π‘οΈ This is the Way.
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β Objective: Launch the story into hyperspace β
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β Thank you for backing Max Vizsla and the β
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This is the Way.
"Oh, don't talk about moneyβdon't talk about money." Caesar Graves, Senior Executive Vice President of Corellian Engineering Corporation, tilted his head and waved a hand. "It's a tiny matterβbarely more than lifting a finger. Consider it free after-sales service from CEC!"
(That good?!)
(My pull is that big?!)
Max and Kilian Fieg locked eyes, both looking equally stunned.
"Uhβ¦" // "Uhβ¦"
"Hey, heyβplease, you two mustn't refuse." Caesar raised a hand and pressed it down in a calming gesture. "Lord Fieg is a longtime major shareholder of CEC, and Mr. Claude is a currentβand futureβbig client of CEC. Serving the two of you is simply what CEC ought to do."
"Thisβ¦ no, no." Max waved both hands repeatedly. "Bringing mothballed production lines back online after years in storage can't possibly be a small jobβhow could we let your company pay that cost for nothing? We will pay what we must pay!"
Free is the most expensive price tag there is. Max refused without hesitation. One look at that Nimbanel old bastard's pale green eyes spinning like marbles and you could tell he wasn't brewing anything decent behind them.
"Oh, come onβcome on. CEC has the most professional engineering teams in the entire galaxy and the most skilled shipyard workers. Restarting a few little starfighter lines? Ah, easy as breathing~"
"No, no. For a minor matter like this, tying up your elite teams' time and disrupting CEC's major projectsβwe absolutely must compensate you properly. Besides, Cloud City is remote and underdeveloped. We must provide generous hardship stipends for the CEC experts supporting its construction."
"No, no, that's not it. CECβ¦"
β¦
After a long stretch of completely empty verbal sparring and back-and-forth tugging, Caesar finally couldn't keep it up anymore and openly stated what CEC actually wanted in return for its generosity.
In recent years, the spice problem on Corellia had been spiraling out of control, creating a cascade of issues: severe harm to public health, rot in social morals, direct encouragement and triggering of crime, and even threats to the Republic of Corellia's political stability and economic development.
Over the past two years, spiceβonce mostly confined to the underground and the poorβhad begun spreading upward into the open and into the middle and wealthy classes. Early this year, a highly respected Corellian senator finished a day of public service and returned home, only to catch his well-behaved grandson secretly using spice. The old man was so furious he suffered an acute heart attack on the spot and ended up in the ICU.
He was rushed to treatment in time, and with Corellia's advanced medicine, he ultimately recovered without lasting danger.
On his first workday after discharge, the senator submitted a proposal to the Corellian Senate's Committee on Internal Affairs: "Curb, Reduce, and Ultimately Eliminate Spice-Related Crime."
The moment it was introduced, it passed with a landslideβsupported by senators who very much felt the pain themselves.
Even so, from the day the proposal passed to today, the Corellian government still hadn't taken any substantive action. But once word got out, the Pyke Syndicate couldn't sit still.
Setting the Hutt Clan aside, the Pyke Syndicate was the largest known criminal syndicate in the galaxy. They controlled the Kessel system (star chart coordinate: T-10) and sat at the source of almost all spice trade in the galaxy.
Besides spice, Kessel was also one of the primary producing regions for coaxium.
Coaxium is a hypermatterβextremely rare and expensiveβand one of the essential fuels for hyperspace travel. A starship's hyperdrive reactor chamber is plated with a thin layer of coaxium; once energized, it enables a hyperspace jump.
After learning that the Republic of Corellia was about to move against spice trafficking, the Pyke Syndicate reacted immediately. They launched a lobbying campaign across numerous interest groups, trying to force the Senate to retract the proposal and preserve the enormous shared profits on Corellia.
As for Corellian Engineering Corporation, the Pykes brought out coaxium as leverageβthreatening that if the Republic of Corellia banned spice trade, the Pyke Syndicate would ban the export of coaxium to organizations and individuals within the Republic of Corellia.
"They want to use CEC's influence inside the Republic of Corellia to pressure the Senate and the government," Max analyzed.
"That's exactly it." Caesar nodded heavily. "Those pieces of trashβof course that's what they're thinking!"
Caesar continued.
"Everyone knows CEC is the Republic's firstborn. Without government procurement, CEC wouldn't be what it is today. On a question of right and wrong like this, CEC must stay in step with the nation."
"But as a starship manufacturer, CEC truly cannot function without coaxium as a critical input. The Pyke Syndicate's threat isβfranklyβfatal to us."
"So?" Max looked at Caesar Graves.
"So we want to hire you as a special representative, to travel to Oba Diah and negotiate with the Pyke Syndicate on continuing coaxium trade between our sides."
As he finished speaking, Caesar rose from his seat and bowed solemnly to Max.
Max hurriedly stood as well, taking Caesar by both hands and guiding him back down into his chair.
"President Gravesβ¦ I don't understand. Why would youβor rather, why would CEC's boardβthink of asking me to represent you?"
"There's no point hiding it, so I'll be blunt." Caesar raised a thumb. "The Pyke Syndicate is infamousβeveryone knows it. CEC's negotiation specialists would rather resign than go on a business trip to Oba Diah."
"And youβ¦" Caesar gave an emphatic thumbs-up. "I've heard Mandalorians are the strongest warriors in the galaxy, and you're the most outstanding of all Mandalorian warriors. A mere gang? I doubt you'd even put them in your eyes."
"Also, according to Lord Fieg, you're one of the top negotiation experts in the galaxy. The cooperation between Beskar Steel Security and the Fieg Consortium, and the strategic partnership between the Fieg Consortium and the Trade Federationβrumor says you personally drove both deals through."
Max glanced at Kilian Fieg. The lord could only give an awkward, sheepish grin.
"Mr. Claude." Caesar clasped Max's hand. "As a key partner of CEC, you're both a powerful warrior unafraid of gangs and a business-savvy negotiator. If you can represent us on Oba Diah, everyone at CEC will be profoundly grateful."
"Those few mothballedβ"
"President Graves." Max tightened his grip with both hands, cutting him off. "You don't need to say another word. As close partners, Corellian Engineering's business is the Fieg Consortium's businessβ"
"Exactly, exactly." Kilian Fieg nodded repeatedly.
"Which means it's Beskar Steel Security's business. I accept your commission, and CEC's. This is the Way! Sharing a partner's burdens is simply what we must do!"
Three handsβthen sixβlocked together tightly.
............................
PS: The Hutt Clan controls a large swath of Outer Rim spaceβHutt Spaceβwhich is, in essence, an autonomous territory under the Galactic Republic. But since they basically never do anything decent, they're often categorized as a crime syndicate or criminal cartel as well.2
PPS: Coaxium is a hypermatter introduced in the new-canon work Solo: A Star Wars Story.
PPPS: Oba Diah is the Pyke organization's administrative hub.