[Early days of 16BBY]

[Conference Room, Personal Deck of Moff Daron Stomcrow, Imperial Capital-class Warship Stormcrow, Imperial 1st Frontier Fleet, in orbit Eriadu, Eriadu System, Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

"Welcome back aboard Captain Darksails" I greeted with a smile as Yulen came into the room "Also come to join the border guard madness"

"Anything you say Boss, that's why I'm here" he replied as Gardan gave a grin from where he sat at the conference table "Oh, and the loot. You promised loot all those years, and here we are!"

"Here we are indeed, with a colony to settle"

"A very rich one Boss….I mean Lord Stormcrow" he replied cheekily, taking a seat beside Jurdan Ironhills and Shesagora Shadowsails, making for an all Solemite line up at the food and drink covered table "And Lord Ironhills and Lady Shadowsails…in august company here I am!"

"Join the party" Gardan agreed, though it was more an informal discussion, drawing back to clan politics as there were a dozen others here who were lower ranked on my ship, or from Jurdan's or Shesagora's "Though clan politics is the issue at hand, so be prepared to need that drink"

"Hmmm" I harrumphed taking a sip from my own glass, shaking my head "Yes, be nice if we could all just feast, but sadly…have a colony to settle, and we glorious members of what was ESS have things to organise that involve our homeworld"

"….and the all the fine clan elders that rule it!" old Jurdan mock toasted "Who we will be many talks with, because we are all rich and influential now…as long as the Tarkins stay in charge of this new Empire"

"Well, yeah" I muttered "Conferency bad, Core Republics bad, when it comes to our financial and personal well-being. Also, need to watch for those assassins coming our way now. I'm used to them...but you lot, be aware of the assassins. You are wealthy and influential now"

"There he goes again, pissing on the parade" Shesagora barked out a laugh "But, yes, goes with the territory best to warn ya youngling"

I gave an amused snort at Yulen's lessen of cheer, giving a helpless shrug "Welcome to be a Clan Elder, or local Lord Yulen. Still, it comes with plenty of shiny things to distract from all that. Things I am current trying to negotiate for"

"Repair yards?"

I nodded to Jurdan's question as Yulen sat, accepting a drink "Probably agreed, as in I an agreement, but, as many things, could be subject to change. Thankfully it is part of the overall strategy…such as we currently have…for the next few years from our new High Command"

Which, essentially, was repairing of damaged ships by available repair yards…but also creation as many logistic hubs and new repair yards as was absolutely feasible in the new Imperial territory. New ship designs were likely to be put on hold for a year or two, before then being churned out I suspected, while current 'heavy' production at the biggest yards went into…yard production. Quasi-mobile shipyards – in that they'd be moveable, and then assembled at site like Ikea furniture. That was my suggestion I liked to think, even if people other than me had actually designed all that fancy systems, or simply robbed it from elsewhere during the war, or in the retreat back to current territory.

For example, the Geonosisans had been trying to build some big fuck off space station judging from what we'd seen of it, and that had been 'relocated' to Ryloth and converted into a light repair yard. By the simple, crude, and very Outer Rim 'Space Station Design' method of sticking ships together with other ships and then calling it a space station. Not that I was going to complain as our 'Brand New' Imperial Space Station plans were….two Lucrehulks fused together with a specialised 'not-ship' and the hyperdrives replaced with…other stuff. Likely any grav-distortion or hyperspace-disruption tech as we struggle with the good interdiction stuff and instead had to use the old Republic and Sith 'screw with hyperspace stuff' from the last gasp wars of the Sith.

"Rattatak and Mokivj, or whatever you want to call it?" Shesagora asked, I nodded "I'd assume they are the planned first hubs?"

"Yes, and system defences too" I pointed out refilling my drink and grabbing some flavoured crackers to chew on "We don't know what other raider fleets might be coming our way, so we need to be ready for that…but mainly because we're going to have a very intense, very long potentially, pirate suppression operation to launch"

Jurden grunted "Also, we are sort of invading that whole Sector"

"No, we're technically in charge" I pointed out with only faint sarcasm "We're….liberating…those systems that resist because they want to keep up the honourable traditions of piracy. At blasterpoint, hence the need to use troops, and therefore recruit more troops and settlers of the armed variety"

He nodded "Just like home"

"Yeah" I noted sadly "Just like home, though we have Lucrehulks and willingness to use them if need be. But, first, we're filling them with colony supplies and a numbers of architects and ship designs that we can actually afford and/or poach from other, lesser, projects"

…because I'd cut deals with the Figg Family Conglomerate and Sorosuub to get me my future orbital shipyards, all for the low-low rate of tax benefits for a few decades. Unfortunate, but necessary for the initial investment, and the near tax exemption was largely on the shipyards and specific heavy industries I needed them to create…to invest in. The cortosis mines made 'investing' in a new colony much more palatable, especially with my position in the upper echelons of the Imperial military and involved with bringing a Spice trade sector, legally, under my control.

'Of course…that means establishing true control and starting to tax the locals' I thought with a solid glug of the brandy. Unlike most previous colonisation efforts this one was essentially a military operation, operating on invasion logic almost, and was going to be formed around the nucleus of veterans from the war we'd just fought, loyal Solemite clans, twi'lek pilots and former slavegirls, along with Braika's mandos. The clan structure wouldn't make for an easily governed world, but it would create what was needed out on the harsh frontier, especially with all the Dromund Kaas refugees and what was effectively a force Sect forming around me with those younglings and others.

I took another drink. I also needed to talk to Bariss about marriage, but I didn't want it to be because of political reasons. Even a little bit because of pressure to hurry up due to political reasons. But, if she wanted I would, and she wanted to wait, or never have it be…I'd deal with the pressure however needed. For now though I feasted with my old Solemite crew, and talked business and old war-stories, along with all of us plotting how to deal with the various clans back on Gai'Solem when we arrived there in a few weeks most likely…

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[16BBY]

[Trade Federation Headquarters, Pure Neimoidia, Neimoidia System, The Slice, Colonies Region, Trellen Trade Route]

Neimoidia had seen better days Marath Voroo thought as he strode into the bustling headquarters of the Trade Federation, passed the many, many, security measures so that could seek his further elevation within the ranks now the war was, mostly, over. His fleet had been struggling for many months, held back from Pure Neimoidia by the Republic fleets besieging it and the other nearby loyal systems. Now it stood victorious, if battered, as the Republic fell apart and now focused on killing each other. Things could still be better…but traitors in the ranks of the Confederacy were at work there he knew forcing himself calm as he moved to meet that despicable worm Findos.

An up jumped bureaucrat, not even a true merchant, but a born lackey that had found himself risen too high because of all the deaths on Geonosis when this all began. When the treachery of the Republic had been revealed, when all chances of a cost-effective peace were snatched away to the Trade Federation's surprise. It, that collection of might, should have led to an easy succession…but, instead, it had been one bloody failure and loss after another. Now, even in victory, the Trade Federation and its merchant captains, its investors and dependents, had lost so much.

'And what do you have to say about it?' he wanted to demand from his fellow Neimoidian, but held his tongue, as he must, instead greeting "Viceroy Findos"

"Trade Commissioner Voroo" came back just as much forced politeness "Thank you for your attendance this day"

"It is always a pleasure Viceroy" and let us not mention I forced this, and forced confirmation of my chances at Council power in coming weeks and months "Despite unfortunate events of late"

"Dark days, yes, but the best deals possible were made"

Marath cocked his head "Indeed?"

"For now" Findos stated breezily "Renegotiation for costs incurred are underway"

"We can but hope they are fruitful" Marath agreed, not really agreeing, as he doubted they'd get anywhere close to where they should "Loss of production facilities and trade routes are clearly cutting into margins even with the war supposedly ended"

"Piracy is a problem yes, but we can do little to interfere in the Core and their…" the other Neimodian oozed back, though everyone knew resources were being given to various sides in that conflict, or, like the IGBC, support given to almost all sides. The Trade Federation had, obviously, chosen to invest support in Corellia, as the Kuati had the Sith or Jedi Palpatine who'd they'd found evidence of had enabled assassinations of Trade Federation members!

Marath was glad those members were dead actually, but outsiders had not right to do that! And that was without the fact Kuati faction Republic fleets had besieged Neimoidia and Cato Neimoidia…no, Palpatine had to die, for the good of the Federation!

Just like Alsakan and Eriadu, who were bitter enemies despite all the sweet words given at talks. Stolen property had not been returned, and remained, well, stolen. Pirates were pirates, and would be dealt with in time, even if many so-called friends within the Confederacy were intent on making new deals with said pirates turned dictators and self-styled Emperors. That, worst of all, meant that the Trade Federation needed to make it's voice heard clearer with the Confederacy, and such reasons was why Marath needed to push the issue as recent months were showing disastrous losses. Non-reimbursed losses!

"…civil disorder"

Marath nodded "Yes, their civil war is ever worsened. Good, bad things happening to bad people such as they…and, to be honest amongst us, better they blast each other with their warships than attempting to blast us. Our worlds have suffered greatly already. Time to recover is needed"

Findos seemed to agree of course "Yes, on all counts. Now, I hear you have gathered support Trade Commissioner"

"Yes. Trade Viceroy, I believe I have. As you well know"

The other Neimoidian gestured for him to sit "Then we must negotiation a mutually beneficial deal then I believe"

Marath did not smile, merely nodded "Indeed Viceroy, let us negotiate, for we must negotiate a fair deal for our Federation in the months to come…"

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