WCGW Chpt 256

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==Chapter 256 - What Could Go Wrong==
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Wokha (Federated Commonwealth)
7th January, 3047
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"Your Highness. I was not informed that you would be visiting us." Vice Admiral Elliot Unger said with his head bowed.
"Because I did not actually come to see you. I came to see President Mitchell on Thazi. I am here because I have learned that someone is playing games with a vital project. Possibly even graft and theft. I plan to get to the bottom of it and put a stop to it. But first, what is the status of the Titan Class Fighter Carrier Dropships?" Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion said
"We have built three, but two have defects we cannot seem to track down. The first crashed on Wokha during atmospheric testing. The performance values on the other two are way below what the design information we were given suggests they should have. I am afraid the replication of the design is a dead end without one to literally tear apart and copy piece by piece." Vice Admiral Unger replied
"Then cease the efforts. No sense wasting precious funds chasing a dream we cannot have. Status of the shipyard here?" Archon ordered
"The final assembly of the shipyard is starting; we have the supporting orbitals completed. We should be ready to begin repairs on the ships by mid-year. We began stockpiling steel to support that effort, but President Mitchell is being difficult." Unger replied
"He is being difficult because he is being cheated and taken advantage of. I would not expect even one of our own companies to operate at a loss, much less one that can support our efforts out here. Do you know why WE have not shipped our own heavy equipment out here? Let me answer that, because President Mitchell has been spending his nations own money purchasing almost exactly what is needed out here. That saves US the expense of doing the very same thing. Now, before I begin a serious audit, tell me....did you have any part of the crap going on out here?" she said with the last question being asked in a very, almost deadly sounding low tone.
"I placed the protection of this system ahead of the request for maintenance on his ships. That is the extent of my involvement in any wrongdoings Highness." Unger replied softly
"Then I will head for the surface and look there. Pray I do not find evidence that says otherwise Admiral Unger. I detest liars and crooks. From now on, if President Mitchell or one of his ship's requests maintenance support, they will have it at the first opportunity. Is that clear?" she sternly ordered. 
"Crystal clear." Unger replied promptly
"If I have to come back out here and sort out another problem, Admiral, you will be returning strapped to the hull of my Dropship. I am also requesting a full MIIO investigative team to head out here. You will give them your full support if they request it. Clear?" Melissa vividly told Unger
"Very clear, Your Highness." Vice Admiral Unger said to the Archon's back as she left the room aboard the Olympus Recharge Station.
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Offices of Solar Metal, Wokha
10th January, 3047
Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion had spent the previous day meeting with Reinhard Gleinfeld, CEO of Solar Metals, who had been quite forth coming in opening his record books for her to examine. She was not a trained auditor, but she was Lyran by birth and business accounting was part of her DNA. Today she walked into the office of Lawrence Hellman, purchasing agent for the Wokha project, and dropped the large binder on his desk before he had even realized she was in the room.
"What the hell!!" Lawrence Hellman shouted as he jumped from his chair, and then nearly fainted as he saw who was standing in front of him.
"Those are the record books for Solar Metals. I want to know why you have been paying them so little that they are threatening to completely shut down operations here on Wokha?" Archon asked in a not very civil tone.
"Your Highness, forgive me. I did not know it was you." Hellman replied
"That is not what I wanted to hear. I really hate repeating myself." Melissa sternly replied
"My job is to get the best price for raw material as I can for the Federated Commonwealth. We are their only customer. There is no one else to buy their output." CEO told her
"Your job is to purchase what the Federated Commonwealth needs, AT a fair market price. Because of your games, I have had to come all the way out here to sort the mess out. You were supposed to be paying Solar Metals 25 C-bills per ton for iron ore. Not the 8 you paid last time." Archon stated.
"Highness, I was authorized to pay 25 C-bills per ton. I was not ordered to pay 25 per ton. That is standard purchase practice. Supply has outpaced demand, that means I can drive a harder bargain." Hellman replied
"So, instead of theft and corruption it was pure stupidity on your part that made me come out here to sort this all out. Which by the way has now cost the Federated Commonwealth more money than it should. You will now be paying Solar Metals 25 C-bills per ton of iron ore; in addition you will be paying President Mitchell on Thazi 8 C-bills above current market prices for everything else he ships over here. His steel will be purchased at 130 C-bills for cold rolled steel and 100 C-bills for hot rolled steel until we no longer need his services out here. Which is probably years. He is going to construct a steel factory here on Wokha, from which you will also be purchasing steel." 
"He has also started charging the Federated Commonwealth landing fees on Thazi, which is another expense that we did not have until you started playing your games. If he had refused to make a deal the Federated Commonwealth would have had to ship EVERYTHING out here to Wokha. No more games, not out here, not on this project. Your to make sure the Federated Commonwealth is not taken advantage of, but to be fair in your dealings with those who are doing fair business with the Federated Commonwealth, not take advantage of them. Have I been clear on this matter Mr Hellman?" Archon Melissa Steiner Davion said
Lawrence Hellman swallowed hard before answering "Very clear, Your Highness. It will be as you command."
"It better be clear, Mr Hellman. I get a report that things are getting screwed up out here again, you will be riding the hull of my Dropship on the way back to New Avalon." Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion stated to the CEO.
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