Disclaimer: I Do not own RWBY. Obviously
"So no shit there I was. We were on review this was back when Daniels was Chancellor; so the Chancellor is walking down front of the formations stopping to talk to troops with laugh and a handshake. Then he finally reached me." said Staff Sergeant Randolph with the dramatic pause of skilled storyteller.
Though his story was met with disinterest by most of the squad. Having already heard this story on multiple occasions. With the sole exception one young man of 17 years, with black hair almost blue like a Ravens feathers with Corporal rank on his fatigues.
"So he stands there a moment looks me in the eye and shakes my hand then he asked me: So sergeant ready for us old blowhard to be done so you can get home back to your wife?" Staff Sergeant Randolph momentarily stopping to stifle some chuckling.
"So naturally, I had just graduated from the Raiders course few days early. I took a deep breath and shouted that the top of my lungs. "FUCK YA, SIR!"
The young man doubling over with laughter gripping his side's managed with some difficulty to ask "I bet..ha..I bet Master Sergeant wasn't happy about that?"
Staff Sergeant Randolph grin expanded at the mention of their platoon leader.
"Damn skippy, the whole time though the ceremony she was the very soul of military bearing. She didn't even looked my way when I made my little outburst but as soon as we were dismiss. Oh boy! She had me running for damn near three days straight."
"Bulshit! It was like four hours you little bitch." Sergeant First Class Manwell shouted from the back of group not even lifting his eyes from his rilfe he was cleaning. The rest of the Squad perking up at this. For the show was about to begin.
Staff Sergeant Randolph replied with exaggerated injury. "Well I never! Do I interrupt you when you're telling stories? No! Because I cherish our friendship unlike your goofy ass."
At that Sergeant Manwell final look up from his weapon "All I had to do to get you to shut up is stop being your friend? Done."
Staff Sergeant Randolph put hand over his heart "Aw, Frank if you're going to plant a knife in my heart you might as well twist it while it's in there."
Sergeant Manwell stoic expression was final broken with that quid laughing with the rest of the squad. He then reached out in front of him making a circular motion with his wrist.
While Sergeant Randolph with great grabbed his chest and and slid to the ground convulsing.
"Well it seems morales high." a feminine but raspy voice said.
All the men in the siting in the hanger turned to see Master Sergeant Cerberus standing in the doorway. The dog faunus woman stood at 5'6'' with a feminine frame and a the right side of her face one would describe as beautiful.
If it wasn't for the wrinkly burn scars the covered left half her face and neck you would think she was model.
Normally her presence when it cause much of a fuss with the squad. But what perplexed all of them was that she was in her full dress uniform.
Which was only worn on those rare occasions such as balls, promotion boards and a reviewing of the troops. Unless you were a staff weenie of course.
"Terah, your coming with me." She said to the corporal.
After hearing that he immediately got up to his feet and started to move towards her.
"Frank, can you make sure his weapon gets cleaned and back to the armory?" she continued saying her gaze shifting over to Sergeant Manwell.
"Sure thing, Master Sergeant."
"Good, we should be back in an hour, hour and a half at the longest. If we're not back by 1700 make sure the weapons are clean do an AAR and release them before the chow hall closes." Cerberus said turning away from eleven men in the hanger.
Who returning back to cleaning their weapons as she and Terah walk out of the hanger.
Corporal Terah was nervous walked across the tarmac heading over to a jeep. "The Fuck is going on!" He thought to himself.
Cerberus walked briskly to the driver's seat and start it up.
They headed off the runway and onto the main road on post.Terah notice that they were heading not towards company E headquarters but the barracks.
"So I'm not in trouble if I was she would of taken me in front of the Commander immediately, And I can't think of anything I might of done. So Why?." His inner monologue continued.
"I can smell your brain frying try figure out what's going on. Aren't you going to ask?" The Master Sergeant ask.
"It's typically not a good idea for a year and half of military experience to question 25; you would tell me if I need to know."
Upon hearing that Cerberus had a slight smile. Like a teacher who student had figured out the right answer without being prompted.
"Good boy, you might have future in my army." Terah stiffened slightly uncomfortably at her choice of words the anti-discrimination briefings going through his head.
Cerberus after noticing his discomfort rolled her eyes.
"Corporal, it's only bigoted if you say it."
"Oh" Terah replied unsure what to say next so he just watched the Vale landscape.
Which was mostly dominated the Cliffs of Beacon with the Huntsman Academy on top. His mother has always wanted to see the Academy ever since he got stationed to Fort Valiant.
But as often he and the rest of the Third Raiders regiment had been either training or on an operation he just hadn't had time.
"I have to make it up to her" he thought to himself.
By the time he finished his musings they were front of the barracks.
"You have 15 minutes to shower and be back down here in Class A." Cerberus stated in way to convey they had no wiggle room for time.
"Roger!" he said in a tone to show he had no desire to make her repeat herself. He ran up the stairs and into his room. Ripping off his clothes and tossing them on his bed.
The shower was cold but that couldn't be helped he was on the clock. After drying he put on his dress uniform making sure the few ribbons that he had where in the right place and order. He then look in the mirror to double check his work.
And out the door he went. Master Sergeant Cerberus still had the jeep running when he got in. She pulled an illegal turn as they headed towards the direction of post headquarters.
"Alright, Terah your going to notice who is at headquarters by the time we get there. So you're going to be evaluated by... a general for a special assessment." Cerberus said with a note of sympathy in her voice.
The young man was at first stunned then terrified. Master Sergeant Cerberus notice the fear on his face she tried to reassured him
"Corporal, they put their pants on the morning just like you."
The terror accelerating his mental faculties, allowing him to going through every possible reasons for his summons from the sound to the ridiculous.
"Sergeant, do you know anything? Or OPSEC?" He finally said with about as much composer as he could muster.
"Pete, after twenty years in the Army OPSEC is a "guidline" not the rule. Thats not it supposed to be. But what can you do? I know a little, but they're playing this one close to the chest." she was cut off by a truck that was about the T-bone them.
That's what happens typically when you treat stop signs as suggestions.
She swerve hard right avoiding the three ton truck picking up the conversation as if nothing happened at all.
"You'll be a liaison for three years, who or what with. Fuck if I know."
Pete waited a moment before asking.
"Any guesses?"
"No, but if this just some ploy for the damn Spooks to grab you for some bullshit op. I'll fight it tooth-and-nail!"
And with those words Pete's mind claimed. In the next hours a lot of unknowns where coming and some of those would undoubtedly be unpleasant.
It was good to know that someone had his six.
They pulled into the large parking lot of post headquarters. It was a short square building with the words "Warriors Excellence Center" craved over the entrance but other then that no other decorations adore the building.
Making the red flag with five stars the focal point. It's bright color constrainting with the dull utilitarian building.
As he gazed at that flag Corporal Peter Terrah with competition dawning on his face.t The terror he felt before returned with a vengeance. Then that fear went flying pass the event horizon turing first into confusion, finale setting on apathy.
"Really? The Chief of staff?" Pete asked in a monotone.
Master Cerberus shrugged "Just remember who you are and what you stand for…… and don't embarrass the Unit." she said somewhere between a threat and plea.
They went in the building. Security was as it has always been slow. A large MP sergeant directed them to a conference room farther in.
There a Major instructed Pete to wait in chair until called into the room. He was sitting for maybe ten minutes.
"Corporal, they're ready hop too." The Major said poking his head out. And with that Pete stood and headed into the interview that would change is life.
In the quarter of his eye he saw Master Sergeant
"She was doing something with her hands… Is she give me a thumbs up?" he thought to himself a smile creeping upon his face.
But as he crossed the threshold of door a stoic expression formed.
When he walked into the room he noticed a figure immediately to his left but he didn't get a good look. He mental mark it as possible threat.
But he didn't have time to dwell on that for his whole focus was on the man sit at the long table in the middle of room.
The white haired gentlemen in a immaculate Class A uniform that contrasted nicely with brown leather skin.
But his face looked old and tried with that weight of responsibility that if left too long on his shoulders would break him.
He walk directly to just in front of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Services of the Kingdom of Vale. He saluted him crisp and in stern but not loud voice stated
"Corporal Peter C. Terrah reporting as ordered, sir."
The Chief gave him a slow tiered salute, and waved his hand for him to sit down.
"Do you drink tea son?" the Chief asked.
"Yes, sir." Pete answer then sat at attention.
"You need to do that son, we are just going to have us a little chat." The old General said with the patience of one gotten sick ceremony.
"Understood sir, but you are never wrong by showing respect." Pete answered.
The old man smiled at that. "Lupa taught you that didn't she." He offered.
Pete was catch off guard but only for a moment realizing where he had heard that name before.
"Sir, if I beg your pardon you know Master Sergeant Cerberus?" Pete asked his voice with a interest.
The Chief's face lit up making him seem much younger. Pete thought he caught the shadow of the man in his prime.
"Corporal, you have to realize the Army was once less than 10,000 personal. If you could've call us that. All we where was half dozen town and cities militia. Ha." The Chief Had to stop to a moment to regain his composure to continue with a grin of fawn memory.
"Chariably, the word mob would of been good description of us then. Until Dave was final able to get us into something approaching a professional force . Most of us "old hands" know each other. So yes I know Lupa she was maybe three or four years older than you are when I meet her."
Pete was took a back that. He knew objectively that Master Sergeant had to start somewhere. But never picture her as a baby face trooper just out of basic.
She had ever been since he had known her as this steely eye professional badass. Everything he wanted to be. Then he wondered when when he would become a Senior NCO, would his troopers look up to him as he looked up to Master Sergeant?
"No, or at least I hope not!" Pete thought.
"Sorry, I got caught up in some memories from a lifetime ago; So your a micro tell me about what it was like growing up? Do you really carry a longsword long on ops?" The Chief ask all business again.
Pete gave a tight smile at the at mention of his status as member of a micro-civilization. Those little pocket of Humanity and/or Fanus who thought tough terrain or by other means lost contact with the Kingdoms.
Like that Varanasi Empire's colony on Menagerie 250 years ago. Poor bastards didn't know that Varanasi was raised to the ground and the Fanus population enslaved 50 years prior.
It had been more a more rare as time marched on. In the two century their happen only 17 people include his family that been "Discovered". A fact he like to keep to himself, not that was ashamed of his heritage. It just he didn't what to make himself a spectacul.
"Well sir, Vale is really all I know. I was only three or four months old when we left the old country; So besides a language only dead language professors speak, a bunch of old stories and a longsword that really all the connections I have with the old country." Pete answered.
"Interested…" The Chief look away for a moment with a pensive gaze trying to formulate his next words.
"Son, I know you're a good soldier…" His next words had heat of outrage behind them.
"But some in the government question if you don't have mix loyalties." He stop again, giving a glare over Pete's shoulder.
Then his anger deflated as he continue with as much empathy as he could muster.
"The paranoia is warranted for the trust you will be a fording you for this assessment. So let's convince them of that we already know; Do you have conflicting interest?"
He might have been anger. If wasn't for the old man's tone. For a moment a little voice whispered "Oh dare you! I fought for you sons of bitches! And what my reward? Subision! Fuck you all!"
And then it die as quickly as it came up only leaving resolve.
"Sir, Vale is my country, it's people my kin."
Pete lock eyes with the Chief has he said those words. Whatever he saw in Pete's eyes it pleases him for smile returned larger then before.
"Yes exactly! That. Is. Exactly. What. We. Need." The Chief pointing at Pete's chest to enthaice ever word.
"Son, pack your bags we are sending you to Beacon Academy!" The Chief with a predatory grin. Just in time for their tea to arrive.
General "Dunk" McMasters Chief of Staff of Armed Forces of Vale. Brief the kid in a little over 50 minutes. He knew shouldn't think of him that way.
By the Gods he already in two firefighters. But couldn't help himself he had grandsons his age.
They chatted for five minutes after that. Then he dismissed the young man.
"So what do you think Chuck?" The old man said as if speaking to the air.
In room to the right of the General a frame on the wall open to a room with computers, showing the conference room in real time on their screens.
A man in a uniform much the same as the old man's. But he was his late 30's with two stars of a Major General on his shoulders. With the Tankers badge on his chest.
"He'll do fine, out of all our options he was my pick after all." The other officer said smug satisfaction in his voice and posture.
"I think this was a mistake." A woman's voice cut in.
Both men turned towards the door to the right of the door a woman sat who was not their before.
She was in a business suit without a tie with long brown hair pulled back in a bun. Her eyes dark and penetrating cold calculation on her face.
Chuck snorted "Mis Lynch, if wish to rehash your objections to the boy. By all means, but make quick I would like to get home some time this week."
Leaning against the wall dare her to shot back.
"General McMasters, I still think that one of my agents should be sent. And if I may ask what changed your opinion of him?"
Mis Lynch said making a point to ignore Chuck. But there was no rapprochement in her voice for McMaster's digestion. Just a professional curiosity.
"For this assessment Mis Lynch, we are going to need something more than skill for this operation to succeed. And unfortunately that by nature of profession you and your people don't have it in great quantity."
"And what is that?" she asked.
"Sincerity, Mis Lynch" the old man answered.