The Common Good [Commenor]

[Ras'kala'han]

Lorian would have drummed his fingers, but his arms were currently being scanned by a few remarkably patient and well-mannered security personnel. His clothing was a simple, black surcoat with his company's logo above his heart, worn over a slim-fit, white shirt and slacks. His face was sharply formed and white enough to be cut out of marble. It was only natural, he supposed, to make sure that his limbs didn't conceal any sort of hidden weapon that might be used to assassinate the good Queen in their meeting. Even if this wasn't normal, it was only natural for a developer of military-grade cybernetics - albeit he hadn't expected to be meeting with a head of state so soon, so quickly, so unexpectedly.

Yes, the Queen... Lady President Kay, long may she reign. A figure shrouded in intrigue, yet gleaming like daylight in the public eye. An interesting woman, proprietor of a planet that pulsed with trade... was meeting with him. In spite of his disarmed state, Lorian couldn't help but grin broadly, tilting his head up at the broad, vaulted ceiling of the elegantly constructed Presidential Palace - abuzz with activity, even in this side corridor.

A contract with Commenor's government could be exactly what I need. They're connected with almost the entire galaxy, they trade with the First Order and the Alliance - I could find myself flooded with customers and requests, with everything I need to build a commercial empire.

But he paused. This merited a bit of caution... say the wrong things, and he could end up losing his contract, maybe even imprisoned - depending on how totalitarian the benevolent Queen was. His fathers did business with the Sith, and nearly were asphyxiated a number of times. Worse yet, he could compromise on his ideals - that is to say, get involved with those ridiculous crusades that wracked the galaxy.

How many had died for the insane faiths of the Force? Eriadu, Korriban - would his machines be a part of that? No. No, not at all, not ever - they would elevate people.

He would make man equal to the demigods of the Force, and no longer would some alien power choose who got to rule. No gods, no masters. This was the first step... not that anyone could know. For now, he had to choose his words carefully, and forge the alliance he needed to make to take STELE cyberdynamics galaxywide. His fate was in the hands of a very powerful woman, and a few equally mighty advisors - welcoming him to the great game, be it as player, or pawn.

--
[member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had just wrapped up a successful meeting with the Aegis Initiative. Since her return from captivity, she had developed more alliances. The Galaxy was ever changing and so were the superpowers. Commenor was always a constant amongst the struggles. They were neutral and more or less untouched. It provided her with the most perfect of circumstances, enabling her to do pretty much whatever she wanted.

What was her ultimate goal with Commenor? Was it to make it one of the Galaxy's superpowers? No. Doing so would make them a target to those that were threatened by them. No. It was far better to remain in the shadows, manipulating and keeping things going the way she wanted them to. And with her uncanny ability to rally people to her cause, it was working.

Kay approached [member="Lorian Venalt"] in the hallway. Whether or not [member="Connor Harrison"] had followed her, she wasn't certain. This was her show and her new Minister was just learning the ropes. "Afternoon. If you don't mind, I thought that we could conduct this meeting in the dining hall as I am rather famished. So, shall we?"

 

[Ras'kala'han]

[member="Lady Kay"] arrived in the hall shortly after Lorian had been given his arms back and reattached them. They were nothing special - not even synthetic skin, so he had some sleek, formal gloves to cover them up. The thing he was most proud of was the uniform, modular prosthetic port - one that would allow him to substitute different arms with relative ease, forgoing lengthy surgeries that might delay the process.

He supposed that he should, someday soon, cut off his legs to match.

The scientist normally would have raised an eyebrow at such a casual manner from the woman, but settled for a slight purse of the lips - better to opt for reserve. Lorian, uncertain of the protocol, stood and offered a deferential nod. His stomach gave an anticipatory growl at the mention of food, but he made no mention of it. "Gladly - I suppose it is getting near lunchtime. Lead the way, your majesty."

Lorian brimmed with questions, and his mind and eyes were constantly feeding him answers. Does the Queen have any readily visible scars? Does she have the muscle tone of a warrior, any apparent cybernetics, the golden eyes of a Sith? After a brief period of silence - by his count, she blinked around a quarter-second less often than normal, and breathed at a slightly slower rate, but compensated by the depth of her inhaling, a noticeable but infinitesimal number of numeric aberrations; he made a mental note to write them down later and commit them to memory in case she was replaced by an impostor - he paused. He had lost his train of thought.

After a slightly longer period of silence, on their way to the dining hall, unless she decided to fill the empty space with any idle remarks, he remembered what he had been planning to ask and spoke up.

"I have to say, even after I received your message, I was uncertain that I'd meet with you personally. STELE Cyberdynamics has always been a fairly small-scale company, mostly operating on contract work - what drew your attention to us, your majesty?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay bowed her head in return, smiling as [member="Lorian Venalt"] asked her to lead the way. She heard his stomach growling a little, so she knew that she wouldn't be the only one eating and that was fine.

While she walked she reflected on Lorian's appearance. He had many bionic parts, but she wasn't quite sure if that was on purpose, or due to a battle of some sort. She was 'fully organic' as an old droid aquaintance had told her. Little speckles of yellow in her dark grey eyes were the only indication that she might be a Force user. That was something that she liked to hide from those she didn't trust. All of her scars from her recent capture and those in the past were gone now, healed by both medics and her own skills in the Force. As a Queen, she had to look her best.

As soon as Lorian finished his question, she turned and stepped into the dining hall. The doors were kept open, just as her orders dictated, and the table was set for them with soup and sandwiches at the ready. For drinks there was Sapir tea, Commenor's best brandy and water. Kay sat down at the head of the table and gestured for him to have a seat also.

"I am a fan of the underdogs, Mr. Venalt. Everyone has to start somewhere and Commenor is a great place for a business to grow. And quite frankly, we have none like it so your market share will be quite high." She picked up a spoon and started on the creamy soup. "Tell me more about STELE Cyberdynamics and in what direction you'd like to see it headed."