Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 13 (Patreon)

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In the end, Cheng agreed to my proposal with the caveat that she be allowed to leave service to reclaim her throne. I had no qualms with that as I wanted her Silver Shields to be the first generation of a army I was envisioning to build. Their skills and training would have been institutionalized by then and there really wasn't no reason for me to keep most of them by then. Speaking of institutions, selling their services to others wouldn't be a hard sell.

They had the heir of the last ruling family at their head, their skills as soldiers are without question. Couple that with the weapons my guys were going to be fielding then boom, I was going to have free marketing. Until then, they were going to be on stand-by until I would sort things out quick namely, explaining to my dad that I had now secured a private army. That and a street urchin.

But getting to him was going to be hard, considering that Atlas had decided to turtle up. It wasn't hard to see why considering the disaster that was spreading all over the CCT net.

"Tango, this is ANS Solitan Victory. You are entering Atlesian airspace, respond, over." An authoritative voice spoke up.

I leaned in, taking the pilot's ear piece to my own. I responded. "ANS Solitan Victory, this is RIB1757, requesting permission to land."

"RIB1757, incoming flights into Atlas are grounded for the meantime. Return to international air space, over." ANS Solitan Victory replied. Atlas really was taking stock of this entire thing, weren't they?

My lips went thin. "ANS Solitan Victory, this is Alexander Wayland. Again, I am again requesting permission to enter Atlas."

The line went silent for a moment before the airship responded. "RIB1757, stand-by."

And with that, I leaned back to wait, the ship no doubt communicating up the line about my request. Emerald was in the back and passed the fuck out alongside Land. I saw no reason to disturb their sleep and went up to the cockpit, glancing outside. Atlesian airspace was always busy but now the Air Fleet was out in full force. Well, mostly the heavy status symbol ones. I had little doubt that the backbones of the Fleet were out engaging the Creatures of Grimm. Grimm activity had spiked from the negativity of the SDC mine blast. News pundits had claimed that a fire had accidentally started by a Faunus and by God, they were very adamant about it. The White Fang did not take this lying down, accusing the SDC that it was their fault it happened citing poor mining conditions.

Personally, I was with the Fang on that. I was quite sure that the SDC canonically had a blaise attitude regarding work conditions for its workforce.

My thoughts were interrupted as the communicator pinged. "RIB1757, you are cleared to re-enter Atlas. Corvette C130 will escort you for the duration of your flight. Acknowledge, over."

I sighed in relief. "Acknowledged, Solitan Victory. Thank you."

And with that, the line was cut and a air ship thrice the size of mine went into view. I returned the communicator back to the pilot and went back to my seat, thinking.

If there was a better time to be an arms dealer, it was now.

An hour later, our ship landed and as always, with a shudder. A shudder that woke up Land.

"...Hngomg," the Doppelsoldner muttered, glancing around.

"We're back home, old man," I smirked at him.

He groaned, his head throbbing. "Fucking hell." He later bit his lip as a little girl's muttering joined him.

"Mngh..." Emerald muttered, shifting on her seat. We turned to look at her, sleeping peacefully and without worry.

"Land, would you mind taking Emerald and have her sleep in my room? Tell the maids to be there to attend to her too," I said, going forward to exit the ship.

"Why me?" he muttered, rubbing his head.

"Because I have to report back to my father," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine," Land grumbled as he undid his seatbelt and poked Emerald. "Oi, kid. We're going."

Emerald did not respond, still sleeping like a log.

I grinned. "Looks like you're carrying her."

"Fucking..." He sighed. I left, chuckling as the old mercenary wondered how the hell he was going to approach his problem. As I walked outside, I glanced up towards the sky. The last time I remembered seeing this much activity was in clips I saw of V7 and V8 in the show. Well, with some steering and luck, Atlas wouldn't have to do that in the future. I turned my gaze away, looking forward to get back to my father.

And I found him in his office, seated on a comfortable chair with a literal bowl of popcorn in his hand. His attention was affixed to the television, teeth crunching popcorn. I walked up to his side, my attention affixed there as well.

"We are now live in the Council Chambers where President and CEO of the Schnee Dust Company Jacques Schnee is answering questions from the Council," the newscaster reported. In the background was the Atlesian Capitol Building, a traditional contrast compared the the futuristic skyline. Behind him, crowds of protestors were waving banners and placards. There were many faunus which were to be expected but there too were humans, yelling and demanding answers.

"I am your reporter, Towne Cryer with Atlas News Network. Right now, I am joined by Atlesian Trade Union representative, Hoffa Reed and White Fang Representative, Kali Belladonna. Both are here to comment on the ongoing situation."

At that, the screen shifted as both people appeared on screen. Hoffa was a slightly rotund man clad in a thick coat to protect him from the cold. Kali was Kali, her Indian style clothing exchanged to be more Atlesian.

Towne asked his questions. "Mister Reed, what do you have to say regarding this affair?"

Reed nodded, clearing his throat. Reed replied, his accent that of a New Yorker back in the 30's. "Well, Towne, I gotta say, we in the ATU are shocked at what has happened. Workers died, human and faunus. We stand with the White Fang in their pursuit of justice for this tragic event."

My father snorted. "If they really gave a damn, they should have hounded the SDC about the already poor conditions the Faunus suffered before. The only reason why they're helping out is because a few officials there, high-ones, were ATU."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I assume those officials actually had decent offices compared to...?"

He nodded, munching on more popcorn. "Yup," he said with an audible pop.

I turned back to the screen as Towne nodded, turning next to Kali. "And what does the White Fang have to say, Madam Belladonna?"

She replied graciously.

"I echo the sentiment with Mister Reed, Towne," Kali said, staring at the camera. "I promise. Justice will be done."

"Will the White Fang organize strikes should the result prove unsatisfactory today?" Towne asked.

"Again, we hope that it will be. We trust that the Atlesian Council will err to Justice and bring this matter to light," Kali replied with a smile. Behind her, the faunus roared their approval.

"So, what else did I miss?" I spoke up. My old man glanced towards me and gestured at the chair next to him. I did so, my ass finally sitting on good leather.

"Nothing much," Gerard Wayland replied, munching on more popcorn. "The whole morning, they were just talking about the SDC stock. It's been shitting downstairs since the blast happened but not too big of a drop."

He then handed to me his bowl of popcorn. I raised my hand up, indicating I wasn't interested. He shrugged and feasted some more.

"I guess it's to be expected," I shrugged. "Dust ain't losing its value anytime soon."

"People thought that Dust was going to be jacked up even more but suddenly, the SDC's  assuring everyone that the supply ain't interrupted no more and Dust supplies are flowing. What a coincidence," father said, rolling his eyes.

What a coincidence indeed. I then thought of something. "Say, how's our sales looking like?"

He leaned over, pressing on his scroll. Mine dinged. Curious, I took it out and glanced at the screen.

An appreciative whistle left my lips. "Holy shit."

No wonder father was eating popcorn and looking far too relaxed. Compared to the month previously, our numbers were going up.

And it was still going up.

"I won't scrub soap on your tongue since that was my reaction when I woke up," Gerard replied, reaching down on his bowl and found no more popcorn. He shook his head, placing the bowl aside.

"Ironic. We were in the red because of Jacques and now, we are out of it because of him." I said, scrolling through the generous amounts of orders. The top orders were mostly the Deuce and Buzzsaws, for obvious reasons and with the Defender coming in third.

"We're struggling to meet demand because our lines aren't still fully up to snuff. I've manage to negotiate licensing with other companies to help fill the gap and lessen the stress on us. This way, we can prioritize to critical customers."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did we manage to finish our licensing rights with the Council?"

"Thank the Brothers that Florianne was impressed by our guns and sped it up," Gerard replied with a grin.

Ah. Useful, that.

Our conversation died in place as the newscaster began speaking again.

"Well, folks. The session in the Council Floor is about to begin. We will now be streaming it live. Whatever the results may be, may it be for the good of our Kingdom." Towne said before the screen changed.

The Council Chamber was organized into a semi-circle. On the far wall was a massive seal of Atlas. Seated under it were the five councillors. Two were familiar, Ironwood and Geyer, The former represented the outskirt settlements and the latter Atlas Academy. At this point, he wasn't the head of the military yet. Representing the Armed Forces was someone I didn't know alongside the other two.

The military representative spoke first, a subtle sign of who lead the state. "Starting this session of the Council Chambers. Jacques Schnee, you are summoned here to explain the disaster which has happened yesterday at Courrières."

"Certainly, General Conrad," Jacques said, dressed in his finest as if he were going out for a fine dinner. The man looked unbothered like he hadn't had his own mine explode.

"We are still in the middle of investigating the cause but according to my surveyors, it is likely that the cause happened deep in the tunnels. It is likely that we won't know as most entrances have collapsed." Jacques replied.

"Who would have access to the deep tunnels?" the same general asked.

"In that part? The miners mostly." Jacques replied calmly.

The miners who were faunus, mostly. Jacques then continued. "Advance teams dig forward to clear and asses stability. It is possible that they might have dug a bit too quickly and accidentally lit a spark."

I can see where he was angling here.

"So, are you saying that the faunus are at fault here?" General Conrad asked, raising an eyebrow. Murmurs rose around. Instead of saying yes, Jacques shook his head.

"No, General. I truly believe that this is an accident. Dust mining has always been risky. Even with the best equipment and training that our workers have access to, it is still risky." Jacques replied mournfully, even wiping away a tear from his eyes.

The best equipment and training???

"The balls of the fucking guy," Gerard Wayland sneered.

At that, Florianne spoke up. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Mister Schnee. You claim that your miners have access to good equipment and training yet, the White Fang claim that your miners are given the worst equipment and living conditions."

I was quite sure that by statistical probability, there could have been constituents of Florianne's movement hit. After all, the mine was out in the wilds. While the faunus were likely living in company towns, they would have been attracted by the benefits of being with the Bund. There was also the fact that her communities would most likely be threatened from all the grimm getting a hard-on from the negativity this fiasco was generating. Bad for her folks, unfortunately profitable for mine.

Jacques actually looked offended. "Councillor Florianne, even now I am appalled that the White Fang would accuse me as such. I do not discriminate, Honored Councillor. I am the largest employer of Faunus in Atlas. I have given their people a future and employment. Many faunus can say that they live decently because of me."

He then clicked on something, holographs appeared. "As you can see, the SDC not just pays for their salaries but also for their healthcare, their social security, as well as other expenses. We have data to prove this both inside the company as well as in relevant government agencies."

"We have testimonies that allege your miners work in complete darkness. No lights even," Florianne pointed out.

"Honored Councillor, the no-light rule comes from the fact that the faunus are gifted with eyes that can see in the dark as well as natural fires coming from fire dust and other such sources would be an irritant to the raw unfiltered Dust crystals. The results of which are the catastrophe falling upon us today," Jacques revealed.

As the questioning continued, I could not help but remark. "I am willing to bet that this fucker is going to get off scot-free and not get anything done to him."

"I will take that bet," father muttered.

More questions went up. Mostly done by that general and Florianne. The other two asked some with Ironwood speaking very little.

Regarding mine safety. "The SDC has sent reports to the Council and each time, we have been cleared to operate. Inspectors have toured our sites and found them up to standard."

"You have allowed me to continue undisturbed and if you send someone to investigate me, it will expose that rubber stamp you've given me," father translated.

As if that wasn't obvious, dad.

"Will this disaster affect the flow of Dust for the Kingdom?" General Conrad asked.

"As shown this morning, Dust continues to flow. While Courrières was a notable mine, the SDC does not concentrate in one source. We have multiple sources for Dust, sources that still continue to produce." Jacques explained.

It was then, Ironwood made himself known. "Speaking for Atlas Academy, we recall that a month ago, the SDC announced a disruption in supplies. A disruption which continued until now. Where has this windfall come from?"

Yeah, fuck him up, Ironwood!

Jacques for his part, replied smoothly. "This windfall was possible after repairs were undertaken through the month, General. We were due to announce their completion when the blast happened."

Ironwood for his part looked like he did not believe him.

Fucking hell.

Florianne spoke up again. "Still, I am of the mind that the Council send investigators to assess the situation of the SDC's various mines. It is important to see their health and safety."

For the first time since the questioning started, Jacques looked hesitant. "While I welcome the Council to send who they wish, I must warn the Council that the SDC does not just provide Dust for the Kingdom but also for the military as well. There are state and security concerns that I must raise before the Council sends its surveyors."

Oh.

You sly shit.

By going the security angle, any irregularities that might be found could be swept under the rug or could just be wholesale ignored.

"You know, I still have my report to give you, dad."

"Ah, right." Gerard muttered, remembering that. He looked at me then back to the TV.

"I think we can wait a little bit." He suggested.

I glanced at him, then back to the grilling Jacques was getting then back to him.

"Yeah. I think we can stay a bit more," I said, relaxing back on my chair.

"Now, how are rescue efforts undergoing?" Ironwood asked, putting forward an important question.

The CEO of the SDC paused, bowing his head, as if he were the bearer of bad news. He looked up, face regretful. "The force of the blast is such, produced on a scale never seen before that we have reason to believe that those who were within Courrières or near it are either gravelly injured...or dead."

The Council Chambers went into an uproar, mostly from the faunus who were inside. Cries of abuse, slurs, and mournful pleading left from their section.

"NO!" cried out a voice. I leaned forward, interest surging as the cameras switched to see a figure running up between the aisles. A waifish tanned faunus ran up, hair tied in a ponytail, and wearing rather humble clothing.

"My parents are in there! You cannot just leave them like that!" the faunus cried out, nearly reaching Jacques's chair before the guards stopped her and restrained her, heavily. The girl struggled, screaming and kicking, as the commotion rose. Delegates, lower members of the Council, the faunus all stood up and watched as the guards dragged her way. She continued crying, tears running down her freckled cheeks. Her cries for her mother and father echoed in the chamber before she was finally dragged out. The camera shifted closely to see what was Kali's reaction, seated next to some local White Fang leaders. She looked pained, eyes on the verge of tears.

My lips went thin at that.

Others could interpret that as her being the metaphorical mother of the faunus people, dropping tears as her kinsmen suffered and died. Or one could interpret that as weakness. Personally, I felt that while it was powerful symbolism, her tears would not help the fact that there could potentially still be souls in the mines, trapped under darkness.

"Order!" General Conrad yelled out. "Order!"

His yelling won out as the order was eventually restored and the questioning continued, albeit tense and filled with uncertainty.

"Dad, I feel we must do something about this," I muttered, thinking about the smoking mine. If the Dust there had all went kaboom, surely there was little risk of dust left now to worry about.

"Do you intend we organize a rescue?" Gerard asked me, head cocked on one side. His face turned contemplative as he leant back, the muttering of Jacques in the background.

"Three things to consider, son." Gerard began. "One, we are an arms company, not a mining one. I am pretty sure we owned dust mines in the past but that was a long time ago. We do not understand geology or the intricacies of mining. Do you know how to dig through layers of Earth and stone?"

I shook my head. Minecraft was not professional knowledge and I never played Deep Rock Galactic. At that, my father continued. "Secondly, where are going to get the funds to do such a thing? We are not in dire straights as before, yes, but we do not have enough to burn. The costs of transporting heavy equipment there alone would be a drain not to mention the costs of housing the rescuers, feeding them through a couple of days as they surely need to fully go through every nook and cranny."

He sighed. "As much as it disgusts me to say, the SDC will not sanction a rescue for this not when the average Faunus worker is paid little. They are cheap labour, made cheap by their abundance and willingness to work for so little."

My lips curled into a frown. That...stung a bit too deep. I was born in a Third World nation where the labour of my countrymen was lessened and cheapened. I purged those thoughts away, trying to maintain my composure. "And the third reason?"

"Thirdly, there's the fact that it is still SDC property and they would never allow us to go and poke in their business, not unless we ask permission. The SDC will never accept that. Our army won't accept the moving of countless men and material from here to there either since the damn Grimm are so active right now. If anything, an actual rescue I foresee happening when the negativity has died down and its safer now to venture out into the wilds."

"But by that time...any survivors trapped under there would be dead," I surmised with a grimace.

He nodded.

"Fucking hell, is there really nothing we can do?" I said, standing up quickly.

"We could try organizing relief efforts for the disaffected," my father suggested, noting the intense look I was giving the screen. "They'll need every help they can get."

I did not like that idea, not when I was reborn as a rich dude with resources. Plus, this was a perfectly good time to advertise some more, as distasteful it sounded. 

I refused to give up, not now. Frankly, fuck the SDC for allowing this to happen. Fuck Jacques Schnee for letting this happen. "I suggest we go and organize a international drive to rescue the miners. Get everyone to organize and do their part to rescue whatever people are trapped in there. With such public pressure, the SDC have no choice but to accept."

"That is if there are still faunus alive down there," father pointed out.

"Well...there could be, there could be not. What's important is we did something," I argued, my voice becoming a bit too passionate. I paused for a moment then continued.

"Our public image is already good. If we do this, it will soar through the roof too. Good publicity for us, father. There is no harm in trying, you know?" I suggested again.

After a moment's thought, once that involved him looking out of the window and onto the gardens where my mother's statue was, he turned back to me and hesitantly nodded. "Make a plan. I'll go and see what I can do with the military. For now, we have to act first. Firstly, find morons suicidal enough to go out into the Grimm infested wilds."

I smiled. "Funny you mention that..."

He looked at me strange. He looked at me some more when I explained to him to what had happened in Vale, from adopting Emerald, the deal with the Faunus, then to my contracting of Cheng and her band of Silver Shields. By the end of it all, he was clutching his head as if trying to massage away a bad headache.

"I asked you there to see to the Faunus's intentions and negotiate with them. But now, you come back to me with a Valean street urchin and a army of Mistrali veterans and the daughter of a Prince," he muttered. He opened his eyes, glancing towards me. "You cannot just take a street urchin of the streets of Vale and-who does that?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't just let a starving child go away, father. We're rich. We can do whatever the hell we want. And besides, she's got a useful semblance, you know?" 

"Barring the complex morality of this situation, you've found for us a private army of trained killers who I might add, now expect to have us seat their leader in Mistral in the far future," Gerard said bluntly. 

"I did the math, father. We could have upgraded our own security forces but that would take time. Lots of expensive time to bring them up to snuff both legal wise and equipment wise. By hiring the Silver Shields, they bring a proven track record but also legitimacy. Imagine that, a Legitimist army bearing the arms of a trusted arms company. Cheaper in the short-term. Cheaper too in the long term," I argued. 

​He did not look amused. "I gave you the express caveat not to make any decisions without me, Alexander Wayland. Such things needed my input both as the CEO of this company as well as your own father."

At that, I froze quickly as a uncertain energy gripped me. My father stood up, face set. "But what is done is done. It is not like we can go kick out that poor child into the streets nor can we renege our contract with the Silver Shields now. Unpaid mercenaries don't take kindly to no payment even worse that these are former soldiers. The invisible hand of the market may hit hard but not as hard as the very visible fist of the soldier." 

He sighed. "Still, you failed to follow my order. My punishment? Organize the rescue efforts."

I nodded quickly. His crossed his arms, face turning into bemusement. "As for me, I'm going to go make some calls." 

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Florianne collapsed face first into her office's couch. Her body sagged under the cool and comfortable cushion. She glanced up, looking at the clock. She grimaced when she saw that the day hadn't even been over. In the corner, her television droned on as Towne Cryer reported.

Jacques was a infuriating little shit. Dodging questions with a non-answer and a passive-aggressive reply that Florianne was sure designed to annoy her as much as possible. He was so good at it that he should consider to run for politics.

If it were up to her though, he ought to be hanged, drawn, and quartered with all the parts sent to all four corners of Solitas.  She was pretty damn sure the fucker had violated labour law and just simple decency with his presence. Her family may have waned in influence, much like the rest of the old nobility, and her own influence in the city might be dying out but fuck, the literal frontier was much more preferable than to even breathe the same air as him.

Speaking of the frontier...Florianne glanced towards her weapon laying idly against the wall. The Grimm weren't exactly attacking frontier towns wholesale, the negativity emanating from Atlas much more attractive than their little enclaves but Grimm Hordes didn't exactly go out of their way to avoid her people either. 

The Royal and Imperial weapons proved their worth particularly the Buzzsaws and Deuces. The former for its rapid firepower, the latter for its stopping power. Hell, some settlements were even jury-rigging double buzzsaws atop a Deuce and fired them as one. If the literal buzzsaws wouldn't tear a Grimm to pieces then the absolute powerhouse .50 caliber would. 

Now, she was going to go and focus on the council business first then get the fuck back to her people. 

The door to her office echoed. Florianne sighed, leaning up. "Enter," she said.

The door swung open and to her surprise, General Ironwood came in. He looked just as unamused as her. "Councillor Geyer," the Academy Head greeted her. 

"General," she greeted back, neutral. Among the Council, she found Ironwood as the only man damn worth his seat. He closed the door behind him, walking forward and standing rimrod straight before her. 

"To save us both the pain, I presume we are in agreement that Jacques Schnee is not a forthcoming sort of man?" Ironwood began. Florianne laughed.

"A rightful turd as my more colorful Bund members would say," she snorted. She shook her head. "I respect your candidness in coming here but I assume you aren't here to complain about him?" 

"No, I am not," admitted Ironwood. "I am here to ask for your support, Councillor. I aim to lead a coalition that will see to Jacques arrested." 

Florianne whistled. "Damn, you weren't kidding." She leant back on her couch, crossing her legs. "Do you mind explaining some more?" Geyer asked.

​Ironwood nodded. "I had long since been suspicious of his announcement a month ago about a accident in his supply system. Now that his mine has exploded, suddenly the trains are running back to normal."

Florianne nodded, thinking about his words. "That is suspicious, I admit"

Ironwood's eyes and expression hardened. "And treason if what I suspect is true. To withhold Dust just to punish his business rival...it is not only petty but puts the Kingdom at risk."

Florianne had to admit she felt admiration for the man in front of her, if he was speaking the truth. She had never really spoken much with her colleagues, until now. At most, she could remember saying a few words to Ironwood and her peers. Florianne supposed she had to thank Jacques Schnee for that. "Alright...General. What would be your goals?"

​At that, Ironwood hesitated. "I...I admit that I am still trying to think on it. The only reasonable thing I have in my mind at the moment is to have him arrested." 

"Perhaps having the Council break up the assets of the SDC would be enough of a punishment. However, the accusations of tyranny and oppression from the business sector from that sort of thing would paralyze the economy. We would need a mountain of evidence to prove that the SDC's size is making it a obstacle to national security as well as proof of Jacques Schnee's untrustworthiness." Florianne suggested.

The good General nodded first then he grinned. "We, Councillor?" 

Florianne shrugged. "I was in the very moment you said we were going after Jacques Schnee. Let's go and nail the rat bastard."

"Excellent!" Ironwood would have clapped if it wasn't for the fact his own personal discipline stopped him. "Then for Atlas, let us do him in, Councillor." 

"I am interested though in why you came to me," Florianne asked, leaning in, her eyes set on Ironwood. 

"I needed your support," Ironwood admitted with a sigh. "I am a Councillor simply because I am the Headmaster of Atlas Academy. I may be a General but not the head of the Armed Forces. That would be General Conrad." 

"Who has enjoyed the SDC's hospitality in previous years and is thus, firmly in his camp," Florianne surmised.

"Yes," Ironwood sighed. His eyes were downcast with shame that the head of Atlas's own armed forces was the creature of a businessman. 

"And the other two are no better," Florianne snorted. "One is also another creature for Jacques, the other one is a lameduck fence-sitter." 

"With us together, it will be easier to convince Councillor Yeaman to cast in his lot with us and thus when the time comes for us to vote on the matter of the SDC, we have three against two." Ironwood counted. 

"I'm surprised you are so against Jacques Schnee, General," Florianne could not help but ask. "After all, his Dust fuels the military and his weapons division has made new toys for your soldiers." 

Ironwood glanced outside Florianne's window. He moved to stand by it, his eyes set on the air fleet stationed outside Atlas. "I already disliked him, Councillor. He may have served this Kingdom and its interests but...he is a unpleasant man. Plus, this explosion is indicative of a danger to Atlas. What if all of the SDC's mines are like Courrières?"

Horror dawned on Florianne's face as she considered that possibility. Neglect and mismanagement on top of their Dust...a ticking time bomb. She stood up. "Very well," she said, taking a breath before her face settled in. "Let's go nail the rat bastard."

Ironwood smiled. 

Then, their ears perked as Cryer's voice turned a pitch. The two turned to the screen blaring. "Ladies and gentlemen! We are getting word about...an announcement?" 

The screen shifted as a new face and voice spoke. "....There comes a time when one must act not just for the benefit of one but for many. This is clearly a moment when one must set aside distaste and act in the name of common decency and brotherhood."

It was Alexander Wayland, speaking from his family's home. He was looking directly into the camera, his volcano red eyes blazing. "I hereby call upon those with the strength, courage, and skill to come forward in a rescue mission for whoever may remain at Courrières! I ask the Schnee Dust Company to allow this and for the Atlesian Council to give this the green light!" 

He leaned in. "And to the families of the victims and to anyone alive at the mine; help is coming. We are coming over there and we won't come back till its over, over there!" 

​Silence fell in the room as Alexander turned back into his house, uniform fluttering. As the media went into a frenzy, Florianne glanced to Ironwood. "Perhaps...you could go and help in the rescue while I go and do the dirty politics?"

​The general could only nod.

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 A/N: More to come. Might add more.

Stay tuned to this ongoing political drama.

EDIT: Added more. Might add some more too.

EDIT 2: Final edit complete. On to the next chapter.