Dockyard Blues (Closed)

[The Selkie]

"Good evening, my lady.", the Duke said to Fiona, "I am eager to hear your ideas. Please, look these over."

He passed her the documents Nora had been given to read. He also included a brochure form the Ministry of Trade about the Knessian metal industry, as by her company name, it seemed appropriate.

Fiona smiled as she took the documents.
"Thank you, I'll look these over later.", she said and sat down next to the Grand Duke, placing the folder on her lap. "Now, as mentioned, Gabha Blacksmiths Limited has planned to expand to Knessniet. Unlike SDY, we are not too concerned about the general state of the environment, just the impact of our factories, but that's something we need to concern ourselves with." She let a beat pass. "First question I need to ask, though, does Knessniet need anything in the way of armaments? Safe for aircraft carriers, of course."

Sarra froze for just a moment, taken a bit off-guard by Nora's motherly temperament. But it was Chamberlin who spoke next. "So far everything appears to be in order," he said, looking over the plans that they gave him. "Increased cost estimates are understandable, but hopefully can be balanced by economics of multiple-unit production. For example," he looked back at the Selkie's, "assuming all is well, I am authorized to increase our original requirement from two to four ships, with options for additional units. Combined with possible foreign sales after our initial order is completed, hopefully you can spread the development costs out. Plus," he nodded to the Duke, "any non-nuclear hulls that the Duke may order..."

Nora nodded.
"That indeed might lower the prices a bit, but by how much... we'd have to crunch the numbers.", Nora said with a firm nod, glad about the possibility of an increase in required units, "Though - non-nuclear hulls?"
Gwen nodded. "We had the idea to lower the costs of some of the vessels by using non-nuclear propulsion instead of reactors. This is mainly done for the 11-9-8-B Subclass, a.k.a. the Duke's vessels.", she explained, "Of course, that would come with a huge loss in capabilities, but they seem to be fine with it."
"I see.", Nora said and smiled warmly at both of the Trixtorians, "Are there any concerns from your side?"

[Trixtoria]

"Are there any concerns from your side?"

Sarra sat back, nodding at Chamberlin to continue. This was more his side of the discussion, anyway. "Concerns," he said, "Not at the moment. We can handle final pricing and contract signing later. For now, if you and the Duke," he nodded at the Duke, "wish, I can go over the basic design of the ship and it's specifications. We can decide on any changes that need to be made to benefit all parties."

[The Selkie]

"Are there any concerns from your side?"

Sarra sat back, nodding at Chamberlin to continue. This was more his side of the discussion, anyway. "Concerns," he said, "Not at the moment. We can handle final pricing and contract signing later. For now, if you and the Duke," he nodded at the Duke, "wish, I can go over the basic design of the ship and it's specifications. We can decide on any changes that need to be made to benefit all parties."

"Hang on.", Nora said after a moment, "Am I understanding you correctly, Commodore, that the plans already exist and that you are basically only looking for someone to fulfill a construction contract? And that you do not need us to develop these vessels from keel upwards?"
"That would change a lot with the cost estimate and a few other things.", Gwen added and then nodded, "But trust me, when I say, that SDY's Yard 15 would be very interested in seeing, what you came up with. And, especially, what you need."

[Trixtoria]

Chamberlin opened his briefcase and removed a tablet. After taking a moment to thumb it own and call up the appropriate file, he placed it on the table. "The basic design for the proposed Trixtor-class light carrier. All we have at the moment is the hull shape, flight deck and elevator layout, hanger, and island design. There is still much work to do regarding installing systems, crew facilities, powerplant, etc. We've got the basics started, but there is still much work to do with the details." He smiled. "And contruction, of course, which is currently beyond our capabilities, hence these talks."

[Knessniet]

"Good evening, my lady.", the Duke said to Fiona, "I am eager to hear your ideas. Please, look these over."

He passed her the documents Nora had been given to read. He also included a brochure form the Ministry of Trade about the Knessian metal industry, as by her company name, it seemed appropriate.

Fiona smiled as she took the documents.
"Thank you, I'll look these over later.", she said and sat down next to the Grand Duke, placing the folder on her lap. "Now, as mentioned, Gabha Blacksmiths Limited has planned to expand to Knessniet. Unlike SDY, we are not too concerned about the general state of the environment, just the impact of our factories, but that's something we need to concern ourselves with." She let a beat pass. "First question I need to ask, though, does Knessniet need anything in the way of armaments? Safe for aircraft carriers, of course."

Sarra froze for just a moment, taken a bit off-guard by Nora's motherly temperament. But it was Chamberlin who spoke next. "So far everything appears to be in order," he said, looking over the plans that they gave him. "Increased cost estimates are understandable, but hopefully can be balanced by economics of multiple-unit production. For example," he looked back at the Selkie's, "assuming all is well, I am authorized to increase our original requirement from two to four ships, with options for additional units. Combined with possible foreign sales after our initial order is completed, hopefully you can spread the development costs out. Plus," he nodded to the Duke, "any non-nuclear hulls that the Duke may order..."

Nora nodded.
"That indeed might lower the prices a bit, but by how much... we'd have to crunch the numbers.", Nora said with a firm nod, glad about the possibility of an increase in required units, "Though - non-nuclear hulls?"
Gwen nodded. "We had the idea to lower the costs of some of the vessels by using non-nuclear propulsion instead of reactors. This is mainly done for the 11-9-8-B Subclass, a.k.a. the Duke's vessels.", she explained, "Of course, that would come with a huge loss in capabilities, but they seem to be fine with it."
"I see.", Nora said and smiled warmly at both of the Trixtorians, "Are there any concerns from your side?"

"Arms? We usually produce our own. It's a very large sector of our economy, but our products re hardly up to the current standards, in arms anyway. We make them cheap, en masse, and mainly, cheap.", the Duke said, "However, don't let that make you think that is true about all our products. Our nation mainly focuses on the mining and refining of raw materials, not production of goods. We do need some more modern arms though, so if you are looking for something along those lines, we can work something out."

The Grand Duke was much more confident here. This woman seemed to have some ideas more in-line with those the Duke had. He handed her another paper, "This is a report on our state-funded Militia Rifle program. On the back, you can see details about the M3-K Militia Rifle. It is a 12-round semiautomatic rifle designed specifically to be easy to use, yet effective. Most of all, it's cheap. Each one is only about 10 Knessmarks a piece. Also, here's a Knesssmark."

He handed her the banknote, which was good for 1 Troy ounce of fine silver, or one Knessmark.

[The Selkie]

Chamberlin opened his briefcase and removed a tablet. After taking a moment to thumb it own and call up the appropriate file, he placed it on the table. "The basic design for the proposed Trixtor-class light carrier. All we have at the moment is the hull shape, flight deck and elevator layout, hanger, and island design. There is still much work to do regarding installing systems, crew facilities, powerplant, etc. We've got the basics started, but there is still much work to do with the details." He smiled. "And contruction, of course, which is currently beyond our capabilities, hence these talks."

Gwen looked over the plans, noting: "There are a lot of things, which I would do differently...", she mumbled, looking to the Commodore a moment later, "Not necessarily better, I must admit, as everything has its pros and cons, but different." She pointed at the bow-section. "For example the catapult arrangement. I would never combine a catapult and a ski-jump, first of all, one has one to not need the other, but even in this arrangment, I would leave some space between their ends. It makes maintenance easier and is simpler to construct... on the downside of needing a bit more space."
She thought for a moment.
"In general, I would move island, elevators and staring positions back a bit.", she noted.
Nora smiled. "You see, that's the problem with my daughter - as soon as she sees any ship plans, she takes them apart. You can't go into any ship museum with her...", she playfully complained.

"Arms? We usually produce our own. It's a very large sector of our economy, but our products re hardly up to the current standards, in arms anyway. We make them cheap, en masse, and mainly, cheap.", the Duke said, "However, don't let that make you think that is true about all our products. Our nation mainly focuses on the mining and refining of raw materials, not production of goods. We do need some more modern arms though, so if you are looking for something along those lines, we can work something out."

The Grand Duke was much more confident here. This woman seemed to have some ideas more in-line with those the Duke had. He handed her another paper, "This is a report on our state-funded Militia Rifle program. On the back, you can see details about the M3-K Militia Rifle. It is a 12-round semiautomatic rifle designed specifically to be easy to use, yet effective. Most of all, it's cheap. Each one is only about 10 Knessmarks a piece. Also, here's a Knesssmark."

He handed her the banknote, which was good for 1 Troy ounce of fine silver, or one Knessmark.

Fiona grinned.
"Very, very interesting, Sir.", she said and nodded, "You see, Gabha Blacksmiths prides itself in the cheapness, yet quality of our products, be they handguns, rifles, tanks, aircraft." She motioned to the M3-K's plans. "I must admit, that I am not an engineer, only the saleswoman, but I am very certain, that we can work something out to benefit both of us."
She let a beat pass.
"Our products might be a bit too much for a militia, but if you say, that the regular army needs new equipment, then I'm your lassie!", she said with a grin, "We have many of the things you might need!"

[Knessniet]

"Excellent. So, we have 100,000 regular army soldiers, and 28.9 eligible militia members. About 90,000 of our regular army use equipment that is highly outdated. We have mostly domestically-produced AK ripoffs, so what you have to offer is probably much better!" The Duke said, with a slight chuckle, "So, tell me about the weapons you offer, and how you want us to help produce them?"

[The Selkie]

"Excellent. So, we have 100,000 regular army soldiers, and 28.9 eligible militia members. About 90,000 of our regular army use equipment that is highly outdated. We have mostly domestically-produced AK ripoffs, so what you have to offer is probably much better!" The Duke said, with a slight chuckle, "So, tell me about the weapons you offer, and how you want us to help produce them?"

Fiona smiled.
"Well, as a new main service rifle, I would propose the Carbine, Automatic, Model 2008, the standard rifle of the SDF.", she said and pulled out a little pamphlet of her own. "A bullup rifle, 991 millimetres in length when the stock is extended, firing 5.56x45 millimetre bullets either in full-auto, semi-auto or three-round burst. Operated by a light short-stroke gas-operated rotating bolt, it is a weapon one can easily control." She indicated to a few images in the pamphlet, one of them showing herself in SDF-Army Greens on the shooting alley. "We are currently working on a version chambered for 7.62x39 millimetre rounds, a.k.a. the Kalashnikov's calibre, but our engineers say, that it'll most likely become an entirely new weapon."
She let a beat pass.
"About how to help you in producing them... how about I offered you opening factories in Knessniet?", she asked.

[Trixtoria]

Gwen looked over the plans, noting: "There are a lot of things, which I would do differently...", she mumbled, looking to the Commodore a moment later, "Not necessarily better, I must admit, as everything has its pros and cons, but different." She pointed at the bow-section. "For example the catapult arrangement. I would never combine a catapult and a ski-jump, first of all, one has one to not need the other, but even in this arrangment, I would leave some space between their ends. It makes maintenance easier and is simpler to construct... on the downside of needing a bit more space."
She thought for a moment.
"In general, I would move island, elevators and staring positions back a bit.", she noted.
Nora smiled. "You see, that's the problem with my daughter - as soon as she sees any ship plans, she takes them apart. You can't go into any ship museum with her...", she playfully complained.

Chamberlin sat back and thought for a moment. "Hmmm... perhaps there is some design changes that could be made. If you'll permit me a few moments." picking the tablet back up, be removed the stylus and started working.

While he did, Sarra leaned forward. "This is exactly why we reached out for help with these ships," she said. "I'm glad that this partnership is already starting to work out. I know my father has plans beyond just these carriers, and I hope we can work together to benefit us both." The words sounded important, at least, she tried to sound that way, hopefully not coming across as a kid trying to sound like an adult.....

[The Selkie]

Chamberlin sat back and thought for a moment. "Hmmm... perhaps there is some design changes that could be made. If you'll permit me a few moments." picking the tablet back up, be removed the stylus and started working.

While he did, Sarra leaned forward. "This is exactly why we reached out for help with these ships," she said. "I'm glad that this partnership is already starting to work out. I know my father has plans beyond just these carriers, and I hope we can work together to benefit us both." The words sounded important, at least, she tried to sound that way, hopefully not coming across as a kid trying to sound like an adult.....

Nora nodded, leaving Chamberlin to his work.
"I am glad as well.", she said and smiled, motherly. She did not think, that Sarra was a kid trying to sound adult, but she knew, that others would. She thought, that Sarra would go a long way, only now making the first, careful steps. "Both for the business opportunities between SDY and Trixtoria, boon to all of us and many more, as well as to have met a promising young lady such as you, Sarra-bandiúc."
If she was honest, she was looking forward to further business with Trixtoria.

[Knessniet]

"Yes, as you can see, we would both benefit greatly from your factories being in our nation.", the Duke said, pointing at the documents. He handed her another one. "This is a list of companies interested in selling to you, the three biggest being Knessian Silver and Metals Company, Lee Metals Refinery, and Newman Heavy Industries."

"I, personally would go with Knessian Silver and Metals. Then of course, I have a controlling share of 70% with it. It also offers the most well-rounded pricing, perfect for medium-sized orders. The Lee Metals Refinery is the absolute largest refinery in the entire nation, and offers competitive bulk discounts. However, they have a surcharge for non-bulk orders. Lastly, Newman Heavy Industries specializes in mostly manufacturing, but has a small refining operation. They wouldn't be able to handle big orders, but they are owned by my cousin, and y'know, family first!"

"As for opening factories, we have 5 different cities interested in hosting your business. The first, is Litchfield, our capital. It is directly under my administration, so there is no local property tax, just national property tax. The downside with there is that all businesses want the tax break, so property is coveted and expensive. The second city is Lee, which would be a good choice if you what to source your products from Lee Metals. It is our industrial hub, and has a bustling port. You should note, however, the local Baron, which just so happens to be the very George R. Lee, sitting over there, ha stake advantage of this. There is a very steep portage fee..."

"It isn't that bad!", Lee interjected.

"Are you kidding me? You charge my company's ships nearly 200 Knessmarks a pop!", the Duke retorted. "Anyway, the third opinion is Newman, which is all around a good choice, except that it isn't a port, making exporting a bit more expensive. Lastly, we have Winsted. It isn't really a city, just a town. However, the Baron there is quite set on attracting new businesses, and the land is very cheap. He seems eager to cooperate to find a suitable taxation level, as he wouldn't stop bothering me before I left."

"So, what will it be?", the Duke asked.

He was afraid that the sheer amount of information may be a bit overwhelming, but he knew that this was a good offer. He also knew that he really wanted this deal to go through.

[Trixtoria]

Nora nodded, leaving Chamberlin to his work.
"I am glad as well.", she said and smiled, motherly. She did not think, that Sarra was a kid trying to sound adult, but she knew, that others would. She thought, that Sarra would go a long way, only now making the first, careful steps. "Both for the business opportunities between SDY and Trixtoria, boon to all of us and many more, as well as to have met a promising young lady such as you, Sarra-bandiúc."
If she was honest, she was looking forward to further business with Trixtoria.

Sarra nodded, not sure what bandiúc meant, but she assumed it was a honor or friendly term. Meanwhile, Chamberlin looked up from his tablet. "Alright," he said, placing it on the table, "I've contacted out design office and we've made a few changes based on your suggestions." He indicated the updated plans on the screen. "As you can see, the island and elevators have been moved aft. This will make more room behind the jet-blast deflectors for aircraft waiting to take off. Also, you'll notice we removed the ski-jump and separated the catapults. Now the shuttles will stop just before the bow, allowing the aircraft to continue on and off. Hopefully," he nodded at Gwen, "these changes will meet with your approval."


(OOC: please excuse the poor quality of the drawing. I scanned in a ship i drew when around 14-ish and re-drew it in MS Paint. Had to crop and move parts around, lol)

[The Selkie]

"Yes, as you can see, we would both benefit greatly from your factories being in our nation.", the Duke said, pointing at the documents. He handed her another one. "This is a list of companies interested in selling to you, the three biggest being Knessian Silver and Metals Company, Lee Metals Refinery, and Newman Heavy Industries."

"I, personally would go with Knessian Silver and Metals. Then of course, I have a controlling share of 70% with it. It also offers the most well-rounded pricing, perfect for medium-sized orders. The Lee Metals Refinery is the absolute largest refinery in the entire nation, and offers competitive bulk discounts. However, they have a surcharge for non-bulk orders. Lastly, Newman Heavy Industries specializes in mostly manufacturing, but has a small refining operation. They wouldn't be able to handle big orders, but they are owned by my cousin, and y'know, family first!"

"As for opening factories, we have 5 different cities interested in hosting your business. The first, is Litchfield, our capital. It is directly under my administration, so there is no local property tax, just national property tax. The downside with there is that all businesses want the tax break, so property is coveted and expensive. The second city is Lee, which would be a good choice if you what to source your products from Lee Metals. It is our industrial hub, and has a bustling port. You should note, however, the local Baron, which just so happens to be the very George R. Lee, sitting over there, ha stake advantage of this. There is a very steep portage fee..."

"It isn't that bad!", Lee interjected.

"Are you kidding me? You charge my company's ships nearly 200 Knessmarks a pop!", the Duke retorted. "Anyway, the third opinion is Newman, which is all around a good choice, except that it isn't a port, making exporting a bit more expensive. Lastly, we have Winsted. It isn't really a city, just a town. However, the Baron there is quite set on attracting new businesses, and the land is very cheap. He seems eager to cooperate to find a suitable taxation level, as he wouldn't stop bothering me before I left."

"So, what will it be?", the Duke asked.

He was afraid that the sheer amount of information may be a bit overwhelming, but he knew that this was a good offer. He also knew that he really wanted this deal to go through.

Fiona listened with great interest, nodding to Lee as he was mentioned, a polite gesture of acknowledgement.
"Truth being told, Grand Duke, while all of these offers sound very interesting, both the Board of Directors and the CEO of Gabha Blacksmiths Limited will have to look it over and decide.", she said after a moment, "I am in no position to decide, only to advise."
She let a beat pass.
"However, I will advise to either go with Lee Metals and the town of Lee, or to go with Knessian Silver and Metals and Winsted.", she said and gave a small smile, "There are reasons for both. And I am sure, that one can talk with the Baron of Lee about the fees..."

Sarra nodded, not sure what bandiúc meant, but she assumed it was a honor or friendly term. Meanwhile, Chamberlin looked up from his tablet. "Alright," he said, placing it on the table, "I've contacted out design office and we've made a few changes based on your suggestions." He indicated the updated plans on the screen. "As you can see, the island and elevators have been moved aft. This will make more room behind the jet-blast deflectors for aircraft waiting to take off. Also, you'll notice we removed the ski-jump and separated the catapults. Now the shuttles will stop just before the bow, allowing the aircraft to continue on and off. Hopefully," he nodded at Gwen, "these changes will meet with your approval."

Gwen looked at the first drawings of the second iteration, nodding slowly.
"My compliments to the engineers, they're doing good work.", she said and added ...at first glance. in her head, before she noted something: "These vertical lines across the flight deck, aft, I take those are arresting cables for landing aircraft? Why not extend them over the whole beam?" She then pointed at the aft, below the waterline. "While we are at it, please let them check possibilities for pump jets instead of screws and rudders."
Without realizing, the young woman had moved behind Chamberlin, leaning over the couch close to him so that she could look over his shoulder. A soft note of lavender, not too strong, came from her hair, close enough for his nose to pick it up.

[Knessniet]

Before the Duke could respond, Lee cut in, "Of course, I am willing to work with the fees. I would make plenty off your property tax, so I see no need to make you pay more. I just charge a fair sum to the businesses that aren't based in my city. Since they don't pay me property tax, I have to make money somehow..."

As Lee was about to continue his rant, the Grand Duke cut him off.

"Lee, that's enough. As our friend here said, this is for the board, not her, to decide. You can rant on about taxes and fees later.", the Duke said, "Alright, now I handed you the plans to the M3-K for a reason. My R&D people are working on an M4-K, and I am pleased to offer your company the option to buy production rights. It will be similar to the M3-K, except it will have less of a tendency to jam, higher-quality iron sights, and will have three variants: The M4-K NATO, the M4-K Heavy, and M4-K Classic. The Classic will take our current 6.5 mm domestic rounds, while the heavy will take .30-06 rounds. The NATO variant will take the now more common, NATO variant of the 7.62x51 round."

"The idea behind the NATO variant is so that we can arm our allies cheaply and effectively. As for the heavy, it will have a smaller magazine, but will pack more of a punch. It's perfect for skirmisher and marksman units. The classic will just be an updated variant of our current rifle, with aforementioned improvements."

"Now, enough about our guns. Would you kindly tell us about yours?"

[Trixtoria]

Chamberlin grinned, and pointed at the design to show Gwen a few details. "The arresting cables only extend over the landing run. The open areas to either side are for parked aircraft." He looked up at her, nose twitching to something. "Due to the small size of these ships, we don't anticipate them running takeoff and landings simultaneously, so an angled desk isn't needed. Hence landings can occur right down the middle. Also, while the ship still has a rudder, it does have pump-jet-style propulsors built into the hull." His fingers moved to indicate the areas. "you can see the intakes here, and the 'exhaust' here."

[The Selkie]

Before the Duke could respond, Lee cut in, "Of course, I am willing to work with the fees. I would make plenty off your property tax, so I see no need to make you pay more. I just charge a fair sum to the businesses that aren't based in my city. Since they don't pay me property tax, I have to make money somehow..."

As Lee was about to continue his rant, the Grand Duke cut him off.

"Lee, that's enough. As our friend here said, this is for the board, not her, to decide. You can rant on about taxes and fees later.", the Duke said, "Alright, now I handed you the plans to the M3-K for a reason. My R&D people are working on an M4-K, and I am pleased to offer your company the option to buy production rights. It will be similar to the M3-K, except it will have less of a tendency to jam, higher-quality iron sights, and will have three variants: The M4-K NATO, the M4-K Heavy, and M4-K Classic. The Classic will take our current 6.5 mm domestic rounds, while the heavy will take .30-06 rounds. The NATO variant will take the now more common, NATO variant of the 7.62x51 round."

"The idea behind the NATO variant is so that we can arm our allies cheaply and effectively. As for the heavy, it will have a smaller magazine, but will pack more of a punch. It's perfect for skirmisher and marksman units. The classic will just be an updated variant of our current rifle, with aforementioned improvements."

"Now, enough about our guns. Would you kindly tell us about yours?"

Fiona gave a small smile.
"I have already told you about the CAM 2008, but that is of course not the only weapon we build.", she said with a small smile, "Our newest lines of weapons are bullup rifles, combining the firepower of a full-length weapon into a much smaller package. Besides CAM 2008, we also have a sniper rifle, an automatic pistol, you might as well call that one a submachine gun, light and heavy machine guns as well as an infantry grenade launcher."
She looked at them.
"I have the pamphlets of those with me...", she said and collected them from her pockets, handing them over, "...but, if you say in the Free Lands for tomorrow, I am sure, that we could get a demonstration and test firing in as well. And..." She smiled at that. "...we could also organize for a demonstration of the vehicles produced by Gabha Blacksmiths Limited, including our tanks, aircraft and drones."
A beat passed.
"Anything catching your interest?", she said and smiled.

Chamberlin grinned, and pointed at the design to show Gwen a few details. "The arresting cables only extend over the landing run. The open areas to either side are for parked aircraft." He looked up at her, nose twitching to something. "Due to the small size of these ships, we don't anticipate them running takeoff and landings simultaneously, so an angled desk isn't needed. Hence landings can occur right down the middle. Also, while the ship still has a rudder, it does have pump-jet-style propulsors built into the hull." His fingers moved to indicate the areas. "you can see the intakes here, and the 'exhaust' here."

Gwen nodded, her finger tracing where Chamberlin pointed at, the waterjets.
"That could indeed work...", she said and nodded, "Yes, that would work, especially when integrated. With some tweaking to these waterjets, we might be able to eliminate the need for a rudder completely, saving costs and maintenance... and risks as well. We'd have to see about that on my drawing board." She let a beat pass, looking at the flight deck again. "The idea you had is not bad, she said, "What planes do you want to use from these carriers anyway?"

[Knessniet]

"Well, I would most certainly like a demonstration. Lee, tell the pilot to find a hotel.", Lee nodded, and excused himself to call the pilot. "Now, our military was looking for a more conventional rifle, instead of a bullpup. However, we will certainly consider them."

He passed the pamphlets to Miller, and continued.

"As for your vehicles, our nation needs new one critically, so we most certainly would buy some. We don't have much for armored divisions, with 90% of our army being infantry, but if you have armed troop carriers, that would be more than welcome. We are also interested in your machine guns, so if you could tell me more about those, I'd appreciate it."

[The Selkie]

"Well, I would most certainly like a demonstration. Lee, tell the pilot to find a hotel.", Lee nodded, and excused himself to call the pilot. "Now, our military was looking for a more conventional rifle, instead of a bullpup. However, we will certainly consider them."

He passed the pamphlets to Miller, and continued.

"As for your vehicles, our nation needs new one critically, so we most certainly would buy some. We don't have much for armored divisions, with 90% of our army being infantry, but if you have armed troop carriers, that would be more than welcome. We are also interested in your machine guns, so if you could tell me more about those, I'd appreciate it."

As Lee excused himself, Nora, having nothing to do, excused herself as well, catching him before he got out the phone.
"Tell him to first contact the Uasal Inn in Downtown Silverport.", she told Lee with a small smile, recommending some houses she knew to be good, "Or the Uachtarach Inn, that's in the Hilllands."
She let a beat pass.
"And if everything fails, I wanted to offer you to stay here at Dragan House for the night.", she added with a small smile, "It's not the President's Suite, as they say, but they're good rooms and I'd like to think, that I'm a good host."

"About the non-bullup rifles, that is not a problem. We have a production license for service rifles of a more conventional build, but we can arrange for a demonstration of those tomorrow as well.", she said and let a beat pass, leaning back, which showed a few curves. "Now, let's focus on the Armoured Troop Carriers first, shall we? What we have on offer is the Sionnach-II Armoured Personell Carrier, a 16.6 ton heavy, seven and a half metres long eight-wheeled APC capable of carrying ten fully armed men into battle and to support them with fire from two remote weapons stations mounted on the roof, powered by a six-cylinder water-cooled Diesel Engine. The vehicle is fully amphibious, ABC-protected, easily repaired even in the field and low in fuel consumption, making the Sio-II an excellent support platform for troops."
Beat.
"There'll be a demonstration tomorrow, the 3rd Dragan-Regiment has two Squadrons in Silverport. And they're equipped with the Sio-II, if I am not completely mistaken.", she added with a smile.

[Knessniet]

Lee nodded his thanks to Nora, and called the pilot, informing him of what he was told.

"Well, this vehicle sounds perfect! Just two concerns. First, I would have liked a slightly larger capacity. Secondly, you say they are easy to repair, what about operate? Would a standard driving education suffice, or will I need to arrange for specialist training? Of course, we also need to know the price per unit.", the Grand Duke said. "We have a large military budget, so as long as it isn't outrageous, we can make it happen."

"As for the demonstration, we most certainly wish to be there. I trust that this regiment is very skilled, and I look forward to seeing them in action. Perhaps when your company starts operations in my country we can give you a demonstration! You should see the parades that we put on! Imagine, 10,000 men in lockstep down the most historic avenue in our capital, weapons and boots polished. The brass playing our greatest and most inspiring marches! Truly, a sight to behold!"

[The Selkie]

Lee nodded his thanks to Nora, and called the pilot, informing him of what he was told.

"Well, this vehicle sounds perfect! Just two concerns. First, I would have liked a slightly larger capacity. Secondly, you say they are easy to repair, what about operate? Would a standard driving education suffice, or will I need to arrange for specialist training? Of course, we also need to know the price per unit.", the Grand Duke said. "We have a large military budget, so as long as it isn't outrageous, we can make it happen."

"As for the demonstration, we most certainly wish to be there. I trust that this regiment is very skilled, and I look forward to seeing them in action. Perhaps when your company starts operations in my country we can give you a demonstration! You should see the parades that we put on! Imagine, 10,000 men in lockstep down the most historic avenue in our capital, weapons and boots polished. The brass playing our greatest and most inspiring marches! Truly, a sight to behold!"

Nora, her work done, nodded to Lee and left him to his work, just in time to catch the end of the Duke's proclamation.
Fiona nodded with a smile. "I can imagine.", she said, "While parades in the international sense aren't really a Selkie-Thing, detachments sometimes participate in them... plus, it sounds splendid."
Letting a beat pass, she continued: "Now, as for operation, we usually recommend a specialized training course, at least for the instructors, but if you can drive a truck, you can drive a Sio-II with a bit of getting used to it.", she replied to the first concerns, "How many people would you like for your APC to carry? The Sio-II can accomodate up to twelve men, if they don't mind it being cramped a bit. Ten is usually what works best, as the SDF and us found out."

[Knessniet]

Lee nodded his thanks to Nora, and called the pilot, informing him of what he was told.

"Well, this vehicle sounds perfect! Just two concerns. First, I would have liked a slightly larger capacity. Secondly, you say they are easy to repair, what about operate? Would a standard driving education suffice, or will I need to arrange for specialist training? Of course, we also need to know the price per unit.", the Grand Duke said. "We have a large military budget, so as long as it isn't outrageous, we can make it happen."

"As for the demonstration, we most certainly wish to be there. I trust that this regiment is very skilled, and I look forward to seeing them in action. Perhaps when your company starts operations in my country we can give you a demonstration! You should see the parades that we put on! Imagine, 10,000 men in lockstep down the most historic avenue in our capital, weapons and boots polished. The brass playing our greatest and most inspiring marches! Truly, a sight to behold!"

Nora, her work done, nodded to Lee and left him to his work, just in time to catch the end of the Duke's proclamation.
Fiona nodded with a smile. "I can imagine.", she said, "While parades in the international sense aren't really a Selkie-Thing, detachments sometimes participate in them... plus, it sounds splendid."
Letting a beat pass, she continued: "Now, as for operation, we usually recommend a specialized training course, at least for the instructors, but if you can drive a truck, you can drive a Sio-II with a bit of getting used to it.", she replied to the first concerns, "How many people would you like for your APC to carry? The Sio-II can accomodate up to twelve men, if they don't mind it being cramped a bit. Ten is usually what works best, as the SDF and us found out."

"We are content with the operating procedures, now I was hoping to carry about 20, but considering that is the only issue with the machine, we can overlook it. Now, the costs..."

The Duke was interrupted with a heavy coughing fit. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, which visibly had blood on it when he was done.

"Excuse that, please. It is common for the older folks in our country to have some respiratory issues, especially in the cities. The air here is much better, so it probably won't happen much with us during our stay, but as you can see, it never leaves us. Now, where was I?"

"The price, sir.", said Miller.

"Of course, what is the cost per unit of those trucks?", the Duke asked.

[Trixtoria]

Gwen nodded, her finger tracing where Chamberlin pointed at, the waterjets.
"That could indeed work...", she said and nodded, "Yes, that would work, especially when integrated. With some tweaking to these waterjets, we might be able to eliminate the need for a rudder completely, saving costs and maintenance... and risks as well. We'd have to see about that on my drawing board." She let a beat pass, looking at the flight deck again. "The idea you had is not bad, she said, "What planes do you want to use from these carriers anyway?"

Chamberlin looked up. "At the moment, we have a small fleet of A-4F Skyhawk fighter bombers that will be the starting force, although there is talk of replacing them with newer aircraft. Ideally, only small fighters or attack planes would be kept onboard and in the hanger. However, one of the goals was to allow slightly larger aircraft, such as F/A-18D Hornets for example, to land on the ships for refueling and rearming during extended patrols of our waters. This would allow us to station more aircraft at ground bases, and use these ships for extended patrols. And the smaller fighters or attack planes kept on the ships would be perfect for convoy protection or ASW missions." He looked down at the tablet screen. "These are not fleet carriers or attack carriers. Those plans," he grinned, "are still in the works. It was hoped that operating smaller ships for a time would gain us valuable experience before we undertake the task of constructing and operating a full-size fleet carrier."

[The Selkie]

Nora, her work done, nodded to Lee and left him to his work, just in time to catch the end of the Duke's proclamation.
Fiona nodded with a smile. "I can imagine.", she said, "While parades in the international sense aren't really a Selkie-Thing, detachments sometimes participate in them... plus, it sounds splendid."
Letting a beat pass, she continued: "Now, as for operation, we usually recommend a specialized training course, at least for the instructors, but if you can drive a truck, you can drive a Sio-II with a bit of getting used to it.", she replied to the first concerns, "How many people would you like for your APC to carry? The Sio-II can accomodate up to twelve men, if they don't mind it being cramped a bit. Ten is usually what works best, as the SDF and us found out."

"We are content with the operating procedures, now I was hoping to carry about 20, but considering that is the only issue with the machine, we can overlook it. Now, the costs..."

The Duke was interrupted with a heavy coughing fit. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, which visibly had blood on it when he was done.

"Excuse that, please. It is common for the older folks in our country to have some respiratory issues, especially in the cities. The air here is much better, so it probably won't happen much with us during our stay, but as you can see, it never leaves us. Now, where was I?"

"The price, sir.", said Miller.

"Of course, what is the cost per unit of those trucks?", the Duke asked.

Fiona wanted to move forward when the coughing fit started, already getting a handkerchief out to assist, but the situation resolved itself.
'Older folk', the Grand Duke called himself - she knew, that he was 32. That was not old, that was a condition, if one asked her. If he called himself old, coughed up blood, that was not exactly a sign of a healthy country.
She withheld her comment.
"Indeed, the price.", she said and nodded, "We sell packages of fifteen Sio-IIs for thirty million NSD." She let a beat pass. "But, if we are to produce in Knessniet, with local materials and workers, we might be able to drop the price for that package of fifteen APCs to somewhere between twenty and twenty-five million NSD, depending on how many are needed, the costs for everything and so on."

Chamberlin looked up. "At the moment, we have a small fleet of A-4F Skyhawk fighter bombers that will be the starting force, although there is talk of replacing them with newer aircraft. Ideally, only small fighters or attack planes would be kept onboard and in the hanger. However, one of the goals was to allow slightly larger aircraft, such as F/A-18D Hornets for example, to land on the ships for refueling and rearming during extended patrols of our waters. This would allow us to station more aircraft at ground bases, and use these ships for extended patrols. And the smaller fighters or attack planes kept on the ships would be perfect for convoy protection or ASW missions." He looked down at the tablet screen. "These are not fleet carriers or attack carriers. Those plans," he grinned, "are still in the works. It was hoped that operating smaller ships for a time would gain us valuable experience before we undertake the task of constructing and operating a full-size fleet carrier."

"Remind me to organize a few documents about the Stuama for you.", Gwen said about the aircraft-selection with a small smile. They might, just barely, be able to fit Hornets and similar-sized aircraft onto the Trixtor-class, but that would be one heck of a gamble and she would have to run the calculations... and insist on EMALS-Catapults. Listening closely, she concluded: "So this will be an escort carrier?"
She found his grin endearing, grinning back.
"It'll definately help you in carrier operations and construction, that is for sure.", she said and nodded, firmly, confidently, "As for ASW-assets, did you plan on planes, drones or helicopters?"

[Knessniet]

"This sounds excellent to me! Now, you mentioned automatic pistols. Please tell me about those, our current side arms are a little outdated.", the Grand Duke said.

He was concerned that his little fit had sacred his host, making his country look bad, so he decided to change the subject quickly.

[Trixtoria]

"Remind me to organize a few documents about the Stuama for you.", Gwen said about the aircraft-selection with a small smile. They might, just barely, be able to fit Hornets and similar-sized aircraft onto the Trixtor-class, but that would be one heck of a gamble and she would have to run the calculations... and insist on EMALS-Catapults. Listening closely, she concluded: "So this will be an escort carrier?"
She found his grin endearing, grinning back.
"It'll definately help you in carrier operations and construction, that is for sure.", she said and nodded, firmly, confidently, "As for ASW-assets, did you plan on planes, drones or helicopters?"

"Yes," Chamberlin replied, "escort or light carrier. We envision four missions: patrolling the waters around our nation, escorting convoys, ASW patrols, and providing Combat Air Patrol cover for future fleet carriers. As for ASW assets, the primary choice would be small aircraft, such as the A-4 Skyhawk or similar. Helicopters will be stationed on destroyers and or frigates."