Private A Win-Win Situation

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Unknown
OBJECTIVE: Find a good middleground with a supposed competitor​

The Trade Federation, an entity with reach perhaps even further than the N&Z Umbrella Corporation, with ties to some of the most despicable and vile governments, but also somehow tied up to their usual competitors. Whereas Tertius despised their methods, the man behind the scenes, the monster wearing the face of a handsome man and the name of two dead ones found the very idea of the Trade Federation's usual modus operandi fascinating in its simplicity. He knew there was nothing complex about their actions, they were textbook works of military corporations; seek to establish yourself among both the allies and enemies of a single government and you see yourself selling at an enormous profit during any war or engagement involving any of these governments. Alas, there was a flipside to this idea as well, for when it becomes public knowledge that you are dealing with multiple factions, multiple governments, trust in your integrity becomes fragile.

Luckily, it was still known that the Trade Federation still held significant contracts within the Sith Order, something which they on the other hand had lost in significant numbers within the High Republic. With those two galactic factions now on a ramming course, it was seen as a prudent moment for the N&Z to reach out towards the Trade Federation for a possibly lucrative deal. They both held assets within territories where they had little to no potential impact left. The N&Z suffered under the blind ideology and stubborn pigheadedness of the Dark Council's members, while the Trade Federation seemed to have gotten serious pushback at the hands of one of the senators from the High Republic in the form of Verity Stuyveris . This was thusly an opportune moment to begin talks in regards to an asset swap between the two corporate giants...and perhaps with some additional under the table work to solidify a healthy relationship.

It was with these prospects in mind, that the Lord of Hunger had sent out a missive to the Lodd Grimmin of Trade Federation fame, a man who had been a central focus point in many of the Trade Federation's dealings and who could possibly bring the top echelons of both corporations in contact. All that the N&Z needed was a neutral ground of the Federation's choosing and a date to converse about possibly one of the largest asset swaps in living memory.

 

[Lodd Grimmin]

Lodd reclined in his mechno-chair, observing the blue glow of the holo-projector hum to life in his private office. The Trade Federation had always looked down on the N&Z Umbrella Corporation since their return to prominence years ago. He had seen their weak attempts to compete with the Federation across the Galaxy in various sectors, from technology to industrial production, but they never posed a real threat.

This was due to his company having the support of a dark lord of the Sith, allowing them to operate freely in Sith space to recover any losses they faced elsewhere. Nevertheless, a business inquiry was an opportunity, and he saw no reason to outright decline the meeting. However, he would not risk attending in person, in case it turned out to be a waste of time.

By appearing as a hologram he would maintain some control of the discussion moving forward, by having the power to disconnect with a simple press of the button if the meeting became tedious. The blue projection took the form of the The Lord of Hunger , as Lodd clasped his hands over his stomach, adopting a relaxed posture as he regarded the image. He had heard of this man before and was aware of his capabilities, but he chose to remain silent and let the other party speak first.

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Unknown
OBJECTIVE: Find a good middleground with a supposed competitor​

The meeting had to be done through a hologram projection, a choice made by the honorable Lodd Grimmin of the Trade Federation, one the Lord of Hunger would agree to. To make sure such a meeting would be running smoothly and with the best possible quality of the holographic projections, in stead of conducting the talks within one of the many regional headquarters or secure hideouts at his disposal, Credius had decided to best hold it aboard the Gluttoneria, which thanks to its long range sensors and transmitters was more capable of providing an additional sense of security to the meeting.

As soon as the meeting started, the Lord of Hunger would look at the holographic image of his Trade Federation counterpart forming itself with the HPI's reliable holowall technology, reminding himself that perhaps on some point he should have his engineers find a way to improve upon that very technology to make it the N&Z's own. Still, as he pushed this thought to the back of his mind, he straightened himself and gave a somewhat gentle, but overall twisted smile.

"Sir Grimmin, how nice of you to respond so timely to this odd request of mine," Nodding his head, the Lord of Hunger gave the Nemoidian a simple, but respectful bow as acknowledgement to the individual's overall importance and status. "Allow me to introduce myself. Though I am aware your connections and your intelligence network must have figured out more than enough by now... I am Pelagius Visconti...though perhaps you prefer me to use the name Credius Nargath as a means to show my sincerity."

Letting out a soft, yet cold chuckle, the Lord of Hunger waved his hand through the air, transmitting coordinates to his conversational partner at the moment. The detailed coordinates were the locations of the N&Z's former research and development headquarters and the shipyard facilities the corporation held within the extensive Sith Territory.

"Let's not dawdle on the proposal," Another wave of his hand and the coordinates of Druckenwell also popped up as a floating file in the connection. "We both have facilities which either lay in territory where our presence is either unwanted or simply not benefactory to our business. As you are aware, the N&Z and the Sith have a complicated past and the Trade Federation has certain... issues in regards to the bureaucracy imposing their will upon them within the High Republic."

A secondary file would also be sent bearing a somewhat blurry image of a cloaked female figure, yet even at a glance, those who knew the shady figure in question would be aware of at the very least 'what' she was.

"We've both gotten our hands full with an individual who could be both beneficial to not just our individual causes, but our entire way of life," Raising his hand, as if to grasp at something, the Lord of Hunger smiled. "My nephew was foolish to try and face the Trade Federation head on. Our models are not the same, our businesses while overlapping in some areas, would never truly benefit from head on competition. However, if we find agreement in how we shape the future, I foresee that a better understanding of eachother's capacity and capability would only propel our corporations to new heights."

Now opening his hand as if he were to reach out for a solution to appease the Nemoidian, Credius smiled with a wicked vibrancy in his eyes. "Thus I propose an exchange of our facilities on Eriadu and Druckenwell, you can strengthen and further dominate the Sith market, while the N&Z can expand within the republic, and in the meantime... while we maintain the illusion of corporate enmity... we could discuss a framework in which both of our corporations can flourish utilizing eachothers strengths."

 

[Lodd Grimmin]

Lodd leaned back against his mechno-chair, his fingers tapping on the armrest as he watched the blue glow of The Lord of Hunger hologram. The coordinates and files floated on his side of the holonet link, lighting up the dim office with useful streams of data for him to begin analyzing. He focused on the figures for Druckenwell and Eraidu, his mind running the logistics of decommissioning the headquarters the Federation had set up when the planet was neutral.

Eriadu was a solid asset, but replacing N&Z's footprint there meant taking on local labor disputes and whatever lingering political mess Credius was fleeing. Druckenwell was equally messy, especially given the current climate in the High Republic. Still, an asset swap wasn't the worst idea he'd heard this week. It was clean on paper, even if the men involved were anything but.

He tapped a control on his desk, pulling up the blurry file of the cloaked female figure. He knew who she was based on rumors and conjecture but had no concrete evidence they were a threat to the company. He closed the image after a second and returned his attention to the man on the screen.

"Your nephew was a minor inconvenience to our quarterly reports, nothing more," Lodd said, with a dismissive tone. "As for this woman, they are not a current threat to the Trade Federation but we will keep an eye on them. Any information you can share would be appreciated but its not expected." He gestured vaguely toward the floating coordinate files.

"Eriadu for Druckenwell is a fair starting point for a conversation. If we take over your facilities on Eriadu, my engineers will need full access to the structural schematics and current maintenance logs before we sign anything. I won't trade an entire headquarters on Druckenwell for assets that have likely been seized by the Sith." Lodd rested his hands over his stomach, looking directly at the flickering image of Credius.

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Unknown
OBJECTIVE: Find a good middleground with a supposed competitor
TAG: Lodd Grimmin​

"Well, let's just agree it is best to always keep tabs on any of our small inconveniences...lest they grow into something more troublesome," Credius chuckled rather dryly, tilting his head a bit as he reached for the controls on the holographic display he was using, allowing KRONOS to pull up the requested files in regards to the assets on Eriadu and Erinar, with in particular the N&Z Research and Development center located on Eriadu itself, the deeds of mining exploitation on Erinar and the full ownership Credius personally had in regards to the Eriadu Manufacturing Shipyards , the sale effectively releasing the N&Z of the lease on said asset.

"The schematics on both the standard issue architecture, the stress points of the buildings on site and the additional cybersecurity are all in the files I've sent you," The man smiled ever so cautiously, not a smile of victory or of amusement, but something more banal, something more relieving. As if removing his hands from assets located within Sith territory were to be an act of self-preservation. It wasn't like he had given everything, the most prized possession of his family was still in his hands and despite the hatred of the Sith higher echelons, they did not seem to dare to seize every asset the N&Z held. This was probably not out of fear, but out of a sentiment of appeasement, for it was always better to let a company bleed itself dry rather than giving it a reason to destroy you.

"Maintainance has been up to date as the properties have been held under the care of the Nargath House, which still attains its independancy due to the lack of proper Sith Governance in the region," Again, the Lord of Hunger smiled somewhat whistfully, yet his eyes seemed to burn rather brightly and vibrantly when mentioning his House. "Any sensitive materials have already been removed as a means to protect our intellectual property, but the location itself still holds tremendous value as a gateway hub to the richest and most populous parts of the Sith Order, with Eriadu providing great opportunities for further tightening the Trade Federation's hold on the Sith market."

Tapping with his fingers upon the control panel, the Lord of Hunger calmly cleared his throat for a moment. "While I am inclined to do this as cleanly, swiftly and effortlessly as possible, I would not be opposed to a joint audit on the assets at stake."

 

[Lodd Grimmin]

Lodd pulled up the incoming files and quickly scanned the deeds for the Eriadu Manufacturing Shipyards and mining concessions on Erinar. Structural blueprints, maintenance records, and security protocols filled the screen, but he ignored the marketing material and sentimental notes about the Nargath House. What mattered was whether the shipyards could support a fleet of heavy freighters without requiring millions in repairs.

"A joint audit is standard procedure," Lodd said, tapping his fingers against his stomach. "My engineering team will arrive on Eriadu within three rotations. If the shipyards match these records, we can begin transferring the land titles on Druckenwell."

He glanced at The Lord of Hunger blue image, noting the relief in the man's expression at finally washing his hands of Sith territory. It only reinforced Lodd's suspicions that the region was becoming much more centralized by the day, though the Trade Federation already had Lord Carnifex's backing and knew how to operate in such a restrictive environment.

"I'll have my legal team draft the initial non-disclosure agreements for the Druckenwell transfer," Lodd continued. "You'll receive the access codes for the primary office complexes once our auditors confirm your former research center hasn't been stripped down to the durasteel framing." His thumb hovered over the disconnect button on the control terminal.

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Unknown
OBJECTIVE: Find a good middleground with a supposed competitor
TAG: Lodd Grimmin​

"Very well, I'll make sure the paperwork is fully in order for your audit of the premises and the viability of the facilities to go as smoothly as you desire," The Lord of Hunger once more showed a soft, surprisingly gentle smile, as anyone would like things to go smoothly without the hassle of having to deal with stubborn, and stuck up people such as politicians who didn't know their place. "In regards to Druckenwell, I'll have my people in the IMF contact Zenith Point Ventures to make an analysis on the facilities there as well."

While his own hand was also moving towards the control panel in order to disconnect what had been a productive call, suddenly his fingers halted a few centimeters off of the holowall panel. "Sir Grimmin, should the individual whom I mentioned bring trouble to your doorstep... it would be most prudent to contact me. They are crafty and highly unpredictable, but as long as we cooperate in making their chaos constructive to our own ends... it is WE who reap the benefits."

With those words, Credius disconnected the call, allowing the Trade Federation to set up their own audit and allowing Lodd Grimmin to think about the last words he had uttered carefully. The Trade Federation may have always looked down on the N&Z as a corporation, but even they had to realize that He was much, much more dangerous to dismiss and disregard than his nephew.


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