PA45

"Ma'am," a voice, slightly panicked, quickly responded, "We've lost contact with Team Bravo-six. Suit scanners show their vitals are stable but indicate in line with unconsciousness."

"Patch through to their suit cameras!" Winter commanded. There was a flicker on the main screens and Jaune looked up in time to see them replaced with what must have been a remote camera on the soldier's suits. It showed a grey wall and metallic floor. From the angle of it, they were clearly slumped on the ground.

"That's not Vale," Winter whispered. "Control, what sector was Bravo-six assigned to?"

"Ma'am, Bravo-six is a team assigned here. They're on the ship!"

[...]

"We have a commanding position over the area. Our focus is on protecting the people below and so the White Fang would rightly assume our attention and resources to be diverted there. In a situation where one side has numerical superiority and a strong organisation, your only choices are to retreat – or strike at the heart of them."

Attack not the parade but the flagship watching over it, she meant.

[...]

 "This is where tools and supplies are kept for engine repair," she said as the door opened, "Bravo-six was stationed here so we need to – ah!"

He held his sword out in readiness as she called out, only to sheathe it with a muffled curse as he saw what she had found. Only a little ahead of them, two figures were slumped down. One lay on the floor, arms outstretched, while the other sat at the base of a wall, as though he'd been slammed against it and had slid down.

Winter crouched down by the one on the floor, a hand on his neck. "Alive," she breathed in relief. She did the same for the other, "and this one too. Thank goodness."

"Can you wake them up? Maybe they saw something."

"No. It would be unwise to try and force them and there's no telling how long that might take." She brought a hand up to her collar and called for a medical team to come and collect the two. Only once that was done did she stand and turn to face him. "Gunshots would have been reported, and they should have alerted us they were under attack as well. It's likely that whoever did this was able to ambush them before they were even aware of it."

"Or that there could be a number of them," he added.

"Indeed. Can I count on your support in this matter, Jaune?"

Crocea Mors whispered as she came free. Really, it was all the answer he needed to give. She rushed back to the door and opened it, right as their comms came to life. "Ma'am, another team has been found in block twenty-six. Their chest cameras caught sight of a white mask."

"Damn it," Winter hissed, "When was this?"

[...]

Back on their feet, and now prepared for the occasional gunfire that shook the floor beneath them, they stalked down the corridor and into what he presumed to be block twenty-six.

Another set of bodies confirmed it.

"Ma'am," a startled voice came out, "We've lost all camera feeds to the stern of the ship. You're in total darkness."

[...]

"We're on our own then," Jaune sighed as he walked up to check the bodies. They were unconscious again, their pulses firm and steady against his fingers.

[...]

They rounded the next corner together, and Winter roared as she saw a figure in a White Fang uniform by a door up ahead. There were two downed soldiers at their feet. The figure looked up in time to see them – but not fast enough to escape entirely.

[...]

One knee hit the metal floor as he checked the guards once more. Still alive, he nodded. Good. For a moment, I was worried.

[...]

"Bringing Neo onto the ship was easy. If everyone expects a White Fang attack, I'll give them one."