Shop Talk

[Judah Dashiell]

Mon Calamari | Sirene Islands, Dashiell Home | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tropical breezes stirred, blowing through the large deck and patio attached to the house and guest house. Blue stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with yachts and fishing vessels every so often. Judah's keen gaze searched the surroundings, expecting the arrival of a "neighbor" of sorts, one Lady Kerrigan. Both owned property on Dac and Judah suspected she owned a yacht as well. Being a local, the woman was more than likely going to arrive by water craft, pulling up to the expansive dock at the other end of the island away from the large home.


Drinks sat on ice, refreshments were spread out in the kitchen. The two were getting together informally, mainly to speak about concerns in the Silver Sanctum region. Judah was looking to expand. For the most part the Sanctum looked the other way when it came to business, making a fun little playground for new and exciting ideas.


Leaving the patio, he started on the path to the end of the island where watercraft would dock in preparation for his guests arrival.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


The water craft the Lady arrived in was very shiny, but a good deal smaller and less ostentatious than the Viceroy Luxury Yacht she and Tegaea owned. It was an informal meeting with a business partner and friend and his island was not far away, ergo the Viceroy could stay in the harbour. It was often used to impress the natives of Tygara because Siobhan liked it when they were in awe of her.


Regardless, the smaller, sleek craft could be heard before it came into view, for its engines hummed. Today was a beautiful day as far as the Sirene Islands were concerned. There was a gentle, tropical breeze in the air. Green hillsides surrounded the harbour, the clear, cerulean sky, sandy white beaches and swaying palm trees made island look like a paradise, untouched by the conflagrations that so often swept across the Galaxy, consuming entire worlds.


Siobhan's craft docked at the expansive dock, which was well-populated by yachts and other vessels. Her face was shadowed by a pair of sunglasses and a stylish Southern belle hat. White sand crunched beneath her sandals as she stepped onto the beach, breathing in the fresh, unpolluted air. After having spent so much of her life on the thoroughly polluted, toxic Nar Shaddaa, Siobhan could appreciate enclaves of green.


City-planets like Coruscant had elaborate systems that ensured those who resided in the upper levels were able to breathe air that was filtered and clean, but anyone who lived in the lower levels never saw sunlight and breathed in the the air of toxic fumes from the factories. Unlike many Jedi, Siobhan had spent a lot of time in the undercity, away from the sparkling colours, blazing lights and towering skyscrapers.


Jedi. That was one of the reasons for this meeting. Specifically the Silver Jedi and the Sanctum. These names left a foul taste on Siobhan's mouth. Firemane had benefited from its business arrangements with them, but lately it seemed inertia, myopia and mind-boggling foolishness had taken hold.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Having his own small chain of private islands had its perks. As [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] already noted the expensive dock with numerous vessels moored in their harbor. As his wealth grew, so did some of his purchases. There was already the yacht of course, but then there had been a sailboat for Makai's twelfth birthday, the jet skis and and small dinghy for moving island to island since there was water between them. At least, the dinghy was for days when one did not feel like taking a short swim.


Lady Kerrigan arrived looking...well....like Kerrigan. Judah was mildly surprised to see no daughters or aides in tow today. While Kerrigan was dressed to the nines, he preferred the simple and casual, especially since he was at his private home relaxing. Well, relaxing as much as business would allow.


Reaching Kerrigan, he took her hand and kissed it. Siobhan was always far too formal for a kiss on the cheek and Judah was mildly afraid of being slapped.


"You look well. Seas give you any trouble on the way over?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


As usual, Siobhan liked to show off. Her blue summer dress fluttered a bit in the tropical breeze. It contrasted nicely with her flaming red hair. The Countess appreciated the gesture when Judah kissed her hand. Despite - or perhaps because - of coming from the gutter, Siobhan was fond of some rather archaic, feudalist customs.


"Thank. I trust you're well, too? How's Makai doing?" Her tone was soft, she was genuinely interested. "There was no trouble on the seas. It was rather relaxing after I spent an awfully long time dealing with tedious legal issues. Firemane's cutting the knot and putting the warships we previously made for the Sanctum on the open market."


Since the merger between the Silver Jedi Order and the Levantine Sanctum, Firemane had been building the coalition's war fleet. Admittedly there were older designs available and other companies would probably fill the breach, but this would be a major blow. The Coalition's admiral of the fleet had also resigned her commission, followed by several flag officers.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]



"I'm well. Makai is doing fine, should be in school right now." Judah paused to look at his chrono. "Economics if I remember right. He takes a shuttle in every morning to Heurkea Academy and returns in the evening. Great school....debated on a private tutor but I take him on so many trips, he can work at a distance this way if need be."


"What about your daughters? Quite a few in your expanded brood."


The pair were on a crushed coral path now, lined with tropical vegetation and flowers as it meandered back to the home. Judah listened to her concerns about the Silver Sanctum, some he had shared. Salacia Consolidated was planning for the future, buying massive tracks of land on Tabaqui. Soon it would practically fall under their care. Or at least a majority.


"Open market, hm? Could be a boon for business. Frankly the Mandos are knocking on their doorstep and it seems most don't realize it. I'm not overly concerned for the company, I can't say I have been thrilled with either government. "


"Have they reacted to your severing of business relations?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


"That's great. So I guess he'll be moving into the family business one day, huh? My girls are doing well. Galina's starting to get involved in Firemane, getting to know the company and how it's run. Riona keeps me on my toes, but she's a sweetie. To my surprise, she loves Eldorai Church ceremonies."


The little Scion had started to make some Eldorai friends. Much to Siobhan's pleasure, they were from the lower middle class. It lessened the risk of her girl growing up with a sense of entitlement and the belief she was better than other people because she lived in a luxurious villa.


"Oh, and Elpsis says hi to her 'Uncle Judah'," she chuckled. The eccentric redhead was helping look after her aunt's grandkids. The two made their way across the crushed coral. Siobhan's eyes took in the tropical vegetation and lovely flowers.


"So far, the Silvers haven't sent me a disapproving holomail. The cynic in me says they don't notice anything that's not about Jedi. Sooner or later, Mandalorians, Sith or both will pounce on them. You heard about this farce of a trial from a couple weeks ago? It's not the only case of their justice system being a mess. And it seems they're inflicting 'Jedi Protectors' on various planets."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"Not sure if he'll enter the family business, the door is certainly open for him though. I'm glad to hear your girls are well. Galina working at Firemane? Well, she is all but a genius, I suspect great things will come out of any work she does. I have yet to meet Riona but I'm sure you're having fun experiencing the world of a youngster."


A laugh and he shook his head.


"Elpsis is a sweet girl, tell her I said Hello back. You can also mention she can come work for Salacia anytime. I'd love to have her on board."


Stealing the competitions workforce? Not really. Although is Elpsis wanted to see things from a different perspective and Firemane's blessing he would more than welcome the girl into Salacia.


"I heard about the trial. The kid may be a complete idiot but what type of light sided justice force puts a kid on trial with no jury? No representation? No one to look out for his interests? Has me a bit worried. What if one of my workers got in trouble. Myself. Heck, even Makai. Would we be facing a similar trial? Its a bit frightening to think about."


"I haven't heard about these Jedi Protectors. What makes Jedi so great to lead a planet. Wait, are the leading a planet or overseeing it? Either way its concerning. I am not sure I understand fully. Silver Sanctum supposedly has planetary governments and troops, let them do their work. Seems a bit meddling, perhaps a way to oversee or unduly influence."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


Siobhan smirked. "I'll pass it on to Elpsis. Just be aware that she'll probably insist on taking her lion with her! I blame her mother for her fixation on dangerous predators. I've been thinking about Galina possibly spending some with Salacia as an intern or something like that further down the line." New perspectives and all that. "Likewise, Makai's welcome with us." They walked on through the green.


"The trial was ridiculous. Apparently every single Sanctum member or Jedi could show up and question the boy. Sounds like a mob to me. At the end, the Jedi gave him house arrest, but it seems even that's in name only. Eldorai justice is hardly a shining example, but it's predictable." Recently, the Queen had introduced trial by jury because she disapproved of kangaroo courts.


"Jedi Protectors sound like a euphemism for Jedi Lords to me. The party brochure says they'll 'oversee the continued prosperity of the systems under their protection' and 'assume control over security forces should they come under attack'. That's remarkably vague. Here's the fun part: Even a Padawan can be a Protector and get a seat on the Assembly. I can scarcely imagine what qualifies a Paddy to play general or determine planetary resource allocation," her tone was terribly scathing.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]



"Excellent, I'd love to have her along. I'll keep your invite for Makai in mind. " So far his son had been gaining experience through Salacia and some odd work at Arceneau Trade and its associates. Firemane could be useful from a security standpoint.


"Padawans,eh? So twelve year olds telling seasoned soldiers what to do? Doesn't seem right to me. Seems a way to impose the will of one viewpoint on the people. I....I would hate to see if a planet was attacked and a under qualified protector was in charge."


The crushed coral path soon led to an expansive backyard with neat, manicured grass and tropical plantings. A vine covered pergola rested under some palms, complete with furniture and various drinks and food out on ice. Judah lead his guest along, motioning for her to take a seat and help herself as they talked.


He took an ale out of the ice bath and popped the lid off before sitting down.


"Well....I don't know. If I sense some trouble come our way I imagine there will be some push back. Several companies set up way out here. If we leave a good chunk of their economy is gone. Not interested in the business of moving either, its expensive."


"I can tell you I am wary though. I'm not a Forcer. I've seen what happens when they get drunk on power, us regular guys suffer quick due to someone's tantrum."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


Siobhan nodded in response. "The result of giving people a lot of power without teaching them responsibility. It's like giving a kid a rocket launcher. I'm a Force-user, and I can see the problem. I like to think having a non-Forcer wife gives me perspective. Tegs doesn't have superpowers, and she's probably a better person than I am."


Of course, it was another question if Siobhan practiced what she preached. On a certain level, she did believe she was special, but she also had actual experience in business and government. "Suffice to say my constituents are unhappy. Admittedly many Eldorai are an excitable bunch and the ignorant old guard loves to preach fire and brimstone. They've been reassured that we won't get a Jedi overlord imposed on us and I'll be making sure it stays that way. After all that's happened, I'm responsible for these people."


On a certain level, Jedi struck her as cultural chauvinists. Convinced their code was infallible, that they had the right to meddle anywhere they wanted and expect people to fall in line and treat them as heroes.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

From what he had heard, [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] didn't actually seem to think she belonged with regulars like himself. Pulling roofs down, causing all sorts of storms and other mental power induced drama. However he wasn't here to put Kerrigan on trial. She wasn't running for office or in an elected/non-elected position of power. Her company had a great deal of clout, but nothing that was out of the ordinary.


"Everyone in the area should be concerned of course. Part of me wonders if they will throw out non-Jedi or treat us like second class citizens. Can't imagine their own laws ad court systems when it comes to average folks. We all see what has happened to the Republic over the years due to Jedi infringement."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


Siobhan considered Judah's words. "There'd be secession if that happens. Then civil war if the Jedi don't get a grip. Tygara and Firemane wouldn't kowtow and I'd stand with my people. I've seen enough war, but we bled at Ruusan while the Jedi drank tea with Sith. They betrayed their own soldiers," she said scathingly, voice filled with contempt for the 'defenders of peace and justice'.


She was more than a little bitter about the Coalition's disheartening performance in that battle. Most of the actual fighting had been done by dark Jedi and rogues. She remembered herself and [member="Tempest"] protecting [member="Charlyra Araano"] and their troops from a bombing run when the Sith dropped proton bombs on their ruined city.


To her, the Silver Jedi's behaviour reeked of ingratitude. "I don't think they'll try though, if only due to inertia and lack of institutional will. They already struggle to keep their own people in line. Still, it's nice to have another voice of sanity in Silver space outside of Tygara. I trust Tabaqui fares well?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [[OOC : Why didn't you bother me on Skype? This thread got lost in my "pile"]]



"Hmn, they do have trouble keeping their own in line. Bit frightening to us average folk. Don't they take some type of oath? I suppose oaths can be broken. If you're going to hold everyone else to a high moral standard you'd better clean your own house first."


A slight pause.


"Tabaqui fares well. Considering expanding our space holdings there. Trying to keep a lot off planet, we've agreed with the locals to keep it untouched as possible. We could expand a little bit in that mountain range where they have allowed us to upkeep shop. Nothing major and everything would 'fit' into the landscape."


"Beyond that I might address the local council with an idea for a defense force. Just being proactive. Its not like our area of space can count on the SJO.....If we could, would we even want them there?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

[[ * bothering intensifies* ]]


"Speaking as a former Jedi, their oath is a code that consists of nine lines of purple poetry. It's pretty useless as far as guidelines go. It doesn't help that most Jedi have no clue about how non-monks live." Well, in all fairness, Luke had written one that was a bit clearer.


By comparison, the Sith 'oath' was fairly clear: Trample on people because space magic makes you special and acquire a lot of power...because unlimited power! It was the kind of code you could live by...if you were a sociopath. She gave Judah a nod when he spoke of Tabaqui and his new ideas there. In case the dear reader was wondering, this was all before the Sith Insurgency in the Stygian Caldera.


"A defence force would be a good idea. The SJO is unreliable at best and I strongly doubt their commitment to actually defend their people if push comes to shove. Between Sith, space orcs and potential loose cannons among the Jedi, there's reason to be wary. Firemane would be willing to help you set it up. We're also taking steps to fortify Tygara. I believe some form of cooperation could benefit both of us."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"Ah, I wasn't aware. Don't they take classes or something? Seems like a waste of resources if you're going to be spending years learning only to never really put theory into action. The monk thing...They still do that?Thought that was some rumor. Most of 'em seem to be running around with their darkside lovers anyways..."


Judah nodded slowly and took a sip from his drink.


"Cooperation sounds great. Fortifying the sector will be beneficial for us personally as well as in a business sense. I can see the SJO being hesitant to actually protect their own territory. It could be devastating for all we've worked hard to build."


"Will Tygara have problems working with outsiders? Granted, we wouldn't interfere with anything..."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


"The Eldorai have, by necessity, become more open-minded about working with outsiders. I suppose the exodus was a sobering experience for them. The old guard will whine, but in the end they'd prefer it to being dependent on Jedi."


Eldorai were, as a rule, not fond of Jedi. Truth be told, they regarded their beliefs and methods as absurd. "I'll just have to discuss things with the Queen and receive the royal assent, but if there's no outside meddling in Tygara I don't see that being a problem."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"No, of course I don't wan to interfere with Tygara. I doubt anyone else would be too interested in the planet, no offense. I find that the appeal of much of that sector of space. Not as flashy or as 'hip' as some other places, less changing of hands and less worrying about governments interfering with company business."


"Who knows, maybe we'll get more interested in the idea. It has a certain appeal."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


Siobhan chuckled. "I'm quite happy about the lack of competition. There are some things I don't like sharing," she joked. For she was a jealous goddess! By now she liked to think of Tygara as 'her' planet, though there were probably elves who disagreed.


"The SJO nominally controls many worlds corporations have an interest in staying prosperous and unaffected by Force crusades." There was Tion, though Siobhan was certain their little Tionese Hegemony club had been a Sith front, and the old Corporate Sector. "ATC is present in the Tingel Arm, too."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]


"All very true. It might be difficult to justify the expense for some.....The prospect of living in a corporate dream is also a nice thought as well. I'm looking to expand north of Tabaqui. I suppose a defense fleet and a 'search and rescue' or medical transport might be the first steps. Perhaps if it gets built slowly we can keep the Silvers blind to our plans."


"I don't need a war between two groups fighting over some imaginary power messing up business."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


"Agreed. I have no expectations about suddenly ushering in a great 'corporate paradise', but I'd like to be prepared in case two absurd, archaic cults fight it out again," Yes, she actually made air quotes. There were several megacorporations Siobhan did not trust, which was one of the reasons Firemane had avoided entanglements. Such as during the ATC-Republic conflict, the so called Red Dawn Crisis. But in these times, some form of cooperation with select businesspeople seemed reasonable to her, if it was about keeping the space lanes, private property and livelihood safe.


"A small defence fleet and search and rescue is a good start. Orc raids are increasing in frequency, and there's disquieting rumours of Sith and Primeval remnants, so that's enough justification if the Silver Jedi actually take an interest. Not to mention the tension with the Mandalorians since the slaughter on Ilium. I'm told the Silvers blundered into a diplomatic incident at Yavin. Diplomacy at its finest," she said dryly.


"When Admiral Gould resigned her commission in the Coalition navy, many of her flag officers followed suit. So there's a pool of experienced officers to draw from. I also know people who served with the ODF and found themselves without a flag when the OP dissolved." Many had joined the GADF, but not all.