Before, Dorin, and After: A History of Helium

[Mitth'urst'almiti]

(For those following at home, the OhGodNotThem.gif tag will be used for corporate visits to certain facilities. Feel free to use it!)

The corporate headquarters of DoriTech Gas was a small, well-appointed refit of a Golan III station orbiting the pale orange orb of Dorin. Purchased from the Golan Construction Corp some 60 years previous, the station was well-appointed, though lacking the standard armament the battle station was rightfully feared for. Colored in tasteful splashes of blue and white, with the corporate logo of an offset rhomboid and the alchemical symbol for Air in the middle laid on the floor of the docking bay that Thurstal's shuttle was settling upon.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of KDY, DoriTech was responsible for supplying liquefied gasses to the company. Thurstal was still skimming over the notes as a masked Kel-Dor approached, arms folded in the opposing sleeves of saffron robes. The voice came through the mask, modulated slightly by an aftermarket vocoder. With a slight furrow to his blue-black brow, the admiral noted the undertones and harmonics most specifically associated with Cheunh. A glance at the notes. Yes, Tor Vaata, former ruler of Dorin, and primary negotiator of the contract that brought DoriTech into the KDY supply chain.

"Admiral Mitth'urst'alamiti, welcome to Dorin. I appreciate your office giving us ample notice for your arrival, that we may receive you appropriately." The Cheunh accent rankled Thurstal, and his eyes half-closed as he bit back a sarcastic note. The Kel-Dor appreciated ceremony to a certain extent, but this was manipulative... perhaps provocative. However, the admiral was not known for his temper, and he took a moment to set aside his personal feelings and focused to the business at hand.

"Master Vaata, thank you for receiving us. Her Imperial Majesty appreciates your company's prompt attention to our needs, and has sent me as a mere formality to ensure everything is in good trust." His eye twitched ever so slightly, but enough to pulse a warning signal to the ceremonial guards that accompanied him. As one, they stepped forward to flank him, hands laid on the hilts of antiquated but still deadly vibroblades in sashes at their waists.

Tor Vaata involuntarily took a half-step backward, visored face flicking towards the implicit threat, then back towards Thurstal. A tense silence passed, then straightened with an almost defiant arch to his back. "I am certain you will find everything is in order, Admiral Thurstal. And quickly, too." Eyeing the guards one more time, he turned on his heel, cloak billowing as he strode towards the blast doors.

Thurstal turned towards the guard at his left, smirking, before they started following the Kel-Dor to the inner rooms of the facility.

 

[Mitth'urst'almiti]

"Your auditors were very thorough, Thurstal. I'm honestly surprised they didn't count the change in the vending machines in their investigations." Tor Vaata, in his capacity as chief executive officer of DoriTech, was leading them to what the admiral hoped was the observation lounge overlooking the planet below. The thud of his footsteps timed perfectly with the guards, and was slightly off-time with the direction of the Kel-Dor in front of them. The fact that they were not walking together, either in step or in formation, was infuriating, and Thurstal took the time to review more notes instead of engage in actual conversation with the... creature in front of him.

Tor Vaata, former advisor to the Council of Dorin. Approximately 53 standard years of age, and a track record of somewhat shady dealings. Manipulation of the wording of referendum proposals to guarantee certain votes, use of inside knowledge to make himself rather wealthy on the interplanetary exchange, culminating with the seemingly smooth takeover of DoriTech AND his ascension to High Councilor of Dorin, One of his first acts was to nationalize the corporation, giving KDY effective control of the entire planet. Idly, Thurstal wondered how much it had cost Lorelei to buy that kind of cooperation from this entity. Overlooking the auditor's report, it was easy to see the dividends. The hydrogen and helium gasses that were offloaded every day were costing her next to nothing, and DoriTech even supplied the transport costs. The auditors found nothing wrong in the books because Tor Vaata was on Kuat's direct payroll. Sometimes, being one of the most secured systems in the galaxy, with the capacity to produce massive instruments of destruction in a matter of months induced compliance in even the most defiant of beings.

Vaata, however, was not defiant. He was greedy. Thurstal idly wondered how long it would be before Vaata would try to negotiate an increase in the buying price of the gasses being sent to Kuat. As a mental exercise, he started to list the various excuses that would be presented: Lack of established trading routes, short range of the used transports, cost of docking and refuelling, piracy... as if Thurstal wasn't aware of the truth. While the rank of Admiral was mostly ceremonial, it was appropriate to the operation of fleet building, and Her Imperial Majesty had allowed him the concession of donning the old uniform as a way of ensuring his continued cooperation.

"Incidentally, Admiral, I was wondering if you might take a contract negotiation to Her Imperial Majesty. As you have seen we make very little off of the contracts negotiated with Kuat. All we ask is a small concession for the shipments we lose to pirates... the rising cost of fuel..." Tor looked over his shoulder, and what passed for his brow furrowed slightly at the smirk on Thurstal's face.

"I am sure you have a contract drafted. As you know I am not in the position to negotiate contract conditions - I merely serve as an overpaid bureaucrat on a mission of the utmost boredom, so we can tell Her Imperial Majesty that all is well in her realm." Here his voice dropped, maintaining a pleasant tone. "Vah are csib ch'eo ch'azepi, vasci. Vacosehn lin'cseo ch'ah am nah rutah."

Tor faltered as his autotranslator failed, Cheunh still being a fairly new language to the galaxy. The language's lack of core words, as well as its peculiar syntax and its emphasis on imagery more than detail was not an easy one to translate. Coupled with the fact that there were no Chiss interested in allowing their language to be spread resulted in one of the very few languages that could not be readily understood. The words the Admiral spoke, translated as 'You are beneath my notice, worm. Be lucky I am not alone,' would be forever lost on the Kel-Dor... but it had the desired impact. A hand reached to the mask that he required to breathe in the oxygen-rich environment, and suddenly the modulation of voice was gone.

"I will sincerely appreciate the thought, Admiral. Not much further now..." he hastily keyed a door open, revealing a sumptuously appointed lounge with a large transparisteel panel overlooking the planet beyond. Within view, small refining drones condensed hydrogen, helium, and Dorin gas into small transport modules, which were transported by modified starfighters to transports that looked like giant bottle racks. The pods were installed on respective cargo ships, which then shuddered under sublight drives until they were clear of the planetary gravity well. It was a well-choreographed dance, simple yet elegant, and seeing business conducted as such was a welcome relief from the acidity of the previous encounter.

Acting like the image held no sway, Thurstal retrieved a flute of blossom wine from a service 'droid before seating himself in one of the overstuffed chairs overlooking the operation.

For the moment, he would be silent, simply watching, and waiting for Vaata to get nervous enough to start talking again.