Illithid behind the Curtain: Heads of State (Patreon)

"You must understand, this is incredibly unprecedented."

Introductions had been made, hands had been shaken and now I was currently entertaining General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin in the office I used to impress people, as I raised an eyebrow in turn. I do believe I threw him off, though that was the original intent of the body I was wearing now. I was small, petite and cute when I wanted to be and Mettle or not, so long as he didn't activate it, it was as much a weapon as anything else I had.

With more of C'gorath about me than before, I smiled winningly as I leaned back in my seat.

"Well, we have been working hard but enough gold and magic can work a lot of activity."

"But to the point of a new kingdom? And of-what was the term? Interplaner beings? Technically, you're not citizens so by law you'd fall under the umbrella of Vale's rule-"

I cut him off, with a grin of my own. "No longer. When I bought the island, it became private property. No longer Vale, no longer part of the kingdom. Just a hunk of land that happens to be close to Vale and terraformed to my standards for the rest of my people." I then added, raising a finger.

"In addition, I actually do have Vale citizenship. I applied for it quietly with the help of Taiyang Xiao-Long, a respected hunter and Ozpin himself. As a private citizen, I've filed all the paperwork required for such a thing, which I believe also falls under the Grimm laws?"

Ironwood nodded grudgingly. The Grimm Laws were a necessity for anyone seeking to establish a village or colony outside the four kingdoms. With how often they fell, records of people could be lost for years or even forever, which meant citizenship laws were laxer for survivors. Just a neat little tidbit I took for myself, as I continued on.

"But if I may be frank general, you're not here to shut me down or to rattle your swords or whatever they call it." Ironwood blanched, rightfully horrified at the implication as I raised my hand again and spoke gently.

"Because the truth of the matter is, that as it stands? We're far more useful as we are than otherwise. What we offer in new materials, techniques and methods is I say with complete frankness, unique in all the world. And then there's the dust we're mining."

"About that. If you're mining on Vale territory, it belongs to them. Vale will certainly wave their own 'swords' as you put it."

I smiled and cocked my head to the side. "General Ironwood, I can say with utter assurance that no nation on this planet, can lay claim to our source of dust." I glanced at Ozpin and back to the general as I added.

"Would you like to see for yourself?"

Ironwoods eyes widened and I stood from my desk as I turned and headed for a pair of doors to the side. Pushing them open with a wave of my hand, we stepped into a room with a strange sigil engraved on the floor. It had cost me quite a bit as I sketched a glowing rune in midair, a word spoken as one and all, the teleportation circle took us away.

The air was colder here. Ozpin looked like he was having the time of his life, in sharp contrast to Ironwood who looked like he was shocked to season eight.

"Teleportation?! That's impossible, the technology-".

"Magic, dear general. Magic, not science." I replied as we walked through a tunnel, without so much as a chip mark and lit by crystals as Ironwood gawked and then blinked at the view we approached.
Down below in what looked like a hanger, dwarves worked in unison with drow as umber hulks roared and worked in unison with golems, unloading the bulk of our mined dust as they took it away to be refined and processed. And between them all, humans and faunus in turn argued, worked and went away satisfied in what seemed like a dizzying display as I folded my hands and spoke.

"What you saw earlier at the docks was just something to impress visitors. This is the real beating heart of the mining company, and we're going to hitch a ride and see how they do it." I turned and one of the dwarf workers came to attention as I spoke. "Three visitors for the next spelljammer out."

The dwarf nodded, grabbing to my amusement a walkie talkie that hung next to his axe as he strode off to speak into it. Ironwood glanced around, curious as he added.

"So where are we? In the mountains?"

".... Yes and no. Understand, I don't want to really spoil the surprise." I remarked. As we headed for an elevator, Ozpin asked curiously. "I noticed faunus among the workers. Who are they?" At that, I gave a sudden grin like a wolf.

"Former workers of the Schnee Dust Mining corp." Ironwood suddenly let out a disgusted grimace as he spoke.

"This explains his attitude now." I shrugged, once as we passed a few levels, my most innocent voice imaginable out. "If he didn't want his faunus workers taken away, he really should have treated them better. As it is, in exchange for a clean slate, a decent wage and more I now suddenly have some of the best experts in the business. Those who worked the ground floor, know how to operate around dust and who suddenly, coincidentally need a new home where I have a surplus of space suddenly available."

I felt smug. I had sent several folks to Atlas and Mantle precisely to poach from Jaques Schnee and the bastard was powerless to stop it. What was he gonna do? Cut off dust resources from me and mine? And if he did, well it just meant folks could switch from the Snowflake to the Spelljammer emblem and all the better for my side.

That and with the rest of my work in the world at large, I wanted enough a gesture to bring certain... Other factions to my table. Atlas would hate it, but meh.

We stepped out onto the docks, boarded the ship as Ironwood looked about and asked.

".... So how does it work? Why does a flying ship need sails?"

"To catch the wind of course!" One of the sailors called out, a grinning wood elf overlooked by a grizzled bear faunus who nodded in our direction. Ironwood looked all the more confused and as we cast off, we left the dock and flew out of the hanger.

Past the illusion of clouds and into space.

Ironwood all but collapsed on his ass to see it, briefly panicked as Ozpin himself gasped in wonder. Seeing their reactions, a Giff laughed and spoke. "Breath, both of you! Lands sake, it's like you never stepped foot on a spelljammer!"

The mining facility we came from loomed in view-a dwarven citadel, carved into an asteroid and flanked by defensive spelljammers and more cargo-extensive, mining ones. Down below, Remnant glowed blue and green, and Ironwood just stared, his voice suddenly reverent.

"I used to dream of a moment like this."

"I did too." Ozpin said quietly. I approached them, holding onto the railing as we sailed on... Further now, approaching the shattered moon where Ironwood gaped to see what he did.

Dust. Great crystals, inert and floating, beyond the size of any on Remnant as golems and workers safely harvested and stashed them away. As we flew closer, I spoke. "As it turns out, we have quite a monopoly on the dust settlements here. I say without exaggeration that if we so wished, we could power all four kingdoms for a hundred years and never miss footing the bill. In addition, we're the only ones who CAN mine here."

"Dust goes inert above atmosphere, yes." Ironwood replied, shocked at the implications as I added. "Sure, the spelljammers may look primitive... But that's by design. They make up the majority of our fleet and our mining transports and are strictly, a Patch national resource. If anyone else wants to go into space?"

I gave a sweet smile. "They can travel the hard way, like we did."

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"What are your intentions?" Ironwood asked as we returned to the office, shaken by the small truths I had revealed as he added. "Because the moment all of this goes more public, people will want to know more. Every kingdom in the world, will seek to deal with you. The economic pressures alone may well..." His voice trailed off, his eyes still confused, but also stern. He wanted what was best for his kingdom and direct truth was something he responded best to. I gave him a lighter smile and spoke.

"My intentions are several. First, that we will not be ignored or pushed aside. We are powerful, we are rich by the standards of Remnant alone and we are here to stay. Second, that we are recognized as a new kingdom by every other. Which we shall demonstrate, at the Vytal festival. And third...." I sighed out and added more down to earth.

"Third, that this becomes as much our home as it is yours. And if it does, it will also mean our resources likewise shall aid you in your war against the grimm."

With the attention of both men on me, I smiled like a witch and spoke.

"And believe me headmasters. You've never seen war, till you've seen it waged by the likes of us."