Lt. JG Jona ch'Ranni - A Visit to the Shipyard (Losaria)

[Jona ch'Ranni]

((Royal Shipyards, Losaria))
((Time Index: Several days after arriving at Losaria))

::The light of blue energy particles played about the transporter chamber as Jona's body reassembled on the pad. When the process was complete, he stepped from the raised platform and walked toward the Grand Receiving Room to meet the Minister of Shipworks. There was a youthful spring in the eager chen's step and his antennae bobbed in anticipation of the facility tour he was about to embark on.::

Gorret:: You must be Lieutenant ch'Ranni. I'm Minister Flarium Gorret. It is a pleasure to meet you.

ch'Ranni: Thank you, minister. I appreciate this opportunity to observe your operations here. Quite the impressive facility.

::Jona took a long look around him. The enormous building stretched for several kilometers in each direction with the ceiling far out of reach hundreds of feet above. Sections of the roof appeared to be retractable, but were closed at the moment, keeping the wind and snow at bay.::

Gorret: ::he beamed:: Thank you. We are quite proud of our shipbuilding operations here. Shall we begin?

ch'Ranni: Please. Lead on.

::The duo walked slowly toward one of the staging areas where a cruiser of the same design as Commander Marayn's Illrith was in the process of being assembled. Stablizing struts kept the ship firmly in place while gangways crisscrossed around the outside of the ship, allowing the workers access to different spots of the outer hull.::

Gorret: This is one of our newest cruisers, the Nahalon-class. In the past few years it has become the workhorse of our fleet. We are scheduled to complete twenty units this year alone.

ch'Ranni: Impressive. And quite beautiful. I love the arching lines of the ship.

::The minister seemed quite pleased at the Andorian's compliment.::

Gorret: Ah. I was part of the team that design this model. If a ship isn't worth looking at it's not worth flying. Come look over here.

::The two blue-skinned men, walked up one of the walkways that led to an outer hatch in the primary hull. Stopping at the entrance, the administrator pointed to the metallic plating that made the outermost layer of ship skin.::

Gorret: Trivellium composite plates. 12 gricks thick. 12 gricks! And her stardrive is the most powerful in the fleet to date. Top speed of one light year in 5 hours.

::Jona regarded the half-completed ship with admiration.::

ch'Ranni: So let me ask you this. Why construct on the planet's surface instead of in orbit?

Gorret: Good question. There has been some push to move our operations to an orbital facility. However, Losarians don't tolerate zero-gravity well. There's a sizable Kavolian population and even some Sopressian workers that could assist in the work but the majority of our crew remains Losarian. Besides, there are some parts of the construction process that are just easier logistically in a gravity environment. Not to mention the cost of transporting all materials to orbit.

::Jona nodded as the minister spoke. He reached out and touched the smooth brown hull of the ship and ran his hand down a riveted seam.::

ch'Ranni: I do appreciate you taking the time with this tour. I'm the helmsman on our ship and I can't get enough of all this. I feel that we can learn a lot about a species by the design of their starships. Their sensibilities, their priorities, how they think.

Gorret: So, you're a pilot? Well, come back down here. There's a shuttle I simply must show you. I'll even let you try the controls out.

ch'Ranni: That would be amazing! Show me, Minister Gorret. 

Gorret: Certainly. And call me Flarium. 

::The two nerdy ship enthusiasts trotted back down the walkway to check out the smaller craft. A twinkle of excitement flashed in Jona's eyes, knowing he had found a kindred spirit.::

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Lt. JG Jona ch'Ranni

Helm Officer

USS Columbia (NCC-85279)

C239510JC0