RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land
Chapter 4: Missing in Action
UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES
PLANET'S SURFACE
UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
The two individuals kept their eyes locked on one another, both unsure of what to think of the other. On one hand, Jack was a heavily armed soldier running through the woods, yelling and shooting like a mad man, while the other was a red cloaked scythe wielder. Regardless of how odd or out of the ordinary the strange figure was, it did save Jack's skin from another close call. Private Carver observed the figure more closely. Beneath the red cloak and hood, Jack could make out a feminine form, coming to the conclusion that the figure was a female humanoid. She was shorter than him, thinner too. Realistically, if things went south, which they had tended to do so ever since they arrived, Jack figured he could take the target on. However, it was the massive red scythe that she wielded that dissuaded him from making any preemptive moves. In addition to the weapon, the figure had shown no hostile intent towards him, yet. Which would make an attack unjust.
The eerie silence was disturbing. Jack knew the stranger was staring him down, analyzing him just as much as he was analyzing her. Their silence was an exercise of caution from both parties. However, Jack could not help but notice how much the cloaked figure reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood due to her iconic red hood.
"H-Hello?" Jack called out, making the first move. His sidearm was lowered, hoping to give off the aura of non-hostility. While there was no way to know if she even spoke his language, she was the first non-hostile lifeform that he came into contact with. So it was worth a shot.
The stranger tilted her head upon hearing Jack's voice. Mechanical whirring was soon audible shortly after Jack had spoken and the stranger had lifted her scythe. At first, Jack took a step back, expecting an attack and preparing a retaliatory strike. However, the whirring soon led to the large weapon folding and losing its scythe-like shape. In mere moments, the once large, intimidating weapon had been reduced to a compact, rectangular form.
Jack looked on in amazement at the mechanical marvel. How a giant death machine could be stored so easily made him rather jealous that the C9's and C6's could not perform such a feat. The stranger placed the stored weapon behind her where a custom mount was suspended on the small of her back. Similarly, Jack stuffed his Browning into its holster attached to his leg.
Next, the strangers now free hands found their way to the rims of her hood. The red hood was removed. Jack found himself staring in slight awe.
She was human.
Black hair with red tips rested atop her head, her pale skin shone similarly to the moon. What kept Jack's eyes staring, however, were her gleaming silver eyes. Silver Eyes. Jack's mind trailed back to what Jerome was saying before they passed through the portal. She was pleasant looking, that much Jack could say. Clothing wise, the woman sported a white dècolletage blouse. Around her waist, she wore a black and red overbust corset. A black belt with red borders dangled around her waist as well, holding what appeared to be magazines of ammunition and clips of loose rounds. Below that, a primarily black skirt with red accents was worn, followed by thigh-high leggings just below the hem of her skirt. Knee high boots that were a midnight black with red soles covered her feet. Above her chest, her red cloak was clipped around her neck by a silver emblem; a rose. Jack began to notice the trend of black and red.
"Hi! Are you okay?!" The stranger asked, taking a step forward.
Jack's jaw dropped. Perfect English. Jack Carver found himself at a loss for words. He was on the run from the enemy, abandoned on the beach by accident, made first contact with a non-hostile indigenous person who could speak his language and was trying to engage him. Where did he even begin? Did he ask for help? Did he tell her what happened? Did he say hello for the sake of a peaceful introduction? Or did he thank her for saving his life? Too many questions and thoughts raced through his already stressed mind.
"Are you hurt?" She stepped forward again. "I can help!"
"I-"
"Ruby!" Shouts came from behind the stranger, coming from the woods. Shortly after, three figures emerged from the tree line, entering the clearing in which Jack was staring down the stranger.
The three figures all had weapons drawn. A sword and shield, dual green bladed handguns, and...a Warhammer? Each of them looked as odd as their weaponry. White and gold armor, green robes and pink clothing were uniquely donned by the three, allowing Jack to tell them apart instantly. Whereas if he were to do the same with his fellow soldiers, they'd all look the same with standard issue equipment and camouflage.
The armor clad man looked no older than Jack was. His hair was blonde, and his eyes blue. Under the golden and white armor, he donned a black hoodie and simple jean-like pants. Around his waist, a bright red sash of some sorts dangled. His weapon; a simple sword accompanied by a shield with golden markings on it. Though it was simple, Jack did not question the lethality of the weapon.
The individual dressed in a sage-green robe had long, hip-length black hair with a purple streak traveling down a portion of his locks. The robe was a sleeveless tailcoat. On the man's arms, pink sleeves that ended around his bicep were attached to metal armbands around his muscles. On his feet were calf high, open-toed sandals. His eyes were a pale pink, which was as surprising to Jack as the original figures' silver eyes. The man was almost ninja-like in his appearance, simply put.
Lastly, the Warhammer wielding redhead wore a pink skirt with a white top, covered by a dark coloured bomber jacket. Knee high white boots were dirtied by the forest floor. Her eyes were a sky blue, lighter than the blond man's eyes. She looked almost too eager to get into a scuffle as her hands were tight on her weapon.
"We heard shots! What's going on-" The individual who wielded the white and golden sword and shield spoke to the red-clad figure, only to stop upon noticing Jack.
Jack took a step back upon noticing all four of them staring at him.
"...Uhh...Who's that?"
Jack's eyes raced around the clearing, searching for his C7A2 that he lost in the fight with the bear creature. The 5.56 caliber rifle lay in the grass a few meters to his right. Theoretically, he could dive for it and make a mad dash into the cover of the trees, using the night to hide him from the creatures and brightly coloured warriors ahead of him.
Running did not seem like a good idea, though. He was already fatigued and dehydrated. Plus, without aid and a place to stay, it was unlikely he would survive the night. It would seem that his only hope was to negotiate with the locals.
"I plan on finding out! I found him out here, fighting an Ursa!" The silver-eyed girl spoke to the blond before turning her attention once again to Jack. "Are you okay?"
Jack looked at the group for a few more moments before deciding they, more specifically the girl in red, did not seem to harbor any ill intent.
"...Yeah...Yeah, I'm alright, thanks to you. Scuffed up a bit, but I'll live."
While the other three did not sheath/holster their weapons due to a fear of the creatures still being nearby, they visibly relaxed upon hearing Jack's gratitude.
"Heh, it was nothing." She dismissed with the wave of her hand. " What's your name?"
"I'm Private-" He stopped himself, knowing that his rank probably had no meaning to them. "Jack. I'm Jack. Jack Carver. And you are…?" He gestured to all of them.
"Hi, Jack! I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose!"
Ruby Rose.
Jack now had a name for the face of the warrior that intervened in a fight that more than likely would have killed him. He took note of the 'Ruby' and 'Rose' simply adding to the trend of red garb that she wore.
"These are my teammates; Jaune."
"Hey." The blond man, now known to Jack as Jaune, nodded and waved lightly.
"Ren." Ruby continued.
"Hello, Jack." The man bowed, further complimenting his appearance of a ninja-like figure.
"And that's Nora."
"Hiya!" The pink girl bounced.
Jack recoiled, shocked by her loud and peppy nature. He looked behind himself, scanning the woods for hostiles before observing each of the four again.
"Good to meet you."
A loud howl interrupted the meeting, causing the five to stare towards the point of origin. Jack turned again and back away from the tree line. Only when Jack's adrenaline lowered did he start to feel the pain of his wounds. A sharp pain stabbed his side. He groaned and clutched his side where he had been swatted by the 'Ursa' as Ruby called it.
"...God damn it…These things just don't know when to quit..." Jack slowly and painfully made his way to his C7.
"Time to go." Jaune sheathed his sword into a slot in the top of his white and gold shield. The guard collapsed into a smaller form, similar to that of Ruby's scythe and clipped it to his belt.
Ruby beat Jack to his rifle and lifted it, handing it the wounded soldier.
"Thought you said you were okay!?" Ruby teased her new acquaintance.
Jack took the rifle and slung it over his shoulder with a groan. "Like I said…" He loaded a fresh magazine into the rifle. "I'll live."
"Come with us, we will provide medical aid." Ren guided the soldier along, placing a hand on the back of the body armor Jack was wearing.
At first, Jack was reluctant. Going deeper into the forest with strangers, further away from the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. He was going to ask for support in getting back to the beach, however, hearing the approaching hostiles changed his mind.
"Where are we going?"
"We're gonna settle down for the night at our camp."
They exited the clearing, reentering into the cover of the trees. Jack, with significant assistance from Ruby and Ren, limped towards their temporary encampment while Jaune and Nora provided security to their front and rear. The walk was lengthy, which left Jack wondering why they were so far out. Perhaps they were investigating the large gun battle, only to stumble upon a random Soldier running through the woods, firing on anything behind him. He planned on fishing for answers later. Questions like who they were, where they were, everything.
After roughly twenty minutes of shuffling through the woods in the dark, getting further and further from the Brock and the enemy forces on the beach, they reached a large rock formation embedded in the woods that was erupted from the ground and featured a cut in, providing overhead protection from possible rain while high enough to allow a manageable campfire to be produced.
A campfire that had been long since put out was located in the center of four sleeping bags. An assortment of bags and resources lay strewn about the camp, near the fire.
"Jaune, get a fire going." Ruby pointed at the doused fire pit.
"On it!" Jaune placed his weapon down at his sleeping bag before scouring the nearby trees for fresh wood to burn.
"Nora! You have the watch! Make sure we weren't followed."
"You got it!" The huge Warhammer the woman held collapsed into a form similar to that of an M32 MGL used by the United States Marine Corps. Jack's eyes widened at the weapon.
"A hammer and a grenade launcher?!" Jack gawked at the firearm.
"Sure is!" Nora gleefully confirmed.
Ruby and Ren aided Jack to the rock wall of the formation where they carefully sat him down against it, much to the discomfort of the Canadian.
Ren removed Jack's C7A2 from his shoulder and placed it down next to him. Both Ruby and Ren unzipped the soldier's tactical vest and removed it carefully as to not cause discomfort in the still groaning Jack.
"What is that?" Jaune asked while tending to the kindling flame.
"It's a C7A2, gas operated, fully automatic assault rifle chambered in 5.56 caliber." Jack listed off the characteristics of the Canadian Forces' service rifle that he had learned in Basic Military Qualification
"...A what?"
"It's a gun." Ruby answered, predicting Jack's response.
"Yeah." Jack nodded. "That."
Ruby observed Jack's body, determining that the fragmentation vest and combat shirt that he donned would have to be removed in order to evaluate his wounds.
"We're going to have to remove your protective equipment." Ren said, also looking over the CADPAT vest.
"Go for it." Jack tried moving his arm to tear the velcro seals keeping the vest attached to his body, to no avail.
The two aiding Jack separated the velcro pieces holding it together and lifted the kevlar plate carrier over Jack's head. The CADPAT load bearing vest and fragmentation vest were placed down side by side with his rifle.
Soon after his body armor was removed, Jaune managed to start the fire, providing light in the dark rock formation. Jack could see the light reflecting off of Ruby's silver eyes. For a moment, the pain in his side had subsided, allowing him to gaze at the unusual, albeit interesting, eye colour present in Ruby's eyes.
Now that his gear was no longer restricting his movement, Jack could slouch semi-comfortably against the rock wall. His shirt was slightly torn and dirtied from the previous engagements.
"And your shirt?" Ruby gestured.
Jack had just started to get comfortable when he remembered they were trying to provide medical aid. "Right."
He sat up slowly and reached for the hem of his shirt. Jack lifted the sweaty combat shirt over his head and placed it with the remainder of his kit. Jack had put the shirt on just prior to boarding the Brock and since then, had worn it for hours in a warm climate during combat conditions. He was glad to be rid of it, even if the night air left his torso cold.
"That's brisk…" Jack shivered.
"Ren, can you grab some water and the medicine?" Ruby gestured to her pack next to her sleeping bag while looking over Jack's bruised torso.
His left side had a significant impact injury, no doubt the result of the Ursa creature smashing Jack to the side on the beach, followed by another striking him in the clearing. Much of his torso was bruised and cut. Even much of his back, where he had been thrown against a bulkhead on the Endeavour, was bruised. Ruby placed her hand on the bruise, causing Jack to recoil.
"Ah, damn!" Jack groaned.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Ruby retracted her hand. "Needed to see how bad it was!"
"Yeah, it's bad!" Jack tried his hand at humour, though it brought little comfort.
Ren hastily returned to Ruby's side, carrying a tan coloured canteen and a white coloured cartridge. Jack sighed of relief upon seeing the container. While he did not regret giving Grove his water, he was certainly dehydrated as a result. Ren handed the water carrier to Jack who, similarly to Grove, removed the cap and began to drink. He had not been drinking for two seconds before stopping himself and taking the canteen away from his lips.
"What's wrong?" Ruby inquired.
"I can't drink this. This is your water." Jack reached for the cap, aiming to seal it to the canteen.
"You are dehydrated." Ren started. "Choosing not to drink will be detrimental to your health."
"I said I could help you, and that's what I'm going to do." Ruby pushed the canteen closer to the rejecting man.
"...If you say so...Thank you." Jack continued to drink, visibly relaxing upon taking in the liquid.
He then reached for his tactical vest, grunting as he did. He opened his IFAK on his vest, fishing for his painkillers. He eventually found the bottle of pills buried at the bottom and dumped two into his palm before downing them with water.
"It'll take a while for those to take effect." Ren noted.
"You're right, but I don't really see an alternative."
"We could put some ice on your injuries!" Ruby pointed towards the largest bruise on Jack's body; the Ursa strike wound on his left side.
"Not a bad idea." Jack started. "But...where are we gonna get the ice?" He looked around, genuinely curious.
"That's what that is for." Ruby gestured to the cartridge still in Ren's hand.
"...What's that?" Jack asked with a brow raised.
"Watch!"
Ren retrieved one of his handguns from his hip and loaded the white cartridge into the magazine well. He took aim and fired the weapon at the ground, resulting in a white puff of smoke. Jack waved his hand, keeping the smoke away from his face. When the smoke cleared, he looked in amazement to find that the round that impacted, had turned into a misshapen ball of ice.
"How!?"
"The Schnee Dust Company sure does its job well!" Nora shouted from her position of security.
Ruby's facial expression fell to sadness at the mention of the Schnee Dust Company.
Jack observed the ice that was formed upon the ground inquisitively. While the name 'dust' suggested it was just that; mere dust, the power and ability displayed by the white cartridge that Ren had deployed stated otherwise. "Dust...What's that?"
All four of his saviors paused their actions, looking at him in confusion.
"...Was that a weird thing to ask? That was weird, wasn't it?" Jack assumed, looking at their expressions.
"That's one way of putting it, that's for sure." Jaune shrugged.
Ruby knelt down, picking up the ball of ice with Jack's glove. She sat down next to him and placed the frozen dust round against his bruise. His eyes widened, and his form twitched in reaction to the cold.
"Well...it's not everyday we hear that." Ruby mused before turning her head and looking at him. "...Where are you from, Jack? Vale?"
Jack looked quizzically at the girl, oblivious of what Vale was, and searching for a way to explain that he was not of that world.
"Mistral? Vacuo? Atlas?"
"Is there a 'none of the above' option? Never heard of them."
The more time team RNJR spent with him, Jack Carver got stranger by the minute. At first, he claimed to have no knowledge of one of the world's leading corporate powers, the element of Dust, now he professed to having lived outside all of the four Kingdoms, the last bastions for humanity while also never hearing about them. While yes, there were scattered villages here and there, one would have to be incredibly dense to not know of at least one of the Kingdoms.
"To be honest with you, Ruby...I'm not from...around here."
"Got that much, thanks." Jaune shrugged from over by the campfire.
"...Well, where are you from?" Ruby persisted.
"Canada." Jack said while pointing to the flag on his combat shirt laying amongst his gear.
"Is that a nearby village?" Ren inquired.
"No...I wish it were nearby. It's a country."
Due to the isolation caused by the Grimm, the four Kingdoms were the only things that resembled Earth's countries. And from what RNJR knew, there was no such kingdom as 'Canada' on Remnant.
"Did you hit your head?" Nora asked.
"...I don't think so?" Jack pondered before shaking his head and getting to the point. "Look, guys. This is going to sound...really crazy...But when I say 'I'm not from around here'...I mean I came from another world or dimension or something along those crazy lines."
In truth, he barely understood it himself, meaning his explanation would be flawed. The four stared at him, blank-faced.
"Umm...What?"
"I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous. I don't get it either."
"He's an alien!" Nora exclaimed.
"No! Well, maybe? I don't know." Jack shrugged.
"That's so cool!" Ruby's confused expression turned to interest and amazement. If Jack was telling the truth, he was a being from another world. And team RNJR had made first contact. "But...Why are you here?" Ruby asked.
"Here's what I know; a...portal...of some sort appeared in the Hudson Bay back home...it's a large body of water." Jack clarified before continuing. "Some scientists went through, ending up here, trying to explore and learn about the portal. They never came back."
"So you came through to rescue them?" Ren assumed.
"Yeah, essentially. My friends and I came through on a huge boat to look for them."
"So you're not here to abduct our cows and invade?" Nora asked, looking somewhat...disappointed. Further adding to Jack's opinion that; she was odd.
"Uhm...No?" Jack chuckled, only to hold his side in discomfort after doing so. "We had hoped we came through fast enough to rescue the scientists."
"Did you?" Ruby took the ice off of Jack's torso momentarily to continue the conversation.
"...No…" Jack sighed, looking at the ground. "Only one survived."
"What happened?"
"Whatever these things are got to them before we did...it was a bloodbath." He shuddered.
"I'm sorry, Jack..."
"Me too. Really thought we could've helped bring em' home. My team and I rescued the only survivor and encountered whatever those monsters are."
"Grimm." Ren gave the monsters a name.
"Grimm. Well. That's a fitting name." Jack rolled his eyes. "They're tough to kill. How many of em' are there?"
"Endless it would seem." Ren added. "They have been hunting Humanity for as long as we can remember."
"Great…" Jack groaned sarcastically.
"So...there are more of you?" Jaune asked while walking over.
"Yeah, about a thousand of us I'd wager."
"Well, that explains the explosions and gunfire we heard." Jaune took a seat against the rockwall.
"The 'Grimm' attacked some of our men that were patrolling the mainland. They were trying to learn a little about where we were while I was searching the scientists' ship for survivors. We had to escape when the Grimm attacked, only to find that the recon party had been engaged too. I got separated, and well, here we are."
"We can tell you about where you are, if it helps!" Ruby offered their assistance while applying the ice.
"Ruby, can we talk for a moment?" Jaune said, telling rather than asking.
The two warriors stood up and walked away, stopping at the campfire, facing away from the now confused soldier.
"What's up?" Ruby asked.
"We don't know enough about this guy to start helping him out and get friendly with him. For all we know, he's lying."
Jaune's old happy, whimsical nature had been suppressed by a far more aware, stoic and warrior-like demeanor. While it made him stronger in battle, it certainly spoke volumes about his change in character post fall of Beacon academy. He did make a good point, however. They did not know a lot about their new acquaintance to make a proper judge of his character. But Ruby only needed to see one thing; the willingness to help people. And as far as they knew, that was his sole purpose for being there in the first place.
"Jaune, he came here to find his lost people and bring them home, not go to war with us. Besides, they're fighting the Grimm, that can only be good for us!"
"So he says. Ruby, I don't want anyone else to get hurt. We both know that there are humans out there on the other side...we both know what happened at Beacon...we've seen liars infiltrate our school and take the ones we love."
Ruby's eyes met the dirt. Jaune's spiel was a sharp and stinging reminder to the losses they suffered. Penny, Professor Ozpin...Pyrrha. Other humans such as Roman Torchwick and Cinder had dedicated their operations to bringing the Huntsmen academy down despite it being a crucible providing warriors to fight Grimm. Though Torchwick met a grizzly end, there were men like him ready to take his place and Ruby knew Cinder and her lackeys were still out there. As Uncle Qrow had said, their trail led to Haven, which meant they had to get there and shut them down at all costs. Jack and his men provided an interesting opportunity to do so should they ally together.
"What if he can help?"
"How?"
"You saw the explosions and heard the gunfire, Jaune. We know they have powers similar to Atlas. What if they can get us to Haven for helping Jack? What if they can help us stop the ones responsible?"
"Why would they do that?"
"...Jack said they wanted to learn, right? If we help them for a trip to Haven in return, we can complete our objective. Make things right!"
Jaune pondered for a minute. Ruby made a good argument. They'd have to rely on Jack to get the help they needed, but, it was a risk he was now willing to take in order to bring justice for Pyrrha.
"I trust you." Jaune finally said. "If you think he and his friends are the key to getting us there and winning, let's do it."
"Thanks, Jaune." Ruby smiled. "We just need to get him back to his friends and wait for the rest to sort itself out. Besides...We're supposed to help people. Let's take the chance."
The two marched back towards the shirtless soldier, who was holding a conversation with Ren about the Grimm. The man had a journal and a pen out. Moving his arm seemed to cause discomfort, but the information was valuable to jot down in order to inform the chain of command.
"So the big ones are called 'Ursai' right?"
"Correct. And the smaller ones are Beowolves. They attack in packs, as you may have already discovered."
Jack wrote down the information and chuckled. "...Yeah, learned that the hard way, that's for sure."
Ruby retook her place next to Jack and started applying the ice to his wounds.
"So." She started while looking down at his notebook. "What do you want to know?"
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 01:00
ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC
MARPAC
COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ
Dietz walked along the Fantail of the Brock, taking deep breaths of the fresh summer air. For the first time since leaving Esquimalt two weeks ago, there was quiet. Only an hour ago he ordered the crew to break, getting some much-needed rest while they could. MP's walked the ship as a security precaution, awaiting the possibility that the planet's wildlife would threaten the ship. The 50. BMG's where fixed, ready to be manned at a moment's notice. One Leading Seaman was installing a fresh belt of ammunition into the feed, dropping what he was doing and saluting when he noticed Dietz walking by. Dietz also saluted and dismissed the sailor to continue his duties. As he turned the corner of the gangway, he came across the newly installed Mark 45. artillery piece. The alloy along the guns casing still looked new, never being fired since being serviced. Although it was days ago, it felt like an eternity since they came through the anomaly. Peace and quiet was hard to find aboard a warship, not to mention being able to enjoy it alone. Dietz took the time to lean out over the bow gangway, seeing the sun begin to rise on the far off horizon line. This peace was soon interrupted by a constant vibrating feeling in Dietz' right pocket. Dietz sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an early 2000's style, a government issued flip phone. Although looking like a standard consumer real phone, to call it that was misleading. No texts, no voice recorder, no pictures, nothing. Every feature but call and voicemail were disabled. Not even the weather app was considered safe from security breaches. Kendall always made the comparison to a toy phone.
"It's like the phone you would give to your two-year-old, where they can pretend to press things but nothing happens." Kendall would always say. He took every opportunity to hit DND on every poor decision they made. Dietz flipped open hs phone and answered in the most neutral tone possible.
"Yeah, Dietz." He identified, no caller ID was enabled on his phone, per DND's orders.
"Sir, Colonel Reid and Lieutenant Bryson are assembled in the briefing room, waiting for you Sir." It was his navigation officer, Ashley Beckett. While young, she was a capable officer and was more than capable to put the fear of god into the NCM's, when needed of course.
"Good, tell him I'll be right down. Wake up Kendall and tell him to meet me there."
"I've tried Sir, no answer in his quarters."
"Try the helo-bay, don't ask."
For whatever reason, Kendall never slept in his quarters. More often than not, he slept in low traffic areas. Most of the time, he was in the helo-bay, sleeping in any helicopter that wasn't being serviced. He didn't like to make it public, but Kendall was originally a pilot. The two first met when Dietz was Commander aboard the HMCS Huron. Kendall was a Sea King pilot that always yelled at the ship's flight crew for making his job harder, always demanding that they keep the ship stable. Eventually, the two met when he asked to speak to the flight boss' superior. When Dietz arrived, he challenged Kendall to do better. Only a year and a half later, the two met at a NATO security summit where Kendall had been promoted to Chief of the Boat aboard the HMCS Victoria.
10 MINUTES LATER
JOINT OPS SECURITY BRIEFING
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
Dietz approached the bulkhead door, removing his uniform ball cap before reaching for the handle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man in a blue service shirt running down the hall.
"Make a hole!" He yelled, jumping over knockers as he passed by sailors who moved to the side of the hall. As the man got closer, Dietz realized who the man was.
"Thanks for waiting, commodore!"
Of course, it had to be his XO. He was obviously well rested from his nap.
"Mike." Dietz remarked, placing obvious hints of disgust and disappointment in his tone. These feelings were later doubled when he noticed what has in his hand. "Is that a half eaten apple in your hand?"
"What? We're on the water, gotta keep up your Vitamin C. Don't want to fall victim to scurvy."
"We've been gone for a little over a day. We're 21st-century sailors with the Royal Canadian Navy, not 16th-century pilgrims crossing the Atlantic. Give me that." Kendall looked down at his snack. He reluctantly took one last bite before handing it over to his superior. Dietz, now with a half eaten fruit in his hand, gave it to a passing Petty Officer. "Throw this out the next time you pass a trash bin."
"Yes, Sir." The Petty Officer took the fruit by the stem and continued down the corridor. Dietz now looked back at his XO, now less confident that he was presentable. Sadly, He was right.
"And what the hell are those?" Dietz pointed to a pair of sunglasses, hanging by one arm in the Lieutenant-Commander's shirt breast pocket.
"Aviators…"
"I'm not even going to ask why. Hand them over." Again, Kendall took the shades out from his uniform hand gave them to the CO, who placed them in his empty left pocket. With his now free hand, he reached for the door, turning the knob and gesturing his XO to go first. Kendall took the hint, removing his hat which was similar in style to Dietz', and entered the room.
What used to be a break room for the ship's officers was converted into a meeting style room. A long, modern style table extended across the length of the compact room. A beverage stand was still present, on the opposite wall of the entrance. Along the back, left wall was a door leading to a private kitchenette, which was barren. Sitting at the head of the table on the left was Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, wearing the standard Canadian CADPAT uniform. To his right was Master Corporal Farren and to Reid's left was Lieutenant Bryson. Both men sported the same style uniform to their battalion commander. Filling in the chairs to the left and right where the CF-18 pilots that lead the bombing run, Chief Engineer Richard Scott, the Sea-Avenger drone pilots and the surviving doctor from the HMCS Endeavour, Brian Grove. Two seats remained at the head of the table on the right-hand side. Both Kendall and Dietz moved for the remaining seats.
According to International Law, the Brock was sovereign Canadian soil in international waters. Dietz, by extension, was the highest ranking Canadian official on the ship. Only being outranked by Her Majesty as the Head Of State of Canada would she be present. Due to this law, it was Lieutenant-Colonel Reid who rose up upon his entry, shouting "Room!" Causing those within the confines of the break room to rise and stand at attention. Reid saluted the Naval Captain, awaiting his order to relax.
As Dietz and Kendall arrived at their seats, they too stood at attention before Dietz gave the order to relax and to retake their seats. "Let's get right to it then. Thank you all for being here. I am acutely aware that the last 12 hours have been a little chaotic for all of us so I will try to keep this brief. Per first contact doctrine, this session will be recorded for the record and presented to Parliament at the earliest convenience. Doctor, we will begin with you. When I finish the introduction, you will give your statement." Dietz reached out in front of him and pressed a small red button on one of two recording systems on the table, each at one end. "HMCS Sir Isaac Brock, first contact report, Operation Beyond Veil. Mission parameters, prescribed and commissioned by Her Majesty, the Queen, and her representatives. First. to recover prudent intelligence aboard the HMCS Endeavour and rescue any survivors that may be aboard. Second, to establish a Forward Operating Base beyond the anomaly and gather relevant intel on the planet's ecosystem, wildlife and/or the presence of intelligent life. Report dated September 26th, 2017. Commander William Dietz presiding."
Dietz raised a small script from a folder on the desk in front of him. Typed upon the page was a carefully detailed summary of last night's events. He placed it flat atop the folder and cleared his throat and began to read.
"Upon entering the anomaly, our vessel came under attack from what we can only assume was a hostile EMP device, intended to cripple our capabilities. Upon completing a visual check of the ship, I ordered Helmsman McCord to move us closer to the nearby landmass. Upon arrival, A reconnaissance platoon was deployed to what remainder of the Endeavour. After careful visual inspection by members of the platoon, it was determined the Endeavour suffered major hull damage, and her superstructure was nearly torn in half. Upon determining the structural integrity of the ship was volatile, as well as the possible remainder of hostile contact, two fire teams were deployed to recover the vessels remaining fuel supply and shipboard recorder. After discovering the identity of the only known survivor, both teams made contact with what we can only assume was the planet's indigenous wildlife. After successfully extracting both assets prescribed to them, as well as the survivor, the ship was scuttled by human error. The team moved back to the mainland where the rest of the platoon had fallen under attack. At this time, the fuel recovered from the Endeavour aided the ship's engineer to reverse the effects of the EMP, returning power to the ship. This was followed by an unexpected closing of the anomaly, resulting in no damage to the ship or engaged ground forces. CF-18 air support was immediately deployed to aid in the fight, resulting in a tactical withdrawal to the Brock. Current reports estimate 24 injured, several of whom are in critical condition. I am pleased to report that we have reported zero friendlies killed in action overall. Giving an in-depth briefing of the events and his experiences is the only surviving member of the HMCS Endeavour research team. Doctor Brian Grove was found alone aboard the Endeavour and will give a statement on his findings."
"Thank you, Captain. My name is Doctor Brian Grove, acting Head of Research for the HMCS Endeavour, now stationed aboard the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. We arrived on this planet almost a week and a half ago. Our mission was to provide preliminary insight into the planet and to assist the reinforcements with getting used to the planet's ecosystem. Upon arrival, Our ship was also hit by an EMP blast. This caused a short circuit of the ship's power plant. Shortly after, we replaced the circuit breakers and restored power to the ship's primary functions, but permanent damage was already done to the propulsion systems and determined to be irreparable. After falling under attack from the local wildlife, our ship ran aground on the mainland. Per the Captain's prior report..."
As the doctor continued his dissertation. There was a light knock on the meeting hall door. As Grove was in the middle of speaking, Dietz looked at Master Corporal Farren and slightly jerked his head to the right, signaling him to answer the door. Farren nodded in acknowledgment and excused himself from the table silently, as to not disrupt the doctor. He quietly turned the knob and moved into the hallway, closing the door behind him. As he turned around, he met face to face with Corporal Owens and Private Lewis who were waiting in the hall. Lewis nervously tapped his foot, leaning against the bulkhead while Corporal Owens stood opposite of Farren, his arms crossed.
"Owens? What is it, we're in the middle of the first contact report-"
"We have a problem."
"...What do you mean?"
"We don't have everybody from 2 Section."
Farren exhaled from his nose, fuming. He crossed his arms while looking at the steel floor. The possibility of losing a section member was a grim reality that a commander had to face, but this early in the deployment stung Farren hard. "...KIA?"
"Negative."
Farren looked up from the floor, staring at his 2IC.
"...MIA…"
"Yeah," Owens confirmed with a nod and a sigh.
"God damn it…"
"Who is it?"
Owens was quiet at first, looking back at Lewis whose gaze was lost in the floor. It took the Master Corporal a moment to clue into their missing person.
"You remember when we dragged Lewis away, thinking he was crazy?"
"You've gotta be shitting me." Farren put a palm on his face after rolling his eyes.
"What do we do?"
"The only option; we're going to get him."
"George…"
"You know my rule, Sam!"
"I know-"
"No man left behind! And what did we do? We left him out there! He's probably out there running around like a headless chicken, we've got to get down there again."
"With those freaks out there?! George be real, there's no way to know if he's even alive!"
Lewis' head shot up, glaring at him unbeknownst to the Corporal.
"Dead or alive, Sam. Dead or alive." Farren stared at Owens before looking at the young Private who tagged along. They nodded at one another.
"Alright, fine. You're right. But how are we gonna do it? There's no way Lieutenant Bryson, let alone Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, would allow an operation after the shit-show that was that battle."
"You let me worry about that. I'll think of something. Just be ready to step off."
"Roger that, boss."
Master Corporal Farren watched the two soldiers leave, heading for their bunks to gather their equipment. Farren's hands balled into fists, and he grit his teeth. How could you be so stupid?! He repeatedly asked himself that question. He had left a man behind in the heat of battle. It was now that he began to wonder if he would ever deserve to be a Sergeant if this was the result of his leadership position.
He took a deep breath, calming himself, before turning around and gently opening the door.
"-name is Lieutenant Paul Bryson, commander of 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 1RCR. Upon passing through the anomaly, it was my platoon that established a defensive perimeter around the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock in the event we were met with hostile action. We were then given a task by 1RCR commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Reid to board the HMCS Endeavour. When we reached the ship, we noticed severe damage-"
"Permission to enter?" Farren came to attention at the door.
"Come on in, Farren." Dietz waved the man in.
"Thank you, Sir." Farren nodded before returning to his seat. His face was pale.
Dietz reached out and pressed the red button on the recording device, temporarily stopping the briefing.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is everything alright Master Corporal? You look like you've seen a ghost. Care to share?"
Farren sat still in his seat, now noticing the abundance of Officers staring at him. He cleared his throat. "...Uhh...Yes, Sir. My 2IC just informed me that my section is short one soldier…"
Lieutenant Bryson's eyes widened. He looked to his left, observing the Master Corporal that had been put on the spot. If a man in his Platoon was missing, he needed to know.
Dietz leaned back in his chair, resting his arms in a thinking pose. The rest of the room fell silent. Kendall, who was frantically tapping his foot, broke the silence in the chamber.
"Who?"
Farren looked to the XO. "Private Jack Carver, Sir."
"And you've checked the med bay, common areas, mess hall. You're sure we left him behind?"
"Regretfully, Sir, I'm positive. During the battle, my 2IC and I had to restrain one of our men, believing him to be in a state of panic during the fight. However, he's revealed that he was attempting to rescue Private Carver who had been separated from the body of troops on the left-hand flank of the LAV III."
Dietz leaned forward, now looking towards Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, who as well was taken a forward stance in his chair.
"Well, this complicates matters. At quiet two I'd had hoped to get as far away from here as possible. What say you Reid, what's our plan?"
The otherwise silent Lieutenant-Colonel stroked his chin, pondering their course of action.
"Sir, permission to take my section to the beachhead and find our man." Farren interjected.
"Denied." Reid shut him down.
"But Sir-"
"You will not take a non-effective strength section into the darkness, Master Corporal. It's suicide."
"Sir, with all due respect, I refuse to-"
"However." Reid cut Farren off again. "With the Captain's permission, I'm willing to authorize the deployment of Alpha and Bravo Company to the surface. I still intend to Recce the mainland, but this time, with much more firepower."
"With all due respect Colonel, I'm afraid the beasts will re-engage you upon landing. They will meet you with equal resistance and that no ground will be gained in searching for this missing Private. Instead, I recommend we test these beasts' intelligence through a decoy. If you can deploy Alpha and Bravo companies to the beachhead to create a diversion, we can send in a smaller, four-man team to find your man. These things, will be so busy with the war on the beach that the team will encounter little resistance. All you need to do is find a team crazy enough to explore this 'Brave New World' and get your man back."
"I'll trust your judgment, Captain Dietz." Reid nodded. "We might as well attempt the establishment of our forward operating base while we're at it. Alpha company and the detachment of Engineers we brought along will begin construction while Bravo company provides security. I'd like to get more LAV's on the field as well as a Leopard or two if we can manage. I want our men to outmatch these bastards on every playing field."
"Very good, I'll make the preparations."
Lieutenant Colonel Reid sighed and stroked his forehead. "Well, Master Corporal Farren. Looks like you've got your suicide mission. Who are you taking?"
"I'll lead the team, Sir. I'd imagine Corporal Owens and Private Lewis will tag along, but I'm unsure of the fourth option."
"I'll do it!" Kendall shot up from his seat, planting a smile on his face. "I fill in for the missing Private."
"Mike?"
"Yeah, this ship's gotten real cramped lately. No blame on your behalf, Sir." Kendall pointed his makeshift apology towards Reid. "I've done some ship security courses and anti-piracy missions over the years. I'm a pretty good shot with the C8 if I do say so myself."
"Are you okay with this Farren?"
"Yes, Sir. I'll have some kit assembled for Lieutenant-Commander Kendall."
"It's settled then. Mike will assist finding Private Carver while RCR sets up a ground presence. I'll inform the assault bay to prep armour and RHIB's. Master Corporal, once you and your team are kitted up, report to the flight deck. Once the fireworks start, you'll head out. I'm sure I don't need to wish you all the best of luck, It'll take a lot more than that to come out of this unscathed. We will monitor your progress from here."
Farren rose from his seat and fixed his beret to his head. He came to attention and saluted the Captain. "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir!"
Once Dietz rose from his seat, the rest of the room followed, and formalities were exchanged before people started to fill out the door. "Just bring your man home, and I will accept your thanks. I have full confidence in your abilities. Good luck and Godspeed. Dismissed!"
The room quickly emptied soon after. One by one the group made their way out into the hallway until Dietz and Kendall were alone in the room. As Kendall moved for the door, Dietz grabbed his left shoulder, signaling him to stop.
"Whats up?" Kendall turned to face the captain, whose face had turned slightly pale since dismissing the room.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Farren, but I have a bad feeling about this."
"We'll do the best we can. Once we find that Private, we'll get back here and debrief him. After spending a night with the beasties, I am sure he'll have valuable insight."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?"
"These, things, ripped the Endeavour apart. We're made of the same shit. From the same manufacturer. If shit hits the fan, I want to know you can rein in the RCR guys."
"They're not going to be swayed, Sir. They want their man back, and they're not going to leave until they get him."
"I know, I want him back here safe just as much as they do. I just want to know that you can make the tough call to fall back if we come under attack. We are built for support, not offense. I fought command tooth and nail for the Mark 45. We won't last long if those things come for us. If they do, we'll meet the same fate as the Endeavour."
"It won't happen, Sir-"
"But if it does."
"I'll make the right call Sir. I'll bring them home. Scouts honour."
"It helps to hear that. And in any event, you can have these back…" Dietz reached into his pocket, pulling out the Aviators that he confiscated from Kendall earlier. Kendall reached out and reacquired his sunglasses. He put on a slight grin as he put them on.
"You know Captain, I'm feelin' the need. The need for-"
"Don't you have a suicide mission to attend to…Maverick?"
VALE, REMNANT
WOODS OF VALE
EARTH TIME- 03:00
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Jack's eyes shot open upon the shifting of a sleeping bag. He looked around, seeing Ren leaving his sleeping bag to take watch. To his right, a passed out Ruby sat with the now melting ice in her palm. Nora was fast asleep, and Jaune had begun maneuvering his way into his sleeping bag. He had just taken notice that he had been dressed in his combat shirt with a blanket draped over him. While he was still sore, the painkillers and ice certainly helped in bringing down the pain.
He reached for his pen and journal and flipped to a blank page, past the notes holding answers to the plethora of questions that he had asked. While it was good that he now had information to bring to the chain of command, he realized that he had not used the journal for its intended purpose; record events and his thoughts. Jack looked around at his new allies and began to write.
Jack Carver: Journal Entry 1
Well, I figured it was the right time to use the damn thing. Not exactly sure where to start. HMCS Sir Isaac Brock went through the anomaly, and I got separated during a battle. Got rescued by a cute redhead and her colourful band of friends. Not every day you can say that. Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Ren. They speak perfect English, have advanced weaponry and devices similar to phones known as scrolls. It's hard to say who's more advanced, us or them. Too early to know for sure. The weird thing is; they're the same age as me, and they're not soldiers...they're apart of a faction known as Huntsmen who are highly skilled warriors. Anyway, they saved my life from a 'Creature of Grimm' which are the local assholes that essentially kill everyone they can. The pricks ambushed us on the Endeavour and on the beachhead. On the bright side, I know where we are now. Vale - one of the four kingdoms on a planet known as Remnant. Whatever that means. Also, the moon is messed up...So that's a thing….
We're gonna try and make a break for the beach in the morning. Hopefully, the guys are looking for me or at least know that I'm gone. Lord knows I've got A LOT to tell the CO. Information on where we are, the kingdoms, the enemy, the people. And I'm gonna have to try and convince him to give 'RNJR' (Ruby, Nora, Jaune, Ren) a lift to Mistral; one of the four kingdoms. Maybe he can spare a Griffon for a quick drop off. It's the least we can do for all the information and help they gave me. I think they want us to tag along, but that much is up to the higher ups. To be honest, I wouldn't mind. They seem like good people, and I think we've hit it off pretty well.
Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 05:00
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
MCPL FARREN
"No man left behind." George mumbled, carrying his helmet in one and his rifle in the other.
He refused to let it happen again. Men that he knew and cared for were left behind during his tour in Afghanistan, a horrific injustice that he would never allow. It could be a lowly Private, or the chief of the defence staff, it did not matter, he wouldn't leave a soldier behind to die.
Farren reached the flight deck, making his way to the designated CH-146 Griffon allocated to his small team where Private Lewis, Corporal Owens, and Lieutenant-Commander Kendall were likely waiting.
"Master Corporal Farren." A voice came from his radio. Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.
"Go ahead, Sir."
"Alpha company and Bravo company are away, wait for the fireworks and head out on your chopper."
"Roger that, Sir." Farren loaded a magazine into his rifle, ready to go.
"You've got one shot at this, Farren. The men and women on the ground are counting on you to bring Carver back and make this fight worth it. Godspeed, Master Corporal."
"I won't let them down, sir."
Master Corporal George Farren placed his kevlar helmet upon his head and fastened the strap. He took one last look towards the bay, seeing dozens of RHIBs and LAV III's deploying to the decimated beachhead where they had recently battled their new enemy. Another conflict would soon ensue, more than twice the size as the last. Men were going to get hurt, maybe even killed. However, if it meant getting one of their own back safely and getting payback, it was worth it…
To all of them.
A/N: Another chapter done! New terms added to the Glossary. Regarding an update schedule, we intend to post once per week likely on the Friday. However this is susceptible to change due to work and university! Doesn't mean we'll stop, just means we may get delayed sometimes!
Hope you enjoyed.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
RCR- The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.
BATTALION- An organization of rifle companies and a support company.
COMPANY- An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon
PLATOON- An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment
SECTION- A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad")
FIRE TEAM- A team of 2 soldiers
IC- Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)
RECCE- Reconnaissance soldiers, often broken up into "Elements" or "Platoons" (Pronounced "Recky")
2IC- Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)
BOW- Front of a boat
CADPAT- Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).
CDS- Chief of the Defence Staff
DND- Department of National Defence
CIC- Combat Information Center
CVN- Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.
CIWS- (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.
C.O- Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain
X.O- Second in Command of the Vessel
EMP- Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range
FANTAIL- Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel
FLANK SPEED- Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.
HELM/HELMSMAN- Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.
HMCS- Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.
HMCS ALGONQUIN- Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.
HMCS BONAVENTURE- Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy.
After a service of 14 years she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.
HMCS ENDEAVOUR- Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK- Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.
HMCS VICTORIA- One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.
JDAM- The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.
J.A.G- Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.
KNOT- Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.
LAV- Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry
LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT- The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.
MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY- Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.
MILCOT- Military truck
NAVIGATION/ NAVIGATION OFFICER- Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.
NCM- Non Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)
OOW- Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.
PM- Prime Minister of Canada
PORT- Left-hand side of the ship
REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.
RHIB- Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow
UNS BASE GUAM- United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance
USS PENNSYLVANIA- SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.
QUIET ORDERS- Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing
the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.
Sea-Avenger- Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.
SEA KING- The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.
STARBOARD- Right-hand side of the ship
STERN- Back of a ship
CF-18- Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.
C7A2- Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. 5.56x45mm round.
C8- Carbine variant of the C7A2
BROWNING HI-POWER- Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however on deployments they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power.)
C-13- Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.
M203- Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade. FOURTY MIKE MIKE- Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.
C9A2 LMG- Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249
THE 9- Slang for the C9A2 LMG
C6 GPMG- The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III
25MM CANNON- The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"
CARL GUSTAV- The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.
DANGER CLOSE- A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position.
CH-146 GRIFFON- The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces
M32 MGL- A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps)
BMQ- Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)
IFAK- Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.
