Turning of the Machine

[Laira Darkhold]

Roon: Executive Council Building

The Small council had dwindled some in number, and today there was something on the docket to help alleviate the struggling Union war machine. I sat at the head of the semi-circular table, Tmoxin on my right and pulled up the agenda for the day. Most of it was simple things I would simply put to the floor with a recomendation and move on with my life, but I had seen to it something important, at least important to me, sat at the forefront of the agenda for the day's meeting.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I hope your week has been well. The meeting of the Executive Council is now in session. All quiet on the floor." Robert the Hutt's rules of order be damned. If I wanted to break protocol I would.

"First on the Floor is the Vote on the Sponorship of ArmaTech Combat Systems, being rebranded into ArmaTech Industries." The vote was crucial, and should be a lock. But Protocol should be held on such a momumentous occasion.

"The Chair will now recognize the Representative from ArmaTech, which would be me, to plead his case unless there are any objections from the Executives or Directors." Via hologram the session could be viewed by others, however there was no live public audience this time.

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Isley Verd"]
[member="Corey's OOC"]
[member="Lucien Cordel"]
[member="Kyber Salurra"]

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Roon: Executive Council Building

Lucien was drinking 'tea' that being tea with a little stiff addition in it. Just a tipple nothing anyone would notice it. He just needed something to fend off his headaches and help him stand the day, he felt retched recently eaten away at by guilt and regret. Nevertheless he was here for business. So he sat proper as ever in the seat he was granted by virtue of his position as director of law. Sat to the left of the foreman, he was afterall one of the most important directors. He had reviewed the agenda mainly boring.

The first motion by the foreman seemed a touch self serving. But that was the way things went in high society, get what you can and bugger the consequences. It was perhaps the best way to get things done. He had no qualm "The department of law has no objection" He replied leaning forward breifly before sitting back in his chair again

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Tmoxin listened respectfully to the Executive Council proceedings. While they had lost a few Council members recently, the ambitious Hapan had an idea to fill those seats right back up. In fact, she had brought along a proposal of her own which would be second on the agenda. She hadn't run it by either Draco or Lucien, but if they had reservations, they would voice them, and the group would collaborate until an agreement was made.

"No objections from Morpho Pharmaceuticals," said Tmoxin. She noticed that Lord Cordell's tea had a distinctive aroma. Was that alcohol she smelled?

"Your tea looks refreshing. Do you mind if I pour myself some?" asked the red-haired Hapan. She motioned to a protocal droid to serve her the same brew. "And whatever Lord Cordell has added to his tea... I would like that too." She gave him a coy wink. Nothing wrong with day drinking, especially since she was no longer on vacation with Lt. [member="Carten Flaa"]. He was away on a mission with the First Order at the moment, and she noticed her thoughts drifting to the pilot and their enjoyable retreat on her ranch recently. Tmoxin hated this feeling of missing someone, so if the alcohol helped dull her wistful feeling, she could be a little more productive with her business dealings today.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Lucien Cordel"] [member="Kyber Salurra"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I had no intention of relinquishing the chair to some random person, but protocol dictated that it be held by someone who wasn’t me while I made my pitch. “Tmoxin, you have the chair.” I said flashing her a smile, rising and making my way to stand at the podium in front of the Executive Council. She wasn’t officially the Vice Chair, but she could act as such if I felt like it, so long as there wasn’t anyone filling the position currently I had the power to name someone. She also was the one person in the room I trusted.

“Well, it’s simple really. ArmaTech has expanded greatly, modernizing its fleet potential to compete with other ship builders, expanding it immensely. We need a dedicated amount of the defense funding in order to meet the current Union orders.” Orders I may or may not have mandated recently. Woe to the man who discovered Chuck Finley was actually Draco Vereen.

“If we can get the sponsorship of the Union, then we can meet the orders and continue our expansion into the market of shipbuilding, something the Union sorely needs.” I said, nodding to show I had completed the pitch. Time for votes, which I was not allowed to take part in unless there was a tie. Dang politics.

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Lucien Cordel"]
[member="Kyber Salurra"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

How long had it been since Token sat in on an Executive Council meeting? Long enough. Our little blonde heroine was out exploring the galaxy, chasing dreams and nightmares, building a new lightsaber and working on learning how to use it. Working on learning to use her witch skills and the martial prowess of the Jedi, or some perversion thereof, for… what? Good? Evil? It didn’t matter to her. The casino-owner-and-operator had taken the day from Bright Star to arrive on Roon. Red dress, black heeled boots, she was going to look the part of what her company was.

Sure, she needed to focus on what it could do for the Union, and for that, she would need to speak to Kyber a bit more. It could be a great way to gather intelligence and knowledge for the Techno Union, or really, anyone who paid.

“Sponsorship shouldn’t be hard. Its needed for ArmaTech, to help with the backbone of our military here.” Now she was sounding professional. But she had met with Marek a few days ago. Yes, Corey NPC’d his PCs. “I don’t see any cause for concern here.” Bright Star, however, would keep neutrality, serve on this and other Executive Councils, but they didn’t build military wares. At worst, they provided intelligence and a place to rest agents and other operatives.

[member="Draco Vereen"]
[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Lucien Cordel"]
[member="Kyber Salurra"]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Tmoxin wasn't a paranoid woman, but defense of the Techno Union ranked very high on her list of priorities. When she held a command position with the Imperial Inquisition under the One Sith, she had her own budget but it was woefully inadaqute. Half of the time she paid for what her platoon needed with her own credits. To short change the security of their systems was blasphemy. Between the Hutts to the north and the recent raids by the Galactic Alliance and the Vong, it was clear that defense was not a budget to be cut.

Taking the Chair, the Hapan executive said, "Thank you for explaining the reasoning behind this sponsorship, Draco. Now it's time to cast our individual votes. Council members please vote affirmative or negative to the sponsorship of ArmaTech by the Techno Union."

She figured the vote would pass unanimously - unless, of course, there was a wild card council member in their midst.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Kyber Salurra"] [member="Lucien Cordel"] [member="Token Waters"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Looked like two votes for, zero votes against. Not that it mattered extensively. Tmoxin was a close friend and I doubted she would have opposed my requests. Token was understandably not inclined one way or the other and had thus voted for simply because. The favor would be returned if necessary. "That is two for, unless I am mistaken, and two yet to cast. I can tell you for a fact how the Foreman will vote if there is a tie, so I don't see the need to drag this out further. Miss Temi, if you will close the matter, I believe we can mark it down as a yes for Sponsorship of ArmaTech. The government subsidy will be much appreciated."

I moved and retook my seat at the center of the table. "Next on the agenda is a proposal from miss Temi. It should go without saying she has my full support, but I think it would be best to have it shown on the floor." In truth I hadn't read it, or even seen her proposal. I was just supporting her because it was her suggestion. So long as it wasn't contradictory to me holding the seat of Foreman or me gaining a shipload of money, i couldn't care less what she did with the legislation.

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Token Waters"]
[member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

"Of course. I fully support the sponsorship. Since the vote is unanimous, the proposal is closed, and the sponsorship of ArmaTech by the Techno Union will be accepted with no impediments."

Tmoxin shuffled around some flimsiplasts and withdrew her notes on the proposal that she had brought to the Executive Council today. She took a sip of the alcohol-spiked tea, which the droid had brought over by now, and cleared her throat. Again, she hadn't run this by any of her confidants, so she wasn't sure how it would be received.

"As you all know by now I come from a planet with a monarchy. Hapes has been under the Queen Mother's rule, very peacefully I might add, for years. Many of the planets in our sphere of influence are also ruled by monarchs and merchant oligarchs, Naboo and Christophsis to name a few. My new proposal will allow for the installation of monarchies, should a planet choose to adopt it. Each monarch or House will be taxed and then basically left to their own devices to rule as they please, provided they follow the interplanetary laws which govern the Techno Union. Our military can also be leveraged to bolster their local militias should an extreme case arise - like the Vong invasion on Rothana recently."

Tmoxin clasped her hands together as she sat. "All in favor, please make your statements known. Or if you are opposed, we can debate to see if the proposal needs some edits before passing."

[member="Token Waters"] [member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

The big man took his seat at the head of the very small council. It would be filling up soon when she implemented this new order, with new faces that may not appreciate a total dictatorship under the guise of an Oligarchy. He always knew he wouldn't be the supreme ruler forever and so he had quickly taken care of himself and his own during his early tenure as Foreman. But, it would throw a slight wrench in his plans. Luckily for Draco, even with a larger Executive Council, as the primary arms manufacturer to the Union, he would still have a great deal of weight to throw around, he just might have to have a supporter or two for it.

"I agree. The Union doesn't normally interfere with local politics, so the officials and monarchs and such will have to be implemented by the planet itself without the Union installing rulers and leaders. Ascension comes to mind as does Naboo. Sovereignty is to be maintained, but I see no issue with offering the planets under the Union a voice in their politics." He said, offering both a suggestion to the laws writing and throwing his support behind her more forcefully.

Besides. There was a change brewing already within the Union and thus the separation of powers would be more important with a larger Council. Being Commander-in-Chief had its benefits only if the Executive Council didn't dictate what he was allowed to do with that massive droid army.

[member="Tmoxin Temi"] [member="Token Waters"] [member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Splitting the power of the Techno Union out and serving to new monarchs like slices of pie did concern the Hapan somewhat. The Executive Council’s strength was consolidated right now, but that also had its drawbacks. Power among the merchant and government oligarchs was a safer route. It also allowed each planet its own form of government to be funded by the people versus having to rely on a centralized government or military.

“Excellent thoughts, Draco,” said Tmoxin. “Mr. Cordel, do you have any objections to this proposal? How about you,Ms. Waters. What does Brightstar think?"

Since Tmoxin’s first recommendation was diplomacy with the Hutt Cartel, and that ended so disastrously, she really needed a win for this proposal.

[member="Darth Vulkan"] [member="Lucien Cordel"] [member="Token Waters"]