HELLO EVERYONE! I'm back with Remnant Unleashed.
Hope I didn't make you all think I was planning on abandoning this story. Given that it's almost reached a thousand reviews, I'm going to keep going with the story, not for the reviews, but because I want to.
First off, Happy Star Wars month everyone. Gather your favorite food and drink to have when watching a movie, find yourself some time in your schedules, sit down and watch the movies, tv shows, or play whichever Star Wars game is your favorite. Speaking of Star Wars, seems that people are upset with Kathleen Kennedy, for something that happened at Star Wars Celebration London. Don't know what it was about, but if people are saying that she needs to die in a certain way, know that I do not condone such ideas. While I will admit that she hasn't done the best job when it comes to Star Wars, she's done a decent job. Say about forty percent.
Second, after watching Volume 9 and losing my head one too many times watching it, I'm not going to incorporate that volume into this story, especially considering that Neo is where she belongs, with her brother, Trigger.
Third, I'm going to be using elements from Ace Combat 6 and 7 for volume 8 chapters, considering that the outcome of Volume 7 in canon never happened and Ironwood died a hero, rather than a villain and of course, Clover is still alive. Makes sense in my mind considering that Salem, The White Fang, and the Empire have already taken over Atlas and Mantle.
Fourth, and I won't spoil it, there will be a certain surprise during the volume. Keep your eyes peeled for it.
Alright, onto the reviews
Monster King: You know it.
BlindFaunusgirl: Considering what Vader is, it makes sense that people would become afraid when facing Vader, no matter what area of combat they are facing him in. And yes, I think I did a pretty decent job of showing the combined power of Salem and the Empire. Hope you started writing your story.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Thanks.
Skylanderzilla: I agree, Harriet is annoying, considering she believes that following orders is the only way to survive and would rather just sacrifice everyone else to save Atlas, but her dying, not going to happen. Redemption is in her future.
Jack Smith1: Thank you and yes, we will see a massive battle for Remnant, but in the future.
SunPhoenix90: I think her style will be more on the lines of the same style Galen used before he got his new lightsabers. As for the kids in Atlas and Mantle, Adam won't show them any mercy, even if they are human children, but killing children is something I detest and something someone won't allow.
Spartan-626: Thank you and I will agree the last episodes of RWBY, before Volume 9 were lacking, and very confusing with the latest volume. As for Harriet, yeah, she's a real pain in the ass with her attitude and all that, but siding with the Empire, that's up in the air. Ironwood dying as a hero would have been a better ending for him instead of him being paranoid and virtually being the one who caused the destruction of Atlas and Mantle because he tried to control everything and didn't see what was right in front of him.
Just a reader now a writer: Thanks, I figured I'd do Ironwood justice. You should have seen what I did in Mobile Suit RWBY, for Ironwood I mean. I had him trust Ozpin more and more, due to a past experience when he piloted the Tallgeese mobile suit. As for an Ace Combat story, I've been considering doing one for a while, but haven't come up with anything concrete at the moment.
Mr. Shades42: Glad you're all caught up.
Wanglin9722: First off, I had those ships crash on Remnant, so the planet would have a fighting chance against the Empire and Salem's droid army. Plus, I wanted to have Galen fight alongside Clone Troopers. Second, Galen did plenty during the initiation and putting the songs in is something I picked up on from other stories, helps with the action. Third, are you saying that the moment that Youngling asked Anakin what they were going to do during the attack on the temple was funny, then you have a messed-up sense of humor. Killing kids, I hate that sort of thing with a passion. As for Vader flipping out, he had more anger than sadness.
RononDexSpecialst: Yeah, I like the mecha genre, thanks to Gundam and Robotech, along with the 86 and many other mecha games and animes. As for a Veritech based fighter to be piloted by the likes of Galen and Ruby, I'm considering it.
Guest: I got no clue what you are saying.
Now, onto the new intro.
(Start Polaris, by Blue Encount)
On that day I promised to protect you. That promise still remains in my heart.
(A blizzard rages across the tundra of Solitas before subsiding to reveal Galen, Team RWBY, Jaune, Ren, Nora, the Clones, Ace Ops, and their allies standing on a cliff as in front of them lies the imperial occupied Atlas and Mantle, with the Executor hovering high in the air. Behind it is the silhouette of Vader, Adam Taurus, Maul and Salem as the title card is revealed with the title.)
Remnant Unleashed
Even if I must lose everything I have. To Save a life in front of me.
(The camera zooms down below to Fort Arrowfell where exhausted Atlas soldiers and pilots sit on crates with their heads hung low in disbelief at the loss of their home.)
I'd be happy to give it all away without a doubt. This is the first time I've ever felt this way.
(One soldier is looking at the picture of his family, almost on the verge of tears until Captain Rex puts a hand on the soldier's shoulder. Behind him are Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Ray, and Neo. Harriet is nearby, glaring at Galen, the badge of the Ace Ops no longer on her uniform.)
I won't hide my scars anymore. Making the despair as my weapon, That's how I want to live my life!
(Cuts to Galen who is standing in front of a massive attack force of Grimm, Battle Droids, Imperials, White Fang and Death Bots with his teammates, friends, allies, and fellow Jedi behind him. Above them, Republic and Rebel ships fly towards the enemy force alongside Remnant fighter jets, before the ground forces charge)
Push aside these tears as best I can. I'll give you everything that I have.
(Explosions light up the tundra as Ray and Neo lead the charge with the Bad Batch and Delta Squad, firing at their enemies while the young huntsmen and huntresses cut their way through the Grimm, as Vader engages Luke and Ahsoka in deadly lightsaber combat.)
So please, don't give up on me and disappear.
(Cuts to Salem and Maul wielding their lightsabers against Ray and Neo while the Fox, Winter, The Ace Ops, Artoria and Mordred run through the bowls of the giant whale Grimm towards Oscar.)
On that day I promised to protect you.
(Shows Whitley standing in front of his mother defensively as White Fang soldiers move in with their weapons raised. In his hands is a familiar object.)
The promise still remains in my heart.
(Galen and Ruby stand in Mantle with their hands extended as Atlas falls from the sky towards them, joined by Faye, Kara, Lop, Ahsoka, Serra, Zett, Plo, Kit, Aayla, Rahm and Grogu. While the others, including the Fox stand behind them and watch in awe before the screen turns dark)
Even if the light is fading. Just Go!
Disclaimers are the same as always. Enjoy.
Chapter 117: The Next Move
In all the time the kingdom had stood, the idea of Atlas falling to an enemy power was deemed unthinkable and unrealistic to the upper city elite, but reality always has a way of biting someone in the ass and proving them wrong. The once proud and advanced kingdom had now fallen.
Boutiques, department stores and restaurants, once full of people who believed they had been delt a fair hand in life, were now on fire. White Fang and Imperial forces patrolled the streets, escorting the once proud 'elite citizens' to designated prisoner camps while the White Fang breached into barricaded buildings looking for survivors.
Gunfire echoed throughout the city, followed by the screams of those in hiding before the survivors were forced out of one of the buildings, a department store. The cries of a child were ignored by the White Fang and Imperials, who then forced the survivors into the transports taking the prisoners to the camps.
Below them, in Mantle, the building Robyn Hill used for her victory party was filled with the bodies of dead Atlas soldiers and SDC security forces, riddled with bullets while a group of civilians were lined up against the wall outside the building, then gunned down by the White Fang, who took pleasure in their executions. On one of the buildings, Adam watched with a smile as two of his brothers took a human woman away, with the obvious goal of having their way with the woman before they executed them. "It's just like I told Blake and Sienna, the Faunus are the true dominate species of the planet. Humans will serve the Faunus and those who resist, will be made an example of!" he exclaimed before he turned to his second in command. "Have the humans taken to the mines. We'll put them to work in mining the Dust they forced our people to mine for years. I don't care if they are children, we'll show them their future and if anyone tries to resist, kill them."
"As you command, High Leader." The second in command replied and accessed his Scroll, sending the information to all White Fang forces in the city.
'This is only the beginning. Once we have taken control of Atlas, we will conquer the rest of Remnant and no one, not even the Jedi and their damned rebellion will stop us. Blake, you, and your friends will be the first to fall, as punishment for your betrayal.' Adam thought to himself, unaware that a probe droid was recording the events occurring in the city.
The probe flew over the rail yard, the slums, the crater where Atlas once sat before it was removed from the ground, factory district, airship ports and the rest of the city, recording the same thing that was happening in Atlas and sending the footage back to Bella, Artoria and Mordred who were fifteen kilometers outside of the occupied Kingdom. The sight of their home in such a state sickened them, especially with the sight of bodies being tossed from where they laid dead and loaded into trucks like garbage. "I knew the White Fang hated Atlas, but I didn't think they would go this far and attack the people of Mantle. A lot of those people hated Atlas, but both humans and Faunus lived together in the same city. But these bastards, they're going after their own people like their traitors." Mordred said with a scowl.
"That's what happens when someone like Adam is leading them. Those who prove that humans and Faunus can live together peacefully are also targets, because they symbolize what he despises." Artoria said in agreement.
"They've fortified the city pretty well. I'm seeing a lot of anti-air and anti-ground defenses. We're lucky that we were able to get that probe droid through the gap in their defenses." Bella pointed out as the probe returned to them. "Time, we get out of here before we're discovered." The two Penwolf sisters nodded and jumped into the seats of their Screamers and drove back to Fort Arrowfell.
Hundreds of miles away from the enemy controlled capital, lay Fort Arrowfell. Built during the last days of the Great War, the base served as the final obstacle for invaders to conquer before they could move onto Atlas, but assaults on the base never came as the frigid temperatures of Solitas proved fatal to any unprepared army attempting to conquer the kingdom.
After the war, the Atlas Military converted it into a research base that focused on the development of a weapon that could attract the Grimm. The purpose of the weapon was to act as bait and lure the Grimm to a specific location, using the negative emotions stored inside them. The project was eventually scrapped, but the orbs used for the project were used for another purpose.
Shortly after Jacques 'won' the election and had Watts frame Galen for murder, a conspiracy led by Bram Thornmane, Lieutenant Colonel Olive Harper of the Atlas Military, Hanion Fifestone, a union leader from Mantle, shady businessman and Atlas elite Amoncio Glass, and the mercenary huntress's known as Team BRIM to overthrow Ironwood in an attempt to show him in a bad light and remove him from his positions of power, only to be stopped by Team RWBY and the Ace Ops.
When the conspiracy came to an end, Ironwood decided to retrofit the base with new technology, a runway for the air force, supply depot connected by road and rail, airship repair yard, barracks, and other military installations while the old metal walls were repaired and reinforced with anti-aircraft guns, SAM launchers and other weapons to defend the base from any attack, along with connecting it to nearby fortress complete with numerous substations along the frozen river, service tunnels dug directly into the walls of the canyon the fortress was built on, and other military facilities.
Bullheads, Mantas, and other military vehicles were undergoing maintenance, refueling, and rearming as Galen, Team RWBY, the other Ace Ops, Clover, Rex, Robyn, Qrow, Ray and Neo stood facing Mara, while Atlas Soldiers surrounded her with their weapons pointed at her. "Stand down soldiers! That's an order!" Clover shouted to the soldiers who lowered their weapons after a few seconds of hesitation.
"Glad to know the policy of the Atlas military is not to shoot first and ask questions later. I've seen that to many times when I had to fight imperial soldiers to take out my targets." Mara said with relief.
"You're an assassin?" Ruby asked.
"Former Imperial assassin who served the emperor directly." Mara clarified, resulting in the soldiers raising their weapons at her once more. "I said I was a former imperial assassin."
"Why'd you leave?" Galen asked.
"Because the Emperor killed my parents shortly after I was born! He lied to me and said my parents were killed by a rogue Jedi, the same one who killed his daughter shortly after the war ended. He manipulated me and used me to kill anyone who were planning to usurp him. I only learned the truth when one of his aids mentioned my parents and how they were shown no mercy. I also heard of their plans to invade this planet and came to warn you, but I was too late." Mara explained.
"Fat load of good that did us." Harriet snarked under her breath.
"I should have known that the Empire would return after the Death Star was destroyed." Galen snarled with a fist clenched.
"Death Star?" Winter asked.
"Don't ask." Galen, Ruby, Cody, and Jaune answered.
"No, I will ask. What is this Death Star?" Winter demanded.
"Basically, a battle station almost the size of a moon with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet with a single shot." Ruby explained.
"I'm sorry I asked." Winter deadpanned.
"What about Fria?" Clover asked.
"She died on the way to the Fort, but her powers were transferred to me." Winter answered.
"She's not the only one who died. Mickey and PJ were killed by Vader, and I think it's also safe to say that Vader killed Ironwood." Ray added.
"So, basically, Salem and the Empire are holding our people hostage until we hand over the lamp and staff. Ironwood is dead and now I'm in charge of our forces." Clover surmised.
"Yep." Galen answered.
"How can you be sure the General is dead?" Clover asked.
"Because I called him to report that Watts was dead." The Fox said as he leapt down from a ledge close by. "He told me he was staying behind to lead a resistance movement once the Empire and its allies took the kingdom, around the time he was deleting the data about the tower from the academy servers. It didn't take my semblance to figure out he was going to die. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain as far as I'm concerned and, in the end, he chooses to die a hero rather than a villain."
Hearing the masked vigilante call the General a villain, Harriet rushed towards them to grab him, only for her target to sidestep out of the way. "This is all your fault you damned vigilante! Your stupid plan caused us to be unprepared for the Empire and now here we are hiding like rats in this fortress! You! Those kids! The damn Jedi! This is all your fault!" Harriet screamed.
A gunshot echoed around the base as Robyn had fired one of her pistols into the air, glaring at Harriet. "For once, just once in your life, Bree, could you stop blaming others for your problems? This isn't their fault, no one could have seen this coming and if even if we did, I'm pretty sure Ironwood wouldn't listen anyone if he was the same person he was before he started trusting others." She pointed out.
"She's right. Casting others as scapegoats for your problems? It's no wonder Ironwood removed you from the Ace Ops. You've allowed your lust for credibility, competitiveness, and fanatical obsession with loyalty to get in the way of doing what's right by the people. Something I've always accused Ironwood of until he finally saw I was trying to help." The Fox added.
"Loyalty always matters!" Harriet countered.
"Being a good soldier means you have to follow your own decisions. Following every order without question, you might as well be programmed like a damn clanker. You're a liability and can't see what's really important." Rex pointed out, speaking from personal experience.
"They're right, Harriet. This has gone on long enough. Give me your badge." Clover ordered.
"What!?" Harriet exclaimed.
"You heard me. I hereby give you a dishonorable discharge from the Ace Ops. You're confined to your quarters until I see fit to allow you to return to active duty. Maybe then, you'll have a clearer head and a reminder of what we're fighting for." Clover said.
Harriet clenched her fists and snarled. "After everything I've done to prove my worth to this kingdom, to the Ace Ops, to Ironwood, this is how you repay me? By siding with this vigilante, these kids and these Jedi scum?!" she yelled.
"Uh, you're the one who suggested we let that runaway train destroy Mantle and focus on saving Atlas, like those below didn't matter at all." Marrow remembered.
"I have fought alongside Galen a handful of time, but I can tell you that you are crossing a line here, Bree. I'm already in a foul mood that I didn't take the Empire's return into account, so I suggest you shut up and go to your quarters, then we'll see what to do with you." The Fox added.
Harriet walked off in a fury, followed by the Fox, who was followed by Winter. "I always knew Harriet was going to be a real pain in the ass one of these days, I just didn't think it would be now." Elm said with her arms crossed. "So, what do we do now?"
"We need to figure out what the Empire's next move is. We lost a lot of allies when they attacked and while we were able to hold them back, they were able to gain the upper hand and push us back." Mara said. "I hate to say it, but I don't this base will last for much longer, and if the White Fang is as dangerous as I've heard, they'll be the first to launch an attack."
"That sounds like Adam." Blake noted.
"So, what do we do?" Ruby asked.
"Repair what we can and get them out of the here. Anything that needs repairs, load it up onto the transport's or destroy what we can't salvage. Anything we leave behind that is salvageable, is something the White Fang can use against us, especially since they're working with Salem." Rex answered.
"We'll have to get the wounded out first before moving the equipment. The same goes for the civilians. We got a few of those tunnels nearby, so we can send the civilians to Vacuo along with the more critically damaged equipment. I've been in touch with Coco and her team ever since Beacon fell, apparently, Vacuo has been having its own share of problems, but thanks to a few contacts I have, they've managed to bring the situation under control." Rose added.
"You got contacts in Vacuo?" Yang asked.
"A few cousins and their associates. You wouldn't believe the work a bounty hunter can get in Vacuo." Rose answered with a smirk.
"Then make it happen, people." Clover ordered.
Everyone soon dispersed to help with the evacuation of the base, save for Dante who looked at the spot where Mickey and PJ's jets would be parked if they were still alive. But what was bothering him more, was the appearance of two prototype fighters in the SE series that were classified as top secret.
The SE-47 was a prototype, twin engine, single seat aircraft that boasted excellent agility and maneuverability thanks to its forward swept wings and the thrust vectoring added to the engines. The top speed of the fighter was Mach 2.21, making it faster than the SE-30, SE-33, and SE-34. The planes armament consisted of a single 30mm cannon and two internal weapons bays, one for the short-range missiles and the other for the long-range missiles, bombs, and other ordinance.
The SE-57, on the other hand, was a fifth generation, single seat, twin-engine, multirole stealth fighter built as a counter to the F22 and F35 used by Vale and Anima. Compared to the SE-47 and other fighters, the SE-57 was slower with a top speed of Mach 1.3 but made up for it with cutting edge stealth technology and avionics, making it superior in stealth operations than the F22 and F35, given its kingdom of origin. Its armament consisted of a single 30mm cannon and twelve hardpoints, six internal and six external.
Only a handful of prototypes were made and were to be demonstrated to the kingdoms during the Vytal Festival, but a problem was discovered in the development and were held back until the problem was discovered and resolved. More problems surfaced when the Empire and White Fang attacked Vale, using the 'older' SE fighters which placed a great deal of suspicion on Atlas since it was their fighters and airships that were used by the enemy to attack the kingdom.
The problems continued to mount after several thefts of airships carrying these aircraft to designated testing locations, with no trace of the airships, their crew or cargo found, not even so much as any signs of wreckage out in the tundra.
It was clear that Salem had her forces steal the airships and the fighters, which she gave to the White Fang to use in their war against humanity. Both fighters proven to be challenging, but Dante was able to take out a few of them during several combat patrols during the time Galen and his team were on the run and hiding out in the tundra. "I'm going to have to run the new Mobius Squadron pilots through training to deal with those headaches." He said to himself, before he walked back to his fighter which was fully repaired and in the process of being rearmed.
For the next two hours, trucks, trains, airships and planes left Fort Arrowfell like bats out of hell with the wounded and whatever equipment they could salvage, after word from Mordred, Artoria and Bella reported a force of Imperial and White Fang forces were approaching the fort, having determined their location thanks to a tracker that one of the imperial soldiers was able to place on the airship Galen, Ruby, their teams and the Ace Ops took to escape from the academy.
Back in Atlas Academy, kept secured in a hard-light prison cell, the battered and bruised Jacques Schnee was guarded by a pair of White Fang soldiers. When they took control of the academy, they didn't expect to find Jacques Schnee, the head of the Schnee Dust Company, the human who treated their kind like slaves, was finally in a prison cell. Most of the White Fang were former SDC miners who took it upon themselves to torture and beat Jacques for everything he did to their kind, not that he didn't deserve it.
The Imperial soldiers didn't intervene when the White Fang carried out their payback on a man they hated, but that didn't mean that some of them were alright with him being beaten to death. Jacques however, tried to reason with the White Fang, claiming that he wasn't 'a true Schnee' and that the ones they wanted were his wife, son, and daughters, but that didn't matter to the White Fang.
Coughing up blood after another beating, Jacques barely had time to recover when Adam Taurus himself entered the prison complex, his mask removed, and his eyes filled with anger. "Open the cell." He ordered his followers, who opened the cell and stepped inside. "Do you know me? I used to be one of your 'workers' before your men branded me with the mark of your company." Adam asked.
"Then it's clear that you didn't learn your lesson in the first place, you animal." Jacques countered, earning him a slap across the face from Adam.
"I am not an animal! I am a man! You did this to me! Your people hurt me, all because of who I am! Your hands are covered in the blood of my brothers and sisters, parents who never saw their children again and children who will never see their parents again. You killed them, and you will now pay for their deaths with your lives!" Adam snarled, igniting his lightsaber while Jacques backed away from Adam's blade in fear.
"I was only following the instructions left to me by Nicholas Schnee! I'm not even a true Schnee. Willow… My wife, she's the one you want. She's…." Jacques begged but was cut off when Adam grabbed him by the throat, choked him and lifted him up off the ground.
"Now, you will die." Adam said and was about to run Jacques through with his blade, only for his lightsaber to be pulled from his hands and into the hand of Darth Vader, whose presence even caused the White Fang to fear him.
"Your desire for revenge is what drives you, Adam. But you will refrain from killing that man until his usefulness is no longer required." The Dark Lord said, looking at Adam's lightsaber before he tossed it back to the White Fang leader. "You are not fit to wield such a weapon, for you are but a child, angry at the world. But with training, you will be more than a match for Starkiller." Vader said, catching Adam's attention. "Take your men and leave us."
Adam snarled and left with his soldiers, leaving Vader alone with Jacques, at least until Salem and Maul entered the prison cell. "So, you're this… Salem, I take it?" Jacques asked while gasping for breath.
"Watts found you to be a promising pawn. Using your selfishness and greed to grant him access to the systems of the Kingdom, should he help you win the election." Salem pointed out; her hands clasped together in front of her. "You were one of the most powerful men in Atlas, and yet now, here you are, locked away in a cage by the dead general. It's a shame that Watt's plan to send that train into the kingdom failed, you could have used it to your political advantage."
"Is there a point to your talking?" Jacques growled. "If you're trying to ask me what Ironwood was planning, then why don't you just ask me. He was diverting resources to turn the Amity Coliseum into a new CCT tower, launch it into space, restore global communications and then tell the entire world about you."
"An amusing story, Jacques. But nonetheless an effort to save your pathetic life." Maul gloated, but he sensed that Jacques was telling the truth, as did Vader and Salem.
"I told you the truth. Isn't that what you wanted?" Jacques questioned.
"What we want is the location of the rebels and their allies." Vader answered, grabbing Jacques's throat through the force, and choking the man. "You will tell us the location, or you will die."
"I… don't… know…. Where… they… are…." Jacques gasped as the grip around his neck tightened.
"Lord Vader." An Imperial Officer said, entering the prison cells. "Forgive my intrusion, my lord. But the tracking beacon placed on the airship that escaped the Academy has been destroyed. We were able to pinpoint the location of the beacon before it was destroyed, and a probe droid dispatched to locate the rebels sent us an image of military base." The officer explained.
"Ready our forces to attack the base, I'll lead the assault personally." Vader instructed the officer, releasing his grip on Jacques's throat and dropped him to the floor before he turned around and walked towards the officer, followed by Maul and Salem, leaving Jacques alone after his cell doors were reactivated.
Vader walked out of the academy and boarded a shuttle that took him over the lower city before it landed outside the city walls where waiting for him was General Maximillian Veers, the armored force of the imperial 501st known as Blizzard Force and multiple companies of walkers, troopers, tanks, fighters, and bombers awaited him before he gave the order for the assault force to proceed to enemy base. The AT-ATs were loaded into multiple Y-85 Titan dropships, while the rest of the assault force proceeded the rest of the way on foot.
Back at Fort Arrowfell, Harriet watched from her quarters as the evacuation of the fort was underway. Bullheads, trucks, and trains loaded with the civilians and the injured soldiers headed for the tunnels that the Fox had constructed prior to recent events, while undamaged fighters and transports headed eastward towards Rosamond, along with trains carrying the equipment that wasn't critically damaged and could still be repaired.
She slammed her fist against the wall the moment she caught sight of Ruby and Galen. It was because of those two not following protocol, not taking their duties as huntsman seriously and their presence that Atlas had fallen into the enemies' hands, and her downfall from the Ace Ops. All her life, she gave everything two hundred percent, gave her loyalty and commitment to Atlas, to General Ironwood and now she had lost it all, because of those two kids. To her, they didn't know the real world and thought that everything was simply a game or that the world was like those children's stories. "Those two cost me everything, because they couldn't see the real picture. The general had a plan and if it weren't for those kids, we'd have the tower in the air by now and have told the rest of the planet about Salem. Atlas is meant to lead the world to a brighter future and now it's all gone." Harriet snarled.
"You've got to stop blaming other people for your problems." Hevy said from outside Harriet's quarters. "What happened to your home was not a single person's fault. This is war and war doesn't have a place for competitiveness, the kind you've shown."
"Oh, like you're one to talk. You're just an expendable soldier created to fight for a government that you never knew about. A government that thought of you as expendable, like the rest of your brothers, those that can easily be replaced." Harriet scoffed.
"The way you're acting, reminds me of myself during my training days." Hevy commented. "I used to be reckless, charge in on my own guns blazing and think that the job of my squad was to support me, so I could become an ARC Trooper, often blaming the others for my own failures." He sighed, thinking back to those days. "Yeah, I remember our final training exercise, before our graduation. Droidbait took a nasty hit, but all I cared about was being recognized for my skills. I just wanted to leave him behind and in the end we failed. I blamed my squad and even considered going AWOL, try making it out of as a mercenary. But I had a brother who convinced me that despite the differences with my squad, I should work with them instead of arguing with them. He even gave me my name, and it was thanks to him that my squad and I passed our test and became troopers." He finished.
"So, what, are you saying that I should go AWOL and become a mercenary?" Harriet asked.
"No. When you blame someone else for your own failure, the only person you can blame is yourself. You cannot convince anyone else. If you can't get everything you want, then choose what you need to abandon. That's a lesson you clearly need to learn." Hevy answered, then walked away.
As Hevy walked away from Harriets quarters, up on one of the walls, Atlas soldiers manning one of the quad-cannons scanned the tundra with their binoculars for signs of enemy activity, but only spotted gusts of powder blowing through the wind. The two soldiers were among some of the bigoted soldiers in the Atlas army and among some of the laziest, not talking their duties seriously. "Shift change." A voice from one of the replacements said as they climbed the wall.
"You're taking this way too seriously. There's nothing out there for miles around." One of the soldiers said, tossing one of the replacements a can of beer. "Here, have this and take a load off."
"We're on duty. If we get caught drinking, then general Ebi will have our asses." The second replacement said.
"'General Ebi', doesn't have to know about us breaking the rules." the second lazy soldier said, cracking open a beer can, taking a sip from it. "Ah, that's good stuff. Heh, Ironwood, Ebi, honestly, they should've put the head of the SDC in charge. At least with him, we'd have a good and easy time being soldiers, especially if his conscription of those damn Faunus had been put in place. They do the fighting and dying, we get all the credit and live happy and peaceful…" the soldier continued before all four of them heard something screaming through the air. "Damn flyboys must be at it again. Hic. Hey! We're trying to enjoy a drink here! Keep it down!"
"That's not the air force." The first replacement shouted before he grabbed the binoculars of the first lazy soldier and looked through it. To his horror, a flight of Imperial fighters screamed over the tundra, heading towards the fort. "Oh, shit!" they cursed, then jumped off the wall with his companion as one of the enemy fighters, one that hadn't been reported fired a projectile and destroyed the anti-air gun.
The explosion alerted the rest of the base, even shaking Harriet from her attempted nap. Soldiers ran past her quarters with weapons in hands, only for an explosion to blast open a hole in the wall of her quarters a second later. Once the dust settled, Harriet watched as dozens of TIE Bombers and the unknown versions rained death down upon the occupants, destroying military equipment and spreading panic amongst the ranks. "Damn it, the Empire must have tracked us all the way to the fort, probably placed a homing beacon on the Bullhead we used in our escape." She cursed, as a nearby transport exploded, sending debris flying through the air.
One piece of debris had a soldier pinned underneath a Mauler that was undergoing repairs, calling out for help from their fellow soldiers who ran past him in panic, except for Elm who was lifting the Mauler off the soldier. "Come on, move it, damn it!" the muscular Ace Op cursed as her semblance was pushed to the limits, trying to lift the piece of the tank off the soldier. Already exhausted from the fighting hours ago, she was starting to lose her focus and almost dropped the tank back down on the soldier.
To her surprise, Harriet blew past her in a blur with the soldier, just as Elm was forced to drop the piece of the tank. "Well, damn. I didn't think you had it in you to actually save another soldier." Elm praised, as medics came to take the hurt soldier away, just as Harriet sped away towards the airfield.
At the airfield, Cipher, Pixy, Dante, Ray, and Neo climbed into the cockpits of their fighters and were about to taxi onto the runway when Harriet came to a stop in front of a Hellcat and jumped into the cockpit. Assuming she was attempting to go AWOL or defect to the Empire, Clover ordered Harriet to exit the cockpit of the fighter and head to the one of the transports, but Harriet had no intention of defecting and was only doing her duty as a soldier and providing cover for the evacuation.
The Hellcat was the first to rocket into the air, followed by the Galm Team, Mobius One and finally the Garuda Team. As their landing gear retracted, a call from Sicario's confirmed the appearance of incoming imperial ground forces and dropships. All tanks and missile crawlers not loaded onto the airships or trains were moved into defensive positions as enemy dropships landed beyond the range of the forts weapons systems, deploying their troops and walkers onto the battlefield. "We've got Imperial Walkers approaching from the east." One of the tank operators called out over the radio as the hulking Imperial Walkers slowly walked out of the transports and onto the tundra, then opened fire.
Blaster fire slammed into the walls of the fort, as more fighters rose to challenge the Imperials, but several Wyverns flew over the base and rained down the same liquid that the creature at Beacon which formed into Grimm native to Solitas, completely catching the soldiers off guard, killing several soldiers before the Grimm made their way through the base. "We got Grimm inside the fort! Code Red! I repeat, Code Red!" a soldier shouted, quickly grabbing a pistol, and started firing back at the Grimm, taking down a few hostiles before they were overwhelmed.
The anti-air defenses of the fort were already firing at both airborne Grimm and Imperial fighters as weapon fire echoed throughout the fort, along with the growls of Grimm and screams of dying soldiers. Rex and his brothers from the 501st fired at the invaders as a bomber flew overhead and targeted the command tower, the tower where the controls for the anti-air defenses was located. SAMS flew through the air and slammed into multiple bombers, but the newer fighters were faster and more agile than the lumbering bombers. One of the new fighters managed to weave through the AA screen and scored a hit on the control tower with a shot from its ion cannon. "AA defenses are down!" Rex shouted into the commlink as an explosion from underground caused the entire fort to shake.
Below the fort, making their way through the old maintenance tunnels, was a detachment of Storm Commandos began placing several small explosive charges on the wall ahead of them. Behind the wall, was the staircase leading from the lower levels of the fort to the upper levels, more specifically the motor pool where the enemy vehicles were kept. The commandos pulled back from the wall and moved to a safe distance before detonating the charges. The wall collapsed and the unfortunate soldiers on the other side of the wall were killed as the imperials moved up the staircase and to the mortar pool. Entering the room, they found no vehicles, but a certain clone waiting for them. "I think you'll want this!" Wrecker shouted, tossing the turret of a wrecked tank towards the commandos' blocking their entrance into the mortar pool. "Direct hit! Yeah!" he chortled, as he ran back out of the mortar pool and towards the Marauder.
The rest of the fort was in utter disarray as more explosions from underground rocked the base as Storm Commandos and regular forces continued to infiltrate the base. Galen, Jaune, Ruby, Zett, Ahsoka, Faye, Serra, Kara and Lop's lightsabers were already ignited as the they, their teams and allies held their ground at the rail depot as the remaining equipment and supplies were being loaded into the cars connected to Big One, the last train out of the base. The rest of the Ace Ops were already standing with them, along with Robyn, her huntresses, Qrow, Boba, Artoria, Mordred, Bella and finally, Clover who was dressed in the armor he had stored away until the right moment. Waxer, Boil, Cody, Thorn, Thire, Hound, Jek, Rhys, Stone, Fordo, Stec, Alpha, Able and Howzer lowered their rifles when Rex, Fives, Echo, Hevy, Hardcase, Jesse and Kix ran through the door, with Delta Squad and a few dozen Atlas soldiers. "They're right behind us, they've broken through our ground forces and will be here within minutes! What's the status on the evacuation!?" Rex shouted.
"We're loading up the last of the supplies now. We got all the vehicles secured on the flatbeds, same for the mechs. Our fly boys are doing everything they can, but those new fighters are hammering them hard." Clover reported.
"Those new fighters are TIE Hunters. Used exclusively by the Storm Commandos and built to counter the Rebel's X-Wings. They got shields, hyperdrives, proton torpedoes and ion cannons, more firepower than the basic TIE fighter." Mara explained.
"Guess that explains the fighters Trigger and I saw back in Anima." March realized. "I should have said something sooner, sorry guys."
"Forget about it. We need to get out of here, the forts lost, but we've already wiped the mainframe of anything relating to the tower." Winter said as she and the Fox joined them. "We also found how this on the Manta you all used to leave Atlas, it appears they were tracking you."
"Well, that sucks." Nora deadpanned as the fort shook around them. "How much longer until we get can this clunker rolling?" she called back to Whitman.
"She's all good to go, just need another few minutes to load up the supplies!" the old man called back as Maria and Grogu sat in the cab of Big One. "Never had an old lady in my cab before." He joked.
"I might be old, but I am by far no lady." Maria joked back as Grogu munched on a cookie he grabbed earlier. "But I'd rather be out of this place before we end up getting captured or killed. Don't know which one is worse."
Outside the walls of the fort, the remaining tanks and missile crawlers fell to the firepower of the imperial walkers, which soon began to hammer the walls of the fort with their heavy laser cannons until it finally collapsed, allowing ground forces to move into the fort. Harriet saw the walkers advancing towards the base as she turned her Hellcat a sharp one-hundred and eighty degrees, positioning herself in perfect attack angle, diving towards the imperial walkers with her fingers holding down the trigger, firing the Hellcats cannon at the walkers.
Her shots were however directed towards the cockpit and not the weak neck, making her attack run useless as fire from another walker slammed into her VTOL's engines. Struggling for control, she tried to maintain altitude, but failed as her craft slammed into the ground and skidded along the snow. Blood trickled down her face after she slammed her face on the controls before she lost consciousness with the last sight being multiple Snow Troopers approaching her downed craft.
"Shit! Garuda One to all pilots. Harriet is down, I say again she's been shot down. I'm issuing a tactical retreat for all damaged craft, anyone who's still got ammo it's your lucky day, because you're about to see what a rebel pilot can do." Ray called out over the radio, having witnessed Harriet's crash after pulling up from an attack run of his own. Pulling up from his run, he circled around and headed after a pair of TIE Hunters, when he sensed a familiar presence. "Oh no." he gasped and accessed his commlink. "Hey, Galen. Don't want to alarm you or anything, but I got a bad feeling that a certain foe in black armor is here right now."
Galen heard Ray's communication, but already knew who he was referring to as emerging from a recently created hole in the doorway, was Darth Vader himself and dozens of imperial soldiers. He could sense fear and panic from the Atlas soldiers, and disappointment from the clones, Ahsoka and the other Jedi. "Get that train loaded, I'll deal with Vader, you guys handle the rest of them." Galen instructed his allies, starting to walk towards the enemy soldiers before going into a sprint, leaping over the imperial soldiers who tried to shoot at him while he was airborne, drawing his lightsabers and landing behind the troopers bringing up his sabers just in time to counter an attack from Vader. "I should have known you'd come back to this planet. So, why side with Salem!?" he demanded.
"I have no obligation to answer you." Vader countered, swinging his saber at Galen who leapt backwards and landed outside the hole the enemy made. "Your skills have improved tremendously, despite your attachments and weakness. Nonetheless, you will fall to the power of the dark side."
Back inside the rail depot, the Grimm ran past the Imperial Soldiers and charged at the huntsmen and huntresses who fired back or slashed at the creatures with their weapons. A burst of rose petals flew through the air as Ruby cut through several Beowolfs with her scythe, while Yang fired several sticky bombs at half a dozen charging Sabyr's, detonating the bombs and blowing the creatures to chunks of flesh and bone which splattered across the armor of the imperial soldiers.
Weiss created several speed enhancing glyphs, skating across the ground with her rapier in hand, slashing a Beowolf across the chest, then fired several fire-dust bullets at another Beowolf, burning it to ashes.
Blaster bolts slammed into Blake, seemingly killing her but in reality, it was a shadow clone that was killed instead, while the real Blake threw several shuriken's at multiple targets, including snow troopers who's weapons were knocked out of their hands, allowing Jek, Thire, Rhys, Stone, Hound and Thorn to gun down the unarmed troopers before they could recollect their weapons.
Nora fired off several grenades from her launcher, using the last round to propel herself into the air, shift her launcher into it's hammer mode and then slam it down hard on the ground, generating a shockwave that knocked the Grimm into the air, long enough for Marrow to throw his weapon in it's boomerang mode, cutting them in half while Ren, Clover and Rose downed the remaining ones with their guns. "Any day you want to get this locomotive running, would really be appreciated. Preferably today!" Nora shouted.
"You want to come up here and fire up a steam engine kid? Be my guest!" Whitman shouted back as March fired his pistols at the Grimm that managed to slip past the defenders, going right for Whitman, Wally and Jackson, along with Bella who was helping load the last of the wounded soldiers onto the train.
Arthur, Mordred and Artoria swung their swords, cutting down several Sabyrs as blue flames emerged from Arthur's body, infusing into his families sword, burning the Grimm with his flames while Jaune's lightsaber flew through the air, cutting several Grimm in half.
Ahsoka, Faye, Lop, Zett, Serra and Kara deflected blaster bolts back at the imperial soldiers while the clones behind them provided covering fire, but the Atlas soldiers still alive were cut down by enemy blaster fire. The Bad Batch and Delta Squad assisted in laying down suppressing fire, but more troopers continued arrive from the underground entrances. Elm kicked in her semblance and lifted up an empty container, throwing it towards the enemy troopers, knocking some of them aside, but the container skipped off the ground and was soon caught by Vader who threw it aside as he continued his duel with Galen. "You guys handle these bucketheads. I'll go help Galen." Ahsoka shouted, sprinting towards the enemy, then leapt over them in a spinning jump, landing behind them and rushed towards Galen's aid.
Blue and red blades continued to clash as Vader and Galen's fight took them close to the runway. Spotting a pair of missiles still on their rack, Vader grabbed the missiles with the force and flung them towards Galen, who barely had enough time to roll out of the way. The missiles slammed into a destroyed S34, exploding like firecrackers. This in turn left Galen open for Vader to grab him with the force and tossed him into the wall of one of the hangers. "I have taught you much, my former apprentice, but not everything." Vader commented, raising his lightsaber in time to block an arc of lighting from Galen's fingertips, which allowed Ahsoka to score a hit on Vader's shoulder. "Ah, my second apprentice has joined the fight, now this will be an interesting fight."
"I'm not your apprentice, Vader. My real master, the real Anakin Skywalker still exists with me and will always be with me." Ahsoka spat, glaring at her opponent, then reached out with the force and threw a piece of metal towards Vader, who sliced through piece of metal only for Galen to dash towards Vader, and swung his blades at Vader who blocked each of his attacks. "You may not remember who you were, but I do, and those memories will stay with me for the rest of my life."
"Then your life will come to an end sooner than you think, Jedi." Vader countered, channeling a massive amount of force energy into his hands, then launched it towards the two Jedi who rolled out of the way, but not completely unharmed. "Surrender, and I will grant you a swift death." Vader said.
Both Galen and Ahsoka weren't planning on surrendering anytime soon and noticed that Vader was standing directly underneath a metal scaffolding, directly beneath a large buildup of snow. Both former apprentices looked to each other and smirked, reached out with the force and pulled both the snow and scaffolding down onto Vader, just as Big One's whistle rang out around the fort. "Time, we leave." Galen told Ahsoka.
Ahsoka nodded and leapt over the buried Vader, followed by Galen, both of them landing on the railing of the caboose attached to Big One as the train slowly started to depart the fort. The massive sixty-eight-inch drive wheels spun on the rails, due to the snow and frost, but once some sand was dropped, the engine started to draw level and started to pick up speed, just as Vader blasted his way out of the snow and metal.
The surviving Snow Troopers and Storm Commando's fired as the train disappeared into the distance, some of whom were gunned down by Crosshair who perched him on the roof of the caboose. Vader raised his hands and had the troops stand down, while the engines of the remaining aircraft flew overhead, causing his cape to flap in the wind. "They have lost their stronghold and much of their forces, they have no one left but a handful of 'soldiers'. Send the TIE Hunters to destroy that train, leave no survivors." Vader ordered one of the Storm Commando's, who sent the orders to the TIE Hunters as more imperial forces arrived to secure the captured fort.
Fifteen miles away from the fort, Big One chugged through the tundra with its precious 'cargo'. "So, anyone have any idea where we go now? Rosamond isn't exactly the best idea at the moment, cause if they were able to take the fort that quickly, then Rosamond will suffer the same fate." Marrow asked.
"We're not going to Rosamond." Clover said, catching everyone's attention. "Khesed Island, right off the eastern coast of Rosamond, that's where we'll go. Right after he returned from Vale, General Ironwood ordered that the airbase and other military installations on the island be restored to operational status. After our Fox friend mentioned Atlas being destroyed, Ironwood issued orders to all nearby military bases to report to Khesed and take every piece of functional military equipment with them, as well as wipe the mainframes of any information regarding Amity Tower." Clover began.
"So, he took what I said more seriously than I thought." The Fox noted.
"More like, he considered the 'possibility' that you were right. Which you were." Galen pointed out.
"As I was saying," Clover continued. "Campagna Air Force base, near the old city of Vitoze has been refurbished and restored to full operational status and has a fully functioning airship field, for repairing the air ships, they should also be large enough for any of those cruisers that were fighting the Empire in Vale. I've already put in a call for reinforcements, but aside from those in Atlas, I don't know if we have any more allies coming to assist us. We can plan our next moves from there."
"Uh, aren't we forgetting about Mount Marcelo, that volcano on the island which could blow at any time?" Rose asked.
"Mount Marcelo isn't dormant, it's extinct. Which also makes it the perfect place to finish the construction of the tower. Turns out, that Jacques had smuggled hundreds of crates of Dust onto the island, storing them in the volcano, which he started when he announced his candidacy for councilmen." Robyn answered. "I did my research on a couple of off shipments Jacques sent to the island. I needed to know what my opponent was up to, not so I could blackmail him, but force him to end his shutdown of the SDC."
"Go, Robyn." Yang complimented.
"Help won't come." The Fox said. "I saw it, after Ruby broadcasts a message to world about Salem, no one comes to assist Atlas or Mantle in their times of need."
"That was before, we woke up." Rex pointed out. "If I'm right, and it wasn't for us being on this planet. Sienna Khan, Tukson, Pyrrha, Clover and who knows how many others would already be dead, but they're still alive and Neo is back with her brother. Amber might be dead, but Cinder's also dead and now her powers are with Kara. We have a chance to turn this war around, despite the Empire assisting Salem."
"Hate to break up the conversation down there, but we got a situation on our hands out here!" Cipher shouted over the radio.
Outside the train and several thousand feet above it, the Galm and Garuda Teams along with Mobius One were engaging the TIE Hunters once more. Cannon fire from one TIE Hunter destroyed an S35 while an S33 trailed smoke from its right engine and began to lose altitude, before the pilot was forced to eject, but failed and screamed as their plane slammed into the ground just inches from tracks. Cipher picked out one of the TIE Hunters and gave chase. The TIE Hunter's were faster than the basic TIE Fighter or a TIE Interceptor, had better weapons, shielding and a hyperdrive, but compared to Cipher, the pilots were still getting used to their new fighters, a fact that Cipher took full advantage of.
With only four missiles left and nine-hundred and forty rounds left for his 20mm, Cipher closed the distance and pulled the trigger, spitting out nearly a hundred rounds into the fighters unshielded body, scoring a hit on one of the fighters s-foils and destroyed it, sending the enemy fighter spinning to the ground where it exploded into a thousand pieces. "These new fighters aren't so tough, but that one already had its shields knocked out. I just go lucky."
"Luck has nothing to do with it, buddy." Pixy smirked under his visor, turning into the enemy fire from another TIE Hunter which had him targeted. Jinking his aircraft in a series of random directions, he looped around and managed to get on the fighter's tail, then opened up with his laser cannon, knocking out the fighters shields and finished it off with a missile directly in the engine, which exploded in mid-air. "It's our skills as pilots that give us the edge over these bucket heads." He added, diving his plane down to avoid the wreckage.
"I hear that." Neo chimed in, her Strike Dagger launching the last of her XMAA's at four more fighters, which exploded like fireworks in the sky. "These guys are considered expendable, and more pilots are always ready to take their place. Seems to me the emperor or any other imperial commander doesn't value the lives of their soldiers. Then again, that old man is just a power-hungry geezer." Cannon fire from another TIE Hunter slammed into her Strike Dagger, damaging her shields but they held strong. Zigging to the left, she slammed on her brakes and allowed the enemy fighter to slip past her, right into gun range. "Guns." A quick burst of fire from her slammed into the enemy fighter, which shut down for a moment, then exploded in mid-air.
Dante's weapons were now empty as the last of his XMAA's flew towards four TIE Hunters coming for him head on, creating four fireballs in the sky that he climbed to avoid. Scanning for new targets, his fighter shook violently as cannon fire slammed into his lower hull, nearly depleting his shields to zero. Flying past his cockpit was a single TIE Hunter, which he promptly gave chase after. His target was extremely overconfident in the abilities of their fighter, but that proved to be a fatal mistake as a pair of short-ranged missiles turned the enemy fighter into a fireball. Scanning for targets, Dante looked in horror as a large group of TIE Hunters were heading directly towards Big One. "Mobius One to any available pilots, we got hostile fighters heading for the train. Someone, intercept those bastards!" he shouted.
"Garuda One to Mobius One, I copy. R5 and I are moving to intercept now." Ray called out, speeding after the enemy fighters. His plane's cannon was still fully loaded with 20mm ammo, and he hadn't used any of his missiles, opting to use only his laser cannon on the imperial fighters. At top speed, he closed the distance between himself and the enemy fighter and hit the fire button the moment he got a tone. "Fox 3!" he called out. His XLAA's launched and started to track the enemy fighters, whose pilots were focused solely on destroying the train, that they didn't even try to avoid the missiles, resulting in their destruction. "That's six fighters down, but there's still too many of them! I can't get them all!" he shouted, firing his 20mm cannon at the advanced fighters. The shields of his first target flickered before it finally spun over in a death spiral, crashing into the ground below, while the second target broke off when its engines took too much damage.
The third target slammed into the fourth fighter, destroying both of them, but as he mentioned, there were still too many fighters for him to take out. "Shit! Ahsoka! Brace yourselves!" he shouted as the TIE Hunters were finally within striking distance of the train. Suddenly, a wall of missiles and cannon fire slammed into the TIE Hunters from the side, destroying dozens of them. "Where did that come from?"
"Take a guess, Three Strikes." a familiar voice said over the radio.
"Wait a minute? Sienna? What are you doing here? Are you with the Gelb Team?" Ray asked.
"I am, but I'm not alone. As for why I am here, I heard about Adam's attack on Argus and figured something was off, so I came as soon as I could." Sienna answered.
"While I am glad to see you again, three fighters aren't going be enough to handle these new TIE Fighters." Ray said with honesty.
"Who say's she's alone." Shamrock called out over the radio as the IFF of his Strike Dagger appeared on radar, along with the IFF's of Wardog squadron, Captain Bartlett, Warwolf Squadron, X-Wings, A-Wings, Y-Wings of both types, Z-95's, ARC-170's, a few V-19's and every other rebel and Mandalorian ship on Remnant. "Sorry we're a little late, but we ran into some traffic, and we didn't get the notice about Fort Arrowfell. But we're back, and Garuda Three is reporting for duty."
"And here, Harriet thought you were going AWOL." Ray joked.
"Ghost Eye to all aircraft, the enemy fighters are retreating. Escort the train and our cruisers to Campagna air base. All surviving Atlas fighters are to land on the Enterprise for necessary repairs and refueling." The ever-friendly AWACS of the Vale Air Force said over the radio.
"Well, at least we got some back up." Galen said over the commlink. "Colonel Bishop, Master Fisto, Master Secura, we've got something we need to discuss when we land at the air base. We've learned some things that you all need to hear about. It's vital information."
"Copy that, young Marek." Kit said over the commlink as the massive coalition of fighters, bombers and cruisers headed toward Khesed Island.
Back in Atlas, Harriet was thrown into one of the empty prison cells, while Maul and Salem discussed the topic that Jacques mentioned earlier. "The Imperials have checked the academy's database and have found no information about a new communications tower being constructed. It is possible that our 'guest' was lying to us or that Ironwood erased all the data regarding the project." Maul reported to Salem.
"If Watts was still alive, he could recover the data and confirm Jacques claims. But no matter, whether it is false or true, our enemies will fall before us and then at last, we will have what we desire." Salem assured Maul, just as Harriet woke up. "But perhaps, our newest 'guest' can confirm it for us." She suggested.
And done.
First off, a happy late Star Wars Day and National Train day. I know, those are not official holidays, but I still celebrate them because of my love for Star Wars and trains, especially steam engines. Thank you, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Railway Series and the Reverend Wilbert Awrdy and your son Christopher.
Second, and most annoyingly, we have had another mass shooting in the US with the perpetrator using an AR-15 style rifle, resulting in the deaths of eight people, including children. I think I speak for everyone when I say enough is enough! Something needs to be done about the availability of assault style weapons to the general public. I mean, I don't hunt or own a gun, so I'm probably just going to be ignored, but those kinds of weapons should either be secured in a safe at a gun range or not available for sale at all. How many more innocent lives have to die before we finally do something and the issue isn't metal health, like people keep saying. In the words of the great leader of the Autobots. "ENNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
Third, I finally got my own TV and Xbox Series X, which I am going to be setting up in my room, so I can play Xbox games without sweating like I'm living in the damn desert. I always wanted to put a TV and gaming system in my room, but never did because some people would claim that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep and play games all night. Just going to have to rearrange the stuff in my room so I can place the system and TV in the right place.
Fourth, I want to apologize for the delay, it was a combination of writer's block, doing some permit studying and other things, so I hope this makes up for it. The new intro is the first opening for Season 4 of My Hero Academia, I have been in a superhero mood lately since I started my Power Rangers story, so there's that and I'm looking at new places for jobs. Still, I hope you all liked the intro and am keen on hearing your thoughts and theories about what's going to happen this volume. Oh, and Sienna is back!
Yeah, so enough of the rambling. Anyway, please read and review and I'll see you all next time. Oh, and before I forget, little less than a month left before Transformers: Rise of The Beasts is released.