Private A Qualifying Bid

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

The auction hall is massive, gleaming silver walls stretching up into a void of artificial stars. Every inch of this venue oozes wealth; from the polished floors to the high-tech holo displays, their flickering numbers hovering above the sea of glinting faces. I take a slow breath, my fingers brushing the cool rim of the wine glass but I am not here for the drinks.

There is an unspoken hierarchy here, one that I am still learning to navigate, despite my successes in the biomolecule sector. The business world of biomolecules is a far cry from this one.

The bidding is already underway, but I am not focused on that yet. My gaze sweeps over the room, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar faces. There is a reason for my discomfort - the men and women surrounding me are heavy hitters in mining, in resource extraction, in commodities I could not care less about. This auction is for the purchase of mines on an uninhabited planet - an arid, lifeless rock - yet it is a gold mine to those who know how to work it. But I know this auction is not about the mines. It is about power, about influence, about keeping the elite in their place and everyone else far below.

A woman in a deep velvet gown looks up at me; her eyes are sharp and appraising. Her position in the room is obvious - she is too confident for my tastes, standing a little too close to the front. I feel a wave of unease but mask it with a smile. The thing is, I do not know who she is. Nor do I recognize most of the others here, despite the wealth they clearly represent. The world of biotech is small compared to this universe of industry giants. Especially in this sector.

My name is on the list of bidders. I might not know the politics of mining, but I know business. And tonight, I plan to walk away with something.

The auctioneer’s voice booms across the room, calling attention to the next parcel. I set my glass down, my mind already shifting gears. It is time to play their game - whether I know the rules or not.

Tag: Cameron Tyris

 

[Cameron Tyris]

When the auctioneer mentioned the planet they were intending to auction off, Cameron raised his hand. "2 billion credits." A planet would make a good summer home. He was hopeful his large bid from the get go would keep most of the people from competing. Social situations were something he genuinely loathed. There were too many options for people to jump him in the building. Therefore he intended to wrap this up as quickly as he possibly could. By doing so he intended to achieve his goal of having a world for himself to build his home on.

He needed an area to do his research after all. It seemed most factions of the Galaxy wouldn't allow him to do his research the way he wanted. Therefore he had to get creative.

Liin "Tera" Terallo

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

I raise my left eyebrow in surprise as a high opening bid was made. At first I did not see who had made it, however I was not the only curious one. There were others that had heard it as well. And so my gaze followed theirs to a young man. I did not recognize his face, and a part of me wondered if his bid was genuine, or if he was merely a plant put in place by the auctioneer to ensure that a large profit was to be made.

"Two billion, one million credits." Another high roller puts in his counter.

I turn my gaze to in his direction as well. Everyone did. Perhaps the two of them would go back and forth like some kind of game.

In the meantime I merely observed and sipped my wine. There was much to gain here by being observant.

Tag: Cameron Tyris

 

[Cameron Tyris]

"Fifteen Billion, 2 Million, Three Hundred Thousand." said Cameron, to the auctioneer who got a wicked gleam in his eyes. Cameron was not pleased about the offer of the individual to compete with him. Secretly he used the Force to twist the ankle of the individual. After all he didn't want to drag out the auction. But he made it look like the person had never been attacked, just had twisted his ankle. He was waiting now to see how they would react to the large amount of money he'd bidded.

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

I cannot help but raise my left highbrow as the bid was raised even higher. I am not sure if the others were either.

Yet even more surprising was what happened next. Instead of an even higher bid being placed; the man had a pained expression on his face as he tumbled forward. He shook his head, refusing help from others. For the moment the auction seemed paused, however within a few moments it resumed.

With no other bids.

"Going once? Going twice? SOLD!"

Oh the auction was going to receive quite the commission.

Quietly I made my way over to the winning bidder, carefully sipping my wine as I approached him. "That is quite the purchase. Which company or world do you represent?"

Tag: Cameron Tyris

 

[Cameron Tyris]

"I represent no one - but myself." said Cameron, as he looked at her for a moment. "While I do own some stock in Galactic Curios and Cuisine, it's only a means to an end to allow me to spread the production of the food stock, and supplies I've been working on." He smiled a bit at her. "As to the planet, I'll probably end up improving the planet before flipping it to earn more income for myself."

He said, as he glanced around the room.

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

I listen quietly, as always. In my line of work; being still and observant is the best way to achieve one's goals. Albeit mine is just simple curiosity. Afterall, it is not every day that a young man takes it upon himself to buy an entire planet. Nor is it every day that a young man could even afford to do so.

I offer a small smile in return. "I am curious; how does one such as yourself, plan to improve the planet? From my understanding, it is no more habitable than an asteroid. Although the mining rights for those are auctioned off in plenty."

Tag: Cameron Tyris