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Lights, Cameras, Action!

Chapter 3: Offering

"After our briefing, we took a team to begin recon operations, and the rest, you already know." Azure finished as Ozpin took in his story. On one hand, he could simply dismiss the tale as false, but something as elaborate and well-detailed as the Marshal's explanation would most likely have evidence as well.

"This is... certainly a lot to take in Mister Azure and I am also sorry for your current predicament if you and your men are stuck."

Azure smiled at the Headmaster's sympathy "It is quite alright, Headmaster. Depending on my fleet's situation, I have a feeling that we may be here in this system for a while."

"Well, if you are staying here, I believe I have a proposition for you and your men if you don't wish to remain idle in... space." Ozpin began, Azure raised an eyebrow at this.

"Do tell, Headmaster."

"How would you like to be a security force here in Beacon?" The Headmaster asked. Glynda and Captain Hound looked at Ozpin in surprise. Azure looked more intrigued.

"A security force? Do you not have your own?" He asked.

Ozpin shook his head "No. While we are a Huntsman Academy-"

"If I may interrupt sir," Azure began "I am not familiar with the term Huntsman. Would you care to elaborate?"

"Forgive me, it slipped my mind, of course, allow me to explain. Those creatures you encountered in the Emerald Forest, are called Grimm. Outside of the 4 Kingdoms and Frontiers, the Grimm run rampant across the continents of Remnant. In response to this increasing threat, the 4 Kingdoms built the 4 Huntsman Academies to train the next generation of warriors to combat the Grimm. The huntsmen were a force that primarily fought the Grimm after most of the Kingdoms dismantled their armies after the Great War."

"Dismantling their armies? To avoid conflict I assume?"

Ozpin nodded "Indeed, only the Kingdom of Atlas maintains a proper standing army."

"Hmmm... interesting, and how long have the Grimm been a problem for Remnant?" Azure asked.

"Some 60 years since the Great War. They existed prior but were relatively ignored due to their insignificance. It was after the war when they became the threat they are."

"Hm... you present an interesting offer Headmaster. If it's alright with you, I'll give you an answer in three days." Azure said, now getting an understanding of the world he is in.

"Of course. Just know that our classes will open in 4 weeks. I hope to hear from you soon Mister Azure." Ozpin said as he extended his hand.

"You will, Headmaster. You will."

Starboard Bridge, Independence

"Admiral Vaux, Field Marshal Azure is on his way back to the bridge. Shall I give him the rundown of what has happened?" Azure's AI, IRIS, asked as Admiral Vaux continued to read the reports. He looked at the holo screen where the AI assistant was displayed "No, no thank you IRIS. I'll deliver the news myself."

IRIS responded with an affirmative before logging off the console. Just as she blinked out of sight, the doors of the bridge opened to reveal Field Marshal Azure and ARC Captain Hound. The bridge crew saluted the Marshal and he returned the gesture. Vaux approached Azure and greeted him "Welcome back Garreth. I take it that we have established first contact with the locals."

Azure nodded "Indeed, though we came to a rough start. The words... what does Senator Amidala call it? Ah yes, aggressive negotiations, come to mind."

"Shall we take this to a more private setting?" The Admiral offered to which Azure nodded. The pair, along with Hound went into the Admiral's office and began to discuss what had transpired in the past few hours.

"First thing's first Admiral, what is the status on our comms?" The Marshal asked.

"The engineers and technicians already took a look at it. They repaired the one on Independence just some 38 minutes ago before you returned. There is just one problem. No matter what frequency we try, we can't seem to hail anyone besides our fleet. And yes, we did try to hail the Chancellor's private comm channel." Vaux explained.

"So as far as we are concerned, we are stuck here?"

"I'm afraid so Garreth. What about our contact with the locals?"

"Well, it started rough..."

"Meaning?"

"We attempted to knock out 3 of them," Azure replied sheepishly.

"Perhaps you should've laid out ROE first, hm?"

"Moving on, if you read the reports from Besh 6 and Foxtrot 9, then you know that we were attacked by creatures of darkness that we now have a name for. The locals call them Grimm."

Vaux gestured for him to continue.

"To counter this threat, the people of Remnant have established Huntsman Academies which train children to combat this threat. Now onto the most important part. I met with the Headmaster of one of the academies. This Ozpin offered me something should we be staying here longer than intended."

Vaux raised an eyebrow "And what does he offer us?"

"We have yet to iron out that detail, but at the moment, he is offering us a job of protecting his academy. With that, we can most likely learn more about this world. What do you think James? I am very much tempted by this offer."

"It is rather sudden, but if you believe that we can trust this Ozpin, then I certainly won't mind sending a force down there."

"I don't trust the man personally, but I can tell he doesn't have any ulterior motives on the surface at least." Azure said as he then turned to Hound "What about you Captain? What do you make of him?"

Hound shrugged "Too early to make an opinion of him, but at the moment, I think we can work with him."

Vaux then asked, "If we are to send our men as a security force, then which units do you think we should send in?"

Azure pondered on the question "I suppose we can send a company's worth of men, along with some field officers to man a command center and 2 platoons of marines."

"And which company are we sending?" Vaux asked to which Azure smiled.

Beacon Academy, Vale

It's been a day since Ozpin met with Garreth Azure, and he half-expected for the Field Marshal to not show up at all. To his surprise, he saw several of the same craft that Azure used, land on Beacon's courtyard. He called up Glynda and together, they made their way to the courtyard and were met with the sight of Azure's men in their full glory. They looked like the same men that Azure had last time he was here, but they were different. The men all had blue stripes that adorned their arms, legs, and chest plates while their helmets were adorned with the same pattern but with one slight distinction. On the sides of the helmet was a small red symbol that resembled a bull with writings that the Headmaster could not translate.

As the two hunters approached the troops, they heard the commands of one of the officers.

"Toro Company, on my command, form into platoons... MARCH!" shouted one of the armored men. The second they were ordered to execute the orders, the soldiers wasted no time forming into their respective platoons with rows of 3 and 12 men in each row.

One man that stood out to Ozpin was a man in a black cap, white coat, black trousers and boots, and a white cape to top it all off. On his chest was a badge that most likely denoted his rank. The man looked towards the two before calling them over.

"Ah, Ozpin! Glynda! Good to see you again," the man said which happened to be Garreth Azure.

"Mister Azure. I am very pleased to see you. I take it you finally have an answer?" Ozpin asked as he and Glynda walked towards the Marshal.

"Indeed I have Headmaster. After some careful consideration, my council and I agree to dedicate a small force to act as Beacon's security." Azure said as he looked upon his men.

Ozpin smiled at this "That is good to hear. Shall we go ahead and begin laying out how this detail will work out?"

"Not so fast Ozpin. We do agree to this, on several conditions."

"Do tell Mister Azure. Do tell."

Azure pulled out what looked like a piece of paper as he began to read out "Our first condition is that all members of our security forces have the right to deny orders given by staff if they are unnecessary and/or violate our military regulations. Our second condition is that we require more information on this planet. These can range from how a kingdom operates, Grimm biology, this planet's history, and culture, or the many weapons that Remnant uses. Our third condition is that we will be allowed to use any room in the Academy as a means of creating our headquarters. Finally, our last condition is that we will not discuss any matters of security of Beacon on any of your communication devices, we will provide a means of communication that only you and a selection of people of your choosing may access. This condition also applies to paperwork such as reports, orders, or any of the sort. All of these will be placed in the computer of my office. Do you accept these conditions?"

Ozpin asked for the paper to which Azure gave him a copy. After reviewing the conditions, and quietly consulting with Glynda, the Headmaster took a pen from his jacket and signed with his name and signature. He returned to copy to Azure to which he replied "A pleasure doing business with you Headmaster."

"Likewise Mister Azure, though I have one request if I may."

Azure cocked an eyebrow "Go ahead, Headmaster."

"If it's alright with you, I would like to see your forces in action. While the accounts of Professor Goodwitch, Oobleck, and Port are well detailed, I wish to see your men in action myself."

Azure, who understood what Ozpin wanted, turned to the officer who was in front of the parade.

"Captain Sixers."

"Sir."

"Take a platoon and have them ready to move out. The rest of you will watch and stand by if they need it."

"Very good sir. 1st Platoon, stand to! 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, back to the gunships!"

The men quickly returned to their gunships as Sixers followed Azure who in turn was also following the Headmaster and Glynda as they made their way to the Emerald Forest.

...

They finally arrived at a cliffside that oversaw the Emerald Forest. The Headmaster handed Azure a scroll that displayed cameras and a map.

"For your objective, you are to traverse the Emerald Forest and proceed to a temple that houses a flag. Once you retrieve the flag, you are to return to the cliffs. However, do not assume that you will not engage in combat as there WILL be opposition in the forest." Ozpin explained.

"Doesn't sound too hard. What do you think Loch?" Sixers asked the lieutenant of the platoon he was leading.

"Well, if they do get close, we got something just for that," The officer replied with cheek.

Ozpin, seeing that the men were ready, nodded towards Azure that the test will start. The Marshal then looked towards Captain Sixers and said "Captain, you may begin your descent. Do me and the Republic proud."

The Captain saluted before barking orders "1st Platoon! To the cliffs, we got a job to do!"

The Platoon sounded their affirmative before slowly climbing down the cliffs.

Garreth watched as the final trooper was out of sight before looking towards Ozpin "Any idea what kind of Grimm they might face?"

"I cannot be certain, but beowulves are the most common Grimm in the forest," Ozpin replied as he took a sip out of his coffee.

Azure raised an eyebrow at this, but he continued to observe his men as they marched through the forest.

In the forest itself, Captain Sixers carefully observed his HUD's map to make sure that they were going in the right direction. So far, they haven't come into contact with any of the Grimm, and Sixers would prefer that it stay that way. While he trusted that Toro Company can handle the creatures, he felt the need to have gunship Paris on stand-by to provide CAS.

As the men continued their march, a blip appeared on Sixer's radar. He signaled the men to halt and prepare for a fight. The troopers prepared their DC-15A rifles and a select few set them to full-auto. Sixers used his helmet to get a visual, and sure enough, he spotted a wolf-like creature stalking towards the platoon. The Grimm was unaware that they could see him and they didn't let this opportunity slide. Sixers aimed his rifle at the beowolf before firing a fully charged shot. The shot hit home as the wolf faded into dust.

"One tango down." Sixers said as the men surveyed their surroundings. It seemed like this Grimm had split off from its pack in search of prey.

"Scanners are clear captain, shall we proceed?" The platoon's lieutenant asked.

Sixers nodded and the men marched forward again in their scattered formation. It wasn't long until they came upon a series of ruins. Amongst the ruins was a green flag which was most likely the objective. Sixers ordered the men to secure the perimeter as he and the platoon's lieutenant went ahead to get the flag. As they removed the flag from its stand, a roar was heard followed by several howls. Recognizing the imminent threat, Sixers raised his helmet and whistled at his men to converge at his position to which they followed immediately.

"Captain, it looks like the Grimm are upon us," the platoon's lieutenant said as the Grimm's noises became louder with each passing second.

"No shit Loch. We probably can't outrun them, so we'll hold them here until the gunships pick us up."

"Very good sir."

"Oh and Loch..."

"Sir?"

"Fix bayonets."

"Yes sir. PLATOON WILL FIX BAYONETS!" The lieutenant shouted as the men began to reach behind their belts and grab a particular attachment for their rifles.

"FIX!" The men removed the device from their belts.

"BAYONETS!" With military precision, the members of Toro Company fixed the attachment on their rifles in perfect unison.

Finally, the Grimm came out of the treeline and the troopers immediately began to open fire upon the beasts. The first wave consisted of beowolves which the troopers made quick work of. The second wave was a mix of beowolves and bear-like Grimm which Sixers couldn't care less, just so long as they went down. A few of the wolves had gotten in close proximity of the platoons but were met with the business end of their bayonets. A beowolf was about to land a hit on one of the troopers when the trooper who Sixers recognized as Killdane charged forward at the beast with his bayonet, stabbing it in the gut before firing his rifle until the beast died.

The Captain and his men were holding the line pretty well, but not without issue. The Grimm began to show in larger numbers and his men were beginning to falter. Some of them had already been scratched in unprotected areas of their armor. Much to his relief, he saw their LAAT gunship pass by and bomb the larger Grimm.

"Sir, the Grimm are scattered, we can evac now and be done with it," Loch said as he ran up to the Captain.

Sixers pondered the suggestion but decided on something else "No Loch, we're gonna fight our way to the cliffs."

"Sir? Are you sure?"

"Damned sure. Rally the men and charge bayonets. Let's send these Sith spawn to hell."

"Yes sir. PLATOON! RALLY ON ME!"

Sixers checked his map and plotted their course back to the cliffs. After making sure that they were facing the right way, he tapped a few buttons on his vambrace before speaking "Our destination is the cliff. We will get there on our own two feet. Like the Field Marshal said, quick is the word and sharp is the action. Understood?"

"SIR YES SIR!" The Guardsmen replied as they looked upon their captain.

"ARE THOSE BAYONETS ON FOR DISPLAY?!"

"NO SIR!"

"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BAYONET?!"

"TO KILL!"

"AND WILL YOU KILL THE ENEMY?!"

"WITH THEIR BLOOD ON THE GROUND SIR!"

"TORO COMPANY!" Captain Sixers yelled as he raised his rifle, his bayonet also attached, "CHARGE!"

"RAAAGGHH!" The famed war cry of the Bullstream Guards echoed louder than the Grimm as they charged fearlessly across the field and back into the forest, chasing the retreating Grimm.

The battle-hardened men of the 501st Toro Company killed Grimm as they went, their bayonets already stained with the blood of Grimm. Sixers fired his rifle into one of the bear-looking beasts before he stabbed it with his blade. Finally, they reached the cliffs and prepared their ascension cables. When the platoon got on the cliff, they were met with the approving looks of Field Marshal Azure and Headmaster Ozpin, the astonished look of Miss Goodwitch, and finally the cheers of the rest of the platoon who watched and cheered them on.

"Quick is the word and sharp is the action huh? By the gods' Sixers, you may have outdone yourself this time." Azure smiled as he helped the captain up. Medical personnel began to tend to the wounded while men from other platoons helped their brothers.

The company's captain smiled back in return "As long as I live sir, I may keep on surprising you."

"To that, I look forward Captain," The Marshal smiled as he returned his attention to Ozpin "Well Headmaster, what do you think of the men? Do they meet your standards?"

Ozpin was about to reply when he was approached by lieutenant Loch "Here you go, sir. It's a bit dirty but it's better than nothing." The trooper then passed the green flag to the Headmaster who noticed that the flag was used as a weapon too at some point.

"They certainly exceeded my expectations. It's been a long time since I've seen soldiers rush the Grimm head-on, let alone chase them away." Ozpin mused.

"Well, I'm glad that you think so."

"You must be very proud of them."

"That I am Headmaster. That I am. Now," Azure said as he gestured towards Beacon, "shall we discuss accommodations?"

Ozpin gestured for Azure to follow "Yes, this way please."

That wraps it up for this chapter. I'm certainly happy about how this came out and I hope you do to dear readers! I'll be busy throughout the week, but hopefully, I'll be able to churn out chapter 4 very soon.

For those of you who are wondering, the design I had in mind for the 501st's bayonet was from bearchipsandships123's clone trooper bayonet attachment on DeviantArt. Go ahead and look it up if you want to have a better idea of what the DC-15A's bayonet attachment looks like.

This is where I get off! Until then, stay frosty because that's soldiering!