A/N: Hey everyone, Volume 5 Episode 1 is live, as is the Yang character short! Good stuff is coming from Rooster Teeth! Can't wait to watch it all and continue to work on the story.
On another note, we've been looking to communicate and interact with you guys and the rest of the RWBY community in a more efficient way other than PM. So we've been thinking of some possible game nights on Steam or Xbox, something along those lines. It was a quick thought I had while playing Left 4 Dead 2 with RWBY mods installed. Let us know what you think of this idea, and we'll see about setting up a night. Could be a chance for some Q/A's or something like that too.
So we just noticed that Monday was the story's first birthday...ouch...so we're putting the pedal to the floor to speed up getting these out, and we think that we may HAVE to cut the length. You see, when you have 20,000-word chapters and try to make your edits in the doc manager with a grammar plugin...it tends to crash or freeze...a lot...So this was supposed to be up early Monday, but we kept running into trouble, so sorry about that. So instead its uploaded today on my birthday, so there's that?
RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land
Chapter 9: Are we not Queen's Men?
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
FLIGHT DECK
EARTH TIME - 0942 HOURS
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
"Riiiiight….there." Jerome's hand shot up, pointing out over the edge of the flight deck.
"Hmm? What?" Jack was enthralled by the ocean waves, enjoying the short period of time off duty granted by Reid and Dietz.
Both soldiers only donned their basic CADPAT uniforms, opting for a more relaxed apparel as opposed to their smelly, sweat and blood-drenched combat shirts and body armor. Carver spent his time atop the ship, writing in his journal, staring out at the water and speaking to passersby. His most common partners in conversation were Ruby, and of course, his friend Private Lewis.
Jack continued to look out at the water, using the waves to distract himself from the stresses of the previous days. The crash, and of course the voice in his head. He had not heard it since that night, resulting in him chalking it up to a head injury. He was brought out of his trance by his friend's outburst.
"That! Right there!" Private Lewis pointed with more emphasis.
Jack turned his head, looking towards where the other soldier had been pointing. A cusp of land just starboard of the Brock, maybe a mile or two away at most.
"...What am I supposed to be looking at?"
"That's where I'll put it." Jerome's lips curled into a warm smile as he gazed at the territory he marked with his finger.
"Put what?" Jack cocked a brow, completely oblivious as to what the soldier was talking about.
"My house. Hidden away with a great view? Look at that, coastal view with a forest to the rear and a few acre property? I'd kill for that man."
Jack began to recall Lewis' rant about a house he'd build once he would release from the army after a long and fulfilling career. Carver had originally credited the rants to a lack of sleep and being fed up with folding hospital corners onto their beds during basic training in Valcartier, Quebec. But now he knew Jerome was being serious about it.
"Hmph, not bad. Could do without the hills back there. And y'know...the monsters."
"Hey man, I can't afford to be picky. That's the spot. Exactly how I pictured it. Besides, why get rid of the hills? Assuming the snowfall during the winter is thick enough, could do some tobogganing there. The lake would freeze over, play some hockey. Winter wonderland, summer paradise. Sounds like a win-win to me."
"Buddy I don't wanna burst your bubble, but I'd wait to build your house."
"Why? You know Bradford from 3-Section will claim that land the moment he gets a chance. Real estate like that?! It's a hot market, Jack. That'll be gone in no-time."
"Well, he can have it if he wants. I'd wait till' we're in a less…'not-earthy' environment? Y'know?"
"Jack, we haven't found a way back and no one's found a way to contact us in more than two weeks. And come on, at least the locals are pretty cute, eh? You can bring a special someone over for dinner by the lake, eeeh?" Jerome nudged Jack in the side with his elbow, trying to make the idea sound more appealing.
"Oh, don't give me that!" Jack waved his hand, completely ignoring the last comment. "We spent more than two weeks in the field in Petawawa without resupply or relief! We just need time to figure this out. I'm sure someone's realized by now what's happening! Or you know, Grove and the higher-ups will have an idea. Besides, we've got RNJR. We'll be fine."
"This is a whole lot different than a two-week exercise, Jack." Jerome sighed and looked out at the ocean again.
"Believe me, I realize that." Jack rolled up his sleeve, showing the other soldier his plethora of bruises and healing cuts. His hands balled into fists, displaying the red sores around his knuckles where he struck Fenrir.
CRACK
A barrage of gunfire filled the air. Jerome kept his eyes front, however Carver snapped his head to the side to investigate the origin of the shots. Instinctively, his hand immediately went for his sidearm. His thumb was already around the pistol grip, his index finger found the release clasp on the holster and his eyes examined the deck.
"Are you gonna do that every single time? They've been at it for hours, man." Lewis groaned, sounding almost annoyed with the Grenadier.
Multiple sailors and soldiers lined up along the length of the flight deck, all equipped with an arsenal of C7's, C8's, C9's and even a handful of C6's. The collection of men and women had been firing off the side of the ship, towards the water. An order had come down from the command team; all members of the expedition were to be run through weapon handling refreshers should the need arise to deploy primarily non-combat members into the field to supplement the Infantry. The staff running the refreshers were dominantly Infantrymen like Master Corporal Farren, who were all adept at their craft.
The personnel who were not used to combat training all donned ill-fitting frag vests and older style tactical vests, only adding to the look of inexperience.
Jack's hand eased back to his lap. "...Sorry, been a little jumpy since the fight."
"Yeah, I noticed that much."
Both men fell silent for a few minutes, kicking their feet over the edge while attempting to think over the loud booms of the weaponry. Abruptly, Jerome sighed and turned to observe the shooters.
"Man, I don't about you, but I won't exactly feel comfortable having a pog watching my six out there. I bet the guys down in the engine room haven't even touched a C7 for the better part of their careers."
"Lighten up on em', Jerome. We need all the help we can get. Besides, with guys like the boss overseeing their shooting, we'll be fine." Carver opted to defend their inexperienced comrades, praying their training would make up for the lack of combat experience.
"A good portion of these guys haven't been in battle. I doubt they're prepared to kill someone." Private Lewis shrugged.
"Were you?"
Jerome stared at Carver after the abrupt comment, realizing that regardless of how badass Jerome tried to make himself sound, out of the two men, it was the younger M203 grenadier that had racked up a higher kill count, especially during the chopper crash fiasco.
"Give them a chance. Before this shit-show, we were just as inexperienced. We aren't legends like Farren. This is it for us."
Jack gestured to the land in front of them before pointing to the single chevron upon their chests.
"This is our Afghanistan, our Bosnia, our Kosovo. We're young dudes in battle for the first time, strangers in a strange land and all that." Jack paused. "Which is why, just like Farren...we'll get home."
"...Easy for you to say. Do you even notice yourself while you're out there? You're a killing machine, Jack."
"...So what? We stick together, we do our job, find a way home; which we will. Then we'll party on the beach once we leave Petawawa after getting medals or some shit. Hell, I'll even help you build your house if I have to."
"You always know what to say, bro." Jerome punched Jack on the shoulder.
"Course' I do. I'm the smart one." Jack quipped.
"So that's the plan, huh?" A new voice interjected into the conversation.
Jack and Jerome looked over their shoulders, seeing Owens approach the men with a hand in his pocket, and a canteen in the other.
"That's it." Carver nodded. "Plain and simple."
"I admire the simplicity." Owens shrugged while taking a swig of water from his canteen. The soldier took a seat next to the men, letting his legs dangle off the side of the flight deck. "Sure beats the long, drawn-out plan the higher-ups always spew."
"Well, that's because we're non-commissioned mem-"
"Private Carver!"
Jack sighed and looked over his shoulder, seeing the large crowd of soldiers and sailors now turned to face him. Farren was there, hands on his hips. Perplexed, the young soldier stood up to respond.
"Master Corporal?"
"Come on over for a moment." Farren gestured to him and then pointed to the mock firing line.
Jack's brow furrowed, so much for a day off, he thought. "Roger."
"Ooooooh, someone's in trouuuble." Jerome mocked.
"In this place? I'm not surprised...I'll see you guys later."
Jack approached the group in a light jog, making sure to not take his time and waste the time of the firers and their instructors.
"As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect! I don't frankly give a damn if you've only fired a C7 during basic. I really don't. But here, you will be made into marksmen." Farren wrenched a C8 Carbine from the hands of an engine technician from the lower decks.
Jack stood patiently, waiting to see what the point of calling him over was.
"Private Carver will now demonstrate just what a young soldier can do with a little bit of practice…" The Master Corporal gazed down at the soldier's fists, and then to the Private's sullied expression. "...And a little bit of experience…"
Jack took hold of the Carbine the moment it was offered to him. Seconds later, a deck crewman hoisted paper targets over the firing line. Farren leaned in closely to whisper to the shooter.
"Alright, kid. Nothin' too fancy, just pop a few rounds off real pretty-like okay?"
Jack nodded with a sly grin. A sly grin that the Master Corporal failed to notice.
"Shooter! With a thirty-round magazine; load! Show these fine ladies and gentlemen what you're made of." Farren tossed a full magazine to the soldier, who swiftly caught it.
Jack canted the weapon upwards, bringing the receiver of the weapon close to his face so it was easy to manipulate the weapon functions, this was known as the workspace. His eyes were kept forward, however, watching the target. He slammed the magazine into the well after briefly inspecting the magazine to ensure all rounds were seated properly and lowered the weapon to its original position.
"Ready!" Farren shouted.
Jack's left hand shot up and grabbed hold of the charging handle and immediately racked it to the rear, loading a round into the chamber and actively readying the weapon. Instinctively, his right thumb slid up the side of the weapon and manipulated the fire selector switch to the safe position to prevent an accidental discharge.
"See how efficiently the Soldier can operate his weapon? It's second nature. Despite putting his weapon on safe, he's also keeping his finger off the trigger - just in case. He brings the weapon up to his face so he can focus on his weapon in his peripheral. So, take note that at all times, his eyes are never leaving the front. Can anyone tell me why he's doing this?"
Farren's eyes scanned the audience, looking for an answer. His attention was drawn immediately by a hand shooting up. Lieutenant Langer. No one was expecting to see her out of the medical ward so swiftly, much less attending a shooting class lead by the grunts, and yet there she was, bandages and all.
The Infantry soldier slightly altered his posture and cleared his throat. "Yes, Ma'am. Go ahead."
"He's watching his arcs of fire for possible threats. I saw him do it for real at the crash site."
Jack's focus was temporarily thrown off by the comment, and the feeling of everyone's eyes on him. To most, the crash site debacle was just a story, none of them were there. And yet he was there as living proof. If no-one had settled into their predicament quite yet, Jack was their signal to wake up.
"...That's correct, ma'am." Farren nodded to the pilot before addressing the whole audience
"Now obviously he can see the paper target right in front of him. But it's never that easy in a combat scenario. The enemy could be camouflaged or otherwise hiding. It'll take a watchful eye and a heightened awareness to locate targets. On top of this, you have to place your shots well. It's great if you can see him, but you gotta be able to kill him. Tight shot groupings and discipline. Don't go shooting non-combatants. That shit will have you thrown in Club-Ed. Any questions?"
A plethora of hands shot up among the crowd. He was speaking and covering a lot of information quite fast, making it understandably difficult to follow for the uninitiated. Farren pointed to a Naval Crew member who began to speak.
"What's the purpose-"
"THREAT!" Farren interrupted the question, revealing his question period to be a test of attentiveness for the shooter.
In a heartbeat, the safety mechanism on the Carbine was flipped to repetition and Jack's finger found the trigger. The barrel lifted slightly, lining up with the target before a barrage of rounds soared across the short distance, tearing the paper target's center mass to pieces. Within seconds, the thirty round magazine was depleted. However, the soldier wasn't done.
Jack lowered the weapon to his hip with his left hand before retrieving his readied sidearm from his right thigh. He fired, and rode the recoil up the target towards the head, where the remainder of the magazine had been emptied.
When the dust settled, the C8's bolt was locked fully to the rear, and his pistol's slide was in a similar position, marking ammo depletion. A vast majority of the crowd had flinched and instinctively covered their ears at the sudden barrage as despite wearing hearing protection, Jack's long barrage was an assault on their hearing.
"Overkill, dontcha think?"
Jack's head turned to the commenter, a Petty Officer.
"With respect, PO…" Jack started while dropping the empty magazines from his weapons. "I put twice as much ammo into a White Fang commander and it barely scratched his plates. Then I proceeded to try and beat him to death with the weapon, which was extremely ineffective."
The comment made by the Private earned a few discomforting whispers. Farren was tempted to interject, but he knew the soldier was right and deserved to make a statement based on his experience against both the White Fang and the Grimm.
"On one hand, you have massive, hulking beasts that shrug off a 40mm...and on the other you have an enemy that thinks and fights like us, except they're a lot harder to kill than we are. So no, I wouldn't classify that as overkill. Everything Master Corporal Farren has said is correct, but your enemy will walk away from things that will kill a normal person twenty times over. So, my advice? Double tap."
The crowd stared blankly at him, hardly seeing the hope in their situation based upon his rant.
"Don't mistake me for being negative. They can be killed. And if they mess with any of you, they will be killed. I know it." Jack nodded, hoping to restore some positivity after his spiel.
"That's enough for today. You've earned a break. Remember what you've learned." Master Corporal Farren abruptly ended the class before an exchange could occur. He turned to see Jack extending the rifle to him.
"Too much?" Jack asked, eyebrow already cocked in his usual, sarcastic way.
"Told you not to show off, smart ass."
"Can't help it. This is who I am." Jack gestured to himself with an exaggerated facial expression, feigning sadness.
"Master Corporal?" A voice spoke out behind the two men.
Farren sighed and began to turn. "I thought I said to take a-" He stopped himself upon noticing Lieutenant Langer.
"I was hoping you could show me some more weapon handling drills. I have a feeling if the last engagement we had was any indication, I'll be doing a lot more shooting." The Lieutenant had her hip cocked to the side, and still carried one of the demo C8's.
The Infantry Master Corporal cleared his throat and looked to Jack, almost as if he was looking for some guidance from the soldier. Jack shrugged. The type of gesture that screamed, "I don't know."
"Uhh...Sure thing ma'am, I can go into a bit more detail."
Jack covered his mouth, visibly trying to hold in a laugh while he watched the two awkwardly communicate.
"Jack, go get some rest, we're going back out soon, the brock is moving and we're riding LAVs along the coast for cover." Farren hadn't bothered to turn and face him, and instead looked over his shoulder with a small grin.
"Roger, boss. Have fun you two!"
The soldier was gone and halfway down the runway before the now red Master Corporal could yell at him.
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
WARDROOM
OPEN SEA
"I understand your concerns McDowell, I do. However given the current climate and recent events, It would be unwise to continue air operations. The suspensions stands until we can guarantee to some degree the safety of local airspace."
"Understood, Sir. I'll get my men to move everything off the decks and into the hangars."
"Good, any other concerns before we adjourn?"
Scotty slowly put up his hand, looking nervous to bring up his point to the group
"Yes, Engineer Scott. Something to add?"
"We're dealing with some heavy stress on the engines as of late. The large distance we've covered over the last few days, coupled with traveling at flank speed the whole time is starting to take its toll."
"I remember we had a similar discussion back on Earth. We were scheduled for a servicing, but as I recall it was postponed for this mission. What do you recommend?"
"Ideally I'd take a large portion of the power plant apart and replace some of the worn parts. The bare minimum I need is to take one engine offline at a time, replace the filters and buff out some of our minor issues. Two days maximum per engine."
Dietz let out a sigh of discontent. He knew there would be issues with the ship eventually, but taking a whole engine offline would cut everything in half, not to mention taking a water filter out of operation.
"Are we going to be able to pump enough water with a filter offline?" Kendall inquired, his hands crossed on the other side of the room
"The slower we go the more water we can pump at once. For a crew of this size, plus the water we need to cool the engines and create the necessary steam, I think rationing is our only option."
This revelation let out a larger groan from the senior officers. Rationing water was going to be a hard sell to the crew; no personal canteens for those off duty, no showers, and distilling the non-water beverages on the ship.
"Is there any other way Mister Scott?" Reid asked, knowing his grunts would be taking a significant portion of the water to remain operational in the field.
"We take an engine offline, we have to take a filter offline. That's the way the Americans built it." Scott shrugged off the comments. He knew the decision was unpopular. The only other alternative is a run-down ship, unable to move.
"Thank you, Engineer Scott, for all our sakes, please complete your maintenance as quickly as possible."
"I'll have my whole team on it, Sir. We'll get it done."
"Good. Then that concludes the meeting. You all are dismissed."
As Dietz stood up from his chair, the rest of the room followed suit, like a judge leaving a courtroom. Kendall followed close behind, running to catch up to Dietz who was already walking down the hall.
"You got out of there pretty quick Captain, the air getting to stale for your taste?"
Dietz stopped in his tracks, looking at Kendall who was now several feet ahead of him.
"Are you sick of it yet?"
"Of what?"
"Of this. Of going out, getting our asses kicked and having everyone run back here with tails between their legs."
"I think the infantry would disagree with that sentiment…"
Kendall and Dietz stepped to the side of the passageway, allowing a few soldiers to pass by who stopped to address them before continuing.
"No, they wouldn't. You heard Carver...We're losing Mike, we're losing bad. We've lost over 50 men, a helicopter, fuel, bullets, food. Not to mention what happened on the Endeavour. We're hitting this place with everything we have, and it's still not enough."
"What would you say to anchoring down for a few days, near land. Somewhere secluded, keep a light defence and give the men some rest. Scotty can do his repairs, and we can pump and filter all the water we need."
"What about those...things? What about these terrorists?"
"Light perimeter, keep the CIC ready and do regular UAV sweeps, just for a few days until we get our engines back."
Deitz stood quietly, leaning against the passageway. It took him less than a minute to weigh the alternative.
"Get Ms. Rose and her team to the bridge. Set course for land, best speed ahead."
Kendall's standard grin became a full smile upon hearing his orders, coming to salute in agreement
"Aye-aye."
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
MED-BAY
EARTH TIME - 1000 HOURS
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Wandering through the cramped Brock wasn't Jack Carver's first idea on how to spend the rest of his day off, but it served as a distraction just as well as the waves had. He had been exploring the ship for roughly twenty minutes before stumbling upon the med bay. He immediately had the urge to enter and check on the soldiers he and his team recovered during the firefight. His hand went for the door, but hesitated. Would he be in the way? Would he regret what he saw?
"Screw it."
He opened the hatch and stepped in. A number of medical staff looked over to see who entered, as did some patients. Towards the rear of the cramped facility sat Ruby and the rest of RNJR to the surprise of Jack. Doctor Grove and Corporal Ross stood nearby, clearly preparing some supplies. To what end, he did not know. Ruby waved him over.
Jack began to traverse the medical ward and could feel the atmosphere change as people began to notice who he was.
"Holy shit...He's alive."
"Yeah, that's the guy, doc. That's him alright."
"He went toe to toe with the Wolf!?"
"What? No way…He's just a kid, there's no way that actually happened."
The voices and comments continued as he crossed the med bay, some praising him, others shocked to see finally see this soldier they had been hearing about.
"Hey, kid."
Jack stopped and turned to face whoever had addressed him, seeing Corporal Aiden sitting up on a medical bed. The sniper had his shirt removed and a large bandage dressing covering his shoulder where he had been shot.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah, it went straight through the shoulder so I'll be back at it soon I'm sure. Hurt like a bitch though. It burned."
"I hear wounds tend to do that!" Jack tried his hand at humour to lighten the situation.
"No...like, it burned."
Jack paused and thought back to his first night in the woods when RNJR had utilized dust infused bullets to form ice to cool his wounds. It was certainly possible the white fang had access to similar infused ammunition to inflict pain on their foes.
"Elemental ammo…" Jack stroked his chin. "They shot you with a goddamn fire bullet!"
"What, like Incendiary rounds? Dragon's breath?"
"...Same principle I guess? I don't know how anything works in this place, you'd be better off asking Ruby or Doctor Grove who have some sort of understanding."
"So they shoot fire too? Man...I hate this place…"
"You and me both." Jack patted the Sniper on the non-wounded shoulder and turned to walk away.
"Hey, Carver?"
"Yeah?"
"Good job...Not many people can say they single-handedly held off an assault while awaiting reinforcements. Or engage in hand to hand with an enemy commander."
"I was just doing my job, and not well enough apparently...I'm sorry about your team-"
"Don't apologize. Just make that son of a bitch pay."
"...I will." Easier said than done, Jack thought to himself.
Both men nodded at each other.
"What happens next for you?"
"Well, considering we were the sniper asset for Bravo Company, I'll likely get thrown in with you guys as a grunt again or into the other company sniper teams. We'll have to see where Reid wants me."
"Won't lie, with your aim I'd want you with a sniper team."
"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself, hot-shot. Ever consider specialized-infantry?"
"Me? Paratrooper or Sniper?"
While the Canadian Forces no longer had a designated Airborne unit, each regular force Infantry Regiments always had a Jump company, filled with parachute qualified soldiers. Should Jack consider it, he would have to relocate to the Third Battalion of RCR, where the jump company was located.
"Yeah, you're obviously crazy enough for it."
"What makes you say that?"
"You charged into open melee combat against an unknown enemy...You're incredibly brave, but also really crazy. When we get home, go ahead and give something a shot, maybe even a Recce course.
"Alright, I'll give it a try."
"Good. Now go on, I saw you eyeing them up from the door, don't let me keep you any longer."
The men shook hands and parted ways. Jack first walked over to RNJR, who had all been gathered onto two hospital beds with their sleeves rolled.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey, Jack!" All four chimed in their greetings.
"...Sooo, what's up with you guys? Get a few bumps for the doc to look at?"
"Actually, Private Carver, team RNJR has decided to assist me in my research of Auras and Semblances by allowing me to take blood samples from them." Grove interjected while passing the soldier, carrying a tray of syringes and a label maker.
"What makes their blood different than ours, Doctor?" Jack looked at his fists, reimagining them covered in the red liquid.
"That's what I intend to figure out, Private Carver. I hypothesize that it could be biological...just a byproduct of being native to 'Remnant'...however, I could be mistaken and it could be something else entirely. Hopefully, this will help us understand our surroundings a little better. Corporal Ross is here to assist me in taking samples."
"You sure you should be doing this, Ross?"
"I was an EMT before joining, I know what I'm doing, hero." The Medic quipped.
Unwittingly, Jack's hand balled into a fist. A gesture that Ruby quickly picked up on.
"I wasn't questioning your capabilities, I'm questioning your sanity if you think that you can keep going so long without taking a damn break. Haven't seen you sit down since we got here."
"What was that, Private?" Ross turned around and got in the Soldier's face.
Both men stared one another down, eyes locked, brows furrowed and fists clenched.
"...Umm...Private Carver, would you be so kind as to allow me to take a sample of your blood? I would like to compare the blood of someone that is of similar age to team RNJR and not native to Remnant." Grove approached the men, trying to separate them.
"...Sure, doc. Whatever you need." Jack answered, still staring the Medic down.
"Come take a seat, Private. Corporal Ross, please grab another syringe from the supplies."
Jack stepped off and took a seat next to Ruby atop the medical bed.
"You okay?" Ruby whispered.
"Yeah." Jack scoffed.
"Don't know why you let him walk all over you like that," Jaune muttered, watching the Corporal from the other side of the room.
"Yeah, he's a bit of a jerk." Nora added with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I know, I know." Jack nodded. "Somethings up with the guy. Ruby, you remember what I was talking about on the flight deck, right?"
The girl nodded in response, quite vividly remembering many reactions after the hellish battle.
"Well, it happened again during the crash fiasco."
"Combat fatigue?" Ren inquired.
"More than likely." Doctor Grove nodded and gestured the huntsmen for his arm while carrying a syringe.
Ren extended his arm with his sleeve rolled, allowing the doctor to insert the needle and fill the pointed capsule full of a dark red liquid. The Huntsmen appeared to get a little dizzy as the blood left his body, but managed to stay upright.
"The Corporal seems to be putting up a wall to block others from his problems. I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems to be a common reaction for combat troops post-battle. Especially here on the Brock. Lot's of soldiers have been doing it. Even you, Private Carver."
The small group turned their attention to the young soldier, who looked unamused.
"What? Come on, don't say that Doc. I'm fine."
Unphased, Doctor Grove placed the now labeled Syringe down upon a sterile tray and reached for another. "Just wait for the adrenaline to settle and the magnitude of the situation to set in, Private Carver. We'll all be singing a different tune."
A state of unease flushed over the soldier. Was the Doctor right? No, don't be stupid, don't start having doubts now. Jack quickly shot the idea down in his mind.
"I suggest workin' on your bedside manner, doc."
"And I suggest not charging an elite white fang soldier in hand to hand combat. But we both know we won't listen to either one's advice."
Jack shrugged it off and watched as Ren took Nora's hand during the needle process. He figured one of them had to hate needles. There was always one in every group. Up next was Jaune, who stared off into space, hardly noticing the needle pierce his skin and suck the blood from his body. Ruby looked away when the syringe entered her pale arm, as did Jack. Something about the scarlet fluid coming from her arm bothered him. More than the others.
With perfect timing, Ross returned with the final syringe.
"Tunic, Carver."
Jack nodded and unbuttoned his tunic, setting it down next to him before slightly lifting the sleeve of his brown undershirt. With his long-sleeved tunic removed, his bruises and cuts were on display for everyone. The new cuts and bruises mixed in with his still healing ones, making his body look like an abstract painting.
Ruby's heart sank as she watched him stiffly lift his arm from Grove.
"I didn't say thanks yet...Sooo, thank you."
"For?" Jack asked while watching the needle stab into his arm.
"Taking Fenrir on when my semblance dropped."
"Yeah well, don't...Not yet anyway. We're not equal. You saved my ass, yet again, not five minutes after that." Jack chuckled.
Ruby was puzzled. The soldier seemed so hell-bent on not getting credit. Like her, he just wanted to be normal it seemed.
"Tell you what." Jack started with a smirk. "By the end of this whole thing, whoever has saved the other the most wins a prize. And the other has to thank them."
"Well, what's the prize?"
Jack stroked his chin and looked around the room for ideas. "...Uhh…Hmm...I don't...Screw it. One 'I owe you'..."
"An 'I owe you'...really?" Ruby grinned. "That's all you got? I don't know if that's worth how many times I've gotta save your butt!"
Jack's jaw dropped at the cocky audacity she had. "Yeah turns out being stranded kind of makes you broke!"
The Huntress laughed, but nodded. "Alright, you're on."
"Guys, you in?" Jack cased the others, who reluctantly nodded in response.
"Ground rule; no charging into stupid odds for a free rescue!"
"Hear this: Team RNJR and Doctor Grove to the Bridge. I say again my last, team RNJR and Doctor Grove to the bridge!"
"Well, duty calls." Jaune placed his gauntlet back onto his forearm and pushed himself off of the bed and towards the door.
"Why is it always when I'm working?" Grove frustratingly removed his latex gloves and began to storm off. "Corporal, please store the vials correctly and carefully, I will return soon."
Ross nodded and wrapped up labeling Jack's blood vial.
"We'll meet up for dinner, Jack!"
Jack's face lit up. "Uhh, sure, yeah! Yes. I will be there. Mhm." He cleared his throat.
"Don't start without us!" Nora added.
Jack's face somberly returned to its neutral state. "...Right. You got it."
The medbay fell silent once the group had left, leaving Jack to stare at the door unamused.
"I can't even make a joke about that. T-That just sucks!" Aiden shouted from the other end of the medbay, struggling not to laugh.
Jack mumbled something under his breath and went for his tunic, guiding his arms through the sleeves before
"You should listen to Grove. I have a feeling we'll be running into those two again. Now they've got your number. Be careful."
"So you do care."
"This isn't a game, Carver. They want to, and will kill you. And there's not much you can do about that."
"Don't you think I get that?" Jack sneered, downright uncharacteristically. "Who got left behind day one after crawling through a ship of torn apart bodies? Who made first peaceful contact with an indigenous force? Who fell out of a god damn helicopter and stumbled through the woods, again, to locate survivors?! Who charged those sons of bitches head on just to make sure everyone was protected? Man I SUCK, don't I? Send me straight to hell!"
The medical bay fell silent after the outburst, drawing heavy attention. Even Ross had been taken back by the outburst.
Jack looked around the room, shocked himself. He took a deep breath and fixed his posture, trying to prove the Doctor's point wrong.
"You done?" Ross asked, eyebrow raised.
"Permission to speak freely?" Jack asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Send."
"You're an asshole, Ross."
Ross stayed silent and opted to just listen to the soldier.
"I chalked it up to battlefield stress, but no, I think you're just a dick." Jack insulted the Medic, purposely egging him on to probe for an emotional reaction for some insight on the man's behavior.
"You have no idea what it's like to watch fifty of your comrades die in front of you. Because you didn't get to them fast enough, or because you weren't good enough, or their wounds were just too great for you to even do anything! Then to fight whatever ungodly shit this is and watch your friends get eviscerated. You don't know the things I've seen. What I escaped by joining the military. I joined up to get away from seeing dead kids in crashes, dead families in you come along." There was pure venom in his pronunciation. "Young, eager and stupid to get in a fight that will bloody well leave you dead in the dirt."
Jack raised his finger and opened his mouth to speak. "You know quite a lot of killing and dying does occur in war, right?"
"No! You spoke, now you listen! I will not watch another arrogant kid die because he's out hunting for a god damn victoria cross or something!"
"You think this is about medals?! And you're calling me stupid? I'm doing this so I don't have to watch fifty of my friend die in front of me! I'm doing it for them! For you, you idiot! Every man that's died so far was a Soldier I could've saved if I fought harder."
A Sergeant stormed over to the two. "You two need to get out, I've got wounded here that my staff and I are trying to treat. So unless you're here to work, get lost." In reality, the Sergeant was breaking the fight up much like Grove did before he was called away.
"Yes, Sergeant." Both men barked.
The Sergeant walked away, and Jack turned to leave with his teeth grit.
"No kid, soldier or not, can save the day like you think." Ross muttered just loud enough for the soldier to hear.
Jack stopped and looked over his shoulder with a glare.
"Watch me."
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
BRIDGE
OPEN SEA
RUBY ROSE
The bridge of the Brock was sizable for a ship her size, in order to complement the needed sailors to command her. Of course, extenuating circumstances called for the bridge to be more packed than usual. As Ruby stepped into the bridge, she took notice of the younger sailors manning their posts. A good portion of them were Jack's age, and not much older than her.
Lieutenant-Commander Kendall spotted the red-dressed Huntress enter the bridge and leaped out of his chair to meet her.
"Ms. Rose, good to see you again!" The XO flashed her a smile.
"You too, Sir!" She mimicked one of Jack's salutes, more tactful than her attempt at impressing Winter not too long ago at Beacon Academy's landing dock.
"I trust the crew has been pleasant?"
"Yeah, everyone except this weird soldier though."
"I know the one. Tall, young, always manages to get dragged in front of senior officers?"
"That's the one." Ruby snickered.
"Well I'll see what I can do about that, but you might be stuck with him. For all his problems, he's a pretty decent soldier."
"Whenever you're ready, Sir!" A voice called out from the other side of the bridge.
Kendall turned around, realizing there was work to be done.
"Oh right. Ruby, this is Lieutenant Ashley Beckett, she's the Brocks OOW. You'll be with her for the next little while."
"I've heard a lot about you from the XO, is a pleasure to have you on the bridge."
The two women shook hands briefly, before taking a walk through the bridge
"It was nothing really, I just feel awful that you've been dragged into the fighting like this."
"In any event, we're lucky to have you. But we must ask another favor of you."
"What can I do?" The young Huntress straightened her posture and cleared her throat, making herself out to be the stalwart warrior she always wanted to be.
Beckett guided ruby towards the navigation station of the bridge. Standing there was a small man, no bigger than her. His back was turned, facing a map on the table in front of him.
"This is our Gator, it's short for Navigator. He is responsible for ship movements and can analyze ocean topography to create an ideal path, were we back home that is."
"What do you need from me?"
"All this running around the last few weeks have stressed the systems on the ship. We need a place to lay low until we can repair everything. The less populated, the better."
"What about the map we drew for you?"
"We were hoping for somewhere more secluded. An island, an Archipelago maybe."
Ruby moved closer to the map and began to think back to stories her Uncle Qrow used to tell. Some she knew were just that, stories. But there was this one...
"Here!" Ruby pointed to open ocean just north of Vale. "There should be land here. I don't know how much, or where specifically, but there's something there!"
"Very good, thank you, Ruby. Gator?"
The sailor took out a compass and a pencil and began to math out a heading while calculating the distance conversion in his head.
"Ma'am, recommend coming to course three-one-zero and maintain current speed."
"Helm, come about to course three-one-zero." The young lieutenant turned back towards Ruby, extending her hand for a handshake."On behalf of senior command, thank you again. You can return below decks if you wish. If there's anything you need from us, just ask."
Ruby accepted the gesture and turned for the bulkhead, before turning around again.
"Can I take you up on your offer?"
"Of course."
"I-I know a lot of people died trying to get us to Anima. More risked their lives to save us. We know how bad the White Fang is, I don't know if Remnant will ever be the same after what they did to Beacon. Can you ask, just to make sure, that we can still continue with our mission? When all's said and done?"
"I will pass on your message. You have my word."
Both women smiled a went on their way. Ruby exited the bulkhead and reacquainted with the Seaman and team members waiting outside. Beckett retrieved a pair of binoculars from a hook next to her and moved out to the bridge wing, standing next to the OOW.
"Nothing but ocean out there Ma'am, certainly no land."
"Give it time sailor. If she says it's out there, it out there."
"Yes Ma'am." The OOW lowered his binoculars and moved to the far edge of the wing, raising his binoculars again, taken aback by what he saw."
"OOW spot's anomaly on the horizon. Bearing 40 degrees relative!" The OOW called so loud that the helmsman inside the ridge could hear.
Beckett ran to the door and called to one of the officers near the 1MC, calling the ship to action stations.
1 HOUR LATER
HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK
AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT BAY
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Much like with previous operations, the assault bay on the Brock was packed with sailors, soldiers and LAV's preparing for the landing. Jack was in the lineup to receive a weapon
that stretched back along the catwalk. The line was moving quickly as the time until deployment drew near.
"Just overheard some Section Commanders and Bryson talking real quiet like. I think we're going on recon again." Jerome's speech was broken and he panted for breath whenever he got the chance, lugging around Owen's C9 wasn't helping that.
"Are you serious?"
"That's not all. We're going to be out of range of everything. Radio, reinforcements, fire support."
"Did they say why?"
"If they did, I couldn't hear."
Jack sighed. "Great."
When the time came, Jack approached the Company Quartermaster, who carried a binder full of weapon sign out sheets and had a line of C7's behind him.
"Name, Service number, rack number."
"Private Carver, Kilo 24-379-438, rack 67." He had a new rifle assigned once his had been lost during the chopper crash and he had to keep juggling different weapons during the battle.
"Carver, Carver, Carver…" The CQ scanned over his logistics sheet, trying to find Jack's information. The soldier's name was listed twice. The first rack had been scratched out by a pen. The Sergeant nodded, he had heard about this one. "Ah, Jack Carver. 2 section, 1st platoon. Chopper boy? That you?"
"Yes, Sergeant. I'm 'Chopper Boy'..." Jack answered with a sigh.
"Good." The CQ put down his clipboard and retrieved a C7 from the rack, followed by an M203 for him to attach. "This is yours, make sure to return it when you're back. Try not to lose it like the last one, kid. Good luck."
"No promises, Sarge." Jack smirked but immediately nodded his head upon noticing the lack of amusement on the CQ's face. Jack signed the logistics sheet and moved out with Jerome at his side.
The two soldiers marched out of the armoury towards the assault bay to consolidate with their section and load up. Jack took hold of Jerome's C7, choosing to carry it for him while Jerome had to lug around Owen's C9 until he arrived.
"Soooo….." Jerome muttered.
"Hmm? What's up?" Jack looked at his friend.
"You tell me, buddy." Jerome shrugged. "You're awfully quiet."
"Oh...well, just got into an argument earlier is all."
"Yeah, Ruby told me. Things get heated?"
"You could say that, yeah."
"Who won?"
"Me, duh." Jack shrugged off the seriousness of the argument with Ross, while internally he processed much of the information discussed.
"You won an argument with a higher rank?" Jerome sounded unconvinced until he gripped Jack's arm. "Teach me your ways."
"Yell loud enough till' someone has to listen. That's pretty much it."
"Pfft, I should never be wrong in that case."
The two soldiers took their place amongst their section and placed their rifles down by their feet while they began loading their assortment of magazines with ammunition. Once topped off, the thirty round magazines found their way into their respective pouches.
"Here, Jack." Owens arrived and dropped a belt of 40mm grenades next to the soldier before taking his C9 from Jerome. "Double up on your fourties."
"Expecting trouble?" Jack clasped the belt atop his first belt, adding to the weight and firepower he carried.
"Doesn't hurt to be prepared in this place."
"Good call, thanks." Jack removed one of his pistol magazines from his leg holster and handed it to the machine gunner. "Here, in case you're C9 runs dry."
"...What about me? What loot do I get?" Jerome asked sarcastically.
Jack removed a rifle mag from his vest, handing it off to his partner. "There. Don't ever say I don't treat you."
"Keep givin' your stuff away like that, you'll only have the Noob Tube left." Master Corporal Farren commented while approaching his Section from the entrance to the assault bay.
Jack smirked, knowing exactly why the section commander was late; showing off his weapon handling to a pilot.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; MASTER CORPORAL FARREN!" The Private shouted loudly. Loud enough for the platoon, maybe even the company, to hear and turn their heads and observe the approaching soldier.
Those who understood why Jack shouted began to laugh, followed by cheers and a round of applause for the Master Corporal.
"I am going to kill you, Carver." Farren took a knee amongst his section, loading his own magazines.
"Dear Master Corporal, I was only paying the due respect when you entered the room!"Jack pleaded innocent.
"Right, of course you were." Farren scoffed. "Corporal, is it just me, or has the kid become way more of a smart ass?"
"Not just you, boss. The kid radiates sass." Sam smirked and shook his head
"Congratulations!" Team RNJR entered the bay, with Nora leading the charge with a yell.
"Oh no." Jack's eyes popped out of his head.
"What?" Jerome asked, watching the team approach.
Nora clung to Farren, giving him a hug then a pat on the back.
"Nora don't-"
"So when are you and Lieutenant Langer going on a date?! Jack told me all about it! That's so cute! I knew it the moment I heard all the clapping!"
The group fell silent while Nora eagerly awaited an answer.
"Aaaand that was the last anyone had ever heard from Jack Carver." Jaune muttered with a palm over his face.
"He told you what?" Farren turned his head to Carver.
"This isn't how I thought I'd die, I'll be honest." Jack croaked, then pursed his lips.
"Why are you so hell-bent on getting yourself killed out here?" Owens muttered.
"Are you okay, Master Corporal Farren?" Nora asked, perplexed by his silence.
"Oh yeah, I'm great. Just thinking of a chat I'm gonna have with Jack a little later. You know, a nice private chat. No witnesses."
"You're gonna give him advice aren't you?!"
"Nora, I think that's enough, spare Jack the embarrassment." Ren placed a hand on the Huntress' shoulder.
She looked at him with a confused expression. She was genuinely unsure of what she was doing wrong.
"...Y'know I was just kidding, boss."
"Oh it's too late now. you're screwed, kid." Farren said with a mischievous grin. "We'll sort you out when we're done here."
Jack was about to continue to argue his case and save his own ass, but he was cut off by Lieutenant Bryson turning towards the door and prepare a salute.
"GROUP." Bryson shouted and lifted his hand to his brow, saluting Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid as they entered the assault bay.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and jumped up to attention.
"Thank you all. Please, at ease." Dietz raised his hand, returning the salute to Lieutenant Bryson.
The Captain made his way to the center of the steel assault bay. "Everyone gather around."
In moments, the company surrounded the senior officers.
"Now, I know it's been a tough few days, we have lost a lot of good soldiers, good friends. It hasn't felt like we've made any progress. Today that changes. About 5 clicks in-land, our officers spotted smoke coming from the treeline. We suspect, this is a local civilian population. While the majority of you hold and secure a thin perimeter around the ship, a team - including me as well - will inspect the site and attempt to make contact. I don't need to tell you that the security of the ship should be your foremost priority, it will extremely be vulnerable."
As the captain continued his speech, Jerome leaned over slightly, attempting to make his movements unnoticeable.
"Jesus the Captain's leaving the ship? Can he even do that? I thought those were just rumours we were hearing."
"Who's going to stop him?" Jack replied. "With no chain of command past him, he's the highest-ranking Canadian...His word is pretty much law out here. Pride of the Lion pack."
"Welcome to the jungle, baby." Jerome muttered, earning a chuckle from Jack.
"Today we make sure the sacrifices of our friends was not in we get the win we have been waiting for. Are we not Queens men?"
"HOOAH!"
"That is what I like to hear. As you were, finishing gearing up, my intent is to be on the ground in the next thirty minutes!"
"You heard the man, let's get er' done!" Bryson shouted, surging the troops back into their pre-mission routine. "RNJR, you're riding with 2-Section! I'm riding with 1-Section!"
Soon enough, the Platoons filled into their LAV III's and prepared for departure.
Jack took his seat and placed his C7 between his legs, trying to get comfortable in the armoured personnel carrier. He sighed but managed to get a chuckle out.
Ruby took her seat next to Jack, followed by Jaune. Ren and Nora took their positions next to Owens and Farren, adjacent to them.
The two warriors smiled, trying not to laugh about what had just happened.
"Hey Red."
"Hey, Jack. You told Nora that Farren had a crush on Langer, didn't you?"
"Sure did." A mix of a cocky grin and a self-realizing grimace was plastered on the soldier's face.
Ruby cringed. "Ouch…"
"Yep. He's gonna freakin' kill me."
"I'll protect you." Ruby winked playfully.
"My hero." Jack cooed sarcastically.
The two laughed and fist-bumped before the LAV ramp closed and prepared to deploy.
FORESTS OF VALE
40 KILOMETERS WEST OF CANADIAN FORCES
1 HOUR PRIOR
Across the vast span of forest laid the remains of a gunfight. Bodies of soldiers and White Fang peppered the immediate area as the trees burned from the aftermath. Those who were not dead were quickly dying, leaving Fenrir to inspect his carnage, proud as could be. He stopped at the body of one of the soldiers. His corpses armour was mostly white and grey with green accents on his helmet and arms.
"That attack was sloppy." A voice stated from behind him
Fenrir drew his weapon and turned to face the voice. There, sitting on a stump that used to support a fully grown tree, was his sister; Accalia. Revived, he recanted his weapon and returned to his business.
"Must you always criticize my strategy sister?" The wolf sneered.
Accalia chuckled and stood up on her feet, joining her brother
"Tactics, brother. I plan strategy, as evidenced by your fallen left flank."
"What is the difference?"
"Tactics, is the completion of a certain battle or objective, whereas strategy concerns itself with the war. Strategy takes patience, something my dear brother you sorely lack."
"The incompetence of my men is not my concern nor my fault. We still won."
"That's not an attitude that our enemies share brother. They care for each other, they train tirelessly. This is a mistake that they would not make."
"Yet they run at the slightest sign of defeat. I almost killed that weakling of a soldier who attacked me."
"Yes, almost."
One of the Atlas soldiers, barely clinging to her life, tried to crawl away from the field. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the two Faunus officers arguing, using their distraction to her benefit. She made her way to another fallen soldier with a radio pack.
"Mother, Dusk is down…" The soldier let out a rough cough that echoed through her body. She clenched her chest with her free hand and repeated her report "Dusk has engaged hostiles and is down. Requesting orders..."
"Mother reads, return with any and all survivors immediately. I say again, fall back." This voice was different from the one before. This voice was male and slightly raspier.
"Dusk reports only- ah…" Accaila's sword pierced the soldiers back, taking the killing blow
"This what I mean brother, holes in your offensive create messes like these."
"Dusk? Dusk repeat your last." The man's voice was harder to read. His gravelong voice was barely inaudible at his current pace.
"Your friend here is dead, you will join her in a matter of time. Don't bother looking for us, we will be long gone. Your time will come." Accalia dropped the receiver and retrieved her sidearm, putting three rounds through the radio pack as it began to smoke and spark "That's how you tie up a loose end. Clean up this mess and move out. We have work to do."
"What work? What more could you possibly need to do?"
"You worry with the tactics, little brother, I have a war to plan."
FORESTS OF VALE
BEACHHEAD
PRESENT TIME
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
"Here we see the wild Jack in its natural habitat…" Jerome whispered with an Australian accent while observing the other, much quieter Private.
Jack turned his head with an eyebrow cocked.
"Whoa...It has spotted us...The wild Jack will at first stare at its observer, perplexed."
The Company had landed at the beach and established a defensive perimeter around the area to defend the vulnerable Sir Isaac Brock. Dietz was finalizing his plan before 1st Platoon would
move out. In the meantime, the soldiers attempted to amuse themselves while they waited.
"The main source of sustenance for the wild Jack is Mountain Dew and Clif Bars...but with this source swiftly draining...the creature roams this new, exotic land for food and entertainment."
"Thank you…for that…'enlightening' piece, Lewis." Owens sighed.
"Do you seriously survive off of soda and energy bars?" Jaune asked, kneeling next to the dismounted soldier outside of the LAV III.
"Back home? Basically. Clif bars are the shit when you're in the field." Jack reached into his cargo pocket, retrieving one of the bars they had been speaking of. "Here, give it a try."
"Suddenly, the wild Jack is attacked by a pack of hunters!" Jerome shouted while the soldier was distracted.
"Wait, what?!" Jack raised his fists defensively.
But it was not enough. The soldier was dragged back into the LAV by Nora, Ruby, and Jerome and was swiftly tackled to the steel floor.
Farren peered into the LAV to watch the scene unfold.
"What?! No 'Hey quit screwing around' or 'knock it off dirtbags'?!" Jack pleaded the Section Commander to step in and come to his aid.
"Oh no, this is karma. You're on your own...Dirtbag." Farren nodded with a smirk.
"I hate you." Jack mumbled from the bottom of the dogpile.
"ALRIGHT, FIRST PLATOON! RALLY ON ME!" Lieutenant Bryson dismounted from his respective LAV, accompanied by Captain Dietz, who ditched his Naval Uniform for a set of CADPAT and body armour.
"Alright, off the 'Wild Jack' before you kill em. It's a rare and endangered specimen, Grove might kill you." Farren lifted Jerome to his feet and stepped out, gathering the rest of the section.
FIVE MINUTES LATER
"Extended line! LAV Commanders, stay a good thirty meters behind us! If that really is a village in there, I doubt they'd appreciate armoured men and vehicles coming outta the brush! Aura of non-hostility ladies and gentlemen!"
The platoon moved into its formation and broke off from the company, starting to traverse into the woods yet again. They all hoped this time would be different. Jack cradled his rifle and entered the tree line, occasionally looking to his left and right to ensure he was inline with his had knelt down to look her in the eye
"Once more unto the breach…" Jack muttered, preparing mentally for a fight should it come knocking. Just in case, he cocked his weapon and placed it on safe. He readied his launcher as well, knowing how useful the M203 had been during their tenure.
"A little paranoid huh? Me too." Jaune displayed the weapon strapped to his hip. His hand was wrapped tightly around the hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
"It reminds me of home, sorta." Jack shrugged. "Doing patrols in Petawawa to prepare for something like this. You don't really expect it, and take the training for granted until you're out here."
"I see where you're comin' from."
Jaune nodded, reminiscing of his short tenure at beacon academy. The friends he made, the enemies he made. The sparring practice that would prepare them for combat against an opponent. Even Ozpin's initial test on their second day of school served a training purpose; select teams.
"Eh Jerome? Kinda remind you of Petawawa?"
"...Yeah...now that you mention it. Except, of course, it isn't pissing rain. There are women around. We get live rounds...Oh and the god damn trees are explodin' every time we step off the Brock...But yeah, Jack, other than that, It's a lot like Petawawa."
"Right?!"
"Corporal, could you hit him for me?"
Corporal Owens quickly approached the soldier and swiftly swat the back of his helmet.
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER
The patrol column made its way through the brush in due time, coming across a village, just as they expected. They halted, staying still and waited for several minutes. The platoon waited and observed, watching for civilians. No one.
Slowly and carefully, Bryson rose to his feet and emerged from the brush, entering the outskirts of the town.
"Hello!" Lieutenant Bryson shouted, trying to grab the attention of anyone in the area.
The soldiers cautiously stepped forward, closer to the settlement, following their officer further inward.
"Hello?" The Officer tried again. "We're not here for trouble! There's no need to be scared!"
Nothing.
Jack felt a chill travel down his spine. The silence was maddening.
"Is anyone there?!" Bryson tried one last time before calling it quits.
"...It's completely deserted…" Farren looked around at the settlement.
A sense of unease flooded every man and woman in the platoon as he announced that.
"Anybody see any bodies?!" A voice shouted from the other side of the extended line.
"Negative, nothing on this end!" Another shouted back.
"Well, if there were people...they ain't here now." Jerome observed the buildings, and then the fire in the center of a dirt path leading up to a central gate.
"Maybe they're hiding?" Jack asked, turning to Jaune as he did for some sort of guidance or confirmation.
"It's possible." Jaune shrugged. "But this place looks dead."
"Not a lot of damage, though." Ren noted. "No burn marks, no blood, no bodies, few gunshot damage to the buildings…It's as if everyone just got up and left."
"...Where'd everyone go then?" Ruby asked, looking for an answer from anyone.
"Yeah. If they left, why'd they leave…?" Owens nervously cradled his light machine gun.
"Bandits maybe?" Nora said, uncertain. "I feel like we'd see more damage if this was Grimm."
Lieutenant Bryson needed a moment to think. This was not a part of the plan. He broke it down sequentially for himself. His first priority was to make peaceful contact with the inhabitants. But there were none. He scratched that off the list. Next priority was to ensure the security of his men and the CO. Right now they were severely limited to a single on-foot platoon with minimal firepower.
He brought his radio up to his mouth. "LAV 2-1, this is 2-1 Sunray."
"Send, Sunray." The LAV crew commander immediately responded.
"We need your LAV up here at the village, how copy?"
"Solid copy, Sunray, we're on the move. Be there in a sec."
"Copy that, 2-1 Sunray out." Bryson stuffed his radio back into his vest and examined the village again. It was similar in design to the one they had to evacuate several days ago during their first encounter with the white fang. And with that, he would take no chances again. "All around defensive!" Bryson shouted.
Every soldier in the platoon raced over to the Lieutenant and formed a circle with weapons pointed in every direction. Minutes passed while they waited for the LAV to come forward. No movement and no sounds. It was a ghost town.
Farren stood up and made his way over the platoon commander. "Sir, we can't stay out here. It's too open."
"I know, I know. I'm thinking. This wasn't part of the god damn plan!" Bryson cursed under his breath and thought about how to proceed.
"Nothing's gone right in this place, Paul."
"Yeah but we were so damn close to finally meeting some people and not getting shot at."
"Well, we're not getting shot at yet, so there's something. Work off of that, kid, just like I taught you."
Bryson shook his head and looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the LAV coming through the trees to join them. He did not. "Where the hell is he?"
Master Corporal Farren looked to the forest as well, thinking the same thing. "We're gonna need that LAV if we're hit."
"Carver!" Bryson shouted.
"Sir!" Jack looked over his shoulder.
"Go tell that LAV to put the pedal to the floor and get the hell over here!"
"On it, Sir!"
Jack pushed himself up and jogged away from the village into the woods again. The soldier trudged through the woods again, searching for the LAV. It should've been there by now. It may have been a massive, awkward metal death machine weighing almost seventeen tons, but it wasn't slow by any means. It could cap off at one hundred kilometers per hour, which was not slow.
Jack leaped over a downed tree and spotted the armoured vehicle...just sitting there…
"...What the hell are they doing? Havin' a smoke break?!" Jack whispered to himself and shook his head. "Hey! What's the damn hold up-" He stopped himself, having a realization.
Where was the Crew Commander? He wasn't in his usual position outside his hatch. The hatch remained open, but no soldier. The rear hatch had been dropped too.
He shouldered his rifle and began to approach the LAV III, keeping his weapon up and ready. His heart was pounding out of his chest. There had been no gunfire, meaning they weren't shot or didn't shoot back. The only possibility that he could think of was a Grimm surprise attack, but they were not exactly subtle creatures...There would be damage to the LAV and blood everywhere. They would have heard it.
So just what the hell was this?
Jack halted on the side of the LAV, getting ready to turn the corner and engage any threat that may be in the back troop compartment of the LAV. He took a deep breath and sprung into action.
He turned the corner and his eyes widened. His finger went for the fire selector.
"What the hell?!"
FORESTS OF VALE
GHOST TOWN
PRESENT TIME
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION COMMANDER
MCPL FARREN
"If they're hiding, they're way too quiet for civ-"
BANG BANG BANG
Three shots rang out in rapid succession. Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of the shots. They all froze. Three shots attributed to a C7A2.
"...Oh shit!" Farren got to his feet and readied his rifle, waiting for orders from Bryson.
"God damn it! Not this shit again! 2-Section, RNJR! Engage that threat right now! 2IC take over! Get this platoon and the CO inside one of these houses right now! GO!"
Upon the Platoon Commander's orders, the group dispersed to their respective tasks.
Farren and Owens darted into the forest with Jerome not far behind, but all of them were outrun by a red blur leaving rose petals behind.
"LAV 2-2, LAV 2-3, GET UP HERE, NOW!" Bryson screamed into his radio while following the section into the woods.
"Solid copy, LAV 2-2 is oscar mike."
"2-3, en route."
The LAV came into view for Farren, but all he could see was team RNJR with their weapons drawn, standing outside the dropped troop hatch.
"Ruby! What's going on in there?" Farren shouted and sprinted at top speed to meet them. He turned the corner and took his place next to Ruby and peered into the LAV, seeing three Canadian soldiers against the steel floor and Jack at knifepoint, his C7 discarded and laying in the dirt. A lone figure gripped the cursing pilot, arm locked behind his back and knife to his neck.
"...Shit…" Owens muttered when he laid his eyes on the scene in the LAV.
"Jack!" Jerome raised his rifle. "Hang on buddy!"
"Hold your fire, Private!" Bryson caught up with the group.
FORESTS OF VALE
PRESENT TIME
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Jack felt the cold steel blade rest upon the jugular of his neck. The man had Jack locked in place, unable to move any part of his body enough to fight back. CQC training had prepared him for this situation, but whoever this guy was, he knew what he was doing. Just as Jack had begun to think about how nice it would be if the roles were reversed on his captor, Master Corporal Farren and a group of soldiers ran to Jack's aid, guns drawn.
"Son of a Bitch!" Jack thrashed around, to no avail.
Farren shouldered his rifle and took aim, going right for the captors head.
"Wait! You take a shot in there and miss, it'll ricochet. You could kill your own man. Take a breath George, let's handle this the right way..."
"Only way this gets handled is me putting a bullet in this bastard!"
"Just one?" The lieutenant smirked sarcastically, but he never took his eyes off the target.
"I'll make it hurt." Farrens disposition was focused on the innards of the LAV.
The three soldiers on the ground began to groan, proving they were still alive, but down and out.
"Just...everyone relax! We can figure this out! Let the kid go!" Bryson shouted
No response from the captor.
Dietz made his way through the grouping of soldiers, walking as calmly and slowly as possible. He came up beside Bryson and holstered his Browning 9mm.
"Any progress?"
"Sir, with respect, you shouldn't be out here without the Platoon! It's dangerous."
"Noted, Lieutenant, thank you. But as I understand there's a problem here, and I've come to figure out what that is. Would you mind if I took over here Lieutenant? My father was a desk Sergeant back home, I learned a few things from his trade."
"Sir, with all due respect, the CO should not be concerning himself with this. We can handle this."
"Why aren't we taking this more seriously?!" Nora exclaimed, watching the two officers converse in a relaxed state while there was a standoff going on.
"I have no doubt Lieutenant." Dietz crossed his arms and called into the LAV to Jack "How are you holding up in there Private?"
"I'm a little warm...Kind of thirsty. Could use a little bit more sleep. Oh and there's a knife to my throat, but other than that, just fine sir!….Now could someone waste this White Fang hoser?!" Being a smart ass was all Jack could think of to keep cool.
Jack felt the knife dig into his skin, just the slightest bit.
"I am not White Fang garbage, let's get that straight, kid!" The captor hissed at the soldier.
Jack grunted. "Yeah...my bad...I must've confused you with the other scum bags that hold people at knifepoint…Someone just shoot this asshole! Come on guys...blow him away already!"
"We'll hit you, dipshit!" Owens shouted. "Just chill out!"
"Shoot through me then! Smoke this son of a bitch!" Jack's rant was fueled by slight panic.
"Jack, try to relax okay?! We'll get you out of there!" Ruby tried to calm the soldier.
He was visibly less tense when she spoke. Of course, he was still anxious. "...Yeah...yeah okay...just, let's get a move on okay? Might try something stupid!"
"Don't. You'd regret that." The man finally spoke, trying to maintain control of the situation with threats.
"If you wanted to, you would have killed Private Carver already. And those LAV crewmen would be dead as well." Dietz started, slowly approaching the LAV.
"You're up sir..." Bryson stepped back, allowing the Captain to do as he wished.
Dietz stopped, pondering for a moment while observing what he could of the stranger. Most of the man was covered by the struggling Private who tried to shake loose. From what he could see, the man was tall, taller than Carver. His clothing appeared handmade; there were irregularities in the stitching. There were two tactical pouches that came around his upper thigh, and a bow and arrow were visible on his back. What stood out most, however, was the Coyote-like ears resting atop his head. The man was a Faunus, that much was clear.
"Weapons down everyone, weapons down. That's an order." Dietz leaned slightly to his right to where Farren remained firm "If he tries anything Master Corporal-"
The order confused RNJR, who at first hesitated to comply.
"I've got a round with his foreheads name on it.."
Dietz pat Farren on the shoulder and took a few steps forward, making sure to keep to Farren's left to maintain a line of sight. Dietz retrieved his Browning, unloading it and kicking it to the ground. More of that aura of non-hostility he had been talking about.
"My name is Commander William Dietz, Commanding officer of that warship floating off the coast. If you want to leave here alive, you answer to me. If not, you answer to that man with the high powered rifle pointed at your head. Understood?"
"Atlas does not intimidate me. You've walked over us for too long."
"Lieutenant…?" Deitz quietly called back, glancing over his shoulder.
"Atlas, one of the four Kingdoms. Big military, technologically superior." Bryson looked to RNJR to ensure his information was correct. Upon Ruby giving him the nod, he passed it on to Dietz with confidence.
"We are not who you think we are." Dietz would have found the prospect of confusing them for native forces funny, were a soldier's life not at stake.
"Aren't you?"
"Look at us. Look at our uniforms. Look at the flag on the young man's arm. Do you recognize that flag? Do you recognize this pattern? What about the weaponry, and the vehicle?"
"...If you're not Atlas then who are you? Why are you here?"
"You let the good Private Carver there go, and I'll tell you."
"What about that big man there, you said he'd shoot me."
"That big man is also a soldier who follows orders. You let him go and I give you my word, you will not be harmed. Isn't that right big man?"
The master corporal remained silent upon Detz asking the question.
"Master Corporal?"
Farren grunted to himself before replying. "That's right, Sir..."
It took a few seconds of a staredown before the mystery man responded. He slowly removed the knife from Jack's throat. Jack's hand immediately shot up to his throat, feeling it up like it was some sort of alien artifact. A small bit of blood stained his glove as he walked down the ramp to retrieve his C7. He stopped about halfway down the ramp. He turned around with his hand balled into a fist. Jack had to fight the urge to punch the man.
"Jack...get down here…" Jerome said quietly, snapping the soldier out of it.
Jaune grabbed the soldier by the shoulder and pulled him behind the front line standing off with the stranger. He made Jack lower his hand so he could inspect his throat for damage. There was a little cut, but nothing too serious.
"You okay?" Jaune asked.
"Y-Yeah. Asshole took out three of us by the time I got there and he jumped me. Managed to get three shots off...His aura took the rounds."
Ruby grabbed a cloth from a pouch on her belt and pressed it up against the soldier's throat. "Keep pressure on that, doesn't hurt to start fighting it now."
"Cheers, Rubes..." Jack's hand compressed the now red cloth against the small incision.
Trickles of sweat traveled down his forehead and his back while the gravity of the situation set in. He shook his head trying to get his head back in the game. "God damn it, man...that son of a bitch had a knife to my throat…"
"I know, but you're good, right?" Jaune lightly pat the soldier's cheek, testing his attentiveness.
"Yeah, not gonna tell my parents about that one. Or any of this." Jack forced a crooked grin before exhaling loudly.
"So who are you people?" The stranger wiped the small amount of blood off of his knife and placed it into a sheath on his shoulder. "Not Atlas, definitely not from Vale."
"That's one way of putting it. Have a seat, son." Dietz walked into the LAV, taking a seat on one of the troop carrying chairs before gesturing the stranger to sit as well.
The proximity between him and the captain made everyone uneasy. If he wanted to, he could lunge and kill the captain right then and there. Jack wasn't even sure if Farren, who was watching the man carefully with a readied stance and gaze, would be fast enough to kill him before he made a move. But it was a gamble the Captain had made, all they could do was hope it was a calculated gamble.
"Why don't we start with your name?"
"I don't think so. I let your Soldier go, I agreed to talk, I want the first answer. Who are you people?"
"We're the Canadian Forces. I'm a Captain in the Canadian Navy, and those men there are Infantry soldiers in the Canadian Army."
"...Canadian?"
"...Here we go again…" Jack sighed.
Even the Captain looked amused at the prospect of having to explain everything yet again. Although it was a reality they would have to face the longer they stayed in Remnant.
"We're foreigners, explorers if you will." Dietz started. "We...come from a country called Canada."
"Never heard of it." The warrior reached into his jacket abruptly.
The movement out of the blue, sprung Master Corporal Farren into action. He lifted his rifle, taking aim. The warrior's hand retreated from his jacket, slowly, holding a map.
"Easy, Master Corporal." Captain Dietz gestured the soldier to relax. "It's just a map."
"Show me." The man said while unfolding the map and placing it on his map. "Show me where."
For a moment, the Captain stared in awe the map, admiring its invaluableness to them. "I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"...Because Canada isn't on this map..."
The expression on the Faunus' face was soured with confusion.
"...What?"
"I said it's not on the ma-"
"I heard what you said...It just doesn't make any sense…"
"That's because they're not from Remnant." Jaune got straight to the point, tired of the beating around the bush.
"Kid, what do you take me for?"
"Look around you." Jaune pointed to the assortment of equipment, back peddling to the argument Dietz had made early in the negotiations. "Their weapons, their vehicles, their uniforms."
The man paused and thought about it momentarily before observing the soldiers more carefully.
"Seen anything like it before?" Jaune asked, knowing what the answer would be. The Huntsman crossed his arms across his chest plate and waited.
"No."
Jack had to applaud Jaune's more tactful explanation. It was far better and direct than his original contact with RNJR in the beachhead woods.
"Also, how easily did you take down the crew and Jack here? You even put a knife to his throat and caused slight bleeding. Unless you've got a semblance that cuts through Aura, they have none evidently."
It made more sense the more Jaune explained, which disturbed the man. Why would any of this make sense?
"You're a little young to be Huntsmen and Huntresses? Who are you people?" He asked, this time exclusively addressing RNJR.
"They're old enough to drop your ass!" Jack snapped.
"What about you, kid? Willing to give it another shot?!"
Jack slung his rifle and stepped forward, unfastening the velcro on his gloves, only to be held back by Ren and Nora.
"Private Carver, stand down!" Captain Dietz pointed to the soldier, but his eyes never left the stranger.
Jack exhaled loudly from his nose and fixed his posture once released. "Yes sir."
"We're Huntsmen and Huntresses in training." Ren explained.
"Then what are you doing all the way out here? You're a long way from Haven Academy."
Ruby sighed and nodded. "We know that, believe me. But we're not Haven students...We're from Beacon."
"Beacon? So some of you did survive…What are you doing all the way out here? What the hell happened?!"
"It's a long story, and we'd be happy to tell it. But let's start with your name."
The man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Hunter."
TEMPORARY COMMAND POST
ABANDONED VILLAGE
20 MINUTES LATER
Dietz remained silent throughout the interview. As Bryson asked the questions, Dietz stood back and listened, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and find holes in his story, if there were any. Bryson's inquisitive nature was an essential asset in this circumstance, if the Forces didn't work out; he'd make one hell of a lawyer. Every so often he would look out at the soldiers going about their business, sometimes looking past them into the wilderness. Occasionally he would look out at the bonfire stretched across the length of the road. Even after hours since being lit, it's still roared a hot flame.
"So what happened to the people then? It looks like everyone up and vanished." Bryson was taking copious notes, ensuring he caught every important word and mannerism.
"They did." Hunter was forward, but confident in his answer.
"Did you have something to do with that?"
Hunter became visibly defensive. He pointed his finger accusingly at the officer.
"I did as much as I could when I knew what was happening. I would gladly lay down my life for these people." Realizing it was not an accusatory question, the man calmed down and took a sip of water. "Some stayed behind in order to fight. When I got back, this is what I found. When I saw you land on the beach with your ship and army, I assumed you were with them, coming back to finish the job."
"So what's with the bonfire in the middle of the road?" Dietz finally interjected, now turning his attention to their new asset
"That's rather simple it's-"
Farren stormed into the conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I have a situation report."
"That's fine Master Corporal. Let's make it quick."
Farren looked over to the man who had held Jack hostage just hours earlier. Farren gave him a scowl and turned back to address his superiors.
"Should the detainee be here for this, Sir? This is confidential."
"He's hardly a detainee, Master Corporal Farren. Hunter here is just explaining what's going on in the area. This is a sitrep Master Corporal, not really a breach of security. What do you have?"
Farren's angry eyes were hidden behind his tinted ballistic eyewear, but his jaw tensed as he grit his teeth. Something the captain took note of.
"I have rotating patrols sweeping the area and the injured are being looked at by the doc. A few hours of rest and they'll be good to go. They're just a tad bruised up and achin'. Everything else is SOP."
"Very good Master Corporal. But make sure the men are ready to leave when we give the call. Not much to see or do around here."
"Yes, sir." Farren turned on his heel and walked out.
"So, let me get this straight, 'cause this would make one hell of an action movie. This was a farming village that you lived in."
"For the last year or so, yeah."
"So walk us through what happened. Where are the farmers? Why did they leave?"
FORESTS OF VALE
30+ HOURS AGO
HUNTER
Unlike the present time, the forest was lush with autumn leaves, and thick bushes, ripe with berries. As the sun cut through a cloud in the sky, Hunter cut a path through the vinery and bushes, followed by a few men with arrows. The two men at the back of the pack carried what was a wild deer. Varying men in the formation carried fish and other various hunting equipment. The men carried on like they just left a battlefield, taking a sigh of relief once they reached the road.
"Alright people, take five minutes. Get a drink, take a rest, whatever you have to do." Hunter sheathed his machete and took a look around for possible Grimm, or worse.
As the man sat down to have a drink of water, two shots rang out in the distance. The echo startled a flock of birds hiding amongst the treetops. The men looked at one another, startled and disoriented. As the men rose to their feet, Hunter ordered the others to hide in the treeline. As he ran towards the sound of the shots, he retrieved his bow and arrow that was slung around his back As he ran, he knocked his arrow and drew in preparedness for danger.
PRESENT TIME
"And what did you find?" Bryson inquired
"A body. Atlas armor and tags. A child of one the farmers killed him." Hunter didn't make eye contact. He seemed distant, like he wasn't in the moment
"A child?" Bryson was taken aback, requiring confirmation
"Times were desperate."
30+ HOURS PRIOR
HUNTER
"When I got there, I saw Mary standing over him. Her jacket looked as if it had been ripped off in a struggle. Ever since I came to town, I saw her teaching the other kids to fight. All the kids needed to act ten years older than they were. That was the life on the frontier. I told the kids not to play in the forest without an adult. But they were kids after all…"
"I'm sorry Hunter! I'm sorry! I know what you said but-" The girl was twelve or thirteen, she was surprisingly calm despite taking a life, but she knew she had broken the rules and feared the repercussions.
"It's alright. You did nothing wrong. Now run home, I'll take care of this." Hunter had knelt down to look her in the eye.
"But-"
"No buts, go home."
The child, still visibly worried, ran back through the bushes towards the village. Hunter reached down and performed a fireman's carry on the body, balancing the limp man on his shoulder. The man alone was heavy enough, but he was packing a lot of gear, more than normal. Something was off. As he got through the treeline, he came upon the village where he was staying, his home for the last year. As he walked to the center of town, a man met him halfway. He was shorter and dressed more formally than the rest of the farmers. Behind him was the child Hunter had met in the forest.
"I was hoping Mary was just telling a story...What happened out there?"
"Another Atlas scout, more heavily armoured than the last one too. I think we should be preparing for the worst tonight. I'm not liking how this day has been playing out. Something's going down. Soon."
"Then we need to prepare the village. We're done taking orders from them." The man knelt down to the little girl's eye level and put his hand on either of her shoulders. "Run home to your parents Mary, let them know what happened and tell them to raise the militia."
"Mr. Walker, you can't expect to fight them. They're a professional army. After what they did to Beacon-"
"Beacon is exactly why we need to fight. We will not succumb to these bullies as Vale did. I won't allow it."
PRESENT TIME
The group listening to Hunter's retelling had gotten larger now. Jack, along with RNJR and the rest of 2 section were briefed and allowed to sit in. Jack took notes, describing the man and the story as swiftly as he could in his journal, filling the pages with retellings, tales, and descriptions of various heroes and monsters. The more he wrote, the more like a fairy tale his journal seemed to become...
"Atlas is attacking colonies? That's not like them." Ruby pointed out, looking back to the rest of RNJR for agreement.
"That would start a war if they were encroaching on other Kingdom's territories." Ren added.
"It wasn't until after I returned that I started to have suspicions. They're a splinter group. They have no contact with the kingdom. When you all arrived, I thought you were a cleanup crew, here to destroy any hint of what happened. Hunter looked over at Jack who was seated next to Ruby. "I am sorry about that."
"Yeah, sorry I almost shot you in the face, I guess." Jack shrugged and then turned to Ruby and tried to defend his combat skill and dignity. "I still think I could've taken him. I mean, I got a few hits in on Fenrir, right? Even dropped the punks aura!"
"What?" Hunter dropped his story immediately.
"Continue." Bryson interjected. "Don't mind him."
"What did you say?" Hunter pointed at Jack, disregarding Bryson's comment.
The group was silent and turned to face the soldier who had been called out.
"I said I think I could take you." Jack shut his journal and stuck to his guns, using confidence to make him seem more robust.
"Not that! Fenrir! Did you say Fenrir?"
Jack's heart sank. Why did he know of Fenrir? "...Yeah...The White Fang prick? Know em?"
"You dropped his Aura?" Hunter was genuinely shocked, as if there was any way that Jack could've done that.
"...Well...Yeah...I shot him...a lot…"
"Tell me everything you did. Everything, be as detailed as you can!" Hunter pushed through the crowd and took a seat next to Jack.
Jack looked around for guidance, finding nothing in the blank expressions and shrugging huntsmen around him. He looked to Lieutenant Bryson, who had been interrupted. Bryson gestured with his hand, beckoning the Private to roll with it.
Jack cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Umm...Let's make a deal...You finish up telling the Lieutenant what he wants to know...and I'll tell you everything."
"Deal." Hunter quickly stood up and made his way back over to the Lieutenant to continue the story. "Where was I?"
"Now we're gettin' somewhere." Jack muttered. Still, he had to wonder what the importance of Fenrir was to Hunter. Obviously, Hunter wasn't a member of the White Fang...Jack bore the cut for making that assumption. It would have to wait, though.
30+ HOURS PRIOR
"The militia was assembled in the center of town. I'd been training the locals for months, hoping that they would never need to use the training I provided. I was wrong. Anyone who was unable to fight was hidden in the common house. Anyone who could fight; did. That's the kind of people they were."
"The attack will likely come from North-North-West. Priority should be to keep them out of the town limits for as long as possible." Hunter had drawn out likely flanking routes and estimated force sizes. A group of militia members, mostly farmers, tried to memorize and retain all the information they could
"What about the Model 130's?" One member pointed out.
PRESENT TIME
"What are 'Model 130's'? Are they a weapon?" Bryson inquired.
"Early model androids that Atlas built years ago. We encountered them once before, nothing more than expensive cannon fodder." Hunter explained
"Atlas developed new ones based on the 130 model. It's how Beacon was destroyed." Ren added.
Jerome, who had been hugging his knees down by Jack's feet, bored, looked up at the mention of the Atlesian machines.
"Jack, did you hear that?" He looked equally terrified and excited. "They have Arnold Schwarzenegger on their side! How the hell are we supposed to beat the Terminator? I can't kill Arny, Jack. That's where I draw the line!" He whispered to his friend, who had looked completely confused.
Jack's confusion was justified. Ever since they arrived in Remnant, all they had seen were Grimm and small rustic settlements. Spare the Huntsmen and Huntress' weapons and dust munitions, there weren't many technological marvels around. But now they were hearing about fully operational military androids. He made sure to jot it down in his book.
EARLIER
"Those robots are old and stupid. They aren't the Atlesian Knights that hit Beacon. They'll walk with the rest of the main force down the road. Obstruct their path and they won't know what to do. Whoever's left will need to go around."
We dragged all the furniture we could to the western road. Bed frames, old cribs, desks, anything that could burn was piled and lit. The farmers extract this oil from the local flora that helps expedite the growing process on the crops. It also burns like a bitch.
The village, which just hours prior was teaming with life, looked like a ghost town. Lamps which were usually lit remained as cold as the air. The farmers took positions around the west road, a few meters in front of the burning barricade they had constructed
"It's past midnight, where are they? What's taking so long." A farmer asked
"When bullets start flying and you're frozen in fear, you're going to think back to this moment. Enjoy the peace." Hunter replied
The militia the farmers set up was sizeable, through Hunter knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn't be big enough. This whole situation would be suicide for the village, and he seemed to be the only one who knew that, or cared. An hour passed, then two and halfway through the third hour, they came. The robots were first, marching two by two, followed closely by roguish looking soldiers. They didn't march with discipline or have any cleanliness to their uniform.
"The 130's stopped dead in their tracks once they reached the village, didn't know what to do with the blockade. After we chased them into the forest, it all went dark. By the time I got back to the village, they were gone. The farmers, the kids, everyone. I searched around for hours, until I saw your ship on the horizon. They took them, all of them. I'm all that's left."
FOREST OF VALE
ONE KLICK NORTH-WEST OF VILLAGE
PRESENT TIME
"They must have gone around the village while we pushed the other forces back...They took everyone. The men, the women, and the children. I'm it..."
Jack looked up from his journal, a soured expression on his face.
"Why?" Jaune asked aloud.
"Your guess is as good as mine, kid." Hunter shrugged. "Labour? Control of the territory? We're the only other people out here...I figured at first Atlas had waged war after the attack on Beacon...but considering what you've told me I don't really know."
Owens and Farren had been standing next to the Lieutenant, coming up with their own theories.
"What about the food?" Owens asked.
"What?" Hunter looked over his shoulder.
"You said it yourself, you're the only other people out here. You have food and homes. They want what you got."
"If they are truly rogue, that's a likely possibility." Ren added his opinion to the mix.
"I think we're all missing an important detail here, boys." Corporal Ross, who had been entirely silent during the whole mission, finally spoke up.
"What's that?" Owens asked.
"What the hell is gonna happen to those people?"
"...Well..." Hunter scratched his chin. "These rogues are ruthless. I've seen it. I imagine they'll work them to the death for food harvests...or if they fight back or resist...they'll die."
Jack shut his journal and shoved it into his cargo pocket. The abrupt movement caught both Jerome and Ruby off guard and startled them as the soldier stood up and worked his way through the crowd and to the front.
"What can we do?" Jack asked, a little too direct for his own good.
"Jack, stop right-" Farren intended to cut the soldier off, only for himself to be.
"They're just kids and farmers, boss!" Jack argued. "You heard Hunter, these people are gonna die!"
"That's not your decision to make, Privat-"
"No, he's right, Master Corporal Farren." Surprisingly, Ross came to Jack's aid.
While on the inside, Farren agreed with the young soldier, he still had to maintain the chain of command and attempt to keep the trooper in line.
"Your job is to kill people, and mine is to help people, and your soldier is right, those people are gonna die if we sit here." Ross, as the company medic was entitled to an opinion regarding the health of the men and the populas surrounding the company.
The most shocking thing was the lack of any opinion coming from Bryson and the Captain. Both sat silently, watching it play out.
"Where are the Atlesian's set up, Hunter?" Captain Dietz calmly asked.
Farren turned his head to face the captain, shocked.
"Sir, any decision you make I will follow to the death, but with all due respect, if we do this, we're getting involved in indigenous conflicts. Are we sure we want to go that route?"
"He has a point, Sir." Bryson sighed.
"You agreed to help us, though." Ruby pointed out.
Dietz failed to retort, as, in the moment, the decision was made because they needed desperate help. This situation was slightly different.
"The mission was to communicate with this local population peacefully, ask for information and hopefully set up a trade line. These rogues are an obstacle to that objective." Carver tried to make his point heard again.
"Jack, I swear to God." Farren lifted his finger, ordering the soldier to shut his mouth.
The Captain observed the soldier momentarily, pleased with the response.
"Gentlemen, please." Dietz raised his hands, quieting the men down. "I've made my decision. Lieutenant, you and I need to talk." Dietz stood up and gestured the platoon commander to follow.
Once the officers had left, Farren stormed over to the confused looking Private.
"Come with me. Now."
Jack sighed, knowing he was in for it.
The superior and the subordinate walked off to the side, out of earshot of the group, however, not out of sight.
"You need to smarten up, kid. The beauty about the army is that decision made by higher ranks aren't up for discussion." Farren pressed a finger against Jack's body armour.
"What if it was one of us?" Jack shrugged. "You'd go, I know you would! Because it's the right thing to do."
"But it's not one of us!"
Jack grit his teeth, but fought against arguing for his own good.
"Look, Jack, I get it. You want to do the right thing. So do I. But you need to learn when to follow orders. I know you can, I've seen you do it. You're a talented soldier, don't throw it all away on an attitude."
"I don't understand."
"What do you mean you don't understand? What is there not to understand?"
"I was told never to take the easy way out...Always do the right thing. And boss, helping those people is the right thing to do."
Farren was about to speak until shouting, and other raised voices caught their attention. Both men turned to observe what the noise was about. Similar arguments broke out about what to do. Get involved or not.
"...It looks like you have some support, kid."
Private Carver watched in slight shock, surprised he garnered that much support from Ross and the others. Still, it wasn't right to have dissent among the ranks.
"It all comes down to what the Captain says, but realize that if we go in, people are gonna die, good people. And we're gonna make a name for ourselves, and maybe not a good one. Are you ready to face that?"
The soldier thought carefully about this. Killing Atlesian soldiers if it were to come to that, wouldn't be a good image for them. However, making peaceful contact with Huntsmen then liberating a village might be. It was a gamble, like all moves they would make in Remnant.
"Yes."
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER
Once Hunter had finished his story, Dietz and Bryson had a long talk alone. Undoubtedly they were debating on whether or not to get involved in local conflict and risking Canadian lives to do it. Whoever needed convincing to save the civilians, lost.
"Lieutenant!" Farren yelled to his platoon commander who was directing a section of soldiers loading supplies onto the LAV.
"-Just finish loading those crates and then report back to me what's left." The lieutenant had started to walk to Farren, calling back to the soldier who now seemed lost without the direction.
"What do you need Farren?"
The Master Corporal took a second to think, not because he didn't know what he wanted, but because he didn't know how to put it without seeming insubordinate.
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Bryson had his helmet underneath his arm and he looked visibly uncomfortable
"Always."
"I don't trust him."
"Who?"
"Who do you think? Our new house guest. He's hiding something. He's got soldier arguing against soldier back there over our next course of action."
Bryson snickered, playing it off as a poor-sport mentality "I think you're pissed that he one-upped us. That he one-upped your protege. You didn't trust Ruby at first either. In fact, you tried to shoot her, and then shot Private Carver in the chest when he dove in front."
"Think about it, Paul. It wasn't until after he learned we weren't Atlas he decided to let Jack go. One moment he's a one-man army, the next he's spilling his guts to us and splitting up the ranks. It ain't right."
"Are you saying that we should kick him to the curb? He's been an invaluable asset to us this far. He's the first person we've met other than Ruby and her team. If we go through with this, save those people, we have a whole village on our side. We could have food, George. Food and Intel. We have to take this chance."
The comment on resources and intelligence made the Master Corporal uncomfortable. It didn't seem right to help those in need for a reward. The damn kid was getting to him...
"Is that why we're doing this...? Food and Intel?" He sounded more like Carver than himself.
"You know that isn't what I meant. Intel and food is the difference between life and death out here, George. We need that. Of course, it's the right call to save those people, but I'll be damned if I turn down those valuable resources as a result."
Farren sighed and pondered to himself for a few minutes before changing the subject back to Hunter.
"All I'm saying is, watch your back. I wouldn't put it past him to make this whole thing up to escape, or to lead us to a trap."
Bryson thought quietly. Farren was one of the best soldiers in the platoon with an impeccable gut instinct. Extra security precautions wouldn't cost them anything, and if Farren was right, he would regret not taking the advice.
"You're going to be with upfront with us, okay? We'll zip tie his hands and keep him guarded. I'm sure the Captain wouldn't mind having you watch his back again.
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT
BRAVO COMPANY
1ST PLATOON
2 SECTION
PTE CARVER
Within half an hour the entire patrol was packed up and on the road towards Atlas' base on the island. The decision had been made to make contact with the Atlesian's in search of a peaceful resolution. If they resisted negotiations, proper escalation of force was to be used to rescue the prisoners...if they were still alive. An update was sent to the Brock to join them on the northern coast of the island, if they got the chance upon completion of the repairs. The road was dirt carved out of a treeline. Every so often the LAV would kick up a whole lot of dirt and Jack would inhale the particles. After about two hours the group finally stopped at the base of a steep hill. Jack rested upon the trunk of a tree and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, taking long and hard gulps of water from his canteen.
"That was some nasty ass terrain. I haven't done a march like that since BMQ...I can feel the blisters forming..." Jerome found a rock next to Jack to lay on while the officers talked again with the POW.
"Boy, do you two have the right idea." Sam came up on Jacks left and laid down in the dirt, no care for lumbar support as he did.
"Did you guys inhale a pound of dirt on that trip or was that just me?" Jack spit some of his water out after trying to cleanse his mouth of dust.
"Yeah, since when do we march behind the LAV while Farren gets to mingle with the Officers?" Sam added.
"Remember boys! LAVs spread disease! So stay light Infantry!" Jerome impersonated their company commander, who would always remind the company of one invaluable transportation device should the LAVs break down; their legs.
"Pfft, death before dismount…" Jack muttered.
Sam pat the troops on the arms, garnering their attention.
"Heads up, Farrens coming this way and he doesn't look happy."
"When does he ever?" Jerome whispered.
The three soldiers slowly rose to their feet, looking like old men rising from a rocking chair when they did. As they stood waiting to be addressed, the three took a second to dust each other off.
"Two-section on me, the detainee is going to show us something pretty and the sirs' want us there. Let's hustle."
The group of men gathered their gear and weapons, following closely behind their Master Corporal. Bryson was in the midst of doing roll calls when the section arrived.
"Two-section, present and accounted for." Farren announced upon their arrival on the scene.
"Good. Hunter, fill these fine gentlemen in." Lieutenant Bryson took a step back, letting Hunter take it from there.
"The Atlesian base is just visible from the top of this hill. It's fortified and lightly defended the last I heard. The prisoners will be kept in the deepest part of the base. Once I show you, I can point out weaknesses in the defences. Any questions?"
"Yeah." Farren said with a raised hand. "What kind of shit are my men walking into? Enemy firepower?"
"We'll be facing Atlesian Infantry and Atlesian Mechs. They have good training and weaponry, but being rogues has obviously taken a toll on discipline and their quality of work. The mechs are old walking scrap, so focus your fire, and you'll be okay. These aren't the mechs your Huntsmen here faced at Beacon. We have superior numbers and discipline."
Bryson saw Farren glaring at him from the corner of his eye. His expression did all the talking it needed. As the group dispersed, Bryson approached Dietz who was looking over a manifest
"Before we go, Sir, may I have a word with you?" Bryson appeared to be visibly concerned. Much like Farren, he wasn't sure how to bring up the topic to the Captain.
"Of course. Master Corporal, have everyone ready to move in five and watch Hunter for me."
"Yes, Sir." Farren leaned back against the lav and kept his finger on the trigger guard, keeping a direct line of sight on the prisoner.
"I think we should reconsider our relationship with our asset."
"Hunter?"
"I'm hearing dissent amongst the lower ranks. They don't like how we're playing ball."
"Is this why you had him zip tied and guarded at the last minute?"
"If I'm wrong we lose nothing. If I'm not, then…"
"Message received." Dietz took a moment to plan out how this was going to work. Hunter would not like being shafted at the last minute. He needed an excuse.
"Corporal Klinger, have our friend here draw out a map of the region. I want to know the best possible approach and every defence on our path."
As the three men climbed the mountain, the vista below began to reveal itself until an unknown object came into view. Once they reached the top, one thing became vitally clear; Atlas wasn't using a conventional structure as their base, nor was it lightly guarded. There, planted on the beachhead was an Atlesian battleship. Debris from its wings and superstructure littered the landscape around it. Broadside batteries had devastated the land on either side of the ship which made that the worst part of the whole situation. It had power, and enough firepower to sink the Brock and kill any progress they had made. It had enough ordinance to obliterate the expedition several times over.
This would change things. Greatly.
"He lied." Farren murmured bluntly. "I don't know about you, but that is not what he described. Lightly guarded base? That's a fuckin' warship and an army! If we roll up there in our LAVs this is gonna be Op Medusa all over again…"
"Bring Hunter up here, immediately. He'll answer to me." Dietz' hand formed into a fist as he contemplated his next action. He was played, they all were.
Farren and Bryson both raced back down the hill following Dietz' order. Farren was the first down the hill; he was both pissed that he turned out to be right, and happy he got to rough up the man who threatened Jack. It seemed like a little bit of justice to Farren. At the top of the hill, Dietz retrieved a pair of binoculars to get a read on the area. As he got to what he presumed was the bow, big blue letters carried out the name of the battleship.
"Alsius."
A/N: And so the crew of the Brock and the Grunts of 1RCR delve deeper into Remnant to meet new people, coming across more dilemmas and violence as they press on. What else could go wrong, right? As always, we hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Please feel free to let us know what you thought or if you have any questions, fire away. We're curious to see how you all are liking the characters and what's going on. By the way, new terms and even a new category has been added to the glossary. Lastly, should anyone want to try and have a Steam or Xbox game night, hit us up on Steam (Steam IDs: The Dusty Scrub, Starwarsmast3r) and Xbox (GTs: A Savage Goose, Starwarsmast3r)
-*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 or Major)
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: - *NEW ENTRIES*
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)
COMPANY QUARTERMASTER- Company Quartermaster, or CQ, is the individual appointed by the chain of command to be in charge of the company's weaponry maintenance, keeping track of and handing out weaponry. - *NEW*
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 a 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).
C14 TIMBERWOLF- The Timberwolf is the Sniper Rifle used by the Infantry's sniper units. It is a bolt action rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum
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. The entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.
NAVAL TERMINOLOGY: - *NEW ENTRIES*
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. The helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment 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 charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control, and listening stations.
OOW- Officer of the Watch. Also, acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.
PORT- Left-hand side of the ship
REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- Safety protocols to protect the engines from long-term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.
TAO- (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.
QUIET ORDERS- Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.
STARBOARD- Right-hand side of the ship
STERN- Back of a ship
CONN- The act of controlling a ship's movement and direction. - *NEW*
1MC- Ship-wide public address system. -*NEW*
BRIDGE WING- A balcony type platform only accessible on the bridge that allows for an unobstructed view of a ships surroundings. *NEW*
BASES: - *NEW ENTRIES*
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
CFB EDMONTON- CFB Edmonton, also referred to as "Club-Ed" is a detention facility for Canadian Forces members run by the Military Police. - *NEW*
CHARACTERS: - *NEW CATEGORY*
ARMY
PRIVATE JACK CARVER- A relatively new member to 1RCR, Jack Carver is a seventeen-year-old Toronto born soldier in the Canadian Army's Infantry Corps. Jack joined the army to emulate his father, Desmond, and serve his country. The young soldier is fairly awkward, credited to his age. He can be sarcastic and quippy, but most believe this to be in defence of his nervousness and awkwardness. Though young and relatively inexperienced prior to the Remnant Incident, Jack Carver has the potential to be a hyper-lethal soldier as he is reported to have a sense of purpose that is almost frightening
PRIVATE JEROME LEWIS- Close friend and fireteam partner to Jack Carver, Jerome Lewis, a nineteen-year-old Infantry soldier, joined the military and was placed on the same BMQ and Infantry course as Jack, and was posted to 1RCR with him, forging a close bond between the soldiers over their years of training together. Lewis is often described as the funny man of the group, often earning the nickname "Joker" among peers and is almost always trying to crack a joke to lighten the situation.
CORPORAL SAM OWENS- A generally moody, yet talented C9 machine gunner, Corporal Owens is the second in command of 2-Section to test his capabilities for a primary leadership course to obtain the rank of master corporal. For the most part, Corporal Owens cares little about the rank, and more about the well being of his men, even if it's hard to notice under his brash demeanor.
CORPORAL CODY ROSS- The Company medic for Bravo Company, Cody Ross is a talented medical expert, having spent years as an EMT before enlisting in the Canadian Army to treat battlefield wounds.
CORPORAL JOSEPH AIDEN- Joseph Aiden is a company asset Sniper for Bravo Company, 1RCR assigned to a sniper team led by Warrant Officer Gage. Aiden is reported as being relatively laid back and calm that lines up with most snipers in the Canadian Forces.
MASTER CORPORAL GEORGE FARREN- 1RCR veteran soldier George Farren is one of the experienced soldiers in the battalion, having several tours in Afghanistan including the infamous Operation Medusa in which Farren engaged and killed several enemy combatants. He is now the commander of 2-Section within 1st Platoon to test his leadership capabilities and to prepare him for the rank of Sergeant. He knows how to kill, now the chain of command tests if he can lead.
LIEUTENANT PAUL BRYSON- Paul Bryson initially joined the military as a non-commissioned member and was trained by Master Corporal Farren on his Infantry course. Sometime after, the man commissioned, using his university degree to become an Officer and now leads 1st Platoon within Bravo Company of 1RCR.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DARREN REID- Darren Reid is the Commanding Officer of the entire 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment after spending several years as a lower ranked officer in the Battalion. An experienced soldier and leader.
NAVY
COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ-Commanding Officer of the Isaac Brock, Captain William Dietz is a seasoned sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy. Dietz first tour of duty was on Canada's last aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure and slowly climbed the ranks until his first command during the first Gulf War in 1991. After his many commands and long career, Dietz has become old guard in the Navy. He heavily follows protocol, even when the situation may not call for it. This made him the prime candidate for command of the Navy's newest flagship. The Isaac Brock has had many successful deployments under Dietz, but Remnant will test even his resolve.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL KENDALL-Serving as Executive Officer aboard the Brock, Lieutenant- Commander Michael "Mike" Kendall is a fresh face in the Royal Canadian Navy. For many years he served as a pilot in the Airforce before changing his trade to the Navy. Unlike many officers, Kendall takes a more hands-on approach to leadership. He is considered the buffer between the higher officers and non-commissioned members aboard the ship. This alternate approach to command means he sometimes bends the rules to get results, putting him at odds with Dietz. Like any good soldier Kendall remains loyal to a fault, and despite their differences, Dietz and Kendall run one of the most highly rated crews in the Navy.
LIEUTENANT ASHLEY BECKETT-Lieutenant Ashley Beckett is one of the many officers who works behind the scenes to keep the ship running smoothly. Her position as Officer of the Watch leaves her in command whenever Dietz or Kendall are not manning the bridge and relays all commands aboard the ship. Unlike her XO, Beckett's family is career Navy, meaning her only real choice was between serving on a surface vessel or submarine. Like many of the lower officers, she still has much to learn from those appointed above her
CHIEF RICHARD ENGINEER SCOTT-Without the engineering prowess of Chief Engineer Richard Scott, the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock would simply be a 41,000 tonne paperweight. A tedious education through the Royal Military College, Fleet school and a masters in marine engineering made him a prime candidate for the Brock's senior command. Nicknamed after the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, Scotty is a workaholic who mainly keeps to the lower decks, though he'll tell you "It's not work if you love it." Scotty marshals the resources of tens of highly trained engineers and oversees one of the most complex power plants at sea. There simply is no one more qualified than him, or crazy enough.
AIRFORCE
LIEUTENANT OLIVIA LANGER- Taking after her mother, Langer joined the airforce the moment she could with the intent of flying jets. After some time flying CF-18's and even instructing, Langer wanted to try something new and transferred to the tactical helicopter squadrons that fly the CH-146.
REMNANT
RUBY ROSE- The daughter of legendary team STRQ members Tai-Yang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, Ruby sought the warrior's life from a young age after hearing stories of grandeur and the importance of heroes in Remnant's history. After attending Signal, a precursor combat school, and constructing her Scythe Sniper Rifle; Crescent Rose, Ruby was pushed up two years to attend Beacon Academy after encountering Professor Ozpin. She was the leader of team RWBY. Since the fall of Beacon after the White Fang and Grimm assaulted the facility, Ruby now aims for Haven to track down those responsible, before they can enact the same terror on Haven Academy.
NORA VALKYRIE- Eccentric warrior and faithful companion to Ren, Nora Valkyrie is a heavy hitting huntress in training who attended Beacon academy as a part of team JNPR. After the fall of Beacon, Nora joined the remainder of her team and Ruby Rose in her mission to travel to Haven academy and bring those responsible for the fall of beacon to justice.
JAUNE ARC- With a family legacy of heroes, Jaune saught the life of heroics from a young age and even forged documents to attend beacon academy, though severely lacking in skill. With the aid of comrade Pyrrha Nikos, the leader of team JNPR developed leadership and combat skills during his tenure. After the death of Pyrrha, Jaune joined RNJR in a bid to locate those responsible.
LIE REN- The calm and collected warrior Lie Ren has spent a better part of his life with Nora Valkyrie after his village was destroyed by a powerful creature of Grimm. Together they made their way to Beacon in order to become a Huntsman and Huntress
HUNTER- Hunter is a man stricken with tragedy, but pushed by duty. Much like Jack his hate for the White Fang is his guiding principle. He will do whatever it takes to see thier movement burn. Once a member of a large and productive community, everything Hunter knew was swept out from under him. Hunter is a stalker, he lurks in the shadows and his coyote-like traits make him an excellent huntsman. Now, he works with the strangers from a mysterious land to enact revenge on those who took everything from him. But they won't always see eye to eye.
HOSTILES
LIEUTENANT FENRIR- A ruthless and savage White Fang warrior, not much is known about the past of Fenrir, other than that his grandparents were great war veterans and his parents were White Fang members killed in a riot. The warrior shows no mercy against human threats and now directs his rage at the strangers, particularly one individual who managed to deplete his aura.
CAPTAIN ACCALIA- The older sister of Fenrir, Accalia is a lethal warrior, trained to fight and kill from a young age. However, unlike her brasher younger brother, Accalia is a brilliant tactician who opts to use her mind rather than her weapons but will occasionally join in the fray to keep her skills sharp.
NON-COMBATANTS
DOCTOR BRIAN GROVE- Doctor Grove was a scientist aboard the HMCS Endeavour upon the first discovery of the Remnant Anomaly. He and members of his team were sent beyond the threshold to study what lied beyond. Upon their arrival, they were attacked by the Grimm and Grove was the sole survivor and was rescued weeks later by Private Carver and Master Corporal Farren.
ALEX CARVER-Younger brother to Private Jack Carver, Alex was born when the Carver family was still living on a military base. By the time Alex was old enough to go to school, he developed cancer in his body and his father retired from the Military as a result, and Jack began his aspirations to serve. To emulate his father and his older brother, Alex dreams of becoming a soldier just like his brother.
MAJOR (RETIRED) DESMOND CARVER- The father of Private Jack Carver, Desmond Carver was a soldier in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry for decades, obtaining legendary status for his many tours and heroics. Much of the man's service record is blacklisted, placing a shroud of confusion around the soldier, all that is known is that he was a Jump Qualified combat soldier for a long time before becoming a Major.
CATHERINE CARVER- Spouse of legendary soldier Desmond Carver and Mother of aspiring legend Jack Carver, Catherine is used to the military lifestyle after moving between posts for years before the birth of the couples first son, Jack.
PRIVATE (KIA) DAVID FARREN- Private Farren was the son of Master Corporal George Farren and was killed in Afghanistan during Operation Medusa. The young soldier was in a different company than his father to avoid conflict of interest but was killed nonetheless by Taliban RPG fire.
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
REVEILLE- A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up.
SOP- Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with specific scenarios.
POG- Short for Personnel/Persons Other than Grunt, a term generally used in a demeaning manner for members who are not in the Infantry. -*NEW*
