An Exercise in Sovereignty (PM to join)

[Mya Jesel]

City of Yumfla
Presidential Residence

Mya looked older now than she had when she had begun her political career, just a young idealist with a background in freight economics, local hauling, and a passion to make the world better for those like her. The down on their luck, the itinerants, and those who had before been without a voice. With that kind of platform, they had catapulted her to senatorial position, and then after the murder of her predecessor by the Sith, she had been elected as president.

Things had been easier then. They were the backwater tip of the Galactic Alliance. An enormous military powerhouse formed the buffer between themselves and any threats. But, with recent events, that had come to an end. Now they were the outermost anchor for the Outer Rim Coalition, with nothing but neutral space between them and the First Order. Sure, the CIS was a close neighbor and ally, but that didn't make her position feel any more comfortable.

No, they were the anchor for this sector of space and that was something she was going to ensure was done well. That had given her a list of plans that she needed to accomplish. First was to secure more relations and alliances with other sovereign systems. She already had one in mind. Iktoch. They were an industrial and shipbuilding system, much akin to her own. After that, the newly declared sovereign systems in the Core. They had wealth and influence. If she could leverage that, it would be very beneficial for Suarbi.

The Core needed their resources, especially after the most recent bout of destruction that wrecked the world of Coruscant like it hadn't been in a long time. Perhaps in centuries. She had already sent a message to the Iktochi president and he had accepted, with them agreeing to meet. It was scheduled to happen very shortly and she had begun preparing her briefings and her reports. A bottle of unopened Tillian Cola sat on the desk beside her to get the meeting started on the right foot.

 

[Aeshi Tillian]

Elsewhere in the Presidential Residence

Aeshi stood silently in the small waiting room while her grandfather sat at the table, reviewing the contracts he had prepared. From a spacer, he had managed to get his law degree as he worked less and less in space and more and more in the family business. He was their own attorney now as well as the head of the family and the business. They had been contacted by the Susefvi government to contract with them in order to haul large cargoes to and from other locations, depending on the how contracts with other governments and companies went.

For this, Aeshi was the one with the largest merchant fleet within the company, derived from her status as a Metal-Lady of the Void. But then, the droid kingdom had fallen, been absorbed, and its coalition annihilated. Yet, they had managed to hold onto a few of the ships as they fled. Those would be the primary contract-haulers and they would add onto the route that they were already hauling to Coruscant for the reconstruction efforts. It wasn't hard with .3 hyperdrives. They could make a large transit loop, like speeder-buses across the galaxy with that kind of speed, and still be faster than their competitors.

That was the goal. Now they just had to wait for the results of the government negotiations to conclude in order to tie in their own contracts. With that in mind, she took a seat next to her grandfather, and breathed deeply. She would wait. This opportunity was one that was going to be too good to miss.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

--------------------------------------

ATTN: [member="Mya Jesel"]

With the fall of the Alliance, more than ever, it's important for Susefvi to get a long-term source of home-made foodstuffs, so I would request a meeting in Yumfla regarding the agricultural future of the planet. Please let me know what works for you.

Ugohr Poof
CEO, Pizza Hutt

--------------------------------------

If there was one thing Ugohr knew that Pizza Hutt could provide that Susefvi seemed to need, it was foodstuffs, and hydroponic farming at that. Also, since the cocoa fields of Skor were under attack, he had to have a backup plan should the cocoa fields fall under First Order hands. Plus he was so invested on Skor that it would make Pizza Hutt operations that much more complicated. Plus he was still somewhat limited in what they could, in fact, do on Naboo or Felacat, so maybe making Susefvi more self-sufficient when it came to foodstuffs was a good idea. He had his favorite suppliers of hydroponic farming equipment on standby, and he could place an order immediately provided there actually was a deal in place, and preferably a long-term one. Plus Pizza Hutt was already present elsewhere in ORC space, such as Zonju V and, of course, Skor. The Gungan would also stand ready to get a blank contract signed between the ORC for the longer-term. And, as soon as he would get an answer from Mya or her staff, he would depart on the double for Susefvi.

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

===========================
ATTN: Office of Ughor Poof,
We appreciate your offer and your willingness to invest. While we are self-sufficient in foodstuffs, we are open to investments from outside companies and we would be willing to meet with you in Yumfla. Please inform us of your travel plans and we shall make arrangements for you.
Office of the President
===========================

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Theysa offer to maken arrangements for oursa business trip? Wesa must not abuse theirsa hospitality; wesa arrive in Yumfla in dee days, he thought, while the response from [member="Mya Jesel"] and the Susefvi government actually offering to make hosting arrangements as if for an official state visit by the Gungan Rep Council or some such equivalent body arrived. He knew all too well that abusing foreign hospitality was a big no-no: it may well mean a permanent loss of business, so he had to tread lightly. Yet, three days notice may seem to be enough to his eyes.

-----------------------

ATTN: Office of the President

We will arrive in three days in Yumfla.

Ugohr Poof

----------------------

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]
============
Ugohr Poof,
Excellent. Accommodations will be provided in the newest hotel built in the city. We hope that you shall find them comfortable for the duration of your stay. Meeting arrangements will follow.

Best Regards,
Office of the President
=================

Three days later, at the arranged time for the meeting, a representative of the Susefvi government would be waiting in a small conference room in the hotel, with prepared documents regarding planetary agricultural production, technological capabilities, and ways in which the land was being used. The elderly Caamasi sat comfortably in his seat as he studied his information again, just trying to be sure that it was all stored in his memory.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"Yousa want some room service?"

"Me want fish" the Squib assistant told him in the room.

So mesa goen on da day of dat hotel's grand opening? he thought, while he had his Squib assistant on this trip. That Squib assistant had to review the suitable locations for building hydroponic farms on Susefvi, as well as the climates, since biomes were the key element determining what can and cannot be cultivated, and where. Sure, hydroponics help somewhat in introducing unfamiliar foodstuffs with more control, assuming sunlight and moisture were the main limiting factors, just that the hotel was rather luxurious by Wild Space standards, and that was still upscale was that hotel in the Gungan-controlled regions of Naboo, such as Rellias. But before he headed towards the conference room, he had some grilled fish from room service, along with the Squib. Yet, if there was one thing the Gungan knew he would like to eat before proceeding with the deal, it's a good seafood meal. The Squib realized that it was quite different from what fish he ate on Naboo or Skor. Now that the two had their fish meal, they proceeded to the conference room, satisfied of their meal, and also bringing in some documentation about Pizza Hutt's hydroponic farming capabilities.

"Mesa Ugohr Poof, from Pizza Hutt, and mesa hair regardin a deal for hydroponic farmin so dat more varieties of food can be grown or bred hair"

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

As the two entered, the Caamasi diplomat stood and bowed in greeting. "Welcome, Mr. Poof. Welcome to Susefvi. I hope your accommodations have been acceptable and the trip pleasant so far? I am Elegos A'Yai, representative of the Susefvi Foreign Trade Department. Please, take a seat." He would take his seat once again and beckon to a protocol droid to bring over a pot of tea with a rich, if odd strikingly odd smell. Not necessarily unpleasant, but there was something... ocean-ish about it.

"Now, you wish to discuss proposals for agricultural development, do I understand correctly? if so, please do elaborate. I am very interested in hearing what you have to propose and how we can make this work for the betterment of all."

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"Yes. Wesa wish to cultivate on Susefvi what itsa natural biomes cannot grow, usin una network of hydroponic farms"

If there is one thing Ugohr knew, it's that few agri-worlds had all the biomes associated with all the major organic foodstuffs wildly consumed across the galaxy. However, many planets capable of sustaining sentient life and, by extension, non-sentient life, had more than one biome. And yet, regardless of biomes, if there is one thing the Caamasi representative [member="Mya Jesel"] sent to deal with him knew, it's that respecting the local needs for labor is key for its long-term viability. Squibs liked chocolate and caf, with the two being cultivated in the same biome, but not always together. But the Susefvi residents may have different aims. Different cuisines, so that would affect what gets grown in the hydroponic farms he wanted to have built on Susefvi. However, he wasn't well-versed in the local talent management practices, so he knew he would need to hire talent managers locally and then he would at least have some level of assurance that the local practices would be observed, especially as it pertains to the agri-food industry. It's not like more specialized industries where lack of respect could be easier to forgive thanks to the high degree of specialization of said industries.

"And local labor if itsa possible"

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

The Caamasi nodded, hands clasped beneath his snout. "Indeed, we strongly support hiring local here on Susefvi. It strengthens ties with the rest of the galaxy and brings us all closer together. It is relations such as these that can prevent future conflict."

He nodded to himself and pulled up his data printouts and rotated them so that Ughor could get a better look. It marked out the biomes and ecosystems along the planet.

"We are primarily a flat, temperate world," the Camaasi continued, "With some small mountains and rolling hills. Lots of area for growing food, but the base for our foodstuff is oceanic."

With that, he pulled up a different display, charting the locations of seaweed and fish farms, ocean-based hydroponics, and the like. "Most of the planetary surface is still available for agricultural development within temperate biomes."

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"Disen imply dat da administration yousa represent prefer organic farming for growen land-basen crops"

So Elegos told him what the natural biomes could, in fact, grow. Which, in the Gungan's mind, implied [member="Mya Jesel"]'s administration preferred organic farming, or that locals preferred organic farming for land-based crops, even though it was just fine for producing oceanic foodstuff using a network of AquaHarvesters. And, if such was the case, it was a different set of farming equipment that was needed, requiring a different set of equipment manufacturers to buy the farm equipment from. Not that it couldn't be done, just that it carried long-term implications. Not that it couldn't be done, just that he had to contact people elsewhere on Naboo that engaged in farming, that he bought ingredients from, to know where they got their equipment from. There were some adjustments to be made, just that muja fruit was one of those crops. There will be a variety of crops, such as tomato, nerf, pom wheat, green/red peppers, mushrooms and the like being slated to grow on land, while he had to be mindful of preserving the ecosystems. But that was not his job to be concerned about local ecosystems. And yet...

"What measures do wesa have to be mindful of to preserve da local ecosystems?"

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

"If possible, yes. Being the only inhabitable moon in the entire system, we would prefer to maintain that status for as long as possible," the Caamasi responded. "Much of our industrial infrastructure occurs in space, so we strive to keep the moon as green as possible."

He sorted through a different set of documents and slid them across. "These are the protocols and regulations in place for commercial agriculture." They were stringent, but not oppressive, designed to minimize the impact the on the ecosystem and steadily replenish resources as they were depleted, with a goal of a zero percentile change in productivity or biodiversity.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

He had to take the risk: the yield would be much lower per acre than in the vertical, urban farm he built in Rellias, but if organic farming was, in fact, the way to go, it was not enough to hire local staff and respect local organic farming practices and regulations. Perhaps the local regulations would force not only a minimum of local labor, but also a minimum ownership of the farmland (he saw that sort of clause on several planets, such as Felacat) but the documentation on farming regulations was of interest to the Squib aide he brought in tow. Ugohr would likely personally purchase the farmland from those farmers that struggled to make ends meet, and maybe save them from bankruptcy, or those farmers that got foreclosed. [member="Mya Jesel"] and her Caamasi envoy would likely appreciate an attempt to keep the population out of trouble - often Jedi forgot about finance-induced issues. The Gungan had a proposal to make for the poor farmers of the planet, if it was a way to get a good working relationship with the local populations for the long haul. Especially as it pertains to a staple merchandise that could be sold everywhere.

"If issa possible, perhaps wesa can buy farm property from local farmers dat have heavy debt loads or otherwise struggle; then wesa can kill duey birds with una stone. And only afterward can wesa think of buyen virgin farmland"

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

The Caamasi considered this and pulled up some more information, eyes skimming quickly across the data before nodding. "Indeed. That is a wise decision. All benefit from such a transaction. We approve."

He pulled up some other data and started preparing a report of the details of the conversation in order to keep good records.
--------

Meanwhile, Mya was frowning as she assessed the system's defenses and assets. There wasn't an enormous amount. While the fleets were decent, they were disparate and unorganized. Ground forces were pretty standard. But as far as defenses went, they weren't ready. She had studied the intelligence reports from Skor. The assault had been quick. Only their initial hesitation to commit their full military strength had prevented Metrobig from being overwhelmed initially.

She would not permit that to happen to Susefvi. They needed long-distance warning, system defenses, and a way to force the enemy from deploying troops immediately to the surface. The theater-shield had been effective once it was up, but it still only limited the ground to relatively close. Perhaps there was a larger one that they could acquire. Of course, the generator was the target, so they would need to fortify that somehow, even against orbital bombardments.

She put together a list and handed it to her aide. "See what you can find on the market."

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"May disen deal be valid in da long-term"

Sometimes a heavy debt load left very little money to pay for operating expenses, which in turn limited how much land could be cultivated, or how many animals could be bred, and, from there, the revenues. It was a death spiral, and [member="Mya Jesel"] knew it. But thank the Force he could buy beleaguered farms without having to be mindful of local ownership limits: may Pizza Hutt be able to bring these farms back to solvency and, hopefully, profitability. (Many Jedi seemed oblivious to the fact that an insolvent entity had little to no equity, and in some cases negative equity) He knew it was already stressful enough to operate an organic farm even when it did turn a profit. Sure, people who seem willing to sell the title to their farm and simply operate it on Pizza Hutt's behalf had little to no equity left, but he hoped that the debt loads incurred by the prospective sellers were just the result of years of poor crops. And they were farmers that entered the business when poor crops happened; bad luck was hitting them for what he knew. He thus had to dig deeper to start a relief program for the local farmers, now that said plan was approved.

 

[Mya Jesel]

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

The Caamasi nodded. "Indeed, I think it shall be." He slid the information across the table. It was the contract they would need to sign to make it official. It wasn't particularly complicated, as far as contracts were concerned. Simple agreement, but beyond that, it would be up to the company to live up to their words as they said. Such was the way of the Caamasi, for they brokered an agreement that benefited everyone, and good-will and integrity carried the deal the rest of the way. With that, however, they were highly selective in who they made such deals with.

But all things considered, Pizza Hutt was a reliable company, and Ughor was a being of integrity. They knew that and it would hold him to his own agreement.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Now that the contract with all the terms of the farmer relief plan Pizza Hutt is operating for the long haul was drafted, with Pizza Hutt having priority to sell the crops to, up to 10% of the annual production (depending on the crops and amount of the relief package), the time has come for Ugohr to sign the deal with the Caamasi [member="Mya Jesel"] sent to negotiate the deal in question. At this point, 10% priority is better than nothing, while leaving enough for the rest to be sold on open markets, with Pizza Hutt making up for the shortfall. Typically, better prices can be obtainen on open markets dan at disen hedge prices wesa pay for theirsa crops, but oursa investment issa goen to be expensive, at least in da short term, he thought, while realizing the risk that some farmers may well become deliberately insolvent so that they can operate scams at Pizza Hutt's expense. So this is why he was asking farmers for comparative balance sheets. Satisfied with the deal he did, in fact, sign for this relief plan, the Gungan did realize that it was to be a backup plan should complications arise on Skor.