Summary/disclaimer: Time for another Chapter of Fashionable Tactics. Enjoy the 6000-word chapter. I don't own RWBY; Monty and a few others do.
Coco looked at Siious who kept his rifle perhaps looking at her with such interest to she rested her handbag by her side. The group of 8 slowly started to walk through the desert.
"So, those guys are Kett? Like some sort of giant army?" Velvet asked as Siious nodded before.
"There's a lot more of them as well," Siious said before he looked at her and Coco. "And those giant monsters are called 'Grimm,' some type of mutated animals?" Siious asked to which Coco nodded.
"Yep," Coco stated as she shrugged. "They're not hard to kill, they just come in so many shapes that they adapt when it comes down to it," Coco stated before she sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Then maybe you should find better ways to kill them before something else happens to them," Siious said before he shrugged.
"We are, that's why we can kill them so easily. It's what Huntresses and Huntsmen do." Coco responded to which he glanced at her. "Ok, you guys aren't from around here. Huntresses are Grimm exterminators and handle most problems on Remnant. We're training to be the top-of-the-line ones so there's that." Coco stated to which Siious hummed.
"So, like civilian special forces? Huh, that's something." Siious said before he dusted off his clothes with interest. "We should get going anyway. We have so much work to do and so little time to do it." Siious stated to which he sighed.
"We are, Shade is right over the next hill. Then you can talk to the headmaster and we can go from there." Coco said as Siious rolled his eyes.
"So, you are still training? Great…." Siious joked as Coco tried and failed to connect with her handbag.
Siious only rolled his eyes as he knew more than anything that she'd not be something proud for now. it had just been something that should or couldn't have been impressed upon them for now. If anything? He saw this as more or less something that he should have found more amusing than alarming for the time being. It wasn't like he didn't care at all. He had more problems than them to be focused upon. Such problems drove him up a wall for now. He didn't know what else was coming to the forefront. If anything? All this did was driven him to madness when push came to shove.
He was honestly a bit amused by her behavior more than off-put by it. It wasn't like he didn't at all understand people. He knew her more than anything and he knew how she operated for the time being.
They all had moments like this where they were pushed over the limit. They had a far more pressing concern to deal with and all this did was push them further and further down a path he'd sooner not wish to deal with for now. He had no real desire to have done much.
"So, how long until we reach the village?" Siious questioned to which he raised an eyebrow at this and glanced around. "We should get there soon. I know how bad humans get around heat like this." Siious said before he glanced up at the sun.
Unlike them? He knew full well how bad the sun was to their kind. It was a hellish thing that would consume and cut deep to them, a thing which he shook his head towards at the indignation when it came down to it.
"Yeah, it will cut down our auras pretty badly before we get to the village at this rate," Coco said before Siious raised an eyebrow. "More like a forcefield or something that protects your body, keep yourself safe when it comes down to it. Better than being stabbed to death or worse." Coco added to which the Turian commander only hummed.
"I don't see any type of shield generator on you to keep you safe," Siious said with another to himself before he shook his head before he glanced at Coco. "I'm going to guess it's something that you have that I'm not aware of. That's fine, we can discuss that when we're safe and people ARENT trying to cut my face off and all that." Siious stated with a roll of his eyes at her.
She stayed silent, but the mockery was there. The mockery didn't just part the way it should have been when it came down to it. He sighed mentally in response to such a thing as it was clear he had more to have done for now.
He had been a Turian long enough to grasp the benefits of being someone's friend and someone's enemy at the end of the day. He'd not at all make it last when it came down to it, they just couldn't have made it so far alone, that was the end of the path sooner or later when it came down to it. That was only part of the war.
"Do you guys constantly think of what war is like then? Because you look like you were fighting a hell of one when you came here." Coco questioned to which he shrugged.
"We're soldiers, war is part of what we've been for years when it comes down to it," Siious stated before he shook his head and then glanced around. "Why? Did you think we'd not at all be capable of things like this?" Siious said before he slowly rested his hand on his rifle.
He knew none of them were that dangerous to him, he hadn't given them a reason to fight back against him nor had he seemed to have done something that he could not have fathomed. It was just more and more terrifying when it came down to it.
"We both know what will happen when we get there, don't we? Lots of damn questions when it comes down to it." Coco stated to which Siious only frowned at this.
"Maybe, but I don't plan on killing anyone without a good plan when it's all said and done, don't know what you'd think I'd gain from that," Siious stated to which she hummed before she looked down.
"None of us know anyone else. That's just how life is already." Coco said before she shrugged.
"If I was that unwilling to work with you? I'd have killed a lot more people when it comes down to it." Siious stated before rubbing his spines up the side of his head. "Secondly? Do you think I'd leave it to me to kill you if I was that cocky? Ask my men, I'd probably have someone else do it." Siious asked before he shook his head.
He didn't know what they were like and didn't fully grasp their tactics and antics. He was aware of how it came across when it was all said and done. They had a lot more to have to discuss when all of this was said and done.
"What exactly is the next move to be?" Velvet asked before she glanced at him. "Those Kett guys, I mean. They ran away pretty quickly after that gunship came in and strafed them." Velvet stated to which he frowned and looked down at the ground.
He knew for a fact that they had more pressing issues for now. it just couldn't happen the way it should have been when push had come to shove. They had a plan, they needed it executed and they needed it all to go a certain damn way, or else it all fell apart for them.
She looked around at the wasteland and wondered what his planet had been like. Other planets? Weird, but it wasn't something she couldn't grasp when it came down to it. They had something else to preoccupy the rest of the time when it came down to it. They had something else to boggle their minds and keep open. Such a plan was a pain in the neck for the time being.
"So, what's Turian life like?" Coco asked bluntly to which Siious hummed and shrugged.
"You have a giant army?" Siious questioned to which she hummed. "That's what Turian life is like. It's a giant army of soldiers who all fight wars, we all are trained to fight for years and years…" Siious said as if he had been bored of this.
Perhaps it had just been part of life itself. He knew the culture which he had come from had been something that he had to focus upon when it was all over.
"So like Atlas," Coco said to which he frowned and hummed. "Giant military kingdom to the north. They have a lot of robots and people with fancy tech." Coco stated to which he hummed.
"Then exactly what the Turians are like," Siious asked before he looked at Coco. "Can I ask why you have a minigun as a purse? I mean, I understand what a giant gun is for, but that seems a bit overkill for these things is for." Siious stated as she fell silent.
"It's for killing Grimm. Those things we fought back there? There are worse monsters out there than this. They're not easy to kill." Coco stated and watched him hum.
"And they're all that nasty? Great, it's like the Krogan all over again." Siious stated and tilted his head to the side
He shook his head and looked around with amusement for the time being. he didn't know what the next move was for now.
Coco snorted and crossed her arms over her hips. She sized up the Turian who was several feet taller than him. He spoke like a soldier who hadn't often been on the frontlines which meant he was young. Coco had met a group of Atlas soldiers while she was Vale, they had carried themselves like they were much more elite than they had been.
She could see he didn't have that same demeanor. He acted a lot more friendly, inviting as if he wanted them not to try and fight. It had been odd, but she knew for a fact that she had been able to relax and find him to be worth a damn chance. If nothing else, she'd not start another fight while they had gotten this off the damn ground. It was quite clear that they had something else planned for the time being when it came down to it. He was working on getting it somewhere for now. He would have gotten them somewhere for the time being.
They didn't know what else was going to happen anytime soon when it was all over. He didn't know where this was going, but he did know it'd end horribly at the moment just like everything else did.
He only sighed to himself as he realized just how dangerous she was. Coco didn't look like a woman he wanted to mess with. Then again? Anything in this day and age was possible.
Coco was all too curious when it came down to it. She didn't know what was going on and neither did he, equal footing. Very equal footing which made him more curious than anything. He didn't know what was to have done.
It was so much odder when she came to it. He cleared his throat before he sighed to himself. They had so much more to have focused upon and yet? He didn't even know what was happening now. Their plans were simply beyond his understanding.
"So… Should we be concerned about those guys?" Fox questioned to which Siious hummed. "The Kett I mean. Those guys seem to hate people just as much as the Grimm do." Fox stated to which he could only begin to fathom what to have done next.
"The Kett hate everyone, they want to turn us all into more Kett. It's what they do to anyone they fight." Fox added to which he could only sigh. "They not to kill, but they're a lot more annoying to make them stay down," Siious stated which wasn't at all a lie.
The Kett was very easy to kill. He knew pretty well a few clusters of bullets would kill one of them and they had tactics like any organized military. However? The Turians had the experience and the skill of their years of war which put them roughly on equal footing when it came down to it. The Kett also didn't seem to have a massive military which also meant they couldn't just replace dozens of losses… Granted? Neither could the Turians who never used such tactics either but were familiar with the strategy.
There was no real damn idea behind the Kett leadership either which meant Siious was just as unclear on how to win a war against them as anyone else.
"They went after the Turians I'm guessing? Attacked your planet which is kind of why you're here?" Coco asked to which he nodded.
"Close, the first wave attacked Palavan. We had a small group with my ship within it attack, try and cut through the defenses to find some answers. They didn't entirely think of what would happen if they got closer… Granted, we expected it to be a two-pronged attack." Siious stated to which he could only sigh.
"We attacked them and a pair of scout ships were sending forces to the northern part of the planet… We got orders to attack them and I wanted to cut down at the time being." Siious added with a frown for now.
Siious didn't at all know what for the moment when it comes down to it. The Turian commander was entirely prepared for what to have to question. This wasn't going to be something easily dealt with and he knew he was damn well not a politician, he was neither 'barefaced' as his people seemed to have coined the term.
Siious lowered his rifle and turned to Coco to speak, the Turian looked around the desert at the time. Siious rubbed at his temples.
"We launched an attack on a pair of warships, the Kett was not prepared for the first wave. A few fighters and a few shots from the two frigates with us? 2 of their cruisers were either damaged or destroyed." Siious said before he gestured to the rest of his men. "One of their shots must have hit one of the damn mass relays or something. Part of their fleet and part of ours were thrown off course. When we woke up? We were here… So, your turn, what's the deal with the giant monsters who bleed smoke? Never seen a damn thing like them." Siious stated to which he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
Coco placed her hands on her hips as she lowered her sunglasses while she tapped her foot in the sand.
"Their Grimm, giant soulless monsters who cause damage to everything we either make or want to make," Coco said before she focused her brown eyes while she looked around the room.
"So, they're an intelligent animal species?" Siious asked before Coco waved her hand back and forth. "I don't know what the hell a damn Grimm is." Coco heard as she hummed to which he rubbed at his temples.
"This is going to be something your need to hear from someone who likes talking about it," Coco stated as she removed her glasses. "I only like two things, nice clothes and shooting Grimm. I might add Kett to that list if they cause trouble. You are a tourist, aren't you?" Coco asked while the Turian nodded.
Siious cracked a wide smile as he hummed and went to speak only for a massive pile of sand to explode outwards onto the desert. Siious and CFVY looked at the Grimm as it roared, spewing sand all over them and reminding the group they were in a dangerous locale.
"How about we learn how to kill these things better and then go from there?" Siious asked as he aimed his vindicator at the creature.
"Yeah, that works better," Coco said as she wiped out her minigun and watched as the giant sandworm-like Grimm roared a challenge at them. "Rule of advice? Their insides aren't as armored as their outsides." Coco stated to which Siious hummed while he shook his head.
The massive Grimm which looked down at them opened its jaw as the sand slowly spilled downwards onto the wastes before it seemed to have questioned how best to have killed them with sadistic glee. It was quite clear that both of them knew exactly what was at stake for the time being and not a single one of them could find a better angle.
Siious and the group scattered, all of them looking for a better angle, something that would allow them to do some damage. Coco could only roll her eyes as she pondered what to have to question when it came down to how best to kill them, and how well this would have been handled if they were a united front.
Still? The time for haves and have-nots was set in stone. All of them were clearly beyond this monster and it was clear that it wasn't aware for now.
(With the Kett)
The 4 remaining Kett cruisers that had been busy trying to reorganize and regroup had crews already completing checks. Whatever this planet was? it was clear it wasn't Palaven. There was no damn fleet of Turian warships preventing them from reaching the ground, no anti-orbital canon which was aimed center into the sky. It was clear to them that this measure of peace gave way to new opportunities.
There was a murmur as a trio of shuttles docked with the hanger bay. News from the ground side had reached the commander fast and with that? Came the order to deploy more troops to claim it.
"Your certain this planet isn't Palaven?" The commander asked as a scout nodded. "Good. Get back to the shuttle and tell them to continue with the plan. We've lost enough men and the others in their chambers are barely enough to make up for that." The commander added to which there was a few seconds of silence.
He hadn't yet seemed to have prepared this planet for their rules and it was clear they had more goals in mind. The Kett Empire could not wait to claim another planet and its people which meant they had to continue kidnaping people, people, more and more.
The commander glanced down at the planet with interest as he ordered more Kett down. More people to put into their rituals meant a bigger army to take over the rest of the planet.
He watched as more shuttles departed their fleet. He had to contact the empire and request more reinforcements before he sighed to himself.
(With Coco and Siious)
Siious didn't fire until he managed to put a burst down the creature's throat which caused it to roar and rear upwards. He didn't at all understand what this creature was but it resembled a giant Thresher Maw, simply smaller and with more armor and black veins. It was easier to kill when it came down to it as Coco continued to look at it.
Coco continued to look for the damn angle to get down its throat. The beast might have been entirely ready to eat them.
Coco smirked, amused, far too much to have gotten off the ground at the moment with a quip but enough to have to see him try to have done something.
It wasn't then he wasn't to have done for the time being when it came down to it. it was entirely clear to the woman that something had gotten off the ground and all of them wanted this to have ended purely well.
"This anything like fighting Thresher Maws?" Coco questioned to which he nodded at her with amusement written across her face as she considered the idea that it might have not gone the way she should have.
It was just too clear what was at stake for now. They had more and more on the damn line when it came down to it.
Coco smirked and looked around the room before she looked up into the sky, it was entirely clear by some miracle that they had something else to have done with for the time being… All too damn much had been driven on their faces, too much and too little for now which they had to handle for the time being.
"Yes, entirely like it. like I just said… It's hurting a lot more when I shoot it in the damn mouth like that." Siious stated to which he had fallen silent.
It was clear that he had something else to have handled for now. it was much fun to have been prepared for.
"Yeah, there's no armor in its mouth, that's why they try and attack you from underneath." Coco heard as she rolled her eyes and looked around, amusement on her face.
"Then keep shooting them there. It's where they're vulnerable. Keep making sure they can't get back up." Coco ordered as she focused on getting more bullets into its gullet.
Siious out of the corner of her eye fired a shot that rocked the creature as it exploded against the monster's gullet, reminding her that this thing was mortal and could be killed.
"We need to talk after this." Coco heard from Siious as she nodded, looking around before she looked around the room, a look of mirth on his face.
It was entirely clear the Turian wasn't at all bothered by her and he wasn't afraid to fight alongside his men which told her that he was at the end of the day still a worthy soldier. He wasn't a coward who would retreat the second his men proved ineffective.
"Hey, if I can draw its fire? You think you can put a few rounds down its gullet?" Siious asked to which Coco nodded.
"Sure, if you can get it to look at me long enough," Coco responded to which she had fallen silent before she looked around.
"Then stay here, I'm going to take it down," Siious stated before he rushed forwards, angling his rifle towards the beast.
Coco was about to ask what to have done as he slowly rushed forward, rifle raised to do more damage than he had before he dodged in between the snapping maw of the creature while he sighed to himself and started to think.
The creature roared towards him, its maw raised to cut him to pieces with its razor-sharp teeth and crush the rest of his body to pieces under its bulk.
Instead? Siious managed to prime a small device that was hurled down the gullet of the creature which then exploded, a gush of ooze falling onto the sand as the creature screeched, collapsing onto the desert floor before he looked to the side.
She looked around, curious as the monster easily died within seconds Siious sighed and looked at the creature with interest.
"Funny, I thought it'd shrug that off better…" Siious said before he turned to the others. "Sergeant? Check the ammo, we're going to be here a while and I don't want anyone or anything getting through if they don't want to be."
Siious sighed and looked at the decaying corpse. This planet was something else but it was clear that this planet had to be reported to the council. A planet outside Alliance space? Sure, it was possible, but it'd cause a hell of a pot of political backlash when it became entirely clear the people here weren't held accountable for their actions.
He wondered what his government would have done. He had no respect for the upper leadership who had long since been off the battlefield. They didn't at all understand what the hell it was like for the men and women of the Turian marines and navy.
On the other hand? Siious did respect the Primarch. It was clear that he knew certain problems and had taken plenty of steps to ascertain their stance.
The man knew war and he knew it pretty damn well. He had been a general, after all, the brass might have hated Victus, but the rank and file like Siious had properly held a rather certain flame for his actions.
It was clear to him that despite whatever the brass thought that if the Primarch… That the Primarch WAS commanding the war effort against the Kett? Their chances of winning had increased.
He looked at Coco. He might have allowed himself a moment of mercy while he clicked his head to the side. He was too prepared, far too prepared and he didn't know how to contain it.
"So, are we going to talk?" Coco asked to which she tilted her head.
"Yeah, let's talk about this. I don't know what to do when it comes down to it. I'm a very good talker, but I'm not a politician." Siious said to which Coco rolled her eyes.
"Well, neither am I, but here we are," Coco said while she looked around. "Your group has come down to it. It's clear we have more problems than just the damn Kett." Coco stated to which she sighed to herself.
The Turian and human both each other before he clicked his tongue before he sighed, he questioned what to have done next.
It was something that had to have been understood properly. They had a lot more to have questioned for now. They had a lot more problems to discuss anyway and it was clear fighting alone wouldn't have fixed those problems.
"So, if the Kett want to conquer everything, what do the Turians want?" Coco asked as Siious sighed.
"We don't want anything that we don't already have. The last war the Turians had ended with millions of us dead and half the galaxy scorched. The last thing I want to do is start another damn war that would destroy another galaxy." Siious said before he frowned.
"But if you want the honest answer? Land? Order, people to keep trouble out of things. I'm a soldier who is just following orders and it seems those orders brought me here. I'm not here trying to start trouble, if we knew how to get out of here? I'd have ordered my crew to do it." Siious said to which he was silent a second.
"Thanks for the honest opinion on Remnant," Coco said to which he hummed.
"You have no reason to believe I'm the good guy and I have no reason to think you are not screwing me over," Siious stated before he clicked his jaw. "I know that well enough to not lie. I'm a soldier. I have no reason to say or do much since I can't speak for the rest of the hierarchy. All I'll say is I'm not going to do something stupid like try and kill you. It doesn't get me anything and I have no reason to start a fight against people who could probably kill me easily." Siious stated as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"Well, it'd be nice if we didn't have another war. I don't think anyone wants that." Velvet stated to which Siious hummed.
"Then we're going to have to talk between the Primarch and whatever leadership Remnant has. Remnant doesn't at all seem like a planet the alliance owns so the Turian Hierarchy isn't going to just let the Alliance for that." Siious stated before he lowered his rifle. "If you want the truth for ME? Then those Kett are the only thing I feel like killing or tearing apart. They killed a LOT of friends when they started the war and their going to kill plenty of people here. I'm going to take care of them entirely." Siious stated before he shook his head.
He wasn't going to have been prepared for something else. He questioned what to have done next while he tilted his head and looked around the desert while he went to try and speak again.
"If the Turians want war? I'm going to deal with whatever orders and come down the vine. I'm just a soldier and I deal with whatever happens then." Siious stated before he clicked his question before he sighed to himself.
He would have been prepared for the worst, there were a lot more problematic things to have considered to have. She didn't at all know for now when it came down to it as he looked around before he leaned on the rifle and then looked down into the sand.
This planet was odd to him. it was all too odd over and over, yet it was home to Coco, they had far too much to consider when it came to resources and all of their plans and discussions. They had more and more time to have prepared for and he yawned to himself while he tilted his head to the side.
Siious was honestly not going to have considered the idea they came down to a war.
Coco sighed and rested her weapon on the sand, tilting her head to the side as she and he both looked into the sky while she snapped her fingers upon the side of her weapon. It was clear to herself before long that such problems weren't going to easily have been grinding themselves down to the bone, all the way into the wall sooner or later.
He knew their war was going to have to end sooner or later. He wasn't going to start another one here for no reason nor did he wish to have to deal with the fact.
Siious was curious as to how to have questioned what to do next. It was clear that problems in this manner he tilted his head to the side as he clicked his tongue, yawning himself before he tilted his head.
Siious was honestly questioning what to do next, yawning as he felt more and more bored before now while he yawned, too distracted, unsure, unbalanced… Coco planted her hands on her side, all too amused at his antics, it wasn't like Siious had been dangerous, he didn't carry himself like someone who had been in a war before and it was clear to her that war was the last thing before he tilted his head.
Siious rolled his eyes and rolled his eyes before he crossed his arms, resting his rifle across his back as he did so.
"Here's a question… How likely is the Kell to attack us with another war?" Coco questioned before she tilted her head to the side, raising her eyebrow before she seemed to have prepared for the idea of another war.
Coco watched her team as something on his arm seemed to go off, confused, too ready for now… It was a lot more of a tiresome thing to her, but it was something that he had yet gotten off his mind.
"Captain? We've managed to restore most of the systems, but the Lieutenant and his team are busy seeing if they can contact command. What are your orders?" Siious heard before he tilted his head.
Siious clicked his tongue before he shook his head, unsure of what to do next as the Turian looked at the others.
"Tell them to contact command and I'm going to be with the locals for a few hours," Siious ordered to which there was silence.
He was all too prepared, all too ready for more and more and more problems to cross his path, it was then he remembered this was not Palavan, he was not simply leading soldiers and this was not just his home.
What had been a simple counterattack his commanding officer had dealt with was now. Their plans were all too derailed and sidetracked. It was then he realized they would have to get creative to have found an answer to this.
"We talk with your leader THEN we go hunting for the Kett or whatever it is you want to do… I need to do the boring thing of talking to my bosses and making sure what I'm doing is legal." Siious said before he sighed, shaking his head as he did so.
It was clear drastic measures be needed for now and it was something drastic that would have to be done… Yes, something that would have turned the tides of the war and ensured they didn't entirely collapse within their small little ideals.
Perhaps it was something that he could shape. Perhaps it was something that he could have handled for now. It was so damn odd, something that could have been handled properly. It was something that could have been handled.
He didn't want to have to question, for now, something that had been on his mind for now. Coco wasn't going to have been perhaps questioned about what to have understood for now. It was clear such issues had only served to be worse with such a thing. He hadn't properly been on a diplomatic mission for some time. Something he wanted to have handled and without incident, it was clear that wasn't going to have been something that could be handled by him.
He was a simple soldier and it was entirely clear to him that being a soldier meant he had to do things by the books when push came to shove and Siious was NOT at all someone who could be relied on to do so. He got results, no matter bad or good, but they were NEVER something that the Turian leadership would ever consider by the book.
If nothing else? He had worked hard to claim the spot he had and ensure that it stayed a certain way, they had claimed he at least had been valuable enough an officer to lose within their wars.
He felt a poke on the side which made him turn to the side and roll his eyes, too interested in what may or may not come next at the end of the day. it was purely part of life…. And yet? He wanted to have done something to improve this planet for the better, it was the least the Humans were owed after they had helped save Palavan and ended a war that had been brewing for too long when it came down to it. They had so damn much when it was all said and done at the moment.
It was honestly a bit much for a simple Turian who had such issues when it came down to it. they had a lot more to try and understand at the moment. It was all too much to have hoped for now to simply see it come down to flames like this. Perhaps they simply had all the rotten luck that should have come with it. they had needed it to be over so soon. It'd do nothing more than push their skill and their luck beyond what it should have come down to it.
Siious was a soldier and as such? His people skills were as crappy as his attitude could be towards damn crappy orders…. Which meant a lot of crap he normally did could be considered that.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be a bit delayed. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of Coco and Siious talking and more of the Kett's plan. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Next chapter will be longer and such. Until then, peace.