Dev Growing a Flower

[Priesse Namada]

Location: Small Craft Repair Bay, Santhe-Sienar Shipyards - Yaga Minor Orbit
Attire: DS-101 "Venture" Multipurpose Protective Jumpsuit
Tag: Kyallia Santhe

Priesse had become something of a minor star since her last mission over Lothal. She was a double ace before she had even graduated from flight school, having claimed more than ten kills over two separate combat sorties while still having the word ‘cadet’ in front her name. That was more victories than most pilots tallied in a lifetime, marking her as a potentially invaluable asset to the Imperial Confederation.

And yet, Priesse had decided to spend her what little spare time she had racing. After all, what better way was there to improve her skills to ensure that she became the Imperial ace that she aspired to be?

Leveraging her newfound stardom, she had acquired several prestigious sponsorships to enter the N-1 Naboo Racing League. Among them were the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant, the Imperial Confederation, N&Z Umbrella Corporation, and Santhe-Sienar Technologies. With their backing, she had been able to purchase a modern reproduction of an N-1 Starfighter, which now rested in one of the small craft repair bays in Santhe-Sienar shipyards, awaiting its transformation into a racing machine.

Now, facing the task of preparing her starfighter for the event, Priesse had acquired the services of none other than the brilliant Santhe engineer-heiress Kyallia Santhe!

“So...where should we start?” Priesse glanced up to the taller woman, tilting her head as a curious expression came over her pastel pink-hued features. “The rules stated that we can add two modifications to the N-1 from stock,” she continued. “They were fairly broad about what a ‘modification’ entailed, though.” The Seseli paused then, her eyes dropping once more to the tablet in her hands, to pore over the regulations for the nth time within the last hour.

“What do you think, Kyallia?”

 

[Kyallia Santhe]

Objective: Race Preparation
Location: Santhe-Sienar Shipyards, Yaga Minor orbit
Outfit: Engineering Jumpsuit
Tags: Priesse Namada

News of a starfighter racing league was of great interest to Kyallia Santhe. She spoke of joining the league herself, only to have that thought be put down by her cousin and boss Vyllia Sancetti. It was probably for the better. Kyallia had become quite good at racing repulsorlift speeder vehicles and swoops. And of course, she knew the functions of every system of a starfighter. But it was probably not in the cards to learn how to pilot one in time to make the first race.

As if to help cushion the blow of not being able to race, Vyllia had given a corporate sponsorship to one of the racers. Above and beyond the monetary investment, Santhe-Sienar would offer its lead engineer for design and maintenance of the N-1 starfighter that would be flown in the race.

Kyallia was surprised when that pilot turned out to be Priesse Namada. Though the Santhe engineer had little interest in war, she followed any news of flying on the holonet. And though she had moved on to the Diarchy before the formation of the Imperial Confederation, there was a part of Kyallia who still considered that region "home". So when a young cadet started being touted as a brilliant new fighter ace, Kyallia made it a point to search out news of Namada often.

Kyallia was pulling her gloves into place on her hands as she entered the small hangar that Priesse's N-1 starfighter had been delivered to. Even though she knew what to expect from Priesse, physically, seeing her in person was a bit awesome. Short, with a halo cranial horn, pink all over, and curves to die for. Kyallia cleared her throat and smiled as she approached, Priesse asking where to start.

"Well…it's a race. If you're anything like I am that means we need to figure out how to get the most speed while not losing turn radius…" Kyallia hummed in thought. "Actually will turning be an issue? Also need to consider what to do with the guns. I have been in some pretty aggressive swoop races, but not sure the High Republic would sanction dogfighting as part of their racing…"

 

[Priesse Namada]

Location: Small Craft Repair Bay, Santhe-Sienar Shipyards - Yaga Minor Orbit
Attire: DS-101 "Venture" Multipurpose Protective Jumpsuit
Tag: Kyallia Santhe

It was only then as Priesse glanced up to look at Kyallia, watching the woman hum in thought, that she more comprehensively took in her features. Clad in her form-fitting engineering jumpsuit, Kyallia cut a strikingly athletic figure, a sharp contrast to her own physique. The woman had the archetypal build of a swoop racer and for a fleeting moment, her mind conjured an image of how the Santhe heiress might look astride a racing bike while wearing a similarly form-hugging race suit.

Priesse shook that thought from head, her lips curling in a private smile before she forced her attention back to purely racing.

“Yes. The tracks are technical.” Priesse replied to Kyallia’s question regarding turns. “The first race is visiting Mon Gazza.” She added. In her mind, it was a strange choice for a starfighter racing series to visit a planet known for podracing, but she wasn’t going to protest it.

At the mention of weapons and dogfighting occurring during a race, Priesse nodded her head in agreement.

“I think it would be a good idea to remove the armament for more agility.” Priesse replied. “I want a lighter fighter, with snappy handling and deliberate instability.” Her preference was typical for a TIE-trained pilot. Since the baseline TIE/ln was an incredibly light and maneuverable design, it was virtually a given that the raw and responsive feel of a feathery starfighter was ingrained into her instincts. She had no intention of leaving that comfort zone to fly something heavier or more ponderous, just yet.

“How difficult would it be to strip the weapons?” She asked. Priesse looked to Kyallia, eyes lighting up. The small-statured Seseli bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. She wanted to help, even if she didn’t quite know what she was doing when it came to starfighter mechanics!

 

[Kyallia Santhe]

Objective: Race Preparation
Location: Santhe-Sienar Shipyards, Yaga Minor orbit
Outfit: Engineering Jumpsuit
Tags: Priesse Namada

As Kyallia looked over Priesse, the Seseli gazed back. Kyallia didn't lack for attention, but she also didn't really consider herself anything overly dramatic. Of course, she didn't know how many humans Priesse had interacted with before, plus Kyallia wasn't all that trustworthy of a judge of human aesthetics. Sure she knew what she liked, but she was so focused on the science and design of her projects that anything else was an afterthought. She blushed at the look before Priesse spoke again.

The young engineer gave a nod to the response that the races would require cornering abilities not just a straight drag race. "Mon Gazza? That sounds like fun. Perhaps I will have to travel to watch the race…And help out with anything the racer will need of course." Kyallia commented again with a bit of a blush. She wasn't used to being this open socially. Of course she was a solitary person unless Vyllia tore her away from her work. And that certainly was not to frequent a starfighter race on a planet like Mon Gazza.

"Should not be too difficult to remove the armaments," Kyallia stated taking a step towards the ship for a closer look. She had studied the designs of this particular production run of the N-1, but she found there were always surprises when she had the real thing in front of her. "The blaster cannons…hardest thing will be to make sure we don't mess with the aerodynamics. They should pop right off. And the aesthetics. Wouldn't want you flying around in a ship that is obviously missing something." She placed a hand on one of the cannons and nodded, noting the excitement in the Seseli's stance. "The torpedo launchers and magazine is where we will get the most relief from encumbrance. They will be a little bit more work to get loose, but once that's done that will be that. You can help if you want."

She had smirked at the mention of deliberate instability. Kyallia may not have ever flown a TIE under duress, but she had to interact with the test pilots. And the TIE design was sort of the family legacy. The dark-haired woman sat on her rear and scooted under the fighter to where she would be able to access the torpedo system. She pressed lightly on the bolts that would need to be removed from the frame in order to do the work. "Don't think we have enough time to engineer a fit for the new Tandem Impulse Engine. I have a contract with FAE though. We can probably upgrade the standard engines without much trouble to give you a more familiar ride. Why don't you grab that tool box over there. We can start pulling off the hull plates to lose some of the fighting weight."

 

[Priesse Namada]

Location: Small Craft Repair Bay, Santhe-Sienar Shipyards - Yaga Minor Orbit
Attire: DS-101 "Venture" Multipurpose Protective Jumpsuit
Tag: Kyallia Santhe

It was time to work! Priesse flashed Kyallia an eager smile and moved to grab the nearby tool box. This was a race that she wanted to win, and naturally, she was willing to do whatever it took to make that outcome more likely.

"Don't think we have enough time to engineer a fit for the new Tandem Impulse Engine. I have a contract with FAE though. We can probably upgrade the standard engines without much trouble to give you a more familiar ride."

“I’m not even sure if there is enough time to do much in the way of upgrading the engines either,” Priesse added as she brought the tool box back to the main work area. “I picked the Nubian 221s over the J-types, since the Nubians are more reliable and perform better in particulate-rich air. Unfortunately, Mon Gazza isn’t exactly known for having a clean atmosphere.” She set the tool box down with a soft thunk, before glancing up towards the engineer, eyes focused in thought.

“Since we can only make two competitive modifications, we can register the addition of the maneuvering thrusters and the removal of the weapons as our official changes.” She suggested. “And from there, I feel like we could get away with some minor software adjustments to the engines in order to try and squeeze a bit more burst performance out of them without technically adding a third modification...” Priesse paused then, her gaze widening with equal parts mischief and excitement.

“Right?”

 

[Kyallia Santhe]

Objective: Race Preparation
Location: Santhe-Sienar Shipyards, Yaga Minor orbit
Outfit: Engineering Jumpsuit
Tags: Priesse Namada

Kyallia crouched beside the exposed engine housing, running her fingertips along the seam where the mounting brackets met the frame. The metal still held a faint warmth from recent operation. Good. That meant tolerances hadn't drifted.

"Before we start pulling anything apart, I want baseline readings," she said, already reaching for a diagnostic lead. "Mass distribution, thrust output at idle, and current response lag in the control loop. If we're going to strip the weapons and shift the balance, I want to know exactly how much inertia we're working against."

She clipped the line into the port and glanced toward the console readout as it flickered to life. "The torpedo housing alone is throwing off your centerline by almost three percent. That doesn't sound like much, but at racing speeds it'll fight every micro-correction you make. Remove it, lighten the forward frame, then we compensate aft with adjustable thruster bias instead of dead weight."

Kyallia straightened, reaching for a tool from the open case—then paused. Priesse was leaned over the engine compartment ahead of her, braced on one arm as she studied the exposed components. The posture pulled her jumpsuit taut across a very generous chest. Kyallia's eyes lingered for half a second longer than strictly necessary.

Right. Focus.

She cleared her throat lightly and stepped in beside her. "Once the mass drops, I want to rewrite the thrust allocation matrix," she continued, voice smooth but just a shade warmer now. "Not a full engine modification…just software optimization. Yeah. That seems like a way to get a little more customization within the rules. We'll prioritize lateral response over sustained output. Mon Gazza's course is tight and dirty. Winning won't come from raw speed. It'll come from who can change direction without losing vector stability."

Kyallia slid a panel loose, carefully setting the fasteners aside in neat order. "I'm also thinking we introduce a variable dampening curve tied to pilot input pressure. Light touch, high sensitivity. Hard input, progressive resistance. It'll keep the controls from overcorrecting when things get… exciting."

She glanced sideways at Priesse, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. "And something tells me you fly aggressively." The panel came free with a soft metallic click.

Kyallia leaned closer to inspect the thruster feed lines, shoulder brushing lightly against Priesse's as she worked. "Hand me the micro-calibrator, would you? Once we loosen these mounts, I want to realign the vector housings within half a degree. If we're doing this, we're doing it properly."

A beat.

"And if this works the way I think it will… you're going to love how she handles."

 

[Priesse Namada]

Location: Small Craft Repair Bay, Santhe-Sienar Shipyards - Yaga Minor Orbit
Attire: DS-101 "Venture" Multipurpose Protective Jumpsuit
Tag: Kyallia Santhe

After taking off the hull plating over the port side engine housing, Priesse took a deep breath, her eyes taking in the cylinder shape of the Nubian 221. Blocky and robust, the engine looked as reliable as advertised. It was utilitarian rather than beautiful, lacking the chromium finish and artistic flair of the J-type. However, the engine’s aesthetics would not be a concern once the hull plating was back on. From the outside, both the Nubian 221s and the J-types would appear the exact same. Only when hull plating was removed did the differences become apparent.

In the meantime, Priesse worked at removing more of the hull plating, quickly stripping the N-1 naked. Virtually all of it had to go, to be taken to the painters. They were going to remove the old paint and strip the chromium finish, before replacing it with a custom pastel pink paint job.

By the time she was nearly halfway through, Kyallia had finished the baseline readings on the engines and delivered her report. Everything came back clean, but as expected, the removal of the weapon systems would throw off the centerline. Fortunately, it was an issue easily correctable with software optimization and thrust allocation adjustments.

“Right,” Priesse responded to Kyallia’s comment regarding Mon Gazza being a tight and dirty course. “And the variable damping curve sounds excellent, although...” She paused then, her head tilting thoughtfully at the engineer’s characterization of her flying style. “I’ve never thought of myself as an…aggressive flier. Maybe a twitchy one, unless those are the same thing?” She asked. “If it’s in any way relevant, I have extremely fast reaction times and mental processing capabilities. It’s a trait of my species.” The Seseli explained.

From there, Priesse handed Kyallia the micro-calibrator as directed, trusting that whatever the brilliant engineer-heiress had in mind would work to perfection.

“Okay. Let’s do it!”

 

[Kyallia Santhe]

Objective: Race Preparation
Location: Santhe-Sienar Shipyards, Yaga Minor orbit
Outfit: Engineering Jumpsuit
Tags: Priesse Namada

Kyallia slid out from beneath the forward housing on her back, a hydrospanner dangling loosely from her fingers. She twisted onto one knee in a smooth motion, brushing a streak of grease from her cheek with the back of her wrist before pushing herself to her feet.

"Once we strip the last of that forward weight and recalibrate the lateral thrusters, she's going to feel like a different ship," she said, stepping around the open engine compartment and tapping the exposed mounting bracket with the tool. "Right now you're fighting her inertia through every turn. After this? She'll pivot like she's reading your mind."

She crouched again, adjusting a coupling with careful precision, tightening it down a fraction at a time. "I'm shaving response delay down to milliseconds. Micro-adjustments in the thrust allocation matrix, rebalancing the control loop, trimming out the hesitation between input and output." She smirked faintly. "Math is romantic like that."

Kyallia rose slowly, eyes flicking toward Priesse as the smaller alien leaned over the console. The arc of that halo-like horn framed her head in an almost theatrical silhouette. Kyallia stepped closer under the pretense of checking the display, her shoulder nearly brushing against her.

"Actually… I need to ask you something," she continued, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Your reaction times…Are we talking neurological latency, reflex arc efficiency — and this is a standard trait for your kind?"

She folded her arms loosely, studying Priesse with open curiosity — perhaps a touch too openly. "If you process visual data faster than baseline, I can safely increase control sensitivity. Otherwise, the ship might outpace your corrections and we'll end up in a wall." A faint smile tugged at her lips. "And I'd hate to waste perfectly good engineering."

Her gaze dipped briefly — purely observational, purely academic — before returning upward with deliberate casualness. "Are all of your people built with the same kind of… structural consistency as you?"" she asked lightly, gesturing vaguely as if referencing posture and balance. "Not exactly aerodynamic."" She cleared her throat softly, reaching for the calibration pad to mask the moment. "From a design standpoint, it's fascinating. Even if not exactly… well-balanced.""

Kyallia leaned across the console now, one hand braced beside Priesse's, the other adjusting a sensitivity slider on the screen. "Hold the controls for me. Light grip. I want to see how steady you are at rest before I increase the response curve."" She glanced sideways, eyes bright with playful intent. "Don't worry. Strictly professional testing.""

A beat passed as the numbers shifted. "If this works the way I expect it to,"" she said quietly, stepping back to admire the data, "you're going to take those turns so cleanly the other pilots will think you're cheating."" Her smirk deepened. "And if your reflexes really are that good… I might have to conduct further testing later.""