The Southern Systems Business Bazaar Expo

[Klesta]

So Klesta moved from one ergonomic assessment sales meeting to another, with nearly no downtime in-between, no more than transportation took. He still had to deal with several resupply contracts up for grabs: the growth of the Sith Inquisitor in the ergonomic assessment business was, in fact, making some of those contracts, well, inadequate for the future needs. He would need to undergo modified rebuy to get the job done. Such as, for example, fuel for its fleet of spacecraft, used to ferry journalists and ergonomic assessors (mostly), even though said fleet was largely made up of light shuttles, light freighters at the largest. Leaving the resulting booth under the hands of Tiffany, he went straight for the supplier he needed most to renew his deals with, Mara TibX Fuels. And hence he went to face a droid called [member="L3-37"], or more accurately L3-3752. But would he be selling advertising space, or selling ergonomic assessments in return? Two different kinds of noncash revenue to him. While he was still best known for his work in selling ergonomic assessments, perhaps he could still try to sell advertising space. He started communicating with the droid:

"I am Klesta of the Sith Inquisitor. Our current fuel contract is soon expiring and I would perhaps discuss a deal for us to get a new source of fuel, while pondering which one would best fit your needs between advertising space and ergonomic assessments"

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

"Like eyebrows...?" The image of a Glaucus with bushy mandibles invaded his mind, and then he imagined himself without eyebrows and mandibles instead.

Weird.

"Wretched Hive?" Izzy furrowed his brow in though. The Wretched Hive was a pretty well known workshop that worked on custom star ships and after market mods for those who had the credits to pay and lacked the knowhow to do it themselves. He'd seen Jorus on the Holonet more than a few times. Some kind of war hero gone business owner gone tinkerer.

"Yeah, they're pretty big with smugglers and a lot of those eccentric types. Jorus used to run Silk Holdings. They do super custom jobs on starships."

 

[Asmus Janes]

"You understand that your job is to try and make sales happen?" [member="Pella Vun"] asked him. Her expression never told him much but that slight cant of her head typically meant impatience.

"Of course," Asmus replied with a broad grin. Incom had a large stand. Large enough that they had a full sized model of a classic T-65 suspended from the ceiling above it. The nose was angled down slightly. It was all well thought out so that people could stop ahead of the stand and take a holo that made it seem the X-Wing was firing at them. Just close enough that Asmus could go and talk to them.

"Then you understand your role is to explain what we sell and then pass them onto an account manager to actually make sales. Not enjoy yourself chatting all day."

Asmus gave a mock salute. He couldn't complain too much. Last time out he had made more social contacts that business ones. Still, he had sold a lot of Headhunters to private clients.

There was an entire secure warehouse nearby with a range of their vessels laid out, along with a simulator for trained pilots. Some items were for public sale and some had trade restrictions. He would explain as required.

Asmus stood behind his table and looked for people to have a chat with. To sell to.

Spoiler: Range

U-Wing Transport (60T)
Description: the workhorse transport for any ground force. Can deploy squads right into the heat of battle and provide close air support.

XJ-7 Elite Fighter
Description: built to order for each customer, an exceptional Starfighter for exceptional pilots.

Y-Wing Bomber
Description: dependable bomber with more advanced energy and stealth features. Export restrictions apply to this model, discuss with us before placing an order or week prior approval from Alliance or Alderaan representatives.

X-83 TwinTail V2 Starfighter
Description: excellent value Starfighter for all needs.

Aegis Class Heavy Dropship
Description: can deploy a large walker into dangerous territory. Exceptionally well armed.

A-36 Sleuth Starfighter
Description: an excellent reconnaissance platform or long distance personal transport.

B-Wing Bomber
Description: Multirole bomber. Capable of engaging a range of threats.

H-Wing Heavy Fighter
Description: Affordable heavy fighter. Durable and reliable.

A-Wing Interceptor
Description: Exceptional interceptor, lightweight and compact.

X-Wing Fighter (Sprite class)
Description: Space superiority starfighter. Agile, but packs a punch.

Dirigible-Class Corvette

Description: Corvette designed to hunt anti-starfighter frigates

Classic Headhunter

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Narayana​

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Southern Systems Business Bazaar Expo​

Expo Hall​

"So does this make it date number three?" Kit asked as she and Rae rolled out the elegant Primo Victorian logo over their booth.

Fiolette cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"This is date number three."

"I beg your pardon it is not, this is simply-"

"Another business meeting, we know!" Rae and Kit chorused together the line that Fiolette had been spewing since she had met Ms. Raaf at Port Shenzhou (Port Georgiou). Fiolette smoothened out her suit and took a deep breath, "adjust the holo here would you, Ms. Montague?"

Rae nodded with a smile and moved to sit at the booth, all the while adjusting the holographic displays of their Mark III Imperial line. A small history of Primo Victoria was set up on a full-mirror length stand beside the table itself with holocards on their table along with a 'swag bag' selection that contained a small holoreader, decorative bobble in the shape of a star destroyer, the bag itself could be used for a number of items and also displayed the Primo Victorian logo. A small card holder and coupons for Nadir's Black Label cigarras and to a local Meadery ran by a rather lovely couple. "We're not late," Shed could be heard as he walked behind a line of tables, "tellin' Ao we're not late."

"We're late," Kit replied, "but it's fine you and Ao can help us out here, get the carpet here and we'll set our lines here."

"And private consultation here as well," Rae gestured to the last part of their space.

"Right, the analytics thing." Ao chimed as she patted the big guy on the shoulder, "told you we were late."

"So I assume that I can leave the four of you here to tend to the booth?" Fiolette questioned and the four of them paused what they were doing and shrugged, mouth's open in a sure-why-not. Fiolette nodded as she pursed her lips together, "if you do need me you may page me, I am off to explore."

Kit waited a few moments, "more like she's off to find Taeli."

Shed was about to add something vulgar.

"I heard that," Fio said from afar, which only left the four of them at the booth giggling and chuckling like school children, much to her chagrin.

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Selinica Miriya Cailis"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Danger Arceneau"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]​

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

"Like eyebrows...?" The image of a Glaucus with bushy mandibles invaded his mind, and then he imagined himself without eyebrows and mandibles instead.

Weird.

"Wretched Hive?" Izzy furrowed his brow in though. The Wretched Hive was a pretty well known workshop that worked on custom star ships and after market mods for those who had the credits to pay and lacked the knowhow to do it themselves. He'd seen Jorus on the Holonet more than a few times. Some kind of war hero gone business owner gone tinkerer.

"Yeah, they're pretty big with smugglers and a lot of those eccentric types. Jorus used to run Silk Holdings. They do super custom jobs on starships."

Pretty well-known workshop ... to the scruffy freight haulers, maybe. Magda was pulling a blank. Ships had not been a focus of hers for several years, not since GUIDE's space-faring needs had been seen to by several quality shipwrights. The thought to dismiss the notion altogether crossed her mind up until the mention of the name Jorus.

Not altogether a fully uncommon name. Many young babes had been named after the famous explorer [member="Jorus Merrill"], but put the name Jorus into the same sentence as Silk Holdings and suddenly you had Magdalena's undivided attention.

She snapped her gaze to look up at Izzy, momentarily suspicious he was trying to be funny, "Jorus? The Jorus of Silk Holdings? Jorus Merrill, the greatest Master of Instinctive Astrogation known to the galaxy?"

Magda eyed [member="Isaiah Dashiell"] incredulously before putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head, "Impossible. He was declared dead years ago. There was a big funeral, I cried all over my Jorus Merrill shrine..." she made a dismissive gesture, as if that last part wasn't important, "It must be an imposter, or a ... mascot name used to pull in sales." Not that such a marketing strategy wasn't a brilliant idea.

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

His ears perked up.

"Jorus...Shrine...?" He couldn't have heard her correctly, but then she tried to act as if she hadn't just said she cried over a shrine she made for a man she'd never actually met. Something lit like a small fire under Izzy's pride. She was calling him a liar? And there was something else too, but he pushed aside that and focused entirely too much on the liar bit.

"Oh yeah?", he asked a little too loudly, drawing the attention of a protocol droid and a scary looking Mandalorian guard. "Look I may have been a con artist back in the day, but I know what I hear and see on the holonet and those shadow ports, er, information repositories." He wasn't supposed to be visiting Shadow Ports anymore after the incident that shall not be named.

"He's the real deal!" He didn't even ask, he just grabbed her hand and started marching over to the stall.

[member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Narayan
_________________________________________________
Southern Systems Business Bazaar Expo
Expo Hall

Alcuin had been hunting for the remnants of his people for years since coming back to the active life, even if still mostly a hermit. This bazaar wasn't entirely in his original plans, but the needs of his people outweighed his penchant for having a perfect plan in place. Something had been found, and he couldn't believe it. When he had been put to sleep, they were just talking of the device he now carried data on in his hand. But it was still unknown to him, and was bleeding edge technology for a race of people who were exploring the stars and learning their secrets when many were just beginning to look to the heavens. Truly, it was not hard to see how some thought they had become as Gods.

Dressed in the best he had left to him, he stuck out as almost antiquated, though a few rare handful might recognize the geometric designs and patterns as belonging to his people. Blues and silvers were his house color, and he had even belted on a sword. Using it was only rudimentary, but it was more a mark of status and capability in crafting. The thing was gleaming like polished silver with a white shine almost akin to fire on even the hilt. A heavy black cloak trimmed in fur and further signs of geometrical patternings hung over his shoulders, proudly proclaiming to no one but ghosts his rank and story.

Stroking a hand through an ebon beard just barely touched by gray, the Anefilt wandered from shipwright to shipwright, unsatisfied and dismissive of most of their abilities for his projects. While not rude, the manner of his people in business and when discussing technology was... Unusually brisk for most sorts... Finally, he stopped at one, a chop shop that looked like it might be able to afford his boots. Almost, he swept by it, until a potential customer was spied interacting with the display. The mods caught his eye. Nothing flashy, and while he was no shipwright he had enough of an eye for design to realize quality and intricacy. Walking up to who he assumed was the proprietor of the workshop, he bowed his head in respect to an equal and looked [member="Jorus Merrill"] in the eyes as he slid open his dataslate, an attached holo-corder projecting what looked like a salvage wreck. Concentric rings surrounding a central structure of bright colored metal.

Anyone who knew their ships fables would know a dyson sphere. If the shipwright pegged him well, he could tell his ancestry and might guess the stations' origin. Or just think him insane no matter what he guessed about him. A cleared throat and the Anefilt spoke.

"Know what that is?"

Best to start off bluntly, and hope [member="Jorus Merrill"] was as capable as his products led Alcuin to believe.

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

"Jorus ... shrine?"

The exasperated laugh that left Magda's mouth couldn't be stopped. She hadn't really said that ... had she?

Oops.

She blinked and immediately decided that this would be one of the few nights she'd encourage Isaiah to go get stupendously drunk. He absolutely needed to forget about what was just said.

Did he just say Shadowport?

"What do you mean Shadowport?" suspicious glare, take 2. Magda tried to point accusingly at him, "You-" and only succeeded in having her hand snatched to be hauled off, heels clacking away awkwardly after him, "ISAIAH DASHIELL! What are you- I can't walk that fast in this stupid dress- where are you- oof!"

She nearly toppeled a passerby trying to keep up with him.

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

Good, no time to bring up Shadowports. Meant no time for scoldings! His arm was jerked back and half of his momentum was lost. "You know, if you didn't run into people this would go a lot smoother Mags-" He turned around with a wolfish grin before the color drained from his face. Another of the Dashiell clan? Oh how fortune was just smiling on young Isaiah today. He thought that to himself very sarcastically. There was a small crowd forming around them now. The accident they had caused was messing with the flow of the convention in the area.

"Makky? Is that you?" Why was Makai here? Did that mean Juddy was here as well? If he did well...He'd have a little explaining to do about the no doubt massive bill the Levantine Astronautical Academy had sent him after Izzy had gone AWOL and stolen a ship, armor and several other nicknacks that he would later pawn off. Maybe...at least he could show him the silver lining to his familial good deed?

He doubted it.

[member="Makai Dashiell"] [member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Isaiah Dashiell"] | [member="Magdalena Lethe"]



Makai was distracted by a holographic display at a booth he was passing by when someone collided with him - forcefully.Scale-speckled hand immediately went to catch the falling person. It didn't take long to notice it was a woman in a rather...nice...dress. Cheeks flamed red for a moment, helping the poor girl upright.


"I'm sorry Miss...I turned my head for a moment and..."


Soon someone was addressing him as 'Makky' but it wasn't [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] . No, it was his own wayward cousin. They had only been introduced in relatively recent history, his father keeping him far away from 'that' branch of the Dashiell family. Last he heard Izzy had skipped out on the Levantine Academy and Dad had to pay a good deal in 'donations' to make the situation right.


"Cousin Izzy, odd meeting you here. Not planning on stealing anything are you?" Iced blue eyes went to the woman, not sure how some girl like this ended up following his cousin around. Perhaps she had Stockholm Syndrome. Makai extended his hand in greeting.


"Pleasure to meet you Miss. Blink twice if you need rescuing."

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

Three inches.

Three inches from falling on her face.

Magda hung awkwardly between the two Dashiells, left hand still in the vice grip of Isaiah, right arm caught by ...Makky.

With the latter's help she righted herself, yanked her hand away from Izzy, "I-pfft," and threw the tangle of curls out of her face, "I'm fine, thank you." If not a bit flustered.

Blue eyes settled on the proffered hand and, after taking a moment to straighten her dress, Magda reached out to shake it, "Magdalena Lethe, Founder of GUIDE. You..." she shot a glance back at Isaiah, "you're cousins?"

Strangely, there was something familiar fishy about this Makky.

[member="Isaiah Dashiell"] [member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

"Yeah, yeah. We're cousins. We don't talk much though. It was nice seeing you, welp, time to go Mags!" The sentence or rather chain of sentences came out in a quick slur as Izzy attempted to diffuse the situation. His side of the family wasn't exactly on the best of terms with Makai's. Juddy had worked himself to the bone to get where he was while Izzy's side of the family, full of black sheep, save his elder sister, were swindlers, smugglers, and all manner of law breakers and they were still mostly dirt poor. It was a polarizing topic at family functions to say the least.

"Off to the Wretched Hive we go! Right Mgas? haha..." nervous laughter. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and glared at Makky. He'd find out where he was staying for this function and find him later. For now though, it didn't seem like Mags had really fully grasped what the young Dashiell had said, or maybe she thought it a joke. Either way, he didn't really want that old stuff nipping him here and now.

[member="Magdalena Lethe"] [member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Isaiah Dashiell"] | [member="Magdalena Lethe"]


"Yes, Makai Dashiell. Salacia Consolidated and owner of Laravan Corporation." Hand firmly grasped hers before letting go, ignoring his cousin. "I've heard some things about GUIDE, I believe there is an installation on Ceto."


The teenage boy glared back at his cousin. Why was he being treated like the black sheep of the Dashiells now? Either Izzy was suddenly embarrassed to have a half-aquatic cousin or....no, it couldn't be. Did his cousin like the woman standing across from him? She was beautiful and if one asked Makai his opinion, well out of Isaiah's league. He couldn't help but to grin. Cousin Izzy liked a girl. Did said girl like him? Makai doubted it considering how nervous the other Dashiell was acting.


"Oh, you're off to Wretched Hive? I can head that way too. Nothing on the docket right now really. It will give me a chance to know Miss Lethe better. Got to know the girl that has captured my cousin's interest."

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

"Shut the front door," Magda blinked at the younger man.

Could this be the little boy that, along with his father, treated her to a wonderful home-cooked meal on Ceto nearly six years ago? Magda flapped a hand distractedly at Izzy's attempt to dismiss the new face and took a moment to look a bit closer. She'd not had another face-to-face interaction with Judah after their discussion about GUIDE sponsorship, but they'd kept in touch ... sorta.

As much as two organizations kept in touch across the galaxy, anyway.

"You-"

"Got to know the girl that has captured my cousin's interest."

Magda blinked, "I beg your pardon...?" another glance to Izzy, "No, you're mistaken. I'm his employer and I met you when you were little. Your father made me burgers at your home on Ceto while we were discussing sponsorship for GUIDE. Do you remember?"

[member="Makai Dashiell"] [member="Isaiah Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Magdalena Lethe"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"]


"Employer? You two keep telling yourselves that."


Makai raised an eyebrow but said no more on the subject. He would meet up with dear Cousin Izzy later on and tease him mercilessly. After all, what was family for if not to tease the life out of one another? Besides, it only served Isaiah right since he still saw Makai was some wet behind the ears kid that had never said a curse.


"Oh I remember you now. Apologies for not recognizing you sooner, somehow you've grown more beautiful since last we met."


Dashiell charm was in full swing. Someone had to show Izzy how it was done after all. Gaze flicked back to his dear cousin before drifting back to Miss Lethe. He hadn't seen her since the backyard cookout. Busy probably, considering the line of work she was involved in. Ever the gentleman, Makai offered his arm to escort Miss Lethe to the booth Izzy had mentioned.


"So why are you here with Izzy? Not quite the person I would have chose for such an event, surely you have other employees?"

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

This craziness had gone on long enough. At least he hadn't gone into his past at all, but it would have been nice to not be pestered.

"Listen here ya karkin' little tadpole," he growled before he placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. He almost wished he'd caused Mags to trample over Juddy at this point. Explaining the Academy situation would have been easier than dealing with prince charming over here. If Mags wasn't here, if they weren't in the middle of one of the biggest public spaces in the Galaxy with hundreds, if not thousands of armed guards patroliling, he would have tossed him out the nearest air lock. Or at least that's how he felt about him right now.

He was a lot cuter when all he new how to say was goo goo ga ga and all he did was poop, eat, sleep, and swim.

"I brought her here. Coming to this event was my idea. And she is my employer, get whatever nonsense you've got swimming between those two brain cells of yours a rest."

Pat. Pat.

"Where's your pops anyways? Or at least a guard?"

[member="Makai Dashiell"] [member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

Magda could hardly recall her cheeks going red for two very different reasons.

Awkward bashfullness was the response to the compliments spouted by the younger Dashiell. Wasn't very often people said things like that to her - as a matter of fact, Magda could not remember the last time anyone had. Doting father compliments really didn't count, except when they did. How she missed them.

"Oh, well..." the GUIDE Founder smiled, unsure of exactly what to do with this...dashing (much) young(er) man.

And then Izzy bullied his way back into the conversation.

For a split second she was equal parts relieved and miffed. Then she was mostly just miffed.

"Isaiah," Magda hissed at him for swearing, and for name-calling, and for the general growly tone he was taking with this legitimate coporate CEO. He likely had no idea that his little cousin could very well be their next big sponsor.

Could be the means behind his next paycheck.

She frowned at him, brow furrowing all stubborn-like as she silently tried to convey the this-is-not-appropriate-behavior-and-we've-talked-about-this-before look at him.

You can't growl at potential investors, Isaiah.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Magdalena Lethe"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"]



'Tadpole' was not an insult. It was his nickname and he had been called a variation of it for most of his life. What was insulting was the way his cousin spoke of Miss Lethe and treated him like some insolent child all at once. Eyes narrowed at his relative once more. Isaiah's carefully constructed front for his employer looked like it was starting to slip.


"You brought her here? Miss Lethe is not property to be commanded from place to place. Just because this was your idea doesn't mean you can't show a little bit of appreciation and tact towards a lady."


Head inclined towards a Noghri guard at his thee o'clock position, Slyssk. The guard had been personally appointed by [member="Danger Arceneau"] when he was a mere six year old, right after his Ma died. Slyssk had spent ten years silently trailing Makai in one fashion or the other. Most of the time the young teenage half-Galan couldn't see his guard. Due to the nature of the Expo he could clearly make out the Noghri in the crowds.


"Dad is at home. Slyssk is keeping an eye on me, as well as the rest of the Noghri guards under the employment of the Arceneau's. I'm staying in VIP lodging and most nights I'm with the Arceneau family. There's no need to think of me as a helpless child who still sucks his thumb. I may not be grown cousin but I am no fool either."


Makai had served in the military already. Worked on dangerous salvage operations. Negotiated mining contracts with the Royal House of Alderaan. He may not be seasoned but if Dad didn't trust him to be on his own then Makai wouldn't be at the Expo by himself. Perhaps Izzy was trying to turn the tables on him, steer the conversation away. Clearly he had hit close to the mark with the 'couldn't bring anyone else' line.

 

[Ebaba Muchomacho]

Narayana - Exposition
The representative for MaraTibx, PharmaTech, Blas Tech, Browncoat Arms, and Haven Shipyards
[member="Klesta"]

"Welcome, gracious customer!" L3-3752 would chirp out to Klesta. Her white face, while expressionless, still radiated a welcoming presence with the vibrancy of her blue ocular sensors.

"We would be happy to assists your fueling needs." she added, rolling on her drive wheel to peer down at the Jawa. "What sort of fuel would you be requiring? We have liquid, tibanna, spun tibanna, and our new biofuel with enhanced power and boost capabilities among many others."

They could also discuss advertising. There was always advertising to be met. It was also curious about ergonomic products. Something to think about.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

Narayana - Tram

Kurt stood quietly in the middle of the tram, contently munching on his roasted almonds as he watched all the different people in the same car as him. Most of them were on the wealthier side, something that he almost instantly recognized from the make of their clothing. They seemed more than happy to use public transportation though, something the former Courier wouldn't normally ascribe to people on the wealthier side of things.

He watched with interest as a rather portly man stood up from his seat to make room for a young woman and her child. A small smile touched his lips, though he of course said nothing. It was good to see kindness here, it was after all partly the point of all of this. Sure Arceneau Trade aimed to make money from the expo, but the greater part of it was in order for other companies to show off their wares, market themselves to a wider audience than they were used to.

This whole thing wasn't necessarily to benefit ATC, but others as well.

Kurt mused on that thought for a moment, chewing on another almond before he glanced up at the small sign at the top of the Tram. His gaze watched the small screen change to the words 'Western Arm-Expo Hall'. He frowned for a brief moment, using his free hand to pat around his pockets for the brochure that he had been given upon arrival. After a few seconds he realized that he'd lost it, letting out a muted curse at himself as he sighed.

It seemed he had no choice but to explore a little further.