RWBY (c) RoosterTeeth


Rose Above The Clouds


Lines of Deployment

In the still of night, and silent as a shadow the White Fang agent padded through the darkened hallway, going unseen by a single soul patrolling the base. A feat made considerably more impressive by the presence of absurdly large bronze wings sprouting from his back. The cameras and other surveillance systems were almost trivially easy to disable - something he'll gladly report at the first opportunity. But that was also the reason why he was assigned to this mission in the first place.

Despite his rather conspicuous pair of wings, the White Fang agent was among the stealthiest faunas in the chapter's ranks. He was skilled in a great many areas they found useful. A disciplined warrior, a computer expert, a technician, a passable engineer when push came to shove. And most of all, an exceedingly competent infiltrator and assassin. It was these last two skills that served him best this night.

Despite the dim hallway, his eyesight was practically perfect in the dark and he'd even go so far as to boast of his eagle-like vision was superior in comparison to his more feline or canine faunas cousins. The Agent wore an easy smirk on his face as he found the location he was looking for, a plain looking metal door with black words embossed into a eye-level plaque. Bold letters that read 'Iris Thorne'.

Allowing his semblance to defuse the light and render him completely invisible to the naked eye, the Agent's fingers curled around the knob and silently turned. He knew the tumblers liked to rattle if jerked open too hard and he needed every advantage he could get against this particular foe. Inside the office was as dark as the outside and the faint sound of breathing drifting in the air. How conceited. It appeared the Admiral was stargazing before she drifted off into a light doze.

Oh, how the Agent would make her regret her lax guard. Slipping into the room quiet as a wraith, the door clothing just as quietly behind him, the Agent padding in almost ghostly silence.

Fingers hooking around the knives strapped to his boots and drawing them out, holding them in a reverse grip - poised to strike. He managed to get half way to the desk before-

"Icarus."

The Admiral swivelled around in her chair, elbows on the armrest and hands folded together.

"Bollocks." The faunas answered in amusement, the camouflage of his semblance shimmered away, revealing his frame and the pair of bronze-brown wings on his back.

"What gave me away?" Icarus twirled a knife idly between his fingers the way a gambler would fiddle with a coin.

The Admiral rose from her chair, circled the desk and stood face-to-face with her would-be assassin. Her face was a disciplinarian's mask but a playful edge to her tone gave away her true feelings. "In all of your years, all of your memory - when have you ever been able to catch me off guard?"

Thorne's wry smirk was returned with a wide grin and a chuckle. Icarus raised his hands in conciliation before replacing the daggers off his boots.

"Apologies Admiral. We both know I can't resist a good theatrical performance every know and again," He replied carrying on with the same jovial voice before he assumed a more professional tone and expression. "You asked me to report to you immediately. I'm risking my position just by attending this meeting, however Commodore Everest said that you needed my aide, and my usual contact channels were too closely monitored by my 'companions'. The foreign ship landing in Mantle a few weeks ago really riled things up. Whispers of White Fang sympathizers even circulated among the ranks, got them all up in a flutter about."

"Mmm." Thorne made a sound in her throat in agreement. "Had I been given my way, those that infiltrated my City would've been locked away in a deep dark pit until this current world crisis blew over. But we seldom get what we want."

"I understand. What do you need me to do, Admiral?" Icarus requested.

The Admiral wasted no time in giving her orders. "The timetable's been accelerated. I would have preferred to stick with our original plan, but we've been presented a golden opportunity to quell the last dregs of this current insurrection. In twenty-four hours, two squads of Mark-2 Paladins and accompanying support units will arrive in the northern Mantle. I plan to have them at Supports 14 through 17. Your orders are to ensure the White Fang makes a guest appearance. My brigs are looking unbearably empty."

Icarus spread his wings proudly and bowed deeply to Thorne with a smirk. "I'll see it done, ma'am."


Weiss was quiet. Unusually so in the recent few hours. Her mind was preoccupied as they all awaited the transport on platform 3, located on the eastern half of the Academy. And she remained lost in those thoughts as they boarded for their next mission. An escort mission mixed with some search and destroy objectives down in Mantle's subterranean plate.

Nearly everyone was thrilled at the news when General Ironwood told them of the plan. A small but undoubtedly crucial step in repairing relations between Mantle and Atlas. They'd be working in partnership with the Mantle Navy's ground forces to clear out critical support areas of infrastructure for the Civilian Engineers. It was important, there was no denying it, but Weiss found herself too consumed by her thoughts to really offer anything than token appreciation.

"Weiss...?" Blake prompted when they were all in the transport. "Are you okay?"

Weiss blinked, taken aback by the question but smiled. One a bit too forced to be genuine. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Ya sure?" Yang prodded, leaning back on her chair with her arms and ankles crossed. "You've been awful quiet lately. I would've thought you'd be first on the bandwagon with this whole 'rebuild relations between Mantle and Atlas' project."

Weiss wrung her fingers, "I am. I really am. I'm glad that the General's taking great strides to help with the situation, but my thoughts are a bit... jumbled right now."

"Are you worried about Ironwood?" Ruby asked, putting a hand on Weiss' shoulder. A gesture that was returned with a smaller, more genuine smile that was a touch melancholic too.

"Yes... no. I mean, of course I am, but he's not what's on my mind right now. Its..." The Schnee heiress let out a short but hefty sigh, "Its Winter. She's... she told me something that has me extremely worried, and a little scared. Even if she says it doesn't worry her."

"What is it?" Blake questioned, leaning forward with concern and interest. "Maybe we can help?"

"Its not a particularly a 'help' thing, so much as its-" Weiss hesitated, closed her eyes and mustered her nerve. When she spoke next, her voice was low. A whisper only for the four of them to hear. "Ironwood has chosen Winter... to be the next Maiden."

Yang was clearly about to let out a massive outburst, but quelled it quickly. Shooting a swift look at the pilots before leaning in close. "What?"

"Winter told me. Rather, she showed me the previous Winter Maiden just before we were called to this job. An elderly woman, her name is Fria. And she told me that until Fria dies, Winter's the only one allowed to visit her." Weiss continued softly.

"I suppose it make sense in a way." Blake offered, clearly unwilling to play devil's advocate here but she went on regardless. "A power like that, the key to getting the relics - it only makes sense that the General would want to keep it as close to him as possible. That's how the powers transfer, right? The last person in the Maiden's thoughts are who the powers go to?"

"I know that." Weiss' voice turned hostile and she snapped. "How would you feel if it was your mother?" She shot looks at her teammates in turn. "How would you feel if it was your mothers? Your sisters?"

Blake offered her hands in apology, "Weiss, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry, but I'm just pointing out that from a certain point of view - having someone as skilled and disciplined as Winter having, well, Winter would make sense."

"I know that, but it -" Weiss snapped but quickly deflated and sank back into her chair, "Its just difficult to think about. My sister is already a Schnee, already the right hand to one of the most powerful world leaders, and now this? Its just... hard."

Yang's gaze lowered and her lips pressed together in a thin line, a melancholic expression on her face. Blake glanced between Yang and Ruby. Their leader's own eyes lowered to the floor while she contemplated her next words after a long silence.

"I'd support her." Ruby offered eventually, all eyes turned on her in varying degrees of astonishment. "I can't say the same for anyone else, but if it were me - if it were my mum taking on the Maiden powers? Yeah, I'd be scared for her but I'd be more scared if the powers went to someone who couldn't defend themselves; someone who didn't have the years of training of experience or training that Winter - or even my mother had."

Ruby hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees, her expression was one of deep introspection. "I'd be terrified of whatever scheme Salem would conjure up to try and get my mother or those powers, but I also know my mother has survived things I couldn't even begin to imagine. She's strong, she's fierce and she'll fight her way through hell before letting Salem come anywhere near her powers or the relics."

Blake and Weiss exchanged puzzled looked with one another while Yang remained silent, seemingly lost in her own despondent contemplation. "Ruby... I thought your mum was...?"

The question was cut off with the sudden rumble of the landing struts being deployed, along with a quick loud bump as the Manta transport touched down on the landing zone. The rear hatch door opened without preamble and Team RWBY made their way out of the transport. To the far side, they could already see the Paladins being unloaded from the larger bulk carriers and the support teams making quick work of the process with help from the green-clad Mantle Navy.

A woman stood to the side, older woman with steel-grey hair and an ragged scarred face, wearing a uniform decorated with rank pins. To her side was another woman dressed in civilian clothing, attending to her scroll.

"That's Admiral Thorne." Weiss identified easily.

"I guess we should at least introduce ourselves, right?" Blake suggested and the team made their way to the two commanders.

"Excuse me, Admiral?" Weiss began by way of introduction, interrupting whatever quiet conversation was passing between the two.

The old Admiral stared at them for a long moment, specifically at Ruby. And she paled as if seeing a ghost. Her composure recovered shortly thereafter with a little shake of the head and she returned to her stoic expression.

"Is it safe to presume you are the Huntresses escorting these units?" Admiral Thorne said by way of greeting.

"Yes ma'am. I-" Ruby answered in her cheery tone, which was abruptly cut off.

"Tell me what your operational plan is. I wish to know precisely how these units are being deployed. I also want a full tactical report on your arms, armaments and your understanding of the situation." The Admiral ordered sternly in rapid succession.

Ruby stared up at the woman, her mouth flopping open like a fish with a lump in her throat. She turned to her teammates who were all sharing equal looks. Before she could even begin to splutter out an answer to what little of that she understood the Admiral's thin lips twitched upward ever so slightly.

"I'm joking." The Admiral said in her brisk tone. She turned her back on her, hands clasped behind her to inspect the troops. "I suppose the Good General truly is scraping the bottom of the barrel if he's sending children to assist in this operation."

"We can handle ourselves." Yang declared proudly. "And we're not students, we're professional Huntsmen."

"That may as well be, that doesn't change the fact that you are all children. As I just said; scraping the bottom of the barrel." Admiral Thorne replied, her gaze on the support crews as the Paladin units lumbered onto a platform attached to the crane.

Yang's face twisted in anger. But Blake put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. The blonde cooled off a little, still quite bitter at the derisive commentary.

"Teale, if you please?" Thorne offered her hand out and the smartly dressed woman with bright teal hair placed a Scroll tablet in her waiting hand. Thorne tapped a few keys and a topographic map of Mantle's city scale projected above the slate. She turned back to the team and manipulated the hologram. A large area outside the border of Mantle's city was highlighted with thirty-six small nodes. A dozen were yellow and six were flashing red with caution indicators flashing on them.

"This is the Subterranean plate in conjunction with the City of Mantle, itself." Thorne explained to the Huntresses. She raised a pointed finger and circled four nodes separated by a green node. A white line traced her finger's path. "At this time, we'll focus our repair efforts on Support Pillars 14, 15 and 17. They're within five kilometres of each other. We also had a Grimm incursion in sector 14 not two days ago, so be prepared for combat. While you're tracking back and forth between these two sites, I would also have you escort a cadre of civilian engineers to Support 16."

She emphasized her point by tapping the centre node of the cluster. "With the two adjacent supports in need of critical assessment, maintenance and repair, we need to inspect 16. Ensure it hasn't suffered any signs of damage. I anticipate it has signs of deterioration given its had to bear the weight of its adjacent supports. And if so, we have to effect quick field repairs. These repairs could take anywhere between thirty minutes to thirty days depending on the damage location and type."

"That's awful. How did Mantle get this bad?" Weiss piped up, unable to help herself.

"Scheming back-stabbers, money-grubbers and ass-lickers like your father." Teale stated brusquely.

Weiss winced at this comment. Yang looked ready to pummel the civilian into the dirt.

"Secretary." Thorne said coolly.

"Apologies, Admiral."

"My Secretary's passions aside, that's what it boils down to. Greedy people burying their heads in the snow, until the situation becomes so untenable the consequences are slapping them in the face with a dead mackerel." Thorne continued in her professional manner, she returned the scroll to her adjutant and clasped her hands behind her back. "That's all. You're dismissed."

"Wha-" Yang sputtered out, "That's it?"

"I've given you an overview of the situation, told you to expect company and outlined the tasks you need to achieve. I've given you everything you need to know." The Admiral answered back coolly.

"With all due respect Admiral, where would you like us to deploy? Do you have any suggestions about how we should patrol these sights. There's only four of us-"

"Four of you and six paladins units. In the right commander's hands, those tools could topple a nation. Patrolling a five kilometre area is child's play compared to that." The Admiral lectured. "You claim with pride that you are licenced Huntresses and that you can handle yourselves. I expect you not to eat those words."

With that, the old Admiral departed with her secretary in tow, leaving Team RWBY in stunned silence.

"Wow. She's... kind of a bitch." Yang commented, glaring at her back. She immediately jumped in fright when she heard the Admiral's voice call out.

"I can still hear you. Get to work!"


Author's note:

So Thorne has someone on the inside of Atlas' White Fang chapter. Wonder who this Icarus is?

Also, shameless self promo: Check out my new Mermaid Hummingbird AU called 'Beneath the Tides'! Please support my brainchildren. They keep me sane during my work from home hours. :3

I welcome feedback and criticism,

Aurora313