Merendinoemiliano - I am glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. This is unlikely to be a popular story because of the main protagonists, but it is one I am enjoying telling and it is good to receive encouragement

Marrow was wearing civilian clothes this evening. He was going for dinner with Mr. Corkran and two friends of his. While ostensibly a merely social occasion, this was an officially sanctioned unofficial meeting with representatives of the Mohawk tribe. Marrow had met them on his first night in Vacuo when being escorted around the city by Mr. Corkran. On that occasion, a man called Brian Thrush had asked if on his next leave he could speak to Marrow about members of the tribe working as scouts for the Atlas military.

He had reported the approach to Captain Schnee who had not dismissed the suggestion out of hand and had told him to speak to her if the Mohawks approached him again. A week before, he and Leslie had received invites to a meal at a good quality restaurant. There had been an oblique reference to the fact that Brian Thrush looked forward to resuming the conversation that they had started on their last meeting.

He had reported the approach to Captain Schnee who had called him in for a meeting with her and Major Magenta. He repeated what he had told the captain five months before. He said that Mr. Corkran had introduced them to him and had later said that he had spent three months with the tribe as a child and had learnt a lot from them about how to spot dangers in the desert.

Captain Schnee and Major Magenta had decided that it was worth hearing what they had to say. Apparently in the past a policy decision had been taken not to employ members of this tribe because they insisted on all having what was to Atlesian eyes a weird haircut which was unacceptable on a military base. The Major took the view that widening their sources of scouts would be a good thing and that if that they had helped train Mr. Corkran that itself was a reason to try them out. He also said that it may be worth Atlas considering having a force of local auxiliaries. The Captain had said that the SDC had been using them for security and convoy services for as long as they had been doing business in Vacuo and had always been satisfied with the service they received. She had even stated "My father appreciates their quality, even if he praises by faint damming."

It was made clear to him that this was a preliminary meeting to see if there was anything worth investigating. The initial rates paid by the military were lower than those paid by the Multi-kingdoms and if they changed the policy they would not want to be fobbed off with inferior recruits who were judged not good enough to work for the SDC.

Marrow also had the sense that nothing would change until the Colonel retired and his successor was appointed. Marrow had half wondered whether one of the reasons for the Captain been assigned to Vacuo had been to be General Ironwood's eyes and ears. It was rumoured that the Major was applying to replace the Colonel and from what Marrow had observed he would be a good choice. However, there was another major in Vacuo at the secondary base and there were colonels and majors in Atlas who would relish having an independent command. One problem with General Ironwood's sense of duty was that whenever a problem arose anywhere in the military structure he would insist on taking command of the response to it. Admittedly he invariably resolved the issue quickly, but he rarely felt able to relax his grip afterwards.

At the end of the meeting, Captain Schnee got up to leave and to Marrow's surprise, Major Magenta asked him to stay.

"Lieutenant, you favourably impressed the ambassador and his nephew. He sent a letter of commendation to General Ironwood which he copied to me and the Colonel. As officially the attack was led by bandits, there will be limits to the official recognition of your actions. However, it has been noted and appreciated."

"Thank you, sir." Marrow wondered whether this was all the Major had to say. He saw no reason why this could not have been said in front of Captain Schnee.

"You have been on patrols and missions with Mr. Corkran. I am in the process of taking soundings on whether I should recommend Mr. Corkran for training as a huntsman at Atlas Academy under the mustang scheme. I have little doubt that he has the ability, but I would be interested in your observations on whether you feel that he would fit in at the academy. You after all have just finished training and are likely to have a more realistic estimate of his suitability. I do not expect you to answer now, but perhaps we could discuss tomorrow after you report back on your meeting tonight. I have also asked Captain Schnee for her comments. I would prefer it if you did not compare notes before reporting back to me."

"Of course, Sir."

"Lieutenant, you are free to go. I wish you an interesting and enjoyable evening."

Marrow thought about the meeting this evening and the question he had been posed on his way into Vacuo. In relation to the meeting, he saw that his main mission was to listen carefully to what was said and read between the lines. He needed to understand why the Mohawks insisted on the ridiculous hair style and why they were wanted to investigate working with the Atlas military. His hosts would know that he could not commit the Atlas military and he did wonder why they were happy to meet with him rather than speaking to the Captain or the Major.

In relation to the second question, he was more perplexed. The lynx Faunus was an extremely useful member of the team, but he saw that he was over-qualified for the role he fulfilled. Leading the attackers into a pack of Ziraph and taking out the sandstorm specialists using his crossbow and saving the bullets for demoralising the remaining attackers had been bold moves. It was clear that he had the talent to be a huntsman or to be an operative in the Atlesian military. He would recommend to the Major that they try and keep him for two more years and use him to train other scouts but promise him a mustang recommendation at the end of that time. It was just imagining him in Atlas was hard. He decided to think further about it.

He met Leslie in the bar at the restaurant. He looked around, there were no obvious Atlesians there and the tables and chairs were clearly functional rather than there to impress. Leslie was wearing a white linen suit. Marrow wondered, not for the first time, whether the lynx Faunus's semblance was a psychological one – could Refuge in Audacity be a semblance?

Leslie said "The food is good here, even if the décor is lacking. I suspect he will ask you what you want to order. I recommend that you suggest ordering the feast for six. There will only be five of us, but I know that this is the set meal they like and that will tell that you are someone with good taste or at least someone who I rate enough to brief them properly in advance."

The middle-aged Mohawk whom he recalled meeting before arrived accompanied by an older man and a young adult of around Marrow's age, both of whom had the same distinctive haircut. "Lieutenant Amin, Corkran, may I introduce you to the tribal bursar Bruce Sandpiper and my nephew Paul Thrush."

The feast for six was excellent and the company was good. The best part of the meal was the mixed starters with a mixture of cold and warm dishes, some vegetable based, some meat based and all pleasantly spiced.

Brian Thrush pre-empted one of Marrow's questions by saying "I know that in the past we have been told that if it were not for the haircut, the army and other people would be happy to employ us. We have tried explaining ourselves before, but our listeners do not comprehend. Perhaps Lieutenant Amin, as a Faunus you will understand what we say and can express it in a way which makes sense to your superiors."

He paused and continued "The hair cut is a symbol of who we are. Until the age of 14 our children are not allowed to grow their hair this way. To be permitted to grow a Mohawk you must prove yourself to be brave and determined. Our tribe have lived in the desert forever and are used to it. We found for ourselves that the threat of not being considered a true man or woman and having the hair compulsorily cut incentivised us to keep on going no matter how bad things were. For us it worked, we are told that we are the largest nomad tribe in Vacuo and have the longest continuous history. Lieutenant Amin, for the three of us here being required to cut our hair in the same way as you or Mr. Corkran would be like you being asked to dock your tail."

Marrow replied, "I think I understand as a Faunus. Would it be fair to say that it is also your uniform?"

"Not really. I can see that might concern your superiors to have people wearing two uniforms at once. It is more that while we wear the Mohawk we are committed to a code of behaviour which includes honouring our contracts. If one of us fails to live up to that code, they are no longer entitled to the Mohawk."

"I understand that the bulk of your tribe still lives in the desert. I have only been here a few months, but it is clear that you need strong fighters to deal with the wildlife, Grimm, and bandit tribes. Why do you allow or encourage members of the tribe to work for others?"

"Times change. While we still respect the old ways, modern medicine, education and entertainment improves our lives. It also does not hurt to supplement our diet with imported food and spices. These cost money and a tithe of 25% of our earnings goes to the tribe. Child mortality is down by 70% from what it was fifty years ago. It is also good to allow our young people between three and ten years outside the tribe. Most return with spouses at the end of that time. That still leaves plenty of young men and women and experienced people to deal with Grimm and the elements."

The lynx Faunus added, "A problem for many nomadic tribes has been inbreeding, The Mohawks have tried t' prevent this being an issue by allowing those who are worthy t' join them and indeed in the past nominated people for this honour who had not applied for it. It is fair t' say that since the great war the recruits have been overwhelmingly voluntary."

Brian said, "Shall we say that in the past when we defeated bandit tribes who attacked us, we would seek out their base camp and offer those there an option to join us or stay in the desert without supplies. There are rather fewer bandit tribes then there used to be and none are desperate enough to attack us. By the way Lieutenant, the bars in Vacuo are distinctly less boisterous following your recent adventures."

Later in the meal Marrow asked, "Your tribe has worked for the SDC since Nicholas Schnee established his first mine in Vacuo. Army rates are not as generous as the SDC package, but we will require the same quality of service and probably more expertise. It is one thing to ask my superiors to change their rules for elite recruits, but why they should they change the rules to recruit the second rate."

The three Mohawk tribe members glanced at each other.

Brian Thrush grimaced, but said, "For reasons which I will not comment on, but are common knowledge in Vacuo, working for the SDC and the other Atlas multi-kingdoms is not seen as attractive a job as it was even ten years ago. My nephew here is not alone in finding it easy to obtain companionship without paying, but difficult to establish a real relationship. A significant proportion of our younger members are declining to work for them. In addition, the tribe has grown over the last fifty years faster than the number of open mines in Vacuo."

Mr. Sandpiper said "No matter how long a business relationship has lasted, if your business partner does not believe you had an alternative market, in bad times you will be the one who will be asked to shoulder the burden. It is simple business sense to diversify and to ensure that your new employers are happy with the service you provide them."

After the meal was over and a few toasts had been drunk, the Mohawks departed. On their way back to the R & R barracks he and Corkran stopped off at the embassy for coffee and to compare notes.

Marrow asked "Three points which I suspect that I will be asked about. How many of the tribe members who are employed outside the tribe return? Frankly, I am enjoying being in Vacuo for a year, but I would not want to live in the desert."

"About 40% leave or, like Brian, spend 10 months a year away from the tribe even once the ten years is up. One effect of the improved medical care is that many who previously would have expired in their first five years now survive but are clearly not suited to the life. Education means that others realise that their talents are best suited t' life outside the desert. Allowing those who are dissatisfied with desert life t' leave reduces the strains inside the tribe and the negative emotions generated. For the moment, the increased birth rate and the spouses of those who return mean that the tribe is still growing."

"I suppose I see that. What was he hinting at by the reference to boisterousness? I think I know but would like to hear your opinion."

"It was not a bandit tribe which attacked us, but a group of local toughs for hire. I recognised a few among the corpses. A few bandit members such as the sandstorm specialists were hired in. What is interesting is that many of the likely middlemen have disappeared."

"Middlemen?"

"Even if we had taken prisoners, they would only have been able to give us the names of those who hired them and not those who ordered the attack. The ambassador is understood t' have hinted to the Atlesian Multi-kingdoms that prisoners had been taken and were expected to talk. For some reason, a few middlemen had accidents the day afterwards and others left on a long vacation."

Marrow smiled, "I suppose that this is the deviousness we want in our diplomatic corps. The other question which I know Captain Schnee will be concerned about is how bad is the reputation of the SDC in Vacuo?"

"He was not exaggerating. I have spent time with the Mohawks and even five years ago they were muttering about this problem. Imagine your mother's reaction if you brought home a bride and told her that she had been working in a house of negotiable affection. I would suggest that. if the captain does require further and better particulars, you refer her to me. You are likely to have to work with her for the rest of your career and while she does not strike me as someone who will shoot the messenger, she may prefer t' be able t' avoid seeing him all the time."

/-/

Sienna Khan was preparing for a meeting with Adam Taurus to discuss his new proposal. In the two years since she had taken over, the White Fang had taken more direct action against Mistral, Atlas, and the Atlesian Multi-kingdoms. This had resulted in the governments taking the White Fang more seriously.

However, the governments had shown no sign of being more ready to talk directly although they had taken steps to rein in the more blatant Human supremacist groups and had amended some of the more outrageously discriminatory legislation. However, they were cracking down more violently on demonstrations and the anti-terrorist laws they had introduced had been used in such a way as to make the legislative changes irrelevant. Instead of targeting Faunus, they targeted potential terrorists, aka Faunus. Their reaction had been more stick than carrot.

On a practical level steps had been taken which made it more difficult for attacks to be made without risking civilian casualties. In Mistral, the regional headquarters of the SDC was now situated on the top floor of a hospital which was open to both humans and Faunus. In short, the low hanging fruit in the way of targets in Atlas and Mistral had been removed.

An additional problem of running a terror campaign in a world full of Grimm was that successful attacks risked attracting Grimm. The truth was that increased Grimm attacks disproportionately impacted on Faunus. Their homes tended to be on the outskirts of towns. While it was thing to follow the lead of the Branwen tribe in using the threat of provoking such an attack as a means of levying tribute from those in charge of small towns and large villages predominantly inhabited by humans, it was another to take steps which directly led to deaths of Faunus.

Her original aim had been to take actions which primarily caused economic disruption to try and persuade the Multi-kingdoms to decide that it was more profitable to encourage governments to negotiate. They had also targeted senior board members of the Multi-kingdoms. However,

The authorities and citizens had started to ignore bomb warnings in built up areas. Although fake warnings were potentially a low-cost method of causing economic disruption, unless you let off the occasional bomb and injured or killed people, they quickly became discounted. Dust carrying trains and boats were increasingly defended by military forces or mercenaries and again there had been a move towards transporting dust on trains which also carried passengers.

Adam and the other younger military leaders had argued that if the governments were willing to use their own citizens as human shields then the White Fang should call their bluff. She had sympathy with this approach, but that was a step too far for the moment. They relied on contributions to the cause from Faunus in Menagerie, Mantle and Vale and that sort of escalation would risk losing that. What was needed was a form of escalation which did not involve innocent civilians, caused economic damage, and showed that the White Fang was effective. She expected that sooner or later they would have to be more cavalier about civilian casualties, but provided they only gradually escalated she expected that they could carry the hearts and minds of Faunus with them.

The Albains had explained this by reference to boiling frogs. They said that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tap water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not notice the increase in temperature. They hastened to add that in the real world a Frog would jump out once the temperature had reached a certain point, but that the analogy worked for people. They also pointed out that the authorities were likely to escalate their security measures at least as quickly as the White Fang so any escalation could be prevented as a legitimate response to atrocities by humans. She was uncomfortable aware that the analogy worked both ways and that humans could get used to taking countermeasures against the White Fang which would be unthinkable now.

Anyway, she knew that she had to escalate the fight now or she would go the way of the Belladonnas, although without the comfortable retirement home in Menagerie. She wondered if she would spot the signs and jump before she was pushed. At least Adam Taurus was rational, and he was useful in keeping the war council onside with her policy towards Menagerie. Her aim was to encourage the humans to negotiate properly with the Faunus and that the best sign that they were ready to do so would be that they would approach the Belladonnas with offers to negotiate. In addition, Menagerie was currently a haven for the White Fang. While only a small proportion of their recruits came from there, their wounded had access to hospital treatment there. The human kingdoms were prepared to turn a blind eye to our activities there because the Menagerie government was not actively supporting the White Fang. She also believed that most of the White Fang's supporters believed that the Belladonnas had honestly tried to improve the lot of the Faunus. They had been wrong in believing that it could be achieved peacefully, but not dishonourable for trying.

The fact that Adam was close to the Belladonnas daughter had two advantages. First, while she was a member of the White Fang the Belladonnas were unlikely to take active steps against the White Fang in Menagerie. Second, even Adam would baulk at telling Blake that her parents deserved to die. He took the fools but not traitors line and was prepared to support the analysis any likely gains from removing the Belladonnas were uncertain and that the present situation had its advantages. Third, she helped keep him focused on the endgame of a negotiation rather than taking revenge. Remnant, he had reasons for seeking revenge, but a new Faunus war would be a disaster for everyone.

Adam entered her tent accompanied by the bear Faunus Bruno and by Blake Belladonna. She had her personal guards there.

Adam Taurus then said, "I believe that I have identified the perfect target which should allow us to cause real economic damage to Atlas without killing so called innocent civilians or alienating our supporters."

Sienna replied, "I am listening."

"As you know I spent my childhood in a mine in Vacuo. The security at the mines is designed to deter bandits and to keep the workers in. The bandit threat has declined in recent years and the SDC and the other Atlesian Multi-kingdoms are reluctant to upgrade defences in the absence of a real threat. I believe that we should be able to launch an attack on one of the major dust mines in Vacuo and destroy the infrastructure there. At the very least it will force the SDC and others to increase their security presence at facilities in Vacuo. It may even result in an improvement in the treatment of Faunus at the mines."

Sienna said, "Currently we have few supporters in Vacuo and the organisation we have there is not among our most radical. The government there is weak, and I understand that there is little practical difference in treatment between native Faunus and humans. The Faunus there have not been oppressed sufficiently to result them in being militant. However, no doubt you have addressed these issues in your plan."

"While we do not have a significant membership there, there is an organisation there which helps escaped miners leave the kingdom who are well informed as to the operations of the Multi-kingdoms. For obvious reasons, I have kept in contact with them. Currently they are rather annoyed with the Atlesian Multi-kingdoms. Apparently they tried to tempt them into assassinating the new Atlesian ambassador by hiding the fact that they had replaced the original appointee who was a puppet of the Multi-kingdoms by one who was rather more independent. They are annoyed both that the Multi-kingdoms knew in which bars to leak the story of the new ambassador's Grimm hunting trip without mentioned his name and that the Atlesian embassy knew enough to leak the identity of the new ambassador to the person at the Menagerie consulate who is our spy there. They think that they may need to shut up shop and start again from scratch in any event if they have been infiltrated to that extent. Their leader however is on for a last hurrah even if it means keeping most of his team in the dark until the day of the operation."

"Go on."

"The SDC prefers to use Faunus from Atlas and Mistral residents in the mines and factories in Vacuo. Vacuo is a dangerous place for those who were not brought up there and it dissuades escape attempts. Also, while the Vacuoans tend to take a rather individualistic approach and say that it is up to the individual to avoid entering into a bad bargain, they do go in for self-help remedies if they feel that they have been wronged. A major difference is that while in Atlas and Mistral the military are primarily responsible for security at the mines in the last two years, this is not the case in Vacuo. While they have and always have been responsible for escorting airships and lorries transporting dust from mines and supplies to mines, the Multi-kingdoms have retained responsibility for security at the mines."

"Why is that?"

"The Vacuoans do not have health and safety rules which prevail in Mistral and Atlas. While ten years ago some laws were introduced in Atlas which sought to impose some control over the activities of the SDC and others, these have largely been ignored and the inspectors enforcing these rules are notoriously short sighted. The SDC and others believe that while the military can be fooled while accompanying inspectors on three-hour visits, they would not be prepared to turn a blind eye if they were based in the mines full time. There are three mines which are at least four hours by bullhead from the nearest Atlas military base. It should be possible to take the security guards by surprise, blow up the mines and leave before the military can respond."

Sienna said, "You have my permission to develop these plans further. I want to understand how you think you can get to the mines without being spotted and how you can make your escape. We must assume that you will need to kill some security guards. In an ideal world you should take them out before they can ask for help from the military, but we cannot assume that this will be practical."

"The SDC tend to hire their security guards from the nomadic tribes who tend to be respected but not popular with Vacuoans in general. This should mean that the outrage at any deaths among them will be limited to the tribe and the Vacuoans generally will regard their deaths as having been a risk they had signed up for. In relation to transport, we have a plan for using the SDC's own airships."

Sienna said, "I will be interested to see the details. One thing and this is non-negotiable. I do not want you on the mission yourself. First, you are too valuable to risk. Second, I want to avoid putting temptation in your way. If this attack is successful, I do not want you tempted to take revenge on the SDC personnel at the mine. I will need to approve the name of the person leading the attack."

/-/

Winter was thinking over Lieutenant Amin's report to her and Major Magenta. The question of whether to recruit the Mohawks she was happy to leave to the Major and the Colonel. Certainly, she had no strong objection to employing scouts with the haircut. She would be more doubtful about auxiliaries, but that was not yet up for consideration.

She found other parts of his report more interesting and in some ways more disturbing. The reports of the disappearance of some criminals from Vacuo indicated that the ambassador had known what he was about. He had told her after the attack, "Captain, I think it is the best interest of Atlas not to pursue the survivors. After all, if we were t' find out that any Atlas citizens had been involved, it would be necessary t' follow it up. We can announce that a bandit attack was repulsed and ran into Grimm. We should make no reference either way t' prisoners." As he had been the subject of the attack, he no doubt felt that he was entitled to make that call. However, he had clearly been passing on the message that anyone who had been involved had best hide their tracks and clearly they were doing so.

She had been shocked when Lieutenant Beamish reported that he had been offered gifts by the Atlesian managers he associated with after he had mentioned to them that he would be performing escort duties for the mines inspectorate. She had ordered him to accept them and keep a note of who made the payments. The monies were paid into a charitable foundation relieving poverty in Mantle and Winter had obtained General Ironwood's approval for this course of action. She saw that one reason why Lieutenant Beamish had been assigned with her that he was wealthy enough not to be tempted to simply keep the bribes and proud enough to feel insulted to have been offered them. What puzzled both her and him that no requests for favours had been made beyond doing his duty.

Beamish had also reported to her a conversation with a group of the younger Atlas managers. Apparently some had said that their bosses had been saying that they should have listened to Saturn Vassilias. He had apparently told the other managers that they should have ensured that both candidates for ambassador were acceptable rather than deciding on one candidate and had discouraging other suitable candidates for applying for the job. He had some familiarity with the Atlas bureaucracy rules and reportedly had had told the other managers "You all say that having Campion as the second nominee means that you can guarantee you can get McKinley. What is the matter with all of you? Don't any of you realize that there will be three months when there will be only one life between Campion and the Ambassadorship?"

Winter had not thought that she had too many illusions about the SDC and the other Multi-kingdoms, but her time in Vacuo was showing her that she had underestimated the extent of their cynicism. Arranging an assassination attempt on a prominent Atlesian diplomat and having neither the diplomat nor her immediate superior regarding it as worth making a fuss about was shocking to her. She had asked Major Magenta about this and he had said that in his view "This was a one-off incident. I expect that the Multi-kingdom managers will realise that that the ambassador is not interested in making headlines or digging up the past, but merely wants the managers to think about how their actions would be perceived in Atlas if the truth came out. He is indicating to them that they must put their houses in order and stop extracting the urine. It will be interesting to see if they take the hint."

She had begun to worry what other rumours she had previously dismissed as White Fang propaganda were true or at the very least widely believed in Vacuo. She decided that she would need to interview Mr. Corkran shortly. She would sleep on it for a night and decide whether she wanted to know the truth, how to ensure that she heard it and whether General Ironwood would welcome her investigating it. She checked the standing orders and saw that as Lieutenant Beamish's supervisor she was encouraged to accompany him on missions as part of the assessment process without giving him, the Major or the Colonel advance notice.