Private The Lion's Mane (Invite Only. PM me)

[Heath Valhoun]

HMS Shi-Cho
Docked at the Sluis Van Central Space Station
Neutral Space
1400 Galactic Standard Time
​

Heath Valhoun stood on a platform within the Makashi-class ship, HMS Shi Cho, leaning over the rail, overlooking a small party of individuals. They didn't look like they belonged together. Some were aliens, flanked by guards one may find at a Hutt Palace, while others were humans dressed in their best attire and no guards. At first glance one may assume the group was nothing but gang leaders, or loan sharks. But the assumption would be wrong, for these were The most powerful men within The Elysium Empire. Indeed, among this group were the rich and powerful of The Empire. For example, Arken Dobson stood in the middle, wearing his black suit with its' signature Lion-shaped, metallic pin on the left side of the collar. Also within the crowd, Heath's daughter-in-law via arranged marriage, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , member of the powerful Arenais family, and owner of the influential MandalArms...perhaps the largest Mandalorian company in the galaxy.

The group had gathered together for one reason, and it was perhaps the only thing they could all relate to: Business. Heath had given everyone here concessions to earn their allegiance, and he had stayed true to his word. Loreena Arenais was given significant responsibilities within the Empire, a way to prove herself as her brother's equal. Arken Dobson....Heath gritted his teeth. Dobson had played him like a fiddle, at first Heath had simply given the man a percentage of all profits, and a few senate seats. But the man had taken this small gift and turned it into a massive tumor within an otherwise healthy Empire. He had about a fifth of the Senate seats, and he had made thousands and thousands of credits off Heath and The Empire. But Heath's hands were tied...he needed Dobson. The man oversaw almost every financial transaction within The Empire, militarily and otherwise. Sure, Heath could fire the man, but Dobson would likely take the records with him and without records and data -including annual profits and expenditure- The Empire would have a financial crisis on its' hands.

But he would worry about The Dobsons later. For now, Heath needed to focus on the reason they were all here. Sluis-Van had massive shipyards, shipyards that had prospered for years under many Empires and Republics. Now the planet, and its' shipyards, were uncontrolled. It was a battle for influence and Heath planned to win it. He would have the best there were in the business sector meet with the owner of The Shipyards and his advisors. Heath would lead the negotiations and the businessmen with him would advise him, and help him make an offer to win the owner of the shipyards over to The Empire. Hopefully this time there would be no significant concessions.... ​

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken Dobson and his assistant, Mortimer Mercal stayed put as people came to him. Many of the business owners, small and large, within the empire approached, making small talk, or paying tribute and then left him to go see other attendees. He knew everything about every business in the empire. He helped to create most of them after all. The entire Elysium Empire economy was a fragile gearbox, and his Consulting Firm was the pins that kept the gears in place. If he removed but one pin, or investment, or contract, the whole gearbox could grind to a halt and the nomadic Elysium Empire would starve to death in days. He liked to keep it that way.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , the bane of his empire, and beside her, Dorthea Dobson, his traitorous daughter. Those two had recently hindered his scheme to enact production regulatory agencies that answered to him and him alone. His agencies were still at large and his brokerage was still strong, but those two women had proven to others that his brokerage services were not essential and that small businesses could go straight to the source for certification. That source being the King. The king that belonged to Arken.

He would see about those two when the time was right. For now, he needed to help new members get settled in and get acquainted with old ones. Old Ones that he preferred.

 

[Cruk Tuk]

The insectoid was certainly not the first of his kind to grow to a position of power, many had done it before. He just pushed a little further in how much control over his own hive he had. He felt them too complacent at his time, and had made efforts to change that. They had to have purpose, goals, action. He was giving it back to them. Making an industry of their knowledge like many times before. And in those efforts he came to work with the Elysium Empire. He didn't care too much what their morals or ultimate objectives were, so long as it served his and his hive, it didn't really matter. Industry was the path and the destination and the Elysium Empire was an excellent route.

So here he was, among other beings of business. Whatever their species they all had at least that much in common. What were with him weren't necessarily what he could call 'guards'. Four Common Battle Droids trailing him, armed with common blaster rifles. In such small numbers, they would serve him rather little purpose. He was armed of course, better than his droids were. And the only way that he'd even consider them remotely more capable than him in was cost and the lack of a need of oxygen. No, he didn't bring them for protection. Just as a convenience.

He observed. Ultimately, their positions weren't unlike those of the aristocrats. So long as they weren't any less intelligent, that was fine. He'd navigated that world before and still navigated the world of business, their differences in species would be another factor to be considered, but that too was involved when it came to battling or finagling his way to where he was now.

And to do that, one had to understand the rest. There were certainly options, others in business would be useful, but he could reach out to them outside of this particular meeting if need be. There were others instead whose attitude and methods needed to be understood, one of those was Arken Dobson . It was clear his position was valuable. It was clear with how people acted around him and he stayed put, that he considered himself valuable. So he played along, just as he'd done a thousand times before.

He approached the elderly man, and as he spoke, his vocodor around his neck would do the translating to basic. Too many organics did not understand his language, and droids were often too slow.

"You certainly do not seem to have a lack of attention." He said, "Out of curiosity, are you the type that tries for the new. Are are you the type that takes hold of what already exists? Change and alteration, or tradition and structure?"

Cruk had his own opinions on how he'd formed the question, there was rarely anything as simple as absolutes when it came to answers.

Equipment:
Beam weapon (on his back)
Personal Energy Shield
Translating Vocoder (Around his neck)
Static Pike

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Shipyards. That was what drew her here. MandalArms and it's subsidiary MandalMotors would do very well to secure at least a portion of those shipyards. If anything it'd be another facility for her to use in addition to the three that she already had.

Dorthea insisted on coming along, knowing full well that Arken Dobson was going to be there. Whether or not he was requested to do so by Heath Valhoun , the senior businessman and politician was sure to be there.

Lori already knew that she didn't like the man. She had decided that when he had sent Dorthea to one of her facilities in a bid to try to allow him to set up an office for 'quality control'. But it was more like control over her business. Lori knew that she was a threat to Arken, and made so all the more once she had denied him his wishes.

Yet they had arrived on this business vebture together. Hopefully Heath's presence would keep Arken at bay, or at the very least on better behaviour.

Cruk Tuk had approached him, causing Lori to breathe an inward sigh of relief, as he'd have the man distracted. Which gave her the opportunity to speak quietly to her father-in-law. "Don't dishonour these people by giving them to Dobson. Let them take pride in their own success and use that to help your Empire. Just as I do..."

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

The HMS Shi-Cho was at minimal combat readiness as it began mooring to the Sluis Van station with tractor beams and magnetic hawsers. Force Commander Burtch was on the bridge overseeing the docking operations with only a small handful of officers that were on duty. Among them was a channel pilot that they had picked up on the edge of the system, and Commander Treyfa, performing excessive diagnostics checks on the fire control. Burtch could tell that something was bothering her. She was always obsessed with her fire control and it wasn’t uncommon for her to be here, even when off duty. But something in the way she was working told him that she was trying not to think about something.

He put it aside in his mind for now and keyed a circuit at the talker station that would put him through to the King’s private channel, “Your majesty, the ship will finish mooring procedures in a few minutes. You will then be free to disembark at your leisure.”

He then keyed off the circuit and walked over to his chief gunnery officer and pulled up a seat, “what’s wrong, Commander? You’ve handled tougher missions than this.”

Commander Treyfa shook her head as if he irritated her with the question, but her voice was normal, “I don’t like the situation, sir. We’ve seen what Dorthea’s father is like and we know that MandalArms won’t fall in line with the Dobson Logistical Consulting Firm.”

Burtch nodded. He figured he already knew the problem. Treyfa considered Loreena Arenais-Valhoun to be a personal friend after they had shared a jetpack race on Myrkr. After the race, Lori had gifted Treyfa a one-of-a-kind, pre-production model jetpack. Treyfa wouldn’t take it well if something ever happened to Loreena.

He stared at her until she looked back at him and he bored his eyes into hers, “Lieutenant Commander Dobson is a pain in my rear… everyone’s rear. But she knows her stuff. I can assure you that if anyone will be looking out for ‘MandalArms’ and it’s leader, Dorthea is the girl for the job. Neither of us is in a position to be any good there, but Lieutenant Commander Dobson is what you and I can never be. She’s political. The best thing we can do is look after the ship that protects them and trust our esteemed Chief Quartermaster to protect Lori. Can you do that?”

Treyfa just nodded, but the concern didn’t leaver her eyes, “Yes sir”

He didn’t know what else to say. He got up from the chair, put it back, and went back to pretending to observe the channel pilot as he worked. He didn’t like this either.

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken noticed as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun maneuvered to speak to the king while he was “distracted” by Cruk Tuk . Let her pretend to play politics. The King will tire of empty warnings and idealistic young women with “ideas” soon at this rate. He focused his attention on the Geonocian and his questioning.

“I am a man of mutual benefit. I understand investment and I know how to make my friends rich and I know what I like. I understand you are new to the Elysium Empire? You own a formidable manufacturing firm, am I correct? How are the regulatory agencies treating you? Are they giving you a fair shake?”

He was truly interested in the Katitik Hive industry. He typically liked Geonocians. They were industrious and innately respected the need for great sacrifices to make great gains. They didn’t get bogged down in idealism, and were a great fit for a potential partnership with the Dobson Logistical Consulting Firm.

 

[Cruk Tuk]

Though he was aware of other things going on, he didn't need to concern himself with them right now. More importantly was keeping attention to the present situation and his discussion with Arken Dobson.

Mutual benefit, well, that rather was the requirement if he expected to work with others. He did have more clarification, if by a little. Get what he wants and make friends rich. Short. And his own questions. "You are right on most of those, essentially. We are new to the Elysium, but production has already gotten underway with pre-approved products with the Empire. And I am the Hives Alpha, ownership is a reasonable term. What level of formidable though has not yet been determined, since we haven't been in a sufficient war to see where we stand." he said honestly. There was no way to perfectly know that without it being tested, and it simply hadn't. They'd risen well, and produced well, but that didn't mean that they were formidable. It just meant they hadn't seen the right competition. In Cruk Tuks mind anyway. "As far as regulatory, I wouldn't know. If what we sell doesn't fit the regulations someone requires, then they will have to purchase elsewhere. Or present their own designs and funds, for us to produce them. I don't quite understand the regulations I know some systems have, too many rules about the producers more than the product. Slow things down, weaken the people and the products. However, that is not often an issue, since our current primary facilities are very mobile. Many bureaucracies are simply too slow, if they bring themselves to object, we've already moved on."

He knew he had to be careful around here. These were, afterall, the businessmen of the Elysium Empire. He didn't have a desire to get on anyones bad side, nor under anyones thumb. Neither were particularly good for industry. Or at least, not the one he wanted.

"What about you? What are your opinions, or interactions, with regulations? Your position seems very solidified, which gives you an advantage in individual groups. Where-as our advantage is to simply choose someone or somewhere else, when we need to. Less over-all control, but more always more options."

Arken Dobson

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken smiled at Cruk Tuk with his eyes. His mouth didn’t smile often, but he responded to the Geonocian’s question with a tone of approval, “ah good. My consulting firm has a brokerage department that helps manufacturers get in contact with regulatory agencies that suit their production needs while helping our products qualify for export. With my firm’s help, I can prevent you from having to deal with too much red tape and make your quality control processes almost entirely painless. I do it all the time. And they way you describe your company, makes me think you can help the Elysium Empire in an equally beneficial way…”

He paused for a second to form his words in his head. A serving droid passed by with an assortment of drinks on a tray, so he casually reached for two drinks from the tray in a calculated motion to “punctuate” his statement. One drink, suitable to humans, stayed in his hand, but he offered the other drink, which was suitable to insectoids, to Cruk Tuk , “I have a product in mind which could use a company with your dispositions towards speed and profitability, if you are interested. It would be a big project, and the Elysium Empire would be most indebted to you…”

He hoped his earlier statement regarding “mutual benefit” was still hanging in the air, and he hoped Cruk Tuk was curious and greedy enough to ask. Business people that did not have sufficient greed were horrible people to make deals with, so he couldn’t say what he wanted unless the geonocian showed signs of genuine interest.

 

[Cruk Tuk]

A smile, of sorts anyway. Cruk listened to his suggestion, presumedly a means to more quickly bypass the complications of getting things approved for purchase. It would certainly be convenient, however, there were always risks with making deals that gave over any control to someone else. He would need to proceed with caution, "There is the possibility that arrangements could be made to hasten processes. However, it would be in the form of advisory positions, or within particular chosen deals. The Hive will not accept outside authority over what we are permitted to do unless forced to." he wanted it clear he was quite willing to work with others, but not to hand over control. After-all while the Hive did plan to primarily produce for the Elysium, many of their products were still available by individual parties.

Cruk watched as Arken grabbed a drink suitable for a geonosian, he was knowledgable in more than business alone. That was important. It might be minor, it could be just a tidbit he picked up. Or it could be that he was a legitimate professional, someone who really knew what he was doing. It made it all the more productive to work with him if that was the case, which Cruk was inclined to believe. He nodded as he took the drink, listening at the next proposal, "If you have the designs and the funds, the Hive is ready to get started, we are always eager to continue in production and maximize our output. Though you no doubt would know, our specialty remains in the machinations of things, droids, weapons, and ships. If you are interested in biological advancements, we have some knowledge but are not the masters. Naturally, we'll still need to be paid more than just the minimum for constructing it. But I'm sure that is possible."

He was quite eager to hear what this big project was that Arken had in mind. As of yet, they had produced relatively few major construction works. The biggest project they had undertaken thus far was the Operators which they now used as their base. Something difficult, whether in numbers or size, would be good for the Hive. Naturally, the payment was vital. There would always be costs, always be unpredictable damages that needed to be repaired. But the Hive must be industrious, it cannot grow complacent.

Arken Dobson

 

[Arken Dobson]

Satisfaction settled in Arken’s eyes. Until now, there hadn’t been any real major manufacturers with real business sense in the Elysium Empire. Veinstein Labs was a science lab first and a builder second, so their priorities were arranged as such. And MandalArms was too idealistic to work as a team player in the Elysium Empire economy. Here before him was a real builder that wanted to make money. And this Geonocian had come to the right man first. Good sense, this one.

“The Dobson Logistical Consulting Firm can act as a buffer and an advisory commission to help you keep outside influence from meddling in your business. That is the point of our brokerage, and unfortunately sometimes people get the wrong idea. Loreena Arenais-Valhoun over there,” he gestured to the young woman talking to the King, “tried to bypass my firm and go straight to the king for certification. She produces fine enough ships, but without my firm for streamlining, her production is very limited and our military suffers for it. Which brings me to my next point, and my offer…”

His eyes twinkled in a brighter mouthless smile at the Geonocian named Cruk Tuk , “Here is my deal. If you help me secure Dobson regulatory services and logistical resources on Sluis Van, I can give you not one, but two things: One, I can get you solid contracts to make Mass Production variants of our powerful naval warships, which will be profitable to you and beneficial to our growing military. Two, I will use this to help you secure a majority of our shipyard spaces here on Sluis Van.”

This time, his mouth did smile a crooked smile, “Like I said, I am a man of mutually benefiting relationships.”

 

[Heath Valhoun]

HMS Shi-Cho
Docked at the Sluis Van Central Space Station
Neutral Space
1405 Galactic Standard Time
​

Unsurprisingly, Dobson was already speaking to the newest corporate supporter of The Elysium Empire...a Geonosian named Cruk Tuk. No doubt the man was securing his influence over the Geonosian, just as he had secured his influence over The Empire. Heath frowned. What could he do? Nothing. He could do nothing. His creation, his Empire, was becoming the opposite of what he wanted...it was following the footsteps of The Grand Republic. Corrupt senators, businessmen that practically owned it.

It was at this point that Loreena spoke to him, urging him to control Dobson. He nodded, contemplating what to say in return. How could he, The King, the founder of The Empire, explain that he could do nothing to control Dobson? It was pathetic, and shameful. Somehow he needed to make it look like he had control, even if he didn't. But he didn't know how. He could interrupt whatever Dobson's scheming was but it would simply be a delay.

Before he could respond, Burtch's voice came through Heath's earpiece. They were about ready to disembark. This at least gave him an excuse to interrupt Arken's talks, if only momentarily. Heath cleared his throat, and straightened his back, speaking loudly to those below, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please prepare to disembark, and if there are any questions ask them now."

​

 

[Cruk Tuk]

It seemed the choice to come here was likely to start paying off. Advisory positions from those with knowledge and experience on the subject could be quite advantageous to the Katitik Hive, without enforcing impediments on it if they decided to go another route. It would make things much smoother when dealing with others. Naturally, he understood the value of going straight to the king that Loreena Arenais-Valhoun had sought out. However, it did appear to have some issues in results. He had a hold on things. Of course, working with the powerful could result in excellent results, or dangers. But since he was in the business of production, so long as there was something to be produced, it was unlikely his hive would be the ones to get in danger.

The geonosian didn't quite smile either, but his interest was still quite visible. There was much to be gained here. If Cruk could help get Sluis Van to work with Dobson's business, he would have production advantages of Elysium ships, as well as a portion of shipyard space. These were both very much deals that would be industrious to the geonosians, keep them busy and keep them growing. It would additionally also help cement his own place in business with the Elysium.

Cruk Tuk nodded at his repetition of mutual benefits. "With what you have said, you seem to be right about that. I most certainly agree that it is in my best interest to work with you. And given what it's clear you can offer me, I don't doubt that Sluis Van is out of reach entirely."

There were, of course, potential issues. Loreena was already presented, at least by Arken Dobson , as desiring a level of independence When alone, naturally this was preferable. Even though working with the Elysium, the Hive's mobility help permit it a level of independence should things with the Elysium fail. But ultimately mobility and independence also reduced productivity, a fall back was fine. But complete independence for anything large, was extremely problematic. If you weren't already independent, you'd need to sacrifice a lot to get there. But so long as another structure remained in place, joining them would be much more beneficial. But, there was the issue of accomplishing what was suggested. "While I am certainly willing to attempt this, I don't know yet how my input would be received by the Sluis Van. While it is certainly common for businesses to want productivity, they don't always perceive things the same way. And so I can't be sure my endorsement and suggestions would be as convincing to them, as it might be to another Hive. Still, I am indeed willing to try."

Cruk Tuk lifted and turned his head as he heard Heath Valhoun . He couldn't think of anything to ask, presently anyway. Unfortunately all too often questions only managed to come up later when the problem itself would come up.

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken took a sip from his drink. The beverage was sub-par at best. He decided he would only use his drink for punctuation. It certainly wasn’t enjoyable.

“The Sluissi will take whatever deal the King gives them. They are desperate for our leadership and Heath Valhoun knows what they want from us. They are not the real concern here. If Dr. Veinstein decides to play a part, he won’t likely get in anyone’s way. Like I said, he is a scientist first and he’s most likely here as a formality unless he surprises everyone. But your biggest concern will be Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . She is your biggest competition and her company, MandalArms, has hindered our military development enough lately with their slow production. The Elysium Empire needs the Katitik Hive to win the most shipyard spots so that MandalArms doesn’t hurt our military any more than it already has. And we need the Dobson Logistical Consulting Firm In position here to help things run smoothly so that everyone can make money and prosper in mutually beneficial ways. Can I count on you for that when the time is right?”

He then gestured for Cruk Tuk to follow him into the station as the king announced that it was time to disembark, “Shall we?”

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Heath Valhoun was troubled. Lori could see it in his eyes. They might not have known eachother long, but she was already starting to read him. Perhaps it was partly to do with their private chats, or it could be that he was just that easy to read. In any case, she could tell that he was as worried about Arken Dobson as she was.

Her eyes were drawn to her rival as he spoke to Cruk Tuk and she wasn't sure, but she thought for sure that she heard her name being thrown about. No doubt he was brandishing off a series of lies in order to turn others against her. Most especially as she took Dorthea and even one of his sons under her wing. No doubt he was a control freak and she was taking that away from him bit by bit. Oh she couldn't wait for the day in which she'd have him grovelling at her feet...

...Although she was quite certain that he was longing for the reverse. But the last thing that Lori needed was to be indebted to the man, like so many others were.

The call to disembark came about and she nodded that she was ready, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears. She wasn't dressed like a spacer this time, but like a woman of nobility and business. Hopefully she didn't fail in getting a piece of these shipyards to work in tandem with MandalArms.

 

[Var-Sulis]

Hearing the echoes of the words spoken by Heath Valhoun Var-Sulis crept around the corner of the public casually. Looking around and observing his surroundings there was only one thing on his mind. How to serve his "king". Being in a sense that he was a commited believer in the ideals of Mr. Valhoun to the "t". Being sought after and hired for certain records and purposes gave Sulis a mutual understanding with Valhoun and his accomplices. However...This was different...Something in the air..In the surroundings..As Sulis glanced around and shot smirks to ladies as he passed by as well as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun He knew to keep it cool. Then again..How could he not? Dressed in a satin suit with the pin, and suede shoes there was seemingly nothing more he could beckon for.

As he continued about his eyes would meet Mr. Valhoun's but for a moment as if the understanding was mutual. He was here. And upon there contractual agreement..There is nothing that could stand in his way should his services require such immediate attention. He looks onward lightly tapping his ear comm to listen in from multiple conversations within the proximity and from afar. Fully ready and confident.....This was the moment of truth, he was sure. If Valhoun needed his services..As usual, he was there...Ready.....And willing...

 

[Cruk Tuk]

So it was also a matter of leadership. They'd take a deal, but it was what that deal was that mattered. Naturally there was certainly the possibility there was some fiddling going on. However, his manipulations, if they existed, wouldn't matter if the outcome was still positive. And while he wasn't necessarily on board with making enemies of MandalArms, for the foreseeable future it would be more effective to join with Dobson than with them. He was valuable, and so was Cruk Tuks production capabilities. So there was a mutual potential for things to go well.

He nodded, "I believe so." he said simply. He could make no promises yet, he'd soon see the specific difficulties that could arise with this kind of conflict, then he'd be able to know more about just what he was getting himself into. However, he was fairly certain he'd made the right choice. With the 'Shall we' Cruk gave another nod, following behind the businessman to the station, as he did, he glanced around at the others. Anyone present as he moved, though he most certainly spent just a little longer on Heath Valhoun and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun than he did on some of the others. One must be aware of things.

Arken Dobson Var-Sulis

 

[Dorthea Dobson]

Dorthea Dobson.
A military woman in her mid-forties.
Elysium Navy rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Quartermaster on HMS Shi-Cho
Estranged daughter of Arken Dobson
Aide and loyal servant to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

++++++

Dorthea Dobson was getting more and more frustrated by the minute as her father ran amok and gained support while Loreena Arenais-Valhoun was glomming onto the king, Heath Valhoun . This needed to stop. Now.

Her black-curly hair was down, her makeup was classical and old fashioned, and her dress was humble blue with a collar and buttoned up the front. Ever since she had been assigned to the Shi-Cho she had been controlling her diet and exercising with the marines during PT in the hangar bay. She was actually rather proud of her progress in losing weight and felt pretty good about herself. She even appreciated that Loreena Arenais-Valhoun had accepted her loyalty, and she felt as though the younger woman was worth believing in. In the recent months, her life had actually become good in her opinion.

But now she was watching that goodness being threatened right before her. She had to take action. Once the king was distracted for a minute, Dorthea sharply elbowed Lori in the ribs and dragged her to the side of the passageway so that the others that were walking could go by. She grabbed the younger woman by the upper arms, looked her in the eye and began yelling in a whisper, “What the kriff are you doing?!? The king doesn’t need support! Everyone knows he’s in charge. You’re losing ground here and you don’t even notice!”

She pointed down the hall at the growing cadre of business people flocking around Arken Dobson and Cruk Tuk , “My father is using an old trick of his. My brothers used to call it the ‘new blood lightning rod’. Basically, he gets some new ‘hot-topic’ attendee to follow him around and he gets people who are already in cahoots with him to make the new guy feel like he’s part of the team. Basically, for the duration of this meeting at least, he has a manufacturing producer in his pocket that rivals you. You need to do something to counter that or the Sluissi aren’t going to take you seriously. All you have is the king. Arken has raw material suppliers, QC agencies, transportation companies, and smaller third-party companies that are all ready to vouch for him - and now the Katitik Hive is going to back him. Please tell me you didn’t come here without a plan…”

Var-Sulis

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori gave Var-Sulis a nod with a small smile. She had heard of the man briefly here and there, yet this was the first time that she had ever seen him in person. A part of her wanted to see him in action, yet she didn't want there to be any trouble either, especially for Heath Valhoun .

Her attention was quickly drawn away from him as Dorthea Dobson elbowed her ribs and pulled her away to the side like some school headmistress that was getting ready to box her ears. "I'm not trying to get his support. I--" Lori furrowed her brows in concern as Dorthea grabbed her arms before pointing in the direction of Arken Dobson and letting her know what moves in the playbook that he was using. The older woman was afraid of her father gaining more power and that was the last thing that Lori wanted too. "Of course, I have a plan! I didn't just come here on a whim, you know!" She cleared her throat a little and straightened herself up a bit. "Just trust me, okay? And follow my lead."

And after taking a breath, she began walking towards Arken Dobson and Cruk Tuk ; catching up with them as they walked, although she kept more to the latter's side. "Well, I see that Mr. Dobson's properly greeted you. And did he add his customary 'I can get your products through to Elysium quicker with the Dobson QC Agencies' shpeel too? I swear he's got quite the nose for fresh blood in the market. But really, if he indists that you need quality control agents of his within your business, then clearly he doesn't believe that your products are good enough without his help, am I right? You wouldn't want others to second-guess your products because you have quality control agents from other companies to oversee their manufacturing, do you? What would that tell others about how well you can manufacture your products without someone to tell you if they are good enough or not? A great company doesn't need to have their products quality checked by outsiders before going to the market. One has to stand on their own and not tie themselves so directly to logistic firms and the like. If they fall....you'd fall too. If they decide to punish you by putting in a bad word, you'd fall. Quite frankly I think that you'd do well on your own two feet, as it were. MandalArms and it's subsidiaries has thrived for a very long time on it's own and it's reputation is unsullied. I'm sure that yours could do the same."

 

[Dorthea Dobson]

Dorthea nodded at Loreena Arenais-Valhoun as she asked Dorthea to trust her. She followed Lori as she moved through the crowd and maneuvered herself into position. Then, Lori started to speak…

… and Dorthea buried her forehead right into her palm with an audible slap.

Lori didn’t even introduce herself and was already throwing around accusations and implications without any regard for what Arken Dobson might’ve told Cruk Tuk just a moment ago. If Arken did say anything negative about Lori, then Lori most likely just reinforced it by reacting.

There is a difference between planning and reacting, Lori-goof. NEVER REACT. she pretended to say inside her own head. But aloud in an inaudible whisper, she muttered, “And now I know why the Jedi won the Mandalorian Wars…”

Var-Sulis Heath Valhoun Dr. Veinstein

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken barked a laugh as the young woman “introduced herself” to Cruk Tuk , “Well, may I introduce you to your competitor, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . As you can see, she manages… well enough on her own, but her fear of criticism from outside sourcand her lack of teamwork keeps her from achieving higher levels of mass production.” Arken turned to Lori just as her heard a strange slapping noise behind them. He paid the noise no mind, “Please try to avoid asserting yourself too much on the Sluissi delegation, Miss Arenais. Cooperation and evidence of a cooperative mindset will win the Sluissi over today. Not a show of strength”

He was hesitant to give her that much advice, but he couldn’t afford for her to anger the Sluissi at the whole empire.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two people. He looked and saw his daughter and scoffed. So much for Lori’s advisor. But behind her was a man he didn’t expect to see. Var-Sulis .

Arken’s eyes lit up and he quickly turned to his assistant, Mortimer Mercal and mouthed the word “Var-Sulis”. The young man simply nodded and broke off, disappearing into the crowd behind them like a master assassin.

++++++++++

Var-Sulis

Mortimer Mercal, a young man wearing stylish spectacles, stylish short hair, clean shaven young face, and a slim fitting suit, approached the man who was stalking them. He introduced himself, “Var -Sulis, is it? My name is Mortimer Mercal, personal assistant to Arken Dobson, owner of the Dobson Logistical Consulting Firm. How are your daughter’s treatments coming along?”

Heath Valhoun Dr. Veinstein