The Past, Rewired

[thisDerius]

"If all of this goes well," Derius began, voice heavy with resolve, "we just might get the chance to make Zoner bases a safer place for everyone." He leaned back slightly, arms folding across his chest as the weight of his thoughts lingered. "With the Deterance knocking on your doors, we don't have much time to sit around and hope it goes away."

He paused, his tone sharpening. "We rely too much on outside forces. The Order, the Houses, even the occasional favors from mercenaries. That’s no longer sustainable. I think it’s time we take matters into our own hands."

With a subtle flick of his wrist, a soft hum filled the room as a holographic projection sprang to life from his left palm. Rotating slowly above the console was the blueprint of a warship - sleek, imposing, and distinctly modernized. Derius stepped forward, gesturing toward the model.

"This is Alexandria. Not the original... not the Osiris knock-off from two decades ago. This is the rebuilt version. A next-generation dreadnought, designed not just for survival - but for control."

The ship model hovered in the air, revealing its complex framework. The central hull was reinforced with layered composite armor, curved slightly with Zoner aesthetic minimalism, while its underside showed the distinct presence of an internalized jump drive coil. Twin nacelles housed retractable cloaking emitters, and a heavily shielded command core rested in the central spinal ridge of the vessel. Six broad engine arrays flanked the rear, angled for superior mobility even at its size. Along the dorsal section, high-energy turrets and point defense grids were positioned strategically to create a 360-degree fire curtain.

"The design was rebuilt from the original files of the Alexandria-class battleship that once sailed under the Order. This version? She's equipped with modular railgun emplacements, radiation shielding to withstand deep Nomad systems, a full stealth package, and automated drone support bays for real-time defense and recon. And yes," he added with a small smirk, "a proper cloaking device that won’t fry the ship if someone sneezes too hard near the control panel."

He let the model rotate once more, giving Donagan a full view of the ship’s profile. “The jumpdrive’s compact, thanks to Zoner tech, and the shield arrays were based on a Core prototype I... borrowed. It won’t win every war alone, but it will keep a Freeport from turning into a smoking crater while help is still lightyears away.”

Derius looked Donagan square in the eyes now, tone quieting. "I want to do this for the sake of mankind. What sane part is left of it, anyway." He tapped the projection gently. "If we build this, we don’t just survive - we remind Sirius that Zoners aren't just drifters in patched-up freighters. We endure."