Lipstick Express

[Dunames Lopez]

Dunames knew that, even though the full tour of First Order worlds hasn't been approved yet, nothing could prevent Star Tours from flying to any one First Order planet so long as it wasn't marketed as a tour with official First Order endorsement, and so the first flight of the Lipstick Express landed on Lipsec after having departed Eriadu. She was a little vain but that was partially a result of selling so many brands of expensive clothing, makeup, jewelry and other luxury items onboard Star Tours flights. She proudly wore her latest pair of Galmia shoes, expensive ballerinas that cost almost as much as one of the turbolasers mounted onboard the modified AT-AT barge she called a Bowser-class ship, painted with a special livery that looks like an extended lipstick.

"Thank you for flying the Lipstick Express by Star Tours and we hope to see you again soon!"

One of today's passengers was supposed to meet with her at the gate regarding a new location. Did that passenger want to use Star Tours for express-mailing each order in gift wrapping, to the extent the clients can be reached via Star Tours destinations? Did that passenger want to use Star Tours to deliver the equipment for a second location? The passenger didn't say anything about why that passenger wanted to close a deal with Star Tours.

[member="Joza Perl"] [member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Claire Organa"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena Choi stood waiting on the platform for the Lipstick Express to arrive; she had agreed to come to Lipsec to help celebrate the ship’s maiden voyage. The celebrity was more than happy to help draw more tourists to First Order worlds, and she was also looking forward to spending a bit of personal time at the Cosmetics Museum. Today she was dressed smartly in a slim black dress that hugged her curves nicely; the hem was cut just above the knee, a length more appropriate for a daytime event. And of course, her outfit was completed with dazzling accessories and high heels. She was currently standing before a large holo-advertisement for the Lipstick Express, and she waited for the ship to arrive.

After a few moments of impatient toe-tapping, she finally saw the ship pull into the port. Marzena instantly threw on her most winning smile and moved forward to begin greeting the passengers as they disembarked. It went without saying that she performed her duties to entertain, waving, shaking hands, and posing for the occasional photograph. The crowd received her well, all of them pleased to meet someone of her stature here in First Order space. As the crowd began to thin as they made their way off towards the attractions of Lipsec, Marzena eyed some of the bags in their hands. She had seen a few women with compacts, lipstick and brushes too. Had Ms. Lopez also arranged for cosmetics to be sold aboard her ship? It was an intriguing thought. Marzena looked up to see that Dunames was present as well, and looked to be waiting for someone.

“Oh, Ms. Lopez,” Marzena called pleasantly, waving to the Tourism Commissioner. “How lovely to see you.”

Long and graceful strides brought her over towards Dunames, and she offered her a friendly grin.

“Well, it certainly looks like the first flight was a success, wouldn’t you say?”

[member="Dunames Lopez"]
([member="Alize Rosenheim"] - when you get a chance )

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"It was a resounding success. Now we have shown the First Order higher-ups that we could expand tourism without relying as much on Bespin as we used to. It would appear that First Order authorities prioritize Lipsec out of all the worlds outlined in the master plan I outlined back on Bespin. As for the cosmetics, there is double the usual stock of cosmetics for duty-free sale onboard the Lipstick Express. However, this being the maiden voyage, the stock will be brought back to normal for future flights; we wouldn't want the passengers to arrive here so laden with cosmetics that they forget to even go shopping for some here"

Lanteeb being on hold while the action on the battlefield unfolds, Skye was next on the First Order's to-do list, followed by Dosuun, Virgillia 7 and Vassek, with Sump being on hold indefinitely. Certainly the customers onboard the Lipstick Express were a little vain, maybe a little too much for their own good. After flying the galaxy to the-Force-knows-how-many destinations, including Bespin, Nar Shaddaa, Onderon, Eriadu, Galtea and, of course, Ringo Vinda, Eriadu, JanFathal and Coruscant, she completely forgot to get a handbag! However, she hasn't been quick enough to purchase a handbag while already having a tiara, a necklace, gloves, and all other accessories she could think about. She could be wearing all the stuff she have now, morph into a Neimoidian female and she would easily be able to go on some undercover mission on Cato Neimoidia or something, provided said mission involved infiltrating the higher castes of Neimoidian society.

Marzena took part in shooting the holoadvertisement for the Lipstick Express, where we see her in front of the endless cosmetics collections of one of Kartika Supermall's department stores, and the holoscreen later fades into what is billed as the cosmetics of a thousand generations inside one of Revlon Hall's many collections. "Star Tours introduces the perfect shopping getaway. Now it's your turn to become the most fashionable person in the galaxy, with all the cosmetics, haute couture, and other fashion accessories you can possibly dream about. Or, if you prefer, learn about the fashion of a thousand generations at the Galactic Cosmetics Museum. Just ask for the Lipstick Express. Visit Lipsec today!" the holoadvertisement reeled in, without realizing that they are on Lipsec and that version of the Lipsec Express advertisement was the one all other Star Tours destinations advertised, even as far away from Lipsec as Ringo Vinda, with a Bowser-class ship painted with the special lipstick livery briefly shown in it. Said lipstick livery was painted First Order-red as far as the aft section of the ship is concerned.

"Remember that it is only the first step in the implementation of the First Order tourism master plan, there will be other vacation packages like this one"

[member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

If Lipsec was just the first step in Ms. Lopez’s plans, Marzena was very interested to see how she would roll out additional packages for her business. And of course, the celebrity was more than willing to lend her name and face to the advertising. It would also be beneficial for her to travel to more words within First Order territory to ensure that her popularity remained on the rise. Perhaps she would even begin to make plans for a small tour; it was time to get back on stage. Ever since her last concert on Lanteeb, she had been on a bit of a break from performing. She had turned her energy towards attending social gatherings, and it certainly was beneficial to network, but it wasn’t the same.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next,” She smiled at Dunames. “While I’m here, I might as well take a look at your cosmetics aboard the Lipstick Express.”

Now that most of the crowd had thinned, she was able to board the ship with ease. Her own makeup collection was quite extensive, some had been purchased, but most had been sent to her care of the most popular cosmetics companies. They knew about her love of everything related to beauty and their free gifts to her came with the high hopes of a celebrity endorsement. However, Marzena was also very picky, and would only give her business to brands that had high quality, brilliant products, and luxurious packaging.

Her eyes carefully studied the brands that Dunames had stocked, most were well known brands and some were very high end, but there were also some that were from more affordable price points. She figured that was a good idea, as most average citizens were not able to go out and spend their hard earned credits so frivolously.

“Very nice selection, Ms. Lopez,” Marzena smiled, “I’m impressed!”

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

[SIZE=14.6667px]It was not often that Alize would choose to enter dark side aligned territory but it could not be helped as [member="Marzena Choi"], a galactic celebrity was rumored to have plans to board the ‘Lipstick Express’. Personally, Alize did not know much about Ms Choi aside from her appearance and popularity since the young business owner did not have much time to indulge herself in popular culture as she was often occupied with expanding her social circles and preparing for a upcoming launch.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Dressed in a white high collared blouse with a ribbon tied around the collar tucked into a high waisted knee length skirt, with simple black kitten heels, and her hair tied back into a high ponytail, Alize was accompanied by Frederick, a conventionally attractive droid with the appearance of a human. Programmed to protect his mistress, the droid with dark hair and eyes who was currently dressed in a slim fit navy blue blazer, on top of a crisp white shirt with the top button undone, grey slacks, and dark brown dress shoes followed Alize almost wherever she went.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]As someone who did not like the waste of time that waiting was, Alize arrived as the last few passengers were boarding the train. Whether she was able to find a seat once on the vehicle did not matter to her, after all once aboard, she did not intend to waste her time sitting around but rather seek out influential individuals to introduce herself to and build a rapport with.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px][member="Dunames Lopez"][/SIZE]​

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"You want people at all levels to come to Lipsec and to be fashionable whatever the budget they have. That's what made Fifth Avenue on Hosnian Prime such a resounding success in the light-sided fashion circles. Lipsec hotels are as much as 50% cheaper compared to equivalent hotels on Hosnian Prime" Dunames told Marzena, after the latter inspected Star Tours' duty-free catalog.

Dunames turned her attention to Alize next. Alize boarded the Lipstick Express next-to-last back on Eriadu, and she was dead last to deboard the modified AT-AT barge. Dunames waited for her to get off the ship while most passengers onboard the Lipstick Express went to either the Kartika Supermall, Fashion Row (which was Lipsec's version of the Shopping District on Utapau or the Fifth Avenue on Hosnian Prime) or the Galactic Cosmetics Museum. But, for all the strategic importance of Lipsec to the First Order, security isn't as high on Fashion Row than on Fifth Avenue, because, unfortunately, Hosnian Prime is closer to the frontlines than Lipsec was.

"I was expecting you, Alize. I am Dunames Lopez, representative of Star Tours. I believe that you may be interested in what Star Tours is about to offer you. Star Tours would distribute Quaint Gardens Beauty products to dark side-aligned territory; the distribution channels you currently use seem to be uninterested in delivering to dark side-aligned territory. You will never see fashion shows like the ones on Lipsec elsewhere in dark-sided territory, except perhaps on Coruscant"

Dunames previously only heard about Fifth Avenue by name, having never gone to Hosnian Prime for herself by virtue of Hosnian Prime not being served by Star Tours at this time. And Hosnian Prime was probably to be the other endpoint of the Lipstick Express, to be flown from Eriadu, rather than being on Eriadu. If only the Republic was able to grant them the permission to fly to Hosnian Prime from any one of Eriadu, JanFathal, Ringo Vinda or Nar Shaddaa! It seems that a conflict with the starport authorities on Hosnian Prime is responsible for why Hosnian Prime wasn't served yet. But Dunames had to wonder whether Quaint Gardens Beauty would be able to make inroads in dark-sided territory. To Dunames' eyes, if she was in Alize's position, she would aim to make it big on Lipsec before even thinking about setting up shop on Hosnian Prime, because Fifth Avenue is notorious for making or breaking a fashion's company turnaround.

[member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

“Hmm?” Marzena turned her attention away from the cosmetics display and looked towards the young woman that Dunames was addressing. Quaint Gardens Beauty? The celebrity had in fact heard of this new cosmetics brand, and based on what Ms. Lopez was saying, this must certainly be [member="Alize Rosenheim"]. Marzena didn’t know much about Alize, but she did know that her company specialized in cosmetics, skincare and perfume... three of her most favorite things in the galaxy.

She turned gracefully and approached the other two women with long strides. Marzena’s dark gaze took in Alize’s appearance, and her first impression was that she appeared quite young. Almost so much that it made Marzena feel a bit old... but certainly not too old. For a moment she even mused that Miss. Rosenheim looked something like a pretty, porcelain doll. And the man she traveled with was certainly easy on the eyes too.

“Good afternoon, Miss. Rosenheim,” Marzena said as she stepped forward after Dunames spoke, “I have heard great things about your company.”

Marzena extended a slender hand to Alize, a bright smile on her face.

“I’m Marzena Choi, it’s lovely to meet you.”

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

While the Republic was not at war with the First Order, it couldn't be said that they were exactly on good terms either. Really, there was little to no rapport between the two powers. Suravi didn't like being in the dark about rising state like the First Order, so she had sent Arisa to poke around in south, just to get a feel for day to day life within the empire. The Jedi and Kiribian agent wouldn't be attempting any espionage on the trip, more or less it was an all expense paid vacation to the First Order. She had even been set up with a traveling company known as Star Tours, to participate in the maiden voyage of one of their vessels on an intergalactic cruise.

For ease of movement across the FO, she had assumed a light disguise and a new identity as Sera Kawano, a well to do socialite from the core planet of Loronor, just another twenty-something trust fund brat ripping and running through the galaxy on the family credit. She would pass the muster of any standard background check, but if she somehow got the attention of their intelligence services, they could figure out her deception without too much trouble. With sealed records, it would be hard to determine who she actually was, just that she wasn't Kawano.

It appeared as though she had picked a good cover, as she soon found herself in the company of the sort of aristocrats she had looked to emulate. She fit in with all the flashy styles on display, sporting a sleek cream and black dress paired with a light grey coat. Her chocolate hair had been dyed jet black and permed to give it a wavy texture. Thanks to her strict diet regime, and access to the Force, she usually had such clear and radiant skin that rarely required much if any makeup - just the sort flawless complexion all these makeup addits would kill for - but now she wore a liberal helping to completely transform her face along with the facial prosthetics temporarily fused to the skin. As a final touch, she had her own fancy gunmetal protocol droid to follow her around.

She knew none of these people on a personal basis, but she did recognize a few as being celebrities. One, in particular, caught her notice, the singer Marzena Choi. She found herself experiencing a small bubble of genuine excitement, as she enjoyed the woman's music. Thanks to Holonet, Choi had a sizable following even within Republic space. Good music knew no boundaries.

It was so tempting to go up to speak with her, but Arisa didn't want to bring any undue attention to herself being in her presence. On the other hand, this could be once in a lifetime opportunity to meet one of her idols. She was so conflicted.

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

OOC​

Spoiler

Sorry about being so slow in my reply. Winter just has this effect on me but I will post more consistently from now on! Promise!

[SIZE=14.6667px]“Thank you for the kind welcome Miss[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px] Lopez, I am eager to see what Star Tours has to offer Quaint Gardens. Although I do not currently distribute to dark-side aligned territory, money is money and I would not be against it if I had assistance of some sort.” Alize smiled politely at Dunames before she was addressed by another.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]“Good afternoon, Miss. Rosenheim. I have heard great things about your company.” Marzena Choi, the beautiful and charismatic celebrity stepped forward with her hand extended and a bright smile. “I’m Marzena Choi, it’s lovely to meet you.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Alize extended her hand in return and wrapped it firmly around Marzena's and shook it. “It’s lovely to meet you too, Miss Choi. However, if I am to be blunt about my intentions, the rumour that you might be aboard the Lipstick Express is what brought me here in the first place. I am going to be quite upfront about this, but as you know, I am the owner of Quaint Gardens Beauty, a company that produces high-end skincare, cosmetics,[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px] and perfume. Although I do not have the time to keep up with popular culture, I have heard much about you and your popularity, and would like to offer you a chance to collaborate with us on an upcoming collection.” Alize maintained her polite smile while she revealed her intent to Marzena as she was not the type to beat around the bush in these kinds of situations, wasting no time when it concerned her company.[/SIZE]

[member="Marzena Choi"] - [member="Dunames Lopez"]​

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena’s eyes widened with interest as Alize revealed her true intentions. Of course, the celebrity was flattered that the young owner of Quaint Gardens Beauty had come to find her on Lipsec. While rumors were tiresome, she couldn’t deny the fact that they could be very useful for publicity. She did admire the fact that Alize was straight forward in her approach; it could be very annoying to put up with the pandering of business types... even if she did like the attention. And the actual offer itself was very appealing.

“Why, I’m honored that you thought of me,” She placed a graceful hand to her heart, “I would love to work with Quaint Gardens.”

Marzena liked makeup so much that she had toyed with the idea of creating her own line, while she did have the credits to do just about anything she would have liked, she lacked the resources in research and development. She wouldn’t have even known where to start on that front. This would give her the chance to experiment, and to get her name associated with a cosmetics brand. It was perfect.

“We can set up a meeting in the near future,” She nodded. “Today I was actually going to visit the Cosmetics Museum; you are more than welcome to join me.”

On her way back out of the Lipstick Express, she bumped into a petite woman with long, dark hair. Marzena noticed immediately that she had a very nice complexion, one that even would envy. She took a moment to take in the woman’s attire, and she approved of the trendy jacket that she wore.

“I’m so sorry about that,” She said, and took the chance to recover by extending her hand. “Marzena Choi, and you are?”

She figured that it would be beneficial to do a bit of mingling on her way to the museum, you just never knew who you might bump into.

[member="Alize Rosenheim"], [member="Arisa Yune"], [member="Dunames Lopez"]

Spoiler

Don't worry, there's no rush

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"The future of the dark-sided fashion world lies here in First Order space. We at Star Tours can ship and distribute QGB products to many dark-sided destinations, including but not limited to duty-free shops in starports across dark-sided space. Plus with Star Tours the merchandise will safely travel anywhere in the galaxy, regardless of whether it is in the light-sided or in the dark-sided space. For costs up to 50 credits per ton of merchandise, depending on distance from manufacturing facilities, we can ship the merchandise and it will arrive in three days to the retailer at most. Since shipping one ton of cosmetics means hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of units, the cost of shipping is spread over many units"

She knew that fashion was usually seen to be an industry that is more prominent in light-sided space even though she always assumed vanity to be an attribute of the dark side. Who was she to judge anyhow, not being a Force-user? Hosnian Prime, Alderaan, Naboo, to name a few of the light-sided fashion capitals. Or so it seems; she always assumed Mandalorians to be light-sided. That petite woman just finished meeting with [member="Marzena Choi"]. But a ton of cosmetics would mean shipping, as she said, hundreds of units in one go if one talks about large perfume formats in crystal bottles. And as many as 10,000 units for lipsticks. Admittedly 50 credits/ton was more than the costs of delivering hypermatter, which, with the Maersk-class, could promise as low as 3 credits/ton for a Bothawui-Dulvoyinn flight, which is far from standard but is Star Tours' first scheduled shipment of hypermatter.

"Look at Sera Kawano here: she knows where to get the best fineries in the galaxy, just like you. And there are many well-heeled, dark-sided clients who would love nothing better than a chance to look at the collections of the Galactic Cosmetics Museum for inspiration, while they shop for said fineries. The cosmetics of a thousand generations and, in the future, to be the fashion accessories of a thousand generations, if the fundraising campaign collects the requisite money and donations, are on display right here on Lipsec, and they would like one unit each of a few products susceptible to be used widely among the general public. For the museum I would purchase one unit each of..."

Dunames was by no means a benefactor of the Galactic Cosmetics Museum but the Museum regularly gets donations from cosmetics companies, especially from cosmetics companies operating in dark-sided space. But she hesitated a moment because she had to look at the catalog carefully before purchasing stuff for the museum.

[member="Alize Rosenheim"] [member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

[SIZE=14.6667px]A small grin appeared on Alize's face when [member="Marzena Choi"] responded positively to her proposal. The verbal agreement had made the trouble of personally boarding the Lipstick Express worth it. "I eagerly await that meeting Miss Choi," Alize nodded politely. "You seem to have an admirer, I won't take up any more of your time and will contact your agency to discuss the details. I will see you later," she said upon noticing someone who seemed to be one of Marzena's fans looking as if she was contemplating whether to greet the celebrity or not and excused herself, pleased with her choice in celebrity. From the excitement that was displayed on woman's face when she looked at Marzena, Alize felt was confident that she made the right choice.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Leaving the fan to interact with her idol, Alize and Frederick approached the woman who was in charge of this excursion. "Miss Lopez, I hear your company offers shipping services to First Order locations and would like to enquire about this service. My new collection is currently under development and I would like to be able to distribute it as many places as I am able to across the galaxy so I am curious as to what your service offers."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px][member="Dunames Lopez"] - [member="Arisa Yune"][/SIZE]​

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"These services actually extend to all reaches of dark-sided space, of which the First Order is but one part. Star Tours' role is to deliver the shipments of batches from the factories to the client planets, where retailers can receive their shipments of QGB products. We can also sell QGB products in-flight. For shipment fees ranging up to 50 credits per ton, maybe 70 for long-distance runs or fragile merchandise, you can have cosmetics shipped in bulk and the costs of shipping will count for very little in the final price of the cosmetics, either sold as onboard merchandise or sold by planetside retailers, because each ton contains thousands of units of a particular product. Are these terms acceptable for you?"

Cosmetics being mostly harmless merchandise as far as their relationship to starship security is concerned, Star Tours felt no need to charge extras. But what Dunames didn't tell Alize was that how they could offer such economics in the first place: mystifying Factory Judges so as to cram more (in tonnage) than what the Factory Judges normally allow them to, especially when the materials pose no real threat to the ship's safety. Hedeek Shipping charges about 150-170 credits per ton from Ession to Lipsec, and about 90-110 credits/ton from Coruscant to Lipsec. Even Maersk Star Freight tends to mostly keep to the FJs' ratings, but they have an excuse: they usually deal with containerized cargo, which is usually more volume-sensitive than mass-sensitive. How they will act with the Maersks in bulk service is, as of yet, unknown. Will they attempt to mystify the FJs the way Star Tours does? Dunames gives a brochure about space freight services and the cost advantage of Star Tours.

"On top of that, with your products sold as duty-free merchandise all across Star Tours' network... your products will tour the galaxy, too!"

[member="Alize Rosenheim"] [member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

"That sounds agreeable Miss Lopez. As someone who does not wish to travel to territory occupied by [SIZE=14.6667px]darksided organizations[/SIZE] more than necessary. I appreciate the service your company offers and would be interested in taking out a contract with your company." Alize smiled, pleased with the rates that [member="Dunames Lopez"] had quoted. “We can begin by negotiating a short-term contract first and decide what we wish to do it has been fulfilled. What say you?”

When her company was concerned, Alize was blunt and to the point with her intentions so that there could be no room for error or misinterpretations of her intentions. [SIZE=14.6667px]After all[/SIZE], wasting the time of another was an act that tended to be frowned upon in the business world so, as a someone who is new to the corporate world, it was important that she was able to craft and maintain a good reputation among her peers.

“If our dealings go well, I hope that over time, maybe our companies can form a more long-term relationship. As a [SIZE=14.6667px]first-time[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px] business owner, I do not like to set much in stone until my company becomes more established so I [/SIZE]hope you understand why I am reluctant to make any permanent arrangements," Alize continued, maintaining her smile.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"I understand that often the turnaround process for corporations would often mean that it is more prudent to ask for short-term arrangements. For three months, starting from the date of the first shipment, you will obtain our shipping services at the aforementionned rates, during which time we will also sell QGB products both in-flight and in duty-free shops in spaceports. Expansion or extension of the services will be discussed at a later date as appropriate"

The new owner of QGB has to ensure the company's turnaround will actually work. Start small, and then move on to bigger and better things once they have taken off. That's how she brought Star Tours back from the shadows of obscurity after centuries. The management of the previous incarnation (4 ABY) failed to capitalize on Star Tours' role in destroying Death Star III... which caused the undoing of the company. In fact the company was already going downhill by 1 BBY, or even 0 ABY.

"If you also want some advertising space, Taking Off on a Star Tour can also, starting from the issue directly prior to date of the first shipment, use some advertising space in the in-flight magazine. I am not like those overpriced cosmetics models: for 1,000 credits a week, no more than 2,000, I can be featured with one product in the duty-free catalogue of Taking Off on a Star Tour for three months. And I know two or three more ladies on Ringo Vinda who would gladly pose with one cosmetic apiece for the same price"

Overpriced? Probably she referred to Anastasia, Elena or even Marzena: she knew best about the First Order fashion world, as compared to other factions. Anastasia would demand a full-page advertisement with multiple products on it, for 200-300k a week, Elena can be had for a third of that price but with similar demands, Marzena she knew not but she knew that 500 credits a week would not do at all. But the Ringovindian ladies Dunames referred to all worked for Ringovinda StarYards, and two of them wrote guest columns for Taking off on a Star Tour at some point, usually the arrival of new ship classes in the fleet. To Dunames she preferred that people featuring in advertisements for duty-free products be people that would actually fly using Star Tours, or work for Star Tours: the overpriced models would rather fly using private craft.

[member="Alize Rosenheim"] [member="Marzena Choi"] [member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

“I find no issues with the prices you have quoted for your services and am prepared to pay you for the shipment and stocking of Quaint Gardens’ products as well as for advertising in darkside aligned territory. I am pleased with what I have seen so far and am hopeful that Star Tours will do well.” Alize smiled and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear so they would not distract her.

“What about the security of the shipments? What precautions does Star Tours take in the event a pirate attack should occur? Are there trained personnel aboard the vessel who will defend the ship against such attacks should one occur?” Frederick interjected and brought up an important subject that his mistress had not yet considered.

With a small nod in his direction, Alize silently thanked him for his enquiry. After all, the security that accompanied the shipment was almost as important if not just as important as efficient delivery. In order for the company to turn a profit, the products must first arrive safely at its distributors' warehouses.

Excited to explore the ship, Alize glanced in [member="Marzena Choi"]'s direction, curious as to whether she was free. Perhaps she would ask Miss Choi to join her if she was available when she asked Miss Lopez to give her a tour of the vessel once her enquiries into Star Tours reached its conclusion.

[member="Dunames Lopez"]​

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"There is basic combat training demanded of all organic flight crews. In addition on all routes there is a contingent of deactivated battle droids onboard every flight, the size of which depends on the danger level of a given route: naturally more dangerous routes have more battle droids onboard, which are activated when intruder alerts are sounded. And, depending on the ship, shipboard weapons can range from a single forward quad laser (Neimoidian Yachts, for the lower-density routes) to an entire set of turbolasers and point-defense weapons (Maersk-class ships). They may not be warships but that ought to help defend against pirates"

On Pullmans and Neimoidian Yachts, that means four flight attendants: for commuter flights, regulations demand one flight attendant for every 50 passengers, whether said attendants are organic or droid. But older Pullmans are relegated to short in-sector hops, where their lack of speed is not as penalizing as it would be on longer low-density routes. That is, until the Pullmans are phased out. Neimoidian Yachts are as maneuverable as bombers, but unlike bombers, the quad cannon can be rotated; this is what the ball turret is for. But installing two dual turbolaser turrets on a Tofolk in addition to a factory-fitted tractor beam was a good move, because that's what's standard on a CR90. And, of course, there was an additional point to bring up: the date of the first shipment. By that date it is likely that Coruscant would be light-sided territory again.

"The terms we discussed earlier all revolve around the first shipment: you have realized that shipment durations, advertising dates revolve around that. We will not bill you for anything other than a security deposit of 5,000 credits until the first shipment arrives. When can we expect the first shipment?"

5,000 credits would cover the first week's advertising costs...

[member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

As Marzena greeted the young woman with black hair, it seemed that a few of the other passengers had wandered over as well. She played the part of celebrity and hostess well, doing her duty to greet each person. She knelt to pose for a photo with a young girl, and she made sure to smile brilliantly into the camera.

“Did you enjoy your trip on the Lipstick Express?” Marzena asked the girl, still kneeling next to her.

The child was suddenly overcome with shyness at being addressed by the singer, but she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She even pulled a small tube of fruit flavored lip balm from her bag; it seemed that the girl’s parents had taken advantage of the ship’s gift shop. It was nice to see. Marzena waved as the family made their way off the ship, and she stood there for a moment to watch them go.

She turned back towards [member="Dunames Lopez"] and [member="Alize Rosenheim"], pleased to see that the two women were engaged in conversation. From the tail of the conversation, it seemed that the Lipstick Express would soon be carrying some Quaint Gardens products... at least for a short time. Marzena felt it was a smart move to have a bit of a trial run first before committing to anything long term.

“Well, it seems you two ladies have been very productive.” She remarked with a smile, coming to stand next to them again.

Spoiler

Sorry for falling behind!

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Alize who was unknowledgeable about such topics glanced at Frederick to gauge his reaction to which he responded to what [member="Dunames Lopez"] said with a curt nod. "That sounds agreeable. I have no further questions," he replied. Pleased with his response and thankful for his input, Alize gently stroked her thumb across his hand as a silent sign of gratitude before speaking.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]"Our first release, a fragrance line is still in the process of being refined by our in-house perfumers but should be ready in approximately a month's time." She replied. "I have no doubt you will honour our verbal contract, so I am excited to see what will come of this." As she finished speaking, Alize noticed [member="Marzena Choi"] approaching from the corner of her eye.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]“Well, it seems you two ladies have been very [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]productive,[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]” Marzena [/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]remarked with a smile, as she moved closer to the two women.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]"We have, Miss Choi. How was your informal meet up with your fans? I believe that you made several people quite happy." Alize grinned having noticed the attention that the celebrity received from the public. “Have you had the opportunity to explore much of the ship yet? If not, shall we see if Miss Lopez here would be able to give us a guided tour of this fine vessel?”[/SIZE]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"Understood, two weeks from now we will meet with a contract draft in neutral territory"

Alliance officials planned for Operation Blackout to last two weeks; if the enemy's supply lines held another week, Operation Blackout will last that much longer. But Dunames couldn't conceive Operation Blackout to last for more than three weeks; two weeks from now, hopefully, there would still be a Star Tours for her to operate. But what would a neutral site be to her by now? JanFathal now that the One Sith evacuated JanFathal (as far as military governance is concerned)? Jakku? Tatooine? Dagobah? Dunames was watching as the return flight of the Lipstick Express was about to begin boarding.

"Since JanFathal has been evacuated by the One Sith in defense of Coruscant, JanFathal may now be regarded as neutral territory"

[member="Alize Rosenheim"]