Consolidating Consolidated: Iferetes

[Ashin Varanin]

Santhe/Sienar and Silk Holdings: Two of the most ridiculously solvent corporations in the universe. Collectively, they owned 100% of Consolidated Bacta Limited. The galaxy's only kolto distributor. The company that had recreated kolcta.

Word had reached them that a remote world called Iferetes was somehow producing kolto. The only natural response was to buy everything. The best way forward was to pay a ridiculous amount of money to the heads of Iferetes' kolto industry, acquire it all, and begin distributing Iferetan kolto to all the things. The whole galaxy.

@[member="Arthur David Hardrada"], as ruler of the system, would certainly be contacted. Currently, Selka Ventus, co-CEO of Silk, and @[member="Jared Ovmar"], controlling interest of Santhe/Sienar, sat in an immense meeting room with the local kolto magnates, discussing merger terms.

 

[Arage Bao]

Jared sat next to his business associate Selka Ventus, and was waiting on her to do the opening words. Sometimes it was better to acknowledge superiority, and this girl got that. If they were talking war? Hit him up, if it was Kolto talk to Selka. That was how it was.

Besides, her company owned the majority of this venture. So it was only proper that she would lead the discussion.

There he was, sitting and taking a sip from the water that they had brought them. Nasty stuff, but for some reason he thought that nobody would approve of him drinking alcohol.

So he just stayed silent for now.

@[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The deal was fairly basic, fairly simple. Everyone kept their jobs; in fact, Silk, Santhe, and Consolidated aimed to expand Iferetes' kolto sector tenfold, mostly with local hires (the most effective way to do things over distances this large). Tens of thousands of new jobs, plus peripheral economy boost. For example, Iferetes' service sector would drastically increase. All those new kolto employees needed places and ways to spend their money.

The miracle of capitalism. Export-led economics. The kolto administrators and workers would have job security from the largest corporations in the galaxy, the kolto magnates would get massive golden parachutes, the Iferetan kolto would go all over the galaxy. Win-win-win-win, win-win.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Arthur walked in alone, mid stretch with his arms over his head. He didn't even look at the two for a moment as he sat down and pulled out a datapad and several papers, a rare sight for the others but normal for him. Placing them on the table his silver eyes looked up at them for a moment before looking back down and un-clipped his saber from his belt placing it on the table as well while he then removed his cloak and folded it up. "So, you called me here about the Kolto reserves in my planet's seas if im not wrong, i do hope that things can be dealt with calmly, no need to sit here for hours over such a thing." @[member="Selka Ventus"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arthur David Hardrada"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

The room full of kolto execs rose as the king entered, and Selka found it prudent to do the same. Once everyone had been seated again, Selka took point on this.

"Yes, Your Majesty." She looked around at the kolto executives from local kolto firms. "We've just been discussing the merger deal. All Iferetan employees will keep their jobs; in fact, Silk, Santhe, and Consolidated aim to expand Iferetes' kolto sector tenfold, mostly with local hires -- the most effective way to do things over distances this large. Tens of thousands of new jobs, plus peripheral economy boost. For example, Iferetes' service sector would drastically increase. All those new kolto employees need places and ways to spend their money.

"The miracle of capitalism. Export-led economics. The kolto administrators and workers would have job security from the largest corporations in the galaxy, the kolto magnates would get massive golden parachutes, the Iferetan kolto would go all over the galaxy. For all these stakeholders, it's a win-win."

 

[Arage Bao]

Like a good little boy, Jared kept his silence and let Selka handle all the talking. Ain't no use in soiling her elaborate presentation, with his own shenanigans. If she needed his input, she would -probably- ask him. Or slap him across the face. Either of them would be fine.

So he just continued to sit there in blissful ignorance and sipped from his water. By the Force. What does a man have to do to get a wodka here.

@[member="Selka Ventus"] @[member="Arthur David Hardrada"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Arthur listened and watched them, silent and respectful until she finish talking on both accounts as he smiled and spoke in a soft tone, his words though were no where near soft or simple as he cleared his throat. "Ok, we have several things to go over, first its Infereti. You know, like the word Inferior which i am sure you know or atleast i would hope you did otherwise it would be interesting as to why you dont. Secondly, your Highness? Last i checked you weren't some pompous moron noble that spent his slash her life locked away and exposed to the world of politics, unless you were than i will be frank and say i probably wont like you. Little people are always more interesting than the rich anyways. Next, in light of what i just said my name is Arthur, and all of your names are?" He smiled, he had been someone who hated the system of being respectful even if you hate the person, so instead he made every little thing clear and simple, and made sure than no one would or could brown nose to get on his good side. @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arthur David Hardrada"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

The king got a dispassionate stare, as if the mousy woman in the middle-management skirtsuit was something other than a mousy woman in a middle-management skirtsuit. As if she was simultaneously a street rat who disliked being referred to as 'little people', a trillionaire tycoon capable of buying the Iferetes system with her pocket change, and a disguised five-century-old former Grandmaster tempted to wipe the king's mind. All of which happened to be true.

"So the demonym is Infereti, you prefer not to be addressed by the standard honorific, I'm Selka and this is Jared. So. Here are the figures for what we're looking at." A holoprojector flared to life, demonstrating capital inflow plans, profit margin projections, and just how far across the galaxy Infereti kolto was about to go, once Selka and Jared finalized the merger with the local kolto firms. "As you can see, this is a numerical depiction of your world becoming a kolto hub overnight. Our distribution network is, by several orders of magnitude, the largest in the galaxy. These are the increased employment figures, and these are the proposals for the new hyperlane linking Iferetes to the Corporate Sector."

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Arthur's expression changed instantly as his eyes studied the figures and calculated them in his own mind while also studying them very closely. This was a great business deal indeed but it did have its flaws so things were no doubt a danger in linking up with those he didnt know to well. "And what of my existing trade with worlds like Rattatak? They are already in personal trade with me for specific resources that they hold, would my people lose that secure trade and you gain a share of it or would we keep the full trade of Kolto to Alum that Rattatak has?" He tapped his fingers as he still wore the kind and soft gaze that he was known for with the slight cheerful smile, but his point and seriousness were clear, they had established trade and that was something he didnt want ruined.

@[member="Selka Ventus"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arthur David Hardrada"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

"All existing arrangements will be honored when we merge with your planet's kolto production firms. As it happens, we do a lot of bacta, kolto, and kolcta business very close to Rattatak, and our trans-galactic transportation framework is literally second to none. The existing Rattatak deal will actually get better for both parties due to more efficient transport."

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Arthur tapped his fingers again, counting once more in his head, the numbers and information swirling about like a maelstrom of words continually ramming on the walls of his skull. He stared at the woman and then the others for a few moments before finally speaking again to her. "How many more systems will be receiving trade and what percentage of the income does your company take and do you take any share in the exports of my planet, such as the Kolto itself and not just the credits? Also will i be there to set up trade with other systems should they attempt to buy out trade in my people's Kolto reserves?" @[member="Selka Ventus"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arthur David Hardrada"]

"In terms of how many more systems will be receiving trade, Silk currently exports bacta from Verkuyl and kolto from Manaan, wherever Silk products are sold." She brought up a map of the galaxy and highlighted the nine major hyperlanes where Silk did business, as well as client nations and Silk's own starbases. Soon brightly lit dots and lines covered about half the galaxy. "With this merger acquisition, we'd be distributing your planet's kolto all over all of this. Not just worlds, but entire sectors. As for Silk's profit margin, I think you'll find that it's measured, situational, proprietary, and reasonable. Here, let me show you." She displayed some relevant graphs, which depicted a market-competitive profit margin rate, nothing exploitative.

"What's certainly of more use to you is knowing the ratio of improvement in the Infereti economy when compared to profit margin. On every kolto and bacta world where we do business, that ratio is very high. Here are Verkuyl and Manaan's figures for boost in gross domestic product, increased service sector revenues, and increased employment.

"We normally draw our internal-use kolto from Manaan, though obviously our new deep-space trade stations near your system would be sourced from Iferetes for efficiency's sake.

"As for your role, don't worry -- we don't allow other actors to 'buy out' your kolto reserves. Setting up trade with other systems is something we do constantly, and your input and your connections would be most welcome."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

This was the part where [member="Jared Ovmar"] usually jumped in, but perhaps he was waiting for [member="Arthur David Hardrada"]. Selka gave her kolto partner a significant look.

 

[Arage Bao]

Jared looked back at [member="Selka Ventus"], he had indeed been waiting on the King to say something. But it seemed he had lost his interest in the meeting, maybe because they were not little enough to hold his interest. Which was pretty ironic considering Jared himself had been a small-time street rat a year or so ago. Then again, the silence was gratifying, because just a tad more from the rich pompous King who had just insulted everyone in the room, including himself… well.

Might be his head would have exploded. Or maybe he would have gone on a murdering spree.

“Gentlemen, now that that is finally over. I think it’s time we finalize everything. To Selka the honor, I’d say.”

[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

When silence ensued, Selka looked around at the kolcta magnates with whom she and Ovmar had come here to meet. After final consultation, taking the king's silence as assent, they signed, as did Selka. Staggering amounts of money were transferred to the stockholders and executives of the local kolto firms.

The transaction was complete.