Ask A Day at the Office

[Terra Lanris]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

It was Terra's first time actually coming to Christophsis, but as she looked out the window of her ship, she wasn't disappointed. It was beautiful the way the light caught the edges of the crystals in the sunrise. It was a truly unique world compared to so many that she had been to and it seemed to have its own... fresh air. That in and of itself was a rare commodity on the likes of Omega or Kessel.

Her meeting with the Secretary of Defense was also one of her first serious moves in the political game since becoming Governor of Kessel, but with a war going on she was interested in not only protecting her own interests, but also hopefully finding a way to profit off of it. Some people would call it callous, but ultimately, the fact was that the war was going to go on either way. Wasting opportunity was just a disrespect to those lost, right? Yeah.

Dressed in an outfit that was fashionable enough to fit her position but still comfortable enough that she could move and breathe, she'd arrived at the Secretary's office and been shown inside a few moments later by his assistant.

A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Secretary, she said with a warm smile and an extended hand.

 

[Carrick]

Dressed in a suit for what felt like the first time in years at this point. Carrick was back on Christophsis though, so he supposed it made a lot of sense. Being back in "The Office" was a novelty for the man who had gotten used to spending more and more time either in transit or commanding from the bridge of a starship.

Still... there was always something about coming back to Christophsis that felt like coming home, far more than his adopted home of Tinnel IV ever did. That planet had been a means to an end but Christophsis? With the shipyards in orbit that only existed because he had pushed and made them happen?

It felt like home.

He smiled a little bit, the expression almost as tired as he felt he was sure, but he strode the distance between them to accept the offered hand and give Governor Lanris' hand a firm shake.

"The pleasure is mutual, Governor Lanris. I apologise for not being able to meet with you sooner - I'm afraid I have been focused on external politics to the exclusion of internal politics as of last. Can I offer you a drink?"

Moving away from his desk, he made towards a low coffee table with some comfortable chairs around it. He probably should have been more authoritative and sat imperiously behind his desk but he didn't have the energy to waste on bluster these days. And the drink he was offering had been calling to him for a week at least. Pouring two glasses from a crystal decanter made from local crystals, he held one out for Terra to take, filled with an amber liquid.

"Corellian brandy from my last trip there, before the invasion attempt." he raised the glass to her, "What shall we toast to, Governor Lanris?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Oh, no, you have nothing to apologize for, she said, dismissing his apology. He seemed nice enough and certainly a step up from most people she met and worked with previously. She had to wonder if it was all an act or if the thoughts were even really hers. He was a former-Jedi, right? She had never really trusted the spooky magicians of the galaxy, but that probably wasn't any more fair than people judging her based on her appearance as a Tiefling. Except Tieflings couldn't control people's minds.

Focus, Terra, she chastised herself. I would love one, she said, always eager for a drink. Her business on Omega had been run out of a club and long before that she'd acquired a connoisseur's pallet for alcohols of all different types. She accepted the glass and took an appraising whiff of the glass before letting out a quiet Mmm.

A little taste of home, then, she said. Though her memories of Corellia were anything but fond, no one else needed to know that.

Terra, please, she said, hoping to dispense with the formalities. They were one of the more tedious sides of "high society" but both of them had been something far different before they were government officials.

To a swift end to the conflict, she said, raising her glass into the air. That was something that everyone could get behind. Well, most everyone. The normal people in the galaxy who weren't religious fanatics.

Their glasses clinked together and she took a sip, savoring the flavor before a satisfied smile crossed her face.

Have you managed to get any rest at all these days? Running all around the galaxy, I imagine, she said. Yes, it was small talk and no she didn't like small talk, but she did find him interesting. Though... she also knew that hew as busy and she probably shouldn't waste his time. Just a tiny bit of small talk then, and he was always welcome to move straight to business as well. Man, this politics game was weird.

 

[Carrick]

Well she seemed nice - probably meant she was either going to get eaten alive in this political world or she was better at it than he expected and was able to hide her daggers better than most. He would assume it was competency until it was proven to be genuine. And if it proved to be genuine he would see just how far she could go before she started to act and think like a real politician... kind of felt like he'd be bringing someone to the Dark Side with how he'd thought that actually.

He was glad she accepted the drink because he would only be an alcoholic if he drank alone.

"Terra? Then, please, call me Carrick."

He didn't have the ability to be less formal than his actual name because he had never taken up his family name. There had been a time when he'd toyed with it but he had, ultimately, decided against it. The toast was a good one, even if it did make him smirk a little bit as he raised his glass.

"But only in the best of ways."

Drinking eagerly from his glass, he didn't quite take a gulp but it was a generous amount. He savoured the taste of the Corellian alcohol and almost muttered a quick prayer that the distilleries were not destroyed in the Sith attack. Carrick went for a second drink before answering, even as he took a seat.

The chairs were soft, comfortable and very easy to fall asleep on when working late.

"I never used to be able to sleep during hyperspace travel - something about it always put me on edge, I guess - but I've recently learned that I've clearly just never been tired enough before." he answered with a wry smile, "But as much as I do appreciate the concern... something tells me you've not come calling to check on my health. Though, please, always feel free to call in for an excuse for more of the brandy."

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Ah yes, nervous hyperspace travelers. She'd carried a few of them on charters back in the days when that was her primary business. That was far behind her now, though. Well, at least the personally flying part.

Careful there, I might just take you up on that, she said as he mentioned coming around again just for the brandy. He played a dangerous game with Miss Two-Livers by asking her around for drinks.

Of course, business, she said with a nod.

I wanted to come to discuss contracts actually, she said, chuckling and waving a hand as she pulled out her datapad. Maybe I should have had this meeting in hyperspace to keep you from falling asleep, she said jokingly, knowing that no one wanted to hear that a meeting about "contracts" was the first on the discussion line.

No, but really, I'm no lawyer so I'm not interested in the detailed side, per se. As you're well aware Kessel produces spice and coaxium: both useful for military purposes, she began. Although, of course, the recreational uses of spice was often the more publicized side, it was hardly the only one. With a war going on, medicine and starship fuel were two very hot commodities.

And as you may not know, I'm also the administrator of Omega Station and it's mining operations in the Omega asteroid belt, she said. In short, I wanted to talk about how I can help make sure the ISC is well stocked with both, she said. [color=hotpink}And... how Kessel can stay out of the path of the Sith's destruction,[/color] she said. She was proposing to sell military products - or already was selling them - and was potentially going to be increasing her sales to the ISC. That would put a target on Kessel's back all too quickly. Its survival was in everyone's best interest. Well, except the Sith.

 

[Carrick]

If she decided to actually take him up on the offer of acting as his drinking buddy he'd probably not even be mad. He didn't often make it home most nights and he had been turning to his collection of alcohol more and more as time went on. There were things he was beginning to crave and miss about being at home on a night but he pushed them from his mind. Instead he merely raised an eyebrow and smirked a little more at Terra as he used the decanter to refill their glasses.

Talking was thirsty work after all, especially when they were getting business mixed up into it.

"Oh don't worry about me - I have an annual contract negotiation about bread flour."

Armies marched on their stomachs, fleets flew by the same and every species in the Galaxy liked bread. Didn't change the fact that as the head of two branches of a Galactic military, he was still consulted when it came to the smallest elements of the food supply chain.

He was definitely making that meeting an email in the future though.

Leaning back in his seat, he eyed Terra over the rim of his glass as he enjoyed more of the brandy. She was a businesswoman through and through but she knew well enough to do what most business owners didn't do; she let some things about her products remain unspoken. Neither of them needed the other to acknowledge that some of the officers in the army or the navy would use some of that Spice to take the edge off during long deployments or when on leave. They could both just silently acknowledge it while openly admitting that it had medical uses as well.

"I am empowered by this state of war we are in to agree to certain things that would, usually, be beyond my pay grade." he admitted, swirling some of the brandy in his glass, "Making larger purchase orders from your sources would be beneficial to the war effort, certainly. I notice you make the request that Kessel be better protected - I understand that and we may return to this shortly - but I also note that you don't ask the same for Omega."

He took another sip of his brandy.

"Currently Kessel is defended by its own defence fleet and little more, I acknowledge this. Now I am raising new ships and new crews at a rate unheard of by the ISC before and I can remedy that. But to what degree? That depends." he set the glass down, "I can see the benefits, for example, of stationing a Three-Fold Fleet at Kessel. Almost a dozen TL-2 Battlecruisers and at least one of our TL-1 Dreadnoughts. I can make Kessel the base of one of our hardest assets that can strike at the Sith heartlands - and the Sith will know it. They'll see it as a challenge that you and your new fleet might be up for and might not be."

Carrick wished he could drink the brandy but it would undercut the seriousness of his comments.

"Or I can post a Core Defence fleet there instead. More defence but not a massive one. Leave Kessel better defended than it is now but less of an obvious target in terms of fleet numbers. Either way, though, Kessel will be upgrading itself in importance to the war effort and they'll notice that." his smile was bitter, "Are you ready for that? For Kessel to suddenly be the go-to spot for every jumped up Sith with red in his blade and a hard-on for throat choking?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra listened with great interest, able to tell from the look in his eye that he knew precisely what they were talking about and she knew that Crimson Dawn could keep selling spice on the side to soldiers who needed something to take the edge off or to hype them up before facing down a Sith.

Omega is... she paused a moment to search for the right term. Resilient. And not nearly as large as Kessel in terms of production, she said. I have my doubts that it will be attacked by the Empire, and in addition, it's not ISC space so I understand that defending it could be difficult, she said. Most of the citizens there likely would have resisted ISC occupation anyway.

Kessel's probably not the best place for a main fleet, she said after a moment more. Besides the fact that he was correct about the Three-Fold Fleet bringing down additional attention on the planet, there was also the consideration of the Kessel run itself and how inhospitable it could be to large ships.

I'm not sure even if an entire Core Fleet is necessary, she said, and it would quickly become clear she wasn't asking for quite what it may have first appeared.

There's very little naval presence at Kessel at all, and even pirate groups that have plagued the area were cleared out by one of my mercenary companies, she said, explaining how she had even managed to get the support to become elected. She'd been elected on a platform of two things: better security and expanded operations. She hoped to be able to move both of those forward today.

The nearest Core Fleet by hyperspace lane is Bothawui, and that is not close, she said. Even a handful of ships that could sit at the entrance to the Channel could slow a much larger enemy force due to the narrow confines until real reinforcements could arrive, she said.

And an assurance that if that attack came, the reinforcements would arrive, she said. And this was the toughest part. In a war, it was difficult to promise anything, but she knew that Kessel was a valuable asset to the ISC. One which, even if he did decide to station a Core Fleet there, might actually be worth it.

 

[Carrick]

They were continuing the theme of saying the loud part loud and not mentioning the quiet part at all - he had heard some rumours about Omega and almost all of them told him more than what she was. Of course, all of them were unsavory for these types of talks so he didn't imagine she would be including them. He sipped sedately at his brandy while she spoke, letting her paint the picture.

"The lack of a presence is it's own camouflage, I understand."

Had this been peace-time there would have been a political push for the ISC military to establish itself on Omega regardless of Terra's wishes - force projection and the acquisition of new territory had been something that had been pushed onto his Office for years at this point. Like there was a hunger from the predominantly outer-rim ISC citizens to see themselves become "Large and Mighty" like the Empires and Republics of old.

He'd have much preferred a slower roll out of territories but all he could do was act out the will of the peoples he supposed.

Carrick made an aborted movement to take another sip of his brandy, stopping the motion halfway when he noted that his glass was empty. Placing it back on the table, he eyed the decanter but made no move to top up his drink. Instead he eyed Terra for a moment in silence before humming.

"Well there is the old Imperial technique to consider as you say - parking heavy fleet assets at the entrance to the entrance works well and saves risking capital ships around that area of space."

It would be embarrassing to be the Secretary of Defense when the ISC lost a fleet to black holes rather than enemy action.

"Perhaps a scaled down force for the entrance to the Channel... scaled down in numbers but not force." he decided as he mentally reviewed his ship numbers, "A lone Dreadnought, a pair of Lucrehulks and half dozen Bothan Assault Cruisers with full complements."

He tapped the table idly.

"And half a dozen rapid response freighters - each with the best hyperdrives and sublight drives we have to let them act as runners even if the enemy were to jam communications. Would this be more of what you are looking for?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra thought that idea sounded quite swimming. Sure, it wasn't enough to stop a full Sith fleet by any means, but all it needed to do was slow them down. With the black holes, maelstroms, and other chaos of Kessel, she was confident they could do that.

I think that would work quite well, she said with a smile and a nod. Hopefully it won't be needed, she added after a moment. Some of the reports coming out of Imperial space implied that not everything at home was going smoothly, though Terra couldn't be sure if those reports were actually true.

I also was hoping to talk to you about funding for mining operations, she said. Though it was arguably pushing the boundaries of his job, it did technically fall under defense spending. Or at least it could if you looked at it from the right angle.

Expanding operations takes money, but yields... well more coaxium and more spice, both of which are quite necessary to continue the war and fuel the ships that are going to be coming out as the navy expands, she said.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick hoped that it wasn't needed either but, well, the Galaxy was not a place that listened to those who resided within it often. No, it was a cruel bitch of a place to live but it would do. Instead he merely smirked a little bit at Terra when she mentioned it - she would know exactly how little stock he put behind that line of thought.

He was a cynical politician after all.

Raising an eyebrow, this time Carrick did decide to pour himself another glass of brandy and would top her own glass up if Terra was amenable to such an action. Mining operations was... not in his wheelhouse at all really. There was some discretionary funding allocated to helping to make the military more self-sufficient though and certain mining projects could definitely assist with that. If it was for useful minerals, it was a material gain and if they didn't then it was a cash gain.

Coaxium and spice were what half the Galaxy ran on, after all.

"I can see the benefit in such a deal." he admitted, leaning forward slightly as he eyed Terra, "Of course we'd have to establish just how favourable the returns would be. Are you thinking the ISC military would take a flat percentage cut with no additional charges? Or were you thinking of a heavy discount against all output?"

Either could be worked with, provided that the output was at least as good as what he put in. The difference was that his discretionary funding would be taken away if the war ended tomorrow - but a stake in mines would remain under the purview of the Secretary of Defense and that? That meant he could further fund the military into the future.

Which led him to another point.

"Just so happens I have an idea of my own but it depends... how reliable are your mercenaries?" he inquired, taking a sip of his brandy, "And how many of them, would you say, might count as experts?"

He had specialists in the Army - that wasn't what he needed mercenaries for.

He wanted mercenaries to teach some of his specialists how to act the part, how to become a special unit amongst specialists.

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra finished off her glass at the same time he did - tactically keeping pace with whatever he drank - and happily took up the offer of a refill, continuing to match him at his rate.

A discount on all fuels until your investment is paid off, plus five years after, she said. In other words, the ISC would earn its money back and then some. Of course, to earn five years of discounted prices afterwards meant that there would have to be a significant investment made up front, but the two of them weren't the type to be dealing in pocket change. If they were talking enough money to open new mines, it was going to be large sums.

Either way, the deal would save money for the ISC in the long run unless the Kessel mines went completely under, but if they could survive Pyke and Hutt business models of extreme lavishness, Terra was confident that they were in no danger of going under any time soon.

As he turned to asking about her mercenaries, she was... puzzled and perhaps even a bit guarded, but still answered.

Blue Stars are mostly ex-military. Some from special operations units, but not many, she said. They were a true military company with legitimate contracts for private security besides their less savory business that they undertook.

Eclipse is a lot less military, but their skills in ship boarding and ship-to-ship combat can rival most militaries anyway, she said. Although they masqueraded as "Privateers" and "anti-piracy security" they were, in fact, mostly pirates themselves.

I must admit, you've piqued my curiosity, she said.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

That... wasn't a bad deal.

Of course, Carrick was a seasoned politician and a Force User - so he was able to let his emotions go into the Force while he kept his face carefully neutral. After all, it wouldn't do to let Terra know just how into this whole thing he was. He had to keep some surprises back! Keep his air of aloof and quiet mystery or something similar at least. He hummed aloud and made a show of thinking about it.

"On the surface, this sounds like a wonderful deal." he decided at length, "I have some contract lawyers on retainer for the department of defense - I'll have them contact your people and we can have it drawn up. I'd be more than happy with an informal agreement but, well, that would only be for my funds, not the departments'."

He could see himself investing in mining as it were - after all, the war wasn't going to last forever and he was the secretary of defense. In a very real way he was the supreme military leader of the ISC, alongside Thorne himself, and there would be only one of them that the public would be happy to turn on when peace came.

He'd need a nest egg for when he could no longer count on the public supporting him and he was forced to leave the position.

But for now he had his thoughts on his legacy instead. With one hand he made notes on a datapad he pulled out of his pocket, making notes on the specialties of the Blue Stars and the Eclipse. With that done, he took a moment to top them both up for brandy before handing her his datapad with the notes not just on the two mercenary groups... but other groups as well.

"The Bothan spy networks for counter-espionage, the Naboo royal guards for protection detailing, Tuskan Rangers for desert survival, Ando Prime Rangers for tundra survival." he listed off just some of the groups he was eyeing, "Droid assassins for wetwork, magnaguards for advanced melee combat and Mandalorian mercenaries for gadget and tech usage."

He raised a glass to toast.

"The training courses for each and every member of my proposed Special Forces branch. All I need is a few more to cover my bases... and a name." he chuckled as he took a drink, "You have no idea how hard it is to find a name that isn't either taken... or stupid."

Maybe the brandy was beginning to loosen his tongue?

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

It was a good thing that he was taking the deal because Terra was actually somewhat terrible at negotiating. She had a tendency to "negotiate" from a position of strength where her first offer was also her last. She forgot she probably shouldn't have acted like that here, but fortunately it had worked out.

Are we now talking about you coming in as a partner? That's perhaps a different discussion than ISC investment, she said, her curiosity now piqued. Had she misunderstood? Of course, that would change the deal as it were.

Her eyebrow quirked up as he talked about all the groups he had put together for the training of his new group. It would certainly be an elite group at that if their training was as rigorous as he described.

Have you considered making them a... private company. With private investors? she asked. Because that was something she'd love to get her fingers into, and if he was looking to diversify his assets... well, then it was a match made... somewhere.

Terra smiled and let out a genuine laugh as he mentioned the difficulty of naming his group.

I was fortunate that most of my companies already had names. Except Terra Nova Shipping and Charters, but... well, I'm sure you can find where that name came from, she said with a smile.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

He chuckled a little bit at her mild confusion - he had, admittedly, slipped his own interest in there at perhaps the wrong beat of the conversation but that was fine. Nothing that a little further explanation couldn't solve. Taking another drink of the brandy, Carrick could already tell he was going to miss the vintage.

"Both, really." he admitted easily, "The deal as is works for the ISC - my personal investment would be smaller, naturally, but come with far fewer strings attached. You'll forgive me, Terra, but I'm afraid I must plan to look after myself once my time in the office is up after all."

Tensions were rising across the ISC.

He could be out on his arse within the week if some of the reports were to be believed. Some of them were utter trash but he kept those sources around because he wanted to know what the rumours say - even if there were far too many rumours of President Thorne growing frustrated and firing him. That, he was happy to say, was one of the more outlandish rumours out there but he was a sufficiently paranoid person.

So he prepared.

"... why Governor Lanris, I am a loyal and stalwart member of the ISC." he began before snorting in amusement as he took another drink, "Of course I have. Getting investors interested requires that they have something of a reputation first though... which I can't get without funding. Chicken and egg conundrum I've noticed, unfortunately."

Raising his glass slightly, he winked.

"And a fine name it is." he approved, "Though I fear my own name doesn't roll off the tongue quite so easily as yours. Hmm they have seven layers of training so far - I might work the number seven into the name."

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

I'm sure I could be interested in investments from both, she said.

Terra enjoyed another sip of her drink as Carrick explained. She hummed quietly as he mentioned that he needed to look out for himself when this was all said and done.

Wise of you to keep it in mind, she said with a nod. She had to actively suppress a smile as he talked about how he was a loyal member of the ISC. She didn't not believe him, but she also knew he would look out for himself first and foremost. Like her, he was a survivor.

I'm willing to take a risky investment, she admitted. And I'd certainly hate to see someone like you without a nest egg to fall back on if "the future" doesn't go your way, she said. Oh yes, she had the funds to invest and she could probably find the business for them. If he wasn't squeamish, but he didn't seem the type.

The Magnificent Sevens, she said with a snicker. It was, of course, a spin off of the previously popular holonet shows, but it was about the best option she could think of, which didn't mean much.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick tapped out a quick message on his datapad, sending off a few notes from this meeting his his lawyers - the ones for the department and the ones for his private ventures as well. They were both very good at their jobs and never would the two meet so long as Carrick was alive. They both had enough dirt on him to give him nightmares for literally decades but only if they worked together... so they never would.

She was phrasing it all very well - if he didn't know any better he would have assumed there was some genuine concern or consideration for his livelihood. Of course there might very well be some (buried way down deep) but he wouldn't know at all. He'd spent far too long surrounded by politicians to believe people were genuine even beneath their initial masks.

"Well with someone like yourself invested, I can't see how I could do much better." he replied with a small smirk, "After all, if you're interested in working together beyond the ISC I could see myself learning from just how you conduct your business."

He had no issues with breaking the law.

He had even fewer with sitting atop a pile of ashes as some local warlord.

"I'll workshop it." he joked in response, "So long as they fight harder, kill better, than anyone who wants to laugh at them? I could call them whatever I want."

Carrick finished his drink and set the glass back down before standing back up, with an almost undetectable wobble in his step as he smiled and offered a hand to Terra.

"I think this is going to be the beginning of a wonderfully profitable venture, Governor."

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra smiled at his comment about her investment, and she could already tell this could be the start of a very profitable relationship for everyone involved.

Oh, I live for side business, she said with a snicker because it was entirely true. She wouldn't, of course, admit to her real connections here and now, but that could come with time. In fact, she was quite confident that it would come with time. Her interest in Kessel had been, in no small part, so that she could get her foot into the political door.

I'm insulted, she said with a laugh after he said he would workshop it. This was why she didn't name her own things: she was terrible at it.

Ultimately, she rose and took his outstretched hand, shaking and holding for probably just a bit longer than she absolutely had to.

Don't be a stranger, Mr. Secretary, she said with a warm and somewhat seductive smile before turning to leave.

//Thread