Alarm Clock's Warning

[Cassandra Paige]

GenPals Conference Station​

D'ian​

GenPals was doing remarkably well.

At least, for what they were.

A company that sold designer pets to people with more money than sense. Shackling them to proprietary foods and veterinary care that continued to turn profits even after the initial sale. Somehow over the last year, GenPals and its CEO had managed to convince the galaxy that they wanted- nay, needed- cute cuddly creatures and the cross merchandise that went with them. From t-shirts and toys to children's cartoons and vacation packages.

Of course, they had no true power, beyond that of the credit and the loyalty people had to the silly little animals they pack bonded with beyond the realm of species and sapience.

Humans, Cassandra had found, would pack bond with anything.

Not only humans, but to be fair, that was the only species that Cassandra put active thought into if she could get away with it. She'd be perfectly happy to never again see a single wookiee, twi'lek, bothan or zeltron again. Of course, that wasn't how the galaxy worked and it was simpler to accept that than attempt any fool hardy rage against it.

It was with appreciation, then, that Cass's next meeting was with the sort of person she could approve of.

Oh she didn't care about his philanthropy, with the exception of her ability to invest and settle herself a hefty tax break.

No, simply that it was to be a human sitting across from her at the table, the backdrop of the enormous aquarium wall shedding a gentle aquamarine light on secluded corner of the largest restaurant on the station, Oculus.

Cass perused the specials, waiting for [member="Idris Voahan"] to arrive and be shown to the table.

 

[Saeva]

Idris maneuvered through the score of people. GenPal had become quite the hit recently, and for good reason. It was a completely unexploited market, and the appeal was undeniable.

He wondered how many were here to be seen, and how many really could afford everything the station had to offer. Idris imagined he could, although he was deeply rooted in the start-up phase. But precisely for those reasons, he was supposed to act modest.

Yet modesty would get him nowhere with miss Paige, if his little pre-meeting research had told him anything.

Observing his surroundings on his way to the restaurant, one thing became quite clear to him. Everyone seemed to be human. Those who weren’t were here intentionally as some sort of attraction or cheap necessity. They did not stumble upon this place by choice.

That did not bother him at all.

Idris arrived at the restaurant, behaving like and also being treated as someone who did not have to wait in line. Polite smiles were exchanged, superficial jokes. They all knew the dance.

“Miss Paige, Lord Idris Voahan.” the waiter who had guided him also introduced him to his dinner partner. Idris, as if caught by surprise by this, smiled and made a simple and dismissive hand-gesture in return to give the impression such formalities were hardly necessary. Of course they were. And #scripted.

Idris extended his hand to hold hers, not in the plebian sort of handshake mind you, but a more sophisticated grasp. All that was missing was kissing it, but he wasn't in the mood to go full clichê. “Idris, please.” he smiled and took a seat, the chair both vanishing to give room and magically sliding back just as he was seating himself. It wasn’t magic, of course, but the waiter who accomodated him, but Idris seemed to take no note. Or rather, his body language was so natural it was clear he took that sort of treatment for granted. Servants were like air, not to be thanked and complimented each and every time they performed the most menial of tasks that were literally their job. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Paige."

Perhaps he was spreading the douche on a little thick today, but Miss Paige was hardly some altruistic non-profit hippie ignoramus. He could be a little more like himself. Or so he assumed.

“I trust I did not keep you waiting long?”

​

| [member="Cassandra Paige"] |​

 

[Cassandra Paige]

More Lords, but then, Cass was accustomed to it.

The Paige family wasn't nobility itself, but they were used to rubbing elbows with them, their ticket into such circles paid by wealth and behavior. She smiled as he arrived at the table, offering her hand easily. In truth, she barely noticed the way he acted- if he had acted otherwise it would have caught her attention. But this was normal for Cassandra Paige, and it was perfectly within comfort areas that it barely registered beyond the subconscious rightness of it.

"Idris then," she said with a smile that hinted of a secret shared. "In that case I must insist you call me Cassandra."

Cass was all about parity after all. At least, in relationships and interactions where equality was possible. This of course she considered one of them.

"Not at all," she demured in regards to if she had been waiting long.

Water glasses were filled, a wine list offered, all equally as invisible as the pull out of his chair. She had invited him to this meeting, to her own station, so the unspoken assumption was of course that he was her guest here, in all things.

"Trust me to choose for us?" She asked innocently.

"A bottle of the '42 Alderaani Pale," she said casually, a nod offered in return from the waiter. The price of goods from Alderaan had recently sky rocketed, and that wine had already been expensive to begin with.
"I hope the journey was a good one? Your company is based on Coruscant, yes?"

[member="Idris Voahan"]

 

[Saeva]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

“Well if you insist” he chuckled. There was little point in protesting the matter, given how he had just given her similar privileges. There were certain dances to be had when it came to formality and introductions, but repeating them all every time became tedious. And wasn’t that the whole benefit of the upper class? You flip the table and do what you want.

“Of course” he replied with a smile, paying little attention to the bees buzzing around them. As the owner she would also likely be well informed as to what they could and could not serve. “And yes, the journey was indeed comfortable.”

“Alderaani” he said with an approving nod. It was a good choice, as far as he knew. “Let us hope recent events does not impair their wine production” he said with a smile and chuckle. Because yes, that was the great tragedy of Sith invasion, that the wine market would be harmed. Of course, they both knew that if you had the money you could get your hands on anything. So his concern was mostly superficial.

“We have some offices there, actually. I will make sure that does not happen.” and the galaxy cheered his good sense and high morals. “But you do not want to hear about Alderaan, yes, our headquarters are on Coruscant. I am not from there myself, but the heart of the galaxy seemed a good place to start.”

“You grew up there, yes?"

| [member="Cassandra Paige"] |​

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Mmm, indeed."

Actually, Cass was hoping it did exactly that. That the vineyards had been laid to waste. Working closely with the Sith Empire, she couldn't say that she had known for certain about the plans involving Alderaan. She wasn't that sort of connected. But she had seen the writing on the wall when it came to the Sith's attention to the Coalition. A week before the assault she had purchased no small number of spirits and other luxury goods from Alderaan and Balmora, while selling off stock in the shipyards around Kuat. She had made a few other educated guesses, buying and selling, but those had been the pay offs. If those luxury producing areas had been laid to ash, well, Cass knew just how much she could charge here at Oculus for every. Single. Precious. Bottle.

Of course, she didn't say that.

Instead she just smiled.

"I did at that. While GenPals Headquarters are here in the Corporate Sector, Coruscant is my home and has my heart. Where do you call home, Idris?"

Such as it was.

Cassandra was a known supporter of the Courscant First Movement- Coruscant for the Coruscanti. In private, she took it farther than the party did. In private, she believed in Coruscant for Human Coruscanti first. She did not ask if he had heard of Paige HoloCommunications. Of course he had. Her family's business, what had, over the course of the last several generations, pushed them up into the upper tiers of society. Cassandra had been born to a wealth that few could even dream of, but it was simply a matter of course for her. Her family had worked hard, and continued to work hard for that place, as far as she was concerned.

She intended to change that moving forward.

The waiter returned with the bottle and two glasses, pouring for Idris first as was only correct. Accepting the glass of wine when it was offered to her, she held it up to the light slightly, grey eyes critical. The palest of jade, she raised it in his direction.

"To business opportunities and the vineyards of Alderaan," she said with a winning smile.

[member="Idris Voahan"]

 

[Saeva]

"Ah, I see! It is a beautiful city" if you're rich and privileged. The other side of that coin was deep, dark and filled with poverty stricken slums. But they weren't about that life, were they?

"Ah, home" he paused thoughtfully. The answer to that question wasn't one he had quite defined before. He was on the move a lot these days, particularly because of his... hobby. Combine that with the fact that you didn't get anywhere in the business world without giving it all of your time and attention, well... Idris was a busy man who rarely stayed long enough in one place to sit down. It was a stressful kind of existence, but one he imagined would pay off hundredfold in the end. "I suppose you could say Kiffu. My family has an estate there. Most of my childhood memories come from growing up there" he said with a smile.

Finally the wine arrived, and he held his glass up to hers in preparation of the toast. "Business opportunities and vineyards of Alderaan" he repeated, raising his glass slightly and took a sip. It tasted fantastic. The taste of money.

"And I believe we already covered the vineyards of Alderaan" Idris said with a light chuckle as he put his glass back down. Smoothly, he hoped, transitioning into the realm of business opportunities.

[member="Cassandra Paige"]​

 

[Cassandra Paige]

He had taken her set up into a transition and moved them smoothly. Cassandra smiled, appreciating the back and forth, the verbal balance. Set up and return, neither had to shoe horn in a topic change. Those of a proper upbringing could manage it without being awkward, and she appreciated it.

She filed away the Kiffu comment. The Kiffar looked human, and for Cass were close enough. She was still curious if he was actually human or Kiffar. It wouldn't change much. But there was no polite way to ask about it, so she tabled it for the moment.

"Mmm yes, business," she said with a smile, taking another sip.

"I'd like to invest in your company."

Straight, to the point.

For Cass it was an opportunity in several ways. Tax write off, but also good publicity. For Idris, well, it was obviously in his interest. GenPals was growing significantly. If not a household name it was certainly well known and well received. Their outward face was family friendly, warm and welcoming.

"I was considering a split between the business side and direct contributions to your charitable work," she made a fluttering motion with her hand that made it clear the details were flexible. Of course, she intended to make money on the investment portion, but the donation? Well, that was mostly good publicity, especially if he would be putting work into Alderaan after the Sith attack there.

Taking a sip of wine and watching him over the glass, she suggested an initial number for that donation.

It went beyond generous and bordered on obscene.

[member="Idris Voahan"]