Argus - Part I

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Entry to Argus by way of foot and wheel had to be made via a grand gate set into the high wall, built to seal a large cleft between the mountains that guarded most of the settlement. Their little road stood as one of many, which merged into a grand highway a hundred yards out from the gate. Signs helpfully marked out which lanes were for what, presumably to help manage what would normally be packed lines of comers and goers. Now, though, it stood bare of any major traffic. Distantly, down the road, a handful of vehicles, horse-drawn carts and walking people came or went from the city, but nothing which would explain the need for sheer size that the entry gate and road had seemingly been built to meet.

Though the distant pockmarks and gouges of weapon's fire and claws, of combat between men and beasts, did nothing to instill confidence in them as they made their own approach.

Beyond the gate a row of armored, glass fronted booths waited to tend to the few people that would pass in or out. Each was the same armored little pod, big enough for an occupant or three, though the roads that led to them were not. One was wide wide enough for a Wraith to trundle up its paving, while another was thin enough that they would have to proceed one at a time. They opted for a wider one that was marked for 'mixed groups, vehicle and foot', Qrow and Oscar at the front and the Arbiter himself taking up the rear.

Presumably, that was because they wanted to get signed in properly before they had to deal with the first contact situation.

"Name and identification please." The Argus gate asked boredly as the last of the girls stepped forward. Quietly, Weiss introduced herself and slid her little plastic identification card through the fist-sized slot made for the purpose. He barely glanced up to her as he checked the card, scanned it, and handed it back flippantly. "Welcome to Argus Miss Schnee. Whatever brings you here, I hope it goes well."

"R-Right." She nodded, anxiety evident in her stiffened shoulders and curt nod. Turning to look a few feet back at him, his hood drawn up and cloak closed around him, she sighed, "I, uh, suppose we may as well get this over with…"

"Name and identification please." The attendant chimed distractedly, as if urging even a Schnee to hurry along so he could be left alone. As the Arbiter stepped forward, he never even looked up from whatever he was reading.

A shameful dereliction, to his mind…

"I'm afraid I don't have any identification for you." As respectfully as he could muster, straightening to his full height and finally drawing the man's attention onto him as he sighed tiredly. His mouth opened to doubtless explain that he couldn't let him in without it, but his words died in a quiet little whine. Amid it, he rumbled his introduction, "I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadam. Slayer of Truth, Breaker of the Covenant, and wielder of Prophet's Bane. Leader of the Sengheili who stand under the banner of the Swords of Sanghelios, and an ally of Humanity on your world if your people are amenable."

"I don't…" He blinked, "What are…"

"I think you broke him." Yang laughed, sitting on Bumblebee on the other side of the little entryway with her arms crossed and a smile splitting across her face. "Might wanna get movin', Arby, before he sounds the alarm or somethin'."

"I doubt he would do so, but I suppose I should." Quietly, for fear of scaring the man further, he leaned down to meet his eyes and rumbled just as he'd been told was appropriate, "Take me to your leader, Human. I wish to establish contact and negotiate treaties of accord."

"I-I'll just go call her here, uh, sir!" The man panicked, standing so abruptly his chair fell over as he made for the door.

"Odd. I thought I said it right." Straightening he turned to Ruby, who stood stiff as a rail and red-faced. Confused both by the man's reaction and her and the other's red faces and barely contained chuckling, he asked, "Did I do it improperly? I thought I introduced myself exactly as you said I should…"

"No, you did it just as Ruby told you to." The Schnee sighed, shaking her head. Though she sounded pained and embarrassed, he could see the little smile she tried to hide. And though he wasn't adept at it, he could hear the same humor in her voice, "And that is exactly the problem. You listened to her, and she has zero decorum, so you made a fool out of that poor trooper…"

"As though the hat didn't do that already…?"

"What is wrong with his hat?" The Arbiter asked Qrow, cocking his crest-helmed head with the question. Qrow and the children chuckled as he stepped over the little rod used to block the path for those waiting in line. The ease of it only seemed to amuse them more, the Arbiter looking to Maria as she shuffled closer to him, "I thought the hat was rather impressive, if I were to be asked myself. Tall, powerful."

"Yes, yes, we all get it. Big ol' scaly boy likes his big ol' hats for reasons probably best left unquestioned." Maria droned, reaching up to grab his great hand, easily large enough to close around her entire head if he so wished it. Small and weak for her advanced age, she couldn't really drag him towards the gate, but he let her lead him in regardless. "Now come on, you giant idiot. We can at least wait out of the wind, yeah?"

They weren't made to wait long, stood just inside the gate to the city with the girls circled around to the side facing the city to shield him from prying, judgemental eyes. A kindness he accepted, even if he hadn't asked for it, their group waiting together while Ruby traded messages with the others. Within half an hour he could make out the sound of an airship, strange engines thrumming with a strange beat that nonetheless thrummed through the air around them in a way that to one who had served so long with Phantoms and Spectres was familiar.

The craft in question was a white transport, belly round and tellingly wide, with long wings whose tip-mounted engines were turned at an angle. Lift and propulsion, like the Pelicans of his Human allies. A design that he had come to respect, offering superb control for those whose technology didn't have the gravity generators of the Covenant. These new craft's weakness was also shared with the Pelicans he had fought against and beside. A well-placed shot on the wings could sever them, and the engines themselves were exposed. A weakness he and his men had made use of many times.

Under it, splitting the crowds of the streets further into the city and around the gate both, came a procession. Machines came first, silver and white with rifles across their chests. Occasionally, the first row would split off, moving to the side of the road and standing patiently, facing the crowds watching to secure the route. More machines followed, massive and lumbering with pilots visible behind round view-ports and heavy, mounted cannons on one arm. The other formed a hand, those on the outside carrying massive shields akin to the Hunters he had fought with.

"What is going on…"

"A parade, young Ruby. It would seem that I have stirred some commotion." He rumbled, slipping by her to stand at her front and standing to his true height.

As the procession came to a stop, the ranks parted, machines facing outward as though watching the people around them. Last came men and women, two ranks deep, who fanned out inside the circle behind the wall that their kin had made for them split between watching the steadily assembling citizenry and their small group both. Above the whole affair the air-ship listed and turned, door swinging open. Its side doors slid open and heavy machine guns turned on them, wary and threatening.

At last, led by two men in crisp black and silver with impressive hats and straight backs, a woman approached them. A dwarfishly small one, but then, he knew better than to judge creatures on their heights. The Unggoy numbered in the many amongst the Swords of Sanghelios, and he had long since learned of their fearsomeness. And so he rose to his full height and threw back his cloak to better show his ornamented armor and sigils, to command the respect of his new peers.

"I presume that you are the leader of your garrison here in this settlement?" He rumbled as she approached him, flanked by her bodyguard. Behind him, he heard his friends shift and assemble, as though to play the same part. Or equally likely, simply in reaction to the rather overt Atlesian display.

"I am." She nodded, looking him over swiftly and judgingly before, finally, nodding her head in respect. "I am Garrison Commander Caroline Cordovin. Charged with the defense of the Argus Limited Transmission receiver and and the Argus shipping port as well as, by obvious extension, the settlement itself."

"And I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadam." And whether her guard had reported his titles or not, he went on, putting on airs to impress the woman's underlings as well as her. He had long since learned how much the opinions of the lower ranks could affect diplomacy after all, and if Atlas wanted to put on airs he would answer in kind. "I stand as the Kaidon of Vadam Keep, an ancient and noble line. I am called the Slayer of Truth, Breaker of the Covenant, the Sword of Sanghelios as well as the leader of the organization of the same name and the Friend of the Demon."

"Quite a lot of titles, if I might say so." The woman answered, taken aback but, more importantly, seemingly impressed by his oration and image. So he'd been right in his estimation of her, then. Easily impressed by titles and projected grandeur. The useful fool went on, though, and he gave her at least the veneer of the respect that her stance and raised nose told him she so desired. "I'm quite afraid I don't have such titles. I am merely the Garrison Commander, sent by Atlas to keep this city and its people safe."

"Indeed, such is obvious to me." He turned his head to look over the assembly and rumbled, partially amused and impressed. "You have brought much to meet with me. And yet, to my eyes, they seem tense. Not for fear of one single Sangheili, I hope?"

"Nothing of the sort." He flicked his gaze up at the hovering craft and, amused, the woman chuckled. Shaking her head, the woman raised a hand and flicked it in a silent order. At it, the craft turned, turret now at least faced away from them even if it could easily be snapped around to cut them down with the same sort of easy order. "There, I hope that is better. Forgive me, but even with the grainy feed from the booth, I couldn't tell if you were really an alien or just another Faunus plot to start trouble."

"You have a problem with Faunus?" Yang asked sharply, stepping up beside him.

"In small numbers, no." The woman answered, turning a gaze on Blake behind him. "One or two can be tracked and monitored, after all. And dealt with, if they make any trouble in my city."

"You little-"

"I would thank you not to insult my bodyguard so blatantly, Garrison Commander." Thel interrupted, stepping in front of the blonde and her partner both. Cordovin's eyes widened and her mouth opened, but he knelt before she could speak, leaning closer to her and growling his threat, ��This is meant to be diplomacy, after all. Would you truly risk angering a potential ally for something so petty?"

"No." She answered, stepping back for space but disguising it with a sigh and turn, to look out at the city. "I apologize for the insult, Arbiter, but you must understand that my city is beset by these… People. Crime is up, and such coincides with a heightened White Fang presence. And all that entails."

"But we broke the White Fang at Haven." Blake said, confused, "Ad- Their leadership," she amended, "should still be broken."

"You speak like an expert on the White Fang's leadership." Cordovin said as he stepped back to allow them to speak directly, with her stood directly opposite the group he'd traveled here with. She gave him a look at that but, seemingly still at odds over not knowing what he wanted or what he had to offer, she went along with his nod to the Faunus woman. "How, if you don't mind my asking, do you know how the disgusting little cancer that is the White Fang operates?"

"I-I…"

"She served in the White Fang, a long time ago." It was the Schnee who answered, earning an overtly surprised blink from the Atlesian commander for it. And for her phrasing as well, doubtless. Seeking to balm the news, she added, "And both she and her parents led the Faunus from Menagerie to defend Haven against the White Fang attack. Send word to them and you will hear all about it, I'm sure."

"And I don't suppose she served the proper time for her criminality?" At her words the woman's two guards shifted, hands moving from behind their backs to hang by their hips and hover over weapons.

The Arbiter, though, was far faster.

"Take care what threats come from your mouth that your hands cannot enact." He rumbled, arm outstretched and the Prophet's Bane crackling threateningly in the air between the two groups. Peering over his sword-arm down at her, he gave the soldiers a long look and added, "Or shall this meeting of hopeful allies end in bloodshed?"

"You'd die to defend a criminal?"

"No, I would not." He answered simply, giving the girls a look with his other eye before turning back to her. Voice a rumble of intimidation and authority, honed by years of service in the Covenant and after, he spoke to her, "You and your men are within the arc of my blade, however. And so to avoid spilling your blood and cutting our way out of this place, I recommend you set aside the sins you see in her past and listen."

"Fine." Cordovin finally granted, eyes on what to her must have been a strange weapon. As it lowered and its fire died, she turned from him to her and back to him again, "But she will consent to wear a tracking device while in my city. Any attempt to negotiate on that will be met with your expulsion from my city. I can't risk the safety of Argus regardless of your sentiments and threats."

"Blake?" The Arbiter asked, turning to her, "What are your thoughts on this?"

"Do I really even have a choice…?"

"Gates are right behind us, you know." Ruby answered before he could, resting a hand on her shoulder and turning a look on her team around her. Even to him, he noted with no small amount of comfort. To Blake, she offered simply, "We can just leave and… Find another way to get to Atlas."

"Yeah." Yang added with a shrug, folding her arms over her chest and glaring daggers down on Cordovin. "We don't have to do whatever the little gremlin wants us to."

"Excuse me what did you-"

"Oh come off it already, Cordo." The eldest among them finally snapped, apparently fed up with their games and shuffling around them while the woman bristled. In spite of the commandant's glare, the woman went on almost whimsically, cocking her head to the side, "Your city's scared, and you want to play the big bad badass to make 'em all feel better. But maybe you should stop and consider what this 'Faunus' brought to your door, hmm?"

"I don't know what that is, yet."

"It's a ten freakin' foot tall alien warlord with a glowing sword and balls of titanium, Cordovin!" The woman shouted suddenly, like a steaming pot whistling its angry tune. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the old Huntress took a breath and sighed. Then she pointed up to him and said, "He is an alien warlord." Then she pointed to Cordovin, "You are a representative of Atlas, who he wants to speak to. So get. It. Together."

That said, she shuffled by and into the city while they watched, without a care for the soldiers in her way or seemingly anything else.

"She is right, so I will propose a compromise." The Arbiter rumbled in her wake, drawing Cordovin's gaze back onto her. And an impressive enough wake it had been, even by his own metrics. "You will escort my allies to meet my other allies who arrived before me. They will stay under watch while we go to your base and make a call to your General Ironwood, and he can settle our disputes."

"...Very well." At a wave and a shouted command, several machines and troopers came to her side. The escort he'd suggested, to keep watch and show them through. As they left, headed to where young Ruby had apparently been told to meet the others, she spoke to him quietly, "I don't think it will be quite as easy as you say, however."

"Why not?"

"Our long range transmitter is damaged beyond use." She answered as the craft overhead descended to allow them to embark. At a nod, he joined her, and she explained as the craft began to rise, "A recent bombing spree. Many buildings were damaged, lives were lost, and the transmitter was damaged. Until it is repaired, we can't contact General Ironwood, even for materials and supplies."

"Unfortunate…"

"Indeed." She nodded, "And so for now, we will negotiate between ourselves, at the base."

He nodded and fell silent, content to wait until their arrival to continue their conversation. Cordovin seemed to be of the same mind, and none of the soldiers inside the craft broke the silence either. And so their journey, quick as it was, went by in a rather tense silence. A tension which he would wager was only prevented boiling over by the veneer of diplomacy and the diplomat's manse.

But he had the peace, and saw no reason to break it.

The Keep he was brought to, he had no other word for it, was as grand and powerful an affair as the parade to meet him had told him he ought expect. Three islands of varying sizes had been built up into fortresses, with high walls and aircraft buzzing around and between them like a swarm of hornets, ready to bite and sting any who came near any of the three metal hives they called home. The first two were simpler affairs, heavily fortified with their silver walls and high towers and what looked like liftable bridges spanning between them with only one connected to the city itself.

A very defensible fortress to say the least, able to rescind the bridges at will and forcing them to fight from one fortress to the next in any case.

The last was a greater affair, though. A fortress built onto and into a great stone spire that overlooked the harbor like a monolith. Recessed into the rock he could see metal armor and, occasionally, a slat would open to allow craft in or out. They were themselves admitted by one of these little slats, hovering to a gentle landing inside a great hanger that circled around an armored hulk of some description which dominated the center of the structure. What it was, he did not ask as he disembarked, simply following the small woman as she bade him to.

He was swiftly led into a simplistic, small office of sorts, dominated by a desk at the far end and with only one other door in the corner beyond it. To one side, just inside the door, was a metal bookcase brimming with tomes of various sizes and states of wear. While she eased into her comfortable looking chair, her guards took the time to make their exit, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Now, we can talk more candidly." The woman sighed now that they were alone, the Sangheili moving to stand opposite her desk. Wearily, the woman repeated what she had said earlier and expounded even more, "As I said, contacting Atlas High Command is currently impossible. Our transmitter's long range connection systems were sabotaged during the last few White Fang attacks. Technicians are working on the matter, but…"

"But it will be some time before you can contact your leaders." And thus, some time before he could as well. Unfortunate, but if nothing could be done then nothing could be done, and so he nodded. "Perhaps we could borrow some of your craft and men, then, and fly there by ourselves?"

"If I could afford to have an element gone for a few days I wouldn't be in such dire circumstances." She sighed, shaking her head wearily andresting her arm on her chair and her chin ini the palm of the same hand. Nodding to him, she went on, "I only even mustered what I did to meet you because I anticipated an attack of some kind and wanted to be able to disperse my forces quickly through the nearby areas."

"You came to meet the ambassador from another race anticipating a battle?"

"I anticipated meeting a Faunus that some random guard freaked out at. I anticipated nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, I find out that the man was telling the truth." Chuckling darkly she shook her head, " Honestly, 'Take me to your leader'? That is what you said, so what else was I really supposed to think?"

"My apologies, Commandant of Argus." He rumbled in a mix of amusement and anger. He would have words later about when and where to inject comedy. But for now, they had more pressing concerns, "I am sorry for your troubles, but you must understand, I can offer none of my people's power until I can speak to them. It is beyond imperative I reach Atlas as soon as possible."

"And why should I help you?"

"I carry the power to negotiate an alliance between your people and mine." The Arbiter rumbled simply, eyes narrowing.

"No you carry the claim that you can build an alliance that would benefit Atlas." She argued quickly, moving on when he made to speak, "You have no proof of anything except that somewhere, on Remnant or not as impossible as it seems, your species exists. Your armor is fine but without knowledge of your culture from a third party you lack any evidence that by your people's standards it means anything. In short, you have no proof that could motivate me to risk Atlas' security to help you."

"Indeed I do not." He did not bother to point out that by 'her people' he had meant her race, not her nation. But a fool such as this, so fixated on nations and borders as she seemed to be, would have obviously come to that conclusion.

"Further, your situation is worsened by who you travel with." Reaching out, she pressed a button, bringing up a holographic projection of Blake's face. Beside it were words that, backwards as they were from his vantage, he couldn't make out. Luckily, she seemed happy to elaborate for him, "Blake Belladonna. Her parents founded the White Fang and she worked with them for years, presumably up to some point around two years ago or so, prior to joining Beacon Academy. A criminal."

Next, was a picture of Yang Xiao Long, "Assaulted a student in the Vytal Festival. Allegations have been made that the team in question was involved in the Fall but as she didn't know that, it was still a criminal act. Again, a criminal, if one punished by the judiciousness of Atlas."

"Maria Calavera." She read on as again the picture shifted, this time to that of the old ex-Huntress they were traveling with. "Misdemeanors numbering in the dozens. Yet again, a criminal. And finally Qrow Branwen, himself not a criminal but related to some which have plagued Mistral for a decade. The so-called 'Branwen Tribe'. Bandits and murderers to the last man and woman."

"And now, my companions and guards." He said simply, uncaring for their pasts to the last. "Their circumstances are irrelevant to me. And further, irrelevant in relation to me. Why do you mention such things?"

"Because, Arbiter, you have to understand." She answered, flicking the images away and pressing her fingers together, looking at him as he imagined one might look at a child saying something particularly silly. "You come to my city with criminals and terrorists, and no evidence of who you say you are beyond your word. And then, based solely on your word, you ask me to help you get to Atlas to negotiate some 'alliance'. Tell me, would you agree to such a thing if you were in my position, defending a city practically under siege?"

"...I would not, no. Not without grand proof to show your words as truth." And it pained him to admit it, but he could not deny it. She had a large point. Even if her justifications were so easily dismissed from his perspective, his perspective was not from a position of power in these talks, and so it was largely irrelevant. So, he asked, "What, then, would you ask of me to prove myself and earn your aid?"

"Well, for starters, you could-" She cut off as a light on the metal desk lit up, chiming for her attention. Another flick and a new file came up, this time with its screen blackened on his side. She scowled, then, and rose to leave angrily, "Forgive me, Arbiter, but there's been another attack. I must see to the response."

"An attack?" He rumbled, turning with her as she stepped past him to head towards the door. "On what?"

"A primarily upper class, Atlesian school." She answered quietly, refusing to meet his eyes and shaking her head. Without turning to him, and for reasons he really didn't know or care to know, she elaborated, "Classes were in session and a bomb went off. Apparently, reports indicate that it was manned by our droids. Stolen and reprogrammed, most likely, but…"

"How old?" He asked, voice a growl that brought the woman's attention to him. Blood roaring when her eyes met his, he demanded, "How old were the children at the school?"

"Primarily below eleven, but above six." She answered, "Why?"

"I am going." He said by way of answer, striding to the door ahead of her and slamming a fist into the wall by the door, snarling. Outside, the guards started, yanking it open to ensure he hadn't done anything untoward, but he didn't care. Instead, he almost bellowed, "If these… These beasts killed even a single child, then by all the gods, you will have my sword in cutting them down."

The woman didn't say anything in return, simply waving her men off and nodding. At her wave, he fell into step beside her, headed back to the hangar they'd only left fifteen minutes before.

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