Hello everybody! I give to you a new chapter...you know the usual BS. Anyways, I am trying something new here, I made this chapter a little bit longer in length so you will be able to have more story.
Oh yeah before I forgot, it has not come up in reviews or in feedback yet, but before anyone asks, the RWBY cast in this story are a few years older than the canon RWBY. Think of their canon age and add like 3 years and thats about how old they are in this universe give or take.
(Review answer time!)
Erdrick the great-Mission failed we'll get em next time.
Will we? That's for me to know and for you ponder. (Just kidding, I'm still developing the plot line so your question is one that goes through my head occasionally)
Mortzo-good story hope to read more :D
I dunno if I can do that request, perhaps you can read below this review section to see my answer on that question.
I Want To Die69-I absolutely despise cliffhangers...unfortunately I love this story. Damn you and your awesome story, I didn't ask for this. Why have you done this?
Well Rooster Teeth literally launched the cast off of a cliff...so I thought maybe do something different would be a nice change of pace, which is why I do cliffhangers...alright that was stupid excuse I apologize. I do cliffhangers because I uh can I guess...innocently whistles
Company Master Fabien Orion-Schnee Enfield?...really that was painful.
So my renaming isn't always on point. I think its a clever nod to Lee as they both end it two EE's so there. Logic at its finest.
Don't forget to smash that like button...oh wait wrong site. Disregarding that, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
(I Do Not Own RWBY, but that doesn't mean I can't write a fan-fiction about them)
The Soldier's Battleground
ザー・ソールジュズ・バタルフィールド
Chapter VIII: Baptism by Fire
'Father always told me confidence is the key to impressing any woman, I highly doubt that included giving a woman your own gas mask and then giving them a thumbs up as you head out in hopes of finding a spare mask…'
By now the gas attack had already too roll in and soldiers scrambled to put on the lifesaving mask to keep out the toxic air about to roll over them. Unfortunately, when the mind is put under stress, actions that could be considered simple to do, like putting a gas mask on in training, became almost impossible when faced with the prospect of death. This became apparent when the sounds of choking and coughing could be heard from Atelsian soldiers who had not been able to properly put on their masks.
To those who were properly covered, they could only watch in silent horror as the person next to them writhed in pain. Some shots could be heard throughout the trench from soldiers who had shot themselves rather than suffer a painful and agonizing death from the gas. Jaune came across one such soldier who hadn't been able to put on his mask quick enough and was now lying dead in their own pool of blood.
'I'm sorry buddy.' He reached down and with a practiced motion, slipped the mask over his head before exhaling as hard as he could to help disperse the minute amount of deadly gas that could be trapped inside the mask when he had put it on. Taking a tentative sniff, Jaune could tell from experience that there wasn't enough gas left in the mask to hurt him, he took a deep breath in to replenish the oxygen that he had been deprived of when he had left his underground room.
The sounds of weapon's being armed could be heard throughout the trench line as a gas attack typically was followed up with an infantry assault. Having ample experience in this matter, Jaune pulled out his bayonet from its sheath and attached it the end of his rifle. Others around him soon followed suit with his action, and after everyone was done an eerie silence fell across the trenches.
'One of the problems with a gas attack is having to fight in this restrictive mask and locating the enemy in said gas cloud. Wait I think I see…' A lone bullet pierced through the cold air and hit an unlucky Atelsian in their head as the sound of a helmet being hit could be heard right before the soldier slumped down back into the trench.
Fwee! Fwee! The sounds of whistles being blown, could be heard coming from the gas cloud and seeing as how that was the signal for the enemy to attack, the Atelsian soldiers took it as an invitation to respond in kind. Once again the sounds of war erupted across the land as both sides fought for supremacy over the other.
Jaune saw the glint of a bayonet as a masked Imperial soldier came charging out of the cloud he quickly aimed up the shot before pulling the trigger and dropping the enemy soldier. Not having any time to waste, he pulled the bolt back quickly before pushing it back forward and loading a new round into the barrel. A few bullets sprayed the area in front of him but didn't faze him as that was a common occurrence.
'I find it normal when a bullet misses me by a few inches and strikes the area around me…I need a physiatrist when this is all over to help explain to me the dictionary meaning of normal.' Another round left his rifle and an enemy soldier cried out in pain as they gripped their leg from the hit. Even though killing a soldier was preferred, as it took care of them permanently, wounding a soldier also took them out of the fight at least temporarily as they healed.
An enemy round hissed by Jaune and impacted the trench wall behind him, leaving behind one of many bullet holes in the wood boards. But that fact went unnoticed by him as he had more pressing issues on hand. Firing off a few more rounds into the now dispersing gas cloud meant that he had to reload his weapon in order to continue fighting. Leaving the bolt action open, Jaune reached down to his waist and pulled out a fresh bullet clip, before pressing it down into the built in magazine of his rifle. He raised the weapon to his shoulder and continued firing at the advancing enemy soldiers charging his trenches.
Even though the Atelsian soldiers tried their best in repelling the incoming enemy. With the disastrous defeat the other day, no allied reinforcements had come to replace all the soldiers who had fallen, which meant the frontlines were currently undermanned and it was because of that reason, that Jaune found himself shoving his rifle to the side to divert the incoming bayonet that an Imperial soldier had tried to skewer him with. After he knocked aside the threat he quickly brought his rifle forward and stabbed the soldier in front of him.
Jaune fell onto his back as the dead soldier slumped forward towards him and he was unable to support the rather heavy weight attached to the end of his rifle. Being on one's back as the enemy was trying to overrun your position was not advisable and he hastily stood back up, pulling his rifle out of the dead body while doing so. He discharged the firearm point blank into the chest of another Imperial soldier that was trying to jump into the trench.
Taking a quick glance to his sides he noticed that a good amount of Imperial soldiers had been killed when they had jumped into the trenches and were strewn about the floor of the trench, But the same could also be said for how the Atelsian soldiers as well as many of them were also lying dead on the ground. When two people were trying to kill each other with a bayonet, more often than not, the person with more experience and training would be walking away from that encounter. Which is why so many bodies of both sides littered the ground.
Jaune didn't have time to fully dwell on the matter as he found his rifle being knocked to the side, with his primary means of stopping the incoming blade gone, he did the only thing he could do on such short notice. Trade one pain for another. Both his hands shot up and he gripped the blade that was heading towards his chest. He started to feel terrible pain flare up in both of his palms as they were easily cut open from the sharp weapon.
Ignoring the pain, he jerked the blade away from his body and pulled the rifle downwards, which made the Imperial soldier come close enough to him that he was able to raise his right foot and kick them away. Not passing up the opportunity, he drew Crocea Mors and lunged towards the stunned enemy soldier with both of his hands on the handle. A primal yell tore from his throat as he stabbed the soldier in the gut. When he twisted the blade sideways, blood started to spurt out and spray his mask in a deep red color.
Bringing an arm and wiping it across the lenses was enough to see out of his mask, a faint pink layer of fluid could still be seen around the edges of the lenses, but that went unnoticed by him as he sheathed his knife and picked up his rifle before aiming it towards an enemy that was about to stab an Atelsian soldier, who was on their back defenseless. A shot was fired, and another casualty was added to the ever growing death count.
Ejecting the spent casing from the rifle, he chambered a fresh round and fired off another shot into the chaos surrounding him. Before he was able to fire off another shot, an immense pain bloomed from the back of his head and he stumbled forward from the impact. He rolled on his back and saw an Imperial soldier with a trench shovel raised above their head.
'Why couldn't it be a bat, at least then I could say he hit my melon...'
The Imperial soldier jerked as a round found its way into their chest and they dropped the shovel as they crumpled to the ground. Taking the save in stride, he scrambled to his feet and tackled another Imperial soldier who had jumped into the trench. Even though the war had stalemated with neither side being able to gain ground against the other. That didn't mean each side didn't try to maul the hell out of each other when they clashed against each other. The definition of brutality would find no better example than what the men and woman of both sides had to do in order to survive the gruesome and gory wasteland that was the battlefield. Which was what Jaune found himself about to do.
His hand shot forward and gripped the edge of the mask that the Imperial soldier was wearing in front him, he yanked the the life saving equipment from their face and threw it behind him. Even though the enemy had lost their mask, that didn't mean they couldn't hold their breath in a last ditch attempt to not inhale the deadly gas cloud that was hanging in the air. Jaune wouldn't have any of that and he gripped the back of the enemy soldiers head before slamming them into the wooden trench wall. But while getting your face smashed against hurt like hell that didn't mean you necessarily would die from the hit. Which Jaune permanently fixed as he buried Crocea Mors into the back of their neck.
Once again he found himself wiping the blood from his mask to be able to see from it. Taking in the scene around him he was slightly surprised to see that the out manned Atelsian forces had been able to hold the line from the advancing Imperial soldiers. He grinned at the sight in front of him, not wasting the chance he raised his hand into the air and pointed it towards the enemy lines.
"Forward! Push them back to their lines!" He grabbed a random rifle from the ground and climbed up one of the trench ladders that led into 'No Man's Land'. Many soldiers joined him in climbing into the wastelands to push back the enemy forces that had tried to take over their trench.
"Come on, move it up, move it up!" Weapons were fired, lives were lost. But the Atelsian soldiers were slowly able to repel the enemy attack and a sense of hope passed through the men and women of Atlas at what they had been able to do. More Atelsian soldiers poured out of the trench as they killed off the last of the Imperial forces still fighting in the Atelsian trenches.
'We can do this! I know we can push them back!' Jaune yelled as he bayoneted another enemy soldier into the ground. He kept yelling out encouragement to the Atelsian soldiers around him to keep pushing forward towards the Imperial lines. Before long, the Imperial soldiers had been pushed back into their own trenches and were now furiously trying to repel the advancing Atelsian forces. That was abundantly made easier once their machine guns started to tear into the Atelsian soldiers approaching their position.
Jaune dropped to the ground in order to avoid getting hit by the deadly weapon. But sadly some soldiers around him didn't get down fast enough as they found themselves getting to shreds by the blistering fire. Not wanting to be pinned by the machine gun, he reached over to the bloody remains of an Atelsian soldier who had been cut down by enemy fire and grabbed a grenade from their equipment belt. He started to crawl forward, trying to keep his body as close to the ground as possible.
'I'm mud, I'm mud, don't mind me I'm just mud...my drill sergeant would have loved to hear my say this...' Jaune chanted internally to himself as he got within throwing range of the machine gun nest. Finding himself behind a small embankment, he pulled the pin on the grenade and was about to throw it when a resounding boom pierced the air, the gun went silent and he peeked out over his cover to see that the machine gun now had a sizable hole in its frame and the crew that manned the gun nowhere in sight. Still that didn't mean they couldn't just be hiding from whatever had just hit their gun. So for good measure, he lobbed the grenade into their position, and was rewarded with a satisfying explosion.
'What in the world hit the machine gun? that was a decent size hole in the frame.' Looking behind him he saw a figure that looked vaguely familiar holding what looked to be a long rifle of sorts. 'She looks oddly familiar but I can't place from where...' The thought would have to be answered later as the sound of whistles could be heard in the brisk afternoon air.
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" Even though he disagreed with the order, as they were so close to the Imperial lines. Jaune knew that they didn't have enough manpower to secure and hold the enemy trenches. When he started to crawl back towards friendly lines he saw that the young woman was no longer were he had seen her.
A sarcastic thought floated through his mind as he crawled through the mud. 'What was the point of crawling through the mud? She not only takes my moment that I was about to shine in, but she disappears without giving me an apology! how rude of her!'
'Once again the fruitlessness of this war was proven, when each side tried to push the other back, only to end with both sides unable to secure what they had taken and having to retreat back into their original positions they were in at the beginning of the day. We push, they push, and for what? All that happens is just more causalities...I need some tea right about now.' Jaune swayed a bit as he tried to make his way back to his quarters. 'Dang getting hit in the head sucks, its like getting a hangover without actually touching a single drop of alcohol, which reminds me I feel like I'm forgetting something...' His mind was a bit muddled from the shovel to the back of his cranium. Still, pretty much anyone wouldn't be feeling to hot from getting smacked with a shovel.
The correct thing to do in this situation would be to get checked out by a doctor, but the only thing going through Jaune's mind was getting a cup of tea and passing out in his bed. He finally had made it back to the entrance of his quarters and a small smile made its way onto his face. "Time for a proper cup of tea." He pushed the cloth flap aside and stepped inside, only to be taken aback by the scene in front of him. A familiar lone figure was aiming a very dangerous and highly effective pistol right towards his head.
"Whoa! Friendly fire on! Don't shoot me! I've already had my fill for the day!" Jaune threw his hands into the air in mock surrender. Seeing that he wasn't wearing a gas mask. The young woman lowered her weapon and pulled off the rather stuffy gas mask from her face. "You're alive."
"Well seeing as how I'm standing in front of you, I think that's a fairly accurate statement." Jaune's face took on a deadpan look.
"You gave me your gas mask before recklessly going outside into the toxic gasses without it, I think it would be more strange if the thought of you not returning didn't cross my mind in those current circumstances."
"Yeah your right, not one of my brighter ideas, but hey it worked out in the end so all is well. Actually I take that back, I need to get me some of the wonder drug known as Motrin for the headache I'm experiencing right now." Jaune dangerously wobbled on his feet as he made his way over to his bed and feel face down on the blankets. "Be a dear and wake me in five..." He dozed off before completely finishing the statement.
Blake studied the unconscious young man as she slowly stood up on her still quite sore legs and made her over to cover him in a blanket from the bed she was on.
"You are a strange man Lieutenant Arc, but I don't think that's a bad thing." With the simple act finished and knowing that things were relatively safe outside, she went back to her bed and curled up in the corner as she cracked open the book that she had been unable to read up until this point. 'Let's see what this Ninja's of Love is all about.'
Jaune groggily opened his eyes and with a bleary vision, gazed about his room to try and find what had woken him up from his wonderful slumber. After a few seconds of searching, his gaze landed on a cup that had steam coming from it. The familiar smell of tea filled his nostrils and he threw off a blanket that he didn't remember having on when he had fallen asleep. Putting the blanket mystery aside, he reached over and grabbed the hot cup and took a sip of the tea. Before he was able to take another drink, a small cough made him pause and he looked up to see the other person in the room holding a book in their lap and giving him a leveled stare.
"If you wouldn't mind, could I have the cup back, I was drinking my tea from it." She lightly gestured in his direction.
"Oh, this is yours? I'm sorry I thought it was mine." Jaune handed the cup over to the young woman, who gratefully took it back from his grasp.
'An indirect kiss! I can't believe I shared an indirect kiss with her...then again I've probably done this type of thing with dozens of other people as well. Now my high school self would have probably legitimately started to freak out in this moment, but at this point, sharing canteens is such a common occurrence that I don't even mind it anymore.'
"No your good, you seemed a bit out of it when you reached for it in the first place. I should have said something earlier as well."
Now that he was a bit more alert and awake to his surroundings, he noticed that the book in her lap wasn't just any book, but the one he had given to her before the attack, and judging from a ribbon to make a temporary book mark she had gotten quite far in the book. "I see that you've read quite a bit of the book since I've been out, I'm going to take a guess and say that you've been enjoying it seeing as how far you've gotten through it."
"Your not wrong, when you fell asleep I decided that it was a good time as any to sit down, relax, and catch up on some reading. This book was able to fill that role for me adequately." Even though outwardly Blake had a calm disposition, her inner self was a bit more excited than she was letting on. 'Are you serious?! This book is a masterpiece! I have not found myself so drawn into main characters such as the two in this book! The romance is so sweet and tender between the lovers. Which makes the smu...I mean artistic scenes all the more enjoyable!'
"So the book was alright then, I'm glad you enjoyed it, aha." Jaune rubbed the back of his head rather sheepishly from the simple feedback she had given him.
"Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to finish this before I have to leave. A shame really, as I found it an enjoyable read."
A thought crossed Jaune's mind but before he was able to vocalize the idea, Captain Goodwitch and another soldier decided to crash the party that he totally was having. That line of thought died when a glare was sent his way as if she had heard his sarcastic thought.
"Captain Goodwitch." He gave her his full attention as she didn't seem to be in the mood for joking.
"Lieutenant Arc, I need to talk with you privately." She paused and her gaze fell onto the other woman in the room. "Alone, I know Ms. Belladonna fought alongside you earlier but she needs to leave. Corporal Ren will escort her back to the rear."
'Geez whats got your knickers in a bind?' Another glare was sent his way as soon as he thought that. Still whatever she wanted to talk with him wouldn't happen until the raven haired resistance fighter left.
"It has been a pleasure talking with you Lieutenant Arc, but I think its time for me to leave, thank you for the tea." Blake stood up and quickly started to gather the few belongings she had brought with her. A few moments later she had everything equipped and strapped onto her body. She gave a small bow to the two other people in the room and made her way over to the medic she had spoken with earlier.
"Wait, you forgot something." Jaune made his way over to her and stretched out his hand. "Here."
"Are you sure? I don't want to take something that your sister gave to you."
"I can always get another copy if I really want to." He gave her a friendly smile to try and help ease her concern on the matter. "When we meet again, I hope it is under more favorable circumstances."
She tentatively took the book from his grasp and shook his hand with her other one. "Stay safe Lieutenant." She left the room and his sight possible for the last time.
But the time to be sentimental could be put off for a later time as he didn't want to keep the Captain waiting longer than needed. "What do you need me to do?"
"We've...acquired some new equipment that we will be testing in a few hours from now. I need you to help organize the new reinforcements coming up to the front lines, as they will participating in the upcoming attack."
"New equipment? Are we getting new weapon's? Please tell me their nothing like the Chauchat."
If was even possible, Goodwitch's face became even more serious. "Lieutenant, if this new equipment works as intended, then this war may soon be over."
That statement made Jaune quite curious as to what this new equipment could possible be, saying that the war may soon be over was not something that had crossed his mind in a long time. "Ma'am, what is this new equipment you are talking off?"
"The higher ups are calling them tanks. They claim that these tanks will clear a path through the barbed wire and to create cover for the Atelsian soldiers seeking refuge from enemy fire. I don't know if the claim is worth it or not, I personally would trust a horse any day over these mechanical beasts."
'And here I thought you carried a riding crop for punishing all the males who disobeyed you...yeah not going to continue that train of thought.'
"Tanks huh, well until I see with my own eyes on how well they do, all I know is that more lives are going to be lost in this upcoming battle."
"That Lieutenant Arc is the sad truth of war, there have always been causalities no matter how advanced our technology has become. Orders will be coming down so be ready to move out." With that, Goodwitch spun around and left Jaune to take in the order he had just been given.
"Well looks like its time to show more lads how to die." He promptly stopped continuing the rather morbid sentence and hastily made his way outside.
From the time he had stepped outside a few hours ago, to the time he had finished organizing the new reinforcements that had come up from the rear. A massive artillery bombardment had been shelling the Imperial lines in the hopes of softening the enemy forces before the next assault would take place. But that wasn't the only reason, as the Atelsian military needed time to get the newly acquired tanks into position before the attack.
An air of excitement could be felt among the Atelsian ranks as they waited for the signal to commence the assault, most of it was from the new replacements who had yet to face the horrors of combat, but some of it was because of the news that tanks would be joining the foray.
Jaune knew that taking cover behind these tanks would hopefully make it much easier to reach the other side of 'No Man's Land' and possibly reduce the amount of causalities that always occurred in these types of hazards battles. But any soldier worth their salt, also knew that field artillery was still a deadly enemy that rained from above and not from the front from which these tanks would be providing cover.
Just as the artillery strike started to lighten up some, the sounds of diesel engines could be heard roaring to life and soon the earth started to shake as the mechanical beasts started to move forward. Many soldiers looked up in awe as they saw the tanks start to roll over the trenches as if the were nothing. Whistles were blown, and the time to attack had begun.
Even though the tanks were able to provide cover to those behind them, many an Atelsian soldier still perished when they scrambled out of the trench, only to find that a tank wasn't directly in front of them to block the incoming fire. Most Atelsian soldiers who had been on the front lines for awhile knew to keep their heads down and not just blindly come charging out of the protection that the trenches provided and were able to loosely start to line up behind the lumbering beasts. The sounds of bullets and shrapnel could be heard hitting the front of the tanks armor and for some soldiers that was jarring in of itself as they knew without the metal object in front of them, they would have surely died.
The sounds of machine guns and artillery could be heard spewing from the tanks as they steadily moved forward, and every Atelsian soldier felt a boost of confidence from the firepower that they were taking cover behind. And upon seeing the tanks treads crushing the barbed wire defenses with little to no problem a cry of joy went up from the allied soldiers. It was as if nothing could stop these machine's.
'Even though these tanks are clearing a path for us, we'll still have to deal with any Imperial soldiers remaining in the trenches, seeing as how these things can easily roll over them but not through them. Once again the wonderful job of cleanup is left to the foot soldier. Joy.'
Sounds of distress and shock could be heard from his left and he turned to see that a tank had fallen into a rather deep crater hole and was unable to move. That was made even more evident when an enemy artillery round landed next to the tank and heavily damaged the outer hull. A few moments later, black smoke started to pour out from the interior of the tank and everyone with a pair of eyes could see that the thing was well and truly destroyed. That also meant that any soldier who had been taking cover behind the tank were now completely in the open and exposed. Which didn't go unnoticed by an enemy machine gun nest, who started to cut down any Atelsian soldier who wasn't quick enough to get down on the ground.
Jaune grimaced at the sight but refocused his vision back to the front. While the lives lost was terrible, the scene proved to any who witnessed the event, that while these tanks were able to withstand small arms fire, bigger guns were still able to knock them out.
Even though walking behind these tanks provided cover, they also created a massive target, upon which machine guns and the occasional mortar would fire on. An artillery shell exploded behind an Atelsian tank and all the soldiers who were behind the tank were blown to pieces from the shrapnel hurling through the air.
"Steady lads, keep together and don't present yourselves as a target to the enemy. We'll get through this." Jaune noticed that the soldiers he was with were starting to show signs of panic at the events happening around them, and judging from their relatively clean uniforms they were also green behind the ears.
'Great I get stuck behind this lumbering piece of metal, and the soldiers around me are about to lose it, my luck sucks.'
He picked up his pace and clamored on top of the tank in front of him. With a fair amount of protection in front of him as he lay on top of the tank, he proceeded to line up a shot and fire his rifle. Bullets started to hiss by his face as he continued to fire his weapon at the enemy. 'Sticking your body out from behind the tank means you'll more than likely get hit by a bullet, but sticking your head out from the top of the tank is a much better idea...' His senses started to tingle and he ducked down right as a grenade went off in front him. While he did get peppered with mud, nothing life ending had hit him and he took as a good sign.
More enemy artillery rounds started to rain from the sky, and occasional an unlucky tank would find itself being blown to smithereens from the blast. Even so, the Atelsian forces had finally arrived at the Imperials first line of defense trenches, and the age old hand to hand combat started once more. Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors from its sheath and waited atop the tank the tank he was riding on until it started to cross over the Imperial trench line.
'This is such a bad idea.' He jumped over the side of tank into the chaos happening below him. Of course one good thing that he learned after jumping off the tank was that an Imperial soldier made for a nice makeshift landing cushion. Not wanting the cushion to retaliate, he quickly slashed the soldier across their chest before moving onto his next victim.
With the previous artillery barrage incessantly pounding the forward Imperial lines along with the the Atelsians tanks clearing out most of the machine gun emplacements, the enemy lines quickly fell under Atelsian control. Not wanting to lose the momentum they had gained, the Atelsian forces continued pushing towards the Imperials next line of defense. But this made a whole lot harder as a decent amount of the tanks were getting stuck in rather deep holes or getting struck by incoming enemy shells.
Progress may have been made, but even with the tanks providing cover, the causalities that were being inflicted upon the Atelsian forces were still quite significant. Every inch of ground that was being captured was being paid heavily in both man and machine. But that was the price of war, and death loves to have company.
It soon became apparent that the tanks themselves were starting to specifically be targeted by the incoming enemy rounds, and for most Atelsian soldiers who were used to not having little to no cover decided that it would be safer to brave the small arms fire rather then seek cover behind the tanks and run the chance of being blown up. This of course meant that the tanks in question were slowly being left behind as they could only travel about as fast as a person could walk, and the average Atelsian soldier was now hauling ass trying to get to the other side of 'No Man's Land'.
"Come on, move up!"
"Keep pressing forward! Don't let those Imperial bastards get away!"
Jaune moved ahead of the advancing tanks he soon found himself leading a small group of men towards the next Imperial line of defense, an enemy machine gun nest started to open fire on his position and he saw a soldier next to him catch a round to their arm. The young man cried out in pain as he fell to the ground clutching his bleeding arm. "Man down, medic!" Jaune moved quickly and started to wrap a makeshift bandage on the soldiers arm. "You two up!" He pointed at two random soldiers. "Covering fire!" The rest of the soldiers started to pepper the machine gun in the hopes of suppressing the enemy crew manning the weapon. That plan didn't work as a short burst made quick work of the two soldiers trying to get closer to the enemy position.
'Now would be a great time for that female sniper to punch a hole into that machine gun like she did last time.' His request was heard, just not quite in the way he was thinking. He heard a dull thump behind him and loud bang in front of him as a grenade made quick work of the machine gun nest. 'Well that works for me too.' He craned his head backwards just in time to witness a sight that made him pause in slight amazement. Standing on top of an Atelsian tank was a cackling Corporal Nora Valkyrie holding her smoking grenade launcher.
"Ahahaha! Forward my noble stead! Show them who is queen of the castle!" She reloaded another grenade into her launcher and fired off another round at a group of Imperial soldiers who were about to open fire on some Atelsian soldiers who were out in the open.
Nora Valkyrie had descended onto the battlefield and she had made quite an impression on those who were seeing her bravery, or stupidity depending on who you asked. Standing on top of the tank gave her a great vantage point, but Jaune wondered how she had yet to be shot in the highly exposed position. 'She must have luck on her side, and that friendly medic who she hangs out with all the time.'
As if on queue, Corporal Ren also made his appearance and started to treat the injured soldiers around him. Seeing two familiar faces in this hell hole brought a small bit of comfort to Jaune and he pressed forward seeing as how the machine gun nest pinning him down was completely obliterated. Having a tank to hit the big targets, a grenadier moping up the smaller targets, and a combat medic to treat the wounded that happened along the way made for a great combination.
On another part of the battlefield, things were starting to look dire for a tank crew, as their vehicle had managed to break down and the allied soldiers around them were quickly being gunned downed by advancing enemy forces.
"My gun's jammed!" A young woman with short dark-brown hair yelled, as she tried to clear her weapon that had jammed a few moments ago. "Yatsu! Help Velvet get the repairs done! We need to get out of this position." She was able to clear the gun soon after and once again opened fire on a few Imperial soldiers who had gotten a bit to close to her disabled tank than she was comfortable with.
The young man known as Yatsuhashi, whom she had yelled at a moment ago, got up from his driver seat and made his way over to a rather small girl who was trying her best to repair the damaged tank engine. As she was fixing the unreliable piece of machinery, a pipe above her shook loose and started to spray oil all over hair.
"Bullocks! Why won't you work you stupid piece of shit!" Yatsu paused momentarily as the only times he ever heard the rather timid girl start cursing was when she was truly angry, which almost never happened. Almost being the keyword. He reached over and grabbed a torn piece of cloth and quickly wrapped it around the crack the oil was spraying from. Looking down he saw the young woman wipe her sweaty face with the backside of her hand as she continued to try and fix the faulty engine block.
"Thank you Yatsu, hand me that wrench and hold this piece for me." He did what he was told and he knelled down to help with the repairs. The situation they were in started to look dire. As all the tanks around them had been destroyed by field artillery, and most of the Atelsian soldiers around them had started to retreat from the raining shellfire.
"Watch out!" The final person that was in the tank yelled as he drew his sidearm and fired it at an Imperial soldier who had opened one of the rear access doors to the inside of the tank. Coco glanced behind her at the dead enemy soldier and exhaled loudly from the close call. "Not cool."
The sounds of banging could be heard outside of the tank as enemy soldiers were trying to gain access to the inside. It seemed that the Imperials were trying to capture their tank as it had been left relatively untouched by the field guns that had decimated all the other ones around them.
"Velvet get a message out before they severe our radio antenna, tell command we've been overrun and are in need of immediate support!" Coco continued to try her best and ward of any Imperial soldiers who were trying to approach her side of the tank. The act in of itself was a bit futile considering the order she had just given to the other female in the tank. Immediate support meant they needed allied soldiers to clear their tank of the enemy on top of them. But they also had standing orders to not let their vehicle fall into enemy hands, upon which case they were to call in a friendly artillery strike to eliminate their enemies as well as them.
"Command say's they dispatched a rescue force who will be here in a few minutes, we just need to hold out until then." A look was shared among the four of them and they all nodded at the good news. Coco and Fox continued to main the machine guns on each side of the tank while Velvet grabbed a grenade and pulled the pin. She gave a quick nod to Yatsu. He gripped the handles for the hatch that was for the top of the tank and popped it open just long enough for Velvet to toss the small explosive outside before slamming it shut and locking it once more. The ensuing explosion and the screaming that followed meant that the grenade had done its job. It also probably meant they damaged their tank even more than before.
The intensity of gunfire increased and Velvet could tell from her superior hearing that the sounds were coming from behind the tank, hopefully the sounds were from their rescue force coming their way. Seeing as how both Coco and Fox started to open fire much more often probably meant they had more targets presented to them also solidified her hunch.
Soon enough Atelsian soldiers started to advance past the stuck tank and pursue the retreating enemy. A few knocks on the left rear hatch and a slightly muffled voice could be heard coming from the outside.
"Hey you guys alive in there?!" Coco and Yatsu aimed their pistols at the hatch and immediately lowered them after Velvet opened the hatch to reveal a blonde female Atelsian soldier about to hit the hatch again with the butt stock of the shotgun she was carrying.
"Oh, I heard you guys were in a bit of a pinch and needed some help." The female lowered her shotgun and grinned at all of them.
"Thank you for your help, you came just in the nick of time." Yatsu gave a slight bow as he spoke what everyone in the tank was thinking.
"Just doing my job, by the way, you didn't happen to see a rather short female, carrying a rifle that looks way to big for her size would you?" Everyone shook their heads making the blonde Atelsian soldier sigh.
"Damn it, were did Ruby run off to this time?" She shook her head. "Doesn't matter, I'll catch you guys later!" The young woman rejoined the rest of the Atelsian forces advancing past the disabled tank.
"Come on guys, let's get this tank out of here, we have a job to do." Velvet closed the hatch once more and went back to repairing the engine with Yatsu, while Coco and Fox tried their best in supporting the advancing Atelsian forces. Their involvement in the battle was for the most part over, but they had still made a major contribution in ensuring that this battle would be won by Atlas and her allies.
Jaune flopped down onto the damp ground and a tired groan escaped his exhausted body. Having to fight in two battles in one day was quite taxing on the body. But overall the battle had been a success and the Atelsians had successfully pushed the Imperial lines backwards. After so many months of no progress being made on either side, this was a huge turn of events. Still that didn't the victory hadn't been easy, even with the new addition of the tank entering the foray. An immense amount of causalities had been inflicted upon the Atelsian forces.
'Even with the tanks participating, I feel like Corporal Nora did more for us than they did in providing support. Then again, her energy is really hard to keep up with, I wonder how Corporal Ren can keep up with her all the time. Must be a special skill he obtained while hanging out with her.'
To the higher ups the battle may have been a complete success, but for the average soldier, it had been a bloodbath. Dedicating such a large force alongside the relativity untested tanks probably wasn't the best idea, as the majority of the tanks experienced mechanical problems and had broken down mid battle. The one's that didn't suffer engine issues, had to deal with enemy field guns that had been placed in the battlefield. While the armor on a tank was sufficient enough to block pretty much all forms of small arms fire and provide protection to Atelsian foot soldiers. But seeing as how they made excellent targets for enemy artillery, very few of the tanks actually made it to the end of the battle without being destroyed or stuck in the quagmire of mud and crater holes.
'It is strange though, I don't remember there being any field guns that close to the frontlines, I can understand that when our tanks started to roll out they could be targeted by enemy shellfire. But its almost as if they were expecting the tanks and had deployed field guns to stop them. I'm probably thinking to deep into this though...at least I had better be.'
He stood up and started to check up on the soldiers around him to see how they were holding up. For the most part moral was decent among the majority of them, but seeing how easily a tank could be destroyed didn't really help boost that feeling. Still a major victory had been made by Atlas and everybody knew it, that didn't stop a few from crying quietly at the loss of life that had happened in the fight.
After ensuring that the wounded had been taken care of and preparations for recovering the dead had been set up it had been a few hours since the battle had ended and Jaune started to ask around to see if anybody knew were Major Ozpin was located. It took a few minutes, but he figured out the general direction from were people had seen the older man. Making his way through rows of exhausted Atelsian soldiers he found the Major sitting down on a wooden crate away from everyone else slowly sipping from a cup filled with coffee and scribbling names into a notepad. Jaune cleared his throat to get the man's attention.
"Sir I've started the evacuating of the wounded and recovering the dead." He paused to look at the pile of bloody dog tags beside the Major. "How many did we lose?"
Major Ozpin removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes before slipping the glasses back onto his face. "While I do not know the exact amount, our battalion alone has lost a significant amount of its strength. More than likely we'll be merging with another battalion to fill in the losses." He looked at Jaune and with curious tone asked.
"Lieutenant, tell me in your opinion, what is the point of all this violence, if all it adds up to is just death and destruction? We are sending boys and girls to their deaths, and for what? A patch of mud with no real value or meaning."
"The enemy wants our land and we've been given orders to deny them that right. While the mud itself isn't valuable, the meaning of it is. We may not be the biggest country in the world, but you know as well as I do that Atelsians value their freedom dearly, and the Imperials want to take that away from us. I want my siblings to grow up and be free of oppression and live without fear looming over them."
There was a pregnant pause between the two of them as one of them assessed the other. "I see, but putting that aside, Command has had their eyes on you for quite some time."
Jaune's eyebrows rose at the statement. "I hope it's because I'm not doing something bad."
"Quite the opposite in fact, your performance and skill in previous battles has proven that you have what it takes to be a new type of soldier. You may have started to realize the fact that warfare is not like it used to be. As shown earlier today with the introduction of tanks." Ozpin took another sip of his coffee.
"Sir I understand what you mean, even though the tanks that went into battle today weren't completely effective. The idea of mobile artillery has at least been introduced to the war. Seeing as how easily they rolled over the barbed wire defenses and over enemy trenches shows that the idea of trench warfare may be becoming obsolete in the coming years."
"Precisely, which is were you come in. There are quite a few weapons that Command wishes to try on the battlefield, but due to some of them being rather expensive to make. They don't want to start manufacturing them on a wide scale if the field testing is less than stellar."
"Please tell me there will be other soldiers besides me testing these weapons, because if they want an accurate assessment of the weapons there needs to be more than one tester." Jaune knew he was pointing out the obvious, but he still wanted to hear the answer verbally before he agreed to anything.
"Of course there will be, actually if everything goes according to plan, you will be leading a platoon of your own with other soldiers who have proven themselves on the battlefield. You will still be under the 276th Battalion, but Captain Goodwitch and I will be leading a Company that while have more room to act independently from the main Battalion. Also this is just a theory of mine so take it with a grain of salt, I feeling that if the weapons we will be testing go well, they will probably not be going to the regular army at first."
'That doesn't make sense at all, what's the point of testing a weapon if your not going to use it later. Unless...' As Jaune processed the theory an idea popped up in his head. "Are the weapons perhaps going to another section of the military that isn't directly associated with the regular army? But will still be serving in combat in some form?"
Ozpin smiled behind his cup at what the young man said. "My thoughts exactly, as to what that section is though, I have no idea. We will just have to wait and see."
"I see, perhaps things will be looking up soon in these hellish conditions."
"The paperwork will take a few days, but I will be calling you soon to give you a full briefing on the matter. So be ready." Jaune nodded his head and glanced at the dreary scenery around him.
"If that's all you need sir, I'll be going now, as I need to organize the men and women for a possible counter attack." Ozpin waved his hand in dismissal and went back to writing down all the names of the dead.
As Jaune made his way through the now overtaken Imperial trenches a thought crossed his weary mind. 'I could go for a nice cup of tea right about now.'
Many miles behind the Imperial lines a well-built young man with silvery-gray hair found himself walking alongside a young woman who had light mint-green hair and a disarmingly friendly smile on her face.
Having worked as a partner to the young woman for quite some time he knew that behind that friendly smile was a thief and hardened killer. But that had worked out well for the two of them, as she would distract their target with her friendly banter while he would sneak in from behind to literally stab the person in the back. That is of course if she didn't get impatient first and kill the person before he could.
Either way that thought could be pursued at a different time as they both purposely made their way through a semi-crowded hallway filled with people carrying miscellaneous papers and the like in their hands as they went about their business. Neither of them paid any attention to them as they had been called by their superior officer, more than likely it was another assassination mission.
"I wonder what the boss wants this time. We already had to go silence a rather rowdy Imperial senator from defecting to the Atelsian side, perhaps it's another assassination mission." She may have said that in a nonchalant tone, but the evil gleam in her eyes told a different story on what she truly thought of killing someone.
"Don't know, we'll figure that out when we get to the office and she can tell us personally." After making their way through a few more rooms and hallways they stopped in front of an intricately decorated wooden door and the young man raised his hand and gave a few solid knocks before lowering his hand and waited for a response.
A muffled voice could be heard coming from the other side of the door. "Who is it?"
"Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, you called for us?" There was a moment of silence before they heard a reply.
"Come in."
Mercury turned the knob and opened the door to reveal a rather spacious room inside with maps and photos lining the walls with a few melee weapons hanging as decorations with a few of the more colorful one's hanging over a burning fireplace. Even though the weapons were being used as decorations, both Mercury and Emerald knew for a fact that every single one of the could easily dissect a person. An occasion they had been privy to witness a number of times.
Both of them walked forward and went to attention before offering a salute to the only other person in the room. The ashen-black haired woman stared at the two of them with amber eyes and authoritative air about her. Anyone who served under Cinder Fall that she was a ruthless and cunning leader and one wrong move could easily mean forfeiting your life as she had zero tolerance for failure within her ranks.
"Tell me, was the information we received from the informant accurate?" While her voice had a sultry tone to it, that didn't mean she was in the mood for any games, she wanted the facts. Nobody beat around answering a question she asked, in fear of what might happen to them when she grew irritated.
Mercury decided to speak up for the two of them and raised his hand in the air.
"Yes ma'am the information we received from the informant was accurate, if you would allow me too, I can show you were the battle took place." A hand beckoned him to a map on the wall and he quickly made his way over before pointing at a spot on the map.
"The metal machines or as the informant called them 'tanks' struck our frontlines from these place here all the way to over here." He moved his hand along the map as he showed how wide the area the battle had taken place over. "Field guns were deployed to stop the advancing tanks, but an overwhelming amount of Atelsian forces were also sent in as support for the tanks and we were unable to hold the frontlines. A general order of retreat was issued and our forces have fallen back to this point here." Again he moved his hand to show where he was talking about to his boss.
"We were able to inflict massive causalities on them and destroy many of their tanks, and according to your orders, three enemy tanks were captured, but due to how slow they moved they had to be abandoned, which means we were unable to bring back any for further analysis."
A small chuckle left the dangerous woman's lips as she took in everything she had just heard from her underling. "Splendid, everything went according to plan then, we may have lost some ground to the impudent Atelsians, but we have gained some insight into their new weapons of war."
"But ma'am we were unable to successfully capture any enemy tanks for further study." Cinder didn't liked to be questioned on her motives. But giving some insight on this matter would help answer her underling's question.
"I already knew that the chances of successfully capturing an Atelsian tank was minuscule, so for this battle I wanted to see how their tactics were for the tanks and also how durable their armor was. Both have been answered."
A manicured finger painted in dark red flicked the small globe on her desk and she gazed at the two other people in her office for a few moments before she spoke up once more.
"Moving on from this matter, I have a new mission for you to carry out. This one will be difficult to carry out, but I have confidence you will succeed." The gleam that lit up in her female underlings eyes at the news didn't go unnoticed by her observant gaze.
"What's the target this time?" Emerald spoke up this time and had a eager expression on her face.
A small smirk graced Cinder's face and she relayed the information that had come directly from her boss. "You will be eliminating two important figure's in the Atelsian weapon's industry. Winter and Wiess Schnee." Her two underlings shared a look between the two of them before they refocused their attention back to her.
"Rules of engagement?"
"Just one, be subtle and infiltrate the Atelsian ranks and find a way to interact with the Schnee Company. When the opportunity is right, kill them by any means necessary. Do I make myself clear?"
The two underlings snapped to attention at her question and answered in unison. "Yes ma'am!"
"Excellent, I need to...take care of some things first before this operation can take place. But I expect both of you to be ready when the time comes to execute the mission. That is all, you're dismissed."
They both gave her a salute which she returned before they left her office leaving her all by herself. She spun the globe on her desk once more before throwing it into the fireplace and watched lazily as the fire slowly engulfed the world in flames.
"The world will tremble in fear when I unleash upon it the creatures born from the legends of old."
An evil smile crossed her face as the light of the flames danced off the reflection in her eyes.
"Soon my lovely's, soon."
End scene! So how'd you like it? I tried for a longer chapter this time around, hope it worked out for you all.
Also, before anyone points out that the Mark IV tank had a crew of eight instead of four like I made in this story, think of it as in BF1 where in the main campaign the tank crew was only four. Perfect logic.
I also apologize if any of the characters seem a bit OOC, that is not my intention but it's a slight weakness of mine trying to keep everyone's character in character...
Thanks for reading!