Valkian names to remember:
Explorer - Heavy Dreadnought, seven only, four swarmer missile turrets, two particle cannons, Sentients’ Bane, heaviest armor known to the known galaxy
Varren Warcruiser- Medium-Heavy Dreadnought, two swarmer missile turrets, 20 dual rail turrets

-vau - clan name of the Vau clan, an agriculturally based clan, lay claim to two planets
-vaun - clan name of the Vaun clan, a militarily and technologically based clan, lay claim to four planets
-rau - clan name of the Rau clan, a heavily militarized sect of more troublesome Valkians, lay claim to one planet
-raun - clan name of the Raun clan, a scientifically and technologically based clan, that focuses on self-independence, lay claim to the asteroid belt and one planet

[b]Valkian Coreworld Research Facility[/b]
Three Tinkerers stood in a large bay, chunks of the Draconian ship littered about the edges and several more important looking pieces sitting in the middle of the expansive room. All others that were watching or assisting were currently protected behind lead-titanium-carbon alloy-layer plate armor. The three Tinkerers were the head of foreign research and development- a new department specifically organized for the research of alien artifacts or technology. 

The pieces in front of them was a very small piece of a Draconian Power Core, a blackened half of the Crippler Laser System, where one can see where the containment chamber had ruptured and blown out the side and rear, a sparking and snapping Draconian shield generator, and a variety of different salvaged vessels- from a couple drones, to a small fighter and a larger shuttle, and several rounds belonging to the captured Draconian cruiser. They had a variety of power generators, tools, makeshift adapters, and protective gear to assist them in surviving the testing and breaking apart of the Draconian technological items.

They wordlessly moved to the shield generator, the most damaged but operational item. It was already hooked up to the generator- at the moment, it appeared that the generator was only producing a fraction of the energy required to run the shield generator, and it became obvious that the invaders had little care for efficiency, but rather just using massive amounts of energy. It seemed they were arrogant in that way. They pulled off pieces with tools modeled after the bolts and screws in the machine, and used plasma cutters to get through anything that was sealed shut. Several times, an item sparked or even tore itself apart. The only real danger that had happened throughout the deconstruction of the machine, and its careful documentation, was when they reached the core of the machine that transferred the energy into what was used to form the energy shields. This bursted through the yet-untouched 'portal' that sent it out and helped form a bubble around the ship. The result was a Valkian on the other side, pulling it apart from that side, getting a full blast of the shield. He flew back, crashed into the ground, and groaned, having had his leg broken on a piece that he had put down some distance behind him. 

After replacing him with two more Tinkerers to help speed up the process, they finished. They had taken apart the entire thing, and passed on the gained data to the analysts, so that they could fill in gaps and figure out how it worked. From there, they called in several Engineers, and got to work on the fighters and drones. They were completely foreign, as a concept. With what they began to learn about them, they soon figured out that building such craft would be very easy- true, they could even convert construction drones to be some kind of combat drone.

And then it came to one of them. [i]Hey![/i] he thought, [i]I've got an idea![/i]

[b]Council Chamber, the Valkian Homeworld[/b]
"Are we seriously debating on constructing new ships? The Explorers will be enough! We have a small enough territory, and everything we have is already industrialized and claimed! No one will want to attack us, especially because of our defenses. We are safe in our system; no need for the construction of a warfleet, or, may She forgive, new ships for new, weaponized alien technologies!"
The speaker, an unusually tall Tinkerer by the name of Henrau, pronouced hen-raw, was from the innermost planet of the system, closest to Valeu, the system's sun. He was one of the ones whose ancestors dated back to the original Councilmembers who had originally decided on the construction of the Explorers- ships to appear like nothing more than heavily armored scoutships, complete with highly advanced scanning and communication technology, but seemingly devoid of any kind of weapons. Very similar to his ancestor, both of them had been highly against any kind of military moves. Wise, perhaps, but not in a hostile world.

"And we have already lost a Varren, and we have yet to see even a real fleet. What if they came to one of our planets, in force? We may fight them off if its a Coreworld, but it takes upwards of three weeks to evacuate the lighter-populated planets, and upwards of two months for a Coreworld. We need a team that can respond to any threat, and counter attack it if need be. And if we're going to be taking the Nouvellians underwing, then we need the extra firepower to cover both systems." This next speaker was of the outermost Coreworld, being named Calvau, having recently reached the status in the past three planetary cycles, known to humans as 'years.' He was the newest and youngest of the group, but the most ambitious.

"We all know that while the ship Commander acted without discussing us, we could use this alliance. They may be a technologically primitive civilization, at least in comparison to us, but they could be useful allies, even if we just use them to keep our own from getting killed. At best, they may be a race with faster reproduction, and if we're closely knit allies..." He gestured vaguely. "The production facilities we set up before hand will be a large investment, especially so if we're making larger facilities, but they can fill them and work them faster than we can. Think of the future, not the present." Calvau leaned back in his chair as several of his political allies spoke out their agreement. 

The third major speaker, as there were three that mainly spoke out and gathered allies, nodded his consent, saying, "We need a larger fleet if we want to both patrol and control the Nouvellian system, and even more so if we want to ensure the safety of our own. Already, the Commander at Novelle spoke of a possible threat, a species with some kind of internal well of power. And, the Commodore in charge of the ship attached a file of their ship. Apparently, someone didn't like them and blew the ship apart. A nation with enemies, it seems. It stranded its diplomats on the ground, but shortly, far too shortly, another fleet bearing resemblance to their own apparently appeared, and immediately launched an attack at a remote spot on the surface. They're already taking their battles to Nouvelle- if we have had one of our own promise protection, then it would not do to reject it here. Do I have your consent to continue?"

This third speaker, named Salvaun, waited for Henrau to speak. After several silent moments, filled only with the tension being wrought by the glaring Henrau, Salvaun continued. "My designers have already finished designed a military drone ship. We took technology designed for use in construction drones, technology modeled after the type used in the alien fighters, and the systems used in Swarmer missile systems. A single drone will not be able to do very much damage at all- it has about the same firepower as one of my Enforcers. However, combined with up to two hundred other drones, which is the amount that a single droneship is predicted to hold, the drones will create a network with all friendly drones and starships. These drones will be able to do anything from repairing one of our ships' minor damage or seal major damage spots, which we know can happen to even our best, to act as a shield by intercepting enemy ordnance. Their primary purpose is that of combat- each will be armed with sixteen Swarmer missiles, and a plasma cannon. They bear next to no armor, just enough to protect them from debris, radiation, or otherwise. If the rest of the clans agree, we can mass produce these drones far faster than droneships, giving us the ability to rapidly deploy drones from droneships or any converted freighter or passenger ship. Questions?"

Immediately, the most troublesome of political group leaders spoke up. “Sal of the Vaun clan, I say this is preposterous. You expect the rest of us to simply just go with whatever you think up, as if our opinions matter not! You arrogant-” At this, Henrau is interrupted by Calvau and several supporters of both. “You speak as if he did it all himself- no, rather we have all pitched in, some more than most! He has headed the project for some time now, and this is the first opportunity!

“Really, if you think he would do such a thing without consulting anyone, you are the foolish one! He has already gained support of myself and my supporters, and a few of yours, too! This isn’t a hindrance to our people- this’ll push us forward without risking our necks. The entire crew of the Kindhru Varren Starship that was destroyed out in the third discovered star system was of mixed clan- we all had people on that ship, save for your own. If you would like to protest, you may do so, but you shall not declare the like here. None of us will- Salvaun made it obvious enough what he was up to when he approached many of us in the open to speak with us.”

The clan leader of the militarized sect steamed over being cut off and interrupted, and Salvaun nodded his thanks to the young Calvau. Salvaun, being older than the rest of the Valkians arrayed around the table, took a moment to regard Henrau. After another moment, he said, “I will place a vote to remove all Rau clanmembers from the crews of the Explorers, and to exclude them from the selection of crews for the new droneships. All for, raise your hand.” Nine of the fourteen hands went up, and he added his own. “All opposed, raise your hand.” The ten went down, replaced by two from Henrau and his closest associate. Surprised, he said, “All abstaining, raise your hand.” The last two hands went up, closer members of Henrau.

Apparently, the troublemaker’s base has weakened much more than known. An interesting revelation- that was why he was quick to lash out. Salvaun spoke, “Rau clan, your members are going to be reassigned to any new Varren warships that are built, or to any freighters or put in the reserves until needed again.” One of the lesser-known Clan members raises his hand, and says, “Move to dismiss.” “All for being dismissed, raise your hand.” All fourteen hands went up, some more reluctantly than others.

“Dismissed of the Council until exactly one suncycle from now unless otherwise needed. Have a good cycle, and let the Great Mother bless us all.”