Finer Things

[Kay-Larr]

Commenor was expanding it's reach across the Galaxy. But not by the manner of war. Instead it was through business ties and alliances. There were many Embassies from all over housed on Commenor, each encompassing the various powerhouses that riddled the Galaxy. There had been peace between them so far, which was good for everyone overall.

If only the Galaxy could work in the same way....

Kay sent out another general message via the holonet, inviting new heads of state and business leaders for a visit to Chasin City. Commenor's trade economy and businesses were booming. The political atmosphere was productive. No doubt it would attract both good and bad influences.

Everyone has their own agenda....

[member="Tai Fa"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

The invitation had been expected to a degree.

In fact, Tai had been considering making contact himself after a while, but the restoration of the Humbarine sector had taken up much of his time. Difficult to focus on a whole lot of things, but that was why Lord Fa had assembled a council around him. Wise souls, local ones for the most part, who knew the in's and out's of governing and keeping everything smoothly, so the Thirriken could spend his time with studying the bigger picture of things.

Politics were his bread and butter.

And if there was one nation that had a lot of credentials to be considered a political - if not commercial - powerhouse, it was Commenor. It only made sense for the newly anointed Magister of Humbarine to accept the invitation given.

Such it was that a lone shuttle landed on a lonely landing platform and the soft tick of Thirriken feet sounded across the ramp.

Chasin City was interesting and the sounds of business were already loud in the making. It seemed that many local power brokers and business owners had made their way here today.

Opportunity beckoned.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Spoiler

Red was becoming her colour of choice these days. Black was the only colour that she had worn since her captivity. But now her future was looking far from grim. She was going to be married soon, although no date had been set. Her last husband died 15 years ago and she had been with no one ever since. But a beacon of light and hope had stood by her in recent years. He was forgiving, patient, loyal and kind. Kay admired that about him.

But onto other matters.

[member="Tai Fa"] was easily spotted from the landing platform. Kay had never seen a Thirriken in person before, especially up close. There was a first time for everything. Contacts hid the remaining signs of corruption in her eyes and her Force signature was shrunk down to that of a small tree nut before she had made her approach.

Kay smiled and bowed her head in greeting. "Welcome to Commenor, Lord Fa. I trust that you had a good journey?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

His little head cocked, before looking up to the tall humanoid addressing him.

It was a good thing he had done his research prior to accepting the invitation.

They mostly all looked the same to him.

The females without feathers or plumage, beaks too small to properly utilize. The males strutting around like they were in heat at every single opportunity, it was an amusing conglomeration, but Tai weathered it like he sustained himself through every ordeal. With grace, patience and a decorum that spoke of many years of rule, he simply inclined his beak in a token amount of respect to the Queen of Commenor.

"Your Highness, an honor to meet you in person." The clipped tone was neutral - not hostile, but neither warm. It was the tone of business and diplomacy. "The trip was pleasant and we managed to see quite some sights. You have done well with Commenor."

A light compliment colored the sentence.

"How are you this evening?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay offered a small smile at the compliment. Whether [member="Tai Fa"] had meant it or not, she was rather proud of what she had done for Commenor. Even with her months of captivity, the world hadn't fallen apart. She had done well to remove the corruption and those that opposed her rule. However there were still Loyalists hanging about, most had gone quiet, lest they spend a long sentence working in the mines.

"I am well this evening, thank you. And how about yourself?"

The air was getting a little cooler. Kay noticed the chill but ignored it for now. Soon enough they'll head inside to the warmth of the Palace. She just wanted to get the formalities over and done with first.

"Shall we step inside to my office? It's a little more private than out here and it isn't every day that I get such an esteemed guest. I'd rather us not have any interuptions." She also had a gift for him there. Given a few things that she knew about his culture, she was sure that Lord Fa would approve.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

There was a sense of order to be found.

Strangely enough it did not smell of the light either, which was a positive sign in Tai's book. Contrary to other Sith Lords he did not truly hate the light itself or worship the dark all that much, he was a pragmatist and simply wished to find success in the ventures he chose to engage on, but the Jedi?

In his experience they were always so short-sighted and arrogant.

Not individuals worthy to associate with anyway.

"Optimistic." Tai simply responded with an inclination of the beak, this time an affirmation that he was ready to follow her into her office and continue the discussion there. The cold did not do him much harm, his plumage and feathers enough to isolate him from much in the way of cold.

"You are far too kind, your Highness, I am merely a servant of Humbarine."

First among equals.

This was a stretch, of course, in truth Tai's voice was slowly becoming the only voice that mattered.

One Bird, One Vote. The Magister was the Bird; he had the Vote.

It still surprised him that the citizens of the Humbarine Sector had wanted him to assume the role after the fall of the Humbars (scandal and corruption and decadence), but neither did it displease him. It gave him the opportunity to continue his work in a more official position and with more power assigned to it.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay led [member="Tai Fa"] into the Royal Palace. Guards followed them, yet pairs of them stood sentry at the doorways. It was all a precaution of course. Too many times had people endangered her life or tried to kidnap her. Plus there was a large bounty on her head for reasons unknown to her.

Soon they reached her office. It was old fashioned in decoration and style, but that was what she liked about it. Especially the spiral staircase. There was something to be said about the dark wood as well.

A mid sized chest sat on the coffee table. Kay smiled as she opened the lid and presented it to her guest. Inside was a variety of expensive fabrics, some interlaced with tiny chrysopaz gemstones. "A gift for you, Lord Fa. Our Univercity has one of the finest fashion programs in the Galaxy. These are just some of the types of fabrics that the top designers use. I hope that they are to your liking."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Tai trusted that diplomacy and reputation would protected him.

It also helped that in the event that these people tried to betray him, he was more than capable of defending himself, but at the end of the day? Commenor currently staked its reputation on his safety. If something happened to him while he was treating with them, it would irrevocably ruin their reputation and ensure that their word would mean quite little in the galactic terms.

That fear and caution was what protected any dignitary from reprisals and such.

The Thirriken studied the fabrics with appreciation and then inclined his beak in acceptance. He had, of course, anticipated that they would be interested in the exchange of presents.

"You are too kind, this is beautiful." After that his wing reached out and there was a small jewelry box resting there. "I am aware that Commenor has not always been ruled by a Monarchy, yet... every Monarchy deserves a sign of their nobility."

His other hand swapped over his wing and as it brushed past the box it opened.

Inside a richly-adorned necklace. A large Roonstone was the centerpiece of the jewelry and Corusca gems of different sizes aligned it on both sides.

"Hopefully this will be a worthy addition to your crown jewels."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched as [member="Tai Fa"] seemed to approve of the fabrics. It had meant that her research was sound. That was a relief in and of itself.

She raised her brow as he presented his own token to her. It wasn't as though she expected anything, but the gesture was appreciated. What was inside was gorgeous. Her eyes drifted from the necklace to Lord Fa. He had done his homework, noting her short reign thus far as Queen. It made her wonder what else he knew. People had a habit of surprising her.

"Thank you kindly. My collection is small, however this will surely stand out amongst them." Her upcoming wedding might help increase her collection as there were sure to be plenty of gifts presented. Kay had just been too busy to think about such finery. She was still recouperating both physically and mentally from her captivity by Lord Prazutis.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink before we start, Lord Fa? I, myself will prepare some Sapir tea."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Tai knew much and many things, but that was simply par for course when you started to rule a sector of commerce, trade and industry.

It was impossible to do your job without being completely jacked into the proceedings around it. Even a single slip could mean an advantage given to competitors and rivals out there, this was not something that Tai would want to do, not even inadvertently. Commenor used to be a colony of Humbarine, this was something that the Thirriken was keenly aware of, but that history was so old and ancient.

There seemed little in the way of profit to pursue such an angle.

No, better to reaffirm the independence of Commenor, build ties and then profit off of increased trade and commerce.

"Some tea, please." An appreciative nod followed, once the tea cup was slipped into his wings and he took a tentative taste. After subtly prodding it with his feelers to ensure there was no poison there.

You could never be too careful.

"Quite delicious, thank you. To business then?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay prepared the tea on her own, as opposed to having a member of her staff do it. There was almost a ritual to it, but not quite. She was just very well practiced at it and could prepare it in her sleep.

When the steeping was underway, she handed the cup to [member="Tai Fa"] , impressed with how he can manipulate his wings so well. Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution probably helped with that. She picked up her own cup and cradled it in her hands before she sat down in one of the comfy chairs. She took a sip, savouring the taste that wasn't too sweet, nor too bitter. It was the perfect tea.

"Yes, to business. As you may or may not be aware, Commenor is a neutral world. We favour no other government or businesses above our own. There are many Embassies here from different sides of the spectrum, and so far there has been no conflicts. What matters to most is the safe transportation of their goods in and out of the Core. We provide that, among other things. Our taxes are competitive and beneficial to both sides of the agreement. Any questions so far?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

It was interesting how quickly she shifted behavior towards the business side of things.

Professional, very clear-cut and succinct in her response.

This did wonders for his level of trust in this venture. When your associate and future business partner was capable in their own right, it basically opened a lot of doors for future cooperation without having to worry about holding each other's hands over and over again. The fact that Commenor seemed to have the same goals as the Free Worlds Coalition was only an advantage in this situation.

It meant that there weren't conflicts of interests.

"I assume you have maintained ties with the larger nations of the Galaxy? The Alliance, First Order? Which nations would you say have a positive working relationship with Commenor at the moment?"

It would give him an idea how public he could make this partnership.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay tilted her head to the side a bit. [member="Tai Fa"]'s question was a good one. Their list was long and growing. And there hadn't been anyone that she has turned down as of yet.

"The Alliance has yet to reach out to us. The First Order was...well, the first to build an Embassy. They were much smaller back then. The Red Ravens built us a hospital, a member of the Iron Empire has been influential to me. So far it is safe to say that we have had no disagreements with any government. The Commenori stay home. We don't get involved in the Galaxy's wars, and so we've been left alone."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

In truth that surprised him to a large degree.

It was fairly difficult to stay neutral with every single entity in the Galaxy without paying a lot in concessions. Tai managed it, but he didn't hold others to the same standards he held himself - that never seemed fair to him, but it was a pleasant surprise that the Queen of Commenor saw the value in staying neutral and diplomatic throughout it all.

"I am impressed, your Highness, it's not every day I meet someone who understands how important diplomacy is in a Galaxy such as ours."

He inclined his beak and then went towards the actual reason for this meeting.

"I think it would be mutually beneficial if Commenor and the Humbarine sector tightened its relationships, your strength in diplomacy and our focus on industry and trade would have a stabilizing influence on the surrounding regions, in my opinion."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Tai Fa"] a small smile, nodding her head in thanks as he complimented her way of handling other governments. In truth it was rather easy, given that they were so small and easily overlooked. How many knew of their existence? Not many as Commenor wasn't the only trade planet in the Galaxy. There were bigger players out there and she'd rather not have the attention that being popular would give. Sometimes it was better to live in somone else's shadow.

Kay sipped her tea as she heard Lord Fa touch on his proposal. Mutually beneficial, stabilizing influence for the region; all were good buzz words that held her ear. "I would have to agree. The Galaxy sees enough chaos. It was time that the scales were tipped to a more balanced approach. What terms are you thinking of in this agreement?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

It seemed quite obvious and easy to him after the silence of his words.

"Commenor has the experience in diplomacy, Humbarine has the industrial capacity." Tai explained patiently his position and what his thoughts were for the matter. "First, we focus on establishing closer trade relationships - lower tariffs on both sides, free access of movement for our workers, knock down protective taxes, start working closer in the realm of diplomacy by opening embassies on both sides of the equation."

His talons raised themselves one by one as he named the various steps that would lead them towards strengthening their bonds and making both nations stronger as a result.

"The territories around us will be influenced regardless of what we do, so if we stabilize our relationship and make it mutually beneficial, it will project itself to them as well."

Head cocked in the universal sign of a question, how did it sound up until now?

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay sipped her tea while she listened to [member="Tai Fa"] as he defined his proposal in a little more detail. It gave her a bit of insight as to how his own planet was run. Commenor didn't have protective taxes, nor any big obsticals for foreign workers. In truth it's population was quite small for a world just outside of the Core, and with their economy growing, their University gaining many more students, foreigners were needed. Many of the research facilities and medical companies brought their own, training the Commenori that worked along side them. She knew that others didn't operate that way. Every system was different.

"All of that sounds agreeable, Lord Fa. Our taxes are competitive and being neutral, we don't play favourites. Otherwise that might tip the scales in favour of one side or another. Everyone is expected to follow our laws while in our system. No one is above it. I'm sure that you expect the same on Humbarine?" Diplomatic immunity tended to give the wrong people the right to do whatever they wanted without punishment. That tended to bring more anarchy and resentment towards government. Kay didn't want that.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Not entirely, of course.

Tai was a secretive Sith Lord after all and that meant backdoor dealings to a degree. Most of the Underworld had been broken down and sorted into his own business dealings soon after his first arrival on Humbarine itself - you could not assume control over an entire industrial star sector, without first making sure there were no distractions to be had by common criminals and criminal masterminds.

But that was all besides the point as publicly Magister Fa was a law-abiding citizen who had been raised as first among equals because of his service to Humbarine.

It was all quite wonderful and interesting of an affair to the Thirriken, who had never dared to assume that these humanoids would pick an alien to rule them. It seemed that they had not forgotten their benefactor though.

"Of course, your Highness, it is much the same within the Humbarine Sector. You cannot build a stable society based on merit by giving some preferential treatment, this would breed resentment." He agreed with her calmly, before shrugging. "My office has had some minor words with... the First Knight of Commenor? This Lord Arenais has mentioned an interest in strengthening the navy of Commenor with Humbarine's assistance."

OOC: [member="Veiere Arenais"], going to assume that the fleet thing we discussed OOCly can be translated in an IC off-screen thing, maybe an exchange of diplomatic missives and such. If you don't want this, shoot me a PM or DM and I can edit it away!

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was glad to hear that Humbarine operated in much the same way as Commenor did. It meant that there was more hope for the Galaxy yet. At least they weren't alone.

She had another sip of her tea, raising a brow as [member="Tai Fa"] 's office has spoken to one of her own people without her knowledge. Did General Omar Santiago have something to do with this? It wasn't exactly beneath him to go over her head with regards to what Commenor's forces required. He was a man that acted on his own accord. Given that he was a sexist man, it wouldn't surprise her if he had gone to [member="Veiere Arenais"] about his intentions instead of her.

"Lord Arenais is a wise man. If he has reached out to you, Lord Fa, then perhaps he already has some ships in mind. Were you provided with any details? Or?..." Hopefully she wouldn't be left in the dark about other deals or talks. Maybe a message was left for her and she didn't get a chance to read it yet.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Magister Fa had not been aware that this was a surprise to [member="Lady Kay"].

He might have approached it in a more diplomatic fashion, if he had, but perhaps the internal communication was still something the nation of Commenor needed to work on. After all, once you take hold of your rightful position at the height of galactic society, it takes some use to the new responsibilities that open themselves to you. It wouldn't be much different in this particular situation, Tai noticed the subtle surprise lingering in the air and the Thirriken decided to ignore it.

There was no use in embarrassing Kay by letting her know he had noticed.

"In truth I wished to speak to you first, figure out what the philosophy of your nation is in terms of ship design. I assume the Commenor Navy will mostly focus on defense? Guarding your own borders and planets, instead of planning external excursions?"

That would logically change what kind of ships they would design for them.