Etti-IV



Located deep in the heart of the Corporate Sector, Etti-IV is considered to be the commercial capital of the entire sector. Strategically situated near the main trade arteries of hyperlane routes, which network and filter out to the many systems both inside and outlying of the sector . Although the planet itself has no exportable resources of its own to trade with, its sheer beauty and prime positioning attracts the wealthy and the affluent , who have become its own industry.

An attractive jewel , in more ways than one.

As the sun began to set , Etti-IV’s moon could already be seen to shine like mother of Pearl, seeming to both attract and yet, reflect the suns dying embers across the sky in a breathtaking wash of deep orange hues . Creating a kind of warm , inviting golden aura. silhouetted within this, in its capital cities stood Etti-IV’s soaring modern skyscrapers , and buildings, stretching as far as the eye could see . They seemed to prop up the sky, a towering testament to the planets rich and diverse history of trade and commerce. A unique contrast when compared with the rest of the planets beautiful landscapes of open mossy-plains and shallow oceans.

In the throng of the evening rush, a small, unremarkable , unnoticed figure picked his way through the crowds outside Etti-IV’s trade-hall , where the final stages of several major trade negotiations were currently being held.

Slipping quietly from sight of the occasional security guards as they performed their rounds, the figure joined the crowd of holo-feed reporters and journalists as they all waited impatiently for the current meeting to adjourn.



Inside the Trade-hall



“…well , Ambassador , it appears you have yourself a deal…”

The Brettan diplomat spoke as he stretched his hand out in a gesture of good faith, Ambassador Jaleric, reciprocated in kind, and firmly shook the representative’s hand, outwardly pleased that the gruelling eight hour talks had been successful.

“..then I shall inform my superiors the good news…”

With that, the Brettan Diplomat, Takius, smiled courteously and bowed his head in respect before taking his leave. Jaleric had to give it to the Brettans, they knew how to play the game, and were certainly shrewd in their business dealings. However the sudden taxation of the Hyperlanes of all traffic near their system had been heavy handed, short-sighted , uncalled for, and probably counter-productive for that matter. Threatening to undermine many cycles of free trade in that sector.

Jaleric considered this briefly as he absently watched the diplomat work the room, The Brettans were starting to feel the pinch too, the sudden economic downturn these past few cycles had hit everybody hard, it seems that just when things start to get back on track , another major crisis seemed to rear its head. Traditionally the Corporate Sector had always been a safe investment, and given the state of the rest of the galaxy, it was certainly still doing better than most. Even Coruscant, now, The Imperial Centre, had been struggling, the result of the constant conflict imposed upon its once New Republic,
Now Imperial citizens. Too many changes of governments, all had left it haemorrhaging investors looking for safer prospects.

Regardless of all of this, it seemed things were finally starting to get better, profits had shown a steady , ( albeit slow), rise and the general consensus seemed to be of reconciliation and healing, the many conflicts imposed on this galaxy seemed to be over, for the time being at least. In these uncertain times it appeared the Corporate Sector still seemed the most secure.

…at least for one more day anyway…

Inwardly Jaleric smiled to himself, as this thought appeared in his head, what with all the upheaval , he had come to realise that all this could change at a moments notice. Past events flashed through his mind, Etti-IV hadn’t escaped, what with the Rogue Jedi Order wrestling the planet from the control of the CSA, the Empire following suit, and then a virus so potent it threatened the very existence of life on the planet itself. The inhabitants had certainly not had an easy ride, but then who had?

Although when compared to the Empire the Rogue Jedi were wonderful, but there was still something about the benevolent Jedi that unnerved him, he hadn’t trusted them when they were here, even their name sounded …ominous….
He couldn’t help but feel they seemed to have an agenda of their own…Though he indeed acknowledged their sacrifice in protecting the people of Etti-IV, surely no-one could not.

Jaleric shrugged these thoughts off for now, as he glanced through the plex onto the street outside, watching the various inhabitants going about their business, it all seemed so trivial now, and so long ago.

Now they were discussing all kinds of issues, including provisional plans to become members of the Vinda-Corp led Corporate Commonwealth. The Government saw as a way to remain viable, and stable, keeping the sector’s economy alive, whilst still holding a say in the running of their governments planets. Both Bretta and Etti-IV had decided to sign up at the same time. This Vinda-Corp sponsored diplomatic meeting, had provided the groundwork for the induction.

There was indeed one resulting consequence from the former Jedi and Imperial caretakers absence, they had kept the order, since they had both left, crime had risen expodentially, almost overnight, it was now a very serious problem.
The rise of illegal arms trafficking and smuggling had been meteoric. To help combat this problem, this was another thing the Brettan and the Ettian Governments had been in talks about, an independent police , escort and customs force, designed to curb the illegal black market, sponsored and funded by Vinda-Corp.
Organised crime had also become on the increase, and with it, corruption, he glanced back around the room once more, his gaze quickly moving across the many representatives gathered inside the hall… he knew many were on ‘extra’ pay checks funded by ‘outside-influences’ .

"...Ambassador, representative Takius is about to make an announcement to the press....might I suggest?..."

Jaleric smiled as he turned to face the direction of the familiar voice of his personal aide, and nodded...

"...never pass up the chance for a photo - op , yes Drevago?..."

The aide smiled a distinctly toothy grin...

"...never..."

Straightening his tunic slightly, Jaleric gestured for the aide to lead the way, and joined the throng of politicians, diplomats, aides, and other officials to where the Brettan diplomat was about to give his speech.


Outside the Trade Hall


Gradually the crowd began to emerge , and as the Brettan representative exited the hall , a rush of holo-feed journalists and reporters seemed to collectively surge forward, and as the diplomat picked his way down the steps to meet them, the same unnoticed figure stepped forward, and in one deft movement sidled up to the diplomat, and thrust a sheet of flimsiplast into the Brettan's hands...

"...don't forget your speech notes Ambassador..."

Takius , caught off-guard by the efficient speed of the aide , paused for a moment and looked down at what he had just been given....

"..oh..er...ah yes, thank you..but I don't believe..."

As he glanced back up to thank the unfamiliar aide , his eyes narrowed in annoyance as the figure could not be seen within the crowd of people that had gathered around the steps of the trade-hall, the whole incident seemed to have happened within the blink of an eye. Shrugging the incident off , he turned back to face the expectant crowd.

"..this way , Sir..."

Another aide gestured for the diplomat to follow him to the press stand where the press had encircled..

"..er...yes...yes, of course..."

Still clutching his speech notes, the Brettan diplomat approached the press stand, and after placing the flimsiplast on top of the box in front of where was standing, he placed his hands firmly on either side of the box and cleared his throat to begin.

"...Fellow citizens of Etti-IV , Bretta, and the Corporate Sector , I come before you today with good news , both your fellow representative , Ambassador Jaleric , and I, are pleased to announce the stoppage of Taxation across the Brettan trade....routes.."

Jaleric frowned a little as he watched the diplomat speak, as he appeared to look quite pale...

"...rest assured....that...ah ... excuse me..."

Jaleric's frown seemed to increase as Takius trailed off in the middle of the speech...

With a slight gasp, the Brettan representative’s face seemed to contort, and his hands seemed to clutch the sides of the stand so hard he was sure he could see the man's knuckles whitening...

Now looking extremely concerned, Jaleric signalled to a couple of aides , and as they stepped forward to help the diplomat, he fell quite suddenly and to the horror of all those watching both on the steps of the trade hall , and live on the holo-feed at home, slumped to the ground....

"...get me a medic over here now!.."

Almost at once there was bedlam , as the crowd pushed forward to see what was happening , and the press, of course, continued filming...

As Jaleric checked in vain to see if the man was still breathing, he realised grimly that the diplomat was dead, and with a serious face he shouted to one of the security guards...

"...get an investigation team down here quickly, and get these people out of here , quarten the area off , I don't want anything moved or touched...got that?..."

As the guard nodded sharply in acknowledgement, he started to direct the others to disperse the crowd, Jaleric, looked around in disbelief...

...this couldn't have happened at a worse time...

Bonadan

Mr Vinda's private Office


”..what in the name of?…


Vinda’s eyes widened in surprise as he watched via the Holo-feed the live press conference on Etti-IV end rather prematurely, raising an eyebrow , he switched the Holo-terminal off and leant into his chair , contemplating what he had just witnessed.

The chair’s leather creaked as he sank into it…

…an accident?… a tragic natural occurrence?…would the Brettan Government treat it as suspicious?…

He hoped not, after all, the happenings on Etti-IV were important for the whole sector, and repercussions , if there were any , would indeed affect Vinda-Corp’s business interests in some form or another, including the tentative footsteps both Etti-IV and Bretta had taken in becoming part of the Corporate Commonwealth.
Opening his Cigarra case on top of his desk , Vinda took a moment to pause from these issues as he perused a fine looking Cigarra.

A small comms alert distracted him from his current agenda…

“..go ahead..”

He replied, sighing a little…

“…Its Richter, sorry to bother you Sir, but did you see the Etti-IV press conference?..”

Pausing a moment to light his Cigarra, Vinda nodded to himself…

“…ah good afternoon Richter, and Yes, I have just been watching it…”

“…I was going to formally offer the Brettan Government our condolences…”

Vinda grunted in approval as he listened, then leant forward as he realised the situation could either develop into a potential opportunity, or a potential crisis…

“..yes…in fact I shall see them personally…inform Kas Katta and Miles Johnson, and ready the shuttle, I shall be making my way down within the next hour…”

“…very good Sir, if there’ll be anything else?…”

Vinda paused for a moment in thought...

"..Is Mr Soom still on leave?.."

"..yes, but I am sure I know where to find him, sir..."

"....then it may be prudent to do so, thank you Richter..."

As Vinda signed off , he rose from his chair and looked out across the cityscape of Bonadan. He pressed a small switch beside one of the office's huge windows overlooking Bonadan South-East two , and as the window slid upwards , he stepped forward onto the balcony.

Taking a long drag from his cigarra , the Vinda-Corp CEO took in the scene before him...
His mind drenched with thought...

Was all this nessecary?

Was this nothing?

Was he being too cautious?, too suspicious?...

Sighing slightly, Vinda's brow furrowed...

...no....

Vinda had learnt a long time ago to trust his instincts on things, and right now, his instincts were telling him, something wasn't quite right...

Besides past events ...
The conflict on Capricia...

The attack from the CSA, and with it Vinda-Corp's retaliation...

The Imperial civil war, and along with it the consequential virus that had decimated thousands of lives... and planets, including those of Vinda-Corps expansion within the Corporate Sector , the imperial splinter group had taken them back...
Rendering his previous actions...useless.
... Vinda-Corp had survived....but at a painful cost, millions dead, a naval defence fleet wiped out...

..All of this had taught him something very important...

....never take anything for granted...

As Vinda exhaled deeply, his eyes narrowed as the smoke swirled in front of his face, mixing with the invisible breezes outside...

One thought made itself clear, a single promise to himself...

...this won't happen again...

Right now, however the Galaxy had turned the corner, it was time to write a new chapter... time to rebuild....

...reconciliation , and consolidation...

These two words seemed to hang in the air...

Vinda-Corp would not find itself in this situation again.

Vinda-Corp HQ

Section



A flash of pain shot across his back, and Kaneda was sent reeling onto the floor forwards. Gritting his teeth in reaction to the blow, the Vinda-Corp operative streched his arms out and broke his fall by rolling over himself, using the momentum to right himself again. In one swift movement Kaneda swirled around to face his attacker, his blade following in a lightningly fast blur...

The attacker, considerably bigger and taller than Kaneda, and up until now had been hidden in the shadows, seemed to stop for second, swayed forward a little causing himself to become visible as he stepped out from the dimly lit alley. Kaneda's eyes narrowed as he readied his blade for another assault, and relaxed a little as the figure fell forward face down, onto the ground, except without a face, or a head in fact , as Kaneda had decapitated his assailant completely.

"...I thought you'd missed him..."

Richter Bayern's unmistakeble voice interrupted the scene...

A small smile began to form on Kaneda's lips as he recognised the voice, and after sheathing his blade, deactivated the training Simulator via his remote control unit. In a brief moment of static the darklit street he had been standing in disappeared , leaving the operative standing inside a large empty room, with a rectangular viewing screen on one wall. Richter's grinning face was stood behind it , peering through.

"...I never miss..."

Came Kaneda's retort, followed by a smile so slight it was impossible to tell whether the comment was a joke, or not.
A sharp tap on the keypad and the door to the simulator slid opened , Kaneda walked through to meet Richter and placed his cane on a table in front of him.

"...keeping in trim?..."

Richter's rather obvious attempt at conversation, was met by a blank stare from Kaneda...

"...something like that..."

Kaneda picked up a towel and used it to wipe his face , which was drenched by sweat from his workout, and glanced up to Richter expectantly as he began to speak...

"...you know, you are the only person I know who spends his entire day-off in a training simulator...why don't you take a break, go see a movie, spend some time at a resort or something....Maryo's got some great offers going "

Kaneda simply shook his head, and laughed a little...

"...too many sunburnt tourists. Why are you bothering me on my day-off, Mr Bayern?..."

Nodding slightly, Richter handed Kaneda a datapad , which up until now he had been secreting inside his left suit pocket.

"...briefing at 17:00 hours, no rest for the wicked eh?..."

Kaneda took the pad and scanned through its contents, sighing slightly...

"...seems that way..." (he murmured).

Richter smiled a little , then watched as the operative packed his stuff away into a small navy bag, and continued the conversation...

"..I was serious about the whole taking time off thing, you know..."

Picking both his Cane and his bag up , Kaneda turned to leave, and spoke with the traces of a subtle smile , as he glanced back over to Richter...

"...I hear Etti-IV is good this time of year..."

...and with that , exited the room.

Etti-IV

Coroners Office

Superintendent Grimlock waited impatiently, outside the in the hallway, pacing back and forth. He hated coming down here, and only did so when it was absolutely necessary, unfortunately for him, this was one of those times.

"...damned place...how anyone can do this for a living I'll never know..."

(He muttered under his breath).

Despite seeing many corpses in his time as a civilian law enforcer , he still hadn't gotten used to seeing them, but then again, not many do. He was also nervous , this whole matter was very high profile, and he, no, his whole department was under intense pressure to find out answers.

"...Mr Grimlock?.."

The Officer turned around to face the voice.

"..yes..."

The voice came from a young dark-haired aide, who handed Grimlock a data-pad.

"...there is the report you are after..."

The young man continued as Grimlock scanned through the data-pad's contents, frowning a little as he tried to make sense of all the medical jargon.

"...the subject died of acute intra-ventricular Muscular dystrophy, it was the resulting seizure that killed him..."

Grimlock's face frowned more...

"...what in the hell does that mean?..what caused it?"

The aide stared blankly at the officer for a moment, before explaining further.

"...his heart hardened, which in turn stopped the flow of blood to the brain...as to what caused it... the results were inconclusive, in otherwords, unknown....but in our opinion, suspicious"

Grimlock's face darkened as he gauged the man in front of him, realising there was more...

"..as such I took the liberty of sending samples to Toxicology, and the results we have had back have confirmed our suspicions .."

The aide handed Grimlock a small example -vial of what appeared to be a clear liquid...

"...Ventracide , its a deadly poison, so much so, that even minute traces can be fatal...and minute traces are exactly what we found....Very unusual though, very exotic..."

The officer quickly handed the vial back to the aide, and sighed loudly realising the implications, and as the aide excused himself and left, Grimlock nervously scratched the back of his head, deliberating how exactly to break the news to the Commissar...

...he's not going to like this...

Bretta

Brettan Government Centre



"...This is a crisis!... Ambassador Takius's murder was an act of cold retaliation from the Etti-IV government , it is a well known fact they were the biggest protestors against our Taxation of our OWN trade routes ...this atrocity should not be allowed to go unpunished! We suggest... "

Vinda drew himself away from the viewing area of the Governmental debating chamber that was now witness to a heated row over what course of action the Brettans should take... he had seen enough. The speaker was certainly venomous, and politically from the far right, (Vinda noted).

The political outrage was rising, and along with it, the threat of some kind of retaliation... whether it would be political, (trade sanctions, etc), or something more extreme, it all raised the ante. Vinda chewed on the end of his Cigarra , concerned.

The Coroner's report was now headline news, across the entire sector, he himself had learnt it en route to Bretta. The Ambassador had indeed been assassinated, but by whom, or for why, no one was quite sure.

"...The people of Bretta thank you for your coming here today, Mr Vinda, I am sure many will feel safer knowing they have one more friend in this universe..."

Vinda turned his attention to the Brettan Governor, Ryshinto, and smiled congenially...

"...you have our deepest sympathies Governor Ryshinto, rest assured, if there is anything we can do, well, don't hesitate to ask, please pass on our condolences to the Ambassador's family..."

Ryshinto nodded solemnly , and bowed his head a little, and gestured for Vinda to follow him as he started to walk away from the debating chamber...

".. Be sure I shall , Mr Vinda.."

The Governor seemed to take a moment to choose his words before continuing...

"..There is one thing that you can do for us , if of course, you agree...."

Vinda's attention became even more focused on the man in front of him.

"...despite , their best efforts. the Ettian's police force has been unable to garner any leads as to who has caused this, we have asked for our own investigative team to have access , but the Ettian Government is refusing...It is clear that this crisis has damaged relations with both our governments quite considerably .This is a very delicate matter, Mr Vinda... which is why , you may be indeed able to help us..."

Vinda's face looked quite serious...

"...what did you have in mind?..."

Ryshinto smiled a little as he spoke further..

"..it is considered common knowledge that Vinda-Corp's intelligence even rivals some of that to the Empire...."

Vinda in surprise raised an eyebrow at the Governer's comment.

"...we just like to keep well informed, thats all..."

A slight look of scepticism could be seen within the Governor's eyes ...

"...I'm sure you do, Mr Vinda...The Ettian's have agreed to allow access to an independent neutral party to investigate, and so have we... With your resources and connections , you may be able to find more than either of us..."

Nodding slightly, Vinda's face grew serious...

" ...We would be honoured Governor, we shall see what we can find , ….on another note, how did the house vote go?….”

Ryshinto , gave Vinda a sly grin, as he looked him in the eye…

“…Yes, in principle , the council agrees, but there are many who still hold grave concerns, mainly where the issue of sovereignty, and power sharing is concerned, they are a minority , but as is usually the case, they have the loudest voices…Mainly these people are nervous, they don’t want our culture, our way of life to be swallowed up…”

Vinda nodded, and grunted in agreement…

“…yes, and their concerns are completely valid and understandable, Vinda-Corp respects the citizens right to elect who they wish to represent them, although the Commonwealth
comes under the umbrella of Vinda-Corp itself. We, I would not wish to interfere in the daily running of the Government, my policy , and therefore Vinda-Corp’s policy, is to leave the running of things to those who know it best, namely the people of Bretta…”

The Governor nodded as he listened intently, and clasped his hands behind his back as he kept pace with Vinda…

“…well,I don’t need to say that, if you and your people manage to sort this current mess out, that this would silence many of these critics…we may even be able to move the timetable forward…”

Ryshinto gave Vinda the kind of look , that only Government leaders or politicians can do, a kind of double meaning , “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” kind of look. Vinda, being experienced enough to spot it, read between the lines instantly….He returned the look with an equally articulate gaze…

“..then , we shall have to do our best, Governor….”

As the Governor excused himself and left Vinda to go about his business, the Vinda-Corp CEO watched him go, his eyes narrowing as the smoke from his cigarra danced in front of his face where the traces of a wry smile had started to form.

Etti-IV

Spaceport Lounge



Kaneda slowly glided through the neverending throng of , tourists, spacers, businessmen, traders, and staff , all going about their daily routine. Their voices merged together to create one singular atmosphere of noise. Occasionally one voice would make itself heard above the rabble, and for one brief moment, could almost be comprehensible, until it slowly melted back into the background din of the spaceport.

The sheer number of different races and species, could be overwhelming, if one was not used to it, which, Kaneda was. Glancing down at his chrono , the Operative raised an eyebrow…

… some time to kill…

Taking a moment to scan the lounge , he caught sight of a small café, and after cocking his head to one side to survey it from a distance, he made his way to it…

As the door slid aside for him to enter, a robotic voice greeted him…

“..welcome to the lounge-side Tapcafe… please take a seat , and you will be served shortly…”

Raising an eyebrow a little at the message, Kaneda’s eyes carefully scanned around the room , before settling on an empty table on the far side of the room.

Soon enough he was accompanied by droid waiter, who enquired after his order, and after a couple of seconds scanning through a menu, Kaneda ordered just a drink…

“..Alderranian tea , please…”

Chirping an acknowledgement the droid swivelled , and raced off to oblige. Kaneda leant back into his chair and took a moment to gaze around the room at the various patrons inside.
The Ettians were a distinct form of humanoid, generally quite slim and slender, and Kaneda couldn't help but feel a little ungainly and clumsy when compared to them.

As the droid returned with his order, Kaneda took a cautious sip, and leant back into his chair as he continued to study the Cafe's inhabitants. His eyes searched the room , before finally settling his gaze on two figures sat in the corner nearest to the Cafe's window looking out onto the spaceport's lounge. One appeared to be a Sullustan, while the other a local Ettian, both were involved in a somewhat heated discussion. The Sullustan clearly was not happy about something.
Although the Section-operative was too far away to hear what was being said , he was close enough to see the Sullustan quieten down dramatically , rather abruptly leave his seat and then the cafe altogether, almost running into two visiting patrons in the process.

Pondering on this for a moment, Kaneda promptly decided to enquire further. Collecting his drink, he approached the Ettian seated opposite to where kaneda was standing, and gestured at the empty chair.

"..is this seat taken?..."

Leaning back to take in Kaneda's appearance, the Ettian narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance at being disturbed, before nodding cautiously, and spoke without removing his gaze from the Vinda-Corp agent.

"...no...but I suggest you should have a very good reason for wanting to sit there..."

Came the rather ominous response. Kaneda simply smiled, and sat down. Glancing out through the Plex onto the Spaceport outside, the operative attempted to break the ice a little.

"...nice view..."

"..I hadn't noticed..."

Came the gruff reply, the Ettian was becoming visibly perplexed at Kaneda's intrusion.

"...I need some information....I need someone on the pulse , as it were, someone informed..."

"....well if I see anyone fitting that description I'll let you know..."

The Ettian blurted out his reply between mouthfuls of his somewhat unidentifiable food , he had in front of him.
Nodding slowly in mock - resignation, Kaneda retrieved a valuable crystallene Vertex crystal and ran it up and down between his fingers as he continued to speak...

"...ah well, in that case I shall not take up any more of your time...enjoy your... (Kaneda glanced down at the Ettian's plate of food warily)....meal...."

With that the operative stood up as if to leave and was about to walk away, when he felt a hand grab his arm, turning to face its owner, Kaneda smiled a little as the Ettian spoke hurriedly through a mouthful...

"...what kind of information do you require?..."

Taking a seat opposite the Ettian once more, Kaneda lowered his voice a touch.

"...local wildlife....the underground variety"

Pausing a moment to both chew the rest of his food, and to consider Kaneda's words, then replied cautiously...

"..that could be dangerous....but more specifically....expensive..."

Narrowing his eyes, the man seemed to look at Kaneda in a new light..

“…you’re not Espo…. Who are you?…”

Reaching inside his suit jacket, Kaneda brought out a small comms device and slid it over to the man , and as the Ettian examined it, Kaneda answered his question…partially.

“…you can call me.. Dakena ....and you?”

The man tilted his head slightly as he replied..

“…Primus…”

Nodding in acknowledgement, Kaneda spoke further…

“..that device is encrypted, it will only raise me, and vice versa. I am in town for quite a while , I need to know who the heavyweights are…”

The Ettian grunted in response , and pocketed the small comms device. Kaneda finished his tea , left payment for it and got up to leave….

“…if we need to meet, we’ll meet here…”

With that, Kaneda bowed slightly in acknowledgement and made his way out of the TapCafe, he had a meeting to attend.

Bretta

The Starblazer Hotel - Hotel Casino



"...the Brettan people have only just got rid of one overbearing corporation, the CSA, why would we want to hand ourselves over to another?..."

Vinda listened intently to the politician speaking before him, and nodded , understanding the mans misgivings. he had asked the gentleman out on a kind of 'unofficial' meeting, Aslan Molon was a highly respected leader of the more liberal political opposition, and had met each other back at the Government centre, Vinda was keen to hear the official's stance on Bretta's potential induction into Vinda-Corps Corporate Commonwealth ...

"your concerns are completely understandable...Mr Molon I know exactly what the CSA are capable of, first-hand..."

The Brettan government representative, fell silent for a moment as he realised who he was talking too. This was the man who had finished off the CSA , after they attempted to kill him and his livelyhood. Rubbing his chin Aslan sighed...

"...yes ...of course, but you have to understand this is a very sensitive subject Mr Vinda...this isn't just some business arrangement , this is about the lives of millions of sentient beings who reside on this planet...."

Narrowing his eyes a little, Vinda took a slow sip from a cup of Tea, (Vinda never drank when he was betting)... and chose his words carefully...

"...I know the fears , but , lets put aside the trade and commerce benefits for a moment and concentrate on the other factors out there, namely, the rest of the galaxy.
My interest is to ensure the safety and sanctity of our people within the Corporate sector, the universe is a dangerous place Mr Molon, and I do not want to see this sector ripped apart into petty civil wars, or annexed and carved up by outside invaders....

...which , make no mistake, will happen, as it has done many times before.

Even now we at Vinda-Corp hear reports of a CSA remnant out there, and if this is true, and if they allowed to build their strength unchecked, what makes you think that they will overlook Bretta?..... they have already annexed you once, and they will do it again...and with all due respect...Bretta does not have the means to defend itself properly against such an attack.... trust me, I know what they are capable of, all too well"

A Sabbacc droid deftly handed out the cards , in front of the two men, and as they sat opposite one another, and gauged their cards for a moment, they eyed each other cautiously...trying to gain a reading on one another. Aslan , eventually responded to Vinda's comments...

"...you make a convincing argument Mr Vinda, but, right now there are more immediate concerns..."

nodding firmly in agreement, Vinda chewed on the end of his cigarra as he concentrated both on the hand he had been dealt, and Aslan's comments...

"...yes... I agree, the sooner this crisis is sorted out, the better...In fact I shall be visiting Etti-IV tomorrow to see what is happening"

As the betting progressed, and eventually all cards laid bare, Vinda glared at the Sabacc droid suspiciously as his hand ultimately lost...
The worried expression on the Brettan official sat opposite him had eased slightly, as he collected his chips, smiling, he turned his attention back to Vinda as the CEO spoke further...

"...looks like you have me beat...again..."

Shaking his head Vinda loosened his tie a little , and leant back into his chair, resigned to the fact that today was not his day for the Sabbacc table.

"...well Mr Molon , its been a pleasure, but I'm afraid I am going to call it a night....i thank you for your agreeing to meet with me ..."

"not at all Mr Vinda, I thank you for taking the time to discuss my concerns....I feel you have put my mind more at ease....I wish you a good night, as for me, I'm going to stay and try my luck..."

"...well , don't try it too much..."

Smiling as he spoke, Vinda straightened his tunic, and bowed out graciously, and headed for his Hotel room, he had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Etti-IV

Espo Headquarters


Kaneda glided up the steps to the rather imposing looking building , a kind of duracrete relic of the CSA's time here , and as he stepped through the sliding doors , he was greeted by a secretarial droid.

“..can I help you?…”

Casting his gaze upon the polite speaking droid in front of him, Kaneda replied…

"...yes, you can... I am here to see Superintendent Grimlock..."

The droid seemed to process this for a moment before replying...

"...affirmative....do you have an appointment?..."

Clasping both hands atop his walking cane , Kaneda seemed to lean forward a little, resting his weight on top of it slightly, he tilted his head towards the droid ,bemused...

"...yes, he is expecting me..."

...affirmative...please wait here...

With that the small droid scurried away, raising an eyebrow in response, Kaneda looked around and took a seat with the rest of the crowd in the reception area.
After about twenty minutes a rather harassed looking figure emerged from one of the ends of the long corridor clutching a wad of flimsiplast documents.

"...Mr...Dakena Somo?..."

Kaneda stood up to greet the man , and bowed in greeting....

"...Mr Grimlock?..."

"...yes, follow me..."(he grunted in response), Without hardly even looking towards the Section agent. The superintendent did not exactly appear to be too happy to see the Vinda-Corp operative. This did not wholly surprise kaneda, since it was a well known fact that most local authorities did not welcome outside intervention in what they consider to be their affairs... in a way, Kaneda was an unwelcome interference...
Taking this as a sign of things to come, Kaneda mentally prepared himself, as this , (he figured), would probably be the warmest welcome he was likely to get.

Several minutes, and several hallways later, Kaneda was led into the Superintendant's office, and as the doors slid closed behind them, Grimlock threw his collection of documents he had been holding, onto his desk, and seemed to gauge the Vinda-corp agent in front of him for the first time.

"...right Vinda-man!... I don't know what your superiors have told you, and to a degree , I don't care... this is an Ettian matter for Ettian people to deal with, we don't need the likes of you here. So heres the deal... unfortunately for me, I have been assigned as your attaché, and I'll be honest, babysitting you is not my idea of fun or what I would consider to be the most practical use of my time. I have much more important things to do, so do me a favour, and spare me a headache, and keep your head down for the next forty -eight hours, lets try not to get under each others feet..."

Kaneda remained silent, until the man finished, as he was obviously not to thrilled at having been assigned this case, leaning back into the office chair, he replied, his voice calm and sincere...

"...I assure you Superintendent, my purpose to come here was not to get under your feet... we are both here to do the same job...."

Grimlock eyed him suspiciously...

"...do you know what I have to deal with here each day?... how many murders are committed here?, how many crimes against normal people?... but one diplomat gets killed and the sector goes mad....its krif! thats what it is...I am understaffed as it is... I don't need some hot-shot from another system coming in and getting in my way...damned politicians!....."

Kaneda didn't take the Espo's comments to heart, he knew the man was venting...and decided to change the topic of conversation to something more productive...

"...do you have any footage taken at the scene?... I heard there was a huge media-presence there , someone must have caught something, what about the trade hall's security cameras?..."

Nodding , the superintendent opened a drawer and dumped a huge bag of tapes, holo-feeds, footage from all kinds of formats...

"...yes we have gone through them all and there was no sign of anything unusual..."

Glancing at the huge pile in front of him, Kaneda drew his attention back to the Espo..

"...well, I have already read through all of your preliminary reports, and your findings concerning these...but..would you mind if I take a look..."

Grimlock's initial reaction , appeared to be one of offense, as if Kaneda had incinuated he had not done his job properly...his expression changed suddenly however as he realised this could be just the thing to keep the Vinda-Corp agent out of his way for a while... and with his voice lowered, he responded...

"...be my guest.... there is a media room on level four, take all the time you need...."

Gathering up the bag, Kaneda nodded, and rose from his chair...

"..thank you Superintendent...also, as I understand it, there is a briefing at 16:30 hrs?..."

Grimlock seemed to glare slightly at Kaneda's mention of the briefing, and nodded his head warily, he had hoped the Vinda-corp agent had not been informed about it...

"...yes..."

Sensing the unenthusiastic vibe emanating from the Espo before him, Kaneda decided it was best to give him some space for a while....Although Kaneda was both, justified and empowered to go over the Espos's head, he had learnt from past experiences that being at odds with the local police enforcment was not going to make his job any easier. So after excusing himself, the Operative left the superintendents office and made his way to the fourth floor.

Grimlock watched him leave , relieved to be rid of the Operative for a while….

Etti-IV

Trade-Hall



Vinda sat quiet within the chamber of commerce and listened intently to the debate which filled the floor. All kinds of species were represented on Etti-IV , and all had their say on what was turning out to be quite the political crisis…The Ettians were not reacting kindly from some of the more outlandish conspiratol claims put forward by those few within Bretta’s own government. The hawks were out in force…and as a result, so was the hostile rhetoric.

Although Etti-IV had shown great interest in becoming a member of the Corporate Commonwealth , the current climate had seen its political momentum tail off… Along with Vinda’s mood…

This was now damage control, to try and break the deadlock, before it all became irretrievable. As an aide announced Ambassador Jaleric’s arrival , Vinda turned to face him…

“…Ambassador… how did it go?..”

Bowing slightly in greeting , Jaleric seemed to give Vinda’s question considerable thought before answering…

“…you were watching yes?… not too well…the Brettans are threatening to start up the taxation of trade routes once again, and if they do , the house has voted for trade sanctions, until they are dropped…”

The Ambassador let a heavy sigh escape…

“…this whole affair is becoming totally out of control, its threatening to destroy all that
Ambassador Takius, and myself, have worked long and hard for….not to mention yourselves at Vinda-Corp….who knows what the long term damage is?….”

Grunting in response, Vinda glanced back into the chamber where many representatives were still discussing further issues, then turned his attention back to the diplomat…

“…we’ll find a way…no-one in this sector wishes to see either party fall further into hostilities….”

Exhaling deeply Jaleric, took a seat and nodded in reply…

“…what about your findings?.. as I understand it, you have an investigator working alongside ours….have you had any progress your side?…”

Vinda clasped his hands behind his back as he shook his head a little…

“…not yet…but I am confident in his abilities…

…I am sure he is on top of things….”

Etti-IV

Espo Headquarters


“…what do you mean he left!?…where the frell did he go?”

“..I don’t know sir, he just said he was looking into something…”

Grimlock kicked one of the reception chairs in frustration, sending it flying across the floor…

“..how the hell am I supposed to accompany him when he doesn’t inform me of where he’s going!?…”

Although Kaneda had the full authority to go anywhere and investigate anywhere he liked, to in effect, work completely autonomously. The Ettian government had given the Superintendent strict instructions to stay with him on the sly, partly because they weren’t comfortable with letting someone roam completely free, and partly because they didn’t want another dead foreigner on their hands, it was harming business. The order had come from on high.

Calming down, Grimlock’s attention was caught by the desk-clerk…

“….sir he asked me to give you this…”

As the clerk handed the Superintendent a picture, Grimlock’s eyes narrowed , then darted back to the clerk as he continued speaking…

“…he said it was the person responsible, and he was going to find him…”

Glaring at the clerk, Grimlock studied the picture of the scene that Kaneda had made once more, making sure he committed the face of the suspect to memory, even though he was doubtful it was the correct person…or was it perhaps just pride?…

The superintendent had now started to worry about his attache’s welfare, the streets of Etti-IV were not to be taken lightly, and more to the point, he knew his job was on the line here. Though Grimlock , of course, did not know of Kaneda’s real line of work, and he had taken the Vinda-Corp employee for nothing more than a rookie investigator, little did he know the Section Operative could handle himself more than competently…
Grimlock frowned as his comms-unit alert activated…

“…yes?..”

”…Superintendent Grimlock?…”

“…yes, yes, who is this?…” Grimlock asked impatiently

”…Constable Crant , I have a message from a Mr Dakena Somo”

“…ahhhh!… where in the hell is he!..." (he asked impatiently)

The Constable , interrupted the Superintendent rather abruptly…

” …I do not know Sir, I was just told to pass on this message... he asks if you could meet him at the Lounge-side Tapcafe, at 19:00 hours…”

And before he could react, the Constable cut the transmission….

The Ettian Law-Enforcer stood there for a moment, not knowing whether to be angry or just curious. Instead he let out a loud gasp of air in exasperation, and shook his head, and as he turned to face the clerk, he raised his hand in resignation…

“…hold my calls…”

Then exited the building.