The Vast Opportunities of Nothing (First Order only)

[Evangeline Ovmar]

The Black Hole of Quintas.

It was massive, powerful, and could rip apart matter in the blink of an eye.

It was also invisible.

At least, to the casual observer. Something that absorbed light and matter equally was difficult to spot without proper sensors. Contrary to the holos seen throughout the galaxy where heroes and heroines battled villains before stunning vistas of black holes and other astronomical sights, black holes could only be spotted with careful thoroughness.

That said, Ovmar wasn't there to wax eternal about how to find one. She was there to help spearhead First Order research on the black holes. Namely, how to harness them.

Some desired to use the holes as weapons, others as transportation. Personally, Ovmar felt the former groups to be of questionable morality and the latter to be of questionable intellect. But what could be done was, perhaps, a blend of dangerous recklessness and raw, unthinking courage.

She stood on the observation deck of the research station, one of many set carefully about the black hole. Beside her stood an attaché and before her one of the many nameless scientists droned on about reports and breakthroughs.

"How long until the facility can start full scale energy tests and study?" she asked, her pointed questions coming after another few minutes of data log explanations and sheafs of charts.

"Well... Today, really," was the startled response the scientist gave. Ovmar gestured at the viewport before her.

"Then I suggest you get started..."

 

[OK-3103]

OK-3103 was no expert on black holes. Or Quintas. Or even the Kriz Sector. But like any trooper worth his salt, he did his homework.

It was factual. It was dull – and it was both informative and useless.. He was no astrophysicist and his input here; he’d decided was going to be negligible.

There was a simple simulation room aboard the research station, and OK-3103 booked time in it almost as soon as they were aboard. He punched up a basic escalation program, a low-level combat scenario in an urban environment that would gradually increase in difficulty. He checked his weapon and entered the simulation.

At first, it was as easy as it had ever been. The enemy appeared – Alliance soldiers in this scenario – the rifle kicked softly in his hands, and then the enemy was no more. Another emerged from around a corner, and OK-3103 fired again. There was a rhythm to it, and his shots were going where he wanted them. A new target appeared, and he tracked it, fired while moving, and scored the hit. The targets started coming faster, and he thought maybe that would take his mind off what had happened, but instead it was just the opposite and he couldn't stop thinking about the prospect of becoming an officer.

He couldn't stop thinking about how his CO had pulled him aside at the end of the final training mission. Praised him for his leadership and set him a dilemma.

He had no problem in putting allegiance to the First Order ahead of everything else. But to be a leader you were either groomed to be an officer from the get-go – someone who rarely fraternised with the lower ranks. Or you pulled yourself up to the position but had to accept that in order to do that effectively, you had to become aloof.

 

[Aram Kalast]

As Supreme Commander Aram knew that the First Order needed to advance forward in their fielding of weaponry and technology. While already pushing forward in the field they still lacked the means to spread core wards if the need arose and meet the more heavily fortified planets of the larger government groups.

It was on the head of those such as Sienar-Jaemus and Arakyd Industries to pull these advancements together, to think ahead of those that opposed them. Yet there was one name that Aram had started to take personal interest in.

[member="Evangeline Ovmar"].

The mind of this individual was as sharp as a well made blade and it was exactly what Aram needed in his development teams. He had assured the Supreme Leader that they were on the verge of a new and improved energy source, one that could fuel their fleets at only the fraction of the energy already used in existing vessels.

It came down on Ovmar’s shoulders now to make this promise fulfilled and as Aram stared out towards the dark matter that was visible through the viewport and looked forward towards the future.

 

[OK-3103]

His CO had spoken to them even as the troopers' bodies were cooling on the floor. "You're now stormtroopers," he’d said. His helmet had turned, moving from one to another, then finally to OK-3103. It seemed he'd held his gaze on him longer than the others. Then he'd addressed them all, tapping his breastplate to emphasize his words. "You're now one of us."

They’d felt it, they believed him. All the way back they had been barely able to contain themselves, their excitement, their relief, their pride. Even the veterans had sensed it, had invited them to share a meal in the galley to celebrate.

OK-3103 had begged off. He had training to do, he said. He needed to put in some range time.

And because they'd already labelled him an outsider, nobody argued with him and asked him to come along.

So he worked through the simulation, and it grew harder and harder, and still his shots were unerring.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha Santhe had arrived. Called in by some strumpet named Ovmar. That skeeved her. Jared Ovmar was a creep. He was a business associate and for some time ran her company while she was doing some growing up and finishing university studies and perfecting her Sith Arts. This didn't mean she liked the man all that much. Afterall there was that nasty rumor he had started while he was CEO of her company that they were sleeping together. Disgusting, Sasha was only sixteen and he was an old creepy man.

A shiver ran up Sasha's spine. And this girl was his spawn? She considered the implication with a bit of red reaching her face. Uhg! Such a creeper. She wondered if this girl ever read the articles in the tabloids saying that her and Ovmar were a couple. She hoped not. Sasha always preferred her men younger and more easily manipulated, which wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the company of an older gentleman on occasion. They had their uses at social functions but none of them could party with Sasha. Which speaking of, Sasha took a bottle of Corellian whiskey from her ships little mini bar. Best to make good impressions, drinking the vintage of a dead world.

To Sasha's knowledge they were here to study black holes and anomalies. Great. Sasha didn't care to remember the last time she and Selka Ventress had encountered a black whole while experimenting on a modified Aleph fighter. The damned thing jumped off course and Sasha had to summon a hyperspace wormhole to get them back home. Stupid black holes. And stupid old whiphids in her head telling her things. God she wished Velok was still alive to mock and deride. There was a worthy Sith Lord, even if he did hate her. Old piss bag bastard...

"[member="Evangeline Ovmar"]," Sasha said with a jovial smile and open arms as she approached the woman, whiskey in hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Your father was my favorite cubical monkey." She handed the bottle over with two glasses. "Wage slaves are hard to come by." Then Sasha stared at the woman. "Thank god you favor your mother yes?"

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

The sound of a newcomer caused Ovmar to turn slightly to discover the source of the latest intrusion. Seeing it was the CEO of Santhe improved her mood slightly as the presence of the Santhe CEO meant that the research and development could begin immediately. That [member="Sasha Santhe"] felt comfortable enough to use Ovmar's given name raised an eyebrow.

"Captain Ovmar," she corrected politely, the pointedness of her preference to address her rank padded somewhat by the pleasantries of a first meeting. She spotted the bottle and glasses the other woman held and caught the eye of her attaché who quickly took the offered gift and poured a measure into both glasses before handing one to each woman.

"I trust your flight here was uneventful?" She asked, ignoring the mention of her biological father. The less about him the better. She did, unfortunately, tend to take after her father in appearance at times, but it was muted enough that it was hardly noticeable without close scrutiny.

 

[OK-3103]

OK-3103 crouched down as the simulation shifted. He was now in a combat situation. Ahead of him were his virtual squadron. They were all virtually indistinguishable in their stormtrooper armor, but within his helmet, along with the near-constant stream of data projected across his lenses-telemetry, firing solutions, atmospheric conditions, everything up to and including the ammo count for his blaster rifle-individual ID tags would pop up whenever he looked directly at another trooper, his in-suit computer reading friendly identifications.

According to that same stream of data, OK-3103 could see that PK-0505 was exactly 29.3 meters back, crouched in cover behind the hulk of a blasted-out Alliance speeder.

He could also see what 0505 couldn't – a squad of five Alliance soldiers advancing on him unseen from the left flank. OK-3103 raised his rifle, sighting, but he knew even before his helmet confirmed it that he was out of range. He could open fire, but there was no way he'd score a hit.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha's eye almost twitched. "Of course, Captain Ovmar," she said to [member="Evangeline Ovmar"]. Pretentious little... "And you may address me as Lady Sasha or Lady Santhe of Lianna and Tion if we are being formal." queen. "It is only proper that you address me with all do reverence my position affords as well yes?"

Taking a sip of the poured whiskey Sasha let out a little sigh. "The flight was uneventful although I must say there wasn't a lot of pilots willing to jump this close to a black hole. Heck the pilot I did find wanted to jump well clear of the anomaly. Would have taken another hour to arrive here, but we have business to attend to. No time like the present am I right Captain Ovmar?"

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

"Indeed," she responded neutrally. Ovmar gestured at the blackness beyond the viewport, the whiskey in her hand swirling gently in its glass.

"The astronomical anomaly your pilot was hesitant to approach is precisely why we need your company's expertise."

In the game of titles and formalities, sometimes it was better to omit them when unnecessary. Half of the time, Ovmar did it to annoy those that bore them. The other half of the time of was just simpler to bypass them entirely. Ranks such as Captain or Admiral were quick and concise. Titles such as Lord such-and-such of planet who-cares, knight of the will-forget-in-five-minutes order were too long to use in her usual dialogue, especially given current circumstances.

"Right now our scientists are researching just how this black hole works. More specifically, the intricate details of how it began and how it remains this stable. I've heard rumors that your company has made breakthroughs in the past, Lady Santhe," Ovmar continued, meeting the woman's gaze head on. "The First Order would greatly appreciate any efforts made to hasten our research on the matter."

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha looked over the woman. She was a blunt instrument, direct and forward. Sasha downed the drink in her hand in a quick gulp. "My company has made a great many advancements over the year. Engines, computer, and sensors. All of which will be at your disposal my dear Captain Ovmar. But for the purposes of this discussion I believe you are talking about the companies research into the singularity engine?" No use playing coy. Sasha had worked on a thing once during the days of the Sith Empire and then again had experience with black holes and inter-dimensional travel, although the later she would not repeat.

Sasha looked down at the suddenly empty glass in her hand and then extending her arm to the side presenting it to the aid who had originally poured. "Some ice this time, and don't drown it." She looked over at [member="Evangeline Ovmar"] and then the womans... assistant? Whatever the person was. Then she sort of wiggled her glass around in hand expressing the urgency that it must be filled. Thinking whiskey her father had called it. He was an idiot, but at least the liquor could help keep the old whiphid out of her head. Damned spirits. She heard of an ewok who could get rid of them, but at the same time she didn't want to deal with a force forsaken demonic teddy bear. That would just be demeaning. No it was better to drink.

"I'd have all your initial data and work at my disposal yes? Any experiments with hypermater and antimater and their effects on the subatomic knots in space time? Do you have testing parameters for a containment field?"

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

"The First Order is interested in the Singularity Drive, yes," she responded, using the term coined for the project rather than the one Santhe had used. It was a minor difference, but one the engineers had insisted on. For what reason, she didn't know or care.

"You'll have access to any and all data relevant to the research project. As of containment fields... Suffice to say the potential of a destabilized singularity drive is a known quantity. A dangerous quantity as well. We've done calculations based on speculating potential numbers and determined that while a magnetic containment array will suffice to hold the field in place... It does almost nothing in the event of a containment failure. We have, however, put together something that may prevent a catastrophic destabilization in the event such occurs. The engineers have designed a scale model of the physical containment field of you desire a look."

Ovmar simply tilted her head towards the corridor in question, untouched glass of whiskey in hand. Next to the two women, Ovmar's attaché did as [member="Sasha Santhe"] asked and handed her a fresh glass, made to her taste.

 

[OK-3103]

OK-3103 was a trooper. He followed orders and obeyed protocol. The logical decision was to leave the ‘virtual’ 0505 behind. This was war – even if it was a simulation – and his loyalty was to the First Order, not to another trooper. That was drilled into them from a young age. Those that showed undue empathy were considered rogue – potential traitors.

‘He's one of us,’ his brain told him. ‘But we’ve got an objective. If go back for him, we'll be cut to shreds. But he’ll make the likelihood of achieving the objective greater if we save him.’

The inner turmoil lasted barely a second. Face hidden inside his helmet, OK-3103 frowned. Yes, they had an objective, and yes, there were enemies all around them, and yes, the compound was their objective: an enemy position defended by a heavy repeating blaster. And whichever Alliance soldiers were manning that thing, they knew their job. They'd seen two full squads cut down by it during their advance. They needed 0505.

‘I’m running out of time.’

OK-3103 checked over his shoulder, back toward the compound. The terrain was uneven, and there was enough cover for a sustained fire-and-move advance. It would thin out the farther they advanced into the compound, approaching the heavy blaster emplacement, but it was doable if it was done smart.

He ordered the other troopers to advance and then to hold position. They were stormtroopers, and that meant once orders were given they would follow them and follow them quickly. They moved at once, and OK-3103 waited a half-breath's pause, letting each of them draw enemy fire, before launching forward. The terrain was just as bad in that direction, cruel, uneven, and strewn with broken rock and battle debris. Thick black clouds from engine fires clung to the ground, rolling across it like an uneven tide. He sprinted the first dozen meters, trying to keep low, zigzagging his way from points of cover and occasionally hurdling obstacles in his way.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha followed Captain Ovmar down the hall, hand clad with the cool familiar feel of a strong drink. She took a little sip of the beverage and smiled. It was a shame that real corellian whiskey might soon disappear, however Sasha was sure other distilleries would pick up the slack in time. "Magnetic fields are great, but I would suggest you look repulsor fields. They work directly against the gravitational forces. Physics and all that reactions and opposites." A smile formed on Sasha's lips as she took another sip of whiskey. "Of course we want to make sure the thing provides power to do more than power its own containment field. Otherwise... what would be the point?"

The Vong were masters of gravity and as a test of her own skills Sasha went about conceptualizing the various biotes employed by the vong as clean technology. Perhaps she'd spent too much time with [member="Gerion Ardik"] in her youth. "Time and subspace are the answer as much as they are an enemy within a singularity. I'm sure the answer lies there. Black Holes are 'mined' in the use of creating repulsorlift technology. Examining data from one of those stations might be prudent."

[member="Evangeline Ovmar"]

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

"Repulsor fields may indeed function better, but to be honest it's less about how to contain it and more about how to contain a singularity that has destabilized instead," she stated as they walked. Ahead a large bay door could be seen, flanked by stormtroopers. As they approached, one recognized the Captain and began keying in the passcode.

"A destabilized singularity can affect a fairly substantial amount of realspace. Destroyed ships and facilities, loss of life, possibly even damaging or destroying moons, asteroid fields, even small planets. Larger planets risk loss of atmosphere at best, turning into Corellia at worst," they reached the door and Ovmar gave the stormtrooper squad leader, a sergeant, a curt nod. Behind them, the door closed. Before them, another door. As the doors cycled sequences, she continued.

"Our primary concern is to contain or lessen that destabilization, which is why we've constructed the scale model of the engine housing itself. After that, it's a question of harnessing the full power of the singularity, which is where our scientists are hitting a wall. Traditional methods are being met with... failure on a grand, and catastrophic, scale," she thought back for a moment to the research station that had exploded earlier in the month nearby. Fortunately, it had only detonated most of the station, sections were still left intact which meant there could be survivors. Unfortunately, the station's grav anchors had been disabled or destroyed in the explosion, which meant before anyone could arrive to rescue anything at all, the station had entered the holes' event horizon. She pushed the memory from her mind before she started remembering how the hole had swallowed the station wreckage in its entirety.

The second door cycled and opened slowly. Before them stood a massive hangar bay, easily the size of most tall buildings. Inside, resting in the very center, stood a massive polyhedron stabilized by cables, struts, and covered in walkways and computer stations. Ovmar gestured to one of the many catwalks, this one leading specifically to the primary control room that overlooked the entire hangar.

"You wanted to look through our research?" she asked [member="Sasha Santhe"], one eyebrow raised and whiskey glass still in hand. "This way, please."

 

[OK-3103]

He’d closed half the distance when one of the Alliance soldiers saw him and gave a shout of alarm that carried across the battlefield. Just as the soldier opened fire, OK-3103 dove forward, tumbled into a freshly made crater, and lay flat for a second before popping up on his elbows. He fired twice before dropping down again, then rolled to his right and repeated, firing three times. He was pleased to see that he’d taken out two of the enemy.

But that left three more, and now he had their attention.

“0505, check right, check left!”

There was static, then 0505’s voice. “I don’t see them!”

“Your left!”

Another blast of static, loud enough that it made OK-3103 wince. He rolled back to his initial position and edged his way to the lip of the small crater just in time to see 0505 opening fire on the remaining Alliance soldiers closing in on his position. Now OK-3103 could take his time. He sighted carefully, then stroked the trigger on his blaster rifle three times in succession. The last of the enemy soldiers dropped.

“On me!” he shouted, but he needn’t have bothered, because 0505 was already out of cover and running toward him. OK-3103 rolled onto his back, making room in the crater as 050 slid into place next to him.

He pointed back the direction he’d come. “Stay tight on me.”

“Right behind you.”

OK-3103 took another moment to catch his breath, then vaulted out of the crater, wondering what else the simulator could throw at him.
The fire from the Alliance base seemed to have diminished, but he knew that was an illusion, that it was just as intense as before, only less concentrated. That, of course, had been his plan: by splitting the other two troopers, he’d forced the enemy to divide their attention, and that had given him the opening he needed to reach 0505. The downside was that they were now isolated, pinned down with no way to escape.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha followed the woman through the research area. To her right there was the massive model, though properly scaled of course, of the proposed engine. The young CEO diverted for a moment getting a good view of the proposed design. Now that she was here there would be changes. Through the force she could feel the machine speaking to her. Sasha was a master of mechu-deru and knew machines as instinct. She could feel problems, flaws. And yet she said nothing. The truth was it was a strange sort of open secret that she used the force. Many knew the semi public story of the poor teenage heiress taken hostage by the Sith Empire and forced to learn their arts and build weapons of war. Few knew she had been apprentice to the Empress herself. While many knew and suspected she dabbled in basic elements of the force and perhaps even the darkside only a select few knew she was indeed a sith.

After a quick lap around the device she went back to [member="Evangeline Ovmar"] and filed in behind her. "Captain Ovmar," she said taking a sip from her glass. "It is impressive." There was a station up ahead and Sasha could feel the data inside of it. She was so excited she wanted to run up and download the contents of the databanks straight into her brain. That wouldn't be proper though. Instead she stepped forward and sat down dignified at the station and started to bring up the data looking through the various results. As she did she added notations to sections suggesting different types of circuits and trying to devise simpler and thus more reliable methods for achieving the same results. "You know why the twin ion engine has been so successful. Besides being fast and containing vector thrust directly in the design aiding in maneuverability the engine itself contains no moving parts. This means its incredibly hard for it to malfunction."

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

"Any machine can malfunction given the right circumstances," Ovmar stated as the corporate CEO started her work. "The difference between a twin ion drive and this new technology is that when and if an ion drive breaks down, the engine ceases to function until repaired."

She set the glass of untouched whiskey on the worktable before her and gestured with a free hand at the monstrosity that was the mockup of the real machine.

"If this engine suffers a malfunction, it could destabilize and destroy the ship. It needs to be made to not do that as much as possible, while still harnessing as much power as possible."

Eva crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at her attaché. The man quickly nodded and topped off [member="Sasha Santhe"]'s glass before fetching a number of files from a nearby cabinet.

"The final design calls for a Phrik inner casing, reinforced and structurally sound to withstand immense pressures. Our scientists feel its the best way to minimize any catastrophic failures, if that's even possible."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha narrowed her eyes as she saw [member="Evangeline Ovmar"] place her drink on the work space. Not even a sip. Prude. That was the only answer really. She did not expect this from Ovmars daughter. He was also so... whatever and this woman was a no nonsense always on duty type. Uhg. "You should really have a sip of that at least. Just a taste. I promise it's best vintage." true enough. And it cost a fortune. "Besides," Sasha added absently before looking down at her notes. "It is the polite thing to do. And we are in polite company aren't we?"

"I think the first thing we should do," she said without missing a beat, "to prevent a containment breach is to create redundancies for the magnetic containment field. A lithium-fusion batteries, or really any energy storage device, to hold enough power to maintain the field should the main go out. Then we can simply eliminate the black hole inside. If the vong can do it with their dovin basal tumors we should be able to do it." She thought about the problem for a moment. "Is there a way we can get a hold of a vong ship? Studying it would give us insight on how to eliminate the singularity in the engine to prevent a catastrophic event." And lets be honest anything that could be grown could be built better. Such was Sasha's long term philosophy when it came to the vong and technology.

 

[OK-3103]

But there was a benefit to that, too, OK-3103 realized. With the enemy fire divided, it gave him a straight shot to the bunker, to the heavy repeater and his objective. All he had to do was to be quick and not lose his nerve.

He began running faster. He heard 0505 struggling to keep up behind him, but he could no longer worry about that, he realized. If he could do this, if he could do it fast enough, it wouldn’t matter if 0505 stayed tight on his back or not. If he could do this, not only would he obtain his objective but he might do it without losing anyone on his fire-team.

Another cloud of smoke billowed across his vision, and cutting through it were the red and blue bolts of blaster fire. He could hear his breathing, amplified within the helmet; feel his pulse in his temples. The bunker was ahead, the data across his lenses declaring the objective twenty meters away, then fifteen, then ten.

That was when they saw him, but it was already too late. He could see motion inside the bunker, see the Alliance soldiers manning the gun react to the sight of him racing toward them and try to swing the barrel around in time. He could imagine himself as they saw him, the immaculate white armour, the symbol of unity and strength and power and skill that was a First Order stormtrooper.

Just before they had their shot, he dropped low, sliding feet-first toward the edge of the bunker – one hand holding his rifle against his chest, the other going for one of the grenades on his belt. He rolled at the last moment, thumbing the activator hard as he collided sideways with the bunker wall and then, in one smooth motion, bringing his hand up and tossing the grenade through the opening into the bunker. Almost instantly there was the sound and the flash of the explosive detonating. He felt it echo, the vibration running through his armour.

For a moment there was silence, interrupted only by the sound of him trying to catch his breath.

The world flickered, froze, and then winked out of existence. Where there had been an unnamed Alliance outpost, where there had been dead stormtroopers and Alliance soldiers, there were only four walls and a perfectly flat metal floor. Where there had been a battlefield, there was only the simulation room, vast and empty and cold and sterile. High on one wall, the observation window became visible-heavily tinted, making it impossible to see who was inside.

Then a voice echoed over hidden speakers.

“Simulation objective completed.”

 

[Evangeline Ovmar]

Ovmar felt her brow furrow slightly as the Santhe CEO commented on the whiskey and it's quality. She disliked alcohol for the most part, considering it something more of a pastime of her father's and therefore something to avoid. Even looking past her father's preferences, the taste usually grated on her palate which generally dissuaded her drinking at all. She enjoyed alcoholic drinks that lacked the bite of alcohol, but she'd be dead before anyone caught her with a fru-fru drink in hand.

"The gift is appreciated," she said after a moment, her tone neutral, but polite. "I simply... don't drink, is all. Family traits I'd rather avoid, you'd understand."

She turned her mind on to the technical information her guest brought up. Namely, the acquisition of materials.

"We do not have any Vong technology in our possession as of now. Nor do we have any tangible data on Vong technology," Ovmar crossed her arms and thought for a moment, thinking in the short silence. "I have intelligence reports that detail Vong tech and weapons being used by the One Sith and other groups in the galaxy, but most, if not all, would be... adverse to sharing that knowledge. We would have to take military action to gain that information, which I doubt my superiors would be hugely keen on. Non-biological technology and technological breakthroughs are what we will need to thrive on with this project."

[member="Sasha Santhe"]