Chapter 19: To Sadera

Disclaimer: I do not in any way or form own Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There or RWBY. They belong to their respective owners, Takumi Yanai and RoosterTeeth Animations respectively.

A/N: 'But how can Salem control magic from a different world?' Good question. I have an explanation. I've already touched on this in my author's notes in chapter 6. It's related to how Dust still works off Remnant. You'll find out in about 8-10 chapters or so. Don't worry, I won't forget.

Why haven't the Remnant gods intervened? Because... they left. They pretty much gave up on Remnant, until the relics are recovered.

Also, regarding Tuka's death: Unfortunately, the main cast won't know for quite a while, seeing as how they're stuck in a different world. The ramifications of this will come, but not anytime soon.

Tai easily got the location of team RWBY's currently assigned room from the soldiers and immediately went there to check on them. Arriving there, he found the door locked and, after several inquiries, found his way to the forge in Alnus Base.

Even as he approached, he could hear the roar of the flames and felt the heat of the active forge. The first thing that he noticed when he entered the forge was that it was very basic compared to those in Signal or Beacon Academy. The second was that team RWBY was not alone.

"Lelei? Why are you here?"

"Oh, hey dad," Ruby greeted, before turning back to whatever she was working on. The rest of team RWBY glanced over as well to give him a nod in greeting.

Weiss was carefully selecting dust crystals from the storage, visibly displeased at the quality. She had already gone through quite a few crystals, deeming them too damaged or otherwise lacking. Blake was doing some maintenance on Gambol Shroud - the new one, replacing the original one lost somewhere in Falmart. Yang was helping her partner and leader, ensuring that nothing went wrong.

"Lelei?"

Focused on the blazing forge, Lelei absently answered, "Ruby is helping to modify my weapon in preparation for the mission tomorrow. Your technology is fascinating."

"The mission? Wait, Lelei, you weren't in the mission briefing. Ruby..." Tai grumbled.

Ruby looked up from Lelei's staff. She gave the embarrassed chuckle of a girl caught with one hand in the cookie jar. "Um... It wasn't me?" she attempted.

"Nice try. Seriously, Ruby, this mission is important. You can't just invite anyone you want to come," Tai scolded.

"Sorry, dad... But can she come?"

Lelei added, "I am a mage. No one else is as fluent as I in magic, and the Gate is certainly magical in nature. I can help you out."

"I don't think I can just let anyone come along. This is a very important mission."

"But you're the leader of this mission!" Ruby triumphantly exclaimed, "You can! Please?"

"I agree with Ruby," Blake added. Done with her maintenance on Gambol Shroud, she sheathed her weapon and explained, "Having someone familiar with local customs will prove invaluable. Besides, as she said, magic. We still know next to nothing about it."

"Those are good points, but Winter is still the one in charge. I know she's your friend, but I don't know if I can just add her to the list."

"Excuse me, Mr. Xiao Long," Weiss interrupted, putting her scroll away, "Winter has given approval for Lelei to join us."

"Yes!" Ruby cheered.

Tai sighed, "Fine. Lelei's coming, but you do as I say, alright? Don't put yourself in danger."

"Of course."

There was a lapse in conversation, and Yang took the opportunity to ask, "Hey, Lelei, why let Ruby modify your staff, anyway? Don't you need it for, like, magic stuff?"

"My staff helps me focus my magic, but does little more than that. I saw that your weapons are so much more versatile and useful, so I asked Ruby to help improve my staff," Lelei explained.

Weiss frowned at the reasoning, "Won't that affect your magic? If your staff helps channel your magic, modifying it may cause its ability to be affected."

"Perhaps," Lelei agreed, nodding. Her attention still on her staff, she continued, "But it is merely a channel, not the source of my magic. Your materials and technology are more than able to make up for the loss, if any. Perhaps these strange metals are even more conducive for magic, which may..." Lelei's considerations faded off into mutters.

"Ruby, exactly what are you doing to her staff?"

"Oh! Well, I wanted to add a sniper gun into it," Ruby enthusiastically replied, "But Lelei wanted something that could be used without dust since she didn't have any. So I made some metal pellets for bullets because normal bullets need dust, but these pellets can't survive the force of a sniper rifle, so unfortunately I couldn't make that. I was wondering how to make it work without using fire or combustion dust, then I remembered that Lelei can make magical explosions. So I added a chamber that can contain and redirect the explosion to propel the bullet! Also, I wanted to make it a scythe but Lelei said no. Why would anyone say not to a scythe?"

"Your obsession with weapons still surprises me," Weiss commented.

"That's my sister," Yang said, slinging a hand over Ruby's shoulder, causing her to squeal and push her away. "Hey dad, did you just come here to check on us, or was there something you needed?"

Tai frowned as he remembered the reason he was looking for team RWBY in the first place. "How are you girls holding up?"

"What do you mean? We're ready to set out if that's what you're asking, Mr. Xiao Long," Weiss answered.

Tai shook his head. "No, not that," he elaborated, "The four of you are still students. Well, were still students recently. Now you're thrown into another world, with no way home. And now Winter wants you to undertake a dangerous mission into unknown territory to open this Gate up again. You're not ready for this. Why did you even agree?"

"It's like you said, dad. We want to reopen the Gate. Our friends are still there, back in Beacon, surrounded by the Grimm. Team JNPR, team SSSN, team CFVY, Tuka. They didn't make it here with us. So we're going to open this Gate, go back to Remnant and fond them," Ruby replied with conviction.

"And the other three of you?"

"As she said, we're doing this for our friends. We can't just sit around and wait for someone else to do it. We won't run from danger anymore," Blake added.

"That's right! I'm going to kick the ass of anyone who tries to stop us!" Yang declared.

Weiss rolled her eyes before replying, "We stay together. The Gate must be reopened, and Rory, the only one who knows how to do, wants us. This is the best course of action for the good of everyone here on Falmart. Don't worry about us, Mr. Xiao Long."

Tai gave a small smirk, "Well, glad to hear that you're doing fine. But remember, you're still young. Already, you have seen and done things no student should have to. Don't forget, while we don't expect any conflict in this mission, the unexpected will happen. If you need to talk, I'll be here for you. All of you." Tai paused for a moment before continuing," And while I like your focus, remember: this mission is not a guaranteed success. Just because Rory says that she knows how to open the Gate doesn't mean that she can. Don't put all your hopes on this. Stay alert out there tomorrow, and please don't do anything stupid."

"When have we ever did something like that?" Yang laughed.

Weiss rolled her eyes. Again. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you. Thank you, Mr. Xiao Long. I'll keep your daughters in line."

"Heh, no problem. Don't be afraid to come to me for anything. And please call me Tai, Mr. Xiao Long makes me feel old."

"You are old."

"Hey!"

Once more Pina marveled at the amazing creations of Remnant. The metal vessel that they had boarded was different from the previous one that they had used.

This one - a Bullhead, she had heard people call it - had wings. They did not flap like those of birds but instead spat fire and rushing winds. Entering the belly of the vehicle, Pina took her seat at a window, with Bozes beside her. As she waited calmly for the rest of the passengers to arrive, she tried to focus her turmoiled mind.

Should she push for war? To muster the full might of the Empire against the weakened Atlesians and destroy them while they could bring no reinforcements to bear? Or to push for an alliance, where the Empire could learn from the advanced technology of the enemy, and hopefully come out on top? Unfortunately, despite her newfound focus, Bozes was no help. She knew little about politics, despite her status. Pina would have to do this herself.

The airship began to rumble, jolting her out of her considerations. Beside her, Bozes tensed, and Piña was glad to see that her friend was keeping her fear in check as she prepared for anything.

"Alright guys, this is Tai, your captain for the day. Everyone's here, and I've gotten the go-ahead from Winter, so I'll be taking off in a moment," Tai called from the pilot's seat. Beside him sat Sedge the diplomat, acting as co-pilot.

Pina took a look at the other passengers. Team RWBY was clamoring for the window seats. Lelei was sitting cross-legged on the floor, deep in concentration as magic flowed freely around her. Her staff rest across her legs, glowing and spinning. Rory, halberd by her side, seemed more interested in examining the large metal cylinder in her lap. Pina recognized it as an Atlesian weapon, making her wonder just how the Apostle had managed to accomplish the task of acquiring it.

Actually, she had thought of a possible reason. The Gate had collapsed, and the Atlesians were obviously eager to reopen it and return to their home. One of the gods must have been responsible for opening the Gate in the first place, so it stood to reason that one could reopen it. And with Rory being an Apostle, it was obvious what hold she had over the 'Men in White'. She must have offered to talk to the gods about the Gate, but only if they did what she wanted. Then Pina wondered, could she make use of that? Rory had already convinced Winter not to send her soldiers along, as well as gift her a weapon. If Pina could convince her to get another, she could bring it to the imperial engineers to see if they could make their own.

With a roar, the airship took off. Pina glanced out of the window, gasping as the ground receded rapidly. Sure, she had been in one of these before, when being transported to Amity Colosseum, but that was just a short trip. Pina hadn't thought that such a fast vehicle could make the trip was all the way from Alnus to Sadera. It would take a mounted messenger more than a week, but it took the land vehicle less than a day. With the air roaring around her and the ground flashing past below, this was probably moving even faster.

"Alright, we're in the air and the skies are clear," Tai reported, seeming to chuckle to himself, "We'll get to Sadera in about two hours. Just a short trip, so we probably won't crash."

Two hours.

A journey of over one thousand leagues in two hours. Flying over any obstacle, untouchable by any army.

By all accounts, the Atlesians seemed unbeatable. Their incredible technology, their ability to manipulate the elements, their defensive aura, the dazzling might that their warriors casually displayed. It seemed impossible for anything to even try to contest them, let alone win... yet the Grimm had managed to do so.

The Fall of Beacon was absolute chaos, but one thing was clear. The Grimm had won, using sheer numbers to force the Atlesians out of their own home. Could the Empire do the same? They had the resources of an entire kingdom to draw on, as well as more from the lesser kingdoms under their rule. If need be, the Empire could raise an army of a hundred thousand.

But that had been tried, hadn't it?

The Battle of Alnus Hill was so one-sided that it was no battle. It was just a massacre, the forces of the allied nations stomped like a bug beneath a boot. If the Empire tried again to attack, there was little hope of a different outcome. Another massacre was all that awaited her people.

And then, the Atlesians would counter. No kingdom would simply sit by while their enemies launched waves after waves of attack. Pina could already see it in her mind. The roar of the flying beasts as they attacked, untouchable by the Empire's best. Massive explosions as strange, powerful magic ripped Sadera apart.

It was settled, then. Pina would try to make peace between the Empire and Remnant. For if there was war, they would surely lose.

The Bullhead was on autopilot, automatically flying along the preset path to Sadera. With clear skies ahead, Tai could sit back and let the aircraft fly itself.

Turning to his copilot, he asked, "So, Sedge, do you think you can talk them down?"

"I am a negotiator, not a miracle worker, Taiyang," he replied, "From what we've seen of this Empire, they will not back down until we surrender. Even against our technology, they just keep trying to kill us. Remember when we first got here?"

"When those idiots sent their men to get slaughtered against Alnus? What a waste of lives," Tai grimaced.

Sedge nodded, "Even against overwhelming force, the Empire refuses to back down. Centuries of dominance has really inflated their egos. Even now our scouts find that they're trying to reform their army."

"So you don't think you can convince them to have peace? What about Pina?"

"The princess? After what she saw, I'm sure that she knows that the Empire cannot defeat us. Hopefully, she's smart enough to recognize that, and help us push for peace. The easiest way to get the Empire to stand down is a show of force, but now with the Gate down, that's out of the question. Unfortunately, we're going to have to do this the long way."

"Sounds fun."

Sedge laughed, "Yeah, as fun as getting eaten by a Griffin. But enough of that. I'll handle the politics. You handle the Gate. Open that thing back up so that we can go home. You do know how to, right?"

"Not really," Tai admitted, "But Rory says that she knows someone who does - Hardy the goddess. And, seeing as how we still know nothing about the Gate itself, this is our best bet."

"Oh? Why is she so willing to help?"

Tai found that he had no answer to that. Everyone was so focused on a chance to reopen the Gate that they hadn't questioned the motives of the one who proposed the solution in the first place. As far as they knew, Rory could be leading them into a trap. However, "I don't think that Rory means to harm us. She could be tricking us, I suppose, but that's unlikely. I think that she wants the Gate open as much as we do."

"And if it is indeed a trap, can you take her down?"

"She will not turn on us. But if, for some reason, we end up fighting... Yes, I think we can subdue her."

"I seem to recall that she is immortal. And, if I'm not mistaken, she has her aura."

"We can't kill her, yes, and I doubt that the girls would even consider it. But, if for some reason we must, we can subdue her. Restrain her until we can figure something out. Let's just hope it never comes to that."

Salem was not pleased. Unfortunately, Tuka's elf magic wasn't enough. Some higher form of magic had been responsible for the original Gate's creation, and forcing open another was still out of Salem's capability. Every person from Falmart on Remnant had returned home, so there was little that she could do from Remnant. As such, Salem turned her attention to the other world.

Under the dead of night, Salem linked to her Seer. She sent the Grimm into action, creeping out of Alnus base. The guards and sensors were never expecting a single creature of Grimm, especially with the Gate down, much less one trying to escape instead of entering Alnus base. It was almost too easy for the Seer to leave the fortified base and enter the forest around it.

The Seer floated silently above the ground, it's many tentacles occasionally whipping out to gather information about the environment. Much of the plant life were simple things, so Salem ignored them. Small animals fled from the Seer, but they too were nothing special. She was on the hunt for something unique to Falmart, preferably with powerful magic... something like that dark elf sleeping under a tree.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in uploading. Unfortunately, I have little time to write these days, so don't expect any kind of update schedule.

OK, numbers. From what I could find, there is no official distance between Alnus and Sadera, but I can make some calculations. Chapter 40, Page 18 of the Manga states that 'It takes 12-13 Days to reach the Capital by Horse.' Doing a quick search, the average distance a horse can go in a day is about 32 km. In 12 days, the distance the horse travels is approximately 384 km. From another map of Falmart that I googled up, there was a scale that I used to deduce the distance to be about 295 km between them. Note that this distance is a straight line, possible by helicopter (or Bullhead) but not by horse. So the numbers seem to add up. I couldn't find any information on the max speed of a Bullhead, but the average speed of a helicopter is 260 km/h. Both are Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) craft, so their speeds are likely similar. Tai Bullhead can easily make the trip from Alnus to Sadera in two hours.