Captain Merrill can excuse my tardiness." Another squeeze to his shoulder as she continued on her path. Clarras was just a first she thought to herself and made a reminder to take her two Pathfinders out for another look around the galaxy. There would always be a need for supplies and she intended to help out in that regard, all the while expanding her own fledgling company's operations. While the exterior of the base was rather foreboding, the interior was welcoming as it could be, coalition banners were draped on either side of the hangar. And as Fiolette turned to take the lift down to the naval base she got a look at what she had built here, and perhaps for the first time in a long time she was quite proud of what she had accomplished.

No, she didn't have the same resources as before, but it felt good.

~~~~~~

Zoronhed, still wasn't what she'd like to call home but it would suffice as the main port for now. Fiolette walked briskly in between the buildings, still dressed in fatigues that she hadn't bothered to change out of them. The heat of Zonju V reminded her much of the First Order's own planet of Halm. But it was the Canyon walls that gave her a refreshing view, swoop bikes were everywhere and Fiolette did her best to stay clear of the lanes. A mental note to perhaps invest in one if she was going to make Zonju V a more permanent situation. The Galidraan looked up and noted the building she was to meet in with Jorus and the others, with haste she found herself basking in its cool air.

Upon entrance into the room, she spotted Jorus quickly, as well as the protocol droid who represented the crown, Fiolette would greet him first and then noted the tiger-stripped twi'lek and... [member="Anaara Clandestine"]. Next, she spotted ice water, and Balance have mercy she was parched. the capital city had that lovely habit of creating cottonmouth. So of course before she could utter out a word the woman took to pouring herself a glass. Fiolette nursed the glass first before turning to the room and making her way to Miss Clandestine first. "Fiolette Yvarro, a pleasure and..." then Fiolette approached the captain, "Jorus it's been awhile thank you for the invitation and who is this?" The blonde gestured to the twi'lek.

Taking a few more sips of the ice water, she gave the room another look. [member="Natalie LaForte"], and [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] finally landed on her radar although she supposed making the b-line straight for water had something to do with it. Once Jorus had introduced the deputy chief engineer she turned, and introduced herself to both ladies, "Fiolette Yvarro."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Double.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] [member="Anaara Clandestine"]

Jorus made the usual social introductions and things settled down.

"All right, folks, thank you all for coming. The Coalition's asked me and Shenna'vala to take a hard look at your proposals. You've all had a look at our briefing, you know the kind of multirole ship we need. Maybe you already make something that's fit for purpose; maybe you've got a new line under development.

"Before we get down to nuts and bolts, let's go around the room and introduce the companies we're with. Tell us a little about what makes your firm unique and what you bring to the table."

 

[Anaara Clandestine]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"]

Interesting. She was there and saw others joining them. She could see the tiger striped twi'lek before they were looking over around at some of the others. Giving them all bows of her head when they were brought in she finally had a chance to show off some of the things that they had been working on. "Well I am Anaara Clandestine, the new business manager of Sasori and primary voice for Matsu Ike. She has become busy working on restoration projects and making equipment for the jedi so she doesn't have all of the time to roam around and meet people." She still came around and would do things but now she could focus and Anaara was trained for this purpose and loved working on contracts.

She offered a bow of her head though for them to really see it and get something here. She liked the idea of working on some of the ships they could do. Something new in the way of a multi-role ship. It could fit in with their mandate of trying for it and they had some better equipment that had just been made to better improve itself. "Sasori for those who haven't seen or heard it is one of the larger research companies in the galaxy that works with and offers technology and supplies within nearly all fields for affordable prices. More exotic technologies and some fo the largest in terms of medical ships, stations andas always personal equipment."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette stood at ease and turned to place the glass of ice water down as Jorus called attention and began the meeting. Shipbuilding, multirole vessels both things that her company was more than able to do and provide for the Outer Rim Coalition in exchange for their continued support of her work of course. So it went without saying that she'd be more than glad to help them, and as it stood there was a small project that she wanted to bring up to Jorus. You can't have Rae Sloane without including Norra Wexley.

Her attention then went to Miss Clandestine who then introduced herself as a representative of Sasori. The Galidraan nodded politely in acknowledgment, as the representative went on to describe a little bit about the company. Admittedly she had done little work if any with them, she had only heard of them in chatter and seen work from glances around intel briefings. Other than this she knew not of Sasori and Fiolette figured that most here did not know who she was or what she did. And that gave her pause, it was nice to be in a place where only a handful - maybe even less knew of your sins. When Miss Clandestine was finished with her introduction Fiolette stepped up, "and I am Fiolette Yvarro, I run a new shipwright called Primo Victoria, we build starships and starships accessories such as weapons, sensors, and engines."

She then took her step back and gestured to the next attendee.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Anaara Clandestine"] | [member="Natalie LaForte"] | [member="Kalla Caranthyr"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Outfit

Jyoti entered the conference room with her associate John Locke, owner of another rising Kiribian company, just as Captain Merrill had called for introductions.

She scanned the room as she took her seat, taking stock of her competition. Mostly strange faces, save for one.

Fiolette Yvarro.

The two women had never met, but Jyoti knew her by reputation, and by the mountain load of dossiers stored up on the former First Order Admiral by allied intelligence services.

If Rausgeber had been the fist of the First Over Navy, and Tregessar its heart, then Yvarro had definitely been the brains of the operation. Developing doctrines and designs that had given Jyoti serious trouble back in the day, prompting certain innovations on her end as a response. A few times it had crossed her mind to capture or assassinate the woman to remove a thorn from her side, but now she was just standing there right within easy reach.

What an interesting turn of events.

Jyoti no longer held such malicious thoughts towards the woman as she appeared to have a change of heart, but none the less, there was an opportunity to pick her brain later.

As Yvarro finished her presentation, she took her turn to stand and say a few words.

"Good day to you all. I am Jyoti Nooran, representing the interests of Kiribian Systems Armory. KSA is an advanced aerospace and technology firm that specializes in combat systems, communications, and AI development/automation. KSA also deals a lot with product design, prototyping systems to later be mass produced by larger entities. You may be familiar with such offerings as the Tenchu battlecruiser line (x,x), or the Beldon gas mining platforms."

She ended her introduction there, the consultant saving her full marketing spiel for KSA's proposal later.

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Anaara Clandestine"] [member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] [member="John Locke"]

 

[John Locke]

When he’d received a message from KSA John hadn’t known what to expect, an offer from the KSA was normally…interesting. However, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, ever since he’d come in contact with the government-run company he’d started to realise that the galaxy was a much much larger place than he’d ever suspected it could ever be. The realisation that there were companies out there that could far outstrip, exceed anything that he’d ever imagined have proven to be quite an impetus for him to drive his company on, pushing it to greater and greater heights.

The cyborg heard Jyoti Nooran step up from beside him, the woman’s confident voice filling the room as she explained where she’d come from and who she was representing today. Everyone on Kiribi hard heard of Jyoti Nooran, or at least anyone who kept an eye on Kiribans in the wider galaxy, although she was hardly the most well-known figure present at the table. That honour had to go to Anaara Clandestine, the representative from Sasori. If the world of Galactic corporations had a whale, then Sasori would be it. A fine target to aim to emulate…one day. For now though, the ship, John had had a chance to peruse the documentation which had been provided and, well the idea of the ship in question had sparked his interest.

As Jyoti sat it was John’s turn to stand up, nodding amiably at the assembled group. “I’m John Locke, representing Locke and Key Mechanics, and this takes me back to icebreakers at college.” A smile touched the man’s lips at the thought as he continued, “We specialise in the production of both combat and civilian craft and droids, in particular the development of new technology and systems which work together to create a more capable whole.”

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Anaara Clandestine"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Natalie LaForte"] | [member="Kalla Caranthyr"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Anaara Clandestine"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] [member="John Locke"] [member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

“All right, let's get started. You've all had the chance to go through our needs in detail. Here's a few key points.” A small holoprojector displayed the project summary on the wall behind him.

***

Primary Role: Mobile base serving broad supply and support functions for space/atmo/surface armed forces.

Example Missions: Transfer vehicles and prefab structures from bulk transports to ground via dropships, when no safe spaceport is available. Serve as local distribution center in lieu of compromised infrastructure. Travel with armed escort to resupply major fleet.

Low Priority: Armament, sublight speed/maneuvering

Key Capabilities: Secure multipurpose storage (fuel, munitions, parts, equipment, service vehicles), flexible multirole hangar capacity, hypercomm transceiver.

***

“Now, we're not just looking for a great ship three years down the line. We're looking to fill this role in a matter of months or weeks. If you have ships like this available or in the works, let's hear it.”

 

[Kalla Caranthyr]

Kalla had kept her mouth shut when introductions went around, and was silently thankful that Jorus had moved past her. In some ways, she knew that it was something of a missed opportunity not having made a strong first impression. But she was a realist, and no one would be even remotely impressed with her little start-up. No, if she wanted to make a strong impression, she would have to do so here when the designs were presented. Despite her misgivings and hesitation amongst such technological giants, she was still reasonably confident with her designs. And if there was one place she felt in any way comfortable or adventageous, it was cost; since her corporation was so small, expansion would be comparatively easy with minimal profits as opposed to giant corporations which would need unholy amounts of money just to continue to pay the bills.

"If I may start," Kalla said while standing up. Instantly, she was acutely aware of the number of stares on her. A part of her cried out for the bliss of spice, but she quelled that twisted voice as best she could. Though if this meeting went bad... Pulling out her personal remote, she tapped a button to bring up the design hologram. "The design I propose is simple and straight-forward. The aft section will house the hyperdrive and general crew quarters, as well as the control point for the base." A faint tremor started to run up one leg, but she pressed down her foot against the floor in a move disguised as a pivot. Her nerves were very nearly ready to unravel. She had to keep this together. There would never be another golden opportunity like this.

"Moving to the opposite end of the ship, the bow will house three primary tanks, holding fuel, water, and oxygen. The carousel structure behind these tanks will house a refinery to produce these three primary goods for transfer. Eight secondary tanks will house whatever raw materials are required for the refinery process. The tanks can be utilized as secondary storage for the main liquid products, or other products needed. In between holdings, the tanks will be flash heated to sublimate any waste solids that may have formed, as well as ensure any liquid product is eliminated." As she spoke, her nerves relaxed. Talking shop, as it were, was something she felt reasonably confident with and she had great ease with.

"Behind the refinery apeture, we have the primary and secondary cargo holds. The primary holds have ventral access points. Shield emitters and catwalks ensure appropriate mobility while underway or between deployments. This will be the primary holds for any vehicles or large prefab structures that are required for transport. External racks on either side of the primary hold house containers that can be filled prior to any deployment with whatever you require; munitions, food, equipment. Once the containers are filled, they can be ferried into place. Although this does leave them more vulnerable than had they been located within a closed hanger, this arrangement does allow for them to be rapidly and simultaneously ejected and deployed."

"Moving on, the next area holds the engines and hanger modules. Each can be retracted when not within use, and in fact cannot be used at the same time. Much in the same way the secondary cargo area is incredibly modular, I designed the hangers to be equally modular. Depending on circumstances, I expected that vehicles, support craft, or additional goods to be necessary. As something of a consequential feature owing to the hangers being retracted when not in use, I decided that it might be adventagous to be able to directly deploy these hanger segments to the ground. They're designed to withstand atmospheric entry, and are equiped with thrusters and repulsors to ensure a safe deployment to the surface."

"The last area is the communications hub. Six deployable satellites have the capabilities to accurate scan the local region for a variety of items of interest; gaseous and particle analyzers, surface telescopes, mutli-spectrum scanners. A secure local communications network can be established as well as each satellite has the capabilities to bounce signals between each other and the base as the designated hub. As well, just behind these rests the hypercomm relay." She gave a thin smile. "These do not detatch from the ship, I'm afraid. Their range is somewhat standard for hypercomm transcievers, but the presence of two deployable dish antennae should ensure a clean signal, even through patchy nebula or light ionic interference." With that all out, she had convered the basic capabilities of the design. Realizing that that was all she had to speak on for the moment, she shuffled back to her seat and slid down into it as elagantly and collected as she could, but she wasn't at all confident that she had managed it.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Natalie LaForte"] | [member="Anaara Clandestine"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"]​

 

[Anaara Clandestine]

Listenign to the others and then to Jorus as he was speaking about the design of the ship her eyes lit up. Not needing to be a combat heavy vessel was their bread and butter in terms of ship. Utility was important but they could likely upgrade it to do what they wanted as she spoke after the presentation of the woman who hadn't shared like the rest of them. A small thing but it did mean that they didn't know what she made or did and that was a shame. She liked learning about new people. She could see Kiribian here which was never a bad thing. Waiting for it to finish she spoke. "Well for these purposes, I would recommend the Saratai class of vessels. It is an advanced resource ship, deploying equipment and people across a planet while working with advanced seeder ships to establish colonies. Using self sustaining modules that can recycle and grow its own food, produce water and maintain oxygen. Machine and fabrication components for making pre-fabricated structures and all of our modules. Each made to fit together and create a self contained and protected outpost on toxic environments. THe seeder ships are able to meet most of your needs for resupply, giving aid and production capabilities. A,biet they are limited, the saratai would be better and is large enough to have a sizable hanger, solar shielding allowing it to dip and recharge or protect itself in close orbit of a sun collecting energy."

 

[Eugen Aker]

During each presentation, she communicated with her fellow cyborg over encrypted wireless, relaying her thoughts about each proposal. Thus far, the presentations had been good, already making for some stiff competition. The two Kiribians definitely had to work together to stand out.

<I'll go first, then you can present your comms system in more detail.>

She pulled out a small silver sphere from her purse, then tossed it up into the air as she stood. Microrepulsors within the sphere kicked in and centered the device right over the table. Moments later, the sphere would crack open with light panels that began to display a full color high resolution display of the Kiribians' offering:

Spoiler

"The is the Epeditionary Star Base, or ESB for short," she started, raising a hand toward the holo-rendering. "Technical details are being forwarded for review as we speak, so I'll just be providing an overview of the key features of the platform."

"The ESB has its origins with a joint refugee resettlement initiative started between the Iron Empire, Silver Order, and the ORC. Part of said initiative called for large ships or stations that could transport large groups of passengers and be used for colonization and terraforming. Development was tabled as the Iron Empire was forced to withdraw from funding, but KSA, in association with Locke and Key Mechanics, has revived the platform and retooled it according to the requirements set forth by the ORC."

"The ESB is 5 kilometers in length, and 1 kilometer at its widest with its pair of docking rings. In its default configuration, it can haul over 7 wings of starfighters, at least a half a million passengers, and enough vehicles and materiel to comfortably service a field army and fleet across an entire sector. This includes prefab facilities, deployable shipyards, and even satellites for establishing networks or conducting surveys."

"Each ESB is self sustaining, possessing its own dedicated manufacturing plant and refinery to process raw materials to produce a wide variety of products from fuel to ammunition. It synergizes well with dedicated mining platforms like the Beldons, or medical vessels like the Bacta-producing Boram hospital ships."

"At any one time, about small fleet's worth of ships can dock with an ESB for direct resupply or repair. Smaller capital ships and freighters can also dock with the rings to be ferried through hyperspace."

"Normally a ship of this size would require maybe tens of thousands of crewmen, but being heavily automated with neural networks and droid assistants, the ESBs can be as manned by as little as a few hundred, which is one of the reasons it's able to have such a large carrying capacity. A Subutai Analysis System governs the whole platform and can be used to coordinate the efforts of fleets. To meet its dedicated support mission, software ehancements have been included to give each Subutai unit increased functionality in logistical management."

"In short, this is everything the Coalition has requested and more, the ESB able to quickly create infrastructure where there was none. Where a standard deployment roll-out may take a few weeks or even months on a system or sector scale, with one ESB, this can be done in a matter of hours or days."

"That concludes my overview of the ESB," she said, glancing around at the group before focusing her silver gaze on John. "I will let Mr. Locke continue from here, detailing the capabilities of his Frejya comms system for networking."

She clapsed her hands together and returned to her seat, looking over at John again to do his part to sell their ship.

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Anaara Clandestine"] [member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] [member="John Locke"]

 

[John Locke]

John watched as Jyoti made her way back to her seat, his dark eyes dropping down to stare at the datapad in front of him before one last time before he stood, pacing around to stand in front of the holoprojector as he smiled at the group. “As we were designing the superstructure of the ship at every point we considered how best to achieve the purpose as laid down in your briefing documents, but more than that how we could exceed the document, to provide you with versatility and options in any scenario you might have to deal with.

The cyborg gestured towards the projector, the image broadcasted changing to a model of the ESB floating in space, rotating gently. Before their eyes the ship seemed to bloom, fighters, dropships and docked ships all launching away from the ship, filling the space around it with a sea of metal. The image paused, rotating slowly around the axis as he turned back to face the group arrayed around the table, nodding at Jorus. “You asked for a ship capable of supporting both space and ground forces, and I believe this ship is more than capable of meeting your requirements but my presentation is to expand on the role of the Freyja Communication System. As you can see, the ESB is capable of carrying and supporting an impressive fleet of ships, but it doesn’t matter how many ships you can repair, can carry if you aren’t able to coordinate them. Stable communications,” the man shook his head with a rueful smile, “Sorry, stable and secure communications. That’s what the ESB can provide, more than just a support ship, more than just a carrier and a transport it is capable of acting as a communications hub for any force, be it a space-based force, ground or surface forces, on planet or sector-wide.”

The man took a deep breath, an easy grin on his face, this is what he loved the technology behind things, the way they all came together. “The Freyja stands out from its competition through two key points. The first is it’s security, through the use of various encryption protocols the Freyja is able to adapt it’s security to the other ships or units you’re talking to, but at its top end, through the use of quantum key distribution, it can provide a near unbreakable level of encryption. But well,” John gestured at the image in front of him, “secure one to one communication is great, but that’s not really what you want here, and this is where the Freyja really comes into its own in this scenario. The System is capable of generating networks of communication, multiple overlapping networks made up of different hubs.” As he spoke coloured lines started to spread out across the image, linking together squadrons of fighters, groups of capital ships, or just individual freighters and ships proceeding through space, linking them all back to the station.

“As you can see, each network is anchored through the station, allowing for the maximum security and flexibility. The nodes represent each unit, be it a ship, a fighter, a transport, or units on the ground. This will allow you to act as a local support hub while also coordinating all your activities in the system in the most efficient and useful way possible. The nodes can be linked directly to the station, or be a member of as many of the networks as you want them to be, allowing them to talk to one another, to share information while at the same time keeping the various channels free from clutter. And the most important part, each of these networks is secured at the highest possible encryption available to the nodes in it, allowing you to create a secure communications network without the lag of having to route everything through a central comms system, which eliminates lag while providing you with the maximum utility possible.” John’s dark eyes glanced around the room, pausing on Jyoti before carrying on to rest on Jorus, “We believe that this combination of versatility of the ship and the systems it provides should meet all of your needs, now and on into the future.” Bowing his head slightly the man turned, returning to his seat as he let out deep breath, waving one final hand at the holoprojector to shut it down.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Anaara Clandestine"] | [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Natalie LaForte"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

ZORONHED, ZONJU V

Fiolette had to admit the information presented was outstanding. Pretenious was the word [member="Jorus Merrill"] had used to describe shipwrights once. And he was right, each one, thought they were the best and brightest that their ship would be the most innovative and original. She felt all these things when she built what would eventually become the First Order Navy. Between herself and Grand Admiral Tregessar, it seemed that the naval capabilties of the First Empire could not be surpassed. Now, here she was, to surpass them herself - but after watching the information presented she wondered. Would it be counter productive to work against the others. Obviously, yes.

Nevermind the fact that KSA was here.

She had once reached out to their company and together built a rather formidable little ship or two. When word reached her that they were no longer in good standing with the First Order. So thus went their relationship, shame she thought and couldn't regret the decision then. At the time it made sense to cut ties and move forward with the technological advancements in the name of progress, order and bringing peace to a war torn galaxy.

When the First Order sought to renew aggressions along the Hydian Way of L-49 that was where she stepped off their war train. She wanted to focus on the interior build stations, infastructure and get their people back to work instead of off to die for some zealous cause. Fiolette gave the others a cordigal smile and nodded in acknowledgment when appropriate. Then she realized that she was one of the last to go, and so she took a step forward, desert fatigues shifted with her movement. "I just want to say that thus far each presentation has been brilliant and Jorus, you have a very hard choice to make, but what I want to present is a command carrier that is already in motion."

Fiolette looked around the room and found a little holoprojector, "perfect." She crossed the room, grabbed it and walked back to set it down on a table. "Just one moment..." her Galidraani accent went flat against her words with an Avalonian tone, "and there we are." An image of an older ship appeared within the grainy projection of blue and white. The former grand admiral took a step back and used her fingers to grab at the image and enlarge it.

"Meet the CSS Norra Wexley."

"She'll be just over four thousand kilometers in length and width with a height of just over two thousand, she will be a command carrier and have the ability to coordinate battles across an entire sector." Fiolette began and with the tone of her voice and how she spoke her words. One would be hard pressed to not believe her, and only those who truly knew her past would know that she meant every word. "Now, I cannot say how many guns or even the type of guns and weaponry she'll be equipped with but make no mistake she won't have many. Instead, the Wexley will rely on her fighters, eighteen squadrons worth."

"Obviously she doesn't hold a candle to any of the multirole ships you've all presented, personally I enjoyed your presentation in particular Miss..." Fiolette gestured to [member="Kalla Caranthyr"], and when she gave a name the blonde merely acknowledged, "yes of course, Miss Caranthyr."

Fiolette shuffled around the projection and looked at the men and women gathered. "Now, the Wexley's main role is that of command presence. She is a center piece in any fleet or armada if you will, coordinating both space and ground combats, deploying troops, starfighters and working to ensure that the Coalition can more than adequately defend itself."

"Her engines will be made from a modified variant of the old Starscream IX engine, tentatively called Rodimus Prime, or as the boys have been calling it Hot Rod." She gave a small smile and a shrug, "now given her unique status, I've made motions to reaquire shield technology that I had previously developed for the First Order, as well as, ablative armor to help ensure her survivability rate. Additionally, while she won't be nearly as mobile as other ships here, she has the capability of housing those in need, and transporting a large number of refugees. While I might be building her with war in mind, I realize that every ship needs a purpose out side of battle, and thus why the Wexley can be easily modified on the inside to reflect this humanitarian role."

The Galidraani flipped through a few images of the ship and went to the interior, "an expanded medical bay can be found when it is performing this role, as you see here this will allow the Wexley to help those who cannot easily gain access to even the most basic of healthcare." Another flip through images, "the hangar nearly empty allowing medical ships, shuttles and other personnel to come and go."

"Hydroponics also becomes a focus, allowing the Wexley to produce food, water filtering - to produce clean, drinking water and deliver this to settlements, planets and wayward travellers."

Another flip. "Here you can see that the Wexley would then also be able to coordinate mass humanitarian efforts and if the recent events in our galactic history has shown us. There is an ever pressing need to meet, to help those who are simply trying to find a safe place to raise their families, to achieve their dreams." She lowered the projection's light dimming the images.

She took a few steps in front of the Wexley's projection as it rotated behind her. "That being said," Fiolette gestured to the ships image behind her, "she's still very much a work in progress and in the blue print phases, so what has been laid out before you in terms of presentation is very much subject to change, thank you."

[member="Anaara Clandestine"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Natalie LaForte"]

 

[Natalie LaForte]

*I apologize profusely for the unreasonable delay*

"Hello everybody. I represent the Intergalactic Monetary Fund, name is Natalie LaForte. We specialize in weapons of war, specifically, droids, automated star ships and defense systems."

Afterwards, returning to her seat and occasionally raising an eyebrow with small amounts of admiration for the competition.

~~

"While I appreciate the products laid out before you, and I have no doubt they have been conceptualized and designed with due care and diligence I don't believe anybody has offered you exactly what you are looking for. Yet." Natalie, at this stage, had taken her own holo projector and had aligned it accordingly for the presentation. "I present to you, the patent pending, ZY-Detached delivery freighter."

As the picture appeared on the screen, several additional annotations clearly made with a different software would appear to be layered on top of the original image, indicating its size; 500 meters long and 50 meters wide. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it. In comparison to what has been displayed, the ZY-DDF is a tad on the small side, but as I'm sure we've all heard, size isn't everything. Instead, we have used the forefront of remotely controlled droid technology to ensure the minimal loss of life in a combat setting, intentional or accidental. The ZY-DDF boasts a unique two stage modular design, with the base frame being modifiable with multiple IMF products, and the secondary add-on being able to be controlled from a completely remote setting. In addition, we have added several exclusive mechanisms, including our DMPCA enabling the detachment to be able to defend itself mid-shipment."

"Naturally, we have designed this system to include exactly what the Coalition needs, a reliable and secure deliverance ship for any and all situations. The ZY-BL, the base ship, also hosts a small armament of anti-star fighter laser cannons, though its main function is to host the DDF, the detached ship, which is entirely dedicated to delivering cargo, troops or vehicles."

Natalie then removed the image from the holoprojector and went to take a seat.

"Thank you." waving her hand and waiting for the next presentation.

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"] I [member="John Locke"] I [member="Jyoti Nooran"] I [member="Anaara Clandestine"] I [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] I [member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Anaara Clandestine"] [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Kalla Caranthyr"] [member="John Locke"]

[SIZE=11pt]During the presentations, Jorus took freehand notes on a small and tarnished datapad. He started with a copy of the text displayed behind him, and threw in a couple of other basic criteria: cost and availability timeline. From there, he just started jotting down thoughts.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]

Spoiler

[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Primary Role: Mobile base serving broad supply and support functions for space/atmo/surface armed forces.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]All proposals capable of role, not all specialized toward role. Flexibility is good but at what cost?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - specialized for role[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - capable of role, can do many things (multirole colony/exploration/outpost construction ship), designed to work in tandem with multiple other ships[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - specialized for role at FAR higher scale than expected - few if any ORC armed forces need this scale[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - capable of role but not specialized for it[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]IMF - capable of role - a good generic transport[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Caranthyr/Kiribi[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Sasori/Fiolette/IMF[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]***[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Example Missions: Transfer vehicles and prefab structures from bulk transports to ground via dropships, when no safe spaceport is available. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - solid, defined mechanism for this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - Tiny hangar but can drop megatons of prefabs[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - 1000% and then some - could probably build planet from scratch[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - yup[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - detachable ship for that purpose[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Caranthyr/Kiribi/Fiolette[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Sasori/IMF[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]Serve as local distribution center in lieu of compromised infrastructure. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - Extreme modularity, flexible capacity[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Can deploy hangar segments to ground, also prefabs[/SIZE]
  
• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Comms hub solid for purpose[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - Can deploy many prefabs and build small ports, but can’t serve as hub itself (tiny hangar) - build hub better than serve as hub? situational[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - better at infrastructure than a fair few of our worlds[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - mission would be kind of a waste of a sector-control supercarrier[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - with air-to-ground transport focused on one disposable ship, might struggle to coord/have room for multiple streams of transport[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Caranthyr/Kiribi[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Fiolette/Sasori[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]Travel with armed escort to resupply major fleet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - Refining - limited manufacturing - plenty of multirole tanks - solid fleet support capacity[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE=11pt]vulnerable - would rely entirely on armed escort [/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - every defense ever - not specialized for fleet resupply[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - Well it’s definitely SAFE - every defense ever[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]-could definitely supply major fleet, bigger than ORC ever fields[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - Centerpiece of a fleet not its supply line (notes easy internal mods, humanitarian missions, etc)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - droid angle + low cost = low risk - good for convoys. Needs escorts = fine. Good general purpose transport. Might struggle to resupply multiple ships at once.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Kiribi/Caranthyr (same quality, diff scales)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Seconds: IMF[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]Low Priority: Armament, sublight speed/maneuvering[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - no serious weapons = fine[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Vulnerable[/SIZE]
  
• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Open design does not prioritize maneuver[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - insane defenses, very few weapons for a 3km = fine[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Moves like slug = fine[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - prolly outguns any planetary defense force in ORC[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE=11pt]Sluggish but not too bad[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - the Wexley is a slug and a warship - 18sq fighters? dang[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - fits the bill[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Doesn’t really apply. Closest to intent would be IMF/Caranthyr[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]***[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Key Capabilities: Secure multipurpose storage (fuel, munitions, parts, equipment, service vehicles)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - hits all targets explicitly[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - tons of dedicated storage for base construction but not specialized for this (e.g. ship fuel, munitions, etc.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - definitely[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - with those mods yeah[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - should do. tons of generic storage.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Caranthyr/Kiribi[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Fiolette/IMF[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]flexible multirole hangar capacity[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - support craft, modular hangars, dropships, acceptable[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - no (2sq fighters)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - 45sq, tons of dropships, atmo vehicles, prefabs, DEPLOYABLE SHIPYARDS - definitely fits criteria at huge scale[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - 18sq, tons of dropships and shuttles, enough for mass refugee transport - yeah can do, just big scale[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - not really[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Kiribi[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Fiolette, Caranthyr[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]hypercomm transceiver[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - very good comm suite[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - Mon Cal Dolfin - good[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - Freyja system is insanely good, i like the redundancy - explore separate purchase through X[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - sector-scale comms coord[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - not really[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Kiribi[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Sasori, Fiolette, Caranthyr[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]Cost[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - Looks very affordable[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - 3km limited production, positron cannons, matrix armor, impervium, adegan synthweave, many tons of toys including some of mine - incredibly pricey ship - ORC probably can’t afford in sufficient numbers - look into potential separate purchase via X[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - 5km limited - gigantic expense - tons upon tons of toys - see Sasori[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - 3km supercarrier, pricey but not everything and the kitchen sink - could see Kal’Shebbol or Karideph buying one[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - looks very affordable[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: IMF/Caranthyr[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Fiolette[/SIZE]

***

[SIZE=11pt]Availability (timeline)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Caranthyr - not built but should be straightforward [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sasori - available immediately[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kiribi - not built, ton of work to go.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Fiolette - see Kiribi[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]IMF - concept but shouldn’t be hard to throw together[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Frontrunner: Sasori[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Second: Caranthyr/IMF[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]

[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As the last presenter wound down, Jorus sat back and gave his writing hand a rest. He swapped datapads with Shenna’vala so they could glance over each other’s notes. Within a reasonable degree, her estimates lined up with his.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You’ve all tackled the task from different angles,” said Jorus. “Thank the Force I don’t have to make the final call. Shenna has a couple of questions for each of you.” He passed back her datapad.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The tiger-striped Twi’lek had been his deputy chief engineer for a couple of years now - boardrooms were new to her, but she carried a weight of authority. She might have undermined that a little when she raised an eyebrow-ridge at John Locke.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“That I do,” she said. “And all of you, what kind of timeframe do you guess for your ship’s availability? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Miz Caranthyr, you’ve got a killer transport, but does your design run into any challenges when it comes to moving cargo around and through the ship?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Miz Clandestine and Miz Nooran, you’ve got an awful lot of shiny ship between the two of ya. Assumin’ the Coalition could only buy one or two, how’d you see it filling all these flexible roles across Wild Space when it can only be in one place at a time?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Admir’l Yvarro, your boat’s a hot supercarrier, but I gotta wonder how much work and trouble it’d be to strip out half the frame for cargo or passengers. Seems like an emergency thing rather than the usual. So how do you see the Wexley filling this role consistently? Also, same question as Miz Clandestine and Miz Nooran got.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Misser Locke, I’ll be sendin’ you a requisition for your comm system and your comm number. Can you take care of that assap?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Miz LaForte, I dig your transport, but how you plan to resupply a fleet with just one big dropship? You got hangar space beyond that?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]”Also, any of you folks want to say a few extra words, now’s the time. Don’t rag on each other’s ships too hard, but you each ofya know how your ship stands out and where it shines. Nail it down.”[/SIZE]

 

[Anaara Clandestine]

She was listening to the others and mentally taking notes. There was some good work from all of them and one of the things she did notice was a lot of concept. She didn't want to say it when she let her face remain neutral but show some interest. To be actively listening until there was a question posed to her. Hand coming up while she activated the hardlight display of the interface. To show the saratai as well as some fo the newer compoents they had designed for ships. "Matsu Ike once told me the best quality was better then the quantity of credits. If you bought from us today, we could get ships to you to suit your needs within a day." She said it though. "As well we can use and offer the newer components and ship parts we have made since th Saratai has been in operation with the seeder ships and its relays." She avoided talking about the other peoples ships, as was said don't rag to much on them and she knew pride in things could lead to obnoxious behavior by anyone proud of what they had made. She knew Jorus had been interested at one time in the parts and if they could update and make the Saratai's able to use some of them well.... she could think of a few things like the repair system or the gravity lattice for holding excessive amounts.

Spoiler

• Saotome Automated Repair System:
• Saotome Defensive Screen:
• Rack Module:
• Sub-Hyperdrive Upgrade:
• Biot Jelly:‎
• Saotome Filter
• Saotome Scrubber
• Saotome Crew Chair
• Storage Module:
• Modular Bedding:
• Variable Plating:
• Sato Holochair
• Saotome Hyperdrive:
• Saotome P.L.O.T. Shields Light Version:
• Saotome Back Up System:
• Saotome Shield Booster:
• Saotome Recharger:
• Engine Suite:
• Systems Suite:
• Communications Suite:
• Computer Suite:
• Active Sensors Suite:
• Passive Sensors Suite:
• Saotome Stealth Package:
• Executive Suite:
• Saotome Circuits:
• Saotome Recovery Upgrade:
• Saotome Tractor/Pressor Upgrade:
• Sasori Nnth:
• Sasori Agena:
• Modular Tubing:
• Seimei Afterglow Panels:
• Chastity Blastdoor:
• Saotome Lockplate:
• Saotome Whammy Drive:
• Saotome Advanced Tracking System:
• Saotome Ember Scanner and Slicer Unit:
• Saotome Defensive Lattice:
• Saotome Biocomputer:
• Saotome Fallanassi Upgrade:
• Saotome Suppression System:
• Gravity Lattice: