"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Nevermore engine strike!"

"Jackel Three, break off! Limp back to base!"

"Lost starboard engine, going down. Repeat going down."

"Jackel three pull up! Pull up!"

"See you on the other side guys."

"Give 'em hell Jackel three."

The CDS bit her lip as she listen to the chaotic radio chatter and watched the perimeter wall camera feeds. She watched as a crippled A-10 nosedived into the closing mass of grimm, it's hydraulic gatling continuously firing. The high calibre rounds tore through the grimm followed by the body of the aircraft slicing into the horde before bursting into a ball of fire. It wasn't the first time they had witnessed such and act. The video recordings would be full of such repeated sacrifices, not counting the guaranteed countless times similar actions unfolded out of the range of cameras.

"Horde is with in four thousand metres of the wall, sir."

Everyone in the command centre was been watching a listening for several hours now, as the entire weight of the Atlas armed forces dropped literal tonnes of varied ordnance on the encroaching mass of darkness. As the grimm wave approached, the air above was a war-zone. Air burst rounds tore through aerial grimm, as a veritable current of lead scythed through the air. The smaller forms of grimm were shredded, while some of the larger species resisted, and unleashed their own weapons upon the beleaguered defenders.

She continued to watch and listen as the men and women of the Atlas military threw themselves into the defence of their home.

"Close In Weapon Systems are running dry, sir."

"Command this is Angel One."

"Copy Angel One."

"Commencing drop in three... two... one. Drop!"

"All air forces, FAEs inbound. Withdraw to to the wall and take a holding pattern. Repeat FAEs inbound. Withdraw to wall."

The CDS leaned forward, her knuckle going white with her grip on the railing before her. She watched the feeds with baited breath. Over the multiple feeds she watched as the parachute slowed drum like weapons closed on the closing tide of beasts. Each container burst just above the grimm filling the air white clouds of dust particles. A couple of seconds later a flash. The ensuing fireballs vaporized the grimm at the epicentre of each denotation, as the shock wave tore those just outside the blast radius into shreds.

"Status."

"Estimated casualties thirteen percent of current calculated mass. Horde undeterred, and still closing, sir."

"Get the air strips cleared for the bomber's turn and rearm. Sorties will continue. Target the mid and rear of the horde. Recommence A10 runs and authorize Aerial bombardment from all available units."

"To all on station Wyvrens... Bring the Rain. Repeat... Bring the Rain."

"The AAS Momentous is on station, sir."

"Good, let's see how these fuckers handle a salvo of sixteen inchers." the CDS snarled as she watched the closing grimm getting railed by air based artillery. "Issue the order. Might Mo fire for effect."

"Momentous this is command. Fire for Effect. Repeat... Fire for Effect."

/=/

"Captain, fire for effect order from command, sir."

"It's showtime Mighty Mo! Traverse all turrets to starboard. Adjust roll to twenty degrees starboard down."

"Aye, sir."

Holding a position well above the frantic dogfight between masses of aerial grimm and Atlean fighter-craft. The gigantic, and majestic icon of the Atlean air-naval forces moved. Three topside mounted turrets, each fitted with three sixteen inch guns pivoted into firing position. As the various underside mounted emplacements continued to rain flack and air bursts into the grimm swarm below.

"All turrets reporting ready, sir."

"Distance from wall."

"Command is reporting thirty five hundred metres, sir."

"Adjust angle. Target host at forty-five hundred metres from the wall." he drummed his fingers on his console. His eyes studying the video feeds, and tactical data playing across the main screens. "Fire."

The ship superstructure shook and creaked as nine massive artillery guns discharged at once. The captain and his bridge staff watched and waited as the massive one thousand two hundred kilo shells cut across the distance between the Missouri and the targets far below.

"All turrets reporting ready, sir."

"Fire."

For a second time, in the span of a minute the recoil from the nine massive guns shook the ship. Below in the middle of the grimm host multiple explosive impacts disintegrated the gimm with in the blast radius, with a secondary effect of shrapnel and debris tearing chunks through the surrounding horde, causing some of the smaller species to literally burst in a shower of ink black fragments.

"All turrets reporting ready, sir"

"Fire."

/=/

"Three thousand metres! Okay you bastards, lock and load!"

All along the top of the wall, sniper teams pulled back bolts and slapped in magazines, while heavy, medium and light machine-gunners cocked their weapons.

"Ready!" shouts rippled along the firing line.

"Anti-material what is our code?" the commanding officer screamed through the comm system.

"One shot, one kill, send the fuckers to hell!"

"Fire! Fire! Fire!"

All around him, muzzle flashes burst to life, as triggers were squeezed. 50 BMG rounds ripped through the air at hyper-sonic speeds. The shooters and spotters watched through scopes as the armour piercing rounds struck home. Neat one inch holes surrounded by cracks appeared the armoured heads of the Megoliaths. Each one struck convulsed for a second before dropping dead to the ground, the insides of their massive heads liquefied.

"Fast movers incoming!" came multiple feeds.

The commander watched as a staggered line of small grimm burst past the lumbering lines of the larger Megoliaths. He kept his hand on the touch pads on his throat, waiting to bark the command for the machine gunners to open up.

"Twenty-five hundred!" came multiple spotter calls.

"Chew them up! Suppressing fire!" he barked through the comm system.

Along the top of the wall various calibres of automatic fire filled the air. Lines of snaking tracers gouged the group and riddled the charging lines of sabyr. Spurts of dirt and grimm flesh popped into the air as brass casings rained upon the hardened cement. Behind the onrushing grimm more Megoliaths dropped as the anti-material teams kept up the pressure.

/=/

"Horde is closing. Main mass with in three thousand metres. Supplementary mass of fast movers with in twenty-five hundred metres. Suppressing fire initiated. Closing on mine field, sir."

"Order all on ground troops to prepare for breech. Activate knight units, and warn all still active air craft to prep for danger close operations."

"Fielding reports of anti-air faltering. Causality of fighter forces at forty-five percent. On ground air defence causality rates at thirty-six percent. Multiple structure fires, and possible collateral causalities, sir."

"All active air fields are reporting as compromised, sir."

"Order withdraw. All combat capable units to dig in. Defend emergency shelters and vital infrastructure."

CIWS defences are down. No ammo alerts across the board, sir."

"Ignore them. All units to dig in and defend."

Her eyes never left the video feeds as she uttered her commands. The advance line of grimm had rapidly closed and were now crossing the two hundred metre wide perimeter mine field. They beasts were close enough that the camera could clearly see the after effects of the Bouncing Bettys, and Telermines activating. Pieces of grimm flew into the air with the bursts of dirt and rock. The waist high detonations of the Bettys throwing flesh shredding ball bearings and metal shards into the flanks of the passing sabyrs. It was a massacre, yet the mindless hatred driven beasts continued forward.

/=/

Even as Jaune targeted any grimm with in his effective range, his eyes registered the desperate fights about him and Marrow. Fires rages through structures, bodies littered the ground, along side torn and sundered armoured vehicles. Atlean forces were giving their all. Sacrificing life and limb to defend their home. He witnessed the building flattening crash of a stricken Manta. The two story home, crumbling under the aircraft before being consumed in a ball of flame. Marrow drove with precision, and experience. Weaving around obstacles as an almost continuous rain of dissolving grimm flecks and bodies fell into the streets.

Images of Beacon began to surface. Flashes of faces, started to roll past his eyes, causing Jaune to falter. Panic began to set in, as his heart rate jumped, and his hands began to shake. Closing his eyes, he tried to steady his ragged breathing. He tried to regain his focus, to continue what he had started. The sudden swerve of the sedan, nearly threw him from the speeding vehicle. It was only his Vectors that prevented the probable lethal tumble from his perch. Marrow cursed as three holes appeared in the roof of the car. Out of the corner he saw Jaune's tipping form suddenly pull itself straight.

A ball of fire ripped up the street, just to the left of the sedan. It was only Marrow's expert driving that prevented an impact with the armoured car. Needing to get to the airstrip, the car rapidly closed with the hovering grimm. Marrow grit his teeth. It was going to be close, but just maybe he's be able to squeeze under the large grimm. Jaune's eyes focused, and before Marrow's eyes the Sphinx was roughly yanked to the right out of the path of the sedan. A fraction of a second later the deadly grimm was bisected from head to tail.

The airstrip was just ahead, and Marrow aimed dead centre for the abandoned main gate. Jaune's body began to shake, and his efforts at clearing the way paused. Before his wide terrified dark blue eyes was a hellscape. Fires raged uncontrolled. Smoking and blazing skeletons of aircraft littered the runway and shoulders. Rent bodies, and broken armour dotted the landscape before him. He never realized the car had stopped. Nor did he registrar the shouts of Marrow, as the faunus Ace-Ops climbed from the sedan. Pockets of resistance tried in vain to clear the airstrip. The pop and thud of various calibre of arms filled the air. Tracers zipped into the sky.

Griffons, Nevermore, Sphinx, and Manitcores dive bombed, or outright landed to stalk forward, intent of slaughter.

"Jaune! Jaune!" Marrow screamed at the young blond, going so far as to even pull him from his perch and roughly shaking him by his shoulders. Jaune weaved on his feet, horrific memories freely flowing through his mind overlapped with the chaos surrounding him.

As if on autopilot Jaune's head turned towards Marrow. A short distance away an untouched hanger. Hastily erected gun placements, interspersed with impromptu vehicle created barriers. Off to the sides Bradley armour vehicles sat abandoned, their ammo reserves long since depleted. In the centre Winter Schnee stood. Around her Atlean troops unleashed bursts of fire. Slowly dwindling their limited supply of ammo. However she stood tall, multiple glyphs winking in and out of existence about her. As whitish blue forms of grimm flew and charged from her position; intercepting any closing grimm.

Seeing her, something broke inside Jaune, and suddenly a white rage filled his mind and body. Screaming he pushed past Marrow and strode with purpose towards the centre of the taxi way. The gun fire staggered and stopped. Before the nearly exhausted defenders six manticores, diving towards them, obviously intent on strafing or landing in the middle of the jury-rigged defensive perimeter roared in pain as they were pulled apart in a shower of evaporating grimm gore.

Winter weaved on her feet; her body exhausted from the near constant use of her semblance. Through drooping eyes she witnessed it. A lone blond haired figure standing before the nearly overwhelmed forces. The tide was suddenly turning, as aerial grimm by the dozens suddenly knocked from the air. Their disintegrating bodies crashing to the tarmac.

/=/

"Air defence is failing. Mayday calls escalating. All tankers declaring empty, sir."

"All air-carriers at capacity, AAS Enterprise declaring her own fuel emergency, sir."

"Knights now engaging hostiles. Currently at ninety percent combat capacity, sir."

"All on ground forces, and hunters not actively defending civilian shelters to redeploy to nearest air fields. Eliminate all hostiles and get those fields open!"

"Hostile fast movers closing on wire defences. Hostile heavies crossing mine field, sir."

"Status, knight units."

"Combat capacity eighty-five percent, sir."

"Order wall units to mask up." she waited until she received confirmations that the order had been passed and received. "Deploy gas."

The camera feeds showed only the closing grimm horde, when suddenly tendrils of yellow-brown vapours drifted towards the closing lines of grimm. Everyone watched as the sinister looking tendrils coiled about the air and slowly started to weave about the grimm. Everyone in the command and control centre knew they had just poisoned the lands surrounding Mantel's walls. Shoulders started to slump as it appeared the chemical attack had turned from something of possible hope, in to an in vain desperate ploy.

"Nerve agents ineffective, sir."

"Fuck." the CDS swore. The gamble had been a failure, but then the grimm line began to falter. The massive megoliaths stopping and starting to twist and shake their bodies violently, as if trying to dislodge something clinging to their bodies. Below them the charging saybres writhed. Rolling around on the ground.

"HD agents are effective. Grimm horde has stalled its approach, sir."

"Mortars, and Short range missile batteries. Target main line. Danger close."

She watched the feeds, suppressing the shiver as she watched the obviously suffering creatures. The Vytal Treaty had outlawed the use of chemical weapons. All signatories had been instructed to dismantle and dispose of all stockpiles. Yet here she was putting it out for the world to discover that Atlas had ignored those clauses. Shortly after the order multiple explosions erupted through the horde, as an uncountable number of surface to surface missiles and mortar shells crashed into the ground. Slightly above came multiple bursts. A heavy white powder falling onto the suffering beasts, instantly causing them to violently convulse, many dropping to the ground. Flames licked the ground, and suddenly an massive blast ripped through the lines, the shock-wave knocking several of the wall cameras feeds out.

"We have combustive denotation of the HD gas, sir."

"Keep up bombardment, and suppressing fire. Alert all Mantel based squads of eminent breach."

/=/

"Keep it up. Melt the fucking tubes boys!" order the commander as she relayed the orders from command. "Give the soulless bastards a taste of Willy Pete!"

All around her multiple mortar squads pushed themselves and their equipment. Normally they did thirty rounds per minute, but spurred on by their commander's orders, and the pressing threat from the mass of darkness closing on their homes and families; they pushed. Dropping rounds down tubes as soon as the previous round left.

Not far behind them, the M270s lowered their launch platforms as crews raced to reload. All of the teams were on edge. Willing to push themselves to exhaustion with effort. The more ordnance they dropped onto the grimm mass, the fewer that could reach the walls and if they were lucky. If they pushed their bodies to the full extent of training; maybe, just maybe they could break the threat before that could happen.

/=/

"We have a feed and an all clear from strip foxtrot-tree, sir."

"What?" Put it up on the main feed now."

The main screen shifted, to a shaking gun feed. Everyone in the command centre watched eyes wide, as a single figure stood exposed on the tarmac. Shredded grimm fragments disintegrating as they rained from the sky. The figure didn't move and inch. He didn't flinch, just stood there his head moving slightly every so often, as wave upon wave met gruesome ends. Bodies bisected, headless and ripped apart vanished into the air. The larger corpses crashing into the ground. The combined smoky evaporation starting to form a smoke screen, obscuring the end of the runway.

"Coordinate with Foxtrot-tree. I want every flight capable fighter down, refuelled, rearmed and back in the air. Draw ground crews and supplies from any nearby ammo dumps, or compromised air strips, AND I want more strips cleared! Once the fighters have rotated out, focus on getting the tankers down and restocked. Holding patterns for all aircraft with sufficient fuel."

"Those that unable to?"

"Bail over Mantel, and ditch into the grimm. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's not a fucking train."

/=/

Gaining a reprieve the defensive forces of Foxtrot-tree, reloaded, and armed. As Winter leaned against Marrow while watching as Jaune stood exposed; the nearly spent forces made their move.

"Hold!" yelled Marrow only to be completed ignores as several squads, rushed out. The two Ace-Ops watched as the scrambling men and women quickly set up a defensive formation just to the sides and behind the still form of Jaune. Weapons sweeping the sky as they added bursts of staggered fire. It was all they could do to support the young man, and as one they'd be damned if they didn't give the young man the support he deserved.

Marrow, Winter and a slightly injured Allison watched the display happening before their eyes. Jaune was force unto himself. They watched the aerial grimm circling above getting decimated. A Sphinx attempted a flyby, and they winced at the body crushing thud as it was violently pulled from the air, and dashed again the tarmac. Time seemed to slow for them as they watched Jaune respond to the grimm threat, while supported by the small squad. Out of the group, it was Jaune who was the most effective. The strength of the grimm having no bearing on how quickly they were being dispatched.

"Is it just me, or does Jaune seem to be reaching out higher than the testing showed?" asked Marrow, as he was certain that he witnessed a griffin torn asunder at least a 100 metres in the air.

"It does." replied Winter with a pained voice. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Jaune. She caught the shimmer of his aura, "Is your scroll still synced to track his aura?"

"It is, why?" Marrow replied, as he dug into his pocket pulling out the requested item.

"What is his aura level?"

"Shit!" Marrow swore as he activated the proper application, "He's in the red!"

"What's that mean?" Allison asked, her worried eyes watching as Jaune took a step forward, as the grimm that had been swarming above were thinned even more.

"He's burning through his aura, while protecting this air strip, if he keeps going he's going to collapse."

Winter snapped as she forced herself to stand straight, regardless of her own exhaustion. "We need to get him out of there."

The sound of engines, and staccato busts of gun fire drew their attention away, to see several APCs and a couple heavy duty cargo trucks rolled through the gate. They watched as soldiers rushed our, they all looked worse for wear, but as soon as their boots hit the tarmac they brought their own firepower to bear on the threat. Turrets adjusted, and soon Bushmaster chain-guns ripped to life adding to the hail of lead flying through the air. A couple of medics rushed to their sides, already pulling supplies from their kits.

"Sir! Mam!" greeted the ranking officer as she followed the corpsman. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine." Marrow replied as he watched the grimm further get thinned out. "What's going on?"

"Orders from Command and Control. Those units not protecting shelters are to converge on airstrips and clear them. We multiple Bingo Fuel incoming. We're to refuel and rearm them." as she said that Winter Marrow and Allison saw the first PD-51's coming low in approach to the air field.

"He's in the centre of the runway! We need to warn him!" shouted Allison as she took a few steps forward before being restrained.

"We'll take care of it, mam." the ranking officer spoke as she reached up and pressed the two black pads against her throat, "We have incoming, clear the field. Repeat we have incoming clear the field."

Allison's eyes were wide in fear as the first of the fighter aircraft touched down, and barrelled towards Jaune as the squads supporting him. She watched as they scattered, the squads moving as a unit to the right while Jaune staggered and bolted to the left. The squads hit the dirt dropping into a shallow depression at the side of tarmac, while Jaune kept running, not knowing were he could drop and cover to avoid the wings and backwash. Allison watched as he closed on the chain-link fencing.

"He's bolting!" someone shouted, followed by the bark of a single rifle.

"No! Stop!" Allison, Marrow and Winter yelled in unison before watching as Jaune's aura shattered, as he was knocked sideways and tumbled into the dirt.

"Stay!" Marrow shouted as others of the newly arrived squads attempted to turn their automatics upon the fallen form.

"Recover him NOW!" Winter grabbed the ranking officer and screamed directly into her face.

None of the three paid attentions as PD-51's and Mantas piled on to the field. The on station aircrews and the newly arrived ones, swarmed out of where they had taken cover and began to work.

/=/

"We have breaches!"

"So it begins. Where?"

"The compromised sections. Reports of megoliaths smashing through. Ground units engaging."

"Airstrip Foxtrot-niner signalling secured, but still under light attack."

"Knight units at thirty-five percent combat capacity."

"What of the grimm?" the CDS asked.

"Estimated thirty percent of original estimated mass."

"Order all units not protecting shelters to engage! Do NOT let a single one of those bastards through the walls. Choke the holes with bodies!" the CDS ordered as her hands gripped the railing before her even tighter. "This is the end ladies and gentlemen! We either break the bastards here, or we've lost! Make them pay for every fucking centimetre they try to claim!"

"Foxtrot-tree reporting that Target Alpha is down!"

"What happened!"

"Unsure."

"What do you mean unsure?"

"Conflicting reports. Getting word that Alpha tried to run, others claiming friendly fire incident."

"Status of Alpha?"

"Down but unknown."

/==/

So a shorter chapter than normal, as I am a more than a few hours over when I said I would post this chapter. I am REALLY going to try an post the next one on Monday, and if I can do that maybe I can keep up dropping chapters on Mondays.

Next chapter should finish up with Atlas, and move onto Vale. If I'm late (which is most likely going to happen) it's because I'm rereading the whole story and jotting down all the loose ends I need to close up. Anyway, hope this chapter meets expectations.

We've be "officially" labelled a sh*tfic. (LOL) I know that the first chapter is what gets people interested, so if anyone is up to it, a private message on how I could improve that chapter wouldn't be ignored.

As always, suggests, comments and critiques always welcome.

Hope you enjoyed.