Part 18: Days 397-417: Let's Build a Death Star?

DAYS 397-417

DAYS 397-398: OH-MY-GOD IT'S SAB-O-TAGE

The Imperial army regulars had been wiped off the face of Sullust, the last bastion of the Empire in the Sluis sector. All that was left was mopping up their special forces, who seemed unconcerned with sabotaging the lone Corellian Corvette hovering over their planet loaded with VIPs and prisoners.

Too bad for them.



I like that. It's the very definition of "target-rich environment". I put our boys to work. Sabotage missions were carried out around the clock...



...and the results were immediate.



: What sort of collateral damage have we incurred with our wave of bombings?

: None, Master Meteor. The missions have been successful with a high degree of accuracy.

: None? What about the local reaction? How have the citizens reacted to constant explosions near their houses?

: There has been no response, Master Meteor. The people show no negative will towards us.

: That makes no sense at all. The skies are raining blood and body parts, and the Sullustans don't care?

: Good God. Crapflap's people really don't have souls.

: Oh well. Keep the bombings up. If anyone so much as thinks a pro-Imperial thought, I want their heads popped.

DAY 399: Assured Victory.

The commander of the Construction Battalion kept me updated about the Massed Fleet Project.





Six of ten planned Advanced Shipyards on Chalcedon had been built. The ten Advanced Construction Yards on Dantooine were making this possible...



When completed, the Massed Fleet Project would be able to pump out capital ships in days, rather than months. The efficiency of massed production facilities will yield unbelievable power soon enough.

Like any smart lad, I believed that when one good system loaded with shipyards would be good, it must mean two good systems loaded with shipyards would be even better.



I got warm fuzzies from realizing that this was a totally different sector about to build an unholy number of Advanced Shipyards.

When completed, Jerijador and Chalcedon will unleash ships with firepower capable of vaporizing Coruscant. For now, I keep things small and efficient.

DAY 402: Random Thought...



: Why are we building A-wings?

: They provide an edge in starfighter capability, bettering any TIE fighter in speed.

: Still, who would ever thought to themselves "Thank God I'm flying an A-Wing, and not an X-wing? Nobody, that's who. More X-wings.

DAY 404: Lando and Karrde Can Resume Whoring.



: So that's it? We're all done?

: YES! NYAH HAH! THERE'S NOOOOOOTHING LEFT, DO-GOODER!

: That's kind of terrible. I want more facilities. Better ones. I want modern unisex bathrooms, and laser towers capable of annihilating forest moons.

: Yubb yubb?

: But if you say that's all, who am I to argue.

: You're a fool if you listen to those nitwits, Commander!

: Bevel? How'd you get a communicator?

: Let's just say that I have my ways. I am a master scientist and inventor, you know.

: Master Meteor! Bevel Lemelisk just stole my communicator as I delivered his evening meal!

: Ah...hah...erm, yes. Anyway, I have a proposition. Your researchers say there is nothing left to discover, but I beg to differ.

: You should be begging for your life. Your prattling isn't as funny as your screams.

: Commander, listen to me! They're scared to tell you what you could develop!

: They've already made me Sullustans with guns. There's no greater amoral horror left in the universe.

: A Death Star.

: A what?

: A Death Star, commander. A space station with a laser capable of destroying entire worlds. I was working on this for the Empire, I could work on it for you!

: Why would you do something like that? Sounds like you're just trying to buy time that doesn't involve me doing horrible things to your appendages.

: My only concern in the world is research, Commander. I want to create, invent, and unleash the powers within my mind.

: And to do that, you'd build me a mega-death-fortress?

: Oh yes. It would be a power unrivaled in the universe.

: Interesting...

: Commander, I'd rather not be here but there are some figures I need to discuss with yo...

: Bevel Lemelisk? What's going on here?

: Nothing.
: Nothing.

DAYS 406-412: Intel Inside.

A benefit to having a mass of spec ops above an enemy planet is the constant availability of espionage missions. I send the troops to gather intel, and ofttimes they'll bring back intel about other unrelated systems. It's usually unexpected, but valuable.



We finally had some proof of Imperial technology upgrades. These are better than the regular TIE Fighters, but still die to spitballs, let alone X-wings.

Production was ongoing. Nebulon-B Cruiser "Zutaten's Folly" had finished construction, and was undergoing trials. That left us with the opportunity to construct the next cornerstone of our future fleet...



Oh. Hell. Yes.



: Fresh intel on Coruscant, get it while it's hot!

: Dammit Solo, I like being straight, stop tempting me like that, what with your competence, and your exciting successes, and your endlessly deep blue eyes!

: What can I say, other than that Lady Luck smiles on me, and I'd like you to back away from the Han.

: Can't do that. Who're those fugs on Coruscant?



: For a human supremacy group, the Empire sure hires a lot of aliens.

: They're nobodies, Commander. Some thugs and nerf-herding bounty-hunting bantha fodder.

: So, they suck?

: You catch on real quick, Commander.

: Master Meteor, more data is arriving from field operatives.



: Drall, eh? Useful. Say, uh, Han. You were deployed with Roget there, did you and her ever...y'know...?

: Twice. I'd give her three stars.

: Is that out of four, or five?

: Four.

: Oh, not bad. Not bad...

: You're such an asshole, Commander.

: You know, regardless of how badly you dress or do your hair, you can never be a choirboy. Just thought you should know.

: Yeah, you better run off, crying!

: Like the little girl you are!

: You know, when I feel beholden to give you advice about gender equality, you probably aren't doing so well, Commander.

I took his advice, and underwent sensitivity training. Tears were cried, slurs were spit, punches were thrown, and I was ejected from the course. It was a really stupid idea, in retrospect. I arrived back at HQ to find a more intel about Corellia waiting to be utilized.



: Weird. The Master suddenly left Sluis for Corellia? That doesn't make any sense, unless they really want Willard dead.

: That Imperial Star Destroyer is scary, but it'll be too little, too late. With only three shipyards, and likely non-advanced shipyards, that thing's still 50+ days away. I'll have an entire fleet by that time.

: Hey, who's that fat sack of crap?



: He has the gall to call himself my colleague. He's a fool.

: I invent brilliant creations of incalculable depth and importance.

: His great contributions to starship advancement range from "Make it bigger," clear to "Put more guns on it." Philistine.

: _{I like making things bigger with more guns...}

: Anyway, so about this Death Star you were talking about...

: It can be done. You have the resources. You merely need the knowledge, which I can rebuild.

: You could be the dominating power in the universe, you and you alone. You wouldn't have to share power with those pansy Rebels, or that insufferable Mon Mothma.

: I think...I need to dwell on this for a while.

: You know where you can find me.

: Yup. Next to the broken shell of the man who used to be Pter Thanas, the living example of the consequences of disappointing me.

: Yes, I know exactly where you are. Hope you do, too.

DAY 417: Economic Status Update



It wasn't so long ago we had a fourth that capacity. Over 60 mines and refineries...we were growing faster and faster. Systems continued to join us, and we continued to swipe their production capabilities for use in our Massed Fleet Project. I liked that phrase. I made it up, and nobody else was picking up on it, but it made me happy.

: You've done an excellent job with the economy, Master Meteor. We still lack refined materials due to the ongoing construction efforts, but we have the capacity to maintain a fleet of immense size.

: Yeah, things are looking good, Creepio. Real good.

: Is something the matter, Master Meteor? You do not appear to be yourself.

: I need you to bring Bevel Lemelisk to me.

: Tell him I've made my decision.