Starwars - Tuesday, January 11, 2000, 9:18 PM --------------------------------------------- A quiet evening in the Capital of Corellia. John stares down from the highest window in the city, the window of the OREO board meeting room. The tall Corellian looks down at the city, but sees not the bright signs or the moving lights of hover cars. His mind is burried deep in plans and calculations. Plans of taking control of the known galaxy and calculations of how to do it. With a soft tone, a woman's voice calls into the room through the intercom, "Sir, Mr. McKenzie is here." The sound dulls off to a quiet volume, background sounds heard in the background. Donivan turns away from the window slowly and makes his way to a large leather chair at the head of the table. It is the only seat at the table extravagant enough to be his, and is so labled by a small plaque sitting on the table. John presses a button on the console in front of the chair, and instructs the young woman to let his guest in. Meanwhile, while waiting for his guest to enter, John pours two glasses of cognac and sets one infront of his chair, and slides another to a place on the side of the table. A few moments after the response, a soft click is thrown into the room as the doors slide quietly open. Behind them, a woman ushers a man into the room. The man pauses for a moment, studying the room for half a second, before stepping further in. The woman closes the door behind him, as soon as the possibility arises. Bazil pauses a few steps from the door, looking about the office momentarily, before heading forwards a few steps. In his face lies a deep confusion, as well as a touch of suspicion -- mostly due to the circumstances of the meeting, and the other who has put it on. Donivan turns toward the door and looks the man over. "Come in Mister McKenzie," he says in a deep voice, heavily accented with a Corellian accent, "I've been expecting you," John sits down in his chair, and a soft shadow falls over his face and shoulders from the tall back of the chair. "Please, have a seat Mister McKenzie," John says and motions to the place at the table where the second glass is sitting. Bazil nods politely, before moving forward, and taking himself the mentioned seat. His paranoia disappears, at least outwardly, as he studies the other. He puts on a poker face, taking everything his recent diplomatic training has entailed. Bazil looks John over for a moment more, before forcing his eyes onto the others, cocking his head slightly as a nonverbal question. His posture keeps erect, but loose, controlled movements keeping him calm and secure for at least the moment. He still doesn't know what this is all about, but he might as well make it look good on his part... "I am sure you are wondering why I requested your visit," Says the Corellian. John picks up his glass from the table, his movements slow and relaxed. He motions to your glass with his head and continues speaking. "Your name has come up in some idle conversation Mister McKenzie." He takes a sip from his glass and sets it back down. "It seems that you've recently gone through a career change. Isn't that right?" Again, Bazil nods softly. "Yes, it is. I was transferred to the Diplomatic Corps from Star Ops, as a pilot." He leans forward an inch, gripping the glass between a hand. Cooly, he pulls the glass to his lips, taking a small sip of his own, pausing to take in the new flavor, before he sets the glass back down, leans back, and folds his hands over his lap, looking at the other with equally relaxed movements. The falling shadows bring out the chizzled qualities in Johns face as he finishes looking the man over. The Corellian's cold, glowing blue eyes lock onto the eyes of the pilot, and John's face turns serious. "Ah, I see," he says with little emotion. "It is a move," Donivan continues to speak as he reaches up with his left hand to rub the side of his chin, "although, I must admit, I don't see it as much of a move... up." The grin happens within his mind before he lets it out to the other. The corners of Bazil's mouth twist up softly, and he nods, "Definately not a move up." He lets the words hang for a moment, before dropping his grin, "It is, however, something I needed to do. A starfighter's life is not a highly respected one. They are looked upon as the brute force grunts of the New Republic by many. I thought, that by going into the Diplomatic corps, I might get something better out of my career than dying in simplistic space combat." "Nonsense," answers the Corellian in a very regal manner, with a wave of his hand. He seems a bit surprised at Bazil's answer. "Bravery and heroism are things to be admired and looked up to, not scoffed at." John picks up his glass once more with his right hand, while his left remains on the side of his face. "It takes something that most men do not have to climb into that starfighter and do battle." John takes another drink. "Regadless," he says with another wave, after setting down his drink. "Neither playing taxi for the diplomats, nor flying for the figher corps give one much room for personal or career growth. Do they Mister McKenzie?" The altogether cool demeanor carries Bazil along, "No, they do not. But, then again, I very much doubt that many military careers exist with career growth, unless one goes into administrative or leadership roles. And even then, it is not a very..." He pauses, tasking a word to the job, "Fruitfull." His eyes glance around the area around the other for an instant, studying the area, before again returning his attention to John, interest growing in his face. Donivan nods silently as 'the bottom line' is explained to him. "I see," he says while continuing to nod. "I am curious," John says, leaning back in his chair a bit, "what do your new responcibilities include?" The Corellian continues to stare into th pilot's eyes very agressively as he speaks to him. Bazil, trying to keep a foothold on the conversation's destination, shrugs softly, smoothly throwing a hand up to make his point, "For the most part, I fly several diplomats and representatives around, to various meetings, help out with small things during the meetings, and assist however else I can." He pauses, tinkering with an idea, "I am nearly always in the middle of meetings, et cetera." His mind wanders for an instant, to a recent meeting, before he snaps his attention back. Donivan inclines his head to the side a bit, and the shadows shift arond his face. "And are you happy with this new job Mister McKenzie? Does it provide you with a sense of stability, or the possibility of a bright future?" John squints slightly, trying to read the pilot's reactions to the conversation through his body language. "Or is it just a shift from a dangerous and low paying line of work, to just a low paying line of work?" A mental curse floats through his head, never to be uttered. Bazil does, however, retain his calm. Of course he didn't like his current employment. He'd do /anything/ to be back in the Independent life. Not that it mattered now. He was in the NR, and leaving so quickly after joining would cause quite a few quirks of brow. "Stability? Yes. I can very well see myself in this job for quite some time. A bright future, however, is nonexistant for me as it stands." He offers a small shrug, letting through, also, a tiny frown. "I am not entirely sure why I even accepted the transfer." Bazil opens his mouth to speak again, before closing it, frowning softly again. He bites his tongue, so as to prevent any further information -- for the moment. Donivan smiles softly and brings both of his hands down on the table. He sits back up and leans forward over the table a bit. John's stare does not leave Bazil's eyes for a minute. When he was young, he was tought that the eyes will always betray one's emotions and it is a tale that he found out to be true (at least in his own mind). "A very predictable answer, for such meaningless work," he says arrogantly. "Let me ask you another question, perhaps the last question of this evening." John's smile grows slightly. "What do you want out of this life Mister McKenzie? Do you want money and fame? Women? A top of the line luxury speeder? Perhaps a house in the most prestegious area of any planet in the galaxy? Or, Mister McKenzie, do you want to be nothing more than a go-for to a bunch of people who talk for a living?" His calm returns fully. Bazil, in a look of thought, sits back in the chair, crossing his arms at his chest. "You seem to know quite a bit about me, sir. In fact, I do not doubt you know more about me now than many of my previous employers. You may well know that I worked the Independent life for quite some time. Then, I went into the New Republic, thinking of fame, glory, and a steady income." The left corner of his lip lifts softly, his eyes flickering with humour. "I was dead wrong. About a great many things. Neither flying around shooting Imperial craft every day, nor talking with the leaders of said craft, for a mere ten credits a week, is ample enough." Bazil frees a hand from their crossing, to wave it around, "This, is my dream. Not medals or words from your superior." He bites his lip softly after the words, the smirk still playing over his face. He just compromised his career with those words; something that could get him court-martialed, or worse. Yet, there was something in John's words that intrigued him into it. Donivan continues to smile an almost sinister smile as he hears exactly the words that he wanted to. "Indeed. This was once my dream as well," the Corellian answers. "Now it is mine, but I continue to dream." John locks his hands together on top of the table and continues to speak. "To me, you seem to be bright man, Mister McKenzie" Don says, "but one who lacks the simple opportunity to make something of his life. I also once lived the loner's life, selling whatever fell under hand for a profit... for a living. I can offer you the opporunity Mister McKenzie, but it is up to you to take it. Before I do however, I must have your assurance that what is said within this office, will forever remain in this office." "I understand," Bazil simply states after the point is finally made. "It stays here. Please... continue." He offers another look of intrigue, letting no greed or desire slip through his face, the diplomatic training pushing outwards, cloaking any of his true feelings... mostly that which he is very interested in the idea of money again. Donivan nods and leans back in his chair again, relaxing a bit, now that the bait has been taken. "I enjoy having access to various types of information. Especially information that is normally unavalible to me, or information of a restricted nature. Your position in the diplomatic corps puts you in the perfect place to gather such information." The corellian continues to smile and talk, but does not move. "I take great pleasure in discussin information of this nature. If you could suply me with topics for such discussion Mister McKenzie, I would be willing compensate quite well you for your troubles." In response, Bazil bobs his head softly, "Ahh..." Pausing for a moment to think to himself, he offers, "Quite the proposition, sir. As it stands, for the moment, I have yet to come across anything terribly significant, due to my relatively low rank in the corps, as of yet." He stops for a moment, taking into thought several previous encounters, dancing a solitary hand across his chin, and lower face.