Private First, A Spark

[Lord Omri]

Location: Lord Omri's office within NCBC Headquarters, Ilic City, New Cov

Lord Omri paced the confines of his opulent office, its walls lined with accolades and flickering holograms of past innovations. Outside, the sprawling skyline of the corporate district gleamed, but inside, he felt a storm brewing. The merger between NCBC and N&Z Umbrella Corporation, one of the galaxy's top megacorps, loomed over him like a dark cloud, and he was furious.

He settled into his chair, eyeing the clock with anticipation. Thel, the teenage son of a rival CEO, was due any moment. Omri had heard of Thel at corporate events—rebellious, idealistic, and seeking purpose beyond his adopted father's ambitions. He was the perfect pawn in a game that could disrupt the merger and topple Liin Terallo , the Director of the Board, whom Omri loathed.

The plan began to crystallize in his mind. He would invite Thel into a world of corporate intrigue, subtly revealing the darker side of N&Z's intentions and its partnership with Liin. Omri would seed hope in Thel's mind about his utilizing this information to his father for the potential for exploitation and a crackdown in the medicinal market. Perhaps he could craft a scenario where Thel believed he was uncovering secrets, using fabricated evidence of collusion between Liin and N&Z's executives.

The thought of sowing discord and watching the the Terallo family falter sent a thrill through him.

The sound of footsteps broke his reverie. He straightened, a calculating smile forming as he prepared to engage the impressionable boy who could be the key to his devious plan.

"Come in, Thel," he called, masking the anticipation simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Tag: Thel Hahn

 

[Thel Hahn]

Waiting outside the office, Thel awkwardly adjusted his suit. He felt like a little kid playing dress up.

In a way, he supposed he was just a kid playing pretend. Ever since he had expressed a tentative interest in business, the Bloodscrawls had been very supportive of his pursuing it. They had given their permission for him to be here and represent their interests, but only if he was accompanied by an older member of their esteemed House.

Enter Aunt Meleena. She stood beside him in the waiting area, a tall leggy blonde wearing a stylish gold outfit. Thel had been told she was his guardian's sister, but the boy immediately recognized that this woman was really an android. Something was off about her graceful movements and too perfect appearance, an uncanniness that was difficult to describe but easy to spot once you knew what to look for. And Thel had spent his whole life around androids that couldn't quite mimic real people.

Well, if he was going to have a chaperone, it might as well be a droid, he supposed. A person could be easily manipulated, but a machine was programmed to always be loyal. He knew he could count on Meleena as backup if things went south.

He also knew it meant he would have to tread carefully. Anything he said or did would no doubt be reported by Meleena, and he wouldn't be allowed to make any big decisions without approval from up top. Still, he was hoping to accomplish something from this meeting and prove he was an asset to the House. He just didn't know what that accomplishment would be...

"Come in, Thel."

The doors swung open, and Thel and Meleena walked into the office. Seated behind the desk at the center of the room was an old man. Meleena took the lead, bowing and giving him a polite smile. "Greetings, Lord Omri. My name is Meleena Bloodscrawl. This is my nephew Thel."

The boy instantly took a liking to the scowling old man. He looked tough, uncompromising, and though he was past his prime there was still an aura of charisma about him. This guy was probably a total badass when he was younger, Thel mused. He probably closed the slickest deals and called the hottest shots. The idea only made him all the more eager to learn from his example.

"Thank you for having me," he said, following Meleena's example and bowing to Omri. He was a bit more stiff and awkward about it, unused to such formality and clearly nervous.

Lord Omri
Meleena Bloodscrawl used with permission from writer.​