“So, you’re saying that not only do you have the fastest ships in the Galaxy, you also have the technology to let them unload shuttles the instant they arrive, without the half-hour waiting times every time they enter and exit a cargo bay?” Commander Arnold asked.”

“That’s right. We can also keep a double barrier up, so we don’t need to worry about pressure loss, and you don’t need to evacuate the bay every time you need to move a vessel around for loading. It’s a real time saver.” Max agreed.

“That bit of technology alone would be enough for some of our traders to join your group. To think of all the contraband that could be moved if you could have a turnaround time of under a minute without worrying about damaging the cargo.” One of the other Captains sighed.

“You know, if you do it right, you don’t even need to enter. The gravity beam can pull the container out of the hold as you pass by, and as long as the crate can hold up to vacuum and hold temperature for a few seconds, it’s not a problem for it to move between vessels.” Nico pointed out.

That got the attention of every smuggler among the Mercenaries. They had often thought of it, but it simply wasn’t technologically feasible to do it when they needed to remove the atmosphere and evacuate both bays.

The shielding around the bay doors wasn’t unheard of, but it wasn’t exactly common either. Very few Kepler vessels had similar technology, mostly due to the fact that the hull temperatures and hot exposed engine parts would affect the atmospheric temperature so severely that it was more efficient to remove it entirely.

“It’s a small invention that makes life better, but it is standard on all of the new vessels that the Reaver Shipyards are producing. Between the speed, the unique hull designs, optimized for maximum rear cargo space, and the added features, like on-board hydroponic supply systems for the Replicators, and the docking system, the Reavers are hoping that their designs will stand out as a sign of excellence in shipbuilding.

They might not have many customers yet, but once the Galaxy starts to learn where the new vessels are coming from, it should really help their reputation. You know that a lot of nations view the Reavers in an unfavorable way, but we’re hoping to change all that in the near future.”

Nico’s spaceship salesman spiel made a few of the Captains chuckle, but after having experienced the pure luxury and capabilities of the new vessel, as well as the hangar bay of Terminus, the laughter was all good-natured.

“What about a retrofit? For a lot of us, these ships are our homes. Not just for a few years but for generations. Many of the bunks in my ship have gone through eight generations of Mercenaries now, with dozens of names scrawled on the wall, reminding the future generations that they were here.” Commander Arnold asked.

That turned the mood much more serious. The Commander had a point. As cool as a new, Warp 10 capable ship would be, for the longstanding Mercenary Companies, the main battleships were every bit as entrenched in their identity as any hometown could be.

“We can sell you the Replicators, the Materials Printers, and the hangar bay door upgrades right now, and your own technicians can install and calibrate them, but Terminus doesn’t have enough staff to do more than a few full Warp Drive retrofits.

We could open a portal for you to Rae 5, where they could do a Warp Drive upgrade, bringing your main ships up to Warp 4 or Warp 5 capabilities, depending on the design and condition of the hull itself. That would at least put you on an even footing with the major militaries of the Galaxy when it comes to ship speed, and then you can add the Cutters to the fleet when you are ready to purchase fast Merchant Ships.” Max informed him.

“So it is possible to keep these vessels up to standard. That is a good thing for the Death Wind Territory.” He agreed, accompanied by many words of agreement from the lesser Captains.

“With enough resources, anything is possible,” Nico added.

“Anything is possible, you say? Like our own Shipyard, with design schematics to make those new Cutters that the Reavers are selling?” Commander Arnold asked with a sly wink.

Nico returned his wink with a smirk of her own. “Anything. But the price won’t be cheap, and you would have to fight the border nations to be able to complete it right now.

However, if you wait even one year while we finish the negotiations, I think that the Reaver Captains might be able to work you a much better deal than they could today.”

“Bah, they only leave us alone out here in the Death Wind Territory because the stars here are strange anyhow. There are too many base elements missing from our Star Systems to be able to make ships without importing resources even if we had the plans.” One of the Captains complained.

“But once we begin working the trade routes with high-speed Cutters, courtesy of the Reavers, we will be able to trade for what we don’t have. Given enough time, we could do it.” Another Captain pointed out.

“And that brings us back to what Tarith Rage said to start with. It’s possible if we have enough resources. Which means it’s probably not worth it.” Commander Arnold sighed.

“Every region of the galaxy has its own specialties, based on the resources they have available to them in abundance. As the Reavers learned when they tried to colonize a planet of their own, skilled workers are a vital resource too, and they can be harder to find than any rare element.” Max comforted the big man.

“Isn’t that the truth? Finding a skilled technician to run the Materials Printers and install the Replicators is going to be hard enough for most of us. I hope they come with a warranty and an instruction manual.” One of the Captains laughed.

That was a good sign. They weren’t considering whether to join anymore but what to do with the resources they were going to get after they did. The mental resistance to change was often the hardest part of the negotiations to get through, and they had just glided right past it.