Angel of the Morning [Clémence]

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette hated to watch her new business partner leave, but Balance she enjoyed watching her go. [member="Clémence Wallace"] would be there soon enough and the Galidraani had enough restraint to keep her hands to herself. The Zeltron's ship would depart the doublewide hangar and she would be left to her own assistants, and without the delicate senses of her newest business partner. Although she knew, she did not need them - after all working on medical ships shouldn't be too hard. Bright, Gilarian sunlight bled through the light curtains and danced across blue tiles and light wooden frames of the table and chairs. Her personal tablet buzzed across the table and with a single hand she grabbed it and pulled it to her attention, while the droid saw to morning caf. "Miss Wallace shall be here shortly." Dansen the droid informed her, "your outfit has already been prepared and I trust you had plenty of rest."

Rest.

"Of course, Dansen." The blonde's lips split into a delicious grin, "thank you again, have Petrovsky meet with Miss Wallace once she arrives."

The former grand admiral departed the first floor, tablet in hand and ascended the stairs to the second floor. Her assistant, Mr. Petrovsky crossed from the second floor down to the sitting room, where he cleared his throat and prepared himself to meet with Miss Wallace. The visit had been planned for some time and only now was coming to fruition, in essence, a new contract would be worked out allowing Fiolette to continue her work with the First Order. And as the blonde moved to get changed into her suit and tie, Petrovsky waited for the door and when it chimed he was quick to answer. "Hello! I'm Sven Petrovsky! A pleasure to meet you," he was perhaps too cheerful, "please, please come in! Would you like caf? Biscuits? Tea?"

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9yAGROXCk[/media]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Clémence Wallace emerged from the turbolift and into her own personal version of hell. She went rigid for a moment as the man stormed her with offers of refreshments. Perhaps Clémence had spent too much time with her employer, Natasi Fortan, but being told it was nice to meet her before she'd actually been met rubbed her rather the wrong way. In any event, Clémence wasn't here to make friends with the help, so she put up her hands in a polite gesture of refusal. "No. Thank you. I'm here to see Fiolette Yvarro. You, um, aren't her. So..." She glanced at her wristwatch, confirming that she was in fact on time.

This was, perhaps, Clémence's first big test -- dealing with The Aunt™. The older woman's retirement hadn't solved the Grand Moff's problems as much as the political and military establishment had hoped, and so here was Wallace. The Fixer. The Hammer. She hadn't quite settled on a nickname for herself, but these were among the top contenders.

"Is this not a good time? We can reschedule if something has come up," Clémence said calmly, smiling pleasantly at Sven, doing everything she could to avoid letting on that she would rather be almost anywhere else.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"It is a perfect time," Fiolette replied as she descended down the stairs, "pleased to see you've met Petrovsky. Now, please be a dear my good boy and see to it that Dansen has any help that he requires." She dismissed the young man to his next set of duties. On the first floor, Fiolette motioned for Miss Wallace to follow her from the sitting room and out to the balcony and away from the prying ears of Dansen and Petrovsky. Balance forbid they overhear such delicate talk, "it's been a long time since I've actually been here, you know. I was first here when they opened but then I was suddenly called away to a business meeting on Kwenn." The older woman held the door for Miss Wallace, "Dansen I'll be out on the balcony with Miss Wallace. Have Petrovsky take the calls and forward them as needed."

"Of course madam." Chirped the droid.

"Now then, are you sure you couldn't be bothered with a little Gin and Tonic? A morning mimosa? Galidraani Scotch?" Fiolette offered as she gestured to the small table that barely fit the balcony that it was situated on, although this did offer the perfect ocean side view. "Gilaria is such a wonderful place isn't it?"

[member="Clémence Wallace"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Clem turned as she heard the distinctive voice of former Admiral Yvarro, and allowed her lips to turn up at their edges into a reasonable facsimile of a smile. She likes to make an entrance, Clem observed, striding forward to shake hands with Yvarro before turning and walking onto the balcony with her. Gilaria spread around them like a painting. It was a beautiful place to be, though Clémence couldn't imagine living there. She was not one for the tropics. And she certainly wasn't one for drinking this early on a workday. "Thank you, I'm all right. Some water, perhaps, if it's not too much trouble." She took a seat at the table and set her folio on the table.

"I've heard it's all the rage for holidaymakers," said Clem chipperly. "Grand Moff Fortan asked me to pass along her congratulations on your retirement and has asked me to negotiate an understanding regarding Primo Victorian and the First Order -- something that is equitable and fair for both parties. Shall we get started?"

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"Thank you, you may inform her excellency that I appreciate it." Although she was sure the only one more excited about the sudden retirement besides herself was her niece and not for the reasons everyone would think. The past aside, Fiolette nodded to Miss Wallace's request for water and before she could even call for him.

It was as if Petrovsky had ears glued to his forehead.

Fiolette always half wondered if he was secretly an alien, Walzer had said his cousin was gifted but...

"Water! By the great Balance it's warm out here for so early in the morning."

The former grand admiral placed a careful, reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder. "Thank you." A beat, "so much Petrovsky, I truly appreciate your effort. Now, head into town take the list Dansen's prepared and be a good lad?" A polite way to say, scram kid. Petrovsky nodded with acknowledgment and before he even set a foot back inside her villa, condo really, he had to say something.

"Be sure to put the drops in your eyes, I've set them up for you!"

"Yes, thank you, so much Petrovsky. Whatever would I do without you?" She asked with another polite smile and watched the young man disappear and looked down at the tray of water on the table and debated her next set of options and decided for the moment that it was just too early to be this irritated with him. Fiolette cleared her throat and took a seat, her eyes took in the sight of the colorful canvas that was a Gilarian morning before they settled with a piercing Azure gaze on [member="Clémence Wallace"]. "Yes, indeed let us get started did her excellency have any terms on behalf of the First Order?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Clémence uncapped her pen and dated the page of her notebook, then looked up to Yvarro. "The Grand Moff was eager that any solution that we came to resulted in fair compensation for the First Order's continued use of your company's creations... in perpetuity," she added delicately. The Principal Private Secretary cleared her throat and took a sip of the water that Petrovsky had so helpfully provided. "The Grand Moff was also eager that I obtain assurances from you -- for the appropriate compensation, I'm sure -- that the details of the ship's workings, the shipyard's workings, and in fact anything at all relating to the ships, their layout, technology, construction, et cetera, remain proprietary and private, should you choose to pursue business relationships elsewhere. To that end, the Grand Moff suggested that the First Order would be interested in subsidizing a refit of the PV facilities to facilitate a new style of shipbuilding, so as to ensure that any new ship that fell into the wrong hands would not yield sufficient information to those possessing the wrong hands that they would be able to discern, through reverse engineering, information significant to ships of the First Order's fleet."

At the heart of the long-winded and twisted sentence was the sentiment that she had been sent here to communicate: keep your trap shut and cooperate, and the First Order will pay. It was a matter of convenience and double-edged security more than anything. Efforts to refit the fleet were already under way, and even if Yvarro took her schematics to the Galactic Alliance tomorrow -- and the First Order had no reason to suspect that she would -- it would give them no more practical information than that which they almost always seemed to possess otherwise.

"The Grand Moff hoped that this would be an appropriate figure," said Clem, sliding a small card across the table to Yvarro. "This figure," she indicated with the tip of her pen, "Annually, as a licensing fee for the use of your designs. This figure," another point of her pen, "for the proposed retrofit of your shipbuilding facilities for security purposes. And finally, this figure, for your trouble."

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

[member="Clémence Wallace"]

Fiolette looked at the numbers, and she looked at the other numbers that the secretary had put forward. Money was certainly there but it wasn't completely what the woman was after, "money is all well and good, and of course she's free to retrofit any of the Imperial Shipworks I ran, there are two locations that are hands off. My headquarters on Victoria, the office on Sor Yusan and my own production line at Rakata Beta and Tokmia." She shifted in her seat and looked over the information presented. Brows furrowed for a moment, "of course an NDA that's fine, now, my one condition and I'm hoping this isn't out of my realm here." The Galidraani drew a breath and exhaled quietly she had a Mark III project but given the pacing of the Mark II. She wasn't sure she'd even get around to it not since she was now working on other ships for other contractors.

"My condition is this, allow me to finish my Mark II project. While I had been head of Naval Engineering I had been working on a long line of retrofits. I'd like to see it to completion, not one to cut and run with the job only halfway complete." She looked up at Miss Wallace and nodded to an earlier statement, "and yes of course, First Order work is also my own, if the enemies have a dire need to see the inside of a ship they can do so from a brig or their dying eyes."

What sat with her most was the reworking of ship designs and that was all well and good, every nation had to if they wished to keep up with the latest in technology, defenses and weaponry of course. "Now I'm not sure if you could answer this or if this is even something that's plausible." A hand on her chin for a moment or two before it relaxed back on the table and her own body went flush against the back of the chair. "No one touches my designs, with the exception of those naval engineers already working on them. Cyrus has my contact information if he needs anything, I've always had a great respect for him." A beat. "Any changes that are not made or authorized by my company are subject to litigation."

"So, I'm more than willing to lay down and let the First Order maintain her fleets, they are my greatest pride after all, but I would like to complete my project which is the Mark II retrofit program and that since the First Order is already in the process of creating new designs. That any changes to the designs that I've created must be run through me, personally." And there was one more thing, Fiolette took a pen from inside her suit jacket and struck a line through each number and wrote down an amount nearly half, rounded down. "And I would be fine with these numbers, I didn't build this fleet with the intention of having to go through this one day. I thought I would die with the uniform attached to my back, but here we are."

"Her Excellency is now the proud owner of my Shipworks, and most of Primo Victoria's assets with the exception of the aforementioned locations, if this is agreement is suitable to both parties."

Fiolette had been just as paranoid as the nation she served. She wanted no more of her competitors and opponents to have her designs than she did fellow Admirals, with the exception of Cyrus Tregessar of whom she held in high regards. She was more than willing to play ball with her niece's wishes but wanted to at the very least complete the project she had started so long ago.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Clémence studied the woman for a moment, dark eyebrows lofting as appropriate. As she considered the woman's demands, the junior woman had to wonder what Natasi would make of all this. There was a concern, based on the First Order's surveillance of the retired Admiral, that she was edging towards being -- well, if not untrustworthy, then certainly liberal with her time and attention. To allow her to remain involved with the Mark II project would be a matter for the Ministry of Security to determine. "I'm sure the Grand Moff will have no objection to you having a part in developing your ships to the Mark II phase, pending reinstatement of your security clearance. It's not yet clear which ships, if any, will be slated to be upgraded as part of the Mark II project; appropriations have yet to be made."

Indeed, there were some among the First Order military establishment that thought creating entirely new fleet lines would be better than pursuing a Mark II strategy -- as always, there was a vigorous debate in the Ministry of Defense. "The Supreme Commander and Central Command are preparing their final recommendations later this month," Clémence explained. "Of course, whatever holdings your company has in terms of non-state production facilities, headquarters, etc. will remain in its possession."

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

[member="Clémence Wallace"]"

"Their concerns are valid of course," Fiolette knew that her rapid departure and recent travels would be on the notes of those looking to see what she would do. She would finish the Mark II project, but would rather do so with their blessings. "What if," she put a finger on her lips and thought for a moment, it meant the complete dissolution of funds from HVHAR's leftover assets but it could be done. "What if I put forward the funding myself to finish out the Mark II, here, I'll write down the ships and the boys in the back can figure it out."

She leaned over, pen in hand and scribbled out, Conyers, Bercey, Muhktiar, Charger, Vindicator, and the Voyager. Her pen tapped the edges of her lips for a moment as she thought for a moment, and for the time being, she couldn't think of anything else and then it came to her mind. She scribbled out Locust now that she had a means of acquiring the Impervium necessary to reinforce the walls to keep the magazine storage from going boom if it were so much as breathed on wrong. "Take that to the boys and girls, now of course if they decide to phase these ships out then it's not gonna hurt anyone's pocket, just my pride of course but that's neither here nor there. I can fund it, and on these two." She circled Conyers and Muhktiar, "I should have prototypes out and ready for them to look at later if they're interested." She needed to finish the technology required of course but at this point it was moot.

"So, pending security clearance and the direction that the Navy wants to go, we're otherwise at a deal, are we not?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The junior woman considered her options. It wasn't exactly what Natasi had been after, but the Grand Moff had authorized some degree of flexibility in getting the deal done and the retired admiral's signature on the dotted line. "Just to be clear -- what we're talking about here is an absolutely ironclad agreement, enforceable by law, that everything relating to the ships, their construction, and the First Order will remain strictly confidential. This is in addition to the already substantial criminal penalties that would come along with disclosure of non-public information."

When they had agreed, Clemm memorialized the terms on her datapad and held the contract out for Yvarro's signature. "I'm authorized to make that deal," said Clémence. "Just sign here and I'll have it countersigned by the Minister of Finance & Commerce, and we'll all get copies."

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette had heard the song and dance before, numerous times only this time she was on the other side of the table.

"I understand completely that I'm sure a firing squad would be welcomed if I violated the contract."

All that mattered now was that she had finally gotten the contract out of the way, her Mark II assets, as it were, would still be housed where they belong and that was with the First Order. And she could now count on the money from their existence to help grow her company both within the nation's borders and outside of their borders. Business was business, and when it was agreed to sign in near triplicate form Fiolette set her pen down and looked out over the balcony's rails and onto the beautiful little ocean that seemed to go on without end. Quietly she rose from her chair and waited for Miss Wallace, "I'll walk out you and shield you should Petrovsky return. I hope the errand takes him just long enough to keep him out of your hair." If there was anyone in this building that knew just how much of annoyance Sven Petrovsky was, it was Fiolette. "Thank you so much for your time and efforts today, Miss Wallace."