AUTHOR'S NOTES: After the tragic excitement from last chapter, it's time for something of a cool-down chapter, but a rather important one. Time to check in with Yang...and Salem.

Salem makes a reference to Guy Fawkes and Oswald Mosley in this chapter. The former is probably familiar to modern readers (though Guy Fawkes wasn't the misunderstood hero "V For Vendetta" kind of made him out to be), but the latter might not be. Mosley was the leader of the British Union of Fascists before World War II. During the war, he was imprisoned, though released after the war was over. He tried to reenter politics, failed, and lived out the rest of his life more or less quietly until he died in 1980. In this world, he might have done more, which is why Salem knows of him...

The Xiao Long-Rose House

Near Patch, North Carolina

14 June 2001

"And that's all we know," Rissa Arashikaze sighed, cradling her coffee. "The An-12 went down over the Salton Sea. The Navy sent out a recon today, and saw the wreckage on the shoreline. The crash looks survivable, and bodies were sighted around the aircraft. None were Weiss. It looks like a helicopter landed as well."

Yang Xiao Long looked down at her artificial hand. It twitched slightly. Taiyang put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "So Raven has her," she said.

"That's my guess. Not just her, either—one of my operatives, Rick Tardor, too." Rissa was silent for a moment. "He's a good man. A very good man. I hope I don't lose him."

"What's the Navy going to do?" Taiyang asked.

"The skipper of the Enterprise is angry, to say the least," Rissa replied. "He lost two men, too. No bailout on either one of the Super Hornet pilots. The report said that both were shot down in rapid succession by a high-speed aircraft."

"The Night Raven," Yang said softly. "Raven saved my ass with it over Mountain Glenn."

"Given that the Navy only got a partial radar hit off of it when it fired, I'd say so." Rissa drank the rest of her coffee. "The CNO won't be ordering an airstrike on Raven's camp, but only because he's worried about casualties. And I'm worried about Weiss Schnee and Rick Tardor getting killed by friendly fire. But if Raven pulls another one of these stunts, the Navy will hit her with an alpha strike from more than just the Enterprise. The Saratoga and the Nimitz are out there too. And if Raven really does have the Spring Maiden, then she'll take a shot at one of the carriers. That we don't need."

"Which brings you to me," Yang told her.

Rissa smiled, though there wasn't much humor in it. "Which brings me to you." She pushed aside the coffee, reached into her briefcase, and pulled out a file folder. "This is what we have on the Branwen tribe. It's not much; maybe your father can add more to it. Memorize this stuff; do not take it with you."

"I'm leaving?" Yang asked.

"If you think you're ready. Major Oum thinks you could use another two weeks, but I've got doctors at Savannah popping corks over how well you've adapted to using that arm. A few of them had money on you never getting back into the cockpit at all." Rissa pulled out an envelope and pushed it across to her. "Your orders, detaching you to the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa. Your sister and Reaper Flight are at Atsugi. Obstensibly, you're going there to flight test the F-23 in a combat environment. When you get there, you're to report either to Major Qrow Branwen or Captain Ruby Rose."

Despite the situation, Yang laughed. "Oh God. I'm going to be under Ruby's orders?"

"Technically, Major Branwen is the senior officer, but Captain Rose does command Reaper Flight. It's the same arrangement you had at Beacon."

"Yeah, and Ruby never let me forget it." Yang nodded. "Anyhow, I'll stop on the way over at Raven's to pick up Weiss, right? It's going to be tough squeezing her into my single-seater."

Rissa blew out a breath. "I'm hoping you can persuade Raven Branwen, somehow—feminine wiles, trading on your status as her daughter, shoot her, whatever—to allow Weiss and Rick to cross the border into Tijuana. We can take it from there." She tapped the folder. "My recommendation is to fly to Las Vegas. Nellis got destroyed by the GRIMM a long time ago, but the Air Force still has a small presence at McCarran International. The local cartels allow it, because it protects them from the occasional GRIMM attack."

"Cartels?" Yang raised an eyebrow.

It was Taiyang who answered. "We went to Vegas a few times with Strike Flight. Las Vegas is only technically still part of the Remnant, pumpkin. It's controlled by various crime organizations—the Mafia, Chinese triad, yakuza, you name it. They're right there on the edge of the frontier. The whole place was abandoned after Nellis got destroyed, and wasn't brought back into the country until Reagan."

"And the locals have never forgiven the US government for abandoning them," Rissa finished. "Still, pilots are respected there, because you people keep the GRIMM away. You should be okay…as long as you don't start a fight or something. Branwen has people there, and they usually hang out at the Just Right Casino."

"Just Right?" It was Taiyang who looked curious now.

"Used to be the Tropicana. Under new management." Rissa's hand moved over the folder, tracing invisible patterns in it. "Probably her people will see you, and make contact. Tell them you want to see your mother—I know, I know, but play that angle, Yang—and if what you've told me about what Raven said to you at Beacon is true, they'll escort you to wherever her hideout currently is in California." She faced Yang squarely. "I've got people in Las Vegas that can help you; I'll have them shadowing you. But as soon as you cross into California, you're on your own. I don't have anyone with Branwen's bunch, unlike—" Rissa stopped herself, and Yang realized that the CIA woman had nearly slipped up.

"So what if Raven just decides to take me prisoner, too?" Yang wanted to know. "She's going to be pissed when I tell her I'm not joining her merry band of pirates."

Rissa paused. "Then tell her the United States government is one more incident from sending three carrier battlegroups and the 2nd Marine Division after her."

"She's pretty good at seeing through lies," Taiyang cautioned.

"It's not a lie," Rissa answered. "That doesn't leave this room. In fact, I wouldn't even tell the dog." Zwei perked up at that, got up, waddled over, and licked Rissa's ankle. "Okay, I guess the dog's all right." Rissa smiled, petting the corgi. "This is volunteer only, Yang. If you don't want to do it, I have other assets I can send after Weiss and Rick. But you're our best chance at getting them back alive."

Yang smiled back. "Well, I was getting bored anyway. I guess I volunteer."

"Thank you." In an uncharacteristic show of humanity, Rissa reached across and took her hands. "Thank you, Yang." She pushed the folder to her as well. "Bring that with you to Signal tomorrow. I'll see you off." She checked her watch. "And I need to be going. There's a hotel room bed that has my name on it. I haven't slept in over 24 hours." Yang thought that she was doing a good job of hiding it.

"Talk with you a minute, Miss Arashikaze?" Taiyang asked.

"I figured you would." She got up and followed Taiyang out the front door. When they were out of earshot in the front yard, in the humid sunlight and surrounded by the noise of june bugs, Rissa looked up at Taiyang. "I'm sending another of your daughters into the deep black," she said before he could speak. "So if you're here to tell me she's not ready and that I'm a horrible bitch and you want to kill me, I understand."

Taiyang chuckled. "Actually, I was going to tell you that you made the right choice. Raven has blind spots, Miss Arashikaze. Yang is one of them."

"She abandoned her."

"Raven is weird as hell, Miss Arashikaze. She actually thought she was doing Yang—and me—a favor by doing that. But she still cares for her daughter. Somehow, she managed to keep tabs on her throughout her childhood. To be honest, I think Raven managed to slip in to her high school graduation and when she graduated from flight school. If anyone can get Raven to let Weiss and your operative go without a fight, it's her." Taiyang sighed, looking over Rissa's shoulder—which wasn't hard; he towered over her—towards where Summer Rose's empty grave lay. "I don't want her to go. I don't know if she's ready. But Yang already made up her mind as soon as you mentioned Weiss." Just like Ruby did, he reflected sadly. He'd raised his daughters with strong morals, and while sometimes he'd worried it hadn't taken with Yang as well as Ruby, he knew better now. And it was like a shot to the heart to know that Yang and Ruby were following their mother's footsteps far too closely for his liking. But just as he couldn't keep Ruby close, neither could he keep Yang. They were needed, and he had to let the little birds fly from the nest.

Rissa seemed to follow his thoughts. She was staring into the forest, though he could tell by the distance in her eyes she wasn't seeing the trees. "It's strange, isn't it," she said softly. "Wartime, I mean. How you can make lifelong friendships in a few weeks."

"It's one of the few decent things about war," Taiyang answered.

Rissa closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Taiyang saw her transform back into the CIA director again. She'd lapsed twice in his presence, showing the human behind the cold spymaster. "I need to be going," she said. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Xiao Long."

"You too, Miss Arashikaze."

Rissa began to walk towards her car, but paused. "Tell Yang that Rick is as important to me as Weiss is to her. He's my nephew." Then she resumed walking.

Mount Iwaki Observatory

Aomori Prefecture, Japan

14 June 2001

"Is this truly necessary?" Leonardo Lionheart puffed out. He sat down just inside the door and mopped the sweat from his brow.

Arthur Watts, on the other hand, was barely breathing hard. It had been a short, somewhat steep walk from the tram to the observatory, clinging to the side of Mount Iwaki. "I must admit it is a bit theatric," Watts admitted. "A secret communications facility, on the side of an active volcano. Very Ian Fleming." He motioned around the silent observatory. "The owner is a Faunus sympathetic to the White Fang. He gave the staff the day off, and me the keys." Watts pointed through a set of doors. "Mount Iwaki is quite useful. As the highest point in the Aomori Prefecture—"

"Yes, I know," Lionheart said. He slowly got to his feet. "We have better line of sight to the commercial satellites you're pirating to communicate with Salem. Shall we get on with it?"

"If you insist," Watts replied, slightly miffed at not being able to brag. He showed Lionheart through a set of doors to a reception area. Watts unlocked an unmarked door and followed Lionheart inside, always making sure the Faunus was ahead of him. There was a revolver in Watts' jacket; Lionheart might be important to the plan, but not as important as the hacker's life. He locked the door behind him, then took out a laptop and plugged it into another computer. Lionheart sat down again, still getting his breath, and after fifteen minutes, Watts was ready. He motioned the Air Vice Marshal forward towards a large screen. Static appeared, then derezzed into the face of Salem, slightly distorted by the bad signal. Neither could see much behind her but a picture window, and a shadow that Watts recognized as Cinder Fall.

Salem smiled and gave a small bow of her head. "Leonardo. Arthur."

"Salem," Leonardo replied. Watts turned at the malice in his voice, and Salem blinked in surprise.

Watts moved up to stand next to Lionheart. "Is the connection clear on your end? I'm routing it through two commercial communications satellites."

"Is it secure?" Lionheart asked.

"People in France will be wondering why MTV isn't working, but it's secure enough," Watts told him, then tapped on the screen. "Can you see us all right, Miss Salem, Miss Fall? Well, as clear as you can see, Cinder."

Cinder stepped into full view. She was wearing the red cheongsam she'd begun favoring, her hair combed down to cover her ruined eye. "Fuck you, Watts."

"Oh, capital. I see you've recovered fully."

Salem threw a warning glance at both of them. "We're not wasting time with schoolyard bickering. Leonardo, do you have something to report?"

"I do," Lionheart replied, putting his hands behind his back. "I've…we've…found the Spring Maiden."

Salem leaned forward. "Is that so? Well done." She looked at Watts. "I should've sent you to Haven sooner, Arthur, if I'd known you were that good."

"As much as I'd like to, Miss Salem, I can't say either of us are to thank for this development. I suppose you could say a…little birdie told us?" He laughed a little at his joke.

"Oh?"

"Qrow Branwen arrived at Misawa yesterday," Lionheart put in. "He believes his sister Raven controls the Spring Maiden."

Cinder abruptly pushed her way forward. "Is she with him?"

Watts knew who she was talking about, and was tempted to string Cinder along a little, but he answered, "Yes, Ruby Rose was in attendance." He fought down a smile as Salem gently pushed her back. Before she did, he could see Cinder's good eye twitching.

Salem got them back on track. "And you know of Raven Branwen's location?"

Lionheart answered her. "Somewhere in the Los Angeles area, Salem."

"I believe I know where, exactly," Watts added quickly.

The pale woman did not answer immediately. "Interesting, Leonardo. The last few times we've talked—which admittedly was several months ago-you've referred to me as Miss Salem and ma'am. You were rather afraid. Now you've dropped the honorific. You've become very brave, my lion." Her smile faded. "I won't forget what you've done for me, Leonardo. Do not forget everything I can do to you."

To everyone's surprise, Leonardo did not quail under her gaze. Instead, he remained standing in his spot, hands still behind his back. "If you want to know how I have become brave, Miss Salem—" he was not quite that defiant under her threat "—then perhaps you can ask Cinder Fall behind you about my daughter."

Salem's expression did not change. "Your daughter was killed at Beacon, Leonardo. It was Ozpin's doing, not Cinder's."

"No," Lionheart replied coldly. "Cinder murdered Ruth."

Salem closed her eyes, rubbed them, then opened them again. "I see. I suppose I will have to deal with this. But later."

"You don't care, do you?" he snapped.

Salem shook her head. "I do not," she said simply.

Lionheart's hands came out from behind his back, fists balled, his lips working to stay down over his fangs. Watts took a step back, nervously fingering the revolver in his pocket. "She was my daughter, Salem! You insisted that she go along as cover for Cinder and the others. She knew nothing about the operation; she went because she thought it was a career opportunity, and it would be fun!" Now he did bare his teeth. "And that…thing standing behind you had her killed!"

Salem's annoyance barely showed; just a small downturn of the bloodless lips. "Leonardo, let me repeat myself, and I will not do so again. You approached me all those years ago, after your wife died in that tragic airshow accident, because you believed my victory was inevitable and you were tired of fighting me. Quite the wise choice, I might add. But I do not care about Ruth Lionheart. She was not my responsibility. If her death has jeopardized the operation, then I will deal with it, in my own time and manner."

"I demand justice," Lionheart snarled. Watts took another step back.

"You are in a position to demand nothing," Salem said, her voice even, all the more frightening because she was not yelling back at him. "You know how far my tentacles reach. A phone call to one of my people inside of MI6, and they tell Menzies all about your cooperation with me. Can you tell me what would happen next, Leonardo?"

His hands slowly opened, and he hung his head. "Disgrace. Public disgrace. Court-martial. Prison."

"Most certainly," Salem agreed. "And the dragging of the Lionheart name through the mud of every British and Menagerie tabloid there is. Your wife's memory, forever tainted. Poor Ruth's memory as well. A few choice words, and I'll have Ruth implicated in your plot. You'll be forever known as traitors, mentioned in the same breath as Guy Fawkes and Oswald Mosley." She shook her head. "Leonardo, I do not want that to happen. Neither do you. Remember that none of you are irreplacable." She turned to Cinder. "None of you."

Lionheart sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"All right. Enough of that. We are wasting time." She turned her attention to Watts. "I want you back here, Arthur. Cinder and her team will join you, and go to California. Convince Raven Branwen that her continued survival, and that of her tribe, depends on her cooperation. She won't give up the Spring Maiden, but once you convince her to join us, contact Hazel. I've already sent him out of Japan back to Britain to coordinate with the White Fang. They've been promised the destruction of Haven, and they'll have it. It will be a diversion from our true objective."

"JINN," Watts grinned. The thought of getting his hands on that operating system was like the hit from a drug.

"Once Haven is destroyed, securing JINN should be no difficulty." Salem suddenly smiled. "No, Arthur, I have not forgotten our little computerized tattletale."

"Thank you, Miss Salem." He smoothed his mustache. "There is a flight from Tokyo to Phoenix tonight. It would be no trouble to get into California from Las Vegas."

"No, I need you back here," Salem said. "I'm afraid Tyrian's aircraft is in need of repair."

"What happened to it?"

Salem's smile became wry. "Guess."

"Our favorite silver-eyed girl?"

"The same."

"I will leave later tonight."

"Good," Salem answered. "I believe that is all for now. Arthur, I will see you here presently. Leonardo…remember our talk. I would hate to see you disgraced in the dock. I would hate it more to simply have you killed and your body thrown in a sewage ditch." The image derezzed back to static, and Watts switched it off.

"I need some air," Lionheart said.

"It will take me some time to get everything unplugged," Watts told him. "I do hope you're not going to do anything rash, old boy."

Lionheart visibly fought down the urge to strangle him. "I've got nowhere to run," he replied bitterly. "Disgrace, death, or Salem's victory." Before Watts could answer, he threw open the door and stalked out of the observatory. Watts watched him go, touched the pistol reassuringly, and went back to his work.

In the clear mountain air, Lionheart took great draughts of it. "You made a mistake, Salem," he whispered, as if the woman could hear him from Siberia. "You assume that I'm still afraid to die." He too ran his fingers over something in his pocket, but it was not a pistol. It was a note. On it, Lionheart knew, was a number to a certain Rissa Arashikaze. All he needed was time away from Arthur Watts, and Salem had just given it to him.

Mount Yamantau

Ural Mountains, Russia Dead Zone

14 June 2001

Salem looked at the dark television monitor on her table for a few moments, then pushed it back down into the table. She stood, stretched, turned to Cinder, and without warning grabbed her around the throat, slamming her against the heavy, high-backed chair. "You stupid bitch," she hissed. Cinder was caught completely by surprise; Salem had never shown any predilection towards physical violence, but now the alabaster fingers were closing around her windpipe. "You murdered Lionheart's daughter?" The fingers tightened.

"N-No," Cinder croaked out. "I-I-didn't—"

"Then he's lying?"

Darkness appeared at the edges of Cinder's eyesight. Salem had always seemed so slight, even a little sickly, with her moon-pale skin. Her grip was like iron. "No…" she managed to gasp out. Somehow, she got enough of a breath to say "Mercury…"

Salem kept the pressure on for a moment, then let go. Cinder collapsed, coughing, trying to get her breath back. Salem stood over her. "When you can breathe again, explain. I was under the impression that Ruth Lionheart had died in her sleep, in a rather fortunate coincidence. He should've been under the impression that she died as a result of Ozpin's ineptitude. It was another way to control him."

Cinder coughed and wheezed for a good five minutes before she could speak coherently again. "Ruth found out…about my attempt to kill two of the Vytal Flag attendees. I had managed to fend her off by claiming it was friendly fire...but Mercury…he thought we were blown. So he smothered her to death."

"How does Lionheart know?"

"I don't know," Cinder said, with another cough. She weakly pulled herself up with her artificial arm. "Ozpin might have found out, somehow."

"He was smart enough to deduce it was no accident. And he would have told Lionheart." Salem tapped her chin in thought. "That explains Lionheart's sudden defiance."

"Will you kill him?"

"No. Not yet," Salem said. "We need him, for now. He still fears disgrace, even if he may no longer fear death. That was always his blind spot—he wanted Ruth to live in peace, even if it was a peace under my rule. Still, the thought of his family's name being destroyed will keep him in line."

"Will you kill Mercury?" Cinder was reasonably assured that Salem wasn't going to kill her, at least. Mercury Black's death would be no loss to the world.

Salem was silent for a moment, considering. "No. You may still have use of him. And I hold you responsible for this, Cinder. He was under your command, and commanders are ultimately responsible for the actions of their subordinates." She moved past Cinder to the picture window, staring down at the GRIMM production facility. "Do you want to go after Ruby Rose?"

"Yes," Cinder said, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

"Well," Salem replied, facing her, "you're not going to. Not now. Consider it your punishment for turning Lionheart from a frightened old Faunus to a defiant one. You're going to California." Cinder opened her mouth, then closed it. "Do you have something to say?"

"Why are we working with bandits? Aren't we strong enough to simply take the Spring Maiden away from Branwen?"

Salem laughed. "Cinder, Cinder, Cinder. When will you learn? You are always going to need useful idiots…and fear is always a weapon for those who know how to use it."