Hapan by for a Visit

[Gray Raxis]

Spoiler

​

It had been over a month since the events at Roon had come to pass. Midway City was no different than it was before and Midway Mine had already been reclaimed by the gang who controlled it when the slaves were freed. It was as if the mysterious message and the events it had led to never happened. The same could not be said though for Gray or the slaves freed from their bonds and now refugees in the Hapes Consortium. He had gone into a near coma for two weeks after he had been rescued. He had awakened several times while he recovered but he didn't become truly aware of things again until after those two weeks. Since then though he had to take time to right himself and come to some sense of stability. It was in doing so he remembered the aid of the Hapan people in freeing himself and the slaves, so when an invitation from [member="Relina Zhan"] the commander of the operation on Roon came to him he was sure to accept.

Gray had left his ship, the Wolf Fang, and his astromech Key at a station in the entrance to the Cluster. He was told that everything was on lock down and strict regulations were being enforced. War ships of every size and purpose were stationed along the few ways into the Cluster as well as constant patrols around it. That was the rumors he had heard at least while he was guided to a shuttle craft. It was taking him to the planet Gallinore where he was to meet with this Ms. Zhan in person. If things were as they sounded to be then he was certain the only reason he had been allowed past the station was because of her personal invitation. All of it didn't matter to him though right now. He just needed to do what he had come here to do which was thank her for what she and her people had done back on Roon.

Sitting in a rather soft seat in the passenger area, Gray had come wearing his clan armor. Dark blue with gray trim and accents, the armor had the symbol of the clan right over where his heart was located. His helmet sat in his lap and his lightsaber, Whisper, was hooked onto his belt. It was the only weapon on him but he hadn't brought it for protection. The little crystal always hummed for him soothingly and did not like to be separated from him. He had to have it on him or else it would become lonely. It had taken some convincing but he had managed to them to let him keep it. He might look intimidating to civilians but to those with experience he wouldn't be. His armor lacked any form of attachments and was simply just a set of armor with basic feature for communication and survival not for combat. A few changes had happened since Roon to his appearance. His hair had been cut short and his beard trimmed up even though it had taken on a rather scruffy look since then. A gray scarf with mandalorian symbols on it was wrapped around his head over his eyes. He certainly looked peculiar to those around him and completely out of place.

Gray had begun to meditate soon after the shuttle had left the station. Centering himself and going over everything he had been through in his life, not just the months of torment, had become his life when he wasn't taking care of his physical needs. He needed it after what had happened. His anger and fear and doubt had consumed him after Roon for awhile and he had recently only gotten to a point he could look past it, but was still not the same. This fact was always on his mind. He did not know how long he stayed locked into his own self when the pilot announced they were approaching Gallinore. He picked up his helmet and placed it over his head then got ready for their landing. This was going to be an interesting day.

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Location: Palace of St. Clavelle, Dimitor City, Gallinore.
Time: 1800 hours

ambient music compilation

The Interior region world of Gallinore, which lay near the border of the Rifle Worlds, was a beautiful world seen from orbit. It was also a very busy one, with many ships coming to and from, space stations and skyhooks in orbit, and even a number of warships on station. It was orbited by two moons and had one sun, but the backdrop of the stars in space anywhere within Hapan Space bore a bright, colourful view of the Transitory Mists; Gallinore was no exception to this and it was true that no Hapan world knew true night as a result.

Entry into the atmosphere would soon reveal the enormous metroplex of Gallinore's capital city, Dimitor, below. The city itself never slept. Its streets and airways were constantly abuzz with activity. Holograms advertising local businesses, national and local news, and military recruitment cast their colourful glow on nearly every street corner. Music was ubiquitous as well, controlled by a local radio station that frequently took requests within reason. Both land and air speeders ferried drivers and passengers alike around the city while even more pedestrians made their way from point "A" to point "B". In particular, the downtown area seems to be the single busiest area at this time of day, as this was where all the popular bars and nightclubs were as well as local events at what was known as St. Clavelle's Square. Dimitor was, pretty much, just like any other big city, albeit probably cleaner, due to the abundance of recycling droids and their Human managers.

At the head of the A-North sector of the city was a hill that terminated at a cliff-face. Upon this hill was an opulent palace structure known as the Palace of St. Clavelle. This was the duchal residence, the seat of the planet's local government. In the Hapes Consortium, most planets were governed by what was called a Ducha, which was the equivalent of a duchess on other worlds with nobility. Gallinore, however, had a pair of twin sisters for co-rulers. Ducha applied to only one of the two and that one was Relina Zhan, who only held the title because she was born five minutes before her more politically adept twin sister, Lady Alessandra Zhan. Despite this apparent mismatch of noble style, the Zhan sisters made it work by deferring to each other on matters the other was strong in; Relina with economics and military matters and Alessandra with politics and diplomacy. The two were inseparable and relied on each other deeply. In fact, they could almost read each others minds, which was likely and possible due to both women being fairly Force Sensitive.

The Palace had its own hangar bay connected to an outside landing pad, the complex itself leading directly to the duchal residence. It was there that the Zhan twins stood, awaiting the arrival of the Mandalorian Gray Raxis. Relina had lead her fighter squadron on a secret mission to Roon a few months back, having been assigned to escort a handful of M.I. 8 agents, the 'spooks' of the Royal Intelligence Service, the 8th division of the Ministry of Intelligence.... and one Royal Office of Naval Intelligence operative among them, of whom she only heard a rumour of a court martial. Of course, she couldn't talk about any part of the mission.

"Your acquaintance's shuttle has entered orbit." Alessandra said, looking at her comm. "What is the story about this one, Relina?"

"I cannot say, Aless. It's classified. But suffice it to say, I wished to meet the man who had sent that transmission." Relina replied.

Alessandra sighed, but would not press further. She knew Relina wouldn't talk if it was classified, although she thought she had an idea, generally, of what the ordeal may have entailed, considering the small band of refugees who had come to Hapan Space looking a bit worse for wear. Those whose families were not around to claim them were given the opportunity to pursue immigration, which meant the governments of all 63 worlds had to be made aware of their existence and legitimacy.

The two women were dressed almost exactly alike. Their hair was done in the same classy updo and the same style of dress. albeit in different colours; Relina wore soft purple and Aless wore cyan blue. They even wore exactly the same sandals in white and by the same designer. Jewelry was spare, as was use of make up and they both used the same expensive, floral perfume. Being that they were mirror-image twins, it would be difficult to tell them apart, since both lacked blemishes that would manifest of opposite sides. However, Relina was right handed and Aless was left handed. their colour preferences were different, however, which was evident. However, their dress design was open in the back enough that Relina's military tattoo was visible.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Sounds. Lots of sounds. And there was even some smells. Gray could be on Dagobah right now for all he knew as far as sights went, since there is only so many ways you can color utter darkness, but every other sensation told him this was a bustling center of civilization and society. It was an onslaught of noises from the various ads constantly repeating themselves all over and the indications of organic life. Foot steps, swishing of dresses, jingling of jewelry, and tapping of metal all spoke volumes of the quality of life here. It was peaceful. This was not Nar Shaddaa where the sight of a man in armor such as Gray was right now was common. This was not Mandalore where armor was as common as clothing to be seen on nearly everyone. No, these sounds and smells spoke of a place more like Coruscant or Naboo or Alderaan. He was glad to know those poor miners were now in a place like this instead of an artificial cave dug into the crust of Roon.

Eventually Gray was brought to what his guide called the Palace of St. Clavelle. Here he was taken up by another to be shown to where this Ms. Rhan was at. Moving through the place he began to notice different kinds of sounds. These were not the steady steps of people living their day to day lives. What he was hearing was the hurried pace of those going about important work. Some wore softer shoes and sandals that had a near complete muffled step while others the heavy tap of armored boots in the rhythm of a guard. He certainly was in a palace right now it seemed. The place even had that smell of one. Perfumes and colognes mixed with plastic and metal and oil. It was pleasant and natural yet synthetic at the same time. Few words were directed his way so he had no idea what this was all about, but he could feel gazes directed his way. He could feel the alertness of guards and that odd curious anxiety of the workers flowing from them all freely. They saw an armored man clearly not of them walking through their halls. He might as well have been a revenant seeking its vengeance for as common a sight as he was to them.

They had finally reached where it was they were going. A knocking on a door, opening of it, and then an announcement of who he was quickly followed after Gray had stopped to wait for the next step. It was now his turn to play his part and despite how little he cared for such formalities, he figured he could fulfill his role in the way only he could. He took in a deep breath in. The force came into him as freely as the air into his lung. He exhaled out the bad and with it his more negative emotions. Looking out with force sight, he removed his helmet from his head as he stepped forward. A friendly smile overcame his lips as he saw the figures of two women before him. It was not perfect images full of details such as color or text like he would have if his eyes worked, but he could make out the shape of their bodies and faces. His helmet came to rest on his right side as he entered the space of what could only be royalty or nobility.

" Like he said I'm Gray Raxis. It's a rare pleasure to be met with two visions of beauty such as yourselves!" Gray said in as friendly a tone as his smile was. " Is one of you two lovely sights this Ms. Rhan that invited me here or will this day be getting even better? I imagine no one is just gonna be Hapan on by accidently here."

An impish smirk cross Gray's lips as he finished his terrible pun. He would have winked as well if he could but the gray scarf prevented any point of doing so. It seemed he could still remember a bit of what it meant to be the old Gray right now, but it felt like he was putting on an act. If he was honest with himself though he couldn't say that wasn't completely untrue back then as well. As much as he hated to admit it, he had put on an act of care free fun for as long as he could remember. It was not what he felt though now or back then. He had just come to be more honest with himself and face what it was he was trying to hide from others and himself more readily as of late.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

The two Zhan twins grinned slightly in exactly the same way and looked at each other at exactly the same time. They could toy with him and ask 'which one?" at the same time as well, but Relina had mentally decided against it. Her sister got the idea as well.

"I am Ducha Relina Zhan. It was I who wished to meet you." Relina said, her voice possessing a thick Hapan accent. Relina was the one that, if Gray had sensed her presence in the Force back on Roon as one of the pilots above, then he might recognise her for who she was... and what a stark contrast was she right now from the rough and tough type of person it took to be a combat pilot, regardless of whose military you belonged to.

The other Zhan looked on patiently, listening and observing the exchange. Relina would motion to follow her. "Come, Mr. Raxis. It is more comfortable inside." the Ducha offered.

The Palace was rather large with many full-sized living rooms for guests and residents alike. The presence of many employees of House Zhan could be felt on and inside the premises as well as perhaps the curves and sharp angles of the modern architecture. It might not have been the original design, since the palace was literally as old as the city itself was, but it was beautiful and bright.

"I am Lady Alessandra Zhan. A pleasure." Aless said, sizing the armoured man up. In her mind, her sister kept the strangest company at times.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Twins it seemed from the way their faces were structured as well as their figures and the mirror like reactions from them. Gray had met a few twins in his time and knew that despite the appearances of them, they rarely were the same in any way other than looks. That didn't matter though as one of them addressed themselves as this Relina Zhan who had invited him here. Her sister remained quiet and just watched them. He kept his face turned towards Relina but thanks to the force sight he was as aware of her movements as he was of Relina's. It was nice that he could maintain some sense of perception thanks to the force, but he was really wishing he could see the finer details of the two.

" Well Ms. Ducha I hope this is for a pleasant visit you invited me for and not some kind of evil trap to steal my heart. I certainly couldn't escape such a beauty as yourself if you did." Gray responded with the impish grin he had earlier.

As Relina asked him to follow, Gray just did so without hesitation. There was no sense of danger about things in any form currently. It was handy to have the force in times when there might be traps as it had a way of alerting you to them at times when you might not otherwise realize it. That wasn't happening now and highly likely never would, but it was still a pleasant thought to have in mind for him. The other twin introduced herself after a bit as well which was met by him turning his head to face her with a smile.

" Well Ms. Alessandra I would certainly never think you were anything but a Lady. Beautiful, graceful, observant. You certainly fit the role well." Gray responded playfully. His impish grin came back as he went on, " Unlike your sister over there. It must be so frustrating to keep the men off of you.... And some of the women." He chuckled to himself after. It felt good to not be so focused on such serious things for a bit.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Relina chuckled, covering her lips with her hand. "Oh, you are a charmer, are't you?" she asked, rhetorically. Gray wasn't unattractive to her, but she was slow to come on to anyone. There was a reason why she was still single and still childless... and it wasn't because of career. Her sister chuckled also, but not as genuinely. She wasn't sure what to make of the remark, although she was sure it was made in good faith.

"Thank you.... I think..." she replied, the last part under her breath.

It was true that the Ducha bore the Mandalorian no ill will. While Hapan nobles had a sordid reputation for underhanded politics and treacherous intrigue, they didn't arbitrarily extend them to just anyone. Typically, such things were reserved for their own and were not often seen by outsiders. Relina herself didn't play such petty games, which set her apart from many of her peers. While she could certainly be a royal pain in the bottom if crossed, both in direct confrontation and by causality of her having her hands in many major things, the woman was reasonable and practical.

As they entered the Palace's side cloister that lead toward an access-way inside, the scent of sweet florals would permeate the air. Servants would move about the place, carrying on their assigned duties as usual. The corridor they walked down would lead to a stairwell that ultimately lead to a wide, luxurious drawing room.

"And so... while I cannot bring up many details of the event on Roon, since it is very classified, I wanted to meet the man who sent the message that had so many after him. I only flew escort duty, so I never got the opportunity before." she said.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Things were going well enough with the two Hapan women for Gray. He felt he had managed to find a sense of his former self if only as an act and it just felt refreshing to not be so focused on himself. The two of them seemed to be enjoying his company although from the sounds of it Relina was more so than Alessandra. The sounds of busy work was all around them as they walked down a corridor towards a new room. The smell of flowers began to fill up his nose as well which certainly was doing a good job of soothing him. That was likely the whole point of it in such a stressful place.

They made it into their final destination and before Gray could really take the room in, as best as a blind man could that is, Relina began to speak. He furrowed his brows a bit above the scarf with a slight frown. He turned his face towards her and said, " I never sent any message. You can't expect a blind man so weak he could barely walk to be able to do something like that in such a place. It was probably one of the miners who did it. I told them I would find a way to help them after they found me down there. Seems one of them used my name in a message and that was what brought so many people to Roon."

Gray got quiet after he spoke. So many thought he had sent the message but he didn't know who did. He wasn't even aware of it until a couple of weeks ago himself. Eventually he pushes the thoughts out of his mind. He smiles as he faces Relina and says, " Speaking of Roon. Thank you for everything there. Those people needed help and you provided it. Your people provided it. I owe you for it so if you ever need my help just ask. When you call I will answer." He gave her a slight bow of his torso and lowered his head for a moment. He was sincere in what he said. If he gave his word then he would keep it.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Relina would loft a brow, remembering the cryptic message and the entire debacle on the planet that was still shrouded in secrecy. So, he didn't send the message, yet had we not appeared, his fate might well have turned out very differently... that can't be a coincidence, can it? she thought to herself.

Alessandra and Relina both found standalone chairs; white fluffy ones near a crystal caff-table adjacent to an old-fashioned style fireplace, albeit with a modern, visually-appealing design. The Ducha would invite Gray to have a seat on the sectional across from them.

"... Interesting... you didn't send the message, yet the lot of those who appeared there that day seemed to think so. They were all looking for you." she explained, selecting her words very carefully. There was still alot about this occurrence that she could not talk about without clearance. However, on the matter of the miners being liberated, that much was already known openly.

"Freeing them was the least we could do, I'm sure-"

"-We are vehemently anti-slavery and have been since the inception of our nation., considering-"

"-we were in that predicament once ourselves.... the chattel of a gang of pirates ages ago. It's why we now-"

"- are politically gynocentric. Not everyone understands it, but, this is our way."

The two would quite literally alternate between each other, finishing each other's sentences. There was a kind of bond in the Force, noticeable to a trained Force Sensitive, between the two that wasn't too dissimilar from the sort that develops between master and apprentice. However, their's was present from birth. The twins could, at times, literally read each other's mind and while they were two completely separate and independent entities with individual identities, they operated on the same mental frequency with thier feelings and thoughts freely flowing between them. There were few true secrets between them as a result. The rumours of 'psychic twins" were true at least in the case of the Zhan sisters.

A servant girl, a young beauty with red, shoulder-length hair in a classy style, entered the room with a datapad in hand.She was dressed in a white tunic with cyan trim with white tights and plushy flats and a few shiny pieces of modest jewelry. She would offer a curtsy to her employers and a respectful nod to their guest. "My Ladies... and guest... is there anything you require?" she asked, retrieving her datapad's stylus.

The twins glanced at each other for a second, then to the servant. "Brandy.... plum." they said at the same time. Their eyes then turned to Gray. Surely he could use a drink, they figured.

 

[Gray Raxis]

The two ladies were completing each other's sentences after Gray had taken his seat. He was not sure if he should be impressed or annoyed by that. The one thing he was sure of though was that they had a connection to each other through the force. A very strong connection at that. He had gotten better at noticing these kinds of things after his eyes were damaged beyond repair but it wasn't until he noticed how much better he had gotten. When the two finally finished though, he noticed they had something in common with him. Neither of them liked pirates all that much and they were anti-slavery.

Before Gray could respond to what they had to say, a new person's voice joined them. It was a woman and she asked if they would care for a drink. The two ladies responded quickly by ordering Brandy in unison. Seemed they were more similar than most twins. He turned his face to the woman though and said, " The same." He liked brandy. It was the drink his mother enjoyed most and he picked up her taste for it. It was the same for his father and scotch. Whiskey though was what was his drink. Thinking about his parents made him feel bittersweet and distracted him a bit. He had to shake it off as the inward turning was becoming too much of second nature for him now. He turned his attention back to the twins and smiled.

" So...why am I here?" Gray asked as he placed his helmet next to him on the seat. He got more comfortable as he went on, " You invited me here when it sounds like things are tense around the cluster and treat me like a diplomat from some major faction in the galaxy. You want something from me, so what might it be?"

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Both women sat back, although reclining in a different way each felt comfortable in. The positioning taken was almost a mirror image of each other. Relina spoke first. "Well, I cannot say I invited you here initially with the desire for something, honestly. I treat all of my guests like this. Typically, as I understand it, even among commoners, when you invite one into your home, you make them comfortable and welcome and offer them the best of what you have to share." she answered evenly. "However, if you want me to name a desire from you, then perhaps it can be one of personal business. I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate profitability and friendly business relations. I trust you have connections to Mandalorian technology, no? As the owner of a Hapan defense contractor corporation, Paragon Enterprises, the company and I have become more and more interested in securing a new, reliable source of tibanna gas, lately. " she added, matter-of-factly. It wasn't her original purpose, but perhaps it was what he wanted to hear.

Alessandra would remain silent, listening stoically. This was her sister's arena. She, herself, on the other hand, was more of a politician, frankly.

"As i said, I wanted to meet the man who garnered so much international attention. The origin of that attention may have been a misunderstanding on my part, but nevertheless, here you are. If you wish to make it a visit that bears something of value between us, then I am open to possibilities, of course." she reiterated.

The same servant returned with a round bottle of clear, pale lavender liquor and three small, elegant tumblers. She would proceed to pour a drink for each of them. Relina and her sister each reached for theirs and raised them to their guest in a 'cheers' gesture.

 

[Gray Raxis]

As the woman who had invited him here spoke, Gray got the feeling something was being left out. There was no real reason for it other than a gut feeling, but it was still something he couldn't ignore. She mentioned needing help with a company project and that her original desire was just to see him. Either of those reasons were valid enough to invite someone here but he couldn't shake that feeling of the heart of the matter not being said. As much as that bothered him, he just smiled to her the whole time and made sure to take in everything she said.

With the brandy now here, Gray took his glass when it was offered to him. He heard the sound of the twins raising their arms. They must have been doing a cheer or something. He rose his glass up into the air and hoped he was right. The first thing he did was put the glass up to his lips afterwards and took a drink. " Delicious." Gray said after with a smile. He held onto the glass between his fingers. What was with him and running into upper class women anyways? It was beginning to feel like it was his destiny to meet them all. As all of this ran through his mind he sort of zoned out. The two of them may notice or may not due to the scarf covering his eyes.

Snapping out of it, Gray said to them, " Tibanna gas you say. I own two different companies and have some connections to others so I can see for you if there is some options. What exactly does your company do? Not the most up to date person right now." He just smiled and tried to stay friendly. This was seeming to lead in a direction connected to all of those ships around the cluster. It was just a hint at it though right now so he wasn't for sure, but that gut feeling from before wasn't going away. In fact it was just adding on more layers to itself.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Relina took her brandy down in a shot, albeit with a slight air of elegance. Unlike her sister, she was a sailor through and through and sort of drank like one. To be sure, she wasn't a stereotype where she intentionally got smashed and got into bar fights. Rather, she drank hard liquor often, but in moderation, usually stopping when she realised she was under the influence. As a pilot, that was necessary for more than one reason. The way she held her glass was like a lady, but the fact she didn't sip like her sister did revealed her particular military influence. Therein lay the conflict between her refined side and her rough side.

To answer Gray's question, Relina said, "Paragon started millennia ago as a biotechnology corporation. We later got our hands into the defense business and split the company into two main departments: Paragon Biotech and Paragon Munitions." She explained. "The biotech side produces medical supplies, select pharmaceuticals, flash-clone prosthesis, cybertechnology, and performs biological research. Paragon munitions encompasses shipbuilding, weapon systems, defense systems, personal arms and armour, and the research and development to produce new and better such things."

She would have another glass, this time nursing it a bit. "Tibanna gas is in short supply as a strategic resource in the Hapes Cluster. It's scarce in our gas giants with Relephon being the most abundant source... such as it is. I am aware of worlds like Bespin that produce it in larger quantities, but I have yet to arrange any meetings with authorities there. Since you bring up my desires that may suggest an ulterior motive, I will be transparent about that much with care not to stray too close to classified information. Suffice it to say, the company is wealthy."

Her thoughts then turned to the freed miners having gain asylum in the Hapes Consortium. "Of those people brought here from Roon, those whose qualifications prove useful to the company have recently found employment with Paragon Enterprises as well, you may be pleased to know." Alessandra spoke up, finally, with a genuine smile with a hint of pride.

 

[Gray Raxis]

" I would avoid Bespin as your source of Tibanna gas. The First Order isn't exactly fine with others using their harder to come by resources so much. Even if they did let you import it from them I have a feeling there would be some reasons you wouldn't want to." Gray responded to Relina before taking another drink from his brandy. " Their tariffs would be high for one thing making it even more expensive than it already is and I doubt it would just be the gas you receive. Trackers, recorders, spies, and agents would likely come in with it or on it. They can't be trusted so just avoid them. I can look into other sources for you since some of my WESTAR employees should know of good places. We don't make weapons of the scale its used in but doesn't mean they wouldn't have heard from those in the same business who do."

Alessandra was the next to speak so he turned his face towards her. Seemed these twins had done more than just free some slaves. He smiled to her and said, " Glad to hear that. Just freeing someone isn't very helpful. You need credits or valuables to live in the galaxy. Slaves rarely have either of those things. The fact you offered them work is a good sign for your people's moral standing." He gave her a nod afterwards then took another drink. His glass had maybe two more left in it till empty, but he wasn't too concerned about that. His biggest issue right now was how he was sounding like a diplomat or adviser or something too much. These twins might want something they were not mentioning, or so he still thought, but they weren't looking for any advise or help. He wondered how much longer though they would feel like entertaining him as hostesses. It was not like they just enjoyed looking at him because he was so pretty. Two large scars on his face and the scarf covering his eyes both would be more than enough reason to not call him that let alone his actual looks, not that he was ugly to begin with.

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Relina lofted a brow. "Yes.... I was unaware that the First Order was in control of Bespin. Knowing that, I shall not consider that world for trade. As far as I am concerned, Imperials and their allies are embargoed by Paragon and, to my knowledge, by the Hapes Consortium anyway." she said, pausing to drink more brandy. "So, just as well. But you mention Westar. I was unaware of your involvement with that company. I have seen some of your arms, in fact. They compare competitively with our own."

Alessandra spoke up in response. "indeed. Their plight was awful, to be sure. Paragon pays well and recognises the value of our employees. Even the lowest entry-level position pays enough, according to localised cost of living, a wage and benefits sufficient to manage daily life...."

"... And, frankly, my head reels when I think of the micromanaging the payroll and benefits department has to do across sixty-three worlds and countless principalities." Relina added.

"A wealthy nation begets wealthy corporations..."

"And feeding local economies from the bottom upward benefits everyone. I have studied other companies on foreign worlds that accumulate wealth competitively, yet the executives see most of it while governments are corrupted by the rest of it, shafting employees below the priviledged executive class..."

"Such corruption isn't tolerated here....Frankly, there aren't many other places, other than charities and large projects, for credits to flow than back downward once it reaches the top, as a result."

Relina nodded in ascent. "Business regulations are tedious and legally, all major corporate financial transactions have to be conducted on Hapes itself, where regulatory officials can micromanage them.... glorious red tape...." she said with a chuckle, the last part sarcastically. "But yes, an influx of new tibanna gas from a reliable source can fuel more turbolaser advancements."