Sorry for the hiatus. I looked through this story as I had it so far, even the chapter I had ready for posting, and it seemed a little too confusing to me. I mean, why would anyone trust a 5-year-old with a Colt revolver? His father went from mistrusting to totally caring in a heartbeat. And all in 1804? Arendelle (correct my spelling of the city if I'm wrong) would have more advanced technology at that time. So I'm revamping this story.
BTW: I'm changing the way I'm doing revamps, those of you who've seen my Halo/RWBY crossover. From now on, I'll include a summary of what I had originally and in previous revamps of the story on the first chapter, then continuing on with the story. Without further ado, I'll start the new way of doing things.
Orig. plot: Ignis, democratic monarchy, gets invaded by Casile, a fellow industrial giant. Steel warship fights bird-like fighter planes, MC (main character) blows up blimp, 12 little kids introduced in boiler room, and father and mother get killed. Father & crew blamed MC for mother's death, get on life rafts later, other weird stuff happens. Yeah… confusing.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the story.
Disclaimer: Frozen, its characters, plot, and locations belong to Disney. Erysipelas (Ignis revamped), Infernus (Casile revamped), the OC's, the fictional technology, and the plot of this story belong to me. No songs will be used, but if used they will be mentioned in the disclaimer of the chapter.
When Yellowstone Erupts, Revamp 1
A Frozen Fanfiction
Chapter 1
Ever since the invention of the crossbow, technology has proceeded to boom rather quickly. Shipyards have attempted to invent better ways to sail the seven seas. The discovery of gunpowder has made the catapult extinct in favor of the cannon, still small in size but far more destructive and powerful. Coal has made its way into the lives of the common man, found in furnaces and charcoal in pencils, lessening the need for firewood. Still, the technology could be more advanced.
In Erysipelas, despite having only recently discovered gunpowder and new ocean technology, the warships are already leagues ahead of other nations. No other nation has been able to make iron float in water, and yet Erysipelas has made fleets of ships completely composed of steel that not only float but can do battle with Caravels and destroy them utterly; these 'warships' have been given the title 'Ironclad Destroyers' due to their iron composition and destructive capabilities. Ruling the seas, only two other nations can compare: Impetus, with their mastery of land-based horseless assault carriages and gunpowder-based weaponry; and Infernus, known as the conquerors of the skies with their 'sky carriages' and 'war balloons'. The three were once allied with one another until Infernus attacked Impetus with force, gaining the technology of their victims. Now at war with one another, Erysipelas has had to defend numerous less-advanced nations against the new oppressive government known as 'the Commune' or Communism for short. As the defenders of the elective democracy and of freedom, the Kingdom of the Holy Fire is currently fighting a losing battle against their former allies. The tides were thought to have switched after one naval battle. Now, with the ideals of freedom and security at stake, the tides may turn once more because of one young soul.
(Erysipelas, 1427)
At 13 years old, Joshua Lucerna was one of those weird kids who're more mature than most people twice their age. He only discovered that he was a vessel for the Holy Fire his homeland was named for at the age of 7, when he was learning to fire a crossbow and accidentally shot a bolt lit with Holy Fire, devastating the target with a bang; in order to control it, he learned to act without emotion getting in the way. Well, that and he was the son of the Commanding Admiral, one of thirteen Admirals who command the military and the only Admiral on the High Council, so he had to be well behaved.
A brief explanation of the democratic council designed by the Founders, as learned by Joshua: the High Council is composed of the Commanding Admiral, the District Representatives, the Master Advisors of Science, Agriculture, and Foreign Policy, and the Chief Justice of the High Court. The Master Advisors, District Representatives, and Commanding Admiral all represent their respective divisions of government; Master Advisors visit with their fellow scientists, ministers, and farmers/producers. The Chief Justice is present to ensure that all decisions are within the law and make life best for the citizens. Generally, the Representatives and Justices are elected by the people and do their best to represent the people and provide justice for said people. The Admirals are promoted to their positions, but the Admirals themselves pick their Commanding Admiral, often choosing the wisest and smartest of the current Admirals. The Master Advisors, on the other hand, simply rotate every session or two, providing equal opportunity and maximum intelligence.
Today, Joshua was about to be promoted to Captain, given his own ship even. He had no clue which Admiral he would be serving under. Preferably his father, though things have been known to change rather drastically during the war. That wasn't to say that he was nervous, but he certainly wasn't comfortable at the moment. He was praying that his ship would be a good one, and the Admiral a great man. He swallowed as he entered the Admiral Command meeting room. His blue and yellow uniform was not helping him, tight around his throat and boiling his skin below his neck. The rifle strapped to his back felt like a grown horse, the pistol at his side seemed to pull his belt down, and the armor under his vest and uniform jacket was an unnecessary weight on his shoulders. The fire behind his red-hazel eyes was starting to grow hotter, reminding him that today wasn't a time to be nervous.
Upon entering the chambers, he noticed the other young men to receive promotions. It wasn't uncommon for men his age to join the military, but none had quite the same reasons. Some lost their fathers and wanted revenge, others dreamed of adventure and excitement, and a handful even felt that the Navy was the only way to escape something, be it girls, life, loneliness, or sometimes parents. Generally, children weren't forced to join the military and were encouraged to reconsider, but for those who did like Joshua there were specialized 'boot camps' for training them lightly before they were legitimately able to join. Joshua stepped in line with the other men and stood in such a way that he appeared more relaxed.
"You're nervous too, huh," a teen asked him, making Joshua nod. This boy was about two years older than him, joined earlier than him, and yet took ranking up a bit slower. As fellow First Officers, they were used to being seated next to their Captains when said Captains were meeting with their Admirals, listening in on the reports and discussions. Joshua, like the other First Officers, knew his subordinates like a shepherd knows his flock, sometimes meeting with others of similar rank; sadly, he mostly met with those aboard his own ship, the E.D.S. Thunder, so his knowledge of the other First Officers was limited to the expanse of his memory, which was also limited to how often he met up with them.
"Join the club, Lucerna," said another First Officer in front of Joshua. "No seriously, I think we're about to start."
Sure enough, only two seconds after he said that did the Admirals enter the chambers, striding in with their decorated uniforms and respective fleet flags pinned to their collars and caps. All but the Admirals snapped to attention as the Admirals made their way to their seats.
"Please," spoke the Commanding Admiral when his council members were seated. "Be at ease. With as many men ready for promotion, this may take a bit of a while. After all, it is bad for one's health to remain in the same position for too long."
The process was long indeed, as there were five rows of seven men apiece and the Admirals listed each man by row. First, the soldier was called to stand before the Admirals; then, his new rank was given, followed shortly by the new rank pinned to his uniform as the old was renewed. Next, he was informed of his new position/ship and when said position/ship would take hold, usually a refurbished ship or newly opened position within a day or two. Finally, the soldier would return to his position and wait for the rest of the process to finish. Each one usually took around two minutes, more or less depending on the person. A little over an hour had passed by the time they got to Joshua's neighbor, as he was in the fifth row, last man in the row. He swallowed the lump growing in his throat, knowing his choices were very limited at this point.
"First Officer Joshua Lucerna, please stand before the Council," ordered Admiral Worlith, seated two to the right of the Commanding Admiral and youngest member of the Council. Joshua did as he was told and stood at attention.
"Please, remove your First Officer insignia and hold it in your right hand," asked Worlith. Lucerna removed the insignia and held it in his right hand, as told. A young Marine, one who fought on both the land and the seas, came and took it, placing a Captain's insignia in Joshua's left hand.
"Raise your right hand," Admiral Percival, the oldest and most faithful of the Council, began, "With this promotion to Captain, you will be given command of a ship filled with honourable personnel, whose lives will be in your hands. Your overall goal will be to defend Erysipelas, her people, and the freedom she stands for. Nothing is more important than this, not even your own life. You will be the last line of defense for the previously mentioned, and no orders shall override this principle. Do you understand?"
"Sir, yes sir," Joshua responded sharply.
"Do you have a problem with any of the aforementioned?"
"Sir, no sir."
"If you do not wish to receive this promotion, speak now."
Joshua stood silent for a few seconds, not daring to decline his promotion. Despite being different from other people, he had a stronger sense of morals and duty, therefore not letting himself decline, no matter what lies ahead of him.
"Sir, I accept this promotion," Joshua finally answered when the Admirals waited for his response.
"The Council of the Admirals accepts your decision. With the authority bestowed upon me by the Council, and with the blessings of God, I hereby accept your promotion to Captain."
"Your new vessel shall be the Liberty-Class E.D.S. Liberty, the newest battleship design in the shipyard," continued Admiral Connors, a long-time friend of the Commanding Admiral. "Her maiden voyage will be in two weeks, and you shall be her Captain when she sets sail. In the meantime, study her layout and blueprints. Visit with your crew, as well as the Marine Squadron who will serve with you on the Liberty. Your Admiral shall be Admiral Worlith. Godspeed to you, Captain Lucerna. Pin your new insignia to your uniform, and return to your position among your fellow Captains."
"Thank you, sirs," the new Captain snapped a salute before doing as told. In the meantime, he pondered his fortune. Not only did he manage to earn such favor with the Admirals that they gave him command of their newest ship—the first of a line of ships, no less—but they entrusted him to serve under one of the youngest and most respectable Admirals. Either this was all a big joke or they seriously trusted him to not screw up.
"New Captains, visit with your new Admirals upon dismissal," ordered the Commanding Admiral. "I'm certain they would like to speak with the newest members of their fleets. You are dismissed."
Following the new Captains serving under Admiral Worlith, Joshua eventually reached his destination: Admiral Worlith's council chambers. There were very few Captains recently serving under Worlith, something that concerned Lucerna slightly.
"Greetings, Captains," their Admiral said as he entered his council chambers. "At ease, I may be an Admiral but I don't expect total formality. Now, let me give you the rundown of the situation at hand: there has been a recent patch of information saying that the Infernus fighters on the offensive are terrorists, not government-sanctioned fighters. Additionally, word has it that they have outposts in Spain, Great Britain, and France. We cannot allow them to rise any further north, not to Germany. With this in mind, please note that they are supposedly developing a new breed of war balloon called the 'sky fortress', the Zeppelin. Should you encounter one of them, take them down and analyze their design, find a weak point.
"Thus being said, here are your orders," continued Worlith. "Captain Millard, sail towards the North Sea and make a short yet thorough patrol. Captain Orthill, you and Captain Williamson will accompany Captain Dawson and patrol the Mediterranean Sea and scan for any more terrorist outposts. Captain Poweshiek, escort the new Laetitia supply freighters from Laetitia to Arendelle, and for the Love of God please keep pace with them as their vessels are not as fast as ours. Captain Henrik, maintain general patrols around the borders. Captain Lucerna, as soon as the Liberty has been finished, you will attack a nearby enemy outpost oppressing a small village; in the meantime, you will use the refugee recovery vessel E.D.S. Shield to evacuate Farcia, a small city on the French-Spanish border. And Captain Davis, escort Captain Lucerna on his recovery mission; do not hesitate to open fire on enemy airships. Any questions?"
"How long will the recovery mission take," Captain Davis asked the question Joshua was afraid to ask himself.
"Two weeks, more or less depending on how fast you act," responded Worlith.
"What is the priority of the cargo," Poweshiek asked.
"Considering how much there is, as well as the current economic state of Arendelle, the priority is high."
"How many refugees are present and where should I take them?" asked Joshua. "And what is the nearby outpost like?"
"That attitude could get you killed in a battle," Worlith warned. "But to answer your questions, there are around three hundred refugees, and you should take them to nearby Corona. The nearby outpost, according to our sources, has around ten aircraft designed for aerial assaults, with fifty personnel working the outpost. The artillery is basic, with six-pounder cannons lining the walls. Why, what's your plan?"
"Well, sir, I was thinking that perhaps I could provide a small distraction to draw the attention of the fighters while Davis assaults the outpost itself, then open fire on the aircraft itself when they return to the destroyed outpost. Afterwards, we send a recovery vessel to help the civilians and refugees rebuild their village. If that is alright with you, sir."
Worlith rolled the idea around in his head a little, then returned to Joshua.
"Alright, but if anything goes wrong, high-tail it back here. And for God's sake, come back in one piece. Any more questions or requests?"
No one responded.
"Then it's settled. Remember the plans, and Godspeed to you all. Dismissed."
End
A/N: That took forever. I get off of vacation and decide to end the hiatus as well, and my parents and brother won't stop bugging me. Damnit, I feel like a male procrastinating version of Cinderella.
Anyways, I hope this reboot makes any sense to you guys. Hope you enjoy. Texas, out.
