Dey Tink Der Brains So Big (Sasha Santhe)

[Ashin Varanin]

Selka considered herself an onion. A green onion -- tasty but not overwhelming, slim, always welcome. Outer layers of identity, accessibly to the public: longtime member of the Silk shareholders' board; former interim CEO of the same company; new interim CEO of Akure Executive Interstellar following Rave Merrill's time warp suicide. A few layers farther in, known only to the highest ranks of Tion and of the One Sith: a Master of the Dark Side, a specialist in Force Drain and related disciplines. And a few layers beyond that, known only to Dissero and a very small handful of others: Velok.

Velok's most aggravating student, Sasha Santhe -- yes, one of those Santhes -- was a business associate in the sense that Santhe/Sienar, AEI, and Silk all numbered themselves among the Tion Hegemony corporations. She'd never been close with Sasha, never really gotten to know her, but the part of her that was Velok was curious about the girl's growth. Despite various anecdotes from the Ardik/Ovmar direction.

In the messy redivision of AEI and Iron Crown, a number of assets had wound up in ambiguous jurisdiction. AEI was most emphatically not a starship company, but Iron Crown had brought access to a wide variety of Unknown Regions and Fringe technology. When all was said and done, AEI had wound up with prototypes and samples related to starfighters. She'd approached Silk, but one of her friends on the board had suggested she take the lot to Santhe/Sienar instead.

Some of it included chilab recordings of the work that Rave Merrill, undercover as one of her own employees, had done by contract for Incom. She hadn't been permitted access to the instrumentation of the StealthX project, but the entire cockpit, sans machinery, had been presented to her and her people for their work. That was still ongoing, in fact -- as was AEI's very, very secret attempt to figure out what could be figured out from the instrument housings and conduit guides, when cross-referenced with the craft's advertised and observed capabilities. But that was all secondary. Some of this tech, AEI didn't have the background to understand. Silk would have, but when it came to a broad range of starfighter technologies, Santhe was the acknowledged expert.

Such was the substance of her message to Sasha, along with a request to meet aboard the Tion Trade Nexus.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha arrived on the giant beach ball that was the Tion Trade Nexus. All things considered it was a good design that provided for optimal space for the needs of business deals. Like other members of Tion she had offices on board but couldn’t remember the last time she’d visited them. Truth of the matter was she prefered Santhe Towers on Lianna. Outside of the history it just felt more like home, and the secret elevator and turbolift tunnel leading under Lianna City straight to Santhe Manor helped.

A Santhe Challenger Sports Edition landed in the hanger. Sasha was particularly proud of the Challenger as it was ever popular with high end consumers. The sleek dark vessel was also sporty and flashy enough that she could maintain her reputation. It helped when people thought of you as a bimbo, they just keep underestimating you.

Walking the halls she wondered more about this meeting. She was curious about [member="Selka Ventus"]. She’d met the woman before, of course, and knew she was a Sith of some note because they were both members of the Tionese Inner Circle, but hadn’t really interacted with the woman past a shaking of hands.

Her walk ended at Selka’s office and immediately she plastered one of her friendly smiles on. She was known for her smiles afteral and any media rats about would be sure to take pictures of this pleasant meeting of friends and business acquaintances. Appearances mattered. “Sasha Santhe to see Miss Ventus,” Sasha said to the secretary walking towards the door to Selka’s office prepared to just barge through. Sasha Santhe didn’t wait.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]'s reputation preceded her, and Selka's instructions had been specific. The receptionist, a tough-as-nails Ishi Tib, buzzed her through immediately.

Selka's office was relatively plain, though this was her primary workspace. A personal computer, encrypted six ways from Life Day and shielded from Ovmar and company by taozin amulets and high-grade nullification resin. A desk, a chair. Two potted plants on the shelf behind her: a black Murakami orchid and a Dromund Kaas dart flower, both semi-sentient in their own way, like the stalks of Uystrao corn in the corner pot. She'd never figured out why she liked the company of semi-sentient, basically immobile plants.

She didn't fully rise as Sasha wafted in, but she did offer a professional smile, half-standing to offer a handshake. "Good to see you again, Miss Santhe. Can I offer you a drink, or something to eat? It's only two PM on the station, but I've been travelling and I'm still on Rudrig time." That, and it was six PM at Santhe Tower.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

“A pleasure to see you again as well. And may I say that you are looking absolutely radiant. I’ll have to ask you what products you use when this meeting is over.” A quick mental scan of the room revealed the lack of listening devices and not much else. Sasha could see a computer but couldn’t feel it. That was troubling. "Corellian Whiskey if you have it," she said in refrence to the beverage request.

She accepted [member="Selka Ventus"]'s hand and shook it firmly while examining the rest of the room. “I know a woman, or rather knew, who would have loved to see such decorations festooning your office.” Sasha referred to [member="Sirella Valkner"]. She was unsure if Selka knew the woman who had all but disappeared in recent months. Still for Sirella that wasn’t a rare thing. She did like her secrets. Even now Sasha was sure she was tending to some deadly garden somewhere out of sight. “You’d know if you met her, she loved plants.”

Sasha sat down. She didn’t need an invitation. “As it was you who asked for this meeting I think it best to let you start of.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Selka's lips twitched in what might have been a smile. There'd been a time when Velok and Sirella Valkner had been leaders of the Sith Empire together. Those memories were downright...interesting. Remembering Sasha's technopath background, she assumed Sasha could sense the cleanness of her frequently-swept office, and touched a button that sent her computer down through the desk. The surface closed seamlessly above it, then hummed to life, revealing that the desk was a holoprojector. "I've met her, yes, though she might not remember me."

Always one for memories of planetary destruction, she opened her liquor cabinet and removed a full bottle of Whyren's Reserve gold label. She poured two tumblers and handed one to Sasha, then resumed her seat.

Rays of reddish light took form, revealing components and technical readouts. Not the full data -- she had no use for that -- but well-detailed executive summaries. "These are assets AEI has acquired from a botched merger, one of the complications I've been brought in to fix. AEI isn't a starship company, though we provide various services to starship manufacturers like Silk, Incom, and CEC, when they have special projects relevant to our interests. On the whole, though, you know our specialties lie entirely elsewhere." Artifact and Sithspawn containment, trade route optimization, personal gear and clothing, in general. "These prototypes and captured samples are mainly starfighter technology, from the Unknown Regions. It's been suggested to me by my associates on the Silk shareholders' board that Santhe/Sienar would be interested in evaluating these technologies with us. Frankly, we can't even identify some of them."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha’s eyes stared at the holographic projection. The Schematics weren’t complete, but they were interesting. In most cases it was enough to take just a cursory glance for Sasha to understand them, she had a way with machines after all, but a few were truly puzzling. She recalled some of her training and history and stopped the holographic slideshow for a moment by extending her hand. “There is something akin to Chiss Origins here, you can tell from the circuit configuration and aesthetic, but the rest of the design… Ssi-Ruuvi?” That would make sense anyways. They didn’t have a large galactic community and even those powers that have existed in the Unknown Regions were pretty well isolated from major contact with one another for a long time. Still any device that made the rounds would surely have been adapted and modified by other races. “This is some very intriguing stuff.”

And then Sasha realised she didn’t have a drink in her hand. “That Corellian Whiskey?” She asked extending her arm as she viewed more designs. Thinking about the time she could spend looking over all the technical data she added absently engrossed in the data, “On the rocks, and try not to drown it…”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

"Ssi-Ruuvi would fit. The Fringe overthrew the Shreeftut a few years back, but they've kept a tight lock on that technology. Entechment, paddle beams, HRD soul transfer, and all manner of other things. Silk has been selling adapted paddle beam technology to select customers for a while, but it's the tip of the iceberg...and the flip side is that an awful lot of the Ssi-Ruuvi technology we've seen is...shall we say...of ambiguous quality. Diamonds in the rough, or just a few treasures buried in a mountain of excrement."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

[member="Selka Ventus"]'s mention of possible hidden treasures was the only thing stopping Sasha from making course comments about the lack of action regarding her request for a drink. The truth was technology fascinated Sasha in a way a painter might be fascinated by a sunset. “There are more complete schematics than this when I agree to your proposal yes?” Sasha asked, back to business.

Having not really dealt with Selka before she wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this. Tantalizing as it was she was here to design something with an understand of agreement to share technologies. It was standard fare for these types of meetings to pursue a number of secondary concerns. Technological rights, building rights, and all of that for production. Sasha was a keen enough bussiness woman to ask about that but for now. “Business aside, technologically speaking what exactly are you looking for?”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

There'd been a time, not long ago, when a delay or perceived bad manners would have sent Sasha Santhe into a tailspin. Reputedly, anyway. The short wait had been a small, inconclusive test of the kind Selka preferred.

"Yes, better schematics are available," she said, depositing the Sienar magnate's drink in front of her. She took a seat. "What you're seeing is about thirty-five percent of what we have, though I doubt the number surprises you. As for Silk's preferred outcomes...like I said, some of these are bizarre enough that we're still uncertain of what we actually have, in some respects. We've identified what we think is an advanced subspace telesponder with some kind of secondary function; we believe it might be transport-related. A subspace drive, in effect. Slow, much slower than a hyperdrive, but immune to, say, interdiction. That's one theory, anyway. Anything to do with subspace has the board's attention right now, for various reasons. Other components appear to be high-efficiency Bussard ramjets coupled with interference sensors -- dust current manipulators, maybe for detecting cloaked ships. And as I said, we're unsure about the bulk of it. It's an anomalous little stockpile; it meant something to somebody, but for our purposes it's like panning for gold in very muddy water."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha took the drink with a little sigh looking over the data. She took a ship and let the liquid swish around in her mouth. It was good, high class stuff. Sasha expected nothing less but was very rarely satisfied with the choice of beverage provided to her. [member="Marek Starchaser"] normally had good options though.

“Well if you transfer the data I can begin to go over it. Work things out for you and yours.” She bit her lower lip. “I have a research lab back on Lianna I like to use for these sorts of projects.” A secret place where not even her technicians went. It was a place where she could use the force and all her skills to tackle problems before handing them over to the design teams. It’s where she created the Aleph fighter, Anti-blaster smoke screens, Smart missiles, Solar Ionization Cannons, and Variable speed laser cannons. It was where she completed her whisper drive before transferring the device to her design team for fabrication. The small lab had replaced Styx as a location for her to really cut loose.

She examined Selka for a minute letting the force wash over her. There was something, familiar there, a sense of knowing that she recognized. Something she hadn’t felt since…

“You’re welcome to come with me. I can treat you while there. You’ll find I’m a good host.” She said pleasantly inviting the woman to her. She felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck and a tingle in her head. “And very generous with my friends.”



[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Fascinating.

Her memories of Sasha Santhe were largely Whiphid-coloured, and Velok's relationship with the younger woman had been nothing if not complex. He had appreciated her audacity -- he loved audacity -- but her violation of his mind had provoked downright...carnivorous feelings. Selka, one step removed from Velok, could look at the situation with a bit more detachment.

Going to Sasha Santhe's place of power, now that the girl was a Master...even with detachment, that was something to think twice about. But the old curiosity reared up, and frankly, this was the best way forward.

"I'd be honored. I'll have the prototypes and schematics transferred to Lianna to meet us there."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

The workshop wasn’t anything particularly fancy, just four walls and a clean slate floor. It didn’t have to be particularly cleanly though Sasha has droids rotate through and suck up dust. The equipment for fabrications was the impressive part of the facility. Industrial grade fabricators allowed her to make parts to specifications on the fly and there was space enough to assemble anything short of a capital ship with the cranes and arms to assist. “Welcome to my home away from home,” Sasha said as Selka entered.

The machinery throbbed with a low pulse of the force having been manipulated over the last several years. Sasha showed off each piece of equipment, knowing that Selka most likely knew what they were, but polite was polite and this was part of being a good host. And then finally she showed Selka the inner sanctum, a back room….

In contrast to the front of workshop the back was lavish. Silks hung from the ceiling and fine furniture was littered in a symmetrical pattern around the room. There was entertainment in the form of a holovid projector and music box. A communications center was located on the far corner along with a databank. “And this is where I do my thinking.” It probably wouldn’t be long on Selka that there was a bar not too far away, fully stocked. “I’ve been studying some of these schematics,” Sasha said, “When you can see the whole picture… there is a lot of promise here.”

A wolfish smile crossed her face as she crossed the room and picked up a small idol from a stand next to a leather couch. “Well old man,” she said to the little Velok statue. “I am working on a new project. You’d like it, if you weren’t dead. You always liked seeing me cooperate with people. Which means there wasn’t a lot to like when you knew me. I owe it all to your teachings,” her voice smeared with emotion and sarcasm. Hatred mingled with respect. “Now I’ve become a master…” she gloated to the little idol, “and you’re dead.”

Sasha shook her head and turned back to Selka, eyes fixed, “Did you ever meet Velok? I don’t know why but these Idols of him keep popping up throughout the galaxy. We had a strained relationship, but I respected the old bastard. Taught me what I know of manipulating technology with the force. Anyways I’m done musing with that grumpy, old, overly sensitive whiphid.” She waved her hand at the memory. Why was it coming up now? She hadn’t talked to that statue in over a year and never in front of company.

“I don’t really know a lot about you Miss Ventus. While we start our work we go back and forth, a little quid pro quo?” Sasha smiled, “I am Lady Sasha Santhe of Lianna and the Santhe family. I was apprentice to the Empress of the Sith back when such a thing existed. And I enjoy technology over people. Now your turn…” Sasha moved over to the computer and started to work on the configuration of a new regulator chip to help with combining the various technologies available to her into galactic standard tech.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

The full package of schematics and prototypes had been delivered -- all the little bits and pieces of obscure Unknown Regions starfighter tech that had wound up in AEI's possession after the botched merger with ICE. Rave Merrill's collection, or one of them. If Sasha Santhe, technomancer extraordinaire, could make something useful out of them, it would be to the profit of both AEI and Santhe/Sienar -- and nothing of substance lost if she couldn't. ICE hadn't even made much of a fuss; their ship division was primarily capital. This stuff was dross, with the potential for an occasional diamond.

"Nice equipment," she said offhand, part of her mind valuating everything in sight. It added up to a capital sum. Literally. As for the statue...

Now that was just plain entertaining. She'd never seen anything like it, and so far as she knew Velok hadn't either. But she kept her amusement hidden as best she could.

"Not a lot to tell," she said. "I grew up on Metellos and washed out of AgriCorps for being weak in the Force. What they never told me, or failed to realize maybe, is that I wasn't weak, I was just specialized. I'm one of those people who has one overriding talent and limited abilities in other respects. That stays true even now that some consider me a Master." The knife-amulet around her neck kept her Force presence limited and Light Side to all senses, but Sasha was Tion Inner Circle; Sasha knew a little more of what she was. "I used to run Silk Holdings, now I run Akure even though I'm a mediocre alchemist. And no, I've never met Velok. I was still in AgriCorps and the lower levels of Silk during his career, I think. Not a lot of opportunity to run into genocidal Whiphids."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha wasn’t sure about Selka’s technical abilities. She quirked her eyebrow as she looked at a generator. “Smaller,” she said looking at it. “This is a good thing. It puts out a fair amount of power considering its size, all with less exotic material than other generators like this. We need to get this power regulator ready in order for the generator to work on both these things.” She let out a sigh, “So what brought you to Tion? And can you help by running this chip through that analyzer over there.”

Sasha pointed over to the machine. “we’ll need to calibrate it….” she paused “So how did you get to Tion? Me I was born here.”

[member="Selka Ventus"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

The chip was familiar; the analyzer, less so. She was no engineer, but she'd spent enough time in Jedi electronics classes, Vagrant Fleet tramp freighters, and various high-tech firms to more or less know what was going on. The power regulator hummed to life; the generator followed. "I'll leave the calibrations to you," she said.

"As for Tion," she added after a pause, "I came here in a roundabout way, you could say. Akure is a member of the Silk Family of Companies. I was brought on board for the Inner Circle some time after the Rudrig incident. Hion, Ovmar, Merrill and Ardik, among others, killed the man impersonating me, and arranged for me to, well, wake up. I owe the Inner Circle rather a lot. My allegiance, for one, and that's not something I give lightly.

"What was the figurine? Ivory, yes?"

 

[Sasha Santhe]

[member="Selka Ventus"]

“I believe you are correct.” Sasha said. “I found of these little things on the streets one day and it just felt… right to grab it up.” Sasha went over by the chip and examined it through the various analytic systems. “Something about it just… felt right.” Shrugging she gave [member="Selka Ventus"] a quick appraising glance. “There is more you’re not telling me,” Sasha deadpanned. “That’s fine, don’t let anyone tell you Sasha Santhe prys. We are all entitled to our secrets.”

Not waiting for a response Sasha walked over to the chip and quickly calibrated it with the force itself. The chip was deposited into the housing unit in the generator and then Sasha pressed the button turning it on. “Lets check out the readings and make sure they stay stable. I don't’ see why they wouldn’t but it is better to test these things.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

"Of course there's more to it," said Selka, voice bordering on flat. Her head tilted slightly as Sasha technometried the feth out of the chip calibration. She wasn't one for special Force senses -- her skillset leaned in other directions -- but this was a valid target for her curiosity.

"That's a unique skill you have there," she commented, calibrating furiously. "If you don't mind me asking, did you come at it from the technometric angle or the mechu-deru angle? Science or magic? Subelectronic converter or spells? And of course, tell me to feth off if it's private; it's just rare, and that interests me. No wonder your top research projects have the reputation they do."

 

[Sasha Santhe]

“I learned it from Velok. He let me drain the knowledge from his mind.” Shuddering at the thought of the Angry whiphid she added, “And that was the last time he taught me anything. From there I sort of figured it out on my own.”

Sasha laughed as she thought about it. “Truth is, I don’t really think about it much now. It started out as something I could just do, but only very minor tricks compared to now.” Turning she looked over at [member="Selka Ventus"]. “I’ve always been good with machines, so it was natural for me to look at mechu-deru from a scientific perspective.” Taking the chip she walked over to the generator and plugged it into the device. “Very analytical.”

As Sasha pressed buttons the lights went off in the facility before the generator came to life humming lowly and the lights came back on. “I wish Velok was around to see what I became…” Sasha turned with a dark expression. “Now I only have a little statue to condescend to.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

"All right, this is the...sixth? time you've mentioned Velok out of the blue. I've rarely met anyone who knew him, or anyone who he'd made that much of an impression on. I've looked into him, but all I've found is..." She shrugged. "An immensely audacious old nonhuman with a penchant for genocide. I think I can feel the appeal, it's almost like there's a connection there, but public information doesn't give me a lot to work with. You clearly had a...complex relationship-" And maybe some issues the younger woman hadn't worked through; talking to the idol had been a pretty broad hint. "-so tell me about it, if it'll help you focus."

The aneurodyne scope and the posiceptic field hummed to life behind her; she keyed on a series of holographic analyzers and called up the scans corresponding to each prototype.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha thought about it for a moment as she glanced at the chip. “I really don’t know…” She said with a frown. “Truth is, I haven’t thought about him in a long time. Over a year since I picked up that idol to mock him. Something…” her voice trailed off a little thinking about the situation. “Something just brings him to mind, its a feeling I haven’t had in a long time.”

With the power reactor humming the two women examined an analyzer unit. Everything seemed to be working correctly. That was good. “Velok was a good teacher, and I was a greedy student.” She shrugged and switched the power back over to the main generator shutting off theirs. With the force Sasha lifted the generator into the air and inserted it into the craft on the floor of the facility. “Yes,” she said, “Now lets test it in flight…” Wires snaked out of piping and connected to others of its ilk. The fighter and the engine melding together with the power of the force. Sasha walked over to the fighter with the extended cockpit. “Would you like to fly or should I?”

[member="Selka Ventus"]