Friends in Low Places [Jorus]

[Fiolette Fortan]

The Fleetwood was in need of resupply and Kal'Shebbol's Klöcksenburgh Station was the closet one in sight. Fiolette had already beamed a meeting request to [member="Jorus Merrill"]. Turns out as she went through the myraid of equipment and ships that she had built for the First Order. One particular engine stuck out, and given the ever pressing need for good engines in the Outer Rim. She thought she'd offer, for the low simple price of an investment contract of course now that she was stalled out from the First Order. At least, for the time being she needed investors and the Outer Rim Coalition seemed to be the right place to be for that.

No need for formal wear here, here she could get away with a simple pair of trousers, a blaster vest and boots. The blue collar atmosphere of the station left a lot to be desired but Fiolette appreciated it for what it was. Infact she was quite interested in owning the mining company. But those plans would have to wait, the center of the station was where most of the activities went down. It also seemed to be the loudest so the best place to conduct business where no one could over hear. A digny corner bar with the only sign being a neon colored serving girl who you couldn't tell if she was a Twi'lek or a Nautolan.

Steam wafted through the center while smoke and the scent of overcooked Rontho and beer seemed to choke anything else out of the way. The center was crowded with workers going to and from, the sounds of shift alarms and delivery trams made up the rest of the ambiance. Golden hues for lights outside of the bar, inside it was a dark grimy magenta. Fiolette's implants went a little crazy having to adjust but she managed to find her way to a corner table. She couldn't tell if Jorus was here or not, not with the crowd the size it was. Instead she pinged him letting him know that she had arrived and where he could find her.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"...and I'm feeheelin' stroong...I will siiiiiing this vic'try soooong..."

The bar's music demolished the old song stuck in his head. He stopped mumbling to himself, checked his composite beam sidearm at the door, and entered the realm of (ugh) young people.

There'd been a time when he had all sorts of replacement eyes, but that was a body ago. He found himself squinting against the strobes and struggling to make out detail. In this light, Yvarro's red hair didn't stand out. Jorus walked the perimeter until he spotted the retired Grand Admiral in a corner stall.

"We need to stop meeting like this," he said, deadpan. "People will talk." It was the kind of joke you could make if there was obviously zero possibility of anything but friendship.

"How was Nadir?"

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette chuckled as she ordered a round of the local brew. "Oh please, they'd give my life such a lift. I might actually welcome it if I didn't respect you so much." She sat back in the corner stall and crossed one leg over another. "Nadir." She let the name sit on her lips for a moment, "good for business." Her tone was polite but it also meant she wasn't into spilling the details of that business. Except that she had finally come to learn that war was good for business, especially if your business was designing starships that were meant to bring the word violence to its knees. "I had considered what we talked about."

"And, Jorus."

Fiolette paused and let the waitress set a pitcher and two empty pints down, "please you first." She gestured to the brew and continued her earlier thought, "there is an engine that I can sell to you and yours." Straight to business, with the posture of an Imperial and manners of a Galidraani woman. Her shoulders had straightened, back was upright with elbows off the table and a single hand curved around her pint. The other had fished out a tablet from her blaster vest, Fiolette slid it across the table. "I had started work on the third generation but funding stopped when the First Order wanted to focus more on the Mark II revision project."

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Gorram, but he hated small talk. Good thing Yvarro did too. Probably why they got along like a house on fire. Jorus slouched a little lower and started flipping through the datapad.

"Heck, Fiolette, this is gold." He chewed the inside of his cheek and dug a little deeper. "I can hotwire any ship there is, but this is tech I've never seen before, not at this level. I'd heard rumors the First Order was playing with kyber crystals. Ain't this a thing."

He tore his eyes away and focused on Yvarro. "I know for darn sure that Coalition members will pay top talon for this. Kal'Shebbol planetary defense for starters. You just made yourself a fortune in licensing and consulting fees from the rest of your life."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Most would laugh, or smile.

Fiolette's expression remained the same, "Kyber crystals were more of a madman's style of play, Rausgeber for starters. No, this, this makes it plausible to utilize them in more layman terms." She paused a moment to sip her drink. The engine in question had been her crystal fusion engine that turned crystal into electroplasma, in this case frost electroplasma and it could help stabilize matter and antimatter when done in a particular matter that suited her needs. "My goal was to turn us away from traditional engines, making it harder to track. Granted they still leave their own unique trail but, let's say that when I saw this I thought of you."

"The third generation would aim to be more robust and hopefully move away from its old flaw of freezing systems over, part of that third generation is creating our own synthetic crystals."

But [member="Jorus Merrill"] was right, the engine's technology alone would set her up for life, but she wasn't done there. A lot of the technology that the First Order dismissed would be wanted very much so by folks like Jorus and even the Galactic Alliance if she wanted to shop it around to other buyers. But, the Galactic Alliance would have to make due without, the Outer Rim Coalition was far behind the times and often scrapped by with what they had. She wanted to help change that even if it was just an engine or two, or even a booster or two. "Valessia Brentioch started the project, but it didn't turn out the way she planned and when I was going through the archives I found it. Several First Order ships are powered by it."

"If the Coalition is interested, I'd be happy to set up shop here." She gestured around them, "there's another asteroid or two around this station that I can sink a few million into, start up a lab and production facility, provided you guys would help fund the operation of course."

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Heck, I'll invest personally. Made a mint off a deal with Commenor a few months back, plus smuggling some bare necessities through Alliance space. Hadn't figured out where to put the funds just yet. Silent partner's what I'm thinking, if you're down, plus priority access to exclusive toys I can plug into contract ships. That kind of deal interest you at all?"

The more he read, the more this seemed so different from a normal hyperdrive that it might qualify as a whole new kind of FTL. After four decades tinkering with hyperdrives, and building some of the fastest ever, he took serious interest in the prospect of something genuinely new.

"I'm sure the KDF will want to get in on the ground floor too, maybe even the Kari. You ever been to Karideph? Place has more people than the whole rest of the Coalition. They're hungry for tech."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Now a quiet chuckle had gotten about halfway up her throat before it was sequestered under the pale amber liquid of the local brew.

She thought for a moment, a slender finger tipped and tapped against the pint. Fiolette had to get it out of her head, she wasn't First Order, she didn't owe them anything. She had proven that much at Bakura when she let the Cabal have their way with the shipyards. "Sounds like a deal," her lips splintered into something of a feral grin. "I'll be honest and I'm sure you're aware, there isn't too much of the Coalition that I'm familiar with." A beat, "yet."

"I'm in the process of finishing off a deal with the First Order, something that lets me continue to work for them, all the while." She held up a hand and set the pint to her lips. Her days as a sailor were starting to show by the way she drank. The blonde set the now empty pint down and put her hand on the pitcher, "continuing to work outside of their borders. I'll have more toys soon enough once I can get the appropriate modifications completed, we're talking shield systems, weapons - have you... ran across the First Order's Hellstrom?"

She asked for a reason, not necessarily to show off her craftsmanship of a fire support carrier, but rather what was on the ship itself.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"I don't know the name, but I probably know the ship. The databases I use have a pretty comprehensive list of First Order spaceframes, just listed by, say, 'CR-1 type,' 'FR-3,' that kind of thing. This Hellstrom - what's it got? What's the mission profile?"

He made a mental note to look up an in-system lawyer to draw up the investment contract. Force, but this took him back. Better part of two decades ago, he'd gotten in on the ground floor with kolcta by discovering Verkuyl and breaking the Omega monopoly. He'd done that by going into business with Kaine Zambrano and the son of Sirella Valkner. Since then he'd become a Jedi, and sworn that off. What was he now? What, if any, were his relevant obligations - apart from staying close to the biggest technological intelligence coup of the decade?

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Feth it. She set the pint down and pushed it aside.

"If your databases tell you anything, it will tell you the First Order sorely lacked in a proper fleet carrier," and that was true while their navy had borne the brunt of the Rogue Sith at Castameer it had no way of supporting itself. And it wouldn't, at least not until after the Galactic Alliance's invasion of Hoth - and then the gloves were off. "I'll put it this way, it's a fleet carrier with railguns." [member="Jorus Merrill"] was a crafty enough man that he could probably get his hands on the schematics, or scan for them. Either way, she didn't doubt his abilities - much of her time as a naval officer with the First Order was spent trying to shield her boats from enemy scanners and for a good while. Good ol' Captain Merrill had been among the enemy, "she wouldn't work as a Star Destroyer and you'll remember my promise to Valessia."

"So, I made her the size of a battlecruiser and at first glance, you'll think she's a rather large Star Destroyer. Until she's shooting you with her railguns and particle lances that is."

Technology, feth.

"Not even the best part, while developing it I realized that we needed a more secure comm system and one that didn't rely on third-party software. Ever hear of Kiribian Systems Armory?"

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"I know Kiribi a little. Unusual tech base, digital direct democracy, big arms dealers to the Republic and the Silvers. Got tied up in terrorism against Naboo of all places. Never knew much of the specifics. I think the last Silver Grandmaster was from Kiribi, or the one before last. Oh, and they've got a reputation for putting really good anti-slicer software in their gear. I've heard them described as a private superpower but that's probably hyperbole."

The woman who'd misjudged a Wall of Light and burned half a city on Mirial - Arisa Yune - had been Kiribian too, come to think of it. That had been the final straw for him, the reason he'd left the Jedi after a decade of similar incidents. No reason to dwell on that, though, not anymore.

"What comms tech did they bring to the table? I never knew they did business with the First Order."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"It'd been a private arrangement between myself and their proprietor. The person in question utilized Vong-based technology, and in short, the First Order which is constantly in a state of paranoia decided it would be best if we developed our own comm system." She shifted in her seat and adjusted the blast vest, "personally, I've always been fascinated with how the human mind works and so working in conjunction with the best minds that the First Order could offer."

"Biotechnology."

It was all she said and all she needed to say, rumors that the Galatic Alliance had attempted to crack into her own comm systems had been heard. She doubted they could get through KSA firewalls, "and you're right Kiribian is good anti-slicer tech. No way we'd be able to match that, not straight away, we were getting there when I was at the helms of Naval Engineering. Couldn't tell you what or where it would be now."

"Officially, we never did any business with KSA. Unofficially? It took me months to get rid of their software and I'm still in the middle of processing Mark IIs that does not rely on them." Which wasn't an easy affair considering negotations with the First Order had started, stopped and started again.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Vong stuff. Feth. Y'know, I used to have Vong biot eyes. My sister Rave hooked me up with them after some EMP incidents with my prosthetics. She was a Master Shaper. Her files had some weird material around, what's it called - villips. Biotech quantum-entangled comms. I used to play with quantum binary beacons a little, for the Jedi. Rigged an unhackable audio network for chatting with holocrons." He smiled without humor. "Then Corvus gorram Raaf started using it to spy on other Jedi factions. Any secure network's only as good as the people that hold the keys. No wonder rooting out the Kiribian stuff was a mess.

"Let me ask you something. Kiribi - were they selling Dosuun their tech at the same time they were supplying the Republic, the Silvers, and neck-deep in the Alliance's New Class?"

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"I wouldn't put it past their proprietor to be quite honest," Fiolette replied without missing a beat and if the silver of abhorring in her throat was of any indication, "if you ever run into them, please feel free to dispatch their coordinates to me. I'm obliged to return them the favor they paid to the First Order." Personally. Her knuckles tightened into a fist for a moment until she reached for her drink and even then it was more to keep herself busy and not to dig the nails into her skin. "Vong tech... I've not been a fan, to be honest, but quantum? Quantum technology, now there's something that I've been toying with personally. In fact there's a particular moment with zero-point energy where it meets a fluctuation of sorts."

She brought the pint toward her, "boom."

An almost too happy at the mention of boom on her face, "put that with a plasma shaped warhead and you've got yourself a slow moving, but heavy hitting torpedo. Any gunning crew worth their salt should be able to knock'em down but then again, it can be hard to pinpoint it in the middle of a warzone." Which is what she would be hoping for, "so yes, I've certainly got the toys and I'll have to redraw up the schematics I can't violate my NDA, but I'm sure between the two of us we can provide the Coalition with its own unique technology so that it can protect itself against the likes of both the Alliance and the Order."

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"The Coalition's not looking for war or friendship with either party, even if a couple of our people have lent the Alliance a hand. Maybe that's not realistic, maybe someday we'll really need to pick a side. In the meantime, though, we don't line up with either of'em. Too much law and order, too many borderline fanatics, too much spin, too many arbitrary rules. You ever need something smuggled past either one, long as it's not slaves, hard spice, or serious guns, I'm happy to arrange it."

He slapped his knee and stood. "I've got to bail - need to meet my wife. Thanks for sitting down with me. I'll get the money set up, and the orbital permits."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"Understood, Jorus."

She waved him off with a simple toast of the pint in her hand.

Funding would be well in hand and she could finally set up shop to continue work on her engines, which meant discovering a new method of FTL travel. Which would if anything knock the socks off just about anyone this side of the Outer Rim. Third generation crystal fusion engine was nothing to sneeze at but she needed a name, a name that would make more sense and as she looked down the way and noticed the Voith logo. It meant she had another company to buy. It also meant she had had to do some actual production in the way of ships. Chugging down the last of her pint she threw down a few scripts in payment for the brew and scooted out of the stall her self.

"Petrovsky, find me a salvage crew - and get me an appointment with whoever owns this pisshole of a station."

There was a lot of work to be done, and soon.

"Yes ma'am! And ma'am your meeting with Miss Wallace is next week, we should get you to Gilaria."

"Right, right okay I'll get to the Fleetwood soon." She paused a moment as she patted herself down, "oh and Petrovsky can you have Miss Perl be at my villa on Gilaria? I'd like to talk to her in person about her medical ships." Without a certain Miss Var Nabba getting the way, at any rate not that she didn't mind.