Chapter 21

Deep within Ruby's hull, there were nearly endless amounts of sections used for a variety of purposes. From armoured sections housing her magazine to refrigerated areas for food, the limited space that made up her hull had to be used with great efficiency. She was not a cruise liner, with large, dedicated amounts of space for fun recreation, but a military vessel, where a single section that was built improperly or too weak could mean her sinking or winning an engagement. Of course, Kansen bucked that trend somewhat by being who they were, they still needed to ensure that their vessel was in running order, being quite their 'secondary' body in literal ways.

However, since she did not need her two-thousand-plus complement to function, that meant many areas were not used at all, thus allowing her to use them for other purposes, namely cargo transport. There were some restrictions, however, unlike dedicated transport Kansen who could carry large items, she was limited to whatever could fit below decks. Thankfully, most of the things she carried were that size, the largest thing she ever carried being smuggled disassembled vehicle chassis. There was one job that she was forced to abandon, the client assumed she had a trawler of some kind, and wanted her to carry an entire fleet of Mistralian Atlesian armoured cars. He was not happy with that arrangement of course, but Ruby held the advantage then, what was he going to do? Complain to Junior?

"Twenty eight…twenty nine…thirty…thirty-one…" Behind turret Augustus, the furthest aft facing main batteries was a storage area for spare machinery parts that went unused, Schwarz had packed all thirty-five boxes of dust crystals there. Normally it would have been spread out around her ship as it was technically volatile, and thus should have been in the magazine where in case of a detonation, damage would be limited. Though things were quite hectic back then, so Ruby didn't mind too much, besides, it wouldn't be on her ship for long.

"...and thirty-five! All accounted for, except for the ones we lost in the bullhead, but we can write it off, right, Neo?" From the sides, and atop on of the boxes, Neo gave an offhand wave, having been fiddling with a bayonet she…bought. What were they thinking, that they could just all crowd around the shop and Ruby wouldn't notice? No, she made them pay for every single thing they touched, the good thing about Lien was that it was plastic, so the excuse of their money being waterlogged didn't work then.

Roman reached for his pocket, pulling out a brand new La Habana cigar Ruby made him pay near triple the price for, justifying it by his poor piloting skills and also the fact that only she had them in Remnant. Though before he could light it, Ruby placed an iron grip on his other hand with the lighter.

"Hey! What's the big idea-"

Ruby flung out her other free hand, right at the 'no smoking' symbol, consisting of a cigarette with a giant 'X' across it. Roman got the idea, despite being unable to read the Iron Blood words printed right below it, even across worlds, the ideas were pretty much universal.

"Oh come on! Even if a fire does start, can't you just, I dunno, make it go away or something? It's your ship, right Red?"

Ruby crossed her arms at him, glaring at the lighter before he finally put it back into his pocket. "It's not that simple. You are here because I allow it, the fact that I even let you buy those cigars is bad enough. If you do want to smoke it, do it in the Officer's lounge, they have ash trays there at least."

"Can't you bend it at least once? I've never seen this band before, nor have I heard of whatever 'La Habana' is, feels and smells damn good though. I have no idea how you got it, nor am I that interested in knowing, but the connoisseur in me is dying to have a puff right now, can't you give a fella a chance?"

Roman held out the cigar in front of her, doing his best 'poor, unlucky man' expression, one that Ruby knew was fake from years of swindling.

"Smoke it elsewhere, or I throw you overboard."

"Fine! Alright, you're worse than some mafia bosses, you know that?"

If a mafia boss could call upon a salvo of eight sixteen-inch shells, then Ruby may as well have been running the Vale underworld by now. But she didn't, so Roman was wrong.

Pssssh-clink

Behind her, Ruby heard the sound of a carbonated drink being opened, turning around, she saw that Neo had decided to try out the orange soda she found at the store. Interestingly, Ruby remembered it was originally an Eagle Union company that made it in Iron Blood, though with the war between them, it was replaced by a local one, instead switching to an orange flavour as that was in abundance with their Sardegnan trade partners. Though she first had to make sure Neo grabbed the one for human consumption, and not the one for Kansen specifically. The fact that the two were quite close in bottling resulted in a few incidents where Iron Blood sailors had their stomachs pumped. Maybe it was shortsighted to make Kansen-specific products so close to their human counterparts after all.

"So, everything's still here, and the goods are fine. You said you were going to get these back to us, right? Any specific method you were thinking about or…"

"Just give me a drop-off point, and you'll have all your dust back."

"Alright, that sure works fine. Oum I love working with professionals again, if I had you from the beginning we wouldn't be in this mess…say, you thinking about expanding your portfolio? I've got a really good idea that can benefit us both-"

"I have a crane that can slowly lower you into the water, say your next words carefully."

"Let me finish, also, you should mix up your threats, the more you use them, the less effective they are. Anyways, you don't want to smuggle anything too illegal, I respect the caution and risk-aversion, but, all I'm saying is that you're already smuggling Dust, what's a job or two more?"

Roman noticed Ruby narrowing her eyes at him, at this point the two interacted enough for him to know she was at her breaking point so to speak.

"Red? This…ship, I've went around, and the numbers aren't exact, but one run, maybe two, filled to the brim with Dust will be more than the amount Neo and I have amassed for the past six months combined, double or triple the amount we have. I know you're not keen on getting arrested, but no one in the business is, and lemme ask, are you going to run small jobs for the rest of your life, or go retire on one big payday? Cause I promise you, whatever you're getting right now, is peanuts compared to what the payday from Dust is gonna be."

Roman was running a relatively small operation, Ruby realised from the docks. He was not using large cargo ships or even large aircraft to ferry his smuggled dust, but small, discrete vessels, small motor boats, trawlers, bullheads for each run. One didn't need to be a logistics officer to see that was the most inefficient way to transport goods, but the very nature of his operation required him to do it that way. Large cargo ships were subject to inspection, and so were large aircraft, each potential loss was worth too much for the payoff to be worth it.

"You see, what I needed was a professional, the White Fang are…fanatics, dedicated, sure, but in the end of the day, they were civvies turned into terrorists. Not exactly great in the whole discreet smuggling operation thing I needed. Get them to smash up some human-owned dust stores? Great! Get them to move product without making a peep over two continents? Might as well throw the stuff overboard, cause the losses were staggering."

Roman banged on the metal walls of the storage area twice, "Hear that? That's what I need to finally get this thing over with, Neo and I have been stuck on this job forever, and with no end in sight. You help me out, one more time, and you'll be set up for life, no need for smuggling counterfeit goods from Mistral anymore, you can buy all the damn floating bullheads you want, and I won't give a damn anymore. Think of it like helping a friend out, Neo is in this boat exactly as I am-yeow!"

A bottle cap was flung at Roman's forehead, a direct hit. Neo did not look too pleased at Roman, having so far been keeping to herself, sipping on her drink.

"You know we need her, Neo! We've been trying to get out of this damn job forever, now's a Oum-damned golden opportunity. Also, you wouldn't happen to have a huge stock of those things you sold, right? I'm sure we can make a killing on the re-sale market, trust me, I know a few people who would love to get their hands on this stuff."

Ignoring the latter part, Ruby focused in on Roman complaining about his operation again, if he was so loathe to continue it, why did he do it in the first place?

"If you hate it so much, why did you get into it in the first place? You're not the type to work with the Fang, so someone else is sponsoring you, am I wrong?" Roman and Neo were also small time. The capital required to even begin a large scale smuggling operation should have been something they didn't have, which meant some other group was backing them, could have been the White Fang to begin with, but that didn't seem to be the case when she talked with Rory. No, there was a third party involved, but that was just a hunch, for now.

Roman suddenly shot a glance over at Neo, a secret conversation silently taking place, but a few seconds later, the two-toned girl relented, giving Roman a 'continue' gesture.

"You're not wrong, Red. Yeah, there's someone else who's providing the funding I guess. Stuck up pain in the ass is what she is, can't believe we took that offer in the first place, worst blunder I've ever made in my career…"

The reactions were not something Ruby expected, whoever Roman was working with, both he and Neo seemed to regret, or even fear her a little if she was reading them correctly.

"I assume they are a large organization?" It could have been anyone, the Yamaguchi in Mistral, the Corsair clans in Vacuo or even the elusive Spider crime syndicate she only heard rumours of.

"I wish, would have at least been easier to deal with that way, no, it's just one person, one woman actually."

Roman and Neo were not the types to get intimidated by a single person, so either she had connections, or was strong enough to handle the two of them with absolute power.

"And…you can't just tie her to a cinder block and throw her into the harbour?" They weren't above doing those things, nor did Ruby care too much about it, she was not in any position to be an upstanding moral person either.

"Hah! Tying Cinder to a cinder block…gotta be some irony in that. No, Red, don't think we'll get the chance before Neo and I turn into human bacon, the crisp kind, not the one you get in farmer's markets. She's kinda a unique case, one we don't wanna cross."

Even Neo, usually carefree about most things had a serious and solemn expression, arguably more informative than anything Roman could say about this mysterious woman.

"So, this 'Cinder' is the one who wants you to move all this Dust? For what reason? There are easier ways to get Dust, she could have set up a company, even fake, the SDC would have sold it to them anyways. Why go so far?" It was a lot of work in acquiring what was essentially a common product, anyone with a liscense to sell Dust could purchase it from the auctions or re-sellers directly, it was why she didn't get too many Dust smuggling offers.

"Damned if I know! I have some theories, none of it good for business, but I have no proof right now, all I know is that it goes through the Fang, some of it goes to running their operations, others to safehouses, but I am funneling it around the Mountain Glenn region. Probably some Fang bases there, it'd be where I would set up camp if I was a terrorist cell."

She learned about the Mountain Glenn region before in class, tragedy as it was, the resulting decision suppress it was something she understood from a military perspective. Grimm were attracted to negativity, and announcing that tens of thousands of civilians were trapped there, those in Vale with relatives there would have attracted more to the cities, making evacuation even harder. Of course, it didn't stop the ruling council from being voted out next election cycle. Before Roman could continue on, Neo saundered over to his side, showing her some text written on her scroll.

"...Neo wants me to inform you that there is a sliiight chance that…um…you might get dragged into our mess. Y'know, since you helped out in the battle, are currently smuggling our Dust, and with the whole White Fang seeing you there…"

"And why can't I just say 'no' if she comes asking? I doubt this 'Cinder' would be able to do anything to me." Ruby cut through what Roman was hiding, it wasn't him who was going to drag her in, but whoever they were working with.

"I'd not be so confident, Red, she has some weird, but powerful semblance, kinda like yours-"

"Does her semblance allow her to shoot a broadside of eight sixteen-inch high explosive shells beyond visual range?"

"Well, no, but-"

"How about several inches of armor plate? No? Then I have naught to fear of this Cinder, if she does try anything, then I will fight. But until then, if she does not bother me, I will not bother her."

The idea was non-interference, something Junior recommended her to do all the way back, and was something Ruby generally stuck with out of convenience. To be involved in things not related to her generally wasn't worth it, various military engagements in Ironblood's long martial history were because of entanglements that ended up being detrimental to them.

"Don't think she'll give you a choice, but I wouldn't mind if you blew her up. Actually, if we lured her to a forest in the woods, how quickly could you blow up the entire area? I guarantee she can't fly or anything, so it'll probably be a direct hit-"

"I'm not killing anyone, let alone fire my guns in anger."

"Yet you let Neo shoot that thing earlier?"

Neo went through two-hundred Anti-Aircraft rounds before Ruby finally stopped feeding it, the expression she had belonged to someone who should not be anywhere near military weapons.

"Would she have stopped bugging me if I didn't?"

Roman did not speak, thus making Ruby right. Ignoring the kick to his shin that came from Neo, the recently unlucky thief tried to think of anything else to say, but the ship's radio finally came into range of a nearby lighthouse she plotted a course for.

"We'll talk about this another time. We've arrived at our destination."

"Huh, didn't you say we were an hour from Vale?"

Ruby nodded, she did say that. "We're not in Vale, yet. I'm dropping Roza off, it'll be quick." Leaving the storage area, she made her way back to the mess hall, thinking about what she could say to the wayward officer. Well, she still had her scroll, and her wallet, one which contained her important personal details.

Once again, Roza heard the thrum of the small motor as waves rushed by. Though still dark, she could just faintly make out the earliest hints of morning. She was awake at a time no one else was supposed to be, though that was deliberate on Hutten's part. Not that long after attempting to acquire a scarf (it proved to be unsuccessful, on account of prisoners not being able to purchase goods while captive), Roza was asked to follow Hutten to the decks.

For a brief moment, she thought Hutten was sending her overboard, finally tired of her presence. Instead of being walked the figurative plank, instead the two of them were lowered on that exact same tender boat which brought them away from the deserted island. Approaching a coastline, she could make out the faint lines of stone cottages and other Valean-style buildings. It was dark, but no doubt the town was still inhabited, its residents still fast asleep.

Approaching a nearby pier, it was just big enough for the tender boat to dock, obviously not big enough to handle Hutten's full hull. After tying a secure rope to the pier, Hutten turned to Roza, gesturing for her to head up the steps and onto the pier.

"So…guess this is goodbye?" By then, she had worked out that Hutten really was going to let her go, she kept her word.

"Almost. This is the town of Domrémy. Quaint, with a population of only a thousand, and protected by strong walls,it is a historic Valean village. How did you get here?"

"What? I mean, I just took your motor-"

"Ahem."

Hutten cleared her throat, it wasn't the genuine kind, but rather, the kind you made when you needed to get a message across.

"Uh…I…was dropped off-let go, by my criminal kidnappers by the commandeered dropship? T-then I made my way to this town, and…"

"And does the name Ruby Rose mean anything to you? Other than a Valean local who helped you in the shopping district a few days ago."

Roza forced down a gulp before responding. "N-no, other relation at all. Most definitely not a 'Hutten' of any kind…"

Hutten nodded, the tone she had right now was exactly like her academy instructor, usually adopted when she or someone else in the unit was about to say a wrong answer.

"At ease, Ensign Roza Anikanov, working at the Ministry of Design and living at Seelow Heights, block four, floor 21A, driving a black WMB model three-M. As a hypothetical question, since you are familiar with naval designs, what would happen if a salvo of eight sixteen-inch high explosive shells suddenly landed in Seelow Heights?"

Roza went still, though anyone would have had a similar reaction if their personal details were just nonchalantly said out loud. "...Seelow Heights would be annihilated, a-along with multiple other blocks nearby…?"

"I am glad we have an understanding." Hutten nodded again, the tension in her voice disappearing entirely. Taking something out from her pocket, she handed Roza back her wallet and keys, but not her scroll.

"Oh, did you leave my scroll-"

CRUNCH

In one iron grip, Hutten crushed her scroll with ease on her right hand, before chucking the mangled piece of crushed metal into the sea behind them.

"What scroll?"

In hindsight, Roza should have guessed that would happen.

"The current time is 0523, at 0600 sharp there will be a train beginning service from here directly to the towns connecting to Vale. This village is right outside CCT coverage, contacting anyone before reaching the next closest town will be fruitless. I recommend you stay a bit longer and try out the local cafe before leaving, though of course, it is just a suggestion."

Then why did you crush my scroll?!

As soon as Hutten finished talking, she pointed to the village behind her, at a Cafe with dim lights, probably about to open for the day. "Their pastries are among the best in Sanus, I recommend enjoying it with their kaffee as well."

"Oh, uh, I'll be sure to do…that?" She was acting like a tour guide now, just moments prior threatening Roza by high-explosive projectiles. Whiplash aside, she could guess that Hutten had been here many times before, any speculation on that part kept to herself.

"Be sure to. Now then, I am sure this 'Hutten' values her privacy very much, so do make sure she is not inconvenienced by your words in the future, especially to any superiors you may have. I will not wish to see you again, for both of our sakes."

With her final words said, Roza watched as the floating anomaly in the world began making her way back down to her boat, but not before giving her some more parting words, this time focused on her new boots.

"Do take care of them, it comes directly from the craftsmen of my homeland."

A minute later, Hutten and her tender boat were nowhere to be seen. Roza stood on the pier for a brief while longer, looking at the sky as it slowly turned into a warm amber. The only proof of all that she witnessed in the past nine or so hours, were the brand-new leather boots currently worn on her tired feet.

"Father was right, the Navy sucks." Talking to herself in her native language, Roza sighed and began heading further into the town, hoping to at least catch a quick breakfast. If Hutten recommended it, that means it had to be good, right?

"Screw it, I'm going private as soon as I can get discharged! No amount of love for Atlas is gonna make me go through this again!"

That was the Atlesian officer corps nowadays, a way to climb to corporate ladder once they got out of it. She could leave the lamenting of it to traditionalists like her father, all Roza wanted was to make enough money to not have to worry about it. A squalid dream, but it was hers nonetheless, and no one was going to take it away from her, no one. Not even that damn Schnee…who got her into this mess by ordering her into the dropship in the first place.

Wait, wasn't Vice-Admiral Gelè in Vale?

Specialist Schnee wouldn't mind if she went back to her first, right?

After dropping off Neo and Roman at Vale, their Dust to be picked up at a later date when possible, Melanie and Militia went along with them to finally get some rest. By the end of it, the four criminals looked completely exhausted as if they had gone on a drunken bender. They did not, but their 'hangover' in that sense was real, just not alcohol induced.

Making it back to patch, now in her rigging form, Ruby made just five minutes after the sun rose. Since it was a weekend, her other family members should have still been fast asleep, the quiet and serene nature she found herself back in said as much. Avoiding the front door, Ruby leapt up onto her balcony, only to find something odd.

Her blankets were thrown to the ground, and her room's door was open. She clearly remembered closing the door, maybe Zwei found his way in again-

"Tough night?"

"Scheisse!" Ruby immediately rounded on the somewhat familiar voice, instincts overpowering everything else, she was about to summon her rigging when she realised who was in her room as well.

"Uncle Qrow, why are you in my room?" Looking slightly more dishevelled than usual, instead of greeting Ruby in his usual carefree demeanour, he simply played a video on his scroll for her to see.

It was her, in the docks, from the perspective of what appeared to be a White Fang grunt recording the 'fight' against Winter Schnee. He let it play until the moment her hands were gripping the Specialist's neck, ending the video then. Ruby remained in her poker face, showing a reaction, any at all, would have-

"Y'know, I like to think we've known each other long enough to know our ticks. When you know something but aren't saying it, you go as still as a rock, you can thank your homeroom teacher for telling me."

Playing dead was no longer an option. If Qrow was here, in her room, talking loudly, then that meant…

"Where is Dad and Yang?"

"In Vale, looking for you. Had to tell them something, sorry."

WHAM

Her fist impacted the wall, she lost control for a moment there. Qrow was not staring at Ruby however, he was staring at the fist-shaped dent in it. Running through a dozen scenarios in her head, Ruby leaned on her desk as she looked at her uncle, a concerned expression on his face.

"How long were you following me?"

"When you appeared from out of nowhere near the house. Look, I-how about we make some coffee first?"

Some Kaffee would do wonders indeed, no doubt she would need it for the difficult conversation to come.

AN:

I got a PM recently complaining about long updates, I genuinely question what he was trying to get out of it. Like complaining would make me write it faster or something, absolute loon.

We don't actually know why Roman worked with Cinder in the first place, the other side stories involving him never went into the reasons why, so we're left with speculation. I assume it was a really lucrative deal, with Cinder altering it after she suckered Roman into it, though that's just my theory.

Responding to reviews: The map thing was something I made up, I am not sure what systems the Germans used nor was it too important. I remember seeing maps on HMS Belfast (not sure if it was used that way during her service) but again, sources for what the Kriegsmarine used are somewhat harder to find in English. If anyone does know, feel free to post it here and I'll edit the chapter.

Be civil in the comments below.