A/N: Hi everyone. We owe you an explanation as to why this chapter is so late. Originally we had intended this chapter to be posted on December 25th as a present. Obviously, that didn't happen so we're sorry for that. Exams and work took over our lives so we were constantly delayed but we managed to get it done for today. On the plus side, this is our longest chapter yet! We hope you all had a nice holiday and a happy new year.
We've got an important thing to discuss before we get to the rest of the Authors Note though. At the time of writing this note, it was two years ago yesterday, that the creator of RWBY, a brilliant man; Monty Oum, passed away at 33. His life was cut way too short. Putting it simply, without him; none of this would be possible. All the enjoyment we get from watching RWBY to writing RWBY stories is credited to Monty Oum. I've watched Rooster Teeth from a young age and grew up with Red vs Blue, so you can imagine the shock when season 9-10 came along with amazing fights and animation. And when we saw that first Red Trailer for RWBY, I can't describe the excitement. So much of what this man did brought happiness to not just us, but millions globally and we cannot thank him enough for his work. We miss him greatly but will continue to honour him through enjoying his magnificent creation. In his words, we'll keep moving forward.
Moving on to the rest of the A/N. In regards to prior reviews, a constant point being brought up by a guest reviewer is the fear that the Canadian troops will be overpowered and unkillable. As Starwarsmast3r and I have said before; this is a completely valid point to have. We want to avoid this as there is nothing worse than there being no threat to the characters. However, you have to remember that the troops haven't even begun to explore the world of Remnant in the story. They are at full strength upon going through the anomaly. In terms of manpower, ammunition, and morale; they are extremely formidable. However, the more injuries sustained and as the number of KIA increases, they won't have the capacity that they did upon going through. From the first engagement alone, 24 men were injured out of roughly 50. Not to mention the entire crew of the Endeavour plus the Boarding Party Operators were slaughtered with the exception of Doctor Grove, who are much more elite than Jack and his fellow Infantrymen. We've thought this out carefully with this fear in mind. There will certainly be a decline in capabilities that we intend to show the further the Troops explore and battle.
TL;DR - Canadians are gonna get nerfed as time goes on due to resource shortage and manpower shortage.
Moving onto one review in particular from user: Deuce-M's, who suggested that new entries in the glossary should be marked for ease of navigation. This is a great idea and we will be incorporating this from now on in addition to the categorization change that we made last chapter! To find new entries, we've put *NEW ENTRIES* next to a subtopic of the glossary (Gear for example), then simply scroll down in that sub-topic and look for the new entry which will also have *NEW* next to it. We hope this makes finding new things easier. If not, please feel free to let us know and we'll try something *NEW*
I think I speak for both my co-writer and I when we say we never expected to get this much positive reception. We can't thank you enough for the reviews, follows and favs. We hope to repay you with a good story that we have a blast writing! As always we appreciate and encourage feedback. Stay awesome you lot and Keep Moving Forward for Monty!
"If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams are something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
- MONTY OUM
RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land
Chapter 6: Keep Moving Forward
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 1123
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Jack looked down at his hands. His Mechanix M-Pact gloves, once a coyote brown, were now a dark, blood red. The blood wasn't his. Droplets fell from his palms and stained the asphalt grey flight deck. The calming hum of the ship that was always audible was drowned out by the moans and cries of wounded troops. They were successful in driving back the main enemy force, and the engineers had begun to work on the foundations for the FOB. However, it hardly felt like a victory due to the cost. Dozens killed, more wounded.
The soldier looked out into the distance towards the battle-scarred beach. Bloodstained sand, craters, bodies, clean up crews, vehicles, and patrolling soldiers were some of the things he spotted in the hellish scene. When Jack turned his back to the beach, the view on the ship wasn't much better. The flight deck had been transformed into an overflow ward after the battle as the dedicated medical bay had been completely overrun by the wounded. Combat medics and doctors raced up and down aisles of cots, all with a task to perform. Some carried medical supplies, others carrying discarded equipment and weapons, clearing the makeshift medical bay of unnecessary clutter.
Jack was ordered to stay close by, being told that he needed to be checked by a medic. However, by the rules of triage, he was deemed a low priority due to only having cuts and bruises. He was left alone; only his thoughts present to occupy him while he waited. And one thought refused to leave his mind; that combat was as hellish as his father told him it would be.
Private Carver reached into his pocket, taking out his notepad. His bloody and shaky hand found a pen. He opened the notebook, leaving a bloody thumbprint on the leather cover.
Jack Carver: Journal Entry Two
We won. For now. It's looking worse here than the Endeavour, but we still won. The Engineers are building us a foothold on the beach, so we'll be able to make some room on the Brock. Things aren't looking good, but we're alive. Well, some of us...I'm all alone. Standing here, just waiting to get looked at by the docs. We lost-
A loud cry made Jack jump in surprise, sending his pen trailing up the page and disturbing his focus. Shouting followed the cry. Jack looked around, seeing a lone combat medic leaning over a spasming soldier who shook the cot violently in pain.
"Someone give me a goddamn hand!" The medic screamed.
No help came as every medic was preoccupied. Jack stuffed his notepad into his pocket and sprinted over to the cot to assist. The soldier, another Private, had his abdomen torn by claw marks, likely from a Beowolf. He was losing blood and could not stop thrashing violently from the pain.
"Tell me what to do!" Jack shouted over the screams.
"Put pressure on the wound and talk to him, just try to calm him down!"
Jack hastily grabbed a towel from the foot of the cot and pressed it against the soldier's chest with one hand, while taking his hand in the other.
"Hey! Hey, listen to me, man! You're gonna be okay! You're just a little roughed up is all!"
The young man was hardly responsive, too overcome with the pain caused by the lacerations. The medic was scrambling to put together anesthesia and a shot of morphine to help with the pain. Jack's eyes scoured the soldier's uniform, looking for a name tape beneath his equipment, hoping to address him by name to gain his attention. Jack finally found it, reading Allen in his head.
"Allen? Allen, look at me! Look at me, Allen!"
Allen shifted, inadvertently decreasing the pressure of the towel from his abdomen and splashing blood over Jack's vest and face. Jack ignored the splash and applied the cloth harder to avoid it coming loose again. The shaking soldier, Private Allen tried locking eyes with Private Carver.
"You're gonna be okay! Trust me!"
"T-...Te…"
"Talk to me, buddy!" Jack's grip tightened around his hand, letting the wounded soldier know he was there.
"...T-Tell my f...tell my family...I-"
"No, you can tell them yourself when we get outta here, okay?! You can tell them!"
For the next few moments, Allen was incoherent, mumbling words that Jack could not understand. The violent shaking was dying down, which at first, Jack thought was good. Then, he stopped moving entirely.
"...Allen?" Jack squeezed his hand.
His lifeless eyes stared off into the distance, toward the water. Allen had succumbed to his wounds. Jack's heart skipped a beat.
"DOC!" Jack screamed.
The medic turned his head, still preparing the needle.
"Shit!" The medic dropped everything and rushed to Allen's side, checking his pulse by placing his fingers on his neck. Nothing. "VSA!" The medic yelled.
When an individual went VSA, all attempts to resuscitate the person were made during triage. The acronym yelled out caused multiple medics to finally rush to their aid. The medic Jack was working with lifted Allen's shirt and began chest compressions.
"We'll take it from here, kid! Give us some room!" One of the medics, a Sergeant, pushed Jack aside as to not have him in the way.
Jack ran his left hand through his hair, completely forgetting about the blood that soaked his glove, which would now soak his brown hair. The stunned soldier slowly stepped back, cursing under his breath while observing the ordeal as best as he could. The medic continued the chest compressions until a medic carrying an AED rushed over. The fuel that they scavenged from the Endeavour must have been enough to power the Brock and subsequently, provide electricity.
Carver's hands balled into fists as he watched the medics place the chest paddles against Allen's red torso. He anxiously tapped his boot against the deck.
"CLEAR!" The medic shouted.
The first shock went through. The jolt shook Allen in the cot. Nothing.
"C'mon." Jack muttered.
"Hit him again!" The Sergeant yelled.
"CLEAR!"
"C'mon, damn it!" Jack grit his teeth and gripped his hair.
"CLEAR!" For the third and final time, the paddles shocked Allen's lifeless body.
The Medic went to go again, only to have the Sergeant put a hand on his shoulder and shake his head. The medical staff placed the AED paddles back into its carrier, and all began to disperse to their prior stations. The medic that Jack had assisted stood there and sighed. He closed Allen's eyes and placed a sheet over him before he cursed loudly in a fit of anger, throwing a bloody towel to the floor.
The Medic and Jack locked eyes across the deck. Jack's horrified look was much different from the look disappointment and anguish on the Medic's. They both stared for a few more moments before the man walked off, searching for another patient to treat.
Jack's eyes trailed to the motionless white sheet atop the cot. He fought the urge to scream in anger, and resisted the temptation to cry.
He watched the sheet, in a trance, until the boom of a 25mm cannon erupted. Jack looked at the beach, seeing a small pack of Beowolves emerging from the obliterated forest. They were quickly decimated by the LAV's providing security for the Engineers. The Grimm just kept coming no matter what, it was as if they were attracted to them. Even though it was a small pack and no force mirroring the one the Canadians recently battled had arrived, it was still a haunting prospect. Or in this case, an unfortunate reality.
"Carver?" A voice called his name.
Jack turned, seeing Lieutenant Bryson standing a few feet from him, still dressed in his combat gear. For Bryson, seeing the young soldier bloodied and battered was unfortunate, to say the least.
"Sir." Jack came to attention.
"Relax, relax." Bryson raised his hands, signaling to Jack that he could stand at ease.
"Uhh, yes sir."
"Just letting you know, Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid will be ready for you soon. They're just wrapping up the interviews with the locals you picked up. They wanna talk about the battlefield casualty numbers...Including...Well..." Bryson shrugged. "...You know…" Bryson tip-toed around the name as it was too soon to acknowledge the loss of their deceased comrade.
Jack's eyes meet the surface of the flight deck again, a sting of sadness striking him.
"You know it wasn't your fault...Right?" Bryson asked.
Jack sighed with a shrug. "Yeah...Well...Maybe. I dunno, Sir. I feel like there was more that I could've done."
"Regardless, they wanna talk to you and clarify some things, lord knows his death isn't gonna do well for morale…"
"...You can say that again, Sir…" Jack sighed once more. He started to walk away, heading for the hatch of the ship.
Bryson stopped him. "You get checked by the medics yet?"
"No, sir. Too many in critical condition."
"Well, I'll tell the CO that you're getting checked, they can wait." Bryson nodded.
"It's no worry, sir. I can wait, It's just a few cuts and bruises anyway."
"If you say so. But the moment you get a chance, I want you to get looked at, that's an order."
"Yes, sir."
Bryson nodded to the young soldier and turned to walk away, believing their conversation to be over. When the Lieutenant looked over his shoulder, he saw Carver standing still, looking out towards the beach.
"...You alright, Carver?"
Jack turned, seeing Lieutenant Bryson coming back.
"...Not great, Sir..." Jack looked at the white sheet covering Allen. "...Battle school didn't prepare me for this…" Private Carver gestured to the overflow ward.
"No training ever does, kid." Bryson spoke from experience. "All the video games, movies, books, and training can try to simulate warfare, but nothing prepares you for combat. It's kind of a 'need to be there' sort of thing."
"...Makes sense, sir."
"I'm sure your dad probably said something along those lines, right?"
"Probably, sir."
"Nothing beats experience, Carver. Remember that. Get some more fresh air before coming in, they'll be waiting." Lieutenant Bryson pat Jack's shoulder before leaving once again.
With that statement, Jack began to wonder how his father, or even Master Corporal Farren would have dealt with the situation. They were both significantly older and more experienced than him. Both had combat tours, lost friends, killed enemies. He sighed and shook his head before turning around and heading for the hatch that led into the internal decks of the ship.
The moment Jack's boots hit the inner deck, he breathed in the musty recycled air that ran throughout the ship's ventilation system. It differed greatly from the fresh sea air that he had just been breathing in. However, the atmosphere stayed the same; crewmen were rushing up and down the halls trying to carry out the tasks they had been given. Jack inched his way through the massive amphibious assault ship until he reached the Officers Mess where a series of chairs had been placed outside the briefing room. The primarily wooden furniture that had obviously come from the interior of the Officer's mess was a striking difference from the generally grey innards of the ship. Ruby, Nora and Ren all sat outside, staring at the steel floor. Two armed ship security staff waited nearby, obviously keeping an eye on their guests. Jack could safely assume that Jaune was already in the mess being interviewed by Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.
"Jack!" Ruby looked up with a smile, seeing the dreary soldier approach.
Her smile quickly faded as he neared. Nora and Ren looked at each other, concern in their eyes after seeing him.
"Jack...Are you okay?" Ruby got up to face him, just now seeing the fresh blood splattered across his gear, gloves, and face.
"Not really…" Jack shook his head.
Ruby reached into some pouches on her belt, seeking any sort of item that she could use to wipe the blood from his face. Finding nothing, she opted to use her cloak. Grabbing the end of her cloak, Ruby stood on her toes to get to Jack's height as even with her boots, she was not nearly as tall as the trooper. She wiped the blood from his face. The blood mixed in with her cape, making it difficult to distinguish the blood stain from the cloaks distinct red hue.
"What happened? You're covered!" She exclaimed while cleaning his cheek.
"It's not looking good up there."
Ruby decided not to press on, figuring Jack simply didn't want to talk about it. "Well, let's get you cleaned up then. Hopefully, Jaune won't be much long-"
The door to the Officer's Mess opened, and Jaune stepped out.
"Nailed it." Ruby shrugged.
"How'd it go?" Nora asked.
"Well, they asked the same questions they asked you guys. Where are we, what can you tell us about the land, so on and so forth."
"They are seeing if our stories are consistent with each other." Ren commented.
"Can't blame them, we did the same thing." Jaune shrugged.
"It's all procedure, don't worry about it." Jack said.
Jaune turned, just noticing Jack. "Oh hey. Whoa...what happened?"
"Nothing good." Jack said, leaving it at that.
"This current attitude among the soldiers is bound to attract more Grimm in the coming days…" Ren stroked his chin.
Jack pondered, wondering what Ren meant by that. His mind traced back to the flight deck, where he had seen a pack of Beowolves emerge from the trees just mere moments after Private Allen's death. Once he was finished with the command staff, he would have to ask more questions to investigate deeper into the behaviour of the Grimm.
"Good luck in there!" Ruby chimed.
"Thanks." Jack tried rubbing some of the blood out of his hair, to little effect.
Jack opened the hatch to the Officer's mess and came to attention, checking his heels together and bringing his arms to his sides. "Permission to en-"
"Come on in, Carver." Lieutenant-Colonel Reid said without looking up from his paper.
Jack gulped and took one last look to RNJR before stepping in and shutting the hatch behind him.
"So, Private Carver-...Jesus…" Captain Dietz looked up, seeing the battle-scarred soldier.
The infantryman still donned his equipment despite being long out of combat. His torn frag vest displayed his bullet stricken ballistic plate. Dirt stained the knees of his combat pants as well as his face. Blood red stains were present all over his body armour, tactical vest, gloves and even his head and hair. His overall appearance was a stark contrast to that of the cleanly dressed Naval Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.
"...Have a seat, son." Reid gestured to the empty chair at the end of the table. Identical in design to the seats waiting just outside the door.
"Thank you, sir." Jack responded quietly and made his way to the chair.
Once Jack sat down, Reid leaned forward.
"How are you feeling, Soldier?"
"I've been better sir. Just a couple of cuts and bruises. But I'll get out there whenever you need me to, sir."
"We'll worry about that later. For now, we have some business to get out of the way. It's a series of questions to help paint a picture of what happened while you were MIA, what the locals told you and then what the hell happened on the beachhead. Everything will be recorded to inform the DND once we get home. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you have any question before we begin?"
"Just one, sir."
"Very well, go ahead."
"How many total casualties, sir?"
Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid looked at each other.
"134 total casualties. 49 Dead. The rest are wounded, critical and otherwise."
Jack sank into his chair. He brought his hand up to his face, burying his forehead in his palm. Two companies of infantry and just over a third of them were injured, and 49 of them were dead. He couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. He was the one who went missing and needed rescuing. Many of those men and women died trying to bring him back.
"Goddamn it…" Jack grit his teeth, fighting the urge to curse loudly and beat his fist against the wall.
"It's not your fault, son." Reid assured, guessing just what Jack was worried about.. "MIA or not, we were bound to get back out there. We need that FOB, and we need to recce the mainland. One way or another, it would've resulted in the same numbers."
Jack stayed silent with the exception of his boot tapping rapidly against the floor.
Captain Dietz looked at the soldier with pity. "...Are you ready to begin?" He asked, finger hovering over the recorder they had previously used to record the first contact report.
Jack nodded after a sigh. "Yes, sir."
Dietz pressed the button. "Commander William Dietz, commanding officer of HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Earth time is 1140. Continuation of interviews. Subject; Private Carver of the Royal Canadian Regiment deemed MIA by his section commander; Master Corporal Farren." Dietz blandly recited the obligatory information piece that he had likely been repeating all morning. "...Interviewee, please state your name and particulars for the record."
"Private Jack Carver, service number Kilo 24-379-438. Infantryman, 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Bravo Company, 1st Platoon, 2 section."
"Private Carver, describe the events leading up to you being declared missing in action."
"Yes, sir." Jack cleared his throat. "Under the command of Master Corporal Farren, my section commander, we came to the aid of our Platoon and the Recce platoon that had been tasked to the beach. Upon arriving, we were immediately engaged by the Grimm."
"The Grimm? Clarify."
"The Grimm, sir, are the indigenous lifeforms that Doctor Grove encountered before we arrived. They are hostile, savage animals."
Lieutenant-Colonel Reid jot the point down on his paper. Noting how Jack used the same name that Ruby and her group did for classifying the beasts.
"Carry on."
"We fought the Grimm until our platoon commander, Lieutenant Bryson, ordered a tactical withdrawal back to the Brock. I was covering my fireteam partner, Private Lewis, as he dragged a wounded soldier away from the battle. It was then I was struck by a large Grimm, sending me flying into the woods."
"What drove you to push deeper into the woods?"
"The beach had been completely overrun by the enemy. I was surrounded on all sides with the exception of a gap in the enemy leading deeper into the woods. It was my only chance."
"What happened after that?"
"I was ambushed. With my weapon knocked out of hand I was defenseless. Sir, I'd probably be dead without the intervention of a girl named Ruby Rose."
"Ah yes, little red riding hood." Reid chuckled while jotting down notes. "Tell us about the girl."
"I'm not sure what to say what she herself hasn't already told you, sir." Jack shrugged.
"Nevertheless." Captain Dietz added.
"Well. From what she has told me, she and her friends are Huntsmen and Huntresses. They're a faction of warriors that engage the Grimm to keep the peace on this world. They have unique weaponry, incredible, almost super-human skills. Ruby in particular...Her ability is unlike anything I've ever seen, sir. Her speed, her giant gun-scythe. The enemy never stood a chance."
"And what about the other three? You seem to have befriended them...Do you trust them?"
"Yes, sir. They saved my life, full stop."
"Did they give you any useful information regarding the area of operation?"
Jack shot up in his chair, just remembering that he had taken many notes with the assistance of Ren and Ruby.
"Yes, sir! In fact, I made a series of notes for the sole purpose of giving them to you, sir." Jack reached into his pocket while rising from his seat.
He moved across the room and placed the bloody notebook on the table in front of the Captain and the Lieutenant-Colonel.
"I dunno if it has anything that Ruby and the others didn't tell you, Sir. But I hope it helps."
Reid and Dietz looked down at the notebook, and then to the grimy young soldier. He was an intelligent little trooper, they'd give him that much.
"Thank you, Private Carver." Captain Dietz said. "We'll be sure to add your notes to the report."
Jack returned to his seat.
"We'll come back to 'Ruby' and her team later, for now, we'll focus on what happened once you were recovered by my X.O. and Master Corporal Farren."
"Yes, sir." Jack replayed the event in his head. "Once Master Corporal Farren found me, I took a round to the chest-"
"You were shot?!" Lieutenant-Colonel Reid interrupted.
"...Uhh...Yes, sir." Jack said sheepishly.
"I wasn't aware the 'Grimm' used firearms."
"They uhh...They don't, sir."
"Then why is there a strike mark on your plate?" Reid pointed to the steel visible through the tear in his fragmentation vest.
"...Uhh...Weapons malfunction, sir."
Reid and Dietz looked at each other, not believing him for a second.
"Right...Well, continue."
"We extracted on a Griffon, and at the order of Lieutenant-Commander Kendall, we landed at the beachhead to assist in the battle."
"Lieutenant-Commander Kendall was ordered to return to the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Why was the Griffon rerouted?"
"Sir, Lieutenant-Commander Kendall felt that attempting to land on the Brock while it was being attacked by Nevermores presented a risk to the lives of everyone onboard. He also firmly believed that the ground forces needed reinforcements, thinking RNJR was the key to a decisive victory."
"I'll be having a long chat with Mike, Reid." Dietz sighed, rubbing his brow.
Reid nodded and then looked back to Jack, who had been twiddling his thumbs.
"Were they?" Reid asked.
Jack's eyebrow raised, unsure of what he meant.
"...Sir?"
"Were they the key?"
Jack briefly thought about the mass amounts of casualties they had sustained. The sight when he landed on the beach was chaotic, to say the least. However, contemplating on the intervention of RNJR, Jack easily decided on his answer.
"Yes, sir."
SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR
RCR BEACHHEAD
"Go! Go! Go!"
With the order, Jack leaped from the Griffon. He and the team of nine sped past the CCP, making haste towards the frontline to find Lieutenant Bryson and the rest of their platoon. They had passed the Leopard MBT's that stayed towards the rear, pounding the enemy from afar and guarding the flanks. Their crew commanders stood out the hatch, watching the battle with binoculars to locate targets.
"Fire!" The moment the tank commander yelled, the ground shook from the shockwave of the Leopard tank's primary weapon firing, blasting a heavy shell out of the barrel. Seconds later, the explosion lit up in the distance, passing the frontline.
The battle was so earsplitting; Jack could hardly hear the shouts from all the soldiers on the beach. Master Corporal Farren turned and yelled something to the group. His voice was lost in the orchestra of battle. The Master Corporal decided to simply point and wave his hand in the direction they were going.
Jack turned his head, making sure RNJR was still following them. They were, but they were looking all around the battlefield, observing everything they could while advancing quickly with their weapons drawn. He couldn't tell if it was their curiosity regarding Canadian equipment and tactics or a heightened sense of combat awareness.
The team approached a line of soldiers firing relentlessly into the Grimm pouring out of the woods.
"Get up there!" Farren screamed as they neared the dwindling number of troops.
A lone soldier turned his back to the enemy, hearing Farren's voice. Lieutenant Bryson.
"Nice of you to show up, George!"
"Tell us where you need us, Paul!" Farren yelled back.
"Get to Bishop's platoon! Far right! They're being overwhelmed!"
"Roger that! We're moving! Come on, guys, hustle!" Farren screamed, sending the troops into action.
Just forward of the front line, seaborne artillery from the Brock pounded the enemy into submission, or at least it was intended to, but it served little good to stop the Grimm advance. Nevermores flew overhead and began to strike the Infantry with their sharp quills being launched from their wings like a CF-18 Hornet launching its missiles. Jack followed just behind Jerome, rushing through the sand towards Lieutenant Bishop and his platoon. As they passed another defensive position, one the quills impacted the sand just in front of Jack, kicking up sand...and blood. Jack fell onto his back, only to look up in horror at the damage. The dark quill embedded itself into the distinct green of cadpat, which was now turning red.
"JEROME!"
PRESENT TIME
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS
"Reports say that 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company sustained heavy casualties, as well as your own. Is this consistent with what you witnessed?"
Jack's eyes met the tabletop, and then he nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, sir..."
"Bravo Company faced the most resistance of the offensive, 2nd Platoon being the worst off." Reid confirmed.
"Go on, Private Carver."
SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR
RCR BEACHHEAD
"Come on! Get up!" Jaune grabbed Jack by the arm and lifted him to his feet.
Overhead, Langer's Griffon chased the enemy air units around, the C6 roaring and discarding its spent casings like brass rain.
"Jerome!" Jack rushed to the soldier impaled by the quill just moments earlier, fearing his friend to be the victim of the enemy airstrike. Jack prayed that the lifeless corpse pinned to the sand by the abnormally large quill was not his friend. Upon closer inspection, however, Jack found the deceased soldier to have a significant ethnic and age difference to that of his fire team partner. While it was certainly disturbing and sad, Jack sighed of relief.
Just a few meters ahead, Jerome groggily got to his feet and looked behind him. "You okay?!"
Jack tore the dog tags from the dead soldier's neck and stuffed them in his pouch swiftly while closing the gap between them. "I'm fine! I thought that big ass bird got you!"
"Not today!" Jerome's voice had a cocky tinge to it.
Soon, Ruby, Nora, and Ren caught up with them.
"What happened?" Ren shouted over the gunfire.
"Just a close call! Come on, let's go!" Jack gave the hand signal to move forward, following Owens and Farren towards the right flank. Even from the center of the beachhead, the team could see the massive enemy presence over there.
RNJR beat Jack and Jerome there and began tearing the Grimm to shreds. Ruby bounced from target to target in her quick fashion, leaving dismembered corpses in her wake. In the blink of an eye, a fully mobile and charging Beowolf was severed in two, and then another, and another. Nora fired a volley of grenades into the rear ranks to diminish the reinforcements followed by crushing the head of an Ursa charging the unsuspecting C6 gun team. Ren protected the troops from any Grimm breaking ranks and getting too close for comfort.
"Sir!" Farren found Lieutenant Bishop, who had been expending his C8 into the mass.
"Master Corporal!" Bishop acknowledged.
"We're here to back you up!"
"What do you have?"
"A nine gunner, a 203 gunner, a rifleman...and them!" Farren pointed to the Red blur traveling across the battlefield and then to the other three unorthodox warriors.
"Who the hell are they?"
"Long story sir! Just point where you need us!"
"Reinforce 3-Section; they're near annihilation, help em' out!"
"With pleasure, sir!"
As Jaune swung his blade, cutting through the Grimm, he noticed that too many Grimm were coming. He pondered. It wouldn't be long before they were overrun. Jaune searched for options, using his skills as the team strategist. He kept thinking until the boom of the Leopard 2 main battle tank grabbed his attention. Jaune Arc turned his head, focusing on the giant metal death machine. The heavy treads and large steel body gave him an idea.
"I've got a plan, keep them busy!" He shouted before sprinting off.
"Where the hell is he going?!" Farren shouted, directing the question toward the remainder of RNJR.
"No idea!" Ruby shouted amidst the battle.
Jack watched the white armoured warrior run off toward the tank, putting two and two together.
"Just buy him some time!"
Jaune panted as he sprinted across the battlefield towards the closest tank; the one the team had passed upon landing on the beach. He clambered onto the war machine until he reached the top hatch, where the crew commander had been observing the battlefield and yelling out commands to the gunner.
"Hey!" Jaune yelled, getting the commander's attention.
"What the!?" The crew commander jumped in surprise seeing Jaune atop the tank. Instinctively, the commander went for his sidearm upon seeing a non-CADPAT wearing person jumping on his tank.
"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm on your side!"
The tank commander hesitantly lowered his sidearm. "Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing?"
"No time! You've got to get this bucket moving! Your men are all gonna die if you don't get over there!" Jaune pointed toward the right flank, where fighting by a berm in the terrain was the fiercest. The Grimm swarmed over the berm, dropping right on top of the unit attempting to suppress them.
The Sergeant lifted his binoculars, observing the troopers on the right portion of the beachhead being swarmed by numerous contacts. He placed the binoculars down, cocked the 50 caliber machine gun mounted by the hatch and slammed his fist atop the tank.
"Prepare to move!" He shouted down into the hatch. He then looked to Jaune. "Hold on, kid."
The engine in the Leopard roared. The treads began to move, leaving their mark in the sand. It took Jaune a moment to realize that the previously stationary war machine was moving, heading straight for the right flank.
"Driver, full throttle ahead, get us to that flank!"
"Roger that!" Jaune could hear a muffled yell originating from the bowels of the Tank.
"Gunner! Load H.E. and check fire for friendlies! Fire on my mark!"
"Copy!" The tank gunner screamed in acknowledgment.
"Better cover your ears, kid." The commander positioned himself behind the 50 caliber mounted atop the tank. "It's about to get loud."
"...Right." Jaune cupped his ears with his hands and grit his teeth, bracing for the inevitable barrage.
"FIRE!"
Before the booming sound of the cannon assaulted Jaune's ear drums, the blinding flash illuminated the 360-degree spectrum, launching the 120mm shell hurtling towards the enemy. Mere moments later, an explosion rocked the beach, sending parts of Grimm and sand flying into the air. Jaune instantly regret clenching his jaw as the shockwave shook his teeth and skull to the core.
As the shell impacted, Jack looked over his shoulder, now seeing the Main Battle Tank approaching, carving a path in the sand and hellbent on the enemy's destruction. Another shell fired. Impacting the same spot in the horde of Grimm.
"That's more like it!" Lieutenant Bishop shouted. "Come on, boys! Finish these bastards off!" The platoon commander pointed toward the thinning enemy ranks, ordering a counter-offensive.
The Leopard 2 did not stop behind friendly lines, however. The vehicle swerved in front of the defensive line and began to drive through the horde of Grimm. Beowolves and Creeps were crushed underneath the treads while Ursai were warded off by the 50 caliber machine gun.
Troops cheered out of relief and excitement upon seeing the vehicle shred the enemy line. When smaller Grimm attempted to board the tank to kill the gunner, they were swiftly dispatched by Jaune providing security with his blade.
"At this point, I don't give a shit who you are!" The Sergeant screamed while reloading the 50. "Keep doing what you're doing, you and I are gonna be pals!"
Jaune decapitated a Beowolf that attempted to lunge at the tank commander. Ren protected the troopers from any attacks while Ruby and Nora tore through the lines along with the tank. For being supposedly inexperienced huntsmen, they certainly knew how to stack bodies.
PRESENT TIME
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS
"So...You're telling me, Jaune Arc, the blond one," Reid started while referring to his notes. "Convinced a Tank Commander to drive his Leopard 2 through the enemy?"
Both Reid and Dietz appeared to be a mixture of impressed and shocked.
"Yes, Sir." Jack nodded. "It was...quite effective."
Dietz read through the notes he had taken from previous interviews, finding many similarities.
"Well, according to you, and team RNJR, this is when the tide of battle shifted in your favour, correct?"
"Yes, Sir. After the Leopard 2 had made its push, we were able to break the stalemate and move up."
"And from there on, I assume this is the final push reported by team RNJR?"
"That's correct, sir." Jack nodded.
"But this is also where our forces suffered a crippling blow, yes?"
Jack swallowed and shifted in his seat. "Yes."
Dietz closed his notebook and chose to stare Jack down. "So. How did it happen?"
SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR
RCR BEACHHEAD
Jack slammed a magazine into the well of his C7 while following Farren into the thick of the enemy. For the short time the Canadian contingent had been on Remnant, they had spent their time running. From the Endeavour halls to the open expanse of the beach, the Grimm had outmatched them at every turn due to survivability and numbers. Jack was already sick of it. Fueled by anger and determination, he followed his men into the sea of Grimm, letting RNJR and the tank cut down the horde, allowing him to swoop in and finish them off.
It was his courage, or stupidity, however, that left his flank unguarded. A creep rushed the helmetless trooper, without him even noticing.
It was Corporal Owens who spotted it. He charged, knocking the black creature to the sand. Owens smashed the beast several times with the oversized shoulder stock of his C9 LMG. Upon seeing the Creep still struggling to its feet, he pressed the barrel against its torso and fired half of the belt into it. Very quickly, the Creep squirmed and fell still, symbolizing its expiry.
Jack looked to his right, just now noticing the torn apart Creep. "Hey, thanks!"
"Watch yourself. Don't stray too far ahead." Owens shouldered his C9 and followed Jack into the tree line.
"They're on their last legs! Finish them!" Lieutenant Bishop rushed to the front of the platoon, giving the signal to advance.
The Grimm horde had faltered due to the quick thinking of Jaune utilizing the Leopard 2, the unwavering security of Ren and Nora and, of course, the sheer killing speed of Ruby using Crescent Rose. The attitude of the men changed significantly. It took a 180 from believing they would be overrun, to a determination to wipe the enemy out. The troops cheered as they chased the retreating Grimm as they ran like dogs with their tails between their legs.
Soon, the echo of gunfire grew distant, as a select few sections pursued the retreating Grimm into the decimated tree line. Almost all of the armour on the beach, including LAV's, G-Wagon's and Leopard 2's had moved up, forming a blockage along the length of the tree line to provide cover for the consolidating infantry soldiers.
They'd won. For now.
With the exception of section commanders barking orders to their troops and the cries of the wounded, the battlefield was mostly silent. The gunfire that harassed their ears for so long had gone. However, their ears still rang in pain.
RNJR and the remainder of 2-Section gathered by the tree line where Jaune's acquired Leopard 2 had been parked. Jaune bumped fists with the tank crew commander before leaping off the side of the tank to join the group.
"Pfft, too easy." Jerome bragged with a sly grin, though he was panting, winded from the battle. He immediately went for a sip of his canteen once he finished boasting, only further confirming his fatigue.
"Bastards didn't stand a chance!" Owens slung his C9 over his shoulder and wiped the sand from his pants while watching the LAV's chase the Grimm into the forest.
"You four." Master Corporal Farren approached the gaggle of troops and native warriors. His voice was authoritative and immediately silenced the group. They all looked expectantly at the Master Corporal. "Good work, especially with that tank, kid. Quick thinking." Farren pat Jaune on the shoulder.
"Thanks, glad we could help." Jaune nodded with a grin, pleased that his tactical mind swayed the result of yet another battle with the Grimm.
"What about us?" Jack shrugged, feigned annoyance in his voice. "Jaune gets a tank, and suddenly we're left out?"
"All of you." Farren corrected himself. "Textbook battlefield execution, with an emphasis on execution."
"That's more like it." Carver smirked before turning and joining the conversation, each soldier and warrior praising each other's combat skills and highlights of the victory.
They were all cheering and bragging. All except Jaune. The warrior carefully watched the soldiers, inspecting their uniforms and weapons to see if Jack's story was making sense.
For the first time in a while, Farren's lips curled into a smile. Seeing the troops under his command brag about victory in a similar way to that of himself and his team in Afghanistan when he was their age. It was the first moment of light in the sea of darkness that came once the expedition came through the portal to Remnant.
"Master Corporal Farren!"
George Farren turned, seeing Lieutenant Bishop approaching from the expended frontline.
"Sir." Farren hastily left the group of young warriors to meet Bishop halfway
"You can give Lieutenant Bryson my thanks, you and your men saved our asses."
"Anytime, Sir." Farren nodded.
"And also...be sure to give them my thanks." Bishop pointed to RNJR. "Whoever they are."
"Indigenous warriors, Sir. My missing soldier stumbled upon them in the woods...or rather, they stumbled upon him. Saved his life, now it looks like they saved all of ours."
"I agree. Haven't seen speed and aggression at such a level since JTF2."
"On that, we agree, Sir."
While Farren continued speaking, Bishop looked passed the Master Corporal, a spark of movement catching his eye in the tree line.
"Something wrong?"
"Something's moving in the tree line."
Farren spun around, hands on his weapon. His gaze followed the tree line; a few branches were shifting, nothing massive.
"What is that-"
Amidst his question, a boar-like Grimm came shooting out of the tree line, literally barreling towards the unsuspecting team RNJR and Canadians.
"Shit! Missed one!" Bishop rushed from his spot, kicking up sand as he darted towards RNJR.
As the boar grew closer, it dawned on Farren. They didn't see it coming.
"JACK, RUBY!" He yelled before sprinting behind the Lieutenant.
Jack raised a brow, hearing his name being yelled. He glanced over Corporal Owen's head, looking for the origin. When he finally spotted both Lieutenant Bishop and Master Corporal Farren sprinting at mach six towards them, he turned around, just now seeing the boar speeding towards him, mere feet away. Jack's eyes widened.
As Ruby and the remainder of the group just noticed, Jack instinctively went to raise his weapon and fire as time slowed. However, he and Ruby were thrown to the side out of harm's way by Lieutenant Bishop himself. Jack and Ruby fell to the sand, still dazed. Seconds later, the Grimm made contact with Lieutenant Bishop, immediately impaling the officer with its large tusks.
"GRRK!" Bishop winced and coughed up a fair amount of blood from the impact.
"Sir!" Jack yelled while climbing to his feet.
"TAKE IT DOWN!" Farren screamed, just now reaching the group.
Jack raised his rifle but thought better not to fire, for the risk of shooting the Lieutenant.
The Boarbatusk shook the Lieutenant wildly, using him as a battering ram to knock Jaune, Owens, and Jerome to the ground.
It was Nora who leaped to her feet and smashed the head of the Boar with her hammer, snapping the tusks free of the creature's head, dropping the severely bleeding Bishop to the sand.
"OPEN FIRE!" Jack yelled as a cue.
The recovering soldiers held down their triggers, chewing the Boarbatusk apart. Ruby swung her scythe, planting the blade in the sand to the left of the Grimm. She pulled the trigger, bringing the blade back due to recoil and severing the Boar in two. Owens placed the barrel of his C9 against the Boar's corpse and fired several rounds into it.
Bishop writhed in the sand while the group began to crowd around him.
"Medic!" Jerome shouted, alerting the mass of soldiers nearby that had been securing the area, trying to get a medic.
"Sir! Look at me, Sir!" Farren gripped Bishop's hand, demanding the wounded Officer to make eye contact to keep him awake.
"F...F….Farr...en." Blood seeped from the Lieutenant's lips as he tried speaking.
Jaune immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his gloved hands against the open wounds to attempt stopping the bleeding, to little effect. Even if they could get a medic, the amount of blood loss and internal damage the Lieutenant had already suffered was enough to seal his fate, they all knew it.
Jack could only look in horror and feel guilty and helpless at the same time as the Lieutenant was dying in front of him, after just saving his life and Ruby's life.
"Get me a damn medic already!" Farren shouted.
Jack looked down at Bishop's lifeless eyes as the Master Corporal continued yelling and gripping his hand.
"George…" Owens put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sam! Hurry up and get a medic-"
"George!" Owens yelled this time, snapping the Master Corporal out of his trance. "He's gone…"
Both Nora and Ren had depressed expressions plastered on their faces. Judging by their emotions, they'd seen this many times before. Jaune removed his bloody gloves and buried his face into his palms with a loud groan. Ruby looked on in shock, an expression she hadn't really donned since the stadium during the Vytal Festival, or at the top of Beacon tower…
"FUCK!" Farren threw his helmet down and stormed off, cursing as he did.
"Jesus, man…" Jerome muttered.
Shortly after, a Corporal medic rushed over to investigate the call. "What's wrong?!" The man was covered in dried blood. He had been busy.
"A little late, doc…" Owens shook his head and sighed.
The Corporal looked down at the corpse. "...Shit…"
"...Not your fault, doc…" Jack approached, only to have the Corporal storm off in a similar fashion to Farren. Jack looked at the ground, having a feeling this wouldn't be the last time this would happen.
PRESENT TIME
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS
"...That's it, Sir. After that, we brought the dead back to the ship…"
While Reid watched Carver carefully after jotting down his last note, Captain Dietz sifted through the pages of Jack's notepad, reading everything from the two short journal entries to the detailed descriptions of Remnant provided to him by Ruby and company.
"You seem to know a lot judging by the list, Carver."
"Respectfully sir, I was just copying down what they were saying to me."
"Regardless, that makes you, Private Carver, the most knowledgeable person on this expedition with regards to our situation. Equal or even exceeding the experience of Doctor Grove."
Jack realized that he was right. While Grove experienced first contact with the Grimm, it was himself that had made first contact with locals with non-hostile intent towards the Canadians. He sensed there was more to Dietz's statement than just an observation, however.
"It would seem that way, Sir."
Dietz leaned over to Reid, whispering in a hushed tone, preventing Jack from hearing what the two officers were discussing. After a few awkward minutes of Jack twiddling his thumbs in silence, Lieutenant-Colonel Reid nodded and cleared his throat. The action caused Jack to look up in anticipation.
"Private Carver."
"Sir." Jack straightened his posture upon being addressed directly.
"Captain Dietz and I are in agreement that further reconnaissance operations are necessary in order to learn more about this, World of Remnant. However, we also see the risk in deploying a significant number of troops to the mainland. The longer we're here, the more resources we use, the more ammo we expend, the more people that are injured, our capabilities are drained. Evident by our most recent battle. Soon enough, we won't be able to sustain another battle like that."
"That's true, sir." Jack nodded, ensuring the officers knew he was listening and saw the point behind their words.
"Which is why, your platoon, will be tasked with long-range recon. We see the usefulness of employing the assistance of team RNJR. Should we encounter more locals, they will hopefully act as the middlemen between the inhabitants and us to form a non-hostile bond." Reid finished, gesturing to the Naval Commander to continue.
"This could open doors to possible resupply and even lead to alliances or shelter during our forced tenure here. At least until we figure out a way home. Not to mention we believe having RNJR aid in missions will be good for success and morale."
Jack raised a brow in confusion. While they both made good points, Jack doubted that RNJR would simply drop their mission to aid them in exploring Remnant and winning the hearts and minds of the locals. This was not a peacekeeping operation in which the Canadians were the foreign force with constant resupply from home, this was a fight for survival in unfamiliar territory, and the assistance from the locals as well as learning about the world would be the key to winning that fight. The situation was unprecedented and dire, yes, but Jack was still skeptical about RNJR's involvement. They had willingly helped him survive and battle the Grimm on the beach, but to ask that much of them...was difficult.
"Sir, with all due respect, team RNJR has a mission in another kingdom, the Kingdom of Mistral. This is a mission that they have been trying to accomplish for months, one that holds the goal of defeating enemies that aid the Grimm in destroying Human settlements. I highly doubt they'll drop it for us. In fact, when they rescued me, they asked if I could request transport for them in return."
Reid and Dietz looked at one another, neither looking impressed. "...That's a lot to ask, son." The Lieutenant-Colonel said.
"Yes, sir, but they did save my life, give me valuable information regarding the land and kingdoms, and help us secure our first victory against the Grimm."
"And we appreciate their contributions, but asking us to allocate a vehicle, such as a Griffon, to take them to another Kingdom in uncharted territory is a hefty task. Not only would it deplete fuel heavily, but it also risks the crew and vehicle itself. And considering the current situation, I don't think that is a risk that we can take. We don't know about where we are right now, to start sending people out to places we know even less about. Not to mention involving ourselves in this world's conflicts is a little out of our league at the moment."
Jack's eyes met the table, defeated. "Sir, with all due respect, why are you telling me this? RNJR won't stay if we give them nothing in return."
Were it a crew member under Dietz's command, or any soldier who had not just survived hell and walked back, the Officers would have torn him apart for the question and following comment.
"We're telling you, Private Carver." Captain Dietz started. "Because we want you to be the middleman between RNJR and us. Because you, as of this moment, are the most valuable source of intel. You are now a vital asset to the survival of this expedition, Jack Carver."
Jack did not like being special. So, upon hearing that he, a Private in the Infantry was the most valuable source of information regarding a planet he knew the bare minimum about in order to ensure the survival of a battalion and a Naval ship, was somewhat concerning.
"Sir...I'm an Infantry soldier. Intelligence isn't my strong suit." While Jack blamed the humorous assumption regarding the stupidity of Infantry grunts, the actual origin of his insecurity was a fear of failure.
"And you will continue to serve as an Infantry soldier. Which is why Doctor Grove will accompany your platoon on patrols to get him up to speed. In the meantime, you're our advisor. You're all we've got right now, son."
"Then sir, as your advisor, I can tell you that RNJR will not help us if we ask for their help and offer them no assistance in return. It's not that they wouldn't want to, but their mission is important to them, and time sensitive."
Reid rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "Very well. You tell them that if they help us, we'll give them transport, and manpower to help them. Hell, I'll even ask Captain Dietz to move the bloody Sir Isaac Brock if that's what it takes. Just get us their help, Carver. We need them, or we will die."
"I understand, Sir."
"Get it done, son. We're all counting on you."
"Yes, sir." Jack immediately rose to his feet and came to the position of attention, a form of respect as one cannot salute without a headdress.
He spun on his heel and hastily made for the door, exiting the Officer's mess.
Once the soldier left, the two high-ranking officers were left alone.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to promise to get involved with this planet's conflicts?" Dietz looked to Reid.
"At this point, Captain, I'm willing to do whatever the hell it takes to get my men home. Nothing can stand in the way of that."
"And our first step in doing so is trusting our fate to a child?"
"Ruby and her team are more than capable if their performance on the beach is any indication."
"...I wasn't talking about RNJR, Lieutenant-Colonel."
"Captain, please, have a little faith."
Jack shut the hatch behind him and exhaled. As he expected, RNJR had waited for the entire duration of the meeting, all sitting patiently in their seats.
"How'd it go in there?" Jaune looked up upon hearing the hatch shut.
"Terrifying as expected." Jack shrugged. "I never like talking to officers alone, but that's just me."
"What happened?" Nora asked, peeking over Ren's head.
"Apparently I'm a lot more important than I thought I was."
"What do you mean?" Ren asked, perplexed by the odd comment.
"...Well...I'll tell you all about it in a little bit, but I've got to get checked out by the medics first."
"Alright." Jaune started. "If you don't mind, I might have a look around while you're busy."
"Go for it." Jack said.
"Ren, Nora, what about you?" Ruby asked.
"We haven't eaten anything since morning...Can we go get some food?" Nora asked, her hands clutching her stomach.
"Yeah, if the guards here don't mind showing you the way."
The guards, who had been silent and bored the entire team perked up once they were mentioned. One of them, a Leading Seaman, the Navy equivalent to an Army Corporal gave Jack a thumbs up, signaling he was alright with splitting off and getting some food with Ren and Nora.
"What about her?" The first guard gestured to Ruby.
"Ruby, why don't you tag along with me?" Jack asked. "We can discuss a few things while I'm getting checked on by the medics."
"Sure!" Ruby got off her chair, stepping over to Jack.
"Well, that takes care of that. You need anything, give us a call." The Leading Seaman pointed to Jack.
While the gesture was unnecessary as Ruby harbored no ill intent towards Jack, it was good to know that the security staff was there to look out for the crew. Though Jack highly doubted that two guards armed with C8's could take on Ruby, much less the entirety of RNJR.
"Thanks. Come on, Ruby." Jack tilted his head in the direction they would be heading in; back down the corridor in which he had arrived from in order to reach the overflow ward.
When they were far enough away, Ruby broke the silence.
"So, what did they say?"
She figured there was a particular reason Jack asked her to accompany him to the ward. Ruby was correct; Jack did have an ulterior motive in bringing her along with the purpose of discussing the events of his meeting with the command staff. However, at the same time, he did genuinely just want to talk and get to know the team better individually. Two birds with one stone.
"Well, according to my boss, I'm the most important soldier on this boat as of this moment. For intel that is. And they want me to be the middleman between you and the command staff."
"Because you know the most about us and the Grimm?" Ruby guessed.
"Exactly."
"Flattering." Ruby joked, covering her mouth to giggle. "But to be honest, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be around…" She admitted.
Jack stroked his chin. Convincing her would be much more challenging than he anticipated.
"Didn't think I was that smart. But hey, I've only got one chevron, that's not up to me to decide."
"You don't give yourself enough credit."
"Maybe. Doesn't matter at this point, they've given me a job to do whether I like it or not. I've voiced my concern, and they want me for the job. At least until we get the one survivor up to speed to surpass me in knowledge."
"How long will that take?" Ruby asked.
"I don't think it'll take that long. He's a doctor, and I'm just a lucky Grunt who got his skin saved by you. Besides, he'll be coming with us on all our future patrols to document things."
"Isn't it a little dangerous to continue going out like that?"
"...Yeah...but that brings me to the next part…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled.
"...What's wrong?"
Jack sighed and stopped walking, turning to face Ruby.
"Okay, there's no easy way to put it...They want you to stay. They want your help, Ruby. Not only for your incredible combat skills but to the middlemen between us and the locals. We need help out here while we're stuck or we'll all gonna die. And we will die."
Ruby was dumbstruck. The Canadians were asking them to put aside their objective. But at the same time, Jack was right; they would likely perish without assistance. But how many more would die if they could not stop those responsible for the fall of beacon?
"...Jack...You know we can't..."
"I know." He sighed again. "They wanted me to convince you. And in the very short time that I've known you, I don't think that'll work."
"I want to help you, I do...But too many lives are riding on our shoulders. Did they at least say anything about giving us a ride?"
"Actually, yeah." Jack shrugged. "Lieutenant-Colonel Reid wants to make a deal."
"A deal?" Ruby cocked her brow.
"He said he'd give you transport and even men to help you fight...If, you help us build up some connections and help us learn a bit more about Remnant."
Ruby put her hands on her hips and stared at the floor, thinking. Walking on foot and finding away across the ocean to the Kingdom of Mistral would certainly take many more months...but the delay of helping the Canadian troops would take just as long, if not longer. However, the offer of a smooth trip and reinforcements to fight was tempting.
"You're asking a lot of us, Jack." Ruby whispered, still staring at the floor.
"I know. And I understand if you can't. That was just the message I was ordered to relay. You saved my life and gave us intel. You don't owe us anything. No hard feelings."
Ruby looked up with a look of shock again. Jack was full of surprises. Wasn't he trying to convince her?
"You're a weird guy, Jack." Ruby said with a grin.
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Nora was right, must've hit my head."
The soldier and the huntress burst out laughing. Once the laughter died down, Ruby would give her response.
"I'll think about it. Okay? And I'll have to talk to the team" She had expected to flat out say no, but something forced her to think about his offer.
"Sure thing." Jack nodded. After a few more moments of silent thinking, Jack nudged Ruby on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go see what's wrong with me."
Jack hesitantly led them to the hatch that would bring them above deck to the overflow ward.
"Brace yourself." Jack said, half joking.
Climbing out of the hatch, Jack and Ruby were immediately hit with a gust of sea wind which was fresh and cooling, until the smell followed. While it had quieted down since he was last there, the medics were still working around the clock rushing from cot to cot. The quiet did not bring relief, however, as empty, blood-stained cots littered the deck. Jack doubted the occupants of those cots had recovered. He searched for the least splattered cot before quickly taking a seat and waiting patiently to avoid having to watch anymore wounded in pain. Jack looked down at his hands and grunted before finally removing his bloody gloves.
Ruby, in a much slower fashion, followed him over to the cot, observing all the wounded as she did. Not since the battle of Beacon had she seen so many casualties in one place. Blood littered the deck, making it no wonder as to why Jack was a splattered mess. As she made her way over, wounded and active troops alike would stop and admire the Huntress.
"That's her!" A wounded soldier with a bandage over his head smacked his fireteam partner on the side.
"Is it?" The other man asked, observing the petite girl walking to Jack's cot.
"Yeah, man! Hey!" The wounded soldier tried getting up to approach Ruby.
Ruby quickly rerouted herself to the cot to prevent him from exerting himself so soon after injury. She waved, trying to be friendly, If not coming off a little awkward.
"Holy shit." The other soldier, a non-injured Corporal, took a slight step back upon seeing the indigenous warrior up close.
"I told you!" The soldier grabbed Ruby's hand and began vigorously shaking it. "You really saved our asses out there! Thank you!"
"He's right. Good shit, Red!" The standing trooper pat her on the shoulder.
Soon after, many medics, wounded and able troops looked up to observe the source of the praise. Seeing Ruby, those able applauded and cheered, including Jack, who had seen her zeal first hand on the battlefield.
Ruby turned a bright red in the face, overwhelmed by the praise.
"T-thanks, just doing my job!" She sheepishly and awkwardly said before scurrying over to Jack's cot to escape the embarrassment.
Ruby took a seat on the cot to the right of Jack, hiding from all the other soldiers who had still been cheering regarding their victory over the Grimm.
"Good work...Hero." Jack smirked.
"Oh shut up!" Ruby hit him on the shoulder playfully.
In time, a weary medic approached them. Jack looked up. Both men locked eyes. They both recognized each other. However, words were not required. It had been the combat medic that he tried helping with Allen earlier. The man's cadpat had been warped to a dark red, and even his rank patch had been stained, making it difficult to read the rank of Corporal on his chest. His eyes were baggy, and his hands were no longer steady. He was completely exhausted.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked, probably more rude than he intended.
"Bruises and cuts. Nothing serious, Corporal." Jack responded. "It's not that bad honestly. If it helps I can wait while you get some rest."
"Ross. Just Ross." The medic corrected. "And no, you're here now, aren't you? Let's just get it over with…" He sighed and grabbed fresh latex gloves for cleanliness, although it was hard to avoid the dirt and blood at this point. "Remove your body armour and your shirt. What about you, kid?" He asked, looking to Ruby.
"I'm okay, thanks."
"If you say so…" Ross mumbled.
Jack complied and unzipped the tactical vest, removing it before working on the velcro that held the frag vest in place. He set the tactical gear down next to the cot and lifted his combat shirt over his head.
"Yep, you got scuffed up alright." Corporal Ross said while examining the purple bruises, abrasions, and cuts littered across the soldier's torso. "Don't need a medic to tell you that."
"How bad?" Jack asked, looking out to the beach again.
"You're lucky. Your cuts aren't infected yet." Ross stood up and began collecting an assortment of bandages and sterile wipes. "Hey, riding hood, hand me his IFAK, I'm running out of equipment." Ross called out to Ruby, getting no response.
"Oh, Jesus...Hey, red!" He snapped his fingers, gaining the attention of the Huntress who had been red in the face.
"Oh, sorry!" She grabbed Jack's gear and reached into the pouch she had searched for medical supplies the night before. "Here." Ruby handed Ross an assortment of supplies, hoping they were what he was looking for.
Without warning, Ross pressed a sterile cloth against a cut on Jack's torso and wiped it along the length of the wound.
"Ahah! Ah, careful!" Jack recoiled in irritation.
"Do you want me to clean you up, or not? Suck it up." Ross threw the stained cloth down before reaching for another one.
"Sucking it up…" Jack mumbled and grit his teeth.
Once his cuts were cleaned, Ross discarded the assorted cloth and began placing bandages on Jack's torso.
"Change your bandages every little while, make sure to rinse the wounds to keep them clean." Ross removed his gloves while standing up.
"Thanks, Doc."
"Yeah." Ross muttered in response to the thanks.
"Can I get you anything? You've been running around like mad since I got here earlier."
"Unless you bring me a six-pack of anything alcoholic, you can leave me alone for a start."
"Hey-" Ruby raised her finger to argue, only for Jack to gently press her hand down.
"It's okay, Ruby." Jack turned to Ross. "Whatever you need, Doc. Just give me a shout."
Without another word, Corporal Ross stormed off carrying his medical equipment, returning to monitor patients in his care.
"Jeez...What's his problem?" Ruby asked, watching the medic walking away.
"Poor guy probably just had to work on more than a dozen guys, only for a good chunk of them to die. He's not in a good place right now."
"I've never seen so many dead people." Ruby murmured while looking around, now coming to an understanding as to why Ross came off short.
"There would've been more if it weren't for you." Jack looked down to his vest, specifically at the torn material and blood stained CADPAT before looking up to Ruby. There was sincerity in his voice.
"You think so?" Ruby asked.
"Absolutely. I mean have been teasing about the hero comment but I wasn't wrong. You saved our asses, and...mine...several times."
"I was just doing what I thought was right in the heat of the moment...What any Huntress would've done." Ruby shrugged.
Jack was lost for a moment, observing the impressive silver tint in Ruby's eyes. He cleared his throat and looked down at his gear again nervously. Ruby raised a brow, bewildered.
"Yeah, well, you saved a lot of lives. All four of you." Jack grabbed his combat shirt and pulled it over his head.
Jack shifted himself so he could stare off the side of the ship and watch the sun reflect off the water. He decided to get comfortable, assuming he'd be there for a while to talk and recover at the same time.
"So we've spoken quite a bit in the last twenty-four hours...And I still don't know a lot about you." Jack chuckled. "I'd like to change that about RNJR. It'd be nice to have friends in strange places if you guys decide to head out."
"Still trying to gather information, Jack?" Ruby crossed her arms with a smirk.
"Nah, I doubt the CO will want to know where you're from, how many siblings you have, what music you like, so on and so forth."
Discussing anything other than what had just occurred on the beach was preferable to Jack. Making friends was the last thing he thought he would be doing once going through the Anomaly, but the expedition seemed to be full of surprises thus far.
Ruby chuckled. "Well, we'll start from the beginning then! I was born on Patch. It's an island off the coast of Vale. Beautiful and quiet. My parents were huntsmen too, actually! They were on the same team during their time at Beacon."
From what Jack understood, aspiring soldiers and warriors would attend combat schools before attending one of four huntsmen academies all over the world. Beacon had been the academy RNJR was attending before the battle that she told him about, the same battle that claimed the life of someone very close to Jaune.
"Daughter of warriors huh?" Jack cocked a brow. "Sounds familiar."
"Your dad was a soldier, right?" Ruby asked, seeing the similarities.
"Yeah, in the PPCLI. Bet he was pissed when I got tasked to RCR...Anyway." Jack shrugged. "Any siblings?"
"Yeah, an older sister." Ruby rubbed her shoulder while looking down at the flight deck. "Yang. She was on my team before all...this."
With the fall of Beacon, RNJR, an inexperienced team of misfits were cast out into the world to complete a mission that would be daunting to the most elite huntsmen.
"Yeah? And what is she like?"
"Complete opposite of me, really. Out there, popular...not socially awkward…"
"Haha, you're not doing that bad." Jack teased.
"What about you?"
Jack watched the beach intently and silently for a few moments before nodding. "Yeah. A little brother."
Ruby turned her body, facing Jack. The odd moment of silence was off-putting "...And?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, like you said…" Ruby poked the soldier before mimicking his facial expression he had so eagerly made at the campfire. "I like stories."
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 1300
ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC
MARPAC
COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ
Although the hangar was packed with engineers and soldiers, all attempting to repair and assess damage to company LAVs and aircraft that were left on the flight deck, Dietz' demeanor parted the crowds like the Red Sea. As he passed, he kept a keen eye out for Kendall and where Dietz knew he would be. In a sea of CADPAT, he spotted his XO in a bright blue shirt atop a griffon helicopter. As he approached, he noticed a woman with him. Both mounted opposite sides of the chopper. The woman was wearing a navy blue jumpsuit over her uniform. It appeared as if they were inspecting the helicopter's rotor for damage. He stopped beside the cockpit, looking up at the two as they worked. Unbenounced to him, the woman was the very co-pilot that extracted the team just a few hours earlier.
"Watch that you don't nick the hydraulic line, it's easily mistakable for a-" Langer was cut off.
"I appreciate the heads up Langer, but I was in the air force for long enough to know- oh shit." Kendall set down his tool and put his hands in the air, making it visible that he wasn't touching anything.
"What?"
"It's leaking."
"I thought you said you knew the difference!"
"I do, the thing just started pouring fluid. I didn't do anything I swear."
"I beg to differ, here move."
Langer leaped down from the helicopter and ran around to Kendall's side of the craft, unknowingly moving past Dietz and remounting beside the XO
"Jesus it's like you nicked an artery."
"What should I do?"
"Nothing, just hand me a roll of tape."
"Uh…" Kendall looked around at the pile of tools to his right and pulled out a roll from the bottom of the pile "Here."
Langer snatched the roll from Kendall's hand and started to wrap a piece around the cut in the tube. Even though the fluid began to bleed through, the more tape she rolled around, the less fluid escaped the casing. After a few seconds, the tape did its work to stop the leak.
"I have to tell you, sir, I don't think you have a future in aviation engineering if the Navy doesn't work out."
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Don't sweat it, sir. I meant to replace the fluids anyway."
"Ahem." Dietz now made his presence known to the two officers who were still mounted on the side of the helicopter.
"Sir." Langer jumped down from her position and came to attention. Dietz returned the address with a formal salute and began to lean on the cockpit door
"I'm sorry-" Dietz squinted in on the open part of the pilot's jumpsuit to get a rank from her uniform. "-Lieutenant. But I'm going to need to steal my XO from you."
"Of course sir, we just finished."
Kendall hopped down from the craft and wiped his hands off using a towel that was hanging from his shoulder. The front of his shirt was almost black, as well as parts of his face. The two exchanged looks of discontent, followed by an awkward silence.
"I think they've made some fresh orange juice in the mess hall Lieutenant. Perhaps you should try some."
"No thanks, sir I'm fine, got some water right-"
Dietz leaned right, looking past Kendall and giving a disapproving look to her.
"...Uhh...Then again, sir, I'd hate for it to go to waste..."
Once Lieutenant Langer had quickly darted off, Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Commander Kendall were alone to talk. For better or for worse.
"Have you completely lost your mind, Mike?"
"...Sir?"
"I told you to return to the Brock at the first sign of danger. Instead, I find out you went behind my back and blatantly disobeyed my order to return to the ship."
"Sir, the Brock…"
"The Brock was being sieged by a hostile force, and her XO was nowhere to be found."
"I thought-"
"You thought what, that the rules don't apply to you? That you can pick and choose what regs you follow?"
Kendall dismissed himself, entering the Griffon and taking a seat on one of the interior seats
"Is this still about turning the helicopter around?"
"What do you think?" Dietz joined him inside the Griffon, closing the exterior door once he sat down for privacy.
"I think you have a lot of stuff to get off your mind, some of it hurtful, but I digress."
"There in lies the problem, your smartass responses. The men like you Mike, you make a solid officer. You help them get through tough times. It's because of that that I look the other way. That aside you seem to make the same stupid decisions time and time again."
"You think I made the wrong decision?"
"Your mission was purely to go in, get Carver and extract. Instead, I figure out after the fact, that my XO is fighting on the frontlines with aliens!"
"Well...technically sir... we're the aliens."
"Do you think this is a joke?"
"Just trying to lighten the mood-"
"See?! There you go again. The right answer is 'no sir.' I've given you an inch Mike, and you've made it into a country mile."
"When you asked, I told you I'd make the right decision, and I did. If given the opportunity I'd do it again. I couldn't leave those men when I knew we could help."
"Whatever happened to the 'when I say jump' mentality?"
"Sir I-"
Lieutenant Beckett's voice came over the ship's loudspeakers as clear as day "Command crew to the bridge, command crew to the bridge."
"Saved by the bell." Kendall thought to himself
Dietz got up first and reached for the handle to the helicopter door. As it swung open, he turned and to face Kendall, putting out his hand to stop him from moving. "We will finish this conversation later, but just know, if you put another toe out of line, I'll court martial you myself."
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 1350
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
"Jack." A voice interrupted their long conversation.
Ruby and Jack turned their heads, seeing Master Corporal Farren standing there, equally dirty and equally tired.
"Boss!" Jack yelled. He hadn't seen Farren since the battle.
"How are you two feeling?" Farren walked over to the cot that they both sat on, looking out at the beach.
"I'm okay!" Ruby gave a thumbs up.
"Not surprised there, ass kicker." Farren chuckled before looking to Jack. "You?"
"Been better, but I'm alive." Jack seemed skeptical. The last time he saw the Master Corporal, he was spewing profanity in rage over the death of Lieutenant Bishop.
"I've got something that'll keep you alive, actually."
"Yeah? What do you have there?" Jack asked, just now seeing a CADPAT dome in his grasp.
"You said you lost your helmet." Farren lifted the helmet into clear view. "Are you a size medium?"
"Yeah, I think so!" Jack said while looking at the helmet. He'd feel a lot better running into a battlefield with a helmet on his head. He felt lucky and surprised that the ship supply had spare helmets.
Farren looked inside the helmet once again to confirm the size displayed on the tag before tossing the kevlar to him. "Try it on, make sure it fits."
Jack fastened the helmet to his head and shook it around, testing its support and comfort. "It's a good fit." He gave a thumbs up before feeling an object within the helmet pressed against his head. Jack undid the chin strap and removed the helmet to investigate, finding a photo and a folded note within the webbing of the helmet. His hands retrieved the objects, removing them from the helmet to inspect them.
The photo displayed a Master Corporal in his uniform, holding hands with a woman dressed in a white dress, both wearing wedding bands. Both smiled widely. The note associated with it was a long, heartfelt message from the helmet owners wife, expressing how much she'd miss him while he was away on deployment. Jack felt uncomfortable reading it and taking the helmet. He folded the note back up and put it with the photo.
"When do I have to give it back? I doubt a Master Corporal would be okay with me taking his helmet."
Farren, who had turned and began walking away the moment he discovered the photo, stopped in his tracks upon hearing Jack's question. The lack of answer disturbed both Jack and Ruby.
"Boss-"
"He won't need it anymore." Farren said coldly before walking away.
Silence. Jack nor Ruby knew what to say. Their conversation had been cut short, that much was clear.
"...I should...talk to the rest of the team…" Ruby muttered.
"...Yeah...just uhh...keep me posted, okay?" Jack's eyes didn't leave the photo.
"Sure thing." Ruby got off the cot and started to walk away before taking another glance at Jack, who had still been staring down. After speaking about the sensitive topic of his brother with her, he certainly didn't deserve to have that bomb dropped on him. "Hey, Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"If it means anything, I think you're a good person. And I want to help you."
Jack looked up at the Huntress with a half smile. "Thanks, Ruby."
She shot the soldier one more smile before turning and walking away.
A bird caw caught Jack's attention once Ruby had left. Atop the command tower, a lone Crow looked down, staring right back at him. Jack had glanced for a few more moments before a flock of birds brought his attention away from the Crow.
The flock flew towards the sun, in a beautiful formation.
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
EARTH TIME- 1400
HUNTRESS
TEAM RNJR
RUBY ROSE
Ruby sat patiently in the Junior Ranks mess of the Sir Isaac Brock, waiting for Nora, Jaune, and Ren to arrive with their escorts. Soon enough, the team was reunited.
"What's up, Ruby?" Nora was the first to ask why she had called them all there.
"We need to talk about a few things."
"Agreed." Jaune nodded. "For starters. I think it's safe to say Jack's telling the truth. The battle and the ship alone are evidence enough. But I've been asking around amongst the soldiers. The stories are all the same. So unless it's all a huge lie, Jack told us the truth."
"I think it's unlikely that Jack would've lied in the first place. He doesn't strike me as that kind of person." Ren interjected.
"Not saying I'm entirely persuaded yet, but if you guys trust them, I will too." Jaune crossed his arms. "We work as a team, that's how it started, and it'll stay that way."
"Speaking of staying as a team…" Ruby scratched her neck nervously. "The commanders asked Jack to...convince us to stay…"
"...What?" Nora raised a brow. "Stay? We can't stay! We still have months before we get to Mistral!"
"I know." Ruby nodded.
"This would cause a major delay in our objective."
"I know." Ruby said again.
"This wasn't apart of the plan!"
"I know!" Ruby yelled. "Truth is, if we don't help them. They're all going to die. Let's face it. If they're telling the truth, which judging by how they fought the Grimm, I think they are, they don't stand a chance! Are we really okay with letting a couple thousand people die when we could've helped them?"
"Ruby, I don't want them to get hurt, but we've got to stop the people that destroyed Beacon before they hurt anyone else." Jaune sighed.
"They offered us transport and military assistance if we help them."
The room fell silent.
"That changes things." Jaune muttered.
"All I'm asking for is a few days to think about it. A few days won't cost us that much ground. If we help them, not only will we save their lives, but we have the opportunity to stop those responsible." Ruby pleaded.
"What happens if we stay?" Nora asked, twiddling her thumbs.
Ren stroked his chin while contemplating Ruby's proposition. "Nothing changes. It is as Jaune said, we started this journey as a team, and we'll stay that way no matter what. We'll take each day as it is, stay together."
He stood up and crowded with his team.
"And we'll Keep Moving Forward."
A/N: Thank you very much for your patience, we sincerely apologize for the time it took to pump this chapter out. Hopefully we can update more often, but we are the victims of pretty busy schedules. But fear not, we intend to see this through! As always, thanks for reading! New entires have been added to the glossary.
Please let us know if the Glossary actually helps you. if it does, we will continue to use it every chapter.
Stay awesome and Keep Moving Forward
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
REGIMENTS: - *NEW ENTRIES*
RCR- The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.
PPCLI- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.
R22R- The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: The Van Doos); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down). *NEW*
JTF2- Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces. *NEW*
STRUCTURE:
BATTALION- An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)
COMPANY- An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain)
PLATOON- An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)
SECTION- A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)
FIRE TEAM- A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)
COMMAND:
IC- Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)
2IC- Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)
CM- Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)
NCM- Non Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)
GEAR: - *NEW ENTRIES*
CADPAT- Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).
COMBAT SHIRT- A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).
TAC VEST- Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that hold useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.
IFAK- Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.
FRAG VEST- The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs.
LEVEL 3+ PLATES- Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms.
MECHANIX M-PACT- The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry. - *NEW*
INFANTRY WEAPONS:
C7A2- Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.
C8- Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).
C9A2 LMG- Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249
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
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, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.
M203- Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.
C-13- Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.
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.
THE 9- Slang for the C9A2 LMG
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.
M32 MGL- A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).
NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:
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.
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.
25MM CANNON- The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"
ARTY- Short for Artillery.
AA- Anti-Air
VEHICLES:
CF-18- Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.
MILCOT- Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)
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
CH-148 Cyclone- The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF
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.
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
SEA AVENGER- Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.
LAV- Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry
RHIB- Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow
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.
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.
POLITICAL:
PM- Prime Minister of Canada
MND- Minister of National Defence
CDS- Chief of the Defence Staff
NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
J.A.G- Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.
NAVAL TERMINOLOGY:
BOW- Front of a boat
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. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)
EMP- Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range
X.O- Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander
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.
KNOT- Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.
NAV/ 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.
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.
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.
TAO- (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.
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.
STARBOARD- Right-hand side of the ship
STERN- Back of a ship
BASES:
CFB PETAWAWA- Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.
CFB ESQUIMALT- Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.
CFB HALIFAX- Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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
MISC: - *NEW ENTRIES*
DANGER CLOSE- A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.
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)
OPERATION OVERLORD- The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history.
AAR- After Action Report
CCP- Casualty Collection Point - *NEW*
FOB- Forward Operating Base
CONCERTINA WIRE- Coils of barbed wire
ACK- Acknowledged
ROG- Roger
TRIAGE- Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. - *NEW*
VSA- Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse. - *NEW*
HE- High Explosive round capable of intense damage. - *NEW*
