Sol Desire (Dev thread)

[Veleon Dooku]

Serenno was a world of nobles, power struggles, and an ever shifting political dynamic. This planet was also the homeworld of Veleon Dooku, descendant of the great Count Dooku of the Clone Wars. He was of noble Serenno blood and from a great house, even if it had follow on hard times since the fall of the old Republic and Confederacy, and he needed off of this world. He was sick of the politic scheming, the vying for power, the alliances forged by marrying two unwilling children. He was sick of Serenno, and he was done with his mother's control. He wished to be free to roam the stars and decide his own path.

Veleon's problem is that in order for him to be able to do this, he needed a ship. He needed one, but not just any regular ship would do. He needed a ship that was capable of taking him where he needed to go as quickly as it could. He needed a ship that could handle the dangerous of space. He needed a ship he could call home. That meant he needed a custom ship that was at the least semi-luxurious to feel comfortable and more at ease. The curse, or perhaps blessing, of growing up as nobility. He just needed to wait for his ship to arrive so he could see if it could be something he could call home.

[member="Salmakk"]

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk watched his FA-4 pilot droid adjust the controls of the Sol Desire back to their stock settings as the starship reverted into realspace around Serenno. Wispy swathes of white clouds obscured the verdant forests, the stony mountains, and the cerulean seas that made the world so well-known for its natural. As the Sol Desire surged towards the world, Salmakk became more and more curious about their buyer. It looks like a beautiful world, and if you have the money to buy a ship like this, couldn't you relocate to almost anywhere of your choosing? The ship's comlink briefly toned before a cultivated voice began to flow through the ship's speakers with a clarity that even surprised Salmakk.

"Sol Desire, this is Carannia Spaceport Control. We are transmitting your flight path to you now. Do not deviate from your course."

Salmakk tapped a button on the ship's console, "Control, understood. Will comply."

Mere seconds later, the ship's holographic HUD whirled to life to project the flight path through the swirling clouds in a classic example of virtual augmented reality. A series of calculations and information began to populate on the lower edge of the HUD, noting such practical things as atmospheric conditions and traffic congestion to more culturally interesting things, such as a list of nearby landmarks and attractions as well as the local news. With one of his bulbous eyes, the mon calamari noted that there had been an assassination attempt the day before. He sighed. Perhaps a world's beauty does not translate to its people...

The craft dove through the clouds, with his FA-4 performing admirably to keep the ship precisely on course. Part of this was enabled by the ship's responsive controls, and partly by the banks of strategically placed microthrusters across the vessel's midline. They pierced through the last cloud to arrive at the modern and elegant-looking Imperial-class star port. The pilot droid gently heeled the ship's nose upwards as the landing gear began to extend out of the ship's hull. In a matter of seconds, the Sol Desire came to a rest on the duracrete landing pad, and Salmakk strode the ramp to meet the ship's buyer, one [member=Veleon Dooku].

 

[Veleon Dooku]

The waiting was becoming unbearable, truly so, as Veleon continued his patience test for the arrival of his ship. A thought that was a little source of joy, his ship. Everything in the Dooku palace belonged to his family and not to him individually. The bed he slept in, the desk he read and wrote upon, the gardens he walked, the table he ate his meals from. All of it had also belonged to the generations before him and would belong to the generations after him, assuming there would be any seeing as he was an only child. There was no sense of self, of the individual. It was all about the family and how it benefited the current and future generations to come. When it came to your name, your family name was the only one that truly mattered. It was why it was not unusual for families to keep using the same name or set of names over and over again.

But that was not what Veleon would have to deal with for much longer. Soon he would be able to make his name the more important of the two. Not the name of his family, but the name of the individual. And the first step to that could be seen landing in a hanger of the dockyard. Sol Desire. The ship he had named, he had given the direction for. The core ideals of the craft, if not the actual details of its design. It was his ship, it was him. He wanted to become Veleon, not another Count Dooku in the long line of others. And so his feet moved. One step closer to his dream. Another step forward to his true self. The step to his identity.

Veleon soon found the Mon Calmari that represented the company that had built his ship for him. He walked forward with his walking cane in hand. He held out his right hand as his left gripped the top of his cane tightly. He said in a voice leaking some of his enthusiasm as his eyes never truly left the crimson glory that was his ship, " Greeting. You are [member="Salmakk"] correct?" He then waited for the reply while shifting his weight slightly. He was ready to go on to the next step, the next moment. He wished for the prologue of his life known as Serenno to end and the first chapter of the story of Veleon Dooku to begin truly.

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk offered a brief half-bow to [member="Veleon Dooku"].

"Yes indeed, Count Dooku."

Salmakk had never met any royalty before, which made him somewhat curious about the count. To be sure, the mon calamari had seen and met many powerful people during his lifetime, but none of them had grown up as being powerful figures. Both Gir and the company's protocol droids had advised him to be very deferential during his visit, but Salmakk couldn't help but wonder if the duke was more of a traditional and elite formal figure or the average man stuffed behind a title. He made a mental note to observe the duke's behavior closely as they toured the craft. I almost forgot...

The mon calamari pulled out a datapad-like device and handed it to the new ship owner.

"This beckon call is linked to the Sol Desire," revealed the mon calamari, "from it, you can control the various settings in the rooms, lock the vehicle, access the ship's computers or any of its systems, or even use it to remotely summon it to fly towards your current location. It's a handy feature to have if you need a quick escape...would you like me to show you around your new ship?"

 

[Veleon Dooku]

Veleon hardly noticed the way he had been greeted. He was so use to that being how he was addressed that it barely registered it might not be common outside of his own homeworld, not that he had spent much time off world. The last and only time he left Serenno was to pick up some cortosis off of Katanos IV for his walking cane's hidden blade. It was serving as his cane now though and not his blade. He had no plans to use it, and the mon calamari's behavior was giving him no reason to reconsider that stance. No, he was more focused on the matter at hand which was getting to see what his ship was like.

Veleon took the devise from [member="Salmakk"] and inspected it as he spoke. At the end of it, Veleon said, " Does this come in a more, convenient, form? Perhaps able to be strapped to one's wrist?" He toyed with the device in his hand for a bit as he inspected it further. He was not too pleased with how inconvenient it was. Holding it in his hand would get old fast, and what if he was in a conflict yet needed to call for his ship? The lack of both hands being free would be a problem. No, no this would not do. He would need to get it transferred into a wrist attachment version. As much as he was paying for the ship, it was the least they could do.

Veleon looked to the mon calamri and said, " Why are we still standing around? Did you not offer me a tour of my ship or was I just caught in a waking dream?" It had been a little curt and inpatient the way he said it, but that was just how he was feeling. He wished to see if they had followed his instructions or not on his ship, and see if he could finally leave home or if he would have to wait even longer to be rid of this dreadful planet. He shifted his weight slightly once more as his fingers tapped rhythmically against the pommel at the top of his cane.

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk considered the count's request of a smaller beckon call. There were some smaller devices which could function as such, but in doing so, the count would probably be sacrificing some ease of usability with smaller buttons and display. There would likely be other considerations to take into account too, such as the length of wiring loop needed to act as the device's transmitting antenna. Before the mon calamari could deliberate about such design considerations at length, [member="Veleon Dooku"] interrupted him.

"Yes, yes we will," said Salmakk quickly, "I was just considering how we can make your beckon call smaller, count. It might require some special engineering on our part, but we will make you a smaller one."

Salmakk strolled up the ramp of the vessel to enter the ship's cargo bay. But given that this was a new ship that had yet to be received by its owners, there was almost no cargo in. The count would be able to see a few duraplast crates stenciled in Aurebesh font with the words "spare parts". Elsewhere, crash webbing covered several walls while cargo retention straps came up from the floor and hug down from the ceiling. Salmakk pulled down on one of the ship's panels, revealing a small console.

"This is the control station for the C5 tractor beam emitter mounted just ahead of the ramp," explained the engineer, "which can use to load cargo instead of having to load things with manual labor. In emergencies, can you also use it recover people and small objects from space...but it is not powerful enough to be a weapon."

He swept a webbed hand towards a small room adjoining the cargo hold, "And that is your speeder bay. Doesn't look like big I know, but it's large enough to hold a small landspeeder or several speeder bikes. Right now, it only holds a single 88-R Nightscream which we've customized with some aftermarket kits. We hope that it is to your liking."

 

[Veleon Dooku]

Veleon listened to [member="Salmakk"] and was pleased to hear adjustments were already being made. That was good, and a good sign. The company catered to their customer's demands, and for a young Serenno nobleman who hadn't been off world but once in his life, it was exactly what he needed. The mon calamari had the ramp lowered and lead the way into the ship, his ship. The inside was well built from what he could see and the cargo hold was spacious enough. He did not have any grand plans of becoming a wandering merchant or one of those filthy, hand-to-mouth smugglers. There was some kind of webbing was on the walls in places as well. He did not know what it was for, but it conflicted with the decor too much.

Veleon was pleased with the speeder bike that had been included, and walked over to it with measured steps. He moved his left hand along it as he inspected the controls with his eyes. He was very pleased with the speeder bike. He said as he gripped the handle bar and tilted it idly forward and back, " It is to my liking, with the exception of that webbing material on the walls. What is it for and is it needed? If it is then it can stay. Practicality before pleasure." He kept his finally inspect of the speeder bike for a bit then turned to face the mon calamari. He said, " Now then, the rest of the ship." He began to head towards the space squid and allowed his fingers to slide off of the handle.

 

[Salmakk]

"The webbing is a safety requirement dictated by most governments if this area is holding cargo," stated Salmakk, "but if you will not have any cargo in this area, it can be removed. We have found that most of customers end up picking up random objects in their travels and have had need of it, whether that object is an ancient statue or other artifact, or it's a cargo container they found drifting in space, or a deal too good to pass up on..."

Salmakk quickly realized that he probably beginning to ramble. He may not appreciate the technicalities and possibilities...on to the things that he may appreciate a bit more. Salmakk slipped into the next room, leading [member="Veleon Dooku"] deeper into his ship. The next compartment seemed more like an abbreviated hallway than an actual room, with two other doors on either side of them and short flight of stairs in front of them. Both doors were neatly labelled in Aurebesh script, but Salmakk opted to simply state what they were in a matter of fact style.

"The left door goes to the ship's drive and maintenance areas. The door to the right goes to your private quarters, and these stairs go to the Sol Desire's cockpit. Which area would you like to go to first, my count?"

 

[Veleon Dooku]

Veleon nodded his head to what [member="Salmakk"] had to say about the webbing in the hangar. It looked horrendous but if it served a practical purpose it would stay. He was not going to be one of those born into a noble family that made decisions based on aesthetic appeal that ended up ruining everything they touched. He had seen many of his peers do just that and pay for it.......far too literally. He said as he began to follow the mon calamari, " Then it stays. Best to avoid issues with the law, especially over such minor offenses."

They came to a hallway that split off three ways. Two were through doors leading to other rooms and the other a set of stairs. He listened to the description of the areas told to him by the representative from the company that made his ship. He thought over his options then turned his attention to the male. He said in a tone that suggested this was how things were going despite what the mon calamari might want, " Show me the private quarters then the maintenance area. After we will head to the cockpit. Now, let us get to it." He then began to walk towards the door leading to the private quarters.

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk sagely nodded at [member="Veleon Dooku"] before pressing a single button on the side of the wall, causing the door to slide open quietly and almost effortlessly. He walked in before turning to sweep his hand across a series of chambers that wrapped themselves from the far starboard side of the ship to encompass the bow and then some of the ship's port side. Perhaps somewhat unusually, the very first room was the Count's bedroom. Their interior designer had tried her best to incorporate popular and traditional motiffs from Serenno in an attempt to replicate the best parts of his aristocratic heritage. Part of this included having an actual bed instead of a built-in bunk, as well as a matching nightstand and dresser. Simple things to expect in a normal bedroom, but not all too common on a starship. Yet these articles were not mere furnishings bought at a big box store. Each had been carefully crafted by the same experienced craftsman, creating works of art that were impressive not in their concept, but in their execution. Salmakk cleared his throat.

"Your bedroom," said Salmakk, "is the first room in your suite, simply because if something does happen if you are sleeping, you can quickly get to the cockpit of your ship. We have tried to our best to accommodate your requests. Each of these rooms features adjustable gravity disks in the floor, which you can adjust from the cockpit or the room control panel over there. This may seem simple, but the ones underneath the furniture are set to a much higher setting than normal to ensure that they do not move above. If you wish to move the furniture, it may be best to turn them off. Shall we head to the next room, or do you have any questions about this one?"

 

[Veleon Dooku]

Veleon followed [member="Salmakk"] into the first room and began to inspect everything. He walked over to the dress and began to run his hand over it as he looked very carefully at each fixture. It was clearly not from one of those commoner stores were the lesser classes bought all of their items. No it was not from one of those "megastores" that sold everything from food rations to holotech to undergarments. No, this dresser and the rest of items in the room as well had been crafted by master hands. That was a nice little detail he had not expected to see happen within the ship, not that he was opposed to it either.

Veleon waited for the mon calamari to finish then turned to him. He said without allowing a pause, " Can I get a desk added along with these other items? That is my only question, so lead on to the rest of the rooms if you would." He then began to walk back towards the doorway from which he came. If his room was this well furnished, he was now curious how well they had furnished the guest rooms. He certainly didn't expect too much from it, but they had already surprised him once already so they might do so yet again. If he ever had to recommend a shipyard to someone in the future, he was beginning to lean towards recommending this one.

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk sagely nodded at [member="Veleon Dooku"].

"We have your desk in the next room, actually," said the mon calamari, moving into the said room, "which we have taken to calling your ready room. But we can move it to your bed room if you would prefer."

Somewhat smaller than the quarters preceding it, the "ready room" was zoned out as a room for business. A desk and chair made out of a dark hardwood in a similar style to the furniture in the previous room sat against the bulkhead it shared with the bedroom. From the desk, one could look out the viewport to the left, which currently showed the not terribly scenic side of their landing pad. Salmakk tapped a button on the wall, which caused a pair of shutters to close over the viewport. On the wall opposite of the desk was a trio of lockers along with a small display case. Salmakk briefly sniffed the air, noting the scents of the luxuriant plants from the next room.

 

[Veleon Dooku]

Veleon followed [member="Salmakk"] into the next room and examined the furniture. It was as well crafted as the furniture in his own room. He looked out the porthole for a bit before he ran his hand along the desk slowly. He felt of the grain and how smooth it was shaped. As polished as marble, yet the dark beauty of hardwood. He was pleased with it as well as the cabinets of the same material and crafted to the same level of luxury. He idly walked over to the display case as the porthole was sealed off, which would come in handy in the future.

Veleon looked inside of the case. It was empty, as empty as the ship currently was. It was filled with things, but that did not mean it was not empty. His childhood home had been the same way as this ship currently was. Full of furniture, machines needed to maintain life and function, and other such items. But it was void of a feeling of being lived in. Truly lived in. He frowned slightly as he stared into the case as smell of plants crossed his nose. He sniffed the scents for a moment before he looked up to the mon calmari. He said, " No this room is acceptable. What is the source of the aromas?"

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk observed [member="Veleon Dooku"] as he inspected the room. The man surprised him, not only his eye for detail, but mostly in how he viewed things. Salmakk sensed that while he found the quality to be acceptable, that he was looking for something more fulfilling in them. But such things are best found and experienced by yourself...though it seems that perhaps he understands that...The mon calamari reflexively blinked at the next question.

"My sense of smell is somewhat different than your's, my duke," revealed the engineer, "but I mostly smell the silvergrass next door. Our interior designer incorporated several, small potted plants in the next room that she felt would provide you with some enjoyment with their beauty, but also some practical benefits as kitchen herbs or medicines. I believe there is some Treeman's herb in there as well, but I am afraid that I am not a botanist. However, the ship's computer banks have a full listing of the plants, their uses, and their care. The housekeeping droid should take care of them for you, unless you would prefer to do so yourself."

 

[Veleon Dooku]

The mon calamari told him of where the source of the pleasant smells was coming from. There seemed to be a mixture of beautiful, yet practical plants already available for him to begin to enjoying. Veleon had to stop to think a moment about what he wished to do, but ultimately decided it was not the time for it. He said as he turned away from the empty case completely, " The droid is fine for now. I will familiar myself with the plants first before I take over their care. I will inspect that room at a later date as well. Show me to the maintenance room next."

Veleon began to casually step towards the door with his cane still in hand and each step measured with a deliberate sounding ring. He was eager to move onto the other areas to see how they had delivered upon his directions. They had certainly met expectations with the living quarters, but that was not a guarantee that the other areas were the same. It was up to [member="Salmakk"] show him they had been during their tour around the Sol Desire.

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk bobbed his head up and down before leading the count back to the entrance of the living quarters and then across the cockpit foyer into the mechanical room. He briefly hesitated as they stepped inside, mostly because he guessed that it wouldn't likely be a very aesthetically pleasing room to the Count. While everything was neatly encased and labelled in aurebesh, in the name of trying to keep everything reasonably compact, the room was fairly cramped and several components of the engine and power systems snaked through the room at odd angles. The mon calamari slipped over to a built-in computer terminal and typed in a few codes.

"This is the engineering computer," explained Salmakk, "from here you can access all information about the ship's systems, including specifications and diagnostic trouble-shooting. Though there is one other feature that you should be aware of."

He pressed a button, which causes a panel to slide upwards to reveal a deactivated MK-series maintenance droid waiting in a droid charger slot.

"That is the ship's repair droid," explained Salmakk, "it is quite capable of repairing the Zephyr-class hyperdrive and nearly any of the ship's other systems. A lot of these ship's systems, especially its engines, are pretty high-tech in order to maximize the performance. I think that you will find that this unit will be quite capable of keeping the Sol Desire at her peak."