The Long Reach of the Black Hand

[Crocell]

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQSWmSGUVL8&pbjreload=10) - Roll Credits

Location: The Planet Kiribi, IGBC Headquarters; The City of Izrul.

District 01

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The Planet Kiribi was built on four things: Knowledge, competition, perfection, ambition.

The System was located within the core, Kiribi being the second-furthest in orbit from the star "Jyoti". The Planet Kiribi was second to the star after the Planet Togas, separated by an asteroid belt between the two heavenly bodies. The day/night cycle on Kiribi consisted of 21 hours of daylight/nighttime, and a single year of 337 days. The population of the people were incredibly well-educated on average, and the entire planet's populace drove themselves on the desire to perform. "Mastery" was a daily pursuit on Kiribi.

The City of Izrul, Kiribi's Capital, was incredibly wealthy and a sight to behold from orbit - glittering like a Kyber Crystal upon the planet's largest landmass; a crown for a royal people. Sweeping over the Ocean, Izrul was situated upon the edge of the largest continent, acting as a hub for all life on the planet. Izrul was a multi-tiered city, and home to the Galaxy's largest HSP (Holonet Service Provider). The IGBC Headquarters was located within the Administration District of Izrul's most-populated city spread. The rising ebony tower stood prominently on its' own, reigning over the city & providing a certain sacred allure to the land; amongst its' natural beauty, rising skyscrapers touched the sky and signs of life were visible at night.

Ivory had pointed some of this out to her companions, during the entry into Kiribi's airspace - waving the Donna over to direct her gaze toward the shimmering lights of Izrul as it faded into the dark of the planet's cycle. The raven-haired woman had explained, in short terms, that the people of Kiribi were a breed of Masters; driven to perform and find perfection in every waking moment. [member="Suravi Teigra"], Ivory explained, could be considered one of the most powerful people on the planet... a woman with direction, business sense, and potential.

The IGBC was offering exclusive access to their powerful banking conglomerate; they offered a number of perks to such associations as The Family; among them, the ability to securely access & control their limitless funds, as well as providing a neverending stream of support & mercantile solutions to Life's problems.

Ivory, herself, had arranged this meeting - and through her connections within the Underworld, she hoped to improve The Family's holdings.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Through her young life, Ivory had worked outside the systems of numerous governments... It seemed to her, in retrospect, that Life had led her to this very moment; a strange irony seemed present in-that her greatest assets would not come from her home-planet Coruscant, but deeper within the Core.

The Donna's personal transport had been cleared immediately with Kiribi's Air-Traffic Control, and provided the ship its' own private Docking Bay for a brief stay in a highly secure docking bay patrolled by squads of specialized Security Forces. No questions had been asked. The night was considerably longer on most worlds, and The Family was shown to first-class accomodations within the City of Izrul. Ivory had taken charge of security, with help from [member="Colin Ransik"].

Finally settled, the trio had made their way (through high-class transportation which was paid in cash), to the great looming building known as the Headquarters for the Intergalactic Banking Clan. The night was still quite early, and The Family had been shown into a pleasantly decorated small waiting room awaiting a response from the IGBC's Private Relations Director.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ivory Stroud sat, quite calm, beside [member="Ahtemis"]. They hadn't been waiting long, and other than brief patrols around the outside of the waiting area into the Corporate building beyond, Ivory seemed quite relaxed. To her, the trip into the Core seemed like a vacation.

 

[Valgærd]

Kiribi

I had been interested in the proposal the moment Ivory had brought it forwards. I couldn't deny it, the woman was tenacious, ambitious, clever. She was the very embodiment of a wolf; stalking, waiting, biding her time. I'd had a subtle, yet genuine smile on my lips every time I considered it. Oh yes, she would go far, of that I was sure. In fact, she'd set up the entire meeting. She'd impressed me, that was for sure. Then there was Colin. Unlike Ivory, he was a man of few words. He was quiet, violent, not that I would ever have admitted it, but he was so good he unnerved me. Between that, and the apparent fact that his loyalty wasn't for sale, he was the obvious choice to accompany me alongside Ivory on this trip. I'd have taken more, but this was a diplomatic meeting and I did not wish to appear to arrive too heavily armed.

Every detail had been taken care of. My ship had a private dock, we went through security, which was tight and strong. I silently noted the personel, the equipment, the procedures; I wanted to instate something similar when we returned to Dohmus Prime.

Now, I sat with Ivory on one side, and Colin on the other. Colin, as ever, was difficult to read, stoic and silent. Ivory, however, seemed perfectly calm. Casting her a brief glance, I leaned back in my chair, letting a somewhat sultry gaze encircle the room. A large wide-brimmed, stylish hat provided enough shadow to hide the upper half of my face, gleaming black tresses of hair tumbling over one shoulder. Until we met with our contact, I was content to keep my features shrouded in shadow.

​

​

[member="Ivory Stroud"] | [member="Colin Ransik"] | [member="Suravi Teigra"]​

 

[Kyle Torchwood]

Colin sat where he was with the seemingly permanent look of not caring etched on his face. The trip was just another assignment, one he hoped would allow him to hurt someone or find an excuse to take one of the female staff into a nearby brook closet and have his way with them. Instead, he was sitting next to the Donna, smoking a cigarette, with Ivory on the other side of her.

His interactions with both women thus far were minimal, and very different. Colin found he could manipulate the Donna far more easier than he should be able to, and Ivory, she was her own woman. In truth, Colin didn’t like Ivory for one obvious fact. She was a lot like him in certain regards. He disliked strong women, and even though she was not the one in power, she was strong.

Business nevotiations were not Colin’s forte, but keeping his boss safe was. His violent and uncaring nature afforded him the ability to not think twice of taking extreme measures to ensure she would be safe. Just because Colin was most loyal to himself did not mean he was going to ignore his duty. He was selfish, but not stupid. The day it no longer served his best interest to serve the Donna, the day he would move on.

Colin used his shoe to stamp out the cigarette. He looked across the Donna over to Ivory. There was tension in his voice.

“Where the hell is this contact of yours so we can get this over with. I’ve got other things to do before we leave this planer...”

[member="Ahtemis"] [member="Ivory Stroud"] [member="Suravi Teigra"]

 

[IGBC]

In truth, Serasi could have had the trio whisked right to his office after arrival, but being the enigmatic figures that they were, the Umbaran wanted to take an opportunity to observe them in isolation. One seemed quite relaxed (Ivory), another quite shifty (Ahtemis), and the third wound up something fierce (Colin).

He now had an idea on how to proceed.

About ten minutes after they had been seated in a waiting room, a large black security droid arrived to fetch them from the waiting room.

"Good evening, I am DXR8," it said with a crisp Imperial/Coruscanti style accent. "Director Serasi will see you now."

As it waited for the trio to rise and join it in the hall, its head dipped ever so slightly, crimson photoreceptor trained upon a smashed cigarette butt.

Trifling meatbags.

Whenever the trio was up and moving, DXR8 proceeded down the hall expecting them to follow, right to its master's office. The massive durasteel double was now swung right open, so the droid just strutted through, then immediately cut right to settle back in its position right next to the entrance. On the other side of the doorway was an identical model, still as a statue, the only sign of activity the occasional blinking of its photorecptor.

The "office" was only sparsely furnished, but great opulence was on display from the very interior itself. The whole floor seemed to be made of one contiguous slab of dark green marble, creating the illusion of stepping right over the sea. The high walls seemed to be similarly cut from one block of obsidian, artfully gilded in some places with electrum.

At the far end of the room was Jorel Serasi behind a great gleaming table of sweet-smelling Larhoon, the bald Umbaran sporting all the typical features of his race, a ghoulish face with slightly upturned lips as if his face was stuck in a permanent smirk. He wasn't the only one behind the table, a portly Neimodian male to his left, and an olive-skinned human Kiribian woman to his right. Each one was impeccably dressed in expertly tailored silken suits that shimmered under the soft lights of the office.

Three empty chairs were positioned directly opposite on the near side of the table for use by their guests.

"Welcome to the headquarters of the IGBC," he spoke whenever they after they were seated (or stood). There was a pleasant silvery quality to his voice. "I am Deputy Director Serasi, and with me today is Mr. Nervo and Mrs. Claust."

He paused there, glancing over each one of his guest with bright milky eyes, giving them an opportunity to introduce themselves.

[member="Colin Ransik"] [member="Ahtemis"] [member="Ivory Stroud"]

 

[Crocell]

Ivory was the first to enter the office, and she didn't hesitate to step upon the beautiful green marble floors beneath her feet. Her slow & steady gate bore her onward, moving with a calculated grace; booted feet ringing *click-clack* as she crossed the distance toward the desk. She allowed her eyes to wander for a moment before resting by the end upon the 3 figures seated at the desk.

The marble floors below her seemed to possess depth; it was as-if the building's architect had frozen the most beautiful ocean and put it on display; her outward appearance betrayed nothing, but she felt a momentary skip in her heartbeat as she thought she might fall through into liquid. The walls of obsidian intrigued her... The deepest black, devoid of all color... all feeling. The elegant Electrum gilding had been artfully installed. It ran in certain patterns throughout the office, though the walls, themselves, were the primary feature.

As she neared the desk, Ivory reached up, brushing a strand of long black hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear - her nostril, lip, ears, and sternum were pierced in an attractive fashion, and her skin was a creamy pale tan. She was naturally beautiful, accentuating her beauty through the use of cosmetic jewelry and (a somewhat vain) use of ink selectively crafted into her skin. She was dressed in long leather pants which accentuated her assets, and the leather boots she wore were a dull grey in appearance, and scuffed from years of use. The boots were obviously exotic and expensive (made from the skin of a dragon, in-fact), and were tipped with engraved silver caps which gave them a certain shine (and also served as powerful weapons, under the right circumstances). She wore a simple coat and top, allowing for comfort and mobility... The jacket was unadorned and sleek, giving her a predatory air. The left side of her head was, quite inventively, shaved to the skin and was tattooed in certain "tribal" designs, making it appear as-if hair had grown permenantly into a design. Ivory took a seat, allowing for her companions to do as-they would.

Violet eyes, sparkling in the soft light of the office like kyber crystals, regarded each of the three individuals before her. Though she might catch a second glance by her looks alone, if one paid close attention, they would see she was capable of far-more than was perceived. She was mysterious, yet honest by her appearance; this was a woman unlike anyone else in the galaxy. Ivory seemed to exude confidence - as-if she were holding all the cards, as-if this office were hers. She said nothing of this, however, nodding at the Umbaran who'd spoken, the Nemoidian, and the Kiribian woman.

"Good Evening, Deputy Director Serasi… Mr. Nervo, Mrs. Claust. Thank you for seeing us. My name is Ivory Stroud, and this is Colin Ransik and Lady Ahtemis. We represent the Interests of The Family."

She crossed one leg over another, and her fingers were steepled before her, mimicking what one might think a banker would do in that situation... It was a gesture which seemed to say, "I know this game..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[member="Ahtemis"] [member="Colin Ransik"] [member="IGBC"]

 

[Valgærd]

The longer we sat in silence, the more I felt a subtle grin pulling itself onto my features.

Making us wait, a clever tactic. No doubt we were being watched right now, studied, assessed; theories and tactics for negotiations being drawn up. I knew that's what they were likely doing because it was exactly what I would do. I shifted in my chair, thoroughly impressed with the tactic, taking care to keep the brim of my hat between me and any spot I saw that would be a good place for hidden surveillance cameras. It was good to know they took the necessary precautions here.

As Colin glanced over to me I caught is gaze. Rather than answer his question, I let my eyes flicker down to the cigarette butt, then back up to him. My features were pulled into a scowl of disapproval, fire igniting in my eyes.

"We are guests, Colin." I hissed quietly.

My face turned as we were interrupted by a droid. I stood as it entered, greeting it with a slight nod as it introduced itself. The accent, the polite, sharp nature of its words and the gleam of its chasis all seemed to come together to add to the atmosphere of this place. I maintained my cool exterior as best I could as I made my way behind the droid. It was a well-practiced dance, one to which I knew the steps well, however, inside, my heart raced in my chest, my lungs begging to be allowed to gasp for air. This was an important deal, one that meant a lot to me to settle. In a perfect world, I would have had this happen on my turf, where I held the advantage. Here, I was a wolf in another's territory, they held the cards.

I took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the table, allowing my admiration at the decor to play briefly over my features. Knowing that next to Ivory and her perfectly-accented beauty, I would have likely looked very plain, easily dismissed as background noise. Perhaps I could use this. As she introduced us, I allowed my thoughts to wander. Perhaps next time she could play a different role...

With a little luck, I had managed to maintain the same easy confidence Ivory did. After spoke, I bowed my head, taking care to keep my features shrouded by the shadow cast by the hat. Not the most polite to keep it on indoors, I knew, but it was the simplest way to add a little protection to my identity. No tech, no force-magic or Sith alchemy, just a little fabric and ply.

"Greetings," I said softly, allowing the honey-sweetness to drip from my words. "Thank you for agreeing to see us."

​

[member="Ivory Stroud"] | [member="IGBC"] | [member="Colin Ransik"]​

 

[Kyle Torchwood]

She scowled at him. That was going to cost her dearly later. The only reason Colin wiped the annoyed look off his face was because they were with others. Colin wasn’t about to let on that behind closed doors, his leash was tighter on the Donna than hers was of him. At least, Colin liked to think so. She was much easier to manipulate than the other woman which was with them. He still didn’t know what to do with Ivory, or about her. One moment she annoyed him, and in the next she was alluring. Colin didn’t like it one bit. He certainly could never control what he couldn’t read.

A droid came and greeted them, and he stamped out the cigara and dropped it in the ash tray. Guests or not, Colin was going to be Colin. His job wasn’t to help secure a deal, it was to keep the Donna safe. What did that look like? His job was to look intimidating and hurt people. If things went south, he’d get to do the later, and that caused a smile to pull at his lips. As he greeted the contact, the smile was Colin imagining his hands around its throat. He’d stand, behind the Donna, for this meeting. He hoped it would not be long.

Whatever game they were going to play, Colin wasn’t interested. He was a no bull kind of man, and he could sniff it out from kilometers away. The room was full of it. This was going to be a long drawn out meeting of posturing before any agreement was reached. Colin really should have been somewhere with his bat, bashing a couple of skulls, or busting a couple of knee caps.

[member="Ahtemis"] [member="Ivory Stroud"] [member="IGBC"]

 

[IGBC]

Polite exchanges were made, Serasi gleaning a bit more about the trio in the process. By the way Ransik hovered over this Lady Ahtemis, who seemed to be trying quite hard to obscure her features, he guessed she was the ringleader of this little band of gangsters. Stroud was the talker, while the brutish looking fellow was the muscle.

He glanced over all three, but his eyes lingered on Athemis just a few more moments longer than the others. While he had decided to focus on speaking with Stroud, he had a good idea about who his audience really was here. As for Stroud, she looked to be doing her damnest to impress and/or intimidate the Umbaran and his colleagues. Attempting such posturing against one from a race known for a predilection for manipulation was quite futile.

His smirk only grew larger in the face of her introduction and finger steepling - a subtle dismissive gesture to let her know she was wasting her time against a master of the craft.

"Thank you all for coming today. We're quite pleased that your growing enterprise has considered the IGBC as your chief financial institution. The IGBC is uniquely suited to help manage the finances of organizations such as yours, and has done so for millennia now, offering a whole range of services outside of the regulations of any government. More importantly, we offer discretion. Many of our clients enjoy their anonymity for transactions, and we try our best to facilitate that desire."

Laundering and the safe keeping of all sorts of illicit items. He couldn't really outright say it outright until he got a better feel for the Family, but that's what he was offering. Cleaning up those dirty credits and hiding away all the goodies from prying eyes. These were activities which the shadowy bank excelled at, which is why they continued to persist while governments left and right continued to go down in flames.

"So, Ms. Stroud, what services are you seeking from the IGBC today?"

((I'm told I can just go back and forth with Ivory to wrap this up, so I will since we have introductions out of the way.))

[member="Colin Ransik"] [member="Ahtemis"] [member="Ivory Stroud"]

 

[Crocell]

Ivory nodded, hardly glancing in the direction of her companions; as if they weren't even there.

She understood quite well what the IGBC could offer them. She gestured, speaking with her hands as she responded, "Our primary concern is, of course, discretion, Mr. Serasi."

She smiled, then continued, "The Family has heard from a number of your clients, in similar circles - it is the IGBC's policies on discretion and integrity which brought us to this meeting today. If you'll allow me to be frank..." The woman shifted in her seat, relaxing somewhat, "Our organization is only growing and we require a secure system of accounts to manage our already... extensive... assets." At this, her penetrating violet eyes shifted toward the quiet woman seated beside her then back to the three beyond the desk.

"We're also interested in the particulars of physical storage solutions for such resources as we may not feel safe keeping them elsewhere. Thirdly, we are quite interested in the details behind obscure transference of credits, along with the services the IGBC advertises regarding its' Mercantile programs. Finally, we are interested in what forms of investment opportunities the IGBC might recommend... For future development opportunities."

"While our funds are quite secure at present, The Family understands that only through proper management of our resources may we have any real hope in increasing them."

[member="Colin Ransik"]
[member="Ahtemis"]
[member="IGBC"]