Here we go.

Chapter 18

The Grimm were approaching.

Every cadet in Beacon had been made officially aware of that fact, as scouting forces and air support had tracked a vast mass of dark shapes pouring through the gap in the great wall and gathering on their side of it. There wasn't a doubt among any of them what this meant, and the advance warning was given so they would have time to come to terms with it. There were five stages to grieving, and you could grieve for your own life even before it had ended. They were to make their way to stage five, acceptance, as soon as possible. Because once you accepted death, you wouldn't be held back by fear.

One day, it was expected to take. Or even less than that. They would reach Vale by the evening. Project Terminus would, if all went well, finish on the following day, so that was how long they had to hold out for. Even if they died after, at least they could rest assured Vacuo would live on. The human race would survive. Throughout the day, the television stations informed citizens of what to do in a "hypothetical attack" but didn't make mention of the Grimm. Even civilians had some military training, so they wouldn't be entirely helpless. Just mostly. Still, the overarching idea seemed to be that while the serving army and huntsmen could keep themselves calm, the populace could not, and so the attack would come as a complete surprise to them.

Personally, he felt they could have prepared in advance and gotten the organisation out the way, but he wasn't in command. They could still begin the sirens hours before the Grimm reached them, so it wasn't like it'd be a complete surprise.

What did come as a surprise was their sudden and unexpected graduation ceremony.

Jaune stood between Ruby and Yang, straight backed in a military dress uniform he'd have never been caught entering the battle in. His hair was slicked back, his cuffs linked by little chips of metal, and his shoes shined along with everyone else's. They were arrayed in rows, all the survivors thus far of Beacon, lined up on the lawns in front of a stage upon which only General Ozpin remained. The teachers they had gotten used to were all absent, and news of Lieutenant-General Goodwitch's demise had long since spread among them, the same as it had for Sergeant Port and Lieutenant Oobleck, and the few other teachers they'd taken for granted. All dead now, all sacrificed in missions harder than their own. It still amazed him that the XO could have reached and infiltrated the wall alone, let alone fought her way to the main computers.

"I have always dreaded this moment," said General Ozpin, stood on the stage leaning heavily on the podium and his cane. His voice carried despite the solemn tone. "To see a portion of my students leave and know that many of them will be forced into impossible situations is no comfort. Beacon has, through the years, produced many excellent huntsmen and huntresses who have served the arcology with great honour. It was our duty to prepare them as best we could for the trials ahead and give them the greatest chance of survival."

"In that, today, we have failed all of you. Few of you are truly ready. For almost all of you, your training has been cut short, and for some of you there has been less than a year of it. You have not the training of those who came before you, nor the time to build your strength. But what you all do have is the spirit of those huntsmen and huntresses, and the courage. I will not lie to you. The Grimm Queen approaches, to destroy our home like she has Mistral and Atlas before us. This is a battle for our survival, and many of you will die. I know that. You know that. I will not insult any of you by claiming otherwise."

"What I will say is that, today, we strike back at the monster who has hounded our world. For the first time in our history, the Grimm Queen is afraid. Desperate. Project Terminus launches later today, and she has less than twelve hours to stop it. She knows this, which is why she will be forced to launch the attack whether or not she is ready for it. There is hope that we can push her back, because she has not had the time to gather her forces like she did with our allies. There is hope. Remember that, all of you, and keep it in your heart as you face the enemy." He stood, saluting. "Remnant Invicta!"

"Remnant Invicta!" they chorused as one.

It was, from there, a surreal affair. They were called up one by one, and General Ozpin presented, to each of them, two things. The first was an armband – bright white, with golden laurel accents along the edge and a gold symbol in the centre – a motif of all four emblems of the arcologies joined as one. The symbol of international cooperation, as frail as they had ever been. It was meant to show that huntsmen served all humanity over any one arcology, and every official huntsman wore one. It also served to show their status and rank and tell soldiers to obey them.

The second was a medal. Gold, or coated with it, circular with four spokes coming out of it like a compass. Each was embossed with a letter: A, V, M, V. Atlas, Vale, Mistral and Vacuo. In the centre was a sword crossed with a rifle, a crown beneath, and a torch above. That was the only allusion to Beacon.

The ceremony took over two hours.

/-/

Jaune turned the medal over and over in his hands, sat with his knees parted and shoulders and head down, staring at the craftsmanship with an odd feeling deep in his stomach. The common room was quiet, with everyone lost in thought. Yang had her head slumped back over the headrest of her seat, eyes on the ceiling, the medal held in a limp hand at her side. She was doubtless wishing Blake could be there to graduate as well. Nora was little better, her medal resting on the floor on the opposite side of the room where she'd thrown it.

"It doesn't feel real," whispered Ruby, sat beside him. "Does it?"

"No. It doesn't."

"We've not had a single year of Beacon. You haven't had a quarter of a year. Now, we're huntsmen. It's so sudden." Ruby giggled. It was a frail sound. "You know, traditionally we're meant to only wear the medals to formal events and leave them in our dorms otherwise. It's so they can be recycled and given to other graduates when we die."

That didn't surprise him. Everyone knew their life expectancy was a joke, and it only made sense not to waste precious metals on things like this when they could be used for more important things. It was morbid, but he couldn't fault it. It was just common sense.

"Thing is," continued Ruby, "Is that even a thing anymore? Beacon isn't going to have any more graduates, is it? Even if we don't all die here, even if we win, that'll mean we're finally going to be able to kill Salem. Then there won't be any need for Beacon. We're the last ones. We're the last huntsmen and huntresses who will ever be made here."

Jaune released a heavy sigh. "Probably…"

"Am I bothering you? I'm just talking because I'm nervous."

"It's fine." He offered her as best a smile as he could. "You talking helps. I just…" He took a deep breath. "Do you know I never even got a chance to go visit my family? My requests for leave kept getting put off or pushed back, which is obvious why now. They knew about PT and needed everything on deck working on that. Giving one cadet time R&R wasn't on the cards. I've written them letters, but I never got to see them after I was drafted here."

"Fucking hell," mumbled Yang, a rare input from her nowadays. "That's dark."

"I might be able to see them in the battle. They're all military, and even if mom is retired she's going to be fighting. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. I might come across the dead bodies."

"More likely they'll come across ours," said Yang. "We're going to be on the wall, in the thickest fighting. We definitely die first."

"That's good." Jaune smiled. "Is it weird that I actually find that comforting?"

"No." It was Nora who answered. "I wish I died before Ren."

Ruby clenched her small hands together. "Nora, you're not going to…"

"Get myself killed on purpose? Heh. No. Ren would kick my ass seven ways by Sunday if I did. No, I'm going to make those fuckers pay for what they did. I'm going to fucking slaughter them and make sure that bitch feels fear when Terminus launches." Nora's teeth were bared. "So don't you lot worry about me. If I die, I die, but I'm not letting it happen for free."

"Same here," said Yang. "I'll pay them back for what they did to Blake." Her eyes closed, and she laughed softly. "And I made a promise to you, Ruby. Didn't I? What kind of big sister would I be if I forgot about that?"

"The worst," said Ruby, grinning wildly. "So don't forget!"

Jaune smiled, still staring down on the silly medal as he turned it over and over in his fingers. How many people had worn this before him? Had they also been afraid, or had they faced their end with dignity? How many of them had sat here, like he was now, turning it over and over and pondering on its history? How many had bitterly thrown theirs at a wall like Nora had? He had to assume the answer to all those questions was "many", but, as Ruby said, he would be the end of it. For better or worse, there would never be another person in his shoes. Either because they had won and there was no need, or because they had failed and their species would come to an end. The sharp, pointy edges of the compass dug into his hand as he closed his fist around it.

A short wail sounded through the speaker systems before ending and being replaced with the announcement system. General Ozpin's voice came through. "The Grimm are three hours from reaching Vale. The city-wide sirens will be activated in one hour. All huntsmen and huntresses are to report to their posts as per Last Stand Protocols. It has been an honour and a privilege to have taught each and every one of you, no matter for how short a time. Remnant Invicta."

Yang kicked her feet out and stood. "Well. This is it."

"This is it," agreed Ruby. They all slowly got to their feet. Yang looked at them, mouth stretched wide in a grimace and eyes clenched shut.

"I wish I could give you all a good fucking speech," she said. "But I can't. I've not been much of a squad leader since Blake… since Blake died. I failed you and Ren at the mines as well," she said to Nora. "My orders got Sun killed." Her eyes found Nora's. "And I let you down and Ren died. I'm not fit for this. If anyone thinks they can take over-"

Nora stepped up and held her hand out, elbow bent, and palm higher.

Yang stared at it like she had no idea what to do.

"You did your damned best," said Nora, voice hoarse. "And Ren knew that. Sun, too. We never asked anything more, and none of us stepped up to do what you did." Nora took a shaky breath. "If we're all going out today, then I can't let that happen with you thinking I hate you." Her eyes locked onto Yang's. "I refuse to know you went to your death thinking that. We're a squad. You're family."

Yang was shaken, so Nora took her hand forcefully and dragged her in. They met, chest to chest, and Ruby was quick to join them. Jaune was slower, stood on the outside, wondering if he even had the right to be involved until Ruby shot him the angriest look he had ever seen. It prompted him to move, and Nora caught him by his collar and dragged him in.

"No matter what happens," said Nora. "Phoenix squadron existed. We were here, we lived, and we made good memories along the way. No one gets to forget that."

"No one dies," said Ruby.

It was an impossible promise to ask them to make.

"No one dies," they replied, holding onto one another tightly.

/-/

So many people were going to die.

That was all Jaune could think of as he handed a boy no older than twelve an automatic rifle and instructed him to wait off to the side so that someone could show him to the fortifications within the walls. He looked nervous but also relieved, but then even more afraid as he realised his mother was being sent elsewhere. It wouldn't surprise Jaune if the boy's father was already stationed in the army.

The sirens had been wailing for twenty-five minutes now, though they'd thankfully lessened in volume a little. Citizens were queuing nervously in front of the station, waiting to be given their marching orders and a weapon. If nothing else, there was plenty of that to go around. No one would be hurting for ammunition when Vale was breaking out every last drop of stock they had. Jaune looked up and down a woman who approached him. She was old, somewhere between sixty and seventy, with grey hair and a wrinkled face.

"Can you run, ma'am?"

"Not very fast anymore, son," she said, smiling sadly. "But I can hold a gun and stand in place. I think you'll be sending me to the frontlines."

He had no choice, and took a gun, holding it out for her. "You'll be on the lines."

"Don't you worry," she said. "I've lived a good life."

That didn't make it much better, even if he knew she'd be in a safer spot than him. After this, they were to report to the walls – on the walls themselves, with the artillery and batteries. It was going to be the worst fighting by far. Those in the line, behind the walls on the ground, would only have to deal with stragglers or overflow that got past them. Still, they were trained for this, while many in the line would be armed citizens. It wasn't going to be pretty.

"Next."

A young girl who couldn't have been eleven was sent to the fortifications. They'd have to find her a step ladder to see through the slits. She might have served better in support, but he wasn't sure she could carry heavy supplies any better than she could wield a gun. At least she could poke it out the firing slits and use that to fight the recoil.

An older man with one arm and an eye missing was given a handgun and sent to the line, to finish what he'd started when the Grimm took his arm. He had nodded grimly, and not once questioned his orders. A good soldier.

A pregnant woman stood before him next, and Jaune didn't know what to do. The line would be suicide but putting her in support would mean running while pregnant, and one trip – all too easy when the Grimm would be everywhere – would injure her. The space in the fortifications was limited however, and there were many more children in the crowd. "Support," said Jaune, shaking as he handed her a simple sidearm. "But please be careful."

When each person was assigned, they were shepherded towards one of the trucks ready to take them to their destination. There was much hugging and crying and last words from families and couples sent in different directions, but the drivers let it happen. They couldn't drive until the trucks were full, and no one wanted to be the ones to pry them apart. Jaune counted their station lucky that no one had tried to argue or fight back. He'd heard gunshots in the city, evidence of martial law being enforced, but none of that had happened here.

Most people knew and accepted their duty. The older men and women had lived through it, and were ready to give their lives, while the younger generation were too starry-eyed and glut on patriotic cartoons and stories to fully realise what this would be like. They were convinced Vale would win, and that they were just "doing their part" to make that happen. Jaune didn't correct them, even as young children chatted animatedly in the backs of the trucks, and waved to their parents as they were taken away to the meatgrinder.

The fortifications are the safest place, Jaune told himself. This is the best we can do for them.

There were some who asked to be sent to the same places too. It wasn't possible when it was parents wanting to go with children, but he exercised his right to send couples to fight together. Most people were sent to the lines anyway. The distribution was going to be close to 75% lines, 10% fortifications and 15% support. At least, that was what they'd been ordered to try and meet.

It took over ninety minutes for them to get through the crowd, and by then the artillery had begun firing. Great booming sounds echoed over the arcology, and the ground and buildings shook. There had been a rhythm to it at first, but now they were firing for effect, likely on a pre-arranged location with the weapons trained and pre-aimed there a full day before the Grimm arrived. Given the artillery capability of the arcology, that probably put the Grimm about thirty to forty klicks out.

A Beowolf could run anywhere between fifty and sixty kilometres per hour without tiring, so they were at best forty minutes out. There might be fliers moving ahead of the formation, too. It depended on whether they were going for a strategic attack or just hoping to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Given the time limit they were under, it was more likely to be the latter. A disorganised but overwhelming assault with Grimm throwing themselves at the defenders en masse.

Jaune ushered the last people onto a truck and then slapped his hand on the back to signal the driver. The remaining weapons they hadn't distributed were being piled onto another, where they could be taken to various spots for rearming. He wasn't privy to where those were because it wasn't his business to know. He, and the other huntsmen and huntresses, had ammunition and weapons aplenty, and wouldn't be leaving the walls until they were dead or the battle was over.

"Time for us to go!" yelled Yang. "Helmets on! Masks activated!" His mask clicked into place and sealed with a little hiss. It was unlikely Salem could use the rot here given it took time to infect, but there was no point taking chances. It was good to hear Yang back in a commanding mood, too. Calming. He didn't have to think when he could just do as he was told. "We know our divisions, squad. Authorisation: CD1A. Independent usage of combat drugs activated."

The delivery system on his wrist clicked, and a faint green light blinked once on it. "Use them as you need them," Yang told them. "I'm not going to have time or focus to pop them for you, so go wild." He could tell she was grinning. "But save getting high for the victory party, eh?"

"Aw. And I was going to pop the whole cocktail right now until you said that," laughed Nora. "You're such a party pooper."

They talked loudly as they jogged toward their appointed wall. They were taking the west wall – quadrant 6A. He'd been on the walls before in the Engineer Corps, but that was never for combat. It was to conduct checks and maintenance on the weapon systems and learn how to repair them if it ever came down to it. The arcology's wall was a gargantuan thing over twenty metres thick, with an entire inner corridor system and rooms, and then at least ten metres of solid wall as a buffer. It was stockier at the bottom and grew hollower toward the top, but it was designed without weak points. It would fall given enough brute force, but there were also fail safes in place to detonate sections outward if that happened. Take some Grimm with them and prevent the wall crushing people inside.

Of course, that would kill everyone in and on it, but if the wall was compromised then those people were fucked already. They'd be given a brief window to evacuate, but it wasn't likely the Grimm would let anyone use it. When they eventually reached the wall, it was a hive of activity. There were hundreds of people outside it, waiting in the line for orders from old veterans who had been brought back to lead them like some kind of last-ditch militia.

The four of them moved past that, aware of the staring and pointing. Their armbands and armour marked them as huntsmen. Soldiers at the wall stopped to salute as well, even as the artillery boomed above. They stepped into one of the elevator systems and Yang touched the button, closing the doors and sending them whistling upward at reckless speed. It still took forty full seconds to reach the top. Jaune counted each second in his head.

The elevator had been set on the inner edge of the wall, but the door obviously opened the other way or they'd be walking off into the air. The second the gated door reached the wall itself, they saw the vast expanse of land before them – forests, mountains, and, in the distance, the great wall itself. The once-touted solution to the Grimm that would, the media had claimed, let them reclaim their land and usher in a golden era.

It had lasted ten years.

Ten years where everyone dared to hope it was working, but, which he knew now, was ten years the Grimm Queen had let them grow complacent so that they'd make little villages and towns for her to sweep away when her forces came crashing through. As they were now. Through a haze of smoke and dirt thrown up, and the distant flash of orange fire as the artillery landed, an unmistakable carpet of black crept across the open ground. Chunks were torn from it, but filled immediately after as more came. Grimm of all shapes and sizes, but, among them, much larger ones, some as tall as the walls themselves. Giants moving on all fours, looking so slow and ponderous, but with strides so great that they kept up with their quicker cousins.

"Plenty of targets for us to choose from," said Nora. "I bet I kill the most."

"You're on," said Yang. "Loser has to run a lap of the training field naked."

"Sure," said Jaune, trying hard to focus on that and not the swarm before them. "Sounds good to me. Are we-?"

"Just standing our ground until they get close." Yang had raised her voice a little to be heard over the bombardment. It was long-range artillery for now, but once they got close enough the anti-air, machineguns and all the other batteries on the walls would open up as well, and then it would be well and truly deafening. "Let the soldiers operate the guns. Our primary job is to defend them. The guns, I mean. Let the Grimm on the walls if they get on, but each weapon placement is going to kill more Grimm than any of us will. We need to keep them active as long as possible."

Below the walls, but outside them, tanks were opening up. They were remnants of an old age in all honesty, mostly useless against the Grimm but kept around for this purpose. He could see signs indicating minefields for a huge stretch ahead of them, not to mention barbed wire posted into the ground. The Grimm weren't going to care about running into that, but it'd at least bleed a couple out. Every little helped.

"No air support?" asked Ruby. "What, are they busy polishing their birds?"

"You know how those jocks are," teased Nora. "They'll show up fashionably late, as usual."

They all knew the real reason. The Grimm had airborne forces of their own that would, if not shoot the airplanes down, then clog their engines and cause them to crash. Bombers would be scrambled only after the anti-air guns had a chance to open up and thin those numbers, and they'd be flying constantly after, fighting to the death along with everyone else. Interceptors, however, were being kept in reserve, and specifically to protect the airspace above the PT launch site.

"It's going to be a bit yet before the fun starts," said Nora. "Shame we didn't bring a pack of cards."

Jaune had a feeling the Grimm would be keeping them busy soon enough.

/-/

Weiss Schnee busied herself with last-minute tests and checking over all the dust containment systems and fuel tanks. Her heart was racing, and her body trembled, but she reminded herself that it was okay to feel fear, especially if she was going to do this anyway. That just meant she was getting past it. Past the fear. Past the… past…

Her eyes clenched shut and she took a deep breath.

People are dying out there, Weiss. They're dying for us to have this chance. Pull yourself together.

"Researcher Schnee!" called a technician. "Is everything all right? Is there a problem?"

"No. The systems are fine. All is operation in fuel bank B. How are the focusing crystals?"

"As good as they can be," reported a voice in her ear. "We're having trouble rigging a covering for them, though. At the speeds we'll be accelerating to, they're bound to shatter if we don't have some protection."

"Is the shield not good enough? I thought we could jettison that."

"Head Researcher Willow Schnee is concerned that the added weight will impact our launch negatively."

"Well, we need something to protect them. They won't survive the launch."

"I know, ma'am. We're busy jury-rigging smaller, individual shields for each of them. They can be jettisoned the same way but at least it's less metal and less weight. Safer too. If the original shield failed in some way then we'd lose all the crystals. Here, we can afford for one or two to go wrong, though hopefully none will."

Hopefully. Weiss was a scientist and hated the word. Science should not rely on hope or good luck or anything so imprecise. Science should be quantifiable. Sadly, they didn't have the time for that. The Grimm Queen was here now and they had to be operational if they were to have any hope of avenging Atlas and protecting the rest of the world.

"Get it done. I'm moving on to fuel bank C."

"Roger that."

The Terminus Station was a ring. It had to be, they decided, because the crystals for the weapon had to be able to feed into one another, and that was only going to work if the station was built around them and they could focus their beams inward. A circle was not a very aerodynamic shape, not unless it was on its side, which the station couldn't be without placing far too much stress on its structure. They'd discussed a rocket shape with the ring inside, and the rocket to break apart around them, but that would require twenty times as much dust and raw material as they had. In the end, they had to make the station as rugged as possible and just use more dust to launch themselves. It would work. All tests had said so. It would reach orbit.

Hopefully…

Once they were up there, things would become easier. They'd have dust left over to navigate and power themselves, and fire the weapon, but they would only get one shot. There wasn't enough juice for a second with the dust-hungry launch.

"The Grimm are about to reach the walls." Winter's voice came through another channel. "We are running out of time. We can launch early if we-"

"No shortcuts," said their mother, voice firm. "Atlas died for us, and Vale is prepared to do the same. If we cut corners and fail because of it then we spit on their sacrifice. The launch will not happen even a second before we are ready. Continue as planned."

"Yes mother," said Winter.

"Yes mother," said Weiss, ducking her head. It pained her to think of so many making the same sacrifice as her brother and her friends in Atlas. Only those valuable to the project had been evacuated, and many of her childhood friends hadn't ranked that. They'd had to face her, and say goodbye to her, knowing that she would get to live while they were left behind to die.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you all right now. I promise.

"Ma'am?" said the engineer beside her. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine." In the distance, the artillery kept firing, but now the whirr of machinegun emplacements and anti-air batteries had begun as well. They drowned out the sound of what Weiss was sure would have been a lot of screaming. "Our allies have joined the battle. We should hurry so that we can join them."

"Of course, ma'am." The engineer saluted sadly. "Remnant Invicta."

Life had been good in Atlas.

Until it ended.

Weiss mumbled it back as she counted the dust barrels and made sure they were connected to the thrusters properly. She had, Weiss knew, lived a very charmed and special life compared to many others. Valued and chosen for her intellect, and her talent taking to the sciences, and protected more than any other. She had never wanted for food, never had to "rough it" as her brother had, and she'd never been expected to pick up a weapon and fight. Few were as fortunate as she had been, which was what made it feel so pathetic that she, of all people, should feel so afraid now. Everyone else on the walls fighting for their lives had more right to that fear than she.

"Fuel Bank C is accounted for and secured. Only bank D remaining." One left, and then it would be too late to back out. They would launch, and the chance to step off would be lost to her forever. "I… I am en route to Bank D now."

At least I have a romantic date waiting for me when I get back, she thought, shaking with laughter. The engineer assisting her didn't comment on it, nor did he comment when the tears began to run down her face. They worked in silence, confirmed the status of Fuel Bank D, and signalled the readiness of the launch systems.

Neither of them stepped off.

Next Chapter: 11th July

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