Endeavor Count: 1 Month, 4 Days, 19 Hours, 17 Minutes
Endeavor Event: Arrival at the Gibil 2 system
Chester Von Sebastion lets out a deep breath and a silent prayer as the shutters over the bridge viewports grind open to reveal the glory of an occupied Imperial system. That the occupants of this system could be rightly describes as 'not playing with a full deck' by the reckoning of the Imperium at large mattered little. The great ring station orbiting the C0II star was a void-born hive of activity with the plasma wakes of three dozen of ships coming and going visible against the black of deep space. The Erwin Siegmar's IFF beacon had already been challenged and cleared by three separate System Monitors and there was still two more patrols further in system.
“Navigator on the Bridge!”
“At ease!” Chester gives the command from the book, knowing full well that none of the bridge crew will fully be at ease until Murirn leave the bridge.
“It looks a bit busier then I last saw it. Auspex can you pull an image of the void berts and the construction slipways?”
“On the holotable Lady Navigator!”
Chester turned and studied the feed nodding in interest at what he saw.
“Two full destroyer flotillas berthed, awaiting final outfitting, plus a third flotilla under construction. A quartet of light cruisers too, and what is that in the main slipway? Auspex?”
“Unable to get a good return form this angle Sir!”
“Understood Auspex, thank you. Hard to tell what class of ship but from the scale that looks like a battlecruiser or battleship under construction. The prow looks odd though...”
Murirn nods in agreement, “it's the Sine Dubitatione, an Overlord-class battlecruiser. She's been under construction for the past seven years or so. You can tell that it's her by the unusual arrangement of the prow torpedo launchers: a cluster of seven over three decks instead of the usual six in two columns of three. Last I was here they had just laid her keel and had started on the exterior plating. It's good to be 'home' again after so long.”
“You were born here Lady Murirn?”
“Born and raised in the Dannan enclave aboard Gibil 2, yes. The menials called it 'the Lair of the Dragon' for the curved nature of the passageways and the wards laid as thick as scales on bulkhead, deckplate, and overhead alike. They, and their Adeptus Mechanicus masters, tolerated our presence better then most planetary populations. Probably due to exposure given the number of ships that pass though Gibil 2 on a regular basis.”
“Hmm, any change of station-side contacts...?”
“None that would be of aid to you on this endeavor Commander. My apologies.”
“Getting us here so quickly is apology enough Lady Navigator. Perhaps you wish to relax and enjoy the view from the observation dome?”
“A good idea Commander, I believe I will. Thank you.”
Chester nods in acknowledgment as Murirn takes her leave before turning to the officer of the watch.
“I'll be in my quarters. Alert me when we reach practical vox range of Gibil 2 or when the station hails us directly.”
“Very well Sir.”
“Thank you. Carry on.”
Chester left the bridge and made for his quarters, his head swimming with possibilities. There was perhaps a profit to be made form the sale of his cargo, true, but with so much shipbuiling activity about perhaps there was another option. The Erwin Siegmar, for all the efforts of the Oasis' shipwrights, was a workhorse of a ship. There must be room for some upgrades or optimizations to her systems, reductions in wasted tonnage or extra efficiencies to be wrung from her power systems.
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Chester muses on what he wants out of any possible upgrades. With even a bit of space and weight optimization work much of the vaulted passageway overheads could be reclaimed. This would greatly improve crew morale but there was only so many ways to save on weight and space aboard the Erwin Siegmar. Even with the radioactives and components to trade away, all of which would be in high demand at Gibil 2, acquiring the needed work priorities and materials would be a challenge.
Chester muses over the destroyers awaiting space at the fitting-out docks for finishing work and contemplates offering the services of Erwin Siegmar's spacedock piers for that purpose, taking ship upgrades or optimizations in trade. He decides against offering this up-front, saving it as a bargaining chip in reserve. It would also save Chester valuable time in returning to Oasis if he was not tied down for weeks or months awaiting a work party that never arrived due to being diverted to 'more pressing needs'. The sooner Chester returns to Oasis, the better he wagers his first endeavor will be reckoned. At the same time, returning with an extensive suite of optimizations will also be a mark in his favor... and possibly be seen as a remark on the quality of the Oasis shipwrights. The Erwin Siegmar had been given no particular attention or priority, but still...
Endeavor Count: 1 Month, 14 Days, 22 Hours, 30 Minutes
Endeavor Event: Decisive Negotiation Results
Chester frowns in disappointment but holds his tongue. The Shipwrights of Gibil 2 were unwilling to make room for the Erwin Siegmar in their work rotations at all without the use of her spacedock piers in exchange. Their logic was sound too, the needs of an Imperial Navy contract outweighing the needs of a trader, even one who brought so valuable a cargo.
“Very well, I am willing to offer the services of the Erwin Siegmar's spacedock piers in exchange for the guarantee of availability of work crews, materiel, and all related needs for the optimizations I have asked about. Let us discuss pricing, both the sums you are willing to pay for the radioactives and components I have brought and for the length of my services to be rendered in exchange for the requested upgrades.”
“Agreed. Calculating, taking purchase of radioactives and components as credits towards work to be performed, data burst to follow with proposed pricing...
“Etheric Upgrades -
“Mark-100 Augar array: two days of service.
“Power Upgrades -
“Lathe Class 1 Plasma Genatorium: two days of service.
“Secondary Power Genatorium: seven days of service.
“Auxiliary Plasma Banks: five days of service for all three.
“Single Void Shield array: four days of service.
“Belecane 90.x Geller Field Generator: free of charge with the purchase of one other upgrade.
“Structural Upgrades -
“Clemency-grade Life Sustainers: four days of service.
“Clan-kin Crew Quarters: three days of service.
“Main Cargo Holds: nine days of service for all four.
“Spacedock Piers: six days of service to improve, repairs free of charge due to usage of work crews.
“Salvage Systems: free of charge with the purchase of one other upgrade.
“Ship's Stores: free of charge with the purchase of one other upgrade.
“Asteroid Mining Facilities: six days of service
“Observation Dome: Six days of service.
“Medicae deck and facilities: five days of service.
“Arboretum: six days of service.
“Crew Reclamation facilities: one day of service.
“Restoration or installation of ship-wide Vaulted Ceilings: two days of service, contingent upon necessary weight and space savings being found during other work.
“If pricing is agreeable, please transmit your selection of services to be performed and we will transmit a parking locus for your ship. Additional components or upgrades may be negotiated for, contingent on shipboard space, weight, and power availability.”
“I am also seeking the long-term services of an Enginseer Primus. Eta-7 has proven satisfactory in performing that function but it's unique plurality of bodies has been detrimental to the efficient functioning of the crew and thus the ship as a whole. Many of the senior officers find it's 'collective sentience' too xenos to interact with easily.”
“Understandable. Gibil 2 commends you for your swift transport of the Magos Explorator. We will find and make available a suitable replacement, although we cannot spare an individual of equivalent rank.”
“That would be more then acceptable. Perhaps one of the senior shipwrights in charge of the work on the Erwin Siegmar due to their familiarity with the ship and it's officers and crew?”
“Agreed. Transmit your selections when ready.”
Chester leans back and weighs the benefits of selecting only a few upgrades against taking all of them. Taking only three, probably the cheapest available, plus the three 'free' upgrades and the vaulted ceilings would not prove to be of tremendous benefit but Would get him back en route to Oasis sooner. Alternatively he could spend over two months - sixty eight days plus the 'cost' of any further components or upgrades - getting the Erwin Siegmar fully overhauled. Chester sits forward with his mind made up. The chance at such a comprehensive overhaul is just too good to pass up.
“Transmitting selection of services now Gibil 2. Let's see just what miracles your shipwrights can work.”