Log:Array Consortium: Sion's Promotion

Sion's Promotion

Location: Serious Business, Nar Shaddaa Orbit
Participants: Sion, Adhar Gann

The captain awaits you in his office, sitting behind the desk; his expression is blandly neutral, his coat hung up. His summons, however, was priority.

Even Sion knows what priority means: She's there within minutes, still pulling on her jacket as she steps through the door into the ready room. The look on Adhar's face doesn't promise an easy conversation, but she steps up to the desk anyway. "You sent for me, Boss?"

"I'm going to give you a heart attack," he says, looking up from his monitors. "Effective immediately, you are acting first officer on board this vessel."

Sion blinks, taking an involuntary step back. "/First/ officer? But isn't that Bar'duur's position?" she asks, glancing around the ready room as if for a means of making a quick escape.

"It is," says Adhar, who reaches for a monitor on the desk and turns it around for you to see, and keys video.

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 unconcious, but otherwise seemingly unharmed. A voice is heard. "You can have them for a hundred thousand. Otherwise we will gain ou money in alternative ways. Wait for my instructions."

"So," says Adhar, "We are dealing with ambitious idiots."

Sion winces in sympathy with the two on the screen. "I guess that explains the temporary promotion," she murmurs. "And they might be idiots, but they've still got two of our people locked away Maker-knows-where. Any idea who these idiots are?"

"I've cracked the surface," Adhar says with a nod. "I know who kidnapped them, t least the gent specifically. We're going to give him a visit, likely bring him up here and put him in a suit with a ten-percent oxy load and let him dangle outside the airlock until he talks."

He's very flat saying these things - you know the way he is. Explaining methods of violence and terror as if he's explaining a cake recipe.

Sion's learned to deal with Adhar when he's in this kind of mood. Not that he doesn't creep her at least a little, judging by that slight hesitation before she speaks again. "I'm guessing you know where he is. What kind of visit are you thinking? A couple of us with backup, abduction by low-flying ship, or something less traditional?"

Perhaps he senses that hesitation, because he clears his throat and takes a breath before speaking again. "Yes. Well, I expect we'll hire his cab and have him take us to a location where we'll kidnap him there. Point-blank stun wave, you know. Sorry, I'm...very displeased with the situation, as I'm sure you can understand."

"Completely," Sion replies seriously, resting her hands on the edge of the desk and leaning down. Her posture isn't aggressive; it's more like she's steadying herself for the rest of the conversation. "Do you have a mission team in mind?"

"Atria, naturally," says Adhar. "A squad of her troops. You're welcome to join if you want. This will be largely a snatch-and-grab, unless I can actually get these jackasses to step back and give them to us without a fight."

"I'm fine with that, if I'm not too busy up here," Sion replies. "Someone has to get them there and back. And if they have to knock this guy out and get away with his vehicle, someone'll have to drive."

"Well," says Adhar, "I thought I'd handle that - disguise and all. But if you think that would be a poor decision, I'm listening."

"I'm a little more worried about him recognizing you, if you're in his cab," Sion replies. "You'd be close to him for at least a few minutes. But I barely know anything about disguise, so I might be completely off-base here."

"I can make myself look like an entirely different person," Adhar says. "But perhaps you're right. You're welcome to stun the man nd take his cab if you'd like."

"You're the boss, Boss," Sion replies. "Ultimately, it's your plan. I'll just back you up, if I can."

"I know that you will." He smiles. "Don't worry, you won't have to keep the job for long. Officially, he's still on a trip, so you're not going to have to answer any uncomfortable questions." That said, Adhar gestures to the door. "You're free to go, if you like."

"I'd better; I've got to check Bar's schedule for the day and get started with what he had in mind for the ship on this occasion," Sion says, wincing at the thought and turning for the door. "I'll be in touch."