<font color=orange>Industrial Centre (Eraidu) - Sewessena Sector

For the fifth time that afternoon, a fight had broken out in the executive boardroom. This time, over the issue of the up-and-coming trade deal with the Hapes Consortium.

"Hapes has done us no good in the last year, comrades. What is to be gained by allowing them a portion of our Tibanna reserve, as will surely happen if-"

A cold voice broke interupted the man from the head of the table.

"The Hapans are our friends, Zek. We pledged our support in their war with the Jutraalian Empire-"

"Against my wishes! Not to mention that the war never took place!"

"Thankfully, Zek. We did not have to send our young to fight and die because of Chadwick Fearsons' grudge! The Hapans are our friends, and they have offered their support in aiding us to secure Talorran - which we have agreed would be best!"

There was a silence as the CEO's brief tirade finished, and Zek looked sullen. However, he knew as well as any other that he was not beaten. He still had something to toss into the ring, and Seti Ashar was sure he would use it now.

"What has Hapes done for us before now? Why do we allow them to cut into our profits-" He seemed to have gathered steam after Ashar's rant.

"Listen to yourself!" He roared, standing and pointing an accusing finger in Zek's direction. Seti's eyes had in them a cold fury, the likes of which they had seen only a few times prior. "So caught up in your own greed! 'What about my money?'! You and your family sleep in your plush feather-beds in the richest part of town, drinking Alderaani wines and living in the lap of luxery, while others can't even eat, Zek! Don't you dare talk to me about profits. You're very lucky, Zek, that I do not fire you on the spot."

This time, the silence went on for several moments. Seti coughed lightly and said, finallly, "besides, I believe that the Hapan Consortium footed a large portion of the bill for several dozen warships build by the Republic and the Rogue Jedi Order in preperaration for the war. Those ships are now members of our fleet, so we should be thankful to Dakkon for his willingness to contribute to our cause. This is our way of saying thank you to Hapes."

<font color=orange>"Who claims dominion over Taloraan?" They were assembled in the top office, the Power Office, of the LFX Industrial building on Eriadu. Seti Ashar, current CEO and Owner of the Corporation, Hiram Drayson, Lord Protector and Minister of Defence, and their contact from the Hapan Consortium.

Hiram took a moment to reply, looking towards the large holographic image of the planet in front of him.
"The Outer-Rim Federation have on more than one occasion, claimed the planet as their territory," he began. The holo-image vanished, to be replaced by a video of a Mon Calamari Super Cruiser, a smaller MC-90 cruiser, and a Star Destroyer. "The Super Cruiser is an Outer-Rim Federation warship, the smaller cruiser was a Galactic Defence Initiative scout collecting Tibanna reserves. The Star Destroyer was a Jutraalian warship. The Federation vessel attempted to take back the Tibanna, which they claimed was theirs. They did scare off the Jutraalian vessel, and the GDI ship escaped with their Tibanna."

The image changed back to the glowing picture of Taloraan.
"Before that, a Yuuzhan Vong party had been hiding on the world. It is concivable that the Vong still have a presence there, but force and wherabouts are unknown."

Seti nodded, clasping his hands behind his back and still looking at the image.
"We expect to encounter resistance from both the Yuuzhan Vong and mercenary/pirate forces. Outer-Rim Federation intervention is also possible, though unlikely. The Corporation (referring to LFX Industrial, of course) will treat any aggressive actions towards us by anyone in the system an act of war, and respond accordingly. We're putting together a Strike Force that should be powerful enough to put down minor resistance, and we'll have reserve forces on alert nearby in case matters collapse."

He gave the Hapan representitive a smile.
"I assume that the Hapes delegates will be dealing in a similar way?"

The man, Provost Zakharov and one of the Crown Prince of Hapes' right hand men, nodded. He spoke with a thick accent as he replied.

"The Vong are abominations. No quarter will be given by our troops as we expect to receive none in return. We already have an advance force of 1,000 Rodian Hunters on the planet, the best of our Rodian Colonial Forces. They should be more than able to deal with any Vong threat, while establishing a number of way-stations in support of our main Firebases. Engineers will be landed with the main assault force to immediately begin mining. Thus, if defeated, and i loosely stress if, we will have been able to extract considerable gas reserves to hopefully maintain the balance between operations cost and projected profit."

His aide, Fedor Petrov leant over and whispered something in his ear. Zakharov nodded, before dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"It appears that we may be able to avoid conflict with the Mercenary group based in orbit around Taloraan. It appears they were used by the fledgling Monarchy in the takeover of Ukio. I suggest we begin by attempting to either buy them off, or hiring them to perform a small mission of no significance. Then we can strike while they are gone or wait until they have left on their own accord.

Suggestions?"

He tapped his foot impatiently as he listened to the explanation of the Prince's Personal Aide. This, of course, the CEO already knew. Being at the top of the food chain in the most influencial corporate power in the galaxy had it perks, and Seti Ashar was privy to very much secret information that was collected by the Shadow Hand... and, while they didn't know it, the infamous Imperial Intelligence.

Such was the spread of LFX Industrial, and such were the sources that reported to the office of Lord Protector Hiram Drayson, perhaps one of the top ten most powerful Military men in this galaxy.

Not for his fleets, certainly, (though those were impressive, to say the least, and immaculate in care), but for his connections. The Shadow Hand, the Corporation, the Republic, the Hapan Consortium, the Rogue Jedi Order... the list went on.

There we few men in the galaxy who could call upon so many forces and rely on their support. Of course, Daemon Hyfe, Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire, could smash all of Hiram Drayson's hopes and plans in a heartbeat... but Drayson had never considered fighting the Grand Admiral.

Seti shook his head to clear it of the thoughts of his Lord Protector and trusted friend, to turn back to the matter at hand.

"The Vong will not be a problem," he said ligtly. "The Corporation has despatched more than enough material to counter any move the Yuuzhan Vong may try to make. And I assume that the Hapan Consortium will be doing likewise."

He gave a savage grin, and nodded solemly.

"As for your mercenaries, let them come or let them go. They will break on our fleets as water on rock."

Zakharov sat silently, his mind focused entirely on the task at hand. Millions of calculations flashed through his head, operations cost, contingency plans, fleet repair and cost outlays for the Hapes main city on planet. A million Colonists from the Cluster had been prepared for the first wave, 5 million more were on call. This was Zakharovs first independant mission after 10 years as the Crown Princes personal hand and he wanted it to be perfect. He already had a name for the planets major city.

Darksword Central.

With a smile he shook his head.

"We are ready i believe."

"...excellent..."

<hr>

LFD Lunar Tide - Taloraan System

Four Days Later

No matter how many times he saw it, it always filled him with the same sense of awe and longing. As a child, arriving at the world of Chandrilla after his first hyperspace voyage, he had been awestruck by the magnifence of it all.

Now, grown and one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, it was still a wonder to him. The Liberty-class Frontline Destroyer Lunar Tide, one of dozens of warships the Corporation was constructing for its Home Defence Corps now, emerged from hyperspace over the gas world of Taloraan with the usually whining of engines and strained steel.

The sublight engines still screached with what the crew called the "baby's whine" - Seti Ashar knew they would have to deal with months of constant pounding before this subsided completely.

The ship itself still smelled strongly of soldered metal and paint. A line ship, only just completed by the compitent yard workers at Eriadu's own orbital construction facility.

And perhaps the most powerful line ship in the galaxy. Certainly the most powerful under Corporate Control. And it stood to reason: the most powerful businessman in the galaxy should travel in the company of the most powerful Corporate ship of the line in the galaxy.

The swirling blue vortex of hyperspace subsided, replaced for a moment by the elongated stars, set out in constellations the CEO did not recognize. These were soon stopped short, replaced entirely with miniscule stars in the far off distance.

And, glowing in all its fury off the bow, the massive gas giant that was Taloraan. The ship's executive officer, Colonel Brayden, was speaking now.

"Transmit to Eriadu and inform them that Liberty Force has made the reversion to realspace. Destination: Taloraan."

HMS Disruptor, Taloraan System.

The massive form of the Conqu-class Battleship seemed to appear out of nothing as it completed its reversion from hyperspace without a hitch. On its return to its moorings on Maires following the cleansing of Olenji in the Sol System, the ship had been ordered to break away from the Royal Expeditionary Force of which it was the flagship, for the task of assisting a settlement on the key planet of Taloraan.

On the bridge sat the head of the operation, Provost Zakharov, and to his right sat Colonel Daknel, commander of the REF and leader of the secretive Krypteia. He sat silently, watching the barely controlled excitment permeate from the man he sat beside. He didn't like the fact that the most powerful line ship in the Consortium was being used to babysit a beaurocrat. Looking over the port side he saw the Liberty Cruiser they were meant to be 'assisting', and pondered how long it would take the [/i]Disruptor to destroy it. His idle thoughts were banished as he overheard the comms requesting orders from LFD Lunar Tube, a notable grimace on his face.

He like many in the Consortium was an isolationist, wanting the Cluster to go back to the old ways. But the new ways had been proven much better many times over, again and again. The new Royal Family for one. Hence all the isolationists simply got on with their jobs, accepting that this could be the better way, that they could just not yet see why...