Log:Array Consortium: The Ransom

The Ransom

Location: Serious Business, Nar Shaddaa Orbit
Participants: Siya, Bar'duur, Adhar Gann

More mail to go through. Lovely.

Adhar, sitting at his desk on board the Serious Business, goes through a sheaf of files transmitted to him via public accounts. More of the same, really. Bills, docking and loading invoices, the monthly payment for the Hutts allowing the Business the privilege of staying in orbit safely outside Nar Shaddaa's planetary shield. That last one remains one of the highlights of his month - not because it's a bill, obviously, but what it means. He likes that the Consortium is dangerous enough to need to be kept outside of something. Sign of moving up in the world.

And then there's this next file. No origin address, the headers stripped off - no viruses or whatnot attached, and no text. Just the flat video. He spools it up, watching it through one of the monitors built into his desk. Plays it again. Then a third time - and each time he does, his face seems to harden until it feels like granite. Frowning does that for you.

The video is of Bar'duur and Siya being dragged while unconscious through a dark tunnel and shoved unceremoniously through a metal door. The video turns around to look into the dark cell of the two lying on the ground unconscious, but otherwise seemingly unharmed. A voice is heard. "You can have them for a hundred thousand. Otherwise we will gain our money in alternative ways. Wait for my instructions."

Adhar watches it a fourth time, and it's only now that the urge sparks in his heart - the ugly, burning sensation that rises inside of him like bile. Violence wants to be loosed, even as he pushes it down inside of him. Not his friends. Not on his watch. Whoever did this, naturally, will pay.

Then he gets up, pulling on his coat, and puts the antique Coruschal 8mm in its holster under his arm, nestled against his ribs. The one with the incendiary rounds. For a moment he wonders if whoever's responsible will regret their actions when they're on fire. Assuming that's happens. They'll die screaming, though.

He alerts Sion and the latest bridge rotation, informing them that he'll be heading to Nar Shaddaa. Time to visit the Little Secret. Someone's got to know something down there.