Destiny No More

Chapter 88

Ozpin had been many things throughout his many lives. From mere soldiers on the battlefield, to kings and generals leading the assault directly into the fray. He had watched as the weapons of humanity switched from Magic to far more simple bows and spears, from that to refined metals and Dust, and eventually to firearms. He had pushed for the automatization and refinement of these techniques for millennia, a guiding force for Humanity that sought to steer it away from some of its more impulsive designs, and towards things that would be more suited for use against the Grimm.

Atlesian Battleships had once been one such weapon. They were designed in such a way as to bombard Grimm migrations and move deep into enemy territory while only being threatened by the Grimm from the air. It had been a marvel of engineering following the Great War, but as many other things, Ozpin's designs were rarely restricted to strictly Grimm. A gun was still a gun, no matter what target you shot it at, and it was the user who chose that target. When those monstrous ships were turned on the enemy of mankind, there was little that could truly stand in their way, but he would be lying if he said he did not fear what even a handful of these ships might have done during the Great War. For not the first time he considered that they might have been a mistake to encourage, but as he was escorted through the halls of Ironwoods flagship he did not allow his mind to wonder or dwell on such philosophical dilemmas. There were far more pressing matters.

"You will have to wait here, sir." The soldier who had intercepted Ozpin before he could storm the ship directed him towards a small waiting area as he turned towards a woman sitting behind a desk. "Is the General-"

Ozpin waited only long enough for the soldier to turn his back, the moment he was no longer watching Ozpin walked through the doors to the commander's office. The space was mostly empty, bare of any true personal effects save a small shelf and cabinet along one wall that held a bottle of something probably expensive. The General didn't seem to be surprised by his presence, but that didn't stop the soldier from following closely after, weapon drawn but thankfully aimed at the floor.

"Sir, I am going to have to-"

"At ease, Corporal." The General waved his hand at the boy. "I will take it from here."

"Sir!" The soldier looked hesitant, but quickly holstered his firearm and snapped to attention, pausing only just long enough for the courtesy to be clear before turning and exiting the room.

"I don't recall giving you access to my ship." The General spoke quietly, but equally stern; throwing up a facade of strength to make it clear that he was not Ozpin's subordinate. Ozpin had spent more lifetimes as a politician than anything else, in spite of how he detested it. He longed for the simplicity of leading in battle, the ease with which people showed their true thoughts and emotions when lives were on the line. He would take the possibility of death over the double layers of expressions on the General's face any day, and yet it was the part he had been forced to play.

"You remain on Beacon grounds." It was a flimsy line of jurisdiction, but Ozpin had made sure the legal code was strictly in Beacon's favor when it came to activities on school property. Obviously, the General could simply move his ship and that would go out the window, but Ozpin knew that he would not. "Would you care to explain why it is that you have brought such a force to my city?"

"Your city?" The General didn't even flinch under Ozpin's glare, nor did he seem to offer any body language at all really; instead, his eyes meeting Ozpin's eyes with no readable emotion to them at all. "Since when do you take such a possessive stance? I thought you were above the petty squabbles of the Kingdom-"

"This is my home, and don't dodge the question." Ozpin cut him off before he could continue. James had always been like that, trying to mask any moment of uncertainty or insecurity with a strong front. It helped to motivate the men and women that followed him, giving him an appearance of calm even during the greatest of storms, but it remained a front for his doubts or any topic he wished to avoid.