RWBY (c) RoosterTeeth

Rose Above The Clouds

Planning Ahead

Winter Schnee was privately pleased that the General was looking particularly well today.

His beard was tidied, he looked like he'd actually slept for longer than two hours. And while dark bags were still firmly etched under his eyes, their effect had been lessened significantly. His desk was set against a comparatively grim backdrop. A thick blanket of grey clouds hung over Atlas like a shroud, illuminated occasionally by the gleaming lights of the main city drag. The Altesian air fleet floated gently across the skies around the city's perimeter, like the navy barges of ancient days gliding across a storm grey ocean.

A fresh pot of coffee sat on his desk, and a pair of mugs beside it. A freshly brewed pot that couldn't be more than ten minutes old judging by the pale steam. And it held a particular hazelnut aroma. That meant it wasn't from the cafeteria, It was from the General's personal stash of beans.

Ironwood had taken time out to brew his own coffee this morning. And that was a good omen.

Winter only hoped the morning's reports would enhance his mood, not dampen it as she strode confidently into the office with the morning's reports under her arm.

"General." She snapped a crisp salute, which Ironwood returned.

"Winter. Good morning." He greeted back, refocusing on the holographic display on his desk, pausing from his typing only to take a sip from a mug he'd poured himself.

Offhandedly, he gestured to the spare mug.

"Feel free to pour yourself a cup." Ironwood invited and Winter did just so.

She placed the tablet down on his desk containing the daily briefing and sipped the infusion. While not her favourite roast, the coffee was to her liking. Remembering herself, Winter straightened her back and stood at attention… albeit with the mug still level.

"The morning's reports. It seemed that our... guest, Huntress Rose was discharged from hospital last night. According to the logs, she attended her scheduled training session with Qrow and then spent the evening with him. At oh-two-twenty five, they left the residency for a meal in the city. According to eyewitness reports, they returned at oh-seven hundred, where Specialist Harriet Bree and Reed took over guard duty while Qrow moved to attend an elimination bounty."

Winter couldn't quite keep the edge of disapproval out her tone. While the doctors have found the Huntress psychologically sound enough to resume training, there was still a potential security risk attached to the woman. Not only because of her captor, but because of the unique power in her possession. Powers, Winter should say.

"You sound like you disapprove." Ironwood noted, raising an eyebrow at her.

"It was a dereliction in protocol, though I suppose that the circumstances are... understandable."

Winter had to concede the point. Weiss had disappeared from Atlas for only a few months at most and Winter was beside herself with worry. She couldn't even begin to imagine believing her sister had been dead for years on end, only to discover that Weiss was alive all along.

Accepting the point meant she found herself in the unpleasant situation of sympathising with a certain drunkard, but Winter swallowed down her pride. Even as it left a bitter taste.

"Neither of them are military officers or Specialists, they're not expected or required to conform to your timetables." Ironwood reminded her gently.

"Of course sir. My apologies."

Ironwood shook his head. "I wasn't chastising you, Schnee. I was just reminding you that their disciplines vary from ours. And I'm not going to fault a man for wanting to make up for lost time with his wife."

Ironwood mused vaguely then slumped back in his chair, lips pressed in a thin line as he took another sip of his coffee.

"But you are correct. It would've been nice if they gave us a heads up first. Partner or no, Rose is still a Maiden and we have no idea where our enemies may be lurking. They could very well be within our walls and we don't even know it. Especially since we still haven't put a face to the people behind the killings down in Mantle. While I don't doubt Qrow's abilities, Summer's powers are both valuable assets we can't allow to fall into enemy hands. And it's too important a job to entrust to a single Huntsman."

A dark shadow crossed Ironwood's face as he stared at his computer screen, his brow furrowing in anger. "After all, entrusting everything to a single point of failure - that's how we lost control of the Fall Maiden in the first place. But it seems the only lessons we learn are the ones written in blood."

Winter was silent. The General took another long draft of his coffee, savouring the taste while he was locked in his own thoughts for a moment. He glanced up and waved for Winter to continue her summary.

"Additionally, the situation in Mantle is still precarious as we expect. However, since Admiral Thorne returned to her post, her adjutants Commodore Everest and Secretary Teale have become exponentially more willing to cooperate in our efforts to source the materials for the Amity Project."

Ironwood gave a sound of approval, erasing his fleeting foul mood. "Glad to hear it. The Admiral and I were able to come to an understanding that'll help secure the future of our Kingdom. I'm glad to see it's already bearing fruit."

"That is wonderful news, Sir." Winter nodded, relieved. "May I ask what our plans are now? With the Admiral and the Navy backing us, does that mean we can expedite the construction of the Amity Communication tower?"

"Yes. And no." The General's return surprised Winter, and she blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean, sir?" Winter questioned, her back straightening with Ironwood arched an eyebrow at her.

"Over the course of our discussion, the Admiral furnished me with information regarding certain construction plans and materials. When I revealed the full scope of the Amity Project to her, she claimed that her own protocols would provide a superior option to the original project."

Ironwood folded his hands and leaned on his desk.

"I've spent the last twenty-four hours reviewing the protocols, and I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with that claim. However, it also would require a great deal of re-evaluation of our resource distribution, relocation efforts for citizenry and diverting a significant portion of our raw material cost to Mantle for the repair efforts to its foundations."

Winter's head tilted to one side, confused. "Respectfully sir, what could possibly serve -"

Ironwood's door chime cut Winter off, "Come in."

At Ironwood's invitation, the door opened revealing the Commander of the Ace Ops Clover Ebi, as well as Secretary Teale. The civilian woman was dressed in an unranked naval uniform of dark green, grey and gold.

"General." Clover straightened his back and snapped off a clean salute.

"General Ironwood." Secretary Teale inclined her hair politely.

Ironwood's gaze narrowed at the slight woman. "I requested Admiral Thorne's presence or a communication line. May I ask why you're here in her place?"

"You did indeed, but overnight the situation in Mantle has become quite precarious, and the Admiral's attentions are required to handle the matter personally. In that vein, she has authorized me to act as her representative instead. She has also provided me a complete briefing on what may be discussed in this meeting, and I am well equipped to ask any questions you may have. I have a writ of permission here."

The Secretary walked forward and presented a hastily written note with the seal of the Admiral's office and her swirling signature at its authoring line. "You may authenticate it if you wish."

"There's no need. This is real. So long as Thorne's representative is present, we can attend to the matter at hand." General Ironwood set the paper note aside and plucked his scroll from his desk.

"I'm keeping this information between us for now. Simply put, I have reason to suspect that Team RWBY was not completely honest with me in the matter of our enemy. I fully expect their intentions were well-meaning, but the information they neglected to provide me revealed the true scope of the enemy we face. In that vein, I want it made perfectly clear that nothing of what's discussed here will leave this room. Winter and Clover, you will not breathe a word of it unless I specifically order you to do so. Secretary Teale, I expect the only person you will relay this information to is the Admiral. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." Winter and Clover answered in unison, Secretary Teale simply nodded once.

"I understand completely, General."

"Good." General Ironwood pressed a button on his remote and the central table elevated, folding out into its projector form.

"Admiral Thorne has provided me with plans - or perhaps it's more appropriate to say she entrusted to me a Legacy. A Legacy dubbed the Evernight Citadel Protocol. These files contained a series of schematics, timetables and schedules to convert Atlas itself into a massive mobile fortress. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that it will allow Atlas to return to its original purpose as a Bulwark against the Grimm."

"A Bulwark, sir?" Winter echoed, blinking in surprise.

"Indeed." Ironwood answered, "It appears that my predecessor Patricia Palatinate foresaw a day where we would need more than a weapon. We would need a Bastion, a symbol of peace beyond what any one person could provide."

The central projector illuminated the room with an image of the floating city of Atlas. And they watched as an overlay of ablative armour plating, secondary and tertiary hard-light shield generators, heavy propulsion engines, huge skyscraper tall communication towers.

Then the weapon mountings appeared, jacketing the entire projection with lines upon lines of gun batteries, missile silos, magnetic accelerator cannons and point defense weaponry. The original city's outline had completely vanished in a layer of defense and firepower.

"How is this even possible?" Winter Schnee asked, awestruck as she watched more and more overlays fall across the base City. It completed with a large ring of docking platforms with Atlas at its core.

"It's ridiculous," Clover agreed, gesturing to the hologram. "Respectfully General, the time investment of this alone would be insane. It wouldn't even be complete in our lifetimes."

"And you'd be correct." Secretary Teale nodded then looked up at the hologram to indicate the projection's core. "However, there is one key factor you're missing in to make this possible. A factor that would make this entire project possible. One present and responsible for launching this city into the sky."

"And that factor would be the Staff of Creation." Winter Schnee concluded.

Teale shot her a look, an eyebrow raised then hummed to herself. "Yes. Of course you would be aware of it. That makes my job here easier."

The Secretary pulled out her scroll and opened it to tablet format. Notes scrolled across its blue surface as she glanced between it and the three military officers in the room.

Winter frowned in disapproval as she took control of the briefing, but a quick glance to Ironwood and the subtlest nod made her bite down a protest.

The General indicated to the hologram. "In accordance with this protocol, Patricia Palatinate envisioned that the City we know as Atlas would become a bastion, a rally point and a mobile base akin to the Amity Project - controlled and maintained by contingents consisting of Military and Huntsmen personnel from all four kingdoms. Just as Amity was meant to symbolise the peace between nations, Atlas was to expand on that ideal."

"Respectfully Sir, that still leaves us the issue of material and resources. We couldn't possibly-" Clover Ebi protested, abruptly cutting himself off. "-Unless, the plan requires access to the Staff of Creation."

"Indeed." Teale agreed.

"But the staff can only be used for one purpose at a time." Winter interjected, glancing at the General for confirmation.

"It can only be used for one purpose at a time? What kind of idiot god creates a relic that can only shift a comparatively small amount of terrain? Gravity Dust generators working around the clock could perform the same task." Teale echoed incredulously, then frowned bitterly. "Not a particularly divine relic if human hands can do the job."

"The same idiot god who gave us Salem as a foe to contend with." Ironwood answered grimly. "However, the reorganisation of Atlas is only half the protocol."

"Only half?" Clover interjected, then pointedly looked at the civilian woman for an explanation. "What precisely does that mean?"

"Bluntly put, the other half of the protocol is the reason why we - the Mantle half of the Kingdom - have been so desperately seeking aide to repair our infrastructure and declining any further attempts to pilfer our diminished resources for your project." Teale said. She looked up and stared both soldiers in the eyes.

"Atlas was never meant to be in civilian hands. It was always intended to be a battle fortress."

The secretary exhaled, exasperation dripped from every word. "But in his infinite wisdom, the former King of Vale - or Ozpin as you once knew him - decided to co-opt the plans for his own... less than optimal designs. Unfortunately, the council of the time overruled the military's protests and the project was repurposed to fit its new role."

The teal-haired woman walked up to the holographic interface and pressed a few keys set into the projector itself. The holographic interface shifted, shrinking Atlas to a fraction of its size and bringing up a topographical map of the City of Mantle.

"Which leads us to the other current problem implementing this protocol. Mantle was supposed to be the principal capital of Solitas and was intended to serve as the most secure and heavily defended human bastion this side other equator. Instead, its become a rundown shell of its former glory, thanks to the greed and extortion of capitalists like the Schnee Dust Company, the Altius Armaments Cooperation and others."

"Mantle is supposed to be a safe haven. And Atlas has gutted its capability to serve that purpose. Is that what you're saying?" Clover questioned, crossing his arms with a skeptical expression.

"Now, you understand why we've been pushing back against your demands for materials in favour of repairing our subterranean plate. At least, officially. Aside from trying to provide our people with the basic living provisions they desperately need, we've been attempting to maintain the spirit of the original Evernight Protocol."

"Officially. What's the unofficial story?" Winter pressed.

Teale glanced up at the General for a split second as if seeking permission, then pressed on. "The official excuse is the plate requires extensive maintenance due to an elaborate scheme of dust and energy traps that lay across its underbelly. These are meant to protect the city itself from burrower type Grimm that may attempt to attack from underneath. However, just like with Atlas' own float systems, the truth is a little more complicated than what the world is lead to believe."

"The Subterranean plate has never required repair work. And it never will." Ironwood explained to his subordinates. "The matrix is made of a semi-sentient biosynthetic alloy that cannot be corroded or rusted. It will always repair itself."

The General paused for a moment to contemplate, "Actually, its far better to say it will always heal itself."

"Heal itself?" Clover questioned, he shook his head. "Sir, you make it sound like its alive."

Teale nodded. "That's because it is after a fashion. Bluntly stated: the Subterranean plate is the first attempt to create the Atlas Project utilizing the Staff of Creation. However, for complex reasons that are too numerous to discuss at the moment, that plan failed. Instead, it was adapted to become the base layer of armour plating that would protect Mantle from Grimm incursion."

"And this business with the pillars?" Winter inquired,

"Oh, they are in desperate need of repair. They aren't just there to support the plate and prevent our fair little city from collapsing into the Tundra, they're there to limit the growth of the plate." Teale explained patiently. "Perhaps its better to refer to them less as 'Pillars' and more as 'Anchors'."

"The growth of the plate?" Clover echoed.

"Yes. As the General has just explained, the plate itself is a biosynthetic creation with a measure of sentience. A ravenous sentience at that. The Pillars are constructed and anchored around the edges of that plate to ensure it doesn't expand beyond our ability to cull."

"And if the pillars do collapse?" It was a question that had to be asked, and Winter loathed to be the one to ask it.

"Then the alloy will expand in accordance to the raw earth materials it consumes, converting rare earth and dust into fuel to further its expansion. If left unchecked, it could consume the entire continent in a matter of months. Perhaps weeks."

The full measure of the consequences impressed themselves upon everyone officers present. Teale simply shrugged. "Now you understand why we are so insistent."

"You're being reassigned." Ironwood declared, turning back to his desk and taking a seat. "Given the nature of the elements involved, I'm reassigning the Ace Ops and a contingent of Specialists to repairing the plate. The Amity Project will still proceed at a pace, but if we lose any of those pillars, the plate will expand beyond our ability to contain."

Winter and Clover both were still processing the gravity of the situation, but snapped off crisp salutes. "When you get to Mantle, Coordinate with Thorne's Corsairs. This situation now has your top priority. All other matters are secondary."

"Yes sir." They answered in chorus.

"Dismissed."

Author's note:

I've been sitting on this nugget since I first started writing this story. Atlas is meant to be basically the Phalanx of RWBY and Mantle is supposed to be the Capital City of Solitas. Also, Corsair is the Mantle equivalent to an Atlas Specialist.

I welcome feedback and criticism,

Aurora313