Elite roleplay: Off station

OFF STATION

Your ship, deep space, anything that is not happening inside the Citi Gateway or Ingaba...

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
Lambast Mercy
10 Feb 2024, 11:08pm
Vasil Vasilescu
“Cool Hand Lamb, Jade 1. Don’t believe everything you hear. 30 second ETA. Try to remain dark until we arrive.”

Dark wasn't hard in the Cool Hand, warm was the problem. After flipping up her misted faceplate, Lamb sat on her hands and watched the white squares approach the red triangles, listening with intrest to the radio chatter between the escort wing, and the raiders.

The blue hued insults and bravado voiced by Greywing and his cohorts did not reflect the interplay between the little triangles on her scope.

"The little shits' interdicting me" complained one of the unknown pirates.

Guessing her phat cargo of sleeping slaves wouldn't be tempting enough to risk ignoring an interceptor on their tail, Lamb cycled up the ship's generator and cranked the heating to full.

"Thank you, Jade 1. I'll be on my way. Do not hesitate to summon me to your preferred watering hole upon your return, where the drinks will assuredly be on me. Good luck with your engagement"

The flight in to drop range took a little less than two minutes, and Jade wing's banter kept her entertained all the way. It was clear the pirates didn't want to tangle with interceptors this close to their nest, and the length of the engagement was down to Jade Wing's tenacity.

Regretfully switching channels, Lambast contacted Emerald Dawn docking control.

"CHL-68 to Emerald Dawn, thank you for the swift assist. Light damage only, and no injuries on board. I am looking forward to hearing my pad assignment"

A few minutes later, the pad's maglocks engaged, and Cool Hand Lamb sunk into the Emerald Dawn. The carrier's safe embrace caused Lambast to let out a sigh of relief and relax the tension she hadn't realized she had been holding in her shoulders. It had been a good few months since she had to fend for her self in a cargo ship, and she was obviously rusty.

Hopefully the people of ERS lived up to their reputation, and they had some good tea on board.
Vasil Vasilescu
11 Feb 2024, 5:06am
A message light on Vasil’s desk blinked just as he was finishing a meeting with the reporter, Jack Vaughn. It was an incoming call request from the carrier’s chief commodities trader, Jacey Moss.

Vasil accepted the call. “Chief Moss, what can I do for you?”

“Sir, you wanted to be informed if any more ships arrived with a large cargo of Imperial Slaves. One just docked, fully loaded, about 400 pods according to the manifest.”

Four hundred Imperial slaves. If they were legitimate, that would just about cover five hundred of the recently acquired slaves that had outdated or duplicated ISA registries. Slaves which were now considered suspected contraband and could not be legally traded or assigned work.

“Are they registered,” asked Vasil

“It appears so. We have not finished the full review, but so far ISA registries match the pods. The ship was also involved in an incident at the edge of the control zone, so I am inclined to believe these pods are legit. Sending ship and pilot info.”

Vasil glanced over the information that appeared on a screen set in his desk. “Mercy,” he said.

Vaughn leaned forward to have a look at the ship, and particularly, the pilot. “Have mercy, indeed.”

“I mean the name, Mercy,” said Vasil, annoyed. “It sounds familiar I just can’t place it.”

Vaughn studied the image from the pilot certification. “Well, she’s not what you’d expect a typical cargo jockey to look like. She seems too refined for that line of work.”

Vasil could not argue with that. In a strange way, she reminded him of his sister, Octavia, when she was younger. Regal, with a hint of dangerous confidence in her eyes.

“What do you want me to do,” asked Chief Moss, mostly to remind Vasil and Vaughn that she was still on the line.

“Tell the pilot we are reviewing the registries and that I’ve invited her to wait in the command lounge. I’ll send someone to escort her and I’ll meet her there to discuss terms.”

It was not the most luxurious lounge on the ship, but it was the most prestigious, with only the command staff having access. High up on the command tower, the impressive view of the entire ship was exceeded only by the comfort and service one could find in the best of luxury liners.

Vasil glanced down at the utilitarian flight suit he was wearing. He’d definitely have to change. The command lounge was no place to look like a cargo jockey, even if you were on the ERS Board of Directors.

Last edit: 11 Feb 2024, 5:13am
Lambast Mercy
11 Feb 2024, 11:08am
There was doubtless going to be paper work. There was always when an independent pilot moved a number of Imperial slaves. She could have used one of her companies to make the transaction, but Lambast wanted to assess ERS for her self.

The lift door opened into a short hall with a cloakroom either side, and her escort offered to take Lambast's long-coat and short-foil, before directing her to a converted viewing platform. A few people used the well-designed zero-g lounge for quiet rest or, by the looks of them, getting a bit of clerical work done in peace.

"Can I get you a refreshment, madam?" asked the young man that appointed to be her chaperone.

She knew she should uphold the Façade of Imperial decency, but her fingers and toes were still cold and her nose was runny, so there was only one thing on her mind.

"A cup of tea please, and not loose-leaf. I'd like it made with a bag. The type that come in a sack of five hundred, if you have them. I'm sure the dock hands can help you locate some. Two sugars and a splash of milk, thank you. In a mug please"

Now there was noting to do but wait and enjoy the view while she imagined a warm mug in her hands.
Vasil Vasilescu
11 Feb 2024, 6:12pm
Vasil arrived in the lounge twenty minutes after Lambast, dressed in a flight suit used mostly for business meetings and whenever he flew rescue missions for people the ERS considered VIPs. The suit’s designer had gone for a less is more approach, using subtle gold highlights on the custom-fit black suit to suggest wealth and status rather than flaunting it.

Vasil immediately spotted Lambast. It was difficult to miss her white hair even among the lounge’s elegant white and blue decor. He approached her and stopped a respectful distance away, standing by the plush lounge chair opposite of hers.

“Commander Mercy, I am Vasil Vasilescu, the ERS Vice President for Operations. My apologies for keeping you waiting. As you can see we are quite busy.” One of the attendants approached but said nothing. “Bourbon, straight,” Vasil said to the attendant and took a seat. “I understand that you had an unfortunate encounter on approach. I hope you, your vessel, and your cargo are in good order.”
Lambast Mercy
11 Feb 2024, 7:44pm
The man that presented himself wasn't too dissimilar from what she expected after doing her homework on ERS. He was showing a dash more weight on his shoulders, but he was, as he said, quite busy.

"Lady Mercy" she said with a long blink in way of introduction, "but call me Lamb. We both have too much on our plates to deal with pomp, it would seem. A pleasure"

Giving her mug an excremental shake, she tapped it's cap to see if there was any tea left. Not so much as a light slosh answered her physical questioning.

"Another one of these, if you would be so kind" She asked the attendant as he was politely waiting, "Thank you"

Straightening imaginary creases from her jacket, Lambast gave what she hoped was a polite smile to her host, and answered his inquiry.

"When one flies pirate infested systems with a hold full of pirate bait, one should expect pirates" She looked out the window at the system's star.

"Though, I am somewhat put out that they detected my ship. I suppose like any vessel, the Cool Hand will still show up when charging the jump drive, and when she arrives in system" looking back to Vasil, she continued.

"A little rusty at solo flight, I should think. I usually have an escort these days, but it was noting I couldn't deal with thanks to Jade wing, and everyone in the hold is still sleeping soundly, none the wiser"

Leaning forward, a little and fixing cold blue eyes on the man, Lambast asked a question of her own.

"Speaking of my guests, five thousand slaves, at well above market price. That's quite the offer, hard to ignore. What are you going to do with that much man power? Are you building a city?"
Vasil Vasilescu
11 Feb 2024, 9:13pm
Vasil found her direct approach refreshing. The subtle correction of “Lady Mercy” followed by the offer to address her informally was polite enough to not be taken as overbearing while still getting the point across that she was far more than a mere “commander.” For now, he’d keep the interaction professional.

Her question about the slaves, though, was not something the average trader would ask, meaning that maybe there was more to this meeting than a simple exchange of goods for credits.

“City building, Lady Mercy? Not here. Though, we’ve already built two small cities on Emerald for citizens displaced by the war. Three, if you count this ship. But it is intended as a temporary residence until more stable housing can be arranged. In essence, the Emerald Dawn is like a smaller version of a Rescue Megaship, only we do not cram citizens into sardine can dormitories and we treat them as people, not refugees.

“As for the sklavi,” he said, without realizing he’d used a Romanian word, “Some will eventually help building new settlements, but the majority will be assigned to help repair damaged starports and settlements.”

The attendant returned, setting his bourbon and her tea within easy reach, and waited. Vasil gave a small shake of his head, indicating he required nothing else. “The offered price is fair given the danger of delivering the slaves to us, and as the open contract stated, the price is not negotiable.” He grinned and took a drink of his bourbon. “Unless, of course, you would care to be paid less.”
Lambast Mercy
11 Feb 2024, 9:55pm
"Credits are a means to an end, but not the point of my visit. As a subject of her Royal Highness, the Princess, I am not permitted to own or use slaves. However, my own emergency response company does come across a worrying amount of people left behind, because the Pilots Federation flags them as goods"

Lambast took her mug of tea and sipped from the cap.

"One imagines those that are responsible for the slave's well-being, serve their own needs when the sky is filled with Death Flowers. That leaves Errand of Mercy with many thousands of unclaimed people, with nowhere to go thanks to their designation as a tradable commodity"

Presenting her hands Lambasts' gesture, asked Vasil if he understood her problem.

"Now, Zemina is always willing to buy in bulk, but most of the people on my ship would be much happier if I just shot their pods into the nearest star. Also, on a personal note, I don't trust their chances in the care of a Patreus system either. I suppose I'm asking for an assurance that ERS will be maintaining their contracts for the foreseeable future, or I'll have to look else where new custodians"

Lambast was going to ask if ERS had the logistical support to care for five thousand people, but if they had built cities, they knew what it took to take care of an army of workers.
Vasil Vasilescu
11 Feb 2024, 11:52pm
Vasil listened closely, finally realizing why her surname seemed familiar. “Errand of Mercy,” he said with a nod. “I’ve seen that in a few of our planning reports when we are deciding where to concentrate our efforts. We don’t want to duplicate or dilute the efforts of other organizations already in a system.” In truth, the opposite was true, Octavia did not want other organizations taking away potential supporters of her political aspirations.

“I understand your concerns. ERS maintains an active membership in the Imperial Slave Association, meaning we are obliged to follow Imperial law with regard to slaves. I admit that there are some slight complications regarding Imperial slaves because we are based on Emerald. However, ERS has an honorary board of directors that acts as an advisory council and one of those members is Sir Halston DeVey, an advisor to Her Royal Highness. As you might imagine, we are often reminded of our obligations.”

Vasil set his drink the side table. The tumbler clicked quietly into the magnetic coaster. He looked directly into Lamb’s eyes. “I can offer you all the assurances you want, Lady Mercy, but we both know that those are only words and words are not enforceable. So, I will not insult you by making promises to hold slave contracts for their full term.”

Vasil leaned back in the chair, laced his fingers together on his lap. “What is enforceable, are contracts. They hold each party to the letter of the agreement and offer legal recourse if that agreement is breached. We can begin contract negotiations at any time, but until something is signed, I am afraid all I can offer is the promise that ERS will do what it can to maintain the slave contracts.”

He kept his eyes on Lamb, waiting to see her reaction. His face remained placid, betraying no thoughts, but he saw an opportunity here, and not just in the short term. Not just for 400 or 5000 slaves, but for a continuing stream of them who, at the end of their terms, might be thankful for their generous treatment. And that would be an easy sell to Octavia.

Last edit: 12 Feb 2024, 4:06am
Lambast Mercy
12 Feb 2024, 11:12am
The Vasilescus were an old family that had faded from prominence. Recently, much like the Mercy's they had gathered wealth, and were raising their profile with actions. A little name-dropping didn't hurt, but the DeVey's were just as flighty as the other advisers in Princesses court. In fact, one of them was blocking Lambast's own town development plans simply because she hadn't found any information on their missing son.

Perhaps aiding a DeVey ally would help her own project regain some steam, but Vasil's lack of willingness to bank on his name bothered Lambast.

"Sometimes, all a family has is their word, whether their legacy stretches back centuries, or mere decades. A name is judged on integrity as much as its worth."

Letting that statement get some air, Lambast took another sip of tea.

"A paper shield is still a shield, and one has just been reminded of the danger of traveling without protection. I think I can remember enough Leagalese to hash out a sensible deal. What are you looking for from my company?"

Last edit: 12 Feb 2024, 11:17am
Vasil Vasilescu
12 Feb 2024, 2:41pm
Unlike his sister, Octavia, who had inherited the family wealth, Vasil had made his personal fortune through trading. Because of that, he had more faith in enforceable, specific agreements than in the power of a noble name. His sister dealt in wealth and status. Vasil dealt in numbers and planning. Though the two of them did not always agree on Octavia’s direction for ERS, the combination of Octavia’s political maneuvering and Vasil’s business acumen had allowed the charity to grow beyond what either of them had envisioned.

Numbers, scenarios and their possible outcomes rolled through Vasil’s thoughts. “As a charity relying on donations, our funding can be unpredictable, meaning that the burden of holding long term contracts for large numbers of slaves could be a significant drain on capital. So I propose the following as a basic framework. ERS will accept any number of slaves from Errand of Mercy over the term of the contract, and guarantee that we will hold their contracts for a minimum amount of time. However to mitigate the financial drain, we will need to pay below fair market value. The numbers and details can be worked out by the lawyers, but that is my basic proposal. It solves your problem, allowing for a small profit from slaves you cannot otherwise take care of, and eases the burden of ERS having to pay premiums for labor.”

Vasil lifted his drink from the table and took a sip of bourbon. “We will, of course, honor the current open contract price on the first five thousand.”
Lambast Mercy
12 Feb 2024, 3:30pm
"The price will have to be battled out by Leagal, but as you know being in the same line of work, citizens are sent for rehoming, but goods are left in a warehouse until claimed. I am confident a lower price is still cheaper than housing, and feeding people indefinitely"

"Now, you must also be aware that Errand of Mercy could go weeks without anything to offer. We go where the Thargoids strike, and that's not always in Imperial space. I would like to add an alternative flow of people willing to work, or even place themselves under contract once again. Thanks to some short-sighted legislation in her Royal Highnesses the Princesses systems, ex-slaves face unemployment, homelessness, and very few opportunities to better their position thanks to stiff competition in an ever narrowing employment market."

"Would ERS be willing to take a baseline number of people from Aisling space over a repeated given period of say, four weeks? If EOM would like to supply additional slaves over an agreed cap thanks to evacuation efforts, we could offer even better terms for the overflow."

Credits really wasn't the issue. More profit meant more tax paid to the Sirius Corporation, but if it was funneled through her numerous charities and trust funds, the extra credits would at least be used. Lambast wouldn't see any profit, but Sirius wouldn't get it either.

"Your thoughts?"
Vasil Vasilescu
12 Feb 2024, 4:59pm
Credits may not have been the issue for Lambast, but they certainly were for Vasil. As far as the ERS was concerned, he approached nearly everything from a business mindset and so far he was seeing little risk in developing a business relationship with her. There might be some short term losses, but the long term return on investment could be significant both for the charity and for Octavia’s political aspirations.

“I think something can be arranged, Lady Mercy. By our best estimates somewhere between 200 and 250 settlements and starports in this area are under threat by Hadad and need or will be in need of support, so there will be no shortage of work.”

“Once the details are finalized, I do not see any reason our executive board would reject the contract, or that the honorary board would have any issues with it.” In truth, Octavia deferred to him on contract matters and the honorary board had no real power. It was filled with wealthy donors paying for the privilege of saying they help direct the charity and to have the chance to rub shoulders with Sir Halston. At worst, a few slaves might need to be diverted to pet projects of honorary board members to keep their money flowing into the charity.

Vasil raised his bourbon. “Lady Mercy, here is to what I hope will be a mutually beneficial arrangement. And to pleasant company.”

Alerted to a new message by a hum in his ear trasceiver, Vasil subtly tapped the gold ERS badge on the collar of his flight suit. “Excellent," he said and tapped the badge again. “Chief Moss says all of the registry numbers are in order, payment is approved, and that unloading is scheduled to start in two hours. In the meantime, if there is anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, do not hesitate to ask.”
Lambast Mercy
12 Feb 2024, 6:22pm
"There is in fact. I would value a casual conversation with you, or your project over seers about settlement construction as you seem to be experienced in that area. I wanted to build a spaceport close to my family home, but my little port has become a large port, and a township without even leaving the planning stage"

"I feel I am being taken advantage of by the so-called experts that popped out of nowhere, and are trying their up-most to steal the project from me at every forsaken meeting one must attend"

Lambast bowed her head and glanced sideways at Vasil as if she had fond something nasty on her boot, and was asking him if he could believe the state of it.

"Naturally, they want the credit of the many opportunities developing 'unnamed town and spaceport' have to offer, but still want me to pay for most of it. The imparted wisdom of an experienced, but neutral party that has completed larger settlements would be most valuable. Perhaps we could put something on the calendar soon?"
Vasil Vasilescu
12 Feb 2024, 8:06pm
“If you think you are being taken advantage of you probably are.” He did not say it, but the clear indication was that the fault lay on whoever was in charge of the project.

Vasil motioned a nearby attendant over. “Croissant cu gem de zemura,” he said indicting the small coffee table between him and Lambast. The attendant nodded and left. “I hope you like raspberry. These small raspberry jam croissants will pair well with your tea. Plus, I must admit I’ve recently developed a slight addiction to them.”

“Anyway,” he continued, “Without knowing the full situation, I have a few general suggestions that may help. First, if you are funding the project, I suggest killing it. Once the money trough is empty, the fat, greedy pigs will lose interest and start looking elsewhere for a free meal. Anyone that remains will likely be more inclined to eat only what they need from the trough.

“That brings me to my second suggestion: Performance-based fixed-price contracts. Let the hungry ones bid on exactly how much they want from the trough and tease them with a little extra for meeting performance goals.” Again, for Vasil, enforceable contracts were the key, especially ones that incentivized or penalized based on performance.

“Finally, why do you need a town? There are innumerable self-sufficient settlements that operate large landing pads with only a few standardized, pre-fab structures. They won’t win any architectural awards for art or aesthetics, but they get the job done.”

Always looking at things from the perspective of profit, and how to take advantage of a situation, Vasil thought for a moment and added, “I am not familiar with the local laws, but if you contracted out the operation of the small port, maybe the contractor could staff it with slaves. That would save on operating costs and technically get around the restriction of you owning or using slaves.”
Lambast Mercy
12 Feb 2024, 9:28pm
Chewing on the presently sweet pastry, Lambast listened. It was all good advice, but she had not explained the situation clearly, the advice she was getting wasn't in the area she lacked clarity.

"A bidding war I can cultivate to my needs quite adequately, thank you. Also, taking my ball away so no one else can play, won't get anything built"

"The issue I am having is with outside interference. To begin with I was simply going to have a pad build on the estate, but mother, and I decided why not build a port as the nearest decent launch facility is a few hundred standard miles away. We imagined the project would require an estate for the construction workers, and something would have to be done housing wise, to facilitate the people staffing the port, so a more permanent village was not out of the way"

The croissants was very pleasant, so she held up a finger so she could enjoy a small nibble. Lambast was an aficionado when it came to jams, so this was a nice diversion.

"Now however, planetary figureheads and politicians have become involved thanks to the opportunities this project offers our struggling economy. If this was a company matter, I would deal with it personally, swiftly, and permanently" said Lambast with a restrained, but gleeful menace.

"But one's hands are tied by the need to present a respectable face to one's peers. I am left in waters I am unaccustomed to navigating, and I detest consultancy companies" she said, metaphorically rhyming consultancy companies with striking cesspools.

"Perhaps when you are less pressed, you can explain to me how ERS managed to construct cities, and maybe we could talk about coordinating efforts with EOM when it comes to deploying in active systems? I will be flying to Inara soon to help remove another obstacle" her brow creased for a moment "Or find one, I suppose"

Shaking her head, she arranged another 'polite smile' on her expressionless face and aimed it at Vasil.

"That could be an interesting venue to talk politics and rescue service deployment, what?"

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