| abstract | - The hangar bay of the Purgatory is bustling with activity. Technical teams are running diagnostics on every ship in the bay, making sure all of them are functional for combat should the need arise. While Axel's imperial codes had held this long, he wasn't sure if they would hold much longer. Many things had changed in the Empire since the rain of Osbourne. As the shuttle lands, Axel himself approaches to greet the guest. Korbel walks out of the shuttle, his legs not agreeing with him all that much. As he moves, he shakes off the effects of flight, even if the flight is a short one. Korbel arrives to where he is supposed to, and waits for Axel. As he sees someone approaching, a grin flashes on his face. "Well well well..." Axel remarks as he glances over the man. He then motions for a pair of guards to walk over and frisk the man. "I assure you, anything they take will be returned," he says in a dry tone. With a slight pause to let the men do their job, he lights up a cigarette and motions Korbel over to a small worktable with a pair of stools sitting beside it. "What can I do for you? Or better yet, what can you do for me since you are currently at my mercy in hostile space. I'm sure that the Empire would pay a nice sum of credits for you if I so chose to do that." "If you wanted to take me to the Empire, you would have done so long ago. You could have paid your bounty hunter friend to take me in." Korbel smiles and nods his head. "However, we both know that by doing that, your name would never leave the Republic's top ten wanted list. The only way that could happen, is if someone in my position were to remove you from that list." Korbel smiles, and then looks around. "You have quite an impressive armada here. I see that we've paid for all of this." He grins, knowing all about Axel's adventures, or at least, what the files tell. "Actually, the NR didn't come close to paying for anything other than a few fighters." That's a rather sore subject for the man right now. "My privateering and war contracts for the Empire along with my black market sales paid for everything you see. Once again, I state for the record that less than one million credits was kept by myself from the Republics coffers. Money that I feel was my right to take since it was the cost I put on acquiring the vessels for the Peshk administration. A purchase that would have went on without a hitch had he not leaked information and nearly gotten me killed." Axel's voice indicates his displeasure. "As for my bounty hunter friend, you are referring to the second in command of the Crimson Fang. I wouldn't need to pay him to deliver you when you did it for free." He yawns slightly and takes a drag from his cigarette. "Now tell me. What do you have to offer me? It had better be good. I doubt you have the power single handedly to get a senatorial pardon for me." "A senatorial pardon is hardly needed. I can move my hounds off of you, while I work on getting the pardon. Those who search for you, are those in my command." Korbel says as he looks at Axel. "And regardless of what the New Republic gave you, or did not, you got a hell of a lot more than I did." Korbel nods his head for a moment, then thinks. "So I can offer you the pardon, which I will get." Korbel nods, "And I can offer you a personal alliance. I can sell you information, that can help you. Of course, this is all based on what you offer in return." Korbel nods again. "Last I read, I was in the top three of the NR's most wanted fugitives. Now, that means there are more than NRI agents on my ass every day of the week. I'll tell you what you can do for me..." he pauses to take a drag from the cigarette. "I want to know exactly how you are going to get my bounty removed." Another pause follows, then Axel interrupts. "Then you can swear upon your life that you will get it done, otherwise," he points to a standard R2 unit sitting near the table, "I send a log of this conversation, via holonet to whomever it may concern at the NR High Command." Korbel pauses for a moment and then looks at his datapad. He types in a few buttons after removing it from his belt. He tosses it across the bench at the man, and then he looks up. "Read it before you open your mouth again." The middle aged man says in a rather deep, and now pissed off tone. It reads; 'New Orders for Agents pursing Axel Vichten: Stop pursuit, matters have been handled internally. There is no longer any need to pursue. Report back to command post for re-assignment.' Axel glances over the datapad and gives a smirk. "That still doesn't cover the bounty hunters looking to make a credit off of my hide." He slides the datapad across. "But I guess it will do for the moment. It still doesn't cover how you'll get the bounty removed though. What is it that you want me to do in order for this debt to be paid?" He pauses and takes a final pull from the cigarette before crunching it out between the thumb and forefinger of his mechanical right hand. "I'm sure you didn't just come here to see if I would buy information from you. How do I know this isn't just some elaborate NRI trap? Your agents have failed miserably in the past, and I am sure it is an embarassment to have me still free." Korbel looks at Axel and then looks around the room again. "I will tell you something, and I trust it will not slip out, only because of what I just did." Korbel says as he looks at his datapad again. "I am not like the other agents who have come after you. I am not an agent. I am the Assistant Director, and soon to be Director if the current one's health continues on a downward spiral." Korbel says. "I am looking to gain from this personally. I perhaps am in a situation that is familiar to you. I feel the Republic owes me something, and they have yet to pay up." Korbel nods his head. "I know you have a personal armada, and I am making one myself. I am missing firepower." He nods and pauses for a moment. "The firepower of a blastboat."" You want one of my skiprays?" Axel almost laughs. "Since Osbourne is out of office and this new asshole is in, and KDY has been taken over by the government, they are nearly irreplaceable for less than half a million or so credits it would take just to pay production costs and Imperial bribes." He chuckles a bit more, "You had better be able to offer me a lot to pay for such a debt." "I'm offering you freedom from the Republic. And information if you need it." Korbel says. "More so, I am offering you my friendship." Korbel says, hoping that means something to the man. "You do not know me, and I do not pretend to know you Axel. All I can give is my word, and all I can do is trust your word. What I offer, is my friendship, and the fact that we would have a partnership." Korbel says as he looks at Axel directly in the eyes. "The friendship of a stranger means little to me, no offense." Axel gives a sigh, "And I do not trust anyone's word, and do not expect them to trust mine. I made quite a living off of telling lies for many years." Axel pauses for a brief moment and continues, "What makes you think I couldn't find out any information from you without paying your price? I have methods available to me that could make any man, even a jedi, talk. You would be no problem." Korbel places the datapad on his side again, where it normally is, and then nods his head. "You have your choices to make, and I have mine." Korbel says, "I have made my offer, and I will follow through with it, unless you decide to decline. In that case, I will not follow through with mine either." Korbel says as he looks around the ship one more time. "You have an impressive fleet, and a very impressive record as well Axel. Would it not be nice to be able to go where ever you want without someone coming after you on every single planet?" Korbel asks before getting ready to ask for his ride to the planet. "Give me a night to think about things." Axel says. "In the meantime, you can stay onboard the Purgatory in a guest quarters. In fact, I insist on it, as I'll be deciding whether or not you are my guest or my prisoner. Whether your offer is worth taking or whether it would be better for me to sell you to the Imperials. I'm sure they would have much use for you and what you know.. even more than I would. Personally, the NRI is incompetant, and does not scare me. The bounty hunters on my tail everywhere I go are a mere nuisance, though still dangerous at times should they get themselves organized. I'll have some men take you to your quarters. You will be confined to that deck, but it is comfortable and spacious with a good view of space." Korbel nods his head and then looks back at Axel. "I guess my future is in your hands." Korbel says, knowing that this could have happened, he is not in control here and he knew that would happen. "And thanks for the view, I like space. It is endless." Axel merely nods and the two guards who had frisked Korbel earlier approach. "Follow Misha and Buster here, they will take you to your quarters and bring you anything you need. There is a full holovid entertainment system in the room that is at your disposal. No outgoing messages can be sent, but it is stocked with all the newest releases. If you will excuse me, I have other business to attend to."
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