Updates and Complications

[Fusion]

Myra Subach was very excited right now. Her company had, after several orders put in by smaller groups in the galaxy, regained profitable status. With the money she had acquired from her business deals, she planned to increase the profitability of her company by at least a factor of 5 by offering new weapons and refurbished starfighters to the Galactic Alliance.

Wearing a tight, Zeltron-made outfit, she stepped up to the doors leading to the High Commander of the Galactic Alliance military. Being stopped by the guards, she informed them she had an appointment, but they refused to let her pass. Realizing their reasoning had to do with the two outdated B2 battle droids flanking her, she ordered them to wait outside while she... discussed things with the High Commander.

The guard closest to the control panel opened the door, as she stepped in, the doors closing behind her. She eyed the man sitting at the desk, then grabbed herself a seat and sat down.

Well well, High Commander Helios. You aren't the kind of man I expected sitting behind that desk...

 

[Gambler]

Midmorning light flooded the office. Kesh lounged in his chair, feet propped against mountains of paperwork. Arms behind his head, he looked out of place in formal attire. He groaned inwardly. He had an appointment today with some lady who wanted something or other. There was just so much work to do lately. Was it too much to ask for an afternoon off to nap?

He shook his head. Of course it was. No matter how grouchy or tired, he had an obligation. The safety of the Galactic Alliance was his number one priority. After that, finding ways to amuse Valafar made a close second.

The door opened, drawing him from his reverie. The guards announced his guest as Myra Subach, a lovely young woman. He took a moment to let his eyes wander, noting the cut of her clothes. Either she was as promiscuous as they came, or she hoped to get an edge in their negotiation with her body. I'll bite, Kesh thought, smirking at the emphasis on her upper body.

"Please, come in, have a seat," he said. "Oh, wait, I must have been a bit too slow. Well, now that you're here, you might want to move to that chair." He pointed to the plush leather seat across from his couch.

"I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate these kind of things. It's my... ah, modus operandi you could say, to hear you people out from the couch." He smiled.

 

[Fusion]

Myra got up from her chair and walked over to the far more comfortable and luxurious leather chair directly across from Helios' couch. She noticed he seemed to enjoy doing things in an informal manner, such as his reaction to her attire.

Thank you very much. This chair is a lot more comfortable then the other one. As for ''hearing people out from the couch''... I know how that feels, but in a slightly different manner then what I think you're referring to.

She gave a sly look as she said her last sentence.

But of course you know I didn't come here to seduce you or anything. I'm the head of Subach-Innes Corporation, a relatively decent-sized player on the starfighter and starship scene. We have some interesting designs I feel that the Galactic Alliance could benefit from.

Myra waited for Helios' reply, her legs crossed as she relaxed in the chair.

 

[Gambler]

Kesh smiled. At least some people could appreciate a sense of comfort. Unless she was trying to get on his good side. He could respect that, namely because it worked. A little backbone never hurt. The same could be said of wheedling. Moderation was the key. He plopped down on the couch, fluffing a decorative pillow behind his head. His legs hung from the side in a manner that could only be haphazard, and his mess of blonde hair fell around his face similarly.

"Ah, much better," he said. "It is dreadfully hard to mix comfort and business these days. Most of the stingy representatives that come to see me seem to think I'm mocking them when I ask to take a meeting on the couch." His eyes glittered. "Of course, the actual mocking comes later."

His smile grew. "If you would like to take this meeting on the couch, be my guest. I'm a man of many vices you see... many, many vices." He paused, tapping a finger on his lip thoughtfully.

"Hmm, and what do you want in return for these schematics?" There's always a catch.

 

[Fusion]

Myra began to think to herself about what she wanted in return. She had a plethora of choices available to her. Money, power, possibly even blackmail, though she only rarely used that option. She thought silently as she slowly made her way over to the couch, sitting comfortably next to Helios.

Well of course these specifications aren't going to come free. There are 3 things I was hoping to get on my end of the deal.

The first is relatively obvious: credits. Without credits, I can't purchase material to build fighters. And you know what kind of predicament that would put me in...

The second is access to some... how do they say it... restricted technology. We were hoping to come up with some even more potent weapon advancements, such as a more energy-efficient disruptor that fighters and capital ships could use, and an antimatter warhead. We'd need access to these forms of technology to do that.

And lastly, there's an old ex-Imperial junkyard I've done some research on recently. I'd like to have the vessels in that scrapyard for myself, as well as an opportunity to either acquire or overhaul any severely damaged vessels during the conflict.

That's what I'd be willing to do, unless you can fix me up with a deal that suits my fancy...

 

[Gambler]

'Very well," Kesh said. "Where do I begin ripping apart your dreams and desires? Hmm, I think I'll start with the credits." He smiled at her. His eyes, so sincere, waged war against his words. It was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. He was.

"For a design like this, we generally take into account the cost of manufacturing, resources, and other miscellaneous charges before coming to agreement on payment. Some people like to work on a commission basis, selling contracts to the Alliance for certain quantities of either raw material or finished product." He paused.

"What you want is to sell us the designs. Negotiating cost in this instance is a bit harder, you see, as we can't take into account the costs of manufacturing, resources, materials, and labor. Instead, you name a price and I scoff at it, possibly ridiculing your choice." He shifted in his seat to allow her more room. His eyes held a sympathetic cast to them.

"As for the 'restricted technology' bit, I'm afraid I can't allow that. There is a reason it's restricted from the public market. If private companies could get their hands on technology we've restricted, well, the end result wouldn't be very pretty. But that's just a minor bit," he said.

"What I'm really laughing about is the final request. You want us to give you an unmentioned number of credits, permission to use illicit technology, and access to an Imperial scrapyard? You must know how absolutely ridiculous you sound.

"Unfortunately, I can't allow the second or the third. As for the first, I'm willing to put an amount no greater than five hundred thousand credits on the table. You can choose an amount under or reaching that, along with..." he trailed off.

"Hmm, I'll say a research grant allowing you to pick apart current designs, weapon systems and armor on the condition you use your discoveries for the good of the Alliance." His smile grew.

"Or, we can work something more satisfactory out, if you don't like your current position."

 

[Fusion]

Myra was a bit displeased at his response to her original offer, but began to concoct another.

I was looking more towards the acquisition of those hulks at the Imperial Scrapyard. The vessels located there would be a boon to both my company and my potential buyers. I'd be willing to take far less credits if I could acquire these hulks for my company. Besides, you know as well as I do that none of those ships could stand up to any modern vessel.

I'd also be glad to both produce and refit ships to increase the power of GA vessels. The Sith are a dangerous enemy. Any edge you can get is a good thing to take.

And just in case you think these new weapon systems aren't as good as I'm making them out to be... Would you happen to have a multi-person simulator somewhere around here?

Myra thought that by demonstrating what the weapons could do, since she had a simulator card allowing a simulator to replicate the damage of the weapons to various types of craft, she would be able to persuade Helios into possibly giving her a better deal.

 

[Gambler]

"Hmm, I hate to point this out, but there's a minor contradiction in your request," Kesh said. "You want access to an abandoned Imperial scrapyard to analyze the designs of their old technology in hopes of gaining an edge over the Empire in that respect. Well, what's to say that the technology you find there is up to date? If we allow you to dissect their ships for the good of the Alliance and we find out that their technology has advanced in the past decade... what then?"

The situation was double edged. On one hand, accepting the offer gave the Alliance a set of designs for state of the art starfighters. On the other, they weren't being given the actual ships. They would have to cease production of their current models and re-contract for the newer models. By the time the new models hit mass productions there was a chance that the Empire could have gotten their hands on technology of their own.

"But your idea has merit. How about instead of just selling us the designs, you also manufacture these models exclusively for us? You will be paid for the contract, an amount determined by the shipments agreed upon, and you will have permission to salvage from the Imperial scrapyard." He paused, tapping a finger against his lip.

"However, you will consult us about any findings you make, and send a complete report of everything you see at the scrapyard. I want ship models, IDs if possible, coherent diagnostics... the full nine yards. It's not such a bad offer, now, is it?"

 

[Fusion]

Myra thought about his offer again. Yes, she would be able to acquire the hulks at that Imperial junkyard, but would it be worth it considering the amount of detailed work she'd have to do to repair and report every last ship and starfighter?

It's definitely an... interesting offer, but I'd like you to see what you'll be getting with your money. Again, you woldn't happen to have a multi-person simulator around here? I brought a datacard containing the specifications of some of our newer ships and weapons. If I can put it in the simulator for you, I can show you what they'll do to some of the known Imperial ships and fighters.

Myra was sincere about showing the weapons off. Although she did... questionable things in the business world, she felt the customer deserved to see what they'd be getting beforehand. And considering who the customer was, she couldn't afford to disappoint.