🛡️ This is the Way.
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║ ⚔️ MANDALORIAN CONTRACT BOARD ⚔️ ║
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║ Objective: Launch the story into hyperspace ║
║ Reward: Extra chapters for the crew ║
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║ Review Bounties: ║
║ • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = +1 bonus chapter ║
║ • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ + ⭐⭐⭐⭐ = +1 bonus chapter ║
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║ 2–3 lines is enough: ║
║ • "I loved ___ because…" ║
║ • "Best scene so far was…" ║
║ • "My theory is…" ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Thank you for backing Max Vizsla and the ║
║ rise of Mandalore. ║
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This is the Way.
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In the first half of Galactic Standard Year 4, Cloud City and the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces developed at a breakneck pace.
By the end of last year, Cloud City's reconstruction had already been completed smoothly. The blaster cannons and turbolasers on the city's dome—destroyed during the Mandalorian assault—had all been replaced with new ones. Every emplacement, whether newly replaced or simply retained because it hadn't been damaged, was fitted with its own independent deflector-shield generator.
In January, a newly installed tibanna gas extraction-and-production line finished commissioning and entered trial operations. The three existing lines also ran at full capacity. As of today, Cloud City's average monthly tibanna output exceeded 420 million cubic meters, equivalent to 360,000 tons of liquefied tibanna gas.
In February, construction officially began on the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces Medical Center. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Max Vizsla delivered a holographic broadcast speech, promising that once the medical center was completed, it would provide free medical services to all residents of Cloud City—though Mandalorian military personnel would have priority.
In March, the New Cloud City Plan officially launched, and an engineering team from Incom arrived on Bespin to conduct preliminary surveys. The project was initially designated Cloud City Project No. 2, but after a public vote by Cloud City residents, it was renamed the Sky City Project.
Starfighter production-and-maintenance equipment purchased from MandalMotors Shipyards began arriving in Cloud City in batches, and construction of the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base commenced.
In April, the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces Medical Center officially opened and began providing medical services to both Mandalorian personnel and Cloud City residents.
Under the guidance of the expert team dispatched by Corellian Engineering Corporation, the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base began assembling overhaul facilities and production lines for both the Fang-class and the Kom'rk-class starfighters.
In May, Incom began assembling large B/I repulsorlift engines and constructing repulsorlift platforms in the habitable band of Bespin's atmosphere on the planet-facing "back side" of Cloud City. Construction of Sky City officially broke ground.
The Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base began providing repair and maintenance services for the Hawk and Screaming Eagle squadrons' starfighters—of course, under hands-on instruction from CEC's expert team.
The Mandalorian Navy brought back the First Fleet from Corellia: five heavily armed freighters—one large and four smaller—marking a major milestone in Mandalorian naval history. These five ships would undergo carrier conversions at the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base. After conversion, the First Fleet would depart to begin Operation "Retrieving the Lost."
Max Vizsla reached his 17th birthday under the Galactic Standard Calendar, and his height was closing in on 1.9 meters—if he went back, he could switch from playing point guard to a combo guard. As he grew older and his body matured, his connection to the Force also grew increasingly intimate.
Because of a lapse in operational security, news that the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base had begun operating reached Incom personnel stationed in Cloud City. Incom—normally strict about compliance and previously hesitant about selling starfighters to Cloud City—immediately cracked under the pressure and rushed approval through for Cloud City's purchase request.
At the end of the month, the newly formed "Zeal" Squadron of the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces Army Aviation received its first batch of twelve Z-95 Headhunter starfighters.
In June, Incom expedited delivery of a second batch of twelve Headhunters at the start of the month. Based on that, Army Aviation formed a second Z-95 squadron: "Zoom" Squadron.
Under CEC experts' guidance, the Bespin base's Fang-class starfighter production line successfully entered production and delivered the first two Fang fighters to the Mandalorian Armed Forces.
Then a critical issue surfaced.
"Build versus buy?" Max asked, scratching his head.
"Yes, Commander. Based on the data analysis, it really is 'build costs more than buy.'"
Pavel Kryze, Minister of Ordnance for the Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces, briefed Max:
"At present, all raw materials and components for domestically produced fighters must be imported from Corellia, which drives costs sky-high. Producing one Fang costs 370,000 credits. Meanwhile, Incom's unit price for the Headhunter is only 80,000 credits per ship."
"Damn," Max said, genuinely surprised. "That big a gap? Did Army Aviation give any input?"
"They did. Take a look here."
The Fang was far superior to the Headhunter—this was the consensus among pilots who had flown both types (including pilots from Hawk Squadron). In their view, the Fang was advanced and nimble; the Headhunter was outdated and sluggish. The gap was substantial.
The Fang had stronger combat performance but was too precise and complex, demanding higher standards from ground maintenance. The Headhunter was weaker in combat but structurally simple and easy to maintain. For the old us—and for Death Watch—the Headhunter was the more practical choice. For the current us, now that we have starfighter production and maintenance capability, the Fang is the more powerful choice—this was Hawk Squadron Commander Arthur Avord's opinion.
"The pilots believe that, assuming similar pilot skill, one Fang can comfortably beat one Headhunter; in a 1v2, it's about fifty-fifty; in a 1v3, if it doesn't commit, it still has a real chance to disengage." Pavel summarized. "The problem is: the cost to build one Fang is enough for us to buy four to five Headhunters. So it really is 'build costs more than buy.'"
"Pavel," Max said, gesturing for his Ordnance Minister to sit with him, "having cost-control awareness is a good thing. Keep it."
"This is the Way."
"But as the head of Ordnance, your horizon needs to be higher. First: if we didn't have the option to build our own fighters, Incom probably wouldn't be selling us Z-95s at 80,000 a unit. It could be 100,000—or 180,000—or 280,000. Have you thought about that?"
Without waiting for Pavel to answer, Max continued: "Second: if we don't build fighters ourselves, what do we do when war breaks out and Incom cuts off supply?"
"I'm sorry!" Pavel couldn't stay seated. He sprang up and bowed at a crisp ninety degrees. "Commander, I didn't think it through…"
"Sit. Sit." Max stood and pushed Pavel back into his chair.
Talent was rare, and harder still to cultivate. Finding an Ordnance Minister with genuine cost-control instincts among a sea of brutes was already exceptional. With Pavel, Max could only encourage him—at minimum, the room for growth was enormous.
After discussion, Max and Pavel reached a consensus: build what must be built, buy what should be bought—walk on two legs.
Max would personally take charge of cost-reduction work at the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base. Until they achieved meaningful results, Army Aviation would pivot toward purchasing the more economical Incom Z-95 Headhunter.
Naval carrier aviation, due to shipboard constraints—especially the external-rack carriage on the Gozanti-class—needed a compact airframe, so they would continue acquiring the domestically produced Fang-class starfighter.
"Ugh… great. Now I've got to go soothe the Army's bruised ego again," Max thought.
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🛡 Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
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