Shock and Talk

[Coratanni Cartel]

Celanon - SSB Station
Jerick Thawne

"Everything set?" Jerick's voice echoed in the empty arena, his eyes slowly panning over the dirt that had been carefully laid out and set upon the soft rubber flooring. His gaze swept over the low walls and up towards the stands, the tables that lined their way around the arena itself and then towards the three VIP boxes that were situated in place to view directly into the middle of the ring.

A man stood behind him, well dressed and holding a small datapad.

"Yes sir, the fighters are ready. The Kitchen is fully staffed and prepped. Bar is stocked. Everything is as you request."​

The smile that touched Jerick's lips was a rare one, a small glimmer of joy touching him for just a moment as he turned on his heel and nodded. He was pleased with himself, more so with the progress that he had made. Since his little foray with Emma, mother and father had granted him more responsibility. He had been running the Cartel's fighting rings for some time and with his recent success they had given him more trust.

He had moved out from the shadows.

No more would he be stuck in dark pits and back alleyways. He had used Cartel funds, mixed with those of SIN of course, in order to open a new establishment; Shockboxing. The concept really wasn't all that different, two people entering a ring and fighting until one was beat. The difference was for some odd reason shockboxing was accepted, where as the brutal pit fights were looked down on.

Jerick didn't quite understand it, but then again he didn't really need to. This place would be his, a brand new arena, a restaurant and a bar all in one. They would see customers from high and low, all of whom would come to watch the fights.

"Fantastic." He mused with a smile, reaching down and buttoning his suit jacket. "Open us up, I don't want us to be late for our guests."

 

[Aeri Vyn]

Celanon - SSB Station
[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

It was a ten-kilometer space station. One of the largest in the galaxy and, if Aeri planned it all perfectly - and of course she did - it would be a space station that would rival Hologram Fun World. At least, in the sense of what will soon become a new series of space stations for the Southern Systems Business Bazaar.

The annual Exposition was naught but two weeks away. In order to ensure that they had complete galactic coverage, all resources had been funneled into the production of these new entertainment space stations. They would be decked out with the latest in holographic technology, clubs, cantinas, hotels, and carnival rides. Along with that would come the normal vast warehouses and exposition centers for displaying the many company booths and panels that would be offered at the semi-annual event.

One of these entertainment venues of course dealt with the more adrenaline rushing sort; shockboxing. A company by the name of SIN Incorporated bought the bid to develop and create a shockboxing arena in the area. Aeri was set to meet them to go over the final details and ensure they had all they wanted. Plus finalize signatures.

Along the list was to meet up with a PharmaTech representative. They were contracting the company to fulfill the vast orders of botanicals, medical bays, and special order flora that would need to be in attendance. Much like SIN, Aeri was checking off her lists and ensuring both contracts were met.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

Jerick pulled the jacket closed, his shoulders rolling in a shrug for a moment as he attempted to settle the cloth in it's proper place.

In truth he was rather uncomfortable in the getup, not used to wearing formal clothing much less an actual suite and jacket. Still, he knew that he had to look his best, especially as he saw the people who slowly began to pour their way into the arena. Most of them were of a higher class, dressed in beautiful gowns and rich tailored clothes that some people could really only dream of. It had been expected of course, this soft-opening of the arena had been catered only towards the rich.

It was a ploy, a way to impress the purveyors of the station and show just how profitable the Arena could be even when it was filled to only half it's capacity.

For Jerick it was a small test run, a show to see if he could actually do this. "The representative?"

"Arriving shortly, a Miss...Vyn."​

Jerick nodded slowly. He had made sure to keep tabs on everything, not wanting to let even a single iota to slip through his fingertips. Slowly he leaned on the railing of the balcony, watching the people slowly move around the arena and find their respective tables.

"Show her here when she arrives." He told his assistant. "I don't want her down there."

 

[Aeri Vyn]

Celanon - SSB Station
[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

Aeri along with her assistant reached the arena. It was one of the many entertainment centers that the Southern Systems Business Bazaar was vetting to be established in their stations. Exposition centers, carnival rides, auction houses, food courts -- the goal was to be able to provide different forms of entertainment for their patrons.

"Erios Ba will be meeting us in the area as well." Erios Ba was the Pharma Tech representative that Aeri was set to meet here.

"It will be nice to see Erios again," Aeri would reply, the corner of her mouth tweaking up. "He always has the best stories."

They would arrive at the arena in the next few minutes.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

Jerick waited calmly, leaning over on the edge of the balcony as he watched the crowd.

There were few things in this galaxy that he looked forward to. Seeing Emma, fighting in a ring, and now this. This was something he had never thought to actually do. He was a fighter, a warrior, not a business man but...but now he had opportunity to do something more. He already felt somewhat proud of himself, before any of this had even succeeded. It was odd, and he wondered if this was how Felix or Nayella felt all the time, working with their minds instead of their fists.

He mused, then turned towards his assistant. "Anything?"

At the same time one of the assistance that Jerick employed at the Arena approached Aeri and her assistant. The woman smiled at the Zeltron, offering her a warm greeting.

"Good day Miss, Vyn. I'm so glad you can join us tonight. May I take you to Mr. Thawne?"​

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

Aeri turned to the woman addressing her. She was a young thing. Likely late teens or early twenties. Well they certainly have them young here, the Zeltron thought to herself with amusement. Ah, but people enjoyed looking at pretty things, Aeri couldn't fault them for that.

Extending her hand and radiating a welcoming warmth that would make her appear easier going, Aeri responded with a, " Greetings."

Well, the girl knew her name but...

"Fantastic. I also have another guest that will be meeting with us. His name is Erios Ba." a hand gestured to her assistant to transfer the details to the woman in holographic form.

"He is a very dear friend," she emphasized, following the woman who would take her to Jerick.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"I'll see to it that he is well cared for and brought to you upon his arrival."​

The girl sounded almost too cheerful about it, but then again that was her job. The Arena, and this entire establishment, was a project of careful touch. Jerick had never run a business before, aside from the fighting pits, and thus he had taken careful measure to do exactly the right way. Felix had given him some input, and a few of his other siblings had suggested things...though he'd ignored all of them save for Mara and Verin. Nikolas had been entirely unhelpful.

"If you come this way, I'll show you to your booth."​

She offered the two women a smile, but turned before they could respond.

Jerick meanwhile was still up in the booth, watching as the arena below began to fill out with dozens of people. They arranged themselves surprisingly quickly, either eager to watch the fights or to eat. He supposed it was likely the former, though people did always enjoy eating. "Make sure the fighters are ready, I want everything to start punctually."

The assistant offered him a quick nod, and then zoomed away.

A sigh escaped the young Thawne's lips, his gaze wandering once more until finally he pulled himself away from the railing. Oddly enough he felt...nervous. It was a silly thing perhaps, but he couldn't quite help but feel like something might go wrong tonight.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

Aeri's long legs would easily keep pace with the young woman taking them to their booth. All the while, the Zeltron let her gaze wander over the area itself. It appeared to be decked out in the latest hologram technology. There were holo screen everywhere of varying sizes, allowing patrons to view the fights in three dimensional images or flat screen.

There were plenty of food options. Alcohol as well. Open areas to eat and of course, as they neared the booths, a wide variety of seating options. From floor seats to the VIP booths that would be attended with assistants and plenty of room to entertain. If there was anything certain, is that the bulk of the galaxy had a fetish with blood sports.

A small knock would alert Jarik of his guest, the young woman opening the door to escort them inside. "Mr. Thawne, this is Ms Aeri Vyn of the Southern Systems Business Bazaar," She promptly introduced Aeri to the young man.

No, not a young man. Teenager.

This was Jarik Thawne? He was nothing but a kid. A pretty one at that. Aeri didn't reflect her disbelief in her expression and instead kept her cool welcoming smile on her face. Extending her hand, she went to shake his.

"A pleasure, Mistah Thawne."

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Vyn." Jerick smiled, trying to be as charming as he possibly could be. The task was actually a rather difficult one for him, he'd never trained in this sort of thing. The young man was far more at home in the fighting pits than he was in a board room, and now that he was standing in front of someone who was...it seemed like he was at an extreme disadvantage. The discomfort in his chest tightened, but he kept himself calm.

In the end he was a Thawne. That was what mattered.

Compared to everyone else he was exceptional, no matter what he was doing. His heartbeat a little faster, but he reached out and shook Aeri's hand. His grip remained calm, and slowly he spoke with a broad smile. "I'm glad you could join us on our first night."

Even thought it was only a soft opening, he was still rather proud.

"Can I get you anything before the fight starts?" The servers would work during the fight as well of course, but it was better to get something before so you didn't distract yourself from the actual event in question. "Drink? Food? We have a wide selection."

Jerick motioned towards his assistant, the young woman offering Aeri a datapad with several options.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

"How about a Starshine Surprise?" Already heavy on the liquour but with two livers, the Zeltron could allow herself to indulge and still maintain her professionalism.

At least the kid had a good shake, although there was no denying the waves of nervousness that seemed to radiate from Jarick. Seeking to soothe, the Zeltron's smile grew wider and friendly.

"What food do you have?" she inquired, those pale lavender eyes appraizing the teenager. He was young. Too young. But there were little tells here and there. He'd broken his nose before. But how?

Also, he was rather pretty. He'd live a well-cushioned life on Zeltros.

"Glad to be here. I am interested to see who your contestants will be." these weren't underground rings. They were professional shockboxers. Amateurs to start, but followed the rules and regulations on knockouts, time, and legal hits.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"I can make that happen." Jerick said with a bright side, motioning for his assistant to fetch the drink. The man gave a nod, and then quickly scurried off. The Thawne watched after him for a moment, then returned his attention to Aeri.

He had met more than a few Zeltrons in his time. Members of the species tended to fall towards more...seedy locations throughout the galaxy, and that had included some of Jerick's fighting pits. They weren't much for the ring, but the ones he had met always enjoyed hanging around the raucous excitement and emotion that broiled within the arenas. He couldn't really blame them for that, he was much the same. He liked being in the arena, fighting, it gave a better surge than most drugs.

At least for him.

"Oh we have quite the assortment. Nerf steak, Bantha, even salads." He mused for a second then continued on. "Though if you don't mind getting your hands dirty I would try the mynock wings."

They were not a common food for those of high society, that was to be sure, but they were Jerick's favorite. "We make with this special sauce, fried, absolutely delicious...though a bit messy."

Jerick didn't have the same charms as Felix. He couldn't read someone and instantly know their intentions, but he was excited about this. The opportunity that sat before him was enough to make him practically...giddy, something entirely out of his normal realm of personality. His siblings would have balked at seeing him like this, though Lucy would love it.

"Most of our fighters tonight are unknown, though we have Garruk Windsbane as their trainer. Our hope is to develop talent in a way that we can eventually create our own headliners." That was why they were also opening up several other arenas in Mandalorian Empire space, though this would be the first.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

“Got any finger food?” Aeri might radiate version of class but she was also a Zeltron; it was all about instant gratification.

“Not actual fingers of course,” she added, amusement sparkling in her lavender eyes when she followed it up with her dark humorous quip.

“Well, so far from the looks of the turn out,” Aeri made a small nod at the growing crowd taking their seats for the soft opening, “Looks like the prospect of a fight has managed to bring in a crowd.” This was good.

In that moment, the young woman who had ushered her in earlier returned, apologizing for the interruption and saying,”Miss Vyn, your guest has arrived.”

“Ah, good, show him in.” turning to Jarick she added, “A PharmaTech representative, his name is Eiros Ba. Figured he’d enjoy the show.”

Considering that Pharmatech would be providing the botanical gardens as a long term contractor for all of SSB’s stations, she wanted to toss Ba a bone in VIP shock boxing tickets.

Who didn’t enjoy free food and booze while watching two sapients knock each other around?

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"Of course." Jerick said with a smile. "The more the merrier."

If he was bothered at all by the interruption the young man didn't show it in the least. This was an opportunity to flaunt just how far he'd come, the arena he'd built was meant to hold twice the amount of people here today, and if one or more people were added it was no skin off his back. In fact it was a good thing. The more people that were here the more people that could spread the word at a later date. It was better for him in the long run, even better for SIN.

As the man approached Jerick stayed silent.

He figured that it would be best for Aeri to make the introductions, if they were to be had at all. So instead he leaned in towards his own assistant and ordered a standard tasting round of drinks, as well as some samplers of the smaller dishes that they would serve ringside throughout the fight.

At the same time the announcer began to speak, his voice booming out from a central speaker as well as several smaller ones that could be adjusted at every table. This way no one would have their conversation interrupted, but could choose to listen in if they wanted to. That was a small innovation that Nikolas had thought of. His brother hated other people interrupting him when he was speaking, a rather...narcissistic quality, though he supposed many of the wealthy would share it.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

"Fantastic." Aeri replied with a smile, although the kid had already turned his attention back towards the ring. The fight would soon commence, and there was a hum of excitement in the air that was practically tangible.

Taking a seat, the Zetlron crossed her legs and simply enjoyed the view. It wasn't long before Eiros showed his face, the blonde haired and blue eyed human catching sight of Aeri's purple maned bob.

"Aeri!" he called out, prompting the turn of the Zeltron's head. At the sight of the PharmaTech rep, Aeri rose to her feet, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"Well look what the Nexu dragged in," standing, the woman went ambling over towards Eiros and gave him a kiss on both cheeks.

"Still looking as good as ever," she added with a wink, turning towards their host to introduce him to Jarick.

"Mistah Thawne, this is Eiros Ba, works with PharmaTech." it was one of the largest pharmaceuticals and botanical companies in the galaxy.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"A pleasure." Jerick said with a smile.

Pharmatech was one of the corporation that indirectly competed with SIN. The little drop of knowledge was something that Verin had shared with him once. SIN was by no means just a pharmaceutical company, they had their hands in everything from pastries to clothes, but it did make some drugs. Most of them were designer of course, legal substances that could be used in clubs and other entertainment sections owned by the company itself.

Though of course, most of the labs weren't really used for the legal side of things.

"Can I get you anything to drink?' He asked the man. "Eat?"

There was no reason not to be polite. This Arena was a grand scheme and if more rich people wanted to visit then who was he to argue? More connections meant more money, and more money meant that he could rub all of this into Nik'sface. That would be fun.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

"Oh I know what he'll want," Aeri said with a wave of her hand, gesturing that Eiros and she would be fine.

"Oh, do you Aeri?" the blonde human would inquire, a brow arching in mild amusement.

"Well, I doubt your taste in drinks has changed much like your taste in men," the Zeltron added, giving her associate a wide knowing grin. Eiros was currently in a new relationship with a paramour, and it was curious to see just where they would end up.

"I take it Ailear has been busy with work as well?" they had both met at a previous Southern Systems Business Bazaar Expo where PharmaTech had been showcasing the newest line of pharmaceuticals.

"As always," Eiros replied, turning towards Jarick. "My, my, Mister Thawne, I must say, I am verily impressed with the area. Is this the first?"

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Aeri Vyn"]

"It is." Jerick was listening intently to the conversation, though he wasn't making it obvious.

The young man was more than pleased to be involved in any of this, it was a good way to learn and further himself. Among his family Jerick had never really been the entrepreneur of the group, that was more Felix's game. Sure Nayella dabbled, but she really enjoyed the numbers more than the actual business.

"I've always enjoyed the sport." He said with a bright smile. "I'm not much of a business man, but I think that's less important when it comes to something you're passionate about."

Jerick chuckled as the drinks arrived. "At least that's what people keep telling me."

It was true in a way. Jerick had made sure that the actual Arena was perfectly set up. The fights were fair, the fighters were treated well, and everything was set up to be a perfect competition. The business side of things? That had mostly been handled by his assistance and Verin. He had watched and learned of course, and he knew a little of how it all worked, but he knew that without the support of his sibling all of this would have gone down the drain.

 

[Aeri Vyn]

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

"Well, then Mister Thawne," Aeri would say, taking her glass and holding it up towards Jerick. "I do believe you've managed to make a success over something you are passionate about."

A gesture would reference the start of the shockboxing fight and the roar of the crowd as they each would cheer for their favorite. Walking alongside Eiros, the Zeltron could only smile wide. It had truly become what they had set it out to be. Oh it was only a soft opening, but it would do. This would become a staple across every SSB location, with the largest arena on the new Naryana Galactic Trade station.

"I believe your debut is a success."

And it was. SIN, Inc had now broken into a larger business. Entertainment.