Chapter 31
The Truth is out there
It was highly unlikely anyone would recognise in her current state. The one time any few years Sienna Khan had gauranteed days of rest. Whenever the Vytal festival come around even organizations like the White Fang stopped rattling their sabres and flocked to the nearest screen to watch the ceremonies and gladiatorial matches along with the pomp and pageantry it brought. It gave her a chance to indulge in her guilty secret.
Here she was on her couch dressed in pyjama bottoms, a ratty t shirt, piles of snack and cold drinks close to hand, the collectors edition of Games of Houses ready for a marathon of viewing. She fully intended not to move unless nature's call absolutely demanded it. She threw a blanket over her legs and pressed play. She grabbed a packet of chips as the iconic theme song started playing, she shifted and got ready to be immersed in tales of murder, sex and betrayal.
Her door burst open and Ariana barged in. Sienna was about to rebuke her for both interrupting her and barging in, the words died on her lips as she saw how frazzled her aide looked
"Vale News Network, channel ten." Ariana said pacing in small circles pulling at her dog ears
Sienna paused her program and switched to the channel. Lisa Lavender was seated in the anchor woman seat. For the first time Sienna saw the woman look less than immaculate. Like her Lisa was dressed casually and without make up. A teleprompt message declared that Vale was under martial law. A second instructed people to stay in doors a twenty hour curfew in effect. The third instructed citizens not to fire their weapons on the intergalactic ships. Sienna chuckled on reading the third.
"It is not a joke. Keep watching, they will show the reel again shortly." Ariana said tersely
She had barely stated that as a reel was starting, a description message in the corner showed it as property of the University of Mantle, astronomy department. It showed footage being recorded from the massive telescope from the astronomy facility atop the university science department building. It showed footage from space, the view normally seen on any given day, a large blue flash appeared in view and a dagger shaped ship emerged from within the blue flash and move rapidly forward.
The next clip started playing this time portraying the vents over the Amity colisium, the third started showing the events in the stadium. Sienna's snack fell from her hands, sitting up she knocked her drink over. She kept staring at the screen heedless of the growing mess on the floor.
"There has been no official word from the, I cant believe I am saying this, aliens. We have received a report from a member in the stands that she saw the headmasters and the Council of Vale being escorted into one of those ships." Ariana said
The reels ended and Lisa looked to the cameras
"People of Vale. We have received instruction from the office of the Council. All citizens of Vale are to remain indoors unless required to seek medical attention and the purchase of food. Vale is under complete lockdown till further notice. All Emergency and Safety and Security personell are ordered to return to their places of work. The Council is calling for the citizens of Vale to remain calm. The Council will brief you all at the earliest opportunity."
Lisa looked beyond the cameras as she was reading the message from the prompter. The newsroom was filled with usual staff. Now there were new additions Twelve white armoured figures stood covering the floor and exits, a grey uniformed male was seated in the chair usually occupied by the editor. She was under no delusion as to where the message she was relaying was truly coming from, and judging from the grim looks on her collagues faces neither did they.
Like Sienna, Ghira Belladonna had been preparing for a day of relaxation. The book he had been reading forgotten in his hands as he had rushed into the room after hearing Kali scream for him to come. Kali was perched on the edge of her seat, her eyes glued to the monitor. He moved closer and sat next to his wife and pulled her into a crushing hug
"Easy there, we don't know anything yet." He said soothingly
"I saw her. Our kitten was in the stadium." Kali said softly, her voice muffled in his embrace
Ghira stayed silent, the only reaction was to pull Kali closer. He closed his eyes and started praying to the brothers for the first time in years, asking for protection for his wife and kitten.
Qrow and Taiyang stood helplessly at the Patch bullhead docks, Taiyang once again trying the scroll numbers of gis daughter and when tose failed their team. Again all he heard was a disconnect, no ringing no pre recorded I am busy message, nothing. All of the Bullheads had been grounded with immediate effect and furthermore the port had been locked down, the ferry tied down to the docks. Their senior Huntsman accreditation unable to secure them transportation to Beacon. The field marshal was unable to make eye contact as he instructed them to return either home or report to the militia and await instructions in case of Grim uprising. The man was in the same position as them with his daughter enrolled at Beacon, she too was completely unreachable
All present on the field looked up as a trio of the smaller ships screamed as they flashed past the fields. Further behind two of those triangular ships followed. The men suspected they were en route to take control of the airfield. The field marshall looked grimly at the two men.
"You had better get going before you get stuck here." The man said.
"We could say the same for you, Danny." Qrow replied
"I know, but I am needed here to keep these knuckleheads of mine from doing something stupid. Now get." Danny replied
"Stay safe." Qrow said
"You know me, always carefull. If you get through…" Danny started
"We will tell Taylor you are ok and if we get them out we will get her too." Qrow stated sincerely
Danny nodded and started his way across the access road to the landing pads where the various mechanics and technicians were staring to congregate. Qrow nodded a goodbuy to the man and started dragging Taiyang away from the locked access gate and to his truck. Zwei was standing with his paws on the dashboard growling fiercely at the approaching ships, the growls were intermixed with concerned whines as he looked at a picture of Yang and Ruby affixed to the dashboard.
Qrow spun his friend and brother in law, technically ex brother in law, around and shook his slightly to have Taiyang focus on him
"Get to the shelter and start prepping it. I can get to Beacon and the girls. Don't go to Signal, pretend to be a drunken mess if they should come looking." Qrow instructed him
Qrow stepped back once he was sure Taiyang had understood the message. Taking a deep calming breath he concentrated. His form shimmered and shrunk. Moments later a crow took to the air, wings beating frantically to gain height and speed, its heading Beacon.
Headmaster Theodore leaned against the bulkhead of the room he and the other headmasters along with the Council and their VIP guests had been brought to moments earlier. His eyes were shrouded by his sunglasses as he studied the room. All were trying to adjust looking panicked, not all he reconsidered. Four were not showing as much shock to the origin of their host once they were given a fairly brief introduction after being invited aboard at gunpoint. Ozpin and Ironwood were looking grim an element of worry still there. One of the Governors was supporting his wife and trying to keep her calm, they had looked terrified at the identity of their gracious host, in fact they had looked panic at the first appearance of the ship. He nudged Goodwitch who has standing close by and pointed to the couple
"Who are they?" He asked
"Jonathan and Juniper Arc." Goodwitch replied
He reassessed his earlier though to add another two to his list of people who did not share the general reaction. Ironwood's aid and Goodwitch did not seem too surprised either.
"Why did they not disarm us?" Juliana Verdant, the newly chosed headmistress of Haven asked
"Because they do not see us as threat." Goodwitch answered
It became clear to Theodore. Ironwood, Ozpin Goodwitch and Schnee knew, the Arc's knew. Looking At Verdant he saw her come to the same conclusion. The new question was how.
The door opened and twelve of the armoured troops came in first, their boots echoing on the deck as they marched into the now silent room. The came to a stop and stated down the occupants of the room, weapons held at waist height. A more elderly man dressed in a black uniform entered behind them a few moments late, hands clasped behind his back another two dressed in black came in behind him. They were armed with same snubbed nose weapons the white armoured figures carried
"My name is commander Yularen. I represent the Imperial security Bureau. The vessel commander Darth Vader extends his apologies to not meeting with you at this time as affairs of state demands his attention. Something I am certain you can understand. He extends the use of this room and several staterooms for you to use in the interim." Yularen spoke
Yularen lifted a hand to forestall any replies. Not that he foresaw them trying to reply in the face of the intimidating presence of the faceless and silent armed stormtroopers
"This will be for a short period. As we are speaking the Councils of the other Kingdoms are being contacted and escorted here. Lord Vader will address all of you once they have arrived. At that time all your questions will be answered."
"Where is my son and daughters and their friends?" A question came
Yularen looked at the man
"I am afraid I have no idea what or who you are referring to." Yularen replied
"Before we were forced into that ship, twelve students of Beacon were forced aboard the other ship by your stormtroopers. You can not recall forging twelve children aboard a ship." The women next to him scoffed
Mathers stepped forward and whispered to Yularen
"Vader's prisoners." Mathers explained
"Bring them with us, we will question them separately to the others." Yularen decided, stroking his moustache
"As you order."
Mathers made a motion and two troopers detached and stood behind the man and the woman. Yularen turned to the group
"We will address the issue raised by the gentleman and the lady once we are complete here. Can I ask General Ironwood to accompany us as well. We need to address an issue regarding his military units."
Another two troopers detached and stood behind Ironwood. Yularen turned around and walked out. The two black clad figures next and then the three Remnant natives and their escorts. The six remaining troopers stepped back in unison till they reached the open door before turning two at a time and the door crashed closed behind them.
Theodore pushed himself away from the wall and approached Ozpin
"I think we are owed some explanations." He said softly in Ozpin's ear
In the city below the shadow of the malevolent ship above them Derrick closed of the access to well hidden sub basement in the Vale Continental. Nodding to Tabbycat and Parrowhawk as they were standing guard, he entered the second secure door and entered the room. He was nearly knocked of his feet as he was charged and glomped by several smaller figures
"What is news." Sapphron asked
She was seated next to the camping bed Terra had been laid on. Even after unlocking Terra's aura she still showed signs of the severe beating she had taken at the hand of the Atlas officer at the CCT Tower
"Nothing as yet. All we know for now is that the Council , the headmasters and the Governor's is still up there. And apart from being escorted onto the second ship nothing about Jaune and the others either. All calls to Beacon is being blocked. No one has shown up the warehouse or the Residence yet." Derrick said tiredly
"So what is our next move?" Sapphron asked
"For now we sit tight. With the curfew in effect we can not move easily. Till we know more it is a waiting game."
To most who knew of Salems existence a certain degree of surprise would be expected should they learn that more served her apart from her minions and that is not referring to the grim. In the perpetual shadow of Evernight castle a village stood. The residents served in the castle as cleaners cooks and other various duties as their ancestors had done since the castle was raised. These men and women were now preparing for a mass evacuation. Once complete they and their mistresses last minion would depart till they are recalled to the castle, till then they would secure the treasures and artefacts of their mistress. As a further instruction they were to look out for those who could join their number in service to her.
Watts had very similar instructions. He was to start recruiting replacements and wait for how ever long it took till the newcomers departed Remnant, additionally he was to study and learn as much as possible about them and from them. What he was kept in the dark on was the instructions she had given to her servants, at the first sign of his loyalty wavering he would be executed
Salem made her way down to the pools of Darkness. She walked into the pools and started chanting in a tongue not heard for thousands of years, Behind her black crystal started forming over the entrance she had just walked through. When the intruders finally arrive, assuming they survived the approach through the masses of grim outside the castle and those that would enter as her last servants leave, the intruders would find a wall indistinguishable from the others in the soon to be completely empty castle
Now almost neck deep in the pool she prepared to submerge in the pools. She would wait out how ever long it took before her Senechal or his descendant would take the steps necessary to alert her that her hibernation for lack of better term was over. Being honest with herself she was actually looking forward to the reprieve in her centuries old struggle with her old lover
"What is that saying again, a change is as good as a holiday." She spoke to herself
She had felt it the moment the intruders had arrived. The corruption the intruders carried with them. She still did not truly believe the explanation of their origin that a near hysterical Watts had rambled out. The one thing she felt for certain is that the intruders would not be useful to her in lifting her eternal torment. No it is best to wait, after all what was a century or two to an immortal. The pools of darkness felt almost inviting. She changed her chant, crystal now began to envelop her, as her head was nearly enclosed she leaned backward and let the viscous fluid wash over her.
The Black Scorpion was one of the most notorious drinking slums in the heart the Mistral's slums. Like the rest of the world or Remnant the denizens were staring in shock at the images the state news service brought them, an uneasy truce in place as none of the normally belligerent clients wanted to kick of the latest fight as they were trying to internalise the new paradigm
The silence was broken by a drunken cheer as the footage showed twelve manacled individuals being escorted to what they for now classed a bullhead shortly before the headmasters and the Council of Vale was led onto another one. Raven Branwen was raising her glass in one hand and the middle finger salute with the other.
"Give them the horns, whoever you are." Raven slurred
Since the defeat she had suffered she had not returned to her camp and tribe. Not in human form anyway. She had spend the first three days of her defeat drunk out of her mind in this very tavern. Sure the tribe had been repulsed before. What they had suffered was not a repulsion or a defeat, they had incurred a decimation. When she had returned close to her camp location all she saw were pyres of smoke. With her defeat becoming known another two bandit tribes had banded together and saw to the last of the Branwen tribe
Raven scratched at the spiderweb tattoo now adorning her left hand.. Once she had been approached by the agent of Little Miss Malachite she knew the clock was running against her, it was an easy choice join or be hunted, Little Miss did not take no as answer either she joined or her enemies would know where she was before the agent had left the door. As much as it grated she was a realist, alone she would not survive. Little Miss and her spiders were the lesser of evils to her mind. She refused to crawl back to the wizard like a beaten dog. As for the other, servitude to Ozpin would be preferable.
In her drunken mind her choice was validated as she saw the wizard being led away, the fact that whoever it was had grabbed those pesky students was mere frosting on the cake to her. She downed her drink and staggered to the door. She needed to get sober. Little Miss will soon call on all her henchmen to take advantage of the inevitable unrest. For a moment she thought about joining up with Junior and the twin daughters of Malachite as they were planning on reclaiming their territory in Vale, before discarding that idea, as long as that ship was over Vale she was going near that city.
On a wild and desolate planet a wizened being opened its eyes as it exited from its meditative state, thoughtfully it tapped the ground with its walking stick. Yet again the force had twisted and broke the banks of the course it was flowing. Yet another stage had appeared and for a moment he wondered how it would impact the plots and plans that had been set in motion. For a moment he wondered whether he should end his self imposed exile and investigate the new players. Or contact those he had found in his extensive mediations.
Kenobi can not be diverted from watching over their greatest hope, the son of Skywalker must be kept guarded. The daughter was secure in obscurity. Young Caleb Dume or Kanun Jarrus as he now call himself was needed to prepare the young presence he sensed on Lothal. Young Ashoka was a possibility but in her he still sensed the resentment and anger that had led to her leaving the Order. Corellia had a few presences but none he was familiar enough with to convince to leave their places of hiding, nor did they have sufficient strength the mission would require. Rahm Kota was too integral to the budding rebellion.
In a twist of extreme irony the one most suited for the task was unaware of his legacy having that hidden from him by his father, who moments ago had died in a hail of bolts fired by the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk. Corran Horn would have been perfect for the task, his training with Corsec would have given him the edge needed. His ignorance of what he was would have been his death warrant
Yoda turned around as he became aware of presence to his side. He gave what passed for a smile to his old student Qui Gon Jin as the force ghost was waiting on him leaning against the wall of the hit Yoda had built
" A wise being once told me once, at times the best thing to do is nothing at all." Qui Gon said
"Ignored that advice you have." Yoda replied
"Then should the master not be wiser than the student." Qui Gon countered
Yoda shrugged and sat down on his bedding
"Hard it is not to act." Yoda stated
" The Force and future is always in motion and we can never truly predict its ways. All we can do is watch and wait for the Force to reset the scales." Qui Gon replied