Uninspired Factory Required Development Thread Pt02

[Captain Larraq]

A warm mug of coffee cooled slowly between Rygel Larraq's hands and he sipped even slower at the caramel colored contents within. It had been nearly a week since Hyperion Mining's most recent operation had begun and already he was staring at the fruits of that investment. Leaning against a railing, Larraq watched from on-high as hundreds of droids and employees unpacked crates of raw Beskar ore and began the long, tedious process of shaping the material into plates and alloys of his own design. He watched as the Beskar was heated, made molten, portioned, and channeled into various different areas of the factory. Raw, molten tungsten was mixed with the beskar ore by expert craftsman and dozens of apprentices and droids in one area of the factory, while other areas of the factory mixed the molten beskar with molten glasteel by an identical team of experts and apprentices.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Slow sips of the warm, caffeinated liquid slowly drained Larraq's mug. By the time he had set it down, a young Togrutan woman appeared by his side with a fresh, steaming hot mug to replace the one he had finished. A simple nod of thanks was the only acknowledgement she received before leaving his side and allowing him to return his attention to the hundreds of billions worth of beskar that flowed through his factory. Slowly, carefully, and with expert precision, Mandal Hypernautics craftsman of the highest pay worked powders and alloys into the molten mix that lay before them. The process of treating and forging Beskar into its processed, Iron form was the most ancient and honored of traditions in Mandalorian history. It was a skill and an art that Larraq himself had never quite managed to master. He understood the basics... But it was truly an art. One that somehow managed to escape him.

 

[Captain Larraq]

He didn't need to reach for his datapad to remind himself of all the parts that would be produced at this factory. He was still intimately familiar with the armor plating of the Myrkava tank. "Composite Matrix" it was called. 25mm plates of various metals were sandwiched on top of one another in a manner that provided superior protection than even solid Beskar would provide, and at a very moderate weight. Quadanium, Durasteel, Duraplast, Beskar, Tungsten, were all layered on top of eachother, including layers of material that were resistant to thermal, chemical, and radiation hazards. The total thickness of the Rekali-class' armor would be superior to the Myrkava, a vehicle only a third the size of the Space Superiority Fighter. It was... and impressive design. A team of two dozen engineers had come up with the original idea and initial proposal. Larraq himself had fine-tuned the design. It was... an impressive war machine. One of the best products ever to be produced by Mandal Hypernautics.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Each of the Craft's numerous wings were to be made of a solid Beskar-Tungsten alloy, a design choice that would make the entire craft even more resilient to tactical damage than the Myrkava that helped inspire it. Even the Beskad Starfighter would pale in comparison to this recent creation. Or so Larraq thought to himself as he took a slow sip of the scalding hot liquid in his mug. Below him, the first wave of 25mm Beskar plates were being pressed and cooled, minerals and rare gasses were tossed upon the cooling plates to help enhance the natural strength of the metal as it cooled. Larraq sipped at his mug again. He had special plans for the first wave of Rekali-class Starfighters to be produced here today. The Clans would come to him for these. As would his sister's clan. They might not like the decision he had made, but it was his to make. Beskar or not, these starfighters would also be sold to the Silver Sanctum. They might not be Mando'ade, but they fought against the darkness of the galaxy that threatened Mando'yaim and her colonies. To Larraq, that was enough. They would receive his fighters and the Mando'ade would be better for it.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Each individual armor plate was only 25mm thick. Dozens of which worked their way down the assembly line by the time the first of the Beskar-Tungsten alloy wings finished cooling and began its own journey. Larraq watched each piece as it slowly moved from right to left below him. Here and there, a sip of his coffee or a slight tap of the mug against the railing was all that was heard from him as he watched the birth of a new generation of starfighters. Each ship would include 16 small wings that served as stabilizers in atmospheric flight and could be activated or deactivated as etheric rudders during space flight. This allowed the craft enhanced maneuverability in atmosphere and allowed it to mimic the movements of atmospheric craft during space combat, or to operate based purely of velocity and maneuvering thrusters. The choice would be up to the individual pilots, and would make combating the Rekali-class an enormous pain in the butt.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The next pieces to complete their forging process were the sheets of Beskar-Glasteel alloy that would make up the cockpit windows. It was one of the strongest clear materials in the galaxy, rated to withstand multiple direct hits from large-bore weapons. The forging process for the metal was a rare skill among Beskar Smiths, and each master of the craft was paid handsomely for his or her skills. As such, each piece costs Larraq more than twice what a solid sheet of Beskar of equal size would have. Larraq sipped at his coffee as the first sheets rolled by. They were a worthwhile investment. It wouldn't do to create one of the most durable starfighters in the galaxy, only to allow a single shot through the cockpit to bring it down. It was the same reason why the ship was to incorporate armored engine housings, a Faraday cage sub-layer, and multiple Ion and EMP resistant technologies.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq finished his current mug of coffee as one of the last and most complicated pieces of plating was completed. On either side of the ship's aft section, a curved, bladed wing extended from the rear-most port or starboard wing to a pair of projections at the aft of the ship. The blade was made of Beskar-tungsten like the wings, but offered seamless integration into the armor plating of the ship's aft. The entire structure of the ship's frame was designed to reinforce this blade just as strongly as the forward winglets on either side of the cockpit were reinforced. Since the ship was capable of flying forwards or backwards, the ship was designed to withstand harsh impacts along either of these bladed edges. At thirty-one meters long, possessing one of the most durable designs in the galaxy, and made of one of the most durable materials in the galaxy... Larraq figured that at some point or another, pilots would decide that ramming it into other craft would be a good idea. So he designed it to withstand such impacts. He even designed each wing and winglet to have a sharpened edge on both fore and aft.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As the last of the individual components rolled down the assembly line, Larraq began to make his way down the gangway, his feet keeping pace with the conveyor belts. The first area he came to was dedicated entirely to stacking and sealing together the individual plates of armor. Beskar, Tungsten, Durasteel, Duraplast, and other metals and alloys were sandwiched on top of one another until a recognizable segment of armor plating was created. Larraq, coffee mug left behind for the Togrutan woman to tend to, pulled the familiar lighter and pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting the first of many while he continued to keep pace with the assembly line. The next area he arrived at housed the frame of the craft. Two had already been assembled, Alusteel beams shipped in from elsewhere were molecularly bonded to one another until the ribs and spine of the small ship were given shape. As Larraq watched, wires, pistons, actuators, and computer systems from his Taris factories were installed in the craft. Fuel tanks were added alongside an entire pre-fabricated reactor, pipes and wires quickly linking each component to the next.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq stood and watched his employees and droids work their trade. Billowing tendrils of smoke curled from his lips and drifted towards the ceiling as he took in the sight. As soon as the actuators, wires, and thousands of other electrical, electronic, and mechanical parts were secured to the frame, the Beskar-Tungsten alloy wings were anchored to the frame, molecular bonding once again providing the best means of protecting the wings and frame from the trauma of kinetic damage. Around the rest of the ship, shaped plates of Matrix Armor forged elsewhere on Mandalore were slid into place, forming the hull of the craft. Unlike the wings, these were mag-locked and chemically bonded in place, with modularity and ease of replacing damaged sections in mind. Larraq finished cigarette after cigarette as he watched the construction take place. Sixteen frames had been assembled before his eyes and were in various stages of assembly.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As each hull took shape, the cockpit windows were added after the electronics and hull had been fully assembled. It was only then that the first of the Composite Armor Plates were added to the craft. One by one, layer by layer, shaped section by section, each of the craft in the hanger below him took shape. It was a sleek, powerful, predatory shape. One that came from a culture of warriors spending years manufacturing some of the best machines of war in the galaxy. Larraq loved them.

Larraq pulled the last cigarette from the carton, lighting it in the usual ritual before crushing the empty pack and tossing it in a nearby trash bin. As the first wave of fighters neared completion, Larraq made his way down from the gangway and to the storage hanger where the finished starfighters would be stored before receiving a final paintjob and being shipped to whomever had purchased the craft. For the first wave of ships, Larraq had something special in mind though.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As Larraq's boots strolled across the cold, duracrete floor, a wide set of doors slid open. One by one, the first wave of Rekali-class Space Superiority Fighters rolled into the hanger. Each one already painted in one of a number of patterns, sporting the official symbols of a number of recognized militaries. The first from the line bore the Greens, Blacks, and Oranges typical of Mandalorian ships, a stylized Mythosaur skull showing the ship as belonging to the United Clans of Mandalore. The next was painted in the blue, gold, and silver of Clan Dem'adas. The red and black of Hyperion Security came next, then the colors of Clan Rekali, followed by one done up for the Mandalorian Protectors. Another rolled into the room painted up and marked as belonging to the Silver Sanctum's Navy. And lastly, one appeared that sported the colors of the Levantine Academy.

Two squadrons of Rekali-class Starfighters stood before him. In the room beyond, Larraq could see the next two squadrons receiving an entirely different paint job.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq stepped forward, one hand working at the cigarette in his typical way. His other hand reached up and touched the closest of the fighters, the one that sported the red and black of Hyperion Security. Weapons had already been installed upon the modular craft. A mix of heavy and repeating lasers and mass drivers, with a single turret being set up with duel light repeating ion cannons and a twin set of missile racks upon the dorsal side. Larraq smiled as he ran his fingertips over the edge of the craft's closest wing. She felt powerful. She felt expensive. And Larraq's years of experience as a Naval Officer told him what his fingertips couldn't.

This was the type of craft that could turn the tides of battle. Be it against enemy starfighters or hostile capital ships, the Rekali was just the right size to engage any opponent.

More importantly... it would be quite the surprise. Variable weaponry and support systems kept the enemy guessing until the last second. While one squadron could be equipped to shred opposing starfighters, the next could be equipped with bomb bays and heavy weapons. A terrifying prospect on the battlefield.

Larraq's smile broadened as he stepped away from the craft.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Prying his gaze from that craft before him, Larraq turned to look at the next wave of fighters as they were rolled into the hanger. Two full squadrons at a time, each ship painted up in a number of colorations. Some appeared similar to craft operated by the One Sith, others looked similar to those of the Galactic Alliance or the Republic. Each, however, was lacking in iconography or official designations. Larraq smiled as he looked at them. These two squadrons were to be his wildcard, discretely donated to the Underground. On paper, records would show that the ships were destined for the Silver Sanctum and stolen by pirates, freeing Mandal Hypernautics from any accountability for the actions of the Underground and saving the company from any formal affiliation with the group.

The benefit for Larraq would come in how the Underground chose to use these craft. Of all potential buyers, the Underground was the most likely to get these fighters into heavy and frequent combat.

And so long as Larraq received copies of all performance and battlefield reports, Mandal Hypernautics would continue to provide the Underground with free replacement parts for these eight ships.

 

[Captain Larraq]

By the time Larraq had walked from the first line of ships to the second, the next pair of squadrons rolled into the hanger, painted and ready for action. The scale, speed, and utter manufacturing capacity of Mandal Hypernautics' facilities was being pushed to the limit for these craft. The galaxy was in a near-constant state of war, or so it had seemed for the last several years. Ships like these... fast, durable, and powerful... they were badly needed. Production rates could be scaled back as the initial surplus of raw supplies dwindled and as purchase orders were filled. But for the moment... His facilities on Mandalore would operate at full capacity as they cranked out squadron after squadron of his newest creation.

Larraq took a deep drag of his cigarette as he approached the newest line of craft. These two squadrons, with a third rapidly nearing completion, would be his gift to the Rekali clan. For so long as they continued to secure the Yavin system, Hyperion Mining could continue its Corusca Gem harvesting in peace... An arrangement that continued to earn him an enormous amount of credits each year.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq approached the closest of the Clan Rekali class, the family of spacefarers for which the starfighters were named. Each of the eight in front of him bore the colors and symbol of the clan and was armed with the weapons favored by the clan. Most notably, the forward-ventral turret had been removed and replaced with a heavy weapon turret. Upon it was mounted a single Jamming Beam Projector, the same weapon that caused the Rekali Clan to favor the Tegaanalir-class Patrol Craft. The factory standard Heavy Laser Cannons remained a part of the armament, as did the gimbaled Light Repeating Mass Drivers of the Cabur MkII Starfighter, complete with Ionite ammunition. Also retained from the factory standard were the twin Light Repeating Ion cannons on the rear-facing turret and the dorsal flex-tube racks. The pair of Repeating Mass Drivers at the nose of the craft had been exchanged for Repeating Blaster Cannons.

A powerful combination of weapons that Larraq hoped would be to the Rekali's liking.

The bay of each craft would be shipped with the advanced targeting module. Though, if unsatisfied, Clan Rekali could chose which bays they would proffer and order them at their leisure.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The last wave of Clan Rekali starfighters rolled into the hanger as Larraq finished inspecting the closest of the previous group. This squadron was different from the previous two. The Gimbaled Light Repeating Mass Drivers had been replaced with a second pair of Heavy Laser Cannons and this squadron was to be delivered complete with an assigned bay in place. Each of these four craft had been given the Bomb Bay modification and loaded with 18 of Tenloss's RST-1 Missiles. Supporting this impressive payload, the flex-tube launchers of these four craft had been loaded with Concussion Missiles armed with Tenloss's Creespa-class Warheads.

Larraq smirked at the bombers as soon as he saw them. Even the retired [member="Ember Rekali"] couldn't help but to love the craft.