To design a mind.

[Danee]

Lianna
Wattra Corporation, Headquarters
Midday.​

Another day had dawned on Lianna and now the sun was starting to make its descent back down the horizon. Joanna had so far been quietly sitting in her office, working on a new project while she awaited response on the Protector Project. She had recently come over an AI-core and was currently busy reworking and cleaning up any old code that might still linger inside it that would be deemed harmful for the company or the Empire.

So far she hadn't found anything malicious but that didn't mean it wasn't well hidden. Joanna had limited experience in working with AI-technology, the first time she tried to dabble with it hadn't gone too well and it had taken her a few years to even bother trying to work on something that required AI once again, and that was the Protector Project. The soft, two-tone beep drew her attention from the walls of text. She reached over to her other screen and activated the com-link to her Assistant who sat outside her office. "Yes Kim?" She returned to the text while she awaited a response.

"Ma'am, you didn't forget that Admiral Sevchenko is arriving in fifteen minutes, did you?" "... I may have. Has her ship arrived in orbit?" "It should appear any minute." Joanna leaned back into her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright... ehm... tell her to wait in my office and I shall be with her shortly after she arrives." She cut the comlink and saved her progress in the core before lowering the screens down into the table again.

One of the perks with having an apartment in your workplace was that you could shower whenever you wanted, like now for example. Once the screens were gone she opened up one of the walls and walked into what was her apartment. "Fifteen minutes... shit..." she murmured to herself.

Spoiler: OOC

My 200th post on the forum.

@Gamov

 

[Gamov]

Lianna shown like a brilliant blue gem beyond the viewports of the Lusankya. The Corellia of the Outer Rim they called it, and she could see why. Her meeting with Commander Ryker on Felucia still fresh in her mind, the purpose for her visit here came into sharper focus. A deck officer approached briskly, offering a crisp salute as he stood to attention.

"Your private shuttle is waiting, ma'am."

"Very good. Inform Ms. Wattra of my arrival." Pivoting away from the window, she passed temporary command to her executive officer. "You have the bridge, Captain." He acknowledged her with a curt nod as the Admiral stepped aboard the turbolift.

----​

The shuttle ride down went smoothly enough, and once proper identifications had been exchanged the path had been cleared for the Admiral to make use of the executive landing pad. From there it was the typical glad handing and posturing she'd come to expect from corporate types. Not that the practiced appeasement of lackeys did much to brighten Anya's arrival. Her interest was focused solely on one person: Joanna Wattra. Her corporation was well known for their progressive weapon designs, and it was these skills the Admiral hoped to bring to heel under her thumb here today.

Following the direction of the aides which had been sent to greet her, Anya found her way to Joanna's office. Instructed to wait, Anya would abide her instructions with a courteous nod as her attention drifted out onto the skyline, its buildings gleaming in brilliant hues of orange and yellow with the midday sun. Folding her hands neatly behind her back, Anya's presence in the room was unmistakable. She hadn't bothered to change from her uniform for the purposes of this meeting, wearing her usual slate grey uniform accented by red and blue code cylinders proudly displaying her rank. She was here as a representative of the Empire after all.

Casually checking her watch, Anya sighed internally. Joanna was late; not exactly an encouraging sign. And yet, the Admiral had to remind herself she was the guest here, allowed only by the generosity of her host. Still, even her patience had its limits. For now though, it was enough for Anya to watch the city bustle about below her as she went over the mental exercises of preparing herself for the altogether different battlefield of board room politics.

@Danee​

 

[Danee]

Having heard the doors to the office open and close she knew that she had to hurry. Joanna knew that it wasn't too wise to keep an representative of the Empire waiting, especially not a potential customer and Ally. After around five minutes she decided that she couldn't let her wait for much longer, stepping up to where she had entered she pressed the button on the wall and watched as it slid back an inch and then into the wall besides her. Stepping out into the office she spotted Anya looking out of the window.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It's what drove me to conceptualize my latest project." She broke the silence if the door hadn't done so already. Hearing the door slide shut behind her she stepped out into the middle of the room, looking over at Anya. Unlike the Admiral, she wasn't wearing a military uniform, instead she had opted for a white suit jacket, a black waistcoat to accent the white and a pair of black trousers as well. Her long hair had been made into a single tail as she hadn't had the time to tend to it properly.

"I apologize for my lateness, Madame, I hope you didn't have to wait too long." Joanna said and extended her left arm towards seating group with black chairs and a couch. "Please, have a seat." Joanna tapped something attached to her belt along her back, a soft 'click' came from the doors, probably the locks as she didn't want to be disturbed during meetings. "Would you like something to drink? Tea perhaps?" she offered, Joanna wasn't sure what Anya was like, considering that they hadn't had a chance to meet before now.

Spoiler: OOC

Image for her clothing

 

[Gamov]

Anya's concentration was jolted at the voice behind her, abruptly snaring her back to reality. Pivoting on her heel, she was greeted by Joanna in all of the proper bearings she expected a woman of her stature to possess. The Admiral offered a warm smile, nodding in agreement. "Indeed it is a beautiful sight." Her words were more than just generosity offered for the sake of placation. The view from here was somewhat reminiscent of the view from her family estate on Serenno, giving the office a comfortable, familiar atmosphere.

Anya moved to take a seat on the sofa. "The wait was no trouble at all." A vague fabrication hidden behind the same friendly smile. Crossing her legs, Anya graciously accepted the offer for tea. "Some tea would be lovely. I don't suppose you would happen to have any Gatalentan tea on hand?" Though she usually preferred to indulge in specialty wines from vineyards across Serenno, Anya was not such a lush as to scoff at a good cup of tea when appropriate. "I must say, you have forged an impressive reputation for yourself Ms. Wattra."

@Danee​

 

[Danee]

Taking a seat in one of the chairs she leaned back into the seat, looking at the Admiral as she sat down as well. As she accepted her offer she nodded and got up from her seat. "It's not often I import tea from Gatalenta actually, mostly because I have an old friend who sells some other types of tea, but that's a story for another time." she spoke and walked over to her desk, pressing down one of the many buttons around her seat there. "Kim, would you be so kind to bring in two cups of Gatalentan tea?" "Of course, Ma'am."

Nodding she stepped away from the desk and sat down once more, before leaning back she reached behind her back once more and the soft 'click' returned briefly before disappearing just as quickly. "Please, Madame, you flatter me, it's all thanks to people like yourself and your colleagues that I've been able to do what I do." She said with a smile, thinking back to Petrov's promise from a few days ago.

It didn't take long before Kim, Joanna's assistant, walked in through the doors and placed two cups of tea on the table between them. "Thank you, dear." she said and turned back to Anya. "Now, if I don't recall incorrectly, you had something you wanted to discuss?" She asked with a raised brow and a slight tilt of her head.

 

[Gamov]

That same soft click from before briefly found a place at the fore of Anya's thoughts as Joanna spoke with her assistant. A lock on the office door perhaps; though for what purpose she could not immediately surmise as she offered a thin smile to Joanna's apparent humility. True, corporations such as this did not thrive without a market, and the Empire was nothing if not an arms dealers dream. "Don't be so modest, Ms. Wattra." Anya said with an airy chuckle. "I've little doubt the Empire has been a boon for your industry. But even before that you were making a name for yourself."

She paused to offer Kim a polite nod as she delivered their tea. Taking her own cup in hand, Anya took a sparing sip, delighting in its soothing herbal aroma. "Take pride in what you have accomplished on your own." She sipped at her tea again, quietly musing over how Joanna's accomplishments bore uncanny reflection to her own. It wasn't exactly easy to climb the rungs of the social ladder in the Empire - much less hold onto whatever influence you might gain.

But Anya sensed that Joanna possessed the same conviction and cunning tenacity that she herself did. That she would hide such achievements behind unnecessary humility though seemed a shame; even if Anya did understand the need for such tact. Sometimes it was only possible to grow by shrinking yourself in the presence of others. Regardless, it was her hope that Joanna might eventually come to approach her as an equal rather than just another client. It seemed they had much in common beyond a taste for tea. But these were thought for later. For the moment, business would take precedence.

"Indeed." Anya nodded gently, another sip of tea to quench a bit of dryness at the back of her throat. "To spare you a contrived sales pitch, I will get straight to the point." Sitting forward in her seat, she placed her tea on the table between them. "As you are no doubt aware, the Empire has found itself in the unfortunate position of facing war on two fronts. And much as it pains me to admit, the realities of waging such a war are... unfavorable, at best." She paused to gauge Joanna's reactions and expression before continuing. "The logistics alone of such an undertaking will tax our military resources to their limits, to say nothing for the inevitable cost in lives."

A brief glimmer seemed to spark in the Admiral's eyes then. "With the help of you and your company though, I believe I have devised a solution to overcome this gap." Producing a small holoprojector from a pouch on her belt, Anya clicked a button on the side of the device, the holographic image of a droid shimmering to life in crisp focus. "Automated ground forces." She stated flatly. "If the Empire is to be forced into waging war on two fronts, then we will need to out produce the capabilities of our enemies." Letting Joanna stew over her words, Anya spoke further.

"Droids can go places other soldiers cannot, and are easily mass produced. The Empire could replace battlefield losses in a matter of weeks rather than months. Most importantly though, they will be absolutely loyal." There was something of a demand mixed with that last sentence. A demand laced with a hidden warning that Anya surmised Joanna would be all too keen to pick up on. "I need an honest answer now, Ms. Wattra. Can you deliver on this?" Anya waited for the woman's answer, a searching gaze about her expression.

@Danee​

 

[Danee]

Humility, a curse for those unfortunate to not know how to use it, and a tool for those who understood it. Joanna had bowed her head for countless names and in turn, her company had flourished. Though it was not the only trick in her sleeve, alongside the self-shrinking Humility there was also calculated Aggression. But that was not to be used here.

Taking a slow sip from the hot cup of tea that her assistant had delivered to her she listened to Anya as she began to speak about her reason for contacting her in the first place. The growing tension between the scattered remains of the Republic, the Mandalorian Dominion and the vast Sith Empire was nothing that would go unnoticed by those who had the slightest knowledge about how the galaxy had worked. Another War was coming, and it was just a matter of who was going to flick the match and ignite the flame, throwing the Galaxy into turmoil once more.

But Joanna knew al this very, very well. As she paused for a bit Joanna raised her brow as her mind began to slowly grind on thoughts while she listened to the Admiral. As a small holoprojector was brought out from somewhere she tilted her head slightly, this just got much more interesting. With the appearance of a droid shimmering over her palm Joanna looked briefly up to Anya as she said the words Joanna was thinking. Joanna had contemplated delving into working with Droids before, and a few weeks ago her first Droid had been completed. Though she doubted that was why Anya had chosen her and not someone more recognizable for Droid production.

Droids had multiple pros and an equal amount of cons, one of them being that they were just Droids and could potentially be hacked, and Anya's closing statement about absolute loyalty didn't go unnoticed.

The conversation she had had with Sir Petrov suddenly popped back into mind and she simply nodded. "While I have fairly limited experience in working with Droids, I did finish my first ever model a few weeks ago. I think this could easily be doable. However, to ensure absolute loyalty, you have to put some put some deep codes where it won't get noticed should one unit be taken by the Enemy." She said sipping her tea once more.

"But, yes, I could deliver, but, I do not have the capacity of mass-production that you might think. While I can design and produce specialized variants of the droid, I'll have to either acquire more factories or license the production to other companies as well."