Private Tea of Contrasts

[Zhuan Cao]

Location: Scariff sea front
Objective: Tea
Tags: Hester Shedo
Gear: Ship - Rì chū | Protocol droid

The white hair of the Viceroy blew in the wind that came off of the sea. She sat in a small wooden pagoda under the palms on a private area of the beach. To her front the beautiful sea stretched out to the horizon, behind her was the modern and vibrant capital city, it was quite easy to think you were in two different worlds at the turn of your head.

Between her and her friend and collegue was a lovely traditional atrisian tea set. They had much to celebrate, the Confederacy had declared itself and both of them through their commitment to the cause had found themselves commanding important positions. Shedo as representative of this key world, and Cao as the new Viceroy for commerce. They were going to make so much money, and the people of the confederacy would be all the better for it. That was the hope anyway, there was much to discuss.

 

[Hester Shedo]

Zhuan Cao

Hester gazed out at the shimmering waters of Scarif, the gentle wind caressing her as she sat beside her new friend. The warmth of the sun on her skin felt almost surreal, as if the challenges of the past few months had been nothing but a distant memory. The sea stretched endlessly before her, a comforting reminder of the serenity her world still possessed, despite the tumult it had faced. She was some sixty five years old now, long gone her youth, though expensive surgery kept her looking at least a little vital in her autumn years.

The clink of porcelain brought her attention back to the delicate tea set before them. A traditional Atrisian tea set, intricate and refined, it reflected the blend of old-world grace and new-world power that seemed to define everything now. She looked across at Zhuan, the representative of her own corporate holdings and holder of an important ministerial post and smiled. The Confederacy had done what few thought possible. They had forged new paths and now sat at the helm of this great movement, holding the promise of prosperity for so many worlds, including Scarif.

Sipping her tea, Hester let her thoughts drift, her mind swirling with the progress that had unfolded. The Confederacy's declaration had sent shockwaves across the region, but with it had come rapid development, economic growth, and opportunities that only months ago felt distant. Scarif had weathered its share of storms, but now it stood poised to rise again—this time stronger.

"I couldn't have imagined this a year ago," she said, her gaze meeting Zhuan's. "The speed at which everything has changed is remarkable. Scarif is beginning to feel that momentum too, though there's so much work to be done."

The breeze carried with it the faint scent of saltwater, a reminder of the sea that had always provided a sense of home. Hester leaned back, her thoughts turning to the future and the countless possibilities that lay before them.

"How are you managing with the influx of changes in your own sphere?”she asked, curious. "The Confederacy has brought so much progress, but I wonder how we ensure this pace is sustainable. Have your own holdings adapted smoothly to all this rapid growth?"

There was a pause, as she considered the weight of what had happened and what was to come. Hester's thoughts drifted to Scarif's potential—the renewal of its infrastructure, the opening of trade routes, the possibilities for its people.

"We've been given this tremendous opportunity," she continued, "but how do we ensure it lasts? My focus has been on rebuilding Scarif in a way that balances our growth with long-term stability. I'd love to hear your insights, especially now that you're handling commerce on such a large scale. I want to make sure Scarif benefits not just now, but for the generations to come."

Her words trailed off, leaving room for reflection, as she looked out over the ocean. The horizon seemed endless, a perfect metaphor for the future they were building. Together, they would guide the Confederate worlds forward, but the path had to be carefully laid. There was so much promise—and so much at stake.

 

[Zhuan Cao]

Location: Scariff sea front
Objective: Tea
Tags: Hester Shedo
Gear: Ship - Rì chū | Protocol droid

*NB all of Zhuan's dialogue is spoken in atrisian and translated in real time

Zhuan was pleased to hear so much positive from Hester, Scariff was a beautiful planet and one of her favourites, to have someone at the helm with such a conscientious bent would do the planet well, and would hopefully make Zhuan's relations with her political bedfellow most pleasant. She listened to the translated words from her droid and smiled.

"The corporate sphere is complex, so many moving parts and so many people to consider, often with very different goals, but when I shut my eyes, I see a golden future for our part of the galaxy." she sipped her tea. She had had visions that the next years would be the most important part of her life and she would affect many people, although the details were not within her grasp, she thanked fate for placing her where she needed to be.

"The enemy of sustainable growth is greed, it always has been, why have four percent when five is right there, why have five when you can push that limit and have seven? I feel if we can manage that, then the people depending on us shall thrive."

She paused and looked thoughtful. "I have confidence in Vemric Keldra to allow us enough rope for our success, but not enough to hang ourselves." she laughed, borrowing a phrase from her cousin. A gust of wind blew and white locks whipped across the younger woman's face, she picked it away and turned into the breeze to allow it to bath her painted face.

"The corporate council I am putting together meets soon, I'm quite interested how that will go. I am hoping that my position chairing that will also give me the power to keep the worst excesses of industrialised from rearing their head." to a point of course, she was still a capitalist and very keen on making money, but her gain did not have to be another's loss.