Jasmill stepped gracefully out of the speeder, her boots touching down on the durabeton surface of the landing pad. High above, enormous DK-220transporters approached for landing—tiny dots against the pale sky. These vessels, each over twothousand meters long, had been used by Kuat formore than a millennium to deliver massive cargoes, and even other ships, to every corner of the galaxy. From such a height, they appeared minuscule, but Selanno had seen them up close many times in the course of her work. They were the largest freighters Kuat currently operated; only the system's patrol ships—eight-kilometer-long monitors of the Mandator-class StarDreadnough—were larger.
"An impressive sight, isn't it?" The woman's thoughts were interrupted by someone's voice. A familiar voice.
"General Vikt." Jasmill smiled as she turned toward the speaker. A small speeder was parked in the distance, and beside it stood a young man. Mentally picturing him in armor, she knew she wasn't mistaken. Moreover, the man was accompanied by a Togruta girl. Padawan, Jasmillfinally recalling the word. "Ahsoka Tano, I presume." She nodded politely to the Jedi'scompanion. "I'm glad to see you, though I must admit, I'm surprised to meet you in a place likethis. What brings you here?"
"Oh, I'm just waiting for my equipment," the Jedi replied, folding his arms behind his back as he watched the transports descend.
"Um, your equipment? But, forgive me, most of this cargo consists of experimental prototypes…" she began, but the Jedi interrupted.
"I've been informed that these littles have a lot of equipment on board that I urgently need, so I'm taking it. It will be tested at the same time."
"I see." Jasmill frowned slightly. "But why wasn't I informed? I'm responsible for all equipment testing in this sector."
"Oh? Then may I congratulate you on your promotion?"
"Come now, I can't take credit for that. It's all thanks to your report," she said with a smile.
The events of the past few weeks flashed through her mind…
***
Ever since she had received the report compiled by Jedi Vikt, things had been moving quickly. She hadn't sent the document to the company rightaway; instead, she took time to study it carefully. She was very interested in what was written there.
She spent nearly an entire day reviewing the files, then drafted her own report based on the Jedi's arguments and proposals. At first glance, they had seemed outlandish—after all, Jasmill was an engineer, and it was obvious that the Jedi lacked any formal technical education, possessing only a general sense of how things worked. But upon reflection, she realized there were kernels of truth in his observations.
After that, she sent her version to the head office on Kuat. The response came a day later: she was summoned to the company headquarters and immediately dispatched to Kuat itself.
There, her report provoked heated debate among the designers and developers. In the end, the commission decided it would be impractical to alter projects already in mass production. The only modification they agreed to implement was an upgrade to the Acclamator-class military assault ships anti-aircraft defenses. Engineers added four paired light laser cannons at the stern—two placed just behind the growth of the bridge, and two more installed above and below the "tail" section, where the hyperdrive and deflector shield generators were housed. Some auxiliarymaintenance corridors had to be removed—fortunately, they were reserve routes—but ultimately the team managed to integrate the new systems seamlessly into the ship's power network.
As for technologies still in development—therehad been no shortage of arguments. The internalsecurity service of Kuat had been particularly agitated. How could the Jedi know about theirmost classified projects?! There had never been such a breach before. Kuat was legendary for its secrecy; after all, they had managed to developthe Republic's new military equipment—especially its warships—completely under wraps. Still, noalarms were raised. The Jedi Order was their client, after all, and it would have been strange if they were not aware of the details. Nevertheless, the board of directors took the opportunity to express their displeasure to the head of Security.
That chain of events brought Jasmill face-to-face with Lira Blissex herself—a prodigiously talented designer and, quite simply, a brilliant youngwoman. At nineteen, she was every bit her father's daughter. Walex Blissex's legacy clearly lived on in her. At first glance, though, she seemed eccentric, with sharp features and a shock of provocatively bright red hair that made it hard to take her seriously.
But her intellect was staggering—beyond anything Jasmill had ever encountered. In addition, to boost her productivity, Lira had even designed and installed a cybernetic implant which replaced part of her brain. A universal connector at the base of her skull allowed her to interface directly with computer systems, dramatically streamlining her design process.
And that was precisely what she was doing: developing a new warship intended to become the main workhorse of the Republic fleet—a Venator-class Star Destroyer.
Lira had been intrigued by the Jedi's calculations, and Jasmill personally handed her the full report. Watching her work, Selanno was soon convinced she was witnessing genius. After loading herproject onto the desktop and placing Vikt's databeside it, Lira connected a cable to her implant and began to work. No explanations were needed. She instantly computed the feasibility of each suggestion and began making rapid adjustments. The ship's schematics unfolded and shifted; linesof holographic blueprints flickered by at a dizzying speed.
Blissex truly created with the power of sheer thought. New components appeared almost faster than the eye could follow. The bridges gained additional armor and a particle shield generator. A battery of a dozen rapid-fire guns lined the hangar doors, with another dozen mounted at the stern. A pair of twin medium turbolasers on the flanksdisappeared, replaced by redesigned bulkheads, and now, stretching along the side, there was a battery of twelve turbolaser cannons —twenty-four in total. Jasmil was amazed: the Venator, being a deadly machine, became even morepowerful and dangerous.
Lira, paying no attention to anyone, seemed to be in a state of ecstasy—waving her arms, rearranging diagrams and holograms, muttering incoherently:
"The resistance coefficient has increased... reduced risk of ship failure... side volley increased threefold... decreased firing capability in the bow sector... twenty-eight percent increase in energyconsumption... additional independent reactors... a sensible decision... linear engagements... installation of two linear turbolasersrecommended... fuel compartment layout... hangar division... reinforcement of holds... backup power sources..."
A few hours later, Jasmill observed the girl's work with growing enthusiasm, while Lira leaned back wearily in her chair.
"You've delivered an excellent report," Jasmill said. "It's allowed us to improve the ship's efficiency. Although I must note—most of these improvements and shortcomings should have become apparent only during combat operations. Yet no ship has even left the slipway. How did you manage that? Actually, don't answer. Jedi possess abilities that defy comprehension. It is possible that they simply saw all of this. Regardless, I'm glad my project has become even better…"
As a result, Jasmill received a generous sum of credits and a promotion to chief observer at the Twelfth Sector Headquarters. Upon returning a few days later, she threw herself into a whirlwind of activity, organizing the work of consultants and observers. Before long, she was informed that new equipment prototypes were being shipped from Kuat to Lantilles for testing—and it was hinted that a similarly detailed report would be most welcome.