Private Banking on it

[Adhira Chandra]

A swirl of bright blue lights filled the space above Senator Adhira Chandra's desk. She was intensely studying a hologram that depicted the spheres of influence within the galaxy both internal and external of the Alliance. The corners of her eyes crinkled as her gaze followed the Corellian Spine through Alliance space right up until it met the border of the CIS and turned bright red to signify their newly closed borders. "Calculate the fastest route to Dagobah. Bypass Rimma Trade Route," the map swirled and several paths traced themselves through the galaxy as the computer attempted to utilize trade routes in CIS territory. This was followed by a chime and an error message declaring the request futile. Adhira squeezed her eyes shut tightly and massaged them hopelessly.​

​

The closure of trade routes was more than just an inconvenience for the Alliance. If the markets began to react, the downfall of her infrastructure proposals would be assured. She would be damned before she let the legislative cornerstone of her doctrine be torn apart by a bunch of scared little boys playing at galactic politics. The senator could feel pain behind her eyes that only increased when she reopened them to see a young thin human woman staring at her from the opposite side of her desk.​

​

Adhira started. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? Why don't you people knock!?" She snapped, rising from her seat and gesturing to make the hologram before her disappearance.​

​

"I-I- my apologies ma'am... the delegation from the Intergalactic Banking Clan is on their way up."​

​

The dusky older woman glared at the aide as she crossed the room to a crystal and gold cart with glass bottles of liquid. She grasped the one that looked most full and poured two fingers worth of the alcohol into a crystal glass. In one furious gulp, she downed the drink. "Druk," she swore quietly, still feeling the pressure behind her eyes, "well!? Don't just stand there! Go and greet them! And for kark sake, get me something for this damn headache!" The young lady seemed to nearly jump out of her skin as she hurried off to greet the delegation before they arrived near the top floor of the government complex in Bin Prime. As she glanced around at her planetary office she longed for luxury of Coruscant.​

​

Her office was still quite luxurious as offices go. It was dominated by a massive transparisteel window that gave a very full, albeit slightly opaque, view of the capital. There were comfortable looking white velvet couches arranged for intimate meetings, a conference table where a muted hologram was reciting daily news, and, of course, her desk. It was plated with lanthanide, as was her chair. Behind the desk hung a massive golden roundel bearing the insignia of the alliance, denoting her authority. Finally, on either side of the roundel was the flag of the Alliance and Balmorra respectively. It would have to do.​

​

"I'll give them a karking lap dance if I have to," she muttered as she crossed the room and lowered herself carefully into her desk chair. The sound of footsteps approached. Showtime, she thought.​

​

Caulder Dune Darth Empyrean

 

[Caulder Dune]

Balmorra - Bin Prine
Office of the Senator

The elevator jostled during its ascent, and it made Caulder Dune frown and glance about the small space. Could it be that this was how he died? A faulty elevator plummeting back down to the unforgiving earth?

What a miserable way to go. Here, in this enclosed space, with nobody but Dorian Harper and the dark, disquieting protocol droid that always followed him around.

Caulder supposed, ultimately, there were worse people to die with.

"Did you ever manage to schedule a meeting with the Confederacy?" He asked Harper, idly. "I can't help but notice they haven't rolled back their rhetoric..."

The elevator came to a smooth halt (it appeared, again, that his gruesome death was being postponed), and the doors parted to reveal the Senator's aid: a young woman, already racked with anxiety. It rolled off her in waves. Riding shotgun to politicians often had that effect on people.

She greeted the bankers pleasantly, if not enthusiastically, and directed them to Senator Chandra’s office.

Caulder limped in the specified direction, relying primarily on his cane for support. The protocol droid followed with a short, clipped gait. It loomed behind the two bankers like an omen, easily a head taller than either man.

---

Adhira Chandra | Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“The Confederacy wanted me to speak to their Minister of Commerce; but alas, she seems preoccupied putting out fires. Our meeting has been postponed for the time being; though there are temporary benefits from their localized systems adopting our Credit.”, he sighed as the elevator came to a shaky halt.​

​

“I’d say if we want this to work better, we encourage pressure on Confederate exports. Avoiding a trade war is in their best interest, as it is our; but if we show them the dangers of one…”​

​

Though he stopped and smiled as the aide gave them both a somewhat pleasant greeting - though one that masked a touch of fear behind lucid eyes. Likely intimidated by her boss; which was reasonable, all things considered, but it helped set the tone for the kind of woman they were to meet. As she walked them to the Senator’s office, Maliphant jested with a quick whisper to Adekos;​

​

“Stop me if I say something stupid.”, he commanded, knowing all too well that Dune would find something to try and shut him up about.​

​

The doors opened in the next moment, guided by the aide, and Maliphant entered with a suit tailored to fit him perfectly; trailing him the older Caulder Dune, limping slightly, while a much larger and imposing protocol droid trailed behind him. Dorian was the first to speak up -​

​

“Greetings, Senator Chandra - It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”, he mused as he walked forward to the desk; leaning over to shake her hand were she willing. Dorian would allow her to get her pleasantries aside with Adekos while he sat, crossing his legs as he cleared his throat.​

​

“I understand you’re looking for advisement from the InterGalactic Banking Clans, but first, tell me how do things fair in the Alliance?”​

​

Caulder Dune │ Adhira Chandra​

 

[Adhira Chandra]

As the doors to her office slid open, Adhira stood again to greet her guests. The first thing she noted was the look of discomfort on her secretary's face as she ushered them inside, but all questions the senator had about that dissipated when the ominous-looking protocol droid entered. There was something else about these two she did not like. Unfortunately, in her line of work the frequency with which she met otherwise unassuming individuals who gave her this same uneasy feeling was quite high. She found that not digging too deeply into those individuals helped her sleep easier at night.​

​

"Director Harper," she reached for the Umbaran's hand and shook it firmly, "Deputy Director Dune, please have a seat. I trust your journey here was a pleasant one." Adhira sat behind her desk and nodded to her secretary to leave them, which she promptly did. The Balmorran was not used to the same level of candor that Dorian seemed so fond of, at least not in her line of work. This meeting might be easier than she thought.​

​

"If I may be frank, Director, the Alliance is on the move. As I'm sure you know we already reclaimed our rightful capital, Coruscant while many others will surely follow in the weeks and months to come. It will not be long before we are once again the leading power of the galaxy," her tone was confident and she truly believed her assertions, doubtless, other factions were growing wary of how quickly they were expanding their reach.​

​

"However, we have also recently run into a slight complication. The Confederacy has restricted access to large swaths of galactic trade routes and their tariffs have made trade with Confederate buyers difficult. You're the largest banking collective in the galaxy, I'm sure your other clients have expressed similar concerns."​

​

"Fortunately, we have a plan... which brings me to why I asked you both here," Adhira tapped a few buttons on the arm of her chair and a different hologram appeared above her desk. It was a map of mostly Alliance territory. Several planets were highlighted with a different glow and two distinct lines cut across the territory and branched out in opposite directions. "This is an early picture of the infrastructure revitalization plan that I will be introducing to the Senate upon my return to Coruscant, as you can see my staff have identified several planets under our protection that would benefit from these infrastructure upgrades. From the construction of universities to the refurbishment of military bases... and of course, building two new hyperplanes to circumvent this Confederacy First nonsense. One such lane is already underway in conjunction with several other factions, but the second is unique to my recommendations. As you can imagine it will not be inexpensive."​

​

"An investment from the Intergalactic Banking Clan would doubtless put the minds of my fellow senators at ease and the projections for rapid economic growth in the wake of that investment are staggering." Adhira liked this new blunt approach to negotiation.​

​

Caulder Dune l Darth Empyrean​

 

[Caulder Dune]

Caulder sighed. It sounded like they were stalling. No doubt they dreaded the optics of their inevitable backpedal. More’s the pity. The Umbaran raised an eyebrow at Harper’s request.

“When have I ever been able to stop you…?” He replied, a mere moment before the doors to the office opened.

Adhira Chandra certainly looked the part of a respectable senator: stately, elegant, old. Not too old, of course. Caulder guessed they were likely around the same age. Aside from his own ghostly complexion, he looked hardly different from any other similarly-aged human.

“Charmed,” he said, before easing himself precariously into the offered seat. Bad joints and all that.

Harper got right to the point, as was his usual move, and Caulder contented himself to listen. Balmorra was looking to upgrade infrastructure on some of its constituent planets, and find a way around the commercially hostile Confederacy.

This was, really, the kind of investing Caulder Dune lived to make. But procedure dictated that he not just fling money at her because she said the magic word: “infrastructure.”

“Hyperlanes do seem to be the name of the game these days,” Caulder said, “I imagine these proposed routes will pass through neutral territories. What do you imagine is the risk of the Confederacy simply annexing such areas?”

It would be a shame to chart an entirely new route only for it to get pinched off by the government they were trying to avoid. And if Confederate efforts at Thracior were anything to go by, it indicated that their “isolationist” stance did not preclude expanding their borders.

---

Darth Empyrean | Adhira Chandra​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Not only that -”, Dorian said with a motion to Cauldron’s point, “- but an investment on its numbers alone does not a smart move make. These things rarely happen in vacuums, is what I mean to say.”​

​

The banker readjusted in his seat slightly as he seemed to consider something - some words unknown to either of the two. Or he was biding time to seem lost in thought, it was hard to say when someone was so artful with the world of Charisma - but it was likely something Adhira had seen in both ways. After a moment, Dorian spoke up once more;​

​

“Being so brazen about supporting the Alliance in undermining the Confederacy - who we have extensive dealings with - could put our own investments with them in danger of freezing, cut offs, or… more dreaded than anything else -”​

​

Dorina seemed to make a disgusted face before mouthing the word -​

​

“Nationalization.”​

​

“How can we be so sure that what you propose can be done not only safely, but ensure the IGBC isn’t cut down in a crossfire that would inevitably harm us more than anyone else?”​

​

Adhira Chandra │ Caulder Dune​

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Adhira let herself recline into her high backed chair to consider the questions that both gentlemen posed to her. Caulder raised the point of hyperlanes territories potentially being annexed by the CIS while Harper, who shared similar concerns, seemed most invested in the idea that the IGBC would be at risk of a disadvantage in the case any such setbacks. A small smile spread across her dark red lips. "You both raise excellent questions, gentleman," she began cautiously, "however, according to our intelligence assets, the Confederacy does not seem to be taking great interest in acquiring new territory. We are, of course, aware of their endeavors on Thracior but those negotiations have been going on for quite a while now with hardly any progress. Besides, the Confederacy is not considered an enemy of the Alliance... yet"​

​

"As you can see, the first hyperlane is actually a cooperative effort between the Alliance, the Silver Jedi, and the Outer Planet Alliance," she gestured toward one of the red lines shown on the galactic map hovering above her desk, "still, it will require additional financing to protect. The second would be an independent venture that snaked along the rim of the Unknown Regions where we do not expect to find Confederate forces any time soon. And if they decided to make such a bold move against us... well... I think they would find we are quite capable of handling ourselves."​

​

"I do not need to tell either of you that the economy flourish when free trade exists between nations, and when nations flourish... so do banks."​

​

"And I can assure you both that I am personally willing to do anything necessary to ensure the stability of what I hope will be a fruitful partnership between the Alliance and the Intergalactic Banking Clan," Adhira pushed another button on the arm of her chair and the hologram map of the galaxy disappeared briefly before being replaced by an image of the Balmorran herself being interviewed by a rodian reporter. The clip showed Adhira, only hours ago, endorsing Gat Tambor the presiding Chairman of the IGBC for Senate. Her eyes watched the clip briefly before returning to the gaze of the two bankers across from her. "As I said, anything necessary."​

​

The implication was clear, the IGBC would find themselves a powerful ally in galactic politics in exchange for their assistance. Deregulation, special consideration for contracts, fair interest rates... She hoped the message was received clearly. ​

​

Caulder Dune l Darth Empyrean ​

 

[Caulder Dune]

The Deputy Director raised an eyebrow, feigning some form of surprise at Adhira’s endorsement. He remembered a time when he had been endorsing Gat Tambor for important representative positions. It was not a mistake Caulder intended to make twice. Still, he had to admire Tambor’s ability to simply… Get around.

“I wish I shared the optimism of your intelligence assets,” Caulder remarked, offering a weak and possibly hollow smile. “But I suppose if we shied away from lucrative investments just because of what a someone might do, we would not have make many investments.”

In the corner of the room, by the door, the protocol droid panned its head back and forth. Slowly. It otherwise stood so still an observer would be forgiven for thinking it had been welded in place.

Caulder’s brow furrowed thoughtfully as he continued, “I believe your endorsement speaks for itself. If the Alliance is, indeed, filled with Senators committed to diplomacy over isolation, to sensible commercial practice over protectionism… Then I would gladly welcome such a partnership.”

The Galactic Alliance already represented what Caulder was looking for in terms of coherent and lawful governance. If it required any fine-tuning, then he supposed the vehicles to accomplish that could be done through Tambor… And possibly Chandra as well.

Caulder glanced to Dorian, whose assessment of worthwhile partnerships was, in fact, much more important than his. “Director Harper?”

---

Darth Empyrean | Adhira Chandra​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Loyalty is worth more than credits…”, Dorian quietly repeated to himself as he looked over Adhira.​

​

The irony that her offer of loyalty involved the IGBC breaking its pseudo loyalty to the Confederacy was not lost on him - but as Adekos had already stated, they weren’t in the business of making friends, so much as partners. If a partner began to harm everyone, they simply had to cut ties; but Dorian wasn’t going to be so open about it.​

​

If someone wanted to hurt the IGBC, he wasn’t going to just let them figure it out so simply.​

​

“The Alliance, I hope, isn’t as much of a melting pot of political opinion as the Confederacy. I dare say they’ve fallen into the decadent poison of their galactic power position, and suffer for it daily with hubris. On top of that -”, he said with a growing cringe.​

​

“ Gat Tambor is less than a reliable source. More a spider that chances into webs, more than creates his own. Wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t sabotage himself at the soonest sight of wind to his web…”, Dorian sighed.​

​

“Keep him in line, and I won’t regret your offer of him being involved in Alliance politics. Past that, however…”​

​

He said with a quick glance to Dune.​

​

“The IGBC will not be investing in this malarky of a hyperlane, nor will it encourage the undermining nature you’ve proposed against one of our most loyal clients - the Confederacy.”​

​

Though after he said that, he reached into his pocket, and clicked a button that stopped the device before putting a holorecorder on the table. He was sure she was recording this anyway, but he had a flair for the dramatic - and it helped emphasize his point.​

​

“However, ‘Foreswarn Investing’ would love a chance to follow up with this possible endeavor. Sure, through the various bureaucratic channels one could easily find their connection to the IGBC, but most don’t put in the leg work. Deniable distance and all that. If that would suit you, Senator, I believe you may yet have the funding for your hyperlane network… And we would have ammunition to help convince the Confederacy to change its asinine ways.”​

​

Caulder Dune │ Adhira Chandra​

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Adhira felt a swell of victory as Caulder seemed to be thoroughly convinced that she was both able and willing to deliver on her promises of cooperation. Since meeting the gelatinous bile known as Gat Tambor she had never in her dizziest daydream imagined he would be the key to her success in diplomacy. She'd have to remember to send him a fruit basket. The elder Senator was snapped back to harsh reality, though, when Harper began speaking.​

​

"The Alliance is home to a variety of political opinions from an internal perspective, silly squabbles over how much power the federal or planetary governments should hold. Very minor disagreements on the galactic scale. However, my fellow Senators and I would do anything to uphold the ideals of our Alliance... including free trade." In that moment, Adhira was surprised to find she had made a salient point to herself. It was true, the Centrists and Populists sparred over the office of the Chancellor and planetary sovereignty, but not a single Senator would allow a threat to the Alliance to go unanswered.​

​

"Still, I assure you, I have no delusions about the usefulness of Chairman Tambor," she said knowingly. It all seemed to be falling in place now, she was certain a deal was assured and she prepared herself to stand and walk the gentlemen out when Dorian Harper suddenly pulled the rug out from under her causing a momentary look of confusion.​

​

When the Director produced a recording device and began elaborating on another banking entity that would pledge investment, she began to understand more fully exactly the sort she was dealing with. Not wholly malignant, but clever and calculating. Of course, her office always recorded meetings on her public schedule, though this was a bit different. The Banking Clan was hedging their bets, perfectly respectable course of action.​

​

"I believe I understand perfectly, Director Harper. It is, of course, regrettable that the Intergalactic Banking Clan could not be of more help to the Alliance," Adhira stood and stepped out from behind her desk, "but I trust Foreswarn Investing will be a great help in our endeavor."​

​

The Balmorran extended a jeweled hand to Dorian and smiled.​

​

Darth Empyrean l Caulder Dune​

 

[Caulder Dune]

Caulder closed his eyes and took a deep, pained breath as Dorian directly contradicted him. And then, vocally and for the immortalized record, disparaged Gat Tambor. Denigrating a colleague in front of an outsider was bad practice for a number of reasons.

They were speaking to a Senator. Rumors started from less had often been worse felt.

Not that there was much time to dwell on it, courtesy of Dorian’s next bit of theatre – all this about recording devices and Foreswarn Investing. Whatever that was. Ugly name.

They were awfully considerate of the Confederacy’s feelings these days. Prudent, if not terribly interesting. Caulder saw no purpose in that. If the Confederacy did not want others to profit off their mistakes, they should stop making them.

Adhira, for her part, appeared to play along. How endearingly polite of her. If only Caulder could find such patience in his withered heart.

“Yes, there’s always another bank, I suppose,” Caulder rasped, rolling his eyes. “I am nothing short of relieved.”

---

Adhira Chandra | Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian glanced to Adekos, forcing a smile as he heard that iconic disappointment in Dune’s voice. No, not only disappointment - more the grating of nails on an ancient chalkboard, Adeko’s way of being demeaning, without being so much so. Quiet, subtle - everything he had perfected in being the silent insulter he was. So much so, Maliphant couldn’t directly call him out for it, especially so in front of the Senator.​

​

Instead, he simply smiled to him, held it for a second too long, unblinking for a moment longer, then turned back to the Senator;​

​

“It seems my partner is tired, in his old age it happens often. Tends to lose his taste for subtlety when he gets like this.”, Dorian beamed. He always enjoyed being more direct about his own words.​

​

“Regardless, having a distance between us and the project helps keep our margins clear. Plausible deniability is important. If that works for you-”, Dorian said as he reached a hand out to shake Adhira’s own.​

​

“-then it works for me.”​

​

With that, he raised himself from the seat, taking a quick glance to the protocol droid that imposingly held his coat. Odd thing that it was.​

​

“Should we get going, Mr. Dune? Our dinner reservations are in an hour.”, he said with a quick motion to the door.​

​

Caulder Dune │ Adhira Chandra​

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Adhira gladly returned a firm handshake to her newfound partner, noting with renewed perception, the deeply unsettling feeling she felt in his presence. This would normally have been the point where a gracious host would summon an aide to escort the gentlemen back to the elevator... and if this were the end of the business she had with them that's precisely what she would have done. She crossed the room again to the crystal cart and poured herself another drink, but just as she was going to raise the glass to her lips she turned and smiled.​

​

"Oh, Director Harper," she said if as if she'd just found his mislain satchel of credits or remembered his upcoming birthday. Everything about her demeanor was benign except for her cold, calculating eyes. "There was one last thing I wanted to discuss," she glanced at Adekos and his droid companion, "alone, if I may?"​

​

It was at this point the doors to her office slid open and her diminutive assistant walked in - exactly on cue. "Deputy Director, I have prepared some light refreshments for your journey, if you'll follow me," the dark-haired girl glanced at the droid warily before motioning to the door.​

​

Adhira waited until (she assumed) Adekos was out of earshot before producing a very low tech looking datapad from a drawer near the drink cart. "A few days ago, on Coruscant, I was contacted by a Jedi Master Casimir Heliobas... perhaps you recognize the name?" She searched his face for a flash of recognition before continuing. If what the supposed Jedi told her was true, she was well aware of how quickly the situation could sour.​

​

"He leveled some fairly serious allegations about illicit extracurricular activities you may be involved in... something about the Sith Empire?" the woman returned to the cart and took a drink of the amber liquid, "of course, as I could not confirm the veracity of those claims I thought it prudent not to raise the issue with the Senate, but I thought you might like to know... so you could... get ahead of things, hm?"​

​

"Now, I may no longer be a jedi, but I have no love for the sith or their empire," the sentence was punctuated by the sound of her glass returning to the cart, "I have no interest in knowing if the things on that datapad are true and I would prefer it stay that way. That's the only copy to speak of. Let this be a gesture of good faith for us."​

​

The door hissed open again and the assistant reappeared. "Director Harper, this way please," she parroted.​

​

"Thank you again for coming in, Dorian. Very unfortunate we could not come to an agreement, but I hope to stay in touch," it was as if the conversation never happened and Adhira was cheerfully returning to her desk to receive a hologram call from a fellow Senator.​

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Darth Empyrean l Caulder Dune​

 

[Caulder Dune]

Yes, the dinner reservation. Of course. Caulder had cautioned against scheduling it so close to this meeting, but Dorian had insisted it wouldn't take long. And it didn't. His instincts in some matters were, admittedly, quite enviable.

“Quite tired indeed,” Caulder muttered, “If that is all, then yes, we may as well…”

All parties rose, and so did the Deputy Director. He got to his feet shakily, still relying heavily on his cane for support. Harper and Chandra shook hands, sealing their clandestine arrangements.

As they started to leave, Chandra abruptly requested some privacy with Harper. Caulder Dune narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the Senator closely. A private audience? How novel. Despite the look he gave, Caulder inevitably acquiesced.

“Of course. I’ll see you outside, Director.”

Caulder hobbled out of the room. And the silent droid mercifully pivoted to follow.

“It’s an elevator ride, dear,” Caulder sighed warily, walking straight past the assistant. “I don’t need a drink to get through it. We’ll see ourselves out, thank you.”

---

Adhira Chandra | Darth Empyrean​