When the three transports pulled up to the gate in the wall, it did not immediately open. Jackson jumped on the comms “What the hell guys, let us in!” The reply came “you will have to code in, Colonel Manaski said no one in or out without authorization.” “Manaski? I thought we left with lieutenant colonel Gerald in charge,” muttered Zev. Asrana winced. “When I left it was General Henric…. He was my 1-star general and a great commander.” Jackson turned back to the comm, “fine what code in do you want? We have wounded and hostiles on our tail.” The watch sergeant replied by yelling down, “This is Watch Sergeant Shults, please code in with rank and designation. Andrew grabbed the comm, “Gold Dragon, Mike, Alpha 01, open the god’s dammed gate before I…” ‘Andrew!!’ Raya chided quickly, cutting him off mid-sentence. ‘decorum, please!’ her tone was half playful, half-serious. He was here officially after all.

Back in Durres, upon landing, Andrew said goodbye to Anika and called Miss Croft to arrange a car.“I can have Roisin come get you. She managed to get a car while you were away.” Miss Croft said.A few minutes later Roisin and the driver Donnel pulled up in a brand new car.When Roisin got out to greet Andrew, she noticed Alexa behind him, hiding in the shadows. Andrew greeted her kindly and quickly got into the car. Roisin turned to Alexa and asked “You are with Andrew? Are you coming along?”Alexa looked around nervously. She had never been away from the temple in Dragarth, at least until she was kidnapped, and those days would haunt her for a long time to come. Now she was in an entirely unknown place with unknown people.“Umm yes, with Andrew..” she said awkwardly, her Dragard language skills clearly not native.“Well come on, we will take care of you.” Said Roisin gesturing to the car. Wha

Roisin was stunned. Was Andrew seriously taking them to the pinnacle?Sure enough, the manager drove right to the top and entered the main mansion property. “In the future, you are both welcome to take a room here or in the guest house. Wherever you feel most comfortable we can arrange. Alexa, I suggest we move you up here, as it is the most secure location. But I will leave it to you to choose where you want to stay,” said Andrew.“guest house?” asked Roisin, suddenly remembering that Andrew had just bought a house in one of the lower levels! How rich was he?‘Stay in the pinnacle!’ suggested Raya, but Andrew assumed it was just a mental shout to himself. He missed Alexa looking up as if she had heard a voice and didn’t know where from.The manager agreed to make access keys to the master mansion and guesting house available to Roisin and Alexa by end of the day.“Ok ladies, let

Over the next week, Roisin worked with Arya Croft and Mr. Liam to find, purchase and make plans for a new joint factory for the future Dragon Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals. While the two companies would have separate management departments, Acquisitions would be a joint department, and they would share a roof. Each had its own set of equipment, and the Pharmaceutical company even had a complete research laboratory. Andrew explained that as much as possible the two should work together to enhance products and save on costs through bulk purchase of ingredients. Roisin was thrilled for the project and threw everything she had at it, working hard to forget the stress and drama her family had been putting her through. When it came time to start breaking ground on the new site, Roisin went to meet with Andrew. “Mr. Andrew.” She began. “Please, it's just Andrew. What do you need?” “I was wondering if you had thoughts on who you wanted to use for the

Moments before:At the new construction site, Roisin leaned over a large planning table with engineering designs as the Foreman tried to explain why the new supplies would not be enough to do what she had ordered. The Architect, Darren Brown, who stood to her left was a lean man in his mid-fifties, and while he may not look like someone who would survive a simple gust of wind, his designs had been flawless so far and he came highly recommended.Darren Brown looked at the foreman and deadpanned, “If you step skimming funds and buy the material I order instead of the cheap crap, we would not have this problem. I measure the right amount in my plans.”“Foreman McAllie, please explain why your crews are so far behind!” Roisin asked, her frustration evident.“Ma’am, you may not understand this, but the guild controls the supplies. If you do not pay, it is not me that is the problem. The guild is demanding a cut in order to o