Axon Kronstadt
Conzec (but unclear: records which might
show a different status are not available), 45, a coming "power"
in The Quadrant and threat to both the Quadrant Establishment and the Underground.
It is rumored, that as a teenager growing
up in the stops of the Outer Boardz during the Great Purges, Kronstadt joined
the Tusks gang and quickly rose through the ranks becuase of beatings he
inflicted on rival gangs. When the Tusks turned up on the winning side as
the Purges ended, he and many of his cohorts were offered employment as
Enforcerz.
At sixteen, Kronstadt apparently terminated
formal schooling and moved into his own Stop on Recon 5. For several years
he performed his duties as an Enforcer, and at twenty one, left the force,
"moving up" to a two-bedroom Stop on Recon 4, apparently through
a connection with an offpattern syndicate then known as "the Bond"
(controlled by the notorious Narloff brothers). Rewarded by the Narloffs
and others for his willingness to perform certain "assignments"
involving the use of lethal force, he soon had the means to maintain his
own mistress, a certain would-be singer, Karla Montille.
After a few years of apprenticeship, Kronstadt
used his growing network of personal contacts to provide himself with employment
in various divisions of the Quadrant Establishment, always cultivating a
reputation for "getting the job done," no matter what. He dutifully
served his time in such divisions as QuadOps, the Quad Information Bureau,
Quad Services, even the Purse, all the while learning more and more about
the inner workings of The System, and discovering much about the Quadrant
Elites and their "personal" habits.
Through the years, Kronstadt built up a secret
network of informants and operatives, headed by his long time "assistant,"
Uskar Weemer. Weemer's spies were everywhere, and they brought back to Kronstadt
all they saw and heard.
By the time of Bard Rammel's ascendancy to
the Directorship, Kronstadt was ready to make his move. Realizing that he
would never be allowed into the inner circle of the Q unless he forced their
hand, he blackmailed certain Privates who feared the knowledge he held.
In return for his continuing silence, he demanded their support for his
own candidacy to become the Director.
Though many Privates were initially shocked
by Kronstadt's crude methods, some felt that the "ends" would
justify these means: The backlash from the Great Purges (demoralizing the
younger generation), worsening conditions on the Outer Boardz, demonstrations
demanding more resources for the poor, the troubles in Downshaft,and
increasing Underground activity, were all constant irritants. The solution
was Kronstadt's promise to wield an iron fist in response to all the growing
unrest and thereby bring order and stability back to The Quadrant.
As Kronstadt's telelection machine rolls into
high gear, many of the Elite perceive there is a real chance that he will
win the Directorship, the ultimate seat of power and authority in The Quadrant.
However, more than a few also fear that once he gains this power, he will
never willingly relinquish it.