Reviews:
Janne Rolfe Jaladoni: While I will be writing more chapters, school it back in full swing and not pulling punches. Thanks for the support. All praise and glory to the Omnissiah!
ForgeMaster00: I may sound like a broken record but join the discord! It makes communication and getting the characters in character easier. Also, might host a warhammer rpg with the people in the discord.
Husebad: I would probably just put them at the ends of chapters
Guest: Uh, that sounds close to heresy. But I will put that on the list for omakes.
Gabe2000: Omakes will be as canon as the specials. But I must say, this pineapple will make a perfect present for my friend who hates pineapples.
Speech Syntaxes:
+Speech+ Lingua-Technis
"Speech" Low Gothic/English
"Speech" Amplified Low Gothic
Chapter's Pre-Readers: JVMM
Notes: I will be doing Omakes now at the end of chapters. The regularity and content of said omakes will vary greatly. It feels weird to write any of the chapters involving team RWBY and team JNPR, but I do not know why though.
Last Chapter Errors: I realized how sloppy the last chapter was, and I apologize for forgetting to finish fleshing out the scene with Taiyang. But to spend time fixing that would spend the limited time I have to write on something other than this chapter.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Of Convoys and Convalescence
Dominus Ferrum was leading the convoy spearhead, or in layman's terms the meat shields. The forests of Vale were deathly silent, except for the armies of the Omnissiah brazenly marching through it. A pathway was there, but it was not worn in. The canopies of the trees were thick enough to block complete vision of the sky, but enough to allow light to illuminate the forest floor. It was almost humorous for the tech-priest to see how untouched these woods are, in comparison to their cities. For the most technologically advanced feudal world she had read about, they left their forest to the chaos of nature and the Grimm. Their cities are truly the only beacons of civilization.
Her train of thought terminated when she received word that a Kataphron caught one of its tracks in a pothole. She quickly gave the command for the nearest Skitarii to aid the ensnared battle servitor. She rebooted her observations; 'These primitives' arrogance has no bounds. They claim being in an age of peace while training their children to hold back the wrath of nature. They have propaganda spread among the youth to get them sacrifice themselves, only to delay the inevitable ruination of their cities. The resilience and stubbornness of mankind is displayed on this planet as they refuse to yield to the Grimm. But they lack the order, fury, and wrath to be able to push back the Grimm. And that is what the Adeptus Mechanicus brings to this benighted sphere of dirt in a galaxy of endless war.'
Ozpin and Ironwood were in a call with each other as they watched the off-worlder convoy through a pair of Atlesian camera drones. The General watched silently, this is an example of what he wanted to do to protect Vale. But the headmaster had denied he proposals to rid the areas around Vale of the Grimm. A curious voice came from his scroll, "What do you think they are doing James?"
He paused before answering, "Exterminating the Grimm outside the walls of Vale, that is what Pugnus promised the citizens when he interrupted my speech. The waves of soldiers under Ira and Quin were around the same number of squads, but the one under Pugnus himself was disproportionate. This is all of his forces, that is why he is striking before anyone can react."
Ozpin interrupted him, "All of his forces you say? I could see that as a possibility. When we were playing chess against each other he had a habit of developing his pieces into supporting or attacking positions. His nature is aggressive, but I do not believe he would show his own hand after the Queen showed one of her cards. I believe he is keeping his trump card hidden while this total mobilization is just a feint."
Ironwood chuckled to himself, "So you roped him into going against you in chess, who won the game?"
"We did not finish actually, for he left the table to do this. But he did say we would continue," explained the Headmaster. James was a little peeved that the tech-priest escaped Ozpin's strongest addiction, while drinking coffee is right after it. He even named a team after his favorite drink.
The Magos Dominus knew that he was being watched, for it is impossible to hide snow white drones in a forest of green from the Adeptus Mechanicus. With no reports of Grimm in the surrounding areas he called the headmaster of Beacon. To his surprise the old man answered within 0.28 seconds of the call being initiated. The reason why was clear to him when he noticed General Ironwood and the video feed from the drones in the same call. Pugnus stated, "Knight takes pawn on B5. What are you two watching me?"
The headmaster was quick on his feet. "The General and I were worried about your safety. Pawn takes knight on B5. Where are you going?"
"Into the untouched forests of this planet. Bishop takes pawn on B5, check. Why chess out of all games?" questioned the Magos Dominus.
Before Ozpin could answer Ironwood informed the cyborg, "He is addicted to the game more than coffee. Is this all of you forces?"
Pugnus stopped James in his tracks with a condescending tone, which was surprising for a machine. "General, you have to take a piece to ask a question. And that would be a question for if my queen falls. And only Ozpin can ask and answer questions. You can as well but that would mean we would have to play a separate game of chess."
"Queen side Knight to D7. Your move" stated Ozpin.
Before the Magos Dominus could respond a shot was fired from one of the Transuranic Arquebus, with a faint sound of a dying beowolf following afterwards. A binary curse emitted from his vox. How could he have been so lax to forget about scanning for Grimm entirely. He terminated the call with the Headmaster and began to assess the situation. +Dominus Ferrum and Dominus Decium, sitrep.+
+No signs of Grimm at the spearhead,+ responded Ira.
Quin reported, +Beowolves were spotted in the distance but they appeared to not notice us.+ So the xenos were smart enough to not attempt to stop his forces from moving, instead they were on the flanks and rear. Or they are just lucky enough to be there at the right time, and can the Grimm be classified as xenos? Questions for Magos Biologis Nova. The convoy was 852 meters away from FOB Wraith, that would take at least 21 minute and 18 seconds to get there if they were unopposed. He could order his soldiers to encamp this position and fend of any Grimm that might assault them. Or he could continue the convoy and be ambushed.
He ordered, +Keep moving, once a Grimm larger than a beowolf is spotted stop the convoy.+
Team JNPR entered the darkened room to see what Taiyang claimed they would; Ruby and Weiss each in their own hospital beds with Tai sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Weiss whispered as she shook her partner awake. "Ruby, team JNPR is here to see you."
Ruby weakly rubbed her eyes as she unraveled herself from the cocoon of blankets over her. Nora as the first to comment on the state of the room. "Why is it so dark in here? Wait, did you guys turn into a VAMPIRE!"
The crimson teen covered her ears at the harsh sounds, while grimacing. "Ruby got a concussion from the…incident," explained Tai.
The hyperactive ginger looked to her partner for an explanation. "That means bright lights, loud noises, and thinking hurts her head."
"Silly Ren, that what happens to me when I do the homework from Oobleck's class." countered the hammer wielder.
"Then why is Weiss here?" asked Jaune. While we would have flirted with his snow angel, now was not the proper time to do so.
Weiss spoke slowly to properly pronounce each word, "I broke my nose."
"And I told her to stay here to watch over Ruby, and to call me if anything happens. And since they all experienced aura exhaustion they are not fit to return to classes until next week." Tai added saving the heiress from talking more than she should.
Ruby's eyes went wide. "What about the Vytal Festival? Are we going to miss it?"
Her father chuckled as he approached her bed. The huntsmen ruffled her hair as he spoke, "Don't worry about that Rubes. The tournament was moved back until your team is all rested up. You can go back to sleep now. Can't win the tournament if you are too tired to stand up." The crimson team leader nodded in agreement before snuggling back into her soft blankets and started to drift asleep. Taiyang motioned for team JNPR to follow him as he left the room. The huntsmen in training took one last glance at their friends before leaving.
The time between the reports of beowolf spotting increases as they reached closer to FOB Wraith, but nothing of concern was reported. 426 meters, 10 minutes and 3.9 seconds left to march. It felt that this mission was blessed by the Omnissiah itself to be without fault. By his cogitator's predictions, he had 40.2 seconds before the next report of Grimm. Pugnus watched silently as his internal chronometer ticked down. At 29.5 seconds left on the chronometer, Quin reported that a Skitarii spotted a small pack of Grimm in the distance, with at least three Ursai. The Magos Dominus moved to the nearest Kataphron to sit on its treds, and once he was secure his eyes went dark.
Pugnus awoke in a body that was unfamiliar to him, the tech-priest had done this process more times then he could count but it took time to familiarize with the body. Glancing down the scope of the galvanic rifle in his hands he spotted the threat outside the killzone of his weapon. The group of xenos were moving through the forest and would on occasion snarl at the convoy. Was it out of fear, hatred, or anticipation of battle? He could not tell. Pugnus was a Dominus, not a Biologis. The Grimm was not a threat now, but it was highly likely that they would engage them later.
Dominus Decium watched as one of the Skitarii near him stopped marching with blank eyes. So the Magos did not trust him enough to take his observations as facts. Instead of feeling insulted, his emotional inhibitors made the tech-priest filled with a sense of disappointment. Why did Pugnus trusted him less than Ira? She is the youngest out of the three of them. While he did not agree with the Magos' actions Quin does acknowledge and respect his authority. The dominus watched as twelve Ironstridders - half armed with twin cognis lascannons and the rested using twin cognis autocannon - trot out of formation and to the rear of the convoy.
The three Ursai disintegrated under a wave of lasers, with their meatshields being shredded by the autocannons. Dominus Decium watched in a bored stare as the remaining beowolves charged the convoy, wait his cogitators made an error there. As they attempted to charge, only to be cut down by a second volley from the Ironstridders. It appears that the Magos did not want to tempt fate by sparing a few squads of Skitarii to eliminate the small pack.
The Magos Dominus was not surprised when he received news of the results from the Ironstridders. 8 minutes and 59.5 seconds left until they reach the FOB, by the graces of the Omnissiah this operation might be a simple one with zero caustiles.
Once they were far enough away from the room Tai started to fully explain the situation. "Yang broke her arm, Blake has two fractured ribs and internal bleeding. They will be partly recovered for the tournament. Both Weiss and Ruby know about this, but I do not want to keep Ruby awake more then she should."
"Can we see them?" questioned Pyrrha with concern clearly in her voice.
The huntsmen rubbed the back of his neck as he silently moved his lips. "Last time I checked, Blake was in surgery to fix her ribs and to make sure nothing else happened. Yang is awake, but she is not a happy little camper due to her arm. Oh, that reminds me. I have to go check on Barty, you guys can go meet Yang and tell her I will be there soon."
Tai made leave as Jaune asked his fleeting figure, "Who's Barty?"
At 3 minutes and 54 seconds left until they reached FOB Wraith, his convoy suffered their first casualty. An unfortunate Skitarii Ranger with a Nevermore's feather holding his corpse upright. The creature was smart enough to attempt to use the tree canopies to cover it's approach, but once the avian grimm stopped to attack the convoy the icarus array onager opened fire. The trees block a portion of the feathers and some of their rockets and bullets against it. But the daedalus missile has a confirmed hit by the screech of the bird. Pugnus overlooked the squad that was hit with the feathers, there was only one dead so far but other Skitarii were wounded. Without needing orders, Precision started to repair any of the soldiers that were worth the time and materials. Based on the Enginseer's actions, the Magos Dominus added another four Skitarii to the casualty list.
A bestial screech filled the air around him, the beast is coming for another run. The onager was already trained on the direction, with Eights assisting the blessed machine. Pugnus spotted the black form of the Nevermore through the leaves as the icarus array fired. The bullets pierced the thin underbelly of the monster, but the missile and rockets smashed into the left wing. As the altitude of the Grimm decreased, the Magos Dominus sent a simple order to the sydonian dragoons. Suffer not the xenos to live. And without complaint, the six dunestridders - with their taser lances prepared - marched into the woods to exterminate their prey.
Omake 1: Noosphere Chat (Primarch Bike)
Toaster has joined the chat.
Toaster: Since when did we have a chat room?
Lord_Adornable: Hello, I am Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion. I was directed to this chat when I asked who has my bike…
Toaster: Do you have the required supplies for us to build one?
Lord_Adornable: I believe that is your job... or should I tell father, your Emperor, that you have failed your task?
Toaster: We were not given the materials for us to create the bike. We can build it without the material but that might upset the machine spirit which we lead to the bikes failure.
Forge_Master00: Uh Dorn didn't You learn your lesson last time?
Lord_Adornable: I will send for your payment after you finish, correctly this time, use Jaghatai Khan's bike shed for materials.
Toaster: I require a down payment of half of the original price, the other half you can pay after you receive you bike
Red_WarpNerd: Dorn leave these toaster huggers to their business, you were supposed to put that server code into warpchat, not discord chat.
Lord_Adornable: Thank you brother, I was mistaken. I believed the term discord was a clever synonym to disguise this from the inquisition, my apologies, and good day.
Red_WarpNerd has left the chat.
Lord_Adornable has left the chat.
Forge_master00: well that was a thing... how did Magnus find us?
Toaster: Warp fuckery. But how did he access the noosphere?
Chaos_Queen: That was me actually…the stone face wouldn't log off until he got a response so I sent Magnus a Warp message.
Forge_master00: huh... wait how do you know Magnus?!
Chaos_Queen: a witch never tells, Ciao.
Chaos_Queen has left the chat.
ForgeMaster00: Well that was a thing.
Toaster: You really need to keep you characters in control from causing chaos.
ForgeMaster00: first off, I can only truly control my alternates. Rose is more of a conscience, while Sage is basically a split personality that I have no control over…
Magos: The only reason you can control your characters is because we are all emotionless. Also it is hard for you to properly write a character with emotions.
Toaster: I can write a character with emotions, but Ad Mech has no emotions. And who allowed you in here?
Magos: I can access the noosphere as well. I allowed myself in because marching in the convoy is boring.
Void_DragonMyFood: Remember I can control you all so behave!
Toaster: Wait, when did you get here? I do not remember anyone else in this chat besides ForgeMaster, the others in the discord, and myself.
Void_DragonMyFood: This is my Chat, so I'm always here. What did you think that you are the admin of this server, check the admin list.
Toaster: Okay, I will be back with the results.
Toaster has left the chat
Afterword: Thanks to ForgeMaster00 for helping in this omake.