Z
Zack
ON> Just outside of the Queen's Slave
The large meeting was just ending, with everyone starting to split up and go their own directions while Uso was able to wander off to the side with Gut-Stripe,
"So... just how many ships do your people have that can participate in battle?... You know, just having an engine and a flight computer would be enough..." Uso said, reaching out for the top of Gut-Stripe's head and gently raking her fingers along the top in a manner pleasing to wasps. Making them happy seemed so easy.
As Uso spoke, the woman in grey would come join them, quietly standing nearby.
Gut-Stripe stood silently in place as Uso rubbed the top of her head. She didn't understand why she was being fondled in such a fashion while such a pertinent topic was being discussed, but decided to be polite and ignore it. "I cannot speak for the other I'ee families, but I do know that my family possesses the largest combat-capable fleet. When I last saw our manifest, we possessed seventy-six of our cogs.", the I'ee paused, chattering and gesticulating with an arm as she tried to think of a way to describe the vessels. "They are... armoured combat transports. Cargo vessels suited for battle. We also possess a fleet of smaller corvettes... numbering somewhere in the two-hundreds. We have one such corvette in orbit around this planet. Our gunships... I cannot recall the numbers. Perhaps over three hundred? There are four of them in our expedition."
She paused for a moment, thinking to herself again. "Those are our primary combat vessels.", she finally said, to finish off her recount. Her head had turned slightly to eye the woman in grey, not recognising her, and thus not trusting her as of yet.
"That would not be enough to take on an NMX task force." Vier said.
"I know, Here. Be helpful and pet Gut-stripe." Uso said, backing off and letting the other woman approach, she looked over the wasp creature, trying to figure out just exactly how she was supposed to pet it.
"Do you think you can get any of those ships here? We can produce weapons faster than we can produce ship hulls. Throwing our weapons onto those ships could speed things along." Uso added.
The I'ee commander's head turned to face Vier fully when she spoke up, her mandibles visibly grinding against one another; disliking both that the stranger was speaking as well as that she was speaking the truth. "Do not touch me.", she responded to Uso's suggestion for pettings, raising her head and parting her jaws threateningly when Vier approached.
"Yes, if we return to our home and contact my family, we can bring a portion of the fleet here to receive upgrades.", Gut-Stripe answered Uso, still directing her open maw in Vier's direction. "We ought to contact Ithee as well; they design our craft, and would best know how to modify them."
Vier kept her hands away from Gut-Strip, "Uso, I do not think it wants me to touch it."
"Don't be like that... Gut-Stripe's a She." Uso said, "... And speaking of your Ithee, How do we get them here? I take it we will need to send an armed force to your homeworld for that? Especally if the NMX are already there..."
"The Ithee's primary shipyard and headquarters, along with my own family's, is based upon Ee'ee; our home.", Gut-Stripe answered. "With the NMX threat amongst the dead metal, we have withdrawn most of our fleet to guard Ee'ee, along with most of the other families. Only Eethie, Oo'tut and other, smaller familes are currently holding major operations beyond the space immediately around our home."
"Dead metal? Is that some kind of asteroid belt in your home system?" Vier asked.
"Our fleet is going to head to your home system soon and scout for themselves, hopefully get a count of NMX ships. Any additional information you can provide would be helpful." Uso said, sitting down cross legged infront of Gut-stripe, bringing herself down closer to her level.
"Dead metal...", Again, Gut-Stripe paused in an effort to find the right description. "Dead spacecraft. Abandoned technology. Most is useless, but we find useful things now and then. Oo'tut believes that there was a massive conflict before we came to be."
She turned her head at last to look at Uso as the neko sat before her, feeling both slightly embarrassed yet thankful for the patronising move. "Our bane have been their small craft. They are tiny and swift, faster than our weapons can follow them. Our gunships were designed to counter them."
"Well... are they countering them?" Uso asked.
The alien wasp seemed reluctant to answer, as if it shamed her. "Not as great as I wish. The extra maneuverability is a boon, but our pilots are incapable of flying anything faster.", she finally answered. "The speed of this combat... it is ruthless and terrifying. Our pilots do not live to earn experience."
"Depressing, but not unsolvable... The human pilots that otherwise can't keep up have a lot of AI assistance. Vier should be able to put her thinky-bits inside of your gunships.... We could actually try that now. We've got the technology...." Uso said, her words drifting off a bit as she looked over at the other woman,
"Yes, but I do not know the I'ee systems yet. It would take time to build a bridge between the operating systems." She responded.
"Buuuuuut you can get started right?" Uso asked.
Vier would nod, "Yes, but I am running low on Junker drones, one is building the U-2-3-8 refining equipment, the other is arming the Necromancer."
Uso would turn her attenion back to gut-stripe, "Can your gunships land on planets?"
"Thinky bits?", Gut-Stripe asked, baffled by the vernacular, though the ensuing conversation between Uso and Vier distracted her from pondering over it. "They do not possess adequate thrust to safely land in atmosphere. I am not sure they would survive re-entry. However, I would be more than eager to provide you with one of our gunships somehow."
"Ok... Lets send Vier to your treasure vessel then? The Gunships can dock with that craft and she can examine them there!" Uso said.
"Uso. Are you sure that is wise?" Vier asked.
The large meeting was just ending, with everyone starting to split up and go their own directions while Uso was able to wander off to the side with Gut-Stripe,
"So... just how many ships do your people have that can participate in battle?... You know, just having an engine and a flight computer would be enough..." Uso said, reaching out for the top of Gut-Stripe's head and gently raking her fingers along the top in a manner pleasing to wasps. Making them happy seemed so easy.
As Uso spoke, the woman in grey would come join them, quietly standing nearby.
Gut-Stripe stood silently in place as Uso rubbed the top of her head. She didn't understand why she was being fondled in such a fashion while such a pertinent topic was being discussed, but decided to be polite and ignore it. "I cannot speak for the other I'ee families, but I do know that my family possesses the largest combat-capable fleet. When I last saw our manifest, we possessed seventy-six of our cogs.", the I'ee paused, chattering and gesticulating with an arm as she tried to think of a way to describe the vessels. "They are... armoured combat transports. Cargo vessels suited for battle. We also possess a fleet of smaller corvettes... numbering somewhere in the two-hundreds. We have one such corvette in orbit around this planet. Our gunships... I cannot recall the numbers. Perhaps over three hundred? There are four of them in our expedition."
She paused for a moment, thinking to herself again. "Those are our primary combat vessels.", she finally said, to finish off her recount. Her head had turned slightly to eye the woman in grey, not recognising her, and thus not trusting her as of yet.
"That would not be enough to take on an NMX task force." Vier said.
"I know, Here. Be helpful and pet Gut-stripe." Uso said, backing off and letting the other woman approach, she looked over the wasp creature, trying to figure out just exactly how she was supposed to pet it.
"Do you think you can get any of those ships here? We can produce weapons faster than we can produce ship hulls. Throwing our weapons onto those ships could speed things along." Uso added.
The I'ee commander's head turned to face Vier fully when she spoke up, her mandibles visibly grinding against one another; disliking both that the stranger was speaking as well as that she was speaking the truth. "Do not touch me.", she responded to Uso's suggestion for pettings, raising her head and parting her jaws threateningly when Vier approached.
"Yes, if we return to our home and contact my family, we can bring a portion of the fleet here to receive upgrades.", Gut-Stripe answered Uso, still directing her open maw in Vier's direction. "We ought to contact Ithee as well; they design our craft, and would best know how to modify them."
Vier kept her hands away from Gut-Strip, "Uso, I do not think it wants me to touch it."
"Don't be like that... Gut-Stripe's a She." Uso said, "... And speaking of your Ithee, How do we get them here? I take it we will need to send an armed force to your homeworld for that? Especally if the NMX are already there..."
"The Ithee's primary shipyard and headquarters, along with my own family's, is based upon Ee'ee; our home.", Gut-Stripe answered. "With the NMX threat amongst the dead metal, we have withdrawn most of our fleet to guard Ee'ee, along with most of the other families. Only Eethie, Oo'tut and other, smaller familes are currently holding major operations beyond the space immediately around our home."
"Dead metal? Is that some kind of asteroid belt in your home system?" Vier asked.
"Our fleet is going to head to your home system soon and scout for themselves, hopefully get a count of NMX ships. Any additional information you can provide would be helpful." Uso said, sitting down cross legged infront of Gut-stripe, bringing herself down closer to her level.
"Dead metal...", Again, Gut-Stripe paused in an effort to find the right description. "Dead spacecraft. Abandoned technology. Most is useless, but we find useful things now and then. Oo'tut believes that there was a massive conflict before we came to be."
She turned her head at last to look at Uso as the neko sat before her, feeling both slightly embarrassed yet thankful for the patronising move. "Our bane have been their small craft. They are tiny and swift, faster than our weapons can follow them. Our gunships were designed to counter them."
"Well... are they countering them?" Uso asked.
The alien wasp seemed reluctant to answer, as if it shamed her. "Not as great as I wish. The extra maneuverability is a boon, but our pilots are incapable of flying anything faster.", she finally answered. "The speed of this combat... it is ruthless and terrifying. Our pilots do not live to earn experience."
"Depressing, but not unsolvable... The human pilots that otherwise can't keep up have a lot of AI assistance. Vier should be able to put her thinky-bits inside of your gunships.... We could actually try that now. We've got the technology...." Uso said, her words drifting off a bit as she looked over at the other woman,
"Yes, but I do not know the I'ee systems yet. It would take time to build a bridge between the operating systems." She responded.
"Buuuuuut you can get started right?" Uso asked.
Vier would nod, "Yes, but I am running low on Junker drones, one is building the U-2-3-8 refining equipment, the other is arming the Necromancer."
Uso would turn her attenion back to gut-stripe, "Can your gunships land on planets?"
"Thinky bits?", Gut-Stripe asked, baffled by the vernacular, though the ensuing conversation between Uso and Vier distracted her from pondering over it. "They do not possess adequate thrust to safely land in atmosphere. I am not sure they would survive re-entry. However, I would be more than eager to provide you with one of our gunships somehow."
"Ok... Lets send Vier to your treasure vessel then? The Gunships can dock with that craft and she can examine them there!" Uso said.
"Uso. Are you sure that is wise?" Vier asked.
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