Twi'leki Freedom

-7:02 PM, January 1st, 2056-

Laid out before me, Lessu was a beautiful city. The dry and rapidly cooling evening air rushed through my nostrils as the city lights grew brighter. Despite the plumes of smoke billowing from several points within the city, life continued.

At this point, all Forest and Hutt forces had been pushed out of the city. They were in full retreat. Operation Twi'leki Freedom was a smashing success. Well, almost. The real victory was about to come.

Sirius joined me on the balcony and spoke quietly. "Master, the council of elders is here for you."

I nodded, taking one last glance at the freshly liberated city. "Very well." I then turned around. "They'd better behave."

As I walked back into the hall, I noticed that the elders were congregated by the door. They quieted down as they all turned to look at me.

I gestured towards the table in the center of the room. "Please, sit."

One of their faces twisted in disgust. He then yelled with rage bleeding from each and every pore on his body. "YOU DARE TO ENTER OUR SACRED HALLS AND ACT AS IF THEY ARE YOUR OWN?!"

I raised my brow before directing an intense stare into his eyes. "The intention of this meeting is for me to return not only these halls, but this entire planet to its rightful owners." I gestured to the halls and then towards them. Then, I dropped my hands. "Would you prefer that I keep Ryloth for myself?"

He fell silent and quickly submitted as the other elders gasped. I once again gestured towards the table. "Please, elders. Sit."

They quietly shuffled towards the table and sat down. I smiled and joined them by sitting at the head of the table.

Once I had taken my seat, another elder spoke up. "So you plan on just handing our world back to us?"

I shook my head. "Elder, let's be realistic here. We are not the Republic. This operation was quite expensive after all. My board will expect some type of return on this investment."

Most of the elders' expressions sank. They were fully aware of the reality of this situation. ANV could blink and glass the entire planet. They were in no condition to make demands.

I sighed. "Elders, please don't misunderstand. I've no intention of enslaving your people. An arrangement that is mutually beneficial for both ANV and Ryloth would be significantly more productive."

The same elder replied with a furrowed brow. "What arrangement did you have in mind?"

I smiled. "Thank you for asking. Well, ANV has a lot of combatants. We are in need of civilian manpower. It just so happens your people are physically gifted. Thus, we'd like to employ them. In exchange, ANV will be your world's protectors in addition to having exclusive rights to distribute your exports."

My expression dropped and turned serious. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees in an instant. "In other words, no one in this damned galaxy will dare to fuck with you."

-1:07 AM, January 2nd, 2056-

-Bridge, ANVS Limitless, Ryloth High Orbit-

I stood on the circular platform in the center of the bridge with my hands behind my back. My eyes gazed into the void that was the vacuum of space. The stars sparkled in my eyes as visions of grandeur rushed through my mind.

My plan was coming along swimmingly. Of course, there were hitches here and there. It was with good fortune that each one could be overcome without much struggle.

Despite my deep thought, I felt Sheema enter the bridge and walk up behind me. She remained silent, fully aware of my habits by now.

I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. "Are the Kaminoans on board?"

I saw her nod in the corner of my eye. "Yes. They've already begun transitioning to pharmaceuticals."

I smiled. "Good. I had high hopes for them. Their expertise in biotech is just about unparalleled."

With both Kamino and Ryloth on board, the first step of my plan was now complete. We now hade a trilateral partnership where ANV would provide protection, resources, and distribution while both Kamino and Ryloth would provide labor and manufacturing capabilities. This would be extremely profitable while also establishing the foundation for the next step.

I nodded to myself, pleased with the outcome of this. I had little doubt that Kamino would fall in line due to how they have been harassed by both Forest and the Hutts. "What of the other thing?"

Sheema replied. "Toro signed off on the transaction just an hour ago. We now own 28% of Kuat Drive Yards."

I let out a sigh of relief. Everything had fallen into place perfectly. "One last question. Then you can go rest."

Sheema nodded. "Ask away."

I smiled. "How long until the grand opening?"

Sheema chuckled. "I should have known you'd want to know about that." She tapped on her tablet a few times before looking back up. "It looks like the event is set for this Friday. Did you have anything special in mind?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I just want to be there."

Sheema nods. "Very well. I'll have them prepare your villa."

I nodded. "Very good." I then turned around and started walking off the bridge. "I think I'll get some sleep. See you at the meeting tomorrow."