Take the Krayt Dragon by the Horns (Mandalorians/Kali)

[Azrael]

"Now you decide to clam up." Azrael said in a complete dead-pan manner. She had been fairly chatty with the vode down in the hold, and now when it was one on one (by appearance alone), she was gun-shy. "You're obviously trained in combat, and weaponry. You managed to take out three of my brothers without much difficulty." He stated as his bionic digits tapped in rythym on his left kneecap. The arm was notably something people glanced at a time or two. It was larger than his right, and it went straight up to a capped shoulder that bore the Mandalorian crest in faded paint. It didn't match the rest of his armor, so it stood out quite a bit.

"I can only assume that you know how this normally works. The more you talk, the better your chances are. I'm not one for torture, it's not how I run. But you did assault my men, and if you play the silent card, I -am- going to hand you over to the Mandalorian special forces when we dock. I can't promise that you'll get the same courtesy from them. In fact, I'd bank on it being a lot worse." He wasn't lying either. With the stunt she pulled, he could see her at best as an indentured worker on Corellia mining for beskar. Even that was pushing it. He played fair though, if she gave enough information, then maybe they could cut a deal.

"I'm not looking for anything too personal though. The how, the why, and the what specifically would do fine." He commented as an afterthought. How she got on board, why she decided it was a good idea, and what she had come for.

[member="Kali Aulter"]

 

[The End Narrator]

"Agent X41822N" was all she replied at first, before her hands came up to her knees and gripped them tightly. "If you're trying to scare me, please spare me." She shook her head softly. "I have things in my mind that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy and even a memory wipe couldn't get rid of that."

"If you want me to be completely honest with you..." She laughed again. "I couldn't even tell you the why, how...those are trade secrets." She raised her right hand up from her knee and waved her index finger. "And the what? Are you that dense?"

[member="Azrael"]

 

[Azrael]

The Field Marshal shook his head as a smirk touched his lips looking up to meet Kali's gaze. It wouldn't be long until they would be closing in on Mandalore, having traveled most of the distance through Mando space to deliever the goods from Aeten II. Azrael knew well what was in the cargo holds - more than Kali did in point of fact. The obvious choice was Stygium, as it was probably the most exotic crystals of their cargo. The fact that she wouldn't even mention it was just a foolish notion to him.

"Jare." He mentioned, the Mandalorian word for someone whose heading to a suicide mission. She wasn't doing herself any favors, and it was sadly amusing to Azrael. "You realize if you had somehow managed to best me, you would of still had to reveal what you wanted from us. There's not much difference in confirming our suspicions." Yes, she could lie, she could spin the truth and give them loads of false information, but Azrael had no real time for games. He had other work to do, and she was inconsequential unless she gave up something, something credible. "Is it really worth all this trouble to still hold out? I don't see any other offers to improve your current situation."

Azrael could be quite hard-headed and stubborn, and was known to be rather brutal at times, but he had his wits about him. He simply presented logic with a non-chalant attitude and let that attempt to coerce more information from the prisoner. Her Agent name was useless to them, and he suspected it was made up on the spot. Either way, cooperation would do wonders for her current predicament.

[member="Kali Aulter"]

 

[The End Narrator]

What was there to say? Nothing really, he knew the answer as much as she did and pretty much she was already caught in the act. She inhaled deeply and spoke. "I was after some stygium." A rough sigh escaped her lips, her hands slapping her knees. "So, there you have it." Her eyebrows raised as she turned away from him and looked to the wall where the door was and motioned. "Any time you want to leave, I'll be looking forward to those mines and your Special Forces troops..." She winked at the door, bringing her finger up towards the door and making a shooting motion. She made a click noise with a bit of sarcasm. "Any day."
She wasn't happy with herself, nor her situation at this point.

[member="Azrael"]

 

[Azrael]

Misogyny wasn't part of the Mandalorian culture. Some of the vode's best warriors were women, who could take apart any man that might think of them as weaker. Azrael had no quarrel with the notion that she was a capable and well trained fighter. He'd seen her prove it, which meant she was being treated like any other prisoner of the Mando'ade. Her reluctant and yet semi-willing attitude to be shipped off to the mine fields were not helping her case though. He understood pride, and he carried a fair share, but when you were beat, when you were captured, and when you no longer had a card to play, just blindly accepting fate when you could have a rational discussion still puzzled him.

He still hadn't stood, giving this woman a fair shake at trying to be reasonable, but she was moving dangerously closer to a line he would eventually cross. If her entire aim was to become one of their prisoners of war, well she'd get to that eventually. His cool grey-eyed stare rested on November as she moved about the detention cell. She was fairly beautiful, especially for a woman in her line of work. He figured there'd be more scars, more evidence of physical trauma in that kind of a profession. He hadn't determined her age either, but that was hardly the point of this at all. She'd given him just barely enough for him to stay interested in speaking like this.

"Answer me this. Why didn't you kill any of us? I'm sure you're capable, why did you hold back?"

[member="November Sinclair"]

 

[The End Narrator]

She took a deep breath and faced him, a slender eyebrow raising before she rolled her eyes and made a motion with her hand. "I hold no qualms with you personally, or your men. I respect the culture of the Mandalorians." She folded her arms across her chest. "You've never done me wrong, nor have you crossed me. In the end, you don't deserve death and neither do your men." She nodded and stood moving closer to the field, her arms remaining crossed. "I only kill those who deserve it unless the mission dictates it. This wasn't the case in this situation."

[member="Azrael"]

 

[Azrael]

Hands pressed to each knee-cap pressing forward as his form rose. Armored boots clipped a step ahead while he stood to face November, the energy field buzzing between them as he let both arms casually drop to his side. This one held a certain honor in her methods, and he could respect that in someone that was apparently looking out for themselves. Her situation was bleak at this point, but the saving grace was that she hadn't taken lethal force, and had understood when to surrender. For the time being he just gazed at her with a calculated interest while he chose his next words carefully. He knew what would happen to her when they docked, and while she had assaulted his men, she hadn't fulfilled her mission, and didn't do any permanent damage. That was something he would consider. Mandalorians weren't always known for mercy, but they respected honor. They lived by the Resoln'are, and they treated fellow warriors with the respect they deserved.

"Fair enough. I will give you this one time courtesy provided you vow right here and now, that you will -never- attempt a mission against the Mandalorians again. If you're offered the job, turn it down. You've got a bright future with those skills, don't waste it against us. If you do, next time, we will respond without restraint." Arms shifted folding in front of him to mimic her stance. He was offering her an out, but he wanted to her to fully grasp the situation. He could of killed her already, and they would of all slept well that night. This was a second chance, and he was hoping she was lucid enough to accept the deal, and be at peace with the Mando'ade. "Do we have an accord?" He asked, while he kept his gaze.

Everything hinged on what she said next.

[member="November Sinclair"]

 

[The End Narrator]

November took a breath and turned her head to the side. "I don't have much of a choice given the circumstances..." She chuckled softly and turned back to him. "Agreed." It was cut and dry, direct to the point. She liked that and could appreciate that from @Azrael. Mandalorians did have a great sense of honor when it came down to it...

 

[Azrael]

With the affirmation in the positive, Azrael gave a silent nod and stepped back from the field to deactivate the recording that his helmet had taken while seated on the bench. Levelling the buy'ce back onto his head and shifting it into place, he turned and gave an unheard command to his vode. The two patrolmen opened the door and stepped inside, rifles held to their chest. A single nod given between the Mandalorians and their Field Marshal. With that done, Azrael stepped forward and deactivated the energy field with a few taps to the control console to the right of the doorway. Both Mandalorians stepped forward to escort the prisoner to where Azrael had specified. On each side, the vode flanked November waiting for her to exit her cell and start with them. To the rear Azrael stayed, keeping close eyes on this one while they led her out of the detention center and to a right hand turn down the corridor.

"Come with us then." He admonished while taking step with their pace. She wasn't shackled this time, but Azrael was a quick draw if he had to be. If she decided to take action against them, it would nullify their former verbal agreement and all bets would be off. The sound of footfalls cascaded down the durasteel corridor, echoing in the distance like some kind of etheral drum beat. Doorways were passed, as they moved through the winding maze of hallways towards the starboard side of the vessel. Two more soldiers were stationed at a row of escape pods. Each one large enough for about two full sized adults. Each guard to the side of November stopped their movement and turned taking two steps back. Azrael moved forward to flank the woman as they both faced the escape pod. "We're approaching the planet Taris, it's rather urban, and has no shortage of docks and ships landing every second." Azrael said calmly. "It's still part of Mandalorian space, so as long as you don't cause trouble, you shouldn't have a problem finding a way to where you want to go from there."

His right hand outstretched indicating he wanted the woman to step inside the escape pod. The door of which remained opened while the armored vode stood alongside the door on each end, awaiting her to comply. Inside the pod at the rear, an assortment of her weapons and effects laid in a nice neat pile. The weapons themselves had not been tampered with, they had however been placed into a stasis field that would deactivate once the pod had jettisoned from the main ship. There were no coordinates to set, or a way to steer the pod, it was all controlled remotely, and would only allow her a one way trip to Taris, where she'd reach the planet safely.

"As long as you remember our deal, you're safe to do as you please. If we meet again, I hope it's on better terms." Azrael said, extending his hand to her this time, allowing her to see that he was offering amnesty from her crime in the form of a handshake.

[member="November Sinclair"]

 

[The End Narrator]

November looked at the hand with a bit of skepticism before she took it within her own hand and shook firmly. "I take it that you unloaded every cartridge before putting those in there, hmm?" She smirked and gave him a shrug. "No matter, as long as my stuff is in there, we won't have an issue and I won't be coming back." She had been bested, it was the first time in a while she had been and despite it all she wasn't upset...

Atleast not with him. She was angry with herself, but she would deal with that at another date. She let go of his hand and turned to the escape pod hatch and stepped in without another word. She hated these things, they were rather annoying in the end and could very well be the death of you if someone else had control and in this case, someone did.


[member="Azrael"]

 

[Azrael]

While the notions with dealing with people that they captured weren't generally to let them go, it was on Azrael that this decision was made. She'd shown restraint, respect, and agreed to the terms he set forth. If this had gone any other way, November would of either been dead, or been locked in their brig for a good long while. He didn't relish either of those options, but he wasn't above them either. She had been rather fortunate on this mission. Aside from not getting what she came for, she was leaving with life and limb intact, and all her gear as well.

Once November had situated herself within the pod, Azrael pressed his bionic hand against the outside door, peeking his head in for the moment. The weapon and armor cache sealed in the stasis field was clearly visible, and the weapons hadn't been discharged actually. They were simply out of reach until the pod ejected and she would be sent hurtling through space towards Taris. They were not yanking her chain, she was going to touch down without incident onto the planet, and from then on out she was on her own.

"That field will disengage once you're moving. Everything's accounted for. Now, hold tight and enjoy the ride." A double tap towards the door and it sealed the pod off. Dim red lights illuminated the interior of the pod as a countdown sequence initiated. Several metallic clicks later and the pod disengaged from the main freighter and fired off the first of a set of thrusters. Life support and gravity were calibrated for the launch, causing minimal jarring as the pod tore through space on a collision course with Taris proper. A porthole viewing hatch was available to see the descent, and true to their word the stasis field disengaged, allowing November full access to her gear.

There however was one surprise waiting for her inside, and that was a small cargo box that was situated on the other side. Inside the box itself was a set of stygium crystals. It wasn't a huge payload, but it was enough for something at least. She had gone through all that trouble to steal it, when all she needed to do was barter or pay a fee for the gems. Mandalorians weren't opposed to business arrangements after all. It was out of sheer respect for her that Azrael had arranged that little item for her. Within the box there was also a note. It simply read 'Mando'ad draar digu'.

[member="November Sinclair"]