Kodan Black Posted March 17, 2015 Continued from before... Upon entering it was obvious this wasn't a simple garrison posting or typical Empire government building. The layout had a lot of purpose and thought behind it. It wasn't built with flexibility in mind, it was done for a specific goal. The relatively small footprint belied the fact that there was clearly a good sized facility below the surface that was intentionally being hidden. Commander Ninkovich was greeted by an officer that he seemed very familiar with. I was too far away to hear what the officer's name was and I got the sense that wasn't an accident; but maybe it was just my unease at the whole situation. I could tell by the excited and authoritative way he talked this officer was in charge of the facility and quite proud of it. The officer pointed out the large ventilation shaft directly in front of us that he said was sufficiently sized to ensure that all air vented outside would be "clean" enough that no one would be able to detect anything and use that to deduce what was going on here. (What WAS going on here?) To the right was some sort of fuel storage room guarded by 2 Stormtroopers. The room was clearly designed to vent an explosion instead of contain it -- suggesting it wasn't going to be a small explosion. I didn't recognize the fuel types and the mixing of the two fuels was separated even up to the point where the hoses went in the wall. The officer showing us around was quite animated about "power output per unit of measure" and "maximum yield within standard temperature variation" plus some other stuff I dazed out for. He loved his work and it showed, but I was bored with his scientific jargon. I knew there had to be more to this place and I wanted to find out what else was here. Next he lead us over to a massive door. When sealed it would combine with the shaped wall to direct any explosion away from the tunnel. The walls were very thick and it did seem less designed to resist an attacking force and more about keeping safe whatever was inside from an explosion. Which was a bit unsettling, I mean why build a fortress unless you thought it was a possibility? On the next level we were shown a weapons and target tracking lab. It was now clear this was an Imperial Research and Development facility cleverly hidden inside a standard Imperial outpost to avoid raising any suspicion. The scientist running the lab gave us a demonstration from the control room just above. The tracking system was beyond anything my Interceptor has and the speed with which it operated was incredible. The display system was detailed and easy to read. Beyond the technical specs that the scientist and officer presented to Commander Ninkovich I was able to gather that the power output was orders of magnitude higher than what our TIEs used currently. Equipping our fleet with such weaponry would mean a huge shift in any fights and would allow even smaller capital ships to quickly take out the shields of large Rebel cruisers. As I was thinking that all this sounded great but I wondered what the catch was, Commander Ninkovich had the same question. My hopes were dashed when it was revealed that the fuel mixture was extremely volatile and would make it very unsuited to being carried on capital ships. Sudden combat maneuvers or damage from combat could cause the fuel mixture to explode rather spectacularly. At the quantities required to power even just the TIEs onboard it would rip even a Super Star Destroyer to pieces in moments. I guess that explains why a relatively small amount was on site and the need for the shaped walls and door up above. Also, the mechanicals of the weapons had a very short lifespan. The powerful shots came at the expense of the weapon itself. It would last for mere minutes of sustained firing before needing a thorough overhaul that would take 1-2 hours. Both the scientist and the officer were quite certain that all of the issues could be resolved though, they were working on solutions and making progress daily! I got the sense that their vagueness on progress was due to it being limited in nature and they didn't wish to admit that getting this weapon into the field was years and not months away. Commander Ninkovich announced that it was time to go, clearly disappointing the eager officer. But he managed to smile when the Commander assured him that he would return soon for a more complete tour of the facility. I would never expect idle chatter from the Commander, but I was surprised when he didn't speak another word until we returned to the ship and he informed me that I was free until my next patrol the following day. I can't tell if he was pleased by the visit or upset about it. I couldn't even come to a conclusion if he intended to continue to use me as his personal pilot or if his statement was meant to imply that my services were no longer needed. I guess like anything in the military, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until someone tells me otherwise. Same stuff, different day! Please judge and critique! Extra photos: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kuat Drive Yards Posted March 17, 2015 Good job! Great narration and awesome scenery. It really looks like a secret weapons testing site Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goatman461 Posted March 17, 2015 It's nice to see your color palette evolving (as your BL orders come in, I assume... you sure have been investing a lot in tiles) The black stripe on the walls is great. I think the build overall has a great Imperial vibe. I do struggle with some of the details you included. The blast door and the weapon stand look especially clunky and I had to rely on your story to know what it was. Ideally, you could look at your build and instantly see the story in it, without reading. Keep up the good work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackoBoy Posted March 18, 2015 This was very fun to read :). I love the use of narrative that is then presented through small LEGO scenes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tariq j Posted March 18, 2015 Great work, once again. Your story is very well written. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MKJoshA Posted March 26, 2015 Luke Skywalker has infiltrated your ranks! But seriously, your builds just keep getting better! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodan Black Posted March 26, 2015 Luke Skywalker has infiltrated your ranks! What are you going do to, he IS the boss' son! I've had to start buying City and other types of sets just to get some new yellow heads. Can't believe Lego has gone over to those horrible fleshies. Ugh, yuck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MKJoshA Posted March 26, 2015 I've had to start buying City and other types of sets just to get some new yellow heads. Can't believe Lego has gone over to those horrible fleshies. Ugh, yuck. Here here! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shadows of Nar Eurbrikka Posted March 26, 2015 Judges have awarded you 3 XP! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
