Stormfall - A RWBY Saga

Chapter Twenty Six - Onslaught

Onboard The Tempest, we were led to a conference room under heavy guard. We had asked to speak to General Sheppard privately on the matter, and he surprisingly agreed. They had taken Gramyre, Miló and Akoúo, and the watches from us as we boarded. We weren't prisoners, I gathered, but we certainly weren't guests. The conference room we were now in was rather large. It was a mainly white room with some monitors on the back wall, a large table with twelve chairs, and a clock over the single door into the room.

They placed us in here and told us to wait for the general to return. I had other ideas, though, and AILITA was more than ready.

I think we should get the drop on them, I thought, Do you mind doing some recon, AILITA? Key me in on their intent?

"I'll keep you posted," AILITA said.

While AILITA scoured their servers, I took a seat to the left of the head of the table. She pulled up several windows in my HUD of security feeds throughout the ship. I saw the interior of the hangar, the bridge, and the hallway outside the room we were now in. General Sheppard was on the bridge, talking to another man on the monitor. The hangar looked mostly clear, just a few troops going about their business among the smaller ships. Suddenly, Sheppard left the bridge and reappeared a few minutes later in the hallway outside the conference room.

"I've got full access to the ship, and they've got no idea," AILITA said, "Just say the word and I'll cover your exit."

That's great, I said, Just need to develop a plan, now.

The doors opened a moment later, and the General stepped inside, alone. He had a scowl on his face as if faced with some unpleasant task. He started pacing around the room, looking between me and Pyrrha.

"So," he said after a long period, "now that we're alone, do you mind filling me in on how you managed to acquire an Atlas prototype?" He was rather angry, I could tell.

He must not like secrets being kept from him.

"All the same," AILITA said, "it sounds like this conversation isn't private. He's got a camera in the room, watching and listening to what we're saying."

Guess we'll have to make him trust us in a different way, I thought, Interrupt their feed, no one else should hear us.

"Hope these Atlas types enjoy silence," AILITA said.

"I'd be glad to share," I replied to the General, "now that your friends in the other room won't be watching us."

"What do you mean?" Sheppard said, stopping and grabbing the back of a chair, "We've been alone since I walked in the room."

"It'd be best not to lie, General," I said, keeping my tone smooth and even. Mom had trained me in the art of negotiation. People tended to react differently when you showed your cards, already knowing theirs; mine were pretty well stacked against him. "If you want us to trust you with the information we have, you need to be trustworthy. I feel that you can be, but I need assurances. And an even playing field."

"Fine," Sheppard grumbled, "but how did you know I had other eyes on you?"

"All in due time, sir," I replied, "For now, I believe we owe you a story."

And so, we recounted our tale up until that point. Pyrrha and I were sure to leave out the details of the Old Gods, Pyrrha's resurrection, and the visions; we made the General aware of AILITA, but not of her full capabilities. Best to not leave all our cards out. The General sat in silence the entire time, listening, waiting. When we were finished, he took a seat at the head of the table, typing into a computer there. He pulled up images on the screen opposite him. They were of villages on fire, Grimm rampaging in the streets.