Whiplash Recovery (CIS Faction, PM for Invite)

[Salem Norongachi]

Getting the money together for such a project wasn't simple. Even with the Techno Union fronting a large portion of the projected bill, it still ran into the hundreds of millions. It was no easy task convincing the bean counters to allocate the funding and it took every ounce of his persuasive powers and patience to bring them around.

"The documents and the plans for this venture are before you." He spoke to the cabinet. "The price tag is high but given the nature of the political landscape right now, its a priority. I need vote to sign off on the construction project." They gave their consent, some grudgingly.

The boardroom cleared and her found himself alone, he keyed up the frequency he and [member="Marek Starchaser"] used. "Funds should be arriving within the hour. Do you have everything you need?"

 

[Corey's OOC]

Building shipyards was no easy feat. Nor was it cheap. Plus, with the state of the Confederacy, and their business approach on hiring South Systems businesses to provide many services, it could take a little bit of time. So, ramping up the pay out to the companies and ensuring they were going to assembled both quickly and properly was pulling away from the third of that triangle, cheaply. Maybe Marek should make a Techno Union bake sale. Or see how much the government will front for one or two of the yards.

Once he got in touch with Danger, everything will be working smoothly. Sitting in his desk and activating a holo of the standard shipyards and a few proposed enhancements to both the design and the current yards in place, he was hoping that he could probably get a few other investors involved. Not too many, but if someone, like Santhe, or HKD, were going to be producing from the yards, they could at least give in five, maybe ten percent.

When his comlink sounded, the Foreman pulled his legs from his desk and answered. Sure, he was sounding exhausted. This was his job, after all, repairing the Confederate war machine was basically his job, wasn't it? "Sir?" He said, in greeting to [member="Salem Norongachi"]. Funds in an hour. "Are we proceeding with any special paths for any of the shipyards, or are they all Techno Union and Confederate joint projects?" Not that the Union wasn't an arm of the government, but it was... different, with CEOs coming from across the galaxy.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Nothing special," Norongachi responded to [member="Marek Starchaser"]. "We'll do our part. You do yours. When work begins let me know. I can allocate a defensive force, if you require it. The last thing we need is our work being undone with pretty explosions before its hardly begun." He stood from his seat in the board room and began the walk to his office, a few floors below.

"I'll begin the preliminary paper work to renew our ship building contracts, given how...efficient...the bureaucracy is, they should be ready in time for our funerals."

 

[Corey's OOC]

Marek was nodding at all the points that [member="Salem Norongachi"] was bringing up. Nothing special, keep it simple. That made his life a whole lot easier. "Defense would be wonderful. I'll be having the newly created Techno Union Security Force around as well, but they'll be more focused on screening who is coming into and leaving the construction zones." So having heavy hitters around the worlds would be smart. "I mean, we do have the four going up. I want to make sure we're not spreading our border fleets too thin."

He was thinking for a moment. "And with the project around Hypori, I might have another interested party, seeing as the world is in no small degree owned by a company that we're on..." was decent the word? "decent terms with. And I'd prefer to not surprise our contractors."

"And yeah, lets see how fast the contracts will go up. I'm pretty sure my partners will fund me twice over in the time you hear." The Corellian smirked. Really, how were they going to balance the fleets among the worlds?

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Three, Mr Foreman." Norongachi corrected, he could hear the fatigue in the mans voice. It was more than a match for his own, given their positions they both felt the full brunt of post-Druckenwell in the CIS. "Don't worry about the fleet composition. Thats my job, just make sure everything runs like clockwork on your end. Interested parties you say?" He asked, curious, it was true they hadn't heard much from Baktoid in the days that followed their meeting.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Right. Three. See. Naps. Naps were useful. Then he wouldn't be making mistakes. Up until he had time, he was going to need to reach for stims, he assumed. "So long as you manage the fleet I'll make the rest work."

He nodded. There were a few people. "Yes, Santhe leases Hypori to us for our factories. We will be working on their yards. I'd like to inform them that nothing will be disturbed or charged to them for the enhancements." Plus talking to Sasha was always a nice time. He awaited word from [member="Salem Norongachi"]

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Ovmar still running Santhe?" He made a note to drop the CEO a message, he was one of the few men who had a liver to contend with his own. "Nothing changes, we're just increasing their profit margin in the long run. More ships, more money." Norongachi responded, he reached across his desk and found a decanter of whiskey and a glass, he poured himself a healthy measure and then took a mouthful of the amber liquid.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Currently Jared was sort of in charge. "He seems to be running the show, but I've also gotten a new contact, one Sasha Santhe. I've met her several times, and I figure I might as well go to the namesake of the company, so that it can trickle down. Jared'll overhear it from me some time." Over scotch and cigars. "I'm not suspecting any complaints, but if someone was playing with my toys." Like The Republic owning Charros IV. He should make a headquarters move for Haor Chall... "I'd want to be kept in the know." He nodded, reaching for his cutter. Cigar time, successful meeting. Turning back to the comlink with the connection to [member="Salem Norongachi"], he reached for his lighter. "Are you handling Baktoid, or would you like me to keep tabs on them?"

Having it all go through Marek was one thing, but Excarga was going to be a large shipyard. And he wasn't sure that [member="Alli Wren"] s HRD was set up for everything.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Whatever you think is best," He responded, reclining back and kicking his feet up on the desk. "I have personal ties with Ovmar, if anythings said send him to me. "You have your ear to the ground, much more than I do and I have little time to spend worrying about a single company when my whole government threatens to tear itself apart. Handle it Mr Foreman." Forceful, yes, but it surely showed how much faith he had in [member="Marek Starchaser"].

 

[Corey's OOC]

Marek couldn't help but grin at [member="Salem Norongachi"]. Sure, he didn't mind being charge of something, and it wasn't something in which he doubted himself. It was nice to hear that hte person in charge of hopefully the biggest underdog move in a galactic power was having faith in him. Nodding, he took a puff from his cigar. "Nah, Jared and I go back a ways. He's a good man. But yeah, I'll make sure to keep Baktoid and their interests in line. If it comes to it, I'm sure Arceneau and Santhe will love to take that contract." He grinned, more to himself than anything else. "Will that be all, sir?" What WAS Salem's title?

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"For the moment," Norongachi responded. "Keep in touch, I'll arrange for the fleets to arrive in few days." He cut the line and then dialed up another frequency. It took a moment but finally a voice broke through the silence.

"Get me the Admiral." He instructed the secretary, even without a face the deep baritone of Norongachi was easily recognizable and she obliged without a word.

"Lord Commander."

"You should be receiving an order for fleet movement and redeployment," He began, tapping away on his computer. "The composition of said fleets are entirely up to you and your staff but rest assured this is top priority. Norongachi, out."

 

[Corey's OOC]

Marek nodded and smiled. “We can use them shortly. Once the teams are assembled, and knowing Danger, we’ll have those within the week. How long before the fleets arrive?” He wanted to make sure that they weren’t going too long without protection, despite the locations deep within the Confederacy and around worlds that host very powerful friends.

It was good to be making these deals this way.

When the call with [member="Salem Norongachi"] was over, he turned to the comlink and entered the frequency for another person whom could help. He just hoped that wherever [member="Sasha Santhe"] was, he was not waking her up. Another long drag, as he waited.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

[member="Marek Starchaser"] had his answer in exactly 2 days since their meeting. Fleets dropped from hyperspace at Excarga, Hypori and Rothana. The Hand of Fate joined the Hypori fleet, leading the contingent of grievous class star destroyers, cruisers and frigates that would make up the shipyards defensive fleet.

"Hand of Fate to the Foreman," Emah began as she and the fleet took up position around the shipyards. "The Lord Commander sends his regards."

 

[Corey's OOC]

The message to [member="Sasha Santhe"] was simple. The Techno Union was upgrading stations, and that included the one around Hypori. It'd be of no cost to Santhe Corp, and he wanted to know if there was anything to not touch.

As time went by though, he realized a few things. Salem got things done.

This was what he liked about [member="Salem Norongachi"]. He couldn’t help but feel a whole lot better with him in charge of the state than his predecessor. The Sith Mando just… confused him. With Salem? They seemed almost cut from the same mold. He wondered just how old the other was, did he work for the Empire previously? That would be an interesting thing.

Maybe his ancestors and Salem’s worked together. “This is the Foreman, a pleasure to see you, Hand of Fate.” Marek grinned. They were going to get this stuff done.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Fighters immediately swam into her vision, taking up patrol routes. They were accompanied by smaller corvettes and frigates, covering the entirety of the system. The larger capital ships stayed close to the shipyards, taking up a lazy orbit around it. Emah relayed formations to her fleet, so as to cover the greatest area while maintaining the integrity of the overall unit.

"So," She began, settling in for the long haul. "What's cookin' good lookin'?" She replied to [member="Marek Starchaser"]. Norongachi trusted him, one of the few he did, and thus she had no reason to stand on ceremony with the man. They would be spending months together and it would be woefully boring without some form of banter.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Focusing on the task at hand, at the Hand of Fate, and her scrambling patrols and protection, he nodded. The fighters and smaller vessels were fraying out, getting the smaller zones. Larger ships would be working as walls, he assumed. They’d probably have to make gun emplacements a thing sooner than he expected.

He nodded. “You know your stuff, anyway I can talk you into moving into the shipyard herself?” He smirked. “But, it looks good. We’ll probably have to start on gun emplacements for the long haul, so fleets can recycle and shake down. Or… are you running all those?” He recognized some of his droids fighters.

[member="Salem Norongachi"]

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"I'm a slave to my work," She responded as the patrol ships began their first sweep of the system. She couldn't come aboard, ever if she wanted too. It was one of the few restrictions Salem Norongachi placed upon her, she could never assert her presence in a foreign system without his express permission.

"Those?" She began, noting the droid fighters he spoke of. "No, those fall to the tactical computers aboard the mother ships." She wouldn't be seen dead riding shotgun on a droid fighter, it would be like sharing a mind with a nashtah. No thoughts beyond hunt and kill, so basic...no finesse or grace.

 

[Barkt Melan]

A simple, nondescript transport shuttle dropped into the system, making it's way towards the shipyards. It's stated intent? A CEO from Bothuwai requesting to meet with the Foreman of the Techno Union with a request.

Barkt sat in the back of the old ship, lost in thought. It had been a while sense he had needed to do anything for Heofon. This was something that he hoped worked. The datapad he held had a pair of blueprints for the prototype fighters he had planned. But they would need some support in order to see the light of day. And So, he needed to ask help from [member="Marek Starchaser"].

 

[Corey's OOC]

Slave to her work, that was funny, because, well, a droid brain. And he was fairly confident that she was attached to the Star Destroyer. Which… now the Foreman wanted to get his hands, or well, his engineer’s hands on blueprints for Emah, and see what they could do to replicate her, to at least partial power of what she has. To help run the fleet and destroy organics. Maybe Marek was a Cylon HRD.

“Well, I’ll have to talk to my engineers, I’m sure we can get you some more… entertaining droid starfighters to toss at people.” If he could do any sort of upgrades to one of those, like his Hunter-Killer droids, those… well, yeah, hunt, kill. What else was a droid fighter needing? Still, he’d probably have to get ahold of [member="Salem Norongachi"].

And then there was the notice of a new ship on the field, that was something unexpected. “Hand of Fate, are they one of yours?” He asked the AI before sending out a ping to the ship. All they needed to do was squawk their identity and he’d not have the AI convert them to basic atoms. [member="Barkt Melan"] should know not to come into a zone that had active warships defending a new project.

Sure, it wasn’t a Death Star, but Marek could hope.

He.

Could.

pretendHope.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Emah's sensors detected the craft in the same instant as the shipyards on board computer, the difference being her guns were already locking on. The ship wasn't transmitting any IFF signal she had in her databanks, nor was it declaring itself an enemy combatant. A cursory scan revealed it carried no weapons and little in the way of defensive capabilities. That didn't mean it wasn't filled to the gunnels with explosives...

"Not one of mine," She responded to [member="Marek Starchaser"] as a databurst directed the nearest droid fighter carrier to divert a patrol to escort the ship. "Better get whomever it is on the com."