Care to Make a Deal?

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli groaned as she cracked her back, she been leaning over her computer terminal for far too long as she worked on a new Starfighter design. Looking at her chrono, she decided to go grab some tea from a nearby café that catered to the business district of Coruscant. Taking her datapad with her, she scrolled through the news of the day as she walked to the café.

'So the Red Ravens finally came to talk an official alliance,' she thought with a small smile. Her dealings with their new secretary had been very interesting, and she saw he was part of the delegation that had arrived for the talks. A spark of an idea came into her mind as she thought about him.

While he had said he wanted to work on a small projects, and none of the military variety, she thought she could perhaps change his mind for the idea floating through her head. She just needed to see if he would be amendable.

She typed up a message as she took her favorite seat at the café, and the waiter brought over her preferred blend during the day.

"If you care to discuss an idea I had while you are here on Coruscant, I'll be at these coordinates for about an hour"

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

After the long tiring meeting dealing with alliances, the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with more of their kind. All Ice wanted presently was something to eat and probably get some shut eye early before heading home or to Red Raven space. So when he received Taeli's message to meet, he both let out a tired sigh, but couldn't help but to be intrigued as well. She had after all been instrumental in getting his reactor program off the ground. And with this being the first time either one had contacted the other about a new deal, he resigned himself to see her. At least she was vastly more pleasant than the last bunch.

Sending her a quick message stating that he would be there, Ice made his way through to bustling city world that was Coruscant. It didn't take him to long and Taeli soon found Ice walking through the door and taking a seat at her table. With a pleasant smile he gave her a small nod. "Good to see you again Taeli." He said genuinely. "I hope you have been well."

He'd wait for her response to allow for the basic pleasantries to be handled, but then continued. "So what can I do for you on this fine day?" There may have been a hint of sarcasm lingering in his tone as the memory of his meeting with with the With leadership was still fresh in his mind.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli smiled as he sat down across from her, it was good to see him again. As he asked her how she had been, she could see some signs of stress and annoyance in his body language.

"I've been fine," she replied easily. "Been busy with projects, running the company you know. The usual."

"So what can I do for you on this fine day?" he asked her.

"I take it you enjoyed your meeting with my superiors," she said, smiling lightly as she could sense the sarcasm rolling off him. She understood that for most people, the Sith Lords were both arrogant and believed themselves better than others. "They take getting used to, I know. But that's not why I called you here to meet me."

She leaned back in her chair, swirling her tea for a moment. She wondered just what would get Ice interested in the idea she had, since it wasn't exactly a small or non-military agreement.

"I know you said we would work first on small, non-military projects," she began slowly, cautiously. "But . . . how would you feel if we created a joint project for a stealth fighter?"

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

He raised an annoyed eyebrow at her first comment on the alliance meeting. "Oh yes...exceedingly." Was all he offered as a reply while he then listened to her go on to try and defend them. Still after actually meeting with the upper echelon of Sigh society, it was both a relief as much as a terrifying thought that his feelings on With had been pretty accurate. As such, he wouldn't say what he actually thought. Not that it mattered. She was an intelligent woman and he wasn't exactly hiding his emotions. "I'm very pleased to hear that." Ice added with a light chuckle as she moved on the conversation to the point.

His eyes narrowed when he heard what the purpose of the meeting was for. His mind raced through multiple views and reasonings behind this request. She knew before ever calling him, what Ice's views on large military project with the Sith were. So why waste both of their afternoons? She had something.....something valuable. It was the only explanation. She knew STI would not work with her on a project like this unless there would be something offered that could tempt Ice to override his own concerns and opposition.

"I think you know what my answer would be. But knowing that, leads me to suspect a joint stealth fighter isn't the only interesting thing about this deal. Am I wrong?" He sat back and stared at her, trying to ascertain her motives. His meeting with the Sith Lords has him very much on edge. Especially since he wasn't on home soil.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"You know, I'm not like the other Sith," she said, trying to calm him down. She could how on edge and tense he was, and that wouldn't be conducive to their meeting. If he walked away from it, that was okay, but she did have easy access to something he might be interested in.

"I know you're naturally suspicious of working with me on this, but I do have access to a material you could use in other projects you wouldn't be able to reach without great difficulty," she said, smiling pleasantly. "How interested would you be in gaining some phrik ore? I know just how . . . cautious you are and a lightsaber resistant and light-weight metal might help you sleep easier at night. In exchange, I would like help procuring some stygium then we both get the schematics for the fighter."

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

His gaze softened and he let out a sigh. "Yes...yes you are different. And I apologize if I sounded rude." He said calmly as he looked deep into her purple eyes while trying to determine if this deal was worth the risk. "But your masters are the same people that I just got out of that meeting with. The same people who I suspect would rather see us Ravens burn than gain any more power and be a useful ally." Continuing to mull the idea around in his head he added, "And I suspect a cloaked fighter would do better than a phrik covered fighter."

He stopped there to let that tidbit sink in before he started again. "I am also very curious to know why you would suspect I had access to such a large supply of Stygium Crystals. It is one of the rarest minerals in the galaxy after all. But you are also right in two things. I do have stygium crystals, and I would like to get my hands on phrik ore. So with that in mind. How many stealth fighters are you planning to produce? And how much phrik ore are you prepared to offer per cloaked fighter?" He wanted to at least hear the details before deciding whether or not to decline the offer. And he did want to show he trusted her enough to at least not reject the proposal right off the bat. Even despite their earlier agreement.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli smiled slightly at his question and statement. She knew that her superiors had definitely done a number on his trust of working with any Sith, sadly. That was going to make things much harder for long term goals, but she was rather adaptable.

"I'm sorry if the Lords rubbed you the wrong way, and I suspect they will come to realize just how valuable the Ravens might be to our cause eventually. They view actions as more important than words, always do. The subtleties of things can escape them."

She took a sip of her tea before answering the second part.

"Other kinds of crystals tend to grow around Force crystals, stygium being one, and using logic I made an estimated guess that you had access to them," she said. "Your secrecy sort of it gives it away that you've got other things to protect besides Force crystals, but that's by the by. I'm looking for enough stygium crystal to outfit several squadrons of fighters with cloaking devices, and it would be an even exchange in terms of phrik to stygium."

She wondered if he would take her up on the offer or not. If he did, excellent, if not . . . well no hard feelings. She could understand the idea was a bit . . . large and he would be naturally cautious of handing such things over to the Sith, in any way, shape, of form.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

"Indeed." He said plainly at her mention of how the Sith Lords can operate at times. Her explanation of how she figured out he had stygium crystals though brought about a small smile, namely the aprt about his secrecy. "Why I honestly have no idea what you're talking about....I'm this secretive with just about everything." He finished with a small chuckle.

Ice's eyes grew wide when she mentioned the amount of fighters she was wanting to make. Why with that amount, she could fill up two heavy cruiser carriers worth of fighters. And with no ability to see them coming, even his defenses could theoretically be obliterated if her master decided to use her against STI for god only knows what reason. Hell it could just be for the fun of it. Who knows. He had a feeling that he could actually trust her, but certainly not her masters. Which brought a question to mind.

"May I ask why you would need so many fighters? I mean, is this order for you? Or for the Empire as a whole?" Her next answer would prompt more questions. But for now, one thing at a time.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Let's just say I'm a bit protective of my assets and allies, if they deserve my trust," she said with a smile. It wasn't a direct answer, she knew that, but she hoped he would be able to guess it was for Krayt's own defense. The galaxy was growing increasingly dangerous, and she wanted to be fully prepared for every scenario.

"Surely you could understand the need to develop a security force that can handle any opponent that might attack," she said with a sly smile. His secrecy almost guaranteed Ice knew exactly what she meant, even if she hadn't seen too many of his defenses at his space station.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

"Ah." He said with an understanding nod. "Indeed I do. It's a shame we can't be actual allies." Ice added with an actual tinge of regret in his eyes. "It seems we have very similar ideologies in a lot of things. Including protecting our own and our assets." He briefly tinkered with the notion of carving out a piece of the galaxy with her and turning it into a fortress to protect their companies, but quickly banished the thought. As long as she was a Sith, she could be made to be an enemy by her superiors.

He paused for a moment for his own sake. He needed to think on how to make this possible. He wanted to help her. But wouldn't risk his company by trusting a Sith with THAT kind of technology. Especially since he currently lacked all the sensor equipment that would be necessary to all but guarantee he could see what was coming. It was then he had an epiphany. Perhaps she would allow a way for him and him alone to be able to see her fighters no matter where they were.

"Ok here is my issue. I like you personally, as you know. And you know what I don't like. What scares me is the Sith having that many cloaked ships that I can't see. To be quite honest. Most of my defenses are being built to defend against your people. I have personally worked with several others who have lost much at the hands of the Sith. It is why I am so wary of your people. So if you want this capability, I'm going to need to have a way to see your ships. A way that can't be removed once they have left my sight. I'm not talking a way the galaxy, or even the Red Ravens can see them. I literally just mean a way I can see them. Would you be open to figuring out a way to make this possible?"

Ice was trying to work with her, and as usual, hoped she would realize it wasn't her he didn't trust. Besides, this plus the chance to be able to outfight 8 squadrons of fighters in phrik was a difficult thing to pass up.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"I've yet to hear of a scanner that can pierce a stygium stealth field," Taeli said, waiting a moment before continuing. "But what we could do is place a secret transponder in each fighter that would be picked up immediately by STI's personal scanners. That way, you'll know they are there even if they are still cloaked. But, I don't foresee these being used against you as they will be Krayt's personal use and as long as we don't end up trying to kill each other, I wouldn't worry about them being used against you. My masters will never know about these."

She hoped that would assuage his fears, at least somewhat. She really wanted to get these stealth fighters, but if he said no now, that would delay this project until the Sith could take Aeten II or some other world that contained stygium. She wondered if there was another way to lessen his fears.

"Do you want to hear why I'm so loyal to the Sith, and why I go with their viewpoint even though I'm different than the others?" she asked. She knew she was playing slightly on his curiosity about her, but it would help deepen the trust and that would be useful for any future projects . . . or lessons. She recognized that eventually he would ask her about alchemy again, since he couldn't replicate the crystals without knowing how to harness the Force.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

Looking to a waitress passing by, he found himself getting parched. "Miss. Glass of water please? Thanks." As the waitress went off to fetch him a glass of water, Ice tapped his chin in thought at the proposal. "Well that is an interesting idea. Wasn't what I had in mind, but I think that will compliment what I was thinking quite nicely. What I'm actually thinking of is a piece of technology called a Crystal Gravfield Trap. It's one of the only things that can detect a vessel cloaked even with Stygium crystals. I wasn't sure if you might have access to that form of technology. That, combined with the transponder codes would mean we could both see each other coming and know who it is."

Hae paused there for a moment as his water had just arrived. He thanked the waitress again and took a sip as Taeli offered to explain why she was so loyal to the Sith. His interest was suddenly piqued as he had been curious about this strong loyalty from someone who hadn't been with the Sith for all that long in the first place. Perhaps this story could help him to understand her position and allow him to make some concessions. Only time would tell. "I would indeed. I'll even admit I have been rather curious for a while now." He finished with a small smile on his face.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli took a sip of her tea, knowing she was taking a leap of faith here, but this might help her gain faith from her otherwise overly cautious companion.

"I grew up on Lorrd, my mother was Mandalorian that got tired of all the fighting and killing, my father is a professor at the Univeristy of Lorrd," Taeli started to explain. "Mother taught me everything she knew about fighting, and Father instilled in me a drive or hunger to learn everything I could about whatever subject that took my fancy. When my Force powers started to reveal themselves, I took it upon myself to do as much research as I could while focusing on graduating. Sadly, the university lacked much of anything about the Force or the orders that knew how to use it, so I knew I would need to seek the answers myself."

She paused for a moment, looking out over the Coruscant cityscape. So much had changed for her.

"After I graduated, I convinced my parents to allow me to take the family shuttle to begin exploring," she continued saying. "Here is where my story could have taken two paths. I could have just left with what I had already moved onto the ship or I could go and get more datapads to store information. I chose the second and sealed what path I would walk. When I was returning to my shuttle, I was jumped by three boys from the academy. They cornered and pinned me, planning on raping me in fact for a humiliation I inflicted on them in the fencing ring. Well all that fear, despair, anger, rage broke whatever was holding my powers back from fully manifesting. I flew into a rage, I don't even remember everything about it, but all three boys were dead."

She stopped again for a moment, allowing herself to think back on that day. The old Taeli had died that day she realized, in a way it had been necessary for her to become who she was now.

"Darth Praelior found me like that, well a familiar of hers did, and she offered to help me control that power, to give me the knowledge I sought. In a way, she offered me a second chance, something no court or Jedi would have given me, especially in Sanctum space. The Sith took me in and helped me to grow, learn how to control and use this power and not let it control me. I can never repay them for that, even if they are considered evil and insane. That is why I am loyal to them, because they gave me another chance."

She continued to look out over the city, waiting for his reply to her story.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

There was a sad frown on his face, for he was quite sorry to hear about the horrific experience she had undergone. "Wow." Was all he could say at first. It really was one heck of a story. He could understand now why she had such devotion to the Sith. She feels they are the only ones that would have given her a chance. He didn't agree with this notion. But for someone who had just gotten out of being raped, and then murdered three people....something he'd probably just consider self defense and good old fashion justice, Ice could see how she could get this idea into her head. He was sure it was a notion the Sith encouraged as well. And at this point more than likely to ingrained to ever get her to change her mind. So sad, he thought to himself. Still, very illuminating.

"Well I'm sorry to hear about those things happening to you. Did you not ever go back to your parents? Did you not believe they would have tried to help either? I only ask because it sounds like you did nothing more than defend yourself. I have spoken with and worked with Jedi in the past, I'm honestly not so sure they would have been as hard on you as you think. But I digress, I suppose that is all water under a bridge now." This new information, while endearing him to her a bit more for her honesty, left him more concerned about the Sith. They had a very strong hold over her indeed. With the way she described her feelings about them, they could ask her just about anything it seemed, and she would happily do it. This was the exact thing he was afraid of.

However, he also supposed that as long as those two conditions were met, she wouldn't really have cloaked ships against him anyway. With a long sigh, he took another sip, and eyed her warily. "Very well. If you can work with me and/or get me that CGT technology for the both of us, transponder codes, and the phrik ore. I'd be willing to hand over enough Stygium to outfit 8 squadrons of fighters whos design we would both have access too." He held up his glass to her. "Deal?" It was a poor substance to be toasting with, but one worked with what one had.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Ice"]

"It's a deal," Taeli said, tapping her tea cup against his water glass. "And for your information, I still talk with my parents over the Holonet, secure channels and all that."

It would be difficult, she was quite sure, to procure this gravtrap technology, but she could have her engineers work on it. They needed something to do while the next designs were being worked on that didn't involve mass-producing the new ships Krayt was starting to churn out or building the new shipyards. Plus, if they worked together, she could use the time to start subtly probing to see if he would be open to learning a few things.

"So do I finally get to see this mysterious planet you're so gung ho on keeping secret?" she asked.

 

[Ice]

Taking of sip of his water after clinking her glass, he found it was a strange concept to Ice, a Sith still talking to her parents. He had sort of believed Sith were like Jedi in that they didn't really maintain contact with their family, or worse had their family killed for one reason or another. She really was different wasn't she? He toyed with the idea that it may still be just an elaborate front, but Ice was beginning to seriously doubt this possibility. She honestly seemed barely more Sith than he.

When she inquired about getting to see Enigma Prime, he raised an eyebrow and thought about it for a second. With a completely serious expression he replied. "Sure. If you are willing to submit to security scans, give up your weapons, and have no problem being cuffed and secured in our brig for the trip." He held the serious expression for as long as he could before allowing a wide grin to banish the seriousness that had permeated his face just moments before.

" I'm just kidding. As a show of good faith, I'll take you with me to check out the operation. Although I will need to to go through a security check and give up your weapons for the trip, your accommodations will be much more comfortable as my guest." He gave a small nod and continued on with a small smile. "Does this mean I too can have a look at your operations on Alderaan? I'm curious how things are run in a Sith mine."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"You show me yours, I'll show you mine," Taeli replied with a wink. "Just to avoid the entire hassle of the security check and having my weapons in someone's hands that I don't necessarily trust with them, no offense but you saw why I don't like anyone else having my lightsaber, I'll leave them in my quarters at the palace."

"To be completely honest, we're still establishing the operations on Alderaan, and I don't want to show them off until they are truly impressive," she said with a small sigh but smiling all the same.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

He narrowed his eyes curiously trying to figure if there was anything more implied by that initial comment. With a small chucking and a wide grin though, he replied, "Understandable. And that is of course completely acceptable. As for you not wanting to show off your operations just yet..." He paused tapping his chin in thought while maintaining eye contact on the intriguing woman. "...well then, perhaps going to my world first is a better plan?" He thought this might be a better idea anyway, as it would sort of show his trust in her that he was willing to go first without a discussion or barter.

Ice pulled up his datapad really quick to see if there wasn't anything he couldn't transfer over to his other self. Seeing that there wasn't, he returned his gaze toward Taeli. "If you like and are able, I could arrange a trip for us to head out that way in fairly short order." He was curious if the increasingly playful Taeli was going to take him up on his offer or beg off. Course he was also suddenly curious if she was actually able to provide what she claimed to. If they were barely beginning their operations. How could they be certain about any amount of phrik much less enough to for her to hand over that could cover eight squadrons.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Arrange away, and don't worry about the fact we are just beginning operations," Taeli said, waving her hand. Knowing her companion, she was sure he was worrying if she could come through on her side of the deal. "My partner is a master droid maker, so our excavation efforts are far faster than other similar sized operations, advanced mining droids and all that."

She was extremely curious to see this planet of his, her academic curiosity kicking in, and it wouldn't be bad to spend some more time with Ice. He was always pleasant company, very clever and all that. She definitely respected him, and hoped she would have his full trust soon.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

Ice gave a simple nod with a smile as he pulled up his datapad to make a few arrangements and send out needed messages. Though he was slightly curious about the hand wave gesture. After all, there had been plenty of jokes that he had heard about that sort of thing in his travels. As she explained about her partner and droid maker, he couldn't help but grin. And she prefers droids? "Hmm, very interesting." He thought. Ice had always gravitated toward droids since he worried about the constantly shifting loyalties of people. Droids couldn't be bought. Unless they were captured and reprogrammed, they were loyal till the end. But that was why he made sure his droids also didn't get into situations where they could be compromised.

With his messages and quick preps finished, he turned back to Taeli again. "Alright, all set then. Meet me on Libertalia when you are ready. And we'll head to my planet to check out the operations and possibly bring back a shipment of Stygium if it's ready in time." With that, he stood up from his seat. "Until then. Stay safe. And see ya soon." He finished with a wink before heading out and to his ship.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]