Author's Note: New Chapter finally. Apologies about the sudden absence, nothing dramatic or anything, just got really sucked into doing some gaming on the weekends and decided to do that instead of writing for a bit.
Ozpin had been many things throughout his many lives. From mere soldiers on the battlefield, to kings and generals leading the assault directly into the fray. He had watched as the weapons of humanity switched from Magic to far more simple bows and spears, from that to refined metals and Dust, and eventually to firearms. He had pushed for the automatization and refinement of these techniques for millennia, a guiding force for Humanity that sought to steer it away from some of its more impulsive designs, and towards things that would be more suited for use against the Grimm.
Atlesian Battleships had once been one such weapon. They were designed in such a way as to bombard Grimm migrations and move deep into enemy territory while only being threatened by the Grimm from the air. It had been a marvel of engineering following the Great War, but as many other things, Ozpin's designs were rarely restricted to strictly Grimm. A gun was still a gun, no matter what target you shot it at, and it was the user who chose that target. When those monstrous ships were turned on the enemy of mankind, there was little that could truly stand in their way, but he would be lying if he said he did not fear what even a handful of these ships might have done during the Great War. For not the first time he considered that they might have been a mistake to encourage, but as he was escorted through the halls of Ironwoods flagship he did not allow his mind to wonder or dwell on such philosophical dilemmas. There were far more pressing matters.
"You will have to wait here, sir." The soldier who had intercepted Ozpin before he could storm the ship directed him towards a small waiting area as he turned towards a woman sitting behind a desk. "Is the General-"
Ozpin waited only long enough for the soldier to turn his back, the moment he was no longer watching Ozpin walked through the doors to the commander's office. The space was mostly empty, bare of any true personal effects save a small shelf and cabinet along one wall that held a bottle of something probably expensive. The General didn't seem to be surprised by his presence, but that didn't stop the soldier from following closely after, weapon drawn but thankfully aimed at the floor.
"Sir, I am going to have to-"
"At ease, Corporal." The General waved his hand at the boy. "I will take it from here."
"Sir!" The soldier looked hesitant, but quickly holstered his firearm and snapped to attention, pausing only just long enough for the courtesy to be clear before turning and exiting the room.
"I don't recall giving you access to my ship." The General spoke quietly, but equally stern; throwing up a facade of strength to make it clear that he was not Ozpin's subordinate. Ozpin had spent more lifetimes as a politician than anything else, in spite of how he detested it. He longed for the simplicity of leading in battle, the ease with which people showed their true thoughts and emotions when lives were on the line. He would take the possibility of death over the double layers of expressions on the General's face any day, and yet it was the part he had been forced to play.
"You remain on Beacon grounds." It was a flimsy line of jurisdiction, but Ozpin had made sure the legal code was strictly in Beacon's favor when it came to activities on school property. Obviously, the General could simply move his ship and that would go out the window, but Ozpin knew that he would not. "Would you care to explain why it is that you have brought such a force to my city?"
"Your city?" The General didn't even flinch under Ozpin's glare, nor did he seem to offer any body language at all really; instead, his eyes meeting Ozpin's eyes with no readable emotion to them at all. "Since when do you take such a possessive stance? I thought you were above the petty squabbles of the Kingdom-"
"This is my home, and don't dodge the question." Ozpin cut him off before he could continue. James had always been like that, trying to mask any moment of uncertainty or insecurity with a strong front. It helped to motivate the men and women that followed him, giving him an appearance of calm even during the greatest of storms, but it remained a front for his doubts or any topic he wished to avoid.
"I am doing what is necessary for the protection and safe delivery of Amity Colosseum, nothing more. It was entrusted to Atlesian care, it would be a stain on Atlesian honor if something happened to it in transit."
"Good." Ozpin replied, but refrained from nodding. "Now that it is safely delivered, you can withdraw your fleet from the city."
The General paused, silence filling the room as neither spoke. The challenge hung in the air, but it was clear from the scowl that had adopted Ironwood's face that Ozpin had called his bluff.
"I can't do that."
"You're using it as an excuse to bring in more troops." Ozpin snapped, and his former friend made no attempt to deny the accusation. "Was the army you have here not large enough already? Are you trying to start another Great War?"
"I need more men in order to secure the city and search the tunnels for the White Fan-"
"We need to not appear at each other's throats." Ozpin interrupted. "The Grimm feed on negativity, Salem is little different. She was able to use the Great War to orchestrate the fall of Vacuo, you're practically handing her the opportunity to do the same to Vale."
The General paused once more, though this time he at least seemed to be considering the point that Ozpin had made. That consideration didn't last long, as despite Ozpin's many more years of experience, the General shook his head.
"Once I have routed out the White Fang-"
"Then there will be something else!" Ozpin yelled, allowing the rare slip of his own emotional control.
Contrary to what many thought, Ozpin's patience was not without its limits. Few were the times he had lost his head and given into passion and rage; few, but great. He had let that anger show about a great many things; it was simply so long ago that none now lived who remembered, nor did their children or children's children. He had raged against what his wife had become, against the seemingly unwavering ignorance of Humanity, and the cruelty of the Gods who had abandoned him to his tortuous fate. No, he was not without anger, and in this rare instance he allowed it to show. "There will always be something else! Some new threat that you simply have to face head on! Allow me to tell you a secret." Ozpin stepped forward, placing his hands down on the edge of the desk. "There always is! No matter how hard you fight, no matter what you sacrifice or are willing to lose, there will always be someone waiting in the wings to strike at you in your moment of weakness. Compromising everything we stand for won't change that!"
When James didn't immediately respond, Ozpin continued, unwilling to let the silence suffocate the room once more. "We are fighting an enemy that can not be killed, no matter how strong we are, no matter what moves we make, Salem can not die. This is not a war as you know it, it is a struggle for the very soul of our species. Starting a war is exactly what Salem wants."
The General sighed, sitting back in his chair and for the first time in months, regarded Ozpin with something aside from hate. "I am aware of what is at stake, Ozpin, but we can not refuse to act."
"There is a middle ground between inaction and open war." Ozpin stated the obvious. "Not every problem is a nail for your military to hammer down."
"The White Fang are on the march." James replied. "Vale's Huntsmen are spread thinner than ever now that they have to worry about Mistral as well. Atlas remains strong however, I am trying to help."
"Atlas remains strong?" Ozpin asked, trying to keep the scorn clear from his voice. It was difficult, considering the historical parallels of those exact words. "The last King of Mantle said exactly that to me on the eve of the Great War. We had a chance to attain peace, to de-escalate a minor border conflict, but instead he insisted on helping Vale. 'Mantle was strong' he said, 'we can beat the Grimm, if only you all followed our ways'." Ozpin sneered at the final words, the King of Mantle had been an arrogant man, so certain in the superiority of his peoples culture that he had never even seen the cracks forming nor the slow shift of power away from his city to that of Atlas. Even had there been no Great War, Mantle never would have retained its position.
"And what would you have me do?" It was clear that the General did not like being compared to a king, though whether that was because of the negative connotations to it or the fact that Atlas overthrew the monarchy, Ozpin wasn't certain.
"I would have you put faith in peace." Ozpin said, drawing back his emotions to try and make his request seem all the more reasonable. It was a simple trick, one that played at the subtle parts of the mind. A passionate argument against one matter, and a calm proposal of what it is you want, it had worked for him on numerous occasions, though it was far from perfect.
"We are at war, whether you wish to admit it or not." Ironwood sat forward. "Peace is not an option."
"Peace with the Grimm is impossible, but what of Vale and Mistral?" Ozpin asked. "Are you willing to throw Atlas into a war against the rest of the world?"
Ozpin intentionally left out the fourth Kingdom of Remnant. Vacuo was many things, but capable of waging a war on Atlas it was not. In truth, even the combined might of the rest of the world would be unable to match Atlas when it came to outright firepower, and though James would never say it, Ozpin could tell he thought it. That same certainty of cause and purpose was there as it had been in the King of Mantle. More noble perhaps, less bent on greed and a lust for power, but it was there all the same.
"The Council won't stand for this James… Your pride is going to be the doom of us all."
Ozpin had seen many weapons developed over his lifetime, some so terrible that he had done everything in his power to wipe them from recorded history, but not one had ever killed so many as pride.
"That's a risk I will have to take." The General stood from his desk, though he did not seem to resent Ozpin. He fully believed that he could weather the storm, that Atlas would remain strong, that only he could lead them through the coming years.
Ozpin couldn't help but start to count the number of dead this man's pride would bring.
General Ironwood watched the screen before him with an outwardly calm, despite the irritation that bubbled beneath the surface. It had taken a great deal of political influence to keep the meeting virtual, the council of Vale had actually summoned him to appear in person, but in their haste they had called an emergency meeting, giving the General the opportunity to call in rather than be in person. It was for the best, because if he were in the rook with them James very much doubted he would be able to keep his composure.
"This is not Vacuo, General!" The Councilmen sneered the word as if it were an insult. "You can't simply bring an army here without our permission!"
"Vale and Atlas are allies, the White Fang are a threat to the Kingdom, and as such Atlas has come to assist you." Left unsaid was how grateful they should be, but the implication was there and if politicians were good at anything, it was reading things that people hadn't actually said.
"We are allies, not a client state!" Another councilman spoke up, though Ironwood made no attempt to recall their name. "That does not give you impunity to act however you see fit!"
"This council charged me with the destruction of the White Fang." Ironwood reminded them, it was the truth though at the time the scale of the threat hadn't been fully understood. "I am merely doing as requested in order to secure the city, I need more men, and the threat that the White Fang pose to Amity Colosseum can not be understated."
That shut them up, the very idea that the festival might be in jeopardy seemed to sober them up, or at least the threat to their bank accounts. Each one of them was likely set to make a small fortune within the next year, but without the festival all of that preparation and money would go to waste. If he thought for even a second he could get away with it, Ironwood would have canceled the event entirely so as to deny their enemy their target, but despite what Ozpin thought of him, he was aware of what such a message would send to the average citizen.
Things were precarious, he knew that. One wrong move, one Soldier harassing the wrong Faunus in front of the right reporter, and another war could blow up in their face before he ever heard anything about it, but the passive approach wouldn't work. He knew what he was doing, he had calculated the risks, and he knew that he was right. His men would save Vale, so long as the city could just stay calm enough to let it happen.
"The need for such protection is not the reason for this meeting." An older woman, probably in her late forties or early fifties, spoke up; she had remained mostly silent for the duration of the session, allowing her equals to speak instead, only ever offering anything for clarification or to curb a more radical idea. "We are here to discuss the reason for why you did not see the need to notify us of your plans." The cold look in her eyes said that she had already made her own conclusions.
"Amity is under Atlas's protection. I will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure its security." The General answered back. "Like it or not, Councilors, there are very notable threats that could pose a threat to this Festival. I will not allow Amity to become a target." More threats then they would ever be allowed to know. He had once wondered why Ozpin kept the nature of Salem's existence a secret from the masses, but talking with these so-called 'leaders' made it abundantly clear. At best, they were ignorant or misinformed, at worst they were incompetent or possibly even working for Salem either directly or indirectly. A fact that was not entirely unique to Vale's Council.
The feed went silent as the various members of the Council spoke in private, one glaring downside to the fact that Ironwood had video called in rather than appeared in person being that he couldn't guess what they were saying. When the audio came back, it was the Councilwoman who spoke once more.
"It is the decision of this council that we will permit your use of force in this instance." The General opened his mouth to speak, but the woman continued before he could. "However, your request for head of security of the Festival is denied."
The General glared at the screen, cursing internally. He had been hoping to use that cover to position his forces throughout the city without cause for concern. Pyrrha had told him Atlas was given the position in her own time, and it made sense. Atlas was the best option, the only question had ever really been whether it would be Atlas in Charge for Beacon. Now he supposed they knew. Still, there was a chance that he could reason with the man and get him to relent on a few garrisons throughout the city for crisis response. At odds though they may be, Atlesian support would be needed.
"I understand." James replied. "I will begin working with Headmaster Ozpin to see that he does not need any support from my people-"
"Beacon will not be in charge either." Another Councilmen snapped, though Ironwood very much doubted that his anger was directed at Beacon.
Ozpin, whose face was displayed on a separate screen from his tower, remained silent. Though not technically a Council position as it was in Atlas, the Headmaster of Beacon was still afforded a spot in an advisory role. He hadn't said a word the entire session and he didn't look the slightest bit surprised by the news that neither Atlas nor Beacon would be handling security.
"Then who will?" Ironwood asked. "Private security can not offer the same level of protection, and I very much doubt anyone less than the SDC would have the personnel to do it properly."
He knew he wasn't going to like the answer before they even said it, any answer aside from Atlas would have had that effect.
"Mistral." The Councilmen smiled vindictively, as though he wasn't setting his kingdom up for failure.
"Mistral lacks the-" Ironwood barely began to voice his complaint before being interrupted.
"Those details are for the council to discuss." The Councilwoman from earlier said. "Do you have anything to report in regards to the assassination of Councilmen Greenwood?"
Ironwood sat back in his chair, pulling back his anger. It would serve him no good here. While Mistral was inexperienced, there was still a good chance whoever was placed in charge would ask for Atlesian assistance, in which case he would promptly ignore the Council. The rest of the meeting was pointless.
"My agents are still investigating."
The Councilwoman nodded. "See that the report is forwarded to us upon its conclusion. This meeting is adjourned."
The main call cut out quickly, Ozpin lingering a moment longer. Ironwood thought about saying something. The man had left his office earlier under less than ideal conditions, but it was better than the relationship they had shared over the last few months. With the trials ahead of them, their dispute wouldn't matter much. Besides, the secrets had been spilled, and Ozpin no longer held the same sway he once had. His hesitation lasted too long however, and the Headmaster's feed cut as well, leaving the General alone to stare at a dark screen.
Sighing, he sat back and rubbed at his eyes. The timeline Pyrrha gave them was coming to an end. The Breach would take place within the coming weeks, and the attack on the festival soon after, and with it, the last of their foreknowledge. Everything they had lost would need to be justified by then, seeing what changes they could make. Atlas not being granted control of security could severely weaken their position, but so long as his forces remained in the city, no one would complain when the Grimm started descending on them. Atlas Specialists, Mistralian Soldiers, or Valean Huntsmen, no one would complain.
In the meantime, he would do everything he could to weaken the White Fang and prepare for the battle to come. Atlas would remain strong, and so would he.
Author's Note: As stated in the first author's note, sudden absence should be an outlier. I've considered switching away from a set schedule upload but this is by no means proof of that.
Be sure to let me know what you think of the chapter, any theories about where things might be going, etc. I always love reading the reviews and seeing people's ideas, right or wrong.
Sincerely, SE