It took eight months for the process to reach the final phase, which was exactly six months longer than expected, beginning when Alain first announced that he was relinquishing his position as CEO of the company now called Dominion Exports. Now, though, the Fair Labor Agreement had been drafted and was ready to be signed.

Slave labor had always been a sensitive issue even closer to Jaster's heart than it was to their previous CEO: historically the Aurkindri had faced many centuries of persecution including slavery, as often at the docks, in the shipyards and on the factory floors as out in the farms and plantations, the sector traditionally understood to take the lion's share of slave labor. Under his guidance the company had always made it a general practice to ensure the farms they purchased their goods from made no use of slaves; gradually this policy became a part of its corporate constitution, and they found themselves reviewing every production facility and service they contracted.

It could be a complex process, and it did cost money, but it became evident over the years that like many labor and environmental standards it was a very far cry from being prohibitively expensive.

Ultimately this became the Fair Labor Agreement. Under its auspices, participating companies whose goods and service contracts passed the test would be marked with a seal bearing the image of an open hand reaching skyward. The text around it read as follows, the first for manufactured goods and the second for service contracts:

1. The Fair Labor Agreement guarantees that slavery was not involved in any stage of the production or distribution of these goods.

2. The Fair Labor Agreement guarantees that slavery was not involved in providing you with these services.

By sharing in this Agreement with a wide enough array of RhyDinian businesses, Jaster and the other authors felt confident that not only could they ensure mutual compliance, but also provide a sufficiently wide range of goods and services for RhyDin's customers with a strong social conscience. As soon as the document was prepared he signed it on behalf of his company before sending it to the next interested party:

Dib Jaster Aurene
CEO, Dominion Exports

Kate had gotten two copies of the agreement, one for the Rhy Din Hockey League and one for Special Occasions By Kate.

She reviewed and signed both.

Kate Kelsey
CEO RHL
Owner Special Occasions by Kate

Fionna signed a copy of the agreement, with a handwritten note at the bottom, that day:

While my business does not have any employees or engage in traditional manufacturing processes, I commit in good faith to purchase supplies and equipment from companies who do not use slave labor to produce or distribute their goods. Every individual can make a difference.

Fionna Helston al Amat
Owner/Artist, The Studio at the Eye

It didn't take more than a moment for Johnny to review the agreement and sign it once he received the document.

Johnny Smith
Owner, Expressions of Hope

The agreement Addison carried to his desk, by hand, was settled neatly beside work Julian was already buried into. Leaning back into the austere leather chair, Julian picked up the papers delivered and read them thoroughly, fine print and all?twice, before setting it back down and reaching over for a pen and signing it.

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Julian Decimus Marx,
Argento Luna Wines

Later on that evening, Addison sent his own, also signed.

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Addison Anders Gray,
Lunar Enterprises

A copy of the agreement soon made it's way into Cor's hands at Oh-Oh, and while not on the scale of some of the larger Rhy'din businesses, he still felt it an important step to have Omelettes O'Plenty become a signatory.

Tap-tap-tap-tap went Morana's slim gold pen against her leg while she examined the documents forwarded for her attention. "Well, well, well. Very creative, DeMuer." Low, rich and amused. After a moment she leaned forward and signed her name to the Fair Labor Agreement in bold, elegant script.

Morana Benandanti
Throne of Saturn
Gira Pharmaceuticals

Once she signed, she pressed the button to summon her secretary into the office. "See that copies are made of this for Mr. Whitney's department and our files before you return the original, darling. Thank you." Papers rustled, and her laughter filled the office behind the departing man.

There was a lot of scuffling at RUDE headquarters. Papers were flying everywhere. Whispers were passing back and forth.

"Psst? Do we use slaves? I can't remember."

"Nah, the Great Leader doesn't like them remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Eventually the papers made their way to the desk of Bob Bobivich with a post it attached noting that the Great Leader had already signed a copy for his personal busines.

So Bob signed them too.

Bob Bobivich the 32nd
Leader, Reassumed Utensils of Destruction Enterprises.

"... and then there's this," Brynne was saying as she handed yet another sheet of paper across the desk to her cousin and boss, Caroline Granger. "The Old Man already took a look at it, said it was entirely up to you, and whatever you decide goes for the whole company."

Caroline skimmed the Fair Labor Agreement thoughtfully. She understood the message - her grandfather knew she would be behind this all the way, and he also knew that she would need his support to implement it in some of the more far-reaching arms of GrangerGuild. But it would be done.

Without hesitation, she reached for her pen.

Caroline Granger
CEO, GrangerGuild Conglomerate.

Where she had found the paper was one's only guess, but after reading it over, she carefully added her own signature. Printed of course as ledgibly as a dragon could.

Icer Shimmerscale

Matriarch of The Shimmerscale Orphanage and safe haven.

Jack was taking the morning to work on some of the administrative duties that are part of any business.

His left hand scrawled a signature across the bottom of an invoice for the portable metal plates and pepper poppers--the two types of targets used at his range, even as he was pulling the next document from the stack.

He paused as he glanced over the document, frowning that the FLA had ended up in a stack of invoices. His signature was immediately applied and the document was set aside so he could deliver it personally. He had a very personal interest in this agreement.

Fifteen minutes later saw Jack completing the morning's paperwork. He walked through the range, checking the details of the day to day operation before he donned his blazer, picked up the signed copy of the FLA and strode out the door.

Jackson Aurene
Jack's Survival Range

Opening the storefront, Ciarth glanced through the collection of notices, advertisements, and other papers from the mailslot bin. One in particular caught his attention, and as he read it, he smiled and nodded. While he had always paid his shopkeepers and apprentices fairly, it never hurt to put the word out... not only was it something to be proud of, but it might lead to a bit of extra business.

And so he signed, gladly.

Ciarth Whitemane, Proprietor
Shining Star Glassworks

He?d almost forgotten about the Fair Labor Agreement even though it was the entire reason they had come back to the Plaza. Well, perhaps not the entire reason, but certainly the impetus as to why they left the Red Dragon.

He penned his name across the required areas, fashioning it in traditional Doctor scribble, and then returned the packet to Fiora?s desk.

Euriya Shilo, DPM
Shilo Psychiatry

Ginny had finally stopped chasing Elessaria from the parfumerie and while the young woman had done a stellar job at tending to matters while the empath recovered, there were a few items that only Eless could attend. One of which was a pile of paperwork that required her signature.

At the top was an interesting folder containing the information about the Fair Labor Agreement. A smile curved her lips while she read it and she signed in her elegant, flowing script:
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Hopefully this messenger would reach his destination without being waylaid.

It came to the offices of S.P.I. in a plain white envelope addressed to Mr. Richard Tracy, Private Investigator.

There were no notes attached or comments scrawled into the margins of the agreement, simply three signatures at the bottom signing on behalf of Sistrum Investments.

Sistrum Investments
Zahra Khoury
Dr. Saif Khoury
Dr. Sadir A. Shenouda

At Ms. Shantalaine?s request and after thoughtful review by my lawyers, I had my secretary deliver a signed copy of the Fair Labor Agreement to Fiora?s main office in the Plaza.

It was, after all, the only proper thing to do.

Bridget R. Valenti
The Valenti Agency
Plaza de Troyes

When the papers crossed Jake's desk it took no time at all for him to decide what to do.

On behalf of the RhyDin Beef Council, and the Rocking D Ranch I am pleased to sign off on this agreement. I hope this will be the first step in a sucessful process to erase slavery completely from RhyDin.

Jake Duncan
President RhyDin Beef Council
Owner Rocking D Ranch