Mandal Hypernautics: Prototype No More

[Captain Larraq]

Rygel Larraq's sat upon one of the five leather chairs that surrounded a large briefing room table. Leaned forward and lost in work, the man paid little attention to the pale blue light that illuminated the Mando'ad from below. Blueprints and schematics littered the table as holographic projections rotated slowly before the man's eyes. A small three dimensional model of the craft in question repeated a cycle of disassembling and reassembling itself in one of the projected images. In another, recorded video was played back from the perspective of one of the many test pilots to take the experimental craft into combat. Another projection showed images of the craft in question's condition after a difficult battle, as well as the recovered wreckage of its opponent. The prototype in question was the Beskad-class Starfighter, and it had been a long-time pet project of Mandal Hypernautics CEO Rygel Larraq.

Dark rings stained the surface of the desk and a number of miscellaneous papers from the numerous cups of coffee that had been expended in Larraq's pursuit of this project. But progress was being made. Even as Rygel Larraq flipped a page to continue reading one of the many pilot debriefings that accompanied the schematics he had requested, he knew that his latest creation was destined to make a difference in the galaxy at large, let alone for the Mando'ade and Mandal Hypernautics. "Computer. Open auto journal." Larraq said as he returned the file to the stack of performance reports, combat action reports, and mission debriefings that adorned that particular corner of tabletop.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"Photon Fuel continues to be a logistically viable alternative to an ionization reactor." Rygel Larraq said as he found the file he sought. "After 72 hours of continuous operation beside comparable starfighters with ionization reactors, though the Beskad starfighters required refueling twice as often, the overall cost of fuel consumed proved to cost a fraction of standard Ionization materials." He rambled on to the recorder as he flipped through the file for specific accountings. "Similarly, both the fuel itself and the engine are significantly less likely to suffer catastrophic failure when sustaining damage and without the risk of meltdown or detonation should a containment breach occur." He finished as he returned the file and sought another.

"Sources of Photon Fuel have been located on Bandomeer and Mygeeto in sufficient quantities to persue large scale acquisition." Larraq said as he opened the folder he sought. Taking a sip from one of the many luke-warm cups of coffee that littered his desk, Larraq continued recording his journal on the project. "Early production estimates show promise. Claims have been made by foremen to supply 2,000 units with a steady supply of fuel within six months of initial drilling and an estimated increase of 1,000 new units each year being supplied with fuel from these two sites alone." He finished as he returned both the mug and the folder to their respective places. He still was not satisfied with the use of photon fuel in an elite starfighter, but he could not argue with the logistical benefits and potential long-term return of supplying buyers with the fuel that the ships would need to run.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"Reports show a design flaw in the placement of the turret and tail fins." Rygel Larraq said to the recording program as he pulled up a second model of the starfighter and placed it side by side with the projection in front of him. "The placement of the tail fins blocks a significantly larger portion of the turret's fire-arc than originally anticipated. New models will need to include increased articulation of all wings and winglets, particularly in the tail fins. Ideally, we want the fins to fold up next to the primary wings during a dogfight." Larraq said as he toyed with the new image, slowly rolling it through the act of articulating various wings into different positions. To an extent, he wanted to remove the tail fins all together. But, much like an atmospheric fighter's tail fins, the tail fins of a starfighter served a purpose. Typically, that purpose was to improve the ship's agility either through Etheric Rudders or maneuvering thrusters placed upon each wing and winglet that adorned the craft. In this case, it was the former.

"Additional evidence points to there being greater hidden potential within the defensive turret." Said Larraq as he pressed a few buttons and cycled both projections to animate their turret section. The model on the right clearly showed an improved fire-arc over the initial prototype. "By improving the mechanics of the turret itself, an additional twenty degrees of declination can be obtained over most fire-arcs. This, combined with the improved visibility by repositioning the wings, grants the turret roughly twice the overall coverage as the original prototype." He said before closing both projections and moving onto another.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The next set of projections Rygel selected showed several smaller images collaged together. One set showed video images of Beskad starfighters firing weapons on hostile targets, while another showed the internal ordnance, ammunition, and fire control systems laid out before the starfigher for maintenance. Another image showed a close up view of several dented and pierced sections of armor plating from wrecked starfighters. "Current projections show below average stopping power from the repeating mass-driver cannons." Rygel Larraq said as he zoomed in on the image of a section of starfighter armor that was dented in several places but had sustained no penetrating hits. "Alternative designs which include heavy caliber weaponry show improved effectiveness against light capital ships and heavy fighters. However, the repeating mass-drivers do show a marked improvement against high mobility fighters."

Flipping between the set of images and videos in front of him, Rygel Larraq pauses on a video recording a Beskad starfigher coming up behind a larger, armored corvette and launching a proton torpedo into its primary thrusters. "At this time, the decision has been made to retain the existing weaponry as pilots have reported success in dealing with armored targets using onboard ordnance. Similarly, the choice of a repeating ion cannon for the turret has proved surprisingly effective." Larraq said as he rewound the recording to a point several moments earlier when the ion turret of the Beskad starfighter raked a series of shots against the exposed hull of the corvette, causing it to slow and become vulnerable enough or the previously viewed shot to be possible. "Pilots have reported successful ionization effects against high mobility and high durability targets alike, which allows for more effective use of primary and ordnance weapons on ionized targets."

Closing the current set of images, Rygel Larraq leaned back into his chair and stared at the cluttered state of his desk. "At this time, the decision is to retain the existing weapons loadout." He said at last.

 

[Captain Larraq]

A sigh escaped the Mando'ad's lips as he closed his eyes and cupped his face into his hands. Weary eyes opened once again and scanned the desk for a mug that still retained any of the black liquid that fueled him. Finding none, he reluctantly pulled himself to his feet and made his way to a small stand in the corner of the room. There he began the ritual of producing more caffeinated, black sludge from water, a bag of grinds, and a small and simple machine. As his hands did their work, Larraq returned to his report. "As for the armor plating of the prototype," he began, "the use of beskar has been questioned time and again. At only 3.175mm of armor, many have questioned the ability of the starfighter to withstand kinetic damage from hostile starfighters, point defense, and flak batteries."

The machine hissed and whirred as it began to conjure forth the miraculous liquid. Larraq paused in his speech to savor the smell it produced as a thick stream of fresh black liquid poured itself into the waiting glass container. "What they have not questioned," Larraq continued as he hung his head and waited for the pot to finish, "is the ability of 3.175mm of beskar to withstand energy based weapons. Both in trials and in combat operation, the beskar plating of the prototype has received rave reviews from both pilots and maintenance teams." He said as he stared into the slowly growing pool of liquid within the glass pot.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Wandering back over to the main table, Larraq picked through various files as he continued his report, all the while basking in the aroma of fresh coffee that now filled the room. "Reports indicate prototypes can expect to survive numerous direct impacts over an extended engagement and several direct impacts in rapid succession. Due to the nature of being exposed to vacuum, the rate of thermal dissipation experienced by the armor plating combined with the general thermal durability of beskar creates a highly effective, self cooling thermal shield against energy weaponry." Larraq said as he flipped through charts, graphs, and maintenance reports to reaffirm the conclusions he had come to.

"While not intended to withstand direct kinetic impacts," He said as he continued to rummage through papers, "the armor plating of the prototype has proved to have superior resilience when compared to standard starfighter armor plating. Though large projectiles still pose a risk to the prototype, the inclusion of extra strength particle shields has more than alleviated current concerns as to the actual durability of the craft as compared to the cost of its construction." Larraq finished before a low beep from the corner of the room notified the man that his coffee was ready. "At this time, there are no plans to increase the thickness of the armor plating, nor are there plans to augment the existing shielding." He said as he returned to the stand in the corner and began filling one of the few clean mugs left in the room.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As his hands went about the process of assembling various powders and liquids into the mug of black liquid, Larraq continued his monologue. "It is worth noting, however, that a potential buyer has been located outside the reach of Mandalorian influence." He said as he went through the routine task. Pulling a small, plastic straw with which to stir his concoction upon its completion. He had lost track of how many times he had performed this same ritual tonight. But at least he knew that his work on the project was almost done for the night. "Parties within the Levantine Sanctum have extended contract opportunities to Mandal Hypernautics for the sale and distribution of military grade starfighters." Larraq said, pausing to take a sip of the hot, energy giving substance of his own creation before continuing... and burning his lip a bit in the process. "And while the Beskad prototype would surely be well received by our friends in the Tingel Arm, the current political situation would tolerate Mandal Hypernautics selling and distributing Beskar or Beskar products to those that do not embrace the Resolnare." He said as he rummaged through a small container of cold water for any remaining ice cubes. Sadly, he found nothing but slowly warming water in the container.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Resigned to the conclusion that he'd have to wait a few moments before his drink would be safe to consume... or to scold himself in the pursuit of caffeine, Larraq sadly returned to the main table and sat his too-fresh cup of coffee on its surface, next to the remains of its predecessors. Resting his hands on the table surface and leaning against it, Larraq stared at a chunk of ore that rested of the table, near the holoprojector. "To facilitate expanded sales of the final product, research has been put into place testing the viability of 3.175mm plating using metals other than Beskar. Of those tested, Phrik proved to show the most promise as an alternative to Beskar, but still fell behind in performance reports." He said as he reached forward and picked up the chunk of phrik ore. It was lighter than beskar ore would have been. It felt smooth and cold against his skin. More over, it felt vaguely cheap to the man. To a merchant accustomed to the use and sale of Beskar, nearly every other metal felt like a poor attempt at a cheap imitation of the honored metal. "Further testing revealed that the light-weight nature of Phrik allowed for an increase in the thickness of armor plating without effecting performance. A range of plating thicknesses were tested, but 4.7625mm Phrik plating was eventually found to be the closest match to the initial Beskar plating." He said as he returned the ore to the table and hazarded a second attempt at the mug of coffee.

Still too hot, but it no longer burned. Taking a second, longer sip of the black liquid, Larraq finally returned to his seat and cradled the warm mug between his hands. "At this time, plans are underway to begin production of Phrik plated Beskad-class Starfighters for the Levantine Sanctum alongside those destined for use by the clans."

 

[Captain Larraq]

His hands now warm and slowly spreading that warmth to the rest of his body, Larraq continued to stare into the hologram for a moment as he was lost in thought. For a moment, his mind went blank as he tried to remember how long he had been awake for. Slowly, he moved the cup to his lips and sipped at the warm, black liquid within. It help to move his mind forward once again, but he knew that he had to get some rest soon. "Mandal Hypernautics' production capabilities in regards to starfighters and ordnance has yet to fully recover from the Netherworld tragedy. With Adumar in One Sith hands and Mandal Hypernautics no longer having access to the planet's factories, alternative options were put into motion." He said as he continued to enjoy the warm sensation in his hands. "Initial plans were to shift starfighter manufacturing projects to the backup facilities on Belkadan, but the recent conflicts with the Primeval has made regular travel through their space dangerous." Larraq said to the recorder from memory as he continued to bask in the warmth of his cup of coffee. "Similarly, with no Mandalorian combat forces stationed on the planet, any supplies or products shipped or made from those facilities would be in constant danger of Primeval aggression. Deemed too dangerous, new plans were put into motion."

 

[Captain Larraq]

"While replacement facilities have already entered production on Bandomeer, a short term fix needed to be made." Larraq said as he shifted the cup of coffee to only a single hand and used the other to type commands for the holoprojector. "That fix came in the form of the long-impounded Girth of Gluttony held in orbit over Mandalore. The Battlesphere was originally found to be a fully capable starfighter manufacturing facility when taken from Sith Empire remnants, though was retained only on mothball status as Mandal Hypernautics continued to research the vessel." He said as he pulled up document after document on the mysterious Sith ship. "After a more recent review of the Battlesphere's production capabilities was made, a large portion of Mandal Hypernautics' starfighter production was shifted to the Girth of Gluttony and the ship itself was reclassified as an orbital factory. The remaining portion of Mandal Hypernautics' starfighter production was split between new factories on Mandalore and Taris and will remain as such until the new facilities on Bandomeer finish construction." Larraq finished as he closed the hologram and leaned back against his chair and once again held the warm mug of coffee in two hands.


"At this time, the facilities on Mandalore will be used for production of all Beskad-class starfighters due to the security and established logistical trains on the planet." Larraq said as he closed his eyes and shortly before he fell asleep, the warm coffee still clutched between his hands.