The elf paused, as if unsure who to take Lex towards. It seemed that, unlike previously where he knew someone personally in the Coordination room, he did not know anyone here. But the hesitation only lasted so long. Lex did not need him to be taken to anyone familiar. Anyone with sufficient authority would do.
As he walked past the different sections, Lex noticed that this was the most organized area he had been in so far. The number of guards at each point was considerably higher than before, and at each point, they would authenticate the identity and reason of anyone passing through.
Even they had to go through a couple of checkpoints, although fortunately the elf reporting that they were going to go report to one of the ground managers made it a lot easier. Lex did not want to jinx his luck, but he could foresee that getting through this area without causing a scene might be harder than the previous room.
The command deck, where they were finally led to, stood as an elevated island amidst the sea of activity, a nerve center pulsating with coordinated precision. Officers and officials huddled over holographic displays, strategizing and dispatching orders with a sense of grave responsibility.
Lex, undeterred by the orchestrated commotion, followed the elf as they approached a stern-faced officer standing at the threshold of the command center. Unlike all the elves Lex had encountered so far, this one wore a stern and strangely human expression on his face. His build was also more sturdy as compared to the more nimble elves, and even without his attention focused on them as of yet, Lex could detect an intensity from his being.
This elf was very powerful, and his high cultivation level of at least Earth Immortal was only just a part of it. Even among his peers, he was surely formidable.
In Lex's cold, raging mind, a new strategy began to weave itself. Suppressing him with Domination would not work, and Lex had already given his envelope away. That might have worked here as well, but having given it away already was not such a bad thing. This could work out in his favor.
At the same time, a part of Lex's mind began observing the hangar with a great scrutiny as he began planning a forceful exit should such a need arise. It was not ideal that they had been led to someone with extremely high authority here. Dealing with someone lower down on the chain of command sometimes yielded better results, but it was already too late to lament such things.
"Sir!" Bearlin said while giving a salute, bringing the attention of the busy officer onto them. The officer looked at Bearlin, and then quickly focused his gaze on the mask on Lex's face. Whether he could see Lex's real appearance or not was unknown, but it was clear that the mask had attracted his attention.
"I have many engaging matters to attend to, soldier. Make your report quickly!" The elf finally said, his gaze still locked on Lex.
"I need clearance for an expedited departure," Lex stated plainly. "The details of the matter are being sent by an officer of the Resource Coordination to High Command. But the nature of my mission is both imperative and highly confidential. I do not have time to wait for the usual procedures to play out."
"You 'need' clearance?" the elf repeated, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Hand over your identification and the details of your crew. I will check if you have been cleared for departure from here."
"You're with the alliance, right? You don't have the authority to check my details," Lex said without breaking eye contact. "If you have any concerns, you can check with that dragonling who went with my departure clearance. But I suggest you act quickly. I do not have the time to spare, and if things take too long, I may no longer bother with this formality."
The elf was immediately angered by Lex's attitude, but even as his aura surged, Lex neither broke eye contact nor did he flinch. It was as if the actions of this officer were inconsequential to him.
Amidst his boiling anger, a trace of doubt appeared at the sheer confidence Lex displayed. Although such a situation was highly irregular, could there really be a high urgency, extremely confidential mission?
Suppressing his urge to smack Lex across the face, the officer pulled up a projection and immediately looked for who the dragonling from the Resources Coordination room was. Then he found out who the dragonling reported to, and directly initiated a call. As a soldier, it was sometimes more important to ensure there was no issue with any ongoing missions, even if he had to sacrifice his own ego in the process.
In another portion of the headquarters, in a private office, the dragonling in question stood in difference behind an elf. Since this battlefield was within the Suera galaxy, most crucial positions were either held by elves or dwarves.
Since dwarves were more likely to take on roles of either refiners or warriors, most leadership positions fell to the elves. Such a situation led to most elves feeling extremely proud and arrogant.
Yet at this moment, this once proud and arrogant elf was sweating nonstop. When preparing the letter within that envelope, Lex had used the official letterhead as well as the Innkeepers pen and the Ink well. He had also poured all his anger into the words he wrote in that letter, which translated into the kind of aura they contained.
The elf, who had been strong enough to look past the envelope itself, which carried only the title of the author of the letter, had been rocked to his very core when he opened the letter.
The full force of the Innkeeper's fury was exhibited in the few words that the letter contained.
It simply read:
Stay the fuck out of my business!
