General Mica Rexton stepped out of the sleek black military issued car and motioned for the driver to drive ahead. He straightened the cuffs of his uniform jacket, checking that the silver buttons were in order. The warm musky air of Parlera would take time to get used to, but he would only be here for a few days.
Keshtin, the capital of Xtavia, was where he needed to be. However, the Council had made the split decision to send him instead of Roman, the General of Vinearl. It was an urgent case Rexton had been willing to take. There was no saying no when the Council made up their minds and when he'd just taken up the role of head general. President Maxem had final say, but it was bad politics if Rexton decided he was above the Council.
He would have taken the opportunity anyway.
The failed mission was a mystery. Aspects of what he'd been told by President Maxem didn't add up. The Council and Maxem were eager to hear his report.
It was just another job he had to do.
He knew little about General Iza and his work in Parlera. The general had been assigned to base when Rexton was just entering training school. He didn't care much for politics which didn't concern Xtavia, but now that it was his entire job, it was all that mattered to the Council now.
He'd been appointed general three months ago after he'd successfully captured three escaped Mekiahs and a middle class demon. It had called for celebration and as a gift, President Maxem promoted him.
It wasn't a surprise. Since he graduated training school, he'd been climbing ranks to secure a spot at Maxem's favorite political tables. All he'd done had been for this and now that things were coming together, he couldn't relax.
He couldn't afford to take a break.
He felt pressured to work harder to keep his place amongst the elite. It wasn't easy being the one Remu to break out in a world run by Exteru. He knew how the circles worked in the Exteru society. They were easily distracted by new people and beautiful things.
But that doleful attention faded just as fast as it came on.
From the rumors he'd heard back at the Capital, he was going to find a new toy to keep the Exterus attention. Those rumors didn't help him much when it came to details, but he hadn't gotten his position by playing by the books.
He was escorted into the base by a guard and shown to General Iza's office. The base was in fine condition, nothing out of the ordinary, but most bases worked the same and didn't differ. He was relieved to find the guards well dressed and in proper position. He didn't want to reprimand the general before he even officially met him.
While this wasn't an annual check up, General Iza should be prepared to hear harsh and real feed back on his managing.
First impressions had been taught to him as the most important.
"General Iza is waiting for you, sir," the guard said. Mica barely looked at him.
"Perfect. I don't have time to wait." He narrowed his eyes at the back of the guard's head. The man led him further down the hallway.
He fought the urge to bypass the man. While his dominant traits had served him well in securing many social endeavors, it did prove to be a character flaw.
He inspected each new hallway as they passed, keeping a calm look about him.
This would be a breeze.
There wasn't a part of him that thought differently. How the placed looked now, he didn't see how he would have any problem winning over as top dog. There wasn't a person who didn't bend to his will after a few minutes with him. He wouldn't say it was a forceful act he put on, but he knew how to persuade when it was needed.
Like anything, he learned the set rules, played the game, and did everything needed to win. One could say he dealt with losing harshly, but really, even that, he could turn around in his favor.
They stopped outside the third door in the hallway.
The man opened the door. "Sir."
Mica gave him a sigh nod and entered the rom with graceful footsteps. The room matched his own back in Keshtin, down to the cool gray tones and the warm shades of brown. He felt a waft of cold air from the ceiling air vent.
His eyes roamed the room, taking in the two leather chairs placed in front of a desk and then the large desk chair behind it. The wall was bare except for an analog clock. The desk was neat with a stack of manila folders placed to the side, neatly pressed down with a metal paper weight.
From the room alone, he had the feeling this would be harder than he'd anticipated.
There were few people who saw through him. It was usually those who were as detached from the world as he was.
He sat in the leather chair on the left. It gave him a clear view of the room and the door. He crossed his legs and gazed at the man standing behind the desk.
A smile pulled at Mica's lips.
"Take a seat, General Iza. We have much to talk about."
The irritation was evident on General Iza's face, but he masked it well behind a stoic look. He was dressed well in his uniform, his hair slicked back from his face.
Mica leaned back in the seat and placed his arms on the arm rests. Iza looked him over with a peculiar gaze. Mica didn't react.
Iza followed the order after a beat of silence. He sat. He placed his folded hands on the top of his desk.
"This is unexpected, General Rexton. I wasn't aware there was a scheduled inspection."
Mica ran his fingers across the soft leather. The stitching looked to be by hand.
"It was scheduled a day before your last mission. I assumed you were notified accordingly. As I believe you already know, this isn't a norma inspection."
Iza nodded. "The mission—"
"The mission was a failure." Mica narrowed his eyes. "Do not sugar coat it. Your decisions are questionable and President Maxem is well aware of my feelings about this whole case."
Iza returned the stare. "And what are your feelings?"
Mica let the silence wash over the room. He stood, slowly pressing the front of his uniform down and walked toward Iza's desk. He stared at the man, his heart rushing with electricity.
"I have reasons to suspect neglect."
The words were sweet in his mouth. The anger and heat rolling off Iza fed into Mica as if he were plugged to a source.
The veins in Iza's neck flexed. He held everything in, but it was painted clearly on his face. Mica didn't understand why Iza even tried to hide his emotion when he was so bad at it. It was laughable to imagined this was a man sitting in a general's chair.
"My SWARM has shown great progress over the years. Our success rates are above average and not once has there been a problem inside the facility," Iza said. He leaned forward. "If you have doubt in my work, you have my blessing to go under and supervise just how my team is fairing. You won't be disappointed."
This is what Mica wanted to see. Like a captain trying to save his sinking ship, Iza was at a point where he had to make a decision: bend to Mica's demands or defend himself. For the first time in what felt like forever, Mica found a man who wasn't going to choose and while it pissed him off, he admired a fight more than a quick surrender.
Those who held out always dealt with loss in the worst ways. To see such a strong character break down to sniffling child was one of the greatest joys in life.
"Excellent, General Iza." Mica grinned. "There is something else we must discuss."
"Yes." Iza nodded. He pulled the first manila folder from the stack and opened it. "The analyzed reports have come back. It's as we suspected."
It was the first time Mica was hearing about any reports, but he wasn't going to let Iza know that. He wondered if President Maxem knew about these and whether he should be the first one to take a look. Though, he was the new general. He had no reason to not take a look.
Iza pushed the folder across the desk and Mica gathered it in his hand. The first page was a detailed report on what had happened the night of the mission from the time the SWARM had arrived on site and leading up to the demon encounter.
He scanned the first few paragraphs before he flipped to the next page. There was a chart and a forensic testing of the magic used. Most of the magic currents were normal and matched the Shadows and the Mekiahs. However, there was a second current that marked high on the scale. It was an inconceivable amount of magic that was toxic to any being located in and around the Veil.
This could only be by a high wielding demon, but even then, the amount of magic burned in the allotted time meant the demon had been between the Veil for over fifteen minutes.
The longest recorded time for a high demon was five minutes. Due to their strength, they burned too much energy to sustain their presence in the Veil. Somehow, this demon had found a way around the problem.
"A high demon is in Keshtin jurisdiction."
Iza nodded to the folder. "Yes, but he found something else."
Mica turned the page.
"Our newest Mekiah didn't survive the encounter. He was fried alive by the demon's magic current." Mica read the lines of data as Iza continued to speak. He stopped when he came across what he assumed Iza was about to mention. "Cassius is my SWARM's oldest Mekiah. He was the only one to meet the demon and not only did he survive, the demon made no attempt to attack."
"And you're sure about this?"
"He has no reason to lie. He knows well what will happen to him if he does."
Doesn't mean he won't.
The Mekiah were slaves, but they weren't dumb. They knew how to lie and deceive like any other being. To think otherwise would be plain stupid.
Mica flipped back to the first page. He read the resolution of the mission, pausing at Cassius's statements.
It matched what Iza was saying, meaning it was either true or the Mekiah wasn't as loyal as the general was letting on. Of course, Iza wouldn't admit such a fault. It would be suicide.
There were only a few courses of action Mica could take in this type of situation. This new information meant he had a new case, but it also meant there were legalities needed to be taken care of. With the surviving Mekiah in General Iza's possession, he would have to leap through hoops to secure a transfer.
Mica closed the file.
"I think it's time I met him."