Sabah Shipyard, Coronado System
Workshop Deck D3-Epsilon
Sharp shadows from harsh lighting, the heavy smell of coolant, engine lubricant and aviation fuel. A familiar and cold feeling. Zoey never liked hangar decks, too cold and empty, it was an uncomfortable sight, ships without pilots, stripped of their identity and reassembled.
"Warrant Officer Sakura?"
"Yessir, thank you for coming" Zoey respectfully straightened up. She disliked military formality more than hangar decks. It got old five minutes into her Kusari Naval service.
"Drop the formal" Specialist Barnes spoke, almost completely monotone, "Neither of us are on duty, so I'll have to remind you to hasten up, this is my last day off in the three months to come"
"Right, sorry" Zoey relaxed, a quick sigh of relief. She pulled up the zip on her orange overalls, tightening it around her shoulders.
Above the pair, firmly tied to a winch, was Zoey's J17P - 95P "Chimaera", lightly battle-scarred, and gently charred.
"Yeah, right, your Dragon, it needs to go" Barnes spoke, unblinking.
"It's a Chimaera"
"Right, it's still taking up space on my hangar deck. I want it gone. Rent a lockup on Barrier Gate if you don't have the heart to scrap it. I don't care"
"Uh, I actually had another idea" Zoey extended her hand, allowing a small A4 folder to the Specialist.
Barnes ignored the cover, flicking to the first page of the file.
"What the hell is all this?"
"It's my little R&R project, sir" Zoey indicated with her finger, a quarter of the way down the page, "My 'flight training' is all I have on the board for the next few weeks, by the looks of things, but I'd really like to work on this in my own time"
"You're going to refit that old Kusari piece of crap?" Barnes spoke, a tone of annoyance in his voice, "You know, most people just build model ships, or play cards, or get drunk"
"With respect, that Kusari piece of crap has seen me a whole war and countless battles. I trust it with my life more than I trust any man or machine in the 'verse"
"You want me to sign off on this?" Barnes sighed, handing Zoey back her folder, "You keep it out of my way, and yourself, and I'll let you keep it on this deck. You're not under my command however, so you'll have to get your superior to sign off on that bird before anyone touches it. Sorry"
"Understood, thank you sir" Zoey gripped the folder with anticipation. Soon the real work might begin.
In regards to the thread name, the Chimaera is said to be a mythological fire-breathing female creature, composed of the parts of three animals: a lion, a serpent and a goat.
The interior of the briefing room was warmer than the rest of the shipyard, with tightly packed seating, and a large projector overhead. This is where plans became missions. It was largely empty now, save for a couple of greener pilots filling in paperwork towards the back of the room, and a Senior Officer sorting out requisition forms towards the front.
Zoey breathed deep and followed the thin walkway to the front of the room.
"Warrant officer....?" the Senior Officer didn't avert his gaze from the forms,
"Sakura, sir" Zoey straightened up,
"Call me Frost, did you need something?"
"Yeah, I need a superior officer to sign off on this" Zoey handed Frost a folder.
"And why is that?"
"It's just a little R&R project, but it requires hanger space and basic supplies"
Expecting another of the usual 'extended recreation leave' requests for Curacao or Gran Canaria, Frost was surprised to find some basic schematics for a Kusari ship. Despite not having seen one in years, it was clearly a Chimaera fighter.
"Hardly my idea of R&R, more like R&D. You'll be the one Barnes mentioned, 'making a mess of my damn hangar' I think were his exact words. Think yourself above our fine craft, Sakura?"
"No sir. Barnes might have mentioned my several years of experience in the Chimaera. It would also save you having to retrain me for the Nyx quite so much."
"Less time spent on training... a reasonable idea. Better than your average nugget it seems, Sakura."Leafing further through the folder, he continues,"I'm no techie, but as far as I know the systems are pretty incompatible. Plan to gut the thing out?"
"That's right si- Frost. My former employers are hardly going to give me a steady supply of parts to keep it going, I am now a traitor afterall. Colonial tech it'll have to be."
"And all the better for it. I'll sign this off, but it's your own work or volunteered help only. We've got a good stock of Nyxes these days, most of the deck crew are on maintenance duty these days. Anything else you need from me?"
"I'll try my best" Zoey collected her folder, headed back towards the rear of the room, "Thank you. Frost"
Frost nodded his head, returning attention to his paperwork.
"Um, Warrant Officer Sakura?" One of the greener pilots from the rear of the room.
"Uh, yeah?" Zoey turned to face the pilot.
The pilot was average height and small frame, leaving his flight suit very loose and lacking around the shoulders. His hair was combed very carefully, mismatched with the nervous expression on his face. He wore a small pendant around his neck, resembling Apollo, one of the ancient Olympian deities.
"Hello, I over heard your conversation with the officer over there, sorry. Were you talking about a Chimaera?"
"Yes, we were. Not that it's any of your business" Zoey frowned, the pilot looked a little more nervous, avoiding eye contact.
"As in the Kusari Fighter?"
"Yeah, that'd be the one"
"Wow, I heard some of the aces from the 49th talk about those, from the recent hostilities with Kusari..."
"What's your point? I have places to be"
"Did you really bring one here? Can I see it?"
Zoey sighed, running her fingers through her hair, "Fine. You know anything about a ship's interiors?"
"Uh, no, I've barely seen the inside of a cockpit, let alone the inside of a ship" The pilot followed Zoey out of the room, and into the corridor beyond.
"Alright, I'll give you a quick peek under the hull" Zoey paused, "Sorry, I didn't catch your name"
Sabah Shipyard, Coronado System
Workshop Deck D3-Epsilon
"So where'd you learn so much about ships?"
"Not just ships, Kusari Ships. And I have a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Fukuoka Island University"
Zoey had hoisted her Chimaera up, rolling herself underneath using a little metal creeper*, she had removed several of the hull panels from the ship, revealing the intricate Samura power-plant underneath.
"Seems an awful lot of work for one fighter. What's wrong with our Nyx?"
"There's nothing wrong with the Nyx, it's a great ship. It's just not my ship. This Chimaera has seen me through a war, three large-scale battles and numerous combat operations. I've seen and done more in this ship, than I could in a lifetime of flying a Nyx. This Chimaera has pulled me out of really bad situations, she's flown me safely through fire and shrapnel. When I fly this ship, I feel like we are one"
"So it's sentiment?"
"Aye, sentiment. That and, like most Kusari things, the ships are rather different to those found in the rest of Sirius. I've been extensively trained to fly Kusari ships" Zoey ran her palm against the underside of the Chimaera, briefly pausing before reaching her hand out to Francis. "Make yourself useful and pass me that spanner, 34B"
Francis snatched the 34B spanner off of the dolly, and passed it down to her, peeking at the wiring in the belly of the ship.
"Are you disconnecting those lines?"
"Yeah, just a couple more to go"
"My father was a mechanic, he told me he'd build me a ship some day, one that I could use to earn my way in the universe. Told me that knowing your way around a ship would be more use than going to a fancy college. He was a real shoulder-to-the-wheel kind of guy" Francis reminisced, straightening up some, "I never really knew the guy, he got blown up in an accident with some H-Fuel"
"Touching" Zoey quipped sarcastically, wheeling herself from under the fuselage, "Would you give me a hand keeping the power-plant steady while I raise it out of the framework?"
"Sure thing" Francis moved around to the starboard side of the ship, leaving Zoey on the port side.
They each held the top portion of the exposed power-plant, Zoey kept one hand free allowing her to control the mechanical winch.
"Alright, easy does it"
Zoey pressed down on the green button, the winch buzzed with life and began taking the strain with it's tungsten steel ropes. As the power-plant was freed from the fuselage, many wires and cables trailed beneath it, some still connected to the engines, RCS systems and rear weapon hardpoints. Zoey released the button, allowing the power-plant to hang free for a moment.
"Thank you" Zoey spoke, sorting through the various cables connecting the hanging power-plant and the ship. She began disconnecting them, one by one.
"I should really go get washed up and changed, I have more flight training in an hour or so" Francis released grip of the power-plant, being careful not to cause it to swing in the slightest.
*creeper - A tool used by auto mechanics, a low-profile, wheeled platform whereupon one may lie supine and gain better access to the underbody of a vehicle
"Can I spare a pair of D22s? In short, no" Mack frowned, "And in long, noooooooooooo"
Zoey didn't like Mack, he was a rude Bretonian deck-hand on Deck D3-E. He was unclean, his hair was greasy, and he never looked her in the eyes. Even his beard was offensive. Much to Zoey's dismay he also kept the inventory on spare Nyx parts.
"Surely you must have some lying around" Zoey pleaded,
"I do, but they're not for your little pet project" Mack clutched a crowbar in his over-sized left hand, preparing to disassemble his lunchbox. By force.
"What about if I swapped them for a pair of KS-Shks? They're solid Kishiro parts"
"I don't care for Kusari crap, get me a Rheinland-made engine with some pull behind it, then maybe we'll talk"
Zoey turned away from the wretched little man, raising a pen to her notepad, "One... Rheinland Freighter Engine..." she muttered, repeating the words on paper.
The parts required for the Chimaera weren't going to be easy to acquire, this much was becoming clearer to Zoey as the days went on. She couldn't go searching Sirius for them herself though.
"We Move Anywhere!" the poster read, displaying a large black and red Colonial Atlas Transport across the front, with a nebulae for a picturesque backdrop. At the foot of the poster was a few comms addresses, one for recruitment, one for inquiries, and one for requisitioning orders.
<<< - New Transmission - >>>
Transmission Target: Colonial Movers, Requisition Department
Transmission Source: Sabah Shipyard, Coronado
Comms ID: Zoey Sakura
Subject: Requisition of Ship Components
Good Evening, I'm working on a little project in my spare time, but I lack some of the components necessary to finish the task. This will be a low priority task, I require:
Engine Components - 5
Rheinland in origin, preferably Freighter-Class
Ship Hull Panels - 9
Carbon Fibre Composite
Optronics - 4
Any system compatible with a Kishiro output
If you could deliver these parts to Sabah Shipyard, in my name, I'd appreciate it.
Picked up your little order and I know a girl like you doesn't like to be kept waiting. Here's the 'manifest':
Five freighter-class engines and assorted components. Freshly put together by the Daumann dudes on Oder Shipyard. Turf Wars are over, right?
Nine Carbon Fibre Ship Hull Panels. The 'Bretonian' variety, should do the job just fine.
Four Optronic units. Although they might have caused that whole war between Kusari and the Colonials, doesn't mean the Hogosha aren't willing to sell them to us. They were likely stolen from Kishiro or the Gas Miners, fits your description.
All delivered and signed off by the foreman on duty. At least Mack wasn't around, probably brushing his beard somewhere.
Until the next job comes in, how about me and you get a drink on the Barrier? *he smirks*
Transmission Target: Sam Owens, Colonial Movers
Transmission Source: Sabah Shipyard, Coronado
Comms ID: Zoey Sakura
Subject: RE: Requisition of Ship Components
My thanks, Mr Owens, these parts were becoming a pain for me to acquire. I don't get out much besides work, because of this project of mine, getting them myself would have been a real pain.
I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer for a drink, I don't fraternize with work colleagues, can really make a mess of professional business. Sorry.
Francis flicked his thumb through the folder, briefly scanning the words and studying the pictures, before stopping on a page with specifications for engine modifications and internal computer systems.
"RS-25, what does that mean?"
"It's a modification to the Colonial VM3-D22 fighter impulse engines. The Nyx uses a completely different power system to the Chimaera, which means even with the new power-plant, I have to alter the input and output, to make sure they don't explode or crap-out on me the moment I engage afterburners or the cruise setting" Zoey didn't look up from her paperwork, scribbling notes in the margins of her designs.
"D22s? We don't have any D22s, you ordered some Rheinland engines, they're far too big for your Chimaera" Francis closed the file and dropped it beside Zoey.
"Yeah, about those D22s. Would you grab a couple of deckhands to help you move the box, and take the Rheinland parts over to Mack? Sign them over to him and he should give us a couple of his D22s. If he doesn't, press him for them" Zoey raised her head and smiled, almost sarcastically.
"Urgh, why can't you do it?"
"Because I'm writing new code to integrate the ship's navigation and maneuvering systems, I doubt you'd understand my handwriting, let alone any of this code"
"Point taken"
Mack wiped his nose on his sleeve and inhaled deeply through his nostrils, he spat a large glob of phlegm into a tin of scrap paper. He sighed and leaned back on his chair, straining the simply plastic supports. His desk phone blinked it's little blinking light.
"Duty calls..." Mack rose from the chair, groaning and straightening his back, heading out of his small office.
In his small corner of Deck D3-E, was a few scrap Nyx fighters, piles of messy scrap metal and ship hull parts. In the center of his opening was a very large carbon fiber box, along with two deckhands in orange jumpsuits and a young trainee pilot, Ensign Francis.
"Hey Chief, would you sign for this?" Francis extended a clipboard.
"And what the frak is that?" Mack wiped his nose on his sleeve again.
"I believe it's a Rheinland-made PferdWichser-ZS2, Freighter-class engine system"
"That wench scored me my engine, and in less than 36 hours too" Mack strode across his corner proudly, snatching the clipboard with his fat, stubby paws. He produced a pen and signed his title and name at the foot of the page.
"Jump-drives, cloaking devices, jumpgate technology and we still use paper for this sort of thing..." Francis mocked the clipboard, "I was also told to pick up a pair of D22s, in working order"
"Still not going to happen" Mack smiled a grimy, toothy grin.
"I'll need those D22s, sir" Francis wiped the smirk off his face, "I'd miss you if you were suspended for consuming alcohol on the job"
Mack's face twisted into a mighty scowl, he tucked the tip of his flask back into his jumpsuit. "Was that a threat, Ensign? I'll see you court martialled"
"We both know I could have a senior officer in here before you have time to hide your moonshine"
Mack cursed loudly, echoing throughout the metal rafters of his corner. He pointed to a Nyx with it's nose missing, "Take that. I'm not stripping the parts off myself. Now get out of my corner you greasy little prick"
"Right away Chief, thank you Chief" Francis signaled the deckhands, who were both leaning on the Rheinland box, chatting, "This wreck isn't going to move itself"