Yours are bigger [Aeron / OmegaPyre]

[Ayden Cater]

It had been some time since he had seen the Fondor skyline at sunset. He had a lot of memories of this place. Many were good, fond memories like then-Prex Cira dangling Sarge out a window at the top of a skyscraper. Others were less-than-pleasant, such as the Clockwork invasion. One of Omni's leviathan-sized droids had chewed up the industrial district pretty badly in its rampage. And of course there had been the Red Queen... Ayden suppressed a shudder as he stepped out of the dropship and into the spaceport. He had opted to bring a nondescript M47 shuttle to the planet to avoid generating undue attention.

Of course, he could have disappeared from the public's view as he walked between the spaceport and his destination. It was an old trick that he had long since mastered, being the manner in which he had gotten the drop on Cira all those years ago. Gods, did he suddenly feel old. However, he had been out of the spotlight for quite some time. Akala's return had done a lot to damage his reputation. There were those, foolish though they were, who believed that Ayden had simply turned Corellia over to the Sith. Others had the audacity to claim that he had destroyed the planet himself. He wasn't going to restore his reputation and name from the shadows.

There were those who saw him and whispered fearfully, shying away from his footsteps. Others still looked on in awe. After all, he had been the Lord Protector of the Protectorate for longer than even Cira had. He had checked aggression from the fledgling Atrisian Empire, the towering Fringe Confederacy, and looming Confederacy of Independent Systems. His had been a bit of a bloody rule, but none could say that he did not ensure security for the people within the Protectorate's borders. Numerous incursions saw the elimination of pirate groups everywhere, and even the Bando Gora cult (though he had not personally been involved in that fight, merely signing off on expenditures and allocating military assets.)

Boarding a private speeder, he took to the skies heading to the Prex Tower. The more things changed, the more others stayed the same. OmegaPyre had been a corporate entity that had served as one of the chief sources of income for the Protectorate. Even if the Protectorate had been destabilized and collapsed in the wake of Akala's attacks, OmegaPyre endured. And now, a new regional power was rising. And word on the wind was that the Pyre was providing some muscle and training to this group. If the two were connected, then there was something here that could help him get his plans back on track, perhaps shave a few years off of them.

Ayden walked into the main foyer of the Prex Tower, duster trailing behind him and with eyes shielded by the wide-brimmed hat. The whispering in here was considerably louder and a crowd was beginning to form outside. Stepping up to the counter, Ayden smiled nonchalantly at the receptionist. "Please tell the Prex that I'd like to see her as soon as possible."

[member="Aeron Kreelan"]

 

[Aeron Kreelan]

[member="Ayden Cater"] always knew how to make an entrance.

It was a pain in the ass as much as an amusement for the Icarii. Word kinda went quick when the former Lord Protector that had been rumored to do whatever the hell he did in Corellia came strolling through asking to see the Prex. That gorram chit spread like wildfire. Some were at a loss on what exactly to do. There was that deference and respect and then others were struggling to figure out if they were supposed to arrest him or not.

After all, a former Exarch back during the times of the Protectorate did place a rather hefty bounty.

Granted, the Protectorate was long gone since then. And doubtless would be able to be paid out.

"Send him up." was the rather simple order, Aeron at half a loss and half amused. The flash of silver from her vibroshiv would flare under the light of the desk of the Prex.

The same one several Lord and Lady Protector's had called theirs in the past.

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Aeron Kreelan"]

Ayden rode the lift up with a veritable grin. The reaction all through the foyer had been an interestingly amusing one. Of course, the confusion he felt emanating from the top of the tower was greater. He had met Aeron Kreelan a number of times throughout his tenure as Lord Protector. She had always been an active member of the OmegaPyre company, and had taken to leading it in the wake of Cira's disappearance and then again after she was kidnapped.

A rather guarded woman with a no-nonsense attitude, she was an excellent fighter and rumored to be exceptionally skilled at telekinetics. That she was the one he would be meeting here was unexpected, but in no way a negative. She understood a need for proper military assets and strategy. It was with that in mind that led Ayden to open the door and enter with a proper air of respect; no lopsided grin or casual swagger. He was here, after all, on business.

"Good afternoon, Prex. I must say it's been a while since I've stood here in this office." He did afford himself a chuckle at that as he looked around at what had, at one time, been his own office. Some things were still there, but others had been replaced. He wondered about some of the secret access panels and the like and whether those had been left alone, commandeered, or left undiscovered.

"As I'm sure you're a rather busy woman, I'm going to get down to business." He cleared his throat and then activated a mobile holographic projector. In blue wires came the display of several ships to which she would surely be familiar. "I'm here to renegotiate the contract between OmegaPyre and Corellian Engineering. Specifically your use of property that was initially licensed and produced for the now-defunct Omega Protectorate."

"Several designs were drafted and put into production for use by the Protectorate. I would know as I personally oversaw their design and use. We extended an informal extension to the OmegaPyre holdings in the wake of the breaking of Corellia as we were in a rather desperate need of continued funding. Now that our situation has stabilized over Druckenwell and Etti IV, with new products being designed and produced, it's high time then that we attend to this potentially troubling legal matter."

He let the holoprojector float there while he retrieved a datapad from his jacket. "I have here the terms of our renegotiated contract. Among the most noteworthy changes that I should highlight for you is this clause... here." He scrolled down to the relevant passage and handed the datapad to Aeron for review. "Simply put, Corellian Engineering would like to rent out a portion of the established Fondor Shipyards for exclusive CEC use in producing and repairing ships for the OmegaPyre group. It would save both sides a large number of credits."

 

[Aeron Kreelan]

[member="Ayden Cater"]

Amusement lit the bright blue eyes of the Icarii Prex, and her fingers would continue to flip the small vibroshiv in her hand for a few more rotations before it came to a halt. Setting it down, a crooked smile perked along her lips.

"Always a pleasure Lord Protector Cater." they both may very well know that the Protectorate was neither here nor there anymore, but the respect given to him was still one and the same.

After all, the only titles she'd ever known him as were Exarch and Lord Protector.

Leaning forward, she bent her head, studying the renegotiated contract presented to her on the datapad. Her eyes would skim over the specifics. The fine print.

"You've known Pyre's and the Protectorate Fleet lines better than anyone," she stated simply, truth be told it made sense. "I don't see a problem in the terms set forth."

A pause.

"We've recently secured Yag'Dhul." she told him. "There is also space there available if you so desire." she would tell him. Being at the crux of a trade world, Yag'Dhul would be prime real estate for C.E.C.

 

[Ayden Cater]

Ayden chuckled at being addressed as 'Lord Protector'. He hadn't been given that honorific in quite some time, let alone been addressed in any way close to respect. It was a bit refreshing. After all this time, having so many people who would have laughed and paid to see him killed.

"Additional space on Yag'dhul will do even better. More space, faster repair and production times for the Pyre. We'd be at close to the same level of production capacity as we had prior to the destruction of Corellia." He sighed and shook his head after a moment of reviewing his data pad. "I don't know how much of the old Protectorate fleet you managed to secure prior to the collapse of it, but I doubt that the Pyre has the funds to afford even a quarter of what had been built and maintained by the Protectorate. Some of the larger ships might not even be feasible for you to operate for the foreseeable future, unless OmegaPyre has a lot more members these days than I ever remember it having."

He tapped out several commands on the keypad and brought the holoprojectors in the room online. If she was annoyed by him doing so, Ayden simply smiled and got to his point. "Not all of the ships can be produced right now though. Some of the ships were produced with rather exotic materials. For example..." Tap tap tap and up can an image of a large carrier-type ship. "The Iblis-class planetary assault carrier. Fourteen hundred meters, bow to stern. One of its defining features was its almost total immunity to shutdown via ion weaponry. Sure, they'd cut through shields and cause weapon emplacements to restart their firing cycles, but the ship's engines and main operations were unaffected." He walked around the room, gesturing with his hands and looking between the ship and the Prex as he did so. Tech talks were a missed thing.

"In order to accomplish this, the ship was outfitted with gel packs, processed liquid crystals from the planet Quarzite. There was a small production facility there and a minor orbital base, but the planet was... hostile." Ayden remembered all too well the adventures that he went through to secure the initial research for the packs. "For reasons that were classified, the planet was never colonized and it was listed as a Death World in our databanks before being summarily locked out of navigational banks. If you or certain clients of yours want access to the Iblis, with its ion immunity, then you're going to need to retake Quarzite." He tapped the wall with his knuckles and turned back to Aeron. Walking around his old office brought back memories and thoughts; some good, some bad. Part of him missed the excitement, the power, that came with being the Lord Protector. But that all felt like a lifetime ago now. Now he had new things in store. Like this business with Aeron.

[member="Aeron Kreelan"]

 

[Aeron Kreelan]

[member="Ayden Cater"]

Aeron gave a nod.

"We are currently working alongside the Galactic Alliance," she would inform him. At their conception, Omega Pyre had contracted out with the fledgling government. However, as things progressed and the Alliance brought in more and more former Protectorate worlds, so had they in turned joined with an equal footing.

"While it is a fledgling government, we have been supporting them and receiving support in turn as an equal member in standing within the Alliance." while they certainly would not have the resources they once had, it was a start.

"Quarzine is it?" Aeron would ponder this, "What sector?" she would ask. At the very least get some information on it. From there, they could work towards securing the necessary mines.

 

[Ayden Cater]

"Quarzite," he corrected her without any air of smugness or condescension. "And I cannot stress enough the dangers of the planet. I'll put together a debrief packet for you with the mission details and aftermath reports of my encounter in orbit over the planet. Droids should be left out, and high caliber slugthrowers or sonic weaponry should be used by any infantry who set foot on the planet to reclaim the mining and production facilities." He did not at all enjoy the idea of those crystalline entities taking control of a ship and shooting off into deep space. There was no telling what would happen if they were allowed to spread, or how far they could spread.

Taking the time to turn back to other details, Ayden began planning on what to do with the expanding capacity granted by facilities over Fondor and Yag'Dhul. Corellian Engineering had anticipated only facilities over the former planet. With the latter as well, they'd have more than enough space to restore pre-Akala construction capacity. They now had the space necessary to expand and develop new capital ship designs. OmegaPyre would be an unlikely target for further development as they now had full access to the total number of products that had been initially designed for the Protectorate. Perhaps then the Galactic Alliance would have need for development of new designs, or refits of current ones.

"What can you tell me about this 'Galactic Alliance', Prex? I'm going to assume their not so ill-conceived as the deplorable terrorist Rebel Alliance if OmegaPyre has gone and allied itself with them." He still vividly recalled the terrorist acts that had been committed in the name of "selectivism" - what a moronic notion... Such actions had paved the way for further Techno Union expansion in the region. And now, as their predecessor governments had done, the Techno Union was growing corpulent and corrupted. Yet another power that would need toppling. Such was the fate of the galaxy, it seemed....

[member="Aeron Kreelan"]

 

[Aeron Kreelan]

[member="Ayden Cater"]

"That would be appreciated," the Icarii would state, acknowledging his offer for the debrief packet. Anything that could get them more information on Quarzite.

When the question came about the Alliance, Aeron could understand his concerns. The so called 'Rebellion' left little but a bitter taste in the mouth, and caution along with a measure of prudence was to be expected.

"No." she told him flatly, "They are not like the Rebellion that flew under that scarlet flag." or what manner of socialist ideals. "It is a collection of former Protectorate worlds, ex Republic, and those who are truly trying to take the fight to the One Sith." she would elaborate. "And doing it right."

She shifted in her seat, rocking forward to rest her elbows along the desk. "They have no senate to worry about red tape, and no singular Prime Minister to be subject to. Instead it is a true Alliance. We've joined them early on as contractors... but have moved now to full membership. The Jenssarrai have also joined, as well as the Dread Guard. Sullust, Vandelhelm, Eriadu... each of the worlds we had taught to defend themselves are now mounting their own battle and gathering.

Small for now... but the heart is there."

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Aeron Kreelan"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]

Ayden nodded in agreement and understanding. It sounded then like a good group to get behind. While he continued discussing things with Aeron, Ayden began to tap on his wrist computer and send out several pings to his ship. Roland would begin the process of sifting through the endless sea of data that was the Holonet in order to find a name to send a message to concerning future cooperative ventures and perhaps even the production and sale of ships. As far as he was aware, and admittedly he was aware of little wheresofar as the Galactic Alliance was concerned, there were no large-scale shipwrights that backed the Alliance. In that case, he imagined that their fleets, if they had any proper fleets at all, were most likely assembled from donations and stolen vessels. Non-standardized ships made it hard to wage war.

Turning his attention back to Aeron, Ayden pulled a flask from his jacket and unscrewed the top. "So, if I may, what has the Pyre been up to since the dissolution of the Protectorate? There's a lot of worlds out there that formerly flew under our flag that have suffered without the Protectorate. Any plans to reach out to them and help?" He took a swig from the flask and sighed while feeling that warmth spread from his throat and stomach. Oh he had missed Fondor.

 

[Aeron Kreelan]

[member="Ayden Cater"]

"We've been doing what we can." Aeron elaborated. "A few of the FLEETCOM's have been tugged and relocated for the Alliance. Notably Sullust." they already lost the one in Corellia. The disillusion of the Protectorate meant that defenses for those worlds were handed over to the local militia that they had trained throughout the years.

"Some we have lost contact, mainly those on the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions... Alliance scouts have been doing co-ops with the Pyre in order to reach out to them, give them the details on what is happening and offering them admittance to the Alliance if they so desire."

There were still some planets like Polis Massa, Kesh... all had gone dark. With the Pyre no longer having the resources the Protectorate had, it was difficult. But it wasn't for lack of trying.

"The Pyre in their agreement has Fondor, Yag'Dhul, and Thyferra under its jurisdiction. Mustafar is now the domain of the Dread Guard. Suravi to the Jensaari." these were a few examples.

"I know Elrood was in negotiations with the Alliance and Incom. We ourselves are in the process of expanding our own contracts for the company." they've acquired the contract and sponsorship of the Alliance, but there was always more.

"Plans are to slowly expand... we cannot afford to reach out to many worlds without ensuring the security of the trade routes."

 

[Light Rises]

Proper fleets? Key, the Mon Calamari GADF acquisitions officer, would have laughed. The Omega Pyre had provided some vessels, ex-Commander Starchaser had done his best to lock down larger vessels, plus what Nemo Ven had carried with him. It wasn’t the most glamourous fleet, but they did their thing. They struck at the darkness with whatever they had, and Key was convinced they’d throw rocks when it all came down to it. And a good thing, too. Her family had suffered on a trip through the Outer Rim to a random patrol.

She wanted blood.

And they needed ships. She had heard of everything that was occurring within the Republic. It was a shame that CEC was being a twat about it all. She was going to meet with the representative of CEC. But could they be trusted? If the Alliance took a wrong step, how fast would the arms get taken out from underneath them?

Was it worth it?

For now? Yes. They needed ships if they were going to keep growing. Can’t run a government on this shoe string budget.

[member="Aeron Kreelan"]
[member="Ayden Cater"]