A/N: Hey everyone! We're back with another chapter! So the plan is to try and maintain a Friday night update schedule every week or two weeks. It's not ideal by any means but with work and classes it makes the most sense. It sure beats the current "It's ready when it's ready" schedule. That being said, we want to get your opinion on something that will influence the rate of uploads:
Maintain current length of chapters (longer time between uploads) OR Shorter chapters (more frequent updates)
We'd appreciate your feedback on that! Moving on, Starwarsmast3r and I would like to address a milestone we passed. We have passed 100 Followers on the story as well as over 100 combined Reviews and Favourites. Both of us profusely thank you for your continued support through reviews, PM's and suggestions on the story. Thanks to your feedback, the story format has changed greatly, for the better, since chapter one and your insight has provoked us to think about our plans going forward. As mentioned, your continued support is both encouraging and empowering for us. Seriously, thank you so much - y'all are awesome.
It goes without saying, but if you have any questions, concerns or comments on our story, please feel free to drop a review or shoot us a PM as our boxes are always open for lengthy discussion or suggestions!
On to some side notes; We've heard some feedback on the glossary and the consensus seems to be to keep it in place, so it shall be done. The glossary will continue to be updated when and where needed and we will continue to make to more accessible for those who need it.
Again, thank you for your continued support. We love writing out this story and we're glad you all love reading it. We hope you had a great Easter holiday and we'll be back again in a few weeks!
#TeamCarver
RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land
Chapter 7: Out of the Frying Pan...
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
FORESTS OF VALE
EARTH TIME- 12:44
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
It was mid-day in Remnant. Although it would be late spring back on Earth, the sun was alive and beating on Remnant, much to the dismay of the patrolling Platoon. Through the vast forests of Sanus, Jack and his section along with the rest of 1st Platoon; accompanied by Dr. Grove and team RNJR, stopped by a stream to take a rest. Although Jack was keeping his eyes open for Grimm, he was taken by the serene beauty of the area. In a way, it was like being back on Earth. It had the same sense of beauty and danger that CFB Petawawa had back in training. One moment, he found himself enjoying the view, the next he would be bombarded by instructors and proceed to do an ungodly amount of pushups as punishment for whatever he did, or didn't do. Jack took out his canteen and took a few sips of water while he had the chance, waiting for Farren to give out instructions
"Alright, we'll take a ten-minute break here before we start moving again. Fill up your canteens while you can, we got a long time before we can turn around towards the Brock.." Farren dismissed himself from the group, taking a radio with him to update the Brock.
"Can't we just ride the LAV?" Jerome asked, gesturing to the armored vehicle halted a couple meters behind the patrol. The tired soldier dropped to the ground and removed his boots to give his feet some air.
"You know the drill, kid." Owens called out. "Boots on the ground."
Jack still watched Farren closely as he spoke into his radio. He'd been saying the bare minimum since the battle for the beach. It was unsettling. His attention was soon drawn to Corporal Ross, who likely had enough of filing casualty reports on the Brock and decided to get back out in the field, joining them in their routine patrols. He had been quiet since they last spoke on the flight deck.
Meanwhile, Doctor Grove ran for the stream, taking mouthfuls of water while he had time. The man had a beating red complexion and had been partially out of breath. He dropped his bag in a frenzy when he neared the stream, dropping its contents to the ground. Grove had insisted upon taking samples of everything and anything he could find. He collected soil samples, organic samples, even going so far as to climb a tree to get an out of reach specimen. Perhaps the reason he was so out of breath. Jack pushed back the the sleeve of his uniform and looked down at his black wristwatch to check the time.
"Still got some time, why the hell not..." As he pulled down the sleeve of his combat shirt, Jack pulled out his journal and added a new entry. He swiftly turned the bloody pages, searching for the next clean page.
Jack Carver: Journal Entry Three
It's been a few days, so I guess I'll write another entry. Hopefully with no distractions this time.
It's been about three days since I ran into RNJR and fought at the beach. Which means we've been stuck here for about four or five days with no way out so far. Despite how many guys were killed and injured, Command is certain we've got a solid footing on the beach now...After all that and we've only got the beach secured - 51 dead after two more guys succumbed to their wounds on the flight deck. Command is hopeful that we'll get back and give the guys a proper burial, so the Chaplain held a service for them. Captain Dietz had the Brock fire off three training rounds in a gun salute, which was a nice touch, lord knows they deserve it. The engineers managed to set up a FOB with minimal resistance. Owens is sure we've scared the Grimm off the beach. Farren, on the other hand, thinks they're waiting. We can hear them out there sometimes. I don't think they can be scared. I try not to think about it. Just can't shake the feeling that we're being watched at all times.
On the bright side, RNJR decided to stick around for a while. Ruby must've convinced the rest of the team. That's another one I owe them. If we find what we're looking for, we're gonna help them out, it's the least we can do. Command has my platoon, in particular, going out on long range patrols with RNJR. This is our third time out, luckily with little resistance from the wildlife. No settlements though. Ruby says it's gonna be rare to find anyone this far out due to the Grimm, but hopefully, we'll run into some people soon. Apparently, villages without natural barriers don't last long out here, which isn't very surprising. Command has been breathing down our necks for constant briefs, which I'm sure is pissing Farren off beyond belief. I'm worried about him, he's being rather stoic, more than usual. Owens says it's just his personality but I'm willing to bet he's just tired of losing people. I'm sure Corporal Ross feels the same too. I'm probably going to sit them down and try to-
Jack was interrupted by a presence near his left leg. As he set down his pen and booklet he spotted Dr. Grove on his hands and knees, prodding at the bottom of his boot with a scalpel.
"Uh, whatcha doin' doc?" After watching him work the past three days, Jack wasn't surprised to see the Doctor in compromising positions but was more confused as to why he was picking at his boot.
"Would you mind lifting your foot, Private Carver? You seem to have a prime specimen attached to the bottom of your foot."
"Sure thing Doc." Jack lifted his foot slowly, canting his head to see what Grove was interested in. Unbenounced to him, there was a stick lodged in the grooves of his sole. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Grove retrieved the sick, examining it closer.
"It's just a stick, Doctor..." Jack scratched the back of his neck in confusion.
"That's what you think, but who knows what kinds of secrets this little stick may hold. You see, plant life, much like humans have unique DNA that can-" A hand reached out, stealing the stick from Grove's hand, throwing it into the nearby stream.
"Ten minutes is up, time to get moving." Farren nodded to Jack and continued down the path. Grove stood motionless, watching the stick flow with the current until it was out of sight.
"Sorry, doc." Jack took his rifle with one hand, using the other to pat Grove on the back. "We'll find another, I'm sure."
"Not your fault Private. You gentlemen aren't trained to see the finer things in life. No matter." Grove collected his bag and the few specimen jars and photos that had fallen out prior.
"Uhh...Right. Thanks...I think." Jack shrugged before rejoining the formation.
After some more walking along the rugged trail, Jerome jogged up to Jack's side, tapping him on the shoulder as he did.
"Hey man." Jerome was the first to speak.
"Hey, bud, what's up?" Jack glanced to his right, acknowledging the other soldier before his eyes returned to the front to watch the trail.
"I didn't really get to say sorry...For you know, leaving you behind and all that..." The soldier's eyes met the dirt trail that they walked on. Both his voice and tone were low.
"Don't worry about it. It was an accident. Stuff happens that we can't control. The Ursa knocked me too far into the woods, you likely would've gotten hurt or killed if you managed to get away from Owens and Farren." Jack playfully punched his comrade on the shoulder. "So don't worry about. We're cool, man!" He flashed a grin to his fireteam partner.
Jerome found himself in slight shock. After being abandoned and almost killed several times, Jack hardly seemed bothered.
"Besides." Jack started. "Because of how things went down...we met Ruby. I've got you to thank for that, pal." A smirk curled on the Private's lips.
"You're welcome?" Jerome shrugged. Then it hit him. "Oh." He started. "Oh..." The soldier smirked with a raised brow.
Both soldiers broke into a laugh.
Their chat was interrupted by the roar of the LAV's engine getting closer.
"Carver!" A voice came from within the LAV as the crew commander hatch opened. Moments later, Lieutenant Bryson emerged from the bowels of the armoured vehicle.
"Sir?" Jack stopped in his tracks, now facing the vehicle.
"I need you to run ahead and link up with RNJR, get them to halt for now, we're receiving orders from the Brock. Keep in radio contact, okay?"
"Understood, Sir." Jack immediately turned, preparing to run off ahead of the platoon to find RNJR, who had been tasked with forward recon. He reached into his tactical vest, retrieving his headset.
"Corporal Owens!" Bryson shouted immediately after. "Go with him. No one goes alone while we're out here! Not losing any more men."
"Roger that, Sir." Owens sighed, collapsing the stock of his C9 and slinging it around his shoulder.
"Hey, Jack?" Jerome called out before the soldier could run off.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
With that, Owens and Carver were off, delving deeper along the trail to search for RNJR.
The two men were relatively silent with the exception of some yawning or small warnings of troublesome terrain along the path.
"God I hate this place…" Soon enough, Owens mumbled. Unsurprisingly it was of his distaste for Remnant.
"Yeah, that makes two of us." Jack nodded. "But at least when we get home, we'll have a lot of stories to tell!"
"If we get back." Owens thought aloud.
"We're gonna get back." Jack said more firm than he had intended.
"How do you know?"
"I just do, now can we please talk about literally anything else?"
"Fine. Fine."
While they spoke, Owens' hand reached into his pocket, fidgeting for something. Jack raised a brow as the other soldier cursed under his breath to retrieve whatever it was he was searching for. Eventually, Owens retrieved a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. The Corporal shakily placed a cigarette between his lips and lifted the lighter to the end of the cigarette. Evidently, he had little experience.
"You smoke?" Jack found himself perplexed. "Since when?"
"Since 51 of our friends were killed." Owens still tried to light his cigarette, getting more annoyed with every failed attempt. "Since we got stuck in the middle of this shit." With a few more failed attempts, he had enough. "Since I realized that the only way I'm going home is in a goddamn casket!" The Corporal threw the black lighter down into the dirt.
Carver had stood there silently for the duration of Owens' rant, letting him get it all out. Jack observed their surroundings with his rifle raised, fearing that the negative emotion would attract Grimm. When nothing came, Jack knelt down, grabbing the lighter out of the dirt.
"I may only be a Private and not know a lot...But I know one thing." Jack lifted the lighter to Owens' cigarette and lit it successfully, scorching the end of the thinly cut tobacco rolled in paper. "You're gonna get home. Alive."
Owens exhaled, blowing smoke into the air. It brought some relief.
"I don't need evidence or anything like that. I just know. Carver's have always had good luck."
"You're stubborn, kid." Owens took another puff from his cigarette before looking Jack in the eyes. Sam Owens had taken the young private as just that; a young inexperienced soldier. However the more they worked together while stuck on Remnant, he grew to respect him. "But you're a good kind of stubborn…"
"I've been getting that a lot lately."
Owens reached into his pocket, retrieving a second cigarette and offered it to Jack. What appeared to be a small gesture was actually that of gratitude, friendship, and respect, as gifting another soldier a portion of your luxury supply was rare due to lack of resupply or limited quantities in general.
"No thanks, don't smoke. Now c'mon, let's go find Ruby! Lieutenant Bryson is gonna be looking for an update soon."
"Right…" Sam watched Jack turn his back and walk towards their objective. He then looked down to his cigarette, and back to the other soldier. He removed the small stick of tobacco from his lips and discarded it to the dirt before following Private Carver further along the trail.
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
FORESTS OF VALE
EARTH TIME- 12:55
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
LT. BRYSON
Despite the lack of contact with RNJR, the platoon pushed forward through the dense forest. This area in specific was extremely dense with brush and shrubbery, the LAV driver was careful to avoid the obstructions, despite their abundance. Lieutenant Bryson sat over a hand-drawn map of the region, studying the details carefully. Doctor Grove, RNJR as well as the Recce excursions had contributed to an in-depth map of the greater region. The map provided great insight for the Lieutenant, being able to coordinate efforts with the Brock for deployment. As the LAV moved across the uneven terrain, it rocked back and forth and so to did its occupants.
"Recce 2-1, this is Brock Actual." The radio crackled.
Bryson, still partially occupied on studying the map, reached for the radio while not taking his eyes off the task at hand.
"Recce 2-1 here, go ahead Brock Actual."
"Recon, be advised we are tracking a large enemy presence five klicks north-west of your current position. We're tracking several hot spots along your route, the shortest range is two klicks."
This revelation took Bryson's attention immediately. Without delay, he folded up the map and placed it in his backpack next to him. Bryson got up out of his seat shortly afterward, slamming his fist against the wall behind the driver, signaling him to stop.
"Affirmative Actual, how do you advise?"
"Avenger is showing a village two klicks further along your plotted route, thermal readings absent. From there you can move around the enemy force. Plan to add an extra four hours to your trip."
"Correct me if I'm wrong Actual, but that'll make our ETA around twenty-two hundred hours."
"That is affirmative Recon."
Bryson paused before responding. He always anticipated a wrench being thrown into his plans, but this was a lot bigger than a wrench. Only one person had survived the night in the wild without Canadian reinforcements and that was Private Jack Carver, and even he got help from RNJR.
"Actual, permission to make camp for the night."
"Negative Lieutenant, I can't approve you making camp in hostile territory overnight. Too many unknowns."
"Sir, with all due respect, Ms. Rose has informed us of the hostile nature of the land during the evening hours. The sound of a LAV and a moving platoon will draw undue attention. I can post up my men in that village for cover."
Like Bryson, Dietz stood like a statue in the CIC. Dietz hated the idea of leaving soldiers in the wild without available support. He hated the Grimm for cutting off his men. He hated this whole damn world. He shook his head in dismay and caved.
"Fine, you win Lieutenant. I want you on my flight deck by midday tomorrow or there'll be Hell to pay."
"Copy that, Sir. Keep our seats warm and the food ready, we'll be back for Lunch."
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
FORESTS OF VALE
EARTH TIME- 12:55
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
"Jesus, how far ahead did they go?" Corporal Owens lifted his C9, using the optical zoom to try and spot team RNJR further up the trail.
"Good question." Jack murmured. "They haven't checked in for a while..."
"You don't think they took off, do you?"
Jack shook his head. "No, I don't think they're the kind of people to do that. Something must've happened. Sooner or later we're gonna find out."
Both troopers cocked their weapons and placed their weapons on safe. They continued to march along the trail. Though it was still day, the tree canopy hid most of the sunlight, leaving the soldiers in semi-darkness. The atmosphere was unsettling. They were hundreds of meters ahead of the Platoon, now out of sight due to the winding road, meaning support was too far away should a life-threatening situation arise. And who knew where RNJR was down the path...if they were even still out there.
Jack tried to lighten the mood with further conversation. "You speak to Farren at all lately?"
"A little yeah, he usually keeps to himself. Why? Have you?"
"Not a word since the flight deck." Jack shook his head. "Well, other than orders and what not." He shrugged.
"Can't really blame him."
"Huh?" Jack turned his head with an eyebrow cocked. "What do you mean?"
Owens kept his gaze forward but answered the question. "Well, he doesn't really tell me a whole lot, but I've gathered that he really hates losing men. Plus you remind him of his son, probably why he doesn't chat with you often. Doubt he has anything against you, just the idea of losing people and his son don't mix well. That's my guess."
"Oh. And here I was, under the impression he wanted to keep an eye on me. Something about being a good soldier or something?" Jack chuckled.
When Owens did not laugh, Jack stopped, turning to face him. "...What?"
"...Farren's son was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Jack..."
Both men fell silent.
"...Oh…" Jack mumbled. "...Well...that uhh...that explains it…"
"Yeah, poor guy has been through some shit."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have aske-"
A snapping tree branch deep within the forest caught the attention of both men. Owens dropped to a knee, shouldering his C9 while Jack took aim where he stood.
"What the Hell was that?" Owens scanned the forest, searching for targets.
"Sounded like a branch. Could just be an animal." Jack glanced over the sight of his weapon, closely watching the trees.
"Have you seen any friendly animals since we got here?"
"Good point." Jack flicked the safety lever to repetition, his weapon now ready to fire.
"Could be RNJR." Owens shrugged.
"Possibly. But why would they be off the path?"
The question was on both their minds.
"Well, whatever it is, doesn't matter. We can't stay here, we're sitting ducks." Owens got to his feet, still aiming the light machine gun into the woods. "We've got to find RNJR. Sooner we do that, the sooner we can bug outta here."
"What's the plan?"
"Keep your eyes peeled and weapon raised. You watch the front, I'll watch the back Let's move.."
"Got it." Jack pivoted, now leading the fireteam away from their previous position.
The feeling of being watched was no longer exclusive to Jack, as Corporal Owens could feel eyes all around them, watching their every move. While both men had been tempted to fire off warning rounds in every direction to ward off their stalker, it would likely attract Grimm.
"Screw this place." Sam mumbled, barely audible.
Jack barely heard Corporal Owens, his attention fixated on his forward arcs. His eyes darted from side to side while the two troopers slowly progressed through the woods. Soon enough, the rather irregular trail seemed to straighten out. Immediately after the trail displayed a more linear path through the woods, a stone arch was visible, and just beyond that, what appeared to be small village with primarily wooden buildings stuck out from the trees.
"Hey, we've got a village to my twelve, about a hundred meters away." Jack halted, taking aim with his rifle.
"See anything? Any people?!"
"Nada. RNJR might be in there though. Worth a look."
"Roger that, whenever you're ready, kid."
Just before Jack could wave his hand to signal moving forward, a caw startled him. He raised his rifle and aimed upward into the trees, searching for movement.
That's when he saw it again. A Crow, resting upon a branch. Jack lowered his weapon hesitantly. Sure, it could have been an odd coincidence that he kept seeing a singular crow on patrol after that day on the flight deck.
Or, it was anything but a coincidence.
The animal observed the Canadian soldier for a few moments before turning its head toward the village. Carver did the same.
"Hey, what's the holdup-"
"Moving." Jack waved two fingers, and they began to move again, leaving boot marks in the dirt with every step.
They had not been walking for a minute before their next stop, however. The crunch of paper caught the lead soldiers attention, causing him to stop in his tracks. He looked down to investigate the source.
"What the hell…" Private Carver knelt down, flipping the laminated sheet of paper over to its opposite side.
It was a map. A Canadian map made with the collective data gathered by past Recce patrols with the assistance of RNJR. A valuable resource that should not be discarded under any circumstance. Jack's gaze followed the trail, seeing tracks leading to the village. Upon closer inspection, the village was lifeless...abandoned. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the Crow was still there. It had gone, leaving behind no evidence it had even been there in the first place.
"Oh no…" The young Private mumbled.
"What do you got?" Owens asked, not keeping his eyes off the rear. "Jack? Talk to me, what do you see?"
Jack abruptly broke into a sprint, heading for the village. "Come on!"
"Jack! Wait!" When the Private continued on, Sam grit his teeth and followed. "Damn it!"
The speeding soldier kept his eyes on the ground, following the tracks into the confines of the silent village. Jack entered the village, losing the tracks due to the pavement. The sudden change from dirt to cobblestone flooring made an audible clack whenever Private Carver's Royer combat boots hit the ground. He cursed under his breath and kept his weapon raised while scanning for movement.
"Where are you?" Jack whispered, asking rhetorically.
Owens quickly caught up, just as Jack was clearing the edge of a building. Upon closer inspection, both men could see that almost all of the buildings had been breached from the outside as if rabid animals forced their way into the home to attack the residence. Roofs had been torn off, walls caved in, windows shattered. It looked like the aftermath of a horror movie scene. Despite being wooden and stone, the scene had reminded both soldiers of the Endeavour.
Owens was about to lecture the kid on running off, however, when both men cleared the cover of the building and stepped into the center of the village, both men froze, holding in gasps of shock. They had cleared the corner, stumbling upon a horde of Grimm traveling through the center of the village. Dozens of the creatures moved in sync, pushing through the long-abandoned town.
"Oh shit!" Sam whispered.
Seconds later, both men were dragged back behind the building, being dragged by the drag-handles on the rear of their tactical vests. Jack would've yelled and fought on instinct, but a hand covered his mouth, another restricting his arms and pulling him back.
Both Jack and Sam thrashed violently, reaching for their sidearms to gun down their attackers.
"Jack, relax! You've gotta be quiet!" A familiar, yet faint voice whispered in Jack's ear.
Something about it calmed him to the core. He stopped struggling and tried to turn around, now seeing Jaune subduing Corporal Owens and Ruby subduing him.
"Did they see us?" Jaune whispered, placing his back against the outer wall of the building they used as cover.
Ruby released Jack and slowly shimmied her way to the edge of the wall to peer around it. Still seeing the massive column of Beowolves, Ursai and Creeps alike still marching along as if nothing had happened. Ruby wagered that Jack and Owens went unnoticed.
"We're good." She gave a thumbs up.
"That explains the radio silence…" Sam muttered, looking at the radio set clipped to Jaune's belt given to him by Lieutenant Bryson upon stepping off for their first Recce operation several days ago..
Jaune responded by placing a single finger upon his lips, signaling the man to maintain silence.
Jack slowly made his way to the edge of the building.
"Where are Nora and Ren?" He whispered to Ruby, who was still peeking out from their cover.
She pointed to a building twenty meters to their front, opposite of the clearing the Grimm were currently using as a path. There, Jack could faintly make out the outlines of Ren and Nora, who were hiding in a similar fashion.
"We got separated when the Grimm showed up. They came out of nowhere...We would've called, but there's too many, they would've heard it." Jaune murmured while taking up position next to Jack.
"So what's the plan?" Owens asked, now being mindful of his volume.
"They're moving away from the village, deeper into the woods. For now...we wait. Way too many of them to fight." Ruby said while peeking around the corner.
Jack took a knee and peered out, observing the Grimm horde for himself. His heart was still beating out of his chest. The atmosphere and feeling of believing RNJR to be dead and then stumbling upon a horde was irregular.
What are they doing? Where are they going? Why? Many questions ran through the troopers mind, and he failed to find his answer just by staring at the horde.
"Private Carver, it's Lieutenant Bryson, check in. Did you locate team RNJR yet?" The loud crackle of Jack's radio echoed off the walls of the abandoned homes and resonated within the empty village. They all cringed and cursed upon realizing.
"Shit!"
"Shut that off!"
Jack immediately placed a hand over his radio, trying to mute it while gritting his teeth and cringing. His thumb and index finger swiftly found their way into his radio pouch and quickly turned the audio dial down, the curious Lieutenant's voice now fading.
The four warriors pressed their bodies against the wall of the building, staying as still as possible to maintain a low profile and diminish noise. As quiet as they tried to be, Jack could practically hear his heart beating out of his chest. Should the horde discover them, they would have little hope of holding out.
During their silence, loud, hulking footsteps could be heard approaching them. Likely an Ursa or something of similar size investigating the source of the noise. Jack slowly reached for his sidearm, almost certain that the Grimm would clear the corner and stumble upon the soldiers and huntsmen. Corporal Owens slowly and as quietly as possible, pressed his body against the dirt, pulling the stock of his C9 into his shoulder and preparing to fire.
Meanwhile, in the corner of his eye, Jack could see Ren taking a knee across the square, still in cover.
"What is he doing?" The Private muttered to himself while observing the ninja-like warrior from afar.
Ren casually placed his palm against the cobblestone ground while staring right back at the soldiers. Moments later, the warrior was engulfed in a magenta glow, radiating off of his skin, much to the surprise of Jack who was watching with his jaw agape. In mere moments, Ruby, Jaune, Owens and Jack found their colourful uniforms and outfits turning a neutral grey. Each warrior took a moment to look over themselves, confused.
Just as they did, a Beowolf Alpha turned the corner, growling as it did. Despite being mere centimeters from Jack and Ruby, it did not seem to notice them. Jack raised his Browning Hi-Power and slowly cocked the slide of the small weapon, loading a 9mm round into the chamber before guiding the slide back to the forward position manually to avoid making the loud clack.
Ruby's hand slowly crept up, placing her palm against the slide of the weapon and gently pushing it down while shaking her head, signaling to Jack not to fire. Hesitantly, Jack complied. He stared intensely at the curious Alpha that was still glancing around, searching for its prey. The creature loitered for a few more moments before snarling in dissatisfaction and turning to rejoin the dissipating horde, which was now disappearing into the woods.
When the Alpha and the horde left, each warrior let out a mass exhale as each had been holding their breath in anticipation.
"Jesus that's cutting it close…" Sam rose to his feet, lifting his C9 off the pavement. The Corporal did not lower his guard, however. He kept his eyes firmly placed on the tree line in case the horde made a swift return.
"There must've been hundreds of them…" Jaune started, panting. "We got lucky."
Amidst the sighs of relief, Jack stayed silent, staring across the square at Ren and Nora, who had slowly left their cover to rejoin the rest of their team. Even from a distance, Jack could see Nora had to help Ren move, pulling his arm over her shoulder.
"What the hell just happened?" The Private asked while noticing the distinct browns, black and green digital camouflage return to its original state, rather than the neutral grey.
"That's Ren's semblance." Ruby watched while Jaune left the cover of the building to help Nora and Ren. "He can essentially mask your emotions to go undetected by Grimm."
"Incredible…" Jack mumbled, still trying to grasp the concept of Aura and Semblance provided to him by RNJR. From what he understood, Ruby could move at unfathomable speeds while Nora could harness electrical energy to make herself more powerful. Now that he knew Ren's semblance, only Jaune's remained a mystery.
"That'll come in handy!" Sam exclaimed.
Nora and Jaune brought the weary huntsmen over and set him down gently against the building.
"Unfortunately, Corporal Owens…" Ren breathed heavily, trying to regain his strength. "I don't believe I can manage more than four people at a time...It's extremely taxing."
"Here, kid." Owens took a knee and handed Ren his canteen. "Rest up."
Jack reached into his radio pouch, retrieving the small black dialed up the volume, hearing the end of another sentence spoken by the worried Lieutenant on the other end.
"-vate Carver! Report, damn it!"
"Sir, It's Carver."
"Thank god...There you are! What the hell happened?"
"Sorry, Sir. Corporal Owens and I stumbled upon a Grimm horde, had to go radio silent for a bit there."
"Grimm Horde? Shit, there must be more of them and be closer than intel suggested...Did you find RNJR, Private? What's your current position?"
Hearing Bryson mention the Grimm Horde being closer than anticipated was off-putting. Were there even more than they'd just seen? Nevertheless, Jack continued the radio conversation.
"Affirmative, Sir. All Huntsmen and Huntresses accounted for. We're holding position in a village about two clicks to your front."
"Acknowledged, Carver. Remain in that village, we'll be posting up there for the night. Get comfortable, we'll be there shortly."
"Copy that, Sir. Ready and waiting."
With that, the radio found its place back in the Soldier's radio pouch. He walked over to the group as they rested.
"Cavalry's on the way. We'll be setting up here for the night, so take er' easy guys." Jack informed the resting group who had all been drinking water to stay hydrated. "I'll take the first watch." Jack slung his rifle and turned to walk away, only to be stopped by Owens.
"Kid, drink some water okay? And don't go too far."
"Oh, right…" Since taking a break at the river, Jack had not taken a single drop of water. It was a trivial mistake to not hydrate, but the nature of their situation plus the recent exposure to the Horde, hydration was the last thing on the soldier's mind. Jack took a knee where he stood and reached for his canteen.
Jack twisted the lid and tilted the plastic canteen back, expecting a flood of fluid to cool him instantly. However, he was only met with a single drop landing on his parched tongue.
"...You've gotta be shitting me…" The annoyed Infantry soldier stuffed the canteen back into its carry pouch before exhaling.
"Hey, catch!" Ruby tossed her water bottle to Jack, who caught it swiftly. "Save some water for yourself next time, okay?"
"Yeah with pleasure! If Grimm don't kill me, dehydration will." The trooper chuckled before taking a few quick sips
Ruby's brow furrowed with Jack's last comment. For someone who seemed okay on the outside, she reckoned Jack was struggling to cope with the whole situation on the inside and simply hid his discomfort from everyone else. Eager to see the Soldier well, she flashed him a smile, one which he instantly returned.
"Hey, Jack. Take someone with you, work in pairs, remember?" Owens interrupted their stare down.
It was a common place to work in pairs or fireteams to ensure the safety of the soldiers who ventured away from the main body.
"I'll go with him." Jaune clutched Crocea Mors in its sheath form and rose to his feet.
"Rog. Need anything, just holler." Owens finished before handing his canteen to the exhausted Ren.
Jack and Jaune patrolled the outskirts of the abandoned village silently while waiting for the LAV and remainder of the Platoon to arrive. Jack would occasionally gaze into the odd building, unsure exactly what he was looking for. Anything of interest perhaps.
"How many people lived here do you think?" The soldier was the one to break the silence between the two men.
"Couple dozen, maybe? Not sure. No way to know now." The Huntsman kept his eyes away from the buildings, trying not to think about the current status of the prior inhabitants.
Private Carver noticed the dismissive attitude regarding the village. Jack recalled what little details were given to him about the supposed battle of beacon that took place a couple months prior to his arrival with RCR. From what the soldier understood, one of the many casualties sustained during the battle was a member of Jaune's team. One that Nora and Ren had also been a part of. Ruby explained how close the team was and how much it changed the warrior afterward. Understandable to say the least.
"So…" Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."
Puzzled, Jaune stopped. "For what?"
"Ruby told me what happened at Beacon. I won't pretend to know what it's like to lose someone you care about."
Jaune's neutral face fell to a downcast expression. "You're coming outta the blue with this, Jack..."
"What was her name?" Jack asked, perhaps too invasive for his own good.
The roar of an engine cut Jaune off just as he went to speak. Several soldiers clad in CADPAT slowly and methodically stormed into the village, rifles raised with the LAV III not far behind. Jaune stood silently for a few moments, exchanging a glance with Private Carver.
"C'mon. Let's see what your boss has to say."
Carver watched the Huntsman hastily walk away, hiding amongst the soldiers and his team.
"Nice, Jack. Real subtle." Jack murmured, annoyed with himself.
With a sigh, Carver gripped his rifle and jogged over to the Platoon, looking to make contact with Lieutenant Bryson. Thankfully, Bryson was already on his way out of the LAV, observing the village as he did. Both Corporal Owens and Private Carver took their rightful place amongst the rest of 2 Section while waiting for direction from the weary Lieutenant.
The LAV stopped just beyond the gate of the village, grinding to a halt on the cobblestone path. The 25mm turret rotated, the gunner surveying the desolated town for any hostile activity while the foot soldiers established a perimeter.
"Sam, why weren't you on the radio? What the hell happened?" Master Corporal Farren soon noticed the return of the two troopers.
"Would you believe me if I said Carver and I went on a lovely stroll?"
The Master Corporal shot the soldier a dirty glance.
"Didn't think so." Owens shrugged. "Had a Grimm horde come through the village. They're long gone and don't think they'll return, but I wouldn't get my hopes up in this place."
Farren sighed. "Did you at least manage to find RNJR?"
"Yeah. Over there, hard to miss the bright colours, boss."
"Roger. Good work you two."
Bryson moved to the front of the Platoon, observing the ground ahead for himself.
"Alright troops, adopt defensive posture around the village. Don't go too far! Set up a command post in that structure directly to our front!" Bryson pointed to the building that Jack and company had used as cover from the horde. It was the least dilapidated of the dozen buildings. "Section commanders to me, have your 2IC's take over in your stead!"
"Alright, Sam. 2 Section's yours. Get to the top floor and establish overwatch." Farren pat his second in command on the shoulder before quickly catching up to the Lieutenant along with the other section commanders of the Platoon.
"Hmph." Sam grunted. "Come on 2! Jack, you're my 2IC until the boss gets back! Take half the section plus Ruby and Jaune to secure the upper floor. I'll take the second floor while the others take ground floor. Let's move it!"
Jack felt uncomfortable being second in command, even if it was only temporary. Nonetheless, he rushed in to complete the task given to him by the acting section commander. He darted over to the resting team RNJR. He found a way to get his troops moving.
"Hey Ruby, Jaune! We're moving to secure top floor, first one to the top gets the sports drink from my IMP!"
"DONE!" Ruby shot to her feet while grabbing Crescent Rose. The other soldiers also sprung to their feet, eager to join in on the bounty.
Jack and Ruby raced into the building weapons drawn in case there were any lingering Grimm while the rest of the team struggled to keep up with their pace. The two warriors shoved past each other, trying to be the first to climb the stairs and provide overwatch for the Platoon. Their boots stomped on the unstable wooden stairs. Ruby's unmatched speed left Jack in the dust, however. The girl stood triumphantly on the top floor with a smirk on her face, her arms crossed while waiting for the loser to arrive. Soon enough, a panting Jack and half the section reached the top floor.
"I'll be taking that sports drink, hot-shot!" The scythe wielder winked at the defeated soldier.
"Fine...Show off…" Jack scoffed. "The moment we set up for the night, I'll crack open the IMP."
"I'm holding you to that!"
Jack stomped his boot against the wooden floor, alerting the team below him. "Hey, Owens! Top floor clear!"
"Got it!" A muffled shout resonated up the staircase.
"Alright guys, let's get some arcs set up. How many windows we got?" Jack looked around the attic of the home, seeing four. "Okay. Ruby, watch the six o'clock. Jerome, bud cover the nine o'clock. I'll cover the three. Price, you've got our second C9, go ahead and cover the twelve."
Each individual took up position, pushing the windows open and guiding their barrels through the openings to get a clear shot.
"Get comfortable, gotta feeling we'll be here for a while…"
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
EARTH TIME - 2230
The remainder of the day had been uneventful as expected. It mainly consisted of meetings between the section commanders and the platoon commander regarding 'what if' scenarios, what the findings of the day had been with Doctor Grove and what the course of action would be upon reveille at 0600. Waking up at 0600 would give the platoon ample time to pack up and make their way back towards the Brock all while giving Grove a chance to still ogle over the environment.
In the meantime, a guard shift schedule was made, rules of engagement established, red lights given out to the guards to pass on, sleeping kit had been set up and the order to eat something and go to ground for the night had been given.
Corporal Ross manned the C9 guarding the twelve, ensuring that at all times, a C9, a vital piece of firepower, was still being operated by a guard. Two other soldiers patrolled the exterior of the building while the remainder of the platoon slept, rather uneasily.
"...ugh...I'm so bored…" Ruby moaned and sat up out of her sleeping bag before taking a sip of the half-finished sports drink from Jack's IMP.
Jack chuckled. "Mhm. I know you are, could hear you mumbling."
"You're still up?" Ruby asked, puzzled.
Jack nodded. He held his journal and a pen in his hands, scribbling various doodles upon a fresh page while kicking his boots together. The Canadian had barely dressed down, opting to only remove his combat gear and shirt to regulate his temperature.
"I thought you'd be sleeping like the dead after all that walking!"
"Yeah well between the heat, the red lights of all the guards changing shift, the voices of the section commanders downstairs, couldn't really fall asleep."
"Heh, not me! I passed out the moment we got the chance. Pretty hungry now though…" The Huntress finished the sports drink, making it clear she wanted more of the IMP.
"Here, eat a snickers." Jack reached into his ration pack while keeping his eyes on the page. He tossed a candy bar over to Ruby, who instantly tore open the packaging to get to the chocolate bar. "You're not you when you're hungry."
"Huh?" Ruby looked up from the snickers, an eyebrow raised. She failed to see Jack's reference, which he should have expected.
"Nothing." Jack chuckled.
After some time of silence, Jack sighed before shutting the journal and stuffing it into his cargo pocket. He crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. "Guess I'm just a little stressed too."
"What's wrong?"
"We're stuck here and probably nobody knows that. Everyone's just going about their business waiting for us to come home. Not to mention the shit-show we've stumbled into."
"You're gonna get home, Jack-"
"I know." Jack nodded, staying positive. "I just hope it's sooner rather than later, y'know?" He forced out a laugh. "I'd just like to spend a bit more time with my family. If I knew I was gonna be stuck somewhere for a while in hostile conditions, I wouldn't have taken my time for granted."
"If there's something bothering you, Jack, you can tell me."
Jack stood up and put his shirt on before equipping his body armour, helmet, and tactical vest.
"Just tired, but not 'sleepy tired' if you know what I mean." The soldier strapped his holster to his leg before lifting his rifle off of the floor and feeding a magazine into it. "I'm gonna walk around and get some fresh air. I'll be back in a bit."
"I'll go with you, you shouldn't go out alone."
"It's okay, I'm gonna link up with the guard shift. You just get some rest."
Carver slung his rifle and stuffed his hands into his pockets while heading for the staircase at the opposite end of the dilapidated building. Ruby watched him disappear into the darkness of the lower floor before reaching for Crescent Rose.
"Let him go, Red." Corporal Ross muttered just loud enough for the Huntress to hear. The Combat Medic manned the C9, resting his cheek against the stock of the machine gun, looking extremely tired and particularly bored. "He's gotta do what he's gotta do."
ABANDONED VILLAGE
PTE CARVER
Jack stepped out of the shambled structure, being instantly hit with a wave of humidity. He took a deep breath before leaning against the house with a hand over his face.
"Hey, there you are, it's about time, we've been out here for like two hour-...wait. You're not Lennox!"
Jack looked up, seeing two men approach him. The agitated soldier, a Corporal, shone his red light on Carver.
"Uh...no, I'm Carver."
"Where the hell is Lennox?"
Jack knew he didn't have a guard shift, and yet he was out there, likely messing with the schedule. Whoever Lennox was, he obviously missed his timing and was likely still enjoying some sleep.
"He...uhh...didn't look so good...so I took his shift." Jack mumbled, knowing full well it was unlikely that the Corporal would take his bullshit as an accurate response.
"Alright." The Soldier shrugged, too tired to care.
"You go ahead, Harris. I'm not tired." The second man, still hidden by the glare of the light, said.
"Suit yourself kid, just be sure to get at least some sleep before we head out tomorrow."
Corporal Harris shut off his red light and stepped into the building with a yawn.
"So, Lennox is sick is he?" Without the glare of the light, Jack could see that the second figure was Jaune.
"Deathly." Jack added sarcastically.
Jaune shrugged and beckoned the soldier to follow as they still had to patrol the perimeter of the temporary Platoon shelter.
"Did you come out to ask more questions? Maybe get me to open up a bit more?" Jaune asked, a tinge of humour in his tone.
"Well, no." Jack said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Then why are you still awake?"
"I was bored."
"Right."
"I get the strange feeling you don't particularly like us, Jaune." The sarcasm lingered in Jack's words.
"Never said I didn't like you. Then again, never said I trusted you either. Don't take it personally, I'm making it a habit not to trust anyone too much with the exception of my team."
"Fair enough, a guy's gotta have his limits. Care to enlighten me as to why?"
Jaune chuckled, crossing his arms. "And there you go again. Why do you wanna know? Why keep persisting?"
"Come on, man. You're telling me when a soldier and his buds get transported to another world, you don't expect him to ask questions? Quite frankly I'm surprised about the lack of questions you've been asking us."
"...Touche." Jaune sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and his thumb. "Alright, fine. What do you wanna know?"
"Sheesh, you make it out like I'm an Intelligence Officer interrogating you. Sue me for wanting to meet new people and befriend them."
Jaune paused, taking a moment to analyze his own behaviour. He did come across perhaps too defensive.
"Sorry..."
"Don't worry about it." Jack pat the Warrior's shoulder before walking ahead, taking hold of his rifle to properly continue the perimeter search. The Infantry soldier decided not to pursue the conversation.
"Pyrrha."
Jack halted, cocking an eyebrow. "What?"
"Her name. Her name was Pyrrha."
Regardless of how dark it was, Jack didn't need light to see the pain that came to Jaune's face after simply saying her name.
"As far as we know, or at least what Ruby saw, the killer was an individual who had posed as a student participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament. So were her accomplices."
Carver could see why the entirety of RNJR, Jaune especially, would be reluctant or at least hesitant to trust strangers. Especially those with an outlandish story. Beacon had been infiltrated during a Festival held out of good faith and unity, and they were attacked for it. It seemed to Jack that terrorism was the same on both Remnant and back home.
"Is that why you're out here?"
"No Government or Military power that we know of is acting. We have to stop them before it can happen can't happen again."
"My dad always said that once you piss off your enemy, they're totally invested in bringing you down. It would seem whoever attacked Beacon severely pissed you off. Their days are numbered I'm sure."
"Let's hope."
"Well, if things go as planned and if we have it my way; we'll find a way out and for your help, we'll take these bastards down a peg."
The soldier was perhaps too overconfident in the level of involvement the Captain and the Lieutenant-Colonel were willing to offer, but it was to be attributed to his youth and eagerness.
"I hope you're ready for a fight."
"I'm always ready for a fight." Jack smirked before turning his back to continue the patrol. "By the way, for what it's worth. I may not have met her, but from what I've seen, she'd be proud of you."
"...Thank yo-"
SNAP
The snap of a twig sprung Jack into action. The soldier immediately drew his sidearm and cocked the slide, readying the weapon. Jaune drew his blade from its sheath and observed the origin of the sound; the treeline.
"I heard it too."
Jack remained silent, his eyes scanning the treeline for movement. The same feeling of being watched returned to the soldier once again. He slowly stuffed the sidearm away and lifted his rifle, sliding his hand forward along the handguard, reaching for the tactical light on the end.
"Get ready." Jack finally muttered.
"For what?" Jaune asked, equally as quiet.
"Something's out there, watching us. I get the feeling they've been watching us for hours. The moment we figure out what it is, I want you to get the Platoon commander and whoever else and tell them it's time for us to bug the hell out of here."
"And what are you gonna do?"
"Catch em' obviously."
"That sounds like an incredibly bad idea, Jack."
"Trust me."
The concept of trust caused Jaune to pause and think for a few moments that seemed like minutes, considering all the variables.
"Alright, don't go too far."
Jack nodded and quickly pressed the switch on the tactical light with his thumb, immediately flooding the dark tree line in white light. The very moment the flashlight's illumination contacted the tree line, Jaune spun on his heel and made a dash for the command post.
Jack's torch cast many shadows in the forest. What caught his attention, however, was the outline of a humanoid figure. The soldier wanted to be wrong, hoping the sound he heard was just an animal. But, the figure staring back at him with a posture of equal shock at being discovered proved that he was correct.
"Damn it!" The figure hissed before turning tail to run.
"Hey! Stop!" Jack extended his hand out, giving the universal signal to halt.
The figure grabbed something from their waist belt. Moments later, a muzzle flash lit up the night.
CRACK
The snap of the round harassed Jack's ears as it whizzed just past the Soldier's head.
"Holy shit!" Jack shouldered his rifle and squeezed the trigger several times, sending three bullets right back at the observer.
"CONTACT!"
Shouting and shuffling could be heard from the CP, obviously a reaction to the sudden fire. Jack kept firing into the woods before changing magazines and pursuing. Branches slashed the Soldier as he pushed deeper into the woods.
"I can't believe he shot at me!"
He fired a few more shots into the darkness before realizing he was venturing too far into the forest and was at risk of repeating the night of their arrival. Carver scoffed and lifted his C7 to eye level, using the Elcan optical sight to search for the fleeing hostile. Nothing but darkness.
"...Son of a bitch…" Jack grunted before changing course back towards the CP. As he turned, his boot made contact with something in the dirt.
He knelt on the ground, picking up the inorganic item in the dirt. Jack shone his light on it, revealing it to be some sort of grey mask. Jack felt a chill travel down his spine as he found the resemblance between the mask and the face plates of many of the Grimm they had encountered.
"Why can't anything not be creepy in this place…?" The young man squinted, observing the details of the mask before stuffing it into his cargo pocket. Maybe RNJR would know something about it.
"Carver!"
Jack looked up, hearing his name shouted by several people. He knew he was in for an earful upon his return. He groaned and jogged back to the CP, emerging from the tree line.
"Friendly, check fire!" He walked out with his hands in the air.
Several half dressed soldiers pointed their rifles in every direction, adopting a defensive posture around the perimeter.
"Jack! What's going on?" Ruby cocked the charging handle on Crescent Rose, observing the tree line the somewhat dazed soldier emerged from.
"Son of a bitch shot at me!"
"CARVER." Master Corporal Farren approached, slamming a magazine into his C8 Carbine. "What the hell is going on out here?! What the hell were you shooting at?"
"I was patrolling the perimeter with Jaune, Master Corporal! We heard a sound and investigated. We were being watched, no idea for how long."
"So you shot at them!? Do you realize the magnitude of what you just did?"
"With all due respect, Master Corporal, I followed SOP. I was shot at and returned fire! It was self-defence."
"Then you decided to run off into the woods, again?"
"Was I supposed to let them get away? They were watching us! They're gathering information. It was too risky. I tried to get them to stop and then they shot at us! So I sent Jaune back to warn you all." Jack got a little too defensive.
Farren turned to see Jaune and several more soldiers sprinting out of the temporary shelter. His sword was still drawn, unaware that hostilities had ended...for the moment.
"Damn it, Jack, you're not making my life easier out here…" Farren mumbled. "Alright, forget about it. It happened, you made a judgment call in the heat of the moment, doesn't matter now."
Jack grit his teeth, failing to see the error of his action.
Soon enough, Lieutenant Bryson came darting out of the building, doing up the chin strap of his helmet.
"Farren, report!"
"A local opened fire on the watch team."
"Watch team, present!" Bryson shouted.
"Sir!" Jack raised his hand. Jaune followed suit.
"Any reason why?"
"Don't know, Sir." Jack shrugged. "The guy practically crapped his pants when we saw him and darted off after firing a couple shots at us. He dropped this though." Jack presented the mask to the Lieutenant.
"Crap…" Nora, who had joined Ruby in securing the perimeter caught a glance at the mask in Jack's grasp.
"...Any idea what it is?" Bryson handed the mask to the Huntress.
"We know exactly what that is…" Ruby peered over Nora's shoulder. Their tone was frighteningly cryptic.
"Lieutenant Bryson," Jaune started. "We need to leave. Now."
"For what reason?"
"Whoever that was, he has friends. Lots of dangerous friends. This position is compromised."
"If they want a fight, we'll give them one." Jerome cocked his C7. "No one interrupts my sleep and gets away with it!"
Paul Bryson stared at Jaune, pondering his options. Unknown territory, unknown enemy, unknown amounts of enemy forces that may know the terrain and have the element of surprise in the night. It was pointless.
"MOUNT UP!" The Lieutenant yelled. "GRAB YOUR GEAR, WE'RE BUGGING OUT TO THE BROCK!"
"You're making the right call, Lieutenant." Jaune added.
"I want a full explanation on what we're dealing with once we're in the LAV, Jaune."
"You got it."
The position was collapsed in less than ten minutes. The Platoon gathered it's gear and quickly departed, using the cover of night to return to the Brock. It'd still be several hours before they were even close to the beachhead, but it gave them a head start. Whether or not traveling at night was safe or not was up for debate, however.
"Please don't tell me you just declared war on the only other people we've discovered so far, kid." Sam sighed while walking with the young soldier far ahead of the LAV.
"I hope not." Jack groaned, realizing the possible negative outcomes of his actions.
"Jack made the right call. If he didn't oust that scout, who knows what would've happened." Ruby spoke abruptly from the front of the group. She had been on point, leading the platoon through the night.
"You seem pretty certain of that." Owens inquired.
"They aren't interested in making peace." Ren mumbled. The Huntsman had been silent throughout the night.
"And who might they be?"
"A terrorist organization known as the White Fang. A crucial element in the fall of Beacon."
"Great. Seems like the Grimm isn't the only threat we're gonna have to deal with…" Jerome muttered.
"What else can you tell us about em'?" Owens asked.
Jack remained mostly silent throughout the conversation, realizing that this whole ordeal just got a whole lot more complicated…
SEVERAL HOURS AND KILOMETERS LATER
After several hours on foot, the Platoon finally reached the Forward Operating Base on the beach. The men left the LAV's under the guidance of the Vehicle techs and Engineers while boarding Griffon's that would take them back to the Isaac Brock. 2 Section boarded the next chopper after 1 Section and waited impatiently to arrive back on the ship.
The Griffon landed slowly on the flight deck as Jack looked out at the horizon, the sun was beginning to rise ever so slightly and light started to cut through the dark and the clouds. Jack collected his rifle and gear and exited the chopper, followed suit by Owens and Jerome.
"Man after the day we've had, I'm actually looking forward to sleeping in bunks, no matter how small." Jerome took his C7 with one hand to redistribute weight.
"I hear you, I need food and a shower." Jack responded in agreement
The trio made their way to the Brocks Island where they could enter the ship. As they did, jack noticed the Captain, standing off to the side with his arms crossed. He was waiting for someone. Bryson peeled off from the group and saluted the Captain, also getting one in return.
"Beautiful day, wouldn't you say Lieutenant?" The Captain's tone was noticeably sarcastic. Dietz feared something like this would happen, 1st Platoon had obviously pissed someone off.
"Yes sir, I believe it will be." Bryson kept a calm tone, waiting to see the senior officers intent.
Dietz checked his watch and looked back up at the lieutenant
"It's five o'clock, which means you've kept your promise; back before midday."
"I always do, sir."
"Get your men cleaned up and fed, I want them well rested and ready to go this time tomorrow. They deserve a day's rest after all they've been through. But first, Reid and I have some questions for you."
"Of course, Sir."
Dietz and Bryson proceed to the gangway to one of the ship's starboard entrances. Once they were down the stairs, they were out of sight. Jack was the last to enter and placed his rifle in the rack next to the door. He followed his fellow soldiers to the mess hall.
As they took their seats, some men from the night shift joined them as well, Shots were thrown at each of their branches, spirited rivalry between the Navy and Army. Once the last of 1st platoon entered the mess and joined in, the Navy guys quietly slouched in their seats and surrendered. Once the men had settled down, the cooks had finished preparing breakfast and the men were quick to their seats. The cooks had prepared a sizeable selection of bacon and eggs, with reserve hash browns coming from the officer's mess courtesy of the Captain. The men stayed long after their meal was complete as they exchanged war stories, Jack stayed quiet, not having many stories to tell but corrected the record as to how he got split from his Platoon. It almost felt like Jack was back home. Despite the familiar feeling, Jack couldn't eat.
"Hey man, what's the issue? Eat your grub before I snag some!" Owens teased.
"I'm not hungry, go ahead." Jack pushed the plate away.
"You alright?"
"...Did I mess up?"
"I'm a Corporal, kiddo. I'm not exactly paid to think about the big picture, and neither are you. So don't worry about it right now. But if it makes you feel better, I would've done the same."
Jack stared at the table top in the mess hall, as if staring long enough would provide the answers for all his problems.
EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
THAT EVENING
EARTH TIME- 17:45
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BATTALION COMMANDER
LT COL. REID
The corridors of the Brock were dimly lit with caged red tinted lights attached to the tops of the hallways. The ship was silent, only the light humming of the engines echoed through the ship as it rocked from side to side. From time to time a sailor or a soldier would pass and come to attention before continuing with their task. The halls were not as busy as they were the day they left, Dietz and Reid felt comfortable taking the men off alert and leaving a skeleton crew to man ship in the evening. It was the first few days of peace and rest the men had received since their arrival. Reid scanned the bulkheads and staterooms, searching desperately for the Captain's quarters.
"The Americans made a damn good ship, but did they need to make navigating in it so difficult?"
After a few more minutes of losing his way, he found the correct room. As he approached Dietz' stateroom he removed his beret and readjusted his uniform before knocking.
"Enter." Dietz' tone was neutral and, to Reid, seemed distant.
Reid opened the door slowly and after a quick glance was surprised about the state of the room. Dietz' stateroom was pitch black with only a small light illuminating a desk in the corner of the room. Ried noticed the bed at the far end of the room had been made with precision. So much so that either Dietz was very particular about making his bed or he hadn't slept in it since they arrived. Ried was inclined to believe the latter. The Colonel approached the desk and placed his hand on Dietz' shoulder, taking a look at what the Commander was reading.
"That Bryson's after action report?" Reid inquired
"Yeah, detailed and descriptive just as I expected." Dietz turned the page, reading the attached field notes.
"We already went over it with him, what's caught your eye?"
"This individual that was watching them last night. I've got a bad feeling about it."
"Perhaps it was just a concerned civilian. A farmer maybe. Got scared when Carver interacted with him and opened fire. Tell me that kind of stuff doesn't happen back home."
Dietz spun around his chair around to face Reid, placing the dossier on his desk.
"Who he is doesn't concern me, who he tells, does. It's a major security threat. And according to this report, RNJR has Bryson convinced this is a bigger threat. It would seem that Private Carver has once again thrust himself onto the center stage of this expedition."
Ried looked around, spotting a fold out chair behind the stateroom door. Reid placed it down and took a seat, leaning forward to face Dietz.
"Whatever the case may be, we've got this place locked down. We have the largest ship in the whole fleet and a battalion of Canada's finest. Whoever that bastard is, he doesn't stand a chance and neither do his friends."
Dietz smirked, he knew what Reid was saying made sense. Every conceivable security precaution was in place and RCR was more than prepared to repel a possible attack on the beach or the Brock. However, prepared and capable were two different things.
Dietz sighed. "Your confidence on the matter is contagious."
Reid gave a smirk in return, laying back in his chair.
"One of my better qualities. Now, let's discuss this business with Ruby and her team."
"And here I thought you came down here to say hi, Colonel."
"Look, I know you've given your piece on the subject but after today's events I think we should reconsider."
"You're nothing if not persistent, why the sudden change of heart?"
"I trust them. They've saved our asses more times than we've asked for and last night was no exception. Private Craver probably wouldn't be here if not for them, I'd like to return the favor that's all. I know you have some concerns…"
"Look, it not that I don't trust them, I do. But flying a Griffon that far out without the possibility of a timely response, that's risky. Plus I'm not quite sure we're ready to send them off just yet. We've had no success establishing any sort of relationship with local life other than chucking 5.56 at Grimm everytime we come across them. And if last night is any indication, we're already unpopular with the locals."
"If we could send out more Recce patrols, RNJR is certain we'll come across settlements soon enough."
"We can't afford the men or resources to mass deploy. For now, Bryson and his men are all we've got."
"What if I sent a team with RNJR? Scout-out ahead of the main body? Maybe there's more out there and we're just in a bad spot."
"Let me guess, 2 section, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company? Headed up by Farren, with Private Carver not so far behind?"
"They have experience in the field and Grove has harvested every conceivable specimen from the surrounding area. Who knows, we may get something in return."
"What about fuel, flying to another continent is sure to take a hit on our fuel reserves. Also, we only have the maps provided to us by RNJR so navigation will be shoddy at best, plus we're still heavily in the dark when it comes to the landscape."
"The Endeavour had a helicopter."
"Yes, had is they key word. And so what? Grove said they lost it before the Grimm attacked."
"Last time we were aboard, we were only looking for ship fuel. The ships bound to have some aviation fuel left over."
"After the fireworks show last time? I doubt it, fuel and fire don't exactly mix well."
"What about the lost chopper, it's bound to have fuel left over. "
Dietz sat in silence for a few seconds contemplating the operation. Grove had noted that the Sea King crash landed and that a rescue team was sent and returned with the Grimm right behind them. For all he knew, they found the helicopter but were unable to reach it.
"Alright, I'll bite. You send a team to find that lost Sea King and get its fuel and black box, and I'll get Ms. Rose and her team on the next flight out."
"You're serious?"
"Scouts honour." Dietz had his three fingers raised, making the scouts sign.
A smile grew on Reid's face and clapped his hands together in excitement.
"Let's go find us a Helicopter!" Reid exclaimed
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
DECK 5 BERTHING
THE NEXT MORNING
EARTH TIME- 01:12
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
For the first time since hearing about his deployment, Jack slept comfortably in his rack. It was tiny, barely enough space for him to move. Most berthings were like that though, a couple centimeters to his left was a cold metal wall and on his right was a thin blue privacy curtain. Despite the size of the beds, the rooms were quite sizeable. 60 beds in a berth with a bathroom and satellite tv, however without satellites to communicate with, the tv lay dormant. Jack was only woken up once. A Private from 3 section had set an alarm and when it went off, the night shift proceeded to give him an earful. Navy life was different, but Jack was trained to adapt. The slight rocking of the boat and the dim hum of the ship's engine bothered him at first, but their effects quickly dissipated. A couple hours after the Private left, Jack awoke to someone pulling his leg.
"Yo, Jack. Wake up." A mixture of fatigue and disorientation made Jack give a light moan in response. This was answered by a swift smack to Jack's forehead. "C'mon princess if I have to wake up, so do you." Jack came to realize it was Jerome attempting to rouse the trooper.
"What's the matter, It can't be five o'clock already." Jack rubbed his eyes as he gained his bearings
"No, but Farren wanted us up and on the flight deck, I have no idea why."
"Fine." Jack slowly rose from his pillow and moved for the foot of the bed. He was on the second rack of three that were stacked like bunk beds. There were other guys up as well, some were putting on maintenance jumpsuits and the others were wearing CADPAT like Jack. As he retrieved his tunic from the storage compartment under his bed, he noticed Owens getting out of the bathroom.
"I miss regular plumbing…" grumbling as he approached Jacks bunk, patting Jerome on the back.
"Do either of you guys know how to get to the flight deck? Didn't really take in the surroundings when we first got here." Jack asked, buttoning his tunic
"Not a damn clue. Last night I tried to find the mess hall, ended up in postage." Jerome crossed his arms and leaned on Jack's bunk. The maintenance team at the end of the room chuckled. One of them broke off from the group and approached the soldiers.
"First cruise on a carrier, gentlemen?" The seaman had grease stains on his face and in his jumpsuit
"Is it that obvious?" Jack asked. The man chuckled slightly.
"Heres some free advice. Crossing from port to starboard or starboard to port isn't as simple as going straight across. Sometimes you need to go up one deck and down another, or down one and up another. Maybe even two. I bet you've noticed the numbers are stenciled on the bulkhead. Well, the first number tells you the deck number, the second the hull support frame, numbered sequentially from the bow. The third is the compartments position in relation to the ship's centerline. You'll find odd numbers are starboard, even numbers are port. The fourth and final part is a letter that tells you what the space is used for."
All three soldiers stood perplexed. They looked at each other quickly before turning their attention back to the man.
"And that's why I didn't join the navy." Owens grabbed his empty canteen from his rack and left the room.
"Sorry about him, woke up on the wrong side of the bed, if there even is a right side." Jack noticed the man's name tape was covered in the grease he noticed earlier. It was covered, but after closer examination, Jack saw that it read 'Scott'
"Don't mention it. First full night of sleep on a carrier is the worst. Take it from me. You boys take care."
"Likewise…?"
"Lieutenant Richard Scott, Chief engineer of this ship."
"Shit." Jerome remarked. Jack and Jerome snapped to attention as quickly as possible.
"At ease boys, I'm not the Captain. We're all equals below deck." Scott returned a salute to the two young soldiers.
"Apologies sir, we didn't see your rank under your jumpsuit."
"Like I said, we're all equals here. You boys ever need to place to kick back, come join us down in Queenston."
"Queenston, sir?" Jack inquired
"That's what we call engineering. Real nice place if you can ignore the noise. One of your Huntresses, Nora I believe, already took us up on the offer. Not even my loudest engineers can compare." The chief engineer laughed.
"Thank you, Sir, we might just do that."
"Glad to hear it. The flight deck is accessible from the bridge island, five decks up. Head down the corridor on your left and keep going until you find the stairs, go up three flights and turn right there'll be a service ladder. Use it, it'll save you some trouble."
"What if we get caught?"
"Son, it's one o'clock in the morning, no one's going to care enough. If you get grief, I'll cover for you."
"Thank you, sir, a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, fair winds and following seas to you both."
Jack and Jerome both reached out to shake his hand before grabbing the remainder of their gear and left berthing
"Did you know what he was talking about just then?" Jerome whispered
"Not a clue. Did you see which way Owens went?" Jack responded, looking both ways down the corridor
"Nope."
"MAKE A HOLE!" Jack and Jerome's attention was turned right to end of the corridor. Two men in protective equipment were sprinting down the bulkhead, jumping over knee knockers. The pair hugged the wall and watched them run by. As they passed, they looked as if they were wearing fire protection equipment, hopefully a false alarm.
"Where do you suppose they're off to?"
"Nowhere we want to be. C'mon, this way to the flight deck."
SEVERAL MINUTES AND DECKS LATER
Jack and Jerome approached the service ladder Scott mentioned to them. As far as they could tell, the service ladder stretched from the bottom of the ship to the top of the island, making traversal significantly easier. Jack went up first taking hold of the foremost bar of the ladder, followed suit by Jerome.
"Hey Jack, can I ask you a question?" Jerome's panting was much louder than jacks, separating from his words to catch his breath.
"Sure, shoot." Jack's breath was getting significant heavier the farther he climbed
"That engineer we met just now - Scott."
"Yeah, what about him?"
"You figure people call him Scotty?"
"Like...from Star Trek?"
"Yeah, I think it's funny."
"Maybe, but I know I sure as hell want to be there if you ask."
As Jack neared the top, his eye level met a dark black boot, polished to perfection. So much so he could see himself in the reflection. Jack recognized the brand of unissued boot as the property of Master Corporal Farren.
"Oh for fu-"
"Carver, how nice of you to join us. Ah and Private Lewis, I was hoping you two were together." Jack looked up to find Farren looking down at them. Resting against the wall were two C7 rifles for Jack and Jerome
"For the record, boss, the Chief Engineer told us to take this shortcut."Jack anticipated a lecture from the Master Corporal, his voice becoming quieter as the sentence ended.
"Who, Scotty? Heh, well alright then. Up you come." Farren helped Jack up into the deck as well as Lewis, handing them both a set of ear protection.
"Should we put these on now Master Corporal?" Jack inspected the ear muffs to ensure he could wear them properly.
"Don't bother yet, nothing's taking off or landing. Yet." Farren smirked and picked up his C7 from the pile.
Farren turned the locking mechanism on the bulkhead door leading to the flight deck. It was still night out, and the moon hanging in the sky illuminated the deck quite well. There was a Griffon and the front of the ship and a small group of people huddled around it. The trio started to walk and Jack took mental note of the amount of people around the helicopter, including RNJR. Jack returned a smile the four warriors offered him.
"By the way, Scotty mention anything to you two about Queenston?" Farren inquired.
"Briefly, Master Corporal." Jack responded
"Trust me, boys, not to be missed." Jerome and Jack smiled. Whatever happens in Engineering, stays in Engineering.
As they approached the huddled mass, Jack noticed Lieutenant Commander Kendall and his battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Reid as they passed, barely overhearing their conversation.
"I'm sorry to hear about your men, I heard it was hell for them to get to that downed Sea king." Kendall's arms were crossed, seemingly genuine in his concern. Jack heard about that raid from an off-duty sailor in the mess. From what he heard, hell was an understatement. Reid looked down briefly and sighed before responding.
"Unfortunately we met more resistance than intended, but our team secured the necessary fuel and flight recorder as instructed."
"At a cost." Kendall wasn't his normal self. He seemed more serious, more in line with navy doctrine. More like Dietz.
"There always is." Reid put his hand on Kendall's shoulder and thanked him for his concern. Reid briefly spotted Farren behind Kendall's back and addressed them. "Ah, there they are." Reid disengaged from his conversation to greet the trio properly
"Apologies sir, just hunting down some stragglers." Farren slightly turned his head to look the young privates out of the corner of his eye.
"Good, then we can begin. Lieutenant, let's proceed." Reid rejoined the larger crowd, stepping up into a Griffon so he could see his men. Kendall pat Farren on the back before going the Colonel on the Griffon
"Okay, Here's the scoop, listen up. We are conducting our first long range Recce to the neighboring continent of Anima. Ms. Rose and her team will accompany an advanced section of scouts to collect intel on the Grimm and maybe even those creeps spying on 1st Platoon. 2 section, lead by Master Corporal Farren as well as the remainder of 1st Platoon will continue surveying the area and gather much-needed intelligence and cartography updates."
"Excuse me, Lieutenant, may I inquire as to a change to that plan?" Doctor grove revealed himself out of the larger crowd. Jack didn't notice him at first, he wasn't wearing his lab coat as usual.
"In what capacity Doctor?" Kendall inquired
"I would like to go to this new continent with the recon team." Grove was blunt, perhaps he had enough of the 10-kilometer patrols with 1st Platoon.
"Absolutely not doctor, you're too valuable an asset to take along, you'll only slow the recon team."
"Then give me an escort, Private Carver perhaps."
With that revelation, everyone turned to face the young Private, looking as if he had something to do with it. Jack sighed, knowing full well where this was going. He had a habit of being 'voluntold'.
"Doctor, with all due respect to him, Carver is a private and-"
"Highly capable, Sir." Farren finished Kendall's sentence "If you're on board, Sir, I'll vouch for Carver to be the Doctors escort. You never know what he may find out there."
Kendall smirked, Jack finally seeing his old personality show, however briefly.
"Private Carver, step forward." Reid called out.
Jack looked to Farren, looking confused and scared at the same time. The Master Corporal responded with a slight nod of approval. Jack sighed and made his way to the Griffon. As he neared, Reid got down and guided him to the nose of the craft so they could talk privately.
"Alight gents, this'll be awkward enough without all you staring, let's get back to it." Kendall started to list off the duty roster information as Jack and Reid began their talk.
"Sir, I swear I didn't put the doctor up to that, it was all his idea. I-"
"Private, please. I'm not disciplining you. I conversing with you, soldier to soldier."
"Oh...Umm...Huh, I kind of expected a jackin' for that...You've caught me off guard, Sir. Sorry about that."
"Water under the bridge Private. Now, what is your take on this? Are you ready for your own tasking?"
"Honestly sir, I have no idea. It seems every day we're getting more crap piled on us and it all just seems so confusing...So I guess there's your answer, Sir."
"Private, you've done a great deal of work over the past few days, not least of which being the first human to speak with an alien species and on top of that, make friends with them. I think you've earned a right to decline something this outlandish."
"...With all due respect, Sir. I didn't say no."
Reid smirked. "Brave kid."
"Just doing my job to keep us all together, Sir."
"I'd say you've done well. Should this ever be released to public knowledge, you've surely earned your place in Canadian history."
"Not in it for the glory, Sir. I just want to get everyone home and I'm ready to help in whatever capacity."
"Sounds like you've already made up your mind." Reid nodded to the young soldier. "Very well, Private, you'll go with the Recce team. They're a Sniper detachment with extensive recon experience. You'll be tasked with Doctor Grove's protection. There will be ground rules. You may be in a place of authority well above your rank, but you're not paid enough to make judgment calls. Unlike Lieutenant Kendall you don't get to break the rules."
"I like the term 'bend' rather than 'break' Colonel." Kendall approached the two putting one hand on each off their shoulders. "Dust off is in ten Private, you staying or leaving."
"We were just discussing that Lieutenant."
"Don't pass this up, kid. It was over a year before the Captain let me command on my own. At first, I thought it was separation anxiety, but I realized he was testing me. He was waiting for me to make the first move, to show that I was ready to take charge. This is your chance to take the wheel, don't let it slip."
"Alright, I'll do it. Thank you, sir."
"Don't mention it kid, good luck."
Jack came to attention in front of his superiors before going to get his gear.
"I don't believe it was a year. When did he get to sleep if you never relieved him?"
"Only times he left the bridge were in open water when the course was set on the monitor and there was no chance I needed to make a judgment call."
"And he really waited for you to ask?"
"Never asked. We were running anti-pirating in the Horn of Africa when we got a distress call from a civilian ship. They claimed pirates were trailing them in 2 small vessels. When the crew asked for orders, and I gave them. After that, Dietz got up and turned over command until the ordeal was over."
"And, how did it go?"
"Dumb ass pirates ran out of gas before they could catch the ship. Not much for us to do but round them up. After that, Dietz was recalled to Ottawa."
"Why?"
"It's a long-"
A petty officer approached the two officers, seemingly out of breath, Once he stood before the officers, he came to attention
"Lieutenant-Commander, Sir!"
"Yes petty officer, what is it."
"Captain has ordered you to the bridge, asap."
"Yes, thank you petty officer. Tell him I'm on my way."
Jack saw the men shake hands and part ways. In the back of his mind, Jack wondered what they discussed, but the infantry side knew it was above his paygrade.
5TH DECK BERTHING
PTE CARVER
Jack stared down at his helmet before setting it down with the rest of his gear with a loud groan. He was terrified, curious and excited all at the same time. Curse his need to help.
"Hey, Jack."
Jack looked up towards the door, seeing Ruby and her team.
"Hey, guys." He shot them a smile.
"So, no doubt you've heard that we're going to Anima…Well of course you have, you were at the briefing..." Ruby face palmed and struggled to find words.
Jack looked down at his gear and then up to RNJR, figuring they hadn't received the news that he was going with them quite yet.
"We wanted to say a few things. Thank yous, sorries, and goodbyes." Jaune added.
The other three nodded. Even though it had only been a week, much had happened.
"Right!" Nora added.
"Well, you can save it." Jack smirked. "You can tell me all about how great I am on the flight over…" Jack lifted his helmet from his gear and fit it to his head.
"What?" Ruby's jaw dropped. "...They're letting you come?"
"Must be my star personality!"
"Well…Good." The Huntress smiled.
"This'll be fun!" Nora exclaimed.
"Reconnaissance that will aid both our missions? I'd say this is a good next step." Ren added.
"Come on, guys. Let's not miss our flight."
FLIGHT DECK
"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Jerome lectured Carver as they made their way to the waiting Griffon.
"Hey, I'll be gone for what, a few days max? Have a little faith, buddy."
"Follow command and trust your instincts and it'll be done in no time." Farren added "And stop doubting the decision you made. There will be plenty more of those in the coming days. Maybe even during this op. Understand?"
"Got it, Master Corporal. I won't let you down."
"Didn't think you would."
Jack double checked the presence of all his necessary gear on his vest before grabbing his C7 and boarding the Griffon. The helicopter was packed, two pilots and ten passengers meant the craft was filled to capacity. Jack sat on one of the seats facing outward as he was the last to board. Jack used his left leg to stabilize himself on the lower rail, keeping his right inside.
"Good luck, Jack." Farren spoke one last sentence to the young infantry soldier before nodding.
RNJR managed to snag the seats next to the Private while the Sniper teams were boarding. Once all their introductions had been made, they all settled down for the coming flight.
"Flight control this is Talon 0-1, requesting clearance."
"Copy Talon 0-1, skies are clear. Dust off on your mark."
As the helicopter took off from the flight deck, Jack had to reposition himself in his seat. He hated sitting on the edge but it was a view. It was still dark, but even as the Brock got smaller in the distance, he could still make out the many flashing lights that spread out across the ship. As time passed, the last light Jack could see atop the Brocks island disappeared into the night. The night air was still cold, nothing comparable to CFB Petawawa back home but still uncomfortable.
For what seemed like hours Jack sat contently, watching the trees zoom by. Ever so often they would pass a lake or a river and jack would see the flashing red, green and white lights on the Griffon. During the night, Nora had tried to play I spy with a few of the snipers to no avail. They preferred to be the silent type of professionals. Jaune and Ren discussed fond memories of their first semester at Beacon academy while Jack and Ruby talked about their common interest in weaponry.
Yet, they had not passed over any significant body of water. As Jack inspected the landscape, he spotted a brief, yet present flash of light. At first, he thought it was the Brock, it was the only thing with lights he'd seen. He was wrong.
"SHIT! Flash!"
Although he did not know who said it, Jack looked frantically until he spotted it. A rocket or some type of AAA sailing through the air. Jack's heart started to race as he braced in his seat.
"Vampire inbound! All hands, brace!" The pilot called out.
The helicopter took a sharp bank to the left and Jack lost sight of the rocket until he saw it pass them as the helicopter finished banking. Jack let out a sigh of relief that was followed by a violent explosion on the tail.
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
CARRIER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER
The CATCC was practically empty in comparison to normal. Radar intercept officers, as well as an air traffic controller, were the only ones manning the room. A combination of advanced tracking software and a lack of aircraft to track left resources to be dealt elsewhere. The silence was cut by a phone ringing next to the Air Traffic Controller, a petty officer with little experience on an actual warship.
"Go for ATC." The Petty officer used his shoulder to brace the phone, keeping both hands free to start writing a report like a 911 operator.
What the Petty officer heard was static with words barely cutting through the noise. The petty officer changed the frequency adapter get a better signal. This worked, and what the Petty officer heard made him doubt his ears. The petty officers face turned from neutral to alarmed in an instant. He hung up the phone and shot up from his chair, turning to the senior officer.
"Sir emergency broadcast on broadband,"
The officer went to an open terminal and put on a pair of headphones. He to has shocked to hear the broadcast.
"Mayday! Brock Actual, this is Talon 0-1! Taking effective hostile AA fire! I say again, effective hostile AA fire! We have lost control and losing altitude at 1500 feet and dropping!"
The officer dropped the headphones and let them hang by the jack in the monitor. He pulled out a red booklet with the words 'EMERGENCY' printed on the front. The officer quickly turned to look at the petty officer who still stood at his post motionless
"Call the bridge and scramble rescue teams, we have a Griffon down."
A/N: The plot thickens! Thanks for your patience and for reading. Like we said, we'll work extra hard to prevent another delay of that legnth from happening! Let us know what you thought of the chapter and if you'd rather see more frequent albiet shorter uploads as opposed to this super long chapter legnth.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
REGIMENTS:
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).
JTF2- Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces.
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:
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 holds 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 from ballistic weapons.
LEVEL 3+ PLATES- Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms (slots into the Frag Vest).
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.
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 an 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.
ISLAND TOWER- The bridge tower on the starboard side of the vessel. Primary entrance and exit for those on the flight deck.
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 chargeof 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
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.
VSA- Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse.
HE- High Explosive round capable of intense damage.
IMP- Individual Meal Pack - A ration pack containing heatable food, snacks, and beverages for a single soldier - *NEW*
REVEILLE- A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up. - *NEW*
SOP- Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with certain scenarios. - *NEW*
