However, to resolve any confusion on this matter I will, on behalf of the Commerce Council, address Senator Ryuun's concerns. In order:

1. The Council's memorandum noted that Ravak & Larben has the appearance of an unlawful front organization. We don't know if it is or isn't because it conceals its finances, its assets, and even its whereabouts and the identities of its employees and executives in a most unusual and secretive manner. This, indeed, is the point. I am personally inclined to believe that Ravak & Larben is a front for one of our more prominent shipwrights, in order to avoid paying taxes on a new production line, or to be able to sell this line, illicitly, to criminals, terrorists, or warlords.

But we do not know whether Ravak & Larben's ships or revenues end up in the hands of criminals, terrorists, or warlords and, again, this is the point. Any organization that goes to such extravagant lengths to hide something is hiding something; until we know what, it is proper that the New Republic should not do business with this shady organization.

2. It is not the responsibility of the Commerce Council to explain or account for Ravak & Larben's strange behavior—that is Ravak & Larben's responsibility. If the company wants access to New Republic markets, it is aware of the changes it must make. Otherwise, the Council sees no reason to waste its time or resources to investigate it since we assess thousands of such corporations on a monthly basis (why Senator Ryuun is so concerned with Ravak & Larben, specifically, I do not know).

3. It isn't that Ravak & Larben doesn't use the banks that we use; it's that Ravak & Larben uses no known banks anywhere in the galaxy. It is, thus, a black hole into which credits disappear without a trace. Once again, for all we know this money could be going to criminals, terrorists, or warlords, or simply into the pockets of New Republic executives, perhaps at Kuat or Fondor, who are circumventing taxes and regulations.

4. The memorandum mentions stock exchanges simply as further indication that Ravak & Larben does not exist as a legal, fiscal entity anywhere.

5. The Commerce Council does what is best for the New Republic and enforces its laws and regulations regardless of "the various worries of my fellow Senators." No corporation deserves special treatment under the law just because it has the patronage of certain Senators such as, apparently, Senator Ryuun. The Commerce Council has voted unanimously on this matter, and sees no need to revisit it further; if Ravak & Larben wishes to contact us, or change its practices, it may do so. In the meantime, no further action is required from us.

6. I do not speak for the Imperial Remnant's commercial policies, but it is, clearly, in no one's interest to send credits into a black hole that might well be funding its adversaries. Also, as the Remnant's economy has collapsed, the manufacture of vessels and components has become an increasingly important sector of employment on its worlds; shipbuilding is very much nationalized, and it is unlikely that the Remnant would buy vessels in any substantial numbers from a third party (even a legitimate third party), because those third parties are competing with its own industries, on which its fragile economy depends.

I hope this explains the matter quite clearly. I feel we've already devoted far more time and attention to this particular shipwright than it deserves—shadowy and potentially criminal organizations are plentiful in this galaxy, and Ravak & Larben is but one of many of them. If, as I gather, Druckenwell is interested in purchasing vessels, I suggest it do the patriotic thing and Buy Republic.