The Viceroy's New Groove

[Caulder Dune]

HYPORI SYSTEM, HYPORI
NEW E'Y-AKH, THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW

[member="Jerec Wraith"]

Gerion no longer worked for Hypori. Yet he kept getting letters insisting that he help them find a new Viceroy now that the terms of the position changed and he was in a position to do so. Perhaps they were right to be worried. Although the system of Corporocratic Technocracy employed by the Techno Union was far superior to whatever imbecilic, backwards hogwash forms of government the rest of the galaxy employed, it was not perfect. There was still room for the evil, corrupt, inept, or moronic to seize power. And having an evil, corrupt, inept, and moronic Viceroy heading a planet's Committee for Development was a surefire way to see that planet fall to stagnation and then ruin.

Since Hypori was the new headquarters for the Department of Law, which he oversaw, it was important to Gerion someone of sound mind be able to take the position. Which was why he was currently conducting interviews out of his office in the Department of Law. Was this all underhanded and technically circumventing the Technocratic process? In a way. Ultimately it would not be Gerion who appointed the new Viceroy, but Foreman Marek Starchaser. But given that Gerion worked rather closely with the Foreman, Starchaser was almost certainly going to sign off on whatever recommendation Gerion gave to him.

SpyNet could suck it.

"Mr. Wraith is here to see you, Director." His secretary announced over the intercom built into his desk.

Jerec Wraith was a nobody, as far as Gerion knew. Yet somehow he had the good sense to try and secure the seat of Viceroy through nepotism. As opposed to the good, old fashioned way of climbing up the hierarchy one rung at a time. Like a plebeian.


"Send him in."

 

[Jerec Wraith]

He had given the Imperials a chance, an honest to goodness one. Jerec had even went so far as to go and visit their facilities and meet with them all, which was a big move for him. Mr. Wraith wasn’t a man who closely associated with anyone, it was the first rule of survival. Either find a big group of much stronger individuals to handle your trouble for you, and keep everyone at a very far distance. For nearly four decades this strategy had worked perfectly, until he had run into the Imperials thanks to a certain stormtrooper captain. Another encounter with some random apprentice had told him another faction, one he hadn’t heard of. I really should have just stuck with her idea and hit that and quit it while I could.

Jerec was methodical, but some decisions he made were questionable.

Lazily sitting in a suit, he looked around at bunch of scrubs. Every one of them had the look of a man who had worked for decades to climb the ladder. Here he sat, his back still strong and his spirit not crushed. All of them looked beaten down, their heavy briefcases serving as props so that they could study notes on the man they were going to see. What a bunk of insolent little bi-

“Mr. Wraith, he will see you now.” She smiled at him when she said it, and he returned the gesture. Their gaze held for a moment too long, a certain hunger was there. The other men in the room could see it, and Jerec was shameless in it. Anger filled the room, and he filled it with fear to make them all shut up before even talking. Was he against sleeping his way to the front of the line, feth no. In fact, the records on him were all falsified. There was no way he would have nailed this interview under normal circumstances, so he was as calm as they came.

“Good morning, Mr. Ardik. Pleasure to see you.” Wraith had read up on him, so he didn’t even waste the effort in trying to shake the man’s hand. Instead, he took a seat in front of the Umbaran. Now he had just to wait for the questions, all ten thousand of them.

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jerec Wraith"]

"Likewise, Mr. Wraith." Gerion said, scribbing something quickly on the flimsiplast in front of him before sliding it off to the side of his desk.

There was no handshake. Which was just unusual. Most people shook his hand, although Gerion never put much thought into the gesture. Not until it was conspicuously absent. Jerec himself looked to be a calm and collected man. He had a face and posture that just looked... Efficient. Competent. And what more could anyone want out of a Viceroy aside from those two things? Honesty? Integrity? This wasn't the Republic. Here in the Techno Union, there was a greater emphasis on getting things done than wishy-washy things like purity and goodness.

Hopefully Mr. Wraith was neither of those things. "Do you know why I have agreed to speak with you?"

 

[Jerec Wraith]

Umbaran's were a calculating sort, just the kind Jerec liked working with. During his years of traveling the galaxy, more than a couple of that species had helped him. Sure, he had killed them in the end, but they had been most useful to him. [member="Gerion Ardik"] looked to be the most intelligent of them he had met to this point, the man just gave off that aura. It wasn't physical strength that impressed the old darksider, no it was cunning and intelligence. Ardik had that quality above all others, it was clear to see. Records on the man had shown him to be a keen businessman with his fingers right squarely on the pulse of the Techno Union and business in the Tion Hegemony. Wraith wanted in on that pie, for the money and for the connections. It could only help raise his profile after decades of being so far removed, decades that had seen him keep everyone at arms length so that he could survive so that he could outlast his brother.

Well, Darron was dead, so it was time to rejoin the galaxy.

"I honestly hope it's because of my records that you received. I do have to say I think I'm quite qualified." Jerec smiled, the same cunning smile he always flashed. His own natural charisma was showing as he crossed his legs and leaned comfortably in the chair. For a moment he appreciated the view, before bringing his arms up to rest them on the plush chair. His fingers met over his chest, and he decided to play it straight. At best, it would help his situation. At worst, he would have to go look elsewhere or try and drain the Umbaran into submission. "Or, you were impressed with how I falsified everything and got a meeting with one of the most powerful men in the galaxy simply by getting your assistant to like me so that I could save you from speaking to the baboons in the waiting area?"

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jerec Wraith"]

"I am a bureaucrat, Mr. Wraith. Nothing more." He replied monotonously. "Although your assessment of the 'baboons' is spot on, I'll admit."

Although, factoring in the magical force powers, the wealth, his connections, his allegiances, and the droid army he fielded through a company he owned from the shadows... Perhaps it wasn't too generous to say he ranked somewhere towards the end of the top three thousand most powerful men in the galaxy. Someone would have to compose a list one of these days. But considering most of Gerion's "power" tended to be hidden from sight or otherwise only loosely associated with him, he really hoped he wouldn't be anywhere near that list.

This man was considerably bold and seemed to have the tact necessary to maneuver Hypori's incredibly tenuous landscape. As Viceroy, it had been his job to enforce peace between the unions and the corporate bigwigs that ran the planet. This often meant having the wits to detect and preemptively rectify any problematic elements before all out war and rioting broke out again. The secret police could run itself, but without careful oversight from someone reliable and perceptive, it would quickly become corrupted. Useless.

"Tell me, what do you know about Hypori? About the problems faced by the citizenry and the government?"