Chapter 10

Ilia brought a fist into an open palm, lowering her head as she saluted the woman she admired above all others. "Huntress Amitola reporting from Vale, High Leader Khan."

"Ilia." Even with her eyes locked on the floor, she could feel Sienna's frown. "Not that I'm displeased to see my favorite lieutenant, but I cannot help but wonder why you are here. I did not recall you from Vale. I don't remember any emergencies that would warrant Adam dispatching you either."

"No, ma'am. Leader Taurus... transferred me under his own authority."

Silence. Then there was a tired groan so quiet she might have imagined it, "Pick your head up and tell me what that hot-headed idiot has done with the position I granted him."

She grimaced but did as she was told, letting her hands fall to her sides as she brought her eyes up. Sienna looked both displeased yet somehow unsurprised, a single finger tapping on the armrest of her throne.

"I..." Ilia glanced past the High Leader, at the guards standing not far behind her. "It may be best discussed in private, High Leader."

Sienna's expression grew even darker. For a moment Ilia thought she would have her speak anyway, but then she snapped the fingers of one hand. "Everyone out. Seal the room, ensure no one enters."

Four men and women exchanged significant glances before bowing to their leader. A minute later they had all filed out, the doors closing with a heavy finality.

"What did the fool do?"

Ilia swallowed and lowered her eyes again. "Three weeks ago we conducted a raid on an SDC mine in northern Vale."

"Stop staring at your feet." Sienna barked. "And I know about the raid, I read the reports. It was a fairly routine victory over an isolated outpost. What did he leave out?"

"He... left out the part where he bound and then executed twelve civilian employees after the fighting was complete."

Silence. For a moment she didn't think Sienna was even breathing, then the older woman let out a tight exhalation and leaned back in her throne. "I see. What else?"

"He lied about it to Blake, and presumably everyone who wasn't directly involved. He said he'd left them tied up but unharmed. When I attempted to tell her the truth of the matter... went poorly. He accused me of being sympathetic for our enemies, told me to return to Ghira if I could no longer do what needed to be done."

A dark finger began tapping on her armrest again. "Did he give a reason? Did they bear arms?"

Ilia shook her head. "Not that I know of, High Leader. He gave no reason. I asked him what killing them did to advance the cause of the faunus. He didn't answer."

More silence came as Sienna folded her hands before her face, her eyes half-closed. Ilia remained at attention, saying nothing either, waiting for the High Leader to make her thoughts known.

"On its own I have no opinion on the deaths of SDC employees." Sienna finally said. "They were complicit in the crimes of the company through inaction and tolerance if nothing else, especially those overseeing an isolated mine. That being said... the fact that Adam felt the need to cover it up does concern me. I will have an office set aside for you, and all of the reports that Adam has dispatched from Vale printed out. I want you to go through each and every one of them and tell me what else he has been less than truthful about."

"Yes, High Leader. I will begin at once."

Sienna smiled, but there was an edge to it. "No. Take a day off, enjoy being home. You'll need it."

Ilia blinked. "High Leader?"

"Adam has no authority to transfer Hunter level agents between branches." That small edge grew until she was practically snarling. "Not without my direct approval, and apparently he couldn't even be bothered to tell me he was stepping beyond his permit. You will have three days to review his reports. Trifa will have returned from her own assignment by then. The pair of you will return to Vale with an official censure for that fool."

Her throat went dry. "A full censure?"

"Yes. If he oversteps his authority again I will have him relieved of command. I gave him that position against the advice of several others, veterans who thought him too young. I told them he could handle it, that he was exactly what we needed. And he is already lying on official reports and transferring a Huntress without either asking permission or even informing me!"

Freckles and eyes turned gray in fear at the rage lacing through Sienna's voice. It wasn't something Ilia had seriously considered before, though in hindsight she really should have. Sienna had probably risked a lot of her reputation by giving Adam command of one of the White Fang's five major cells. She'd shown him an incredible amount of trust in relying on him to turn around the situation in Vale.

And he hadn't even had the job for a year before he was making it look like a mistake.

Part of her relished the idea of being able to throw that into Adam's face. Of being able to tell him he was on thin ice, that he had lost Sienna's favor. That one more mistake would see him relieved of his title.

The rest of her imagined his reaction and nearly flinched.

At least Trifa will be there with me.

"Understood."

Sienna nodded, settling back once more as she visibly calmed herself. "Good. You may go. Report in tomorrow morning to begin your work."

Ilia saluted once more, the High Leader waving her off in response.

Outside the guards chuckled at her expression, one giving her a companionable pat on the shoulder. "We could hear the shouting. How bad was it?"

"Could have been worse." She shook her head. "I get to review reports for three days, but I get the rest of tonight off."

"Could be worse." He agreed. "Welcome home sister."

"Thank you, brother." Ilia waved as they filed back into the room, leaving her free to make her way out of the building. A few people she recognized stopped her to say hello, being just as surprised as Sienna to see her. She even ran into Fennec Albain near the exit, the man for once out and about without his brother.

He was a bit startled to see her, but he was eager to talk about how things were going in Vale. They spent a few minutes conversing before he had to move on, heading to his own meeting with Sienna.

Which left her free to walk the crowded streets of Kuo Kuana.

After time in Vale, the only city of faunus felt... different. When she'd been a little girl, running away from life in an orphanage in Mantle, it had been the most beautiful city she'd ever seen. Filled with trees, with the sounds of the ocean, with so many people who didn't judge her just because she could change color.

It had been perfect.

Now that she was older though... she felt how cramped it was. How dangerous it was to have a city built largely of wood and paper. How little technology could be seen, how every device was at least ten years out of date. How everyone conserved dust anyway they could.

It was still beautiful... but it was beauty on a knife's edge. A city of half a million prayers that none of the seasonal hurricanes swept farther west than usual. That the desert stayed east of the mountains. That the fishing fleets could keep everyone fed. That Mistral and Vale wouldn't embargo them as Atlas had. That their few huntsman and small militia could keep the Grimm at bay.

Ilia's eyes slid across the horizon, finally settling on the largest one in sight.

...you have to go there. You know you do. Just because they gave up doesn't meant that you don't owe them.

Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded once and set off.

Thirty minutes of dragging her feet later, and a basket of freshly caught saber-fish from a vendor tucked under one arm, she arrived at the Belladonna estate. Much like Sienna's smaller complex there were guards outside, though they bore the colors of Kuo Kuana's militia rather than the White Fang.

One of them recognized her, simply waving her by when she approached. That left her to be the one to pull back one of the heavy knockers.

The boom it made when released was as intimidating as it had been when she'd been a scared little girl... and the smiling face who pulled the door open was just as welcoming.

"Ilia?" Her voice was just as surprised as everyone else seemed to be, but her smile widened on seeing her. "You should have called ahead! Oh you didn't have to bring food dear."

"Hey Mrs Belladonna, and I always do."

"Kali, dear." The older woman quickly ushered her in, the pair exchanging a quick hug before breaking apart. "Come in, come in. Is...?"

Ilia felt her eyes shift to a morose blue at the hope in her voice. "I'm sorry, she's still in Vale."

For a brief moment the smile faltered, then snapped back into place. "It's all right dear. I'll tell Ghira that you're here, and have the cooks put those lovely fish in the oven."

The estate had hardly changed since she had been there last. It was almost painfully nostalgic to walk down the halls to the dining room, to settle onto the floor. Two servants bustled around, bringing in tea and plates filled with small cookies, taking the fish she'd brought as they left.

"Ilia!" Ghira's booming voice was as startling as ever, the giant of a man towering over his wife as they arrived. "Good to see you! I thought you were in Vale, is everything all right?"

"Everything's all right, Chieftain."

"Ilia." He managed to say her name in the same way her real father had in her fading memories. The perfect mix of fondness and disappointment. "You have a room in our house, even if it is a bit dusty. You know to call me Ghira."

She turned a bit pink before rippling back to tan. "I'm sorry. It's, um, been a while. Ghira."

He smiled as he settled in to sit across from her, Kali following behind to sit beside her husband. "It's all right, you were always a bit formal. Probably thanks to that school you went to."

"Probably." Her smile turned a bit brittle at the reminder. "How's home?"

"As calm and peaceful as always."

Kali smiled, "Liar. You and Corsec had to be separated by Sienna in the last Council session. She hasn't stopped gloating about being the one to play peacemaker since."

The sight of the massive Ghira pouting made her giggle and her spots flare trun orange, her colors brightening as he was quick to remind his wife of how she'd nearly gotten into a fight with a fellow shopper over the last tuna at the market. They spent the time until dinner telling her about life at home. A few more amusing stories of a life at peace, then more serious discussions about how the militia and White Fang were doing protecting the city.

"Sienna led an expedition into the interior last month." Ghira was saying as the servants began to bring out dinner. "They dealt with a pair of elder Grimm near the river. I'm going out in a few days to clear the coast near the mouth."

Ilia perked up. "We're going ahead with the dam project?"

He nodded. "Assuming our contacts in Vacuo come through on their idea of generating electricity from turbines. It could cut our dust imports by half."

"I'm sure the SDC has an opinion on that."

Ghira shrugged. "I'm sure they do, but Atlas already refuses to trade with us. They'll probably put pressure on Mistral and Vale to follow suit, but there are few corporations that will ship to us to begin with. It will hurt, but we'll survive."

"It helps," Kali added, "That Shade and Beacon Academies have consented to start sending their fourth year teams to help us clear the ground."

Ilia frowned as she set her tea aside. "They still won't help us set up our own school?"

The big man sighed. "They're both willing but Atlas is maintaining their hard line. Any Huntsman Academy will be considered a terrorist training facility and will be attacked as one. Mistral is still in their pocket, and Vale's Council won't commit to defending our independence."

Her frown became a scowl. "Of course they won't."

The Belladonna's exchanged looks before Kali shook her head, "We can talk more after dinner, dear."

The salted fish was perfect, the rice fluffy as she dug into both. The mixed vegetables weren't her favorite but the rest of it was good enough that she forgave their taste. In what seemed like no time at all the food was gone, cleared away, and more tea had been served.

"How is Vale?" Ghira asked. "We haven't heard much news lately."

"Not as bad as Mistral or Atlas, but it's not great either. Vale itself is a bit better than the villages." She relayed her experiences in the kingdom, in Ansel, and then in the city proper. Ghira in particular seemed to slump when she told him how quickly they'd begun to roll back the equality laws after he'd stepped down as High Leader.

"We were doing pretty good at pushing back before those criminals tracked me down." Her head shook, freckles bright as she complained. "Practically everyone had taken down those 'No Faunus' signs like you see in Mistral. I mean, they had other ways of making us feel unwelcome, but it was an improvement. We were making it dangerous and unpopular to be blatantly racist."

Ghira nodded slowly. He likely didn't like the word 'dangerous', but he was too polite to say as much at the dinner table. "Good, that's good. Did you consider going public with more information?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

He shifted in discomfort. "We... did hear about Lord Winchester."

Ilia froze, skin darkening to a horrified gray, eyes and freckles a depressed blue before she could even try to control them. It was all the admission they needed to know exactly who had done the deed.

"It's all right, Ilia." Ghira shook his head. "I won't pass judgment on you. If you ever need to talk about it you know that we're here."

Her eyes lowered. "He... was a racist. One of the worst. I.. I heard him. Screaming at Headmaster Ozpin, about how we were animals who didn't deserve to go to Beacon."

A warm hand patted hers, drawing her attention to Kali. "We read the files that you leaked after. I believe that was what Ghira meant earlier."

"Oh, yes, yes." Her husband was quick to keep going, to get past the awkward moment where they realized they'd just shared a meal with an assassin. An assassin they'd welcomed into their own home as something like a surrogate daughter. "That is what I meant. Vale is the most progressive of the three kingdoms. They react badly to having their dirty laundry displayed in public."

Ilia swallowed, "I.. what do you mean?"

"Have you considered finding more information like that?" He pressed gently. "Things that could help push the public onto your side? Sienna's people in Argus are doing very well with that. I... still don't condone the raids they launch, but they're using them to help uncover corruption, working practices, quiet orders to treat faunus worse than Humans. They're going public with them and humiliating a great many who thought things weren't as bad as they are."

She blinked a few times. She hadn't, not really, but it... was a decent idea. There had been a pretty big backlash when they'd put out Winchester's damaging letters, enough to completely ruin the coverage of his funeral. If they could find more information like that, make it clear just how many Humans still thought of them as disgusting pests...

It could help. Maybe it could even get a few Humans onto our side, put more pressure on the ones that just stand around and pretend they don't see anything. Of course... Adam would hate it. It's not violent enough for him. He'd just want me to kill whoever it was and not bother stealing anything after.

"It's not a bad idea. Vale's a lot larger than Argus, we wouldn't lack for targets." She said finally. "And I know at least one good agent in Vale who would love that kind of action. Maybe the two of us can come up with a few plans."

Ghira smiled. "Good to know an old man still has a couple of worthwhile suggestions left."

"Not that old dear." It was his turn for Kali to pat him on the hand, smiling. "How is everything else going Ilia?"

How is Blake doing?

"Things are..." She hesitated. She wanted to tell them that she was fine, that everything was all right. To avoid the uncomfortable topic. But... she couldn't do that to them. Not after everything they'd done for her. Not after they hadn't said anything after she'd admitted to murdering a man for the cause. "...not great."

Both of them sat up a bit straighter, Kali quickly speaking again. "Is she all right? She wasn't wounded in a fight was she?"

"No, no! Nothing like that, she's just..." Her spots and eyes flared yellow, "She's with Adam. And he's changing."

A sound like cracking plates made her avert her eyes again, Ghira's growl growing in volume as he spoke. "I knew that boy would be trouble one day. What is he doing with our daughter?"

Lying to her about executing helpless men and women, and driving me away from her. "I don't know. He sent me to Vale to work there, she stayed with him out in the country side. But... when I tried to talk to her about something he did, something he didn't tell her about, she wouldn't hear it. Defended him, accused me of... well, you can guess."

Kali's scowl was nearly as ferocious as her husband's. "That sounds like that manipulative little man. Not helped by the fact that he always knew that we did not approve of him. I always thought he was quite jealous of you, you know. That we welcomed you into our home while never showing him that kindness. I take it that these changes are not for the better?"

"No. He's..." Ilia's jaw worked. "...he's getting more violent. He berated me in public because I was only conducting a raid a week, that I left Vale rather than confront Torchwick when he tracked me down. Then we got into another argument where he accused me of being sympathetic for the people who killed my parents just because I... wouldn't do something."

Their scowls deepened, but it was Kali who kept speaking. "I can imagine what that was, dear. Is that why you're back? To tell Sienna?"

"He... tried to transfer me. Without her knowledge or approval. She's furious with him."

Ghira let out a low grunt. "He never liked the idea of restrictions on what he could or couldn't do. I knew she made a mistake when she promoted him, and now so does she."

"You can tell her you told her so later dear. Preferably after Ilia leaves to that Sienna doesn't berate the poor dear for telling us."

Ilia flushed blue, "Um, please. If you could. Sienna shouting about how angry she was with Adam was bad enough, I really don't want her screaming at me."

"I know, I know." Ghira seemed to settle down a bit, though his anger remained. "Are you going back to Vale?"

"Yes, in a few days."

"Could you... take a letter for us? To our daughter?"

Ilia didn't hesitate. "Of course."

"Thank you." He smiled. "You're a good person Ilia. Never forget that."

Her mouth opened... and she averted her eyes once again, unable to reply.

This marks the halfway point, roughly, of the story, and the break in the two acts. While everything before this point could technically have fit in with canon if you squinted, from here on out we're wandering into more direct AU territory.

Feel free to join my discord; VEHqnnVqcg

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat