(Sorry I've been gone for a bit. It's been an exhausting month for me. My next few weeks are quiet so I'm going to try to pump out as much as I can. Enjoy! Side note, what the fuck is this new Webnovel logo? It's kinda weird.)
-4:00 PM, December 29th, 2055-
-Kala'uun Town Hall, Ryloth-
The silence of the conference room I was in, while slightly unnerving, was soothing to my mind. It allowed for me to process the unfathomable amount of death that weighed on me. Every last breath, plea for mercy, look of despair… I felt it all.
I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. After holding it in for a few seconds, I let it out. With each breath, I felt closer to being at ease.
Upon sensing another presence, I slowly opened my eyes. What I found was a damp towel dangling a few feet from my head. Following the arm it was being held by, I found the one that had been shadowing me for the past few hours.
This was Max. He was Toro's (Tyler, ANV's CFO) 17-year-old son. He was taller than me, about 6 feet, and quite muscular. His brown hair flowed over the sides of his head but was surprisingly neat. The contrast of his blue eyes with his dark hair was a bit unsettling, but I guess that type of thing is an asset in business.
I smiled and gently grabbed the towel. "Thank you, private."
Max nodded. "You're very welcome, general."
He was an interesting kid. Despite his meekness, it was hard to conceal the genius behind those eyes. He was extremely attentive and observant, taking notes on almost everything I've been doing. I had to admit, I was curious what he's been writing down.
Just as I started to wipe some of the dust from my face, the door to the conference room slid open. I felt pure rage explode into the room. Due to the lack of hostility in its nature, I paid it no mind.
An angry yell came from behind me. "WHY IS A QUARTER OF THE CITY CRUMBLING?!"
I didn't turn around. Rather, I kept my feet up on the table and continued wiping my face. "Meena, it has been a long day. Please don't yell."
She stormed over and stopped just a few feet from me. "THIS IS…"
The words froze in her mouth as her anger surrendered to fear. She unconsciously took a step back as I slowly turned my head to glare at her.
Those emotions that I had yet to process had leaked out, noticeably lowering the temperature of the room. "I'll say it one more time. Please don't yell. It has been a long day for me."
Meena slowly nodded with an obedient look on her face. "Yes, general."
I smiled and nodded as I regained control over my unprocessed emotions. "I understand your concerns. I would be upset, just as you are, if I saw my home reduced to rubble. I've been there…"
Images of my bloodstained childhood home flashed through my mind. I quickly pushed them away. "Sometimes, there is no avoiding such destruction. On the bright side, have you seen the civilian casualty estimates?"
One of Meena's aides handed her a tablet. She started scrolling through it and then her eyes widened in apparent shock. "So few?"
I nodded as I wiped the last bit of my face with the towel. "Yeah. We had a lot of people on evac duty. The only problem now is housing, but a temporary solution will be in place shortly."
Meena was thoroughly stunned. "Okay… I didn't realize that this was planned so well."
I shrugged. "While this may be your home, I still don't know who I can fully trust. The success of this operation is crucial to my business development. There is too much money at stake for this to fail."
She sighs, but nods nonetheless. "What are our next steps?"
I folded the towel over and then placed it on the back of my neck. It was cool to the touch. I then waved my hand, using the force to press a button on the table. A hologram of a city appeared above the table. "Nabat is their next stronghold. There are some other facilities spread around the planet, but the cities are our main focus. Nabat is about halfway between here and Lessu. Since they've concentrated most of their forces in the capital to reinforce their hold on the system, we'll need to take baby steps."
Meena shook her head. "Many more will die."
I nodded. "Indeed. Have your fighters rest. Someone will inform you when we are to move to the next phase."
I took my feet down from the table and stood up. I then removed the towel from my neck and held it out. Max took it. "Private, walk with me."
Max nodded. "Yes, sir."
We started walking towards the door. Meena looked at us with a confused expression. "Where are you going? There is much to do."
I tilted my head and looked back at her as I paused at the door. "The great part about having people that work for you is delegation. My job will resume once we strike Nabat." I waved. "Later."
Max and I walked in silence for a few minutes. The maze of halls and staircases inside the town hall helped to momentarily take my mind off of the darkness held beyond the dam. We continued up several flights of stairs and eventually reached a balcony.
As I approached the stone railing, I glanced at the young man that was following me. "So, Max, what did you learn today?"
Max quickly reached for his tablet, but I held up my hand. "No notes. Off the top."
He nodded. "Alright. Well, you're nothing like the other executives. You are much faster in making decisions and handle delicate situations with a surprisingly effective assertiveness. My eyes have been opened to a different type of leadership. Rather than focus on enabling those under you and inspiring them, you get down in the trenches and lead by example to teach everyone around you. It's remarkable."
I grinned sheepishly. My ego was pleased. "If I didn't agree with everything you just said, I might think that you were insulting your father."
Max's face turned read as he shook his head adamantly. "Oh no, I would never."
I chuckled and leaned on the railing. "No worries. I occasionally had some choice words for my father as well. Speaking of him, I should really try to spend more time with him. Despite working together, I feel that we've been drifting apart as of late…"
We fell silent for several minutes. I gazed out upon the city below me and the hulking assault ships that approached it.
The sun was hanging low in the sky. The reds of the desert seemed to bleed into the sky that sat behind my new toys.
I smiled as a squadron of starfighters roared past overhead. This city had officially been liberated. "What do you think of ANV, Max?"
His hesitation was obvious. I could feel it. "It is nothing like any other company I've read about. The incomprehensible rate of growth aside, the culture is what I find most impressive. The employees that I've talked to… This isn't just a job to them. I know the compensation is generous, but money alone can't do something like that to people. I can't seem to figure out why that is. Just the idea that there is an answer to that question is so exciting for me."
I nodded. "ANV isn't just a corporation. It is a community, government, and support system all wrapped up in one. But in my eyes, none of that is the most important thing for my people. The reason people feel that they belong and that this is their company is the idea that we are building something together. I'm not just talking about some corporate bullshit of building a successful machine. This is different. We are building a home for people that we all hope will stand the test of time. Despite the information being kept on lock, all of our people are aware, to some extent, that this isn't just a place we are traveling to."
Max fell silent for a bit. "I see. This isn't just a job. This is more like nationalism."
I smiled. "Good. Do you know what ANV means?"
Max shook his head. "No. I can at least tell that it is Latin."
I nodded. "Indeed. ANV, Acta Non Verba, is not on the name of this company, but also its most core value. Acta Non Verba. Actions Not Words. That is how we operate. Anyone can take big and make promises, but few are truly willing to act."
I gestured towards the assault ships that were starting to touch down just outside of the city. "We brough a total of thirty-thousand personnel and are mobilizing around a billion credits worth of assets and supplies to liberate this system. Do you know why?"
Max nodded. "Yeah. Well, I believe there are a few reasons. First off, one of the majority owners is a Jedi. You stand for liberty and justice. Secondly, our trade routes were being disrupted. This was having some major consequences on the development of our star systems. Lastly, from a purely corporate standpoint, liberating an enslaved people is some impossibly good PR."
I shook my head. "Not quite. Those are all good reasons and part of the motivation for it. The reason that united the board was that this system is strategically located. In simple terms, it would allow us to expand our influence. Aside from that, the board was aware that Galen and I would have overridden them if they rejected the proposal. That was merely a sidenote though because no one at this company stands for slavery."
A deep breath filled my lungs as I glanced at Max. "My true motivations are a bit grander, but I've yet to reveal those to the board. In the end, establishing an unbreakable alliance with the Twi'leks is just good business."
Max furrowed his brow. "Do you intend to take over this system?"
I smiled and shook my head. "Not quite…"