Synth Foods, Inc. partnership negotiations with Search & Destroy Agency

[SimonBlack]

-Incoming transmission-

Com ID: Synth Foods, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Graham Knight
Location: Synth Foods, Inc. headquarters in California system, Planet Los Angeles
Transmitted to: Search and Destroy Agency Headquarters, "Strontium dogs". Sheffield station, Manchester System.

-Open transmission-

Good evening gentlemen. My name is Graham Knight and I am representative of Synth Foods, Incorporated here, in Bretonia.

As you may well know Synth Foods, Inc. is the primary food producer in Sirius. We, at the corporation table, always pay a great deal of attention to well being of our employee, safety of our transports and often spend large sums of credits on investing into security measures.

I'd like to discuss a possibility of hiring Strontium dogs to work with Synth Foods, Inc. as our primary escorts and head hunters. In exchange for special treatment to Synth Foods bounty board and our convoys, we are offering increased payments by a percentage that is to be determined during negotiations.

The negotiations would be held on Luxury Liner Shetland in Edinburgh system by Synth Foods corporate table consisting of me, CEO John Vero and our Senior Executive Kenny Lee together with representatives of Search and Destroy agency.

Contact us on this channel if you're interested in this business proposal and perhaps then we can carry out our business matters on Luxury Liner Shetland at a later date. The partnership could benefit both parties.

-End of transmission-

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Character background summaries:
Red Hessians Major Matthias Schwarz
Golden Chrysanthemums Chusa Fumiko Shimazu

[Athenian]

-Incoming transmission-

Com ID: Office of the Director, Search/Destroy Agency, New London
Location: New London Orbital
Transmitted to: Graham Knight, Synth Foods

-Open transmission-

The Director is in Rheinland at present, but will be in Bretonia later this week. He asked me to express how delighted he is to formalise what has always been a close business relationship with the Synth Foods corporation.

A meeting aboard the Shetland later in the week will be acceptable.

-End of transmission-

---

Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
Discovery Community Forum Rules

[Athenian]

The Luxury Liner "Shetland", Gaia Orbital, Edinburgh System, Bretonia

You had to hand it to the people who ran the Shetland, they could do incredible things with food.

The Director finished the last of his wine. The waitress, a woman whose natural grace and beauty was as incredible as her poise, smiled and cleared the table.

Gaia shone through the viewing pane of the restaurant. At the other tables, young couples chatted in the soft emerald glow of the planet.

The Director looked at his watch. It was close to the arranged time for the meeting with Knight.

The waitress was coming back to the table.

Even the most jaded of appetites could find themselves refreshed by a week on the Shetland. But this wasn't really how George Graves worked. Even as she smiled, he was trying to figure out who had paid her, or how she'd try to assassinate him.

He hurried off to meet Knight.

---

Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
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[Vero]

Synth Foods Inc CEO John Vero stepped out of the airlock and onto the deck of the Luxury Liner Shetland.
His large transport SFS Shasta officially designated Synth Foods Convoy 104 was moored next to the Shetland and automated cargo bots were off loading the cargo of luxury consumer goods Vero had hauled from Manhattan on the trip out.
A representative of Spa and Cruise stepped forward, introduced himself, and showed Vero to his room where he could refresh himself after the long trip out from Liberty.
After a quick shower and a wearing a clean set of clothes, Vero headed for the assigned meeting place.

[SimonBlack]

The Luxury Liner "Shetland", Gaia Orbital, Edinburgh System, Bretonia

Luxury Liner Shetland isn't a cheap place, but the credits aren't everything here. Passage on the Liner required special pass card and arrangments. You may have enough credits to book the place, but it also requires acquitances to cross the barriers placed by beauraucracy. Sometimes they can take months, even years. Luckily for Graham he had the credits and he had the influence.

Graham Knight was lying on luxurious bed in massage room, awaiting services with a towel on his back. A bowl of grapes was put in front of him and he had already started picking first cluster when somebody knocked on the door.

It was the very same Orbital Spa representative that met George Graves. Synth Foods have paid her to accept their guests aboard the Liner. It was a special occasion after all, first impression was crucial. She turned her head aside as Graham winded round in his towel.

"What is it?" - he said.

"Excuse me, sir, but most of the guests have already arrived. Representatives are here and another Synth Foods convoy moored with the Liner. Mr. Vero has just exited his quarters. He will be in place for the negotiations soon."

"Vero still travels by Trains? Where's the style in that?" - Graham mumbled - "Very well then. Let's not let them wait."

Graham picked a grape from the bunch and carried out to the dressing chambers. He was a snob and a spoiled one at that, but he has never been late into any appointment. It was only ten minutes before he shook hands with John Vero, a colleague of his, before entering the hall to wait for the representatives of Search and Destroy Agency, more famous (and infamous) under the name of Strontium Dogs.

"Bah! Bounty Hunters..." - He thought.

---

Character background summaries:
Red Hessians Major Matthias Schwarz
Golden Chrysanthemums Chusa Fumiko Shimazu

[Athenian]

Graves rose and shook hands with Vero and Knight.

Graves sipped his drink. Iced water with lime. A habit from his time in the service. Always re-hydrate.

"Well, gents, it's good to finally meet the faces behind the names. Now tell me, what can the Agency do for you?"

---

Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
Discovery Community Forum Rules

[SimonBlack]

Graham Knight shook hands with Graves smiling. He knew how to make impression.

"Quick to the business, aren't you? I was about to offer you the chair. Well, perhaps that's for the best. Time is money afterall." - Graham sit down in the chair. Seeing that John did the same and George followed soon after.

"The reason is pretty simple. We at Synth Foods, Incorporated would like to offer you a deal of partnership. In other words Synth Foods would like to hire the Search and Destroy." - He paused. - "We have a lot of bounties to collect on and the mercenaries have been somewhat unreliable recently."

Graham looked away remembering all the hired guns. So many of them have failed not only to do their job, but also compromised the safety of people on board the convoys. Instead of handy hands, many have become a nuisance.

"Having said that, Bounty Hunters specialise in this kind of dealings, yes? Yes. Well that is the thing exactly. For a certain percentage Synth Foods would like Strontium Dogs to go after our targets prior to that of other contractors." - He clearly dropped the formal speech - "We are also willing to pay extra for all of the bounties that have been placed as well as for escorts missions that you can provide. In short: we pay you, you eliminate our targets. Priority."

Graham looked right into the eye.

"Would that kind of deal interest you?" - He made a rich smile.

---

Character background summaries:
Red Hessians Major Matthias Schwarz
Golden Chrysanthemums Chusa Fumiko Shimazu

[Athenian]

Graves finished his drink.

"Deal," he said.

And that was it. A single word and the apparatus of the Agency would swing into action.

"The details I'll leave to you. We've worked with Synth Foods long enough in the past to trust you as business partners. Sir Douglas Bader, our Assistant Director based on Newark Station, will handle the fine print. He's a little irritable since his move to New York from Manchester but he's a fine manager. He speaks for the Agency."

Graves rose.

"Now, if you gents would be so kind as to accompany me. I thought we'd celebrate our new business venture with something a little special."

They walked towards the docking bay. Graves was in remarkably good spirits.

"I hear access to the planet is rather difficult to arrange. But I'm sure you gents know that with certain responsibilities come certain priveleges. I have a shuttle ...ah here it is."

It was an APM Stingray, one of the Guild's warships heavily modified to serve as a private jet.
Graves gestured to the access door.

"There are trees on Gaia more than five thousand years old, and a species of mammal that resembles certain species that were extinct on Earth even before settlement."

He held the door open.

"Now tell me, do either of you enjoy hunting?"

---

Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
Discovery Community Forum Rules

[Vero]

Vero followed a pace behind Graves and Knight. The deal was done quickly and he was glad it didnt take more effort than that. Not that he expected anything different from the Strontium Dogs; they were men of action and he liked working with people like that. Business negotiations could be so tedious when those involved styled themselves as politicians. That was one of the reasons hed retired from the LSF all those years ago; politics. At least thats what he told most people who asked.

As they arrived in the docking bay Vero looked over the Stingray. He hadnt seen one in some time and seeing this one brought back a few memories hed thought long forgotten. Then Graves asked about hunting and Vero pushed those old memories down again and replied to the question.

Yes, I do. Ive hunted primarily avian and smaller mammals on several planets. There are several species of wild pigs on Liberty worlds that are very enjoyable to hunt, and the meat of the younger ones can be very tender and tasty.
In my younger years when I was a more practiced archer we hunted them with bow, but in recent years I have been favoring an ancient single action revolver design. It is a replica of course, but a work of art all the same.
Perhaps we could stop by the Shasta and pick it up on the way?

[Agmen of Eladesor]

On Newark Station, Sir Douglas Bader looked at his incoming messages.

"Elena, I think I had you make that, er, supply requisition just in time. I knew Harvey had gone out to meet with George. Here's the result."

The former ace stood up and handed the note to his executive assistant on Newark. The minor sounds coming from his artificial legs as the hydraulics lowered him back into his seat were the only noise generated in the office.

"Sir Douglas, I think I got enough supplies. You realize that we've three new recruits as well, in addition to all of our regular patrols, to do."

"Just think of it as a challenge, my dear. You fulfilled our last challenge QUITE nicely. Arrange for copies of our pilots call-signs and contact frequencies to be sent to all Synth Food offices."

As Elena turned to go, Bader said, "One more thing. You might mention to them as well that unless things change, we're still not going further into Kusari space than Deshima."

---

Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.