Founding the Foundry

Chapter 28

Founding the Foundry

They stood on the command balcony overlooking the Forge, the silent, menacing form of their first Phalanx Battle Droid a testament to their newfound power. But Zana was already looking past it, her strategic mind focused on the vast, empty assembly bays that dominated the factory floor.

"One soldier is a guard," she said, her voice echoing in the immense chamber. "A thousand is an army. But an army needs a nation to support it. It's time to build ours." She turned to face them. "The Leviathan is our priority. It will be our mobile base, our factory, and our connection to the galaxy. But a flagship is useless if we have no products to sell when it's finished. We need to look legitimate. We need a catalog."

She nodded to Kael. "I need blueprints. Modern designs. Find the open-source schematics for a popular mid-range freighter and a common fighter. Something reliable that the galaxy already trusts. We'll build it better."

Kael, understanding immediately, turned to his console and accessed the official galactic market for licensed manufacturing schematics. "I know the ones," he said. "The 'Stalwart-class' Freighter is the most common transport in the outer systems, and the 'Fury-class' Starfighter is a favorite for new PMC pilots." He brought up the licensing costs. "Full-scale production licenses are… expensive."

"Buy them," Zana said without hesitation. "We'll make it back on our first sale."

With a few keystrokes, a significant portion of their Iridium profits was converted into legal ownership of the two blueprints. The schematics were downloaded directly into the Forge's library. They officially had their first products.

"Good," Zana said. She then turned her gaze back to the vast, dormant factory floor and addressed the Forge's main console. Her voice rang with command.

"Begin full construction of vessel designation: Leviathan. Use all available resources. Maximum efficiency."

The response was immediate and overwhelming. The Forge, which they had only ever activated in a single, controlled section, roared to life in its entirety. Every massive robotic arm moved in perfect unison. Every silent assembly line glowed with power. The low hum they were used to deepened into a powerful, thrumming roar that vibrated through the very foundations of the station.

On the main holographic display in the control room, a master timer appeared, its numbers stark and clear.

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 47:59:59

The three of them stared at the timer, then at the awe-inspiring spectacle of the factory below as the first massive, molten components of the Leviathan's keel were lowered into place.

Zana turned to Jax, a new, public-facing mission in her eyes. "We have two days," she said. "While the Forge works, you and I have work to do in the real world. It's time to let the galaxy know that Aegis Foundry exists."

While the ancient Forge deep within the Stasis Station worked its silent, titanic magic, the team entered a new phase of their operation. Zana and Kael remained logged in for long stretches, managing the complex logistics of feeding the Forge and overseeing their automated mining fleets. This left Jax with his new, critical real-world mission: to build a legend.

Seated at a newly installed terminal in their cool, subterranean bunker, Jax shed the skin of the Force-sensitive explorer and became the co-founder and marketing director of a company that, until now, had existed only in their minds.

His first task was to create their brand. He spent hours designing the logo for Aegis Foundry. He started with the interlocking circles symbol from the ancient ship, simplifying it, hardening its lines until it resembled a powerful, modern, almost unbreakable shield. It was clean, professional, and held a subtle hint of their ancient, secret origins.

With the brand established, he began to craft their public face. He built a simple but sleek Holo-site, and then, with meticulous care, he drafted the series of posts that would be their grand announcement to the galaxy. He sent the drafts to Zana and Kael for approval. The reply came back instantly: Approved. Post when ready.

Jax took a deep breath and began seeding the major galactic trade and shipbuilding forums.

His first post was the official announcement:

[Official] Announcing Aegis Foundry - A New Paradigm in Starship Manufacturing.

To the galactic community: We are Aegis Foundry. We believe that quality is not a luxury, but a necessity. Utilizing revolutionary production techniques and proprietary material sciences, we are dedicated to manufacturing vessels of unparalleled durability, reliability, and performance. A new standard has arrived.

Next came the product reveal:

[Preview] The Aegis 'Stalwart Mk. II' - Reliability, Reimagined.

The freighter you trust, rebuilt from the ground up. The 'Stalwart Mk. II' from Aegis Foundry features a reinforced superstructure, master-crafted components, and a power core optimized for peak efficiency. Limited initial production run now available for pre-order. Price: 450,000 Credits.

Finally, the hook for their real prize:

[Services] Aegis Foundry - Bespoke Strategic Solutions.

For discerning clients with unique operational needs, our foundry offers private consultation for custom, high-performance vessel construction. All inquiries will be handled via secure, encrypted channels.

For the next twenty-four hours, they watched the reaction. At first, there was widespread skepticism. "Another vaporware company." "Show us a shipyard, or it's fake."

But the professional quality of their branding and the sheer confidence of their posts began to turn the tide. The price for their "Stalwart Mk. II," while high, was not outrageous for a master-crafted version, lending them credibility. Major player guilds began discussing them. Analysts from the big corporations started threads trying to deduce their origin.

The "Bespoke Solutions" post generated the most intense speculation in private channels. The promise of custom-built, high-performance ships was an irresistible lure for the wealthiest players and factions in the game.

As the forty-eight-hour construction timer for the Leviathan ticked down to its final minutes, Jax sat watching the forums explode with rumors and intrigue. He had turned them from unknowns into the galaxy's most compelling mystery. Just then, a new notification popped up on his terminal. It was a new, encrypted inquiry on the Aegis Foundry site. Their first potential high-end client.

At the exact same moment, an alert chimed from his Sleeper Pod's management system, its light turning from amber to a solid green.

Leviathan-class Mobile Foundry: Construction Complete.

The alert chimed through the bunker, a simple, clean tone that announced the completion of the most ambitious project of their lives. On his terminal, Jax saw the unread, encrypted message from their first potential high-end client, but it could wait. This moment was for them.

"It's ready," he called out.

Zana and Kael emerged from their respective sections of the bunker. There was no need for a lengthy discussion. A single, shared look of tense anticipation passed between them. In unison, the three of them settled into their Sleeper Pods, the canopies hissing shut and plunging them into the familiar transitional darkness.

They materialized together on the command balcony overlooking the Forge. The deafening, round-the-clock roar of the factory had ceased. The massive robotic arms were retracted and still, resting in a state of quiet readiness. The air hummed with a low, latent power.

And in the central assembly bay, where two days ago there had only been a single piece of a keel, their flagship rested.

It was a behemoth.

The Leviathan-class Mobile Foundry was a mountain of seamless, dark metal, easily filling the vast chamber. Its design was a breathtaking fusion of the Warden's elegant, organic aesthetic and a powerful, industrial purpose. It wasn't built for elegance like the Echo or for brutal efficiency like the Quarry. It was built to endure, to create, and to dominate any space it occupied. Massive, sealed hangar bay doors comprised a huge section of its ventral side, and the thick, reinforced hull spoke of its ability to withstand almost any threat.

And there, on its mighty prow, gleaming under the soft lights of the Forge, was their new logo: the stylized, shield-like symbol of Aegis Foundry.

Kael stared at the ship, his datapad scanning its systems. He was speechless. "The structural integrity is perfect," he finally whispered. "The power conduits are fully integrated. There's not a single flawed weld or misaligned component in the entire vessel. The Forge's craftsmanship is… absolute."

Jax didn't need a scanner. He could feel the ship through the Force. It was a presence far deeper and more complex than even the Quarry. It was a sleeping city, a quiet continent of potential, its massive Nexus Core humming a deep, resonant note that promised incredible power.

Zana stood between them, her gaze sweeping over every line of their creation. This was the culmination of everything—the crash, the discoveries, the risks, the real-world fortune they had gambled. It was all here, forged into this single, magnificent vessel. A look of profound, triumphant vindication settled on her face.

She turned to her team, the founders of the galaxy's newest and most secret industrial power.

"The Foundry is built," she said, her voice quiet but ringing with absolute confidence. "Our brand is live. Our flagship is ready."

A sharp, dangerous smile touched her lips.

"It's time to open for business."