Chapter 8: Olive Branch
I apologize for the long delay. I got bombarded with end of the year projects that have prevented me from doing much writing. However, the projects have cleared up and I'm able to actually move forward now. Yeah...The Atlesian airships, thanks to some folks on the spacebattles forum, comes out at around 1200m long (They used Ruby's height and the crater next to her to then figure it out. Bless them and their ability to do so). The UNSC frigates are at around 500ish meters long in comparison.
Atlesian War Room, Atlas
"General, you cannot be serious in proposing that we make peace with these...things?" A councilman asked as the other members of the council voiced similar sentiments, "They've destroyed Atlesian property, killed Atlesian citizens, and have taken many more captive. If they aren't White Fang, then they are still as bad as them."
"I don't think you understand, councilman, the enormity of the hole you are trying to dig yourself into." Ironwood said, "Did none of you read the report I sent you?"
"Elaborate on your report, general. I never read it but I am curious as to why you think our forces can't handle them under a different leader." A different council member voiced.
"They fielded ships that are half the size of our battleships. They took hits from our lasers, which are among if not the most powerful in the four kingdoms, without taking a single scratch. They also then proceeded to wipe out the rest of my fleet with a single shot per ship. Specialist Schnee and I tried to evacuate with the rest of our ship when we were knocked out of the sky. What I awoke to was a massacre. Our soldiers and bots are the envy of the world. They were tossed aside and ripped apart like paper dolls out there," Ironwood growled out before giving them a predatory smirk. "Go ahead and replace me. The moment the next idiot you hire goes out there and comes back saying the same thing, I'll go about my day laughing knowing that your time as council members is running out. Once the media hears of the amount of people killed and about how easily our oh so undefeatable military was destroyed, you'll become laughing stocks. Atlas's reputation would be tarnished forever. It's honor would be stained. And you'll go down in history as the people who did so." Ironwood knew how to play the politicians. They hated being reminded that they could lose their jobs. On top of that, they valued their honor and status too much. If they even thought about their legacy getting stained, it would bother them to no end.
"All right Ironwood, we see where you're coming from. How do you plan to go about this...peace talk mission?" One of the council members asked, resigned.
"I need an envoy ship and a small contingent of guards. We can't be too careful now can we?" Ironwood smirked again as the council gave into his demands before signing off.
"General, what do you actually plan on doing?" Winter asked him and he sighed.
"Exactly what I said, try and make peace." Ironwood grunted, "We can't hope to beat them, Miss Schnee. Only delay them with minor inconveniences at the best." He looked out the window of the war room at the ships and military personnel running around. "I used to believe we were untouchable. That nothing could ever get in the way of Atlas. Hubris, Schnee, is the bane of all commanders. Quell it and you'll make a fine commander someday." Ironwood smiled at his second in command. His scroll started beeping, his eyes noticing Ozpin's appearance on the screen. "You are dismissed, Schnee. Get some rest." Ironwood pushed her gently outside of the room before locking the door. He made his way towards the scrolls and answered the call. Ozpin's face had hints of curiosity as Ironwood was sure his own face was showing his irritation and exhaustion.
"James, what is the situation in Atlas? I've been hearing rumors from teachers about Schnee mines getting utterly destroyed with entire garrisons disappearing. Now, I'm hearing rumors from people in Vale that something defeated an Atlesian task force. Care to share?" Ozpin questioned and James sighed.
"I'll let you know the short side of the story. Everything's going to shit. A Schnee mine on Solitas was completely demolished. The quarry was completely levelled. No survivors were found, but the bodies left didn't match the numbers in documents. A month later, one of my ships went silent over another mine in Anima after Schnee managed to pull the council's balls into assigning it to his mines. No communications for a day and I assemble a task force. We arrive a week later, noticing a foreign looking base unlike anything we've ever seen. Insignias that we've never seen before. A ship half our size moved towards us and we fired on it. The damn thing didn't take a scratch. Then it fired back. A ship, half our damned size, tore one of my ships clean in half with a shot. More showed up and we evacuated the ships. I barely made it out, Ozpin. Whatever the hell Schnee's pissed off, we can't fight it." Ironwood explained, his mind on the soldiers he had left behind.
"Did they seem overtly hostile or can we use them as allies?" Ozpin retorted.
"That's what I'm trying to find out. I got permission from the council to extend an olive branch to these people. However, you need to get this Ozpin. They're working with faunus."
"So they are White Fang under a new flag?"
"No, they weren't attacking out of malice. I'm sure that it looked like we were the aggressors, and we were, so they responded in kind. White Fang or not, Ozpin, we have to discuss the threat of our...mutual enemy."
"She hasn't made any moves, her agents haven't done anything either. A few dust robberies but nothing much past that. I have a meeting with a prospective student coming up soon so we'll have to continue our little chat later. Ozpin out." Ironwood growled, knowing Ozpin was hiding something else. He coughed, clearing his throat and schooling his emotions, before he strode out of the room.
Captain's Quarters, UNSC Eternity
Cassandra was on her back, her head dangling over the edge of the bed. She was in casual clothing as she flipped through an old novel her family had as music drowned out her hearing. She never noticed Aimee fizzle into existence nearby who had her arms crossed as she noticed the captain lying on the bed.
"Captain. Captain! Cassandra!" Aimee shouted before she pouted and huffed, fizzling out of existence for a second. She appeared in front of Cassandra's face with an annoyed look. What followed next was the most amusing series of events for Aimee. With a mix between a surprised yelp and an indignant scream, Cassandra tossed the novel away and jumped to the side. Her headphones dropped off of her head as she tumbled off the bed into a tangled heap. She huffed, glaring at the AI who was currently laughing at her predicament.
"Not cool, Aimee. Not cool at all," Cassandra growled out as she glared at the AI.
"Ahem, sorry captain. You weren't responding so I took my own action as a result. Anyways, you're needed on the bridge. Another set of slipspace ruptures occurred an hour ago, they've identified themselves as a research fleet. I had tasked them with studying the surrounding areas after confirming their story. One of the prowlers has breached the surface and is conducting research near Firebase Romeo." Aimee explained as Cassandra sighed.
"Tell me about stuff like this earlier. Anything else?"
"You're needed for a diplomatic meeting in Firebase Romeo." Aimee told her as Cassandra's eyes widened.
"Diplomatic meeting? I'm not a diplomat, Aimee. And what diplomatic meeting could possibly occur?" She replied, confused.
"It seems Atlas wants to clear up some misunderstandings about previous...work conditions and to see what we want for the release of their prisoners," Aimee explained as she looked at some files in front of her, "whose numbers are now around a thousand two hundred after combat a week ago."
"Ugh, fine...I'll get ready." Cassandra mumbled as Aimee giggled.
"Do pep up, dear. It's unbecoming of a lady of your status. Bye!" Aimee quipped as she fizzled out of existence as a shoe went through where she was previously.
"If I ever get back home and it hasn't gone to complete hell, I'm exchanging some words with whoever helped create Aimeeā¦" Cassandra grumbled, muttering threats under her breath as she donned a fresh uniform. She sighed after looking at herself in the mirror before closing the closet and moving to leave her room. She took a step out and immediately collided with someone's armored back.
"Shit, sorry ma'am!" A familiar voice reached her ears as she was helped up.
"Serena? Serena Holmes?" Cassandra looked up at the Spartan with squinted eyes.
"Cassandra? Holy shit! Cassandra!" Serena went to pick up the admiral who held her hand up to stop her. She had believed that their admiral wasn't the same woman from her childhood despite the similar appearance.
"Easy there, I'm pretty sure you're going to break my back if you hugged me right now. I'm guessing this is your team?" Cassandra asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Mhm, we're assigned to be your bodyguards during the meeting."
"Well, Spartans will make a rather big impression. Anyways, come on. We can catch up on the way to the Pelican." Cassandra led the way as she traded stories with the Spartan. The two had been friends in their childhoods but Serena had died of a genetic disease early on. Cassandra was devastated when she had heard that as a kid and never really let her go. All she knew now was that it was good to have her friend back.
Firebase Romeo, Anima: Three Hours Later
"General, this feels like a trap." Winter quipped, unsure as she eyed the imposing walls and turrets. They had arrived at the military base that now occupied the former Schnee mine a few hours ago. The defences alone were impressive. Metal walls stretched upwards with automated turrets tracking their every movement. The interior of the fort was also very impressive. Countless vehicle bays, living quarters, and air pads littered the interior and life had a deceptively calm air to it despite the chaos that it looked like. Personnel scurried from point to point as the roar of engines masked the yells of soldiers going about their daily business. The sounds weren't pretty but the view was at least tolerable. They had seen a quick glimpse at the mine shaft, seeing robots pulling out cart after cart of dust with surprising speed and efficiency. That was before they entered a smaller building on the outskirts of the camp. A perfect place for a discreet meeting or a perfect place to commit a murder.
"General Ironwood, I presume?" A feminine voice that caused Winter to turn her head to the side as a woman stepped into the building followed by what looked to be large humanoid robots. "I am Admiral Westfield of the UNSC Remnant Fleet. You have quite a lot to answer for." She took a seat on the far side of the room, gesturing to the seats in front of her. "Take a seat, this will take a while."
"Admiral, I would just like to open these talks with a sincere apology by the Atlesian council and our military for the actions we've taken against you in the past." General Ironwood said, trying to start talks on a good note.
"A sincere apology won't excuse this list of crimes, General." Westfield held her hand out as one of the ensigns handed her a file. "Horrid living conditions, torture, summary executions, kidnapping, and slavery are the tip of the iceberg. Yet, your council has the gall to merely offer an apology? My medical staff have given me a slimmed down version of the various injuries that every faunus has had to endure. So, tell me General, how these talks can possibly work out for both of us. You know exactly what I want and I know that you can't grant it." Westfield was thanking Aimee for feeding her lines, she had no idea what to say or do in these situations.
"Admiral, you have to understand the precarious position we are in now. Jacques Schnee holds Atlas, and very well the rest of Remnant, by the throat. He and the SDC monopolize the dust trade. His competitors have a long history of disappearing shortly after growing too big. You've met the Grimm, it'd be impossible if you haven't. The only way we can combat them is through that dust and right now? Schnee's threatening to stop the supply of dust until somebody answers for this." General Ironwood leaned on the table, holding Westfield's gaze who returned it. However, he hid his surprise at seeing the nervousness in her eyes. 'She's never done this before. Maybe I can just pull this off.' He cleared his throat and continued, "Let us be reasonable people, Admiral Westfield. You know we can't do anything about Jacques Schnee and the SDC at the moment and I can assure you that I know you can't possibly hold my people prisoner indefinitely. So, how about we compromise? I leave Specialist Schnee here as a liaison between yourself and me while we...discuss further options and I can return with a quarter of my people. We can discuss other options for dealing with the SDC while we're at it." Ironwood was banking on the fact that she was inexperienced.
"A tenth of your people go back with you at our choosing. Some have seen too much to be considered stable enough for release. Either take the deal or vacate the premises within the next five minutes." Westfield retorted with a glare that lacked any true heat. 'She won't bend but she understands that this would be beneficial to both of us.'
"Deal, it has been a pleasure Admiral. Specialist Schnee, you are assigned to this location as the liaison between Atlas and the UNSC." Ironwood ordered before smirking, "If you do a good enough job, you might find a promotion waiting."
"Understood sir! I won't let you down," Winter saluted with a stern expression before turning to Admiral Westfield who was busy giving orders to those robots of hers.
"Serena, get me that list of prisoners ready for release. Ronald, take the rest of Fireteam Atlas and escort Miss Schnee to a free room in Block C." At that, the Atlesian contingent stood up looking indignant.
"Block C? Admiral, I thought we agreed to a liaison position, not a trading of hostages." Ironwood said as Winter agreed with an indignant nod.
"Oh, you misunderstand me general. Block C is what we refer to the area as. It is the officers quarter and most of my officers feel like they're in prison when they do their work there. Something about bland gray walls and copious amounts of paperwork does that to you." Cassandra explained as the general gave a hesitant nod. "Have we reached an understanding, general?"
"I think so Admiral. Let's make sure neither of us regret this." Ironwood said with a stoney face as he walked out with the robots. Fireteam Atlas followed shortly afterwards with Winter right behind them. Cassandra waited until the room was clear before collapsing into her chair with a sigh. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands.
"God. I'm not cut out for diplomat work." She murmured as Aimee appeared on the desk. With a soft giggle, she gently poked Cassandra who looked at her with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the help there, Aimee. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it without you whispering in my ear."
"That's what I'm here for, admiral. I suggest you take a minute to breathe and relax. I have a shuttle prepared to take you back to the Eternity." Aimee explained with a soft smile before fizzling out of existence. Cassandra just sighed but took Aimee's advice. She sat in that chair, taking deep breaths to convince herself to relax. "What the hell am I doing?" was the last thought before she drifted off in the chair.
AN: I am so sorry for taking so long. Between graduation, end of the year projects, then preparing for college life; I sorta put fanfiction on the backburner. It wasn't until one of my friends who does proofreading for me now realized that I could push this onto the site. And I do apologize a hundred times over for making you wait and for my next assignment. Since I'm just entering college, I fear that my update schedule will be rather inconsistent. I'll do what I can but I make no promises on quick updates. Maybe later in the year when I am used to my schedule and all but until then. I'll see ya guys later!
