Rebuilding from Scratch (O.R.C & AIE friends)

[Aeshi Tillian]

Sometimes, things went badly. It didn't matter how hard one worked at it or how lucky one might normally be. Every now and then, everything exploded. In fact, things had just gone that way for the vast majority of the galaxy. Aeshi had lost her ship and the galaxy had lost its best great hope.

The mood was tense around the Tillian Family Enterprises refit yard on Susefvi. Nobody quite knew what was going to happen. Many of the Alliance forces had pulled out, retreating who knew where. Well, Aeshi knew, but she kept that information to herself. A good chunk of the supplies left behind had been appropriated for the Susefvi Defense Force. They were going to need it.

And Aeshi had gotten word to her cousin Roth who spread word to those in what was now called the Alliance-in-Exile and Outer Rim Coalition or Underground that the family would help them prepare their ships for this new role, at an honest price. Enough to cover supplies, labor, and a small profit. As small as they could safely manage, anyways.

She herself had a new ship that she was working on refitting with the help of a few droids and other engineers. The rest of the company personnel were working on the other ships.

Her new freighter, name still undecided, lay cradled in a drydock, with its innards exposed and parts ready to be integrated into the rest of the ship. Roth's would be arriving shortly, from what she understood. It was bigger and would require more space and manpower. It'd be interesting to see else who might arrive.

 

[Roth Tillian]

"Alright, bring it in," Roth called across the bridge. The helmsman nodded and adjusted the controls aboard the ship, an Alliance FarStar carrier corvette, into the new shipyard on Susefvi. They'd been working on expanding their capabilities for a while and this would be the first capital ship they'd refit. Although, capital ship was being generous. This ship wasn't much bigger than some of their larger freighters.

With a hiss of hydraulics and magnetic clamps, the ship settled into the cradle. After a curt nod, the helmsman cut the power and the ship's engines slowly whined down until finally dropping into silence. Planetary gravity tugged at his boots as the artificial gravity switched off and the familiar feeling of Susefvi gravity took hold of them again.

Roth clicked the comms, "Alright, you all have leave until the ship is up in the air. Keep quiet, lightsabers hidden. Stock up on all the supplies you can manage. Run it through Tillian Family Enterprises, they'll write it down as mercantile cargo." The man ran a hand through his hair as he considered. "Not sure how long we'll be on our own. Haven't been able to link up with HIGHCOM."

He had a ship, a hangar with three squadrons of superiority fighters, and a crack team of Force sensitive pilots, R&D techs, and two units of Special Forces operators that they'd picked up from a crippled transport at the edge of the Sullust system. Things had gone badly there as well.

It wasn't much, but he had old strings that he could pull, old resources. Assembling a small task force would be possible. Difficult, but possible. Then they could take the fight to the heart of the imperials. He'd just get the ships refitted first. Aeshi could build a HIMS. She could teach him and other family engineers. That would be something, given how strongly the First Order relied on interdiction in their defensive strategies.

His mind began clicking through possibilities as he strode out of the ship, to embrace his grandfather.

 

[Aeshi Tillian]

Roth had brought a FarStar class ship, which she appreciated. Corellian ships were good. GADF ships were well-built and relatively new, with good maintenance schedules, so refitting it wouldn't be too hard. She sent the crews that way as the large ship settled into its berth. They were on a clock and so that was going to be their focus. They had to get it up and going as quickly as possible before anyone tracked it here and took issue with a questionably acquired Alliance warship. She didn't expect much trouble, but was better safe than sorry.

Aeshi gathered up her tools and her team engineers and headed towards the ship. As she approached, she could hear Ragnos and Roth talking.

"What do you have mind, my boy?" Ragnos asked, peering over the hull of the ship. "We can fix these blast marks alright. What else?"

"We've got experimental fighters in the hangar," Roth replied quietly, just low enough for them to all hear. "HIMS equipped. I'd like the ship equipped as well."

Ragnos paused and looked over his shoulder. "That we can do, but better seal off the hangar, to be safe. No need for word getting out. The family will keep it quiet, but outsiders might not."

The old man caught Aeshi's eye and beckoned her over. She waved her engineering team forward to start their inspection of the ship. "Can you get a HIMS in this thing?"

Aeshi turned and ran a critical eye, especially at the engine superstructure. After a moment, she nodded. "Easier than drinking a bottle of whiskey."

Ragnos' booming laugh echoed over the work area as he clapped her on the back, and ambled off to arrange for the connection of a few other things. She was familiar with this style of ship and it was rather weak as far shields and long-range comms were concerned. It had never been meant to operate independently the way Roth had described his plan.

So, pulling out a scrap of paper, she scribbled a few more things on it. Long range sensors. Hyperwave comms. And she was going to add something else, but Ragnos came back leading a hoversled with a... Aeshi did a double take. Was that a turbolaser? It was. She did some calculating in her mind and then set the greasy paper back into a pocket. Between that, the boosted shields, and the long-range comms, the ship couldn't handle much more than that. It was a good start.