Ice gave an extremely skeptical look. He didn't like working with people he didn't know. Granted, you had to start somewhere. But this particular operation was not one he planned on sharing with someone he didn't trust. It was the location of of a world bearing resources almost non existent anywhere else after all. Secrecy and trust were his biggest allies right now. And he was running low on people he could trust. "Look Aurna. It's not that I don't have faith in your abilities. It's that I don't know you. From your own mouth, you have admitted to being in completely new territory here as a company owner. With the operation your aunt and I had planned, it's going to require experience and a skill set you just said you don't have. I mean, I'm all for giving someone a shot...but this case is simply to sensitive to risk on someone I am not used to working with."
He let out an annoyed sigh. Ice didn't even mind the idea of working with her on projects. As he recalled, he was even looking to hire her. She was beautiful, she seemed intelligent, and he always believed in giving new talent a chance to grow. To give her a shot despite not having any previous actual work experience. Obviously he didn't have all the facts at the time though. And she also never seemed to enthusiastic about working with STI then. He assumed she had received a better offer elsewhere. And now she is being forced it would seem to work with Ice now? He was about to cancel the whole deal and send her on her way when she mentioned a letter with a biometric lock.
As he took the letter, he eyed Aurna a moment with a raised eyebrow. This was unexpected, and he wondered if it was real, or forged. Still he couldn't help but let slip a small smirk as his hand opened up the lock surrounding the message. "Clever girl." He mumbled under his breath as he turned his back to her as to read the message. His eyes moving back and forth as every incredible detail began filling in all the blanks.
Another audible sigh escaped his lips as he finished reading. "Ah curse you Alli....we could have turned things around...." His shoulders drooped some as he finished speaking quietly to himself in a level that she wouldn't be able to make out the words clearly. Turning to face Aurna once more, he simply stared at her as his mind raced.
Finally he spoke. "Here's what I'm going to do. As my deal was with your aunt, and not you. I am not obliged to follow through with the original contract. However, we will go ahead and make a shipbuilding firm together using the Gotem Dry Dock I purchased at the auction. Per the original deal, I will require Tanlab Industries to cover their half of the expenses of this purchase of course. I will retain 51% percent ownership of the company, and you will have 49% percent. The condition is if we have managed to work well together over the course of....let's say two years, ownership of 1% of the company will shift back to you. And at that point we will be equal partners. At the end of two years, if we feel the business relationship is not worth pursuing, STI reserves the right to buy out your portion of the company. Till then, profits are split 50/50."
"The originally mentioned mining operation, I will handle myself. As there are aspects that I am simply not willing to share with a new business partner. I hope you can understand this. And I mean no slight by it. If, however, you wish to learn about it. I would be willing to take you under my wing and teach you. That will require you to be nearby though as we have an operation starting up soon. That choice is up to you."
Catching a breath, he regarded the unlikely cooperative effort with some apprehension. But because this was coming from Alli, he was willing to give it a shot. "So what say you?"
[member="Aurna Vern"]
