I don't think I ever thought I would get this far. If I was doing a story on something I know little to nothing about, I'm pretty sure I would have a tough time on trying too where to next. For instance, if I decided to do a Naruto story, I probably wouldn't have a route follow. That's why I'm sticking with writing stories on things I know, like Transformers, Star Wars, Halo, and such. So, if anyone is going to ask me to try doing a story on something else that isn't listed as being on my favorites in profile, sorry to disappoint you.

Speaking of Naruto, I am now about two fifths of the way through Naruto Shippuden, and I am really liking the series. Sure, it was aired when I was still in grade school and never really cared about it that much, but I now find it to be very funny, action packed and interesting. Though I wish most of the crossovers written wouldn't involve harems. I'd rather read one where Naruto and Hinata are a couple and have them go on some adventure where they would fight say the CIS or Empire alongside Rex, Galen, and other Star Wars characters. Don't get any ideas.

I will be updating my profile in the future soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Now, let's get onto the reviews.

First off, the guest Mooncake: No need to apologize and thanks.

The second guest reviewer: True, pistols have a higher rate of fire than a shotgun and upgraded semblance will certainly give March an edge in combat.

Jack Smith1: Amen to that, about Tyrian I mean.

Spartan-626: I try to do the unexpected.

BlindFaunusGirl: Thanks, glad you liked it.

Darth Cody: Thank you. I hope you don't mind that I didn't have March wear the top hat with his new outfit. When you gave me the character, you said the top hat was his fathers so I don't think that wearing it in combat would be a wise choice considering it could be lost or destroyed.

Luffy L Deathwalker: I think that might work. Thanks.

Monster King: Thank you.

SunPhoenix90: Which Joker? Why Mark Hamill's of course.

Alright, reviews are done. Disclaimers are the same as before.

Now, que the intro.

(Start Rise, Tv version by Madkid)

(The camera moves fast over the frozen tundra of Solitas before it shots up to the floating city of Atlas and the city of Mantle below it. As fighter jets fly past, the title card is revealed with two lightsaber blades surrounding it.)

Remnant Unleashed

In this empty void, I found the way to light. Can't find my way in this lingering world. Searching fo the answer- the one that I can trust in. I'm just wandering around.

(The title card vanishes as a shot of Ironwood addressing his followers is shown, standing in full military gear. Among them is Galen and his team, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Lop, Faye, Kara and Zett, the students wearing new combat clothing. Behind them in the corner with their helmets off are Rex and his brothers who eye the general with suspicion.)

Yeah, still stuck in the shadow ey, But I never follow that. This pain at last soon will pass. Turn into my own unbeatable strength. This guy or that guy -dead or alive by hiding alone, can't survive. I don't want to lie to myself.

(Behind Ironwood are his Ace Ops and Winter who then dissipate into mist before being replaced by Jacque who has a devious grin on his face, while Whitley and Serra stand behind him looking at each other with worry. The scene then changes to Mantle where Boba, Robyn, Ahsoka, the Fox, Maria, Grogu, Pietro, Penny, Artoria and the Happy Huntresses look up towards Atlas, Robyn crossing her arms before looking at a picture of her, Ray, Neo, and Amber.)

Keep on the fight, get right I'll never lose and cry. Keep run up day and night. Time to rewrite. No matter what anyone say's I find my way. Never go away.

(The Grimm charge towards from the tundra as Galen, Ruby, Jaune and their teams ready for their weapons for battle only for Ruby, Jaune and their teammates to vanish into mist while soldiers appear behind Galen and his team aiming their weapons at them. Galen's eyes are shown and then narrow as he ignites his lightsabers.)

Now, nobody can stop me no way. I will make sure not to forget those precious things. Yeah, I'll take a stand, get back all that I've lost. Rise suddenly in this word. (I don't look back yeah.)

(Galen and his team then charge in, now fighting a top a speeding train in the tundra against the Ace Ops while droids attack both groups. Galen slashes a droid and counters an attack from Harriet, Rose dodges Elm's massive hammer, Arthur clashes blades with his cousin, March trades fists with Marrow who looks unsure of his choices as Vine's giant hands try to swat away two human shaped machines flying alongside the train, with Clover trading blows Rex at the front of the train.)

This repetition will repeat 'till the end. And the regret that's still lingering in my head. Time to get it all back, now turn over. Rise suddenly in this world.

(The scene changes once again as Teams RWBY, JNR, Domino Squad, the Bad Batch, Fordo, Alpha, Cody, Waxer, Boil, Kara, Faye and Able fight against the Grimm which then change into Imperial troopers as the shadows of Vader, Palpatine, Barriss, Jacque, Watts, Maul, Salem, Emerald, Mercury and a mysterious robotic figure loom over them. Ruby's face turns to fear before her eyes shine and a silver light engulfs the screen before the title card returns.)

(Song ends)

Chapter 101: Pomp and Circumstance

The sun was already starting to set over the mountains around the abandoned mine as four trucks drove up the road to the entrance while Amity Colosseum floated towards the mine. No one knew that two people were watching from a distance through a pair of binoculars, both gazed up that colosseum and continued to watch from a distance.

As the trucks arrived, the Ace Ops, Teams RWBY, GARM, JNR, Kara, Faye, Ahsoka, Zett, Lop, Qrow and their clone allies walked outside while Able continued to scan the area for threats with the Landstalkers sensors. Marrow smiled at the efforts of the kids, but quickly changed his demeanor to a more serious one as Nora gazed at the Ace Ops with admiration while the others were impressed with their exploits.

"You guys were incredible! The way you guys took down that Geist without needing to plan your tactics out, you just knew exactly what to do!" Jaune said impressively.

"Well, Ace-Ops are hand-picked to perfectly complement one another. So, we can focus on our assets and leave our liabilities behind." Clover answered.

"Some of us are all asset, zero liability." Marrow boasted, posing with a salute and a grin, looking at Jaune while Elm scoffed at Marrow. "Wha—Yeah? Think I've got some liabilities, Elm?"

"Your brains, for one." Elm joked, causing her, Clover, and Harriet to laugh while Vine told the Faunus member of the Ace Ops that he did ask for that comment.

Nora was quick to approach Elm with a wide smile and eyes, getting a curious look from Elm. "Hi. Do you need a new best friend? Our pair name can be…" Nora began as her eyes sparked with pink electricity before she lifted her hammer into the air with both hands as if she was standing on an empty plane with a green tinted sky and Elm standing nearby, followed by pink lightning strikes with a green and pink gradient text appeared above her in her mind. "THUNDER THIGHS!" she echoed dramatically.

Harriet watched with a sigh while the troopers laughed at Nora's posing. "Perfect complementary teamwork. Oh, yeah, I want to have my friends' backs just like that." Ruby told Harriet as she ran over.

"Friends?" Harriet questioned.

"This isn't the schoolyard, kid." Elm told Nora with a laugh who was still posed with her hammer in the air.

"But, I mean, when you go through so much with someone, it kind of changes things, doesn't it?" Yang asked as she and the rest of Team RWBY walked over to her sister.

"We get along well enough, sure. I count on them to keep me alive. They do the same. But that's the job. We don't confuse the two. That's what it means to be an army." Harriet answered.

"There are things far greater than an army." Galen said inspecting his new weapons rifle mode.

"Really? What in the history of Remnant could be greater than an army?" Harriet asked with a scoff.

"A concept, one I have learned since coming to Remnant and one that I learned from Rex and his brothers: family." Galen answered while Ren lifted a stiff Nora under his arm and walked away. "Family will always have your back, no matter what."

Harriet said nothing and walked away. "Don't take it personal. Harriet puts more focus on her job more than anything else." Clover said. "Speaking of the job, duty ever beckons. You all hang back for a second." he said to the students as they noticed General Ironwood talking on a communicator further down the road.

While the Ace Ops walked over to Ironwood, Ruby who was still saddened by what Harriet said about her teammates, had an idea. "What do you guys want to do when we get back to Atlas? Sightseeing? Oh, what should we do first?" she asked.

"How about our beds?" Blake suggested with a yawn before she walked away.

"Oh, come on, guys! This a great time to go exploring! We haven't done that in so long!" Ruby pouted.

"Ruby, we just explored a whole continent on foot before flying to this one. Not to mention we almost died several times just to get to Atlas." Weiss pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but… it was only the boring parts." Ruby pointed out but her teammates walked away. "What about you, Galen? You wanna go exploring?"

"Sure, why not. I got a meeting with someone in Mantle so we can explore that part of the city before we explore Atlas." Galen said. That made Ruby smile a bit, especially since it was an answer from her boyfriend.

Just then, Ironwood called for the team leaders to meet with him while the Ace Ops were given a new set of orders. "Don't take Marrow." They heard Ironwood tell Clover, the forementioned Huntsmen recreating his pose from when he froze a pair of Centinels in the mine, which he was telling another military huntsman.

"New problems in Mantle?" Qrow asked the general as they joined him.

"More of the same, unfortunately." Ironwood sighed, deploying his Scroll which generated a hologram screen in the air in front of leaders. The left side displayed a Military Police mugshot of Forest, while the right side displayed Forest in a police station talking to some soldiers. "Someone in Mantle is taking out public leaders who speak out against Atlas. Specifically, people who speak out against me. It didn't look like a pattern at first. But this is the first time that one of the victims was saved."

"Wait a minute. That's the guy that rode with us after we were arrested." Jaune realized.

"He was almost murdered?" Ruby asked.

"Your opposition in Mantle dropping dead isn't exactly a good look for you, huh? So, who saved this poor bastard?" Qrow asked.

"The Fox." Ironwood answered bitterly, deactivating the hologram.

"The Fox?" Galen asked.

"A vigilante that has been causing trouble for me for years. He targets anything I'm affiliated with and has the nerve to even carve Fs into my suits. My tailor's bill is the least of my concerns, but this vigilante claims to be doing what I refuse to do; protect Mantle. I have done more than he could ever do for the Kingdom and yet he has the nerve to say that I have driven a wedge between Mantle and Atlas. While he hasn't killed anyone, he's still a criminal and one known for being resourceful." Ironwood explained. "Not really worried about my public image, but it's causing unrest. I think someone's trying to frame me and, by extension, Atlas. And it's working." He added.

"Maybe if you didn't place the embargo and angered some people, then maybe people probably wouldn't be so quick to blame you and your forces for everything else." Galen pointed out, having already sensed that Ironwood was blaming the Fox for these murders.

"Things in Mantle have been… hard to manage lately. I'm not blinded to its issues. In fact, that's what I want to talk to you about. With the launch of this mobile communications tower and tensions down in Mantle, I think there's a lot of good your teams can do here." Ironwood said, hiding a small glare pointed at Galen.

"Pretty sure Rex and his brothers can help with things down in Mantle. Besides, I have something in Mantle I need to check on anyway. Something that's been with me for a while anyway." Galen answered, referring to his vehicle and the meeting he had planned with Robyn, something that he was keeping secret from the General.

Ironwoods communicator soon beeped and much to his annoyance, someone 'very important' was coming to the mine. A ship bearing the logo of Schnee Dust Company descended onto a landing pad where Ironwood, Team RWBY, JNR, GARM and their allies stood waiting. The ramp of the ship extended from the front of the ship's double door, revealing an angry Jacque Schnee. No sooner had the doors began to open, the businessman began to speak to Ironwood. "So let me get this straight, James. In addition to this nonsensical embargo of yours crippling my business, you've also decided to have the authority to commandeer private property?" Jacque questioned angrily, calmly staring at the general with his arms folded behind his back.

"Oh great, it's stache face. Doesn't he have something better to do with his free time then compensate for something he's lacking down under?" Hardcase joked, getting Hevy, Wrecker and Jek to laugh.

"When the Council hears about this, you will never—" Jacque continued before he spotted Hevy and Hardcase who he recognized from when they dislocated his shoulder and kicked him in the one place no man wants to be kicked in. "And you seem to be lacking in disciplining your own soldiers."

"Actually, I've already informed them. As this is now the site of a classified military operation, it didn't require a vote." Ironwood said, lying to Jacque when in reality he hadn't told the council the truth yet. "You might want to brush up on Council law before you lose this upcoming election, Jacque. If you get elected, especially after what I've just learned about your recent operations."

"Operations?" Jacque questioned.

"Don't try and play the victim here, Jacque. I know full well that you've been illegally selling Dust to the other Kingdoms through the black market, and you've been mining Dust illegally in Anima when the Mistral council refused your request. Do you even care about the lives lost in your quest for money?" Ironwood demanded.

"And for your information." Rex began as he walked over to the General and Jacque. "Hevy and Hardcase are my men, more than, they are my brothers. So, if you've got a problem with them, then you've got a problem with all of my brothers." Rex threatened, his hands on his blasters for show.

"Then you need to control your brothers! They assaulted me without no reason at all." Jacque protested.

"Not from what I heard." Rex snarled. "You harmed your daughter, who they were protecting on my orders. The way I see it, they were following their mission objective to the letter."

Jacque just glared at the 501st captain before Ironwood interrupted any possible escalation. "Now. I've allowed you to land here once as a courtesy. The next time, it won't be a friendly reception." Ironwood warned.

Jacque continued to glare at Ironwood before he spoke again. "Lately, you seem to forget who your friends really are. I'm going to get that Council seat, James, and maybe then, you'll…" he stopped when he noticed Weiss was standing right behind the General. "You… You roped my missing daughter into these schemes of yours, too? How long has she been back in Atlas? Did Winter know about this?" he demanded.

"It was my decision to come here. Just like it was my decision to leave. Or have you forgotten all about that?" Weiss reminded her father.

"If you think I'm one to forget anything, girl, then you've misjudged the man your father is." Jacque countered angrily.

"Oh, I know exactly what kind of man you are, father. All you care about is money, how much you can make, how you can eliminate the competition and how much money you want to spend so you can make money. You only married my mother for the family name and never loved her. You care about only one person, yourself and you see your children as just another business venture. I should have left long ago when I realized you would drag my family name through the mud and if you think you can use mother's state as a means to make me come to my senses, you're wrong." Weiss countered, with a fire of determination that made Arthur, Hevy, Hardcase, Rex, March, Rose, and Wrecker smile.

"How dare you speak to me that way!? I have half a mind to—" Jacque said angrily before Arthur stepped in front of him.

"Do what? Lock in her room again? Ground her like a child? Lie and say she's abandoned her claim to the Schnee Company when she never did? Lie and say that she was kidnapped by a survivor of Beacon and ravaged until she was barely recognizable?" Arthur listed, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. "Your daughters are true Schnee's, far than anything you could ever become. You think because you married into the Schnee name you'll be given respect. I taught your daughter a very important lesson long ago, respect must be earned and not given, and you clearly have not earned anyone's respect."

"If you think you can threaten me, I'll have you arrested!" Jacque roared.

"Arrest the boy I love, and you'll regret it, father." Weiss warned.

"You love this… this… this… this half breed filth!? He's nothing more than Faunus trash that should have died long ago!" Jacque growled. He then calmed down and turned his attention back to Ironwood. "I knew one day; you would overextend your reach. I didn't come here to beg for an abandoned mine. I came here to thank you… for personally handing me the nose to hang you. You'll regret this." He warned the general and turned back to his ship, but not before saying one last thing to his youngest daughter.

"So, these are the little friends you threw everything away for?" Jacque questioned.

"Not friends. Family." Weiss corrected.

"Something you can never buy, no matter how much money you have." Galen added, tossing a snowball at Jacque which nailed him right in the face.

Jacque wiped the snow from his face and scowled before he turned back to his airship. He didn't get very far before he found himself standing face to face with Wrecker looming over him. "Do you mind? I'm trying to board my ship, so get out of my way, you offish brute!"

"Oh, I'll show you a brute!" Wrecker chuckled and to everyone's surprise, grabbed Jacque by the collar of his suit and threw him into one of the trucks so hard, it made a dent. "You've got a lot of nerve talking to the kid like that. You'd probably experiment with Grogu so you can use his blood to make weapons. Well, why I don't I show you what happens when you mess with one of my friends!"

Wrecker cracked his knuckles, grabbed Jacque by the legs and tossed him around like a ragdoll several times, making small casts in the snow before he finally let go and then kicked Jacque in the crotch, hard. "Looks like you're in a lot of pain. Maybe next time we meet, you'll be wearing be wearing a cup with an ice pack for months." Wrecker chortled, picking up the head of the SDC and turned to the open airship. "Now, take a hike!"

He tossed the head of the SDC into his airship, dusting his hands off as the ship took off with it's injured VIP just Winter arrived. "Oh, now you show up, Winter. You just missed father and the beating Wrecker gave him." Weiss said jokingly, except for the last part which she enjoyed.

"I think we all enjoyed it a little too much." Cody admitted, fighting the urge to laugh, but failed.

"It was worth it. I even recorded it on my Scroll." March said with laughter.

Even Galen laughed at what he saw. "You know, I think Trigger would have done one of those impersonations he does, probably that one with a clown prince of crime. I think I have recorded on my Scroll." He said, looking through his files before he found the file and played it.

"It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic. Oh, what the heck, I'll laugh anyway. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Trigger's voice said with mad laughter.

"That is very disturbing." Winter admitted. "And I wouldn't say I missed…" she was about to say when from the sky, Penny came crashing down on one knee, the force of the landing sending the teams flying with a small scream while Winter steadied herself against the shockwave. The android then straighten up her body and threw her hands into the air, with the word 'Congratulations' appearing above her head as a green hologram, with bright green holographic confetti spawning from it with a party horn sound.

"Surprise!" she exclaimed, but then noticed the teams on the ground, causing her grin and the hologram to fade. "Uh, did we not start yet?" she asked, while Winter put her fingertips to her forehead in exasperation as Ironwood stared with wide eyes.

"Apparently, we haven't." Winter sighed.

"Start what?" Ruby asked while Jaune, Nora, March and Rose laughed.

She soon had her answer hours later after the sun had finally finished setting when she, her team, Team GARM, Team JNR, Ocho, Qrow, Winter, Penny and Ironwood gathered in the center of the arena while Ahsoka, Faye, Lop, Kara, Zett, Rex, Able, Fives, Echo, Hevy, Hardcase, Hunter, Wrecker, Kix, Crosshair, Tech, Thorn, Jek, Rhys, Thire, Waxer, Boil, Cody, Jesse, Alpha and Fordo stood to the side. The arena lights were on and pointing at the center of the stage. "It goes without saying that this arena holds significance to all of us. It's only fitting that we should be able to reconvene here. Now. When the world needs to be brought together more than ever. The road you traveled from our first meeting hasn't been easy." Ironwood began, walking in front of the teams as Penny bounced up and down excitedly next to Winter and Ocho holding a tablet-sized Scroll.

"You fought for your school and your friends at Beacon. You fought for the world and the innocent at Haven Academy and beyond. You showed the universe that the terror of the Galactic Empire will not be tolerated. You faced down terrors people can't even fathom. That's not the behavior of students. It's the behavior… of Huntsmen and Huntresses." Ironwood continued, looking towards Penny who began to hum happily as she walked past the teams, stopping in front of each of them and tapped their Scrolls. Each tap she made, caused her Scroll to emit a beep and each of the Scrolls buzzed. Ren was the first to inspect his Scroll and opened it to display his student license, displaying a photograph of him in his new attire with his emblem in the top left corner and a barcode below the photo, with the Vale symbol in the background behind the license information.

Ren's license said the following.

Student License Beacon

Name: Ren, Lie

LN: 63700-16778-13563

Place of Issue: Vale

Authority: Beacon Academy

Restrictions: Class C

The screen of his scroll blinked and suddenly the license changed. The symbol of Atlas was now in the background behind the information, which was updated.

Huntsmen License Atlas

Name: Ren, Lie

LN: 63700 – 16778 – 13563

Place of Issue: Atlas

Authority: Atlas Academy

Restrictions: Class C

"What is this?" Ren asked.

"You are being granted your Huntsman licenses, today." Winter answered as Penny finished granting everyone their licenses, walking away with a big grin while her own Scroll displayed the Atlas Huntsman License Registry.

"I know this is a little ahead of schedule, but Brothers know you deserve it. I only regret I couldn't do something a little more ceremonious for the occasion." Ironwood admitted.

From the side, Ahsoka looked at Ironwood with concern before she spoke to Hunter. "Trigger told me once, that when he traveled to Atlas, he was arrested by Jacque due to a misunderstanding and it was Ironwood who bailed him out of jail, offering to provide him every resource he would need to find his sister. The best weapons, the best armor, training and anything he could ever need. He refused, saying that it was like Ironwood was trying to buy his loyalty. I'm not sure this is the best course of action." She admitted.

"I don't like it either. Something's not right with this whole picture. I've got a feeling that the good general has something else planned for the planet. I think we should keep an eye on him and Weiss's old man." Hunter agreed as Ironwood finished addressing the students and walked towards them. "Speak of the devil."

"Commander Tano, Captain Rex. I would like the two of you and Galen to accompany me to a council meeting in a few hours. I spoke to the Atlas council before you secured the mine and I want to tell them what my plans are. I want them to understand what we are up against and what we have at our disposal to fight Salem." He explained.

"You plan on telling the Council about Salem?" Rex asked.

"And everything else about her. Ozpin told me that the only for us to defeat her is stop hiding behind the shadows. They have a right to know what we are up against. Of course, we won't be telling them about the relics or her history with Ozpin." Ironwood added.

"Are you sure about this? This could result in consequences." Ahsoka warned.

"I'll take full responsibility, but I think they will be convinced if they hear about the Empire from those who have fought them." Ironwood said. With that, the general left as while the teams looked at their licenses.

"After everything we've been through, I almost forgot this is what I wanted in the first place." Yang said in awe.

"When Beacon fell, I didn't think this would even be possible." Blake added.

"It almost feels trivial now." Weiss said in agreement.

"Are we really sure we're ready for these? I mean, we weren't even second years when that bitch and her friends launched their attack on Beacon. I think a little more training would be a better choice instead of getting these. I kind of feel like I'm not ready for this." Rose said.

"I agree with Rose, we are still young and have much to learn." Arthur agreed.

"I mean, the photos could use a little work, but I kind of like it." March pointed out.

"A license doesn't mean we're ready for the tasks of true Huntsmen or Huntress. We learn from our experiences and use that to progress further." Ren said.

"Geez, guys, lighten up a little. Enjoy yourselves for a change. You've earned it." Qrow groaned.

"Finally! Someone said it. Let's kill some cake, huh? Because I can eat two slices before Ren even eats one. Who says I can't? Who says it, huh!?" Nora exclaimed.

"Nora, nobody is arguing with you about this." Ren groaned.

It wasn't long before the teens gathered around a cake, with the exception of Ruby and Galen who were sitting near the bleachers. Using all six of her swords, Penny cut the cake into even slices which everyone grabbed, Nora having grabbed a stack of six slices which caused everyone to stare in surprise, especially when Nora ate a slice in one bite.

Yang showed off her prosthetic arm to Penny, who looked at it in awe, but when Yang offered to shake hands with her appendage, she had a sneaky grin on her face. Penny, none the wiser happily took her hand only for it to detach, causing Penny to gasp in surprise while Yang and Nora laughed, followed by Penny.

Blake stood alone, eating her slice in calm silence. Her thoughts drifted to Sun and her parents. Though her father wasn't particularly fond of him, Blake had to admit he as quite handsome and she had grown to like him, even if he did follow her when she was trying to distance herself from her friends because of the threat Adam made to them, but at the same time if it wasn't for him, she might not have become the person she is today. Plus, she did have to admit he was kind of cute, in a cool kind of way, even if that kiss they had was accidental.

Rose had put down her slice and inspected her new rifle, checking if there was any defect in weapon that could cause a potential jam, but Kara assured her that she and Pietro had made sure that her weapons were in top working order.

Arthur and Weiss sat down and were talking about what Jacque had said to them earlier that day. Arthur never trusted Weiss's father, not only for taking the blueprints to upgrade Excalibur but also everything else Jacque had done to disgrace the Schnee name. Weiss knew her father and he always made good on his threats, but most of the time never went through with them because of the coward he was especially when the odds were against him. This time, Weiss had a feeling he was going to do everything he could to get her back under his control, no matter how underhanded it would be.

March, on the other hand had finished his slice of cake and was now lying on his back looking at the sky. He was thinking about his sister and what she was doing right about now. Seeing as she was a Mandalorian foundling, she was probably fighting against the Empire with her fellow foundlings and trying to restore the name of Mandalore which was tarnished by the likes of Death Watch and those who side with the Empire. "Bet sis is probably kicking ass and taking names right about now. I really should get in touch with her." He said to himself.

Ruby and Galen watched as their friends and teammates celebrated their victory and getting their license, but at the same time, the both of them couldn't help but feel like things were going to get worse before they got better. No plan, no matter how carefully crafted and planned ever went smoothly, especially when there were people who could interfere with the plan. "Big day for you, huh kiddo?" Qrow said to his niece as he walked over and joined the two of them.

"It's… definitely a lot to take in." Ruby admitted.

"Getting our license this after two years of fighting the Grimm, droids and the Empire does seem like it was worth it, but at the same time I can't help but feel like something is off. It seems to me, that Ironwood is trying to buy our loyalty by giving us our licenses and new gear." Galen said with caution in his voice. "Vader trained me to always be aware of my surroundings and trust no one. I trust my teammates, friends, Ahsoka, Rex and his brothers, but I sense that Ironwood is hiding something from us."

"You really think Ironwood is hiding something from us?" Qrow asked.

"I don't know. But compared to him, Ruby and Ozpin are opening up and trusting others with vital information. Everything we know about her background, her history with Ozpin, the Dark Side, her immortality, and her weakness. We choose to tell Ironwood about these things long before we even arrived in Atlas, a choice we made as a team. Ozpin didn't trust anyone, but he's starting to trust others now. That's a big difference than how he acted before. We made the right choice" Galen continued.

"I hope so." Ruby said, withdrawing her scroll and looking at her license. "This says I'm a Huntress now. But I don't feel like I know much more than I did at Beacon." She admitted.

"You've come a long way since I first met you in Vale. You're not the same kid I once knew at Beacon, you're becoming quite a young woman Ruby. One that I'm happy to be in love with and wherever Summer is, I'm sure she's proud of you." Galen assured her, putting his hand on hers, making Ruby blush as red as her hood.

"You… you think her last mission was another Oz secret?" Ruby asked her uncle.

"Hm. There were a lot of those back in our day. But this one was a Summer secret. When she didn't come back, Ozpin seemed just as much in the dark as myself and your father. Raven? Well, she didn't care and said that she was killed because she was weak. Still, who knows what else he hid from us over the years. Same goes for your mom." Qrow admitted.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Well, after our time at Beacon, Summer usually went away for long periods of time. Sometimes it was a week and sometimes it was a month or more. But every time she came back, she seemed to be more powerful and wiser than she ever was. I remember when some poor man tried to hit on her and just as soon as he tried to coup a feel, he suddenly just stopped and walked away. I don't think I'd seen anything like it before." Qrow answered.

"Seems like your mom had a lot more secrets than even you know." Galen remarked.

Ruby agreed and then wondered about something else that was bothering her. "What do you think she would've done if she learned the truth about Salem? That our eyes are the only thing that can defeat her? That she's strong in the dark side of the force?"

"Press on, I think. Like you. She was always the best of us." Qrow answered, pulling Ruby over so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Bit of a brat, though. But hey, I like brats." He teased, getting a playful elbow in the ribs, and laughed.

"Hey, Ruby! Come check this out!" Yang called to her younger sister, who quickly zoomed over and stared at the different missions on the mission board, asking various questions about the type of missions she could go on.

Galen chuckled as just as Vine, Marrow and Elm walked in. "Hey, do you guys smell that? Smells like… fresh meat." Marrow joked. Ren didn't understand the joke and Marrow groaned in defeat that his joke wasn't well received.

"Let me get this straight. You've only been official for an hour now and you're already looking for Huntsman work?" Elm asked.

"To be fair, we've been official for a whole…" Weiss began, withdrawing her Scroll and checked the time. "Fifty-seven minutes." She said in a disappointed tone.

Nora playfully rolled her eyes at Weiss while Vine reminded the teams that the real mission was ensuring the successful launch of the communications tower. "True, but we can also keep training and improving by helping where we can." Ren pointed out.

"The enthusiasm of youths!" Elm said with a happy sigh and fist pump while Marrow showed the teams who the board worked. Galen watched as Rex and Ahsoka walked over to him, telling him that Ironwood requested their presence at an urgent council meeting that he had called for with the current councilors of Atlas.

"I really don't want to be standing in room full of politicians. I have my own priorities to contend with. Tell Ironwood that…" Galen began before Harriet suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"The General gave you an order and you're expected to follow it." Harriet told the Jedi.

"I'm not in the military, Harriet. I'm a Jedi first and Huntsmen second." Galen replied, glaring at the member of the Ace Ops. The tension between the two of them would have turned worse had Artoria and Ocho arrived, getting Harriet to stand down before they escorted the three to an Airship which took them back to Atlas.

When they arrived back at the academy, they were led into one of the school's conference rooms where Ironwood, Winter and the two councilors were waiting for them. One of them was woman with a dark complexion, styling their gray curly hair and purple eyeshadow. Her clothing consisted of a black shirt with a wine-red coat over the top, golden necklace around her neck, matching gold earrings, black pants, and a black belt.

The second councilor was a pale man with black, slicked back and graying hair with light blue eyes and glasses. Their clothing was suit with a gray-blue vest and a dark blue tie. "Councilmen Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I apologize for it being rather late, but I'm afraid this couldn't wait until morning." Ironwood greeted as the five of them entered the conference room.

"I hope you have a very good reason for summoning us so late at night, James." Camilla scolded. "Ever since Beacon you've acted claiming you've had Atlas's best interests at heart. It's obvious that no Kingdom will declare war on Atlas. We were not involved in the incident at Haven, we have substantial proof that our forces were not the ones attacking the civilians at Beacon. At this point, the closure of Atlas borders is only serving to hurt our relationship with the rest of the world."

"And we still have no information about the ships that came down from the sky and joined in the attack. Their weapons and vehicles were like nothing we've ever seen before, but so far, we still don't know anything about them. What are you trying so hard to hide from us James? The fact of the matter is, you've operated with a fair amount of autonomy for the past few years. But what we need now is for you to work with us." Sleet added.

"Which is why I've called this meeting." Ironwood told the councilors. "Before I begin, I would like to introduce our guests. The first is CT-7567, a veteran soldier and…" the general began.

"Actually, my name is Rex. Captain Rex. 501st legion, GAR of the Galactic Republic." Rex interrupted. "My commanding officer is Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano. Second in command of the 501st and former member of the Jedi order." He continued.

Ahsoka removed her helmet and placed it on the table for the counselors to see. "Before you both start saying I'm a Faunus and have no place in this meeting, I'm a Togruta from the planet Shili, a planet many lightyears from Remnant." Ahsoka said.

"And finally, this is Galen Marek. The leader of Team GARM from Beacon Academy, Jedi Knight, and the Demon Lord of the Round Table." Ironwood said, finally getting a chance to speak.

"You brough these… these… Are you all really from another galaxy?" Sleet asked, trying to find the right words but failed.

"We are and we know what you're up against." Galen answered. "First off, the one behind the attack at Beacon was a woman named Cinder Fall. She and her teammates were given forged backgrounds by the former headmaster of Haven Academy: Leonardo Lionheart. That's how they infiltrated the Vytal Festival and launched that attack."

"Why would Lionheart…" Camilla began to ask before she was cut off by Ahsoka.

"Lionheart was working for the real mastermind behind the attack. A woman named Salem." Ahsoka said. "Somehow, she was able to convince or threaten him into working for her and for years, sold out the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Anima allowing Salem's followers to kill them."

"What does this Salem want?" Camilla asked.

"She wants to divide humanity and make us fight one another. She's been doing it for years and has complete control of the Grimm. They aren't the mindless creatures we once thought they were. She is also immortal, due to a curse placed upon her by the gods thousands of years ago before they left our world." Ironwood explained.

"She's… immortal?" Sleet said in shock.

"She's controlling the Grimm?" Camilla said, equally shocked.

"There's more. She's also in the possession of a large droid army, created from the droids she found in the wrecks of old starships that crashed on this planet years ago and thanks to one of her allies, has been able to create new Grimm based on several dangerous alien species the Jedi and Old Republic faced thousands of years ago, some of them even being infused with machinery. She can't be reasoned with, nor can we negotiate with her. Surrendering to her is out of the question." Ironwood continued.

"Are you serious? We're facing against a woman who is not only capable of controlling the Grimm, but is also immortal and possesses an army of her own comprised of these… battle droids?" Sleet asked, still skeptical about these claims.

"I understand your disbelief, but what we are telling you is the truth. Salem is out there and is planning her next move. That is why I decided to come clean and tell you the truth. We are in the process of preparing a way to unite the world against Salem." Ironwood said with a hardened resolve.

"But you said she is immortal. How can we defeat someone who is immortal?" Camilla demanded.

"With her weakness." Galen answered, placing the holocron on the table and opened it. Playing the recording of Metra Surik. The councilors were amazed beyond words that a Jedi from long before they were born had discovered Salem's immortality and her weakness. After the recording finished, the holocron returned to it's sleep mode and picked up by Galen. "You all know about the story of the Silver Eyed warriors? Those with silver eyes are the key to defeating Salem. My girlfriend, Ruby Rose, daughter of Summer Rose is one such warrior. Salem fears her power and has been hunting anyone with Silver Eyes to prevent them from mastering their powers. Her powers and abilities in the force are the only way to stop her for good."

"Now onto the second reason I called you both here. I'm in the process of constructing a new CCT tower using the Amity Colosseum as the base. The Dust Mine still holds the Dust we need to launch the tower when it's ready. This time, the tower will be kept out of reach from Salem's grip and once communications are restored, I plan to tell the world about Salem. Only by uniting together, can we defeat Salem." Ironwood added.

Sleet and Camilla looked at each other, both still confused about Ironwoods claims, but at the same time felt like they could trust the General. Both of them promised to assist him with anything he would need to get the tower operational, but that left one matter that had to be discussed. "Well, James. I am glad you decided to trust us with this information, but what about those ships that appeared during Beacon? Who are they and where did they come from?" Sleet asked.

"Those were ships from the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire, an authoritarian military dictatorship from the galaxy Rex, Ahsoka and I come from. As for what the Empire is, it all began with the manipulations of a single man named Palpatine." Galen began and started to tell them about the Empire's rise to power.

At the same time, Jacque sat alone in his dimly lit office, an ice pack held in place by a cup over his groin and a glass in his hand. Fuming about what those 'people' did to him, he drank furiously until a knock was heard from his door. "Come in!" Jacque demanded.

"Father, you, um… have a visitor." Whitley said nervously after opening the door partway, though he was only faking his nervousness.

"I told you I didn't want to be disturbed. Why did you let them in?" Jacque growled, slamming his glass on the arm of his chair, causing him a bit of pain.

"I didn't. He… let himself in." Whitley admitted, still acting like he was nervous about his father's current attitude. He didn't say anything else as Arthur Watts grabbed the door and pulled it the rest of the way open, walking into the room.

"A spitting image of you, this lad Jacque. Creepily so, I might add." Watts said, impressively, while Whitley stood in the hall still holding the door and watching as Watt's waked around his father's office. "He's definitely inherited your… affect." He added.

"Arthur." Jacque said in shock, gathering himself before he turned to his son. "Whitley, leave us. And shut the door." Jacque commanded his son, who did as he was asked. After his soon left, he turned his attention to Watts. "I—You're supposed to be dead." Jacque admitted.

"That is what I want people to think. You're right. However, I've heard thing about you too, Jacques. Namely, that you have an Ironwood problem." Watt's answered.

"That bastard is costing me more money every day with this embargo, I'd lay off every employee in Mantle if I wasn't to get their damn votes for this Council seat." Jacque snarled, pouring himself another drink before he gulped it down.

"What if I said you can have your cake… and eat it, too?" Watts offered.

"What do you have in mind?" Jacque asked, interested in Watt's offer.

"James Ironwood never recognized my genius. After everything I gave him, he still disgraced me. I simply wish to return the favor." Watts said.

"What's in it for me?" Jacque asked.

"A seat on the council. All I need is your login credentials for the Atlas Network. You promise to make Ironwood's life a waking nightmare, and I will guarantee you victory at the polls by giving the voters down in Mantle a little… 'digital push' if you will." Watts promised.

"I always knew you were a good scientist, Arthur… but I never knew you were such a good salesman. However, I have a request I would like to make of you." Jacque said, eager to get back at the one who humiliated him.

"I'm listening." Watts said, intrigued.

"Have you heard of the Demon Lord of the Round Table?" Jacque asked. Neither of them realized that Whitley had his ear against the door and was listening to the entire conversation.

And that concludes this chapter.

First off, Ironwood came clean with Sleet and Camilla about Salem, her goals, immortality and his plans for building a new tower. I want to assure you all that this doesn't mean he will try to arrest his new 'allies' because they hid something from him.

Second, the teams have their licenses, but personally speaking, I think he was trying to buy their loyalty. Something that Rex, Ahsoka and his brothers have noticed.

Third, Wrecker and Galen humiliated Jacque, with the big guy tossing Jacque around like Hulk did to Loki in Avengers, but he didn't kill him and gave him a real pain in the crotch. I figured I would do that for fun.

But it appears that Jacque has made a deal with Watts and wants Galen to suffer for what he said and did. True, Wrecker was the one who hurt Jacque the most, but as far as Jacque knows, Galen's semblance can control people by speaking to them, when in fact it can't.

That's all for this chapter. But I do have a question for you all, do you think Remnant has a weapon similar to a nuclear bomb? If so, what type would it be, what would its name be, and would it use Dust for it's payload or nuclear fusion? I need an idea for a special chapter coming up later.

I've updated my profile with some of my favorite quotes, so feel free to take a look at them. Until next time, please read and review. Oh, and my birthday is in a few days.