Ask Raxus Imperial Czerk

[Davik Drast]

Imperial Czerk
​

The Independent Systems Consortium (ISC) had been able to cripple the Empire within months during their latest conflict. Not in small part because the President of that same Consortium was also on the Board of Directors of Blackwell Technologies. To avoid such a crippling outcome in the future, the Empire had decided that it needed to cozy up to the megacorporations in the Corporate Sector and where better to begin than with Blackwell's closest competitor: Czerka.

The Emperor had decided to invite General Dram of the Imperial Armed Forces to sit in with negotiations and to provide his expert opinion on technology-of-war that the megacorporation would undoubtedly offer the Empire.

To be seated on the Imperial throne, with Grand Moff Pollux to his left and General Dram to his right, Emperor Emer-Drast had instructed the droids at his Imperial Palace on Raxus to create something of a crescent formation for the holo-projectors that would host the members of the Czerka Board of Directors, as they were known to keep their locations secret.

As befitting his station, the Emperor actually arrived after the Grand Moff and General Dram and on the last moment before the meeting with Czerka was to take place. This was decorum, so the Emperor would never have to wait for his subordinates. As Davik walked up to his throne, he smiled at the newly promoted General with a generosity that hadn't been present with his Force-sensitive predecessors, "Welcome to Raxus, General-" he said as he sat down on his throne and straightened his back for what would probably be a long cumbersome session, "-you'll find that pulling you from the front for this meeting will be well worth your time."

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max sat proudly in his dress uniform, twisting slightly for comfort, the posh spindly chair only just accommodating his muscled frame. Though he had pressed and polished every inch of his attire for today, he had not tried it on for any length of time and it definitely needed some tailoring. He had bulked up so much on recent ops that it was bordering on a straightjacket.

It could just be the nerves of course. Max Dram did not get nervous about much, but try as he might he could not pretend he was not a little anxious at the prospect of meeting his Emperor. Whatever his challenges, Max had been committed to the Empire's cause for over a decade and Emperor Drast was now the embodiment of that devotion. It would be an honor to meet him and a tremendous privilege to work with him on this venture.

The Adumari lived and breathed battle and Max had been interested in weapons and warfare from an early age. He might have spent years as a simple soldier, but he had always nurtured an broader interest in the fantastic deadly ways dominance might be won. As a General now, he had an obligation to help take the Empire to the next level.

Grand Moff Pollux seated to the other side of the throne was a slight disappointment. He had greeted Max civilly enough but the General had a feeling the old diplomat was less than fond of military men. Perhaps he thought every enemy of the Empire could be talked into submission.

Max rose to his feet instinctively when the Emperor entered. "Your Grace" he bowed deeply "thank you very much, I don't doubt that it will be". Davik Drast was not even ten years older than Max and he had to wonder what it felt like to rule over billions. It certainly did not seem to weighing heavily on the monarch. Max sat back down slowly, awaiting the Emperor's lead.

@Eccles

 

[Davik Drast]

Humility and broad-shoulders were the trademarks of an Imperial military man, Emperor Drast mused as he nodded in reply to the General with a polite smile. "Good, good," the Emperor said absentminded as he motioned for a nearby droid to start the meeting and engage the holo-projectors. Time was a valuable commidity, for both an Emperor as a General, but also for the board of directors of one of the biggest megacoporations in the galaxy, thus within ten seconds all projectors came alive to show the Czerka board of directors.

As if nothing in the galaxy weighed heavily on the Emperor's shoulders, Davik spread out his arms in a welcoming gesture; "Welcome, Directors of Czerka-" he started, "-both the Empire and Czerka Technologies have of late been on the receiving end of blows from Blackwell Technologies," this wasn't a surprise to anyone in the room. The Czerka/Blackwell corporate war had been going on for decades, if not centuries, and the close relationship between the Independent Systems Consortium (ISC) and Blackwell has cost Czerka a lot of business in the planets ruled over by the former faction. "and as our time is valuable I will cut right to the point," for they had no doubt been briefed by their public relations people that had been in contact with the Grand Moff's people.

"I am Emperor Davik Emer-Drast," he paused now, although he knew that his identity wouldn't be a surprise to them seeing as he had been an influential imperial politician in the past decade, "and when I address my people I want to reveal a grand partnership between my Empire and Czerka."

It seemed logical to the Emperor himself that at this point the Czerka board would offer him any kind of deal that would keep them from being swallowed by Blackwell Technologies. They were losing and the Empire threw them a lifeline that could ensure them continued eternal success if only they could give some guarantees that their level of technology could at the very least equal that which Blackwell provided to the Independent Systems Consortium. "However, my General here-" he gestured towards General Dram, "-has yet to be convinced. He prefers I invest in Blackwell droids instead."

A cheap ploy, perhaps, but Davik was keen to see how the General would play his hand. He had to play the sceptical representative of the war machine, after all. "Don't you, General Dram?"

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

The Emperor was surprisingly pleasant, both to his own and their Czerka guests. Both Max's homeworld and the Empire of old had only ever offered up Emperors who were petty, arrogant and vindictive. It was strangely refreshing to have one leaving a sweet taste in everyone's mouth.

The General listened closely and readied to play his part. "I must indeed confess some...misgivings, your Majesty" Max managed, hiding his struggle to slip into character behind an impassive military facade. "Blackwell droids have served us exceptionally well to date. I keep a BAS-55 among my personal guard". He glanced around the table with a feigned resigned look. As if there was nothing they might offer.

"Of course, if we could be assured of the same quality from Czerka, that would be one thing. But Blackwell offer far more than droids Your Majesty, their technology is extensive. I would want to be sure we would have access to the same or greater level of arms and equipment?".

Max glanced back up the table, publicly fawning for attention but privately hoping he was providing the steer the Emperor required.

@Eccles

 

[Davik Drast]

Perfect. The General went straight to the jugalor by stating that Blackwell Technologies had his personal preference. After said corporation had performed a debt-inducing hostile takeover of Cybot Galactica they had been slowly surpassing Czerka Technologies as the premier megacorporation in the galaxy. It's close partership of the Independent Systems Consortium had also further closed off business opportunities for Czerka and cut into their margins of profit.

"Good question, General," The Emperor nodded. They all knew that Czerka had a range of products that equalled Blackwell, if not still surpassed them in range. After all, Czerka was known to also have a brand of foodstuffs it marketed -by force- to several of his subsidiaries and planets. "I am sure the Board of Directors will know the answer."

It took a few seconds before the Czerka CEO finally spoke up. He was human, roughly in his sixties, and wore one of the more expensive luxury suits on the market today. "We can assure your majesty that Czerka has as much, if not a greater number of products than any of our competitors. We have been around for millennia longer than even Blackwell Technologies. To us, other corporations are still children." and sometimes children will try to outperform their parents. Davik had seen that happen with his own children, who always tried to out-argue the man whose entire career was based on his skills as debater and mediator. "Your general will be pleased to find that Czerka Arms-" which had manufactored battle-droids, weapons and armor for as long as the megacorporation existed, "-does not just have a stockpile of state-of-the-art machines, but together with Czerka Tech can develop and create to design."

The Emperor raised his eyebrows as he turned his head back to General Dram, "To design, General. Sounds to me like you think it, they'll make it." which wasn't an uncommon sales technique, to be sure, but in this case it also showed that Czerka was keen on the business of an authorative intergalactic regime. The Empire was the only remaining superpower that was truly authoritarian. Megacorporations were known to flourish under such regimes and that was something Czerka definitely needed now that Blackwell was panting in his neck. "So," Davik grinned, "What do you think?"

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

“I think it’s difficult, your Majesty” Max answered, aiming to build the stakes as best he could. “We have an existing relationship with Blackwell and have seen their products in action. Czerka are asking us to take a leap of faith, entrusting Imperial lives and prospects to an unproven partner”.

He let that hang in the air for a moment, so the Czerka executives would feel any movement on the Imperial side was a big move. “State of the art machines are precisely what we need” he continued “if we are to bring order to a fractured galaxy, creating a stability in which everyone can prosper. Czerka say they can provide them, so perhaps we should give them a chance”.

”Creating to design is also a welcome offer”. He flexed his metal fist visibly on the table. “I know you, your Majesty, like me, recognise the new levels to which we can take the Empire. Again, I think we should be prepared to give Czerka the chance to demonstrate how they can help”.

Max glanced at the Emperor, across at Czerka and back again. “A trial” he concluded “Czerka should provide a sample of their machines and a taster of their services. If it meets expectations, I would support a wholesale new partnership your Majesty”.

@Eccles

 

[Davik Drast]

The Emperor was unsure if what the General had said could be seen as usurping him in negotiation. He thus waited a few seconds before moving on, but then smiled at the Czerka Holograms, "General Dram has a flair for the dramatics," he said, turning towards the Grand Moff with a teasing look, "He would've made a good politician, wouldn't he?" This little display didn't diminished the general's words, but did make it clear to everyone in the room that they were all lesser to him. The Grand Moff nodded and smiled, seemingly agreeing, and so the Czerka Directors let out a polite chuckle in reply to the Emperor's joke.

"I regard a partnership with Czerka to be less of a leap-of-faith than my general," he would have to ask the Director to have his intelligence division check the general's private affiliations. Dismissing the oldest megacorporation as unproven partners while promoting its competitor wasn't just a negotation tactic. It reeked of corruption. Then again, it could also simply be inexperience and that -at least- would be excusable. "but it is nice to have his support, isn't it?"

His smile suddenly faded as it seemed the Emperor was growing tired of dancing around. "The Empire will grant Czerka a monopoly inside Imperial territory, establishing a subsidiary to which I am majority shareholder." He had already decided on a name for it, too. Imperial Czerka. "The Grand Moff will discuss terms and conditions with you," the Emperor rose from his throne and beckoned for the General to follow, "Join me, General Dram."

Not far from the throne room was the Emperor's private library where he would, in a few days, entertain the potential CEO of the newly established subsidiary to Czerka Corporation. The library was richly furnished with floors of Bakuran yew and furniture reminescent of High Republic Alderaan. Davik walked straight up to the window overlooking the Raxus Imperial Capital, passing the many shelves holding datapads containing a vast collection of Galactic Literary works.

"How goes the offensive, General?" he asked without turning towards him. The Dram Line was costing the Empire a large part of its war machine and they would soon have to relegate portions of the Imperial Armed Forces (IAF) to Dathomir. It was important to Davik that the galaxy would see him -and his empire- as benevolent. Taking out the former Empress -a contender to his throne- and Force user twisted by immense Dark Side presence and power, would be a big step in that direction.

Losing their expansion efforts to do it, would however still be something he liked to avoid.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max clenched his jaw at the suggestion he was being dramatic. The Emperor may be unaware, but it was not the first time the word had been used in connection with the General's surname. Like all old jokes, it grated. But Max knew better than to say so.

He simply sat impassively as the Emperor concluded negotiations. He had of course been a politician of sorts in his past life, as a Provincial Governor on his homeworld of Adumar, but that was a long time ago and the Adumari's main political currency was strength. He may have let a little too much testosterone bleed through into his contribution and he reminded himself of his place. It was an honour to be assisting the Emperor, but assisting was all he was doing.

__________​

The Emperor's library was impressive. Max tried to take it in using his peripherals, standing smartly like a sentinel next to a curious ornate sculpture.

"We are making good progress on the Line" Max reported. He had not christened the plan with his own name but it had caught on so well it was now in common useage. "Our initial assault on Charros has established a foothold and I am due there imminently to lead the final push". He stretched his neck instinctively, eager for the rush of battle after the confines of slow diplomacy. "Our agents also report good progress on Roche, we believe the Verpine will come to an accord".

Both were indeed positive steps forward, but even a consummate soldier like Max left out the less good news. Progress had been slow amassing forces to take Velmor, despite the General's pre-planning. But he would work tirelessly to ensure that changed. "I assure you we will secure the Line shortly your Majesty".

Max cast an overt glance around the library, as if to highlight how redundant a 6'5 Imperial General might be in such surroundings. "Is there anything further I can assist you with, my Emperor, before I return to the front?".

@Eccles

 

[Davik Drast]

The Emperor regarded the General for a moment, "Good." He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment as he gazed out over his capital and towards the headquarters of the Imperial Security Bureau. The Imperial Armed Forces were a crude instrument more fit for older times, or so he thought. Future's galaxy would be determined by corporate power, intelligence and an assassination in the night. Thanks to their Czerka deal they would come a long way in securing those instruments for the Empire for generations to come.

Davik was not just rebuilding an Empire, but also building the future. "Entertain me for a moment longer, General-" the Emperor beckoned for Max to come closer and stand next to him, facing the window. "-and tell me what you see."

The capital was under construction and it would be for decades to come if it was to grow into a city-world according to the Emperor's vision. The Imperial Security Bureau's headquarters was perhaps the most striking right now, but soon they would start building the headquarters for Imperial Czerka nearby, too. If anything, it currently resembled one big construction pit.

@Alhon