WotH Chpt 9

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 9 ==
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===Juggling Needs with the Costs===
May 9th, 3008 - Beloria system, Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories
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"Alright people, we've had time to lay our dead to rest and you've each had time to come up with plans for the massive hunk of junk that we limped back home. Now, I need ideas, before I just strip the thing for parts and use the funds and parts to bring the rest of our dropships up to speed."
 
"We've got a few options," Sheppard stepped forward. "I took the liberty of compiling all of our plans into one big proposal so we weren't here all day."
 
"Good," I said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Death by PowerPoint isn't something that I wish on anyone." 
 
"Option one," Sheppard gestured for a junior officer at the meeting to pass out the related paperwork. "We keep the thing and eventually pay for refits to use it as a mobile logistics base. We can cut some costs by using the Argo's machine shops to produce factory components and basically have a mobile supply of spare parts wherever we go."
 
"I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop." I said as I stared at the paperwork. 
 
"It's going to cost a lot of credits," Peterson said from where he looked at the numbers. "As in, I looked up the cost of commissioning a brand new ship from the famed Kuati Drive yards or the closer Sullust, and it was only marginally cheaper to refit it this way."
 
"Damn." I whistled. "So, we're going to put these in two piles, plausible, and implausible."
 
"Which one does this fit into?" Paige asked as she took a sip of her coffee. 
 
"I haven't decided yet, so let's move on to option two," I replied.
 
"Option two is that we park the Lucrehulk in the asteroid belt, strip the engines, and hyperdrive, and then use it as a factory and training ground as well as mining base," Sheppard said. "The costs are still pretty high, but we can avoid most of those costs by stretching them out and using the Argo's machine shops to start production on slightly smaller machine shops, then by using what materials are in the belt to boost production of things we're going to need. Such as small arms and all the way up to the big stuff like PPCs and lasers." Sheppard paused to allow us to catch up. "With the amount of space onboard a Lucrehulk, we can strip out entire sections and use them for training purposes, and with two hangers, we can even set aside one portion of the ship for just production."
"Alright, I like that idea, let's mark it down in the plausible section," I said as I set that set of papers down. "How many more of these do we have?"
 
"Well, considering you asked everyone who was E-3 or higher to submit potential uses," Sheppard glanced down. "We've got about a dozen more of these proposals to go through. And this is after I had the people down in admin shrink the ideas that were similar down into single proposals."
 
"Alright then," I sighed. "Paige, you got more of that coffee?"
 
"Yeah boss, you want some?" 
 
"Just go make another pot, we're going to be here for a while." I said to laughter all around. 
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===Narrowing down the Options===
A few hours later…
"So it's settled then?" I asked, looking around the room.
 
"Yeah, option two mixed with a bit of five is our best bet." Sheppard summed up all of our thoughts. 
 
"Then I guess we draw everything up and get word to the engineers," I said with a groan as I stood up. "But first, we're all going to get some rest, these kinds of meetings always somewhat suck the life out of you."
 
"Want me to let Kaylee know her Leviathan is getting an upgrade?" Paige asked before I left.
 
"Sure," I shrugged. "Might as well let her know that she's getting the first real modifications for any of our jumpships."
 
"Now it's your turn to do the paperwork," Sheppard tosses a stack of paper on my desk before leaving. "All of these are forms we have to fill out before we bring the Whirlwind in for the refits we want."
 
"Well shit," I muttered as I looked at it. "Looks like you're going to have to go pirate hunting to pay for some of the trees we're cutting down."
 
"Nah, we're selling the Consular class cruiser and the starfighters and goods we found on the Lucrehulk to pay for all of this," Sheppard snarked. "But I'm joking, the admin team took care of most of the hard work, and shrunk the paperwork down to something that we can do on one of the fancy datapads that the locals use."
 
"That's a relief," I sighed as I imagined my hand cramping from actually filling out the paperwork by hand. "Now get out of my office unless you want to help with this part of the work." 
 
"I'm gone," Sheppard laughed. "Don't work for too long, we've still got to check in on the locals that decided to join and see how their training is going."
 
"I still don't know how they managed to get the Neurohelmets to work with those damned headtails and Lekku in the way," I muttered. 
 
"Beats me," Sheppard shrugged. "But I'm not paid for that sort of thing."
 
"Fair enough," I shrugged. "I'll see you at the officer's barbecue in a few days."
 
"We'll be there," Sheppard said with a laugh. "Just make sure to keep the grill running well until I get there to make sure everything's working properly. 
 
"I'll have you know that those hamburgers were just fine until someone decided to throw away my old-fashioned charcoal grill," I balled up a piece of paper to throw at the smug bastard. 
 
"Hey, we've all got to upgrade sometime old man," Sheppard laughed at my snarl. 
"Just get out of here and go bother someone else," I threw the piece of paper at my laughing executive officer. "Unlike some XOs, I have actual work to do."
 
"Have fun, Colonel." Sheppard closed the door behind him as he laughed his way out of the building.
 
"Sometimes I don't like my staff," I looked at the proposals that we had sorted through and how we had narrowed them down. "And then I remember that I'm the one that chose them."
 
"Need some help, sir?" Dunham asked, the massive man poking his head through the door. "I saw Sheppard walking out with that smirk of his."
 
"Nah," I shook my head with a wry grin. "I've got the man handled. As you were, lieutenant."
"See ya, Colonel," Dunham said with a small wave. "Enjoy the paperwork."
"I'm gonna bury them in paperwork if they don't stop bothering me about it soon," I said as I began going through everything. "Mark my words, vengeance is coming for you all."
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Chapter 9