Archaeology and Antiquities

[Ela Saako]

Ela Saako would be in the lobby of the Sith Empire Heritage Service waiting for Adrian Vandiir to arrive. She'd have her papers ready and have her private bank card at her disposal if the deal were to go through. She'd have plenty of graphs, hyperspace lanes, potential properties as well as her own private collection of relics.

This Vandiir type had quite the resume. Wealthy by inheritance, avid collector, studied alchemist. An ideal business partner at that.

Saako sat in the lobby on a chair next to another chair and a table, waiting for Vandiir to arrive.

 

[AMCO]

Another day, another opportunity.

These days, he had little involvement in matters of business. His subordinates were competent, his assets diverse, and his business sense, if he was being honest, rather lacking. Besides, most of the time, he would much rather find himself in his laboratory or at a gala than attending some dull negotiation. Credits were useful, to be sure, but they were also boring.

This, however, was quite different. There was still the business element, of course, but the product was so much more interesting. The one he was to meet with, too, was above the usual fools - a fellow Sith, if only an Acolyte.

Striding past security with the contemptuous indifference few but the Sith could muster, his gaze briefly shot over the room's occupants, landing on a lone woman seated in one of the corners. Walking up to her, nodding to a few familiar faces along the way, he slid into the open seat with a smoothness matching his unnaturally immaculate appearance. "Why hello there, Acolyte Saako. I understand you have a proposition for me?"

[member="Ela Saako"]​

 

[Ela Saako]

Ela would smile in the usual slimy Neimoidian way.

"Indeed I do, my lord. I hear you're an avid collector of Sith relics. I myself am a former antiquary for the Trade Federation before, you know, passing the trials."

Pause

"I wish to start a firm specialized in purveying ancient Sith relics and other expensive artifacts, ranging from expensive jewels to... more sensitive things. I understand that you're quite wealthy and quite skilled in the matters and wish to invite you into doing so. Do you yourself have any experience in the sale of such thing, my lord?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Returning an oily smile of his own, he made no attempt to hide the hungry gleam in his eyes. There were few things he desired as greatly as relics and artefacts, doubly so the Sith kind. Credits were useful, but history? History was priceless.

Leaning back in his chair, he spoke with an even, cultured tone, which betrayed not a hint of the predator lurking within. "Indeed I am. It should come as no surprise then, that I have concerned myself primarily with their acquisition ... but I'm sure you knew that."

Gaze intensifying, he allowed himself a moment to rake his eyes across her form. He might not know much about the finer details of the business world, but he knew people. "Let me guess, you are in need of funding, or perhaps contacts? You seek wealth, but also power." Pausing slightly, he focused his gaze on her eyes. "There is an intersection, especially in this business, but be careful not to fool yourself. Wealth matters little if you cannot keep it safe from the grasping hands of your foes."

[member="Ela Saako"]​

 

[Ela Saako]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

"I am aware, my lord. Let's put it simply: the business itself is not what concerns me, it is the contacts it gives me, the prestige it gives me, and the ability to leverage the Ministry we're having this conversation in it gives me. I suspect if we were both in business with one another, my contacts in the Core Worlds mixed with your contacts in the Sith Empire and both our abilities to convince the Ministry to give us funds could be quite lucrative. We could open an auction hall and offer pawn brokering services, both of which I know quite a lot about."

Pause

"I would suggest we establish a 50-50 joint stock corporation. You can handle the contacts, I'll handle the money matters and the archaeology. I'm willing to infuse up to twenty million credits into the business, plus my contacts. What do you say?"

 

[AMCO]

Nodding subtly, Adrian's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Even better." Pausing slightly, his mouth quirked open into his usual smirk. "I have often found that a friend in the right place is far more potent a weapon than any lightsaber."

Taking a moment of silence to reflect on her suggestion, he nodded again. "Your terms are agreeable; I can arrange for any necessary permits to be pushed to the very front of the work order - assuming you have your assets in order?"

Blinking his eyes in faux-surprise, he suddenly chuckled. "Ah, but before I forget, there is just one little thing: In our endeavours, it is entirely possible that our agents will come across items of power. I trust that I or my representatives will have the opportunity to examine such items, and in some rare cases buy out your portion before they are, say, publicly announced?" There it was, the reason he had come to the table to begin with. He already had various thieves, treasure hunters, and worse on retainer - indirectly, of course - but the more the merrier. There was great power out there, in the forgotten places of the galaxy, and he would do just about anything to get his hands on it.

[member="Ela Saako"]​

 

[Ela Saako]

"In my experience, Lord Vandiir, lightsabers are of not much use. I'm with Darth Sidious on this one: lightsabers are only useful for grunts. The greatest Sith Lord is one who can relieve an opponent of their lightsaber and blast them full of Sith lightning before the fight comes to blows."

Pause

"My assets will be in order, my lord. I can guarantee that. I didn't progress from the lowest hatchery on Cato Neimoidia to the Order of the Sith Lords for no reason. As for your request for first-choosers right, I can agree to that, so long as me and my agents are awarded that same right. If we both want a same object, I can assume we can have a quid-pro-quo arrangement and alternate on that right."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

It would seem his most recent associate was wiser than he had initially given her credit for, given her Neimoidian heritage. It would make her harder to manipulate, but more competent in matters of mutual benefit. A net win in this case, if he was not mistaken.

Pausing momentarily, he nodded once, then smiled softly. "We are in agreement, then. If there was nothing further, I shall leave the minute details and the drafting of any necessary contracts to my corporate subordinates. I tend towards big-picture oriented leadership, at least in matters of business." Of course, that did not prevent him from taking mystical measures to ensure the loyalty of his direct subordinates. Economically inept or not, his sorcery gave him a considerable edge over less morally flexible competitors. Even better, treasonous minions made ever-so-satisfying test subjects.

[member="Ela Saako"]​

 

[Ela Saako]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

"We are in agreement, my lord. The details will be sent to you via your corporate subordinates. Good day to you."