[center]A Requiem for a Dream
Part the First[/center]

[i]Below the surface of an unidentified ocean-world in GRM space...[/i]

The conveyor moved at a slow pace, the depths of the ocean above his head ebbing with unseen currents as various species of animal life swam about ignorant of what transpired right before them. To either side of him stood members of the research teams, these two being Mon Calamari settlers who had joined into the Republic nearly ten years ago. Their loyalty was solid as far as he was concerned, and if there were any doubts, this facility would be the undoing of such thoughts. For eight years he had watched the construction of this endeavor, and for that time he had kept the costs hidden from the others of his Republic, choosing to take the route of "Better to ask forgiveness than permission.". This was all despite his position within the Republic, in that he still had to maintain order and justify his spending of capital. Such spending that regardless of its validity, would not have flown with the likes of the Tarisian League on overwatch. Before him, the facility began to loom from the depths, sprawling swathes of fabricator arrays and scaffolding attached to the sides of the monolithic construction. In many areas the scaffolding and fabricator arrays were being pulled away, the smooth face of the facility exposed to the ocean's waters fully.

A tap at his shoulder indicated that it was time to equip the breathing equipment, for the rest of the journey would be underwater. Attaching the respirator tubes to his mask, the Paladin engaged the oxygen tanks just as the airlock was cycled and the trio departed from the facility. From their new vantage, he could look fully upon the facility, admiring its wedge shaped design and the smooth sweeping flanks concealing deadly defenses. Beneath many of the panels below him were state of the art turbolaser emplacements, constructed to exacting standards and ensured of their performance under the most intense environments. Truly this facility would serve him well, and the more he looked upon the work the more he was enamored with it. It was truly a shame that he would never be able to command it from within, cursed to be an observer of its might. With time they found themselves entering a large open space in the side of the facility, a space that would otherwise be considered a hangar bay for starships were it not submerged under several hundred meters of ocean water. Once within, they found themselves confronted with a completely submerged complex of corridors, the lighting sufficient enough to light the darkness of the depths and show them the way to their destination.

All around them in the facility, clones swam about unaided by equipment, these ones having been created specifically for an underwater environment. The farther in they went, the more the facility seemed starship like in design, with sprawling corridors built in decks and bulkhead doors at numerous intersections. With the surface above being cleared of traveling vessels, and the attached structures of the facility being detached, it seemed very likely that the facility was a starship, albeit of massive size. The Paladin chuckled to himself as he thought of the project, and what it would mean for the GRM. For this facility to fulfill his expectations, would mean that the GRM would have in its hands a significant asset to use as leverage in the growing conflict surrounding them. He found himself in a circular room, presented with a pair of Mon Calamari and one of the Clone commanders, each of them uniformed in standard GRM Navy dress with the insignia of the old Mandalorian clans across the breast and the phrase "SGRN - Paladin" above the emblem. They came to attention in his presence, the salute rather awkward in the present environment, but he returned it with pride, eager to see to it that the facility be put to use.

"Mand'alor, we are ready at your command." The Clone spoke via sub-vocal implants in his throat, the speech translated directly into short-range comms which fed into the Paladin's helmet. He gave a nod and the commander input a series of commands into the computer panels in front of him, their displays lighting up at his touch and relaying his orders across the breadth of the facility. Deep within the facility, the main reactors fired up with the fury of an awakened deity, their power filling the ship with life and causing a slow tremor to build in the aft of the vessel. A slow and rolling groan filled the facility as the tremors built up to a crescendo and then ceased, a sudden calm filling the facility. Across the viewport in front of him, the Paladin watched as the floor of the ocean gave way and seemed to drop even further into the depths, a sight which was both terrifying and thrilling for him to view. Dozens of reports flooded into the room as stations across the facility reported all-clear and the view began to lighten ever gradually. Finally, just as the final systems report came in, the viewport suddenly gave way to a vista of clear and open ocean all the way to the horizon. Despite his misgivings, the facility had managed to surface without trouble, and now was ready for the final stage of its journey.

Departing the bridge of the facility, the Paladin made his way to the now open-air bays of before to find a shuttle parked for him. Releasing the respirator tubes and returning his helm to normal filters, he breathed in the smell of freshly oxidized durasteel and the faint odor of chemical additives to the liquid filling the corridors he left behind. A few more steps brought him to the shuttle and not long afterwards he was in orbit watching as the massive engines at the rear of the 15 kilometer vessel ignited and lifted the vessel from the ocean's surface in a wave of energy. Within moments it was in orbit and gearing up for rendezvous with its attendant fleet at the Borkeen OCDC, and from there it would truly undertake its maiden voyage. For now, though, the Paladin had just witnessed the launch of a new type of vessel for the Grand Republic, a starship capable of holding the line against varied threats and deny the enemy. The SGRN-Paladin was merely the first of a new generation, and it would see the stars united in peace once more under the guidance of the Republic.

[hider=Action Summary]
The GRM has just launched the SGRN-Paladin, the first vessel of the Paladin Class Super Star Destroyer, and unique in it's utilization of advanced shipbuilding techniques. The vessel is noted for its absence of artificial gravity generators, as well as the lack of actual air on board the ship, as the vessel's corridors are completely submerged in a liquid treated to resist flash-freezing as well as respond to specifically tuned electrical and magnetic fields to alter the density of corridors along the outer decks. The vessel is also entirely crewed by clones created specifically to live and work in an aquatic environment, in a way making the vessel more difficult to operate, but would cut costs in the long-run. Already the next vessel is being put in development, and could be as little as five years before a second vessel joins the Paladin, though whether it will showcase the same liquid-dynamics of the first remain to be seen.[/hider]