Even Doves have Pride

[Saffron]

HEGEMONIC AUTOMATON
Headquarters
[member="Darth Janus"]

Saffron would slowly walk into Hegemonic Automaton's main headquarters with a curious expression. She was wearing a snug cream dress, with the typical small hat perched upon her head, cream fishnet veil shrouding half of her face.

Her momma done told her to meet with an acquaintance here, the owner of Hegemonic Automaton. The results of Subach Innes' blow out sale had gone in her favor, but it was done due to plans set in motion. Agreements. Proactiveness.

Within the small satchel she would carry in her hand, protected by pulse resistant lining, were two schematics that Danger Arceneau had an inkling were of interest to Hegemonic Automaton. Preliminary scans now have shown that the Miri Bodyguard would outfitted with Blastech designs, while those of the stealth finder were of interesting design that could greatly be improved.

She had narrowly won the schematics and rights to them from Noah Corek, CEO of Hekerkok. But they wouldn't have flourished there. No the only droid designs that dealt with war and protection could only be improved in one place only.

Hegemonic Automaton.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Saffron"]

Saffron would walk into what appeared to be a building undergoing renovations. Hegemonic Automaton was still undergoing its move to a new headquarters on Lianna. Expectantly, it was a colossal inconvenience and taking a very long time to get fully underway, but eventually Hegemonic Automaton would be where it needed to be. Right at home within the heart of Tion space. The best part of space, really, if one were to ask anyone with half a brain. The spawn of Arceneau would be led down the corridor, then into an elevator and brought up several floors. Janus' office was not at the top. That was the CEO's office. That was where the rebels and terrorists would try to fly a shuttle into if they got the chance.

The doors to his office, a small if lavishly decorated and dimly lit space, slid open at Saffron's approach.

Janus himself was seated at his desk, as per usual, and only briefly glanced up from whatever piece of paperwork he was filing on to see just who exactly was bothering him.

"Come in, please. Have a seat."

 

[Saffron]

Saffron would smile at [member="Darth Janus"], sliding into the offered chair with a whisper of glistaweb silk. She'd soon set the small case she was carrying upon her lap.
"Thank you Mistah Ardik." she'd say from under her fishnet veil, "I thank you for your time, I am aware you are extraordinarily busy."

A pause, then a delicate forward.

"I am here as a representative of Danger Arceneau, here to present a token of appreciation." she'd began, her lace gloved fingers delicately bringing the case up to set it upon the table.

"And perhaps find venues to expand upon it, for she told me to tell you that 'None other than Hegemonic Automaton would be able to do them justice.'"

In the case, should he so desire to open it, he would find two small datahips. Each would contain the schematics of the SI/BTI-X041 "Mirari" Bodyguard Droid and SVD-97 Surveillance Droid.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Saffron"]

Janus raised an eyebrow, initially expecting to find a gas bomb or something equally inside the case. Public dethronings tended to heighten one's sense of paranoia, but then he realized Danger probably wasn't so gauche as to sacrifice her own daughter to strike at an ally for no particular reason. Then again, he was skeptical of what exactly he'd done to warrant her appreciation. It had been Zothustro and the Fondorian who signed the contract with Arceneau Trade to handle shipping Hegemonic products from distribution centers. Janus had opted to keep it only because it made little sense to discontinue it.

He opened the case, gingerly retrieving one of the datachips. The Umbaran lightly probed the device with Technometry, and in an instance he could peer into the contents. The Mirari droid? The one Danger had snatched from him in the auction. She probably should've just let him win the bid if she wanted him to have the schematics anyway, but Tyrin wasn't about to question such generosity. The other datachip was likely another droid from Subach, one he intended to destroy and discontinue production of.

Because, like all products of Subach-Innes, the droids were uniformly a special strain of complete and utter garbage- worthy only of contempt. The Mirari was immune to this, being that it was primarily BlasTech designed.

"I don't suppose either of these also contain the programming for these droids?" Tyrin asked, returning the datachip to the case before closing it. "In any event, you may tell Ms. Arceneau she has my deepest thanks and that Hegemonic Automaton would be more than willing to return the favor, should she need it."

 

[Saffron]

Saffron would smile warmly at [member="Darth Janus"], then give an incline of her head. "They also include the programming, Mistah Ardik." she'd confirm, adding. "Miz Arceneau wanted to convey that she had Hegemonic Automaton's best interests in mind during the Subach's auction. It appears that there were others who were insistent on attaining these specific designs...

She also would like me to relay a proposition, in regards to filling a large order of these droids once they are up to Hegemonic Automaton's quality standard.

There was also the interest in expanding the stealth droid's ability to detect stealth armor into a more manageable security system. Perhaps as wall mounted apparatus or scanners."

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Saffron"]

"Excellent. Thank you."

Janus was dimly aware that other entities had been pursuing the droids. Notably Ovmar, although he had been talked down. Some infinitesimal companies led by equally irrelevant individuals by the names of Morgoth and Corek had also attempted to contest ownership of the droids. Morgoth had walked away with some of them, which was rather unfortunate. What was more amusing was that he had practically bankrupted his dingy little company in the process.

Amateurs.

"The Mirari Droid won't be tampered with or updated, unfortunately. Only manufactured as is. I have already given him access to the J2 in three products of his choice, I won't be giving him another one for free. Besides, my engineers are already working on a far, far superior model. I would encourage her to wait for that instead."

"As for the stealth-detecting droid," Tyrin repressed a grimmace. He didn't like admitting competing models were good at things. "I fully intended to destroy the schematics and permanently remove the device from the market. But if you think some use can still be derived from it, I'm more than willing to commission the design of a security system, such as you've described."

 

[Saffron]

A slow nod would be given to [member="Darth Janus"], along with that coquettish smile.

"That be most pleasing, Mistah Ardik." she'd say, "Miz Arceneau would be satisfied with that commission." Her hands would smooth over the line of her glistaweb dress, and the pink dart of the tip of her tongue would moisten her lower lip.

"What manner of upgrades is your new model for the body guard entail?" she'd ask curiously, so as she could not only sate her own but relay that information to Danger.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Saffron"]

"The ability to hold its own in melee, for one." Janus replied flatly, vanishing under his desk for a moment. A drawer could be heard being opened and subsequently shut, before Janus promptly reappeared with a tiny holoprojector. "Having more intelligence and all-around better armor in general should also come in handy."

He activated it, a transparent blue hologram shimmering into existence. The image consisted of an imposing looking battle droid wielding two very distinct energy blades. Definitely nothing anyone wanted to be on the receiving end of. The Mirari Droids were all fine and dandy, but they were neither particularly intelligent or capable of melee combat. This droid of Tyrin's, the TA4, would fix both those problems and still hold the Mirari's ability to use firearms. An all around better droid, by an all around better company.

"We usually give those to our staff as gifts. You're welcome to keep it."

 

[Saffron]

As he would pop right back up, that luscious hair would flank his face in a manner that would make a thunder god with a hammer and that zeltron heartthrob Fabio green with envy.

Saffron's smile grew wider.

Her hand would extend to take the small holoprojector in her hand, suitably impressed as she would hold it upon her right palm. "The mind races does it not?" she'd say, flicking her gaze from the holoimage of the TA4 to [member="Darth Janus"].

"Thank you Mistah Ardik," her hazel eyes would take on a soft glow, "You have been most kind. I look forward to the final product upon distribution, as will Miz. Arceneau."

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Saffron"]

Janus nodded, although not with terrible earnest. "And I look forward to your continued patronage."

It seemed someone in Hegemonic Automaton wouldn't be getting their bonus holoprojector this year. Just as well, Janus didn't think the webmaster who'd permitted that garish breach in security deserved one. He probably wouldn't even be working here for very much longer. Who knew what vital tidbit of information had been leaked out.

It couldn't have been too important.

"Will that be all?" Janus inquired, casting a cursory glance down at the paperwork he had previously been working on.