Writing this chapter was a little hard. It got me thinking and researching and thinking again just to make things plausible. That brings me to a question: do you guys want things to be plausible with the numbers, or keep things vague?
Thanks for reading.
========
On Mandalore, there are approximately 4 million inhabitants, while the entire sector hosts around 10 million people distributed across dozens of worlds.
Drenar leaned forward, "Could we recruit other clans to strengthen our position?"
Veyra interjected, "We could, but how can we ensure that they don't have any hidden sympathizers with Death Watch?" They already had bad blood with Death Watch after they attacked Varn and Elyse.
Camren, who had been examining the star maps projected in the center of the room, offered a potential solution. "We could implement a screening process for a time, assessing their loyalty and intentions before allowing them into the new system."
Torin raised a cautionary hand. "Everyone, I think we should delay any plans to bring other clans or foundlings into this new system."
"First, we need to complete our mapping, identify a secure location for all of us to settle, and ensure our defenses are in place against any adversaries who might covet our new home—not just Death Watch, but also the Duke and his pacifists, or anyone seeking to exploit our resources." His voice was steady as he outlined their potential adversaries once they found out about the system.
"I completely agree," Ravik chimed in, his brow furrowed. "Once news spreads of the valuable resources here, we'll be like prey before a pack of hungry wolves, with enemies circling us, eager to tear us limb from limb."
The atmosphere shifted as each member began considering strategies for the defense of their newly claimed planet and the crucial entry point through the nebula that surrounded it.
Rayden, sitting next to his mom, contemplated an idea that had been forming in his mind. However, he knew better than to bring it up at this time.
The Golan space station project loomed large in his thoughts. Still, he was painfully aware that he would need around 262 million credits just for the blueprints for Golan 1 and an additional 290 million for Golan 2, far beyond his current capabilities.
After much deliberation, a consensus emerged: they needed to construct a space station at the mouth of the nebula. This strategic point would allow them to monitor and control all traffic in and out of their territory. This station would not only be fortified with turbolasers and point defense systems but would also include hangars capable of housing their Fang fighters, essential for defending their newfound home.
As the initial defense strategy was discussed, Varn skillfully shifted the focus. "Now that we've tackled the question of defense, we should turn our attention to how we will mine and utilize the resources of this new system efficiently," he declared, steering the conversation toward the practicalities of their survival.
The next few hours were filled with intense negotiations, voices rising and falling as they hashed out details for their future operations. Eventually, they came to an agreement to form Resol'Aliit Industries, or RA Industries, a company designed to manage their resource extraction and trade.
The governance structure was laid out: a board of directors would be established, with each clan's head serving as a member, ensuring representation and accountability.
To foster collaboration and ensure efficiency within the newborn corporation, the leadership structure would be merit-based. Qualifications would dictate appointments, rather than lineage.
However, since the company is just getting started and to ensure that each clan is satisfied, the following leadership positions will be established:
- The CEO would be chosen from Clan Knight.
- A member of Clan Serdran would oversee security and Intelligence operations.
- A member of Clan Drav'korr would manage mining and Refining.
- Research and Development, along with Production, will be led by someone from Clan Vhar'kar.
- Logistics would be the responsibility of someone from Clan Tov'ra.
If the CEO or any department head fails in their responsibilities and is deemed incompetent, they will be fired and replaced, typically by their deputy.
As RA Industries started to take form, it became clear that, as the organization expanded, additional departments would likely be established.
Existing divisions would be refined and divided to create a more streamlined operation, ensuring that their combined efforts could keep up with the growth and demands of their ambitious new enterprise.
======
-1 year later-
Rayden, Lexi, and the others from each of the five clans could be seen running around a massive training ground. This past year had felt like a blur for them, with events unfolding so quickly that one thing happened right after another, leaving them little time to catch their breath.
The day after the meeting, each clan recalled all of its members, no matter where they were. If someone was on a job, they had to complete it as soon as possible and return.
Varn and Elyse reached out to the now-healthy Duke to congratulate him on his recovery and discuss their current situation.
They didn't mention discovering the new system or large supplies of beskar and other minerals. Instead, they told him about the formation of House Knight and how they had found a new place to call home.
The Duke and Duchess congratulated them but were curious about what they planned to do with their current home.
Varn offered to lease Kweving Heights and their residence for 100 million credits. This shocked both the Duke and Duchess, not only due to the substantial amount he was asking but also because they were considering leasing it at all.
After some negotiation, Varn managed to lease the clan grounds for 75 million credits. They reached an agreement allowing them to take the shield generator, anti-air turrets, and farming and mining equipment.
They scheduled the handoff for eight months later. Rayden asked his father why it was happening so fast, and Varn explained that it would take two to three months for the prefabricated homes they ordered to be completed.
It would take another month or two to set them up, and they planned to leave right after harvesting their crops.
A week later, all the clan members from the five clans had returned and were standing in front of their Alors. Varn started by announcing that he had leased their clan's grounds to the Duke.
This news caused some outrage, as many felt betrayed. However, before they could act on their anger, Varn pulled up the screens to present the new system and planet that the five leaders had decided to call Arcadia, with suggestions from Rayden.
He repeated the presentation he had given a week prior, and as expected, everyone was excited about the prospect of living in this vibrant new world. Some people in the crowd dubbed it a new golden age for their people.
Varn explained that they had already ordered prefab homes to be produced and shipped to them in a few months, outlining their timeline for migration.
Over the past week, they had found an ideal location to create a new home for everyone.
They then discussed RA Industries and how anyone in the clans could apply for positions.
The following month was filled with everyone packing and gradually getting everything ready for the migration. The clan warriors stayed home to assist with various tasks, whether in mining, farming, or packing equipment.
The new board of directors filtered through applicants and conducted interviews. In the end, each department head was chosen:
- The CEO: Dren, with Kalia as his deputy
- Security and Intelligence Operations: Jake Serdran
- Mining and Refining: Thron Drav'korr
- Research and Development, along with Production: Sky Vhar'kar
- Logistics: Luke Tov'ra
With the list finalized, Dren, Kalia, and the new heads were called into a meeting with Varn and the others.
The meeting began with a congratulatory toast and then shifted to discuss the direction the company would take.
Each clan would contribute their freighters and any other crafts to the company. New mines would be opened using their old mining equipment, while the company would need to secure a loan from the IGBC.
"Let's focus on finding some asteroids that could be mined, and let's not mention Arcadia," Camren suggested during the meeting.
To save on initial startup costs, they would need to find old equipment on the black market before transitioning to new equipment.
"Let's concentrate on one or two minerals for now to build our foundation, and then we can slowly expand when we have the capital and manpower," Drenar suggested, receiving approval from the rest of the group.
"Do we want to sell some of our stockpile of beskar to help with the startup?" Ravik asked.
Everyone fell silent as they contemplated this decision. Beskar is closely tied to their heritage and history, but they couldn't deny that selling a small amount could provide the necessary funds at the beginning.
After some back-and-forth discussion, they decided to sell half a ton of beskar on the black market. This should net them 320 million credits, which would be more than enough to cover the startup costs.
"We should sell the beskar gradually, a few pounds here and there. We can have our members sell it around the galaxy to ensure it's not traced back to us," Veyra cautioned.
"Agreed," 4x responded. Over the next two years, they would slowly sell the beskar to help offset their costs.
—
While everyone else was packing, Rayden sneaked into the mines to find some unrefined beskar ore, which he managed to sell for just enough to buy the seller's mark. He couldn't sell too much without drawing attention to the missing ore. The seller's mark allowed him to touch an item for a few seconds, placing a brand on it that only he could see.
To test the range, he marked a few items, including an apple at his house, which vanished while he was at the training ground. After several rounds of testing, he discovered that he needed to be in the same system as the marked item to sell it. The mark seemed to disappear either after a certain amount of time or if the item moved too far away from him.
He watched as the clan grounds gradually became emptier as people started transporting their items to Arcadia. He hadn't visited the new planet yet, as the adults wanted the kids to stay in the familiar clan grounds until it was time to leave for good. Rayden thought they just wanted some alone time away from their children, but who's to say it couldn't be both?
Four months later, while shadowing the board of directors meeting with Varn, Rayden overheard that a financial group called Damask Holdings wanted to invest in RA Industries. Realizing he couldn't let that happen, he talked to his father about rejecting the investment.
"They are willing to invest a lot of money, Ray. We could use it to accelerate our purchase of equipment." Varn didn't understand why Rayden was so adamant about not letting Damask Holdings invest.
Rayden opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again. He thought, "I can't just tell him that the owner of Damask is Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord." Seeing that his father was still waiting for an answer, Rayden responded, "I can feel it in the Force, Dad. When I heard they wanted to invest, I had a feeling of warning and danger. I think we should stay away from them."
If there was one thing Varn had learned from being married to a Jedi, it was to trust in the Force. He took Rayden's word for it, and in the following meeting, he convinced the group that they didn't need the investment. Instead, they could get a loan and use Beskar to help pay it off.
Seeing his father accept his advice made Rayden happy, and he let out a sigh of relief. He could not allow Plagueis and Sidious to get their dirty hands on the company.
—
Pulling up his system, Rayden reviewed the progress he had made over the past few months. Despite the recent move and everything happening around him, his training had not let up.
[Rayden]
Age: 5
Midichlorians: 10,000
Skills:
Lightsaber Combat (Beginner, 450/500) Hand-to-Hand Combat (Beginner, 432/500) Blaster Marksmanship (Beginner, 475/500) Force Sensing (Intermediate, 75/1000) Stealth and Tracking (Beginner, 300/500) Mando'a Language (Intermediate, 0/1000) Galactic Common (Intermediate, 50/1000)
[A/N: I have combined all the lightsaber forms into Lightsaber Combat.]
Rayden felt pleased with his progress, training whenever he wasn't shadowing meetings or playing with others.
After testing the seller's mark, he sneaked back into the mine to collect some ores. Once he returned home, he sold them and earned enough credits to boost his midichlorian count to 10,000, effectively doubling his connection to the Force.