Colluctari Convalescence

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

The Colluctari Nebula was a gassy field of stellar matter that was likely the remnants of a long dead star. Within was a tremendous mass of stellar debris, and a single frozen planet, long abandoned from its sun. Circe had brought a fellow member of the Confederacy out to this remote locale to discuss a business contract, one predominantly involving the usage of nebular gases for his company's products. Circe herself also had ideas for the gases - perhaps they could be used to synthesize tibanna.

 

[Barkt Melan]

Standing by a viewport in the shuttle his father had left him, Barkt studied the Nebula. Reportedly, if the Sith beside him was to be believed, the cloud was worth something. Ion engines, synthesized Tibanna, all that jazz. But he wasn't entirely convinced that it would be profitable to him. He needed something to work, sure, but this seemed almost ludicress. Still, if it would pay off, he was willing to make a gamble.
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"Glad to see you were willing to come out here and see what I've prepared for us." She smiled. "This nebula is filled with the building blocks of life. All creatures, sentient and non-sentient, are comprised of these basic atomic structures . They fuse together, they grow more complex... And eventually the complicated metallic formulas of our day exist. But I'm more interested in gas."

"The hydrogen isotopes in this cloud - hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium, all are perfect for use in ion engines. However, through careful gravitational synthesis, such as that produced by carefully positioned gravity wells , these smaller atoms can be brought together and converted into Tibanna. We know the molecular structure needed to make that precious substance, and with all that lies in this system, the CIS will be able to free itself from the shackles of imported Tibanna, which as you know ultimately leads back to the Omega Protectorate." She did raise a good point - the chief Tibanna production facilities were on Bespin, a Protectorate world, and most Tibanna used in the galaxy could lead back there. Thus, the best option was likely to start creating their own.

"If you of course have doubts about our capability to synthesize the substance, we could always import space beldons to the field. They would then naturally produce Tibanna as a byproduct of devouring the nebular gas."

 

[Barkt Melan]

"So where do I come in?" the bothan asked, not sure why she needed him for this. If she could get the gasses synthesized, then why was he here? "If you have the resources to do this, then what do I stand to gain or loose?' It may have been a simple question, but in the end, it mattered. If he was somehow needed for her to do this, then he amy be able to work this around.
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"Well... I've come here to propose a contract be done between my business and yours. In exchange for regular payments, Subach will not only provide you with enough refined gas to work with, but will also provide you with two gas transports for your company's personal use. That way, you won't have to rely on us to get your synthesized tibanna wherever you feel it needs to be." Circe pointed out on a starmap where the refinery they would pick up gas from would be. "Your ships will come here, get gas, then head wherever you want. Seem fair?"

 

[Barkt Melan]

Nodding, the Bothan smiled. It could very well be worth it. Still, something bugged him. He needed to sell more ships, and soon. He was running low on funds. "How much?" he asked, knowing full well that sch a venture was well worth it in the end. The problem was, only a few people were buying what he had. He needed funds, and soon. He may not be able to afford it right now. All he could do was hope he had enough.
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"I suppose the best answer to that would be another question: How much do you have?" She sighed. "The gas miners aren't ludicrously expensive, after all. What can you spare for them?" She raised an eyebrow, thinking carefully as to what seemed a fair price. "I'm willing to take other things aside from cash, you know - assuming you have other assets."

 

[Barkt Melan]

"Well..." Barkt pulled out a small datapad and studied it for a minute, seeming to be running through a set of calculations in his head as he typed a message. If [member="Enigma"] bothered to check what he wrote, it was a sort of memo, a note containing a few seemingly random numbers followed by the word 'Starfire'. It would seem meaningless, but the Bothan was attempting to plan out what exactly what was needed for the project by that name. After mulling on it or a bit, He managed to pull a nmber out of his calculations. "I can manage about 40,000 apiece for the moment. If sales on the Holepunch come out as planned, I should be able to double that in a few weeks." It didn't feel like much when facing a company as large as Subbach, but it would have to do fr now.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"Very well... I'm willing to accept that much from you now, with the remainder to be paid over the sum of the next few weeks. So long as you make the profits I assume you intend to, that is." Circe smiled. 'I'm not in the market for bad business. However, were your venture to fail, I would more than likely purchase it and amalgamate what remained into Subach's preexisting structure. I always did view accretion as an adequate method of growth, after all."

 

[Barkt Melan]

Another note was scribbled down on the datapad, one ineligible to most, as most people didn't read Botha these days. He managed to give an almost cynical smile as he spoke. "Then I hope for the sake of my workers sales are good." He managed, a response with as little of the emotion he felt right now as possible. He really wasn't liking how this was shaping up. Still, he wasn't seeing a way out now. Gazing out into the nebula, he muttered something under his breath. "I'm starting to see why Strask didn't like sith."
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"Believe me, I feel they will be. In fact, I'd be willing to purchase one from you right now, on behalf of Subach, of course." She smiled, an attempt to be that much more charitable. "How much are you offering per unit?" She was curious as to the ship's price, and perhaps Subach's initial acquisition of the type would allow her to test ti and later give Barkt the results of said testing. Then again, it could end up sitting in a drydock for ages, but that was very unlikely.

 

[Barkt Melan]

The bothan was taken aback for a moment. The Holepunch was still in the works, they needed to get the shields working as planned, and somehow manage to get enough power to run the whole thing at once. He wasn't yet at the state where he could sell the ships yet. There were still to many things to work out.

"Well, once we manage to work out the kinks in the system, we can get a price on it. But, as you've been so accommodating, for you, shall we say about eighty thousand for one?" He could give a rough guess that, once the ship hit market, the cost would probably be over 100,000, but perhaps not. It all depended on the next few week's tests. "Still need to balance an equation that came up recently."

[member="Enigma"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Barkt Melan"]

"I'll take it." She smiled, not even giving a second thought to the price. Her generosity was the reason she wished to establish good financial relations with this particular company. "And of course, should anything happen to you or your company, I will be the first in to get at your research, so they won't fall into the hands of someone who likely will use and abuse all the work you've put into the design. I look forward to seeing the ship I'll receive."

The nebular gas looked quite good, and she was eager to do more work here. In time, of course...