WCGW Chpt 183

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==Chapter 183 - What Could Go Wrong==
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Inner End (Federated Commonwealth)
9th November, 3044
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Briscoe Osbourne had done more research than he had since studying to pass his law license. But he had learned that Vinson Pharmaceuticals was the largest operator of hospitals in the Federated Suns half of the realm, and they also charged accordingly. Lustrix Commodities, the largest medical supply company in the Capellan Confederation sold its wares far and wide and was half the cost for the same equipment as Vinson Pharma. Lustrix did not have a rep in the Federated Suns, but they did have one in the Taurian Concordant. He pulled out his old-fashioned rolodex until he found the contact info of a lawyer he had gone to school with but had failed his Federated Suns law exam but passed the Taurian exam.
Yesterday he had pulled the complete design plans for Inner End's main hospital, which was public record. He had then managed to get the design plans for several smaller hospitals and clinics on Inner End. Those had been kids play, especially when you had good relationships with various clerks in the Government Annex. He had also checked the regional notices for impending sale of outfits for debt. Inner End did not have what he was looking for but Pattison, a single jump away sure did. He had then spent several hours researching the small shipyard. He found that they operated a three slip shipyard but had lost their production license for the Kaleen Bay and Anastaska Maro class freighters for lack of royalty payments. This had been the breaking point for the small company. 
The Pattison Main Bank had filed the paperwork to seize and sell off the assets to repay outstanding loans. For six months the shipyard had been idle and all 1300 employee's had been laid off. He had fired off a purchase inquiry to Pattison Main Bank and gotten a reply quicker than he expected. For a mere 575 Million C-Bills, he could purchase everything the company had. They had even included an asset list.
Pattison Marine Yards Assets
1x Scout Jumpship
1x Special Built Mammoth Dropship
3x Mobile Crane (rail), 150 ton lift capability
4x Track Crane, 30 ton lift
3x Large Steel Rolling Machines
6x Laser Cutters
6,000 tons Steel Sheets 1/2 inch 
3,000 tons Steel Frames
2,000 tons assorted power cables
1,000 tons assorted marine equipment
12x Powerman Loader Mechs
60x Welding Rigs
Renewal Royalty Fees
Kaleen Bay, Chemical Freighter - 350,000 per ship and 1 Million C-Bill initial License Fee
Anastaska Maro, Bulk Freighter - 350,000 per ship and 1 Million C-Bill initial License Fee
He had learned that the company had badly leveraged itself to have the Mammoth Cargo Dropship specially built to carry a single Kaleen Bay or Anastaska Maro class Freighter to a customer's planet along with an old Scout Class Jumpship. Able to launch a completed ship directly from the Mammoth Dropship had not paid off as the delivery fees were more than most wanted to pay if a local ship builder could just do the work locally if slower. The loan payments for the single use Mammoth Dropship had been a major cause of the financial problems as they could find no buyer. The Scout Jumpship payments had been another huge drag on the company's financials as it was over 200 years old and overdue on major overhauls, so no buyer could be found there either. Pattison Main Bank was willing to break even on the deal.
He placed a tender offer and asked for a 30-day purchase hold on the deal pending final approval. It cost SaRI a Million C-Bill fee for the purchase hold. It was non-refundable but would apply to the final price if the deal went through. It mainly showed Pattison Main Bank that their offer to purchase was serious. The local farm animal purchases had gone smooth as silk and the requested animals would be ready for transport when they made the final call. Achernar Heavy Industries was the go-to for any sort of heavy manufacturing machinery in the Federated Suns half of the realm. He had to make some educated guesses at the types of metal to be smelted when ordering the equipment. He just hoped he guessed right for 250 Million C-Bills.
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