Private First, A Spark

[Lord Omri]

Location: Lord Omri's office within NCBC Headquarters, Ilic City, New Cov

Lord Omri paced the confines of his opulent office, its walls lined with accolades and flickering holograms of past innovations. Outside, the sprawling skyline of the corporate district gleamed, but inside, he felt a storm brewing. The merger between NCBC and N&Z Umbrella Corporation, one of the galaxy's top megacorps, loomed over him like a dark cloud, and he was furious.

He settled into his chair, eyeing the clock with anticipation. Thel, the teenage son of a rival CEO, was due any moment. Omri had heard of Thel at corporate events—rebellious, idealistic, and seeking purpose beyond his adopted father's ambitions. He was the perfect pawn in a game that could disrupt the merger and topple Liin "Tera" Terallo , the Director of the Board, whom Omri loathed.

The plan began to crystallize in his mind. He would invite Thel into a world of corporate intrigue, subtly revealing the darker side of N&Z's intentions and its partnership with Liin. Omri would seed hope in Thel's mind about his utilizing this information to his father for the potential for exploitation and a crackdown in the medicinal market. Perhaps he could craft a scenario where Thel believed he was uncovering secrets, using fabricated evidence of collusion between Liin and N&Z's executives.

The thought of sowing discord and watching the the Terallo family falter sent a thrill through him.

The sound of footsteps broke his reverie. He straightened, a calculating smile forming as he prepared to engage the impressionable boy who could be the key to his devious plan.

"Come in, Thel," he called, masking the anticipation simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Tag: Thel Bloodscrawl

 

[Thel Bloodscrawl]

Waiting outside the office, Thel awkwardly adjusted his suit. He felt like a little kid playing dress up.

In a way, he supposed he was just a kid playing pretend. Ever since he had expressed a tentative interest in business, the Bloodscrawls had been very supportive of his pursuing it. They had given their permission for him to be here and represent their interests, but only if he was accompanied by an older member of their esteemed House.

Enter Aunt Meleena. She stood beside him in the waiting area, a tall leggy blonde wearing a stylish gold outfit. Thel had been told she was his guardian's sister, but the boy immediately recognized that this woman was really an android. Something was off about her graceful movements and too perfect appearance, an uncanniness that was difficult to describe but easy to spot once you knew what to look for. And Thel had spent his whole life around androids that couldn't quite mimic real people.

Well, if he was going to have a chaperone, it might as well be a droid, he supposed. A person could be easily manipulated, but a machine was programmed to always be loyal. He knew he could count on Meleena as backup if things went south.

He also knew it meant he would have to tread carefully. Anything he said or did would no doubt be reported by Meleena, and he wouldn't be allowed to make any big decisions without approval from up top. Still, he was hoping to accomplish something from this meeting and prove he was an asset to the House. He just didn't know what that accomplishment would be...

"Come in, Thel."

The doors swung open, and Thel and Meleena walked into the office. Seated behind the desk at the center of the room was an old man. Meleena took the lead, bowing and giving him a polite smile. "Greetings, Lord Omri. My name is Meleena Bloodscrawl. This is my nephew Thel."

The boy instantly took a liking to the scowling old man. He looked tough, uncompromising, and though he was past his prime there was still an aura of charisma about him. This guy was probably a total badass when he was younger, Thel mused. He probably closed the slickest deals and called the hottest shots. The idea only made him all the more eager to learn from his example.

"Thank you for having me," he said, following Meleena's example and bowing to Omri. He was a bit more stiff and awkward about it, unused to such formality and clearly nervous.

Lord Omri
Meleena Bloodscrawl used with permission from writer.​

 

[Lord Omri]

His smile faltered as the woman in gold walked in. Her attire was less than modest. She didn't appear to be some common secretary or assistant to the lad. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he scrutinized her appearance, her movements and her reasons for inviting herself to this meeting. Was the boy not old enough to be on his own?

Leaning forward, Omri rested his elbows on his ebony desk with his wrinkly fingertips touching eachother, returning the full smile to his well-weathered face. To the wrong person, his smile was very uncomfortable to look at. But to the right person it held with it the promise of profit by unconventional and devious means.

"Have a seat. Please. Is this your first business meeting, Thel?" His gaze flickered to the boy's aunt. A glorified babysitter, indeed. It made him wonder if perhaps his reputation preceded him. Or even worse; that the Terallos anticipated his plan. It was a horrible thought. One that made his blood boil.

All of which he held deep inside, keeping his appearance cool and collected, if not slightly grumpy as he focused all of his attention on Thel. "Mind my manners, please. I've held meetings like this hundreds of times. They get a little old. So let's cut to the chase. What do you know of biomolecules?"

Tag: Thel Bloodscrawl

 

[Thel Bloodscrawl]

Meleena's sensors registered the subtlest of shifts in Omri's body language and physiology. He didn't approve of her presence, though it was unclear why. Perhaps she should have chosen different attire? Still, he hid his disapproval behind a polite smile.

"Have a seat. Please. Is this your first business meeting, Thel?"

"Uh, yes," Thel replied, sinking carefully into one of the plush chairs in front of Omri's desk. Don't say um or uh, he chided himself. It makes you sound like a dithering dolt. "But I've had education and training. I only lack experience. That's why Aunt Meleena is here."

"Just to make sure everything goes smoothly at his first official meeting," Meleena said brightly, taking the seat next to him. By now even Thel was beginning to pick up on Omri's grumpiness, though he didn't hold it against the old man.

"Mind my manners, please. I've held meetings like this hundreds of times. They get a little old. So let's cut to the chase. What do you know of biomolecules?"

"They're used in medicine and other goods," Thel began, reciting facts he had memorized beforehand. "In some ways comparable to bacta. They're only found on New Cov, effectively giving the Covie a monopoly on the biomolecule market. The planet's entire way of life is built around the harvest and exportation of biomolecules. It was even governed by the corporation in charge of selling them, NCBC... that is, until recently." He hoped his depth of knowledge would at least prove that he had done his homework, even if it didn't impress Omri.

Lord Omri​

 

[Lord Omri]

The boy was little nervous. Lord Omri just soaked all of that in, just as he tended to do among all of his lessors. And as he had guessed; this was Thel's first meeting of this type. That made him ripe for the picking; a perfect choice for the tasks that'd be given out in due time.

His attention turned towards the glorified Aunt babysitter as she spoke up. Lord Omri gave her a small but curt nod. He had thought of acknowledging her even further with a word or two, but quickly changed his mind. Afterall, he didn't wish to encourage her with continued visits.

His full focus swiveled back to the boy as he answered his inquiry. It was in effect, a textbook answer. Lord Omri wasn't surprised by this response in the slightest. That is until the boy finished his last sentence after a slight pause. Those last four words seemed almost hesitant, as if he was touching onto something secret.

And that was partly correct.

"You are indeed correct. Biomolecules are quite comparable to bacta, if not better. Their rarity makes them the more expensive alternative of which not everyone has the deep pockets for. And as for your last point; it bodes true. NCBC under the questionable vote by the Terallos and the rest of the Board have agreed to seperate NCBC from the government. Not only that, but they have sold us out for a merger!" Lord Omri slammed his right hand down onto his desk. "I did not work all of my life to prop NCBC up only for it to be swallowed up by a larger entity! There has to be something evil behind it. The last attempted takeover was brought in by force and defeated. Now, now it seems that the two head families have become bedfellows."

He leaned back in his chair which creaked a little under his shifting weight. Bringing his elbows to rest on the arms of his chair, Lord Omri interlocked his fingers in front of his face as he peered at the boy. "Now you're a bright young man, and one that could easily see through such a charade. And that is why I need you. You'll be helping both your company and save NCBC should you choose to do so.

Are you interested?"

Tag: Thel Bloodscrawl

 

[Thel Bloodscrawl]

Thel tried not to seem too eager to please, but he smiled when Omri said he was correct. His smile soon faded, however, when the old man showed sudden anger. So he didn't like this new merger. The boy listened carefully to his grievances, wanting to understand, but his confusion only deepened. It sounded like even Lord Omri wasn't really sure why he was against the merger.

Yet Omri was already asking him if he wanted to help stop the merger. "I am interested," Thel replied carefully. "But I need more information, sir. Unless you're asking me to conduct an investigation into the matter..." He was suddenly very glad Meleena was here. She could certainly help with that. "...I was under the impression there would be a split, not a merger. Who are they, that is NCBC, merging with?"

Lord Omri​

 

[Lord Omri]

Sir.

The boy displayed some respect there, and had a keen intuition. Both of which Omri was counting on.

"This situation warrants an investigation, yes. One in which gathers me as much information as possible. This is more than just a split between NCBC and New Cov's government. It is a merger with N&Z Umbrella Corporation. I don't think that I even need to ask if you have heard of them. I can offer you a lucrative deal involving our biomolecules; one that will surely help your father's business go far."

Omri brought his hands down to rest onto the armrests of his chair. There was on his features a subtle glimmer of hope. "An election will take place among the cities mayors to see who will govern New Cov. Once a favorable Prime Minister is chosen, I will at least be able to ensure that all of our biomolecules aren't stolem from under us. And maybe, just maybe, limit N&Z's operational powers here."

Tag: Thel Bloodscrawl

 

[Thel Bloodscrawl]

As it turns out, Thel had not heard of N&Z Umbrella Corporation actually... although the name did sound sorta familiar. Given Omri's gruff demeanor, it seemed to be a touchy subject with him, making the boy reluctant to ask questions lest he destroy what rapport he had built with the old man.

"I can offer you a lucrative deal involving our biomolecules; one that will surely help your father's business go far."

So far, so good. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that," Thel said. "I can conduct an investigation for you, if you can get me inside NCBC. Maybe I could speak to the Terallos and learn more about the situation." He might also want to look into N&Z, although getting an in with them might be outside Omri's power.

The old man seemed to imply he would be rigging the upcoming election to decide who would lead New Cov. That didn't phase Thel. The society in which he had grown up wasn't exactly democratic. "It does sound strange," he remarked. "Even if NCBC were to separate from the government, merging with an offworld company seems... extreme. What do the Terallos hope to gain from the merger?"

Omri had mentioned the two head families becoming "bedfellows". Thel wondered if he meant that literally. He glanced at Meleena, trying to gauge her reaction, but she appeared neutral, sitting prim and proper in her chair. Giving nothing away.

Lord Omri​

 

[Lord Omri]

That glimmer of hope quickly grew into a smile. Although for some it may look like merely baring his teeth. Smiling wasn't common practice with the man. Most people found it to be disturbing, but it wasn't as though he cared what anyone thought about his appearance. "I can get you into NCBC. That will not be a problem. Once the elections are over there are plans for a big celebration. I will secure invitations for you."

As for his second inquiry, Omri brought his hands up and steepled his fingers together. "They claim that it's all about progress. But I believe that it's more personal than that. As for N&Z's motivations; well why not gain control over the rarest resource in the Galaxy in the easiest way possible? No war, no hostile takeover. It is simply a supposed 'merger'. And before we know it, NCBC will be no more....." That was Omri's prediction at any rate. And he believed in it one hundred percent.

Tag: Thel Bloodscrawl