I stared at this man with a look of confusion on my face. He on the other hand was looking at my face and the smile on his face was slowly getting bigger until he finally said.
“Yea, I went ahead and denied it already because there is no way a backwater world like this one has a large perk and the only way to purchase an orbital station inside an active combat zone is with a large perk.”
“What do you mean a combat zone? When did that happen? Who authorised it? I was told I could buy an orbital station for a medium perk, and now you're inflating it to a large perk that's like four times the cost.”
“Ha-, spoken like a confused backwater newbie. It's very simple really, when powerful forces take an interest in something a system administrator Is assigned to oversee the process. What has happened is a celestial duke and a celestial count have made claims to this solar system. However, neither of them have arrived yet, so when you throw your silly little hat into the ring I get sent down here to make sure it is fair and informed.”
I saw out of the corner of my eye a few of the branch leaders had been getting ready to jump into the conversation, but as the system administrator mentioned the celestial nobles they all suddenly clam up and turned slightly away like they had no part in this. I let out a hiss of annoyance at the sight and turned to look at my father for advice, only for him to look defeated and shrug. Letting out a sigh, I slowly turned back towards the man to ask what my options were, but he was staring at me like he had seen a ghost. I saw a flash of concern and worry cross his face for a second.
“Are you okay?”
“Why is that image on your right shoulder?” he asked, his voice full of anxiety. “That is the emblem of the star hawks, a team of drop pilots that recently made a name for themselves in the battle of Caliuta. A new unspoken rule was made after one of them dropped an entire squad without landing on the orders of their crazy, insane leader.”
I could see his eyes shifting nervously between my own eyes and my tattoo, which my father had been slowly shifting around me so he could get a look at it.
“What's the big deal? And for the record, it is a tattoo my team got together in boot camp.”
“The uh, big deal, uh, well you see, Flight Sergeant Johnson is the nephew of the clan leader of Celestial Count Truba Johnson and their clan has started petitioning for the star hawk squadron to be placed on an independent carrier that answers only to the Galactic Federation. Flight Sergeant Ripter is the great-grandson of his clan leaders’ sister who he adores, and she adores her great-grandson, so he has put his support behind this petition as well, showing that even though he is a Celestial viscount he still wants to be a part of this event. But neither of them would worry me if it wasn't for Celestial Marquess Joshua Walker, father of Scion Zeo Walker, who, I'm guessing, you would know as Flight Sergeant Walker of the star hawks’. One of the big twenty-seven clans throwing their full support behind something like this can turn a lot of heads, many are scrambling to work with or against them on this. However, the bit that makes me actually nervous is that the celestial duke Arthur Cilterian has also moved to support this petition. But hey, one of the big nine has made a declaration for the first time in thousands of years. I'm sure it's only a big deal, right, it's not a colossal huge mega fucken shit your pants and run home to mummy and pray no one notices your planet kind of deal.”
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He had started nervously mumbling but about halfway through clearly the stress was getting to him and by the time he finished he was screaming and panting like he had run a marathon and we both just stood there staring at each other for a few minutes while he was regaining his composure. But I was also quickly getting an idea, and a shit eat grin slid over my face.
“So, does that mean I can have my orbital station for a medium perk?” I asked as innocently as I could.
“Fuck no.” burst out of him like I was the biggest fool for asking.
“Worth a try” I muttered as I turned to think.
“Look, Flight Lieutenant I think their support behind your team is less to do with you and more to do with the other three members and none of them wanting the other to have any kind of control over what orders they could receive but also wanting to keep an effective drop team together in hopes they can expand that by teaching others to be that effective. And none of that will help you at all or allow me to give you a fully functional orbital station. I just can't give that to you.”
My eyes narrowed as the way he said it slowly turned over in my head, causing me to hesitantly ask.
“Then what can you give me for what I have that will get my solar system protected by galactic law?”
“Ah, now that is a good question, let’s see what I can give you that will get you the Galactic Laws’ protection.”
His fingers started moving through the air as he typed, clicked and moved things around. It took a while and I could see him grimacing then smiling only to grimace again.
“Okay, I think I have something that will work. But you will have to work hard to maintain it and get it producing an income quickly, but it will give you what you want, and it’s the best I can do for you.”
“Well, what is it?” I asked after a few minutes of silence, his stupid grin sitting on his face like he was enjoying teasing me and having regained the upper hand in the negotiation.
He chuckled softly before he leaned in like it was a huge deal, and he was doing me some kind of big favour.
“It is the Orbital Station Base, it comes with a habitat, a gate and the foundation that will allow you to build a fully working orbital station. Now in your records it states you also have a small perk. To get the protection you want, I recommend you add it to this negotiation and purchase a space dry dock. It will come with a couple licences and blueprints, so you can manufacture a few small ships like the ones used in mining and hauling, that way you can start mining the asteroid belt and create commerce for yourself. Or you could rent those ships out to independent mining companies and do contracts, but that means less money for the orbital base. And it won't get you the law's protection. What will, is spending 100 thousand credits on purchasing the production licence to build Galactic Federation Carriers. Any space dry dock that can build those, is protected under galactic law and seen as a fully functional orbital station, and that will give you ownership of the solar system. Side note, it will also elevate your clan to a Solar Tak clan. However, the downside is they can only be purchased like this in the middle of a combat zone by a guild, so you would have to be the leader of a guild in order to complete this purchase.”
He extended his hand and smiled at me as he wriggled his fingers, trying to tempt me into a handshake.
“So, how about it? Will you start a guild, and use that guild to purchase with your medium perk, an orbital Station base. Then spend your small perk to purchase a space dry dock for that orbital station base, and lastly spend 100 thousand credits to purchase the manufacturing licence of the Galactic Federation Carrier. Oh, and I will throw in the carriers’ blueprint for free. Do we have a deal?”