Private A Corporate Meeting

[Palm-Imer]

Credit.​

Location: The Wall, Denon.
Objective: Representative duties.
Equipment: Unarmed.
Wearing: Outfit, Geminian gem-mask.

Palm had been conducting her research and exploration in the mid-rim when she received word from her home-world. A few days ago, a very unusual event had caused the isolationist planet's authorities some unrest, and now the responsibility of seeking an answer to the questions derived from the incident had fallen on the shoulders of the Ambassador. Following her orders, the geminaie had set course for the Inner Rim and now found herself landing on space port in Denon. With extra time allowed by her early arrival, Palm made sure to prepare herself accordingly for an unexpected meeting. Dressed in fine clothes characterized by the eccentric tastes of her people, she carefully adjusted the gem-mask on her face, pinned to her hair which was held in a braided updo reminiscent of the Alderaanian style.​

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It was indeed rare for Geminidae to find reason to interact with any entity from the inner-rim, preferring to avoid such relations if simply to not call attention onto itself. However, this happening had been deemed worthy of sending a representative and it was not Palm's place to question but to serve when it came to these matters. According to her briefing, an unauthorized object had breached Geminidae's closed orbital borders relatively close to the capital city of Altranais, thus inciting an even deeper alert from the planet's inhabitants. After it collapsed on the planet's surface and a scouting team was sent to investigate and neutralize any threats, a second incident relating to security drones harbored by the structure had taken place. A few soldiers suffered relatively minor injuries, before everything came to an end. ​

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It was no secret that the Geminians were a deeply suspicious people after thousands of years of strong isolationist policies with varying enforcement measures. Soon they discovered the offending object was in fact a probe, and that it belonged to a corporation known as Globex. Personally, Palm was particularly bothered by the fact that occurrences such as this one were the little, mostly harmless situations that the pro-isolationism party usually turned into their most important arguments. She did not allow herself to dwell on those thoughts too long, instead returning her concentration to keeping her mind cleared and objective. As an Ambassador, Palm did not speak for herself but for others and thus muting her own opinions and most of her more prominent behavioral traits was required.​

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Satisfied with her appearance and nearing the hour of the agreed upon meeting, she abandoned the hotel that would house her during the - hopefully short - span of her stay. A speeder belonging to the Globex Corporation was sent to retrieve her and take her to the Centreplex, where the corporation's headquarters were found. She was to meet a man under the name of AMCO , one of the directors of the megacorporation. Quite a gesture, in her opinion, that he would attend the meeting himself instead of sending some other administrator in his stead. She took a moment to survey the imposing building before being led by another woman deeper into it. Soon enough, she was standing within a luxurious and spacious office the woman had referred to as the "Sovereign Suite". How fitting.​

 

[AMCO]

Geminidae - not a planet he had even heard of until a potential interplanetary incident landed on his desk; apparently, some enterprising young fellow in the Exploration Division had opted to discreetly observe the planet for afar only to lose control of the droid due to a spatial anomaly.

No matter, it was hardly his first time cleaning up the mess of his lessers and besides, he had yet to find a mess he couldn't talk his way out of.

Rising from his seat and straightening his suit on habit, even though the material was specifically designed not to wrinkle, Adrian smiled warmly, gesturing towards a group of plush chairs arranged around a high-tech table of some kind a distance from his desk before making his way there himself. There was no point shouting when it was only the two of them, after all.

"Ambassador - I am glad you could join me. First of all, my apologies for Globex's trespasses into your sovereign territory, however unintentional. I hope the drone did not cause much damage as it fell?" Smiling wryly, he continued. "Oh, and how rude of me - I am Adrian Vandiir. Businessman, scientist, and yes, one of the Sith Empire's Dark Councilors, though I am not present in that capacity. Refreshments?"

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm followed his indication and walked towards the chairs, taking a seat and taking care to maintain her posture. Ambassador certainly became quite rigid albeit elegant individuals while attending to their representative tasks. She was no exception. While paying attention to his words, Palm took the opportunity to inspect the grand office once more from this point of view. This was without a doubt a lot more luxurious and spacious than other parts of the Wall that she had the chance to see, but overall the whole arcology had been a surprise, in a good way, to the Geminian.​

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"Ambassador Palm-Imer. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Vandiir, despite the circumstances." She introduced herself by name just as he had done, her voice even and pleasant. He was a man of great power due to his position and as such, it was Palm's intention to not occupy his time more than was necessary to settle the issue that had led to her requesting a meeting with him in the first place. She politely declined his offer for refreshments, and proceeded to place her eyes on him before addressing his question. A neutral amber stare behind the cold shine of the crystals that made up her mask.​

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"Your apology is appreciated and no, fortunately the probe fell in an unpopulated area. However, the security drones within it were an unexpected surprise for the soldiers sent to retrieve it. Some were injured, although not severely, before they were neutralized." Although worth of mention, it would have been naive of anyone to believe that a couple of injured scouts were the cause to trigger such a reunion.​

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"The main purpose of my visit is to inquire as to why a Globex probe was found within our sector. As far as we are concerned there are not many formations of interest within our system, besides our planet that is. You see, Mister Vandiir, my people are quite fond of their privacy;" Her wording let it show that she did not precisely include herself in the statement, "when events like this one take place the public is bound to ask questions. My superiors thought it best to consult with the Globex corporation to shine as much light on this as we can." Any other type of craft would have been easier to explain, after all. Although there was no way an Ambassador would make any direct accusations and that Palm personally believed this was causing more worry than it should, she was very interested in hearing his answer. ​

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AMCO ​

 

[AMCO]

"Likewise."

Nodding politely at her introduction, the Sith Lord seemed relieved that the falling probe had not been unduly damaging, yet clearly surprised to hear of the drones, or rather their behaviour. "I see - that is unfortunate. It is reasonable to assume that the droid brain controlling probe thought itself under attack, then. Might shed some light on what downed it to begin with, thank you."

Paying close attention as she explained the true purpose of her visit - though it was more or less what he had expected - he nodded again, taking a moment to admire the light playing across the crystals of her mask. Quite the aesthetically pleasing outfit, overall.

"Quite reasonable, that - of interest or not, our Survey Corps tends towards meticulousness in such matters; the probe in question was not meant to operate within the system, however, but rather the nebulae cluster surrounding it. Celo, I believe? An assignment that precluded frequent communications, for obvious reasons. How exactly it ended up impacting your world is... difficult to say. Without the black box, anyway."

A thoroughly encrypted device designed to self-destruct if tampered with, in the case of such probes. Globex was as ever loathe to see valuable survey data stolen by its competitors, after all - especially since such probes were known to be outfitted with valuable star charts.

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm nodded, a malfunction seemed like a very plausible explanation and likely a sufficient answer for her superiors. The probe had suffered damage, the soldiers were the first to near it following said damage. She saved her words for the time being and allowed the Director to continue, maintaining the very same position while seated that she had initially taken. The straightness of her back and the lack of mobility gave away an almost robotic impression, Ambassadors were known to adopt such a stance because it helped them to detach from their own identities and opinions more easily. It was all a well crafted practice to promote objectivity and impartiality.

"That is right, sir." She confirmed. The Celo cluster had been what allowed her system to remain a secret for centuries. Very few dared in the past to explore the Wild Space, even fewer to venture into the darkness of the absorption nebulae with no idea of what they might find behind it. The wide spectrum of operations that Globex corporation seemed to partake could certainly justify such research. Even the curiosity of an individual in the company with enough authority to have access to the probes could be held responsible.

Once again, a sufficient explanation. Palm did not believe she would be able to dig up much more information on that matter. After a short moment of silence, "I see." According to her briefing, those order to check the black box of the probe had been unfamiliar with the formatting of the device. Her people were not known for being risk-takers, and so decided to not investigate it further if they believed they would leave traces of such investigation. The black box was intact and in their custody, "I have been informed that a ship will arrive in the next few days to return the usable remains of the probe and the droids to Globex. The blackbox will be delivered too, so hopefully those answers will surface soon."

Her words implied that they were expecting to be informed if anything unusual was discovered and about what led to the crash of the probe on their planet, but given that these questions would receive no response right now, the Ambassador decided to switch to a different topic. Not one she had been ordered to take on, but that had awakened her interest. "It is quite an impressive work, this city. I believe it is Globex that has designed and constructed the Wall, correct?"

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

It seemed the Ambassador was satisfied with his explanations, at least for now. Good. It seemed the Geminian government was actually intending to return the crashed probe, rather than reverse engineer the copyrighted technologies held within - not that he or his company would have been able to do anything at all about such behaviour, given the circumstances. Even better.

Smiling warmly, the Sith Lord nodded in appreciation. "Excellent. Hopefully, that will shed some light on this unfortunate incident - and we will, of course, relay the full incident report to your government once investigations have finished."

It remained to be seen whether plausible deniability could be maintained or the responsible party strictly disciplined.

His smile only broadened at her latter comment - there it was, the silver lining, the opportunity. "Ah, yes, one of our prouder accomplishments that. Building on such a scale, providing the services, amenities, and environment needed by so many people in so little space, poses unique challenges and brings with it its own share of rewards. Space is precious, after all, both on city-words and those with an ecosystem in need of protection."

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm listened attentively, finding herself even more intrigued than before. As an Ambassador, she had the authority to present potential routes of development or business partners to Geminian companies, and one in particular had come to mind almost as soon as she arrived at the Wall. Viridens was one of the most prominent enterprises in her home-world, and because of the isolationist policies it rarely had the possibility of establishing relationships with other companies.

"Undoubtedly, space is a precious resource." Her agreement maintained the even tone, but the hints of her interest were now present in her voice too. "Geminidae, however, had never been faced with such difficulties. Our population is strictly controlled, every birth and every passing accounted for." The reproduction programmes ensured this, every geminaie was the result of carefully calculated planning. Everything, from the exact day of their birth to their future purpose was designed long before they came into being.

"But since the creation of the Advena region, which allows the stay and visit of foreigners both for business and tourism purposes, that level of planning has not been precisely possible in its territory. Space is not yet an urgent inconvenient, but it will be in the future." It was then that a certain suggesting glow reached her amber eyes as she met the gaze of the Sith Lord. "It could be in the interest of Geminidae, and more precisely, the Viridens corporation to consult with Globex corporation in this matter. Maybe even seek an agreement, if the idea appeals to you."

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

For a culture as secretive as Geminidae and its peoples, every glimpse into their way of thinking was potentially valuable - he read about a population control system of some kind while preparing but for this meeting, but it seemed exceedingly thorough, far more so than he had expected. It spoke of a culture that valued precision, perfectionism even. Of one who sought out the root cause rather than alleviate symptoms.

Traits he could admire in a civilisation and potential trade partner both.

"I see, I see - an unusual system, by galactic standards, but a sensible one without the metaphorical pressure valve of interstellar colonisation." It was not without reason that a considerable portion of Globex's colonists were sourced from ecumenopolises just like Denon.

Nodding thoughtfully at her proposal, the Sith Lord's lips quirked upwards into another smile. "Yes, I can see the value in such cooperation; Globex has a great deal of experience with efficient housing and logistics alike - a necessity if one wishes to construct largely self-sufficient structures such as the one we are in or colonise some of the galaxy's less hospitable but resource-rich worlds."

Not to mention that Globex, in turn, would be able to learn from an unusual aptitude for vertical engineering, or so the reports indicated...

... and at this point, he was personally interested - doubly so since the woman, unlike most, did not project her thoughts to a being such as him.

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Whereas a small smile would have appeared on her lips at the knowledge that her proposal had been well received, the current dampened state of her emotions transformed it into a simple, satisfied nod. Palm held no doubts about Viridens' capacity to get results as rewarding as the ones Globex had reaped from the construction of the Wall, with the right collaboration. The idea then occurred to her that this could potentially become one of her more important achievements as an Ambassador so far.

This was not only the beginning of a particularly promising accord, but a possibility for her people to learn whole new methods of building and design. "Geminians are... elaborate architects. Thanks to the regulated population, our cities are scarce and therefore the object of our more artistic side, to put it somehow." With a natural landscape that remained largely untouched besides the also strictly controlled extraction sites, the cities had become the outlet not only of their skill as builders but of their creativity. "Their ambitious vision has given way to our peculiar construction methods, it would be very interesting to see this come into play alongside Globex's mastery to minimize the required space."

In that last sentence, she allowed the shine of her own, personal interest and enthusiasm show. "In light of the recent events I can promise some reluctance from some members of our company. But given the encouraging potential of this opportunity I believe it won't be long lived." She considered that worthy of mention, although the thought might have already crossed the Director's mind. "Are there any questions I could answer for you?" Given that she would have to contact him again once she reported back to Viridens' authorities and her Sovereign, it was better if any and all doubts were at least somewhat discussed in this first meeting.

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

Everything about the Ambassador was refined, precise, controlled, and yet every once in a while Adrian was able to see a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, variable importance in the minute shifting of her stance, and a level of interest in her tone. To the layman it might seem a plethora of information but to the Sith Lord, experienced as he was in the art of social interaction, it was a pitiful haul.

No matter, her training only made her more interesting - her and her people both; let his advisors worry about profitability and the like.

"An intriguing prospect, to be sure - and some level of reluctance is to be expected, given the circumstances." As she said, reluctance was quite overcomeable. It would be best to tailor an eventual proposal to the societal profile he had been slowly building in his head - a fondness for vertical engineering, as evident in Advena, a desire to protect natural environments, a need for creativity in the cityscape, a penchant for long-term planning.

Yes, yes they had plenty to work with.

"A few, yes: What scope do you find most probable, megascale engineering such as the Wall, "micro-arcologies" for ten to a hundred thousand residents, or more conventional cityscapes? Would the ideal goal be self-sufficiency or interdependence? Are there any cultural or legislative quirks we should plan around?" Smiling softly, he met her brown eyes with his own blue. "... oh, and what force tradition do you belong to. You feel unique."

Flashing her a patented Corellian smile, he winked quite unprofessionally. "Feel free to take that as a compliment."

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm was used to receiving and sorting through many inquiries of all kinds when the gem-mask laid over her face and she embodied her ambassadorial role. But the last question, specially when preceded by many others which she had foreseen, had caught her off guard. For a second, most of the heavy shift that she exerted over her own emotions to numb them was lost and a raised eyebrow and a smirk took over her previously impassive features. Of course, he would not be able to see these two gestures, but he would see the sudden flare of emotion - a cross between amusement and surprise - in her eyes.

For the time being she decided to not shift back into the coldness of her Ambassador persona, sometimes emotion made her more perceptive to certain things than objectivity and she was now curious. Her peers would probably frown upon her decision, but she trusted her intuition and her capabilities. "Then you have my thanks, Mr. Vandiir. I do not need to mention you are quite a unique man yourself." Director of a megacorporation, renowned scientist and Dark Councilor to the Sith Empire as he had well expressed himself at the beginning of their conversation. A remarkable and hardly replicated profile.

"I believe Viridens would be more interested in megascale engineering given they prioritize altering as little natural landscape as possible, I would also expect them to try to work the project into nature itself. They are known for terraforming mountains and fields to ensure the qualities and general integrity of the surrounding biome remains as undisturbed as possible. Self-sufficiency is preferred but interdependence could be contemplated should the project prove too ambitious for the first, legislation is very standard besides the environmental regulations and as for cultural quirks...Well, I'd say if you have something non-conventional and unfamiliar in mind they would actually grow more fond of you." Her voice remained even and clear throughout her elaboration, this time no longer blank but carrying hints of her own interested and entertained disposition.

She had purposefully saved his personal inquiry for the last, and took a moment before responding, "As for your last question, I have been raised in the ways of the Soller-Navah, the Art of One. The Order is native to Geminidae, not very well-known." Nothing about her home-world usually was.

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

The shift in her behavioural patterns as his last question caught her off guard was remarkable - the impersonal Ambassador replaced by a no doubt equally calculating but more emotive woman. Still a representative of her people, but now also herself.

Visibly pleased by her answers, he nodded amiably. "Very good - Globex has some experience integrating utilities into bedrock and mountainsides alike, I could certainly see the viability, especially with Viridens' assistance. Oh, and I don't see self-sustainability being a problem..." Slender fingers dancing across the surface of their table, he quickly brought up a hologram of the Wall - a complete schematic, a few secrets notwithstanding.

"As you see, the logistical structure stretches beneath the structure itself, through millennia of urban development, and into the planet proper. Various agricultural solutions provide a steady stream of foodstuffs even as waste material flows down to be recycled - the Depths even intermingle with the planetary life support system, Globex is in charge of maintaining part of it, you know - the air breathed by hundreds of millions."

Returning to more personal matters, he eyed her curiously. The Soller-Navah, hmm? This world just seemed more and more worthy of his attention. "I see, I see. I have always found the Galaxy's varied force traditions a fascinating subject, even if some of my peers are, ah, somewhat intolerant."

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

Her honey-colored gaze glided through the hologram with great interest, there was a lot more to the Wall that was immediately evident to the eyes and even though she had expected as much, the complexity of it had even surpassed her presumptions. Once more, a pleased feeling filled her as she admired the design she had very rarely came across structures that matched the complexity Geminian architects were fond of.

His comment about the air brought her eyes back to him, it was a strong statement and one she did not doubt the veracity of. Coming from most other people she would have been worried about potential failures in such a vital issue, but given what she had been shown it was very unlikely that this possibility hadn't been considered and accounted for. "A masterpiece indeed, I can assure you Geminidae will be eager to establish some form of agreement with Globex after what I've been shown." Palm prided herself in knowing the interests and nature of her people - and specially those in positions of power - very well. After all, it was her job to.

Considering they wouldn't be able to get much further in the more formal and bureaucratic aspect of their conversation until a further date, once she had contacted and gotten a response from the appropriate authorities, Palm decided to entertain the other topic they had been discussing. Seeing as how it did not involve her people and she would be the sole author of her words, her hands reached to her hair to unclasp the pins that held her gem-mask in place. Soon enough, her face was bared for the eyes of the Sith Lord to see.

"The soll'nav share in your curiosity, Mister Vandiir. It is often we welcome practitioners of other Orders and beliefs to stay among us so we may learn from them, even if most of what we learn we will never practice. Receiving Sith has always been a rare occurrence...and more often than not a chaotic one, usually their true intentions are darker than just finding rest in our academies." There was no form of accusation or anger in her voice, simply the statement of a reality she seemed to accept. Afterall, most Sith were inclined to such behaviors and expecting them to act differently was like asking a rabid dog not to bite.

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

Satisfied with her response, he nodded once. "And I, in turn, am sure the Board will be equally interested in such an arrangement." Of course, the Board did whatever he told them to do, but that was not something he felt the need to tell outsiders; let her think him one among equals.

Watching with interest as the young woman removed her gem-mask and recognising what was no doubt a culturally significant act, the Sith Lord had a feeling he would now be speaking with Palm-Imer the woman, not Palm-Imer the Ambassador. Or perhaps she would now be representing the Soller-Navah? Either way, his eyes slid across her no-doubt symmetrical features, confirming that she at least looked human...

... but then, so did he, and he was anything but.

"In a galaxy all too prone to sectarian fanaticism, that is an admirable stance... and a productive one, I would think. After all, why limit oneself to one set of traditions, practices, and techniques when one can study them all and sort them by merit?" A look of long-suffering annoyance flickering across his refined features, Adrian simply sighed. He knew all too well that struggle, after all.

"Indeed, that does seem to be the norm - often I have wished that my Order would focus less on power and more on knowledge..."

A wry smile, and then he continued. "... or even common sense."

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

A small smile graced her lips at his words, the Soll'nav were indeed curious and quite flexible as far as traditions went. But it would be quite incorrect to say they did not limit themselves, if anything, they believed restraint was the only was to understand the Force without being controlled by it. She wondered what the Sith Lord would think of this, for there were many who considered the philosophies of the Soller Navah as wasteful of the gift of the Force, while in turn the Soller Navah saw others approach as wasteful of their own gifts and virtues, those possessed despite their connection to living power.

"Well, we are incredibly flexible as far as theoretic knowledge goes. But in the practice, I fear we might disappoint you. The soll'nav refrain from using any powers that directly affect our surroundings or others. We have a rather...introspective approach to the Force," Her explanation was kept short, but she felt satisfied with it. There was no doubt that the Sith Lord would understand what she meant, and she looked forward to his opinion with interest.

The smile transformed into a wide grin at his last words. "There are many who would say you can't have the first without the second," As far as she knew, it was rare for brutes to get far in life. Or to live very long for that matter. "But you are right, neither is useful without the last." For neither strength nor intelligence would be of any use in the hands of someone unfit to employ them. "If there is good to come out of it, I suppose, it is that those who favor your approach must be well valued within your Order."

AMCO

 

[AMCO]

Expression turning thoughtful at her explanation, he simply nodded. "I see, I see - quite curious dogma, as far as such organisations go, but not unheard of. The Voss Mystics tend towards similar introspection, in some ways. Not my cup of tea, but I won't sit here and call it senseless." As interested as he was in controlling the material world through the Force, he could see the argument for such ways...

... they just weren't personally convincing to him - to him, the Force had always been a tool, albeit a wondrously flexible one.

Adrian smiled softly at her agreement, a smile that only widened as she offered her final comment. "Oh yes; there are plenty of fools within our ranks, that much is true, but most fail to climb quite as high. Raw physical power is useful enough on the battlefield, but it is of little value when the mysteries of the Force are to be studied or an Empire governed..."

After a soft chuckle, he continued. "... and yes, the old saying "knowledge is power" is never more true than in regards to the Sith. I have found that the contents of ancient grimoires and the results of novel experiments are more often than not far better protection than any lightsaber."

Palm-Imer​

 

[Palm-Imer]

It couldn't be denied that brawn offered many advantaged were war was concerned, as far as her first impressions told her it seemed like the Sith were lucky enough to have the brute strength guided by the sharper minds. It was no wonder that they were such a wide-spread Empire, Palm felt lucky that her own system was...away from their borders.

The geminaie was quite enthralled by Adrian's words, just like those of her caste she was designed to be an avid learner. Actively seeking out knowledge was as much of an instinct and need to her as breathing, eating or sleep. Of course, Palm knew to be careful with where she placed her attention for there were times when ignorance was blissful. The Force, at least now in her younger years, was something she approached with caution so as to not threaten the careful balance it had taken her so long to achieve. It was like standing with each feet on a different plate of a scale: the smallest of shifts could compromise stability.

But her own self-discipline would never stop her curiosity, it simply made it easier for her to ignore its call. "And history proves you right, Mister Vandiir. Scholars and schemers have always tended to outlive warriors and those guided by impulse." The Ambassador then offered a smile, now freely displaying her enjoyment of the conversation they had just shared.

"Well, I will not be taking up anymore of your time." As she said this, she stood up from her seat. Her posture was still pin-straight, but there was more humanity and less machine-like feel to it. She extended her hand to the Sith Lord, "Thank you for your hospitality. We will wait for the information obtained from the black box and I look forward to contacting you again, hopefully with good news about our shared interests."

AMCO