Year 6, Day 289Mos Eisley, Tatooine / Tatoo / Orus Sector

Sunlight. This blasted sunlight is cutting me to ribbons. And you'd think one sun would be enough, but no, this dustball planet just has to have two. I'm almost certain I'm getting the sunburn of my life. That'll look great, on top of the cuts on my face. It aches so much, I can't even put on my makeup, like a decent man.

Nine days so far, five since my pater's men moved on. It was here or Naboo, and the old man insisted Tatooine saw more interesting employment opportunities. If I'd known I was also in for a cantina full of spiced-up Gungans, I would have been on that old Action III, headed for some cozy palace in Theed. At least the Gungans stay in their swamps on the homeworld. The wretched amphibians shouldn't even be able to survive on this planet, let alone have the strength to start swinging broken bottles at people.

I swat at a sandfly that's been hovering all morning, and accidentally brush my right cheek with my fingertips. Pain explodes from the bruised bone, the laceration on top of it, and the sunburn on top of that. I should have just let the thing bite me.

Oh, Salliche. How I miss my wet, boring, hospitable world. All in all, Tatooine has very little to recommend it. Unpleasant climate, unpleasant animals, and a swarming host of unpleasant people. It's a marvel to me that anyone tries to eke out a living here, where the farmers have to harvest water itself. On Salliche water is abundant, we grow crops, and when you're this hot, you're not this bored.

There isn't even much to buy here, aside from sandblasted scrap and black market stuff I don't dare touch. Not that stockpiling would do me any good; my cargo hold is exactly as big as the spare pocket in my robe. I have to keep telling myself that will change soon, once the ship from the Corporate Alliance arrives.

After a tip from a trader whose company was dissolving, I submitted an application to the big, intragalactic company, not expecting a response. Three days ago they remotely hired me on as a junior associate. As soon as one of their ships passed through this hyperspace lane, someone would pick me up. It will be several more days, at least. I try not to think about it. Maybe it will be long enough that my face will heal, and I can make a presentable first impression.

"The future," I think, "in the very near future, I'll be a transport pilot. Maybe even a trader, with my own ship! That'll show the old man, when I pass by that rickety bucket he's flying and land a deal days ahead of him. 'Interesting employment opportunities,' indeed. Pha! I just know Mos Eisley was a practical joke..."

A pair of Toydarians eyeball me muttering to myself. They probably think I'm heat-mad, an easy mark. Time to find some kind of shade... and if anybody looks spicy, I'm swinging the bottle first this time!

Year 6, Day 299Mos Espa, Tatooine / Tatoo / Orus Sector

Finally!

A Trandoshan named Bellos Selexin finally arrived in the CA freighter Arke, to pick up me and another new recruit named Mike Mar. I've spent the past ten solar cycles exploring this planet, and let me tell you, I haven't found much. Some desert huts, an abandoned moisture farm... and sand. Lots and lots of sand. I hate sand. It gets everywhere.

As soon as Mike gets on board and Bellos fires up the sublights, I'll be on my way for my first real assignment!

Year 6, Day 304Middle of Nowhere / Corellian Sector

Mike Mar just disembarked to take command of the Commerce Guild freighter Tvar. He'll be flying back to our corporate headquarters, while Bellos and I head to the far-flung Spar sector, where I will pick up another CG freighter, the Nazran, on Riflor.

Even though it's just an old YG-4210, I'm looking forward to this assignment. It's a long, lonely jump, and not much to do but tabulate prospective profits based on Galactic Market trends, and waste time playing Dejarik holochess. But when I step off this boat, I'll be at HQ. Then the real opportunities will start opening up!

Year 6, Day 308Riflor / Riflori / Spar Sector

I'm on my way!

This is so exciting. I'm at the controls of the CG Nazran, ascending through Riflor's heavy, ash-laden atmosphere. Here's a little info I looked up about Riflor, since I didn't have much time to look around on the surface:

Pardot's Guide to Planets wrote:

Rilfor is located in the Tarxya system, it is the only known system in wild space. This sector is plagued by lack of knowledge and being very far away from every where. This planet is the home world of the Advozsec race. It has a thick, deep atmosphere which is laden with volcanic ash. The airborne ash diffuses the natural light of its suns, causing native species to develop specialize vision. Riflor is geologically unstable, and is constantly being stressed as it orbits a trinary star system and is orbited by three moons. The filtered sunlight has dropped the average temperature, despite its proximity to its suns, which has forced the Advozsec and other species to live near geothermal rifts. This is potentially dangerous, since frequent earthquakes cause large amounts of damage. The Advozes are an alien race characterized by their short stature, large black eyes, and enlarged cranium. Their skulls are punctuated by a short, thick horn which protrudes from the center of their forehead. Their ears are pointed. Native to the planet Riflor, the Advozsec have evolved in the planet's dense, ash-filled atmosphere. Their large eyes allow them to see in the murky light. Riflor's constant tectonic activity has instilled a sense of skepticism and pessimism, as the Advozsec cities are continually being rebuilt after natural disasters. A herbivorous race, the Advozsec were known to become vilently ill, should they consume any form of animal protein. They have developed technology that mirrors much of the galaxy, although they tend to build it on a smaller, more transportable scale.

Sounds like it's just as well I didn't stick around, huh?

Year 6, Day 313Hyperspace

I've been watching the stars swirl by for several days now. I've had longer hyper jumps when I worked for my pater's company, but this is still among the longest. It feels a little unusual to jump half the Galaxy in one go. I've passed up so many systems where business could have been done! No matter - I've got a mission.

I just received a special transmission from HQ, assigning me to a new, special task once I have delivered the Nazran. For now, let's just say it has to do with personnel transport. I don't dare get too specific, even recording this on an allied faction's ship. In time, people will know what happened.

Year 6, Day 324Hyperspace (Glythe Sector)

Stang! I've really been on the move since the moment I got behind the controls of the Nazran. President Stalwart and Director Jansen have kept me busy with Transport duties for nigh-on a month, especially now that I'm back in the Glythe sector.

There've been lots of quick jumps shuffling around Corporate Alliance, Commerge Guild, and Trade Federation ships. Right now I'm steering the biggest tub yet, the TFL Delivery, a 90-metre Gallofree Medium Transport. Big as it is, it's a damn sight quicker than that AA-9 I got saddled with earlier! Verre d'n Nocka, I'm glad I didn't have to jump that old nerf cross-sector!

It's good news all around. I just got a holomail notice that my second stock sale has been processed in the Galactic Market! It's small beans compared to the kind of sales I hope to make in the future, but profit is profit.

Uh-oh.... the navicomputer is telling me there's an anomolous gravity footprint ahead. That's never good when you're travelling in hyper! Back to the controls. Signing off!

Year 6, Day 329in orbit / Vinsoth / Glythe Sector

After a quick stop at HQ (and a delivery of 80 tons of freshly-killed space slug meat to the Greasy Sprocket) I loitered in the streets of CyGarr Landing for a couple of days. It encouraged me to finally witness first-hand the prosperity of our company! It appears we're well on our way to some serious expansion.

After a time I received instructions to report to the Vinsoth system for some kind of test. Apparently it's something coming down from the parent company, probably some kind of cultural tolerance seminar for trans-system traders. I think I'm already qualified, after my apprenticeship, but extra certifications might look good on the corporate resumé. If this test goes well, who knows what opportunities might open up?

Year 6, Day 330here and there / Vinsoth / Glythe Sector

Lots of representatives from the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) have shown up for this test, but we've just been informed that there will be a delay of nearly a week! You'd think an organization with this many subsidiary transport departments would be better organized. Seriously, send the test forms early enough to show up when people are gathered!

Oh no... I just thought of something. Maybe we're held up because this is some kind of physical training, and they're completing construction on some kind of morale-boosting, corporate-bonding obstacle course retreat! Although I don't much look forward to such a thing (the Buccaneer Jubilee on Rodia was quite enough, thanks Pater!) I suppose any opportunity to network with my fellows in the CIS and Trade Federation could prove useful.

For the next couple of days I'll be cruising around the system, getting orbital snapshots of the planets for my datapad scrapbook. I'm not sure I'll find much that's interesting, as Vinsoth is a largely unremarkable place (Pardot's Guide to Planets has practically no descriptions of anything in this system!), but maybe I'll manage to get in a quick visit to Aldaronach Station before the testing really starts.

Year 6, Day 344CyGarr Landing, Varno / Varn / Glythe Sector

I've spent a seemingly endless two weeks hovering around Vinsoth, scraping off mynocks and star barnacles. There's simply nothing better to do! It's that, or stare out the viewport at the impressive but ultimately boring CIS fleet that's been passing the time with me. We've pretty much traded all the gossip there is to trade, and I think people are getting itchy.

At least I've been granted a moment's relief! I've finally received orders to fire up the sublights on this huge boat, and return to Varno for some quick ship-swapping & cargo-loading action. Despite some confusion in the orders regarding who is supposed to be where, it's good to be doing something. I've been waiting for this supposed "test" to happen for far too long! I'm starting to wonder if it's some kind of obscure alien practical joke, similar to Narner Fool's Day back on Salliche.

Big ha-ha on us! We sat in orbit doing nothing for weeks! Excellent prank. Confused

I should be back in the Vinsoth parking lot pretty quickly, though, just in case this test actually starts. I'm not getting my hopes up.

Year 6, Day 363Eastport, Vinsoth / Vinsoth / Glythe Sector

It's been a few weeks, but I've been taking some time off to celebrate an old Sallichen holiday involving deep fried thicketfowl. It's just as well, since there's been a flurry of paperwork passing between the Corporate Alliance and ComBank, one of our CIS affiliates. All the bureaucratic correspondence has effectively halted me in my tracks, sitting here on Vinsoth, waiting for the final order to get some construction underway for ComBank.

The test was apparently cancelled a few weeks back, which was no small let-down! All of those assembled for the test were herded onto a Carrack light cruiser (impressive ship!) where we got the hairy eyeball from some stranger and were summarily dismissed. Apparently we weren't up to snuff, and the whole thing was called off once the instructor got a look at us. Heck of a waste of time, if you ask me. More importantly, it was a heck of a lot of missed profit! Oh, well.

So that's the news, such as it may be. I'm lounging in a mostly-empty Gallofree, snacking on leftover thicketfowl and amusing myself by singing bawdy songs into the cavernous echo of the cargo hold. I'd better not get used to this lazy life... I have a feeling things are about to go into hyperspeed once all the right signatures are in place!

Year 7 Day 6sublight / Varn / Glythe Sector

Happy (belated) New Year! With all of the holidays lately, I've barely had time to get any serious work done. I got some building projects handled for ComBank, which went well, and I learned a lot. Foremost, have all of your bureaucracy and materials taken care of before it matters!

Now I'm back in what I'm coming to think of as the "home system", zipping around scanning empty space, looking for aggressive intruders. I'm not quite sure who or what I'm looking for, nor even if anyone is really intruding. This may be a drill that the Security Dept. has pulled, but I think somebody saw something out here. Something they shouldn't have seen.

So help me, if I round the limb of this planet and come face-to-face with a Star Destroyer, we'll learn the upward mechanical capabilities of a Gallofree transport really fast!

Here's hoping all this empty space is as empty as it looks. Trespassers, spies, and invaders are all bad for business.

Year 7 Day 14atmo-cruisin' / Varn / Glythe Sector

I'm touring around a volcanic ball of crap on the trusty ol' TFL Delivery, waiting for some of our contractors to wrap up construction on a power generator. We're pretty much here (though I can't tell you precisely where here is, for security reasons) just for the sole sake of staking a claim and keeping people out. Not that anyone would want to come to this Force-forsaken ash heap. Still, I suppose bureaucrats and bigwigs take comfort in apparent solidarity, no matter how cosmetic.

That's enough of the waxing political for one day!

I've got some guests on board. A fitness trainer (read: over-the-hill martial arts instructor); some kind of furball with an aptitude for hydrospanners; five loitering Wookiees; and a very, very overworked medic. Ever since the Wookiees discovered I installed djarik in the mess suite, it's been arms-out-of-sockets on a daily basis.

I bought a ship! Granted, it's just a simple Cloakshape fighter, but it does have a hyperdrive installed, which is sort of unusual for such an old model. Sadly, though I have the paperwork stating it's my ship, I've never laid eyes on it. I'm not even sure where it is, really! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that it's all in one piece whenever I get around to collecting it. No hurry, though. So long as the CA keeps me in fine fashion with big ships like the Delivery, I don't even need a ship of my own. Maybe I can find a needy sucker out there to take the fighter of my hands at a modest (or, better yet, terrifically un-modest!) profit.

Only one or two more days in this waterless backwater. Then I can gather my crew, and head off to a more lucrative construction project in more civilized environs.

Year 7, Day 21Hyperspace

Well, I've wrapped up my third consecutive construction project, and now I'm ready for some personal time. It'll be a week before the construction crew gets the main cables laid and last circuits activated, so I'm taking a quick hyperspace vacation. I might as well see a part of the Galaxy I've never been to before!

I had my navicomputer randomly select a destination that was three days out from my current position, and it came back with the Essowyn system in the Trax sector. I have only the faintest idea of what to find in this sector, and I know nothing at all about Essowyn, except for how many planets are there. It seems like a pretty quiet place, though. Maybe a good place to relax and brush up on some management skills. The CA has plenty of people for grunt-work, but not a lot of people to call the shots. And if I'm going to keep doing these construction jobs, I really ought to know a little more about team organization.

My listings on the Galactic Market are... well... faring pretty poorly. The market's been in an unsettling state of flux, due to some rumors of new mass production technology making everything in the Galaxy a lot cheaper to produce. With a future of glutted supplies, demand is dropping in anticipation. And that's hitting me right in the bank account. Hard to make profits? Stang! It's hard to sell things at a loss these days! People just don't buy.

Now that I think about it, maybe I'll make this less of a working vacation, and concentrate on playing. There'll be work a-plenty in the months ahead.

Year 7, Day 36Super-secret location in Glythe

The vacation is done, the construction is done, and I feel like I've learned a lot. It hasn't been the mercantile adventure I expected, but there's some promise of that in the days to come. And I can't complain! Since joining up with the CA, I've traded over two million credits on the Galactic Market! Not to mention I'm currently in possession of three ships, with another two purchases very likely. I'll give those old clunkers a tune-up, some fresh paint, and sell 'em back to the public at a 7-10% profit! I hope. The Market is still somewhat... err... unpredictable.

I'm currently descending through the gorgeous atmosphere of a planet called {CENSORED!} in the {CENSORED!} system, where the CA is busily erecting its state-of-the-art headquarters. The sun is setting behind the skyline as I approach, and it's the most beautiful place I've seen since I've left Salliche. With this as our base of operations, I can't help but think we have prosperous days ahead!

Year 7, Day 42Rhukidalf Ruins, Rhukidalf / Amorris / Glythe Sector

One of the Galaxy's independent holoreports picked up a review I wrote while I was killing time on Rhukidalf!

Galactic Hotel Report - Rhukidalf This quaint backwater may be short on cosmopolitan amenities, but it lacks nothing in frosty panoramas. Lurking within only one light-minute of the Amorris sun, Rhukidalf has a split personality: one hemisphere deadly hot, the other deadly cold. However, Rhukidalf's rotation is such that one hemisphere constantly faces the sun, creating a barely hospitable twilight zone that encircles the globe. Most lifeforms will quickly find themselves dead, should they venture more than a few kilometers into the light or into the cold. It was in this narrow band of inhabitable tundra that I paid a visit to the Ruins Bed & Breakfast with my good chums Anto and Liran in tow. Visitors to Amorris are rare enough, but visitors to Rhukidalf are as rare as blonde hair on a Trandoshan. The staff of the RB&B competed with each other to serve us, snatching our luggage from each other, and racing to the console to assign us rooms. The inn had recently been acquired by the Corporate Alliance (full disclosure: Riley Moonrigger is a transport pilot with the Corporate Alliance), and the staff's eagerness and expert training were impeccable. At first it was an impressive sight, but as the tips starting ticking out of my creditpad I began to wish just one employee would see to our needs. Nonetheless, I have to say I prefer too much service to too little. Our rooms were neatly appointed, and the attention to guest comfort was apparent. The room even featured windows made of the same triply-insulated glasteel that is used on some deep-sublight freighters. There was no worry of going cold, no matter how hard to wind lashed the outside of the building. The bedspread, though synthetic and very crinkly-sounding, was extraordinarily warm, soft, and plush. Anto, being some exotic insect race that feeds infrequently, declined dinner, but Liran and I were famished after the obstacle course of hotel staff. We easily found our way to the central dining room, which was small in the fashion of all Bed & Breakfast establishments. Though it was small by restaurant standards, the dining area was more than big enough for Liran and myself, as the only diners in attendance. We were given the Presidential Table, which is theoretically reserved for visiting members of the Senate. We faced an enormous vista window, through which were visible thin slices of both the sunlit surface to the west, and the eastern deep shadows (which locals refer to as "the Allcold"). There were only two courses, due to the scarcity of fresh stock and our unexpected arrival. I began with a tossed salad of Glythan greens seasoned with a local mineral salt, while Liran dove straight into a double order of the Valrare steak entrée. He committed a slight faux pas by ordering the meat "well-done and over easy", contrary to the custom of getting it cooked rare. I suppose a simple Toydarian builder can't be expected to be up-to-date on every system's dietary quirks! We retired to our rooms with a promise that the chef would prepare a special breakfast before our departure in the morning, as well as some desserts to take with us in apology for the lack of sweets with dinner. Well sated, we tuned into a local rebroadcast of the syndicated holodrama Behind the Black Masque until turning in for the night. While I can't honestly recommend Rhukidalf as a holiday destination, if you really, really want to get away from it all, the Ruins Bed & Breakfast is the place to do it comfortably.

Year 7, Day 55Klorangrad, Varno / Varn / Glythe Sector

I'm trucking again.

I've returned to the home world of the Trade Federation, where the Corporate Alliance's old offices are. I'm lumbering groundward in a bulk freighter to pick up some raw materials for ComBank. This thing handles like a bantha. It's a shocking comparison to the performance of either the YT-2000 freighter or the Cloakshape fighter I was just playing around in. Both are my ships, and both are stationed in orbit over Varn. I'll probably sell the fighter (once I can consolidate some more of them in the same location; people will pay more for complete squadrons!) but that YT is so fast, it seems like I'd have to be stupid to get rid of it. True, it has about as much effective cargo space as a pair of pants, but... the speed! Oh, the speed!....

It really makes me appreciate how slow these bulk freighters are.

Year 7, Day 68Varn / Glythe sector

My transport duties have been put on hold while the bulk freighter we have on loan is used for a higher priority job. I've been flying sensor patrols in the Varn system in my zippy YT-2000, looking out for inbound traffic. So far, nobody out of the ordinary has made an appearance, which is just fine by me! Although Varn is the one open system in the Glythe sector, I'd prefer to not see any visitors from, say, Eidola.

I've got a fine Drop Ship Transport prepped for sale on the Galactic Market! The standard-issue DST from Kuat has a depressingly Imperial color scheme (gray on gray! blech!) which I've tried to improve with some gleaming white hull ceramics. I'm hoping somebody out there has use for a good looking personnel transport.

Gotta get back to the controls. I'm about to pass between the orbits of Marthril and Varno. It's not dangerous, but it can be a tricky gravity well to traverse on a straight line.

Year 7, Day 99hyperspace

Wow, I haven't written much in a while now! Time flies when you're having fun, they say. Though who would think preparing for war with the Galactic Empire is fun, I dunno.

If you've been living in a cave on Dagobah, you might not be up on current events. The long and short of it is this: the Emperor made an offer to the Trade Federation, asking the TF to cede governmental powers and join the Empire as the official trade administration; the Viceroy refused, providing ample & respectful arguments to support continued Trade Federation sovreignty; the Emperor took it as an insult, and immediately declared the TF "Galactic Enemy #1".

Since the Corporate Alliance is incorporated with the TF, I was personally pulled into events WAY bigger than anything I ever wanted to see. Now I'm running supplies all over the place, while the Trade Federation establishes treaties with the Rebel Alliance and its supporters.

I have a bad feeling about this.

In good news, I sold my Drop Ship Transport for... well, let's just say it's the kind of profit that keeps me warm on these long hyperjumps. Just in time, too. The last thing I want right now is to be accused of being in possession of "Imperial property", even though it was just a stock Kuat design. Ugh, there I go again. This war is the only thing any of us can think about any more.....

Year 7, Day 119Epidemi / Glythe sector

I've just spent a very long time joined in a security effort to root out minions of the Galactic Empire.

Rather than risk resources and reputation on a direct conflict, Vodo has resorted to subterfuge and the establishment of covert bunkers in Trade Federation space. The TF bigwigs were wise to this move, though, and had a massive reconnaissance force deployed to detect any Imperial activity.

Although I saw literally nothing—except for a few fighters passing on the opposite side of the system, once—there have been rumors of sweeping successes for the Trade Federation! I just hope this ends soon. Maybe the Empire will decide to call off these hostile land grabs, if the price gets too high. Even the Imperial coffers must have a limit on how many losses they can absorb.

Otherwise, I've been spending my spare time (what little there is of it these days!) upgrading the Corporate Alliance holocasters, linking our identification badges directly into the company data dumps over the Holonet. I never realized I had this knack for tinkering when I was working for my father. Maybe I just didn't have enough cool things to disassemble, with the limited tech on his Action III.

Sales are... well, sales are practically dead. I've got an X-34 landspeeder on the market. I got it detailed, and had a new paint job put on it, but I'm worried these old speeders just aren't as in demand, now that the XP-38's are out. We'll see.

Year 7, Day 133hyperspace

Turns out, I know how to sell an X-34 landspeeder just fine. The thing was off the market quickly, and I made a tidy profit, even after turning over my share to the CA.

Of course now there's a whole new Sarlacc pit opened up: the Galactic Market has upgraded their network, vastly increasing the availability of goods. Sure, that sounds nice, but it has also caused a dramatic price drop across the board. Anybody who had anything in inventory when the network went online is almost guaranteed a loss.

Including me! I have a squadron of hyper-capable Cloakshape fighters that I've been trying to consolidate in a single location, so I can give them the "new paint job & sell high" treatment. Now, I'll be lucky to break even, even if I give them the hottest design in the Galaxy, and offer free shipping. I should have had these ships done and sold weeks—even months ago! But I got burned by my transporter. Burned bad, it turns out.

On the up-side, the Corporate Alliance has orders flying in, asking us to construct Commerce Centers all over the place. People want access to the Galactic Market's network, and we can give it to them. So maybe I'm not doing great, but the team is.

And that's good enough for me.

Year 7, Day 138hyperspace... again!

Well, there have been some unusual shifts in the chain of command lately. There have been transfers to other companies, sabbaticals, the establishment of a President Pro Tem, and—perhaps oddest of all—my promotion to Director of Logistics.

I didn't even get a chance to mention it here, but I think I spent all of two weeks as Deputy Director.

The new workload is fairly daunting, but there's lots of advice from various quarters. Lots of advice. Perhaps a little too much. In some areas, it's gone from daunting to dazing. I have a feeling that if I'm going to run this nerf herd, I'm going to have to establish some of my own practices.

While I adjust, I've managed to "sneak off" for a job of personal interest. I'm finally going to get my Cloakshape fighters collected! Nearly four and a half months after purchasing the first one, I'll finally have my squadron in one place. It will be a long, slow trip, but one I'm really looking forward to.

I'm hoping all the time by myself will help give me time and perspective on how to keep the Corporate Alliance's Logistics department running smoothly.

Year 7, Day 189Amorris orbit / Glythe sector

Has it really been over fifty days since my last update? I had no idea organizing Logistics would be so time-consuming! Despite the predictable delays and learning curve, it's been a good experience. I feel confident about the direction the Corporate Alliance is taking under my... um... direction!

We've initiated a galaxy-wide project constructing CA-controlled Commerce Centers everywhere. Well, not everywhere. There are thousands of charted, habitable planets, and dozens of cities on many of them. Still, we're establishing a strong presence as one of the galaxy's premier trading companies. As much as I enjoy transporting goods and taking on construction contracts, it will be nice to get back to the core goals of the Corporate Alliance.

What's good for the CA has proven to be disastrous for me. The expanded accessibility of the Galactic Market has dropped prices remarkably. So even though I finally have my shiny squad of Cloakshape fighters collected (not to mention the even-shinier squadron of N-1 fighters!) I'm having one hell of a time selling them without taking a loss. I might have to just let them go at whatever price I can, try not to choke on the deficit, and start over with my budget calibrated to the new supply and demand model.

Not a fun prospect.

In cheerier news, we've had a great crop of recruits recently. Some real enthusiastic, bright-eyed guys. It's hard to believe I was one of those eager young recruits not so long ago!

Year 7, Day 242hypering through Glythe sector

Another 50 days? I would feel bad for not recording more here, except that I've been so busy!

We've had a fantastic few weeks. There have been additional commerce centers constructed, a major urban development was laid down on the planet Gallyrn, and we've attracted several clients from outside of the CIS. Money coming in, lots of hard work, and good things on the horizon.

The Techno Union, despite their reticence and isolationism, are on the cusp of producing a new heavy freighter, which I think will be a huge boon to the CA. Heck, the W-23 Star Hauler is so impressive, I'm seriously considering buying one for myself! (I know they're expensive, but it would be an investment that would pay for itself.)

In other news, I managed to gain legal ownership of a poor city in the nether neighborhood of the galaxy. Out in Trax sector, Teniel Djo and her Eidola pirates had free reign over the impoverished residents of Halifax City. I can only presume they were used as slaves for various indecent activities. For whatever reason, the deed for the city was put up for sale, and I managed to snatch it up. Someday soon I'll travel out to meet those poor people face to face, and see what I can do to improve their situation.

And, if it turns out they're hard workers, maybe I'll benefit from their improved lifestyles as well.

Year 8, Day 167Upgrade!

I made a special trip to a ship computer dealer I know in Centrality sector, and I've upgraded the Holonet connections on the Narner II to allow me to keep a less-localized edition of this hyperspace journal. I also now have continual access to the excellent Citadel Station Database, which makes for excellent reading.

As for recent goings-on, what can I say? The Techno Union is doing great, with eager customers lined up for months to come. We've had some trouble with employees maintaining an interest in the business, which I suppose is understandable. The turmoil in the rest of the Galaxy probably seems more interesting to the young ones, and the lazy ones probably wouldn't be happy anywhere.

I recently reëstablished contact with an old friend of my father's, Dr. Nolain Rockport, an Ithorian who used to do a holonet advice show years ago. More recently he's been doing time in some Imperial prison for... how shall I put it? "Extreme ecological activism," let's say. He's joined up with the Techno Union to pick back up as a medical doctor, though his experience with environmental issues is proving useful for mineral prospecting. (He's quite adamant about CIS mining affiliates adopting ecologically-friendly standards, which seems to me like an excellent selling point!)

Year 8, Day 175Approaching Orus Sector

It occurs to me, I haven't made a journal entry in so long, there's no explanation of why I'm suddenly talking about the Techno Union instead of the Corporate Alliance!

It was determined by the leadership of the Trade Federation that the CA wasn't really living up to its stated purpose as a trade and transport company, and that it would be better for the Confederacy of Independent Systems in general if the TF absorbed the Corporate Alliance's assets, and sold off the company shell to someone who might be interested in taking it in a new direction. That person was Rand Axim, the founder of the excellent Galactic Gaming Corporation.

Most of the staff of the Corporate Alliance split up and transferred to sibling companies in the CIS, such as the fledgling MedTech Industries or the Commerce Guild mining company. Several of us moved over to the Techno Union, the ship production arm of the CIS.

Let's face it, I always liked trading in starships. Now I get to help build them! It's pretty exciting. Not to mention, I got to maintain my position as Director of Logistics after the transfer. So the work is mostly the same, about half of my team from the CA is intact, and I got a pretty good pay raise.

I'm currently on board my spruced up & refurbished darling, the Narner II, en route to Tatooine to pick up an employee named Tay Kwan, who spent several months on leave attending to personal business. After that, we're heading back to Vinsoth, for another test like the one a couple of years ago. Hopefully this one will be a little better organized, and more profitable.

Year 8, Day 185 - Vinsoth Orbit / Vinsoth / Glythe Sector

It's hard to believe it's only been two years since my pater dropped me off on Tatooine. I've done so much with since working with the Confederacy, my apprenticeship seems like a lifetime ago.

Tay seemed like a nice enough guy, though I have to admit, there were times I got a little creeped out. Maybe I've just spent too much time in hyperspace, but something about his huge, leering grin seemed unnatural, even for a Nautolan. And the severed ear he sometimes played with was downright barbaric. I'm not ashamed to admit I locked my cabin door at night.

Now I'm on board another fancy capital ship, some kind of customized Carrack cruiser. There's a whole gang of fellow Confederates here, all lining up to take this test. And just like last year, we're all waiting on the test administrator to acknowledge us and get this show on the road.

People seem to be getting restless, though. We've been here a few days, and several fistfights have broken out down in the ship's lounge. The first aid station has been doling out bandages, stimpacks, and bacta-tabs practically every couple of hours.

You'd think that being a Director would lend me some degree of protection from aggressive deckhands, but it turns out that once you pour enough liquor into a Dug, it doesn't much matter who is in front of him when he starts kicking those big hind legs. Lucky for me, I've seen my fair share of pugilism in my time, and given even odds, I can hold my own. I think I laid him down gently enough. He's probably back at work, and doesn't remember a thing.

It might be crude of me to admit this, but a little action like that was exactly what I needed to pass these boring hours.

Year 8, Day 189Valrar, Glythe sector

As expected, the test proved to be of limited effectiveness in gauging people's effectiveness in contributing to the success of the Confederacy. I'm not sure what they hope to find with these intermittant pollings of attitudes & aptitudes. But I have a weird suspicioun about the guy administering the test. He was wearing robes, but not the kind you normally see on Trade Federation bigwigs. Hrm...

I've returned to the Techno Union's home system of Valrar, and I'm moving around some building materials for a big satellite construction job. Not very exciting, but it's nice to be doing some dirty work again.

Also, I've picked up a co-pilot. A couple of days ago I was getting dinner at one of the small shops in Technopolis' starport (Jurj's Spike & Grill, one of the best dives in town), and had to share a table with a Selkath fellow named Shiv Ryen. He's been lurking around the starport for a few days after a falling out with his last captain, and hasn't had much luck finding a new crew to join. I've needed someone to help out with the Narner II for a while, so he got a jump up on his resume from midshipman to co-pilot!

Year 8, Day 199hyperspace / Glythe sector

I'm on my way to Vinsoth to deliver a pilot to his ship, and hopefully get the Logistics department revitalized after the disruption of the recent CIS testing. After that, I've got a tip about some A-24's I can pick up pretty much for nothing. The profits from reselling them would probably pay off the remainder of the balance on my W-23... which I have recently been informed is in the shipyard now! Almost time to start looking for a freelance pilot to help me out with Harbright Station.

Now for a weird story.

Recently I took a couple of days R&R on a backwater planet, far away from business and paperwork. While there, I heard some local rumours about a splinter sect of The Way that had recently opened what they called the Museum of Creation. Intrigued by the notion that a religious cult had somehow delved into the mysteries of the moments after the birch of the Galaxy, I decided to have a look.

I booked a seat on an overloaded ground transport that would take me from the relative swankiness of the capital city to the absolute-middle-of-nowhere. I think the name of the place, translated into standard Galactic, was something like "The Mountain of Rock in a Land of Blood and Darkness". Charming, no?

When I got to the museum, I discovered it had essentially nothing to do with actual knowledge or understanding; rather, it was an extrapolation of some of the most extreme and atavistic doctrines of The Way, interpreted as if they had the same validity as laboratory data. That is, their Creator made the Galaxy (as they've always claimed), but here are some myths dressed up as science to make you think it's true.

They claim that all sentients, the "children of the Creator", have existed since the Galaxy was moments old, despite the fact that the early universe was hot, tight, and toxic to anything resembling life. Although scientists from a hundred planets have found overwhelming evidence supporting the standard theory of the beginning, these Creationists insist sentients are the entire point of creation, and that we've been around in pretty much exactly our current forms since the first photon sparked to life. They even had the unmitigated gall to depict people of various races dancing and playing with quarklets and subnutrinos! There's absolutely no way such a thing could happen! But it's plastered all over their advertisements, just to lure children into this nonsense.

All in all, it was depressing, unilluminating, and a waste of time and money. I learned nothing, except that there are more than enough suckers out there.

Year 8, Day 244hyperspace / Glythe sector

It's the beginning of a new era!

Well, a new era for me, anyway. I've just boarded my shiny, new W-23 Star Hauler, Unfettered, and I am en route to Amorris to pick up the first load of raw materials for use building Harbright Station on Godhin. This plan has been in the works for almost a year now, but because it's a purely personal endeavor, progress has been slow. I'm really excited to finally be closing in on a serious development project!

In other news, the past month has been taken up with integrating the recently-acquired Starsign Shipyards with the Techno Union, as a joint starship production enterprise under the umbrella name Confederated Shipyards. Starsign brings with them the super-fast YT-510 design, which may be a wretched freighter, but is an excellent courier transport, blockade runner, and race winner. Also, we'll now be building the monstrous YV-666 capital warship—a pretty hot item! We've seen lots of interest in this ship, and we don't even have the infrastructure in place to begin building them. Once they're coming off the line, though, we'll be sitting pretty on the pile of profits.

Time to inspect the Unfettered, and become familiar with its nooks and crannies. I plan to use this ship a lot, so I'll need to know every inch of her.

Year 8, Day 298Hyperspace

I've flown a few supply runs to Harbright Station with the Unfettered, and that ship is a dream. Getting a W-23 Star Hauler was about the best move I could have made. The cargo capacity is perfect for what I can afford on my salary, and it's hyperdrive is fast enough to get my out to Trax sector in a reasonable amount of time. The only thing that could be better is if I had a personal assistance to fly the thing for me!

The city is coming along well with some initial residences in place, and a small-but-bustling business sector. The main commercial district is zoned, but construction has not started yet, and I've heard nothing from the local government about their plans to build subsidized residential skytowers. Oh, well. I've gone unmolested by their agents, which is more than I could ever say of those snakes in The 12 Colonies.

Dr. Nolain Rockport and I are currently on board the TU Crusader, the YT-1210 he uses for his mineral prospecting project. We're heading Sullust to pick up a new Gallofree for the Techno Union. Despite the number of heavy haulers the company already has in use, every new one continues to be a relief. There's a lot of work to be done, and it never seems like we have quite enough resources to run at 100%. After I get this ship, though, we're that much closer!

In other news, Hilem Ordo has been promoted to CEO of Starsign Shipyards, the Techno Union's sibling ship production company in the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Since Hilem was serving as Vice President of the Techno Union, his promotion left a vacuum in the upper echelons. Guess who's the new VP? Yours truly. Maybe with my new salary I'll be able to afford that personal assistant!....

Year 9, Day 65hyperspace / Glythe sector

Wow, that was much too long a break. I suppose being separated from my Holonet access for ten days jarred me out of my journaling habit (such as it is), and I just forgot to ever get back on. Consider the situation remedied!

You might be wondering how someone in my position, with such an obvious need for Holonet access managed to get cut off. Well, it was semi-voluntary. Following accusations of supervisory crassness around the end of last year, I enrolled in a week-long management course entitled "Diplomacy & Sensitivity In Dealing With Sentient Subordinates". One of the conditions of the "camp" was to be completely devoted to it for the duration, meaning no outside communications.

It was excruciatingly expensive, but my entry fee was paid by the company, so what do I care? The part that gets me is that the course was a local week long, and taught by a pack of highly empathic Zeltron drill sergeants. So, ten days of being subjected to some of the worst feelings of my life, with the only way out lying in the creation of a positive psycho-feedback loop with the instructor. Any perceived social gaffe led to a reflection of the recipient's discomfort amplified straight back into my head.

It was deeply, deeply unsettling. The food was excellent, though.

Once I got back into the mindset I had when helping my mother tend the agro-clinic back on Salliche, I was able to get past the psychic trickery, and passed the class with full marks. The next time I have to deal with some moody, hypersensitive scumbag who drifts through my company and mucks things up, I'll be able to process his undesirable posterior without hurting any feelings.

In other news, the Techno Union (and CIS in general!) are doing very, very well. Salaries have been increased across the board in a new profit-sharing effort, which make all of our employees wealthy beyond the dreams of most people in the Galaxy. Which is wonderful, but also a little worrysome. I'm happy to see everyone get ample opportunities to pursue their interests, but it also makes us all somewhat more likely targets for crime. I'll have to arm my pilots from now on, I suppose.

Actually... I hate to admit this, but there have been a few ugly spots in CIS news. The Dorinian Military Corps has been gutted by the two-faced slime running the show. My good acquaintance Rand Axim has been assigned to clean things up, but these fine fellows have earned themselves one hell of a bad reputation:

• Izis Cloudrunner
• Jack Monday
• Neth Dharek
• Todd Phoenix
• Drega Loas

Such a stupid shame. I guess when you need to make money in a hurry, the easiest thing to do is steal like a spoiled child, and run away.

Also, I've recently learned that a fairly prominent member of the CIS is publicly advertising Wookiee fur coats and Gamorrean-skin leather jackets for sale to the general public. This is completely appalling. Abhorrent. Unequivocally evil. I mean, it's bad enough the Order of Kampar eats Ewoks, but at least there's some basis for ritual sacrifice in a religious context. Not one I agree with, but at least it's not just for lucre... though I suspect the Prophets don't lack profits.

So now we have a supposedly respectable member of our Confederacy slaughtering sentients for fashion. I'm the first one to agree that business is business, but this kind of prurient villainy is lower than I would expect even from the Empire. And our Senators in the CIS are debating about whether it's acceptable or not!

I just don't know what to think.

Year 10, Day 127Harbright Bazaar, Lexrol system

After a long term of service, I'm a free man again.

Almost three years ago, I joined the Corporate Alliance (and therefore the Confederacy of Independent Systems) in order to further my career as a Galactic trader. When the CA was downgraded in priority within the Trade Federations structure, I transferred to the Techno Union, where I was delighted to oversee the production of starships for the public market. Then, as tensions escalated in various regions of the Galaxy, the Techno Union reverted to its original mission of producing warships for the Trade Federation's navy, shifting production of consumer starships to Starsign Shipyards. I stayed in the Techno Union, largely due to the impressive salary, where I saw warship after warship roll off the lines. With every one, I though, "Does this make us safer? Or am I just looking at the death of hundreds of sentients in the future?" Finally, I was directed to supervise the construction of an Imperial Star Destroyer, the ultimate symbol of military oppression in the Galaxy. Combined with Viceroy Jacob Jansen's public conversion to the... distasteful... ways of the Sith, I decided no amount of money was enough to balance the sense of danger I felt. Suddenly, the salary no longer matter; the Trade Federation and its subsidiaries were on a path to conflict of one kind or another, and this was in no way compatible with my original dream: to become a successful merchant.

So, with as much etiquette and friendliness as I could muster, I resigned on Year 10, Day 112, and returned to the world of freelance trade. My friend Siejo Kutol has offered to let me utilize the resources of the Corporate Alliance, which is no longer a part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Dr. Nolain Rockport and I are working on consolidating our mutual assets, preparing for a launch into real freelancing. With a pair of Action VI Transports and reasonably good combined earnings from our time with the Techno Union, I have high hopes that we'll be able to turn modest profits developing various investments, and working the market of Centrepoint Station.

Additionally, I have recently learned that travel to my homeworld of Salliche has been unrestricted, and the system government has approved my request to invest in local development. I'm excited at this opportunity to return home for the first time in five years.

There is so much to plan for, so much to do. And I feel a sense of relief and excitement that I haven't felt in years. Although I never felt trapped, exactly, I certainly feel free now.