Ironclad

[Darth Banshee]

After gaining a contract with The First Order, she decide to build a new ship for them. A one thousand meter destroyer, to act as the command ships. Her first port of call would be, to design the ship. As all ship they came into several different categories, though the basic ones where assult, tactical, or patrol. She chose assult to give the ship an attacking edge, they could always use other ships as an escort. This was going to be a ship killer, and was going to able to support some large weapons, and take some good hits.

She then sent out job description for lead designer, as this was the biggest project she had undertaken so far. They would need to know about engine management, and be able to work with some of her people. She sent [member="Adi Rost"] her personal slave, a list of the requirement she needed for this commision. She would then wait for applicants to send in her the CV's, and begin short listing them.

As her slave came in to get the list, and she told her.
Adi please take this to the personnel office, and then tell them to forward all applications to my desk. I shall be short listing them myself.
She handed the datapad to her, and then waited for her to go.

 

[Darth Banshee]

Next day she got the list of possible applicants, and they where very varied in experience she started going through there applications. She was going with experience first, the more project they have worked on the better. Though the quality of the project has to be good, and this was in the utmost importance to her mind. As she want this ship to be quality build, it did not need to be of massive production line. As the idea was capital ship for the first order fleet commanders into take into battle with them, not the lesser lines of men.

She went through each application form with a fine tooth comb, each one being being put into two stacks, one to say thank you but no thank you, and other where only maybes. This process took over most of the week, repeating it each time. Then she finally finished until was down to no more than two people, one use to work for Koensayr Manufacturing, this did interested her as he would know about plasma torpedos, and possibly other plasma weapons.

she interviewed the two people, over a holo screen, and the man named Karnic Rendrick got the job.

 

[Darth Banshee]

As Karnic began designing the destroyer, she then began getting materials in. After all this wasn't called project Ironclad for nothing, it was going to have one very sturdy hull. She started looking for at the outer hull plating, as this was going to be a limited production. She was going to use her own make of ship armour, Turadsteel this was comprised of Turadium mixed with Durasteel. This gave a rather strong outer hull, her first job however was secure a source of turadium, as getting durasteel was easy. She went to her computer, and began looking for mines and mining sites that she could use for the ore. Then she came across a recycling company, that breaks down old ships and hulls. They sell scrap metal, this was great as it would also reduce the cost, as she would be buying space debris, rather than new ore, and once metal been recycled and reforged it was as good as new stuff.

She set up a meeting with there rep via a video link, the thing was called Witto, and he lived on tatooine.

Witto, I believe you can get your hands on Turadium, in reasonable quantities.
He flew about a bit and then replied.
Yes I can, what of it.
He had lot contacts , who salvaged ships and the metal was usually used in the internal bulkheads.
​Can you get me this amount, of the metal?
She sent him an order, and let him digest it for a moment.
His eyes widened, as he knew he was in for a nice windfall.
Yes I can do that, but I am only interested in credits , can you afford it.
She looked at his price, and gave simple reply.
Yes, I will send my freighters to pick them up.
He smiled and leaned into the camera, and gave his last words before shutting the conversation down as he was about to be busy.
It will be ready by the end of next month.
As the camera went down, she smiled and then got ready for the next stage of development.

 

[Darth Banshee]

The hull plating now secure, as long as Witto made good on his word. She then asked her project leader for an overview, of the interior design of the ship. The project manager Karnic Rendrick, came to her office to discuss the build. As he sat down opposite her on her desk, he handed her the datapad with his preliminary ideas. The ship looked pleasing to her, and she was going over the weapons. He did now what she was after, plasma torpedoes as they sliced through shields like nobody's business. Then came the rest of the arment, mostly heavy turbo lasers, though it did sport some hyper velocity cannons, to give it some long range punch. She went over the design and realised he want to put alusteel, she enquired why
May I ask what the layer of alusteel is for?
She smiled, and then said.
That is to protect the ship systems, form any emp blasts or ion attacks damaging the ship's systems.
She listened to him intently, his idea was good.
Okay we will do that, though it will bump the cost up, though it is the command ship.
He then showed a holo picture of the ship

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b0/db/ca/b0dbca8a54a5c5f3816c516ebcaee9a2.jpg

Her jaw dropped a little, it was beautiful and she could not wait to show it to the first order.
He then asked, in calm and slightly pleased with himself voice, Do you like?
Without hesitation, she replied Very much so, now get it built.
He gave a polite nod, and got up and began the next stage of the development.

 

[Darth Banshee]

The next stage was to find somewhere to build the thing, after all her shipyards on serenno, where working full out. She wanted somewhere in the first order boarders, she looked at a star map, and realised they just expanded like empires do. They taken a world where she already owned a factory, as well as an ore mine, that world was Valhalla. That would make an obvious choice to make a shipyard, as it was in there space thus would be protected. She set of the world from Serenno, it seems she was spending more and more time on the other side of the galaxy.

As she took a freighter with construction droids with her, to help build the yard there she would also need more land. She would look for it near her her armour factory, so she could keep an eye both just as easily. Though she did need someone from the first order to check over her ship at some point, and to approve there purchase of it. She would talk to an official later about that, right now her job was to buy the land need to make ship. She looked for somewhere the mine could deliver to as well, with ease and good connection route too.

She looked around, and fortunately there was a place nearby. She would would have to destroy an old building, so what this was progress.

 

[Darth Banshee]

She had gotten labour first order, they where to help tear down the building. Then help build the foundations of the shipyard, using a lot of the rubble they would make. She was told by the first order, she had to keep quiet, as this was not something they wanted advertised. She agreed, as it was cheap labour. They where put up in equine freighters, that she had them ship here in, they where given basic ppe. As well as sledge hammers, as well barrows. The building itself was destroyed by controlled detonation.


As the buildings where destroyed, they broke it down further with hammers. Then carted away to be piled up at the sides, this rubble would act as the hard core for the shipyard. The complex she had bought took weeks to shift, then the next stage began. They had to dig it out, as the ship had to be worked on all sides. They need a thick level of hard core was need to lay the foundations. As they dug down nearly thirty meters, they began filling it and tampering down the hard core from the building, and slag left over from nearby mine. This would make the new building sturdy, and capable of holding the weights that be put on it. The soil was shipped else where, to be decontaminated and used for farming. This work took long time to do, and the labours slept eat and drank in the freighters till it was done. They where not allowed out, and the locals where not allowed in. This was so to keep there use under wraps, as promised to the first order. As the foundations where finished being laid, they where shipped back off again. Then technical experts came in, they began erecting steel structures with help of droid labour. After month was finished they built a shipyard for new ironclad to be built, it was purpose built for this one ship.

 

[Darth Banshee]

After the shipyard was made, and the enforced labour was shipped of world. It was time to lay the foundations of the first of the ships, these ships would be slow to build, as the turadsteel welding would take time, as it was very heat resistant. Though this would be at the latter stages of the build, first of was to make the skeleton of the ship. This was done using durasteel girders, they where being weld into place. The skeleton was being held in place by tractor beams, as each one being put in place. As the outer skeleton was made the cross beams where put in place, these would support the individual decks. These beams had holes in them, this would be where cables ran through them to each of the computer systems. After a while the skeleton was complete, then it was time the guts of the ship to be put together. They started with the engines and the power source, holding bays for the torpedos and the wiring. Every section of ship was busy, with pre programmed droids and specialist trades. They where assembling everything, from internal plumbing to the installing the electrics for the computer. After each section was complete, a thin skin of alusteel was placed over it, on the underside of the skeleton frame. After that came the time consuming task, of welding on the outer hull of the ship. Cutting in the gunports, and then assembling the guns. The whole lot took two months to do, though when finished the ship had a hardened shell, and one hell of an arsenal to boot.

 

[Darth Banshee]

[member="William Kerkov"]

After the first ship was complete the next one was being made, though before it was finished the first one had to be actually tested. As if had any flaws in it, then they had to be sorted out before the next one was made. She was going to take it on a secret test run, before showing it of to Grand Admiral Kerkov. She took the helm with a skeleton crew, and then for the first time the engines began to warm up. This would take awhile, as it took time for fuel to pump through, and time for everything to energize for the first time. The computer system where playing up a little, and the computer tech guy was now doing some debugging. As he did the engines stalled, her dropped a little and looked at the the chief engineer. He quickly said It's just the cold start nothing to worry about. She raised an eyebrow, as to say it better be this thing cost a hell of a lot of money, and if does not work I don't get paid.
He rushed down to engine room to sort out the problem, it was simply an airlock in the pipe leading to the injection manifold. The two of pumps had shorted out, and the rest could not push past it. He replaced the pumps, and then checked it again, this time they ran and pumped the fuel to the engine. The ship began to hum as began to take off, the tractor beams holding it in place where turned off one by one, and then under it is unsteam it began to rise.

Soon it broke from gravitational pull of the planet, and she had it make maneuvers. As it made it turns it felt more sluggish, compared to her usual ships it was preforming okay it's size. Soon it was time to a weapons test, she took it out towards the local asteroid belt. She then gave her first order to ship's crew, All stations prep your fring solutions on asteroid two, six, zero, five and on my mark fire. She paused and waited for them to calibrate there guns, and then she said Fire! The ship shuddered as it did, as the velocity cannons recoiled as they fired. She watched the them make there mark, on asteroid, plasma fires erupting and the being extinguished by lack of oxygen, dust clouds coming of it as the blaster hit. Chunks of rock flying of it, as the hyper velocity rounds hit there mark. The ship worked, and worked well. It can fly it can shoot, the armour would have to be tested another day. The next job was simple, she had to make a the delivery of it. The next job was to make lines, that would test hyperdrive.

The course was laid into for The First Orders capital, the world was known as Dosuun, she never been before. Though she doubt she be going to planet surface, he would be coming up to inspect the ship. After a the jump she hailed him.

​Grand Admiral Kerkov, the ship is ready for your inspection. She sent message from the command seat, she was relaxed as she could be, as this was her first big project for the first order, she hoped it went well.

 

[William Kerkov Sr]

The shuttle ride to orbit to the prototype vessel soon to enter the lists of the First Imperial Navy's assets was quick, much to the Grand Admiral's pleasure. He was a very busy man, this was but a blip on his packed schedule. Kerkov, escorted by a few officers, an aide, and a complement of eight stormtroopers as his bodyguard, exited the shuttle onto the hangar of this new vessel. It was indeed fresh from the shipyards, a very fine design. He did wish to meet the designer but he had a tight plan for the day, and sadly that was not apart of it. The flag officer's hands crossed behind his back he followed a pre-planned walk throughout the ship, checking various areas for good quality and properly made equipment. The weapons systems were in order, the engines running well, and the overall ship in good condition. This would surely pass the required inspections to become apart of the First Imperial Navy.

On the ride down from the last hallway back to the hangar, the Grand Admiral iterated a message to his aide acting as a de facto stenographer, "Darth Banshee, your vessel is of the highest quality. It will surely pass the required inspections on becoming a First Order vessel. The First Imperial Navy wishes you well, Grand Admiral William Kerkov, First Imperial Navy." With the message sent from the aide's datapad, the posse boarded the shuttle and headed down to Dosuun, where the flag officer was due at a meeting, thereby ending the inspection of the prototype vessel.

[member="Darth Banshee"]