Give Me a Glass of Water

[Nikolas Faselli]

MANAAN
Objective: Build a Siechel Transystem Outpost/Minery
[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

What happens if a company's owner disappears for months with no knowledge of their whereabouts? At least one certain one managed to stay active, yet fall to the edge of collapsing on its own weight. Which is practically bankruptcy.

After Maria remembered she had a company, there was only one thing to do -- get to work as soon as possible. Her tries of setting up mineries had failed earlier and Siechel Transystem had only done charity work and helped with social services. Now was the time to get active.

Manaan seemed to be a planet with a lot of water and even though it was only seawater, Maria knew the company would be able to work with that and provide a few planets with water from the planet.

But as fool as she was in the subject of business, she decided it would be better to ask help from a person who knew a little bit more of how all of that works. And maybe get some inspiration and lessons for the future. Who knew, maybe she was able to set up outposts on her own after that?

And who else would she invite other than Taeli Raaf, a fellow Jedi.

Waiting for her on Manaan, she stood on top of a platform and just admired the beauty of this translucent liquid she would be working with probably the rest of her life. But that was alright, because she loved water.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

It had been quite some time since Taeli had been on Manaan. The last time she had been here . . . well she had been a different person then. Today though, she had come to help one of her fellow Jedi out of a bit of a sticky situation. As her ship cut through the atmosphere and angled towards the landing pad, Taeli took in how the reconstruction efforts had gone.

For a moment, her mind flashed back to a city sinking, rubble everywhere, death and destruction littering the streets. The skies above the planet alight with explosions and screaming ships. It was nice to see things had returned to a sense of normalcy at least.

Landing, she lowered the ramp and made a mental note she really needed to design a brand new ship eventually. This one was a bit too much of a reminder of the life she had left behind. Looking around for her contact, a smile broke out on her face as she walked over to her.

"Knight Natalja, yes?" she asked, stopping in front of Maria. "Taeli Raaf, at your service. You mentioned you needed help with something about setting up some sort of water operation on the planet?"

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

Maria didn't bother to look away from the sea when she heard and saw the ship landing on the pad. It was not worth using energy to do something which would confirm something that didn't need to be confirmed -- she could hear the machine landing and didn't need a visual to know that. So instead, her eyes were shut on the icy blue of the sea. It calmed the Jedi Knight down. And she felt the best she had felt in a long time.

"Indeed, I am having a little difficulties at setting up a water minery on the planet. I've heard you have a clever head when it comes to business, so I thought maybe you could help me a little bit?"

And then she looked at the woman. Taeli looked stunningly similar to somebody she had met earlier, months ago. But she couldn't quite tell who the person was. Perhaps another Jedi? Because they were the only people she saw for months before her disappearance.

"Manaan is a rich world -- it has something really important for life. Many other world's can't say that about themselves. I thought it would be the best planet to get some water from and get it to those who really need that."

She smiled.

"But all that bureaucracy and work is so new to me."

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Water is the gift of life," Taeli agreed. "It could do much to change the lives of many people on desolate worlds or ones in the Outer Rim. Even just the poor on more civilized world could use a better source of water than what they might get him polluted or corroded pipes."

"What exactly is the holdup?" Taeli asked, looking out over the planet's beautiful ocean. It really was a calming sight, the waves washing gently against the city, the sun nice and bright. "Government bureaucrats drowning you in red tape? Technology to purify the salt water into fresh drinking water? Low on funds to continue the project?"

She could understand how it felt trying to get a company growing and thriving. When she had taken over hers, it had been a touch stagnant and stuck on one world. Now, Aurora Industries was all across the Outer Rim and still growing. She still needed to talk with certain parties in the Republic to begin providing ships and such to them, but she could deal with all of that later.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"The most difficult part in this stage is a way for governments - and people - to allow gathering water from their planet. It has been a problem ever since I took this company over. Once, people nearly killed me for trying to enter a planet's atmosphere to sign a treaty with the planetary government," Maria spoke, the pictures of the difficult time rolling through her mind as clearly as if they had happened yesterday.

"At the current moment, monetary problems are nowhere to be seen, but like you also pointed out, technology to purify the water is lacking. While we have some, I believe it's not enough. Nor did researchers who tested these things."

To be fair, she had actually let the scientists test the technology before she disappeared and she had no clue of their current state. They might have been in an even worse condition had nobody thought of maintaining them.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Ah yes, the red tape of governments, it's always soooo fun to deal with," Taeli replied. The problem with the Selkath, from what she had gathered about their government system, was that one needed to get a majority of their councilors to side with you, or you would be barred from doing business with them.

"Have you spoken with their council yet? The Selkath I mean, as that will be the make or break thing for this project. The technology we can refine as we go, I've got plenty of engineers and scientists that could easily look that over and help develop it," Taeli said, pulling out her datapad from the pocket of her coat. "How big do you want this operation by the way as that could also be a make or break thing for the council in giving you the go ahead or not?"

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"I have talked to them, but they'd like to see a presentation of what we're going to do and how things are going to operate before they give their permission. All I told them was that I wanted to open a water minery here, nothing else," Maria explained, trying to get as deep into details as possible. "So there has to be a lot of work done to make them allow that."

She took a moment to breathe.

"And about the size -- depends on the unit of measurement you want to know. Size, time, importance...?"

The Jedi Knight turned her eyes to the sea again. Why had she taken over the company, she now thought. Does sh really want to do so much of work besides her Jedi responsibilities? Can he manage with that?

She had to manage.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Ah, proof of concept yes," Taeli nodding to herself. It would make sense that the government officials would want to see if the project would work or not before committing to it. "I was wondering about size, time and importance generally evolve from the first as a tiny operation won't take up much time or importance, as compared to a massive project to get millions of water containers out to those who need it."

Looking out over the sea herself, Taeli continued saying, "Have you set up this project elsewhere to use as evidence that the concept works? Or is this your first foray into expanding?"

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"It's my first time to do something like that. I am aspiring to make it a huge thing, but right no it will have to start out as a rather small operation," Maria answered. "Unfortunately all previous attempts to set up something like this have failed, so it's probably not a good sign. At least not something that should be told to the government."

She chuckled lightly.

"I have always planned for it to be a minor water transportation operation-- large enough to provide those in need with the essential water, but not big enough to turn a desert into an ocean."

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Yes, terraforming is always a challenge," Taeli laughed. "Well, I can certainly help you get everything established, from freighters to transport the water to having my scientists go over the technology and improve it. If you want, I can even come with you to speak with the council and provide them with some details on what I can do to make the operation more fruitful for them to accept."

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

Maria thought for a moment, analyzing what she had just heard and trying to find a way not to come off as neither rude or too polite.

"I would appreciate your help. If you could help me with finding the true way which I should go and then I could go on by myself, I would make up for that one day. A helping hand is something I have not had ever since the beginning of the company," she spoke as she turned to Taeli again.

"Well, that is until I get annoying and you want to stop helping me. Just tell me if that happens, okay?" the Jedi Knight continued a little bit jokingly.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Of course, and you wouldn't owe me anything for helping. This is something that helps everyone," Taeli said with a smile. She hadn't meant to come off as giving out too many handouts or directing things, she simply had been rambling as was common for her and her sister. "Don't worry about getting annoying though, I deal with another individual who drives me up a wall at the best of times and I still work with and consider him a friend."

"So, can you show me what you have so far and I can make a few suggestions?" she asked. Seeing the proof of concept or at least seeing if she had picked a site she wanted to petition the Selkath to build or develop her company at might be best. She would also like to see the technology because shipping salt water wouldn't be helpful to others, it would need to be purified before transport.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"Yes, sure," Maria replied. She had chosen a site which, according to her lawyers, belonged only to the government and was currently not used for anything. That was the place where she thought she'd get most of the water she needed would she get the permission to do that.

"We'll have to travel a little bit away from here. There's a place where I have transported all of the machines and technology which would purify the water. Also some other devices for collecting the liquid itself," she explained before she would show Taeli to follow her to a vehicle. "It's also the place I'd like to buy or at least get a permission for mining water from there."

She stepped into the vehicle and waited for the Jedi Master to follow.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"By all means, lead the way," Taeli said, following Maria into the vehicle. She was curious about what sort of equipment and setup the other Jedi had established, but there was a positive that the government had actually allowed her to use a building owned by them. It showed that at least some of the Selkath were interested in seeing what exactly Maria was proposing to do.

"So what made you decide on a water transportation company/charity if you don't mind my asking," Taeli asked. "I mean it truly is noble goal, but you must have had some sort of inspiration or reason to choose that particular avenue."

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

Maria looked out at the salty waters of Manaan before she would answer to Taeli's question. It was quite interesting, she had to be honest. Because most of the things she did -- even the big stuff -- were typically based on plain mood swings and she hardly ever had any reason to do anything. Moving to Umbara, deciding to serve as a senator of the planet for a short time, taking on more than one Padawan at a time... They were all just random bursts.

Yet she had some kind of an inspiration for taking over the company.

"Well, I have felt helpless for a long time -- helpless because there is no way I could aid people more than fighting in wars and performing my duty as a Jedi. To me, it is not very fair that nature does so much against us sometimes."

She sighed.
"Many planets suffer from the lack of water to drink or to use and some have to transport it from other planets due to having covered all possible seas and oceans with a city. I wanted to help and after seeing what a life some people on Tatooine lived, I burst into tears and thought that was going to be what I wanted to do."

"I did some research and found this poor company which had been successful in the past and thought with the help of a wealthy and influential businessman I could get it in my hands."

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"Well clearly you did get the company, just have to get it's flagship program up and running," Taeli said, smiling. "I obtained my company when it was just confined to a shipyard on Coruscant. The Sith who was leading it turned traitor and fled, so to the victor goes the spoils so to speak. All through my time with the Sith, I built it up and it grew and grew until it is where it is at today. No longer with the Sith, and based in neutral space since I made sure everyone got evacuated before I defected from the Sith. I hope to fully expand into Republic space soon though."

Looking out from the vehicle, she nodded to herself as she thought about how many lives might get a little easier if Maria got her project fully working. It would help and save so many to have this drinking water.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"A good deed to come to the Light Side of the Force and bring your company along," Maria commented. It was good to know she was not the only one who had started living a relatively successful life as a Jedi after having been a Sith. She didn't know how long Taeli had been in the Order, but it looked like she had had a rather easy time blending in while she was still frequently haunted by corruption.

"By the way, what does your company do?" she decided to ask. "I am not even sure if I've heard of it."

She looked out again, looking at the sea and expecting to see the platform where she'd left everything soon. Excitement grew inside her as they neared it. It was about to be a good productive day, she assumed.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"We're sorta in a few pies," Taeli said, noting the slowly growing excitement. They must be getting closer to their destination. "We develop mainly ships, droids, and weapons for sale. However, we are also heavily invested in research and development in other fields such as the medical field to help others. Take these for instance."

Flicking a small case out of her pocket, she pulled out her pair of glasses.

"LED lenses that can stream both information from the Holonet and also has a scanner embedded in the frame that can scan an environment or lifeform and tell you a ton of information about it. These little beauties can even pick up which hormones are elevated in a body, while also detailing other things like broken bones, bruises, that sort of stuff."

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"Wow, that's a thing I should buy," Maria said, slightly jokingly. She didn't have much focus to think through what the woman spoke, but she understood these glasses were something amazing and she would need to get these in the future.

The vehicle moved rather fast -- they hadn't even moved for that long, but they were already rather close to the destination. Maria could even see the platform from the distance, though it was still quite foggy and getting there took a little bit more time.

"I am assuming the Republic earned a whole lot from you bringing your company here. It would have caused a slight discomfort had you left them for the Sith to use," she joked again. Or at least tired to.

[ [member="Taeli Raaf"] ]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Maria Natalja"]

"They won't be on sale just yet, but they will be soon," Taeli laughed, smiling a bit more. It was always nice to have her personal inventions complimented, it just made her feel nice that someone actually like what she designed. Looking out the window, she could see where their destination was now, even though fog was obscuring part of it. Not much longer now.

"Oh, it was a bad week for the Sith and companies," Taeli replied, smiling even wider. "We left the same week that Titan Industries left Sith space as well. I'd feel really bad, but as customers go, they weren't the greatest in the world. Something about always wanting to just take the stuff and not pay for it. Go figure right?"