Preface:
Shingeki no Kyojin/ Attack on Titan (SnK) mainly focuses on the southern quarter of the walls. This fanfiction will only feature original characters and will take place in the western quarter. This is entirely fictional and un-canon. This location was chosen due to it not being seen or used as of yet in the story. The current time is just after the Battle of Trost. Follow members of the Stationary Guard as they defend against Titans, Criminals, and other threats to mankind's survival.
Chapter 1:
-Chlorba District of Wall Rose
The wind howled on the battlements as Jasper patrolled his posting. He was more than familiar with the sound since he had heard it almost every day for the last three years. He was a tall young man in his early twenties with coppery hair and piercing hazel eyes: the eyes of a marksman.
"Wind from the East at approximately 12 kilometers per hour. Slightly overcast with sunny breaks." Jasper said to himself while considering shooting conditions.
He frequently considered what the shooting conditions were. At half a kilometer out Titans are small targets and with even a degree of error, a shot will miss it entirely. As a member of the Stationary Guard, it was Jasper's job to keep a lookout for Titans beyond the wall and to maintain the peace within the district. Since the fall of Wall Maria the Guard had had its hands full with the influx of Titans. The routine had become harsh but it had forged a unit of defenders without rival. While the Recon Corps were known for their bravery for venturing beyond the Walls, it was always the Guard who maintained them.
"Anything to report?" a familiar voice called. Jasper turned to see one of his fellow Guards. It was Marvin, a young man who had survived training with him three years previously. Marvin was a short man with blond hair and green eyes. He was noticeably shorter than Jasper, but had a broader physique.
Jasper shook his head "Just the wind today, Marvin".
"Better do something about that then" Marvin said with a grin "How about some tea to keep the chill away?"
Jasper sat down on one of the crates beside Marvin. It was one of the ammunition crates for the cannons atop the wall. As a Guard it was Jasper's job to man the cannons should a Titan get too close to the walls. Fortunately the wall was 50 meters tall and the average Titan is only around 15 meters. Jasper accepted the cup of tea that Marvin offered him. They were only a quarter of the way into their shift but already they felt the boredom that went hand in hand with being a Guard.
"We're supposed to be demonstrating how to load and fire the cannons to the new recruits today" Marvin said making conversation.
Jasper merely nodded, "another group of bright-eyed recruits who had likely never seen a Titan before" he thought. Jasper had seen recruits collapse just from the sight of a Titan that was hundreds of meters away. Others had voided themselves and those with nothing to lose came very close to ending themselves.
As if on cue, Fritz, their commanding officer, came into view.
"Morning boys" Fritz greeted "ready for the demonstration?"
"Morning, sir, we're as ready as we're going to get" Jasper replied.
Fritz had taught Jasper and Marvin everything they knew about artillery and ballistics. If it wasn't for him, they would have never lasted as long as they have. Each of them was a capable soldier, but they lacked true combat capabilities with 3D Manuever Gear. Despite having the balance and agility required to fight with the Gear, both of them were unable to perfect a lethal strike on the nape of a Titan's neck: a Titan's one true weakness. Fortunately there were other ways to strike a Titan's neck. The Walls were fortified with hundreds of cannons at any one time. They were mounted on a circular track that allowed them to be positioned into a cluster and to allow replacements to be brought in by the secondary set of rails.
"Good thing" Fritz said "'cause you need to do it right now". With a nod to his left the pair saw the trainees approaching from further down the wall. Leading the group was the third member of their crew; Elsa.
"I wondered where she'd run off to" Marvin whispered to Jasper.
"Everyone, this is Jasper and Marvin. They will be joining me in showing you how to properly operate cannons" Elsa explained.
Somewhere in the crowd a trainee stated the pointlessness of the exercise. Without a word, Jasper walked into the crowd of trainees seeking the offender. He succeeded in locating the young man responsible.
"Do you really think operating cannons is pointless?" Jasper asked flatly.
"I do" the boy replied. He was barely sixteen years old and had all the attitude of one his age. "Cannons barely have a chance of killing a Titan unless a true marksman is manning it. I doubt you've ever killed one yourself".
Marvin, Fritz and Elsa all started to laugh. Japser merely shrugged, "And what if I can prove to you that I am a true marksman?" he challenged.
"I'll clean this quarter of the wall's cannons singlehandedly" he replied confidently.
"Very well" Jasper replied returning to Marvin's side. "Tell all the gunnery crews in this quarter that they don't have to clean their cannons today" he whispered before moving to the side of his cannon. "I'll do it myself too, just for the fun of it" he declared. He loaded the powder charge and packed the wading. He loaded a high-explosive round and prepared the firing pan. Fortunately, there was a 15 meter class Titan about two kilometers out and in full view. Jasper adjusted for the wind and the elevation needed to hit the Titan. When he was ready Fritz fired a green flare to warn other guards that they were beginning the demonstration. Confident in his aim Jasper fired his cannon. Within seconds of the cannon's firing the Titan's head was enveloped in the shell's explosion shortly before it fell off its shoulders. Satisfied Jasper turned back to the trainees.
"Any questions?" he asked smoothly.
"How about a round of applause for our demonstrator Jasper" Elsa called out. The trainees all applauded, even the one who doubted him. Fritz then fired a yellow flare to signal that they were finished the drill.
"How did you do that?!" the boy asked.
"Jasper here has 43 confirmed kills against 15 meter class Titans, and a total kill count of 84" Fritz answered with pride. "I taught him everything he knows" he proclaimed.
"Except how to get a date" Elsa quipped.
The trainees started to laugh but one look at his scowl told them it was a bad idea. He glared at them for a moment before letting out a laugh.
"Ha! As if he needed my help" Fritz jeered.
The trainees recovered and let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Alright, who can tell me the order of operation for cannons?" Jasper asked trying to bring things away from his personal life.
"Excuse me, sir. I think I know"
Jasper turned to look at the speaker. She was a girl of roughly 17 with lavender hair and Aquamarine eyes. "Yes, Miss, what do you think the order is?" Jasper asked.
"Ensure that the barrel is clear then pack the powder charge. Next you load the shot and prepare the firing pan. Lastly, you shoot".
"Almost right, you forgot to aim" he said with a smile.
"S-sorry, Sir" she stammered, blushing.
"No worry that is what you are here to learn. Everyone form teams of two or three and get into position.
The trainees split up into their groups. The girl joined two of her friends, while the boy joined two of his.
"Looks like you've got things taken care of, Jasper" Fritz said "Just remember to launch flares before you start and when you end if you are firing".
"Of course, Sir"
With a nod, Fritz departed to check on the other guard posts on the wall. The trainees were anxious for what Jasper would ask them to do. The girl was still blushing and her friends were teasing her about it.
"All I want you to do is practice the order of operations and who has which responsibility. Use the ramrods but do not actually pack a charge or a shot. We don't want you to blow yourselves up"
Jasper turned his head and saw Marvin flirting with Elsa, again. Shaking his head he returned to inspecting the trainees. There were only 30 or so of them which made monitoring them much easier. Some were completely lost, while others were just goofing off. One of the slackers was the boy from earlier.
"Still not convinced?" Jasper asked him, causing him to freeze.
"W-well uh, I guess it's just not what I was expecting"
Jasper fixed him with a hard look. "And just what were you expecting, boy?"
"My name's Fredrik, Sir. I was expecting to join the Military Police and move to the capital".
"Well, Fredrik, life's not that easy when you're a soldier. Only a select few even get to be considered for the Military Police. Even if you did get to go to the capital, consider what would happen to your family and your friends. You would be abandoning them to their fate" Jasper said jabbing his finger into Fredrik's chest. "Can you live with that?"
Fredrik just stood there dumbfounded. Jasper nodded satisfied. "Think about it" he said returning to his inspection. To his surprise the girl who tried to answer had raised her hand to ask him a question. He walked up to her. "What's your question" he asked, smiling when she blushed again.
"W-well, Sir, what do you need to consider when you aim?"
"In short; everything, more specifically: the wind, the target range, and other artillery. So, when I aimed earlier I didn't have other artillery to consider. I knew the wind was 12 kilometers per hour and that the range is 2 kilometers due to experience and habit. You'll figure it out once you practice more".
"Thank you, Sir"
"One more thing, what's your name?"
"Becker, Erika Becker, Sir"
"Nice to meet you Erika, I'm Jasper Schütz"
-End of Chapter 1-