Junction Pt. 04

I directed Director Cooper to keep you in the dark on that investigation, you were focused on those areas I needed you to be focused upon. Then you waited until the stocks tanked by a very large percentage without anyone showing interest.

Others bought into the other 10 companies as soon as they heard of the purchases being done of Sands and Phantom Corp. They followed your lead in other businesses.

You made it look like 4 separate parties were trying to buy into a bargain, the others were not as clever in that. At least as quickly. You were very clever, as you would pick up the existing patents they manufactured for a song as well.

Not counting their production facilities to work these new lines. Thank you for the explanation and your plans for those companies, Jace. Through explanation as always. Also the chance at another hidden or lost resource from this Area 51, from Sylvia of all people."

The King found that amusing. She built the weapon to kill her and educated him to aid the Gold Dragon King in more places than the battlefield. Jace was not out building weapons, just investing his holdings wisely and making tactical decisions.

Jace bowed and left the room to return to the conference that had not stopped in his absence. He was stopped by President of Grace Military Armaments, Alexander Grace, and he looked at Jace, "No fear of insider trading?"

Jace shook his head, "No. I did not invest in any of them until it was announced and even then, not for hours while the stocks tanked further. The Director was ordered to keep me in the Dark on the investigation, which he did.

I just spoke with the Gold Dragon King about why I made that move, including them being 2 of the 4 companies that were sending inquiries about me. It might have been 3. If the agent in the Marshal Service had not warned you about Corporate Sponsors in the police force, were going to be investigated.

Likely when the probe was launched and Elven assets moved to the ESS. I left it alone for now. It might surface in another investigation down the road. No telling what the new Director will do in this matter, or the director of the ESS.

If I were involved with it and could have proved it, then you would have made that list today. As I stated, I was not a part of that investigation or briefed on it. Other than my Marshal's would be pulled in for a series of raids in the city today. I found that out yesterday.

I was not in the briefing on which companies were on the chopping block. Not until I was briefed on the drive in this morning for covering this meeting as to what the names were revealed and where the Director wanted me in the room. I also don't run the companies I invest in.

I tell those that do run them the direction I would like to see them head. In the case of Judge Armaments, my voice carries significant weight. In the case of the mining companies, I decide on who I will let it do business with.

Your company is not on that list, because you tried to hunt me for your illegal activity. That I could prove if I chose to. But I leave the day-to-day stuff to those educated in those matters. I work on protecting the people and this City-State. All while making smart corruption-free investments."

Jace did not wait for him to respond. Instead, he returned to his seat and monitored the police band as the raids continued. He was down to 47 Million DC's in the holding company after those moves and still had 11 million in his main account, virtually untouched.

Those who were there and the news now had more information on Jace. They now knew what holding company he held assets within. Where he worked from and what law firms he used.

They would be warier of him going forward. Jace proved himself as someone who would come after illegal activity, directly, and now though buying into their companies. Which was exactly what Jace wanted to do to them.

He worked to get them to straighten out and fly right. Make them scared of his business prowess as well. He put 2 shots in at center mass today and those in the room knew that suit he wore was armor.

---

The meeting broke late but he had to deal with the press now as he walked out to one of 60 podiums that had been set up for the press.

Jace noticed that Xandra was in front of him. He sighed and nodded to her, "Ask your question Xandra?"

She glared, "How did you get so many DC's?"

Jace sighed, "Investments, bounties, and rewards for service. Plus the pay I get from the Marshal Service."

She shook her head, "I want amounts."

Jace smiled, "Everyone would like amounts. The fact is, how I do things is a trade secret, mostly. The one thing I do, that a lot of company owners do not do is bring in employee ownership, particularly in the mining industries.

That actually creates more productive workers because what they get paid goes up when we all succeed. We now have 38,494 miners working for DEEM or one of the subsidiaries, there are 4 subsidiaries, each with a given specialty focus."

Jace pointed to another reporter as he had given her 2 questions already. She just did not like the answers. This reporter was Bob Gail, one of her competitors. He looked at Jace, "Word has it you stole your miners from the Dwarves. The Dwarven Conglomerates have been making that accusation."

Jace sighed, "I rescued the miners in question, I had the evidence to back up declaring a humanitarian crisis. Answered and proven directly to the Minister of Defense at the time and later in the courts, as Director Cooper was out on vacation at the time having just married his second wife, Carla.

That information included a lot of illegal activity that the Sheriff during that time stored on a computer off of the weave, including all of the relevant high-stakes players. The previous leadership was already tried and convicted in this matter.

I just accessed the Weave and informed my lawyers to start legal paperwork on the new leaders for slander, not that they have much in the form of DCs with how heavily they were fined. After the miners were in the tent city in Grasonville is when I spoke with them.

I tend to look at things in a tactical sense. I knew the dwarves were keeping Marshals out of the area. They were frustrated at not being an entitled race in this City-State. I knew I would likely be forced to pull them out based on this information.

I set up a contingency to have places for them to continue to be productive members of this City-State and away from the dwarves who were treating them just above the standards of being slave labor. I established those companies for next to nothing the DAY I became a Commander over those wilds.

Including the mineral rights and the permits for the town as I had no labor force at that point, I just worked all of the relevant permits needed. It was a cheap investment to improve the lives of human miners if I found a humanitarian crisis in the Dwarven mines.

I suspected there were problems based upon the briefing I got on the problems they were likely facing. Then I found that server that documented it all in their own Sheriff's office I enacted the provisions for the humanitarian crisis. If everything had been above board and the miners were treated well, I would have wasted money in my efforts.

As it was we found stockpiles of illegal arms and all the proof of YEARS of wrongdoing being done to these miners. They have a better quality of life. Just as I did in the Avalon wilds with farmers when I contacted the Minister of Health.

When we found toxic levels of lead and got those issues addressed, after the attempted invasion of that area. I ensured this City-State and the human miners would not suffer if we were forced to take action. Just as I ensured that the pollution found in the Avalon wilds was resolved for our farmers and our food supplies.

I knew from Director Cooper's previous encounter with the Dwarves that a head-on confrontation was not desired at that time. I got those miners to Humanitarian Services to address the immediate needs of the miners. Then I gave them the option of returning to that environment or building something new in DEEM.

It is an acronym, but it also means 'To consider.' In this case to consider another option. To be able to live a freer life with a company they partially owned. Until they were relocated to 2 new border town tent cities, to begin with.

I paid them better wages while they waited and as though they were working in the transition. I also paid the City-State for the support they received after the initial treatment and immediate aid they were required to deliver.

I aided them in moving their accounts out of the dwarven bank. I spoke with them about a different future. Now they are starting to see that become reality. They are closer to the completion of the initial tracks of homes in those towns. The miners are becoming homeowners in the Wilds.

I backed the construction for the initial homes and infrastructure needed, including the 2 power plants required, one in each town feeding 2 mines each and now tied into that wild's power grid to help the other towns in that area. I invested in the people."

Bob tried again, "What can you tell us about the military bases to the south?"

Jace shook his head, "I can tell you to take up matters of military bases with the Minister of Defense or his press secretary, not me."

Terri Lova was who he pointed to next and she asked him a question completely off-topic, "Word has it your Sister-in-law signed a release to allow you to perform spinal surgery on her husband."

Jace sighed, "I won't go into my medical files, I am not about to go into Major Cooper's medical files. I am not a Doctor and I cut into nobody, well nobody in a surgery room. I am prior military and have cut into a few people to kill them.

As most in the upper echelons know, but I have not addressed it directly with the press my file lists me as a Mastro97A asset. This is known through the RECD, the Marshal Service, and now the public as it was made a part of my file at the Marshal Service.

I will never discuss specific missions with the press. I am under orders, Classified, Kings Eyes only on my service record. You have questions on those, and you are free to ask the King directly or his press secretary. I have been known as former Spec-ops and now you have a name to go with that.

Before you ask Mastro stands for Military Assassination, Sabotage, and Tactical Reconnaissance Operations. 97 is the percentage of the teams that typically die in those types of missions. I am the last survivor of the unit I was assigned to. Thus far, last I heard, I was the only one sent into one straight out of basic training."

He pointed to a different reporter he did not know. His system was still searched for a match for her face. She looked and asked, "Word has it, you have been instrumental in getting rape cases prosecuted."

Jace shook his head, "I was instrumental to see the evidence, and those responsible were brought before those who prosecuted those cases. I did no prosecution unless they resisted arrest and typically someone was trying to kill me. Then my Judge sidearm or my bow typically brought them down quickly. If you consider that being prosecution."

She smiled, "Clever dodge, but more rape cases have been prosecuted since you joined the Marshal Service."

Jace nodded, "They received orders from the Minister of Defence directly on that matter. That drove up the number of prosecutions. I enforce the law and work to capture the criminals and gather the supporting evidence.

In some cases, they have an outstanding death warrant from another City-State. Those are carried out immediately and to finality. Can I get your name? You are not in the San Angeles roster for being registered as a citizen of this City-State."

Jace picked up she was casting and he sent her flying with a telekinetic push through the crowd. The reporters cleared a path as she smiled, "I was told you were good. I had not been told you do facial recognition on everyone."

Jace put her in a telekinetic stock to hold her hands and neck in place. Jace started stripping off her clothes and gear which infuriated her, "You cannot hold this forever!"

Jace nodded and cuffed her hands together as he pulled them together. He pulled her jewelry as well and she fought hard to keep one ring on. Jace got it off and he now saw a White dragon in front of him based on his x-ray vision. He sent a message to the Gold Dragon King, "We have a White Dragon who infiltrated your Palace!"

She reverted forms and snapped Jace's handcuff. Jace put her into a circular force wall. She tried to break it including trying to hit it with a breath weapon on the side Jace stood. He reinforced the wall. Jace knew the palace was locked down for teleportation. This new threat worked to break through it when the Royal Guards arrived to take her into custody.

She sighed out and reverted back to a now naked human form. As Jace released her to the Royal Guards. The Minister of Defense came out and Jace collected up her belongings.

Jace sent the Minister of Defense an encrypted message, "Take it all, but that ring is something big as it hid her as being a dragon. It masked her as being an unknown human. No records in facial recognition. Not even X-rays revealed her as being a dragon in disguise until I removed that ring."

Jace received a message back from the Minister of Defense, "Draconic level non-detection. It is a rare item and crafted by a White Dragon. Likely her."

Jace now had reporters swarming him and he held up a hand, "As we all saw, a foreign dragon infiltrated the Palace. I have turned her over to the Royal Guards to deal with the matter. I do not have any other involvement in this fight.

I did not fight her. Not in a traditional sense. I just broke her concentration on the spell she was casting. Then I contained her long enough to get cuffs on her. Once she broke those non-magical restraints. I still did not know I was dealing with a dragon.

I put her in a force wall once she started casting, in a human form her abilities are much weaker. Trust me, she was in no danger from me, I could not say the same about me being in danger from her. I also never pulled guns on her."

Jace walked away and got to his vehicle and cleared it of tracking devices and explosives and left those with the Royal Guards in the Parking Garage. Jace sighed, "Text on this sent to the Minister of Defense. I am predicting a lockdown will occur."

Jace got into his vehicle and headed for home. Coop contacted him as he was half-way home when the news broke about a foreign Dragon in the Royal Palace. Coop sighed, "Way to deflect your ability to capture her. Her being in human form made her weaker, has that ever been proven?"

Jace laughed, "I don't know. Anyone who is going to challenge a dragon about that is likely to end up dead instead of reporting the news. There is only one Royal family of white dragons and they are number 83 on the RECD list. I have no idea as to what she wanted from me. She is in bigger trouble than I am by being in the Palace. Yet she acted as if she knew me."

---

The Gold Dragon King was face-to-face with his prisoner, "There is no record of you in ColDaro.

She nodded to the Gold Dragon King, "You would be correct, thus far I am right where I need to be."

The Gold Dragon King sighed, "Where is that exactly?"

She smiled, "Get a sample of my blood. You will not find any genetic markers for species 874 or human in my bloodwork. I am much older than you, I have just been in stasis for a very long time. I was not born with the virus the rest of you contracted, or should I say...I managed to get rid of it.

I am a geneticist. Under Article 122 of the RECD code you are required to confirm this fact and notify the RECD, I am the last daughter of TriMarka. I was held in stasis for a long time by species 874. The loss of the genesis stations called me into more direct action.

They were working to undo the research done by Vinina Xorlosa and her psychotic twin daughters who released it, not turning you into Ki batteries. That is dragon paranoia and I am proof of that being reversible.

They were monitoring Jace, as I have since he went into training at 16 from a base in The Deep. Your people have confirmed I have no Ki units or any tech installed other than a Species 874 tech filament hooked into a crystal to allow me to communicate directly with them. I am all caster. That is the last question I will answer until I stand before the RECD.