Engine of Industry

[Taeli Raaf]

Attahox System

Negotiations with the government on Attahox had been ongoing for sometime, and Jaxson had decided it was his next stop for the company's expansion and so he could wrap up the talks. They had essentially deadlocked on the subject of Aurora Industries being granted access to recycling and scrapping the garbage on the planet into raw resources for the new type of shipyard they were planning on developing in the system.

The Crucible-class Orbital Repair and Construction Yard was to be the new shipyard type for Aurora Industries to develop from, alongside their older types of yards. The Crucible-class had the advantage of being larger and being able to accommodate larger production orders and for large capital ships, so he was keen on finishing talks. Already, Aurora ships and crews were in orbit, just waiting for the go ahead to start the construction of the yards themselves.

"You have to understand that this would help lift your population out of the impoverished lives they lead now," Jaxson was explaining to the government negotiators. "Recycling, smelting, building the ore cannon to send the material into space for use, working on the yards themselves. Thousands of jobs and plenty of income into the government coffers. As was said before, it is a win-win for your planet."

The government officials looked at each other, unease in their expressions, but they couldn't hold out on the offer. It would enrich their planet if Aurora Industries began setting up shop in the system.

"Very well, Mr. Jaxson, you have the permission of the Attahox government to begin operations in the system," the lead negotiator stated. "Be mindful of our other industry though, the salts must not be damaged."

"Of course, you have my word," Jaxson replied, closing the channel and sending a message to the construction teams. They had the greenlight, and now to begin the other part of the process.

 

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As the hiring and building process on the surface began, the Crucible-class yards began their own construction process. The majority of the station had been built off site and then transported in parts to be assembled and finished in the system of choice. However, once done, they wouldn't be going anywhere. Still, they had brought the needed modules and equipment and everything to build three of these yards as Jaxson foresaw Attahox being a large Aurora presence, similar to Saleucami was.

With such a ready supply of resources, resources that wouldn't be running out as all of the neighboring systems sent their junk to Attahox, Aurora could constantly be churning out vessels for use by any power or faction that desired to buy them.

It wasn't the style of the Type III yards, but there was something about the Crucible-class that he found charming more than those boxy stations. The three pronged design had been something he had argued for intensely during design meetings for the next shipyard type, as he believed it allowed for greater concentration of resources and a bit more protection to the ships in dock. They would be wide enough and contain the needed equipment for producing multiple smaller vessels in each prong, up to a 3000 meters ship in each ... once Aurora Industries developed a ship that large.

 

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Days passed and the yards continued to be assembled. They would take longer to build as they were far larger than a Type III, but such was life. Jaxson was overseeing the building of the smelting and ore processing facilities on the surface that would be sending the material into space for the Crucible yards to use.

The idea had come to him to emulate an old Imperial operation on Raxus Prime that used an ore cannon to keep a constant stream of material flowing to a Star Destroyer construction yard in orbit, and he had quite liked the idea.

"Sir, the security detail for the Crucible yards has arrived in system," a security office exclaimed.

"Excellent, we will have them based here on the surface until the yards were done," Jaxson replied, sending a message off to one of his under-chiefs about keeping the scrap and junk flowing to the smelting site he was going to be overseeing. Six squadrons of Aurora Lunar fighters would be the main defensive line for the Crucibles here. That was one thing he was annoyed by that the stations had no weaponry for themselves, but designs choices had been made and the argument went that a shipyard station didn't need defenses itself.

He had disagreed, but here they were.

 

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Slowly but surely, the yards started to take shape in orbit. The Attahox civilians could see them from the surface on a clear day, and it was a sign to them that their world was slowly starting to become something bigger. Citizens were getting new jobs to work in the yards when they were finishe,d or even helping with their construction. The smelting and ore processing centers on the surface were filled with workers now, while the ore cannon was still in development, but nearing completion.

In orbit, the Crucibles had begun to have their three bay docks finished up, with life support systems having just been finished being installed. They would only be active in certain areas, but they were taking shape. The tractor beam emitters had also arrived in system and some were being installed even as Jaxson began preparations to leave the system for his next destination on the Aurora expansion list. His next trip was to Umbara, but he wanted to make sure everything was all set here first.

"The last shipment of the tractor beam arrays have arrived, along with the comm and sensor arrays for the Crucibles."

"Excellent, and with the ore cannon nearing completion, operations can begin soon enough," Jaxson said, looking out the viewport of his ship towards the rapidly finishing yards.

 

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The tractor beam arrays were fully installed, much of the hull plating of the yards had been bolted into place so there weren't many gaps left were welding sparks could be seen from the assemblers. The shield generators would be arriving soon, but that would be after Jaxson left the system. He was quite pleased by the progress of the three Crucible yards.

On the surface, construction of the ore cannon had been completed, and now they had just to get the transport path for the smelted down material to arrive at the cannon to be launched into orbit. Jaxson had requisitioned several tug ships to move the material while the Crucible yards would use their own tractor beam arrays once they were finished to move the raw resources themselves.

It would be quite the impressive operation indeed in his estimate.

"Sir, the ship is ready to depart for the Umbara system," the flight officer of his frigate said.

"Very good Captain, let us be off."

 

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Even after Jaxson's ship made the jump to hyperspace, work continued on the Crucible yards and the facilities below that would provide them with raw material. It was a distinct advantage that the yards would not need a supply line of raw resources from distant worlds to be supplied. It would cut down on production times and costs because there was no need for escorts.

After another week, the first yard was deemed ready to begin minor production of ships as a test run. The ore cannon prepared to fire for the first time, plenty of material had been back stocked by the workers there and it was time to start using it. With a rush, a ball of metal was launched into space by use of the same concept as a rail gun. The ball would break atmosphere in a designated zone that was in the center of the three Crucible yards.

Using a geosynchronous orbit, that spot wouldn't change as the yards would be constantly be above the ore cannon and the facilities below. Slowly, chunks of the sphere were pulled away by the operational yard's tractor beam array and workers began preparing for work on just a simple Sentinel-class Patrol frigate as the test craft for the yards.

The original idea had been to build a Bastion-class, but proof of concept was needed before they began working on larger ships. Plus the other yards still needed finished.

 

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As work began on the first ship to be produced by the new Crucible yards, the other two stations were coming online and the ore cannon started to send more material into space. The squadron of starfighters needed to defend the stations were landing in the stations' hangers and other security personnel were being transported up to the orbiting yards.

They would be needed as the stations were just shipyards, and security needed to be tight to prevent theft or espionage. Living quarters had been arranged for those on the stations, along with plenty of supplies for the workers that would be calling the yards their homes for months at a time. Some workers had also brought their families up to live with them, the accommodations better than anything on the surface currently outside of the other Aurora facilities.

As the first Sentinel-class frigate was constructed at the first yard, the other two were working on building their first test vessels: a Firezone minelayer at one, and a squadron of Lunar fighters at the other.

 

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Days later, the Sentinel-class frigate was moving out of its dock, fully constructed and ready to be sold and/or used by Aurora Industries itself. Half of the fighters were done and the Firezone had been completed before the Sentinel. With the test builds successful, the Crucible yard crews began to crank up production in earnest.

One yard was slated to begin construction on two brand new Bastion-class Star destroyer, along with two Elytra-class Fast Frigates. Other orders were coming in and the yards would soon reach full capacity. Below, work continued on gathering the materials needed and sending them up. The flurry of activity would never end now, signs that the engine of industry was now truly alive in the Attahox system. However, construction had not gone unnoticed by others.

A small pirate flotilla, sponsored by the Torgaigne crime syndicate in the system, was preparing an attack on the new shipyards. The crime syndicate was displeased that they weren't getting a cut of the action and the new shipyards and facilities were a threat to their hold on the economy of the system and those surrounding it.

 

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"Sir, we're picking up some strange anomalies at the edge of the system," one of the Crucible 1 yard security officers said, looking up from the sensor array he was using. It had been several days of them catching weird readings and if had many of the Aurora security personnel on edge. Many were former soldiers in the wars of the galaxy and they knew it meant enemy scouts, getting readings ahead of an attack. Two Sentinel frigates were non on station to help guard the facilities, and the two Elytra frigates had just been finished. The Bastion Star Destroyer was only halfway done with its frame, nowhere near ready for anything else.

"Most likely those Torgaigne," the security overseer growled.

"Sir! Multiple hyperspace reversion in system, counting three enemy corvettes ... disgorging fighter craft."

"Launch all fighters, form a screen around the yards," he ordered. The Crucibles were going to be the primary target of this attack. The security overseer would be karked if he let anything happen to the first Crucible yards built.

"Here they come!"

 

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The attack, while sudden, had not been unexpected but the criminals hadn't known that. As they advanced on the yards and their defense force, they were swarmed by the fighter squadrons of AI-005 Lunar fighters, dogfights erupting around the enemy corvettes. The Sentinel frigates began to move in, closing to firing ranges on the criminal corvettes.

Every enemy fighter lost or damage done to the corvettes was a significant blow to the crime syndicate as it was a loss of resources they couldn't afford to lose in their operations. One corvette erupted debris, while another had actually been caught by some of the open tractor beams of the nearest Crucible yard. That corvette had its weapon emplacements destroyed, along with shields and engines, and was dragged into the dock for Aurora security to board and secure the vessel.

The third corvette began to fall back, pulling what remained of its fighters into its hangers. It had been a swift fight, only lasting a few minutes, but the message had been sent. The Crucible yards were here to stay, and Attahox would just be the start for Aurora Industries in the sector.