SAPR

by Scipio Smith

Compromised (New)

Compromised

Ozpin’s office was dark. What light there was to illuminate the space was a sickly-looking fluorescent green, the lights that burned above — the lights that gave Beacon its name, if any did — leaking downwards through the windows to reach them here within.

Ozpin sat behind his desk, hands clasped together in front of him, elbows resting upon the transparent surface, half-masking his face from view. It combined with the lighting to give him a rather sinister aspect, although he didn’t deserve it.

Much.

That was a hard thought, and Ironwood knew it, but he also knew that he didn’t think that this business around Miss Shimmer was so easily dismissed as Oz and the First Councillor had made it out to be back in the police station. Yes, Miss Nikos had also been the victim of false accusations, but those accusations had been a lot vaguer than these ones, and based on nothing substantial besides.

The accusations against Miss Nikos had basically amounted to pointing out that she and Cinder Fall had occasionally been in somewhat proximity to one another and then saying ‘what if there’s something going on between them?’ The accusations against Miss Shimmer were rather more concrete.

All Skystar Aris would have to do to put the whole thing to bed would be to say that she had never seen any such meeting as she had described between Miss Shimmer, First Councillor Emerald, and former First Councillor Aris. And perhaps she would do just that.

But then why make up such a specific accusation in the first place, if it could be so easily denied?

It didn’t add up to him.

Just like it didn’t add up why Ozpin was so quick to dismiss the whole thing.

Mind you, I covered for a former White Fang terrorist and now she’s one of the people I trust the most, so who am I to talk?

Oz had his reasons for what he did, and Ironwood tried to remember that when he couldn’t understand those reasons - or bring himself to agree with them.

Ironwood stood on Oz’s left, with Glynda standing on the right, both a little ahead of him, facing his desk rather than standing around it.

None of them spoke. Ozpin seemed to be waiting for Qrow to join them, and neither Ironwood nor Glynda were kicking things off themselves.

Ironwood clasped his hands together behind his back and remained quite still. He glanced at Glynda, trying to discern in her eyes, in her expression, if she found Ozpin’s behaviour over Miss Shimmer as odd as he did.

She gave him precious little to work with. Her face was a mask of professionalism, the kind of face that she used to mask her feelings from the students. He couldn’t work out what she was thinking underneath the mask.

Just like he couldn’t work out what was keeping Qrow; didn’t he know that it was urgent?

The chiming of the elevator sounded louder than it should have done in the quiet chamber, a second before the door opened and Qrow staggered out.

“Okay, I’m here,” he said. “What did I miss?”

“Qrow,” Glynda growled.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding, sheesh,” Qrow muttered as he walked towards Ozpin’s desk.

“So,” he went on, “Ruby’s team leader turned out to be a second Raven, huh? Or worse.”

Ozpin took a deep breath. His voice, when it came, had an edge of frustration to it, like the blades of a saw. “As Miss Shimmer has not yet deserted Beacon or our cause in order to dwell in wilderness exile as a bandit, I’m not inclined to make too much of the comparison.”

“And Raven never left the whole of Vale exposed to a grimm attack, but you get what I’m saying, right?” Qrow said. “The moment I set eyes on her, I knew. I knew that she was—”

“That she was what, Qrow?” Ozpin demanded.

“Professor—”

“That she was what, Qrow?” Ozpin repeated over Glynda’s objection.

Qrow thrust his hands into his pockets. “You know what, Oz. You know damn well, what. Unreliable. Didn’t have what it takes. A weak reed. Just like Raven. You should never have brought her in on this, and you definitely shouldn’t have made her team leader. You should have made Ruby the leader, like her mom.”

“That’s one of the reasons I didn’t make Miss Rose the leader of Team Sapphire,” Ozpin murmured.

“Leaving that aside,” Ironwood said quickly, before they could get sidetracked; they had enough to discuss tonight without rehashing a past many years gone, “we should talk about what happened tonight.”

“A lot happened tonight,” Ozpin murmured.

“You know what I mean, Oz,” Ironwood said.

“Yes, James, I know, just as I know that we have many other, more urgent, matters to discuss before morning,” Ozpin replied.

Ironwood began. “More urgent than—”

“Yes, much more urgent!” Ozpin snapped.

Ironwood’s eyebrows rose. To hear Ozpin raise his voice was … when was the last time he had heard Ozpin raise his voice?

Ozpin did not look at him. He did not look at Ironwood, or at any of them; he looked past them instead, over Qrow’s shoulder to some indeterminate point.

“I understand that there are times when you have doubts about me,” Ozpin said. “There are times when I welcome your doubts and misgivings, your arguments; I have never claimed to be infallible. But I hope that I retain your confidence sufficiently that you will believe me when I say that Miss Shimmer is not Raven, nor is she the weak reed that you suppose. She is … I have faith in her, and I ask that you have faith in me also. There is nothing to be concerned about from Miss Shimmer; she is not a danger of which we must be wary, she is … she has made mistakes, yes, but she has also done good service. We all owe her a great debt.”

“Are you sure that that debt isn’t clouding your judgement, Oz?” Qrow asked. “I get that she saved Amber, but—”

“That would be a strange thing for a servant of Salem to do,” Glynda pointed out. “If she were an agent of our enemy, then she might pretend to be trying to help Amber, but would she not kill her in the process and ensure that the power passed to Miss Fall, before it could be transferred to Miss Nikos or another new host?”

“She doesn’t have to be working for the enemy,” Qrow said. “Raven wasn’t.”

“We can’t view the present entirely through the prism of the past,” Glynda pointed out. “As much as we may want to see these children as echoes of ourselves when we were younger, we do them a disservice in the process, and we do all those who depend on us a disservice if we allow such misconceptions to impact our planning for the future. We must look at Miss Shimmer for who she is, not as a young Raven, or as a new Raven, not as someone who must or is doomed to tread in Raven’s footsteps. There is no Raven here, neither Miss Shimmer nor Miss Xiao Long.”

“But Qrow is right to say that she doesn’t have to be working for Salem,” Ironwood pointed out. “According to that leaked email, Miss Shimmer didn’t blow the Breach because she wanted to bring down Vale, but because she was scared of losing her teammates down in that tunnel.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Qrow began.

“And I am saying,” Ozpin said firmly, “that … if you really wish to discuss this, then we will. But later. It is not the most significant thing to happen tonight. Not by some distance. Miss Fall had much news, some of it obvious balderdash, but some of it … some of it concerns me much more than anything that might be said about Miss Shimmer. If we might discuss those concerns first, I promise that we will return to Miss Shimmer in due course, if you insist upon it.”

“Very well,” Ironwood said. “We can table it for now, and to be fair, we probably should. You want to discuss this possible attack on Vale you mentioned to the First Councillor?”

Ozpin nodded, resting his hands upon his desk. “Miss Fall had a great deal to say, most of it concerning her own past, interesting but ultimately inconsequential. It was only towards the end of her account that she began to yield up … a mixed bag of intelligence. As I say, some of it is nonsense: she attempted to convince us that Amber had betrayed us and was planning to give the Relic away to Salem.”

“Amber?” Glynda repeated. “And after that, you believe a word to come out of Miss Fall’s mouth?”

“Is it really impossible to believe?” Ironwood asked.

“Oh boy,” Qrow muttered, pulling his flask out of one pocket.

Glynda glared at him over the top of her spectacles. “She is the Fall Maiden, James.”

“Who has already tried to run away once,” Ironwood said.

“And been attacked once by the woman who now accuses her of treachery!” Glynda declared. “She has been in a coma for the past year, and ever since she woke up, she has been under constant observation. When would she have been able to arrange this betrayal, and why would she?”

Ironwood conceded the point. They knew Amber much better than he did, after all. If they thought that she would not, or could not, have done this, then who was he to suggest otherwise, and on what basis? He didn’t know her, he wasn’t close to her, he hadn’t formed a judgement of her character. They had, and in spite of what Ozpin had implied tonight, he did generally trust Ozpin’s judgement.

“But you think that Cinder wasn’t lying about everything?” he asked.

“I am less certain that she was lying about everything,” Ozpin clarified. He sighed. “Although there are some things she said which I would very much like to believe are lies. Amber was not the only one alleged to have betrayed us.”

Qrow drunk from his flask. “Let me guess: Leo.”

From where he stood, Ironwood could see Ozpin’s eyes close behind his spectacles. “Indeed,” he murmured.

Ironwood couldn’t say that he was astonished to hear it. After all, they’d already considered the possibility that Leo had betrayed them back when Cinder’s own allegiances had come to light. Leo had let her and her teammates into his school, after all, and while he had managed to come up with a plausible-sounding reason for that, that didn’t foreclose the possibility that his ‘reason’ had been just an excuse.

Not to mention the other unanswered questions, like how Salem’s forces had found Amber, or rather, how they had known that Amber was the Fall Maiden.

“Miss Fall knew that Persephone is missing,” Ozpin said. “Apparently, Salem has one of her servants searching for her even as we speak. The fact that she knew that … it was not mere luck or chance that led Miss Fall to Amber. We must consider that the identities of all the Maidens are compromised.”

“Gods,” Ironwood murmured. Luna. “We should move them, immediately.”

Luna wouldn’t like that, not one bit, but in this, if rarely otherwise, he was prepared to force the issue with her if he had to. She couldn’t stay in Canterlot, not just for her own sake — he knew that Luna could handle herself, especially with Celestia’s help — but for the sake of the children who might be caught in the crossfire if Salem attacked the combat school.

“I agree,” Ozpin said. “I do not think that we need to rush to send Amber to Patch — she might well be safer here until a more permanent home can be arranged for her — but Luna and Sophie? We can’t do anything about the fact that their names are known, but we can get them to other locations unknown to Salem—”

“Or to Leo,” Qrow muttered.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Ozpin said softly. “Leo has been named, and while I do not dismiss the possibility, nor do I wish to prejudge him guilty.” He paused for a moment. “Qrow, I need you to set out for Mistral at first light. Question Leo, determine his guilt or innocence as you think best.”

“As I think best?” Qrow asked.

“If he has betrayed us, it will be necessary to act swiftly,” Ozpin murmured.

“'Act swiftly,'” Qrow repeated. “You mean kill him?”

“Yes,” Ozpin said, without hesitation. “If Leo is a traitor, then he must be removed immediately.”

Qrow took another swig from his flask. “And you want me to be the judge of that?”

“I trust your judgement, Qrow,” Ozpin said.

“There are times when I wish you didn’t,” Qrow muttered.

“You are the only one who I can send to do this,” Ozpin reminded him. “James and Glynda would be noticed by their absence, and the children … I wouldn’t want to burden Miss Nikos or Miss Rose—”

“No, don’t worry, I wouldn’t want to burden Ruby with that either,” Qrow said quickly. “God only knows what her father would say. No, don’t worry, I’ll be your executioner.”

“If necessary,” Ozpin reminded him. “Leo may be innocent.”

“But if he isn’t,” Glynda said, “who will take over as Headmaster of Haven?”

“Don’t look at me,” Qrow muttered. “I quit teaching for a reason.”

“No, once matters are resolved with Leo, I need you to find Persephone, or her successor if she has died, before Salem’s agent does. Find her and drag her back here where we can decide what to do with her.”

Qrow nodded. “Find the needle in the haystack. Got it.”

“As for the new Headmaster of Haven … I don’t know,” Ozpin admitted. “It is not a choice I had thought to have to make for some time. I am afraid that we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it.” He glanced upwards. “Unless you fancy a move to Mistral, Glynda?”

Glynda sniffed. “Very droll, Professor.”

“I was being quite serious, I assure you,” Ozpin said. “You would make an excellent headmaster, I have no doubt.”

“That’s very kind of you, Professor,” Glynda said, “but I think Beacon needs me here, where I flatter myself I do a lot of good. Although if I might suggest, this incident shines a light on the fact that, while Theodore has Professor Rumpole, neither Leo nor James have anyone by their side that they can depend on.”

“I have a whole school that I can depend on,” Ironwood said.

“You know what I mean, James,” Glynda replied. “Or will Luna be filling that role from now on?”

“To be honest,” Ironwood replied, “I was thinking about posting Luna aboard a cruiser; the command of the Reliant has just fallen vacant, and she has the rank for it, if not necessarily the aerial experience.”

“Far be it from me to criticise your decisions, James—” Ozpin began.

“But,” Ironwood said.

“But airships are … rather fragile,” Ozpin went on.

“I assure you, Oz, there is nothing fragile about one of my cruisers,” Ironwood declared. “And I could keep the Reliant safe around Atlas; I’m not suggesting giving Luna a ship and then sending her off on dangerous patrols.”

Although she probably wouldn’t mind if I did.

“I would simply rather that the Winter Maiden were not placed in a situation where she might die simply because…” Ozpin spread his hands. “Because something went wrong with the engine on her ship, or because there was a storm one night, or any other reason why airships fall from the sky.”

“You sound like an old man railing against newfangled technology he doesn’t understand,” Ironwood pointed out.

“I am an old man, James,” Ozpin pointed out. “It’s my prerogative to sound like it every now and then. Please, James, not a warship. Can’t you do as Glynda suggests and find her something at Atlas Academy? One would think that you’d appreciate having her around.”

“I might appreciate it more than she would,” Ironwood muttered. “But all of the positions at Atlas Academy are filled at the moment, and I’m not going to fire someone doing a perfectly good job just so I can make room for Luna.” He paused. “On the other hand, you know that Luna will hate being summoned to Atlas to take up a sinecure or, worse, to sit around doing nothing all day.”

“Yes, in hindsight, she was a terrible choice for a Maiden,” Ozpin allowed.

“How about with a little foresight?” Glynda murmured.

“Yes, Glynda, I do recall that you counselled me against it,” Ozpin admitted, “but she seemed like a perfectly good choice: intelligent, capable, warm-hearted—”

“She had no patience then, and it seems that she hasn’t acquired much of it since,” Glynda said.

“I’m not sure you can be a good teacher without having at least some patience,” Ironwood replied, “but she does need to feel like she’s doing something.”

“Keeping the world safe by making sure that magical power stays out of the wrong hands isn’t good enough for her?” asked Qrow.

“Unfortunately, that’s a little too passive for Luna’s liking,” said Ironwood.

Qrow snorted. “Fair enough, I guess. So what are you going to do with her?”

“I don’t have the list of all current vacant positions memorised, but there will be a place available for her, I’m sure,” Ironwood said. “I’ll think of something, and not the Reliant, as you ask. And I’ll tell Luna to come to Atlas early while she waits to take up her appointment, whatever that appointment turns out to be.”

“And I will get in touch with Theodore and have him move Sophia to somewhere … else,” Ozpin said. He paused. “Are you sure that you wouldn’t like to take Leo’s place at Haven, Glynda? Ideally, the new headmaster would know about Salem, the Maidens, the Relics, and so on and so forth before they were trusted with the key to the vault, and yet, the number of candidates who fit that criteria are … well, you and Professor Rumpole.”

“As I said, it was a mistake for Leo not to have someone at his side who could step in in such a case as this,” Glynda repeated. “As it would be for you, James.”

“Winter Schnee,” Ironwood said. “She’s trustworthy, I’d bet my life on it. If you let me tell her—”

“I will consider it, earnestly, and give you an answer soon enough,” Ozpin interrupted him. “You don’t need to make your case to me, if you trust her … Glynda is correct, I have had cause to note recently that our circle is very small, and even now it has grown larger, the bulk of it is too young to be of help in situations like these. But, in the case of Haven … a realisation come to a little late, I’m afraid. Glynda, I may have to disregard your feelings in this matter.”

Glynda pushed her glasses up her nose. “Mistral may not appreciate an outsider being foisted on them.”

"That may be true, in general," Ironwood said, "but I think you'd be one outsider that Mistral would be happy to have foisted on them."

Glynda's eyebrows rose above her green eyes. "Perhaps you'd better elaborate, James."

"It's quite simple, really," Ironwood replied. "Which school wins more Vytal trophies than any other?"

"Beacon," Glynda said, "of course."

"And who is responsible for that, in no small part?" asked Ironwood.

Glynda cooked her head slightly to one side. "That's very kind of you to imply, James, but Professor Ozpin—"

"Sits here at the top of his tower, while you arm the students with the skills they need to survive in this harsh world," Ozpin said.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were conspiring to get rid of me," muttered Glynda.

"Glynda, I would be devastated to see you go," Ozpin declared, looking up at her at first, then getting to his feet. "But, even if the pool of qualified candidates were not so limited, we both know that your growth is being stifled by my shadow."

Glynda was silent for a moment. Her voice, when it came, was soft. "And what if I do not wish to leave? What if I would rather remain here and, as you so generously put it, continue to arm the students, rather than become a distant figure sitting at the top of the White Tower?"

"I would hardly blame you if you did," Ozpin murmured. "And if you did, you would be very sensible. Alas, duty demands much of us that we would not wish under more ideal circumstances."

Again, Glynda took a moment before she said, "Very well. If Leo is a traitor, then … then I will take his post at Haven. But you must promise me, Professor, that you will replace me here, and not just teaching all of my classes. It is not good for you to be alone, with no one to counsel you."

"No," Ozpin agreed. "No, it most certainly is not." He sank back down into his chair. "Thank you, Glynda; you take a weight off my mind."

"I find my hopes for Leo's innocence have increased," Glynda muttered.

Qrow snorted. A smile pricked at the corners of Ironwood's mouth.

Ozpin also smiled, though it was a fleeting smile and faded quickly. "Miss Fall, although alleging Leo's complicity, also alleges that one need not be a traitor to let a serpent into the garden. She alleges that there are two students still here in service to Salem. One from Beacon and one from Atlas."

"'From Atlas'?" Ironwood repeated. "Who?"

"Miss Bonaventure of Team Bluebell, " Ozpin said, "and a Tempest Shadow of—"

"Team Tsunami," Ironwood finished for him. "That's what she said, that they were working for Salem?"

"That is what Miss Fall alleged, yes," Ozpin said.

"I don't believe it," Glynda declared. "More nonsense. Miss Bonaventure is … I hesitate to speak ill of any of my students—"

"But," Qrow said invitingly.

"But if Salem were looking to recruit so young, I would expect her to choose someone less … unremarkable," Glynda went on. "Miss Bonaventure is in the lower half of the rankings in my combat class, her grades with Peter and Barty vary from average to mediocre, she displays some aptitude in Peter's practical exercises but is outclassed by some of our more talented students, and since she became the leader of Team Bluebell, she has failed to impress me with any great talent for leadership. It makes no sense to me. Does she seem like the sort of person Salem would bother to reach out to?"

“No,” Qrow conceded. “But—” He took another drink from his hip flask. “That’s only one way of looking at it. Yeah, sure, when you wanted to find some likely kid to help you out instead of calling me, you went to some of the best students that you could find. But, if you already had someone, and you wanted to send them into the school, maybe you’d tell them to keep a low profile and not get themselves noticed.”

“There is a difference between keeping a low profile and barely keeping your head above water,” Glynda replied. “Surely someone aiming to keep a low profile would be displaying a measure of quiet competence in all their classes?”

“I don’t know; the verge of incompetence seems to be working out pretty well for this chick in terms of deflecting suspicion,” Qrow muttered.

“You sound like you’ve judged her guilty already,” Ozpin murmured. “There is only the word of a known enemy to go on — and an enemy who has already lied to us.”

“Okay, I’m not saying to believe everything that comes out of her mouth,” Qrow said. “You know Amber, so if you say she’s good, that’s fine with me, but it doesn’t sound like any of us know these other two kids that well.” He looked at Ironwood. “Unless you know this Atlas girl?”

“I know Shadow,” Ironwood replied. “Do I know her well? I’d have to admit not. You know how it is when there is one member on a team who is quite a character; they can drown out the other members of their team. On Team Tsunami, that’s Lulamoon; she sometimes makes it hard to see her teammates.”

“Even Starlight Glimmer, the girl you thought might be a good Winter Maiden?” asked Glynda.

“At some point, you’re going to have to let me live that down,” Ironwood muttered. “We all thought Luna might be dying, we had to act quickly, and Glimmer’s semblance—”

“She ran away, James,” Glynda reminded him. “She’d barely been told to give the notion some thought, and she ran away into the wilderness.”

“As much as I like making fun of Jimmy, perhaps we should cut him some slack on that, considering that she’s not the only one who ran,” Qrow pointed out. “At least Twilight—”

“Starlight.”

“Whatever, at least she ran away before she actually got her hands on the magic. Persephone and Amber weren’t as considerate. It seems like kids these days just can’t handle the pressure the way we could back in our day.”

“Now who sounds like an old man, Qrow?” asked Ozpin, a hint of mischief creeping into his voice.

“I feel old,” Qrow grumbled. “Ruby and Yang make me feel old.”

“Are you sure that’s not just the drink?” asked Ironwood.

Qrow chuckled darkly. “Could be that too.” He had another drink. “So, do you know anything about this … Stormy—?”

“Tempest Shadow,” Ironwood corrected him. “In answer to Glynda’s question, even Glimmer stands in the background behind Lulamoon. I think she likes it that way. Up until very, very recently, I would have said that they all liked it that way: Glimmer, Flare, and Shadow. I still think that Shadow likes it that way, but perhaps not for the same reasons that I would have given before.”

“You suspect her?” Ozpin asked, sounding surprised. “I must confess, I expected you to swell up somewhat at the insult to Atlas Academy.”

“I just found out that one of my students abused her stepsister enough that she became one of Salem’s most dangerous servants,” Ironwood said. “Let’s just say that I’m having to rethink my reflexive loyalty. That doesn’t mean that I think Shadow is guilty, but I’m not going to deny the possibility out of hand. I’ve not noticed anything suspicious, but as Qrow points out, she could just be keeping things low key. I’ll have Lulamoon and Glimmer keep an eye on her, watch out for anything … unusual.”

Qrow said, “What if her teammates—?”

“No,” Ironwood said firmly. “No, that I won’t consider. I can admit that maybe I don’t know all of my students well enough to spot when they are … trouble, but Lulamoon? Glimmer? Them, I know. Underneath Lulamoon’s cape and her affectations, she’s made of the right stuff. They both are. They’re made of true mettle.”

“'Both'?” asked Glynda. “Starlight Glimmer—”

“Wasn’t equal to the burden of being a Maiden,” Ironwood admitted, “but that’s a heavy burden, as I’m sure that Oz will agree.”

“One of the heaviest,” Ozpin murmured.

“And one that a lot of people aren’t equipped to shoulder; that’s why it’s important to choose the right candidates, that’s why even the right candidates sometimes let us down,” Ironwood said. “The fact that Glimmer couldn’t shoulder that weight doesn’t say anything about her courage or her resolve as a huntress, and it certainly doesn’t say anything about her loyalty. She might run away from the power of a maiden, but she would never betray her friends, not for one second. Despite what I’ve learned, there are some who still have my absolute trust, and those two are amongst them.”

“And you have my trust, James, so do as you will in this matter,” Ozpin said. “Set Miss Lulamoon and Miss Glimmer to watch their quiet teammate. As for Miss Bonaventure—”

“She has been around Amber in the past,” Glynda pointed out. “She and Mister Bronzewing are friends, and Miss Bonaventure and Miss Heartstrings have been in her presence on numerous occasions; no harm has come to Amber as a result.”

That might be because Amber— Ironwood cut off that thought. Ozpin said not, Ozpin said it wasn’t possible, and Ozpin, as he had reminded them, was still their leader. If he said that it wasn’t possible, if he said that there was no way that Amber could betray them, well … they ought to listen. They owed him that much.

Not to mention the fact that Amber was almost always accompanied by at least one member of either Team SAPR or Team RSPT, and when she wasn’t, it was because one of Ozpin’s inner circle was with her instead — not Ironwood, but Glynda, Qrow, Ozpin himself. Hatching treachery would be exceedingly difficult under those conditions.

So would harming Amber. Assuming that all of Salem’s agents knew that Amber was the Fall Maiden, it would nevertheless take a boldness verging upon madness to attack her while she was being so closely protected.

That didn’t stop Cinder Fall.

And look where it got her.

“Could it be a double bluff?” Ironwood suggested. “Cinder gives us two names, one of which is really an enemy, and the other isn’t. The name that is not is so clearly not an enemy that we dismiss both names, thinking that she must be lying?”

“It is a possibility,” Ozpin conceded. “That would also explain why she named Amber—”

“Perhaps even Leo,” Glynda offered.

“They can’t all be false leads, or that just defeats the object,” Qrow muttered.

“I fear that we dare not assume that any of them are false leads without proof,” Ozpin murmured. “Loathe as I am to suspect one of the students … what Miss Fall has said cannot be ignored, as much as we might wish to.”

Glynda frowned. “Then what do we do? I’m not sure I would trust Miss Heartstrings to spy on Miss Bonaventure, the way James trusts his students.”

“No, nor would I,” said Ozpin. “No, we will … we will tell them that, as their team will shortly be reduced to two people once Mister Bronzewing takes his leave, that they are being temporarily suspended while we explore our options for their future study. That will remove Miss Bonaventure from Beacon and give us time and space to investigate her thoroughly.”

“What if she runs?” asked Qrow.

“Then we will know that Miss Fall was telling the truth about her,” replied Ozpin.

Glynda pursed her lips together. “I see,” she murmured. “That’s that decided then, I suppose. What else?”

“The attack on Vale,” Ozpin said. “And, related, possibly more disturbing news. Miss Fall told us that Salem has sent a Siren to Vale, to spread discord and strife amongst the people. The recent upsurge in hostility towards Atlas and to the faunus is apparently their doing.”

“And here I thought people just didn’t like Jimmy throwing his weight around,” Qrow said.

“You can apologise whenever you like,” Ironwood told him.

“Worse still,” Ozpin said, “the Siren’s influence has reached as far as the Valish Defence Forces.”

“To General Blackthorn?” Ironwood asked. “That would explain a lot.”

Ozpin nodded. “Miss Fall certainly seemed to regard being taken into their custody as a death sentence. She believed that the Valish soldiers were under the control of those elements of Salem’s faction who had betrayed her.”

“But only because they were working with Amber right?” Qrow asked. “Which is a load of bull.”

“But if we are willing to accept that there are other agents of Salem present, we cannot rule out the possibility of some … palace intrigue amongst them,” Ozpin said. “It would not be the first time that Salem’s schemes have been undone by jockeying for power and status amongst those who serve her. It has enabled her agents to be defeated in detail, or better still, they have defeated themselves. It may be that Miss Fall has fallen, if you will forgive the pun, victim to such infighting and has leapt to the conclusion that Amber is also involved. She did not claim to have any proof of Amber’s involvement.” He paused for a moment. “Miss Shimmer certainly found the idea of a Siren’s involvement to be plausible, and I am inclined to trust her judgement on the matter. For that reason, as she is familiar with this creature, I thought to have Miss Shimmer and Team Sapphire take the lead on hunting down the Siren once the tournament is over. Miss Shimmer may have a better idea of what she is looking for and how to combat it than we would, or would be able to instruct, say, James’ Atlesian specialists. That will also free us up to concentrate upon the Siren’s influence.”

“How strong is that influence?” Glynda asked. “Could the Valish forces become hostile?”

“General Blackthorn is doing nothing while hordes of grimm gather outside the walls,” Ironwood pointed out. “You could say that he’s already become hostile.”

“Yes, but he isn’t actually shooting at anyone yet,” Glynda pointed out.

“That’s part of the problem,” Ironwood replied. “But I take your point.” He paused. “How far and deep does the rot spread? And what about Councillor Emerald?”

“I think it would be very strange indeed if the Siren’s influence had made the First Councillor more emollient and reasonable than he was before the creature arrived,” Ozpin murmured dryly. “I think that he is not under her spell, thank goodness. As for your other question, I know as much, or as little, as you.” He clasped his hands together. “As I see it, there are two questions before us: first, how are we to defend Vale against an impending attack by the grimm without, possibly aided by saboteurs within, and secondly, what are we to do if the Valish Defence Forces become hostile?” He looked at Ironwood. “This is where I should be very glad of your opinion as a military man, James.”

“And yet, I don’t think that you’d like my initial answer, as a military man,” Ironwood replied, “which is that, if the Valish start shooting, I can blow them out of the sky in under five minutes.”

“Someone’s sure of themselves,” Qrow said.

“Valish airships are heavily armed, true,” Ironwood allowed. “Those monstrosities the Mistralians persuaded them to buy are even more heavily armed. But they’re slow and sluggish to manoeuvre, and their armour is designed to protect them from the beaks and claws of grimm, not from laser fire. All I’d need to do is order my ships to target their engines and force them down. But I’m guessing you’d prefer to avoid the casualties.”

“We are talking about human beings,” Ozpin pointed out mildly. “Human beings, moreover, who are not in control of their actions. Not to mention that the idea of airships falling down upon Vale makes my stomach churn. If there is a way that eschews military conflict, I would welcome it, yes. If this time of peace can be at all preserved … the last thing we need is a war between kingdoms.”

“It only takes one to start a fight; sometimes, the best thing you can do is finish it,” Ironwood said. “But…” He considered the problem. “If First Councillor Emerald isn’t affected, then he could overrule his military commanders and order his forces to stand down.”

“Would they listen?” asked Glynda. “If the Siren has gotten to them—”

“No, they wouldn’t, but that’s where the second element of the plan comes in,” Ironwood went on. “A decapitation strike by a small, elite unit descending on the headquarters of the Valish Defence Force and capturing General Blackthorn and his command staff. Once captured, he can be compelled to order his forces to surrender, if possible; if not, then at the very least, those Valish forces which have not obeyed their councillor will be left leaderless and without coordination.” Ironwood looked down at Ozpin. “Although at that point, I’m afraid it may not be possible to resolve the matter without engaging and eliminating the holdouts.”

“If it must be so, I would prefer to leave that to Valish units that have remained loyal to the First Councillor,” Ozpin said. “The last thing we need is images of Atlesian airships reducing Valish military positions from the air.”

“Do you think that they’ll fight each other?” Ironwood asked. “Do you think that the First Councillor will give such an order? Why would he?”

“Why would your men fight against the Valish?” asked Ozpin.

“Because they’ve started shooting at us,” Ironwood replied.

“Yes, well,” Ozpin murmured. “I do like the idea of this decapitation strike, though; like killing an apex alpha to scatter a horde. Prepare your team, but do it in the strictest secrecy, I beg you, with as small a number as possible and only those you can trust.”

“I already have just the team,” Ironwood assured him.

Ozpin nodded. “Councillor Emerald has ordered, or told me he would order, the police to increase security around key infrastructure. He seemed to feel that something was not quite right about General Blackthorn, which is why he is using the police, not the military. I hope that this will counter the potential for sabotage and leave us free to concentrate on the threat from the grimm beyond the city.”

Ironwood got out his scroll and, after a couple of taps of his fingers, put it down on top of Ozpin's desk.

A hologram appeared above the desk, a top down map of the outskirts of Vale, including Beacon, with lines, squares and icons of white for the Atlesians, green for the Valish and blue for the Mistralians scattered across the map.

"As things stand," Ironwood said, "I have my Fourth Battalion deployed on defensive positions on the Green Line, with their airships positioned above them in support. Elements of the Ninth Battalion, which arrived from Atlas after the Breach, are here at Beacon, with another company in reserve behind the Green Line. The First Battalion is my general reserve, standing by aboard ship, with the ships of the First and Ninth Squadrons patrolling over Beacon or Vale.

"Currently," he went on, gesturing to the green line — not to be confused with the Green Line — running south of the white line representing the Fourth Battalion, "the Valish have an infantry battalion of their own on the Green Line, with an armoured regiment in support."

"Tanks," Qrow muttered scornfully.

"With proper infantry support to stop the grimm from closing on and ripping through their armour, they can be effective," Ironwood said quietly.

"Then why don't you use them?" Qrow asked, in a tone that was approaching a demand without quite getting there.

"Because we prefer walkers," Ironwood said. "They don't require as many crew, and they aren't helpless up close. But I can see why the Valish might disagree, especially since they don't have our airpower. In any case, the Valish have three more infantry or marine battalions in Vale itself, together with two airships, the Terror and the Zhenzhang. The Mistralians are here, camped between the Green and Red Lines; they've been conducting exercises with the Valish."

"Who's winning?" asked Glynda.

"The Mistralians, surprisingly," Ironwood replied. "From what my people have observed, Polemarch Yeoh keeps luring the Valish into ambushes."

"An unexpected tactic, from a Mistralian," Glynda observed.

"From an aristocrat, perhaps, less so from an old mercenary," said Ironwood. "The Dingyuan hasn't been taking part in any exercises, but according to Polemarch Yeoh, it's still under Mistralian control." He paused. "While we can't know how the Valish troops will react in the event of a grimm attack, as I see it, there are three broad options: either they attempt to stand their ground, in which case, I can move in the ships of Ninth Squadron to provide covering fire, or they retreat from their positions, or they—"

"Turn on your guys next to them," said Qrow.

"Exactly." Ironwood said. "In the second scenario, it would become a race to see whether we could occupy the vacated positions on the Green Line before the grimm reached them. Our best chance would be to expand the frontage of the Fourth Battalion out along the entire perimeter, then reinforce with the Ninth and, if necessary, First Battalion to strengthen the line. Having the Mistralians move forward might also be of assistance. If the Valish turn hostile, then to be perfectly honest, I don't think we can hold the Green Line. I am confident that so long as we can control or even contest the skies, we can repel a frontal assault by the grimm; we have enough firepower to make it impossible for them to move forward. But I'm far less confident about our ability to do that while being enfiladed from the flank. In that case, I think our best option would be to evacuate the Fourth Battalion by air while using the First Battalion to seize the Red Line positions by a coup de main, and make our stand there."

"On the edge of Vale itself?" Ozpin said.

"They still won't make it inside Vale " Ironwood said. "I guarantee it."

There was a moment of pause before Glynda said, "Would you need the assistance of the students?"

"I certainly wouldn't mind having some of them assisting on the line, but I wouldn't mandate it even if I could," Ironwood said. "No one will be refused, but that choice is for them to make, not for me to make for them. I won't fault them either way."

A ping from the elevator drew the attention of Ironwood and everyone else in the office.

"Expecting someone else?" asked Qrow.

The doors opened before Ozpin had a chance to reply. They opened to admit Ruby Rose and Penny into the headmaster's office.

"Miss Rose, Miss Polendina, what an unexpected pleasure," said Professor Ozpin in an amiable tone. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Comments

[AngelicTitan]

The difference between Sunset and Raven, Qrow, is that Sunset wanted to save the lives of her friends and was full of guilt because of it.
It's interesting how things are unraveling here, and how Amber's betrayal will shine new lights on Cinder's words. And now Ruby and Penny will talk with Ozpin with the rest of his inner circle present... I wonder how that will change the way that the conversation will go, and what the public response will be on Sunset going forward.

[Mastermind4892]

This was a good chapter! It’s fascinating to see how Ozpin and the rest of the circle have responded to Cinder’s intel, such as at least discussing the possibility of betrayal. That being said, I’m still surprised Cinder didn’t mention the other servants of Salem, like Dr. Watts. Ironwood would’ve been jumped on that immediately, which would’ve led to greater suspicion of Tempest due to her prior association with Watts. Of course, perhaps Sunset and Pyrrha’s disbelief over Amber and Bon Bon convinced Cinder that what little credibility she had was ended.

Regarding Sunset, I noticed Glynda didn’t have as much to say. She’s probably still shaken from the visions Salem tormented her, of how many of her students never come home.

I’m not surprised that Qrow immediately thought of Sunset as another Raven. His sister’s betrayal is still fresh in everyone’s mind, an old wound that hasn’t healed well. But Qrow also hasn’t seen the heart of Sunset’s reasons. He hasn’t seen the same dead look in her eye that he sees in the mirror. After all, he himself was driven to the bottle after Summer’s passing. He saw how much her loss affected their entire family. Tai couldn’t take care of himself or his children. Yang had to step up. And because of his blasted semblance, Qrow couldn’t ever let himself stay with them. The poor man probably cursed his own existence more than ever.

Summer’s death broke them all. Qrow doesn’t want that to happen to them again. Which might be the reason why, no matter how much he hates himself, Qrow hasn’t gone looking for a chair and a rope.

[Kiue Jin]

Ironwood is going to be kicking himself hard in the aftermath of all this.

It's also interesting how none of the inner circle even suggested the idea that Salem could offer Amber anything in exchange for handing the crown over to her. Maybe this is Ozpin's insistence on the matter that Amber betraying them is insane but... This might also suggest how they see the value of Salem's word. IE, not worth anything.

Even if Salem legit doesn't intend to harm Amber if she gives her the Crown, I don't think Salem would exactly reign Tempest in if she decided to kill Amber independently to take the maiden power for herself: Not because she needed it to open a vault, but solely for the raw power it gives.

[Stet709]

Okay, I can't help but smile at how defensive Ozpin is of Sunset. He truly does appreciate all that she's done, and how much she's changed. I think, contrary to what Qrow says, Sunset has proven herself reliable in Ozpin's eyes.
Ozpin mentions how they're all in Sunset's debt for saving Amber, hence why he is adamant to defend her, but I wonder if Oz is also doing it as a favor to Princess Celestia, doing what he was previously given credit for.

And oh yeah, Qrow? You think Sunset shouldn't've been brought into this? Well good luck finding someone good and willing with Equestrian magic and expertise, because couple the whole Siren business with the fact the Salem omitted Sunset's name when listing her non-threatening enemies, and I think Sunset is needed more than ever.

Well, you guys wanted to discuss Sunset later? Too bad, Ruby's bringing it up now again.

[Raul]

Isn’t it lovely when your enemies are so honest you don’t believe them?
God how is it all gonna come crashed down…

[BeardedRedMane]

Oof. Well this was better than I expected. At least everything Cinder said was relayed so even if they don't believe her we get that sweet I told you so. Also is Qrow really throwing a lot of hate toward someone who literally saved his niece's life, I honestly thought he'd be more grateful than this.. But I guess being an alcoholic does take a toll on logical reasoning.

[RanmaChaos]

F**k you Crow. How the hell is Sunset like Raven? Like you wouldn't have done the same.

It's starting to look like it won't happen, but I wish Glynda would give Ruby the mother of all dressing downs and use Crow as example of shady sh*t that is done. Thus destroying Ruby's admiration of Crow.