[Techno Empire] Project Volkswagen

[Jessica Med-Beq]

OOC: If you're a non-Techno Empire character, please PM before joining!

IC: Maramere, one of the places close to Techno Empire space where one could mine for stygium crystals. Julie initially suggested Kelsier but Jessica objected over Kelsier being too close to Silver Jedi space for her own comfort. Master Jutland, named as such even though she is still a Knight, is at the helm of an AT-AT barge, which is roughly the size of a picket corvette, with Jessica at the copilot's seat. The Techno Empire still has a few gaping holes in its arsenal that she is trying hard to address. She tries hard not to think about how a cloaking device would benefit her former boss Charzon. Even though what Jessica always called the Senate was actually called the Executive Council, she always referred to her position within the Techno Empire as holding a seat in the Senate. Oh, if only the second administrator of those Force-sensitivity tests (out of four) she took five years ago could be here with Jessica today, she'll show her what goals are to obtain raw materials for 1) heavy cloaked warheads and 2) cloaked MIRVs. Said administrator was almost identical intellectually to the first, meaning that she was rather one-dimensional intellectually, or otherwise had holes in their skillsets, but nevertheless almost smart enough to be used as target practice for Force-comprehension or Drain Knowledge. She had a feeling she would meet the second administrator somewhere on that planet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here because of an Imperial project, sponsored by Executive Council member Med-Beq here. We're soon to land on Maramere" Julie announced.

"I am now at liberty of disclosing the reason behind this expedition. The Imperial project that we are talking about here is a project aimed at building the next generation of heavy cloaked warheads, for which I have provided the means to transport the stygium away from Maramere. Now the time has come to carry out Project Volkswagen"

"Can anyone tell me what uses there are to heavy cloaked warheads?"

"The cloaking device will activate upon launch, and also since missiles are otherwise vulnerable to point-defense, cloaking the missiles from launch onward would result in a higher survivability rate. However, once the primary vector runs out of fuel, multiple smaller warheads, also known as MIRVs, will be launched, also cloaked, and then impact the target ship(s) since MIRVs will also grant the ability to target multiple ships with one warhead. Also if you have other technological projects requiring cloaking devices, Project Volkswagen can help you out"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Herr Vanderhing"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Acaleus sat on the co-pilot seat with his feet resting on the board. The flight was taking long in hyperspace, and Venus didnt brought any sweet. The whole weekend he worked non stop into organizing a complete mining expedition into Maramere. First he had to buy the equipment, rent cargo ships, hire miners and a security company. With the current situation, all the fleet would arrive in hours after his arrival on the planet. He would need to help into buying or take by force if needed a mining area with abundance of stygium crystals. The second plan would be a difficult path, because of the bad reputation they could create in the population and government of the Maramere. Either way, his investment of time, money and effort on this project was way high

He didnt knew what would be the usage of the crystal for Jessica, but would he never say no to the need of help of a member of the Techno Empire "Maybe militar. It would be good if i get my hands on a good amount" The AT-360 stopped into the atmosphere of Maramere. It was the first time that Acaleus visited this system, and on the way there he studied a little of his language. Acaleus wasnt that intelligent, but with years of practice, he got the habit to learn a bit of the local language.

Venus didnt landed the ship on the planet, as they knew where would the mining center be created. Acaleus turned the radio and called for Jessica "Are you there? We have arrive but we are expecting you to send me a location to crash. Our fleet is going to arrive in any moment"

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Herr Vanderhing"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"I will send coordinates to the Haunted Straits. If reports are accurate, the Haunted Straits have deep reserves of stygium, and mining on the ocean floor is fair game"

Aeten II is one thing, but Maramere is another. There were the closest sources of stygium to Techno Empire space. Jessica was making herself comfortable on Geonosis, the only thing that still held her to Ringo Vinda was her corporate activity, but she would find that she would be best advised to keep her distances from the Silver Jedi. The one thing that she couldn't do was to move the headquarters of Ringovinda StarYards away from Ringo Vinda, or else she would be made to suffer. Especially since the referendum ended up being an anti-Silver Jedi victory, although not a landslide one. The mining equipment will arrive soon: neither Ringovinda StarYards nor Ringovinda Systems had any mining expertise, and Jessica was to refine the cloaking device. Plus she was no stranger to restricted materials: AI, void stones were stuff she worked with, stygium crystals were crystals that could power cloaking devices and the smallest cloaking devices that made use of stygium could be mounted on warheads for the missiles.

"I sense something... someone tending to the wounded in a stygium mining accident, a Force-user"

"What you need to do: open a channel to the Force-user in the Force: comms are inoperative here. They can hail us but we can't"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Herr Vanderhing"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

Flicking a switch, Lt. Lily Kilia attempted to hail the Techo Empire mining operation, in orbit around Maramere. Having been invited Lily was generally at ease, and yet she remained on guard. While not necessarily rivals, one could never be too careful. "Mining Station Maramere, this is the Event Horizon. Permission to dock?"

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]
[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

The expert pilot flew towards the Haunted Straits and landed on a beach. Acaleus stood up, stretching his back "Alright i will go alone to see if troubles awaits us" told to Venus. The hangar door opened and the assassin walked out, wearing his assassin outfit and bringing only his wrist lightsabers. There were no mere near, and that was a good thing. Although he would have to deal with them no matter what. He remember the old days of the Techno Union, years ago. When it controlled several planets of the entire galaxy. Years passed and now Acaleus was all whats left of the Obsidian Order.

Just when he was about to investigate the area, Venus communicate with him via radio"Acaleus, our fleet just arrive to the Maramere atmosphere. Also...a girl is request permission to dock in one of the cruisers" "Is she friend of Jessica?" "Dont know. Gonna tell her to land near our position" "Fine by me" he looked to the sky as the fleet descended little by little.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"I kid you not, she is a friend of Jessica"

"Commence deployment of deep-sea mining equipment!"

"Roger, roger"

Deep-sea mining equipment had to resist the high pressures of the briny depths, especially the deeper they go underwater. Jessica found that there was a deposit of stygium crystals at a rather shallow depth, about 60 meters deep, and maybe even less than that. The Imperial mining equipment was mostly droid-manned so that was rather tricky business. Whereas most NFU equipment would not be able to detect stuff like stygium, which meant that the crystals themselves were very difficult to detect to the naked eye, often FUs were to have a hand in there for prospecting. The equipment is deployed all right, but because of the Jedi in some nearby island, Jessica decided to hold off actual mining of the sea shelf near the islands until the whole mess is sorted out. To all Force-users in the nearby islands, this is Jessica Med-Beq, do you copy? Jessica messaged in the Force. She awaits their Force-response but she decided to use the Force to map out the main stygium deposits around the island.

"Uh oh, there is a Jedi on some nearby island. We're too close to the shores: don't start mining until we have rescued the Jedi"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

"Want me to go pick him up before docking?"Lily asked, already tilting the wings of the large ship back towards rhe planet. The Event Horizon began its approach back towards Maramere.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]
[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"No thanks, we can handle her case on our own"

I got lost on this planet, I would never have hoped to find you on Maramere. There's only one reason for you to be here, stygium: it's all too clear to me that you want to build cloaking devices, the island-bound Jedi responded to Jessica in the Force. Help is on its way, was Jessica's Force-response. While the stygium mining equipment is still about a quarter-click away from the coast, Jessica took to getting out of the AT-AT barge that has already landed close to the island where the detection of Jedi Jessica made in the Force was made. She went looking for that Jedi on that Force-forsaken island, where everything was so difficult to see to the naked eye but that was a good exercise in Force-sense to her. Nearly colorless crystals abounded on this island; Jessica was going back and forth across the island until she found the Jedi she detected in the Force, she knew it wasn't a trap so there had to be someone hidden among the stygium crystals. Whe she finally found that someone among the stygium crystals...

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Jessica"

"You know me by name? Who... are you?"

[member="Lily Kilia"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

Lily nodded, despite the fact that no-one could see her do so. Turning the ship back towards the large vessel in the atmosphere, Lily docked and disembarked from the Event Horizon.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]
[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Acaleus didnt knew what happened to Jessica. Her location was nowhere to be found "Venus?" "No signal" the fleet opened its hangar door and the first ships that take off where starfighters, on their mission to guard the sky around the mining area until the entire fleet landed safe. The assassin reach back to his ship "Tell them to start taking out the mining cars and to build the camp. We are going to be here several days if the mining process delays"

The meaning that Jessica didnt respond, or the arrival of her friend wasnt part of the plan and that didnt put Acaleus in a good mood. He walked towards the hangar door of the cruiser where the one named [member="Lily Kilia"] landed and waited her. The other workers where stretching their muscle and grabbing their tools, ready to start their work.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"You asked me to help out with a rather bizarre case of neurosis"

"We'll have to use the Force to communicate with the other Imperial team, but you're safe for the time being"

"How do you like your life as a Force-user, Jessica?"

Clearly the blue-haired Jedi couldn't be the first nor the last administrator of Force-sensitivity tests. The first one wasn't blue-haired, nor was the last one (Cathul was entirely bald because of her species). Jessica communicated with Acaleus in the Force: The reason why you couldn't join me using conventional means, is that I have landed on an island with an abundance of stygium crystals. Hopefully he will receive Jessica's Force-signal because from a stygium deposit to another, the only way to communicate between mining teams would be with Force-signals. The mining vehicles have been deployed and began drilling for stygium. The few organic workers were the taskmasters for the droidic crews being deployed in both submarine and terrestrial vehicles. Jessica sets up the camp using various Force-powers, as well as a few things to help the workers' well-being: a few cups of iced water, courtesy of Jessica's cryokinesis, a fire pit, which is, as of yet, not to be lit until meal time comes. And she is always ready to use electric judgment to light up the night lighting circuits.

"Commence mining for stygium crystals! Set up camp, we may need a day or two before we leave. Oh, and don't hesitate to ask me if you need help with stuff requiring fire, ice or electricity"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

"Hey there." Lily said as a hooded man approached her, "I was asked to come here by one [member="Jessica Med-Beq"]?" Lily hoped she had said the name coreectly.

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

"Mmm well the workers are starting their job, so there is that" in that moment he received the force message from Jessica, it was the first time someone message him that way. Although he was a force user, he wasnt with the Jedi or Sith, their way of thinking was part of Acaleus.

"Well thats a problem...i can receive message from her but i dont know how to send them back. That is going to be a problem" thought and them he remember he was in front of someone

"The mere can be mad about us mining their land withput permission. Im planning to go the diplomatic way and speak in behalf of the mining camps. If it something that can be solve with credits fine by me" the fact that the mere havent present themself could mean that they would attack. Although he didnt knew when, but maybe they were scares about the three cruiser he rented. It was funny because the fleet didnt had any weapons except the starfighters in their hangars "So you can acompany me or stay in the camp watching that everything goes well"

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

"I'll come with. If things go sideways you could use an extra blaster at your side right?" Lily said to the mysterious man, "Besides, I can be persuasive."

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Poor Jessica: she had to try negotiating mining rights with the Mere. For the time being all that Jessica's party did was to do prospecting, so no actual mining began on her side. But nevertheless, Jessica used pyrokinesis to light a bonfire so that the camp workers would have a source of heat for boiling water and cooking when the time came. So at least they could eat lunch out in the open while the future of the operation was to be ascertained. The entire success of Project Volkswagen depended on whether they could secure mining rights for stygium crystals out there in the Haunted Straits and, if so, how much. The blue-haired Jedi, wearing some white breastplate and shoulderplates, helped Jessica set up the camp. Meanwhile Jessica sent another Force-message to Acaleus: Cease mining operations until the whole mess of mining rights will be sorted out. Once we have secured mining rights, if at all, can we resume mining for stygium crystals.

"It might be prudent to negotiate mining rights with the Mere before actual mining work beyond prospecting could be done"

"You want to negotiate with the Mere for mining rights, is that it? Channel open"

"Greetings, Mere natural resources authorities. I am Jessica Med-Beq, member of the Imperial Executive Council of the Techno Empire, we would request mining rights for stygium crystals"

"Techno Empire? How is the Techno Empire related to the Techno Union?"

"It is the successor of the Techno Union when the last one collapsed"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Venus flew the AT-360 into one of the main cities of Maramere. When they were close they were received by some starfighters, but they didnt attack "Drop in that platform!" ordered someone on the radio. After they landed, Acaleus walked out from the hangar of the ship. There were a dozen of soldiers armed with blasters In other times, he would take down everyone. This was going to be solve by the diplomatic way.

"So you are the leader of the people that are mining the precious resources of our planet?" "We can pay you for every pound we extract. And that presentation of force...is a little disrespectful dont you think?" he was talking about the starfighters that escort the AT to the city "You talking about respect and you bring your mining fleet to our planet without our permission!" said the leader. A tall mere with rich clothes presented with the soldiers around him "Well look at this as the first treaty your planet have with the Techno Empire in a long term relationship" "You are just a simple tiny faction that cant even bring an army here. In a few minutes our armada will make you retreat" "Those ships i bring were only for transporting mining equipment. If you want i can bring you the entire fleet. If you think thats a bluff, i can take care of everyone on this platform without any problem" the first was maybe a lie. The second wasnt far from the truth.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Jessica sensed that the other Imperial stakeholder in this project was in a similar set of trouble to hers, just on a different island. So she had to cook up a different set of reasons for negotiating with the Mere while the other Jedi checked on everyone's health condition. She had to coordinate her efforts with that of the other Imperial stakeholder for the operation to succeed. She was perhaps even willing to negotiate further terms, but, as a Jedi, she had to at least give the other party a chance to negotiate in good faith. Because Jessica did not have a mining fleet in tow, she was deemed to be less of a threat by the Mere than the other Imperial stakeholder was, and hence Jessica was the best Imperial bet at a diplomatic solution. Plus she had a few trading chips for the Mere in the form of technology. 380mm hypervelocity cannons, for one. But the item that was going to be built from Project Volkswagen? That was a questionable prospect at best.

"Surely there is some compromise to be reached pertaining to the royalties: we did not extract a single pound whatsoever at this point"

"Then what is it that you did here?"

"We feel that it is prudent to know whether there actually is anything of interest to us before negotiating mining rights. Plus we have answered a Force-signal of distress: the party launching it had no other means of sending out distress signals"

"Everyone and their dog that comes here requesting mining rights on Maramere is after stygium: you just happened to be answering a Jedi's call for help"

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

Lily stepped between the two squabbling men. This had gotten out of hand far too quickly, "Please excuse my eager friend•" she addressed the Mere man. "Please forgive our getting ahead of ourselves. We brought our transport ships as we'd like to begin our efforts as soon as possible. Of course this is all pending an agreement beneficial for both parties, is it not? Why don't we all put away the weapons and the bravado. No one wants a war are their hands." Lily gestured to both the Mere's blasters and Acaleus himself.

[member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Lily stood up in the middle of them, talking about finding a more peaceful way of doing things. That kind of thinking wasnt accepted on this galaxy...At least the galaxy he had know so far "Your guard is right, maybe we can approach this in a more peaceful way" "Yeah she is" That kind of mentality was going to give him a headache but the mere seemed to be taking the conversation that way. Maybe he was afraid of taking his world to war against a faction with an unknown power. Lily just saved a lot of lives.

"Alright lets do make it simple. I need your resources. I can pay you" "There is no amount of credits you can give us that can pay up the rights of mining. Its our land" and that was the reason he didnt like talking his way out. But he didnt wanted to give up "I run a company that can help you improving the technology you have or give you new ones" if he managed to get the rights of mining and a trading link with a planet, he would be killing two birds with a single bullet. He only wish that Jessica didnt had the same problem as him.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"] [member="Lily Kilia"]

 

[Lily Kilia]

She let out a sigh of relief, a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The Galactic Alliance had just fallen, another major catasrophy, barely avoided with the events of Omega. The galaxy didn't need another war. Lily nodded at [member="Acaleus Thorn"]. It seemed like a reasoned deal, what he suggested.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]