Act 02: Obligations to the Clan

[Captain Larraq]

Myrkr Campaign
Act 02: Obligations to the Clan


It was cold.

He was cold.

It was dark.

Why was it dark?

Rygel Larraq slowly opened his eyes. Blinding light assaulted his retina and he closed them reflexively. He blinked again and again, slowly adjusting his eyes to the brightness of his surroundings. Before him he saw a blank, grey wall dominated by a mirror. In the mirror, he saw the reflection of another blank grey wall, a thick, metal table, a pair of thick, metal chairs, and himself. Naked.

Almost anyway. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. <That explains why I'm cold.> Larraq thought briefly before trying to stand. He failed to move however, as resistance at his ankles and wrists held him fast to the chair. He glanced down and saw a pair of metal cuffs holding his legs to the chair. Wiggling his wrists, he could only assume that his wrists were bound together by a similar pair of cuffs. The chain between the two cuffs could be moved a little, but it must be running through a loop at the back of the chair, near the small of his back.

If the pain in his shoulders was any indication, he had been like this for quite a while. His eye trained for studying metals and alloys used in ship and vehicle construction, Larraq instantly recognized that the cuffs and even the chair itself were made of solid Beskar. Meaning he was a prisoner of one of the clans.

The question was why.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq's eyes searched the length and breadth of the wall for any details that could help him identify his captors. He scanned the floor and the ceiling, as much as he could see. He stared at the reflection of himself and the room in the mirror, hoping that he would find the slightest detail that could help him to identify who was detaining him, or even better... a way to escape. But his eyes saw nothing but his own reflection. The room was bare and the faceless mirror staring back at him was oddly unnerving. He knew that someone was on the other side of that blank, faceless sheen. Someone was watching him, he knew it. They also clearly knew that he was awake. The fact that he wasn't already being questioned meant that was likely considered an important prisoner. Someone had likely gone to tell their superior that their prisoner was ready for interrogation. Which meant that he would most likely be forced to wait in silence for the unnamed senior officer to take his or her sweet time getting down to the bottom of whatever facility he was being held in.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Where many would have simply began yelling at the faceless mirror and demanding to be released, Rygel Larraq simply leaned back into the chair, closed his eyes, and waited. In the end it took several minutes. He had no way of knowing exactly how many minutes had past in his featureless room, but his best guess was that nearly half an hour had passed before they finally began asking him questions. “Name. Rank. Serial number.” Came the questioning of a disembodied voice through speakers inlaid into the four corners of the ceiling. It was the simplest, most basic question a miliary representative could be asked or expected to answer. It at least told him that the people interrogating him were professionals. They were also likely a very militant organization. At the very least, he now had a significantly shorter list of clans to work through as he attempted to identify his captors.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Under the basic code of military conduct adhered to by most... if not all of the major military organizations of the galaxy, Rygel Larraq was required to answer the question. He had little choice but to comply. Not that answering the question would give his captors any answers they did not already know. If they had his pants, then they had his wallet. More so, if his groggy memory could be trusted, the last thing he remembered was drinking with a handful of women at a club on Adumar. Assuming the woman had been his captors, or that a third party had drugged them all and simply picked him from the group, then they had known who he was and targeted him from the beginning. “Rygel Larraq. Captain. Clan Dem'adas Navy. Serial number 526-415-74-542.” Larraq said in compliance with his captor's question. His hands twisted gently against the restraints behind his back. Too tight to pull his hand free, but loose enough to not threatened circulation in his hands. Even if he dislocated his thumb, Larraq doubted he could get his hands free of the cuffs.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As Larraq's mind analyzed his situation and the implications, the mystery voice asked its next question. “What is your current occupation?"

Simple, strait forward, and technically one that he had already answered. Larraq had been trained to deal with interrogations and had a pretty good idea of where the line of questions would lead. The real question would be the intent of those that had captured him. The most likely goal would be to hold the head of one of the largest Mandalorian corporations hostage for ransom or to charge Larraq with treason for one reason or another. And while he couldn't think of any particular reason why he would be charged with treason, he was sure that someone out there could think of plenty of reasons for it. Though, truth be told, he was almost hoping the reason for his capture ended up being for ransom. He'd probably end up offering to sign the check himself and just get it over with.

There was always more money to be made.

“Captain. In Clan Dem'adas's Navy.” Larraq said at last. While he was sure that his captors knew full and well that he owned Mandal Hypernautics, that was not a piece of information he had any of intention of simply 'handing over'.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Are you or are you not CEO of Mandal Hypernautics.” Came the immediate response from whomever hid themselves behind a plate of glass. Had he not been handcuffed to a chair wearing only his boxers in a dark, sealed room at an unknown location, he'd have found their response quite humorous. He may even have laughed. But today, he gave a simple and straightforward answer. “I am.” He said, wanting the exchange to be over and done with as quickly as possible. It was unfortunate that the line of questions had yet to reveal any answers for Larraq. His captors could have known who he was all along and orchestrated his capture because of who he was... Or they could just have easily grabbed him off the street, snagged his wallet, and looked his name up on the holonet.

Though, to be fair, the second type of captor would be unlikely to possess such a secure location to interrogate him. <No.> Larraq thought to himself, <These people had to have known who I am. They targeted me for this.> The next question that Larraq needed to find out was why.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Before Larraq could dwell on that question, the disembodied voice spoke once more. “Why has Anija Ordo been placed in charge of Mandal Hypernautics?”

The question caught Larraq off-guard. More importantly, it worried Larraq quite a bit. It implied that his captors were sure as feth not interested in a ransom, but in himself. It meant that they knew, at the very least, the details of his company's organization and had taken issue with either the company itself or in the way Larraq ran it. Or... in one of the deals he had made. The first to come to mind was a recent deal with the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Even with the threat of a fledgling Sith Empire on the other side of the galaxy, the Republic and the Mandalorians were not exactly on the best of terms. And yet, in spite of that, he had brokered a deal with the Hutt Chancellor and provided the Republic with advanced ships and technology to combat the Sith. And he'd done it in exchange for a few rocks. Phrik or not, he had done it for rocks.

“Because I'm on vacation.” Larraq said at last, being evasive and short on purpose. He needed as much time as possible to figure this situation out before his captors got to their final line of questions. Whatever he had done that needed to be answered for, Larraq needed to answer that question very, very carefully.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What was Anija Ordo's previous occupation.” Asked the voice. Larraq's eyes scanned the plane of glass that stood between himself and his captors as he searched for any sign of movement or discoloration that might betray those seated on the other side. "She was an Engineer.” he said calmly. It was a simple and direct answer. One of the first that he'd given. Well, besides his serial number. The question itself was curious. He leaned back in his chair and waited to see where they were going with this line of questions. As far as Larraq could figure, they had no reason to be interested in the temporary head of a company when they had the CEO in their basement. Were they only interested in Anija, they would have simply called him in for an official meeting and asked him these questions in a bit more formal of a setting. Somehow, whatever he had done, whatever he had gotten himself into, he had implemented Anija Ordo it it as well.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq wasn't given the time to contemplate what he could have possibly implemented Anija in before the next question was asked. “Why was Anija Ordo placed in charge of Mandal Hypernautics?” Came the disembodied voice from the other side of the glass. “I knew she could handle the responsibility.” Larraq said truthfully. The woman had a great deal of potential and Larraq had chosen to place her in charge so that she could discover for herself what she was capable of. That, and she would never have asked for it. Meaning that she was the least likely to try and grab power and run with it.

“What is your current relationship with Anija Ordo.” The voiced asked quickly. The question caught Larraq by surprise and he had to fight against his instincts to supress the smile that tried to play across the corner of his lips. “There is no relationship. She is my employee.” Larraq said calmly. He could see where the assumption came from. Young, attractive woman gets hired, works her way up, and gets put in charge while the boss takes a vacation. Who wouldn't assume that the woman was sleeping with her boss? In truth, that was one of the reasons he had chosen her. It would be a simple matter for his competition to assume the CEO of Mandal Hypernautics was having a bit of fun on the side. And for Anija... the accusations would just drive her harder to prove herself.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Why did you hand over your company to Anija Ordo?” The voice asked, clearly trying to understand the line of thought that Larraq had gone through so many months ago. The fact that they were asking it a few moments after he had finished thinking about the subject forced a smirk to the side of his lips. They were still a step behind him.

“Because I trusted her.” Larraq said calmly, waiting for the inevitable follow-up question to be asked.

“Why did you trust Anija Ordo with your company?” The voice asked, as predicted.

“Because I knew she would hand the reigns back to me when my vacation was over.” Larraq answered as he leaned back against the chair that held him. It was an honest and simple answer. But it was probably not the answer they were looking for. So far, nothing they'd asked and none of the answers he'd provided went beyond what could have been achieved by simply calling him and asking these questions directly. Which meant that they were holding something back... Or just leading him into it. Either way, he had to prepared for that line of questions, whatever it happened to be.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq stared at himself in the reflective glass wall in front of him. <Do I really need to be in my underwear?> Larraq thought to himself as he tried to get into the head of the person interrogating him. <Why take my clothes at all?> He wondered. Were they trying to humiliate him? Or just make him uncomfortable... Either one could be useful in an interrogation.. <But... Why leave the underwear?> Was it for his sake, or theirs?

“Was Anija Ordo the only employee you could trust with such a task?” The voice asked as Larraq stared at himself. "No. There were others.” He responded absently, still trying to figure out why he was in his underwear for this. Perhaps staring at a naked man strapped to a chair would have made his interrogator uncomfortable. If that were the case, it wouldn't necessarily mean that his interrogator was male or female... It just meant that the person on the other side of the glass wanted to make him uncomfortable, but didn't want to have to stare at his reproductive organs in the process.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Why did you choose Anija Ordo over your other employees?” The voice asked. It was a fair question. But again, it was one that he had been thinking about before it had been asked. “Because she didn't want the job. And I knew she had great potential... She just needed the opportunity to shine.” He said as his eyes locked with the eyes of his reflection. He tried to see himself through the eyes of whoever had captured him. A man in his twenties... fairly young... moderately attractive... wealthy... and fit. He was as fit and well-trained as any Mandalorian. True, there were others that could put him to shame... but he was fit all the same.

The person had the power and resources to capture him... and had the resources to lock him away in this room... and had chosen to strip him down to his underwear. And was asking him about Anija Ordo. <Wait...> Larraq thought to himself as a realization dawned on him. <They asked me to identify myself... But have only been asking about Anija since then.>

“Why do you care if Anija Ordo lives up to her potential?” The voice asked.

<Kark.> Larraq thought to himself. <What did Anija do?>

“Because she is from Clan Ordo. If she is anything like the rest of her family, she would be a valuable asset.” Larraq said, trying to make the woman sound impressive. Whatever she had done, someone thought it was worth kidnapping the CEO of Mandal Hypernautics, the Mandalorian who had killed a planet, to get answers. And that was not good.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What do you know about clan Ordo?” The voice asked. For a moment, Larraq was unsure of himself. <Where is this going?> He asked himself silently as he became more and more sure that this interrogation had little or nothing to do with himself. “As much as anyone else." Larraq said as he tried to recall the current political status of the clan. In reality, he had little to do with the clan beyond his interactions with Anija. The clan tended to favor MandalTech products, so he really had little to do with them. "They are lead by Jasper Ordo... They are great warriors and competent engineers.”

“What is your current relationship with clan Ordo?” The voice asked. Larraq was about to complain that he had just explained that, but quickly realized that he had been thinking about the same subject just a few moments before. “I have nothing to do with clan Ordo." He answered truthfully. "They tend to prefer MandalTech products.”

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Have you ever met Jasper Ordo?” The faceless voice behind the glass asked. For the first time since the interrogation began, Larraq had to think for a moment before he was able to answer. "Possibly." He said at last. "I've met a lot of prominent Vod. Nothing comes to mind though.”

“What is your affiliation with Jasper Ordo?” The voice asked, continuing with the line of questions. Larraq wracked his brain for a possible answer. “There is no affiliation that I can think of." He said at last. "Though, we may have tackled a few projects together from time to time.” For the life of him though, he couldn't recall having ever had any major involvement with the man or the clan that called him chief.

“What is the extent of your business dealings with Mandal Tech?” The voice asked, and Larraq became concerned. Anija Ordo, Jasper Ordo, the entire Ordo clan... and now MandalTech? Whatever his captor was after, so far it had nothing to do with him. “I've purchased a few of their products. Sold them a few of my own. We may have worked together on a project or two, but I'd have to check my records to be sure.” He said as he sat cold, alone, and mostly naked strapped to a cold metal chair in a featureless room.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Flexing the muscles in his arms, Larraq felt the handcuffs on his wrists bite into his flesh and strain against either end of itself. They were obviously Beskar. “Why are you asking me these questions?” Larraq asked as he stared into the blank reflective wall in front of himself.

“We will be asking the questions Mr Larraq.” The voice said after a moment's pause. Whoever was on the other side of that window was a Mandalorian. And for some reason, they had taken offense with Clan Ordo. That much was obvious. What wasn't, was why the feth they had kidnapped The Slayer of Dromund Kaas, locked him in their basement, stripped his clothes, and spent the better part of the last twenty minutes asking him about various members of the clan and his involvement with them.

“When was the last time you saw or spoke with Jasper Ordo?” The voice asked, as calm and emotionless as always. Larraq couldn't even place a species or gender to the voice. Which meant that it was being filtered by some computer program or another. Which... meant that whoever was on the other side of that window didn't just want to be anonymous, but that they thought Larraq might be able to recognize their voice. Meaning that whoever it was... Rygel Larraq had met his interrogator before.

“I'm not sure. I'd have to check my appointment calendar.” Larraq said as he stared at the two-way mirror and whoever was hidden behind it.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What do you know about Jasper Ordo's current whereabouts?” The voice asked.

It was a startling question. Jasper Ordo was a Field Marshal. Jasper Ordo was the Chief of his clan. <Is he missing?> Larraq thought to himself. He wanted to ask the question aloud, but knew that it would only sound snarky and would likely implement him in whatever the feth was going on. “I don't know. I don't keep tabs on the man.” He said, trying to keep the answer appear quick and natural.

“What do you know about Jasper Ordo's current political affiliations?” The voice asked

<And how the feth am I suppose to know that?> Larraq wanted to say. Instead, “Nothing. I don't keep tabs on the man.” is what came out of his mouth.

“What do you know about recent events on Coruscant?” The voice asked, apparently switching topics. Larraq was now very curious as to what the feth Jasper Ordo had been upto that required Larraq's kidnapping and interrogation as to his possible whereabouts... but apparently they were moving on.

“Last I heard, the Republic got pushed off the planet. Something about a surprise attack from Sith.” Larraq said honestly. He really didn't pay much attention to the Republic or its problems. They didn't purchase many of his products, so he had little reason to care about their inability to secure their borders.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What is your knowledge of current Sith activities?” The voice asked... Apparently the topic of discussion had moved on to the Sith. Had something new happened at Coruscant while he had been on vacation? Whoever this was... They were very interested in the activities of Jasper Ordo... to the point of taking issue with the clan as a whole and all of its members. Not to mention taking interest in the business dealings with MandalTech. And now they wanted to talk about Sith.

“I routed a Sith Fleet at Dromund Kaas." Larraq said, meaning the recent encroachment by the New Order on Mandalorian borders. Larraq had done his part for the clans by leading the Naval engagement and then quietly slipped back to Mandalore to continue the demanding process of running his business. "The rest of the clans continued the assault past Mandalorian borders and crushed their capital. I haven't heard any new news about Sith activity in this part of the galaxy." He explained. "I heard second-hand reports of Sith popping up on the far side of the Republic, but I don't have agents operating that far afield. So... All I know is that the Republic is having a hard time with the... What was it? 'One Sith?'"

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What was your involvement in the recent raid on Aeten II?” The voice asked, finally asking a question that he could actually answer.

“I have some resources operating in that area." He said calmly, wishing he had a cup of coffee held between his hands, and that he could hold his hands comfortably in his lap... instead of being chained to a frelling chair. <Do I really need to be naked for this?> Larraq thought to himself for a brief moment. "A hostile fleet showed up and I made my way to the system to protect my investments. But they were destroyed long before I arrived.”

“At any point during that incident did you communicate with Aynea Savan Xyhn?” The voice asked.

“Yes.” Larraq answered simply, momentarily concerned by the new direction of questioning. Apparently, his interrogators attention had finally found its way to Larraq and his past.

“Did Aynea Savan Xyhn inform you of her suspicions as to the forces behind the attack?” The voice asked.

“Yes.” Larraq said, once again being brief in his answer. Whatever his interrogator was after now, he had to be very, very careful with his wording. Or else he may find himself in a great deal of trouble.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Did you or did you not order her to remain silent on the matter?” The voice asked. Of course he/she would ask that.

“I did.” Larraq answered, knowing what the next question would be.

“Why did you order her to remain silent as to the true identity of the aggressor?” The voice asked, as predicted.

“At the time we believed war with the Republic to be inevitable." Larraq said after taking a deep breath and desperately wanting a cigarette. "We also had little evidence that the New Order of Sith was anything more than another shattered imperial remnant. I knew that the event could spark the Mandalorians into launching a first strike that could be the decisive blow in the coming war with the Republic.”

“At the time, did you have any personal or professional dealings with a Sith?" The voice asked

“No." Larraq said, fighting hard against the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. "To the best of my knowledge, I have no contacts that are Sith.”

 

[Captain Larraq]

“What is your relationship with Rave Merrill?” The voice asked, switching topics quite suddenly.

“Relationship?" Larraq said quizzically. "She's one of my best customers. She purchased a contract to supply about seven worlds with hundreds of thousands of droids, walkers, ground speeders, and other products. Landed me a small fortune at the time.” He explained honestly. He was certainly fond of the woman. But he wouldn't go so far as to consider it a relationship.

“Did you or did you not provide Rave Merrill with several hundred tons of Beskar plating?” The voice asked.

<Oh feth.> Larraq thought for a moment. What he did with his company's resources was his business, but selling or giving away Beskar was generally frowned upon quite severely. Especially in large quantities. "Yes..." Larraq answered, knowing that trying to lie about the issue would likely be suicidal at best. "She was a valued customer that approached me about retrofitting a personal ship of hers. I wanted to show her the value Mandal Hypernautics placed on her business.”

Was this what Jasper Ordo had done to attract the attention of whatever... chief was on the other side of that door? Had he sold someone a large quantity of Beskar? Was it a Sith?

It would explain why he was being interrogated... and now that he thought about it, he was absolutely positive that whoever was on the other side of that glass was a clan's Chief. The only real question left was 'which one?' It sure as feth wasn't the Mand'alor himself. This wasn't his style. He'd have been in the room with him for this. And Larraq would have been wearing his clothes.