New Horizons [REC Dev Thread.]

[Republic Engineering]

Coruscant Orbit, Centax-2.
Republic Engineering Corporation - Surface Drydocks.
0800 - Taungsday.

Today was to be an auspicious day. I could feel it within my synthetic core. For years before this moment, my company had been perverted by the likes of the Galactic Republic and the One Sith. This would be our time. Where we, the Republic Engineering Corporation, would stand upon the successes of our ancestors and forge a legacy worthy of our own. Thus, the Nagata was born. To us, this was the first step towards greatness - and so we would have to make it worthy of such a monumental event. A combat corvette. While in the grand scheme, such a craft was nothing to those used to Star Destroyers and Battleships, but it was a start. We would get there one day, but, it would take an astronomical amount of credits and time to get there.

So, as today was one worthy to celebrate, I found myself in my private observatory above the drydock where the first Nagata was berthed. Naturally, my dominant hand was occupied with a crystalline glass, filled with one spherical cube of ice and smothered with amber liquid. I wasn’t sure what I was drinking, as my hands were not the one to touch, let alone pour the drink. That dubious honour had belonged to a former Fleet Admiral of the Galactic Alliance, and now who had become my personal mercenary. She had fallen asleep an hour before, fatigue plaguing her mind as the final processes of construction became mentally taxing. I couldn’t blame her, for had I been Human too - I might’ve crashed right down beside her. Sadly, as I was nothing more than a mirror of humanity, wrought of synthetic flesh and driven by a will not of my own, fatigue was something I could never actually feel.

Clearing my mind with a sip of the amber fluid, I relished the chemical wash of alcohol as it poured down my throat. I could taste the whiskey, it’s atomic composition, and tell from where it was made by the subtle mixture of spices used during the fermentation process. This was not something I could enjoy like mortals would. Instead, over the years, it became a process of busying myself while my mind worked through the myriad other issues that have accrued over the years. There were a great many, but none carried as much significance as the completion of the Nagata. This would see my company return to the limelight. We could not rely on the Alliance to help, as they were too fickle with their government programs. Something about internal politics.

Funny how a Military Junta suffers from the affliction of bureaucracy.

Taking another sip of my whiskey, I felt my feet carry my artificial form towards the glasteel barrier. It was there that my ocular lenses filled with the breadth of the facility beneath, giving me the opportunity to observe the finishing touches - most notably the application of the Reflec and Crimson enamel coating. My mind had a habit of retreating to dark places when it was idle, so I deemed it necessary to fulfill my role as Overseer and watch, with a practiced eye, as my technicians readied the Nagata for her maiden voyage.

 

[Republic Engineering]

For nearly an hour, a factor I sought to ignore despite the constant presence of a chronometer at the edge of my sight, my interest was focused solely on the combat corvette below. I watched as the ground crew below had laboriously applied the matte black and crimson enamel, breaking their relentless stride only when the applicator droids had expended their canisters. It was a mesmerizing sight, and one that threatened to steal the entirety of my concentration were he not careful. Blinking the thought aside, I drew another mouthful of the honeyed concoction from my chilled glass, hoping that the simple act would still my racing mind. I wanted this corvette to be complete and had considered taking short cuts at several junctions. Every avenue that had presented itself was simply unacceptable. I had to approach my clients with a polished blade, free from any notches, so that they may purchase any goods that I had to sell. So when those hurdles materialized, my hands set to work altering the finalized product.

The Hypermatter Reactor was more than suitable enough to supply the Nagata with an exorbitant amount of power until the proverbial star within its husk had faded, adding in the photovoltaic cells and the smaller solar ionization panels to the exterior was merely an unwarranted precaution should such an eventuality come to pass. Well, at least one that would see to the shields dissipation and vessel itself rendered immobile. Then the crew within, despite being mostly artificial beings, would find themselves comfortable whilst they worked to combat their inevitable doom. During its operation on the other hand, the solar cells would provide supplementary energy to the warship, and power the minor systems - as much of the core was bled into the primary operations and the weapons batteries.

I thought it was ingenious having a secondary, and redundant power system to keep the Nagata afloat as it spelled death for those that sought to deny its very right to exist.

As I expected, there were those within my organization that had protested against such a design. If we march down this path, where we produce capable weapons and the like, where does it end? I remember my response to those words, and I recall the souring of the man’s features when the syllables passed my lips. War was on the horizon. The Galactic Alliance was too bloodthirsty to allow those that had, in years past, wronged them whilst they focused on greater prey. Now their eyes were set upon the First Order, a glimmer of hope and order draped in the offensive shroud of Imperialism. So, even though we were not going to be on the front lines of this conflict, it was our duty to ensure that we were ready for whatever eventuality would come to pass.

Though the Nagata was meant for our customers, in truth, it was to be the first modern combat vessel of my corporate fleet. Therefore it had to have as many weapons as humanly possible. It had to stand a chance against the looming threat of those that would seek to halt our economic expansion. Thus, I told the man that it would never end. The cycle of war would forever continue. It was primal state of being for organics. They only saw the short-term goal, and the acquisitions they would stand to make, should their conflict prove successful. Which had led me to my point, one made in regards to balance, and the efforts it would take to keep it. Who better to profit from the wars of mortals, than those left standing.

 

[Republic Engineering]

The time had come for me to depart the observatory. The technicians below had finished applying the Reflec and crimson enamel, and picking out it’s serialized code in contrasting white detail. For all intents and purposes, the Nagata was complete and ready for its shakedown run. That was a chance that neither the beautiful Hapan or I could not afford to miss. So, when the announcement had shattered the silence that blanketed the observatory deck, I placed the chilled goblet of crystal down and prodded the former Alliance Admiral awake with a gentle push against her uniformed shoulder. She shot awake, clearly startled and grabbed my arm with such ferocity. It seemed she was either having a good dream, by how soundly she was sleeping before and hated the fact I had ripped her from that pleasant embrace, or she defied my subtle scans and found herself ensconced with the horrors of her past once again. I could never tell with this beauty, and that’s what made her so intriguing.

“Otto,” She said with traces of surprise flecking her voice. “Why did you wake me?”

I felt my lips curl into a smile as my response had come to the fore. “Because it is time, Dearheart.” She hated that name, and as it was spoken aloud I watched as her face recoiled in irritated disgust. It was entertaining to see her features scrunch like that, and though I wished that moment would last a lifetime - I fell back onto capturing this moment with a blink and would resort to reviewing it at a later date. Sentimental for a Human Replica Droid, I know, but when you’ve been active in a Galaxy beset by war, plague and darkness, even the inorganic need something lighthearted to hold onto. “The Nagata’s complete and awaiting her Captain. You have been given the dubious honour of commanding the first of our newest Corvettes in her maiden voyage.”

Using my arm as a fulcrum, the Hapan woman roused herself from the couch and started to straighten her crimson and ebony uniform. Again, I watched with interest as she sought to smooth out the crumpled edges with the flat of her hand. How concerned these mortals were with vanity, I mused, before looking down and seeing that I too had suffered under a similar sin. It seems my hands had gotten the better of me and began mimicking the former Admiral’s patterns, flattening out the edges of my formal attire. A filthy habit, I’ll admit, but one that’ll help me keep up the appearance of being human - one that has yet to be shattered by even the most observant eye. There was that one woman that had come close, but that ended as nothing more than an assumption and a whispered rumours when we had parted ways.

“Have you made any significant changes to the Nagata?” Astarii’s words had drawn me from the eidetic annals of my history, and back into the present. With effortless ease, I turned my gaze towards the, now regal, woman and allowed my smile to return. “No,” I replied. “We’ve kept everything in order and will be taking the vessel out as planned. Hopefully a show of the vessel’s operation will see the Regulation Board well satisfied. That and I’ve noticed you’ve been itching to command a modern starship. Something even the Alliance couldn’t offer you.”

She snorted.

“Come now, Otto. They’re waiting for us below.”

 

[Republic Engineering]

Moving from the observatory deck to the drydocks with all the alacrity my artificial body could muster, all the while keeping pace with my companion, I found myself assaulted by the cacophony of production. The sounds of distant plates being welded and riveted into place. The shouts of mortals, clamoring for the attention of those subordinates that could barely hear them. It threatened to overload my aural network, but as Astarii sought to speak, I found a small measure of comfort in her words - whatever I could hear of them. Perhaps, should the company ever branch off towards recreating the majesty of Project Decoy, I’d fashion myself a new form - one that’s not afflicted with the ailing failures of the past. But, alas, that was a riddle for another day. For today, it was all about the Nagata and the promise of a profitable future it held. The company and I needed this blasted hunk of metal to work, let alone be approved by the Board so that we could see ourselves return to prominence, rather than slink away into the darkness like we did in the days after the Thrawn Campaign had faded from recent galactic memory.

As my leather-clad feet had carried me past the parted threshold of the Corvette’s primary airlock, I felt a small measure of pride surge through my artificial veins. It was good to step into the heart of one’s own creation, and see the pulsating lights flicker out of existence, only to be replaced by the steady thrum of activation. The Nagata was coming to life as we walked through her fluted halls, and suffice to say there was no sensation like it. With our move towards expansion, I was certain to feel it many times more in the days ahead, but it wouldn’t come close to this. “If you keep this up, you’ll be grinning like an idiot when we reach the bridge.” I couldn’t help myself. Despite all of the restrictions that were implanted within my positronic matrix, the unabashed feeling of joy was not something I would deny myself - not now, or ever.

“Maybe that’s the plan,” I said through parted lips. “What better way to inspire your Subordinates, than to see the one pulling her strings smiling like a fool.”

“You’re an idiot.” Astarii breathed.

That had soured my smile, only partially. She wounded my ego then, and while I would forgive her for such barbed words, it was doubtful that I’d ever forget. It was in that moment that we had climbed into the bridge and bore witness to the fruits of our labour. There, in spartan militaristic fashion, the command throne had awaited it’s Captain. Surrounding her fabled seat, were nearly a dozen officers of my personal security detail - each adorned with similar garbs of crimson and ebony - and every one of them stood to attention. Snapping off crisp salutes and offering thin lipped smiles, before they turned about and manned their stations. Returning the gestures in kind and taking her place upon the command throne, I witnessed Astarii becoming another person entirely. In that moment, she seemed more alive than she ever had these past few months, and it pleased me to no end to see such a transition take place.

“Helm,” She called as soon as she settled within the confines of her command throne. “Disengage the mooring locks. Comms, hail the Hangar control and have them open the front door. I want us voidbound within the hour.” Astarii was a dervish. She didn’t stop once her orders were given voice. In fact, she had carried on giving more and more, while she waited for the first set of commands to be obeyed. Soon, they would find themselves amongst the stars, soaring towards new horizons.