Remember Me for Centuries[Development Thread]

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Camellia may have already taken the liberty to send a text communication that they were having a private conversation in the lift so the crew wouldn't worry, so there was little concern there about them being up in alarm or being any the wiser. It seemed like their destination was selected as well, the Rendili woman not completely surprised that her companion and friend hadn't given up on her decision to spread the joy of comfort aboard a warship despite the slight oddity that that was. "Alright, but I am just realizing this is a prototype. Its bare bones on almost everything. You saw how empty the hanger was even though its huge. We can fit eight or so standard squadrons in there but it isn't stocked. So don't be too upset if the Captain's cabin is scarcely decorated, it might be better in the final design plans already."

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi looked at her and had the grin as she entered the room and looked at it. "There are other reasons, one that is most important that I noticed on the Watts when we were working was the captains quarters could be hit and it happened twice." She was looking at Camellia with a raised eyebrow. "The ships were surprised and in danger once they didn't have a captain." She was walking through it though while moving her head. "That was really all I wanted to see and bring up. The captain's should be like a cic and protected just in case well I'd do that with all the senior officers. Now lets go to handle those systems."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Well that was actually a good point Camellia confessed as then as they continued on their way to the Captain's cabin, but then she was a better designed than whoever made the Watts class in her opinion. And she was happy to boast of it to Ayumi as well. "That mistake would never happen on one of Rendili Stardrive's ships. The Captain's quarters is closer to the bridge than the rest of the crew compartments as a necessity so they may take command of a situation sooner in an emergency, however, it is not near the edge of the hull where a surprise enemy attack could do damage to it. I can bring up a blueprint so you have a better idea of that. I wouldn't worry about that issue. Although if its something done on the Watts class I hope the Captain of any Centurion doesn't mind their cabin not having a view."

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

"Based on what I saw the watts class was slightly rushed into production but at the time the Republic was facing an alliance of enemies coming after them. Corners were cut in some places but it was made to be a beast of a warship and thanks to Valen we could make far more or it them ships like the MC180." She had helped in the making of the ship, working with the people on Valen while she was walking. "When I saw the final product I didn't have the experience with ships I do now but I wouldn't change my first ship for anything." She let the small reveal of it come out while going towards where Cam led her and not commenting on the crew of the ships. The Republics military was like a revolving door. Sometimes it had ones who could win in any engagement and sometimes it seemed they had no one around to do anything.

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Well the Rendili woman could understand the situation at the time she supposed, but there had to be a level of understand that Camellia was quite adamant about ensuring Rendili Stardrive's superiority regardless of previous icons of strength others had come up with. She respected the Watts class and thought it was a capable ship the Republic hadn't made the most use of, but she would love to leave it in the dust someday with a design of her own making. Of course she hadn't known that Ayumi had had a hand in the project back then, and none of her remarks were meant as an insult to the creators, but she didn't know what to say to that either.

"Well they aren't a horrible design. They're definitely more powerful than many other ships and I suppose are where you got your foray into reactors. I still stick by what I said though, whatever issues with it and other designs we find we'll cut out of the Centurion if we can to make it the best ship we can." Reaching the Captain's Quarters, Camellia put in her passcode and opened the door, the panel sliding up for the two women to enter and look around as they saw fit. It was fairly bare bones as the Rendili woman expected, but maybe that was better so Ayumi could make recommendations as a whole rather than correct any gaps.

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi was looking at her and gave a nod of her head before holding her hand out and the small palm projector was setup to display for her. She was looking at the room and looking at Camellia as she held a small look. "It still look nice and worry not, any design flaws I am sure you will have cut out." She brought up the image of the ship they were working on with its long design and massive engines along the back while she spoke. "This looks good enough for a captain to have his desk and caf machine.. Maybe a fishtank and decent bed." She was moving towards the doorway. "I like it and thank you for indulging me, now lets continue the work and you can look over the design of the ship while we walk."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

A fishtank? Well in all honesty it was nice, but then again maybe something specific like a tank, or a model rack, or hologram projector, could be up to the Captain to install on their own time if they knew their assignment aboard a single vessel would last a long time. At least the departure to ensuring comfort and fashion on the Centurion didn't take too long, though it made Camellia a bit anxious if she had upset her companion in some way. Still, it was nice to head out the door and return to the turbolift to move towards the bridge. "Well the only real issue I have is the slanted shape of the hull means not all the weapons can be fired as one might think. If the ship is perfectly pointed at an enemy all weapons can indeed fire, but if its tilted more so up or down then the batteries near the broader sections at the rear can't fire with the forward hull in the way. Still, it does allow better firing trajectories than the Imperial Star Destroyers of old since their weapon banks were elevated and couldn't shoot around each other, giving the Centurion an edge due to its triangular conical shape or a flat triangle. Its subtle work but it makes the difference. Aside from that its just the typical problem, engine compartments reducing optimal rear firing angles and the gravity well generator and hanger means the bottom of the ship doesn't have as many capital guns to avoid energy disturbance or structural compromises if one of the weapon banks were to be hit."

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi was giving a nod to that, the forward firing arcs and shapes of the ship she was planning was meant for exploration but she lovwed the input of someone who knew more about the ships then her. It was a marvel though as she was walking and listening pulling back her hand projector while nodding her head. "I see, this will help with the design and we are going to have to get more looks t it when it is out of just the planning stages. I have been experimenting with pressor catapults to launch fighters faster into combat while reducing the hangers to some of the better fighters we have. As well as another thing, a new shuttle craft that can be made quickly, with just enough materials and is disposable."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Well for exploration or not, a ship needed to take defense into account for itself and in Camellia's opinion a ship going out to who knows where and running into who knows what needed to protect itself more ably than others. After all, most exploration expeditions past the Unknown regions weren't done in a flotilla, meaning that single ships needed to keep several very important things in mind. Were they able to defend themselves if they came under attack from any new foreign populace they come across if they became hostile? Were they able to sustain themselves and colonize prime worlds they discovered if their voyage is to take an extended period of time? And were they prepared to handle communication concerns back to known space if they needed to call for help through hyperspace and communication beacons?

Actually the Rendili woman figured they also needed to consider if they could handle repairs for themselves too so better make that four things they had to ask themselves. "Those are very good. Pressor catapults are great most of the time. For ships with hangers filled with fighters its hard to spare the room. I like the idea of developing pads for pressor catapults on airbases planetside or on space stations considering their defensive and reactionary in nature. I am excited to look into your design in more detail later Ayumi." Grinning to her friend, Camellia stopped just ahead of the Bridge's Bulkhead door as the crew opened it up, saluting to her and Ayumi as the two women stepped aboard, ready for the next phase of testing for the Centurion Prototype.

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi looked at her with a promise look on her face while she got to the bridge and went back to her old self. At least when looking at the ones there as she let herself be that imposing figure again on the bridge in all black with a stare. "Well then we'll work on that, now come on and lets get this sustainer tested and make sure each part of it works." She said it with a grin while she was looking over the ones in the crew on the bridge while she held her attention forward looking out the viewport. "I think everything you have done is great and now for the real threat presented by the ship."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Right, it was time for the main show to get underway. "Prepare the ship for hyperspace, tell all hands to buckle in just in case everything isn't as smooth as we hope. Let the interdictor group know we're coming so they better have that gravity well generator running so we can see if the Hyperwave Inertial Momentum Sustainer system is working properly." Nodding to Ayumi, Camellia would move to the Captain's Chair as the bridge crew went about their business, opening up a communication line to the staff aboard the mini station they had constructed to house the gravity well generator so it was ready to rip them out of hyperspace, bringing the HIMS system online so they wouldn't be ripped out like they normally would be, and plotting their course in line with the plan already laid out.

Truthfully they were already in place to make the jump, the ship having had ample time to reach its exit point from the system while the CEO and her friend had their moment in the turbolift. Much of the crew aboard the Centurion were already stowed away as well in case things were bumpy, all they really had to do was power things up, make sure the gravity well generator was turned on against them, and make the leap.

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi was looking at it all and listening, she moved towards one of the seats sitting down there as she prepared herself. There was a nod of her head though while she was internally crossing her fingers that this would work and they would have something new. She had worked with so much more technology compared to before where she was just expected to know what to do despite only having the smallest amount of experience. She much preferred seeing all of it get laid out for her and given the chance would and could most likely try and make such a ship for her people if they needed it. They had shipyards now they could use to make ones before she leaned forward a little to watch it work.

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Ayumi wouldn't have to wait long, as the acting officer on duty called out they were preparing to enter hyperspace after confirmation came in from the other end of the comm channel that the Gravity Well Generator was online and ready for them to try getting past them. The HIMS system was up and running and all that was left was to see if they were pulled out or ended up where they wanted to be. "Go." Space would warp around the glasteel panels of the bridge's viewpanels as starred blurred around them as they entered hyperspace. Camellia would check her seat quickly to make sure she was secured in the event something went awry, but she had a great deal of trust in the engineers who installed and designed the HIMS system for the Centurion.

And that trust was rewarded. The officer on duty would begin counting down for them all, letting them know when they began approaching the edge of where the gravity well was supposed to be. However, when the man finally reached zero and nothing happened, when the ship wasn't pulled back into real space by force or yanked about by the interdiction field, Rendili Stardrive's CEO had a huge smirk on her face when the new countdown began and a few seconds later they slowed down and reverted to realspace on their own terms. Sensors picked up the gravity well station behind them, exactly as planned.

Of course a HIMS system didn't completely prevent Interdiction, but it allowed them to delay its effects and more importantly choose their own exit point.

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi was sitting there and she leaned back in the seat before she was strapping herself in and they were going. Her attention looking to the hyperspace lines while she was moving her hands to her lap. Then she was feeling and hearing it with the force while she looked towards Cam and the others on the deck. They were jumping and slowly she thought it might have failed but they kept moving, that feeling of entering the gravity well before the sustainer kept them going forward into the distance to get out of the well quickly enough. She was glad to say she was happy to be a part of the test and now they were looking for the most important part of it all. She wanted to get them off towards the end and stood up looking at Cam. "Impressive."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

"I have to agree. The shipbuilders of Bakura may have been the inventors of such technology, but its nice that time has seen the spread of its knowledge around the galaxy. I am rather amazed that most powers that be no longer employ Interdictor vessels in their navies. Still, once the Centurion takes the Galaxy by storm, I expect a few copycats, so the HIMS system is in a way a preemptive layer of defense against those copycats. This ship will catch enemies and hyperspace and laugh at those who try to catch it in the same manner." Speaking of which though, they did need to finish up the lasts of the tests. THat being for the Gravity Well Generator itself. As much as Camellia felt elated with their successes so far and was of the same mind as her friend, the Rendili woman realized she probably shouldn't speak too much so that she and Ayumi could celebrate fully once they were done.

"Bring the Gravity Well Generator Online. Let the crew of the transport playing our *victim* know when the Interdictor Field is online so they can make the jump. Then we'll see if we can catch people as well as we evade them." Settling into her seat, now they just had to wait to transfer power from the Hyperspace Sustainer to the Interdiction Field.

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi was looking at her while thinking about it and she knew some employed interdictors but most fleet fights had been seeming to teeter off in favor of the ground combat. With her arms crossed she was looking for the shuttle they were going to catch. "Hopefully not, the race to keep making bigger ships could mean that one might be made like this and then we'll be back here working on a way to top that one. I know building ships is great but if a ship will be obsolete down the line." Ayumi walked around the bridge though standing as tall as she could with a small smirk though showing that she was enjoying herself.

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

Had she said something wrong? There seemed to be a mismatch between what she had just said and what Ayumi was seemingly concerned about, unless she was the one misinterpreting what her friend was saying. "I doubt it will ever reach a point where shipbuilders begin a competition to design better Gravity Well Generators to counteract a HIMS system. And if they copy this ship and make interdictors of their own it doesn't mean anything. This ship will still stop enemy ships without HIMS, and unless they go to the work of developing a Gravity Well Generator more powerful than others then they can't stop the Centurions because of their HIMS. This ship will be relevant for a long time until hyperspace technology as a whole makes leaps and bounds but I don't foresee that happening in the next century. Though I do hope we can start that off, encourage an age of exploration which as a result will of course encourage hyperspace advancements."

Seeing the officer on duty motion to her that the test was prepared, Camellia set aside the topic for now as she riveted her gaze on the viewport once the Centurion completed its turn and activated its Gravity Well Generator, the warping of space around it a very pretty sight actually when a screen gave a camera shot of it. With the Interdiction Field up and running all that was left was to watch as the countdown display grew closer and closer to zero while they waited. When it finally reached zero the Rendili woman had her eyes scanning the space around them, waiting for the target shuttle to exit hyperspace. Which it did three seconds later, off the bow of the Centurion, ahead, some distance away. "The range is right, the delay was in their departure. . . . . see, everything's in working order. I'd love to see someone match this warship now Ayumi. I'm certain we won't see an arms race for a while. This ship isn't even that big or powerful in its own, its just got a few tricks up its sleeve."

 

[Ayumi Pallopides]

[member="Camellia Swift"]

Ayumi looked at her and gave a nod in agreement seeing the results. Better yet she was thinking about the advancement in hyperspace tech which Camellia was correct... it hadn't advanced beyond a few things in a long long time. Her smirk though while she walked over and uncrossed her arms for a moment placing a hand on the woman's shoulders with her words coming out having humor. "Then I look forward to seeing it in the field and where it can be used. Though the real question is.... What else do you think it needs my dear?" Ayumi was watching the people on the bridge as she spoke. "What... be happy people you did something great."

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Ayumi Pallopides"]

The way Ayumi placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke so seriously about what else she might think the Centurion class might need didn't inspire much confidence in the Rendili woman as she wondered if something was wrong. There wasn't anything else she could really think of. The ship was advanced as it was, doing anything more pushed to the point of unreasonableness. Because there were plenty of things Camellia could imagine doing to make ships even better, but she intended to spread out her ideas so a fleet had more options than to rely on a single ship in case it went down. "She's right, we made a great ship work and we can likely move ahead with production whenever the Republic and perhaps even the Silver Jedi get around to signing contracts when we unveil the Centurion line. i really do hope you get to see it in action sometime."

Smiling a bit competitively at her friend, Camellia stood up from her seat as the ship began to prepare for the return to dock. There was more work to do on other projects, Ayumi's request among them. Still, she hoped her companion would see it her way. The Centurion wasn't about to kick off an arms race, and it certainly wouldn't fall behind.