Loking for the Locke and Key

[Samael Snowsong]

Location: Lok​

Time: Midday Saturday​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

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Sameal stood in the prefab room of the rather squat construction site building. Looking at the new school that they were currently building. A lot of old technology around this planet as while the confederacy had controlled this planet since the start of their reign as a faction no one had ever taken the planet under their wing in enough of a way to build much of anything.

He thought about how he had learnt about his ties to this planet which had turned out to be from his "mother" and "father" who had turned out to be his grandparents were nobility of this planet but had decided to stay on talas so that they could keep that one in check for sameal when he came to age. However lok certainly didn't fair well in this time with a number of the nobility being killed off being claimed as corrupted.

This accusations were certainly true. Sameal had checked the records himself lot of money laundering, lot of deals going 'wrong' in which the money was really just lining the nobles pockets. He sighed as he picked up his stimcaf. They had nearly put his head on a spike the moment he had landed. However he was able to convince them that he would be better and within the first couple of days already begun several projects in which he made sure to use local builders and architects.

However he himself was only able to gather so much technology his company was not using. So he looked through the contacts lists the confederacy had for companies with many being weapon manufacturing which was not exactly what he needed. Then he found a tech company called Locke and Key that seemed to work closely with a number of the confederates and whose owner was a confederate hero of some fashion.

At least that's what his people told him. Well that's what he called them anyways his little dark stalkers. His ears and eyes when he couldn't hear or see far enough. They also hinted the man was supposedly a potential candidate for the ministry of science to become the minister since the last few seemed to continue disappearing. It was very interesting so now he waited to see if the man would come and how much of his help he could bargain without losing too much.

 

[John Locke]

There was always something about visiting a new planet, a sense of the unknown that seemed to fill the air. Oh, you could learn a lot from the records, from holonet searches and records but there was still so much you didn't know until you got there, until you managed to experience it. Unfortunately mostly when he arrived on a planet these days he tended to go from a ship to a hotel to a conference room and then back to his ship with very little chance to actually explore the planet, to experience the reality of the world outside to world of business and technology.

That didn't seem like it was going to be a problem this time, no hotel or conference room for them, instead it was a trip by speeder out to a construction site. The cyborg took a moment, hands slipped into his pockets, eyes closed as he felt the cool breeze brush against his skin. He could hear the sound of construction, that was a sound that was the same the galaxy over, the same tools, the same smells and sounds. It was familiar, comforting almost.

Dark eyes flicked open as John padded forward, nodding at the crews as his boots carried him over to the squat central building. This meeting had already started out as unusual, so it could only get more interesting from here.

[member="Samael Snowsong"]

 

[Samael Snowsong]

Location: Lok​

Time: Midday Saturday​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

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Samael would be standing in the main trailer when the man he had been waiting for walked in. He turned around seeing a cyborg man walking in through the doorway. "Mister Locke I presume please come take a seat." He would say point to a few seats near a small table with a drink on it. He would look to the foreman and grab his comm link to speak with the woman. "My guest is here. You have control of the site until I have concluded business with them." The woman would nod to him before beginning to shout some commands at people to get back to work. She was a hard worker but that was why she was his foreman.

He would sit politely down in the chair next to the man. "Apologies for calling you down to a construction site. I understand the normal thing would be to go to a hotel or a conference room of some kind. But I would rather get your own expertise on what technologies of yours we would need for our construction plans. As you can see we are using some dated technology however it was all the planet had on hand."

He would shake his head. "In a galactic group so advanced it was such a surprise to find a planet so backwards still. Then again I am sure you have read the holofeeds of this planet before coming here and how the last nobles on planet were found of corruption. That is actually where most of the money is coming from. Liquidating assets that they had used the money on. I have even used quite a lot of my own company's money in an attempt to get the planet back on it's feet."

"Now I know your company has some affiliations with the CIS however if I am honest I would rather the planet rely on it's own commerce. That includes it's own dealings. Just means that especially with the CIS expanding we don't get the short end of the stick. In any case thank you for coming today. Please feel free to have a look around and suggest anything we may need." He would say still seated picking up one of the glasses filled with water and drinking some of it.

 

[John Locke]

Well, this…wasn’t how he’d expected the meeting to go, most planetary rulers that invited him to a meal were more interested in what they could finagle out of the CIS than the opposite. To have someone who was so keen on helping his planet stand on their own feet, to make their own deals and pull themselves up by their bootstraps, it was unusual but not entirely unpleasant to see.

“I don’t think the Confederacy would ever intentionally give anyone the short end of the stick, we go out of our way to try and ensure that everyone under our umbrella is taken care off to the best of our ability, but well…we can’t dictate to the planets themselves.” The man fell silent, looking out of the window as he let a small knowing smile play across his lips. “Of course, when a planet’s rulers are, shall we say, less than fair with the distribution of their wealth and aid…well, we tend to see a revolution or those leaders deciding to take an early retirement.” Dark eyes swung back to Samael, resting pleasantly on the man as John turned slightly in his chair to face the younger man. “While it says a lot about you and your willingness to help your people, I think we can help out a little. If you don’t want to be reliant on the Confederacy, how about a deal with me. I can provide you with droids that would allow you to pull your people away from dangerous tasks like construction and mining, letting you help speed up the industrialization and pull your people up to a galactic standard of technology. And of course the factories that produce these droids will need workers, and the buildings you build, the hospitals and the like will all need staff.”

A small shrug lifted the man’s shoulders as he smiled, “I’ve made deals like this before, mostly in the aftermath of natural disasters. If I get the land and favourable benefits, I’d be happy to provide assistance to you, not the CIS, not any government, Locke and Key mechanics will build factories crewed by your citizens if you can provide enough of them educated to a sufficient level.”

[member="Samael Snowsong"]

 

[Samael Snowsong]

Location: Lok​

Time: Midday Saturday​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

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Samael would smile nodding. "I would expect no less from a galaxy spanning government however you must understand the people themselves well they are less than reprehensible about the CIS given to quell riots the last despots who have most certainly lost their lives used to use CIS military technology that was to protect the people to instead destroy them. We may not see it as the short end of the stick but my people would. Sometimes we must do things alone to keep the loyalties of the people." Samael would stand up and look out the window again seeing his people continuing the slow hard process of building.

Samael would turn nodding. "I have seen what happens when planets or groups of people fall through the cracks of the galaxy spanning governments. I have seen the voiceless ones who fell through the cracks of the silver jedi. I will not have those who rely on me to have to become or join a similar groups. However a deal between my planet and your company could work. However we need to hash out the full details of it. Your droids will clearly make these projects work faster than my people ever could."

Samael would then heel spin walking back to the chair and sitting again. "My people can work in your company buildings. You get the land and another factory you can use. Teaching my people is the least of my problems what is at the moment is potential pirates coming for my planet. I want to know we can rely on some of your own security forces until we have our own militia and police force fully operational. My people already have a basis of a police force going but until we can get militia running can we rely on your forces?"

Samael grabbed his glass drinking some water. "This part of the contract should only last 3 months. Hopefully we can end it sooner but until then can I rely on you and yours to make sure we get ourselves off the ground? I know the confederation owns the planet but we are on the edge of their space which boarders with one of their allies however this doesn't mean pirates can't take opportunity from this current underwhelming defence force of ours."

 

[John Locke]

That was, well to say an unusual request was putting it lightly, but then nothing about this meeting had exactly been normal had it?

Metallic fingers came up to stroke John's beard as he turned to star out of the window, his eyes glowing a bright turquoise for a moment as he accessed database after database pulling the information he needed before he glanced back at Samael. The executive's lips pressed together as he shook his head for a moment. "My company's security forces aren't capable to deploying the numbers or the assets needed to help secure a planet against potential pirate raids," he allowed slowly. "They're great at securing our facilities, or providing protection to my executives, but they're not set up for planetary protection, nor do they have the training to really deal with it." That was one thing he'd come to learn, it was always better to make sure that if you were going to send men into a fight, that they had the training to make the most of it and come back alive.

"However," a single finger was raised to forestall anyhting Samael might say, "what I will do is hire a mercenary group that we work with for large scale operations to protect your planet for the 3 months it will take to bring your forces upto scrath...let's call it an investment against future gains. Locke and Key will pay for the Mercenaries, and supply them with any assets they need out of pocket, if you can guarantee that your people will be able to house and feed them during their stay on the planet?"

Dark eyes rose to meet the other man's as John tilted his head to the side, "Does that sound reasonable?"

[member="Samael Snowsong"]

 

[Samael Snowsong]

Location: Lok​

Time: Midday Saturday​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

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Samael would listen to the entire thought John had and would nod slowly. "Of course my apologies for assuming your forces would be prepared for planetary defence. My planet and people can handle feed and housing the mercenaries. But if you are paying them I would suggest that you make them pay for any gear. Mercenaries can be just as bad as pirates if they think they can take the best of a deal. I would know I once turned a bunch of mercenaries into pirates to be able to escape them once."

Samael would finally nod. "Otherwise this is a done deal. Thank you for your time on this project I hope we are able to have more meetings such as these in the future. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Also feel free to go anywhere you please while on planet, the next few days at the hotel is free." He would smile. "Just a small token of my appreciation."