After that little shitshow with Lockheed/CBM, I figured that I came out a little ahead.
Maybe not as great as it could have been if he hadn't been a complete moron, but better than nothing.
Seriously, even the System was saying it was a fuckup with it blaring in my face the fact that I was looking at greyed out aerospace designs that I couldn't access anymore. As in, even with System fuckery, I wasn't going to be able to access the aerospace in question. Which, really, was a bit of a problem.
I sighed.
It wasn't like I was planning on building anything else in the near future, but the mere fact of the matter being that I couldn't, was, well, irritating beyond all reason.
Like, being denied the possibility of something was more irritating even though I had no intention of getting near it.
Aaaaah.
Okay, no need to think about lost possibilities.
I had to sit down and calculate the economic boost that I had just received.
Signing all those economic treaties and then assisting with the transfer of technology to the other industrial concerns should help… should.
It better.
Let's see here.
I already had Defiance.
I was looking now at;
Coventry Metal Works, wanted Jumpships to sell to the LCAF.
TharHes Industries, wanted Jumpships to sell to the LCAF.
Bowie Industries, wanted Jumpships to sell to the LCAF,
Shipil Company, wanted Jumpships to sell to everyone.
Trellshire Heavy Industries, wanted Jumpships to sell to the LCAF.
Red Devil Industries, wanted Jumpships to sell to the LCAF.
Nashsan Diversified which said it would spin off a Jumpship corporation or just include it under Nashsan Shipping to transport all of their products safely.
Bountiful Delicacies wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Commonwealth-Grand Hotel Interstellar wanted to have their own luxury passenger liners.
Water Pure Industries wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Baker Pharmaceuticals wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain. Also something about refining products in zero-g.
Vickers Mining wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Doering Electronics wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Wotan Mining Systems wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Zettle Metals Incorporated wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Virtue Cartographers Unlimited wanted their own jumpships to do their surveys with.
Edasich Motors wanted to sell the jumpships to everyone.
Rastaban Agricultural wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Malthus Gambling Unlimited wanted luxury jump capable casinos.
Gienah Automotive wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Toloy Chemicals wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Longanecker Plastisteel wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Acrux Agricultural Industries wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
The Lyran Free Traders Association wanted armed jumpships that could go anywhere and trade with anyone.
Avanti Industries wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Dobless Information Services wanted their own information carriers that could carry material everywhere without relying on carriers.
Dynamics Company of Gallery wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Edasich Motors wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Gienah Automotive wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Maxell Metals Incorporated wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Meier-Star Agency wanted to have more jumpships to support their dropship liners.
Timbiqui Spirits wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Blackstone Battlemechs wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain… and selling jumpships to everyone.
Cyclops Incorporated wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Ioto Galactic Enterprises wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Mountain Wolf Battlemechs wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
New Earth Trading Company wanted to have a means of keeping all their products safe in transit while controlling their own logistics chain.
Quikscell Company wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Semier Data Tron wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Skye Pleasure Craft wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Starcorps Industries wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Tharkad Aerospace Groups wanted to sell jumpships to everyone.
Which amounted to 42 in total. 0.1 each was 4.2 multiplier.
Hmmmm.
Wow.
That was a lot.
The question had to be asked of course, why exactly were all of these people wanted to trade the right to produce jumpships?
Now, strategically, jumpships were of vital importance. If one wanted to keep the fight going on the front, you needed jumpships that could and would carry the fight forward.
That was, well, that was non-negotiable.
If one wanted to actually, successfully invade the Draconis Combine, dragging a long line of communication behind you would only invite disaster as the Combine's own fleet would seek to cut it off. The further you went, the more dangerous it would be as defenders had to be employed along the route, ensuring that the further you went, the more manpower and machinery was necessary.
A long campaign of conquest was in essence, a massive salient just begging for intervention in the most violent of senses.
So having armed jumpships with enough guns to make anyone think twice were necessary. Keeping the supplying forces safe in a convoy system where the supplying ships were themselves, the danger would be a big change. Raids could go deeper and harder than prior where what you carried was what you had.
Having increased production was necessary to meet the demands of the armed forces when this became obvious.
Having so many of these people be invested however… well, I was a little unsure as to why.
Why were all of these civilian industries buying their own jumpships?
Wouldn't having all of these manufacturers together overwhelm the market and drive down the price with excess supply?
Or, actually, why were all these civilian industries buying the blueprints and know-how to build their own jumpships?
I sigh. It doesn't make much sense really but, hey, if they wanted to sign an economic treaty with me, I was all for it.
Still, I wonder why all of them decided they wanted to lease the designs out.
+Break+
Jessica, Free Trader sat with the other industrial concerns in the room that the CFO of Utility Industries, Christine Andrews had provided for them. Nobody in the room was worried about the presence of microphones and the like, they had already signed the deal after all.
"Well then, we've all signed the deal with Graf Vu. It's time to talk about consortiums." Angelica Doons, relative of the head of the Nashsan Diversified spoke. As the largest of the corporations at the table, she naturally had the position at the head of the table.
"Nashsan's predictive divisions is clear we need to start the production of some kind of Jumpship soon." She continued, looking around the table.
Some of those in the room looked confused, others blank, some were wearing knowing smiles.
"Yes. With the economic and historical trends available to us, a war in the near future with either the Free Worlds League or the Draconic Combine is clear. Economic forecasts states that within 30 years, the Lyran Commonwealth will be looking at an economic boom, and thus another war. Given the short notice, if we wish to take part in the bounty that a war brings, we will need the ships to offer to the LCAF for shipping and materiel."
Jessica nodded along, the data that the Association had corresponded well enough on that. There were questions about exactly what was going to happen in terms of a future conflict, but they were all agreed that there was going to be one. There was, after all, a surplus in military machinery now that the Archon would need to use somewhere. It was just how these things worked.
"The first thing we need to agree upon is where to station the jumpship production lines to maintain safety." Angelica continued.
The room looked grim.
It wasn't a surprise or even a shock to know that there was a significant drop in the production of Jumpships throughout the Succession Wars. Sure there was much in the way of overt military action such as during the First Succession War that saw the vast majority of the Commonwealth's shipyards being destroyed. But, if one were to look at the information that those in charge of industry would know, well, there was a disturbing pattern of sabotage emerging. Even during the Third Succession War, there were factories, machines, tools, and so on that were infinitely more valuable as salvage, and yet, they too would be destroyed by saboteurs.
Jumpships yards suddenly suffering from a misplaced nuclear bomb.
Entire factories going dark as shipments that had been reliable started suffering from pirate attacks that were never identified. In short, it was not safe to open a production facility for anything right now unless one was well protected as Nashsan proved to be.
"Before that, I do want to know why all of you are so interested in this production. Aren't you lot worried about things going south and your investments collapsing?" One of the representatives asked.
"I would if it were not the fact that Graf Vu has given his guarantee. He will pay any excess costs as stipulated in the contract. He has made it very clear every single cost has been factored in. If production deadlines are not met because of his failures, he will pay. The man is confident. Not to mention what he has built here on Tetersen within the last year. If there is anyone in the Inner Sphere I trust to do his job, it is Graf Huu Vu." Angelica said, her voice final.
"With that in mind then, I say we do it here on Tetersen." Jessica interrupted, causing the room to turn to look at her.
"We've got Graf Vu here to assist if we need it, but, more importantly, if we build here, the aerospace factories are also present which means we're going to be safer than if we go somewhere else. I somehow doubt that Lockheed/CBM will be pen to the idea of working alongside any consortium that is purchasing Utility Industry's products." She continued.
The room nodded at that.
It was a rather glaring absence in a room dedicated to speaking about jumpships that the premier aerospace producer of the Lyran Commonwealth was absent. In fact, if she were a betting woman (which she absolutely was), she would put it onto something to do with the fact that there was some rather unsavoury behind the scenes dealings going on. There was going to be an inquest into the matter by the government, the federal government at that she was sure.
"That's a valid point. If we build it somewhere else, we are likely not going to be able to sufficiently staff it with aerospace to keep it safe. Given what Graf Vu has already done, I would expect him to be as meticulous and clear about our shared dockyard. That is, assuming, that we are going to be sharing a production facility?" Angelica asked.
Some in the room looked uncomfortable but none spoke up.
"Yes, we would be rather more protected if there were more of us in one place wouldn't we?" She said with a chuckle. "Safety in numbers and all that."
The room chuckled the chuckle of people that didn't want to let anyone else know that they were right but too embarrassed to say it.
"In that case, we're going to build on Tetersen, or above it. I think it would be prudent to ask Graf Vu to use his prodigious skills to expand his production of the R6 Eagle to outfit all of our vessels. One and a half every month is already a mighty number but entirely insufficient if we want to have a defending squadron sufficient to defend our shipyards."
The room nodded.
"What should we be producing then?" One of the others asked, looking about the room.
"From the estimates that we have from Huu and the production plans he shared with us, we are looking at what will be a production time of 6 months per DC3 Jumpship even if we don't have his skills with production. As in, we, ourselves will be able to build a DC3 in 6 months. Thus, it might be more cost effective to build them en-mass than any other design." Jessica piped up.
She didn't particularly want one professionally speaking. Not when she in particular wanted a Irrawaddy. Something that could do everything adequately. Carry a fighter compliment, slug it out with potential warships, overwhelm other forces with considerable firepower…
All the things a naval captain could ever want.
"Yes, if we want to have a major impact on the upcoming conflict and by that I mean to make money and gain contracts with the LCAF, we will need to have something off the shelf so to speak, ready to go. We should focus on the DC3 and then build as many as we can get ourselves on the radar of the LCAF." Jessica continued when the others just looked at her to elaborate.
There was a pause.
"But what about those of us that already have contracts with the LCAF, why should we be part of this? I'm not saying that we won't participate to build the DC3s on Tetersen, but why would we work together to get a contract with the LCAF?" Someone from Meier-Star spoke up, a controller of a line of dropship liners that plied the dark sea of the Commonwealth.
"Well, I can answer that." Angelica said with a smile.
Jessica turned to her with an expectant look on her face, she was talking about just selling the Jumpships to the LCAF while using the profits to buy their own Jumpships for personal use.
She wondered what Angelica would say.
"Why should we sell our Jumpships to the LCAF when we can crew them and lease them? As per the War Acts of 2780, Jumpships and Dropships can be commandeered to provide carrying capacity for troops moving about the Inner Sphere to defend the Lyran Commonwealth." The room nodded, they knew this, the annihilation of much of the Commonwealth's merchant fleet was, in simple terms, because so many had been flung across the borders at the Free Worlds League and the Draconis Combine. Only for them to never return, something that the Commonwealth had never recovered from.
"In the current year of 2992, the reality is different from the LCAF given that military production capability has dropped dramatically. Which means that the LCAF can commandeer vessels, but will usually compulsorily hire them out instead. For a higher price than a civilian lease at that due to their lack of crews for commandeered vessels."
Jessica's eyes widened.
Ah.
"I propose then, that we create a consortium that will produce Jumpships, train up the crews for them, and then ply the dark waters of the Commonwealth in number. This will allow us to, very simply, take a dominant position in the market and when we can do that…" Angelica trailed off as shark-like grins appeared on many faces.
Yes, if they had a dominant position, they could raise prices and thus, ensure the compulsory lease price would be higher.
Jessica wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but it meant higher prices so she liked that idea at the very least.
"Do we all agree?" The representatives looked around and then nodded.
"We will, of course, need to establish the rules for the Consortium, as well as sort out how we are going to get the shipbuilders onto Tetersen, and enough trainees and trainers to crew these vessels when they are done." Angelica's words led to nods all around.
Jessica settled herself in for a long negotiation. The principles were the simplest, the details made or broke any corporate negotiation.
+Break+
Total RP Turn 10 2991 + 1 Year 2 Months
36 RP 12×3 Ute Factory - 3x1.5 Regiments per Factory per Turn (108 vehicles)
24 RP 12×2 20 Ton Utility Truck Factory - 2x1.5 Regiments per Factory per Turn (108 vehicles)
32 RP 16×2 Commando 1B Factory - 2x7.5 Battlemechs per turn
24 RP 12×2 Griffin 1S Factory - Newly Built - 2×5 Battlemechs per turn
~12 RP 12×1 Eagle R6 Factory - Being Built~
~12 RP 12×1 Irrawaddy Factory - Being Built~
~12 RP 12×1 Margaret Factory - Being Built~
~12 RP 12×1 Una Factory - Being Built~
~24 RP 12×2 DC3 Factory - Being Built~
RP Bonus Calculation = 0.8 (Indytech 3) + 0.3 (Lyran Bonus) + 4.4 (Economic Treaty) = 5.6
Total RP = 116×1.2 = 139.2