Foxes and Hounds

[Onrai]

Uluk Tgalieh

The world of the Rufies. Fox-looking creatures, which Circe was exceptionally familiar with. Familiar with why? Well, her fiancé was one, so she’d done more than enough research on the species. Not to mention her relationship with Ashe would likely help make sure that this contractual negotiation went off with far less of a hitch.

Her shuttle landed gracefully at the nearest starport. She had an appointment with a sales counselor in the Rufie government, and as such, she had dressed in a flowing silk dress, white to contrast her hair, eyes, and corrupted skin tone. The CIS embargo was causing her quite the nuisance, and as such, she was here to make more deals.

 

[Onrai]

“Ah, Miss Savan, nice to meet you!” A white-haired Rufie was the first to meet with her. “My name is Aselyn. I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Miss Savan, but I had no idea that you could change your appearance so effortlessly! We were informed that you were a Vinithi.”

“Yeah,” Circe smiled. “I have a habit of getting bored with what I am. Then as a result, I move onto a new appearance. I might end up ditching this one, truthfully…” She shrugged. “Anyways, onto business…”

 

[Onrai]

“Yes, I know why you’re here, Miss Savan. You’re looking to make a contract with our government for fighters and the like, if I recall correctly. We overviewed your catalog, and I must say, some of what you have appears to be surprisingly effective. The Detritus-class Bomber, for one.”

“Well, it is a heavy bomber, after all… Designed to dump all the ordnance it can into a target with one run.” Circe looked over the rotating hologram of the brick-like bomber. “The more ordnance you can hit a target with during a single run, the more trouble they’ll be in. I have little doubt the Detritus will serve you well, so long as you keep it in-system.”

 

[Onrai]

“I see… As a part of our contract, we were considering letting you build factories for our various wares here on our world, if you were willing to give us a discount on your wares. How does that sound?”

The Echani woman nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.” Taking the datapad with the contract on it, she swiftly gave it her virtual signature. Soon, Subach ships would be in orbit over the fox’s homeworld, bringing in more than enough factories to ensure extended production could certainly continue on the various Subach wares for some time.

 

[Onrai]

The factories Subach used nowadays were converted cargo containers. Why? Well, the modularity of the Tryton-class design made sure that they could be used for a variety of things. The woman fondly remembered tapping Etti IV’s icy surface and converting a sizeable amount into water, which she then pumped into cargo containers-turned-tanks and sent off to desert worlds.

And the first landed in the area proscribed for Subach use. Or rather, sold to Subach, which they could then do whatever they wished with. “We’ll be focusing on the manufacture of what you predominantly focused on getting – that is, the Eightgun assault fighter and the Detritus bomber. It only seems fair.”

 

[Onrai]

With factory work underway, it gave Circe an opportunity to truly appreciate the beauty and wonder of this planet. Of course she was here for business only, but there was no excuse to not enjoy the lovely natural atmosphere of the planet. It felt… calming, almost. She wasn’t sure how to best explain it.

Stepping through the first of the factories to be rendered operational, she breathed a sigh of relief. No efforts would shut her company down, or even impair it. The last thing she was willing to do was let someone else gain the upper hand, hold the strings of life and death for Subach and all that she had worked long and hard for. It was very much against her nature to let said things get in the way.

 

[Onrai]

“How is manufacturing working?” She spoke to one of the droids in charge of keeping the factory’s machines operating properly. The droid could not speak back, but it nodded to her enthusiastically. “Excellent… Good to know everything’s functioning properly.”

Stepping over to an Eightgun partially assembled, she raised an eyebrow, as one of the panels seemed to be positioned incorrectly. “Someone get over here and recalibrate these droids… This panel’s out of positioning by two percent, and the last thing I want is for someone to die in an accident while flying one of our fighters.”

 

[Onrai]

Turning away, she muttered to herself, out of earshot from everyone else(and everything else). “Damn Sienar’s made it hard enough.” Stepping over to the computer console, she read up on the news, still fingering the datapad in her hands as she further examined the information about the Santhe research facility on Styx.

Then it hit her. She looked through the Confederacy’s list of declared factory locations, then looked back at the map – according to the information here, the CIS controlled Styx, yet this Santhe location wasn’t declared. She thought back to the time of the New Order, when Sienar had sold arms to the Fel Imperium. “Hmm…”

 

[Onrai]

Was it possible that Sienar had been using this undeclared facility to sell things to other factions that were antagonistic to the Confederacy? Past experience seemed to dictate that this was plausible, but she would need more proof to indicate such. For now, turning over the information to the proper authorities would seem to be her best option.

She smiled, but her nose wriggled a bit in curiosity. What were the chances that through using this information, Circe could get the obstructionary embargo on her company removed or otherwise revoked? Highly doubtful, but the fact that there was an option at all with this made her a tiny bit giddy.

 

[Onrai]

Slowly but surely, she left the factories to their manufacturing. This world would serve her well, but ultimately, it was just a pawn in the grand scheme of business. Most anyone could easily see that was the case.

And so she shuttled up and left the fox-world behind. The next time she arrived, she assured herself, it would be with Aynea. She needed to let the Rufie return home at least for some time. She was probably very homesick by now…

(FIN)