An Unlikley Partnership

[Ice]

Ice found himself studying the location of this newly discovered planet, and being concerned. He had every ability to mine the planet of its valuable resources. What he didn't have the ability to do presently, was protect his discovery. Considering what was there, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold onto the planet for long if he didn't try and set up some lasting agreements. Contracts, if you will, to ensure his discovery remained in his control.

So he began to formulate a plan. What he did was send a message to the prominent figure in the Red Ravens. The planet was after all, closely located to their territory. It only made sense to try and make friends while time and circumstance were still on his side.

To: [SIZE=14.4444446563721px][member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"][/SIZE]
From: Ice

Greetings,

I trust this letter finds you well. I write to you today with an offer. I have the location of a rather special planet that you and your Red Ravens would find most intriguing. A planet that actually has Stygium Crystals naturally growing on it!

With that rather sensitive detail out, I wish to meet with you on Libertalia to discuss how we can both make a profitable future of this planet. The sooner you can meet with me the better.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Ice
CEO of Shadow Tech Industries & SolaraTron Industries

What Ice didn't know, was that his message was being forward to [member="Cryax Bane"] for him to handle.

(Time stamped for before the battle of Barab 1)

 

[Cryax Bane]

Location: Office of Cryax Bane, Red Ravens Secretary

Ever since the Red Ravens of Antecedent had begun to establish themselves as the criminal faction poised wipe the Black Suns off the map, Lysle's Datapad never stopped pinging. And that meant that Cryax's didn't either. In fact, the geeky Chiss felt he'd must have made a pretty good impression on his boss because the crime lord had started entrusting him to be one of the faces of the organization. Go figure.

He received a message forwarded from his boss. Scanning it with his red glowing eyes, he quickly formulated an encrypted message in response

"Mr. Ice,
Thanks for reaching out to the Red Ravens. Lysle regretfully cannot make the meeting himself. In lieu of him, you will meet with myself, the Secretary of the organization. I look forward to discussing our partnership. Please send all relevant details of the meeting, time, location, etc.,

Cryax Bane"

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

Cryax....Cryax...why did that name sound so familiar? Then it clicked. He had seen him a couple times before. Even with the Vahallan Federation for a brief time. Looks like he too had risen in the galaxy. Good for him, Ice thought to himself. Quickly, he sent back a reply.

"Mr. Bane

Good to hear from you again. My invitation to meet on Libertalia will extend to you then. I believe you are already familiar with it, and where it is located. Certain details I am obliged to keep to myself till you arrive, unfortunately. Never can be too careful with security as I'm sure you are aware. However, again the location is Libertalia. The time is at your earliest conveneince. I am in the process of planning many things and would like to conclude this matter quickly. Just let me know when you can make it, and I will clear my schedule to accommodate your arrival.

Ice"

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

After hopping a shuttle to the sprawling space casino, Libertalia, Cryax arrived at the docking bay. As he waited for his contact Ice, he walked up to an Informaton booth and grabbed a brochure.

Among the races and games of chance, he noticed that Libertalia also had a health and beauty spa where its patrons could get deep tissue massages, reflexology, and all other sorts of treatments. Might be a good place to take the girlfriend, he thought. There was also a water world, a coliseum, and luxury rentals. The place was like its own little city. He definitely wanted to come back here with Ana sometime.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

Ice was rather annoyed at the moment. He hadn't been told Cryax's ship had arrived. So he was not there at the dock to meet Cryax when he disembarked. "Well that's a poor start." Ice thought to himself. He was however able to arrange a quick pickup delegation to meet him. It was them who arrived and greeted him at the information boot.

"Our apologies Mr. Bane for keeping you waiting. If you please, we have a speeder waiting here for you to take you to see Ice." When Cryax stepped into the speeder, the escort quickly shuttled him up to Ice's office. It was a semi long turbolift ride to the top after they had left the speeders, but eventually Cryax arrive. The door opened to reveal a large circular room with windows lining the entire wall. The panoramic views allowed some impressive vistas of the four main biomes. The room itself was not to full. Having a couple seating areas along with a wetbar off to the side. Directly in front of the turbolift on the other side of the room was a large desk with several large screens that formed Ice's workstation.

Ice himself was standing not too far away from the turbolift and approached when Cryax entered the room. "Welcome! Welcome!" Said Ice with an extended hand to shake. "Please come on in Mr Bane. My apologies for not meeting you at the dock. Something came up that couldn't be avoided I'm afraid. Is there anything I can get you before we get started?"

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax was a bit testy at first for being kept waiting, but as he shook the man's hand he grinned warmly. "Nice to meetcha, Ice.This is an amazing place you got here." He held up the brochure and put it in his back pocket. "I really wanna bring my girl here sometime."

The Chiss glanced at the wet bar. "I could use a drink if you don't mind. Now what's this business about Stygium crystals and what does it have to do with the Red Ravens?"

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

He smiled with delight at the comment on his station. Libertalia had been his pet project for a while. So he always loved to hear when others found it impressive. After all, it had been designed as much for others to enjoy as much as him, possibly more. "Thanks. And let me know when you two decide to show up. Your first week here is on me. I'll also set you up with some chips for the casino and vouchers for the Celestial Spa for you and your significant other."

Ice walked over to the wet bar and poured a couple small glasses of Whyren's Whiskey. One of his favorites. Handing it over to the Chiss, Ice gestured for him to take a seat in one of the comfortable chairs in the room and not at his desk. Generally Ice liked to keep things very informal. As they sat down, he continued. "I have been searching the galaxy for new mining opportunities. It seems these days, most sources are either tapped out, or swarming with prospectors trying to grab the last resources left. Anyway, in this search my probes picked up a most unusual planet. A planet containing vast resources of different types of crystals. Obviously the most important of which was Stygium."

He paused for a moment and took a sip of his whiskey. "Currently, I am the only one with knowledge of this location. However, once mining operations start, it is going to be very difficult to keep the planets location secret. And as I currently don't have the capability to protect it as I would like, this is where the Red Ravens come in."

"What I propose is this. I would like to join your enterprise of Ravens, though in an unofficial way. It wouldn't do my business any good to be openly seen working with a criminal organization. No offense meant of course." He said holding out his hand as if to calm any sudden rising tempers. "What I want is 100% exclusive mining rights to the planet, and protection with your fleets from raiders and possible other nations trying to take it over. In exchange, I will obviously provide you with the coordinates of the planet so we can set up our presence and authority there. As well as happily provide you and the Red Ravens with a steady supply of Stygium crystals for stealth ships as best as the supply allows me."

He stopped there and took another sip of his whiskey as he wondered what Cryax would say about this proposal.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax sipped his whiskey and listened as Ice made his proposal. It seemed like a solid deal. Force knew the Ravens could use more Stygium crystal technology within their ranks. Still, as a business man he didn't want to seem too eager to jump at the deal. Might be best to let Ice sweat a bit before agreeing to anything wholesale.

Swirling the ice in his glass, the Chiss retained an air of aloofness, almost like his Csillan counterparts. "100% mining rights, eh? Did you really think that the Ravens would be that generous?" he raised an eyebrow in a challenging expression. He kept the smile on his face however. The man had an easygoing demeanor about him that Cryax liked, so he didn't want to spring a bunch of intimidation tactics on him if he didn't have to.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

He couldn't help but chuckle lightly. This was not Ice's first rodeo. He was well versed in the art of business negotiations. At least fair ones. "Generous you say? So it's generous of you to give me the rights to a planet you don't know the location of?" Ice smirked back at the man. He wasn't put off, or even annoyed in the slightest by Cryax's earlier comments. These talks were more like a game of chess at times. Moves and counter moves if you will. "Come now Cryax. You and I both know, I don't need the Red Ravens permission to mine a planet only I have the location too. I simply like to have all my bases covered. As such, I would much rather have a security force in place for the unfortunate day the planet is discovered by outsiders."

"The Red Ravens will simply get a chance to benefit from my discovery by no longer having to barter with outside powers over that particularly rare resource. Why if anything, you could say it is I who am being generous. If you don't think the deal is fair though. I can understand. I don't wish you to feel you are being forced into working with me after all." He downed the rest of his drink and casually walked back to the bar to refill it. When he was done he looked back to Cryax and held the decanter up to offer him more if he so desired.

 

[Cryax Bane]

The young Chiss scratched his chin thoughtfully then put his hands out in a conciliatory gesture. "Don't me wrong, Ice, it's a fair deal for sure. I'm merely trying to rachet it up a few notches to what the Ravens would consider a good deal." He held out his drink to get a refill of the fine whiskey. Cryax then faked some bravado in an attempt to play hardball.

"Red Ravens security forces don't come cheap, and vague promises of stygium crystals, as best as the supply allows you, doesn't exactly safeguard us if your supply of crystals happened to 'run out.'" At this last statement, Cryax raised his blue-skinned fingers in a gesture of air quotes.

"What would you say to giving the Ravens twenty-percent mining rights?"

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

Ice raised an eyebrow as he refilled the mans glass. "Since when have the Red Ravens taken up such an interest in mining?" He questioned while putting the decanter away. "Last I checked, your people had....other interests. Seems like kind of an odd thing to spend resources on when someone is willing to do the mining for you and offer you a portion of the material as payment. Also I couldn't care less if you were to pull out your ships when the stygium has been mined out. If there is no more stygium, there is no more real reason for me to be there either."

He paused for a moment to let Cryax mull over that point while he resumed his seat across from him. "Besides, you seem to have forgotten the other part of this offer. I'd join the Red Ravens. So technically speaking, the group would be getting it all. And you'd just be helping another Raven out."

 

[Cryax Bane]

"The Ravens have been funding mining operations for Phrik as long as I can remember," said the Chiss. "Although you're right, our primary interests are usually tied up in other places, not blasting holes in giant rocks."

Cryax took another long sip of the Whyren's whiskey and blinked his glowing red eyes at the man's last statement. Lysle must have forgotten to mention that Ice was soon going to join their syndicate and he silently cursed his boss for leaving that pretty karking important detail out of his briefing. Ice's influence and assets would only be a boon to the organization, and Cryax could really see no downside to relinquishing his charade and making nice with the guy.

The Chiss slicer held out a blue-skinned hand to shake with the man and gave him a wide grin. "Honestly, Ice, you had me a stygium crystals. I'd say that we have a deal here."

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

Ice raised an eyebrow at this rather interesting piece of news. The Raven had Phrik mining operations eh? He would have to look into securing a small amount of that most precious material. But for now he was pleased to see that his proposal had been accepted. With a smile, he moved to clink his glass with Cryax's. "Cheers. To new alliances and profitable business transactions." He took another good sized sip of the whiskey. It really was wonderfully made, and he savored the taste and the burn as the golden liquid moved down his throat.

"So. I was already in the process of organizing equipment and crews for the initial exploration and set up of mining operations on the planet. Do you think any of the Ravens might be interested in coming along as well? It seems it would be a good thing to cement our new arrangement by having some cooperation in the operation, wouldn't you say?" He finished as he resumed his seat next to Cryax.

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax raised his glass and toasted their arrangement. "And to stygium crystals," he added. If only all business deals could go as smoothly as this whiskey, he thought with a smirk.

Scratching his chin, the Chiss slicer pondered Ice's question. "I don't see why not, as long as they get paid. Frell, I might even be interested in coming along as well. I haven't been in the field in quite some time and I could use a break from the office." So much of Cryax's life had become wrapped up in running the day-to-day operations of the criminal syndicate. The long hours and the miles of paperwork he had to do on a daily basis made him ruefully aware of how rusty his slicing was getting. The expedition might be a nice way for him to keep his computing skills fresh.

[member="Ice"]

 

[Ice]

"Here here!" Ice concurred at the mention of the stygium crystals. "And fantastic. I'll look forward to having you on board then." He smiled, and the both spent the rest of the time enjoying their drinks and making some small talk before they went their separate ways.