Demon of War

Conferences

Levi was watching the news that evening when the special report came over, and his brother Robert was on the television making a statement about the incident the night before. He listened carefully as Robert accurately relayed the entire incident, and apologized for the part he played in it before he publicly announced that he was calling off the wedding, and was resigning from the St John Hotel Company. Levi was genuinely impressed his brother had it in him, and essentially had admitted to the crime he was accused of on television that could be played for the courts.

It however was more comical an hour later when Octavia had finally been released from jail to await sentencing, as it had been leaked before hand that she was being released and when. The reporters swarmed on her as the wanted her response to her engagement of a single day ending so publicly because of her actions. The shock on her face when she registered that he had left her high and dry impressed Levi, as he knew she was the one who had benefitted most from his imprisonment.

The next morning however when she and her father stepped up to the podium, she had gathered herself appropriately.

"We will not be taking questions today, and will only be making a short statement. Despite what many believe, my daughter has a specific history with the man she supposedly assaulted. While we admit that she took a plea deal to avoid unwarranted prosecution from the Imperial Government, we maintain she is innocent of the crimes she was originally accused of. As such, we will not.be issuing an apology to this man, and challenge any who think he has a rightful claim to come forward and do your worst. Thank you." Arthur St John said before the two of them walked off the stage away from the reporters as the hurled questions that went unanswered.

Levi picked up his phone, and Margaret answered almost immediately. "Yes sir."

"St John's group is to receive no further military contracts, and all Kinsington Hotels are out of bounds for military personnel. Business or Personal." he ordered as she began typing and than stopped.

"All of St. John's group sir?" she asked knowing they were one of the largest military suppliers in the world.

"In its entirety." Levi answered as she began typing again. "I will need an appraisal of their current contracts as well, and when the expire." he told her.

"That could take a few days sir." she replied.

"Fast as you can with as much help as you need." Levinreied before he hung up.

Arthur St John had just returned to his office nearly an hour later when his phone rang. It was his personal line, so there was no confusing that he knew the person. "What?" he demanded irritable as he put the Receiver to his ear.

"What have you done?" was the response immediately from the other end. General Victor Pierce had been his biggest ally in the Armed Forces, and had helped him evade many penalties from the Army over the year. He was relying on it again this time.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked as he sat down and poured himself a scotch. "I thought I handled it rather well." he had not expected the laughter in return.

"If you call being black balled from all Imperial Contracts moving forward handling business, we have a major f*****g problem Arthur." Pierce replied as Arthur choked on the scotch he had just sipped.

"WHAT?!" he shouted at the office door. "Countermand the order, you've done it before." Arthur pleaded quickly.

"I can't, I don't have the authority to countermand it. Only one person does, and I can already tell you what his answer will be." Pierce replied deadly quiet. "Who did you piss off recently?" Pierce demanded.

"Just some ex con named Levi-"

"If you finish that sentence with the last name Strauss we are going to have a very seriois problem." Pierce said cutting him off as Arthur went even paler than he had been. "Do we have an issue Arthur?" he demanded quietly.

"Yes." Arthur replied almost too quietly to be heard as their was an explosion of sound on the other end.

"Arthur, whatever it takes, you appease that man. If not, your finished in the Empire." Victor Pierce said deadly serious before he hung up.

The dial tone in his ear served as the final straw that broke the calm composure Arthur had conveyed up until that exact moment when he flung the scotch at the wall quickly followed by the phone.

For twenty minutes he destroyed everything in his office, knowing that his company was on life support. He ran to his secretary and demanded she halt trading of the company shares, hoping it would prevent a massive selloff if the news hit in the next few hours. Before she picked up her phone however a special bulletin was announced.

In the time it had taken him to destroy the office, the Military had released the report that St John's group would no longer be issued government contracts. The share price had already dropped 40 percent in seconds, and was in free fall despite the Securities Commission freezing trading on the Company stocks. The futures that could not be frozen were trading at a 90 percent loss from what they had been this morning, and Arthur St John froze and watched in horror as the speculation began about what had happened.

Octavia walked in at that moment, and he had to prevent himself from throwing the secretaries desk at her. "Daddy, you would-" she began putting on a hysterics show thinking everything was normal when she was cut off.

"BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE STUPID ENOUGH TO RUIN THIS ENTIRE COMPANY!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as she went sheet white.

"WHAT?!" she screamed back knowing half her money was tied up into her father's corporation. In response he pointed at the television that was still airing the predictions that within days the St John group would be worth nothing. Creditors would be lucky to get pennies on the dollar, as they began dissecting parts of the books that the market hadn't concerned itself with in years. She fell back into the chair behind her, as anger and fear filled her. The one thing that had been made extremely clear to her was that her ex-fiance was not someone to be trifled with. It was than that she found out her current fiance had very publicly called off the wedding, mere hours after the Announcement Party they had last night.

"How many times did I tell you, that you cannot just go and do whatever the hell you want in public?" Arthur asked his daughter as he had his own nest egg that would be perfectly safe from this disaster.

"How can that piece of trash do this? How can he wield so much power?" she wondered aloud barely hearing her father as she attempted to think of some scheme to get back at him.

"Who?" he demanded forcing his daughter into his destroyed office.

She looked around and sat in the one chair he hadn't thrown other than the one behind his desk. "Levi Strauss." she said through clenched teeth.

Arthur St John had not heard the name in 10 years, and felt a shiver up his spine when he did. He looked at his daughter with a look of bewilderment as he processed that his demise was mist likely caused by the man he himself had set the plans in motion to betray. "What does he have to do with anything?"

Octavia looked at him and threw away the pretenses of the stupid heiress. "I only slapped one person that night, and now everything is being destroyed because of it. Do the math daddy, Levi is somehow responsible for this." she said firmly.

"Not alone he isn't, from what I gathered he was here to meet with the General of Fort Huntington. us not even General Pierce can roll back the order that cut us off from-" he was saying when the door opened.

"Sir, an urgent fax came through for you." His Secretary Melinda said walking in to hand it to him.

Arthur ripped it from her hands and went even paler before he crumpled it into a ball and looked at her. "Melinda, as much as I hate to say this, send everyone home for the day. Tell them to think hard if they wish to remain, because IF we survive this it will take a miracle." he said before he threw the ball at his daughter who crumpled it and read that the Imperial Government was cutting all ties and terminating all contracts within 30 days.

Octavia waited for the door to close before she started throwing what could only be described as a tantrum as she finished the demolition of the once nice office. "How much would it cost to make him pay again?" she asked bluntly no longer caring about the consequences.

Arthur smiled as he remembered where he had come from, and who he had been before he went legit. "50,000 credits, same 4 who did him last time." he said as he pulled a phone out of his desk drawer and made a call.

Across town Levi had just walked into the Imperial City Government Office, for a scheduled conference with the city leadership. No one would know who exactly he was, as his cover was beyond discovery by mere civilians. Most of the Imperial Government would have any clue about his true identity as he walked into the offices in a other of his armored workout outfits.

"How can I help you?" the woman at the front desk asked him politely.

"I have an appointment with Mayor Germane." he replied simply as he approached the desk with a smile.

"Name?" she asked as a guard walked over.

"Identification papers, now." he demanded shoving Levi roughly.

Levi looked at him with his smile as he straightened his outfit as if it were an expensive suit. "Levi Daemon." he said as he pulled out his wallet and the guard grabbed it looking at the top identity card.

"Nice forgery, your coming with me." the guard said as the clerk looked amused at the results.

"I suggest you check again officer, otherwise there will be serious trouble you can ill afford." Levi warned him as the officer grabbed him and tried to drag him across the room.

Levi didn't resist at all as he was lead to the security office, and thrown into a cell before the guard walked away laughing. He shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out the phone they hadn't taken as he made a call to the number he had saved.

"This is Drake." the voice answered on the other line as it rang the second time.

"Come to the Imperial Government Offices and get me the hell out of this holding cell." Levi said simply.

"Levi?" Drake asked him.

"Save the number as just that, and come get me." Levi said as he heard shuffling.

"Give me 10 minutes." Drake said before the line went dead and he put his phone in his pocket.

Exactly 10 minutes later he heard the door burst open and slam against the wall, as it was clear whoever had opened it was pissed.

"What is the-" the same guard demanded rounding the corner as he had planned on coming to transfer Levi to the jail.

"Where is Levi Daemon?" the Chief of Police demanded as the guard went pale as he had not even made a report yet.

"Holding cell for vagrancy." the officer said pointing at the door.

"You dare accuse him of vagrancy? Detective Drake, release the victim from the cell and allow him to return to his duties. Officer Gallow, you are appropriately named today as you may as well head to the gallows. Let us go review this charge, and than determine if you will still be a guard of this facility." Chief Monroe said as the man went pale as the door opened.

"How about Ibassist with that Chief." Levi said just as the door opened. "By order of the newly appointed Imperial Governor, Officer Gallows is hereby terminated from ANY AND ALL Imperial Positions, and shall not be rehireable now or in the future. You may levy whatever charges you feel are appropriate, but I would start my investigation with corruption, and end at k********g and false imprisonment. I also want to know under whose orders the guards are allowed to accost guests of this facility in the manner I was. Now that you have stolen my wallet officer, I would like it returned to me immediately." he said as he walked into the hall and looked at the guard who was struck dumb by what he was hearing.

"MOVE!" Chief Monroe yelled a few seconds later when the man was still standing there.