Technology At its Finest

[Laira Darkhold]

I stood on Roon, the capitol planet of the Techno Union, one of the major powers in the galaxy, and the only power known by the word Techno. They excelled at producing and building Technology and with ArmaTech’s recent inexplicable split with the Galactic Republic, they seemed like the obvious choice to negotiate with next. They had numerous companies and corporations within their borders that appealed to me personally, and having even limited access to them would be very beneficial. With ArmaTech having sky rocketed in size and capabilities, I was sure they would be interested in my facilities, despite the fact that I would be further diversifying my locations in the coming weeks. A factory in Techno Union Space would be very benefical if the Republic decided to treat ArmaTech like the One Sith had treated Titan Industries.

I approached the office of one [member="Darell Irani"] , who I was told would be able to negotiate such an agreement, and he and the Techno Union may also be interested in some of my wares. I walked up to a secretaries desk, "Good morning, I'm Draco Vereen, I have an appointment to see mister Irani." I told the woman behind the desk, awaiting her response.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Darell Irani was the CEO of the Saiba Group, one of the biggest companies of the Techno Union and he controlled a variety of different corporations spread through the Galaxy, needless to say there had always been the many jokes about Saiba Group [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]being[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] the Techno Union. All jokes aside, being a member of the Executive Council gave him certain freedoms when it came to negotiating the admittance of worthwhile assets to the fold.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The aide gave mister Vereen a pleasant nod, pushed a button to the comm and asked if Irani was ready to receive his guest. Which seemed to be the case, Draco was led through the door- which was flanked by guards from Saiba Security Solutions and would be welcomed by Darell himself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Mister Vereen, a pleasure.” the man would say, offering a smoke, a drink and a seat. “I hope your journey has been a pleasant affair?”[/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I strode into @Darel Irani’s office glancing around. I needed a large executive office like this at the headquarters I was building on Concordia. It made it seem more official. When Irani spoke I looked him in the eyes. I didn’t know the man personally; in fact we had just met now. But he had a reputation for being a shrewd business man and for being influential within several companies, all larger than my own. “It was quite well, comfortable even. I trust you have been well?” I asked, exchanging pleasantries. Pleasantries weren’t my thing. In fact that had been the primary reason I had hired Lady Kay. But this wasn’t something I wanted to send a padawan to do. Personally I trusted her, but during my time with the Republic I had been taught not to trust everyone, and seeing as they had recently proven their point, I had decided to handle this matter personally. She would be fine doing other work.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A short nod came as the reply, because in truth? Irani was very much the same when it came to pleasantries before doing the business, he preferred to get the business out of the way first, and then see if his conversational partner had anything of worth to offer in a more casual setting. The shrewd businessman in him saw the vestiges of impatience and a desire to get on with the case and the shrewd businessman would provide with pleasure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Mister Vereen, let’s go straight to business then.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Brief ponder, before the next words were spoken.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“It’s my understanding you wish to join the Techno Union.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]In truth the Techno Union had all it needed to do what it set out to do in the outer rims, they had the support of the biggest corporations in the Galaxy, the power players, the movers and shakers of the Corporate World were firmly aligned with the interests of the Techno Union.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It’s good to be well-connected.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But that did not mean that there couldn’t be [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]more[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], it didn’t mean that the Techno Union was snobbish when it came to the admittance of new blood, because [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]they[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] were the real future of this glorious nation. [/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Good, he was ready to get started with the real subject at hand. Me, moving to a Techno Union world and selling him my vast array of guns and armor. I hoped to be dealing with ships very soon at that, but I had yet to build or purchase a shipyard. “Agreed” I said gruffly when he asked to move on to business. There would be plenty of time to hang out and be friends later.

When he spoke about me joining the Techno Union I nodded and spoke up, “That’s correct, at the very least regards to supplying your troops and armies, and at the very most becoming fully integrated. I am unaware of any distrust between your government and the one that I swear loyalty to, so I don’t see the harm in joining yours as well.” I said. I felt it best to let him know that his would not be the only government I followed. I moved to take a seat in the office, to relax while we negotiated slowly. Recently I had just spent an audacious amount of credits on two new executives, so it wouldn’t hurt to make a big sale here.

[member="Darell Irani"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Darell Irani leaned back against his seat, leg crossed across his other and a cigarro resting lazily on his finger, the smoke slowly curling from the tip and traveling across the space. In the grand scheme of things it was never a big problem when one company had interests in a different government too, if that had been the case then Irani would never have been able to get as vested in the Techno Union as he currently was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Fingers in every pie, that one.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]As it stood, the Saiba Group and through it the Techno Union was very aware of Draco’s predicting. Through allying itself with the Republic his company had grown out to be one of the largest suppliers for their armies, until… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]something[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] happened.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The businessman would not claim to know what that something was, but whispers of Incom, the Rebel Alliance and the Prime Minister would reach him regardless. Had it simply been a coincidence that such a revelation had preceded his breaking away from the Republic? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Or was there more at play here. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Questions asked for another day, perhaps.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“What government do you have ties to now, mister Vereen?” It was a question asked out of politeness, because of course Irani knew that it were the Mandalorians. But Darell also knew that people did not like to be confronted by someone knowing things that he [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]pure technically[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] shouldn’t be aware of right of the bat.[/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I waited while [member="Darell Irani"] thought to himself. I didn’t have to wait very long, and it was customary that each proposal and counter-proposal be considered before giving an off the cuff answer that could lead to problems and issues between two businessmen. I had already heard rumor that CEO of Incom had convinced the Republic to oust me upon her return, that the Jedi believed my arms profiteering to be counter to their beliefs, or that I had simply left to leave. In truth, I didn’t even know. All I knew where my factories and mining operations were still intact, still producing, and no longer selling to the Republic. They could renegotiate if they choose to, at a later date, but until then, ArmaTech would fly the Mandalorain Banner.

“I hold allegiance to Mandalore now. I have had ties with them and their Protectors for some time now and simply making it official since the schism between myself and the Republic. They don’t take kindly when an NCO resigns to work in the private sector it seems.” I made a joke, linking the only circumstance I knew of to the situation. I didn’t know, and at this point, I didn’t care.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Irani waved his hand, almost as if to wave away the issue at hand. The Techno Union did not have any open hostilities with the Mandalorians, in fact Saiba Group had a lot of ties in those regions which had all started with the open vouch of the former Mand’alor the Liberator, it had given Irani the foot in the door that he had sought for a long time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Even Ovmar hadn’t been able to manage that, too busy with selling guns to see the business opportunities of providing infrastructure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Darell chuckled softly, the Republic… ah. It was a wonder that they still dared to call themselves a democracy, the moment that a capitalist technocracy was more beneficial and democratic to its populace than a Republic?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]You knew something was wrong.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The truth was that ever since the Prime Minister had taken her seat it seemed that free commerce, private property and the right of trading? Well, it seemed to be thrown out of the window, which wasn’t too strange if the allegations of close ties to the Rebel Alliance was a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]real[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] thing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Rebels had already nationalized Geonosis, where would it end?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“An allegiance to the Mandalorians is not of concern to the Techno Union.” he finally stated as a matter of fact. “Tell me what you bring to the table, Mister Vereen.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He didn’t ask him what he could offer the Techno Union what the Union couldn’t get itself, because such a thing did not exist. But if his wares were good enough that wouldn’t matter at all, quality of goods were more important than anything else. [/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Good. I knew from the Mandalorian side of things that it wouldn’t be an issue, but it was good to know that ArmaTech would fit in with the Techno Union as well. It would be a good fit, and hopefully we could both benefit from each other’s presence. He wanted to know what ArmaTech had to offer the Techno Union. Well that was an easy question. Just recently ArmaTech had made something that had never been made before, and before then, we had created a Lightsaber resistant material.

“Well, ArmaTech prides itself on revolutionizing current technology. We see something, and then we make it better than it was. We currently mass produce a type of personal shielding, on par with others in terms of resilience that features both Particle and Ray shielding. Simultaneously. In addition, we modernized vehicles, and recently produced a top of the line tank that can contend with the Skocha, with the added benefit of being Lightsaber resistant to a degree.” I told him, proud of our accomplishments in those fields.

[member="Darell Irani"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Irani nodded.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The fact that ArmaTech was producing slightly more exotic and revolutionized designs was a good thing, it set them apart from the common rabble that liked to think that simply constructing a new gun with a different paintjob was enough to bring to the table. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Fact was that most of the times that wasn’t the case.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Techno Union knew this, the Saiba Group knew this, Irani knew this and apparently Draco was aware of this sentiment too, and that would only give points to his attitude. Never skimp out on the details, one could say, always try and modernize.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Otherwise you will be left behind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“As said before, the Techno Union has no outstanding issues with the Mandalorians.” Darell repeated himself with a relaxed tone. “And we always welcome corporations that bring value and worth to our territories.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Here we try to lift up the Outer Rim, give our citizens the best quality in technological innovation and education.” a ponder and a drag from the cigarro, before blowing away some of the smoke. “Do you have any questions for me, mister Vereen?”[/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Excellent, I'm glad we could come to terms so easily. I'm sure this will benefit our two organizations for quite a while. I do have one question. What planet is it acceptable for me to build a factory on, because that would be where I produce arms and armor for the Techno Union." I said to him, leaning back. Good. It was good to have options and diversity in your portfolio. "I can put a factory on Bothawui soon and start rolling tanks off the assembly line soon." I was happy with how things were going. The Techno Union would give me better access to several companies that were experts in fields I knew nothing or very little about and as it stood, ArmaTech mass produced the only true contender of the Skocka.

[member="Darell Irani"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Hmm… my suggestion would be to hire land on Hypori where you can build the factories and use Bothawui as an administrative center for your operations around these parts of space.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Irani would advise the newest addition to the Techno Union front.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Hypori had the cutting edge when it came to worker salaries, cheap land prices and a distinct advantage of less than the usual amount of rights for your employees. It would be more profitable in the long run for Draco and that was what it was mostly about, no?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Bothawui on the other hand had been the administrative center of the CIS for a very long time, it still held that edge towards infrastructure, well-trained employees and a good feed for information. [/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

[member="Darell Irani"]

"Those options work for me. I will have work crews brought in immediately. I have work to oversee the moving of my headquarters from Jabiim to Concordia, however. If you need me, contact me, I'll be available." I told the man. I stood, nodding at him then turning to leave the building. I did have matters to see to. Important matters, such as moving my headquarters, continuing to train and guide my new COO, and working on several smaller projects for limited use.

And then the Silver Jedi had re-established interest in our company. It was too bad for the Republic. Apparently ArmaTech was a hot commodity right now. As I left the room, I turned, "If there are any holes in your armory, let me know. I will fill them."