Ask Subtle Moves

[Cipher Six]

Ava Durst, her cover for this op, was already rising through the ranks in her job in the corporation that oversaw the Anaxes shipyards. She had been working this operation for a few months now. Her goal was to get an opposing man in power in the corporation - someone she could sway to be more Imperial-leaning. Control of the shipyards meant control over the planet. The man in question was a rich, spoiled brat that had the means of making some moves. However, he needed an opening.

Six had already gathered whatever dirt she needed on Stravos to have him by the balls if he got out of line. She didn’t need him to know every detail just yet until she could confirm that he was going to be onboard. She had to make sure he wasn’t one of those wannabe altruistic types. That could only come from actually being around him.

She had run across him at a few networking events and was able to sell the idea of inviting him to an exclusive corporate party to meet with the CEO. Her role would be to introduce the two and possibly butter up Alexi as corporate partner. Alexi wasn’t aware of it, but Six brought plenty of intel on a datacard that could make it look like the party host, the current corporation CEO, was embezzling and extorting credits. It would be enough to put him and his upper echelon away for a long time, all of the evidence painstakingly planted by her work on the inside and some help from the ISB.

A luxury speeder pulled up and she stepped out with Alexi, dressed in a flattering attire that accented her sharp features and dark hair. Six knew when and how to look the part, fitting in with the rest of the guests. She fell into step beside Alexi, smiling at others as she greeted them, “You are catching quite a few looks already” She said with a smirk as she looked at him, “I think they recognize you from your banking clan ties.”


@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

With the collapse of the New Republic and Free World Alliance, there was no shortage of people clambering over one another to get at the scraps of political power that hung up for grabs. Candidates and campaigns popped up everywhere, and people with no business wielding any power clawing for it.

Alexi's family had been more subtle with their plans. Instead of trying to take a shortcut to political power, they began targeting corporations. As much as people would have hated to admit it, corporations had always been the true powerhouses of the New Republic, of "democracy."

So they schemed, finally gaining an opening with Anaxes Shipyards. The shipyard would bring massive amounts of wealth to his family if they could secure it. With that wealth, they could buy whatever political power they needed.

In response to his family's interest, Alexi had received an invitation to a private party hosted by the current CEO. Alexi didn't particularly like parties, but those were often his battlefields. He knew how to navigate them, how to work them. He had been invited by a woman he had met at a gathering several weeks ago, a newcomer to the cooperation but had proved to be his foot in the door.

He stepped out, straightening his ornate gray and gold suit. He hadn't noticed the received looks as the pair walked inside. He was no stranger to attention. "They watch because they are afraid." he said casually as they continued inside. "Change is often.." he paused as the doors were opened for them. "Uncomfortable for those unable to capitalize on it." he said. Maybe they didn't know it as fear yet, but it was in their mind. They all knew the power he would one day wield. They were right to fear what he represented. He drank it in.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six had to keep from scoffing at his words. She had to admit - he was the perfect rich jackass type to undercut whoever he needed in order to claw to the top. She simply hoped he had skills of his own instead of just suckling from the teat of his family’s wealth. Six fell into step beside him, though not too far - they did technically arrive here together.

Up ahead there was a man with slicked back hair in a white suite nursing a glass of whisky. The hall was huge with a floor in the middle for anyone that wanted to dance. There was a live band playing off in a corner and a sea of cocktail tables with guests chatting around them. Markus Dalin, the CEO, was surrounded by a small throng of people.

Six scanned the guests for a moment, grabbing herself a drink off a passing tray, “He’s speaking with Liana Korin. She’s from Kuat. No doubt Dalin is trying to set up some trade. Korin is someone that’s good to have on your side, even if it may cost you Fondor,” The two shipyard planets were historic rivals, but Kuat still had the better shipyard. Six saw an opening and started walking, flashing a smile.

“Mr. Dalin,” She said, “Thank you so much for the invitation. It’s an honor to be here.”

He stared at her for a moment and she could see the gears turning, “Ah! Ava Durst, is it? I loved your presentation on the impact of hypergates in space warfare!” His gaze flicked to Alexi, his eyes squinting as if he saw a familiar face he asked while addressing Six, “Who is your lucky date?”

Six smiled and slid her arm through Alexi’s, tugging him closer into the conversation, “This is Alexi Stravos. He has been doing outreach across various planets since the dissolution of the Alliance and the New Republic. He’s here to set up new IGBC branches.”

Dalin’s face hardened a bit and he took his drink. Normally he would have felt threatened right away, but Six slipped in the bit about IGBC to make it appear as if Alexi fully intended to stay in his lane. Nevertheless, the CEO’s focus was on Alexi.

He grinned as he took a sip, “Good to meet you. Are your parents here too?” He added as a not-so-subtle jab.

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

He continued further into the room. The party was extravagant, but these things meant almost nothing to Alexi. After a hundred of these things, it all just lost meaning.

He let out a yawn as he, too, grabbed a drink from a passing server. He leaned in as Six spoke, noting the name. This woman might prove useful after all. he had argued against even being given her as a contact from his father, assuming her another in a line of glorified babysitters. He had proven himself time and time again, and yet, he wasn't trusted. It was infuriating. After this conquest, his father would have no choice but to see him as the success he had always been. This woman looked much better than the last person his father had sent. "Know anything that could help get her on our side?" he asked quietly.

Alexi put on a warm smile as he was introduced to Dalin. "A pleasure." he said with a slight bob of the head. The man prickled at the mention of his family. The next comment was no surprise to Alexi, but that didn't stop the flash of anger in his eyes. "No, they spend most of their days on Coruscant these days." he answered. "And is your husband joining us? I assumed he would be here as well.." he asked innocently. Of course, he knew the rumors about the scandal between the two, Dalin's husband cheating on him, everyone did. He smiled as he asked the question, though there was ice in his eyes as he stared at the man.

Dalin's eyes narrowed slightly. "No...he is unwell this evening," he said. "..Excuse me for a moment." he said, withdrawing from the conversation. Alexi turned towards the other woman in the conversation. "Ms. Korin." he said, pleasant expression returning. "I have heard much about you. The work you are doing at Kuat Shipyards...truly impressive." he said warmly.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six wasn’t surprised that Dalin made a quip, but Alexi responded by going right for the jugular. The agent had to fight to not roll her eyes. Thankfully, he took a slick exit from the conversation to go speak with Korin. Six made a bit more small talk with Dalin, getting him back into a positive mood before she broke away. The next part was something even Alexi wasn’t privy to, and she wanted to keep it that way for now. The agent excused herself to go use the refresher and disappeared from the crowds.

Meanwhile Liana Korwin looked over when Alexi approached her. She beamed at him, “Did I hear you’re a Stravos?” She asked, “I did extensive work with your family before I took my role in Kuat,” What a perfect coincidence, “Always a reputable name. What brings you to Anaxes?” She giggled as she took a sip, “You certainly have your family’s good looks.”

Dice: 19/20 for now receptive Korin is

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

He barely noticed when the woman left. She had lasted longer than some of the others. He had no idea where his father found these incompetent people, but he was glad to be rid of her.

"At your service." he said with a bow. "Fascinating." he said, taking a sip from his glass. "New business ventures mostly, we have been eyeing this area to expand in for quite some time.." he explained. His smile widened, growing actually somewhat genuine. He certainly was not above being flattered. "And you certainly are not difficult on the eyes either. Most of time, I have to spend these things making deals with ancient men who refuse to get the memo to die." he said with a chuckle.

"They treat you well at Kuat?" he asked, tapping a finger on his glass. "I could certainly use someone with your talents in the coming months. We could certainly make it worth your while.." he said, leaving the offer in the air. She could indeed be invaluable if she had connections to both here and this planet's largest rival.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was afforded the perfect amount of time she needed to discreetly get away and plant the evidence. Of course, she would have to be the ‘whistleblower’ that outed Dalin the next day. That would be Alexi’s moment to sweep in with the credits to acquire the company while the stocks crashed. It was all an illusion of loss, but the investors would panic all the same and give Alexi the perfect opening. She only hoped the brat would know to play along without asking too many questions.

After some time, she re-emerged on the scene. Alexi would notice that anytime he conversed with the targets Six had set for him, they panned out well and proved to be in his interests regarding the shipyard. Six found him again, still appearing as if he owned the place. How she constantly got stuck working with these types was beyond her.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, my dear,” She said sarcastically, amusement glinting her eye, “I trust your mingling went well?” Of course it did. She designed it. Six didn’t wait for him to say anything before she took him by the hand and led him to a dance. There were several others doing the same and they fit right in.

He may have been a privileged little shit, but he would have been taught to dance. Six didn’t get the chance to be out of the office too often and she was going to enjoy herself even if her partner constantly looked as if he had poodoo under his nose.

“If I may be so bold, Mr. Stravos,” She said as she twirled under his hand, “I believe it’s in your best interest to hire me as a personal advisor.”

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

He spent the next while making conversation with this person, and that person, forming connections and courting new alliances. It bored him; honestly, none of these people were even that hard to convince; they all seemed eager to his proposals and suggestions. This didn't surprise him; of course, they were willing to join his side. Even the blind could see the writing on this wall...

When he was rejoined by his "date" he stifled a sigh. "They went fine, well better than fine actually.." he said. "And where did you run off to?" he asked even as he was being pulled onto the dance floor.

No stranger to dancing, it was an easy thing for him to lead her across the floor as the music played. There were others on the floor, but none near their level. They continued to spin and move across the floor as she spoke, easily carrying on the conversation. "And why is that?" he asked. "I know nothing about you, except the fact you know how to dance and apparently know something about the "Impacts of Hypergates"" he said, finishing twirling her. "What else do you have to offer?" he asked skeptically.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six smirked at his comment, “You flatter me,” She teased. Was that an accidental compliment from him on her dancing?

She twirled again, coming in close with her arms around his neck. Her gaze lingered on his, “And you have nothing but your family's name and their successes,” She said with a smile, her eyes flicking past him to the others gathered, “Did you really think any of those you approached tonight would have been as receptive to you without a bit of foreplay?” She looked back at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. If he was smart, it would all start clicking that she was already pulling some strings.

Six stepped back, now leading the dance. She effortlessly spun him through a series of complicated steps, “Keep your eyes on the news tomorrow. You may find that an irresistible opportunity presents itself.”

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

He let out a chuckle. "It certainly is a skill, but not one I need to hire anyone for." he said as their dance continued.

"Empires have been built on far less than a good name and a ton of credits," he said, hands moving to her waist. He pondered what she said next for a moment. He certainly was confident in his abilities, but he wasn't an idiot. It had been an easy night of negotiation. She would have earned a small amount of respect if she had a hand in it.

They picked up speed as she ed the flow of movements. It was quite an impressive sight, the two gaining the attention of more than a few party go-ers, though Alexi didn't seem to pay them any mind.

He raised an eyebrow at her next comment, his interest piqued by what she had planned. "I suppose we shall see what tomorrow holds then" he said, placing a hand on her back and dipping her low. "If its as irresistible as you say it is, then perhaps I could find a place for you.." he said as he pulled her back up.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six could see the gears shifting into place as he began to connect the dots. She played her hand perhaps a bit more than she planned, but they needed to be on the same side. He wasn’t as dumb as she initially assumed with his line of questioning and skepticism. Her thoughts were interrupted when he masterfully dipped her in one fluid motion. Her heels skated across the smooth floor and she gazed up into those amethyst eyes. Was that a genetic trait? She smiled at his words, her fingers reaching up to brush aside a strand of hair from his face that fell over his eye, “Oh you will. I’m quite flexible," She said rather breezily.

She was pulled back up and she effortlessly fell back into the dance. The music was still upbeat, everyone twirling and moving around them. By now, he had been socialized enough to where people were actively whispering about him. The banking clans were strategically positioned to make some power plays now that the major governments had collapsed.

Six spun around once more, gazing at him. Her heels ensured they were eye level, “So what are your aspirations?” She asked out of genuine curiosity, “Ones that your parents didn’t attempt to drill into your head,” She took a softer phrasing than outright implying he could only parrot his family values. Six needed to know he could think for himself.

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

"...Quite flexible.." he said evenly as she snapped back up. As they continued to dance, anyone who had any pride in their dancing had already cleared out though some still moved about. They weaved in and out of the pairs as they continued their movement.

He first remained silent when she asked her question. His aspirations were his own. The crescendoed into its final seconds. They moved in and out, back and forth, and the song ended. He finally released the woman, taking several steps back and bowing slightly. Several people clapped at their performance. He appreciated the attention, but he also appreciated the artistry of the thing.

"I want all of it." he said. His parents had been happy to settle for wealth in the banking clans. It had done them well and made their lives comfortable beyond all measure. There was a piece of the puzzle they were missing, though. There was no political dominance there. Many knew the name Stavos, but few feared it. The people of Core worlds were weak with delusion. They had bowed to a system that had no right demanding they do so, but soon they would meet such a force. He would control the money, and he would control worlds; he would control all of it.

It started here, but the name Stravos would be written in the stars themselves when he was done.

"I want all of it, my dear." he said as they left the dance floor.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

“Markus Dalin in hot water after allegations of extortion!”

“CEO caught leaking design blueprints to Hutt space!”

“Corporation stocks in freefall!”

Similar headlines took the cities of Anaxes by storm the next day. Six had done her part and she remained anonymous, celebrated as the whistleblower. It was a gamble - whistleblowers often crucified their own careers to ‘do the right thing’. This time it was no different as she was given a healthy severance package and ultimately asked to make a gracious exit.

She would wait to see if Alexi called her for that job she proposed. If not, she would find herself removed from this operation and sink Alexi as well. She would start the con all over again with a new target to buy the corporation. Or she would work for Alexi and groom him to become an Imperial sympathizer. Every move was a game of chess and she had to hope Alexi would cooperate for the piece he was designed to be.

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

Alexi sat in his office the next morning; the news had began to break just before dawn. The whole situation unfolded rapidly as the allegations spread like wildfire. Regardless if they were true or not, stock prices plummeted as more and more people pulled out. It would be terrible company to take a bet unless you knew the truth. The company's finances were fine; this was just the market reacting violently to the scandal.

The morning's negotiations had not been long; the remaining company board was eager to get out before stock prices fell any further, and they were left holding the bag. The deal had been struck with the backing of his family's money.

He quickly arranged a press conference to take place in the coming hours. He picked up his Nalphone and pulled up Ava Durst's contact.

"Very Impressive work, Ms. Durst. The job is yours if you can start today." he typed before hitting send and tossing the phone on his desk. She had proven herself valuable and interesting, a combination that was sorely lacking in this galaxy.

He spun in his chair and looked out his high-rise office window. You could just barely see the shipyards in orbit from here. A slight grin tugged at his lips.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six smirked at the text. The deal was on.

She was in his office the next day, dressed in a crisp black dress suit. She much preferred this job over the ones that had her posing as a soldier. And, of course, the company was far more tolerable. The agent had a datapad with her. She gave him a breezy greeting before sitting across from him and projecting the trajectories of the stocks and the headlines that were coming out.

“Competition is stiff to acquire Azure,” She said as she rifled through different pages on her datapad. Her gaze flicked up to meet his. Did he understand any of this? She certainly hoped he wasn’t well out of his element. She would thrust him into politics with this as a springboard. But he had to talk the talk and walk the walk.

“I’ve secured a meeting with the board, but you’ll have to do a lot of prep,” Six explained, “First of all, this needs to come from Alexi Stravos and it needs to be clear you’re not doing this on behalf of your family or you won’t be taken seriously. You will need to give them a five year get-well plan. How much can you afford to spend to acquire them?” The banking clans weren’t invincible. The galactic government collapse and the wars took a toll on everything financially. He would have to play his cards right and bring the price down without allowing anyone else to sweep in and buy.

“You should also issue a statement to discredit the others that want to acquire Azure Manufacturing,” She said, “The two contenders are Vance Corp and Shipyard Tech,” Both were small, local companies, but they had the advantage of actually being on Anaxes the entire time and knowing the space.

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

To her credit, she was in the office almost immediately, likely already knowing her work would land her the job. He certainly liked the confidence.

They immediately went to work. Alexi had been around the business his whole life and had studied for years. He kept up as she brought up various projections, giving input where needed.

He nodded about the meeting with the board. "How long before the meeting?" he asked, sure things would happen quickly. They certainly were not going to be pushovers, but he was confident we had the foundations of a solid plan, which, of course, would work because he had the knowledge that the financials were not as bad as the reports had been saying. Anything he did would look like a positive trend.

This was a chance for him to crawl out from underneath his parent's shadows. They would expect him to lean heavily on the backing of his parents. It would cause them to underestimate him as people always had. After today, that would no longer be the case.

When she asked about his financials, he slid tapped a button on his own date pad, and graphs began to appear over the table between them. He had money to work with, but if they couldn't get a good deal here, he would have to look elsewhere.

"I believe we win out against both companies 1 on 1, my concern is if they decide to merge together and make a play." he said. While both companies were small, they would be a powerhouse if they combined and then bought Azure. "Any ideas on how we can make things a little less cozy between them? Doesn't have to be something that holds up long, just long enough for us to close out this deal." he asked.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

“We have a week,” Six answered him. She paused when he brought up the companies merging. Truthfully, that was an angle she hadn’t considered. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, a genuine smile gracing her lips. Probably the first one he would have seen on her. Six reached for the cup of caf she brought in, considering the potential as she quietly sipped.

“Well in true opportunistic fashion, both corporations have ties to Kuat and Fondor,” She said, knowing this was a cheap play, but one that would be effective in the time they had, “We could release media and make it look like one has outed the other and their connections to to other shipyards. The narrative would be about how they prioritize offworld assets more than their home planet,” She explained, “Gets them into a pot calling the kettle black type of back and forth and leaves the coast clear for you.”

Six leaned back in her seat, staring at the Holo projections for a moment. Sometimes she couldn’t tell when the real world and work began to blur together. She adopted her identities and sometimes lost sight of who she truly was. She had to remind herself that Ava Durst was different from Alita Crane. Each day she had to hold onto the sparse fragments that were Alita.

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

He wondered what this woman was up to; she certainly was no scientist like she had pretended she was yesterday. She did seem to be enjoying the work, though. He returned the pleasant look with one of his own. He sipped his tea before setting the cup back on the table. "If we are half as good at this dance as last night, the deal is already done." he said with a grin.

One week was almost no time but an eternity at the same time. It left much room for deals and plans to get smashed.

"That will certainly help the narrative, which we will need to be in our favor when it comes time to talk to the board. They must believe that these companies will clean houses starting from the top. Do it." he said, tapping his cup, steam curling from its contents. It was certainly worth leaking out; they would also need public sentiment.

He pulled out his Nalphone. "We just need to keep them from talking to one another for just a few days," he said. He dialed a number and put the phone on speaker. "Uh Hello?" the voice on the other end. "Kelton Vance. Alexi Stravos." he said. He had paid a pretty penny for these numbers, but if he was going to break into the business, he needed whatever leg up he could. "..How did you get this number?" the man asked. "Look, it doesn't matter. Just found out Shipyard has been in contact with some shadow group out in Hutt Space to partner up and snag this Azure deal." he said, pausing to let the man catch up. "They originally made it sound like they going to work a deal with me, but they were playing me. Wouldn't surprise me if they were doing to same to you..." he said, letting the silence hang.

"Wait...How did you even find out about this.." the man asked, sounding surprised. "I don't have time for this; I'll cut to the chase. We need to work together unless we want to get iced out by Shipyard. We have a meeting scheduled next week, gives us plenty of time to get this sorted. Think about it, I need an answer if half an hour or I'm going elsewhere." he said and hung up the line.

"And now we just leak out that we are close to a deal with Vance Corp to Shipyard..." he said, tapping a message on his phone to a contact he had to leak out such information. "That should buy us some time." he said, nodding as he went over the events in his head.

"Think you can get that meeting with the board moved up a few days?" he asked her, unsure where her connections in that area. If they could get in early, they could hammer out a deal before the other two companies untangled themselves.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was surprised he had the Vance number to begin with. She was even more impressed that Kelton actually stayed on the comms. She observed Alexi as he rattled off the bullshit, his execution flawless. He even adjusted his inflection to a sense of urgency. She grinned practically the entire time, pleased this was an angle she wouldn’t have to spoonfeed.

“They teach you how to do that growing up or is that a delightful bit of charm you developed all on your own?” She asked with a teasing smirk, pulling up her datapad to begin orchestrating things with her media contacts. This may have been a cover, but she couldn’t deny that Alexi paid well. She had been able to splurge and get some new fancy heels that, for once, weren’t actually lethal. It was a nice break from the limited stipends agents were given these days. If only he knew…

“Got media working on the story,” She said without looking up from her datapad. Six reached for her Nalphone, making a few calls. Unlike his dialogue, hers was a bit more aggressive, outlining how she was the whistleblower and it was in Azure’s best interest to heed her advice on moves to prevent another scenario like this. At the end of the day, the company was desperate and in hot water.

Six set down her NalPhone after about ten minutes, glancing at Alexi, “Three days.”

@Raydo

 

[Alexi Stravos]

"Oh that? No school could prepare you for a life of lying and scheming better than a childhood in the Stravos home. I think my parents lied to each other more than actually were truthful." he said drinking from his tea. "Would have been easier if they just admitted they wanted to fuck anyone in the Galaxy but each other. Regardless, it was a master class in lying and manipulation..." he said.

They continued working, spinning and turning the cogs of their machine as they geared up for the next few days. They both pulled strings in their own but complementary ways. Within the hour, things were in motion; stories had been spun, rumors spread, and now they would wait to see what came of their efforts.

"Excellent." he said as she got the meeting pushed up. They were poised to get ahead of this thing.

He took out two glasses, poured some scotch into each glass, and put one in front of Six. "And what about you?" he said, referring back to their previous conversation. "where did you learn to navigate this world with such deftness?" he asked as he sipped at the liquor.

@Sreeya