The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58: The Arrival

"So after I heard Ozpin talk about Dad looking for Aurora, I knew I needed a faster way out of the void. That's how I met Karma, and how I learned to unlock my chakras."

"You said you heard me, Cinder?"

"That's right. One of the first things I learned to do was connect back to my body. I couldn't move, but I knew what was going on around me. I could hear it too."

"And these 'chakras?' They're connected to Aura?"

"Aura and the body, yeah. They're focal points of energy waiting to be released."

"No way. I don't believe it."

"I do. I believe I saw the word 'chakra' mentioned in the Jedi Archives."

"Hm. Go figure."

While the Razor Crest was still en route to Atlas, Cinder passed the time by talking to everyone. After she read some of her book with her father, Cinder decided to talk to everyone in the cabin. When she was asked about how it felt to wake up from her coma, Cinder decided to tell her allies the whole story. She told them about the void, about Fall, and all the other Maidens that helped her reconnect to the missing fragment of the Fall Maiden's power.

Djarin had already heard the story, so Cinder shared it again with Qrow, Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan. Bo-Katan and Hazel were present, but Hazel was still unconscious. Bo-Katan was awake and being watched by Qrow and Revan, and she couldn't help but listen to the story.

Bo-Katan was never Cinder's biggest fan, even after she helped the Mandalorians learn the truth about Salem. In Bo-Katan's mind, Cinder was a child; an idealistic, pacifistic child who only got where she was now because of the Darksaber. She didn't agree with the idea of surrender, even though it saved her life. More than anything, Bo-Katan wanted to get the Darksaber back and bring it to her people.

However, as she listened to the story, Bo-Katan could see that there was more to this child than meets the eye. She had fought long and hard to get out of a supposed coma, and even harder to get all the way from Vacuo to Mistral. Bo-Katan may not have respected Cinder, but she knew it was wise to acknowledge the fact that Cinder was strong.

Maiden or not.

"After all that, I finally had my chance to get my powers back," Cinder continued. "The other Maidens lended me their strength and knowledge to find out where the other fragment of the power was, and that's how I found Aurora. It took some digging, but I found it again."

"What happened to Aurora?" Revan asked.

"When I took the powers back, Aurora died. I mean, I wasn't trying to kill her, it's just... I guess taking the power from someone can kill them."

Ozpin could see how quickly Cinder became dejected and disappointed in herself. It seemed that it was truly her goal to only defeat Aurora rather than kill her. It wasn't Cinder's proudest moment, so Ozpin took it upon himself to clear things up.

"Do not condemn yourself, Cinder," he said. "It's true that a Maiden cannot survive when their power is completely taken away. What happened to Aurora was truly unavoidable."

"Yeah, I guess so," Cinder replied.

Qrow decided to help Cinder as well. "Yeah, you did the right thing, Cinder," he said. "I mean, we'd take you over Aurora any day." He looked over to his allies. "Right, everyone?"

"Absolutely," said Ozpin.

"Of course," said Obi-Wan.

"Indeed," said Revan.

"You see?" Qrow asked after he looked back at Cinder. "It's good to have you back, kiddo."

The support and acceptance from her allies made Cinder smile and feel better about herself. "Thanks, everyone," she said. "It's good to be back."

Ozpin smiled as he nodded with everyone, but he wasn't done talking. "Tell me something, Cinder," he inquired. "You said the other Maidens helped you reach Aurora?"

"That's right," Cinder confirmed. "We worked together to focus all of our energy towards reaching the power Aurora had."

"...All of the Fall Maidens?"

"Uh-huh."

"..."

Cinder's story had done more than to impress Ozpin or increase his understanding of how she awoke from her coma. When he heard about how all of the past Fall Maidens helped Cinder, Ozpin couldn't help but think about the quest the God of Light had given him. It was his goal to unite all of Remnant, to help mankind live in harmony with one another. Cinder seemed to understand her own way of unity, given that she had worked with a united group people.

And it had achieved wondrous results.

Ozpin took Cinder's example and achievement as inspiration for a new idea. He had been thinking about it since he left Mistral with everyone, but Ozpin was ready to put it into action. But first, he needed everyone around him.

"Cinder, would you mind asking your father to join us?" Ozpin asked the Maiden. "I'd like to speak with everyone."

"Sure, just a sec," Cinder replied before she moved to the cockpit. When she returned, Din Djarin was with her.

"I put the ship on autopilot," he said. "But I shouldn't be away for too long."

"My apologies, Djarin," Ozpin replied sincerely. "But I'd like everyone to hear what I have to say."

"..."

Ozpin cleared his throat before he spoke again. "We have... been going about this wrong," he began. "I mean... I have been going about this wrong. Again, the truth should have been shared with you long ago."

"..."

Everyone remained silent as they patiently listened. They weren't going to call Ozpin out or be angry with him anymore. After they had the chance to lay their own failure out into the open, all was forgiven between the small group of defenders.

And now, they could finally move forward.

"Not just in the sense that you all deserved to know the truth," Ozpin continued. "But also that we may be able to work together. It's time to think long-term, to think bigger." Ozpin gestured towards Cinder. "Cinder was able to do that with the past Fall Maidens. And now, I believe it's time we do the same with Salem."

"..."

Nobody said anything, but they all liked where this was going. Thinking long-term and thinking bigger were the basis of the idea Djarin and Cinder had about building an army of Mandalorians. And now, they could think that way with Ozpin and his vast experience.

"We all know Salem cannot be killed or destroyed," Ozpin confessed. "But if we come together now, if we brainstorm any ideas we might have, defeating her may be possible."

"..."

Everyone was still silent, but they liked the idea of brainstorming. They all once believed that killing Salem or keeping her at bay were the only options to take. But now, a new approach was indeed necessary. The idea of gaining an army would help, but brainstorming other ideas was even better.

And it was Djarin who decided to be the first to share an idea.

"When I found Cinder in the Vault, after she had taken the Relic, I noticed that the golden door had disappeared," he began. "That it ceased to exist without the Relic. We all know Salem's after the Relics, so I was thinking... maybe we could lure her to an open Vault. And once she's inside, we can lock her in."

Everyone either hummed or nodded at the idea. It was risky, given that Salem would have to go past the defenses of a Kingdom and a Huntsmen Academy. But the prospect of locking Salem away was interesting.

And it had inspired Obi-Wan to speak next.

"I remember an ancient text in the Jedi Archives, before the Order fell," he said. "It spoke of a group of Jedi who combined their powers together and sealed Salem in a prison of the Force. It wasn't permanent, they apparently lost their strength after a few days. But they imprisoned her nonetheless."

"The Fermata Cage is still in use," said Revan. "It is the perfect prison. Perhaps, if we had its blueprints, we could make a replica and seal her away forever."

Ozpin began to smile as hope filled his heart. "Yes," he said. "This is what we need. We need to be communicating. Thinking as one."

Qrow agreed before he shared his own idea. "Oz, I remember the day you gave me the power to turn into a bird," he said. "I know it's not permanent, and your Magic isn't strong like before, but maybe you could do something like that to Salem. And maybe make that permanent. Maybe even lock her in a birdcage when we're done."

"Maybe I can help with your Magic, Ozpin," said Cinder. "I have a fragment of your power, so let me fight with you and make it stronger again. In fact, if we find the other Maidens, they'll give you their strength too."

Ozpin liked each and every idea that was being offered. "This is the right way we should be handling Salem," he said. "When we get to Atlas, we should try to put all of these ideas into strategy. Then we can find the best course of action."

"Agreed," said Djarin. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Yeah, but who knows?" Cinder asked. "Maybe General Ironwood has a plan too. I mean, it's not like he closed the borders so he could do nothing."

"..."

Cinder looked around when she noticed the silence and skeptical looks everyone had. "...Right?" she asked hopefully.

Ozpin took it upon himself to speak again. "I met with James before he closed the borders," he said. "His main plan was to prevent infiltration rather than fight in the war."

"And he put up a fight when I smuggled that Dust," said Djarin. "He was already at odds with Willow at that point."

"It seems his primary focus is to save what he has instead of utilizing it," said Revan. "He did call all of his forces back to Atlas, did he not?"

"That's right," said Qrow. "Can't really imagine why."

"Stranger things have happened with James," said Obi-Wan. "However, we don't have any way of knowing what he's been up to. I suggest we hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but there was someone in the cabin that found the whole exchange of ideas and discussion about Ironwood to be terrible.

"You're all idiots."

Everyone turned to Bo-Katan, who was still sitting where she was. It wasn't her intention to escape, but she wasn't going to follow this plan without speaking her own mind.

"You actually think Ironwood is gonna be on your side?" she asked. "You think he's gonna like your far-fetched ideas about someone who can't be killed? You're out of your mind if you think Ironwood actually cares about this fight."

Everyone quickly disagreed with Bo-Katan and began to share their opinion with her.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Bo-Katan," said Obi-Wan.

"James is a great many things, but he's not someone who doesn't believe in our cause," Ozpin included.

"He cares about saving Remnant just like we do," said Cinder.

It was clear that everyone had turned against Bo-Katan and her idea of General Ironwood, but that didn't make her give up.

"Really?" she sarcastically asked. "If he cares so much, then why did he blow up one of your Huntsmen Academies? Why did he turn tail and go straight back to Atlas rather than help Vale or Mistral?"

"..."

Nobody could deny that this was the truth. Ironwood indeed destroyed Beacon in the hopes of killing the Grimm and Mandalorians, and then he went straight to Atlas in order to close the borders.

And leave the rest of the world to fend for themselves.

The adults in the room immediately said that Bo-Katan shouldn't be one to talk, given that the attack happened because of her and Vizsla. And Bo-Katan acknowledged this, after she admitted that their plan for Beacon was to become a base after everyone had been killed or fled.

The argument was an interesting one, given that the Razor Crest was going straight towards the man who made these decisions. However, Cinder didn't have the heart to continue with the debate. Hearing about Beacon and its destruction made her incredibly sad, and she decided to deal with this sadness alone.

Djarin was the first one to notice that Cinder had left, and he became concerned when she ignored him calling out to her.

When she reached the cockpit of the Razor Crest, Cinder stared into the sky and reflected on Beacon Academy. It was more than just a school to her, it was more than a place that trained some of the greatest warriors on Remnant. For five years, Beacon Academy was Cinder's home.

And now it was gone.

Cinder felt incredibly homesick as she thought about Beacon. Just as she once told Karma, Cinder was mourning the comfort, security, and positivity she felt every day at the school. She missed her old room as well as the people she knew, student and teacher alike.

Cinder knew that Bo-Katan was right, that Beacon's destruction was caused by Ironwood. Winter said that it was part of Atlesian protocol, to destroy any place that had become overrun by Grimm in order to protect the people.

But Cinder didn't know how she was supposed to accept that. She didn't know how she was supposed to approach Ironwood after what he did. Was she supposed to forgive him? To see the bigger picture and help him with what came next? Or was she supposed to condemn his actions and show him that he needed to do better?

"Cinder? You okay?"

Cinder turned around to see her father had joined her in the cockpit. Seeing that he was willing to talk, Cinder answered Djarin's question.

"Yeah, sorry," she said. "I was just... thinking of home, that's all."

"Home?" Djarin asked. He hadn't thought much about a home recently, given that he had been recently traveling from one place to another. The nomadic nature of the Mandalorians resonated within him greatly.

But when he remembered Beacon Academy, Djarin understood why Cinder was upset.

"Oh," he said as he approached closer. "You're thinking about Beacon?"

"Yeah," Cinder confessed. "I hadn't thought about how it was destroyed for a little while." She looked out the window again. "I just... I miss it."

Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and shared her feelings. "I miss it too," he said. "It was a great home, wasn't it?"

"It was the best." Cinder smiled as she remembered Beacon. "I loved that room we had together. I loved the fields at springtime, the size of the library..."

"Remember when we would go see the sunrise on top of Beacon Tower?"

"Oh, yeah. That... That was beautiful."

"..."

Cinder sighed as she made another confession. "I learned in the void that everything that was shared at Beacon isn't really gone. Everything we created there, the strength and feelings everyone shared is all there. But still... it's hard to think that I don't have a home anymore."

"I understand," Djarin honestly admitted. "I felt that way when I joined the Mandalorians. I just had to make due and make a home out of something new."

Cinder could imagine how hard it was for Djarin to fit in with the Mandalorians when he first joined, since she heard about it so many times. So she could take solace in knowing that she shared the same feelings her father had once upon a time.

"Do you think we can do it again?" Cinder asked. "Something tells me Atlas is gonna be home for a while."

"We can," Djarin replied. "But it doesn't have to be permanent in Atlas. With the war over, and with a new plan against Salem... we could look for a chance to rebuild Beacon. Maybe even upgrade it a little."

Cinder smiled as she thought about the idea of an upgrade for Beacon. "You know... Bo-Katan might have been on to something. About a base for the Mandalorians. I mean, once they think like us."

"They will. I mean, not everything will go back to the way it was, but..." Djarin smiled under his helmet. "It'll be home again. I'm sure of it."

Cinder smiled a little wider as she silently thanked her father for his rare optimism. He always knew what to say to make her feel better and get her out of a rut. And not only was she impressed to see him thinking long-term, just like Ozpin had wished, but Cinder was also happy to know that some things could possibly stay the same.

Djarin was right about some things changing, mainly with Ozpin and the fight with Salem still continuing. But Cinder began to see that once a new Beacon was constructed, she could recapture the magic that existed there.

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

The clan of two turned towards the ship's console when they heard a beeping noise. Djarin quickly moved to his seat and looked at the coordinates of his current location.

"We're here," he said as he took manual control of the Razor Crest. He wanted to be prepared for anything, to do exactly what Obi-Wan had advised. "We should see the Kingdom soon."

Cinder kept her eyes on the window while Djarin looked at his control console. And after a couple of minutes, the Mandalorian's prediction came true. "There it is," Cinder said as she pointed out into the distance.

The clan of two immediately found themselves looking upon the Kingdom of Atlas. They had been to this place many times in the past, but seeing a floating city in the clouds was always able to capture their eyes each and every time they saw it.

Despite this amazing sight, as well as the technological advancements Atlas possessed, the Kingdom wasn't really the clan's favorite. In Cinder's case, despite the fact her best friend lived in Atlas, she never forgot the kinds of abuse she had to endure at the Glass Unicorn. In Djarin's case, the living conditions he had to endure in Mantle weren't always the best.

And in the case of the Mandalorians, Atlas was the least tolerant place in the world for people like them.

But Djarin and Cinder knew there was a bigger picture in mind. They knew that now wasn't the time for any ignition of past rivalries or disagreements. Now was the time for unity and working together in order to achieve a better tomorrow. The clan of two and their current allies had all done their part by securing the Relic of Knowledge and seeking out reinforcements. Now it was time to see how well Atlas could play their part.

However, one look overhead made Djarin and Cinder feel that this was going to be hard.

"Whoa," said Cinder, who couldn't take her eyes off the sky. "That's... That's not normal."

Djarin also couldn't take his eyes off the sky, since he had a similar feeling. He also knew that such a feeling had to be shared with everyone else. "Get Ozpin," he ordered as he flew the ship in a straight and slow path.

Cinder immediately did as she was told. Not only did she return with Ozpin, but Qrow and Obi-Wan came into the cockpit as well. Revan had elected to stay with the prisoners, since he didn't feel the need to see what was happening.

The Force was telling him something wasn't right.

When they reached the cockpit, all the adults looked up to where Djarin and Cinder were looking to see a rather unexpected surprise.

"It's... the Atlas air fleet," said Ozpin.

The sky was currently acting as a home to the entire Atlas air fleet, where numerous airships were resting overhead and making their presence known to everyone on the ground and visitors like the Razor Crest. Nobody had ever seen Atlas filled with this many airships before, but that wasn't the only thing that surprised them. The crew of the Razor Crest could easily see a pattern amongst the ships. There was organization, a hierarchy of sorts.

"They're set up like they're expecting an attack..." said Qrow. "From the Mandalorians, maybe?"

"Maybe..." said Djarin. "But I was here before the borders closed. There was nothing like... this."

Expecting an attack from the Mandalorians was a very logical assumption, given that they had penetrated Atlesian defense before. However, nobody could shake the feeling that there was something off about all of this. Perhaps it was because the war was over, since they had been living in relative peace for two weeks in Mistral.

Or perhaps... there was more to this fleet than meets the eye.

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

Djarin looked down to see that two objects were on his radar. They were coming straight for the front of his ship, and he looked up just in time to see two Mantas flying right towards him. And then, a voice came over the radio.

"Unidentified vessel, you are trespassing in Atlesian territory. You have ten seconds to explain yourself before we open fire."

---

The Atlas air fleet comprised of over a hundred ships in the sky. Most of them were Mantas, the common fighter-class airship that could handle the occasional small Grimm. Along with the Mantas, there were over a dozen larger airships that served as gunships when they were needed most. The larger airships were the pride and joy of the entire fleet.

One particular airship, the Chimera, was known to have two responsibilities. The first was serving the role as the flagship of the air fleet, and the second was serving as the headquarters of Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn was currently aboard the Chimera with his second in command, Gilad Pellaeon. Pellaeon was the captain of the Chimera, but Thrawn controlled the entire fleet. The duo had served together at the Fall of Beacon, in which Thrawn took the man under his wing. It was true that Pellaeon was initially skeptical of being under the command of someone as... abnormal as Admiral Thrawn. But after they survived the Fall of Beacon, and made it back to Atlas while defending themselves from more Mandalorians, Pellaeon found himself working closer with his intelligent commanding officer.

And for the past month, they worked together in relative peace. However, this peace did not come without challenge.

Thrawn was never one to question orders, and he refused to do so when he heard that General Ironwood was going to close the Kingdom's borders. It was Thrawn's responsibility to oversee the fleet and make sure nobody tried to enter or leave the Kingdom, and Thrawn took this responsibility seriously.

He wasn't present when two airships were involved in a certain incident with Dust, but Thrawn made sure such an incident never occurred again when he and the rest of the fleet were called back to Atlas.

Thrawn kept to his duties with every passing day, but he recently started to notice a certain weariness of keeping the peace. The weariness wasn't within him, but rather the men and women under his command. They were all starting to lose their morale, given the fact that a war was going on outside their Kingdom while they were apparently doing nothing. One would think that their orders had been fulfilled, and it was time for new orders. However, Thrawn was aware of a plan Ironwood had to fix what had been broken when the war started, and it was imperative to hold the defensive position.

Thrawn would normally pass the time by studying, going over reports of dissent in the Kingdom, and training in martial arts with the Atlesian Knights. But now, the rituals provided no comfort. Not because he didn't believe in Ironwood's plans, but because the lack of morale had a negative affect on his fellow soldiers.

There were even whispers of revolution from Mantle.

The latter was a concept that tested Thrawn's patience. He could handle a lack of morale and insubordination, but he drew the line at rebellion. He and his family had lived by the values of Atlas, mainly its military culture, for generations. The Admiral could tell that the system wasn't perfect, but it was essential to keeping peace and order when they were needed most. Thinking otherwise would be blasphemous, and in Thrawn's mind, treasonous.

This had to change.

And so, Thrawn was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had no intention of breaking orders, but he needed to find a way to make his fellow officers and soldiers see the light once more. He needed to show them how the temporary mission of holding the line was necessary and effective. Thrawn was never one to back away from a challenge, but a task such as this was proving to be difficult.

His only idea at the moment was to find an opportunity to show everyone that the future was secure.

At first glance, there wasn't much opportunity to be found within the Kingdom. It had even reached the point where Thrawn and his allies discussed the possibility of making an opportunity. There were others in the fleet that were aware of the situation, and some of them were even blaming Ironwood. It was easy to see that they were thinking as Major Gideon once did, arguing that Ironwood's time was coming to an end.

Thrawn stood with Ironwood during the time of the insurrection, given his disdain for rebellion. However, it was becoming harder for the Admiral to defend the General, given how the situation in Atlas was... taxing on Ironwood's mind.

Regardless, Thrawn had decided to make it his mission to create an opportunity to show his fellow soldiers, and the people of Atlas, that there was no future without the military. He planned to create an example within the Kingdom that military order was absolutely necessary.

This plan changed, however, when the Admiral received an unexpected surprise.

"Admiral."

Thrawn looked away from the Chimera's window to see Pellaeon standing behind him. "Yes, Captain?" he replied calmly.

"Two of our Mantas have encountered an intruding airship within our airspace," the Captain reported.

Thrawn raised an eyebrow as he listened to the news about an intrusion. He wondered how an airship could have slipped past the borders, but there were other things to be more concerned about.

"Where is this ship now?" Thrawn asked.

"In a holding position outside our main defenses," Pellaeon replied. "We have a technical readout over here."

The Captain led the Admiral towards a computer screen that was controlled by another officer. Most officers would have given the order to shoot on sight, but Thrawn believed differently. He knew he couldn't destroy it just yet, given that there was much he could learn about its ability to move past the borders.

That was why he looked close at the screen to study the trespassing ship. When he did, he could see that the ship was known to the fleet.

"That ship is the Razor Crest?" Thrawn asked. "The same ship involved in the Dust incident?"

"Yes, sir," Pellaeon confirmed. "I was also confused as to why it would think to return, but then I learned who its pilot was." The Captain pressed a button on the computer that controlled a radio. "Razor Crest, this is Captain Pellaeon of the Chimera. Identify yourself in the same manner as you did with our Mantas."

"This is Din Djarin of Beacon Academy," a familiar voice replied. "My passengers and I come in peace with permission from Argus."

"Standby." Pellaeon took his finger off the radio and turned back to Thrawn. "The pilot has confirmed himself to be Din Djarin moments ago, sir. The same Mandalorian you met at Beacon."

"I see," Thrawn replied calmly. He was familiar with Din Djarin, as well as his services to Beacon and Vale when the Mandalorian war began. He wasn't expecting a reunion such as this, under these circumstances. Thrawn was aware that the Razor Crest was involved with a crime, so it would be foolish for it to return.

But Thrawn knew of the Mandalorian's capabilities, as well as where his loyalty was. While an attack or trap wasn't necessarily expected, Thrawn had to know what he was potentially dealing with.

"And where are they going?" the Admiral asked.

Pellaeon turned back to the console and pressed the same button. "Razor Crest, what is your cargo and destination?" he asked.

"Two prisoners who helped the Mandalorian cause," said Djarin. "Along with four Huntsmen and a Huntress in training, who were all given permission to deliver the prisoners to Atlas."

Pellaeon looked back to his commanding officer, who had another question for him.

"Do they have a code clearance?" the Admiral asked. This was the only kind of "permission" protocol could accept.

"It's an Argus code, sir," Pellaeon explained. "And it's valid. It also came with an encrypted message from Special Operative Cordovin."

"Saying?"

"How she had no choice but to allow the Huntsmen to escort these prisoners. She also urged caution, which is why I was prepared to escort them onto this ship."

"..."

Thrawn looked out towards the main window of the airship. He couldn't see the Razor Crest, but he only looked so he could think. This was certainly an unexpected arrival, something that he couldn't have predicted. In fact, one could even describe this encounter as some sort of great joke.

But in Thrawn's mind... he could describe it as a great opportunity.

"Shall I send the order?" Pellaeon asked.

"...No," Thrawn replied after he turned back to his Captain. "Allow them to land."

Pellaeon didn't mean to question the Admiral's order, but he had one more question before he could carry out the order. "Yes, sir," he began. "Where shall I direct them?"

Thrawn was hoping for a question like this. "Can you tell me where Task Force 99 is currently located?"

Pellaeon looked at a different computer screen, one where a roster of active soldiers was listed. "They appear to be in Mantle, sir. North district."

"Direct the ship to land there."

"Yes, sir."

---

After Captain Pellaeon gave the two Mantas new orders to escort the Razor Crest to a set of coordinates in Mantle, the orders were carried out. Everyone aboard the Razor Crest was curious as to why they were going to Mantle instead of Atlas, but they played along and flew towards the city on the ground.

"Okay, let's not panic or anything," Djarin advised. He could sense the confusion and uncertainty in the cockpit, and he was feeling it as well. But the last thing he needed was to panic. "All of this is just for the war. It has to be."

"Yes," said Ozpin. "We were all expecting James to take matters in his own hands. But that should change when we speak to him."

"I actually have a video of me talking at Haven," said Cinder. She saw that a recording of her speech had been made when she arrived at Argus, so she downloaded it onto her Scroll. "That should help."

"Perhaps this is a good thing," said Obi-Wan. "Now we know the Atlas air fleet is well-prepared for anything. Perhaps we can divide the forces across the Kingdoms, if need be."

"If we're going after Salem this time, we're definitely gonna need it," said Qrow. "Right, Mando?"

"Definitely," the Mandalorian replied. "So let's keep our heads together and-Wait, what's that?"

Everyone turned to see what Djarin was looking at. They were in Mantle now, where they could see a few taller buildings among the smog and smaller buildings. One of those buildings had a large holographic screen, which was playing a recording of General Ironwood.

A very different General Ironwood.

"Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise."

The recording was playing on a loop, so everyone heard the message a second time. But they were more concerned about Ironwood's current appearance. He was wearing a different uniform than the one he wore at Beacon, one with a white overcoat over a white suit, and he also possessed a large black beard.

Along with deep circles under his eyes.

"General Ironwood..." said Cinder, who couldn't take her eyes off the screen. "He looks..."

"Tired," said Obi-Wan. He didn't need the Force to tell him that Ironwood was different from the last time he saw the man.

"James, what have you been doing?" Qrow asked as he stared at the recording.

"Let's hope we can find out," said Ozpin, who put a hand on Qrow's shoulder to comfort him.

When they finally looked away from the recording of General Ironwood, the crew of the Razor Crest looked down at the streets below them. Djarin had been in Mantle enough times to know what "normal" looked like for the city, so he expected to see people dressed in coats walking the streets or huddled around public heating systems.

While he saw this, the Mandalorian also noticed several patrols of Atlesian Knights patrolling the streets. Not only that, but the robots were taking up the entire street as they marched in unison. And he even saw what looked like a drone flying close to the sidewalk.

Normally, it would be the police that would patrol the city. Djarin knew that the military rarely made their presence known in Mantle; all of this was different to him.

And not in a good way.

"A reminder."

Everyone looked to see another holographic screen on a large building. But instead of General Ironwood, the screen was showing Admiral Thrawn.

"Failure to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense," the recording said. "If your sector is under lockdown..."

"They're everywhere," said Djarin. "They're all over the city."

"This isn't right," said Cinder. "None of this is right."

"No, it isn't," Ozpin agreed.

"What do we do?" Qrow asked. "Still try to see Ironwood? Or try to find out what's going on?"

Everyone was wondering the same thing. They were all having misgivings and second thoughts about seeing Ironwood now, given how much had changed in Mantle. The threat from the Mandalorians made sense, but there was much dread in the air. It was almost as if the military had formed a tight grip around the entire Kingdom.

And the crew of the ship was wondering if they should try and squeeze out of the grip. However, their plans changed when they heard something as clear as day.

"Razor Crest, do you see the vacant lot beneath you?" a voice on the radio asked.

Djarin looked out the window to see an empty lot towards the left. It was next to an apartment building, but it looked mostly rundown and vacant. But the Mandalorian was more concerned with the lot.

"Uh, yes," he replied over the intercom. "Yes, I see it."

"You are to land in the lot and shut down your primary engines immediately. A security team is en route to meet you. Prepare to be boarded."

Djarin took a look at everyone to see if they all understood. Nobody objected to the orders, so Djarin moved towards the lot and began to set the ship down. "Understood," he said. "Landing now."

The Razor Crest slowly touched the ground and became absolutely still. The airships that escorted them didn't land, however. They remained in the sky so they could keep an eye on the foreign airship.

It seemed that the security team was coming from somewhere else.

After Djarin turned off the ship's engines, he took another look at his present company. He could sense the atmosphere of uncertainty and concern from them, which was a result of the military broadcasts and presence of Atlesian Knights in the city. Like Cinder had said, none of this seemed right. Much had changed since the last time any of them were in Atlas.

As for how much, Djarin was prepared to find out before he acquiesced to further orders.

"Ozpin, I'm going to have a look around," Djarin decided. "Maybe I can find out what the hell is going on around here. You'd better stay with the ship and everyone else."

"Very well," Ozpin agreed. "If our welcoming party arrives before you come back, I'll keep them busy for as long as I can."

The Mandalorian grabbed his rifle and began to strap it to his back. "I saw a big hole in the wall around the city. Try saying that I saw a Grimm roaming around. That should do it."

Cinder immediately grabbed her father's shoulder. "Dad, let me come with you," she said. "They might try to take the Relic along with our weapons."

Djarin looked at the Relic hanging on Cinder's side and quickly agreed that it would be better in her hands than anyone else's. "Okay. Hold on to me, we'll use my Semblance."

"Good luck," said the Headmaster. "And be careful."

Cinder and Djarin nodded in confirmation. "Be back soon," Cinder promised before she disappeared with her father.

*WHOOSH*

Qrow decided to take a seat where Cinder had just been sitting while he looked out the window. "Now we wait," he said as he watched another party of soldiers march down the street.

Ozpin and Obi-Wan saw an opportunity to speak in private while Qrow kept an eye on the streets. They were both wondering what was happening, there was one thing they could agree on.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Obi-Wan.

"As do I," said Ozpin. "We were at war, but there's something off about all of this."

"The city of Mistral never had... defenses like this."

"Neither did Vacuo. Vale had something similar, but only because of the attack. As far as I'm aware, the Mandalorians never came close to Solitas."

"It's a wonder the base at Argus didn't try anything like this. I don't like it."

Ozpin also didn't like this, but there was a glimmer of hope he was able to find in this dark time. "James is unaware that the war is at an end," he said. "Perhaps after Djarin returns with news, we can tell him and restore some normalcy to Atlas."

Obi-Wan accepted this logic, but he had a question. "Would you prefer to do this before or after we tell him about Salem?"

"..."

Ozpin suddenly lost his resolve. He had almost forgotten about telling Ironwood the truth about Salem, how he had been lying to him and giving him hope under false pretenses. And given the Fall of Beacon, as well as their last conversation, Ozpin was sure that Ironwood wasn't going to be very accepting of the truth.

And it was entirely possible that he would... overreact.

Obi-Wan could sense much conflict within Ozpin. Because of this, he began to have an idea of a third possibility. It was a possibility he didn't like, but the Jedi could believe that Ozpin would consider it.

"Or will you not tell him at all?" he asked.

Ozpin shot his head upwards in surprise. He could see why Obi-Wan would say this, but the idea disgusted Ozpin. Fortunately, he put the issue to rest as he made a brave but hard decision.

"I've learned my lesson, Obi-Wan," Ozpin said calmly. "I've seen the consequences of my actions, and I won't repeat them again." After he said this, Ozpin looked down once more. "No matter what happens next."

"..."

"But before I do, I have one request to make." Ozpin looked at his friend once more. "Should anything happen to me after I talk to James, watch over everyone else. And follow the lead Djarin and Cinder are creating. I have faith in them."

"As do I," said Obi-Wan, who was proud to see that deception and secrecy weren't going to be used again. "Don't worry. I'll help them in any way I can."

"Uh, Oz?"

Ozpin and Obi-Wan turned to Qrow, who was pointing at something out the window. "We got company," he said without turning away from what was outside.

Ozpin and Obi-Wan quickly moved to the window to see what Qrow was looking at. There, they could see that a new airship had landed about twenty feet in front of them. And there appeared to be a group of soldiers walking straight towards them.

Nobody could make out clear details about these soldiers, but they could tell that something was strange about them. They had seen enough Atlesians to recognize their signature metal armor, the suit that had a helmet covering their eyes and a gray chest plate with either blue or red stripes.

But they could tell that the soldiers approaching the Razor Crest were different. Their armor was completely white.

"Who are they?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You're seeing them too?" Qrow asked. "They're in white suits, right? I'm not going crazy?"

"You're perfectly sane, Qrow," Ozpin replied honestly. "I've never seen soldiers like those before. They may be-"

"Warning. Console firewalls breached."

Everyone turned to the console of the Razor Crest, which was flashing red and displaying a warning on the screen. It was the same warning that an electronic voice had said, so everyone knew that there was an emergency.

"What the-?" Qrow asked as he looked at the terminal. "What just happened?"

The red lights began to move across the entire electronic terminal, which made everyone feel even more distressed.

"What's happening?" Ozpin asked. "Is there a malfunction?"

"I don't know!" Qrow replied as he looked over the console. "Man, of all the times Mando had to leave!" Qrow immediately reached into his pocket so he could contact Djarin via his Scroll.

But when he saw his screen glitching with multiple lines of what appeared to be computer code, Qrow saw that the situation had become worse.

"My Scroll's not working!" Qrow told his company.

Obi-Wan and Ozpin reached for their Scrolls, but they saw that the same thing was happening to them. Their first guess was that there was some kind of computer interference with their Scrolls. However, they saw the same lines of code and messages of access to their Scrolls being "denied." That was when everyone saw that this wasn't a coincidence or interference.

Someone had hacked into their Scrolls and the computer of the Razor Crest. And now, that hacker had just remotely opened every door of the ship so the soldiers could board.

Whoever the hacker was... they had the ship and its crew right where they wanted them.

---

Djarin and Cinder found themselves in a vacant alleyway after Djarin used his Semblance. As soon as he put on his magical disguise, Djarin led Cinder to the streets of Mantle.

Cinder hadn't been to Mantle as many times as her father, so she didn't really understand how the streets usually looked. Djarin had actually grown up on these streets, before he and his family attempted a better life in Vale. He remembered having a few friends here and there to play with and looking at various shops with his sister.

But now, all Djarin could see were people walking in silence, trucks driving dirty and tired Dust miners, and more Atlesian Knights standing on the sidewalks. Much had changed from his childhood, and it appeared this change was for the worse.

Cinder would have been looking at all the details all well, but another holographic screen had caught her eye. Instead of a recording from Ironwood or Thrawn, this one had various news articles with large titles.

"Missing Journalist Found Slain"

"Election Imminent

Mantle Hometown Hero vs. Atlesian Politician"

"Embargo: The Right Call?

Pressure and Criticism Continues to Mount on Council"

"Outer Wall Damaged

Resources Stalled"

"Cinder."

The Fall Maiden immediately moved to catch up to her father. As she did, Cinder noticed a drone flying very close to her. She tried to ignore it, but the drone kept invading her personal space.

And it got worse when the drone took a picture of her.

*SNAP*

"Hey!" Cinder said after she recovered from the flash. She took a step towards the drone, but Djarin quickly put an arm in front of her.

*WHOOSH*

Djarin used his Semblance again to transport himself and Cinder into another alley. He knew he had taken a risk by teleporting in an open area, but he hated that drone as much as Cinder did.

"We need to get off the streets," he said as he looked out towards the sidewalk.

"Yeah," Cinder agreed. "Should we head back to the ship?"

"We might have to. We're not gonna get the answers we need like this."

Cinder agreed with her father once again, given that everyone they had passed were keeping their heads down and trying to avoid the robots. And since some of the the robots were clearly pushing their boundaries, Cinder knew that they wouldn't be much help either.

However, she became hopeful when her eyes landed on a small complex with a green medical sign on it.

"Hey, Dad," Cinder said as she pointed towards the smaller building. "Isn't that Dr. Polendina's place?"

Djarin looked where Cinder was pointing and saw the same thing. He and Cinder had been in that place before, so he was able to recognize it.

In more ways than one.

"...Yeah," he said. "Yeah, that's it."

"Well, let's go!" Cinder said as she moved closer. "If he's there, maybe he can tell us what's happening."

"..."

Djarin couldn't disagree with Cinder's logic, but he was rather reluctant to enter the complex. He never told this to anyone, but the complex Dr. Polendina had made into a pharmacy was actually the Mandalorian's childhood home. His father was a Huntsman, so he could afford to rent the small complex for himself and his family. After he died, Djarin's mother and sister made the decision to leave for Vale.

The complex held some of Djarin's best and worst memories, and the latter only grew after his family had died. And given that he still couldn't explain what he saw at Haven, Djarin didn't entirely like the idea of going into a place with so many memories.

However, Djarin was able to put these feelings aside so he could complete his mission.

"You're right," he said as he walked towards the complex. "Let's go."

When they left the alley, the clan of two could see more unhappy people and more robots patrolling the streets. Cinder was more focused on the former, since she couldn't remember the last time she saw this many unhappy people.

"Jeez," she said as she walked towards the complex. "Was Mantle ever this depressed when you lived here, Dad?"

"Not always," Djarin explained. He never told Cinder about his childhood home, but he told her that he was from Mantle. "You have to remember, the Kingdom had just lost the Great War. The people of Mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was Atlas." Djarin pointed at the city overhead. "A home in the clouds is as bright as it gets."

Cinder looked overhead before she looked at the people around her. "Unless you're the one having to look up at it."

Djarin nodded. "Everyone figured that out later." He took another look at the people and robots. "And now it's only gotten worse."

"..."

Djarin didn't feel the need to explain anything else, just like how Cinder felt that she didn't have anything else to ask. And so, they continued on their path to what they hoped would be answers.

When Djarin and Cinder approached the building, they saw someone walking out with a bionic arm. Not only was she a Faunus, but she also appeared to be the only one person in Mantle who was wearing a smile as she waved to someone inside the building.

"And no more heavy-lifting, you hear?" a familiar voice called out.

The girl waved again as she walked away from the pharmacy. After she left, Djarin and Cinder prepared to take her place.

"That sounded like Dr. Polendina," said the Fall Maiden. "We might be in luck."

"Let's find out," Djarin said as he opened the door.

The clan of two stepped inside to see a familiar setting. It had been a while since Cinder had been in Mantle, but she remembered her last visit to Pietro Polendina's pharmacy; it was the day she learned about his plans to create Penny out of Beskar. So she was able to remember a few things.

And Djarin recognized the lobby that once served as his living room. He didn't hold a grudge against Pietro for the conversion, but it was a little hard for him to look at.

However, it was easy to look upon the kindly old man that was sitting on the other side of the counter.

Cinder remembered that Pietro had a hard time remembering her when they saw each other last, so she decided to help him in case today would start off similarly.

"Um... hello, Dr. Polendina," she said as she approached the counter. "I'm not sure if you remember, but my name's-"

"Cinder!"

The clan of two were surprised to see Pietro's quick and positive reaction, just like how the scientist was surprised to see Cinder once again. He recognized and welcomed her as an old acquaintance, and for very good reason.

"Of course, I remember you, dear!" Pietro said as he moved from behind the countertop. He wasn't walking, he was in a mechanical chair that had four moving legs. "I don't think I'll ever forget that day in Vale!"

Cinder smiled as she awkwardly chuckled at the kind doctor. She wasn't sure if Pietro was referring to the time she accidentally destroyed his cabin door with her powers or how he almost died in Nevarro, but she was glad he remembered her.

And she became even more glad when she heard what Pietro said next.

"And I heard all about how you helped my daughter at Beacon," Pietro continued. "Bless your heart, child. You really mean a lot to Penny."

"Thank you, sir," Cinder began before she gasped. She had almost forgotten about Penny, given what she saw all across Mantle. But now, since she believed that Penny had been rebuilt, Cinder wanted to hear all about the friend she thought she had lost.

But when Djarin closed the door and got Pietro's attention, Cinder remembered that there were more important things to do.

"I hope you remember me too," the Mandalorian said as he revealed his armor. This was a big risk, since nobody in Atlas knew that the Mandalorian Civil War was over. But Djarin knew he needed Pietro to recognize him before they could talk.

Fortunately, Pietro recognized the Mandalorian before him. As well as the danger he would be in if people saw his armor.

"Mando?" Pietro asked as he looked upon Djarin. "You can't be here wearing that!" Pietro looked towards the windows to make sure nobody was looking inside. "If anyone sees you, who knows what'll happen to you?!"

"I know," Djarin said as he put his disguise back on. "I'm sorry to alarm you."

Pietro sighed in relief, despite the fact he didn't know how Djarin just did what he did. However, he had other questions regarding the Mandalorian's presence.

"Wait a minute, what are you two doing here?" he asked. "I mean, it's good to see you again after so long, but how did you get past the Kingdom's defenses?"

"It's a long story," Djarin replied. "But we're here with good news."

"The war is over," said Cinder. "It ended at Haven when the Mandalorians surrendered."

Pietro's eyes widened under his glasses. "They surrendered?" he asked. "It's over? You're sure?"

"We were there," Djarin confirmed. "The Mandalorians surrendered after Pre Vizsla died, and Mistral's begun to rebuild."

"My word," the scientist said as he widely smiled. The excitement he felt from the wonderful news was enough to make his forehead sweat, which caused him to remove his burlap cap and wipe his brow. "That's the best news I've heard all month." Pietro put his hat back on. "The situation here hasn't been going very well, as you might have noticed."

"We noticed," said Djarin.

"We came here with Headmasters Ozpin and Kenobi," said Cinder. "We were going to tell General Ironwood what happened, but then we saw..." Cinder pointed above. "What we saw. Can you tell us what's going on?"

Pietro let out a strong cough before he explained the situation in Atlas. "Well, the Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us," he began. "James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's…"

"He's scared," said Djarin. Between the destruction of Beacon and the borders closing, the Mandalorian could tell how Ironwood was feeling.

"Paranoid would be the more appropriate term," Pietro corrected. "You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. When the Mandalorians declared war, everyone in the Kingdom believed it was going to be the Great War all over again. When they saw the massacres at Vytal and Vale, nobody in Atlas felt safe. Not even James himself."

"He's desperate," Djarin concluded. That explained the massive amount of airships and security; desperate times called for desperate measures. "Cinder... Atlas might not be as safe as we thought."

Cinder was starting to understand that, but she had a hard time giving up. "After we came all this way..." she said somberly. "We can't just leave... can we?"

"..."

Djarin's silence was awfully telling, and Cinder couldn't blame him for thinking what he was thinking. However, after everything she promised and planned to do for Remnant, Cinder knew she couldn't give up.

"How does the Council feel about all of this?" she asked. "Do you know anything about them?"

"Well, the Council's so scared, they'll agree to whatever he wants," Pietro explained. "Though, some representatives from Mantle are trying to change the status quo. I don't suppose either of you know Robyn Hill?"

Djarin recognized the name. He hadn't seen her in years, but the Mandalorian remembered how Robyn and her team of "Happy Huntresses" helped him rescue Cinder. "I know Robyn," he insisted. "We've met before."

"Oh, really?" Pietro replied with mild surprise. "Well, she's going to be running for a seat on the Council. One of the members' had a heart attack two weeks ago. He survived, but his health forced him to resign."

The Mandalorian began to have an idea. "I haven't seen Robyn in a while, but I know her. And I've worked with Boba on occasion too."

"Boba? Who's that?"

"Her brother. Well, sort of brother."

Cinder was following along with her father. "Do you think she can help us?" she asked.

"If she gets the seat," Djarin replied. "If we talk to her, let her know the war is over, that could convince the rest of the Council to move the fleet."

"Interesting idea," said Pietro. "Though I wouldn't count on James wanting to move the fleet, regardless of the war's current status."

"Why's that?"

Pietro scratched his head, almost like he was pondering what to say next. "I, uh... don't think I should have told you that."

After they heard this, Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but share a glance at each other. Pietro was never one to keep secrets, even sheepishly so. However, it seemed that their earlier hypothesis was right; there was more to the fleet than meets the eye.

"Dr. Polendina, we're just here to help," Cinder insisted. "Is the fleet trying to protect something other than the Kingdom? Maybe we can help."

"I'm sorry, I've already said too much," said Pietro. "If you end up speaking to the General, perhaps he'll tell you more."

"More about what?" Djarin asked. "What's going-?"

*WOOO*

*WOOO*

Everyone looked towards the door and windows when they heard sirens outside. The sound and the sight of street lamps turning red gave only one indication as to what was happening outside.

"Trouble!" said Cinder, who rushed towards the door. Djarin quickly followed behind her, despite Pietro's plea to wait and come back.

When Djarin and Cinder found themselves outside, they immediately armed themselves. Cinder didn't take her armor, since she didn't have a disguise like her father's, but she had the swords the Armorer gave her long ago. Djarin had his rifle, which he pointed down the empty street when he heard the sounds of Grimm.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Djarin and Cinder saw two Atlesian Knights shooting at something down the street. Suddenly, two black shapes jumped on the robots and ripped them apart. When they turned towards the two Mandalorians, the warriors could see that the shapes were Grimm. But not just any Grimm.

"Sabyrs," Djarin said as he raised his weapon. "Remember how we handle these things?"

"You call it," Cinder insisted as she readied herself for combat.

Djarin and Cinder had dealt with Grimm like these, and just about every other Grimm, about a hundred times together. They had developed strategies they learned from Beacon and Mandalorian tradition for every monster they encountered, and now they were ready to do it again.

"Now!" Djarin ordered as he peered through his rifle's scope. When Cinder charged, the Sabyrs charged at her in return. When they were at a considerable distance, and after more Grimm joined their two comrades, Djarin pulled the trigger and killed the first ones he saw.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Djarin hit the Grimm in the right spot to make them turn to ash immediately. When a small cloud formed on the street, Cinder used her Maiden powers to launch herself over the smoke and let the Grimm charge towards nothing. The confusion they felt when they saw their prey disappear in the smoke was enough time for Cinder to attack from behind and stab them with icicles.

*SHICK*

*SHICK*

*SHICK*

Six Sabyrs had just been killed, but more came from the left. The Mandalorian immediately used his Semblance to appear next to Cinder, which broke his focus on his magical disguise. But when the clan of two reunited, they used their rifle and bow to kill the incoming Grimm.

Arrows and bullets found their prey easily, but a few survivors came dangerously close to Djarin and Cinder.

"Going up!" Djarin said as he activated his jetpack.

"Right behind you!" Cinder called back as she activated her Maiden powers. She prepared to unleash another element at the Grimm, but Djarin stopped her.

"Not too much! We're still in the city."

Cinder recalled that she and her father were still in Mantle, as opposed to Beacon or an open field outside the Kingdoms. There were sure to be eyes everywhere, and neither of the Mandalorians were ready for anyone to see that Cinder was a Maiden.

But they knew they could let one element destroy all the Grimm below: fire.

Cinder pulled out an arrow that would explode after a few seconds while Djarin pulled two small explosives from his belt. When they saw that all of the Grimm below them were jumping up towards them, the clan of two moved their explosives downward and let fire destroy the newly formed pack.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

When the sound of the explosions disappeared, Djarin and Cinder noticed the sounds of the Grimm disappeared as well. Content with their work, Djarin and Cinder moved back to the ground and admired their handiwork.

Djarin was arguably the one who was the most proud. He took his role as a warrior and a hunter of Grimm very seriously, but he had just learned how much he missed doing it with Cinder. He had either been killing Grimm by himself or with complete strangers for too long now. It was much better when he had Cinder with him.

He wouldn't want to fight with anyone else by his side.

"Great job, Cinder," the Mandalorian said as he rubbed her head.

Cinder smiled as she accepted the gesture Djarin gave her since she was a child. She would be embarrassed by it if there were other people around, but Cinder happily accepted the hand on her head. She had missed fighting by Djarin's side as well.

"You too, Dad," she insisted with a smile.

*GROWL*

The Mandalorians turned around just in time to see more Sabyrs coming towards them. Neither of them were ready to back down, however. They each raised their weapons and prepared to fight once again.

But a green beam of energy stopped them.

*WHOOSH*

*HISS*

Djarin and Cinder almost didn't believe what they saw. More specifically, they didn't believe that a green beam that came out of nowhere had just cut one of the Sabyrs in half. And they didn't believe it when two more beams killed two more Grimm in a similar manner.

*WHOOSH*

*HISS*

*WHOOSH*

*HISS*

When the street was cleared of Grimm, Cinder looked around her to see what could have caused the miracle to occur. She couldn't see anything at first, but Cinder immediately listened to her father when he saw a clue.

"Up there!" he said as he pointed to the night sky.

Cinder looked up to the sky and saw what Djarin was pointing at. She briefly doubted her sight once again, but Cinder soon realized that what she was seeing was true. There was a person flying in the sky, someone who almost looked like they were dancing. The person wasn't wearing a jetpack like Djarin was, they appeared to have some sort of... boosters on their feet. And just like the energy, the fire in the boosters were green.

Neither Djarin nor Cinder could make out any details about the identity of this person. But Pietro, who had left his pharmacy when he noticed the green lights, recognized who it was that was slowly descending towards the ground.

And in due time, so could Djarin and Cinder.

"Wait," said Djarin, who was starting to make out some familiar details. "Is that-?"

Cinder softly gasped when she had the same idea as her father. She could see that the figure was a girl, one wearing a white blouse and a green skirt. Her legs looked more machine than human, since she had metal knees and metallic boosters above her feet. But Cinder didn't treat this as an abnormality; when she got a good look at the girl's face, her long orange hair, and her metallic pink bow, Cinder knew exactly who the girl was.

"Penny," she whispered with a smile.

Pietro also recognized his creation and daughter, and he too was glad to see her. Not just because she had just killed numerous Grimm with ease, but also because Penny had a wonderful opportunity.

"Darling, look who decided to pay us a visit," the scientist called out to Penny.

When Penny turned towards her father to see what he was talking about, she immediately made eye contact with Cinder. The sight of a friend she hadn't seen in a month was enough to cause the robotic girl to gasp with an wide smile and shining eyes.

Cinder smiled as well, and started to grow just as overjoyed as Penny was. However, she was unprepared for how Penny planned to greet Cinder.

"Sal..." she said as she straitened her posture.

"Huh?" Cinder asked.

"U..." Penny said as she took a running position.

Cinder became more confused as to what was happening.

"Tations!" Penny shouted as she took off running.

Cinder immediately understood that Penny planned to greet her with a hug, and she was ready and willing to reciprocate the gesture. However, as Penny moved closer and closer at an alarming speed, Cinder suddenly remembered that Penny's body was made entirely out of metal.

Strong metal.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wai-!"

*CRASH*

Cinder slid on the ground as she became trapped in an iron-like grasp. She had no choice but to activate her Aura to block out any pain, but her friend made sure that the hug was rather brief.

"It is such a pleasure to see you again!" said Penny, who was the first to stand back up.

Cinder got off the ground quickly and recovered from Penny's... enthusiastic greeting. "It's great to see you too," she insisted. "I knew you were gonna get rebuilt, I just knew it!"

Djarin was also happy to see Penny, despite the fact that he never officially met her. But he had heard enough from both Pietro and Cinder to know that she was quite extraordinary.

And anyone who made his daughter happy was certainly a friend of Djarin's.

"How did you do this?" Djarin asked Pietro. "I saw the footage from Amity, the Mandalorians took everything after they... Um..."

"Broke her?" Pietro finished for the Mandalorian. "Yes, it's true every part of Penny was taken by the Mandalorians. I suppose using Beskar wasn't such a good idea after all. But I programmed Penny to upload her software into the nearest Atlesian computer system for emergencies. Which happened to be Amity Arena."

"Oh, I see!" Cinder replied. "So when it came back to Atlas-"

"Penny came with it so I could recover her. It took me some time, but-"

"I'm as good as new!" said Penny. "Better, even! And now, just as General Ironwood promised, I'm the official protector of the city!"

"That's my girl!" Pietro said proudly. "We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?" Pietro let out another cough as he laughed, but he didn't let that stop Penny from answering him.

"No, sir!" she said as she tapped her head. Metallic clanks were a result of this tapping, to show that Penny was as strong and sturdy as she could possibly be.

Djarin remained silent as everyone spoke, but he was smiling under his helmet. He found the situation to be rather wholesome, especially since Cinder was reconnecting with a friend. The last couple of weeks for her weren't normal for a teenage girl, having to defend a school, rebuild a school, and promise to the world that she would be a good ruler that served Remnant.

To have a moment with a friend, however brief, was something Djarin believed Cinder deserved. And after everything that happened, she had earned a right to be happy.

"We have so many things to catch up about," Penny insisted with a smile. "I cannot wait!"

*WOOO*

*WOOO*

Everyone heard more sirens in the distance, which were a result of more Grimm. It seemed that Mantle's defenses weren't doing a good job keeping the beasts out.

"It seems we will have to wait!" Penny said before she took to the air. As she flew higher and higher, Penny said a very fast goodbye to the Fall Maiden.

"Let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and tell you how I have been and I am just very excited about the whole experience!"

Cinder's friend disappeared, but the young Maiden simply waved at the sky and smiled. "...See you later," she happily whispered.

Djarin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and smiled under his helmet. "That was unexpected," he said. "But not unwelcome."

Cinder continued to smile as she looked away from the sky. "Yeah, no kidding. I didn't think I would ever see her again."

"Me neither. But between her and Pietro, I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher."

"Well, for what's it's worth, I'm glad they didn't," said the elderly scientist. "Now how about we get out of this weather?"

Djarin and Cinder immediately agreed to the idea and moved back to the pharmacy. As they did, both of the Mandalorians began to believe that staying in Mantle for a little while might be the best course of action. They would be able to find out everything that was happening, and they could even help out when they needed to. And along the way, they could figure out what to do regarding Ironwood.

So, Djarin looked to his gauntlet and prepared to send a message to Ozpin for everyone to join him. But as he did so, the Mandalorian suddenly noticed something odd. For a brief moment, he saw a light flash on top of a building. But the building didn't have any lights on in the windows, and the flash looked more like a reflection.

More specifically, the reflection a scope would have when light hit it.

"Cinder, look out!" Djarin screamed as he pushed his daughter to the ground.

*BANG*

From the top of the building, a red bolt of energy flew towards the ground and hit Djarin right where he stood. His Beskar armor offered some protection, but the shot, which was very similar to the blasts of a Mandalorian blaster, hit a spot where metal met flesh. Because of that, Djarin couldn't help but fall to the ground in pain.

"Dad!" Cinder screamed as she scrambled to her feet. "No!"

*WHOOSH*

Suddenly, a wave of fire came out from an alley close to Pietro's pharmacy. The fire rested between Djarin and Cinder, which caught the young girl immediately by surprise. She was about to use her powers to blow the fire away, but her arms became wrapped in a tight wire and caused her to fall down.

"Aah!" Cinder yelled as she hit the ground. Her first reaction was to try and get back up, but she couldn't push herself off the ground due to her arms being tied.

As for who or what did this, Cinder got the answer when she saw a pair of feet by her head.

Standing just above Cinder was a person wearing what appeared to be armor. But it wasn't like any other armor she had ever seen before. The person was covered in head to toe with white armor and black padding under the pieces of armor. It was rather shiny, and the streetlights were reflecting off its surface.

The person also had a red and blue sash on their right shoulder, with what appeared to be a pin of a clover. They were twirling what appeared to be a horseshoe in their left hand, and they were looking down on Cinder with a rather unique helmet.

The helmet almost looked like a gas mask, since the mouthpiece appeared to be a respirator for breathing. There was also a black spot where the nose of a person would normally be, and a single visor at the top. It also contained a raised ridge that ran from directly above the visor to the back of the helmet; it almost looked like two helmets were combined into one.

"Good work, team," a male voice said from beneath the helmet. Cinder couldn't see it, but there were more soldiers behind her wearing similar armor.

"Hey!" Cinder yelled. "What's going on?!"

The fire between Djarin and Cinder had finally subsided, so Djarin was able to see the soldier with his daughter. "Hey, you!" he called out. "We just helped save every-!"

*BAM*

"Oof!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Cinder gasped in horror as she saw an abnormally large man, also dressed in white armor, slam his foot down on Djarin's chest. Before she could react, she was hoisted off the ground by a soldier with a tubes on the mouthpiece.

"What did you say?" he asked. "You said that tin can is your dad?"

Another soldier, one with red stripes on his armor and a different helmet than the others, stepped out of the alley while holding what looked like a flamethrower. "I heard her," he said. "We got two of them now, sir. This isn't looking good."

The soldier with the sash leaned down and picked up the Relic of Knowledge, which had fallen off Cinder's side. After he examined it, he made a decision.

"Hm... let's give it a minute before we load them on the next transport," he said. "Anyone got eyes on Cav and Misty?"

"They're on their way," said a soldier with a glowing blue visor. "Had some Grimm up the street to handle."

Cinder was able to move her head to see two more soldiers walking up the street. One was wearing a brown cloak and holding a long rifle while the other was holding two knives while cleaning his armor of ash.

They had just passed Pietro, who was very concerned with the unfolding situation.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he asked angrily before he let out a cough. "What's SCAR Squadron even doing down here in Mantle?"

"SCAR Squadron?" Cinder asked herself.

"Doctor, good to see you," said the soldier with the sash. "Well, we heard a report of a foreign airship making an illegal arrival in Atlesian airspace, followed by a direct violation of orders to stay with said ship by two Mandalorians."

"Looks like the war finally made its way to Atlas, sir," said the soldier with the knives. "You want me to find out how?"

Pietro was even more concerned, given the reputation of this particular team of soldiers. "If we could just talk this out-"

"That's what we're gonna do," said the apparent leader. "I hate this as much as you do, but Cav's not wrong about the war." He looked to the soldier with the knives. "Interrogating won't take long, will it, Cav?"

"No, sir," the soldier replied as he spun his knives in hand. His eyes were set on Djarin, who had been picked up off the ground by the large soldier. "Not long at all."

It was true that the leader didn't like what he was implying, but he was aware of the war going on outside the Kingdom. And now, he had to know if there were any more Mandalorians roaming the city.

But he wasn't the only one who didn't like the idea.

"Dad!" Cinder yelled as she squirmed in her wire. "Let him go!"

The soldier holding Cinder tightened his grasp while the one with the glowing eyes stepped closer. "Can it, kid," he ordered firmly.

But Cinder didn't do that. Instead, as her eyes began to burn, she made the demand again.

"I said let go!"

*WHOOSH*

A halo of fire escaped from Cinder's hands, which knocked Djarin and the soldiers backwards. The fire also melted the wire around her body, which freed the Fall Maiden.

The soldier with the sash was the first to recover from the blast, and he was the first to see that Cinder was free. Hoping to detain her once again, the soldier immediately pulled a metal object off his side, which immediately sprung out a whip-like line with a hook on the end. He cast the line out to Cinder and prepared to wrap her once again, but Cinder caught the line and sent a ball of fire to the soldier.

*BAM*

When he was hit, the soldier was thrown back against the wall of another building. Seizing her chance, Cinder threw a ball of ice and froze the soldier against the wall, eliminating him from the fight.

His squad, however, was a different story.

"Weapons free!" said the soldier with tubes on his mouthpiece. He immediately raised a rifle of his own and shot two blasts at Cinder. Luckily, he missed, and Cinder was able to run for cover.

Which prompted Djarin to teleport to the man, transform his rifle into its staff, and stick the electric end at his back.

*ZAP*

The armor didn't offer much protection from electricity, and the soldier didn't have time to engage his Aura. All he could do was spasm for a few seconds before he hit the ground.

*BANG*

*BANG*

Two more blasts hit the Mandalorian's back and caused him to turn around. The larger soldier and the one with knives were running towards Cinder, but Djarin had the attention of the sniper and the one with the flamethrower.

*WHOOSH*

When more fire came Djarin's way, the Mandalorian activated his jetpack and took to the air while returning fire.

"Mic, hack that jetpack!" the sniper yelled as he continued to shoot at Djarin.

The soldier with the glowing visor looked at a computer screen, which immediately turned red. "No good!" he said. "It's not run by a computer!"

"Dammit! Just keep firing!"

While Djarin had the attention of the three soldiers. Cinder had the attention of the large one and the one with knives. The one with knives came into close contact and started slashing at Cinder's face with them. Fortunately, avoiding knives like these were a part of Cinder's Mandalorian training, so she was able to duck and weave past them.

But when one blade cut some of her hair, Cinder knew she couldn't dodge forever. So when the knives came to her at the same time, Cinder removed the Darksaber from her waist and sent the blade at the man.

*SSSS*

The soldier was able to dodge the attack, though his armor was slightly cut. However, he was unable to prevent the energy from cutting the blades off both of his knives. He was about to retrieve another one from his chest, but Cinder sent a gust of wind at both soldiers.

*WHOOSH*

*BAM*

The large soldier was relatively unaffected by the wind, but the smaller one flew backwards and hit his head hard on the sidewalk. The force was strong enough to crack his helmet, which left him with a bad head injury.

"Okay, that's it!" said the larger soldier as he grabbed Cinder.

*BAM*

Cinder was struck by the man's fist, which caused her to engage her Aura to block out the pain. But before she could counterattack, the soldier grabbed her again and squeezed her tightly.

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

"Aaah!" Cinder yelled in pain. She began hitting the man's face, but his helmet protected him from any pain. Instead, he was delivering as much pain as he could to Cinder. She used her Aura to block some of it and focus, but it was hard to do so with everything going on. Being caught in an iron-like grip and seeing her father being attacked was enough to make her angry. And she was trying to use that anger again and again as she tried to hurt the soldier with her fists.

But when she raised her left fist another time, something very strange happened.

*SPLAT*

All of a sudden, the front of the soldier's helmet was partially covered in a strange, tar-like substance.

"Aw, gross!" the soldier yelled as he dropped Cinder. With his free hands, the soldier grabbed the substance on his face and tried to pull it off. "What's this?! Faunus spit?!"

Cinder was also wondering what had splattered all across the soldier's faceplate. When she studied the substance, Cinder noticed that some of it was leading down to the ground. But even stranger, it was going towards Cinder's hand.

The hand where she had the Beetle latched on to her.

"What?" Cinder asked as she looked back to the soldier. She had just put the pieces together, that the Grimm was attacking the Atlesian just like it once attacked Cinder. But it didn't make sense; that soldier was certainly no Maiden, he had no powers whatsoever.

So how was it possible that the Grimm was attacking the soldier?

Unfortunately, Cinder didn't have any time to answer the question. Because not only has the soldier ripped the Grimm off of his face, but he had just grabbed Cinder and threw her a few feet away from him. This caused the young girl to not only hit the pavement multiple times, but also land close to the rest of the squad.

"Zuke, get that kid!" said the sniper. "We got the Mandalorian pinned on the roof!" This was true, but the situation was mostly a stalemate; Djarin could return fire from the roof, but he couldn't leave with the multiple blaster shots hitting his place of cover.

Fortunately, Cinder was about to give him an opportunity to do so.

As she got off the ground, Cinder could feel blood on the top of her head. It seemed that the cut to her hair was closer to her head than she thought. And to make matters worse, the large soldier was charging at her like a wild beast. Cinder almost panicked when she saw the sight, but then she saw that she was right in front of the rest of the squad.

These circumstances gave her an idea.

*WHOOSH*

After she blasted another element on the ground between her and the soldiers, Cinder looked back just in time to see that the large soldier was almost on top her. She had enough time to jump out of the way, which made the soldier fall right into her trap.

He had just ran onto a thick patch of ice, which caused him to slip and slide right into his comrades.

*CRASH*

All three soldiers were hit by the large man and fell over. Not only did this finally give Djarin some reprieve from being shot at, but it also gave him the chance to finish the fight. The soldier with red stripes on his armor had just dropped his flamethrower, which Djarin shot at immediately.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BOOM*

The weapon exploded, which made all of the soldiers fly in various directions. Their armor protected them from the fire, but the force from the explosion had knocked them unconscious and unable to continue the fight.

The clan of two had won, but just barely. Both of them were somewhat hurt, and they needed to focus on healing with their Auras. Djarin flew down to the ground to help Cinder on her feet, and they immediately went into Pietro's complex for shelter. The scientist had moved inside to avoid the firefight, and he had just beckoned for his friends to join him inside when the fight was finally over.

*SLAM*

The door to Pietro's shop slamming shut was enough for one soldier to regain his senses. After he looked around and saw the rest of his squad laying painfully on the ground and his commander frozen to the wall, he knew what to do.

"Command... this is Task Force... 99," he said through painful grunts. "We apprehended the crew... of the Razor Crest. But the others, they-"

*CRACK*

"Ugh," the soldier grunted as he tried to push through the pain. "Just send us some goddamn backup."

---

Penny's role as the protector of Mantle had put her in a rather predictable routine. Whenever there were the sounds of alarms and Grimm, she would always fly to the ground and stop the Grimm from hurting whoever was in their path. Once that was done, she would return to the skies and resume her patrol. She had done it with Cinder, and now she was doing it again with everyone in Mantle.

Penny was very happy to see her friend once again, after such a long time. She wanted nothing more than to catch up with Cinder and talk about how she had been doing for the past month. She also hoped that Cinder could tell her what was happening outside of Atlas, given that she hadn't left the Kingdom since she had been rebuilt.

However, Penny knew that her duties to Mantle came first. Just as Cinder once said, Penny had a tremendous responsibility that she couldn't run away from. Instead, she was going to do her job with pleasure and pride, no matter where it took her.

So it came as a great surprise when Penny received orders to return to her father's pharmacy to speak with Cinder.

"Sir, yes, sir!" Penny happily yelled on the radio before she made her way back to Pietro's pharmacy. The trip didn't take long, and Penny soon found herself right where she started. "Dad, I'm back! Is Cinder still-Oh, my goodness!"

Penny couldn't help but notice the numerous soldiers in white laying on the street. And based on their groans, it was clear that they were all hurt. Penny immediately released her numerous swords from her back and prepared for a fight, but she became calm when she heard her father's voice.

"It's okay, Penny," said Pietro. He opened the door as soon as he saw Penny land once again. "There's no danger here."

"Oh, good!" Penny replied as she put her weapons away. As she did, Pietro invited her inside to see Djarin and Cinder. "Yay, you're still here!"

"Hello, Penny," said Djarin. Cinder smiled and waved as she felt calm with Penny's presence.

"I am so happy to be back so soon!" Penny turned towards the door and pointed to it as she asked a question. "What happened to the squadron?"

Cinder stopped smiling when she remembered the battle. "They slipped," she lied sarcastically.

Penny wasn't used to feelings such as sarcasm, so she innocently believed Cinder. "Oh. Well, I think you will be happy to know that I have been ordered to escort you both to Atlas Academy!"

"..."

Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but be skeptical at the idea. Between the numerous airships, Pietro's description of Ironwood, and the soldiers that came to arrest them, neither of the Mandalorians could see how a visit to Atlas Academy would be good for both of them.

"Um... thanks, Penny," Cinder began. "But, uh... I don't think that's such a good idea."

"We've been having some trouble with Atlas ever since we got here," said Djarin. "We're not looking for anymore."

Penny could tell that Cinder and her father were nervous, but she didn't take her offer back. In fact, she even offered some closure to their feelings.

"If you are referring to the airships that escorted you or Task Force 99, I am sorry to say that whatever treatment you received was a result of miscommunication," Penny explained. "When Admiral Thrawn told General Ironwood that the Razor Crest had arrived, he wished to treat you as guests once he was sure that there was no threat detected. Unfortunately, his wishes were not relayed to Task Force 99 in time."

"Task Force 99?" Cinder repeated. "Wait, you mean those white soldiers?"

"Affirmative! They are being recalled back to the academy and sending you a proper escort. Along with your friends that Task Force 99 mistakenly detained. Don't worry, I will be with you every step of the way!"

Djarin and Cinder were starting to feel better about the situation. The white soldiers were clearly out for blood, so he was relieved to know that they were going to be at a relative distance from him. And Cinder felt a sense of security knowing that Penny would be with her. After all, she wouldn't lie about something like this.

There was just one question left.

"What do you mean 'detained?'" Djarin asked.

Penny answered this question by personally escorting the Mandalorians back to their ship. There, they found an Atlesian transport with a few soldiers close to Qrow, Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan. They appeared to be removing what looked like handcuffs off their wrists and offering apologies while doing so.

The only ones who weren't accounted for were Bo-Katan and Hazel, who were about to be taken into custody with a civilian of Mantle. Obi-Wan had used the Force to influence the minds of the soldiers, to let them know that he would be seeing Bo-Katan later; in order to keep her on the same side as him and Cinder's group, Obi-Wan knew he had to keep his promise.

And so, Ozpin took it upon himself to explain what had happened while they were waiting to leave.

"All of a sudden, the ship's computers were being overridden," he explained. "We tried to warn you, but our Scrolls had also been compromised. That was right before the entire ship went dark."

"And then those boys in white showed up and stuffed us on that ship," said Qrow. "They were good, I'm telling you. That big guy got Hazel off the Crest all by himself."

Djarin was aware of how unique these soldiers appeared to be. Even though Cinder had bested them all, Djarin knew that Cinder usually didn't need her Maiden powers to handle common warriors. These soldiers required more strength, energy, and strategy to be taken care of.

But he didn't care about them at the moment.

"Does Ironwood have any idea how much damage he might have done to the Razor Crest?" he asked with a sigh. "It probably won't even fly again until I fix those computers!"

Cinder also shared her father's anger, but she was more surprised by the incident. "I can't believe they hacked into it," she said. "One of those special soldiers did it?"

"Yeah," said Qrow. "The one with the blue eyes, I think. He kept looking at some screen on his arm."

Djarin sighed as he shook his head. A million thoughts were racing through his head, mainly with how hard it was going to be to fix the ship and how much it would have to cost.

But there was one thought he could express right now.

"The Razor Crest was our only way out," he whispered. "If it's dead... we're trapped here."

Everyone understood where Djarin was coming from, but Obi-Wan stated the obvious. "I doubt James had any plans for us leaving so soon," he stated.

"And I doubt he has plans for us to stay in Mantle any longer," said Revan, who was pointing into the sky. "Look."

Everyone looked up to see a lone Manta approaching the ground. When it landed, two more soldiers walked down the ramp and prepared for the crew of the Razor Crest to board.

But Cinder didn't like that.

"No, no, no," she said as she walked over to her friend. "Penny, we just want to take our own ship to Atlas." She was still angry about the Razor Crest and she hoped it could be fixed immediately. "We don't want any more soldiers or arrests or anything like that."

Penny was about to promise Cinder that no harm would come from boarding the ship, but another voice reached everyone's ears.

"What about friends, Cinder?"

Cinder softly gasped as she turned towards the Manta. She could see another soldier walking down the ramp, a younger one wearing the gray and white uniform of a military cadet. She had a patch of scarring on her face, over her left eye, but the cadet looked upon Cinder with two blue eyes and a rather neutral gaze.

"...Winter?" Cinder asked in disbelief.

The cadet was indeed Winter Schnee, who had also been tasked by General Ironwood to escort Cinder and her allies to Atlas Academy. She was surprised to hear that her friend was in the Kingdom, and she had missed her very much. But Winter remained as calm and emotionless as possible when she accepted the mission, and she continued to do so now.

"A pleasure to see you again, Cinder," she said. "Now, if you don't-"

"WINTER!"

Cinder wrapped Winter in a tight hug as soon as she reached the bottom of the ramp. A wide smile came across Cinder's face as she held her best friend in her arms. She didn't think she was going to see Winter again so soon, but she was happy that she was wrong.

Winter was taken aback by this embrace, and she wanted to return it as well. But the presence of two other soldiers made her reluctant to do so.

"Cinder... I'm on the job," Winter said hesitantly.

"I don't care!" Cinder insisted as she began to sway from side to side. "I've missed you, I haven't seen you since Beacon, and I am giving you a hug! So get used to it!"

Winter finally gave in to the gesture and gave her own hug. She smiled while doing so as she realized just how much she had also missed Cinder. The month in Atlas had been busy for her, and it also had been rather lonely.

But Cinder was starting to fix that.

"I've missed you too," she said as she continued to hold her friend. "I've been worried about you, ever since I heard about your coma."

Cinder let go of Winter and looked at her face. "Oh, my Gods, I've been worried about you too! I saw you being attacked at Beacon, I know that something happened to your... eye?"

Cinder immediately became confused when she looked at Winter. The last time she saw her, Winter was wearing a eye patch over her left eye. She knew something bad must have happened, but besides the patch of scarring, Winter's eye appeared to be fine.

But then Cinder noticed a small piece of metal on Winter's skin.

"Oh... you've noticed," Winter said as she touched the small strip of metal. "You're right about my eye, Cinder. One of those Botflies got me and... Well, you know what they eat for food."

"..."

Cinder was all too familiar with the Botflies' taste for human flesh, so she could only imagine what happened to Winter when one of them burrowed into her head.

"Fortunately, Dr. Polendina was able to replace it with this artificial eye," Winter explained. "It's funny, actually. His work with Penny actually opened some doors to medical implants and surgeries."

"That's right!" said Penny. "My father made an eye for Winter using the same way he made my new eyes!" Penny wrapped her arm around Winter's shoulder and pulled her closer. "We are practically like twins!"

Cinder couldn't help but giggle at the idea, and Winter's cheeks began to grow red. "I... wouldn't say that, Penny," Winter insisted.

"Ahem."

The three girls looked at one of the soldiers, who had cleared his throat to get their attention. Winter immediately moved away from Penny and stood close to the ramp. While she wanted to reconnect with Cinder, she knew her job came first.

"Now, if you and your friends don't mind?" Winter asked calmly as she gestured towards the airship.

Penny was the first to board the airship, but Cinder didn't join her just yet. She was so excited about seeing Winter again that she almost forgot about her father and their allies. She remembered that they were all skeptical about going to Atlas Academy, but now Cinder really wanted to go.

And she was hoping everyone else would say the same.

Djarin still had a bad feeling about all of this. He believed the second he was on that airship, he would either be arrested or attacked. But his doubts were being replaced with a sense of security when he saw Winter here. Like Cinder believed with Penny, Djarin believed that he could trust someone like Winter. He had known her for years, ever since she and Cinder decided to be friends. And given that he was concerned about Willow, Djarin believed Winter could answer his questions.

So, he decided to take his chances and board the airship.

"Mr. Djarin," Winter addressed proudly. "It's good to see you again, sir."

"Good to see you too, Winter," said Djarin. "I'm glad to see you're doing better as well."

"Thank you, sir. The same goes for you and Cinder."

Djarin briefly smiled under his helmet. "How's your family doing?"

"Fine, sir. All fine."

"Your mother too?"

Strangely. Winter couldn't help but flinch when Djarin mentioned her mother. "She's... fine as well," she insisted. "Just busy with the company."

"..."

Djarin decided to join Cinder on the airship while Winter greeted everyone else. She was familiar with Qrow and Ozpin, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. She didn't know Revan, however, but she tried to be polite.

Even though his mask was unsettling.

With everyone aboard, the Manta took off on a destination for Atlas Academy. Nobody was put in handcuffs or placed under arrest, so they began to relax. Cinder tried to talk to Winter, but the cadet reminded her friend that she was still on the job.

But she promised that they would talk later.

The Manta soon found itself at Atlas Academy. When it landed, everyone was escorted out to see an extraordinary sight.

"Whoa..." said Cinder. She had never seen Atlas Academy before, and she was immediately taken away by the lights and unique architecture she could see.

"It's pretty big, huh?" Djarin asked. He had been at the school before, but he knew this was Cinder's first time.

"Are you kidding? It's huge!"

Winter and Penny were leading the way inside, but Winter briefly turned around and spoke to Cinder. "Wait until you see the library," she said with a small grin.

Cinder couldn't help but moan with delight with wide eyes as she pictured how big the library would be. She had talked about it with Winter before, when they were comparing Atlas Academy to Beacon. And now, she was excited to see it more than anything.

But first, Winter and Penny had to take everyone to the top floor. To the office of General Ironwood.

Djarin and Ozpin had been here before, so they familiarized themselves with everything. Djarin remembered hearing about the embargo in the elevator while Ozpin remembered being angry with Ironwood regarding the borders closing. But now, all he hoped for was a chance to resolve everything. So when he and everyone else reached the top floor via an elevator, Ozpin watched Winter and Penny lead their guests to a small staircase that led to the main office.

And at the top of those stairs was General Ironwood himself.

The first thing everyone noticed was how Ironwood looked exactly like he did in the broadcasts. He was wearing the same uniform, standing in a similar posture, and he wore a large black beard on his face. But other than that, he looked just as tired as he did on the big screens in Mantle.

But when he took one look at the group before him, specifically Ozpin, Ironwood found the strength to smile.

"Hello, Oz," he said pleasantly. "It's... It's good to see you."

Ozpin wasn't expecting a greeting such as this, since he and Ironwood had left on rather poor terms. But when he saw how relieved Ironwood appeared to be, Ozpin began to feel comfortable in the man's presence.

"You as well, James," he said politely.

In a rare display of emotion, which came as a surprise to everyone, Ironwood hugged Ozpin. It seemed he really was happy to see his ally.

Ozpin was arguably the most surprised out of everyone, but he returned the hug. It was odd to comprehend, but Ozpin could almost feel a large weight push itself away from Ironwood. It was as if his presence was a godsend for the General.

Winter was surprised as well, but her surprise turned into mild embarrassment when Cinder whispered to her. "And to think you gave me attitude for hugging you," she joked.

Once Ironwood released Ozpin, he gestured towards the open door. "Please, come in," he offered. Everyone took their turn walking inside, with Ironwood being the last. As he walked inside, he couldn't help but lay eyes on the Jedi. "Obi-Wan. It's been a long time."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed before he gestured to his fellow Jedi. "This is Revan. A colleague of mine." Revan slightly bowed his head at the General, which Ironwood acknowledged with a small nod.

"Mando, Cinder, I'm happy to have you both here," Ironwood continued. "It's good to see Mandalorians that I can trust."

"...Right," said Djarin. The thought came to him as a surprise, given that he couldn't recall the last time Ironwood said he trusted him and Cinder.

Ironwood looked upon his last guest with a smile. "And Qrow. It's good to see you too."

Qrow massaged his wrists, which still hurt from the handcuffs he was previously wearing. "Our reception didn't really convey that," he said.

Ironwood sighed as he moved towards his exquisite desk. "I sincerely regret how you treated by my team," he began. He missed Qrow rolling his eyes as he made his way to his desk, which he sat at while Penny and Winter moved to both sides. "When a foreign airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags." Ironwood looked at Djarin. "And according to reports, that ship was involved in a situation with Dust."

"..."

Everyone looked at Djarin, who remained absolutely silent. He expected Ironwood to bring up the Dust he smuggled, but he didn't know what to say. He had no idea if Willow had been questioned about the Dust, and he had no intention of causing her any more trouble.

After a moment of thinking, he decided to address and change the subject, hoping it would help.

"I wouldn't have been involved if it weren't necessary," the Mandalorian insisted. "And I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have any good news I thought you'd want to hear."

Djarin wasn't aware that Ironwood wasn't too concerned with the Dust. Not anymore, anyways. But now, his curiosity was piqued by the mention of good news. "Oh?" he asked calmly.

"The war with the Mandalorians is over. They surrendered after they were defeated at Haven."

Ironwood, Penny, and even Winter were all taken aback by the claim. The borders to the Kingdom may have been closed, but everyone was aware that a war was going on beyond Atlas. So to hear that it was apparently over came as a shock to every Atlesian in the room.

"It is?" Ironwood asked. "It's really over?" His hopes had been raised when he heard of the Razor Crest's arrival, but now they were starting to go through the roof.

"They surrendered?" Winter asked. "You're sure about this?" She was also hopeful about the news, but she erred on the side of caution.

"I'll prove it," said Cinder, who took the Darksaber off her belt. Once she activated the blade for everyone to see, Cinder explained herself. "Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla used this sword to assert their rule over every Mandalorian. After I claimed it, I made everyone loyal to them surrender and cease hostilities."

All of the Atlesians were familiar with the Darksaber. They saw the announcement Saxon and Vizsla made, before and after the Fall of Beacon. They remembered how Saxon said that he was the ruler of Mandalore because of the sword, and that there were people who believed this.

So to hear that Cinder now held it, and used its power to make the Mandalorians end the war, was amazing.

"We even had a celebration in Mistral," said Obi-Wan. "After we repaired Haven Academy. I believe Cinder said she had a recording of it on her Scroll."

"Oh, right!" Cinder said as she took out her Scroll. "Do you want to see it?"

Djarin lowered Cinder's arm. "Let's show them later," he said.

"Yes," said Ozpin. "We have other information for you, James. Information that's... confidential." He believed that speaking about Salem would be unwise in the presence of Penny and Winter.

But he was wrong.

"Oh, is it about the Relics?" Penny asked confidently.

"Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?" Winter followed.

"..."

Everyone had their jaws dropped when they heard what Penny and Winter said. That was indeed what they all wished to talk about, but they never would have expected such questions to come from people like Penny and Winter.

In other words, they never expected Ironwood of all people to share such a big secret with them.

"You told them?" Qrow asked after he recovered from his shock.

Ironwood briefly hummed in amusement as he stood up. "Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon?" he asked. "Without you or Ozpin, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. And SCAR Squadron too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with that."

Ironwood had his eyes on the Relic of Knowledge, which was resting on Cinder's side. Everyone else looked at it as well before they turned back to the General.

"Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her."

"..."

Ironwood's brief monologue was meant to spark agreement and resolve within his allies. He truly believed that Salem wouldn't be stopped unless she was completely removed from the equation, and he was expecting everyone to agree with him.

But given everything that had happened at Haven... nobody could find it within themselves to support the idea. Not anymore, at least.

"What about the Atlas Relic?" Djarin asked, changing the subject.

"You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asked.

"It's safe within the Vault!" Penny replied with enthusiasm.

"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked.

"She is secure and in stable condition," Winter reported.

Ozpin was glad to hear this, but sad to hear about the current Winter Maiden. Fria was a very powerful Maiden, but she had received a rather unfortunate diagnosis before the Fall of Beacon. She would need medical care more often now, which was very sad.

Ozpin promised that he would see her after he was finished talking with Ironwood. And Ironwood was ready to continue the conversation.

"I know how this all looks," he said. "Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now." The General looked at the Headmaster of Beacon. "I think you understood that better than anyone, Oz." He remembered how unpleasant their last conversation was.

"No, that's okay!" said Cinder. "Now that the war's over, we can fix that! Maybe lift the embargo and send the fleet to Vale and Mistral. I'm sure they need help rebuilding after the war."

"I agree, Cinder. But I'm afraid that's out of the question."

At first, when Ironwood said that he was untrustworthy, Cinder believed it was because of the war. But now, she wasn't so sure. And she was starting to think the idea was slowly becoming a reality.

"What?" she asked out of disbelief. "Why?"

"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas," Ironwood explained. "And I wanted my military here, protecting my people."

"But the war is over! There's nothing that needs to be protected now!"

"If I may, General," said Revan. "The people don't feel protected at the moment. They feel trapped."

"I sensed this as well, James," said Obi-Wan. "And quite frankly, the people also feel... disappointed in you."

"It's a price I'm willing to pay," Ironwood replied calmly. As he moved over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk, everyone began to believe it would take more than words to make Ironwood change his mind. "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan."

"..."

Now everyone knew it would be hard to change Ironwood's mind. They had a plan of their own they wanted to share as well, but they decided to hear Ironwood out on this one. Perhaps there was a chance they could combine their ideas.

Shutters began to come down from outside the windows, which darkened the room. A circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem began to rise up, which prompted Djarin and Cinder to step off of it. The circle continued to rise until it transformed into a table, which Ironwood looked at while he continued to talk.

"Ozpin always believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret," he began. "While I haven't always agreed with this strategy, I can't deny its results. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach."

Surprisingly, Ozpin was the one who couldn't agree more with the idea of a new approach. After what happened at Haven and Argus, Ozpin was willing to accept other ideas that weren't his own. And now, he was ready to see what Ironwood's idea was.

"What did you have in mind, James?" he asked calmly.

Ironwood took out a small remote and pressed a button on it. When he did, a holographic image of Amity Colosseum appeared and lit up the room.

"Hey, it's Amity," Cinder noted as she pointed at the hologram.

"Indeed," Ironwood confirmed. "When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again."

Ironwood pressed another button on his remote. Once he did, an antenna appeared on top of Amity. When everyone looked at it, and then at each other, they all began to see what Ironwood's plan was.

And Penny was the first to put it into words.

"Isn't it great? We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will reestablish global communications!"

Winter spoke next. "By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower," she explained thoroughly.

"That is great," said Cinder. Djarin nodded in agreement.

"James... you don't need the entire military for this," Qrow insisted.

"I will for the next part," Ironwood countered. "When I finally tell the people about Salem."

"...Huh. So that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas."

"Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."

Everyone else was silent as Ironwood explained himself, mostly because they were surprised to hear the idea of telling the world of Salem. This was a major expansion of having an army of Mandalorians and Atlesians know about Salem and be prepared for her. And while the idea sounded promising, and it would greatly reinforce their numbers, not everyone was ready to commit to Ironwood's plan.

"But everything will fall apart," Cinder insisted. "Grimm will be everywhere!"

"You're right," Winter confirmed. "But Atlas is willing and prepared to assist."

"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all," said Ironwood, who pressed another button on his remote. The hologram immediately disappeared, the table moved back into the floor, and the shutters pulled away from the windows.

Thoughts and feelings about the idea were spread all across the room. General Ironwood, Penny, and Winter we're all confident in the plan, and they were expecting their friends and allies to be confident as well. While there was some hope among the crowd, there was also some reluctance in sharing the news and spreading panic.

Especially where Salem's immortality was concerned.

Qrow was about to stand up for Ozpin, to remind Ironwood that he had spent his whole life, multiple lives, keeping Salem's existence a secret. However, Ozpin chose to speak for himself and express his thoughts before Qrow could speak.

"I couldn't agree more, James."

"..."

Ironwood was immediately taken aback by the claim. He expected protests about revealing this secret, as well as reminders as to why it was a secret in the first place. Ironwood was willing to defend himself and hoped to convince Ozpin, since he couldn't handle such a task alone.

So to hear that Ozpin agreed with the idea was certainly unexpected.

"If you wish to do this, all I ask is that you listen to what Djarin and Cinder have planned as well," Ozpin said as he gestured to the Mandalorians. "But first, I'm afraid I must speak with you. Alone."

Ironwood was once again surprised by the request. Not that he had any qualms about listening to another idea, since he needed all the help he could take. But he didn't feel the need to talk in private about something concerning the new approach.

"Oz, I'd be happy to hear them out," he insisted. "But if you have something to say, you don't have to hide anymore." Ironwood gestured to his companions. "You can trust them."

"I do, James," said Ozpin. "I will. But I must insist that we talk. It's very important."

Ironwood realized how serious Ozpin was being about this. And while he didn't want to keep anyone else in the dark, the General could see that his friend wouldn't be taking 'no' for an answer.

"Penny, Winter, would you give us the room, please?" Ironwood asked calmly.

Winter didn't dare object her superior officer. "Of course, sir," she said as she moved to the door.

Penny suddenly had an idea. "May I show everyone where they will be staying, General?" she asked.

"That would be perfect," Ironwood replied. "Thank you, Penny."

The two Atlesians led their friends to the door. One by one, everyone shared one look at Ozpin as they understood what he wanted to talk to Ironwood about. They offered nods and pats on the shoulder, but Obi-Wan offered a wish of good luck.

"May the Force be with you."

When everyone, save for Ozpin, left Ironwood's office, they walked down the stairs towards the elevator they initially arrived in. Besides the elevator, the first thing they could all see was the group of soldiers that "welcomed" them to Atlas.

The group Pietro called "SCAR Squadron."

"Yeah, so I start off with about a thousand push ups," said the abnormally large soldier. "Then, it's a thousand sit ups, pull ups, then I end it with-"

"Alright, cut the chatter," said the soldier with the red and blue sash. He had noticed the arrival of Djarin and his allies, so he decided to have a word with them all. He had removed his unique helmet to do so, which revealed the face of a man with fair complexion, brown hair, and teal eyes.

"I take it he's the leader?" Cinder whispered to her father.

"It seems that way," Djarin whispered back.

"I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle," said the apparent leader. "We didn't intend for things to get out of hand. And if we knew who you were, we wouldn't have treated you like we did." He turned back to his squad. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes, sir," said the soldiers behind the man.

Djarin had received a very poor first impression of these soldiers, but he knew that he would be working closely with them during his stay in Atlas. So it would be best to try and make peace with... whoever these soldiers were.

"I understand," Djarin reluctantly said. "You were just... following orders."

Cinder could see that her father was playing it safe, but she wasn't very satisfied with the explanation. "I mean, you could have asked us some questions first," she insisted.

Before Djarin or the squad leader could say anything, the soldier with knives on his chest stepped forward and spoke. "You're not supposed to question orders, kid," he said. "You're supposed to follow them."

"..."

Cinder began to feel the same nervous feeling she had in Mantle when the soldier said his piece. The other soldiers didn't say anything, they instead let their silence support the claim the soldier made. However, the leader of the squad was the only one to reestablish order.

"Settle down, Cav," he ordered calmly. "We're all on the same side here."

"..."

To ease any further hostilities and make a better first impression, the unmasked leader extended a hand to Djarin. "Let's start over," he suggested. "I'm Clover Ebi, commander of Task Force 99."

"Din Djarin," the Mandalorian introduced himself as he shook the man's hand. "This is my daughter, Cinder." The young Maiden nodded her head at the man.

"Qrow Branwen," said the tired Huntsman with a quick wave.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," said the former Headmaster.

"Revan," said the masked Jedi.

"Pleasure to meet you," said Clover. He then extended a hand towards his teammates. "This is the rest of Task Force 99."

"I'm Aero," said the man with tubes on the lower part of his helmet. "Squad engineer."

"Cav," said the soldier with the knives. "Melee specialist."

"Mic," said the soldier with blue eyes. "Computer analyst."

"Call me Misty," said the cloaked soldier. "Team sniper."

"Shrap," said the soldier with red stripes. "Heavy weapons expert."

"The name's Zuke," said the abnormally large man. "I'm the muscle."

"..."

Cinder had the bruises to prove that was true. She was still a little intimidated by this "Task Force 99," but her fears were slightly surpassed by her curiosity.

Specifically, with their armor and name.

"What's that you're wearing?" Cinder asked as she pointed at the white material.

"Oh, this?" Clover asked. "This is an experimental armor our top scientists made for me and the squad. It's in a prototype stage, so I guess you could say we're the guinea pigs."

"It doesn't look like metal."

"That's because it's not. Everyone calls it 'plastoid.' Not bad, overall. Still got a few kinks to work out."

Cinder couldn't stop looking at the armor, specifically at the helmets. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she honestly believed that there was something familiar about it.

But not in a good way.

"And, uh, you said that you're called Task Force 99?" Cinder asked.

"That's right," Clover replied.

"It's just that I thought I heard Dr. Polendina call you 'SCAR Squadron.'"

This time, Penny stepped in and offered an explanation. "Both titles are correct, Cinder," she said. "Operative Ebi and the rest of his team make up the Special Commando Advanced Recon troopers, an elite team handpicked by General Ironwood and Admiral Thrawn."

"Just call us SCAR Squadron," Cav said impatiently.

Penny either ignored the impatience or was completely oblivious to it. She was too focused on Cinder to notice anything wrong with the present moment. "C'mon! Let me show you around campus."

Penny immediately led Cinder and her allies down the halls of the building, where she did nothing but talk about the prestigious Atlas Academy. When they all disappeared from view, Cav looked over to Mic.

"I thought you were good with computers," he said. "Haven't you found an off switch for that thing yet?"

"Believe me, I've looked," Mic said as he looked at a screen on his gauntlet. "Hey, Ebi. I got all the files on the Razor Crest here after I hacked its system. You want them now or later?"

Clover looked down the corridor where everyone had left. "Why don't you go ahead and forget about them, Mic?" he said. "I've got a good feeling about these people."

"Seriously? Even the kid?"

"Especially the kid."

---

Penny and Winter had led Cinder and her friends through various halls of Atlas Academy. While doing so, Penny was talking nonstop about the details of the school.

"So that way's the cafeteria, and that way is the training rooms. Oh, and over there are the classrooms!"

Cinder, like everyone else, were all impressed by what they saw so far. They expected to have their way around the school memorized in a week or two, as there was much to see. However, there was one question on everyone's minds.

"This all looks great, Penny," said Cinder. "But where are we staying?"

The girls turned around and saw how exhausted Cinder and everyone else were. They easily understood why Cinder asked about rooms, and Penny began an elaborate answer.

"Remember, you're in Atlas now," she said. "As the most well-funded school on Remnant, everybody at Atlas Academy gets their own room! And if that wasn't enough-"

"So we're staying in the dorms?" Qrow asked.

Penny didn't mind being cut off, especially since this was the correct answer. "It'll be just like Beacon again!"

"..."

Cinder couldn't help but think about Beacon as she made her way to the dorms. Despite their initial differences, Cinder noted how similar her situation in Atlas Academy was to Beacon. Namely, how she called one of the most renowned academies on Remnant her home.

It seemed that she was going to do the same thing with Atlas Academy. However, there was nothing about this place that made Cinder feel at home. She didn't have her books, her old bed, or a perfect view of Vale and the school grounds.

But fortunately for her, Cinder had her father.

"Well, look at this," Djarin said as he looked at the dorm he had been given with Cinder. "Looks like we're back to sharing a room. Maybe this will be like Beacon again."

Cinder chuckled as she recognized the situation. It helped her remember that she did more than just share a room with Djarin; she shared her meals, time, memories, and almost her whole life with her father.

It was nice to see that some things weren't going to change.

"It seems everything is in order," said Winter, who watched everyone else take their own rooms. Content with her work, she prepared to leave with Penny. "Good night, everyone. See you in the-"

"Winter, wait a minute."

Winter turned around to see Cinder standing in the doorframe of her new room. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. "And Penny too?"

Winter had no objections to spending a little more time with Cinder. And given the look of excitement Penny was wearing on her face, neither did she. "Certainly," she said as she approached the room.

After she let her friends inside, Cinder turned around to see her father about to leave. He could tell that Cinder wanted some time alone, just like he could tell that Cinder planned to tell her friends what Ozpin was telling Ironwood.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked. He trusted his daughter with this decision, but Djarin wanted to make sure Cinder was okay with it.

"They should know," Cinder replied after she nodded. "If they're gonna fight with us, I think they deserve to know."

Djarin nodded and patted Cinder's shoulder in approval. "I'll be right outside." He closed the door on his way out, and Cinder turned to her friends.

"So..." she began awkwardly. "Do you, uh... know about me too?"

"That you're the Fall Maiden?" Winter asked. "That you're one of four women that wield a unique power forgotten in time?"

"Affirmative!" Penny replied.

Cinder sighed as she lamented on the fact that her friends had to hear her secret from someone else. "Winter, I'm sorry. We've been friends for years, I know you're probably upset that I kept all this from you. It's not that I didn't trust you or anything, but Ozpin always said-"

"No, Cinder, it's fine." Winter approached closer. "I understand. General Ironwood said Professor Ozpin always had a habit of keeping secrets. And that he expected the same from the people who worked with him."

"Yeah, that's about right." Cinder knew that the time for secrecy was over, so now she wished to be open with her friends; especially Winter. "Do you have any questions?"

"I do. As long as you're okay with answering them."

"I am curious as well," said Penny. "Would it be okay for me to ask you, Cinder?"

"Yeah, of course," Cinder insisted. "The whole keeping secrets thing is out the window now. So go ahead. Fire away."

Penny was grateful for this opportunity, since she felt that it would help her grow closer to Cinder. Winter was grateful as well, and she asked the first question.

"So... what happened?" she asked. "How did you become the Fall Maiden?"

"Remember when I told you about the Glass Unicorn?" Cinder asked. "After I escaped, I hid on my father's airship and it took me to Vale. I fled the first chance I got, since we didn't really know each other at the time."

"Yes, I remember." Winter was aware that Cinder was adopted, and this was after she had seen her at Satine's party.

"Well, I met the Fall Maiden along the way. Her name was Lila Birch. After she saw the state I was in, Lila took me to some friends of hers and helped me. See, she was trying to avoid Salem and her followers after something happened in Atlas. Unfortunately, Salem had a bounty and a tracker placed on her."

"Oh, no. Wait, isn't your father a bounty hunter?"

"That's right. He was actually the one they called. He didn't realize what was really going on until Lila died. The powers passed on to me when that happened. One thing led to another, and my dad decided to help me figure out what my powers were."

Winter realized that she had met Cinder along her way to find out what was really going on, that she had her powers ever since they met. She didn't blame Cinder for keeping them secret, Winter knew she would be trying to figure them out as well.

Penny asked the next question. "What are the Maiden powers?" she said. "Is it true that they're Magic?"

"Yeah, that's right," Cinder replied. "A long time ago, Ozpin split his own Magic with four young women. They were the first Maidens, and they were meant to spread Ozpin's powers across all of Remnant, helping whoever they could."

"Intriguing," said Winter. "And they have power over the elements, is that right?"

"Yep. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, you name it." Cinder made a ball of fire in her hand. "I was always good with fire. I think it was the element that spoke most to me, you know?"

Penny asked the next question, but it wasn't about Cinder's powers. "Do you know what has been happening outside the Kingdom?" she asked. "Is everything alright now that the war is over?"

"Well... sort of," Cinder replied. "I mean, things are going great in Mistral now. We spent a lot of time rebuilding Haven Academy after the Mandalorians launched a surprise attack. I don't know anything about Vale or Vacuo, though." Cinder turned to Winter. "You probably know about my coma, huh?"

"...I do," Winter replied. "May I ask what happened?"

Cinder nodded before she replied. "You see, Salem had a bounty placed on Lila because she wanted the power of the Fall Maiden for herself. Not that she wanted to wield it, but rather she wanted one of her followers to have it. There was one follower, a Faunus named Aurora, who wanted the power just as badly as Salem. So they worked together to create something. A Grimm that could transfer the powers from one person to another. Aurora took some of my powers when Beacon fell. Because of that, I was... I was really hurt."

"..."

Cinder didn't notice that she was shaking until Winter held her arm comfortingly. Penny immediately did the same thing. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm okay," Cinder insisted. She was feeling better now that Winter and Penny were helping her. "It took me a while, but I got my powers back. Unfortunately... I got something else too." Cinder showed her friends the Beetle on her left hand, which caused them to back away and gasp.

"Oh, no!" said Penny.

"What is that?" Winter asked.

"It's what Aurora used to steal my powers," Cinder explained. "Dad stopped her from taking all of them, but this Bettle latched on to me when that happened. And I... I can't get it off. Not without killing me."

Cinder decided not to tell her friends what happened with the Bettle in Mantle, how it somehow latched itself onto a member of SCAR Squadron's helmet. But that didn't stop Winter or Penny from feeling enormous pity for Cinder.

"I'm... so sorry," said Winter.

"Me too," said Penny. "Let me take you to my father's laboratory tomorrow. Perhaps he can help you."

Cinder smiled as she lowered her hand. "Thanks, Penny," she said. "Maybe that would help."

Winter was sympathetic to Cinder, but she was starting to grow angry as well. Cinder, like the people of Remnant, had been hurt time and again by someone so cruel and monstrous all for the sake of gaining power. Winter had been told that Salem was responsible for what happened at Beacon, but hearing about Cinder's suffering was making her mad at the witch.

Salem was starting to sound more and more like her father. And since Winter knew what a monster Jacques Schnee was, she wanted to stop Salem more than anything.

But first, she needed to understand her enemy; just like Thrawn would always say.

"Cinder... can you tell us more about Salem?" Winter asked. "Anything that might be able to help us fight her?"

"..."

Cinder had been dreading this question ever since she asked to talk to Winter and Penny. She wished they had known about Salem before they signed up to join Ironwood, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

All she could... was tell the truth.

After Cinder told Winter and Penny to sit down, Cinder told them everything about Salem. The first thing she told them was the first day she and Salem met, when Major Gideon kidnapped her. She told them how she was part Grimm, and that she could control all Grimm as well.

After that, Cinder told her friends what she learned at Haven. She told them about Salem's origin, the Gods, and her curse.

A curse that was still upon her now.

When they heard about this, Winter and Penny didn't know what to say. They were both equally surprised and full of dread when they heard about this detail. And from the looks on their faces, it was easy to see that they were scared.

At that moment, Cinder wished she was somewhere else. She wished that she was somebody else, since she couldn't bear to see the looks of heartbreak and fear on her friends' faces.

She even wished she was with Ozpin, even though he was in a larger situation than her.

---

Ozpin was indeed in a larger situation than Cinder. Given Ironwood's amount of power and strength, and his less than desirable qualities, it was hard to talk to someone like the General. But Ozpin pushed on through, even though he made the same wish Cinder had made.

The first thing Ozpin shared was the situation with Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral. Things were under control, but Vale wasn't in the best position right now. Regaining Beacon was one thing, but amassing enough strength to handle inevitable panic was another. But Ozpin didn't try to sway Ironwood from his plan, not that he could anyway. All Ozpin did was advise Ironwood to send most of his fleet to Vale after Amity went up.

The next thing Ozpin told Ironwood was the nature of the conflict, how it was more or less a Mandalorian Civil War. There were those who fought for the Kingdoms at Vale and Mistral, how they took back Beacon and defended Haven. Djarin was able to help with this, given his knowledge and relationship with other Mandalorian clans.

This led to Ozpin sharing the plan Djarin and Cinder made, how they wanted to use the title of Mand'alor to build a new army of Mandalorians that could defend the Relics and be prepared for Salem. Ozpin had advised them to come to Atlas, since they were hoping the Atlas military could be a part of that army.

As expected, Ironwood was reluctant with this course of action. The only Mandalorians he trusted were Djarin and Cinder, and he doubted that he could do the same with other Mandalorians. And these feelings were obviously spread throughout the rest of Atlas. So a new and combined army of Atlesians and Mandalorians was hard to imagine.

Ozpin understood Ironwood's reluctance, but he had to tell the General why he believed such a course of action was necessary. More specifically, Ozpin had to tell Ironwood what he had been hiding over the years.

And just as the Headmaster expected, Ironwood was far from happy.

"She... can't be killed?" the General asked, breaking a streak of silence he had while listening. He had been sitting at his desk while he talked to Ozpin, which was definitely needed. "She's always been like this?"

"The Gods cursed her with immortality after her defiance," Ozpin confirmed. "Now, her only wish is to combine all four Relics after she breaks mankind beyond repair." Ozpin knew, just like Ironwood now knew, that the Gods return to Remnant in its current state would only bring death and destruction.

Ironwood was well aware of this, just like he was aware that Ozpin had been lying to him for years.

"...Why?" he asked as he slowly stood up with an irate glare on his face. "Why would you keep this from us? From the people who trusted you?"

"..."

Ozpin knew he had to offer an explanation to Ironwood. He couldn't do so the night everyone learned the truth, and he wasn't sure he had done so after that night as well. He also knew that being alone with Ironwood in his current state was dangerous. Not that he wasn't allowed to feel hurt and betrayed, however. Ozpin expected this, but now he didn't know what to expect.

The only way he could save himself, and Ironwood, was to share the truth.

"...I needed you," Ozpin began. "I needed everyone who was fighting by my side over the years. But more than that... I needed hope. I needed your hope, James." Ozpin lowered his head in shame when he once again realized that the hope he had given his friend was false. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, so I won't dare to ask for it. All I can ask is that you let me help you. Let me aid you in this plan, wherever it may lead."

"..."

Ozpin looked up when he heard silence. He was a little surprised to see that Ironwood was sitting down again, thinking about his next move. Ozpin was expecting a refusal, and much worse things to come. But to see that Ironwood was genuinely considering his next move was enough to give Ozpin hope.

A few moments of silence had passed until Ironwood looked back up at Ozpin. He didn't say anything, so Ozpin decided to break the silence.

"James?" he asked. "What are you going to do?"

Ironwood took a deep breath. "I..." he began unsurely. But after a moment, he recollected himself and spoke again. "All we can do for the moment is what we can to get Amity ready. That's what's in front of us."

Normally, Ironwood would consider talking about how he and his allies needed to think about the future. So this was rather surprising at the moment. And so was one word that Ironwood had used.

"...We?" Ozpin asked. "You mean-?"

"Yes," the General replied. "You're still a part of this too, Ozpin. I can't deny that we still need you, even though this is... a lot to handle."

Ozpin exhaled out of relief when he realized that Ironwood was going to let him help. And even though he was pushing his luck, Ozpin felt that he had something else he needed to say.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear this from... but I'm proud of you, James," he said. "You're bringing the hope that Atlas was meant to inspire. A city in the sky is held to a higher standard."

The first thing Ironwood noticed was that something like this would be expected of Ozpin. Not in the sense of being proud, but in the sense of bringing hope to those who needed it most. That was indeed the basis of which the city of Atlas was created on.

"I'm glad you think so, Ozpin," Ironwood began. "Truth be told, I got some of that hope from you." He suddenly frowned. "Once upon a time."

Ozpin once again regretted giving his friend and ally false hope. "James, I-" Ozpin had to stop talking when Ironwood raised a hand.

"If we're going to do this together, you would be wise to remember something," the General firmly said. "This... is not your academy. This is not your Kingdom. If you want to help with this plan, we're going to do things my way. Not yours."

"..."

The warning was very intimidating, but not unwarranted. Ozpin was well aware that this was a symptom of Ironwood's undesirable qualities, but he couldn't deny that Atlas Academy and its military were under Ironwood's direction. He couldn't assert himself here, not that Ozpin wanted to anyway. All Ozpin could do was follow the rules and accept Ironwood's wishes.

Even though he had no idea where that would take him.

"...Understood."

---

Things were starting to becoming better for everyone in Atlas. While their hosts were having mixed feelings regarding Salem, everyone believed that the plan Ironwood had proposed had some merit. And since nobody said anything about changing it or going back to the drawing board, there was hope in Atlas after all

But not so much in Mantle.

"Yeah, thanks for the lift!"

An Atlesian airship had just dropped an angry citizen of Mantle back where he called home. He had been previously arrested for what he called trying to speak out against Ironwood exploiting Mantle. His method of doing so was throwing a brick at the airship, which led to a swift arrest.

The man was taken aboard the same ship as Bo-Katan and Hazel, where he saw SCAR Squadron in person. He struck up a brief conversation with Bo-Katan, namely about how Ironwood must have a grudge against her, but Bo-Katan mostly kept to herself.

After Bo-Katan and Hazel were taken away, General Ironwood decided to give the citizen a slap on the wrist instead of a night in jail. He knew two former servants of Salem were much more important than someone throwing bricks at airships.

And so, the man was left to find his way home. He began to grow a little nervous about walking the streets alone, given that it was rather late at night. Nothing good happened at a time like this, especially to people who were walking alone.

The man decided to get off the streets and move towards an alley with a flickering light. He was expecting to be ambushed by a group of people bigger than him, and even Grimm.

The man was indeed ambushed, but by something completely unexpected.

"Hi there."

"Ah!" the man yelled as he fell on the ground. When he looked back up, he found himself in the presence of a younger girl, a brunette wearing a black dress and hood. "Wh-Who are you?"

The girl approached closer and looked down on the man. "My friends call me Fauna," she said. "How about you?"

"Uh... Forest." The man stood back up. "I'm Forest."

"Uh-huh." Fauna moved upright so she could get a better look at the civilian. "So, tell me, Forest... what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" She moved closer and leaned against the wall. "Hm?"

"Ugh, not much." Forest pointed to the street behind him. "The boys in blue just dropped me off. I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitations of Mantle. And General Ironwood tried to silence me!"

"Oh, you poor thing," Fauna said as she pressed two of her fingers on Forest's chest. "You do this sort of thing often?"

"Not really." Forest was becoming more and more comfortable in Fauna's company. "I started after I joined the cause."

"The cause?"

"Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!"

Fauna moved closer to Forest's chest with a wide smile. "That's quite the cause. And this 'Robyn Hill' sounds like quite the woman."

"Oh, you have no idea! They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the Kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"

"..."

Fauna waited for Forest to calm down until she asked her next question. "Hm... where can I find her?" she asked.

"Oh, uh... I don't know where she lives," Forest confessed. "But anytime there's trouble down here, you can count on Robyn being the first to answer the call!"

Fauna smiled even wider. "Is that right?"

*SHING*

Forest looked down at his chest to see not Fauna's hand, but a metal sickle with the tip against his flesh. "Wanna test that theory?" she asked with a giggle.

Forest immediately recognized the danger he was in, which caused him to back away in terror. "Whoa!" he said. "Look, I-I don't want any trouble!"

Fauna laughed again. "Don't worry, hun." She immediately put away her weapon. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You... You're not?"

"No." Fauna pointed behind Forest. "He is."

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

"Huh?"

Heavy footsteps and Fauna's finger caused Forest to turn around and see a large shadow behind him. He couldn't make out any details about the shadow, but he recognized the sight of two big arms reaching overhead.

Arms with curled fists about to come crashing down.

"AAAAAAAHHHH-!"

*BAM*

*CRUNCH*

Warm blood sprayed across the ground and walls. Some of it even hit Fauna's face, but the hybrid didn't mind one bit. She simply rubbed her finger on the blood and stuck that finger in her mouth with delight.

"Mmm... good boy."

---

Author's notes: hey everyone, hope you're doing good. Sorry this chapter took a little longer, I had a lot on my plate. You know, holiday shopping and all. I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holiday, and I hope you're all gonna have some fun!

So, back to the story. I hope you enjoyed the arrival to Atlas and the return of Thrawn and Pellaeon. And as promised, I introduced the infamous SCAR Squadron into the story. When I read the Disney comic, I fell in love with the idea of a special squad of stormtroopers that stood out among the 501st. I'm sure you all have questions about stormtroopers and clone troopers (and how Atlas is involved), but they will be answered in the future (both here and my sequel story).

One thing I do want to point out though is that it's not accurate to call this version of SCAR Squadron "stormtroopers." They're still part of the Atlas military after all. And as for their helmets (besides Zuke and Shrap), think of them like the same helmets you saw the TK troopers in The Bad Batch wear. The armor is still in prototype, after all. Also, if you're wondering why Sergeant Kreel isn't here, all I can say is that there is one small detail about SCAR Squadron that seemed relevant. That's all I can say.

To GojiraRWBYSW18, not exactly. Korkie is just in a coma, not limbless and burned to a crisp. But more on that later. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To The Avenging Titan, it also sounded like a great opportunity, which Qrow took in a heartbeat. You'll see more of Hazel later. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Don Cheeto, Thrawn will definitely have a big role in this arc. And as I promised, I give you SCAR Squadron as well. I hope you like them. As for your theory about my sequel, I'm afraid you're wrong. I have a much bigger picture in mind, you'll see later. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Servos New Head, you'll be seeing airship fights in this arc, don't worry. As for Cordovin and the Force, there's always that 1%. And Qrow is doing much better now, and I'm glad you like what I did with Salem and Ozpin. Lastly, Ironwood is starting to assert himself a little more than he did back in Beacon. As for what happens next, you'll have to wait and see.

That's all I have for now. Thank you so much for being patient, I appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave your thoughts in the comments before you go. They help out more than you might think. And I hope you enjoy the holidays. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!