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Feb 27th, 2384
FROM: Pedro Benitez, Senior VP for Luxury Craft
TO: IndústriaGlobo Shipyard Management; Guangdong, China
RE: The Starwind 9000 Personal Yacht
Ladies & Gentlemen, I have just been informed that the Empire will be militarizing our entire line of Starwind 9000 luxury personal yachts, beginning next week. This will result in zero job losses or diminishment of work-hours, but will mean an intensive 4-week period of re-tooling and re-training for your factory staff.
As you're no doubt aware from the news, recent events with this race called the "Continuum of Makers" has prompted an increased level of military readiness. The Empire has requested, and IndústriaGlobo has agreed, to the weaponization of our luxury yacht line into small scout ships for the Armada. As you can see from the attached specs, this re-purposing will most notably mean the retrofitting and addition of a Class 4 Cruz-drive ring to the ship, along with new hull plating, ship-to-ship weapons, and forward scanner arrays.
The Empire's Advanced Weapons department has already modified three Starwinds, now re-christened as the Rio Claro, the Machito, and the Caballito, and will be flying them to Guangdong tomorrow for your review. In addition, 7 engineers from La Familia will be joining your staff to coordinate the Drive's implementation.
I know this is not news you wanted to hear. It is certainly not news I wanted to hear. But I have been personally assured by the Emperor's majordomo that this is a temporary measure, and will last only for the duration of these skirmishes with the Continuum.
Yours,
Pedro Benitez