A/N: so a warning on this intermission: it's a very short one. It was going to be a part of the next chapter, but it is taking me an eon and half to write because life keeps getting in the way, so I elected to post it sooner.

Intermission: Imperishable Night

Ozpin couldn't find a way to deal with the problem.

Not the breach at the city of Vale, that was quite manageable. With the deployment of three teams plus Professor Goodwitch he was sure they could keep casualties and damage to a minimum, it was just a matter of time. That wasn't the problem, it was likely a diversion.

No, the real dilemma he faced was the ongoing battle underneath, one he perhaps should've expected when bringing James into the fold. Below his tower at the very heart of Beacon his students were fighting Atlesian Guards.

It was possible to help them. Not with direct aid, he'd be worse than useless at the battle below, but with select, cautious use of Beacon's systems they could hold. Locking down areas at vital points, sending warnings to the scrolls of idle, closing off access to the armory while deploying lockers to their respective students, all the while keeping the teams at the city of Vale topped up on supplies to finish their mission. It was a tremendously difficult balancing act, he had to compromise and do it while keeping the deployed teams in the dark, so they could focus, but the recent addition of the A.I helped a great deal in micromanaging their efforts. A good thing, because it let him take small periods of time to think.

He knew why, when, and how it had happened, it was made clear in his monitors as he oversaw the battle, and it was one he couldn't ignore. He'd been repeatedly looking the other way when James breached their collective trust and it did nothing but embolden his so-called ally. One that had been pushing for more military might for a long time, even going as far as selecting and employing guards just so he could send them off to Beacon for the sake of "aid".

Ozpin was painfully aware of the means with which James acquired them. The corruption behind his power, a man who held two seats at the atlesian Council and had sway over the Schnee Dust Corporation, Remnant's most influential dust company. Ozpin had foolishly agreed that If such power was used for the right ends, the means could be overlooked, it had the potential to save more lives than it harmed. And harm it did, the bodies of those who died in Schnee mines so robots could be built weighed on him every day, but these were the results, this was what they died for. He was wrong, again.

He had to consider the chance that James was being set up. Either by an opponent within the Council, or by an enemy, maybe even their greatest enemy. Salem hadn't made any move of the sort the last couple of centuries, so it was unlikely but possible.

"Dot, bring up Penny's files again, I need to look over something."

The A.I hologram that sat on his desk gave him a look of confirmation and followed wordlessly. Shameful as it was to admit, Ozpin hadn't considered before the possibility that the aura transfer machine and the insistence in overseeing Vale's security were likely ambushes as well. Maybe even connected to the robotic girl Ironwood tried to keep secret, perhaps the aura transfer machine was meant for her? She was qualified for the Vytal festival after all and James knew Ozpin was looking for a fitting successor to Amber, he knew they'd only take a sufficiently strong candidate. Did he even see her as a girl, or was she another pawn?

The dates in the files matched those of the aura machine a bit too well, at least when taking into account their complexity, and the time for research and development. It lined up too well with the aesthetic change to the android knights, I could mean he'd brought his army to Vale right under their noses, and now he was using it.

There's one thing I just don't get, there's no indication he ever sent these orders. James was never the type to cover his tracks, so-

Dot called his attention, "Sir, we have a situation. Android dropships on the way to the city. Your orders?"

Ozpin had to shift from the monitors to the hologram so he could properly address her, "Intercept them, keeping this and the breach separate is our highest priority."

She shook her head, "No can do. We've lost control of our aircrafts, I can't take it back without dropping everything, They have other A.I too."

A group of guards almost breached the tower before he could answer, thankfully they were stopped by the students below, but it was enough reason to run the sequence that would break the elevator's supports and send it crashing down, cutting off the only route to him. A decision that meant he was locked in an office-shaped coffin should they find a way to him, but it allowed him to focus.

"Your control, run it by me."

"Nine simultaneous lockdowns, pinpointing one hundred and seventy-two students in real time, updating the four Teachers on-site and trying to keep them all properly supplied without tipping the guards of what armory is launching next."

"And the numbers?"

"We're still outnumbered four to one, not counting the androids on their way."

"Then send a warning to Glynda, we'll trust her to deal with it,"

"And if she calls for backup?"

"Then I'll think of something," he replied without hesitation. She'd proven time and time again that his judgment was still very much fallible, even with his eons of experience, so whatever choice she made he'd stand by it. The problem in his hands wouldn't disappear so soon, as much as it would be for the best. They were now all faced with a terrible future.

If James was trying to take over Beacon then either side winning would be a problem. Should they win, the Atlesian Council would likely spin it as aggression and turn hostile in the future.

In the event they lost, then Beacon would be under atlesian control, and the same would likely happen to the rest of the kingdom, then the neighboring kingdoms. In the same vein he liked Vale as it was, without feeding people to mines.

If James was innocent, and Salem somehow found a way to hijack communications and the Androids, it could be even worse. He couldn't ever reveal Salem's existence, so they'd be left with nobody to blame for the battle, and public tensions would rise to unprecedented levels. It would make hunting grimm harder than it already was, leading to deaths on a global scale.

It was very much out of his control now. Team Ruby, Team Juniper, Team Coffee and Glynda, if they succeeded then maybe he could find a way to keep this entire battle a secret. A shady and less than virtuous way to deal with the problem, but was one way. Possibly the only way.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, every path led to defeat, and he could only hope for the best when the next century came. That's how it was with her, she always found a way to put his back against the wall, left reeling and rebuilding time and time again.

Could he have done something differently?