Ask Another Choice

[Lucas Rinn]

Gyndine​

People didn't often think about the cost of total independence. It was something he had become painfully aware of in his short time in office. Their shipyards needed repairs, and he had almost been convinced that it was time to seek admission into the FWA but he had become increasingly skittish after the recent turmoil within the Core. It was likely that any benefit they gained from joining the group would be sucked up in carrying the struggling worlds at the center of the alliance.

He had been interested in this newcomer Emryc Thorne and his call for an alternative to the Free World Alliance but had soon moved on until he had received word from the man the week before. Lucas had become increasingly interested since agreeing to meet with Emryc. Perhaps what he was offering would be beneficial to Gyndine.

The preparations had been made and the time for the meeting had arrived.

Lucas' secretary ushered the man out onto the balcony overlooking the city. Above, the shipyards were visible in the distance. Lucas sat in one of the chairs, sipping from a glass in front of him as he waited for the man to emerge.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was always on the move nowadays. He didn’t have the luxury of being a very high ranking cushy politician. This meant that he had to personally meet and visit with everyone, and he had very little that he could delegate. He only hoped that over time those things would change.

The Sith were growing suspicious of his activities, but he had at least the Eternal reassured that this was part of a grand plan. His persona as Darth Raze was unused for some time, though he did frequent the Syndicates and their ventures more often.

Gyndine was known for its shipyards and could prove to be a powerful ally. Emryc was on his way at once, having held some rallies in some backwater planets beforehand. His face was showing up on Holo now more than ever, and it catapulted him into the spotlight. Calls were coming in everyday for diplomats to meet with him.

Emryc was dressed in a blazer over more casual clothes, deciding to forego the uptight suit look for now. He followed the secretary out into the balcony, turning to meet the man with a smile. He extended his hand to shake it.

“Emryc Thorne,” He introduced himself, “Pleasure to meet you, Governor Rinn,” Emryc glanced out at the cityscape before them and the shipyards. It was breathtaking to behold, and his gaze lingered for a moment, “That really is something else…”

 

[Lucas Rinn]

The doors opened a moment later, and Lucas stood the meet the man. He reached out and firmly grasped the extended hand, shaking the man's hand. "The pleasure is mine," he responded pleasantly before gesturing towards the empty chair. "Please, take a seat. Can I have my assistant get anything for you?" he asked, unbuttoning his jacket and taking a seat.

He nodded as Emryc commented at the skyline. "That it is." he agreed. Though underneath the polish of the capital, Gyndine was a struggling world. Its facilities were old and in need of updating but corporate interests in the Alliance had made competing against their shipyards all but impossible.

If this ended up being another dead end, it was possible they would have to turn to the Hutt's for business which was not a pleasant thought. "Tell me," Lucas spoke as a bottle of whiskey was brought out and poured. "How does someone come out of nowhere and have the whole Galaxy talk about him like you have done in such a short time," he asked casually.

Everyone was talking, but it wasn't all positive. Some viewed him as some sort of savior, others viewed him as a divisive figure that would only lead the Galaxy into more turmoil.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc took the proffered seat, glancing at the assistant, “Certoni on the rocks please,” It was rum that was a celebrated local shipyard favorite. He had done his research on Gyndine and its people before coming here.

He glanced over at Rinn when he asked his question, a faint grin gracing his lips. It was the question people all over the galaxy were asking. He nodded to the assistant when his drink was poured. He clinked his glass against Rinn’s before he took a sip.

“Not entirely nowhere, Governor,” He said as he looked out at the shipyards, “Everyone comes from somewhere. I came from places considered to be nowhere by the Core and FWA worlds, but I assure you they needed support and mattered just the same. The constant warfare between the Jedi and Sith presented a rising crisis and I simply stepped up to do something about it.”

Emryc turned to look at the Governor again, “As a fringe world, how have your dealings with the FWA been in these trying times?”

 

[Lucas Rinn]

He nodded appreciatively at the man's choice of drink. Lucas was no stranger to politics and realized the choice was likely more about making an impression than anything, but it wasn't lost on the Governor.

He crossed one leg over the other as Emryc explained his rise to power. He nodded, expression remaining even as the religious war between the Jedi and Sith were mentioned. While Gyndine hadn't been directly impacted, the growing financial pressures could clearly be felt.

He took another sip from his glass, setting it down before speaking. "Bumpy at best. Corporate interests in the Alliance exert a lot of pressure in keeping us out of Alliance owned markets and while there are markets to be had out in the Rim, it is hard to compete with the Cartel owned yards who cut corners to bring their prices down so low it makes it difficult." he continued.

"So we do what we can, but the recent instability has made an already uncertain situation somewhat dire." He finished.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Gyndine wasn’t alone in being caught between a rock and a hard place. The Core Worlds especially were notorious for being restrictive about trade in or out. While FWA was a great concept in theory, it only led to countless fiefdoms and planets that made it near impossible for Outer Rim worlds to engage or trade.

“Cartel funded equipment is always faulty and subpar,” Emryc mentioned as he took a sip. The Governor would know this, “Their ship models are several versions behind and wouldn’t meet inspection standards in any developed system,” However, it was a problem nonetheless, “Part of the reason I’m pushing for an alliance of the independent systems is to bring forth new trade and export agreements. Gyndine can start receiving raw materials and, in turn, start kicking up factory production to supply ships to other systems.”

Emryc glanced back at the shipyards, “I have strong dealings with Blackwell. Getting raw materials from them at a discounted rate can help you bring your costs down and still mark up for a profit. I also have connections in Bespin. You won’t be selling the cheapest, but you also won’t be skimping on quality and that’s the message to drive home. At this point, I’m simply looking for more planets to come together and realize that we don’t need to rely on the FWA.”

 

[Lucas Rinn]

He looked out into the distance, focusing on nothing in particular for a moment as he thought. It wasn't a bad idea. It was risky throwing your towel in with anyone though. A misstep would surely have him voted out of office and could carry ramifications for his entire family.

This Emryc character seemed to have a good foundation of worlds, surely more stable than his previous offers.

"And what about a military?" he asked. "Would we be expected to contribute to a military or is this simply an economic agreement?" he said bluntly, scratching at his beard. He wasn't against the idea entirely but he was somewhat wary. There was no denying that they were vulnerable. Their local forces were enough to keep the shipping lanes clear and keep the pirates at bay, but if this religious war of the core spilled out here, they wouldn't be left with much in the way to defend themselves.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was curious to hear that the Governor turned directly to the topic of a military. He admired it in many ways - most politicians skirted around that topic. Everyone was obsessed with pushing the peace agenda, but no one wanted to think of ways to maintain it in the face of a galaxy at war. Emryc quietly sipped from his drink for a moment.

“Based on the hint of concern I hear in your voice, would I be correct in assuming you have...reservations about your current military posture?” Emryc turned to look at him again, “You would not be alone in that regard. The Rim worlds are left to fend for themselves and often are prepared just enough for occasional conflict, but not full scale invasions.”

He didn’t want to make the man nervous, but Emryc also wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything for him, “The Jedi and Sith war is a very real thing and it will go wherever it pleases without rhyme and reason. The FWA will not protect anyone outside of its borders. In order to survive, the Rim worlds need to align their militaries as well.”

Emryc paused for a moment before he continued, “I have been proposing the ideas of a droid military force. Between AMS and overpowered beings with magic and laser swords, it is in our best interest to bolster planetary forces with non-organics. Becoming a part of this government would mean buying into this military posture and getting forces of your own.”

 

[Lucas Rinn]

His face was even, but he had a twinge of uneasiness at the mention of droids but he let the man finish. "It is true. Gyndine has enough forces to guard the surrounding space lanes, but they are more fit to fight pirates, not actual wars," he stated. His Father would have bluffed, too caught up in his own pride to admit was clear to anyone who did even the lightest amount of digging.

"You think there are droids out there than can stand up to these religious zealots?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "I will admit I have a slight mistrust of the things myself." he finished, only somewhat joking.

Switching to his next concern, the smile faded somewhat from his face. "And who would control this droid army?" he asked. "An army is all well and good, but without a strong governmental body at its head, it would be inefficient at best," he said. "How could Gyndine be sure its interest is protected in this alliance?"

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc couldn’t fault the man for having reservations about droids. For a long time, he was in the same boat himself. However, after seeing how hassle free and efficient they were in every way, it was silly to ever consider organic militaries.

“Why that would hopefully be you, Governor,” Emryc said as he took another sip from his glass, “I would expect you to represent and speak for your people and military forces. The goal of this alliance that I’m looking to form would be to give a voice to planets that historically haven’t had them. We will have a forum to aid one another and establish new trade agreements that don’t heavily rely on the FWA.”

Emryc knew the plans were ambitious, but everyone had to start somewhere. He only hoped that he would convince enough world leaders to convene and vote him into power. Things worked much more smoothly under the pretense of democracy.

 

[Lucas Rinn]

He was interested to say the least, though he remained neutral looking. He was quiet for a moment after Emryc had stopped speaking, looking out over the busy traffic lanes and beyond.

There were questions to be asked about the logistics of everything, but that could be worked out in time, this was just the first of many discussions he would have to have before he dragged his whole world into it.

"I would like to meet with the other leaders who have agreed or are likely to agree. Can you arrange this?" he asked, turning back to Emryc. Lucas wanted to get a feel for the others in this collection of worlds. If they were not careful, they end up with just a smaller, less efficient version of the FWA, something Lucas was not interested in.