SithLore

(Since I can't access the old board I'm posting the two posts I've made in the thread here, Argus had a post between them and it's his turn to post)

~Borleias, low orbit~

A black and silver Action V dropped out of hyperspace over the jungle world of Borleias. It slowly made to enter a synchronized orbit around the planet while its belly hanger began to open. Several moments after the bay opened an LT-3000 dropped out and headed for he planet's surface.

"Captain," the young male human who piloted the Action V spoke up. "Starry Fields has left the bay and is beginning its descent to the surface of Borles... no Borlas, sorry Borleias!"

"Good," Ryder replied, his grey eyes gazing out the view port. They didn't watch the ship or even look at the planet below but instead stared at the moon. Officially, Black Star Systems was here to work out the licensing to set up a Solar Star resort on one of the many beautiful beaches of the world below. Thus Nage, Ryder's long time droid companion and manager of Solar Star Enterprises, was heading down to the surface to make such deals. Unofficially Ryder was here to meet with the ISB about furthering his services past the Hoth project. They had been quite cryptic in their reasoning but he had found out it involved putting an end to the pirate attacks on his company.

"Have the Shadow's Veil ready for lift off," Ryder ordered. As he turned to head down to the hanger his mind raced with uncertainty. In his past life he'd been part of Imperial Intelligence, a deep cover and spec ops operative. He could only hope that the ISB hadn't somehow linked Ryder back to that old life. Corran Vellar was never officially associated with Agent XX. Corran died and the agent went MIA, now here Ryder stood. The synthesis of everything done in his past life and a year in Hutt prison. Was he truly ready to go back to the entity that threw him headlong into the galaxy?

Regardless, he was now walking up the boarding ramp of the Lambda shuttle. It was time to see where this would take him. Onboard the shuttle standing at the ready were six SEP-1 Security droids painted in the black and silver colors of Black Star Systems. They were all ready to protect their master with their unnatural lives. Ryder strode past them to the cockpit of the Shadow's Veil and looked to CE, his crimson-colored espionage droid. The droid was currently bickering with the RX pilot about the proper way to "fly casual" in Imperial space.

"Sorry to break up your debate, but let us be on our way," Ryder interrupted. "I have very important meeting to get to."

Both droids turned, startled by their master's appearance. "Of course master!" The RX unit spoke up in his very pleasant tone.

The Lambda shuttle dropped from the belly of the Black Star and sped towards the lone moon of Borleias.

"Blackmoon base, this is the Shadow's Veil of Black Star Systems," CE spoke into the comm unit. "We're on approach with VIP, requesting landing zone coordinates."

Ryder leaned back in his chair, Blackmoon base had a long history with both the Empire and the Alliance, he almost looked forward to finally seeing it in person.

A low mechanical whistle sounded from CE as their flight brought them close to the ISD. While Ryder had seen many of these monsters up close and personal it was the droids' first time. In his past life he knew the inside of this detention center like the back of his hand. He shook of the thoughts of his life as Corran Vellar to refocus on the fact he was walking into the wolf's den. Everything around him from the buzzing TIEs to the impressive facilities below showed just how powerful the Empire could be.

The Shadow's Veil drifted into the hanger with tractor beam support and landed promptly in their designated position. Once the ship was fully settled Ryder stood up from his chair and walked through his vessel. He strode down the ramp with purpose flanked by his crimson companion CE and a pair of the SEP-1s. The security droids stopped at the foot of the ramp while Ryder and CE bridged the gap between himself and Agent Victor's greeting committee. She had thoroughly changed her appearance since their encounter on Coruscant and it took a moment for Ryder to spot one or two key features that told him who she was. It was either a sign that she was very talented, or he was losing his edge. He decided it was the former.

He extended his right robotic hand for a shake. "Glad to be here Agent Victor," Ryder replied promptly, his million credit smile taking his face. "The flight was quite smooth and the extra security check points just makes me feel more secure in this alliance between my companies and the Empire." Ryder himself was mostly unarmed, nothing hidden under his black trench coat. However his robotic arm doubled as a stun gauntlet and hidden inside CE's chassis was his lightsaber in case of a real emergency.

He glanced around the hanger, the view once again bringing him back to his Imperial Intelligence days. Ryder also knew because of that time that there was way more security here than the eye could see. His grey eyes returned to the woman in front of him, taking a moment to mentally register her two escorts. "Unfortunately though, it seems those irritating pirates have still found ways to get everywhere--even through the Empire's Dura-Steel fist," his pleasant tone becoming more serous as he continued. "I assume this is one of the reasons you invited me here?"

Borleias, the beating heart of the Imperial Navy itself. Even with this impressive show of force and unyielding security, the tone could be considered quite lax being that Blackmoon Base was the formal Headquarters of the Office of the Grand Admiral effectively making it the brain center of the Imperial Starfleet. Though Ryder’s eye was keen, he would also know that the security that was visible was there for show, it was the security that he didn’t see that truly made this entire military post secure. As ever, the routine was smooth and Agent Victor handled her trade as an expert and a professional ought, her every movement and ever word a means to probe Ryder and see him for what he was; it was the unseen duel of spies.

Without missing a beat, her sincere end of the conversation continued after Ryder noted the efficiency of the pirates. “Those criminals are no better than Hutt trash. Soon enough we’ll see them hung, it is only a matter of time.” She turned away, meaning to guide him further into the vast station. The escorts filled in behind their charges and remained silent for the journey. A true labyrinth of corridors, all pristine and uniform with little clutter to be had along the mirror polished floors and the scent of machine oils to accent the way.

Troopers, shining a gleaming white in their plastoid armor, marched in fire teams of six in two column formations through many of the corridors; most on either patrols or moving from one training room to the next. Their black eyes reflecting emotionless discipline for these were the Empire’s finest; Stormtroopers. In these late cycles of the Empire’s time, the Stormtrooper has become once more a symbol of fear and power for their numbers have greatly dwindled though their training and expertise have elevated them to the finest levels of the Infantry Corps throughout the galaxy. Now, whenever Stormtroopers were present, it was known that the Empire was finished playing games and the Hammer of Justice was to come down upon the foes of Order.

Though as the procession continued onwards and upon their arrival to the conference room, two trooper guarded the door that wore the black armor of the Death Troopers, green flashed from their helms as they spotted the incoming personnel and the door slid open for their entry, neither Death Trooper moving as the group entered the rather large room beyond.

A room vast to the eye through the clever usage of optical illusions was before them. On a space station, space itself was a luxury and while the Empire boasted in such, on military installations even the non-combat suites were designed to emphasize a reflection of this if even they were not in truth. An ovular table dominated the room with seats spaced appropriately to make use of vast portions of the table, another luxurious accommodation. A serving platter with nothing more than simple water in silver vessels was to be provided and of course, more interesting beverages were available per request.

At the head of the table an elderly gentleman sat, he wore the robes of an Imperial Noble and beheld the status of someone important indeed. Aside him and standing to the left was a man in a white Admiral’s uniform with the polished studs denoting that of a Grand Admiral; he wore no cap but his trousers were black with polished knee-high boots custom fitted to afford comfort as well as practical use, a cape of white framed his wide shoulders with the single six inch golden threaded rank and status settings over those shoulders in a very simple manner. His hair was immaculate and strong and he held himself high though without arrogance but in the confident manner of a soldier. Around his belt, was a black polished bantha hide holster with a concealing flap to cover the likes of his BlasTech SE-14r Sidearm and he clasped both hands in front of him as he patiently awaited their guests.

Upon entry the elderly gentleman turned to face them though he did not rise, however he greeted the oncoming party with a courteous grin and he made so to not hide his cane; an element of his troubled left leg. The white uniformed man did not move, did not smile, his green eyes examined Ryder and analyzed him in an instant, yes… this was not a man of simple means, he held himself as one who’d come a long way to get where he was. Argus appreciated that and finally he stepped a single step forward as Agent Victor stood between them.

“Ryder, may I proudly introduce Grand Admiral Argus Kraiov,” and with a wave of her hand she presented the elderly man as well, “Governor and Moff, Aeron Retwin of Muunilist, current Speaker of the Council of Moffs on Bastion.”

Argus extended his hand to Ryder, “Mr. Ryder, it is a pleasure. I’ve unfortunately heard much about you. Unfortunate as in the means by way of raiding at the hands of those bastard pirates.” His tone was level, calm and cool, though at the mention of pirates there was a noticeable level of distaste there, albeit a well hidden one. “My condolences for your losses, though rest assured these looters will not go on unpunished for their crimes; justice, will have its day.”

A tap of his cane followed Argus’ words, “I couldn’t agree more!” An emotionally charged call came from the head of the table as Aeron Retwin now forgivably was standing and he hobbled his way near, Argus turned from hearing the politician and upon seeing the elder he moved aside; it seemed not even his rank made him so pompous to forget to act out of courtesy. The elder moved up to Ryder and took him with a once over and nodded approvingly, and without another word he moved right back to his chair and seated himself.

Argus then motioned to the table, “Please, take a seat.”

With a nod, Ryder agreed with Agent Victor's proclamation about the pirates. He followed her in pace as she lead the way deeper into the installation. His mind counting the steps and mentally marking the turns, a habit he picked up during his time in Hutt prison. It was truly unnecessary with his droid by his side, but habits were hard to break, especially when he felt he was walking around a prison.

His eyes caught sight of the Death Troopers, a new breed of Imperial trooper. He admired their armor before entering the room behind his guide. He took in the large space with a single glance before he paused on the two men waiting. The Grand Admiral had a very strong presence, a presence Ryder had seen before, in a younger officer. In his past life the two had the two had been on opposite sides of a small conflict on Tatooine. Now in this life, they were about to sit down as allies, Argus none the wiser that Ryder was the drunken Corellian Corran Vellar back then.

The other man took Ryder by surprise at first, his mind tricking him into seeing General Gregor of Imperial Intelligence. The micro expression was gone as quick as it appeared as Agent Victor introduced them. Ryder extended his right robotic hand to give the Grand Admiral probably one of the firmest handshakes he'd ever had.

"The pleasure is mine Admiral, I was told you were actually amongst the men helping fend off those no good scum." Ryder replied in a calm and collected manner. "I look forward to seeing the Empire bring them to their knees."

His grey eyes flashed to the Moff as he approached. The elder man was intriguing, giving Ryder a once over, the Moff nodded and stepped back to his original seat. Ryder himself took a seat upon being prompted and accepted the glass of water offered. He chose to stick with just water as today was about business and he was no longer the cocky Corellian scoundrel but the hard labored Dantooinian who found fame and fortune upon becoming the CEO of three Galaxy-spanning companies.

"So," Ryder spoke upon taking a sip of his cool water. "What has brought me onto the path with some of the Empire's greatest members?"

“Mr. Ryder, I’ll be frank.” The Moff started as he leaned back into his chair for some physical relief, his aged bones stressing him, “The Empire needs a corporation such as yours to support our initiatives. Outsourcing has been a way of the Empire’s war machine for many cycles dating back to the first Death Star on to today, though none has really brought the opportunity such as your organization. A partnership, if you will. Something that would free up our logistics divisions and auxiliary departments to conduct themselves towards the efforts of maintaining our borders against the many threats we today face. We would require Black Star Systems to maintain the interior in contract form; as our borders contract and expand, the interior of the Empire is oft neglected to a rather great extent. For example; during the loss of Imperial Center, the Sith ravaged many worlds along the Hydian Way. The Imperial 2nd Fleet has restored order but those worlds have not benefited from the Empire’s supportive resources and they’ve been forced to rely upon themselves to rebuild.”

“Our proposal is to extend a great portion of these contracts over to Black Star Systems so that the Imperial Interior may once again shine as bastions of Imperial glory, standing out as model worlds of safety and order, rather than war ravaged planets neglected by their parent state. Black Star, wearing the heraldry of the Empire, would show the people that we’ve not forgotten about them. Morale would rise, tempers would ease and honestly, a private corporation would have far less red tape in dispensing the much needed resources out to those worlds that need it most.” Retwin was offering a grandiose contract plan that would set Black Star Systems up for decades of work, primarily in construction and manufacturing… Ryder was about to become a very rich man if he chose to accept though acceptance came at a cost.

Upon acceptance, Black Star would be branded as an Imperial aligned corporation and while they would remain privatized, their services would essentially be exclusive to the Galactic Empire. It would also paint a target on Black Star for the Sith, Blue Star Pirates, Galactic Alliance and whomever else wanted a piece of the Empire, though on that same coin it would promise further Imperial protections. On that note of protections, it would also allow Black Star to skip certain code and regulation matters that typically bog down other private entities during contracts with the governing body. Truly it was a catch-22 in how things would proceed. Acceptance brought pros, so did it bring its wealth in cons.

The Grand Admiral lifted his chin slightly and cleared his throat to prompt the elder Moff who lifted a finger to signify he’d just remembered something important. “Further, Black Star System’s Security Division would hold rights to be offered specific contracts from the Imperial Navy, Army and Imperial Security Bureau to operate for their respective branches; both inside and outside the borders of the Empire.”

This point was quite key; it allowed much flexibility for Argus and the others among the top brass to gift large or even clandestine contracts out to Black Star Systems for when the Empire needed additional security measures. Where the Navy was only able to truly operate freely within the borders, Black Star could move at a reasonable clip within any jurisdiction while maintaining cover and the integrity of the mission. The same went for the governing body to have plausible deniability. Send in Black Star, if something goes wrong the Empire could deny involvement. A simple and crud tactic but one that could save face if needed. Argus knew Ryder would understand the fine print, but he was also prepared to bargain with the details if Ryder wanted something else or if he chose not to sign on with a particular request of the Empire’s current offer.

Ryder listened intently as the Moff spoke of a most lucrative contract, the idea was, well not what he expected when coming here. Ryder had anticipated they'd speak on contracting Black Star and its subsidiaries, but this would put the company leagues ahead of any competition. It definitely came with its pros and cons, it would require some major moving of equity--especially with several of his operations being in the middle of Alliance space. The business man had hopes that maybe he could hold on to some of his standing with the Alliance or at least several of their key sectors which would definitely be beneficial to the Empire when they called on Black Star to operate in that expanse of the galaxy.

"Well," Ryder began. "To say that is quite the offer would be a major understatement, and for me to decline it would be cooperate suicide." He looked between the two men, almost waiting for them to say it's all a ruse but he could read that it wasn't. For a moment he thought it'd be better to deny this contract, save his borderless company. Quickly his mind thought it over though, remembering why he started Black Star, to help the people of the galaxy. With this contract he'd get the funding, the manpower, and support to go to worlds that really needed support and help them rebuild. Ryder would be able to hunt down dangerous criminals and organizations that make the common citizen fearful with out as much hassle and red tape. They have to work through the finer points of the contract but over all Ryder was finding it very attractive.

"I believe this contract could be very much mutually beneficial," Ryder continued. "While I understand the potential dangers allying with the Empire can bring, I also see the benefits it has, and how much Black Star can accomplish within the Imperial domain. There will certainly need to be some fine tuning of our alliance, but I fully support the idea of helping rebuild the interior of this war-torn state back into a shining light in a dark galaxy." He was sealing his fate with these words, and it almost seemed poetic. The Empire had built Corran who now stood as Ryder, and now he was going to help rebuild the Empire. "Where do I sign?"

Retwin was pleased and that the old Moff was pleased put Argus in a pleasant mood too. The prior of the two stood proudly as a dainty woman arrived with the datapad, delivered it to Ryder and from there she retreated again to stand beside Argus once more, she’d apparently been standing there for some time though obviously trusted enough to be among this sensitive business deal. While she hadn’t been introduced to Ryder, her name was Siobhan and she’d been in Argus’ confidence for nearly a full cycle now working as a close assistant to him. She remained silent and unnoticeable thus far and she would continue to do so into the future.

“The large portions of our agreement are highlighted there, just make your mark at the bottom and our legal representatives will get together with yours to settle any additional material you’d like added or subtracted from this contract.” Aeron Retwin shook Ryder’s hand as firmly as his frame could manage and then he swiftly turned to signal a protocol droid to approach which it did. “We’re concluded here, bring in our dinner please.”

Off the droid scuttled and no sooner had it done so a small army of well dressed caterers shuffled into the room with a large assortment of real silver platter trays loaded down with many delightful dishes of which seemed to lean towards a more rugged and robust taste to better reflect the out flung world of Dantooine. Certainly the platters didn’t contain specific imports but they would surely come close. Not so much to impress Ryder but rather to show him how he was valued that they did have him in mind when they addressed the dishes of the evening. Several beverages were also brought in, more water, a firm scotch at the Moff’s request and to lean towards the Grand Admiral an amber brandy all the way from Corulag. Of course there was some tea as well with various seasonings.

Argus took his seat and at that time all unnecessary personnel excluding Siobhan and whomever Ryder would have invited, exited the room that the dining could commence. This would be the hearty conclusion to a swift and decisive business dealing. One that would put Black Star leagues ahead of their competition though it would also put them to the test as their clientele had just increased by literal billions of customers.

As the night stretched onward there was much talk of further business and life stories, though Argus failed to leave out that Ryder’s Black Star Systems Hub would be supported directly by the Imperial Navy in the means of an EF76 Nebulon B2 Escort Frigate with a full compliment of fighters as well as a full platoon of Imperial Navy Marines and while he refused to dedicate such assets as Stormtroopers, for their great strategic value and constant need on flashpoints around the Empire, he did pledge a rotation of a squad of Stormtroopers and one Scout Team though those particular assets would not be there around the clock as per the very fluid nature of the Stormtrooper Corps. However the Marines would specifically be attached to the Nebulon B2 so there would be no conflict in that regard.

OOC: Assets assigned to Black Star System’s protection:
1 Nebulon B2 Frigate
1 TIE Interceptor Squadron
1 TIE Bomber Squadron
10 Stormtroopers
60 Imperial Navy Marines (NPC only. For flavor/fodder.)

All assigned assets are strictly for Imperial Faction use only and not to be used in a private or individual setting in any personal dispute. They have been attached to BSS to ensure the safety and security of an Imperial based corporation.