Let's Secure My Nubian Ass-etts

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Some time had passed since Sera had first stepped foot in to the CEO position of Nubia Star Drives. Many products, both new and old, had been brought back and into the galaxy. From everything to the smallest of starfighters to the impressive Bastion class light star destroyer now employed by the galaxy's finest military. A board meeting with her peers would be held today to discuss the necessity to protect their company and its' investment in the Galactic Republic. It had become a rising concern of the fellow board members to locate a suitable secondary shipyard for which to continue construction of their starships in the event that a hostile takeover of the Republic's southern hemisphere came to light. That just wouldn't do, now would it? Absolutely not. Sera couldn't have those filthy Sith taking ownership of her belongings to dissect and use against the Republic and the Order.

A soft puff of air pursed through her lips as she sat in her seat within the main conference room within the HQ of NSD. The debate over where to place this new location and the cost of the endeavor would be the two primary topics of discussion today, followed by just how quickly this could be accomplished. The company would bleed funds for a time, but it would secure their future with the Republic once complete. All that was left to do now was to wait for the others to arrive.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The board stumbled in slower than expected. Likely because they were already filling their heads full of the woes of financial transactions towards the red and not the black. Two colors of sincere importance to a room full of directors and VPs. And boy did they hate red. This was going to be a day of days. Smiling to the group of much older men and women as they filed in and took their seats, she remained standing until the last sat down. She drew in a deep breath before starting. A quick nod to her assistant and the door would close.

"Thank you all for coming. I'll get straight to it as I know this is going to be quite a discussion. I seek the funds to secure our presence at another location. While I understand that this is a costly endeavor, one which will bleed our revenue for some time, we cannot ignore the threat we face as a company by operating solely from Nubia. This is our HQ, and always will be, make no mistake. However, we are on the far edge of Republic influence. Out here, we're at risk. We are at risk of the Sith invading. But not only that, we are at risk of the old saying that goes something like never put all your eggs in one basket."

She turned back to the board behind her, and lifted the cover to unveil her fiscal plan to accommodate the expansion, and a location of choice circled on a hologram of the galaxy. The location circled?

The Roche Asteroids.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Confused eyes glanced around side to side. Sera looked on as they each took in the information being presented and muttered words back and forth. After a few moments her CIO raised his hand and spoke.

"Ms. Shel'tah? May I ask on behalf of the board, just why you plan to build another branch at Roche? Isn't that the home of the Verpine? Are you certain they will be OK with this?"

A fair question. One that she had prepared for. "True, it is on the polar opposite end of Republic space from us here. However, that provides us with ample security of our technological assets and designs. I have recently visited the Verpine at Nickel One, and aided them personally from a natural disaster. I suspect they would welcome us to build there. Not only that, but they are technological masterminds. This is what they live for. Perhaps we can even hire some of their engineers to work for us. They are impressive innovators."

The man lowered his hand and nodded, seemingly appeased with her response, if not entirely surprised. Though immediately after another would stand, she knew what the CFO would ask before he spoke. "What do you propose as far as size of this location? Production limits? Budget?"

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"I will provide each of you with the full datalog of information regarding the costs of this expansion.Your datapads will each receive a copy of the proposal momentarily." Sera nodded to her assistant who obliged, transmitting the data directly to the other members present in the room. The shipyard to be constructed at Roche would be roughly the same size plant as the current NSD location, and able to construct all of their current vessels, with a slightly slower production rate when operating solo, however as a pair production would vastly increase, able to produce and procure more ships at a much faster pace for their customers.

"Additionally, we will be able to deliver our shipments of vessels at a superior speed, encompassing two distinct areas of Galactic space. Our revenue will more than double and our costs will be covered in full in short order. Is this a gamble? Like all things we do, yes. Do I believe this is a safe, calculated risk? Absolutely. We stand to make so much more money for the company, and to secure our financial and physical assets which I am certain will help everyone sleep better at night, no?"

Sera nodded and gestured toward their datapads and advised them to look over her proposal and get back to her in an hour with any questions or comments before they proceeded any further. With that, she dismissed her team.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

When the board reconvened a few hours later they seemed a bit more relaxed, though the series of questions that followed would seem just the opposite.

"Ma'am, I believe that in order to get this approved financially, we're going to need to stake collateral to our financial investors. What do you propose?"

The Twi'lek rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand while she thought for a few long minutes. Eyes were on her, waiting for her response while she thought over the possibilities.

"I will put in 20% of my shares down as financial security. We will then back 50% of the expansion through internal revenue. The remaining 30% will be backed by a corporate loan through the Republic. The total cost will be slightly higher than if we backed this entirely through internal revenue, however this will only put 50% of the risk on the company itself, with a guaranteed 50% backing from myself and the bank. Does this sound agreeable to you all? That should appease the investors."

Her CFO nodded, jotting down a few notes before he stood. "I will take this to approval immediately. I will return shortly." Seraphina nodded and bid him farewell as he exited. One of the biggest hurdles would be completed then. Next would be commissioning the construction of the new location.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"We'll need to get in touch with a team to begin the design and construction of the Roche location. I will leave that to you all to identify a suitable team as my knowledge on that subject is limited. If we need a go-between for the Verpine and the company I will offer my services, however I suspect that when we contact them, if we make mention that the company is held by myself, and specifically requesting their aide with this project they will oblige. They are a very accommodating people, and like I mentioned earlier, incredibly gifted techologically."

The Twi'lek turned back to the board once more and outlined the total estimated costs of the construction, the manpower, the design, the materials and start-up costs. All in all it was less than the others had originally anticipated which was a victory in and of itself. The remainder of the discussion would be spent over who would manage the new location, if a new team was to be hired or if the existing one would be split and divided. This was all less concerning and important information that could finalized down the road. For now, the most difficult aspects had been worked out, and the framework in place to move forward.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Three months later

After spending a number of months overseeing the Roche field site and observing the progress being made to construct the facility, Sera began the work of reassigning engineering teams, QA groups, and restructuring the board of directors locations to be split between the two locations for which they would equally manage, however the Twi'lek was not of the mind to keep all the eggs in one basket, or in this case, keep all of the squabblers in one room.

The facility was nearing completion, and the construction crews were working hard with the Verpine to establish their presence and to also begin hiring local workers for research and development, given that this was a highly technological race, advanced in engineering, science, and quantum mechanics. If nothing else, she had selected prime real estate for both insurance and expanse purposes. If all went well, they would have a flourishing relationship that could only grow stronger with time.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Two months later

With the construction finally completed, Sera walked the halls of NSD's new manufacturing and research factory alone, observing the architecture for the first time in true fashion, taking in the sights, looking over the equipment that would soon be put to use, running her hands over the shiny new furniture and glancing at the artwork within the offices' walls which soon would be littered with thousands of workers. If there was one thing she was proud of, it was that she could provide work to those in need, and would hire anyone capable and willing to perform.

The Verpine seemed eager to assist with the project as well, with the thousands of job applications already sent in before the plant was even finished construction, to the tens of thousands now pouring in from all over. It was surely going to take some time to filter through everything and sort out the applicants and interview them. As Sera continued walking along the manufacturing line she made note of additional changes that would need to be implemented back at the HQ factory in order to increase production that it seemed to be lacking due to the dated equipment. Tapping on her datapad she recorded the information and sent it off to the board members for review.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The interview process was the most grueling portion of the entire process. Over 27,000 enthusiastic Verpine applied to the various positions at the factory, ranging from engineers to architects, to assembly technicians, cleaners, storage and warehouse workers, and administrative assistants. The vast majority of jobs would be filled rather rapidly, while the prestigious roles, such as that of the designers, engineers, and R&D researchers would be more thoroughly vetted, compared, and singled out to ensure the very best were hand picked to take up the mantle of continuing the Nubian name and brand.

After the hiring teams had processed the workers and the entire team of workers were contacted, they assembled in the large main factory floor to discuss where they would report to for their new positions, were handed individual keycards to access their respective divisions, assigned supervisors and shift leaders, as well as deployed the schematics of the vessels currently in production that would soon be split between the two plants, and would begin testing of the first assemblies. Three weeks of training would be provided to all new workers and overseen by a coordinator from the HQ of their respective division to ensure proper QA during the transition.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Finally the task had been completed. Over 9 months of discussion, planning, design, preparation, construction, and training had drawn to a close. With the work force trained, the R&D section open and in communication with the HQ back on Nubia, the plant officially launched, starting first with splitting the burden of production and assembly of the current production products, hyperdrives, and starships. Along with that, the board of directors were separated into two teams, economic, which focused solely on the business side of things, the growth of the company, sales, negotiation, and oversight, while the second team focused on R&D, manufacturing, and design. Each team were positioned at opposite locations, and began HoloNet calls to discuss important matters. Occasionally one member of each team would travel to the other location on rotation to ensure there was constant communication between the two, while Sera frequented both as often as possible.

The relationship with the Verpine were beginning to flourish as she had hoped, allowing the native species to observe their technology, implement their own, and begin creating new schematics for future tech, vessels, and products to be sold by the company. All in all, it ensured the safety of the company in the event of invasion of one location, as well as expanded the overall growth of the business, and provided thousands of new jobs to the natives that could assist with the incorporation of further advanced technology on future products.