Argent Aerodynamics Amalgamated INC

General

Argent Aerodynamics Amalgamated Inc, or AAAI is a company co owned by Mic Turner (deceased) and Meredith Argent. It is an advanced space flight research centre that controls the New Rossyth Shipyards (NRS). The company shipyards are the largest commercial shipyards in known space and due to the engineering skill and ingenuity of its personnel, have produced some of the greatest starships humanity has ever seen, such as the Turner's Quest

History

When the Alioth System decided to rise up against both the Federation and Empire, it had no navy, nor the means to build one. Meredith Argent and Mic Turner banded together and came up with the brilliant idea of retro fitting Long Range Cruisers into battleships instead of building a brand new navy. The people of Alioth volunteered their time and their own ships for the cause and AAAI was formed to manufacture the new Alliance Navy.

After the Insurrection, AAAI turned to commerical research. It quickly grew in size and stature as engnieering genius from across the galaxy joined their ranks, thanks to the less strict commerical controls of the Alliance. Over the next twenty years, several innovative and aesthetically radical ships entered the market.

These ships, although different, were still copying the same formulas used over the last 300 years. Argent and Turner were explorers by nature. They looked to the future, beyond the frontier of inhabited space and knew they needed to do something radical, something completely different, to kick start humanity again.

Turner Class

And so the pair began working on the Turner Class starship. Their main focus was the hyperdrive, the most limiting factor for long travel in any starship and the manoeuvering thrusters. Two years of design saw the first Class IV Military drive not made in the military. The drives range was over ninety lightyears when equipped to the Turner Class starship, with a size comparable to the Puma Clipper. Graceful lines, adrenaline spiking engines and an interesting fish tail, the Turner Class starship was something never seen before in human space. Four were produced: The Turner's Quest, the Argent's Quest and two others for friends of the co owners. Mic Turner went on the first proper flight. He headed for the northern frontier for the Pleione cluster.

INRA intervention

(Note: Spoilers)

Unfortunately, INRA, the Inter Galactic Navy Reserve Arm, had secrets beyond the northern frontier, namely how they won the war against the Thargoids. These were secrets they were prepared to kill to protect, which they did, destroying the Turners' Quest. When Mic Turner didn't make contact with AAAI, Jo Merion was send to find out what happened. She recovered his Stowmaster Capsule but was then apprehended by INRA forces. She was eventually released without the capsule and given accolades with both major governments.

Undetered, and worried for her friend, Meredith Argent hired a commander to fly the Argent's Quest to the last known location of the Turner's Quest. the pilot found the wrecked ship, including its black box and a wounded Thargoid ship. returning to AAAI, the data was replayed and the commander sent to Polaris where there was reference to another unknown entity. The Argent's Quest docked with the entity and appeared in a system over 600 light years away - the Thargoid home planet. There, the commander learned that INRA developed a virus to destroy the Thargoid's organic hyperdrives. The Argent's Quest returned to human space to find the antidote. He returned to the Thargoid Homeworld with the antidote, allowing the Thargoids to travel again. In thanks they built a Thargoid warship for the commander, who flew home to accolades in the Alliance, but criminal charges in both the major powers, both of which are linked to INRA

The Next 50 years

With the age of Communication upon humanity, AAAI continued their role in Thargoid relations. The New Rossyth Shipyards continued to build more advanced ships as technology developed.

At the beginning of the 33rd century, AAAI's profits began to decrease. A new department was established to design and engineer new weaponry, though it was mostly experimental, so kept from the public eye. While the Federation developed a Huge Plasma Accelerator, AAAI looked into the potential of a Nano Plasma Accelerator.

Nano Plasma Accelerator

The weapon underwent several modifications, trials and upgrades, improving the power, while reducing the weight and volume. In 3309, a prototype of the Beta version was produced and fitted to a Saker Mk III. It was to undergo testing when Vasquith de Havilland, an ex-employee who had a lead role in the weapons design until he quit, came to AAAI looking for help. Kane Scott, in charge of the weapons production, allowed de Havilland to borrow the prototype ship to escape from the Bounty Hunters chasing him.

The experimental Saker made headlines across the Galaxy as it became obvious de Havilland had gone rogue and joined forces with the most notorious criminal of the age, Norman Mosser. AAAI did their best to cover the reports of the 'advanced weapon' and any ties the ship to AAAI. As the Second HPA Saga as it came to be known reached a crescendo, the public humiliation became too great and Kane Scott was fired as a scapegoat.