Private Profits and Principles

[Ra'a'mah]

Ra'a'mah didn't answer immediately.

She considered the figure for several quiet moments, her expression remaining perfectly composed. There was no widening of the eyes, no sharp intake of breath, no instinctive attempt to counter before the proposal had been given its due consideration. Instead, she looked first at the recent acquisitions, then at Varro, and finally back at Xygrit.

The faintest smile appeared.

"You've been negotiating for a very long time."

There was no accusation in the observation. If anything, it sounded almost complimentary.

"You recognized where I placed value before I did, adjusted your asking price accordingly, and presented it with enough confidence that a less experienced buyer might mistake it for your final offer." A quiet chuckle escaped her. "I respect that."

She rested her hands comfortably at her sides, her posture as relaxed as it had been since entering the room. "The credits themselves aren't the obstacle. If I believed that figure represented fair value, I could authorize the transfer before we leave this room. But we're both aware that isn't what we're negotiating." Her gaze drifted briefly around the holding facility before returning to the Falleen. "You've already told me you don't intend to remain in this business indefinitely, and I've already told you I'm interested in capable people rather than bargains. That tells me this transaction is worth considerably more than today's ledger."

A thoughtful silence settled between them before she continued. "I'd rather establish a supplier than make a single purchase. If your acquisitions team continues finding individuals who would genuinely thrive elsewhere, I would like the opportunity to review them before they're offered to anyone else. I'll pay fair market value for those I believe I can place successfully, and in doing so I'll save you the expense of housing, evaluating, and redistributing people you no longer have an interest in retaining. It strikes me as a relationship that would serve both of us rather well."

Only then did her attention return to Varro, and the faint smile softened into something warmer. "As for him, I think he's earned the right to stop being discussed as though he's simply another line in an inventory manifest." Her eyes met his briefly before returning to Xygrit. "You've invested years into him, and it would be dishonest of me to pretend otherwise. Those years have value, just as the person they've helped shape has value."

She inclined her head slightly, the gesture carrying both respect and quiet confidence. "So my counterproposal is a simple one. I'll pay your asking price for all eleven, not because you've managed to corner me into it, but because I believe a fair agreement should leave both parties satisfied they were treated honestly. In return, I'd like the first opportunity to evaluate future acquisitions before they're distributed elsewhere. If I find people whose talents align with what my organization needs, we do business again. If I don't, you lose nothing beyond a conversation."

The smile that followed was subtle but unmistakably genuine. "I suspect that's the sort of arrangement we both prefer. You receive a customer who pays promptly, values what she's purchasing, and is likely to return. I receive a trusted business partner whose interests happen to align with my own more often than either of us probably expected when I walked through your front door. If we're both careful, Miss Sizhran, this won't be remembered as the day we negotiated over eleven people. It'll be remembered as the day we discovered we work remarkably well together."

Xygrit Sizhran

 

[Xygrit Sizhran]

Objective: Greet a visitor open negotiations
Location: Ylesia Galaxy Resort
OutfitRed Dress
Entourage: Varro and Vela
Tags: Ra'a'mah

Xygrit's smile never faltered. She had expected resistance. She had even expected a counteroffer. What she had not expected was a proposal that looked several transactions beyond the one standing before them.

She gave a slow, approving nod. "I appreciate that you recognize good negotiation." There was a playful glimmer in her crimson eyes. "For a moment I was tempted to remark that I've been doing this far longer than you." The Falleen laughed softly. "But then..."

Her gaze lingered on Ra for a heartbeat. "...you're a Zorren." A small shrug followed. "It occurs to me that we may both be considerably older than our appearances would suggest." The thought amused her more than anything else.

Her attention returned to the matter at hand. As Ra explained why she could pay the asking price but refused to let the conversation end there, Xygrit's smirk deepened. "I see."

A pleased hum escaped her. "So what you're also offering me..." She folded her arms comfortably. "...a reputation." Not merely credits. Not merely convenience. "You intend to make me known as the woman who sells freedom—for a fair price."

The words hung in the air for a moment before she nodded. "There are certainly worse legacies to cultivate." Her eyes drifted across the room, taking in the latest acquisitions.

"I agree." The answer came easily. "It is mutually beneficial."

She tapped a finger thoughtfully against one arm. "My acquisitions team will require... adjustments." A delicate way of describing a substantial change in priorities. "They've become rather enthusiastic about purchasing first and asking questions later."

A quiet chuckle escaped her. "If this arrangement continues, they'll need to become considerably more discerning." Then Xygrit inclined her head. "I accept your proposal."

A brief pause. "With one amendment." She gestured toward Vela, who stood quietly nearby. "My pretty things..." The purple-skinned Twi'lek looked up as Xygrit's hand indicated her. "...are no longer available for purchase." There was no hesitation in the declaration. "No matter the price."

Vela blinked in surprise before a small, grateful smile found its way onto her face. Xygrit caught it from the corner of her eye but pretended not to notice. Her attention remained on Ra. "Administrative talent." She nodded toward the recent acquisitions. "Logisticians." Another nod. "Organizers."

Then she smiled. "Yes…” She let the word linger for a moment, her gaze drifting thoughtfully across the room before returning to Ra. "Those are the sort of people I'll happily send your way before they disappear into my own operation."

She extended her hand once more. "Then we have an agreement." The grin that followed was unmistakably mischievous. "And if this proves as profitable as I suspect..." Her eyes sparkled. "...there are no shortages of acquisitions to be found throughout Hutt Space."

A soft laugh escaped her. "If I'm to make a business of selling to anyone, I'd much rather it be someone who recognizes that the greatest value a person possesses isn't measured by physical prowess alone." Her fingers tightened gently around Ra's hand. "I believe this partnership will be quite enjoyable."

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Ra'a'mah accepted Xygrit's hand once more, the shake carrying none of the guarded uncertainty that had accompanied their first greeting. It was firmer now, marked by the quiet confidence of two women who had found common ground neither had anticipated when the conversation began.

"I think reputations are earned far more by consistency than by intention," she replied. "If people eventually come to know you as someone who offers capable individuals an honest path toward a different future, then that reputation won't exist because we spoke about it today. It will exist because you chose to uphold it tomorrow, and the day after that."

Her smile warmed slightly as Xygrit mentioned their respective ages. "One advantage of living a long time is learning to recognize opportunities that younger people mistake for isolated events." She glanced around the holding facility before returning her attention to the Falleen. "This was never going to be just a purchase. Neither of us thinks that way."

When Xygrit announced that her "pretty things" were no longer available for purchase, Ra'a'mah's eyes drifted briefly toward Vela. She caught the surprise and relief that crossed the Twi'lek's face before returning her gaze to Xygrit, offering a small nod of approval.

"I think that's a wise decision," she said. "Beauty has a habit of attracting attention. Loyalty has a habit of surviving it. One is considerably more difficult to replace than the other."

Her expression grew thoughtful again as she considered the broader arrangement now taking shape between them. "As for your acquisitions team, I wouldn't discourage their initiative. I'd simply refine it. Teach them to ask a different question. Instead of 'What can this person do for the Resort?' encourage them to ask, 'Where will this person create the greatest value?'" A faint smile returned. "Sometimes the answer will still be here. Sometimes it will be somewhere else. Recognizing the difference is where experience begins."

Only then did she glance toward the ten recent acquisitions, before her attention settled briefly on Varro. She didn't linger long enough to make him uncomfortable, but neither did she pretend he wasn't part of the agreement that had just been reached.

"I'll have the funds transferred before we leave your resort," she said matter-of-factly. "Once the transaction is complete, I'll arrange transportation, housing, and employment for everyone from these who choose to accept it. I don't intend to exchange one form of uncertainty for another."

The handshake finally relaxed, though Ra'a'mah didn't immediately withdraw it. "I believe this partnership will serve us both well, Miss Sizhran. More importantly, I think it will serve people who might otherwise have believed they had run out of opportunities." The corners of her mouth lifted once more. "For all our discussion of profit today, that may prove to be the most valuable investment either of us makes."

Xygrit Sizhran

 

[Xygrit Sizhran]

Objective: Greet a visitor open negotiations
Location: Ylesia Galaxy Resort
OutfitRed Dress
Entourage: Varro and Vela
Tags: Ra'a'mah

Xygrit chuckled. A rich, genuine sound. "I can live with that reputation." Her smile turned sly. "So long as no one concludes I've gone soft." There was enough humor in the remark to make it clear she wasn't entirely serious. Not entirely.

Her crimson eyes met Ra's once more as the subject shifted toward longevity. Another slow nod. "Age has a way of rewarding wisdom." She mused thoughtfully. "And punishing those who never acquire it." There was no arrogance in the statement. Merely experience.

When Ra accepted that Vela and other personal slaves were not to be made available, Xygrit's smile softened. She reached toward the purple-skinned Twi'lek without looking away from the conversation, her fingertips gently stroking the length of one of Vela's lekku. The reaction was immediate. A delighted little gasp escaped the Twi'lek before she bit her lip in embarrassment, cheeks warming as she tried—and failed—to suppress the obvious pleasure.

Xygrit's smile widened. "There." She said simply. "That is precisely why." Her hand withdrew. "It would be difficult to replace."

She regarded Ra with quiet appreciation. "It surprises me." A thoughtful tilt of her head followed. "We are two very different women." Different philosophies. Different motivations. "And yet we've somehow managed to arrive at a remarkably beneficial arrangement for us both."

Her gaze drifted toward the gathered acquisitions. "As for my agents..." She nodded once. "They'll need retraining." Another amused breath escaped her. "They've become very good at identifying bodies." Her smile sharpened. "They'll need to learn that a purchase is considerably more than a piece of meat." That distinction, Xygrit suspected, would become the foundation of this new venture.

She gave another quiet laugh before releasing Ra's hand. "I pride myself on being an excellent judge of character." Her eyes held Ra's steadily. "As far as I'm concerned, this deal was completed the moment we shook hands." She waved one hand dismissively. "The contracts, transfers, and accounting are merely details." A pause. "Arrange the logistics whenever it suits you."

The Falleen's expression relaxed into one of genuine satisfaction. "I also believe this partnership will prove quite lucrative." She grinned. "I still prefer my profit measured in credits rather than good feelings." A playful glint entered her eyes. "But..."

She shrugged lightly. "If word spreads that Xygrit Sizhran purchases slaves only to find many of them opportunities for freedom elsewhere..." The grin became almost impish. "...perhaps the Jedi and every other self-appointed do-gooder in the galaxy will become just a little less interested in interfering with my other enterprises."

She looked toward Varro. The green-skinned Twi'lek stood quietly, still trying to process how dramatically his future had shifted over the course of a single afternoon. Then Xygrit looked back to Ra. "There is no need to rush away immediately." One elegant hand gestured toward the upper levels of the Resort. "You are my guest." Her smile returned to its effortlessly luxurious warmth. "Enjoy everything the Galaxy Resort has to offer."

Then, with perfect timing, she nodded toward Varro. "He would be delighted to show you around." Varro's eyes widened slightly. Xygrit's grin only broadened. "After all..." She turned and began walking toward the exit. "...he's your employee now."