<font color=orange>Commenor had always been a beautiful world. The towering skyscrapers of white always gave the impression of cleansliness and perfection. It was a utopia, a world untouched by the war and famine that had shattered other worlds since the Dark Ages.
That was before this war, this Dark Age. Commenor had not been the hardest hit of LFX Industrial's worlds. That was Eriadu, Industrial Centre: the headquarters. Eriadu had not been the first to fall, and her taking had cost the enemy far more than it was worth.
But all of that hardly mattered anymore. The war was, for the time being, over. The galaxy had to rebuild, lick her wounds and recouperate for the next round.
Recouperate, or grow stronger. That was exactly what LFX Industrial planned to do. In the past, they had controlled a vast market of goods that put them on top of the Galactic Food Chain. So far as the Stock Market was concerned, anyway. Now, however, they would sieze the formula that would gurantee their continued place far above any other.
The first meeting of the Joint Council was held on Commenor less than a week after the Cease Fire, the Tippata Pact. It was not a model of the usual perfection shown by the compnay. Many executives had been killed in the long war. Others had fled, taking with them portions of the Corporate Fleet. But a small few held on, and they now joined together on Commenor to report on the condition of the Corporation.
They met not in the monolithic headquarters of LFX Industrial; that had been levelled in the conflict, and even so would have been to obvious a target for those that still harboured grudges against the Corporation.
Instead, they met deep underground, in a secret laire that had been construced long ago and code named
Nightfire; intended to serve as a last refuge of Fire when the Eternal Night took hold of the galaxy.
That night had seemingly come, and so the leaders of LFX Industrail met at Nightfire.
Last to arrive was Seti Ashar, CEO and Chairman of the Board. What was left of the Board, anyway. He greated them pleasently enough, and they took their places around the great table.
No one failed to notice a dozen or more spots sitting vacant. No one mentioned it.
"Gentlemen," Seti began, "a great many things have happened." That, of course, was a gross understatement. But if they registered that, they did not show it, and continued to look on as their CEO spoke. "You all know the current state of affairs in the galaxy, so I shall not bore you with them. In short, gentlemen, the Empire has taken the galaxy back. Though they are dormant now on Coruscant, the time will come again when they and the Republic will fight."
He smiled grimly, looking at each executive in turn.
"I propose that we not allow this fight
to begin. The Empire and the Republic both require two substances to survive in this galaxy. And moreso to survive against one another. I am proposing, gentlemen, that we break the Bacta Cartel and bring that resource into our little Empire. Without Bacta, the Republic cannot survive. Without Bacta, they cannot fight the Empire. Without Bacta, in short, they cannot win."
There was silence as they pondered this. Then, one rose to speak.
"You speak of cutting off the Republic. Why the Republic? Why not cut off the Empire, support the New Republic instead?"
A cold smile formed on Seti's face, and he shook his head.
"The New Order holds Coruscant. They rule the galaxy. The New Order got ahead the last time, despite great walls set against them. Do you believe they could not do so again this time? That they could not break this galaxy once more? I will support the Empire, because the Empire promises the most stable government, and the most powerful friend."
The other nodded, his question answered. Unlike some, mostly those who had run, he was not a Republicist. He was in favour of whoever could help him attain the most money, and whether that was Daemon Hyfe or Organa Solo he cared not. Though, he would admit, Hyfe did appeal to him. In the Empire, Daemon Hyfe had
true power. In her precious Republic, Organa Solo had to go through a Senate and a Congress in order to get anything done.
That, the executive suspected, was why Hiram Drayson had done what he had done. Done it, and unknowingly caused the destruction of the Republic. But there would always be those who would blame him, and there would always be those that blamed Organa Solo for interferring. This executive did not care much, for that was done and in the past. It was the future,
his future, that needed to be thought of.
Another man was speaking now, and presently the executive returned to the meeting, shaking his head lightly to clear it.
"...you spoke of resources, sir, that were needed for survival. Yet you only mentioned Bacta. What are the others... and how do we go about securing them...?"
The CEO nodded, a smile forming.
"The others that I spoke of... or rather, the
one other, is Tibanna Gas." Tibanna Gas was used in blasters and, more importantly, capital ship turbolasers. Without it, there could be no war, because there would be no guns to fire, save for a few missiles.
There was another silence now, as they contemplated this. Securing Bacta and Tibanna Gas meant occupying three worlds, the three worlds where those substances were found. Considering, it was relitively simple - if things were different, it could have been three
thousand worlds they were talking about. But three worlds was no laughing matter, regardless.
"Three worlds, gentlemen. And all must come to us at once, or we risk tipping or hand. If we hold all three, we are untouchable. But if we hold only one or two, there is a gap that a smart enemy may exploit.
"They must come together, and they must come soon, gentlemen. And then we shall own the galaxy."
