One is the Loneliest Number

[Tmoxin Temi]

By the furious number crunching from her accounting department, Tmoxin’s company Morpho Pharmaceuticals was projected to turn a small profit this year. The Brightstar products were out of the testing phase, having skipped the clinical trial phase since they weren’t actual drugs, but more lifestyle products. Even if a powerful stimulant, similar to Vitapill, was the main ingredient.

The Age-Renewal Chamber wasn’t quite ready to go on the market yet as a treatment but would in the next year or so after some re-engineering of the techonology.

But the rest of the Morpho’s products were typical pharmaceuticals – pain killers, cold remedies, salves, appetite suppressants. With distribution mostly in the Southern Systems.

But growth was slow, and the Hapan CEO wasn’t satisfied with slow. Even the promise of taking the Morpho public and selling stock shares wasn’t really what Tmoxin had in mind for her company in the long run. She had been a Raven once. She knew how the criminal organization turned a profit and was well aware of this now-neighbor’s influence, power and pull over the drug market. While it pained her to return to her roots in this respect, she realized that to achieve the growth she wanted, she would need to entertain the idea of a merger.

One with an already established criminal enterprise. Or one where the criminal enterprise was hiding behind a much larger conglomeration.

Tmoxin could not escape the fact that Illegal drugs were where the credits were. And the Hapan CEO had a good operation, savvy personnel and growing profits to make the Morpho an enticing company for someone larger to snatch up.

Someone like [member="Khaleel Malvern"].

An initial connection was made, and he was to meet her at one of his facilities on Kamino. Tmoxin took a luxury speeder to the non-descript dome-shaped facility in Tipoca City, just down the way from the Morpho headquarters. She was dressed casually in a simple black dress with flats, her red-hair down and to her shoulders.

The lobby of the building held no more clues to what was actually manufactured here, but she checked into security and waited for Malvern to see her. She had brought along one lone Mirari bodyguard droid.

If he was associated with the Exchange, she felt the need to bring at least a modicum of protection.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Tmoxin Temi.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A traitor for all intents and purposes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]She had betrayed the Ravens, betrayed the Sith and to a degree she was now also betraying the Techno Union by asking this meeting to happen. There was a subtle balance of power within the structure of the Union and their territories, most of this balance hinged upon the relationship the Underworld possessed with its higher class brethren.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]When nations threatened their borders? When they attempted to interfere with their sovereignty? When expansion was necessary? They would close ranks and face the Galaxy together, side by side, simply because these were [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]their[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] worlds.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But outside of that? There was a lot of conflict brewing there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Corporate interests mingled with the illegality of certain activities. Most corporations mixed and dealt with the Underworld though, it was simply a necessary commodity. Because the Law was all fine and dandy in times of crises, but outside of it?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So inconvenient.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And sooner or later these corporations would come into contact with the Underlord. With the man who had assumed control over the Ravens after Chiasa’s disappearance, the man who had reformed it and turned the operations into a formal [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]business.[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] For all intents and purposes Khaleel Malvern was a rich and dignified man, but looks were often deceiving. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Salvatrucha had recently bought extensive facilities on Kamino. Cloning facilities, Gentech and other operations that would be highly profitable and most of all would work perfectly with the chemical/biotech divisions of the company. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was in one of those facilities that Khal would stand in front of big viewports showing the storms outside of the shields that protected these structures. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]She would be let into the room, but the droid that was escorting her would have to wait outside of it. [/SIZE]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Tmoxin held back a severe eye roll when she was told the droid couldn’t come and experienced strong flashbacks of her time in the Ravens. Everything with a criminal syndicate was a power game, and those who were in charge, were insanely suspicious. She once worked for Cryax Bane. That blue bastard was more paranoid than anyone she had ever met, and he would have done the same thing had he been sitting in Malvern’s place.

Drop your weapons at the door. Enter unarmed. Leave alive if you were lucky.

But it appeared to be only Malvern now with no Chiasa. Although Tmoxin wasn’t fully aware of how deep the Underlord’s hooks went into the Ravens. She had not too long ago been on the other side of the galaxy, fighting wars for the Sith after all. Her jaw set with determination, the Morpho CEO didn’t know what to expect as she crossed the threshold into the room where Malvern gazed out at the dark, grey skies of Kamino. At least something on this planet is predictable and stable, she thought. The bloody rain of course.

But as soon as she entered his office, she smiled widely, all Hapan grace and manners. “If I knew you were just around the corner from me on Kamino, I would have come here much earlier, Mr. Malvern,” she said, taking a seat across from him.

“I was fairly close to your colleague Ms. Kritivaas at one point. And it’s a pity that she was involved in such counter-productive activities across the galaxy. Why, it wasn’t too long ago when she and I sat on the same ship, with the same group of traitors, just plotting away on how to overthrow the military industrial complex that is the One Sith? But I bet you didn’t know that did you? That Chiasa was involved with that little group of mischief-makers?”

Perhaps he did and perhaps he didn’t. It was irrelevant and said only to prove that she had information and connections beyond what he may think. Whether it was valuable or not, remained to be seen.

“But I really don’t know that much about you, I’m afraid. Only that you own Salvatrucha which I’ve been following with much interest,” Tmoxin said. “After all, Morpho pharmaceuticals is, in some circles, considered competition, but even myself as the CEO will be the first to dispute that there is no comparison. Obviously your division is superior in every way.”

Her chestnut brown eyes would land on him, her lips curling upward again in a smile. She knew Malvern would see right through this flattery, but it didn’t make the need for it any less. In fact, in order to make this deal work, the Hapan CEO knew she was going to have to bite her tongue and supplicate the entire way through.

“Tell me a little bit about your Kamino operations,” she said, making polite conversation before jumping right into the deal.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So much postering.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Like a little child chipping away and trying to impress, it was amusing and deeply sad at the same time. But Tmoxin would never know the deep inherent thoughts of the Underlord, he simply stood there all calmness and duster, looking of the window while waiting until she would finally decide to take a break from her storytime.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Oh, Khal had heard of that little plot.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And oh how he had rolled his eyes when that particular nugget of information had presented itself to him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The sole reason why the same plot had worked all those ages ago with the Clone Wars had been the fact that the army had been [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]trusted[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. The Great Republic Clone Army had been the sole army of the Republic during that time, there had been no other buffers and the Jedi had numbered in only a few. So when the attack came? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There was no defense.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But this was a different era. The Sith would have never allowed this clone army to take over, so it would have ended up a regular war - no surprise, and simple slaughter. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And this was what she was boasting about?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Or was it a sting at the fact that Chiasa had been just as stupid as the rest of them?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Miss Temi.” the gravely voice would come, cold, slow and steady. It had all the patience in the world, and pronounced every syllable until its very completion. “I was led to believe that you had an offer for me.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]This sentence would hang between them, in wait for her to fill the void with more than simple chit-chat.[/SIZE]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Malvern would see her smile begin to fade as she tried to compose herself in front of him. This wasn't going to be easy, not by a long shot, she thought.

And when Tmoxin examined him, she came to the conclusion that the Salvatrucha owner was a very atypical businessman. He was not polished like Lucien Cordel or the finger-gunning playboy that Marek Starchaser was. He appeared weathered and somewhat scruffy.

But I suppose one didn't earn the moniker, the Underlord without a little edge.

Still Tmoxin could work with his all-business attitude and perhaps this would be a quick affair. "As you know I am the CEO of Morpho Pharmaceuticals..." She stopped examining his face with a furrowed brow. Was that boredom, she saw? Did he find her conversation tedious?

Put away the Hapan outrage for a moment, Tmoxin and just get to the point, she told herself. She could give him a lesson in manners another day.

"Look, I'm sure you've done your research, Mr. Malvern and it's all in our P & L statement. I am here because I'm interested in a merger between Morpho and Salvatrucha," she stated plainly.

"What type of terms would make a merger like this appealing to you?" she asked. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her long, smooth legs, mirroring his same air of nonchalance.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It wasn’t boredom that she saw and he wasn’t expressing nonchalance.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]What she was witnessing was a busy man who had taken a moment out of his day, to dedicate it to a meeting - a meeting that had been promised worth it time. A meeting that currently had been consisting of a woman bloviating and trying to put herself on the same height as himself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And what a height it is.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Why should I consider this merger with you?”[/SIZE]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

"Because otherwise I become your competition and since we are neighbors, I would like to think the Kamino economy, not to mention the Mid Rim and beyond, would be stronger if our companies were united."

Tmoxin was not the best at controlling her temper, so it was all that she could do to not have her lip curl in a sneer right now at the amount of coldness emanating from Mr. Malvern. He would only notice her cheeks redden at the struggle to control her annoyance. Because she ultimately was used to getting what she wanted. And there were more than enough willing men and women alike to give her exactly this.

Why waste her time with Malvern?

"You are a smart man. The bottom line is that you control a huge market share of my business sector. Which is not to say that Morpho couldn't become a rival at least in terms of pharmacology and bio-technology. Perhaps someday I'll be coming to you and purchasing your Salvatrucha assets outright."

"Or vice versa, in a hostile takeover," she said a bit more resigned.

The Hapan CEO sat up and leaned forward, clasping her hands on her knees. "I'm suggesting we avoid all of that aggression now. Besides, Morpho will have the edge on high end products and luxury treatments, the operations and distribution of which can be easily plugged right into Salvatrucha's operations with very little cost to both of us."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Kill her, Kally[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But all things considered the Underlord had not climbed up to where he was today by making rushed judgement calls based on what his heart was telling him to do. Every fiber in his being told Khaleel to lash out, snap her neck and then throw her body in the ocean - to sleep with the fishes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He knew better than that though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He was better than that.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Both of them knew that Tmoxin was mostly talking shet, that he could force her out of the market at any opportune time and that she couldn’t become any worthwhile competition without his say so. It’s why she was here right now, those with other options don’t just come here and offer a merger just like that.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Again, she was just posturing, trying to salvage some of her pride probably.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And why wouldn’t she? She had betrayed the Ravens thinking that there was a future for her in the Sith, then she saw an opportunity to betray the Sith - thinking that the Techno Union would be better for her in the long run.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But where had that left her now?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]No friends, barely any cash and a company that wasn’t worth a dime, unless you were an enterprising soul that could work some magic.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Your terms?” the Underlord finally turned around, all duster, steel and gruff. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Blue eyes studying her completely.[/SIZE]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

It wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to commit homicide against Tmoxin in a luxury office,. and it probably wouldn’t be the last. But to make this deal work, the Hapan CEO knew she would have to play it completely straight. No deception. No lies.

She may still have some skeletons in her closet, but it was time to get rid of the entire cemetery that she was hiding in there.

“My terms are as followed,” she said slowly. “You purchase Morpho Pharmaceuticals for a price our lawyers can agree on. I then continue to head up, either Morpho or whatever division of Salvatrucha it becomes. And as the former CEO, I retain 3.5% of the yearly profits of the division.”

She sat very still and as much as it pained her, finally admitted: “I realize I don’t have the best track record, Mr. Malvern. But I made the best of a bad situation with my company.”

And then she began to smile again at him, not concerned whether he remained cold or impassive. The deal was on the table after all. He would say yes or no. Or they’d go back to the drawing board. Her eyes locked on his and she said:

“Besides... who else would have the balls to walk in here after the things I’ve done and ask you outright to partner with me?”

It was true that the Hapan CEO was a bit reckless when it came to business. But her words right now where the only thing that was audacious. Her intent was not. Tmoxin was dead serious about being an asset to Malvern.

“Now imagine what I can do in the boardroom with those balls,” she said with a smirk.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Reasonable terms.” the Underlord would reply.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Was he surprised to a degree? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Most definitely.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]After her entrance and postering, Khal had been expecting a multitude of things. Outrages requests, billions of credits or whatever else a mind could come up with during bouts of near insanity. But instead she was presenting him with a favorable business proposal.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Still, it was strange considering her [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]history.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Except the appointment to head of the division.” Khal would follow up with. “The people that work for me… they are my family, miss Temi. I trust them, and in turn they trust me. But in the grand scheme of things I do not trust you.” [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]yet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“If you prove yourself to me? I will gladly consider that particular request, as it stands I can only offer you a job with the possibility of promotion later.”[/SIZE]

 

[Tmoxin Temi]

Tmoxin listened carefully to Malvern’s counter offer and immediately stiffened up when he said he would hire her.

For a job. At Salvatrucha.

The Hapan had commanded a legion of stormtroopers for the Imperial Inquisition. And now she was the CEO of an up and coming bio-tech company which projected steady growth.

That he offered her a simple job, almost seemed insulting.

But she bit her lip, and while Tmoxin had never used her powers this way before, she summoned soothing waves of the Force to calm her down. It barely worked though. She would have to try another tactic to keep her temper at bay, one that she had finessed on Hapes after years of finishing school. Her charm and charisma.

She let out a musical laugh and said, “Mr. Malvern, I think if you had your own way, you’d have me show up my first day and work the factory line. Or in shipping and receiving.”

She leaned back in her chair, the wind out of her sails and continued smiling, “Would you like my resume too?”

She lowered her eyes for a moment and then back up at the Underlord.

“But I agree to those terms as well,” she said.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]