UNSC Dominion
Bridge
October 6th, 1323 Standard Time, 2552
Lieutenant Thomas apparently had a dramatically different definition of "some intel" than Richard. His report on Headmaster Ozpin was twenty pages long, and in a state of respectable organization given the time constraints he had been working under. Richard, now informed, was ready for the meeting. All he needed was his newly-appointed diplomat, who was already on his way.
If I'd known he was a paperwork deity, I wouldn't have thought so negatively of him when we first met. It certainly explains his grouchiness. Richard thought jokingly.
"Sir, I'm ready when you are." Thomas said, announcing his arrival as he walked onto the bridge. "Where's the XO?"
"Bradford is sorting out a problem in Weapons, we'll be doing this without him." Richard said.
"What, just... on the Bridge?" Thomas asked incredulously.
"What's wrong with that? I trust my crew, and they've not given me a reason to be hiding critical information that they may overhear. If they're genuinely distracted they have methods to cancel out our voices" Richard replied nonchalantly. "If anything, this is killing two birds with one stone. It means I don't have to brief the bridge officers on any updates."
"I suppose I could see the logic in having to give less briefings." Thomas said with a nod, before turning to Ensign Gillespie. "Is everything ready?"
"Everything's all set Sir." Gillespie responded with a thumbs up. "Also, not to be a buzzkill, but Bradford is still going to need briefing later."
Yeah, I think a small part of me already knew that, but at least he'll listen. Richard thought as he gave his reply. "I know Ensign, now, let's not delay any further, get us in contact."
Thomas took a position beside Richard, standing with his hands behind his back. Richard adjusted his posture one last time before the faint ringing was audible throughout the bridge.
Huh, I guess Curie made a few upgrades to the software. He thought before the ringtone abruptly canceled out, and a video feed of Headmaster Ozpin appeared on one of the video screens before him.
"Hello Headmaster." Richard began without delay. "My apologies regarding the wait, we had intended to contact you earlier, but unforeseen circumstances prevented that."
No need to share our internal problems with this man, especially if he isn't trustworthy. Richard thought.
"Please, call me Professor." Ozpin replied once he had gotten over his surprise. "I will admit, even though we're speaking right now, a part of me doubted your existence. I have the utmost faith in General Ironwood but… it is quite the fanciful story."
"I don't mean to be rude Professor, but we do have many important things to discuss." Thomas said in a faintly assertive manner, trying to keep them focused.
"Of course, Mr..." Ozpin replied in a friendly manner, offering an opportunity for Thomas to give his name.
"Lieutenant Thomas Oswald, Office of Naval Intelligence. I have been given the responsibility of handling international affairs, for the time being" He said, introducing himself in full.
He did a good job making himself sound important, maybe he's more cut-out for this then I thought. Richard thought. He certainly seems confident.
"Well, it is good to finally meet both of you." Ozpin said, his expression indicating he was speaking genuinely. "I have been told that you've made contact with Menagerie and it's Chieftain, but have you established contact with anyone from the Huntsmen Academies?"
"We have, we've had a few brief exchanges with General Ironwood. We have also had a less than pleasant incident regarding a dust mining company." Thomas said, being notably vague. Ozpin seemed to tense up at Ironwood's mention. "We've also had some 'incidents' with the hostile creatures you call Grimm."
"Well... it seems that you've already been quite busy." Ozpin noted. "Did General Ironwood tell you about what we do at our schools?"
"You train Huntsmen, a concept that I will admit is foreign to us. The word clearly means something very different on your world." Thomas said. "General Ironwood did briefly touch on it, but if you could explain it a bit more clearly, we would greatly appreciate it."
A good chance to double-check our intel. Richard thought, silently sitting as they spoke.
"I would be happy to." Ozpin said, with slight but noticeable enthusiasm. "Huntsmen are warriors who are charged with defending peace and civilization from the creatures of Grimm. They work without regard for borders, and also act as a support for the police and other services, like fire departments. They are the guardians of everyday life."
"I admire the optimism." Richard said, thinking about how a system like that could go horribly wrong. "I can't say we truly have a job like that in our civilization, unless you count us, of course, but I wouldn't."
"That actually leads me to a very important question." Ozpin said with his head cocked. "Who exactly are you? Not personally of course, but your organization, the UNSC. What is it exactly that you do?"
Richard decided he should probably be the one to answer that question. "The United Nations Space Command is the governmental agency responsible for all science, military, and exploratory interests of the United Earth Government. The name doesn't truly encompass everything that it's responsible for."
Ozpin nodded, his look of curiosity only intensifying. "Earth... that's your planet I presume?"
"The homeworld of humanity, although we have colonized many other worlds over the last few centuries." Richard clarified. "My ship, it's crew, and myself, all fall under the jurisdiction of the UNSC Armed Forces, the military branch."
Ozpin appeared to digest the information for a few seconds before speaking. "Homeworld, where do you suppose Remnant fits into that?"
"Unless your fossil records are older than ours, I don't see how that's possible." Thomas challenged, although he spoke softly. "The evidence we have to suggest humanity's natural evolution on Earth is truly staggering, with only Remnant offering any true opposition to that explanation."
"We believe it's extremely unlikely that Remnant's civilization was spawned from Earth, or vice-versa. Our current working theory is that our two civilizations had similar paths in their formation, although the flaws with that theory are obvious." Richard added.
"Do you truly believe it's that unfathomable we just happened to develop similar civilizations?" Ozpin asked, his expression unreadable.
There's no way he believes that. Richard thought. So why ask?
"The odds of humanity evolving twice with no input from itself is frankly absurd. Any scientist worth their doctorate would discount that immediately." Thomas countered. "The odds of Remnant being as habitable as it is are already astronomical, adding more baggage on top of that does not aid the credibility of the theory."
"I suppose we'll have to figure that out in due time." Ozpin replied. "Besides, I'm sure you didn't contact me to talk about evolutionary theory, or the history of Remnant."
"You'd be correct, Professor." Richard replied. "We require your assistance with a goal of ours, one that if handled tactlessly, could cause a panic."
Thomas continued where Richard had left off. "Our current goal is to announce our presence in order to dispel some of the more... esoteric rumors. We believe that if we don't do this soon, or if we handle it improperly, the resulting panic could result in a Grimm attack. The last thing we want is for your people to be in danger."
"A global one." Ozpin added. "I see your predicament, and I believe I am more than capable of helping... That being said, It would be remiss of me if I did not ask you to clarify your intentions."
"Our utmost priority is keeping the Dominion and her crew safe, although I hoped that much would have been obvious." Thomas replied. "But I presume you're talking about our interests regarding Remnant?"
"More so the people of Remnant, but yes." The Headmaster sat back in his chair, bringing his hands over the lower half of his face. "I would also like to hear it from the one in charge."
It's diplomacy, we aren't asking your daughter out. Richard thought, mildly annoyed.
"Your caution is understandable." he interjected. "The primary mission statement of the UNSCAF is the defense of Earth and her colonies, as well as their citizens. While Remnant may not be a colony of Earth, we do have an obvious vested interest in preserving the lives of our fellow man."
"That's reassuring... but does your government feel the same way?" Ozpin asked skeptically.
Thomas looked at Richard in a manner that asked for his approval, to which he gave a brief nod. "We aren't currently in contact with any other UNSC forces at this time. We suffered a malfunction in our superluminal transportation device, and as a result, we believe we are far outside of our galaxy. We currently do not have a way to re-establish contact with High Command."
Ozpin looked at the man for a moment, keeping his face hidden behind his hands. "You're lost?"
Thomas cleared his throat. "For the time being, yes."
Ozpin thought for a moment before asking his next question. "So who do you answer too, if your leaders are not here?"
"Commander Richard is the commanding officer of this ship, as such, we answer to him." Thomas explained.
"I see, so you plan on staying on Remnant?" Ozpin asked.
"Provided we find no route home, yes. I have a little over a thousand souls on board, and I don't intend to keep them all cooped up in their quarters." Richard stated, doing his best to speak as clearly as possible. "That being said, we believe that we have a lot to offer Remnant."
"That's good, the people of Remnant will need something if you wish to gain their trust." Ozpin said, his expression unwavering. "I personally don't doubt your intentions, Commander. But you will find that on Remnant, what people say can be very different from what they do."
"We're well aware." Thomas briskly responded, Richard could tell that Ozpin's comment had come across as insulting to Thomas. "Now, you said you could help us with our objective."
"That I did. All four major Huntsmen academies have close ties with almost every form of media. The intention is to help people recognize that Huntsmen are their allies, not their oppressors." Ozpin began.
What was that he said about what someone says versus what they actually do again? Richard sardonically thought to himself. He must think we're truly clueless.
"The other purpose is to help provide warning against threats to their well-being, be it Grimm, natural disaster, criminal activity… or otherwise." Richard didn't miss the veiled insinuation that they could be perceived as such a threat. "I believe that this is the best way to announce your existence, especially if you intend to speak with the people of Remnant."
Richard nodded, that made a lot of sense. The UNSC used similar methods back home, and ONI section two was entirely designed around public relations and propaganda. "Do you have any specific idea of how we go about doing this?"
"I do, the best way to make an announcement like this is to be calm, direct, and make this as "normal" as we possibly can." Ozpin said. "I would propose we simply pass your statement directly to the press, let them take care of the rest."
"Our statement?" Thomas asked, confused.
"I will not speak for you, whatever you intend to say to the people of Remnant, you must do it yourself." Ozpin said. "It is not for me to try and sway the people, your words must be your own."
UNSC Dominion
Marine Quarters
October 6th, 1643 Standard Time, 2552
By no means was Nathan a lazy person, he simply appreciated the finer things in life, like not working. Yu thankfully shared that trait, and a similar schedule, so the two of them decided to do what had become pretty much customary on the Dominion whenever free time was had, browse the CCTS. Remnant was full of some frankly bizarre shit, and it was really interesting to see just what kind of stuff they considered normal.
Currently, the two of them were watching some kind of blood sport on Yu's datapad. Apparently, it was a semi-regular tournament where the protectors of the planet would come together and beat the snot out of each other. The tournament they were watching had happened several years ago, and from what Nathan could tell, they were using live ammo.
"Why the hell don't we have this back home?" Yu asked in amazement, as she watched someone with a flaming sword deliver a strike with the strength to behead a Brute Chieftain.
"It would certainly be more exciting than golf." Nathan replied. "But I admit we'd probably kill each other without the shields."
"You mean aura?" Yu asked.
"No I mean shields, I don't buy that crap that it's powered by your soul or whatever. If we could stop bullets by thinking about it really hard, Meadows wouldn't get wounded every time we go planetside." Nathan argued, unintentionally shedding some irritation into his voice. "Seriously, you really think we wouldn't have figured out how to channel our chakra or whatever?"
"Nathan, you're doubting the people who live alongside giant dinosaur monsters that literally smell fear." Yu pointed out.
"Wait, there's some that look like dinosaurs?" Nathan asked.
"Fuck yeah! Check it-" Yu began, but was interrupted as Fairfire ran into the room and stopped right in front of them.
"Shut your mouths and turn on Vale News Network!" Fairfire yelled, partially out of breath as she took a seat next to them.
"Uh... ok." Yu replied, knowing better than to ask why.
She quickly searched for Vale News Network and brought up their live broadcast, and both of them were surprised to see Commander Richard speaking directly to the camera, with the UNSC emblem in the background. He was in full dress uniform, and he'd clearly done his best to look professional.
"-I know that this is a great shock, and many of you will not believe my words, but there will be time for us to show you that we are trustworthy in the future." The Commander said, obviously continuing from something that they had not heard.
"Oh, he's really doing this?" Nathan asked, once his brain put the pieces together.
"...Yeah." Fairfire said as she recovered her breath.
"Our intentions are to establish communications with every nation on Remnant. Once this is done, we can begin looking to the future." Richard continued. "We have already spoken to some of your leaders, and we look forward to meeting those we haven't.
"Looks like we missed a bit." Yu pointed out.
"It wasn't anything important." Fairfire said.
"Remnant is very different from our worlds, and I hope that we can learn more about your planet in the future. And to those of you who are curious, I assure you, there will be plenty of time to learn about us as well." Richard said, leading into his conclusion. "For now, I would urge you not to worry, we're here to help."
The feed of Richard was replaced by a lady with lavender dye in her hair, who was obviously some sort of newscaster. "This message was given to us directly by the Council, with instructions to air it unedited. As unbelievable as it may seem, it would appear that this is all really happening."
"What's this mean for us?" Yu asked as she turned off the feed.
"The Commander's given us a warning that we're probably going to have action soon, either Grimm or Innies." Fairfire answered. "He didn't say where, but I'm guessing Atlas."
"About damn time. If I wanted to sit in the cafeteria eating burgers all day, I would've joined the Air Force." Yu responded happily.
"Grimm seem like a nice change of pace from the Covenant, they die a lot easier." Nathan added.
Except those snake things, they can go to hell. Nathan thought.
"Speaking of which, did you see that Ben fought a monster made of garbage?" Fairfire asked.
"He... what?" Yu asked, obviously not understanding.
Fairfire smiled. "Hand over the pad, I'll show you."
Atlas Academy
October 6th, 2013 Standard Time, 2552
The results of the Council vote had been a mixed bag, leaving Ironwood feeling unsure of both himself and his nation. On one hand, they had universally elected not to declare hostilities against the UNSC. That gave Ironwood a great deal of reassurance they were as concerned as he was, even if their exact motivations might have leaned towards self-preservation. On the other hand, they also voted with a sizable majority not to enforce the demands of the UNSC, and a statement on the floor of the Council Chambers summed it up perfectly.
"While the reparations they feel they are owed for the loss of their soldier's life are justifiable, their demands to see my staff tried in a court of law is far from it! Atlas is a sovereign nation of justice and integrity, and we should not bow to the demands of those who caused this debacle in the first place!" Jacques had said.
As much as I hate to admit it, he's kind of right. Atlas is more than capable of administering justice within its own borders. Ironwood thought.
He had no doubt that the aliens already heard the news, as the Council had gone public with the whole debacle only an hour after they'd finished their own announcement. The end result was that a lot of misinformation was being thrown around effectively everywhere, even the Atlesian Intelligence Agency was having trouble figuring out what was and wasn't accurate.
Ironwood's biggest concern was Grimm, who would be drawn in by all the confused anger and fear. In a fit of irony, the most vulnerable settlements furthest from Atlas were the safest, as they hadn't gotten the news yet. Unfortunately, Mantle was a very different story, and Grimm activity had increased by a significant degree. The Specialists had done a good job keeping the populace safe, and more Huntsmen and Huntresses were on the way from Argus.
He was given the challenging task of determining what Grimm incursions necessitated military deployments, and which didn't. A pack of Beowolves dangerously close to the wall around Mantle was a job for a Huntsmen, not an airship or a platoon of tanks. Whereas a murder of nevermores would be an opponent more suitable to a squadron of fighters.
If their intention was to show their intentions are peaceful, they certainly could have done a better job! Ironwood thought bitterly.
Authors Note: Many of you will likely point out a continuity error in the crew size and specifications of the Dominion in the future, and I assure I'm equally frustrated by this. The sad truth is that most of the Halopedia article for the ship's specifications are taken from unreliable sources, so I will be forced to make my own lore to supplement some of the gaps. (If you genuinely want a wall of text describing the backstory for this decision, PM me).
I also wanted to address speculation and confirm that I am not even remotely afraid of going off the beaten path when it comes to RWBY's plotline. Ultimately, this story is about leaders, factions, the people who fight for those factions, and how people from two very different universes interact.
Editor's note: Yo, it me. SardonicEffigy. You may know me from such classics as 'Bitches love Spaceships'... no?
Anyways, on to the real point. I wanted to address the largest complaint, or rather comment, in the comment section. The slower pace in comparison to the original. The original story had a lot of combat in the earlier chapters between the SDC and the UNSC and as you can see that hasn't been as prevalent thus far in the story. I wanted to explain why, without spoilers.
The slower pace is a result of a more solid and hammered out plotline behind the scenes. We are very determined to set up a coherent and well thought out story and in order to do that we have to plan everything out. We can't just shoot someone, we have to hint at it, then make you think it's gonna happen, then make you think it won't… right before we shoot them.
All this slow build is important for you all to learn the characters, the world being built, and the plot being unfurled. Read everything twice and pay attention.
That's all for this time. Please review and let us know what you think.
Sincerely SardonicEffigy.