II
When
Aerarii Tithe
brought up the matter of introducing a “free market” to Tiss’sharl, Telis’s immediate reaction was… silence. Not some fancy quip or long, drawn-out soliloquy to counter the point while forcing everybody around him to accept him for how gorgeous, perfect, elegant, and truly damn amazing he was, but just the silence of a man who’d been hit with a blackjack. It was a flaw on his end, as his own silence allowed the room to erupt around him, briefly out of the control of his clutches as
Ingrid L'lerim
threw the first punch directly at Aerarii, and the various members of the Trade League responded in shallow-hidden anger.
As Ingrid sent the smile at him, he did his best to recover from the stunning idea that Aerarii had pitched, trying to smile though his mind was focused on what played out before him; with
Gat Tambor
making first mention of the Sith Empire’s religious doctrines and trying to play up his own sense of stability (something, in Telis’s mind, not too well supported by the sounds of his suit constantly screeching like a dying cat), the room seemed to settle into a pace, and again and again as Telis heard the speak of the Sith theocracy and totalitarianism, he just blinked, his same stunned expression unchanging with each mention of the stagnant supremacy that seemed to be the Sith Empire.
It was, however, the response of
Enlil
, the King of Ketaris, that seemed to be the driving blow for the lizardly lord. Sitting up in his seat, there was a flash of something across the Sith Lord’s face; something akin to disgust at how the conversation had switched to anti-Sith rhetoric rather than the speak of actual dollar diplomacy. Hearing the rhetoric that was spoken, however, the disgust in Telis’s face just seemed to sit for a good, long while.
Internally, he was telling himself to try not to laugh.
Taking in a deep breath and folding his clawed hands on the table in front of him, Telis Taharin looked between the gathered members of the Trade Federation, icy blue eyes darting from figure to figure, soaking in what details they could, like scanners, before he finally set his gaze on Aerarii. He buried what outward emotions he showed deep in his core once again, refining them into focus and presence. Sitting up once more and fixing his gilded ornaments, he hissed out to the Vice-Chancellor,
”I... I understand that we’re probably all on a tight time schedule, but… do you mind if I make a brief aside? Just a tiny, tiny little aside, Mr. Tithe?” To show just how small of an aside he wished to make, Telis held up his pointer claw and his thumb, barely holding them apart so one had to squint to see that they weren’t actually touching, before slamming both his hands down on the table.
Taking in a deep breath and pinching the bridge of his snout, he looked at the members of the Trade Federation. His voice was more human than the low hissing before, as he regarded them like a teacher would a bratty child,
”I am swiftly realizing you all have a very pointed view of what the Sith Empire is and how it works, and I would like to briefly just comment on the most insulting thing you keep saying: for your sake, not mine. Now then, first thing’s first… the Sith Empire is secular. The entire point of the Sith Code, the moral code that the Sith “follow” is the rejection of blind, moralistic, highly-hypocritical establishments and orders. We dislike the Jedi because they’re a quintessential theocracy.”
Resting back in his seat once more, Telis clapped his hands briefly together as he languidly lounged, eventually letting his palms fall to the sides of the office chair once more.
”Secondly... well, I cannot argue the totalitarian part of that sentiment; yes, we have a very strong authority and government, but it does not solely come from one voice. That would just be a stupid idea for bureacracy, and we have quite efficiently set up our government structures to divide power enough so that those with the merit to hold the positions, do.” Telis raised two claws to outline the next two words he spoke:
”Meritocratic. Kratocracy.”
Looking around the room just to ensure that he wouldn’t be interrupted, and taking a brief note to listen to Aerarii’s speak of the potential business investment available to the Tiss’shar, he would continue his “brief aside,” filing it as something to touch on later. Enlil’s attempts to appeal to the emotions of the cold businessbeings almost made Telis laugh as he moved into his final point; the one that seemed to be the most misunderstood, alongside the Tiss’shar themselves, who most likely wouldn’t care for the factors of the “morality” that the Trade Federation offered.
”Thirdly... the biggest misconception… The Sith Empire is laissez-faire. The whole reason my family ever got rich was because of the fact that the Sith Empire doesn’t limit their market and instead offers what can only be considered a truly free market.”
Telis took in a deep breath. He had bitten back his emotions, speaking with a calm coolness that suffused his features. His tail behind him swayed gently side to side as he briefly checked his watch with an ounce of anxiety, before returning his attention to the Trade League.
“You all seem to speak as though we ourselves are a stagnant stratocracy, stratified with sterility. You forget the first rule of the Sith, one which we enforce for all peoples in our Imperial breadth: ‘If you have the Strength to take what you wish, then do so.’ Our Emperors are Emperors by blood only because they sought to keep the throne and their one challenger fled with their tail between their legs the second they realized that they’d have to back up their challenge with a show of force.”
Giving a brief flick of his claws just for the sake of breaking up the speech with a light flourish, he would open his arms once again, universally addressing the room.
”Just the same is our business world, one which benefits the Tiss’shar much more than whatever ‘free’ and ambivalent market you’re offering. Since, after all... to be truly free would mean letting these people be slavers - though I will state that we do not allow slavery in the Sith Empire but we do not care what happens beyond our borders -, cardinal butchers, sellers of horrid, twisted things that are born in labs the Jedi fear. You would be claiming that such trade would be allowed more in your ‘vast’ encumbrance than the Sith could ever offer? Which is to say... you would offer them a freedom more than true, meritocratic, kratocratic freedom?”
Pointing one last hand towards Gat Tambor, the first to bring up the matter of the Sith’s wretched state, Telis would finally conclude,
“The only bar we have built is the one that all nations have built: that we do not sell to our enemies. If you do mean to allow that as your offer... the dead end already presents itself, in truth. Since why would your enemies want to buy from you anyways? Our one tariff means that we perhaps make more money from the Galactic Alliance and the New Imperial Order just by proxy of such pleasantries being more covetable due to their ‘restricted’ status. Our tariffs mean the Sith and Tiss’shar who have the intellect and cunning to abuse the system win, while all other outsiders lose... fascinating, isn’t it?”
Taking in a deep breath to actually breathe once all had been said and done, Telis stretched, before relaxing in his seat and rubbing his face. Again he checked his watch, though there was a broad, confident smile on his face. Once again he brought his claws together, looking back to the Vice-Chancellor.
”Now then... aside aside, I do want to touch on your most recent point of Liquidity Textile’s investment: 87.3 percent of the company’s profit going to the sovereignty of Tiss’sharl is certainly nothing to push aside, though you’re offering one business in exchange for the loss of the Sith gateway that enables the Tiss’shar to have open trade access with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and leaves them to the mercy of the outer systems, unless you mean to tell me that you have ways of setting up direct influence here in the outer ring.”
Telis stood up, briefly dusting himself off, before taking out his own datapad, swiping through various files and looking at Aerarii’s own display. Curse Tithe for having the dexterity to bring up a well-organized graph before he could… he conceded the victory to Tithe though, as he already looked about half-ready to go into shock with having to resort to a sovereignty fund. The words themselves still sent a shiver up Telis’s spine, even if it wasn’t him that spoke the words. Taking a moment to appear at a few numbers, he put the pad aside, clearing his throat and addressing the Counselors directly.
”Counselors; for the past few years, since Muunilist fell to the New Imperial Order, the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan has lacked a proper bureaucratic and economic base separate from Dromund Kaas. With the danger that the galaxy provides today, it is no doubt imperative that the Sith do not keep every pinch of the grand bureaucracy in one region. While the offer of the Trade League’s ‘free market’ and the timeshare of Liquidity Textiles, the risks involved, no doubt, much outweigh the pros with the loss of any assurance that Tiss’sharl will be safe. However… I do have my own offer for Tiss’sharl, beyond just the reminders of assurance.”
”I would like to make the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan headed by the municipality of Tiss’sharl. This would mean that every bank that feeds into the Banking Clan would, in turn, feed back into Tiss’sharl, making it the central nexus of a majority of the funds for the entirety of the Sith Empire. I’m sure that you can understand the amount of fluid wealth that would bring, alongside the reinvigoration of the Sith economy. It wouldn’t just revive, but it would evolve thanks to the ruthless thinking of the Tiss’shar.” Telis left a brief silence in the room - just barely brief enough for the sake of drama, before sitting down once again in his seat, clearing his throat as he clasped his claws together. A new smile was quickly forming on his face.
”Now, of course, in return I would hope that this deal may see some ‘mercy’ of the Tiss’shar onto the poor system of Ziost next door… hopefully within the frame of the battles currently raging on your neighbor. The people of this planet make great businessbeings, but also great assassins and mercenaries… but that can be arranged later. I know I spoke quite a lot and I’m quite parched… I think a brief recess may be in order- only with the permission of the League, of course.” Telis let his smile turn to a genuine grin at the gathered members of the League, before looking to Ingrid and
Alli Vern
and nodding. He relaxed back into his chair, scampering off as the recess was called to gather his notes, get some water, speak with Ingrid and Alli, and perhaps find something nice to wear that was both new and more in style than when he last checked.
He hid it well, but the meeting still wore on him heavily. If Tiss'sharl were to be separated from the Sith Empire... then Tiss'shar was lost to the Bryn, the tyranny of the New Imperial Order's ruthless warlords, and what other threats sought to take advantage of the garden world. It wasn't his duty to be here, to be fighting for the Tiss'shar. But he was, and though the galaxy would not remember him fondly in any legacy, he would let it be known that he tried to defend Tiss'sharl from the dreams that the Trade League promised. He will try, win or lose, to ensure that order does not die here and now.
