A/N: Before we kick off the chapter, I'd like to acknowledge a review left on the last chapter, from Ryder:

This story has progressed from the first chapter. In it's first chapter everything was clumped up in one big paragraph and it was hard to read. Yeah... That's why I think most viewers don't get past the first chapter or two... One of these days I'm going to get on my computer (I normally write on a tablet, actually) and completely overhaul the spacing...

As the chapters continued you added your own OCs though they were kind of hard to follow at first. As things are now the story is still a bit weird to read with the setting hopping to places and character shifts from the game to the a OCs but it isn't unreadable is it's ok in my books. I'll keep reading to see what happens next. Keep it up and I hope you improve more. (Also don't insert the A/N in so much during the story) I know, there's a few too many characters, but they should only be around for a few more chapters! And I'm going to return to something I haven't used since 1-10-the little footnotes in the chapters!

Also are you using Clone Wars names? Yes! Cody, Rex, Fives, and Echo are all based on their characters from the series! Alpha, Gamma, and Beta (well, obviously on Gamma's part) are all OCs... Yes, more of them. I might make Gamma a permanent recurring character... I need more powerful women in the series! Anyways, thanks for the big old review, lots of feedback! And now, to the story!

The Tournament: Rise of the Rookies: Verse II, Chapter VII: Stuff Happens.

Journal Entry 15, Ethan. Nearing LKR, ~10 miles.

'Three weeks. That's how long we've been slogging through this endless jungle, and we finally caught a glimpse of open spaces and civilization yesterday evening. The eleven of us have split up six times, destroyed at least a dozen supply wagons, and fought droids at least twice a week regularly. It's becoming a moshpit the closer we get.

'Beta came down with some jungle disease last week and was briefly airlifted out. He's since come back, but he's still got a bad cough.

'Will and I were able to fix Gamma's armor, and she's since become a valuable member of the tea. From the way she and Sarah act together, you'd think they'd have known each other for years...goodbye will be difficult for those two especially.

'Then there's Will. He's become essentially our HQ correspondent in charge of communications, and somehow he and Rex have gotten along well. They're a strange pairing, sure, but they're astonishingly efficient. We can always count on them getting stuff done. The same can be said for Alpha and Cody; a strange friendship, but astonishingly efficient in the strategic side.

'Oh, and Echo and Fives? Those guys are just competing for kills now. What originally started as a detachment wide competition has since devolved into a two man face between the two big guns. I wanna say Echo leads by four right now, but I can never remember.

'As for me, these three weeks have been brutal. I've come under fire from several higher ups for calling in the Spartans, despite them turning the tide of the invasion. I fear for my position here at times...it seems that I truly did enter into a false dilemma...I don't see any way out of a looming court martial when I return. I may even have to return home, to Miitopia. I don't want to do that...'

*end log*

Ethan, sitting against a tree root, set the pen down and buried his face in his hands and sighed, "Well, can't get much worse, can it? No, actually, it can. Knock on wood..." He felt a caring hand on his shoulder and he looked behind him, expecting Sarah.

Instead, it was Gamma who was there. "Sir, I heard about your problems from the lieutenant. Just know that even if you do get court martialed, the detachment stands behind you."

Ethan nodded, "Thank you, Gamma. I guess we should get the folks headed out, huh? Two days till the assault and my head's going to be on the table even more if I don't get going now and we end up late..."

He stood and reached for the horn hanging at his side, before pausing and tossing the horn to Gamma. "You get to do it for the last time. I think that was part of Sarah's...bargaining that first day."

Gamma smiled and raised the horn to her lips and gave a loud, long blast that echoed through the surrounding area.

Ethan's jaw dropped, what she had just done was better than most of his horn calls. "Man, we should've had you do those earlier. We might've actually been able to get Will up on time some mornings!"

As he spoke, bags started to drop out of low trees followed by the owner of the bag. Will dropped Ethan's at his feet from above then slid down a thick vine on the side of the tree. Ethan did a quick head count verifying all team members were present and he shouldered his bag. "Alright, we don't know what's waiting outside the forest, so keep wary and keep ready. There are rumors the local monster clans from the North have sided with the Primids as well, so keep wary."

He turned and led the way out of the forest, into the first large open plain they had seen in three weeks. As the troopers squinted, shapes dropped from the surrounding trees. The fighters scrambled to get in a defensive position and nearly opened fire when Ethan held up his hand. "Who are you?"

One of them stepped forward. "We are the last that remain from those who defended the Walls when they fell to the Horde. You do not appear to be one of them. Stand down, men."

As the fighters' visions cleared, Ethan recognized a small patch on the shoulder of the man who stepped forward. "Excuse me, but that patch...I recognize it. You were one of the original men of the Kerball Wall, weren't you?"

The man nodded. "Aye, I was. We were a glorious unit, too. 'Tis a shame they called the Commander into the Joint Forces."

Ethan began to smile. "It might interest you to know this, but your commander is now Joint Forces Lieutenant Arothmir Deshart, is he not?"

The man's eyes opened wide. "Aye, that was him alright. He's gotten a hefty promotion it sounds, good for him and his commanding officers."

Ethan chuckled. "You're actually speaking with his commanding officer currently. Joint Forces Captain Ethan Burks, Member of the Ordahn au Medalon Au Nocht (1), at your service. And trust me, he completely deserved the promotion."

The next morning, ~1 Mile from JSF Headquarters

As the eleven saboteurs made their way towards the camp with those who remained of the freedom fighters, a group five hundred strong, Ethan could practically taste smoke and ash on the air, and as he looked to the north and the west he saw where large fires burned, huge swaths of forest just burned simply because it was in the way of Subspace. He sighed, and further resolved his nerves for the whipping he was undoubtedly about to receive from the Major. As they approached the gates, Ethan signaled for the rest to halt there while he went to the gates to make them known as friends. A familiar face met him at the gate...

"Halt right there. Remove your helmet immediately."

Ethan obliged and removed his helmet to raise an eyebrow at one (a, 1, singular) Joint Forces Lieutenant Arothmir Deshart.

"C'mon, Aro, do we need to do this?"

Arothmir's eyes widened. "Sir!" He hopped over the barricade to greet his friend. Ethan pointed behind him. "I found some of your old company, too. Lieutenant!"

A short, stocky guardsman walked up from the group. "Good to see you, sir. Glad to see you in good health."

The elf smiled, "I am glad to see you as well, Calt. It has been far too long, my friend. I see you have the Resistance (2) with you, why are you not on the walls?"

Calt Tonnigan, a gruff, seasoned man, sighed. "We were split in half, and separated from the wall. We've been poking the sleeping giant since, trying to find a weakness we can exploit and free the city. We don't know how much time we have here." The two men entered into a close analytical discussion, and finally stepped away after at least ten minutes. "We storm the gates. They're not expecting it, and it's the only place we can make it in easily after we punch through. Your friends are with the King, or at least they were when we left. Should we make it there..."

Arothmir teared up briefly. "It has been far too long since I have seen Adlar and Claudia, and Plint, even. How is he?"

Calt snorted. "The old uncanny bugger's as crazy as ever, and even more energetic than he used to be."

The reunion, however, was not to last. Ethan turned as someone approached. "Colonel Halsey, sir!" He snapped to attention.

The colonel waved him off, "Skip the formalities, Burks. We both know why I'm here." Ethan sighed as his two friends stepped up behind him.

"With all due respect, sir, this was as much Ethan's call as it was our own. We deserve any punishment as much as he does," Sarah tried.

Ethan shook his head. "No, you guys have to stay with the Regarde. You're a part of them, you've made friends. I'm a commanding officer, I'm replaceable. Go back to the team. That's an order." He added the last part as Will turned but Sarah refused to leave. Eventually, though, she too turned back to the team.

Arothmir placed his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Always remember, friend, your place here, should we succeed, will be remembered."

Ethan nodded, "Thank you, Aro. But you too- you have your own team to watch after as well." He turned to the colonel. "I'm ready, sir."

The colonel nodded somberly and led the way for the two of them into the camp, eventually ending at the commander's tent. He opened the flap and gestured inside. "You first, Captain."

Ethan bowed his head and removed his helmet as he entered. When he glanced up, he was shocked. The man in charge of the expedition was not the colonel, as he had believed, but Major General Eric Smoultz, legendary for his Krakatoan Campaign, not to mention from his homeland. He briefly lost his composure but quickly regained it. "Sir, I'm ready for the review."

The general nodded, "I've already briefed the others here in what occurred and what my recommendations are. Let's make this brief shall we? All in favor of my recommendation of...

(1): Translation from Ancient Mio dialect: Ordahn-Order; au-of the; Medalon-Medal; Au Nocht-of the Night; Or, in other words, Member of the Order of the Medal of the Night. It was a medal awarded by the Joint governments of Miitopia (after the Dark Lord's Rebellion was suppressed and rebuffed) given to any who had served in the conflict.

(2): This was from a scrapped arc to my first published story, where Chapter 5 is flipped and the Defenders are cut off and the city is put under siege from a much more conventional enemy. Hmmm... Leave a review as to whether I should keep writing that series/reboot it!

A/N: NOT THIS WEEK! BWAHAHAHAHA! So...we don't know what the general recommends, we don't know what's happening in the city, we don't know how they're getting into the city, and we don't know...well, a lot.

But, you know what?

I'm going to continue the chapter.

Like, right now.

If someone read the top but not all of the Author's Note because it appears to be really big, sucks to be them.

PART B STARTS NOW! (Its a short lead-in to the next chapter)

"My recommendation of promoting this man to Major, say 'aye'." The room responded loudly in favor and the colonel broke into a grin.

"Major, you didn't think we were really going to court martial you, did you? That was only a plan to get you out here to lead the assault sooner."

Ethan shook his head, speechless. "Man, y'all suckered me in good! I thought I had it coming for me there!"

The colonel pointed to a small container in the corner. "I believe that is yours."

Ethan walked over to it and pulled the cover off of it, revealing... "The armor Will and I created...you brought it here. Why?"

The colonel placed his arm on Ethan's shoulder, "We made some adjustments. We want you to lead the assault on the city, like I mentioned earlier. We can't have you out there in bright white armor, you'll get obliterated..."

Ethan walked out of the tent and was greeted by his friends. "Well I guess this is...wait, what the hell are you planning?" Will stammered.

Ethan smirked, "Who said I got court-martialed?" He pointed to his shoulder where the two dark stripes on a green backdrop were connected by two thinner stripes on either end.

Sarah gasped, "You got promoted! Ethan!" She squealed excitedly as Ethan laughed and Will, once again, searched for words, as seems to happen so often in this series.

"Wha-how...I...Wow. I-... I just... Wow." Will stumbled over himself searching for the right words.

Ethan pointed to the armor printer, "Suit up. We're leading the point break on the operation."