Chapter 365: Annoyed Guest
Jace opened the garage door to see a very displeased Mar’talic. Jace chuckled as he realized this guy was the Military police officer that the High Priestess mentioned. He could tell by the sudden narrowing of his eyes and a trace of suspicion that this person had seen Jace before.
Jace smirked and waved his arm to welcome the man inside. "I do not recognize you but it seems you recognized me from somewhere." He said as the man walked in and Jace closed the garage door. "Although you do look rather annoyed with me."
"That is because I had two of my people follow you and you lost them." The man admitted as he glanced over to see Cho and Jordan on the couch they were looking over curiously. But Allie was sitting in the back of the truck. She was frowning while working on a data pad. Completely focused on the task that Jace had given her.
Allie had asked Jace to help her with her lack of knowledge since she mostly spent her most recent days stealing for Haunson and the Waterboys. So Jace had made a list of information and created various tests and theoretical equations and other problems she would have to do. This morning she had started on this test. Quickly learning that she was far behind the curve.
The first set of lessons were basic knowledge tests ranging from maths and sciences to history and social norms. Social norms are not typically seen as important. But Jace figures it would be a good idea to have an idea of human social norms so she would notice the differences when she interacted with other sentient species. It was something Jace believes will become more important, knowing the differences between species so she could adjust accordingly.
"The High Priestess said you have questions." Jace pointed out as he moved to his work table. Sitting on the far side of the table in containers is a shard of the core of the shapeshifting creature he killed. In another jar was the liquid that made them up.
"I do." The mar’talic nodded as he looked at the jar and container with a frown. "I wanted to know if that Orius was disguising themself as a criminal." The man requested as he stood straight, clearly trying to pressure Jace.
"Uh huh..." Jace made an annoyed expression before sighing and shaking his head. "Well, let me introduce myself first. My name is Jace. What is your name?" Jace asked as he moved and sat at his workstation. Pulling out two different devices he was working on.
"Shel’la, my name is Shel’la." The mar’talic grumbled out as he watched Jace tinker.
"Is Orius the race name or just the one I killed?" Jace asked as he nodded at the container and jar.
"It is the name of the race." Shel’la answered as he looked around with a sigh. Making sure the other people in the room were not listening. But the two on the couch had gone back to watching cartoons. While the one in the bed of the truck was completely absorbed on her data pad.
"Okay, the Orius faked its death at first, passing itself off as a dead human. But it attacked me when I told it I saw through its deception. Then it wanted to escape but I had sealed up the dockyard so it could not leave." Jace explained as he put the finishing touches on the first device and then set it to the side.
"What about the criminals? Why did you go and kill them and who did you do it with?" Shel’la asked as he looked at the device with a frown.
"Some good natured people who wanted those criminals to stop kidnapping citizens." Jace explained with a shrug and a chuckle.
"What? I am asking for names." Shel’la growled out making a clicking noise in his throat.
"I told you all that is relevant to your investigation." Jace answered while glancing at Shel’la with a mischievous smirk. "Now was there anything else you wanted to know?"
Shel’la glared at Jace before giving up and shaking his head with a scowl on his face. "Why did you take parts of the body from the scene?" He leaned over the work table and pulled them away from the wall. He was clearly planning to take them with him when he left. Which was fine by Jace.
He had finished getting all the data he could out of the liquid and the creature’s core piece. "So I could study it. You can take them. I am finished with them anyway. Now would you like to know the identity of a possible replaced individual or would you like to know what I have been tinkering with this whole time?" Jace asked as he put the finishing touches on the second item he was tinkering on.
He had started and finished all of this this morning. He was feeling really good today. Although his hand and his side were both still hurting at the moment. Maybe it was a permanent effect of whatever the creature- or rather the Orius did to wound him. Which reminded him.
"By the way, I was told you were going to be telling me a bit about the Orius." Jace pointed out as he turned slightly in his chair.
Shel’la narrowed his eyes and made the clicking noise again before shaking his head. He was clearly not a fan of Jace’s. "The Orius are a shapeshifting species. They were one of the first to join the Victorium. But there are a number of them that split into a separate faction from the usual civilians or intelligence operatives. Which are their only choices because of the nature of their species."
"Let me guess, this separate faction of Orius is who has infiltrated the community aboard the Princess’ Pride." Jace asked sarcastically. It sounded like a bunch of politics and Jace was already feeling annoyed because he did not want to get in the middle of that.