An Intercorporate Discussion

Senior Vice President of Intercorporate Relations Valeria Profeta smiled at this new person the Service sent to talk with her. Provost Marshal Commodore Alexander Li was a short, brutal man, but, according to her oppo report, one with his own antiquated sense of honor. Knowing that gave her some slight advantages in this meeting.

Mister Li gave the woman a stern look before beginning. “Thank you for meeting with me, Ms. Profeta,” he greeted her.

“I was glad to, Commodore Li,” she replied politely, “Though you were a tad cagey about the nature of the meeting.”

“I have reason to believe someone might be trying to provoke a war between us,” Li answered, “Assuming Astro is not behind the recent raids on several of our interior trade routes.”

Profeta looked surprised at him. Not about the news. She’d heard about the strikes ages ago. But that he’d go and just outright ask it. “Don’t be foolish, not even my dumbest bosses would want to go against the last Territorial agreement. At least, not against the Service. We value the whole living thing too much.” After an awkward silence, she added, “That was supposed to be a joke. Why do you think this is meant to provoke a war between us.”

“Last week, we had our first report on the nature of the foe. The classified individual present stated the design was reminiscent of Astro engineering and our counterintel team examining the scans confirmed it.” Commodore Li watched the woman carefully as he spoke, to see if she betrayed anything at all. Any additional information might prove useful, if not essential, to their investigation.

Profeta was a trained businesswoman. She hadn’t become a Senior Vice President at Astro Incorporato by tipping her hand. “But you do not think it is us. Why, I wonder?”

Commodore Li did not smile. “I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation. I was just giving you a warning. If it was not Astro behind this, as you claim, someone is making a play.”

“It wasn’t,” Profeta stated.

Li nodded. “So you claim. Which begs the question, of course.”

“Who would do this? Lux is the obvious option. They’ve been targeting us for a while.”

Li took a moment to think it through more thoroughly. “If they’ve been targeting you, why start a war? That would just cause you to bolster your security.”

“Unless we’re not the goal. If they’ve got some relatively recent PI code from us, they might be after you now. In your last skirmish with Hadrian, your internal security was less effective than usual.” Profeta posits.

For the first time in the conversation, Li’s expression changed. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Did they?” he asked.

“Did they what?” Profeta wasn’t about to give any information up easily.

Li’s expression returned to it’s harsh blank resting face. “Did they get a sample of your Pilot Intelligence code current enough to no longer have a desire for continuation of covert action in your sectors?”

Profeta smiled thinly. It was her turn to play coy. “I am not one to comment on ongoing investigations.” Profeta shook her head. “The only other option I can think of is Hadrian wants to move into Hydromining in Two Gee En Dub, but with the Marauders’ presence increasing along that border, I doubt they’d waste the resources.”

Li paused for a moment, thinking over what the VP just told him. “You’ve had increased Marauder presence, too?” he asked. Profeta nodded. Li replied to the nod, “Odd,” Then paused again to think more. After a slightly too long silence, he continued. “I’ve had an interesting thought.”

“Just one?” Profeta mused, then not hearing laughter, she added, “If it’s the Marauders are up to something, we’ve checked but they mostly seem to just be scared of Freeport Space. It seems their counter-pirates have actually become a threat.”

Li shook his head. “That is a terrifying thought, but only bolsters mine. What if the Freeports are up to something?”

“Unlikely,” she answered him after a brief thought, “They rely on us as much as we rely on them, right? So, unless it’s just one or two ports that are going rogue, my money is on Lux.”

“Or you,” Li replied with a thin smile.

Profeta raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh?” she mused aloud, “Here I thought you’d ruled us out.”

“I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation,” Li repeated.

Profeta shook her head, not so much at the man as at the situation as a whole. “Keeping everything in mind, what is your next step?”

“To allay suspicion while the investigation concludes, I was planning on suggesting to my superiors that we raise tariffs across the board by fifteen percent.”

“That seems overly harsh,” Profeta argued, “Seven percent would be enough to begin a trade war without risking anyone losing profit.” It would be the sensible decision. Fifteen percent was a fivefold increase to the Services standard tariffs on private use goods.

“Perhaps, but that will not be my recommendation,” Li stated with a shrug. This wasn’t a short game he was playing. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Profeta furrowed her brow. “Why not?” she pressed.

Unfortunately for her, Li said exactly what she expected him to say. “I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation.”

“A fifteen percent tariff on our goods is going to require some retaliation, you understand?” Profeta said.

Li shrugged once again. “Do what you must, I was forewarning you out of politeness. I will also be recommending a standing order to search all incoming ships, civilian and corporate, no matter the affiliation.”

“That’s a literal declaration of war against the rest of the galaxy and you know it,” Profeta exclaimed, losing her cool demeanor for the first time.

“Yes.” It was technically confirmation, but when Li said it with such emptiness behind it, it didn’t entirely feel like one. “My bosses will likely see it that way and reject that portion of my recommendations.”

“Then why recommend it?” Profeta wondered out loud.

Li stared her down. “Because it is necessary. These raiders got in somehow. So either-” He cut himself off. Profeta got the distinct feeling he had been about to discuss the ongoing investigation, and that’s against policy. After taking a breath, Li continued, “Let’s just say, the circumstances around the attacks mean, if it is not your people behind the attacks, in all likelihood the ships are being smuggled in. Likely in pieces, then put together on some hidden facility. Wouldn’t take much space, just time and manpower.”

Profeta shook her head at that. “If they’re being smuggled in as pieces, then you would have nothing. Most of the materials necessary are not even tracked, much less restricted, coming across your borders.”

“Of course they aren’t,” Li replied to her statement with another thin smile.

Profeta furrowed her brow once more, taking a bit to think it through. The Commodore’s recommendations have a purpose. Fifteen percent, that would show that the Service wasn’t ready to declare outright war, but they were very nearly at the tipping point. Searches would scare off most smugglers, because no one is as brave as the faces they put on. Unless there was a deeper meaning behind the smuggling, like starting a war. This enemy, likely Luxania Security, might continue sneaking in ship parts if they think one or two more strikes might start the war. But the stuff they would be bringing in wasn’t illegal, wouldn’t need to be smuggled, for the most part. Wasn’t illegal, but was obvious. They could track the ships to wherever they head, and drop a fleet on the makeshift shipyard. “I see,” Profeta said, “That makes more sense.”

“I’m so glad you think so,” Li replied sarcastically, “But this isn’t a discussion, this is a formality. I wanted you to understand that my recommendation won’t be personal in some way, nor will it be a declaration of any kind of war. It is simply a professional maneuver for ideal results in an ongoing investigation.”

“You have already stated that you expect them to reject your proposal,” Profeta countered, “How would I know about your recommendation to suspect it was anything but professional maneuvering?”

Li looked askance at the Vice President. “Lying is unbecoming,” he stated, “We both know that you would hear about it.”

“If you say so,” Profeta replied, her mind racing. How much did Li know about Astro IcR’s maneuvering within the Service, she wondered to herself, thinking back to the last several reports from this region of the galaxy. If he did know anything, he had yet to make a move against her network here. At the same time, given his plan on how to deal with the current situation, Li seemed the sort to play the long game. She’d need to have it lay low until the eventual new tariffs get pulled. “Either way, this would be unnecessary. From what I understand, you are nothing if not an honorable soldier. If I might have learned independently about your recommendation, I would have assumed it was professionally driven.”

Li evaluated her answer with an intensely calculating gaze, trying to determine whether she was being polite or telling the truth. Whichever he decided, he said, “I see. I would appreciate it if you did not tell anyone about this discussion, at least until the situation is resolved.”

“I can do that,” Profeta began with a thin smile growing on her face, “Under certain circumstances.”

Li cocked his head. “And what, pray tell, are said circumstances?”

Profeta, smiling, enumerated her criteria. “Firstly, I need your word that, assuming you do not find us behind this, there will not be war between our companies in the near future. Second, once this is all done, the tariffs need to be returned to their usual state. Finally, if it turns out to be Hadrian, we get to the territorial spoils of whatever treaty we end up with.”

Li nodded to her slowly. “You know as well as I, those are not what I can promise. But I can promise that I will do my best to ensure such things fall into place. Is that promise enough for your compliance with a temporary non-disclosure agreement?”

Profeta let her thin smile fall away once again as she nodded. “That is enough. Bring me the papers, and I’ll sign them.”

Li opened up a standard NDA on his tablet, flipped through, altering the specifics quickly to fit the circumstances, then spun it about to face the Astro VP. Profeta read through the terms and, finding them all agreeable, she firmly pressed her thumb against the lower left corner of the screen for five seconds. The tablet beeped, confirming it had recorded her biometrics. Checking it over as well, Li pressed his thumb firmly in a spot on the lower right corner for five seconds. It beeped once again. Li bowed his head. “It’s been filed. I hope you don’t take offense to this comment, but I honestly hope I never have to interact with you again.”

Profeta smiled as she stood up. “Understandable, though we both know that is unlikely,” she stated. As Li chuckled she headed out of his office back towards her transport. Once she was out of Li’s sight, Profeta began to, while walking, type up a message. ‘Keep everything together. Things are not all what they seem. Quiet friends can oft be foes. Until dawn, darkness shows truth through lies. I don’t think anything needs to be clarified. Respond if you think otherwise.’ Sending it to a digital dead drop, Profeta boarded her transport and finally began to relax. Sitting down in her captain’s chair, she powered on the ship. “Pilot, can you take us back home,” she said to the air around her.

“Understood, ma’am,” a robotic voice replied to her through the intercom. Vice President Valeria Profeta closed her eyes. She needed to get some rest before she hit the border. Just in case something went wrong.