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[Levik Karn]

Etti IV - Systech Corporation Offices

The galaxy was an insecure thing. Planets switched allegiance freely and massive interplanetary governments fell apart at the whims of a news cycle. Levik had seen the Empire being created, grow to encompass almost half the known galaxy and then experience a mass exodus to slink down to a mere dozen planets mostly in the galactic north. He gave his life for the Imperial principle, worked tirelessly and non-stop, but he never had the illusion that the Empire would provide. His parents had been lower-class workers on Eriadu and Levik didn't want to have to return to the same destitution if -or when- the Empire fell like most empires, or as it turned out other intergalactic factions as well, within a few generations.

He had started small. Every now and then he had done the inventory on Taris for soon-to-be-commissioned Imperial small-arms and 'forgot to include a few crates'. Leaving a door open, the Freem Gotra and others working for the Troig Eccle'baal would then take the crates and sell them on the black market, an Exchange of goods is what the Troig liked to call it. It wasn't until the Imperial Warmaster announced he was banishing the Sith Order that Levik had stepped up his game. Bled kyber crystals were confiscated, but never reported to Imperial Command, and even a very valuable Shard of Palpatine had quickly disappeared inside his pockets. With wealth and rank -Levik got promoted to Commander- also came a more brazen attitude. He employed the boss of the Freem Gotra and paid him from Imperial pockets to commit piracy and even orchestrated an elaborate heist on the Imperial vault that held the Sith Artefacts that had been confiscated during the expulsion.

His rise within the Empire had been astronomical, yet he was made fully aware how easy it could all come crashing down on him, and even his employer. His conviction in the Imperial Principle as the best method of government was strong, but not as strong as his own persevation. He had pondered it for a while, but in the end there was only one real constant in the galaxy: Corporations. Czerka and Blackwell stood the times much better than governments ever had. Buying into a corporation, owning shares, would make sure he would have an income big enough to never having to return to the lower level apartments on Eriadu.

So, he had made a decision. Eccle'baal had arranged shell companies to be created in cartel space -courtesy of Kara Zaa Fenn- so Levik could not just invest the savings from his Imperial bank account, but also the illicit fortune he had acquired working for the Troig.

It was about noon when Commander Karn set foot through the front door and into the lobby of Systech's lobby. Although he wore a normal suit devoid of Imperial insigna's, the way he carried himself and his tread betrayed that he was very much a military man. The droid, its lipstick and fake lashes betraying it had a feminine programming, turned its head to look at him. <Statement: Welcome to Systech Corporation Offices on Etti IV. Question: How can I be of service to you?>

Levik hesitated for a moment as he looked at the droid's lifeless eyes, "I'm Levik Karn," he said and immediately the lights that did function as the droid's eyes flickered to a different color and back. If she had been sentient her voice would probably change and her expression soften as she realized that 'Levik Karn' was a recent minority shareholder, "I have a meeting with Julia Hipori." He didn't quite know why he was suddenly rather nervous and uncertain. He had commanded men in life-threatening situations and publicaly berated Imperial high-ranking officers without a care in the world, yet here.. these corporations were the ancient moguls, the real power behind the many factions in the galaxy.

<Statement: You have a scheduled meeting in room zero-three-five. Pass the sliding door to your right-" the door slid open automatically, revealing a rather open interior with cubicles and offices. -it is the third door to your right. The Chief Public Relations Officer awaits you there."

@Nor'baal

 

[Julia Hipori]

"He's useful."

She looked over at Mik, smiling at the man. Her natural ally on the board, Mik, was the company's Chief Financial Officer. He recommended approaching the Imperial around his possible, and now realised, investment. She closed the call; they'd said what they needed to say anyway.

Turning back to her room, she stood from her chair and put her suit jacket on. Walking outside, the door was opened for her by one of two titanic men from her security detail - sumo-esque in size. She paid them no heed as they fell in behind her, scanning the surrounding area despite the relative safety of the Systech Offices.

Walking into the meeting room, into which the droid would have shown Levik, she clocked the man as soon as he entered.

He carried himself like a soldier, seemingly unable to appear relaxed even when out of a combat zone. Or, perhaps, he had the good sense to know that a board room was as dangerous as a battlefield, especially if she was in it.

She was in her late fifties now. Decades she had worked in corporate 'politics', having started in the streets of her homeworld, falling in with a gang and then moving into business. Working her way up Blackwell, she was asked to join the ISC Government, where she served as president for several years. From there, she moved to start her own business, a logistics firm of which the president was a silent partner.

Julia had returned to Blackwell as a shareholder and board member and purchased a significant interest in Systech, where she also worked. For decades, she had worked in the sector, returning to politics as a representative for the Corporate Sector, heading her own investment business simultaneously.

She was an exceptionally wealthy woman.

She was a staggeringly dangerous one as well.

"Commander." she said curtly, as she walked in, taking a seat at the head of the table, as her guards took up positions by the rooms exit. "Have you come far?"

 

[Levik Karn]

Levik didn't miss the gigantic guards that treated the office like it was a hostile combat zone. He had heard of Julia Hipori, ofcourse, but he hadn't expected the corporate world to be more dangerous than the Imperial conflict with the Sith Order. Perhaps this was the only place where even a Force user would be helpless and where only credits gave power and influence. Regardless, the stress of her work and her age was notable. That was something Levik hadn't expected. Cosmetic surgery was one of the treatments they prescribed systech stimilants for when it came to recovery and yet Julia didn't seem to have undergone any work herself.

"Mrs Hipori," he replied after she had quite formally called him by his Imperial rank, namely that of Commander. He had thought they would almost be like peers in this meeting, the both of them owning a portion of the company even if she was still exponentially wealther than him owing to her many successes in politics and with Blackwell Automata."I departed from Raxus this morning," he had been re-assigned there since the Empire had chosen to pull back most of their fleet and close the ISB office on Taris, "Thank you for sending the Star Yacht to pick me up." he had his doubts as he looked at her now that she had personally arranged for the luxury star yacht to come pick up one of the corporation's new owners, probably having a secretary or five to deal with such matters.

Levik had spend millions of credits in what he called an investment 'in his retirement'. Most of it through shell companies originated in cartel space. He had this fantasy, and perhaps it was deluded, that once he retired from the Imperial Security Bureau he could somehow move into a spot on the Systech board. His extensive experience in the security and counterintelligence part of the corporate world would most likely be valuable to the right persons. Perhaps he hoped that it would already be deemed valuable by someone as influential as Julia Hipori.

"I don't like to beat around the bush," he started suddenly, "so let me begin by stating that I have no desire to change Systech's current direction." Their focus on advertising their adrenal stimulants as 'medical' had most likely saved them from bankruptcy. Medical supplies had rarely been the subject of sanctions and were only by extreme exception stopped during a blockade.

@Nor'baal

 

[Julia Hipori]

It was encouraging to see that the Imperial had 'done his homework'.

One of her concerns about this new investor had been that he would seek to come in, all-guns-blazing, and seek to change things a little too swiftly. A former military man, she had been worried the man lacked the nuance required for the corporate 'battlefield'.

Yet, at least in part, those issues had been assuaged by his introduction and how he had presented it.

"Our current situation is one that, if adapted to account for the recent geo-political shifts, could return to reap significant profits for our shareholders." she ignored the fact that she was one of the shareholders herself. "Tell me, what do you forsee as the broader challenges we face following the collapse of the Republic, and the Alliance?"

 

[Levik Karn]

Levik thought on that for a moment and then rose from his seat at the table to walk over to a nearby droid holding a tray of hot caf. He took one, but appeared to take the size of the protocol droid first before taking a sip and turning to walk back to his chair. "I think there have been countless of political factions, whether they're calling themselves the Republic, the Alliance, a Consortium or indeed-" a faint smile crossed his lips, "-an Empire."

He took another sip of the hot caf and then placed it in front of him as he sat down again. "I see only few constants," there were more, namely criminal elements, a sentient's dependency on spice and the rising independence of droids, but he wasn't here to discuss the state of the galaxy in its broadest sense, but rather of this corporation's place in it. "Megacorporations like Blackwell Technologies," of which Levik knew Julia was a boardmember as well, "and Czerka Enterprises that buy out smaller corporations at leisure. Cybot Galactica, BlasTech Industries and more worrisome; M4-78." They had all suffered a hostile takeover from Blackwell Technologies and some thought that the centuries old corporate war between the two megacorporations was soon to be concluded in favor of Blackwell.

He was only now coming to his point. So much for 'not beating around the bush'. "Systech Corporation has been around for just as long as the megacorporations and yet is still independent. I think the biggest challenge for it, is to remain so," his words had a certain gravity to them. After all, he was a prominent member of the Imperial Security Bureau and she was a decade-long member of Blackwell's Board of Directors. Those were interests that could easily determine Systech's future for better or worse. Not just that, Blackwell had in the past openly sided with another member of its board of directors, namely the president of the Independent Systems Consortium. A faction that was -or had been until recently- at war with the Empire.

Now, Levik knew that he had been fortunate with his timing. Systech Corporation was still privately owned and thus much less susceptible to a hostile takeover based on publically traded shares. In profited from staying under the radar and for that it had few real options. "Thanks to the late senator of Byblos," a reference to Jana Kang, a former Chief Research Officer at Systech Corporation, "Systech cornered some of the market on adrenals to help against withdrawal symptoms." which was becoming more present now that spice that was once monitored, regulated and illegal was now sold in most of the galaxy as a legal sedative, "So let us focus on that and expand our facilities on Quesh." if Julia was ambitious then it was always an option to buy much of the planet's inhabitable surface from the Hutt Cartel and use it to build andrenal factories and more research facilities. The angle to devote more time, credits and energy on medical research was also the smarter move after MorataCorp's shares tanked following the violent death of its Chief Executive Officer and founder.

@Nor'baal

 

[Julia Hipori]

Whislt it was somewhat unlikely that she would ever directly admit it, Julia was beginning to quite like this Imperial. He had a business head - or at least; he had an instinct for competition that was perhaps spurred on by his combat experience and the need to outperform others in the face-paced political world of the Empire.

"A fractured political landscape is not necessarily a worry, especially with an in-demand product range such as the Systechs." she replied cooly, agreeing with the overarching thrust of the mans points. His points around the primacy of Blackwell were well-made, what the man didn't know however was that Blackwell had designs on Czerka, and not (as of yet) Systech. The imperial was quite correct, however, that those ambitious could change once the Czerka acquisition came through.

"A move to consolidate our influence on Quesh would be wise, yet expensive. However, I think you have a point - the cartel we can do business with, and we can certainly push a sizable amount of our resources there, in return for considerable planetary influence." she remarked "Perhaps it is worth us making a visit to Quesh in person?"