Z
Zack
Necromancer >
"Fucking drones," Hazel said, practically storming into Werner's ready room unannounced.
"Lets just do this, my after-action report is ready and our backers have their own two cents to add in. You ready to talk?"
Werner looked up from his desk and sighed. "Somebody sure is in a pissy mood... that time of the month?" He asked in a humorless manner.
". . ." She looked at him sternly, arms crossed.
He sighed again. "Just sit already..."
Hazel sat down across from him,
"Our backers were happy with the last operation, as was Uso. Everyone wants more ships. Hound Squadron's perfomance was less than stellar though. They want less manned pilots, more drones. Hound Squadron, at best, is going to be reorganized. Possibly mechs, possibly moving us to larger ships..."
"Well tell them to shove it... I am in command of this ship and Hound is under my authority. Thus I will do with them as I see fit. Which will be expanding the flight." He said dismissively. "To see damn big wigs know nothing about war..." He muttered.
"Hmph, Remember who's paying for this ship. The other ships. You tow the line or you're ending up back in that tiny appartment on Nepleslia feeling sorry for yourself. I'll probably end up training, or maybe in one of the new ships... There are quite a few in the production pipeline now." She replied.
Werner looked at Hazel like she was an Alien. "For shit sake Hazel, I'm trying to stick up for you and you..." He shook his head. "What else do you have to report Lt. Werner...?" He said formally.
"That kinda shit got you thrown out of one military." She snapped. "Lets focus on making bank and flying ships... " She would pause a bit, uncrossing her arms,
"Uso wants more ships as well. She's willing to up our pay to get them. The new-models, mechs, and drones aren't going to be ready for months. We may need to look elsewhere. Maybe modify more of the old C2s for use in the mean time."
Werner shrugged. "That or go shopping around the other big manufacturers to see what other types of hulls we can get." He replied. "The C2 are fine and all but each one will need a lot of man hours of retrofits to get them ready for combat. The Necromancer nearly falls apart after every engagement." He added.
"I don't have a way to do a ton of refitting right now, and off the shelf warships are not easy to get ahold of." She replied.
"Can we requisition a dry dock from the big wigs and just get shit running now? That would smooth things out, plus retrofits would be a lot easier. There is also a huge labor force down there to build these new ships..." Ulysses suggested.
"One is being built already in Nepleslian territory. We've got some cash on hand though for our own discressionary use. Really, though, we're looking at dozens of ships and something like 10,000 mecha at the end of next year. They have their long term plans ready already. Maybe we should be renting space at some nepleslian yard?"
"That would probably be a good idea actually." He commented. "What are these long term plans..." Ulysses asked
"Ships... lots of them. I consulted on the facility construction and they are looking to really start pumping out hulls soon." She replied.
"Good. With Uso's ambitions, we will need them." He replied. "Is there anything else?" He asked
"Yeah, Uso wants those new ships as soon as possible. Getting them is only half the battle. Crewing them? That's a whole 'nother thing. Sure we can take apart Hound squadron for pilots and bridge crew... we may want to look at some basic robotics for the rest."
"Full robotic crews?" He asked incredulously. "I mean I guess... but why not start training those civies down on the planet?" He asked.
"To do what? Throw dirt? They don't know shit about starships." She replied, "Getting them up to speed would take longer.... but I suppose it is free."
"It would be way cheaper to train them than to buy enough robots to man a starship... He
Said.
"I didn't get in this line of work to train mouth-breathers." She responded flatly, "How 'bout I get the ships you get the people?"
Ulysses shrugged. "Mom said I was better with people anyway." He answered, attempting some light humor.
"Hmpf..." She didn't seem too impressed by that, "Just get your crew ready. I suppose we can count on automation. Everyone else seems thrilled with it."
Ulysses sighed again. "Alright alright... Fine... I am just saying it will be expensive... If you want robots for your ship, then get robots. I will have an organic crew." He replied.
"I suppose that's all for now." Hazel said, "I might go check out that party at the tower. You gonna go?"
"I guess so... I do live at the tower now. Aashi built me a suite there." He replied. "I'll probably just show my face then go. You know I am no socialite." Ulysses added.
"Yeah I know, you lose those stars on your collar and all of a sudden you're hiding in your room like a kid who's been grounded." She reminded. "... Well.. I'm going to go get wasted. You do what you're going to do."
"Oh come off your high horse Hazel. I have never been into parties. I am not wallowing in self pity, I. Just. Don't. Party." He fired back defiently.
"Yeah, that's one of a billion things you don't do." She said, "... Just get your fucking crew together. I'll get the ships. I'll see you later."
"Stop." He said stepping around his desk to catch her arm. "What do you mean one of a billion things?" He asked after stopping her.
"You think you got that comission as a captain because you're some fucking hot-shot superhero?" She asked, stopping, and then jerking her arm away from him.
He looked at her. "What are you saying Hazel...?" He asked.
"While you're sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, I'm the one out there cutting the deals we need to stay in the money and in our ships." She said, "And now I'm going back to it."
"Yeah Hazel, and I can't thank you enough. But why do you now have a big ass chip on your shoulder? Am I supposed to lay at your feet thanking you for bring me out of a bullshit retirment? Bending to your every whim? I have tried to extend the olive branch to you but you just snap it in half when presented, then go on to insult me." He replied evenly.
"Because you have to go and make everything harder after I got you back into a fucking ship. This isn't some comic book, get your head out of your fucking ass and start reading between the lines here. We're a mercinary group, yeah go perv out on that space goat or whatever, but pulling crew from here and shacking up with the locals is going to make things harder in the long run."
Werner punched the bulk head so hard he left an imprint of his fist. "You get your head out of YOUR fucking ass. And how fucking dare you..." He looked at her with rage in his eyes. "Aashi has never done anything to you, you spoiled little brat. She has tried to be friends with you, and so have I. But it looks like it is no use..." He turned around. "Get the fuck out, Lt. Werner." he said spitting out the last two words.
"Yeah, just remember where your ship comes from," She replied, taking her leave...
"Fucking drones," Hazel said, practically storming into Werner's ready room unannounced.
"Lets just do this, my after-action report is ready and our backers have their own two cents to add in. You ready to talk?"
Werner looked up from his desk and sighed. "Somebody sure is in a pissy mood... that time of the month?" He asked in a humorless manner.
". . ." She looked at him sternly, arms crossed.
He sighed again. "Just sit already..."
Hazel sat down across from him,
"Our backers were happy with the last operation, as was Uso. Everyone wants more ships. Hound Squadron's perfomance was less than stellar though. They want less manned pilots, more drones. Hound Squadron, at best, is going to be reorganized. Possibly mechs, possibly moving us to larger ships..."
"Well tell them to shove it... I am in command of this ship and Hound is under my authority. Thus I will do with them as I see fit. Which will be expanding the flight." He said dismissively. "To see damn big wigs know nothing about war..." He muttered.
"Hmph, Remember who's paying for this ship. The other ships. You tow the line or you're ending up back in that tiny appartment on Nepleslia feeling sorry for yourself. I'll probably end up training, or maybe in one of the new ships... There are quite a few in the production pipeline now." She replied.
Werner looked at Hazel like she was an Alien. "For shit sake Hazel, I'm trying to stick up for you and you..." He shook his head. "What else do you have to report Lt. Werner...?" He said formally.
"That kinda shit got you thrown out of one military." She snapped. "Lets focus on making bank and flying ships... " She would pause a bit, uncrossing her arms,
"Uso wants more ships as well. She's willing to up our pay to get them. The new-models, mechs, and drones aren't going to be ready for months. We may need to look elsewhere. Maybe modify more of the old C2s for use in the mean time."
Werner shrugged. "That or go shopping around the other big manufacturers to see what other types of hulls we can get." He replied. "The C2 are fine and all but each one will need a lot of man hours of retrofits to get them ready for combat. The Necromancer nearly falls apart after every engagement." He added.
"I don't have a way to do a ton of refitting right now, and off the shelf warships are not easy to get ahold of." She replied.
"Can we requisition a dry dock from the big wigs and just get shit running now? That would smooth things out, plus retrofits would be a lot easier. There is also a huge labor force down there to build these new ships..." Ulysses suggested.
"One is being built already in Nepleslian territory. We've got some cash on hand though for our own discressionary use. Really, though, we're looking at dozens of ships and something like 10,000 mecha at the end of next year. They have their long term plans ready already. Maybe we should be renting space at some nepleslian yard?"
"That would probably be a good idea actually." He commented. "What are these long term plans..." Ulysses asked
"Ships... lots of them. I consulted on the facility construction and they are looking to really start pumping out hulls soon." She replied.
"Good. With Uso's ambitions, we will need them." He replied. "Is there anything else?" He asked
"Yeah, Uso wants those new ships as soon as possible. Getting them is only half the battle. Crewing them? That's a whole 'nother thing. Sure we can take apart Hound squadron for pilots and bridge crew... we may want to look at some basic robotics for the rest."
"Full robotic crews?" He asked incredulously. "I mean I guess... but why not start training those civies down on the planet?" He asked.
"To do what? Throw dirt? They don't know shit about starships." She replied, "Getting them up to speed would take longer.... but I suppose it is free."
"It would be way cheaper to train them than to buy enough robots to man a starship... He
Said.
"I didn't get in this line of work to train mouth-breathers." She responded flatly, "How 'bout I get the ships you get the people?"
Ulysses shrugged. "Mom said I was better with people anyway." He answered, attempting some light humor.
"Hmpf..." She didn't seem too impressed by that, "Just get your crew ready. I suppose we can count on automation. Everyone else seems thrilled with it."
Ulysses sighed again. "Alright alright... Fine... I am just saying it will be expensive... If you want robots for your ship, then get robots. I will have an organic crew." He replied.
"I suppose that's all for now." Hazel said, "I might go check out that party at the tower. You gonna go?"
"I guess so... I do live at the tower now. Aashi built me a suite there." He replied. "I'll probably just show my face then go. You know I am no socialite." Ulysses added.
"Yeah I know, you lose those stars on your collar and all of a sudden you're hiding in your room like a kid who's been grounded." She reminded. "... Well.. I'm going to go get wasted. You do what you're going to do."
"Oh come off your high horse Hazel. I have never been into parties. I am not wallowing in self pity, I. Just. Don't. Party." He fired back defiently.
"Yeah, that's one of a billion things you don't do." She said, "... Just get your fucking crew together. I'll get the ships. I'll see you later."
"Stop." He said stepping around his desk to catch her arm. "What do you mean one of a billion things?" He asked after stopping her.
"You think you got that comission as a captain because you're some fucking hot-shot superhero?" She asked, stopping, and then jerking her arm away from him.
He looked at her. "What are you saying Hazel...?" He asked.
"While you're sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, I'm the one out there cutting the deals we need to stay in the money and in our ships." She said, "And now I'm going back to it."
"Yeah Hazel, and I can't thank you enough. But why do you now have a big ass chip on your shoulder? Am I supposed to lay at your feet thanking you for bring me out of a bullshit retirment? Bending to your every whim? I have tried to extend the olive branch to you but you just snap it in half when presented, then go on to insult me." He replied evenly.
"Because you have to go and make everything harder after I got you back into a fucking ship. This isn't some comic book, get your head out of your fucking ass and start reading between the lines here. We're a mercinary group, yeah go perv out on that space goat or whatever, but pulling crew from here and shacking up with the locals is going to make things harder in the long run."
Werner punched the bulk head so hard he left an imprint of his fist. "You get your head out of YOUR fucking ass. And how fucking dare you..." He looked at her with rage in his eyes. "Aashi has never done anything to you, you spoiled little brat. She has tried to be friends with you, and so have I. But it looks like it is no use..." He turned around. "Get the fuck out, Lt. Werner." he said spitting out the last two words.
"Yeah, just remember where your ship comes from," She replied, taking her leave...
