Paradise Lost (Republic Dominion of Mimban & Gyndine Hex)

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: Unknown
Post: 2/38

The Neimoidian overseer of the Gyndine shipyards seemed to be a little cautious about why they would even need a drydock that can fly through hyperspace and extend/retract in seconds. Rendili StarDrive sold them the last few units but they could only service ships up to 200 meters wide or high; Egroegs and Saculs could extend or retract in all three dimensions, as opposed to the Mobile Spacedock 220 being extensible or retractable in only two, length being the dimension in which they couldn't retract. And much faster than Mobile Spacedock 220s, too. But the Neimoidian overseer had a member of the design team (much like Charzon had either Marcia or Jessica, dubbed the "landing gear lady" when negotiating bulk purchases at the head office on Ringo Vinda) brought into his office.

"Are you sure that the Republic will bring such repeat business that extra drydocks would be required for us?"

"We are using these drydocks so that the drydock fits the ship, and not the other way around; even with the Republic bringing in repeat business, there would be no guarantee that the next contract will be for the same ship as the last. As for the repeat business, they seem to have a backlog of at least thirty dock assignments for frigate-sized ships and larger that are unawarded due to untimely delivery issues, and the backlog of corvettes is pretty long, too"

"Ah, the Republican procedures to award shipbuilding contracts. They authorize construction of ships, but the contract isn't actually in force, and the money paid out, until the shipyard can guarantee a dock assignment"

"With these new docks we can build almost any ship the Republicans will ask of us" a designer told his Neimoidian boss.

"What do you use these drydocks for?"

"Our shipbuilding specialty mostly concerns merchant ships. With Neimoidian yachts, which will be a hit among the wealthy on Cato Neimoidia, and other freight ships, we can rebuild Republican trade"

"Good thing you aren't dealing with these megalomaniacs on Hosnian Prime: last I heard about them, they wanted either a shipyard on their planet or a spaceline to place a hub there. Their talks with Star Tours apparently fell apart when the Hosnian Prime government demanded they place a hub there, while they only wanted to fly three or four routes to Hosnian Prime: Coruscant, Eriadu and one of Ringo Vinda or Nar Shaddaa"

Even JanFathal was going to be snubbed? And they were going to snub other big One Sith locations they already fly to? What reasons could Star Tours possibly have to fly to only one destination in One Sith space from Hosnian Prime, given its proximity to OS space? Would Star Tours fear that it could be seen as a provocation to place a hub so close to One Sith space that it would invite an attack on Hosnian Prime once the truce expires? But Ringovinda StarYards would incur the same risks on Hosnian Prime as they would on Gyndine.

 

[Eugen Aker]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Expanding KSA operations to Gyndine.
Allies: Republic and Friends ([member="Charzon Loulan"])
Enemies: N/A
4/38

With the expansion of the Republic into the region, there were now several companies setting up shop on Gyndine to fulfill contracts from the military. It was an attractive location for enterprises, having a well-developed infrastructure and workforce geared for the ship-building industry, and being in close proximity to important manufacturing centers like Denon and Loronor, and the Republic capital of Yutan.

Kiribian Systems Armories was one of those companies now on the scene, having snatched up what private shipyards and manufacturing plants they could with some generous buyout deals. These acquisitions alone wouldn't be enough to meet KSA's contracts with the Republic anytime soon, but they would be helpful in rolling out a new series of facilities for meeting the wartime demand.

Before constructing said facilities, however, Suravi had come to the planet herself to negotiate a deal directly with the Gyndine government, aiming to reduce the initial constructions costs for KSA with the promise of steady business.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: N/A
Post: 3/38

"We have to come to the realization that the Mobile Spacedock 220 is obsolete in the light of even the Egroeg, let alone a Sacul! These old Mobile Spacedock 220s are slow to retract and extend, they are slow as molasses!"

"The Gyndine government may be interested in offering not only us, but also possibly Ringovinda StarYards, some tax rebates contingent on a number of conditions. Take a look at the list of possible conditions"

"The trick is that there are also orders from merchant navy that need to be fulfilled, and the Republican repeat business both Sen. Teigra and me are talking about is mostly military in nature. Republican shipping companies are most displeased with the current offerings, especially the bulk shipping companies: there is no bulk freighter currently available that can land on a planet, but we are developing one or two bulk freighters that can land"

Ringovinda StarYards, and many of its clients, has always held the VT-Gundark, built by Vanir Technologies, at a high level of suspicion: it is a ship listed as being much more ponderous than even the Maximum Battleship being planned, yet can't even fetch nearly as much in mass than its massive size would suggest. And the Conestoga is restricted, in addition to being unable to land on planets. But the Neimoidians hand Charzon a list of the most likely conditions the Gyndine government would pose for the delivery of new drydock units: usage of local labor by their operators, minimum usage of local materials for their construction, minimum usage of local materials for the construction of new ships built in the drydocks, and a minimum of the production will be sold to light-sided factions. With all of the above considerations, the Neimoidian shipyard overseer contacts the Gyndine Ministry of Industry so as to make sure everyone is on the same page.

"I would probably like to buy a Neimoidian Yacht and/or a heavy tug for company use"

"Be warned, Neimoidian: I will not sign a deal to sell your company a Neimoidian Yacht or a heavy tug if Ringovinda StarYards is not allowed to set up shop here by the local government"

"One would expect that you would need a heavy tractor beam to effectively function as a shipyard-grade tug; how much tonnage can we still use onboard if we refit a Tofolk with a heavy tractor beam?"

"Go ask Star Tours about it: they may not be able to secure landing rights on Hosnian Prime, but they know that the Factory Judges are actually a straitjacket when it comes to bulk freight, more so than with armament or propulsion. I've read one of last month's issues of Taking Off on a Star Tour: a guest column written by Marcia Halpern details just how Star Tours was able to mystify the Factory Judges."

Charzon had a full-length copy of that very guest column of Taking Off on a Star Tour, the in-flight magazine of Star Tours, displayed prominently in her office. With Star Tours, 100 passengers can become 166, 160 passengers can become 525, 600 passengers can become 4,000 (that's referring to the Pullman, Bowser/Kamek and Tofolk classes respectively) and likewise, 2,500 tons becomes 10,000 tons on a Bowser/Kamek-class ship and 7,500 tons can become 30,000 tons on a Tofolk. That particular column was a compendium of what were in those brochures the marketing team hands out like candy to prospective clients. Star Tours has been the launch customer of two of these three ships, and it's a common misconception that Star Tours has also been the launch customer of the Tofolk when it actually was Acanthus Military Tourism...

 

[Kay-Larr]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 4/20

She had to agree. As much as Kay would like to have the criminals arrested, there was the man's daughter to worry about. She nodded to [member="Veiere Arenais"] and spoke quietly. "You're right. We have time on our side. So we'll wait...."

Kay kept low as she moved from crate to crate again, wanting to be out of the view of everyone, including the door. All the while she was pondering what to do next. Does she involve the man being blackmailed? Or keep him in the dark so that he couldn't give anything away? Regardless, she wanted to find out what the cargo was and who it was intended for. That would involve waiting until everyone was gone.

She sat down on the floor, cross-legged, leaning her back against one of the crates, while her satchel was placed comfortably on her lap. Kay wasn't bothered with any silent alarms or security once everyone had gone. They knew that she was there, as was Veiere. But no one else knew. Thankfully.

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 3

[member="Lady Kay"] agreed and seated herself, Veiere finding the time to breath, to relax the tension in his shoulders and once more find his center within the ever flowing presence of the Force around them. The Force reacted to all living things, it was the fuel thatpowered all life forward, it compelled growth and gave vitality through all evolution; to be connected to it in such a way, to expand ones mind beyond the immediate present, it offered a gift beyond comparison while at the same time requiring the respect and mediation that the Orderhad sought to maintain, thus the balance in the galaxy. Right and wrong were so often put down to being the share differences in opinion yet what was just and what was virtuous was Veiere's drive and this was what he saw in the Republic and in Lady Kay's ambition to offer freedom and livelihood to those in need.

He had fallen into meditation much alike he had aboard her Ship, placed on his knees with both hands lightly upon his thighs, he waited in silence, his breathing quiet and slowed, as placid as his expression while the Force would alert and wake him at the moment of threat or a drastic change to the situation. He was there in support, his senses wide open, there to defend and aid the former Senator in her investigation.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: N/A
Post: 4/38

Marcia could work for the likes of Battleon Town News or Wolf News if she proves to be no longer able to design weapon-computer interfaces, Charzon thought upon mentioning to the Neimoidians that a past issue of Taking Off on a Star Tour contained information about how Star Tours, for their seemingly extraordinary ability to mystify the Factory Judges time and time again, and the conclusion of the article was that there was one thing they just couldn't circumvent: volume. Some bulk shipping companies specialize in "lightweight" bulk, but these companies usually ship gases or bulk orders of finished products. Star Tours claims to enter the "heavyweight" bulk, which is mostly raw materials-centered, and sometimes metals. And one last category being liquid bulk, of which Suwantek has been criticized for building an obviously unsafe product, with the TL-6000 having exposed cargo holds and limited capacity for a ship that size. But the Neimoidian shipwrights opened a channel to the Gyndine Ministry of Industry.

"We have a company here that came all the way from the Silver Sanctum to offer us some... mobile drydocks. The Republic promised us repeat business and it's a lot to do with military ships at this stage. But Republican shipping has also suffered losses as of late and they say that they will also get their share of the Republican freight business"

"This is the Ministry of Industry. You said that you would be delivering drydocks to Gyndine? And attempt to get Republican merchant naval contracts?"

"While the main shipyards here would be promised a share of the military contracts, many shipyards are competing one another for the millitary contracts; the merchant navy are the remaining scraps many shipbuilders wouldn't dare touch, but whose products are of vital importance"

"You have locations on Ringo Vinda and Soceras, and we're about halfway between both. So, not only the Republican merchant fleeters will save on delivery costs, Gyndine will also benefit. For each new drydock delivered to the Gyndine shipyards, you will match an extra drydock of the same size, paid for with an interest-free loan amortized over 10 years. Of course, you will have to employ local staff and use local resources under the same conditions as the Neimoidians here do"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 5/20

Kay looked over to [member="Veiere Arenais"] as he sat there and meditated. They had a while to wait. Everyone in the warehouse was gone, but they had to be sure that none were returning straight away. Kay held many secrets, the largest of which had angered some when she told them. Would the same happen again? Veiere was still a stranger to her, a new employee. They saw eye to eye on most things so far. But would he be angry at her for this? Only one way to find out.

Slowly, she began to increase her Force signature, allowing it to grow from the small tree nut to normal size. And as it grew, she could feel his own connection to the Force. Kay watched closely to see his reaction. She had hoped that he would be understanding. But if he wasn't, well, she knew how to handle that.

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Commenor.
Allies: [member="Lady Kay"]
Post Counter: 4/20.

Veiere would have sensed the shift in the environment around him even had he not been in Meditation yet as he was, and his mind was doubly so through the exercise, he felt it the moment that Lady Kay's presence brightened, almost seeing the Force pool to her center; it amplified her life-force, made her stand out amongst all things so long as Veiere wished to concentrate on her and she expose her secret to him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to stare ahead of himself, his expression unchanging, the trance sustained though his far more concentrated on the immediate more so than the surreal and expansive ways of the Force itself.

Where Veiere had more or less out-right told the former Senator of his origin, his history with the Jedi Order; she had chosen to keep her affinity to the path a secret, clearly not able to initially trust in him enough to share those truths back on Alzoc Three. By no means did she have to do so now and yet she had decided, offered him that open honesty to which he readily appreciated. "Do you recall my response when you questioned whether I felt my service to you was the right decision or not, back on Alzoc?" He spoke up quietly, not through the force or with any sort of tone other than genuine warmth as though the conversation had been shared through friends rather than his prospective employment under her. "I turned to you and said, I can let the Force guide me. That I believe in the will of the Force and that there is a path, regardless of it's nature, for all". He didn't speak any further but rather wanted to leave that thought to linger, perhaps that she might see some enlightenment in what it was he was subtly trying to say.

Enough time had passed for Veiere to be content in that their cover had not yet been blown nor would anyone return for the foreseeable future. Shuffling to stand, he regained his footing behind their fortunate cover before turning to offer Lady Kay a helping hand to her feet, "It is a gift, what you have...-A connection to all life around us; something that plenty of others could never hope to understand and even those old men like me still struggle to comprehend...-But it is a gift" He smiled to her a moment before turning to step out into the open, the surrounding warehouse empty and silent.

"Unless I'm horribly off my game, I do believe we're in the clear M'lady, you may come out...".

 

[Makari Valeal]

Location: Outskirts of the Ancient City
Objective: Explore the Ancient City
Allies: Ralla Group Expeditionary Force (GR)
Enemies: TBD
Post: 5/25

When they climbed the final peak and stared down at the ancient city, there was a chorus of cheers and shouts from the adventures and explorers. Finally they had made it.

Makari felt a hand on his shoulder as they began the anxious climb down. Koba was in his ear, talking about the first group, and how they had already set up areas for the third group to settle in. The command group would be staying in an abandoned mansion, while the others of the expedition would be set up in various houses around the city.

“We might just be here for months,” Koba said. The realization made Makari raise his eyebrow a little.

Months? He had training to get back to. Every day he spent not training in the gravity room, was a day that would come back to haunt him. He knew by the time he returned to Voss, he would probably be out of shape if he stayed away from his training with Cathbodua for too long. He snorted a little while he said, “They can kiss my *** with this months chit. I’m here for two weeks max and then I’m out.”

“Man, you ain’t going nowhere,” Koba laughed. “If Johanna Ralla says you’re staying, your punk *** is staying.”

Jackson joined them and the three of them laughed and bullchitted the whole way down the mountain. Along the way, Makari told them a bit about his training, and from Jackson and Koba, Makari learned of a new expedition that was forming up to explore some place in Serenno.

“Heard some Morvos woman is paying a fortune to anyone who signs up. Some chit about finding some Sith artifact or maybe it was a burial site? **** it, I just know the pay’s going to be good.”

Makari made a note of it but he doubted he had time for another expedition like this.

As they approached the outskirts of the city, the first and second groups were waiting for them. There was a large formation to greet Johanna Ralla and the rest of the nobles, and as the third group entered the city, Makari took in the abandoned city with the eyes of a curious child.

After several days of travel, they had finally arrived.

 

[Gir Quee]

Location: Typhoon-class Starfighter Angel Two, near Mimban
Objective: Do your own thing
Allies: Republic
Enemies: "Defenders"

[10/38]

Gir's eyes swept across the battlefield, it seemed that most of the remaining defenders were engaged the transports' escorts. From an attacker's perspective, that was a mixed game. As long as the attacking fighters were able to keep the defenders occupied, the transports would likely be able to make their approach to the stations without facing their biggest threat. Given the D25's unusual maneuverability, the transports would also likely be able to evade much of the station's own firepower through a carefully plotted firepower. Gir narrowed his eyes. But if the defenders get any reinforcements, or if one of them is able to break from their dogfights, this will get messy very fast...a bit of gambit. His HUD notified him that one of the attacking fighters had just been "shot down". He maneuvered his fighter to point towards that ship's last known location.

As he did so, the blonde man watched as a pair of R46s jetted out from behind of the defending space stations to surge right towards the remaining transport. Instinctively, he flicked on his sensor jammer, hoping to thwart any sudden warhead launches. The two new fighters seemed to hesitate before one split off from his head-to-head run with a transport to make a run at Gir's craft. Streams of laser fire erupted between their craft, with Gir holding down the trigger of his repeating laser cannons. He glanced at his shield strength as it endured a torrent of quad laser fire from the other craft. But Gir decided to press his luck by doggedly holding onto the same course. His HUD flashed a message, telling him that his target was done. A mere second later, another message flashed across his screen, announcing that his own ship had been destroyed. He ruefully shook his head as he angled Angel Two out of the engagement. His headset comlink briefly buzzed before Stadler's voice came through.

"And you're out too, I see."

"When did you go down?"

She laughed, "You're a terrible wingmate. I got out about three minutes ago when I was trying to break back toward the transports."

"Couldn't shake your pursuer?"

"I did, and congratulated myself a little too soon. I ran straight into a defensive fire zone. One of the station's vaped me."

"Ouch."

"What about you?"

"Well, it looks like I took out one ship, and then got hit by his wingmate who made an approach from my six. I didn't catch that with my sensor jammer on."

"Fooled by your own tech and a reliance on scope-watching. That's equally bad way to go."

"Yeah, you don't have to tell me that. Shall we head back to base?"

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: N/A
Post: 5/38

The condition set by the Gyndine government seems to depend on the amount of drydocks the Neimoidian-operated shipyard ordered, especially as the old Mobile Spacedocks 220 are supplemented or even replaced. Then again, she knew that taking up on the offer laid out by the Gyndine authorities would mean that they would build twice as many drydocks since half of it would be for themselves to set up shop on Gyndine and half of it for the Neimoidians. But the Gyndine authorities must then pray that the Neimoidians are not ordering too many units. Ringovinda StarYards may be fine with Egroegs for now, but the larger Saculs may prove to be a white elephant [to Ringovinda StarYards] if the Republican shipping industries seem to want to stick with ships whose width or height do not exceed 275 meters or so. Tofolks, Novroskis or, on the smaller end, Neimoidian Yachts (of which several can be built inside one Egroeg) or Kameks all only require an Egroeg to be built. And even Maersk Star Freight's requested class, being a Republican company, would be pushing the Egroeg a little, but would still be built inside an Egroeg. Only the Maximum Battleship would truly require a Sacul.

"Our share of the extra business, as outlined by the Republic Navy, would require ten Egroegs and one Sacul"

"With or without hyperdrive capability? That is going to affect the cost, and how many we are going to build of these things"

"With hyperdrive, all of it"

"These things will cost 200 million credits between them"

"If we stayed with Rendili StarDrive, we could have gotten the equivalents of only four Egroegs and not one Sacul. We are getting the best deal in the galaxy for drydocks. Accept it and we will be able to expand the business in ways we have never imagined"

The Mobile Spacedock 220 they used was capable of servicing ships of at most the size of a ShaShore-class frigate, which was longer than an Egroeg, and cost 100 million apiece, compared to 8 million for an Egroeg. Lending 200 million credits to a shipyard company to build their facilities may prove risky to the Gyndine government, especially if the merchant naval business does not materialize within 10 years' time. They would be paying 1.7 million a month to repay the loan in addition to any taxes levied on the Gyndine part of the business at any level: on the suppliers or on the net income. Sadly loans are going to eat on the net revenue from the Gyndine part of the business, and the government had to spend money in one area to make money elsewhere on the planet. But Charzon couldn't quite tell whether Kiribian Systems Armory would need additional Egroegs or Saculs with the same terms offered to KSA as they offered the Neimoidians. If they were to offer the same terms to KSA, it would be going to be a lot of Egroegs in the system...

"That would mean tens of thousands of jobs being created, each batch of those coming upon the delivery of each drydock. It's win-win really"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 6/20

Kay breathed an inward sigh of relief when she came to realize that [member="Veiere Arenais"] wasn't mad at her for hiding her Force sensitivity from him. She took his hand and got to her feet. "Thank you. Please keep this between us. I will explain later on, I promise."

She came out from behind the crate and then headed over to one of the tool supply rooms. All the warehouses had them. Kay picked up a couple of crowbars and hammers, handing one set to Veiere. "More than likely, we're going to find some spice. Time to open these up and see just how much we're dealing with." It wasn't the first time that someone had tried to smuggle spices through Commenor. Normally they are confiscated before entry, but some had managed to creep through on occasion. She had her own supply of a synthetic spice that when consumed, just gave someone a sugar high that was harmless. She had replaced shipments with it before.

Kay opened up one of the crates. It contained many fabrics, which she carefully took out. And sure enough there was a false bottom. After prying it open, the spice was found underneath. She looked at the label. "Open up the crates with account number 46-5-952. Get a tally on what spices you find under the false floors. I'll get them switched."

They had the night to get the work done. It was best to have as few of people involved as possible. It drew less attention. Her pilot, Terrac, was right when it came to how things had changed on Commenor since she was away. But in time things could be different.

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Commenor.
Posts: 5/20.

[member="Lady Kay"] didn't seem to leave to much time to focus on the revelation of her abilities but rather quietly ask he dismiss it and keep it to himself before moving on with the business at hand. For a moment he watched in quiet speculation before joining her to take the tools offered and soon step away in search for similar crates and cargo with the designated shipping identification. "This investigation of yours I must admit, I didn't think we'd be disrupting a smuggling deal. Spice seems very low on the list of potential good you can put your mind to..." It might have been pessimistic of him though spice was a common and illicit good that was smuggled from place to place as often as a Hutt attracted flies. "I don't at all mind sweating the small stuff but I'm struggling to connect the dots between this and our reason for coming to Commenor...-Isn't this something that their national security can't handle?".

A loud crack gave out as he propped the roof off of one of the larger crates, having to put some muscle into it before shifting forward precariously to peer into the freight container. It didn't take him long to find the lip in the floor of the cargo, much to Lady Kay's expectations, it was false and carried quite a decent supply of said illegal goods. "Does this supplier have some sort of relevance to the Republic's purposes or are we simply filling in for a policing unit...-When you mentioned slavers, I expected a little more; not that this is something to complain about. Less loss of life this way...".

 

[Gir Quee]

Location: Shield-class Orbital Base Mimban Two, in orbit via Mimban
Objective: Do your own thing
Allies: Republic
Enemies: None yet

[11/38]

Gir landed his snubfighter on the station's deck without incident. By the time he had doffed his helmet and clambered out of the craft, he could see that Lieutenant Stadler had already started up a conversation with one of the station's mechanics who was underneath Angel One's front landing gear. Gir eyed the rodian intently. I don't remember seeing him before...Gir strode towards the other Typhoon.

"Everything all right?"

Crystal swiped strand of her blonde hair away from her sweaty face as she turned toward him.

"Apparently the front landing gear appeared to be a little noisey when I brought it down."

"It doesn't look too bad," said the rodian, sparing a brief glance away from the landing gear well, "looks like it just needs some oil."

"Ever worked on one of these before?" asked Gir.

"Nope, couldn't tell you what this ship is, but the landing gear looks almost identical to an old Incom design. The one they used on the X-wing...at least in general appearance."

"You have a good eye."

"It's a useful thing for a mechanic to have."

"You've been with the Fleet for a while then, I take it?"

"Long enough..."

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: N/A
Post: 6/38

"The allowance of droids. You are about to purchase ten Egroegs and one Sacul: such a purchase comes with droids, 2,250 to be exact. 1,250 on the Sacul and 100 apiece on each Egroeg. If you feel the droid allowance was not enough, you will have to purchase any surplus droids yourself"

"We're using R9 droids for astromech and some other models for utility uses. We have every intention of keeping the same units as we used on all other units: astromech and utility droids are not designed with a specific drydock unit in mind. R9 units can be used from anywhere like those Mobile Spacedock 220s and these units!"

Bulk orders for R9 astromech droids will arrive from Gyndine soon enough. Even though both the Mobile Spacedock 220s were expensive to buy, they came with all the equipment, the droids needed to get it up and running at peak efficiency, and the Egroegs as well as the Saculs only needed more droids to put it up to par with a Mobile Spacedock 220. A R9 costs, at full price, 5,000 credits, while the bulk orders got them 35% off already at that level, completing the order of droids to entirely fill the space onboard would get them a greater bulk discount than 35%. Both Ringovinda StarYards and the Gyndine yards are using Z3 labor droids as utility units. Bulk discounts of droids were life-savers because the main equipment was already installed. The reason why Ringovinda StarYards didn't provide the entire droid complement was that not all shipyards would require the full complement, or even afford it.

"It has come to my attention that you are supplying only 5% of the droid complement inside the cost of the drydocks: for the drydocks to be fully operational, the full complement must be purchased. This amounts to 22,500 R9 units and 22,500 units of Z3 labor droids total. How much would that quantity of droids run for?"

"I will bill you the surcharge of these droids, too, at going rates, with any bulk discounts you are getting at the current going rates. If I take up on the offer of the government, then the droids will also be matched one-for-one"

"Taking into account the bulk discounts, that will run us an extra 55 million"

"We may be spending 55 million more now, but it will be worth it because we will get the work done faster"

"I have but one question: would the loan also cover the cost of purchasing droids on top of the stock configuration? Extra droids would help make the shipyard up and running faster"

The monthly payments would then come to 2.13 million a month if Ringovinda StarYards took up on the offer of the Gyndine government, since Charzon has no reason to expect the terms to be changed in the light of a higher loan amount. More loans would mean more risk on the part of the lender, with the rewards coming later down the road. Ringovinda StarYards received orders from Maersk Star Freight and Star Tours for their new ship, the Maersk-class bulk freighter, with Maersk Star Freight operating mostly containerized cargo with side bulk activities and Star Tours, who intends to be running hypermatter bulk runs, using the newfound technology, with Bluth Company being in talks with the "landing gear lady" kept on Ringo Vinda to sell them Maersks to replace those aging TL-6000s, with the only disadvantage of the Maersk being a higher crew requirement.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 7/20

Kay kept on working, frowning slightly as it seemed that [member="Veiere Arenais"] thought of this to be a menial task, and perhaps one that was beneath them. But to her it wasn't. She prided herself on how well secured goods were handled coming in and out of Commenor. But if Crime Lords were trying to get a foothold here, well, spice was only the beginning.

"Once we have the right amount, I'll get the spice switched. Undercover agents will ensure that everything goes smoothly and that the man's daughter is safely returned, or if it is all just one big bluff to frighten the poor man into doing their bidding. There are many different types of slavery, Veiere, and not all of them are in chains."

Once all of the right crates were opened and tallied, she sent the information off to one of her contacts and then wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "This isn't the only reason that I am here. There is an election for President coming up and I am going to run in the race. I will not see Commenor fall into the hands of criminals, nor the Sith."

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Gyndine
Objective: Shipyards
Secondary objective: Get Gyndine to expand their drydock facilities
Allies: Suravi Teigra
Enemies: N/A
Post: 7/38

"With Maersk Star Freight and Bluth Company on the verge of closing deals with us for the Maersk-class ships, it behooves us to inquire about whether your offer for a loan can be extended to cover the cost of additional equipment, on top of those additional drydocks because I fear that it is no longer a question of ability to assign sufficient docks to orders"

"Maersk Star Freight? They may be ordering as many as 70 of those things if the rumor mill is correct! You mustn't let Botajef get that deal!"

"The Mandalorian product is too slow for Maersk: they usually ask for class 2 hyperdrive and better. Plus they know better than anyone else that escorts on Republican shipping lanes are hard to come by"

The very Bluth Company that once had one of its captains arrested for having held the person who is now the "landing gear lady" on Ringo Vinda at gunpoint about landing gear issues. The main difference was that Botajef offered class 3 hyperdrive as opposed to the Maersk's class 2, but also that, even though Botajef Shipyards was Mandalorian-owned, the AA-9 was unarmed and was lightly shielded, the reverse of how Mandalorians built freighters, which cost them nearly all their Mandalorian clientele for bulk freight. It was one of the largest known bulk freighters that could land on planets. Maersk Star Freight, thereafter called just Maersk, would probably get a bulk discount on that one, so that the 70 ships they could order may end up costing as many as 60 at list prices. The AA-9 is just fine when escorts are readily available, but Republican companies like Maersk know that, for them, escorts are few and far between and, as such, they needed the armaments onboard.

"Plus these extra droids will make it so that all the production here on Gyndine will go faster than it would otherwise. Another win-win for all of us. Just that, according to the terms you are giving us, 55 million credits must be added to the loan, with no other change in the terms"

"The Maersk order must be majority-built here over Gyndine if you accept the loan"

The main question the landing gear lady must answer is: will Maersk pay for it through financing or will Maersk pay according to different terms? Rumor has it that Botajef will allow to pay for half the order upfront, and the other half when the majority of the ships are delivered. Knowing the landing gear lady, she won't shut up about how the seven Jessicas mounted on each of these ships will make Maersk's operations easier.

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Commenor.
Allies: [member="Lady Kay"]
Post: 6/20

There it was, the real reason for coming to Commenor; Lady Kay was intent on running for presidency. Stopping only a moment to glance back at her, he lifted his head in something of a reluctant half nod, brows rising marginally to convey his surprise in her decision though there was also a hint of admiration in the way that the corner of his mouth curled a little to form a partial smile. "Like I said, I've no problem with this kind of work..." He reiterated, dipping his head some in acknowledgement to her argument though continuing, "There are however people outside of ourselves capable of doing this, without risking your life in the process" by the tone of his voice, she might have noticed that he was conveying concern and putting priority over her, as that was his place in her service after all. "It would not be beneath you to send myself in your place, next time, for example...-Especially given that you plan to become one of the most recognizable faces on this planet, among all the politics and bureaucrats and what have you..."; Veiere himself didn't have it in him to play a part in politics, it wasn't the way of the Order that he knew. Live and let live, not to demand and dictate. That said, without the politics, the Galaxy would be in chaos. The need for law and order did not escape him either.

Regardless, he continued to move from crate to crate, inspecting the contents of those marked with the appropriate shipping identification and searching the floor of every cargo for that 'secret' compartment in every one of them. With someones life at stake, a father being black-mailed, Veiere pushed his concerns away and focused on the task at hand. By the time they'd be done here, they'd amass a fairly decent haul and one had to wonder during such an investigation, where the source of these goods where coming from and where then were they going to.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Location: Commenor
Posts: 8/20

Kay nodded a little as he told her about others fulfilling this task for her. He was right of course, but she was reluctant to agree. She finished off one last crate, counting the bags of spice hidden beneath the false floor. The undercover agents would need another night to get all of the spice switched over.

She closed the lid and then sat down on the crate. There was still at least a few hours before shift change, so they were in no hurry to leave. That gave Kay and [member="Veiere Arenais"] plenty of time to talk. "I've always been a hands on kind of person. Even when I was a Senator, I went off on my slave freeing missions and participated in them. A lot of politicians just bark out orders from their chairs, but I don't. Why put others at risk if I'm not willing to do it myself?"

Kay couldn't believe how much spice was trying to get through customs. Commenor was in between Presidents right now, bribery and scandalous affairs led to his relinquishing of his position. The planet was being run by the Elders for the moment, though they were more of a Council. "People already know me, from my time at the Senate. And my enemies know me from my anti-slavery crusades. But yes, if I was elected, this would put an even larger target on my back. But I can't just hide out in an office all day. It just doesn't seem fair." She figured that she was easily replaceable anyways, so she'd rather put others first.

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Commenor.
Allies: Lady Kay.
Post 7/20.

"Would it not serve Commenor better for a good natured woman such as yourself to stay in leadership while at the same time assuring justice is served through those she deemed capable over various many years, rather than risk your life time and time again. If you find yourself in to great a threat and have no way out, how are you to continue to serve in politics and to ensure the betterment of the people..." Veiere countered her response with another of his, though his tone of voice wasn't at all argumentative, it was the bigger picture he was considering in her motives now, as well as her health of course. "Naturally I feel I should point out to you that life isn't fair for thousands of people in this Galaxy, which is what makes the services that you and others alike myself are able to provide, so necessary and yet so fragile. The Jedi themselves fear meeting their end in the field yet they are taught how to push passed their emotions, to focus on the greater good that the life they've dedicated to the Order, can provide. A senator and if all goes in your favor, a President can achieve far more from that office you speak of, spreading her actions out across her system through her people...-But if she is to fall, who is to say the type of person to take her place might be. You know who you are and what you believe in, but you don't know the next to govern Commenor in your stead...".

Veiere soon chuckled to himself, more out of his own expense than anything; who was he to lecture her on politics. The need for senselessness and compromise was one thing yet he had stayed out of the political limelight for most of his life, it was only when [member="Lady Kay"] had put across the intention to run for presidency that he might find a care in voicing his opinion on the potential impact of it all. "Don't misunderstand, I am not criticizing you what-so-ever M'lady. Just offering an opinion that might differ from your own I know, yet it's in the interest of offering a different perspective. Sometimes it's what we all need" He smiled warily, offering her a look of warmth and respect, soon adding "Whether this is one of those times, is for you to decide, not I. I will however remain at your side regardless".