[L20 - Rutan - AE] Fondaco Crossroads

Glonatan Hapenar always felt uneasy staring out the viewport which filled a wall of his office. It felt a bit too cinematic, too stereotypical: the steely-eyed leader surveying his empire. Upbringing and experience had taught him to be wary of getting lost in dramatics. When you started thinking of your life as a holomovie plot, with yourself as the hero, you could guarantee a catastrophic twist would come soon enough. He acted the tycoon cowboy when convenient, but underneath was a first-rate analytical mind that didn’t believe his own propaganda.

The view outside really was dramatic, though. From his high tower he could see the whole orbital complex. Ponderous freighters rested alongside patrol ships and mercenary escorts, while contracted micro-haulers buzzed about the smaller pads. The Fondaco Crossroads, the corporate headquarters and vessel depot of Hydian Consolidated shipping line, was the crowning glory of generations of effort by the Hapenar family. Starting with a simple trading post on Rutan’s surface, the family had expanded across the planet, then the sector, then the galaxy. The Crossroads had been built eighty years prior in Rutan orbit: a collection of asteroids honeycombed with hangars and living quarters, and linked with bridges, fuel conduits and cargo conveyors. Not merely industrial, the complex also contained the Hapenar family mansion and an elegant cathedral to their faith. Benefiting from constant traffic between Rutan and its moon Senali, and always maintaining a neutral posture during conflicts, the Crossroads was the heart of Consolidated’s many freight routes — and its other less public activities.

The swoosh of a door announced the arrival of Hapenar’s chief of staff, and he gave up the reverie.

“What’s up?”

“Two things. First, Security is hearing a lot of bad news out of Coruscant. VIPs disappearing or showing up dead, starship hijackings, major break-ins at banks and residences. The details are sketchy but it seems like Black Sun might be behind it, with some hangers-on taking advantage of the chaos.”

“Interesting. Haven’t heard much from Black Sun lately, maybe they’ve been quietly planning this. Any word of it spreading outside of Coruscant?”

“Not yet. We’ll talk to our contacts at the other lines and see what they’ve heard.”

“Good. Does Security need anything?”

“For now they can operate within discretionary limits. We’ve raised the threat posture to Code Burl across the company, and we’ll lock down the tower and Roseyard. The Void is fully fuelled if we need to move in a hurry.”

“Sounds fine. Make sure they have what they need. I’d rather overestimate Black Sun than underestimate them. We should think about if what they’re doing here creates any gaps for us to expand into, as well. Some of those VIPs might have been our competitors. What was the second thing?”

“A message from the Empire.”

“Which one?”

“Ashlon. They want to meet about contracting some use of Consolidated resources.”

“Who from Ashlon specifically?”

“Lady by the name of Mya Vorne. Her title is Director, I don’t know what of. She’s meant to be a scientist, maybe an archaeologist? But I got the feeling there was more to her than that.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, like she’s actually military or intel or something. She felt steelier than anyone in our labs.”  

“Interesting. So they want to use some of our gear? What’s in it for us?”

“Well, I’d say it’s fifty percent keeping the people with the guns happy, thirty percent pure credits, and twenty percent fun.”

“I don’t love that breakdown. Always have one good reason to do something, not three half-reasons. But what’s the fun part?”

“They want to use your submarines.”

“Ah, that’s got my attention. That would be enough on its own. What do they want to do?”

“No idea. They wouldn’t discuss it on the comm, they want to meet in person.”

“I’m in. Set it up.”

“Here?”

“No, let’s do it at the villa. It’s quieter. And if it’s the submarines they’re after, we can give them a better show there.”

“A real deep dive, you might say.”

“Get out before I sell you to Black Sun.”