Yang's gauntlets rang with audible blasts, propelling her through the air.
As soon as she came within reach of the trees, she jumped from the trunk of one to another unit; she eventually rolled onto the ground and then back onto her feet in a run.
"Nailed it," she said as she began to find out if anyone else was nearby.
Despite what she'd said about Ruby breaking out of her shell, she didn't want her to be by herself with people she probably wouldn't be able to communicate with.
Then there was Jacen; he'd risked his own life to keep Ruby safe when the Ursa attacked.
It wouldn't be in good taste if she didn't return the favor.
Rustling from a nearby bush made her stop.
"Ruby?" She asked, "Jacen?"
She quickly looked into the bush, "Is that you," only for her to immediately pause when she said, "Nope."
Using a backflip, she barely managed to dodge the oncoming claw of an Ursa.
Much like the one that attacked at home, it didn't have any bone-like armor, though, unlike that one, it wasn't alone.
A second Ursa came beside it, both looking so identical they could have been twins.
Though there were defenses to keep Grimm out, she thought inwardly, and another thought, one of concern, bordered on panic.
If there were Grimm here, it meant Ruby would be in danger.
However, if she let that preoccupy her, she'd only be giving the two Ursa in front of her the advantage.
Switching to her customary tone, she asked, "So, you two haven't happened to see a girl in a red hood or a boy with a trash can robot, have you?"
In response, the Ursa closest to her struck at her, which she rolled out of the way just in time to bring her fist into its chest, then fired a blast, sending it backward a bit.
"You could have just said no," she said, getting into her playful, thrill-seeking manner.
Powerful as the blasts from her gauntlets were, the Ursa managed to recover enough to charge toward her, only for her to take a running leap over its head, use her other gauntlet to turn her in mid-air, then bring her other arm downward into its back then fired another blast sending it tumbling onto the ground.
With a quick duck and summersault, she turned toward the one that tried taking her head off.
"You couldn't hit the broad side of a-"
Her voice trailed off as she saw a small strand of hair falling before her.
"You," Yang's voice became filled with rage as she prepared to unleash her semblance.
"You monsters!" She slammed her fists together, and the air around her burst into flames as her eyes turned red and flames danced in her hair.
One of the Ursa tried to rear up to strike, only for Yang to ram her fist with her semblance at full power, which made contact with the Ursa's chest and burned right through, followed by a blast from her gauntlet which hit the other one behind it making it roar in pain.
Yang pulled her arm out of the Ursa's chest as it fell and began to dissolve.
Now, she wished Ruby or Jacen were here because she felt all too familiar fatigue when she went all in with her semblance.
The other Ursa she'd struck with one of her blasts now was giving her a full-on glare.
She tried to match its stare despite the fatigue threatening to take hold, "What, you want some too!?" She asked.
It might well have been her last word, but at that instant, a curved-bladed weapon with a black ribbon caught the Ursa by the legs, and a quick slash to the back of its neck sent its head toppling off its shoulders.
Yang looked as the image of the girl she and Ruby tried to talk to yesterday came into focus.
Blake, if she was remembered correctly.
Blake waited for the Ursa to dissolve before she returned her weapon into a sword configuration and then placed it into the larger blade, which acted as a sheath.
"Um, thanks," she said, hoping to get some response from her.
Blake turned a glance at her but immediately began to walk in the other direction.
"You could at least bear with me," she said, trying to make a pun out of the situation, which only earned an annoyed look from Blake.
"Boy, tough crowd tonight," she said.
"I know you can talk," Yang said, still hoping to get a response.
"Only whenever I have no other choice," was Blake's only response before she turned and continued walking away.
Inwardly, Yang had a sinking feeling; she would have preferred it if it had been either Ruby or Jacen; at least they wouldn't act like a cat got their tongue.
Blake made it clear that she wasn't much of a people person, though perhaps Ruby wasn't the only one who needed to break out of her shell.
Jacen and his group finally reached the ruins Ozpin had mentioned.
A slight regret came into mind as he realized he was now part of a full team of four, and Yang wasn't part of it.
Though this regret passed quickly, she might not be on the same team as him, but at least they'd be attending the same school together.
As he got closer, he noticed several pedestals upon which the relics, as mentioned earlier, if indeed the chess pieces counted as such.
"Chess pieces?" Gray asked.
"It's not like he specified exactly what they were," Jacen said.
He heard Rowan growl, "We came out here for this!?" He shouted.
"That old geezer thinks this is some sick game?"
Jacen noticed that some pieces were already gone; others had been here and collected their pieces.
"Which ones should we pick?" Rouge asked.
Jacen sought insight from the Force, and he was drawn toward a black knight's pieces.
He picked it up and couldn't help but laugh ironically; what better object than a knight piece for a Jedi Knight?
Inwardly, he hoped the fact it was a black piece wasn't foreshadowing something.
Rouge picked up a white bishop piece, fitting given her desire to be a physician.
He heard Skipper giving an excited tone, and the voice that answered filled him with relief.
"Ahoy Skipper, permission to come aboard?" Yang's said in her accustomed voice.
He turned to greet her only to notice she wasn't alone.
The girl with the black bow he'd seen on the airship and, subsequently, the same one that Yang mentioned wasn't very chatty.
Blake, if he wasn't mistaken, and it was clear that she wasn't exactly happy with whatever antics she had to endure while having to deal with Yang's energetic extrovert personality.
"Um, a pleasure to meet you in person, Blake," he said.
"Um, aren't you that guy getting yelled at by the Schnee girl?" She asked.
"Really?" Yang's voice was filled with disbelief.
"I try conversing with you, and all you give me is small talk, but then Jacen talks to you, and you reply."
Blake huffed slightly but narrowed her eyes when Rowan was in the way.
He wasn't sure, but Jacen could swear there was more to that brief tension than what another might have missed.
"Well, I guess we didn't end up on the same team," Yang said with some regret.
"True, but at least we'll be at Beacon at the same time," Jacen said.
Yang took up her spot and picked up the white knight piece holding it up, and she said, "How about a cute little pony?"
Curiously, that made Blake laugh a bit.
However, one thing still bothered him, he'd been having a nagging feeling ever since he and Rowan fought against the beowolves.
It was the same feeling he typically had during the Clone Wars whenever a major battle was about to take place.
Sometimes, it came without warning, but whenever Jacen caught even the slightest hint of trouble, he knew to be ready.
The sound of trees breaking from the forest made him go for his lightsaber, and everyone else seemed just on edge as they prepared for conflict.
An Ursa burst through the foliage, but a loud bang with the sound of thunder rang out, and the Ursa fell to the ground.
"Aw," a disappointed voice said, and Jacen caught sight of a girl in mostly pink clothing, complete with a combat skirt, with short reddish-orange hair leaping off the dissolving Ursa's back.
"It broke."
Did she just ride in on an Ursa?
After seeing Rouge rip a Nevermore's throat out, he figured people who fought against these Grimm must be a little crazy.
He had time to see a man, clearly out of breath, come out of the forest and say with exhaustion, "Nora, don't ever do that again."
Jacen only blinked for an instant, but during that time, Nora had managed to go from the spot she'd been standing to the podium, which had a rook piece on it.
With apparent enthusiasm, she placed it on top of her head, "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle," she sang whimsically.
"Nora!" The man shouted, interrupting Nora's song.
"Coming, Ren," she said, knocking her fist on her head and sticking out her tongue slightly.
"She sure has energy and guts," Rouge said with admiration.
Jacen was about to add a comment, but he heard more trees crashing; this time, Jacen sensed that a real confrontation was imminent.
"That's not a beowolf or an Ursa," Rouge said her weapon at the ready.
Jacen had enough time to see Pyrrha pelting out from the forest, and his eyes widened as he saw what was chasing her.
It was a giant scorpion-like creature with a carapace of hard white bony armor with red markings, armed with two large pincers and a tail that ended in a glowing stinger.
An Elder Death Stalker, Jacen thought to himself.
This particular Grimm was practically built like most of the old Separatist Hover Tanks he'd seen during the war, and, more likely, that carapace of bone-like armor was likely to be highly resistant to his lightsaber.
"Did she run over here with a Death Stalker behind her?" Blake asked in disbelief.
Not wanting to wait, Rowan's aura flared again, and he charged toward the massive Death Stalker, "Rowan, don't charge toward it!" Jacen shouted, but it was clear Rowan didn't intend to listen, especially not when the Death Stalker would rob Rowan of the chance to fight the Invincible Girl.
However, even with Rowan's semblance heightening his strength to what felt like about 10 percent, a punch that could go through a tree trunk barely even made the Death Stalker budge.
In response, it used one of its enormous claws to swipe toward Rowan, knocking him backward, but he rolled with the impact and then enhanced his semblance even further to what felt like almost 20 percent.
Jacen could see the nearly visible flaring of Rowan's aura, along with the feeling of bloodlust.
This time, Rowan prepared to toss his weapon in its spear configuration, intent on piercing the Death Stalker's carapace; however, Jacen was struck with a premonition of what would happen if Rowan did so.
The weapon would simply be stuck in the Death Stalker's armor, and it would only be a matter of time before even Rowan's fierce strength gave out.
Before Rowan followed through on the throw, he used the Force to pull Rowan back just before the Death Stalker's stinger came down on him, and for an instant, Rowan stared at him with a look that could be read as either disdain or even anger.
"I didn't ask you to pull me out of that!" Rowan's voice still had that cold, feral tone, but Jacen's voice had the tone he often used whenever he commanded his troops.
"Attacking like that will only get you killed," Jacen's voice rang with authority.
"I don't care how strong you think you are; that strength isn't infinite, and eventually, you'll burn out like a candle."
Rowan looked Jacen dead in the eye, and Jacen didn't flinch, "I'm not going to stand by and watch someone get killed."
Reluctantly, Rowan seemed to regain some rationality, and he looked from Jacen to the Death Stalker, "I assume you have something in mind?" He inquired.
Jacen was about to answer, but the Force echoed a warning that made him look up, and an uncomfortable feeling suddenly fell on him.
In the thick of the ongoing battles, he'd remembered that Ruby was somewhere in the forest.
To his horror, Ruby was currently falling from the sky, and Jacen had just enough time to use the Force to catch her moments before she crashed to the ground.
"Nice of you to drop in, Ruby," he said, only for Ruby to catch him in a hug.
"Jacen!" She shouted almost with incredible relief.
"Ruby," Yang said, running toward her.
"Yang," Ruby shouted as she ran to embrace her sister.
"Nora," Nora chimed in as if there was a roster going on.
"Will you people stop acting stupid!" Rowan shouted, slamming his foot onto the ground, leaving a sizable crater where his foot was.
"Um, Ruby, exactly how did you end up falling from the sky?"
Ruby gasped as if she'd forgotten something, "Weiss, I told her to jump," she said.
Jump from what? Jacen asked, almost afraid to look up where Ruby had fallen.
He'd already had a feeling of what to expect, and yet he was still shocked as he saw the unmistakable outline of a fully grown elder Nevermore was dive bombing toward them.
He saw something white, trying desperately to hold on to its feathers.
He turned an almost worried look at Ruby, "Was that your idea to fly in on a giant Nevermore?" He said, his voice noticeably concerned.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," she said, then looked up.
"She's going to fall at this rate," Yang said, trying to get a better look.
"She'll be fine," Ruby said, only for her confidence to plummet when Ren said, "She's falling,"
Dank Farrik, Jacen prepared to catch her, only for a familiar blonde kid to leap into the air to catch her.
It took Jacen a second to recognize the form of Jaune Arc trying to be heroic in his attempt.
"Just dropping in," Jaune asked in a voice that made Jacen cover his eyes with one hand in disbelief.
Though immediately, both of them looked down, and, holding each other, Jaune fell to the ground with Weiss landing on his back.
"My hero," she said sarcastically before glaring at Ruby.
"You're little scheme is going to get us killed!" She snapped, then looked at Jacen.
"You and I will be having a talk when this is over."
Jacen slightly nodded, knowing it would probably be a rather uncomfortable discussion.
A thud made Jacen turn to see Pyrrha lying on the ground.
"Perfect, the gangs all here," Yang said sarcastically.
"Now we can die here together."
Two elder Grimm against a group of untested huntsmen and huntresses in training, Jacen didn't like those odds, but then again, he'd been in several situations during the Clone Wars where the odds seemed against him.
However, before he could devise a plan, Ruby replied, "Not if I can help it."
After just berating Rowan for being reckless, he was about to do the same to Ruby, who'd used her semblance to try and attack the Death Stalker, only for the blade of her weapon to deflect off the Death Stalker's carapace and was then hit by one of its giant claws.
"Ruby, get the kriff out of there now!" Jacen yelled with visible concern.
Now, both Grimm were about to converge on her, the Nevermore preparing to unleash a flourish of feathers and the Death Stalker readying its stinger.
Even a Jedi Knight could only do so much in this circumstance, and he intended to use the Force to bring the Nevermore crashing to the ground, but that took time and concentration.
If Daro had managed to survive and was here, Daro could have dived into the Force to send both Grimm crashing into each other, but that had more to do with Daro's level of training and discipline.
In that split second, the Nevermore's quilled feathers shot downward, with one of them pinning her cape to the ground just as the Death Stalker prepared to bring its stinger down.
"Ruby!" Yang and Jacen both yelled, trying to reach her, only for a flourish of white to move past them.
With a cold blast of air, Jacen saw a block of ice trapped the Death Stalker's claw.
"You are so childish," Weiss's voice cut in.
In her hand was a rapier-like weapon, which he noticed had a kind of revolver cartridge chamber above the handle.
Weiss had used her weapon to create the ice to keep Ruby from getting impaled by its stinger.
"You're impulsive, reckless, and don't even get me started on your fighting style," Weiss continued, turning toward Ruby.
"I know I can be… difficult," she added almost reluctantly.
"I just want to prove I can do this," Ruby said.
"You're fine," Weiss said.
Jacen could hear Ruby whispering, "Normal knees."
"Well," Rowan seemed to break the silence.
"Are we gonna just stand here, or are we gonna fight?"
Jacen looked from the surrounding area to the other ruins further toward the cliffside.
Ruby also noticed it because she said, "Follow me."
After she acquired her piece, everyone began making their way toward the ruins, with Ruby looking a bit more like a leader.
Jacen couldn't help but notice a look of pride on Yang's face before they began making their way toward the ruins.
As they made their way toward the ruins, Ruby noticed that the Nevermore was looming overhead and about to unleash another salvo of feathers.
"We need to take cover," she said, pointing toward a covered area just before the Nevermore's feathers fell to the ground.
"Well, now what?" Weiss asked indignantly.
Ruby took a moment to consider it, then looked at the bridge where the Death Stalker was locked in a fight with Jaune and his team.
She was hardly a strategist, but she knew the Nevermore would be more problematic due to its advantage in the air.
Furthermore, if it attacked with its feathers again, the Death Stalker would surely take advantage of it.
If they were to win this fight, the Nevermore needed to be taken out while ensuring it couldn't combine its attacks with those of the Death Stalker.
"We need to take out the Nevermore," Ruby said.
Blake seemed curious, "How do you propose we do that?"
She pointed toward two pillars, "If we can catch the Nevermore's attention, we might be able to set up a trap."
Weiss looked puzzled and let misgiving show, "That's insane," she said.
She saw that Yang was grinning, "Insane, yes, but it might be fun."
Ruby looked toward her team, " Weiss and I will prepare the area for the trap while Yang and Blake draw the Nevermore in."
After a moment, Weiss let out a breath, "Well, I suppose it's worth a shot," she admitted.
With a nod, Yang and Blake climbed up to one of the high-raised pillars, their weapons firing at the Nevermore, getting its attention while Ruby and Weiss prepared to prepare their trap.
She wasn't sure that this plan would work and hoped it wouldn't end with the sight of Yang being impaled by the Nevermore's feathers.
Across the bridge, she risked a glance to see how Jaune's team was fairing with the Death Stalker; then, she narrowed her eyes as she prepared Crescent Rose in its sniper configuration.
Jaune wished he were somewhere else right now.
First, he'd been tossed off a cliff, now, here he was fighting a giant Death Stalker.
Everyone else, at least, were making an effort to fight the thing while he stood frozen in place.
Why'd he have to find those fake documents and place his name on them, earning him a ticket to Beacon?
He remembered the stories about his Grandfather and his great-grandfather, both of whom were great warriors.
His eyes caught sight of Pyrrha locked in combat, the way she bravely fought even though the Death Stalker was much larger and more heavily armored.
How could he back out now?
As Pyrrha blocked another of the Death Stalker's claws, Jaune brought up his shield to stop an oncoming strike from its stinger.
Then, with an upward strike of his sword, it struck the spot where the stinger met the tail, loosening it a bit.
So what if he was over his head? Jaune wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Plus, if he survived this, he hoped he could ask Weiss out on a date.
Jacen had been observing the battles happening on both fronts.
Ruby's team had made the Nevermore their target, a surprisingly clever if not crazy maneuver, given that the Nevermore's ariel advantage made it a crucial target to destroy; otherwise, it would combine its attacks, perhaps relying on the Death Stalker to attack from ground level.
However, Jacen needed to find a way to divide his team evenly.
"Maybe Fangs can run up there and rip out its throat," Rowan said in a distastefully humorous manner, earning a glare from Rouge.
Jacen decided he needed to know the strengths and weaknesses of his team.
"Rouge, what exactly does your semblance let you do?" He asked.
He'd already seen what happened when she used it during her Nevermore battle, but there were likely to be hidden factors regarding how it worked.
"Whenever I have a certain amount of blood, everything from my muscles to my senses are heightened," she indicated her flask.
"However, it has a time limit depending on what blood type I have in my system."
Jacen nodded knowingly, "What time limit does the type of blood I have give you?" He asked.
"Typically, O-positive blood gives me about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much I have in my system at the time," she explained.
Jacen then looked at her weapon, "How many ranged attacks can your weapon utilize?"
She grabbed her weapon to show the top muzzle, which he knew fired explosive bullets, and under that was a wider barrel with a pump action mechanism.
"As you've seen, Silver Crucifix fires special rounds that I created that burst into miniature shards; it works best when they go inside a Grimm," she indicated the larger barrel underneath the smaller one.
"This is for firing Silver stakes with various cores that I can infuse with various Dust."
Jacen was impressed; if that were so, her weapon, plus her enhanced senses whenever she used her semblance, made her ideal for assisting Ruby's team in destroying the Nevermore.
He turned toward Gray, "You, Gray?" He inquired.
"Um, I typically don't use my semblance if I can avoid it," Gray confessed.
"It's definitely capable of turning the tide, but it's just as dangerous to everyone else as it is to the Grimm."
Jacen considered that for a moment before indicating Gray's weapons.
Picking up on this, Gray removed his weapons from their holsters, "This is Duality and Enigma, twin revolver scythes that I can switch from gun setting to scythe configurations in mid-battle," Gray explained.
"The firing range isn't very long reaching, but when in their scythe configurations, I can send a condensed blade infused with dust for a longer-ranged strike."
Now, he had two members with long-range combat capabilities.
Rowan was more of a close-ranged fighter, preferring to face his target head-on rather than attacking from afar.
Jacen himself preferred a straight fight, which meant that while Rouge and Gray helped Ruby's team destroy the Nevermore, he and Rowan would help Jaune's team fight the Death Stalker.
However, that left Skipper without a clear job.
While Skipper was equipped to assist during combat, Jacen wasn't sure which teams he should assist.
He knew Skipper had his grappling cable gun and a makeshift blaster in one of his compartments on top of his head.
"Think you can bolster Rouge and Gray while they help Ruby's team?" Jacen asked.
Skipper issued an affirmative response, and he swiveled his head toward the two.
Jacen looked from both Rouge and Gray, "Skipper will assist you as you act as support for Ruby's team; no need to directly kill it, but find a way to immobilize it," he said, pointing toward the ideal spot he sensed would be the Nevermore's final landing spot.
Rowan raised an eyebrow, "What exactly are we doing?" He asked.
Jacen turned toward him as he explained, "Rouge and Gray have long-range combat capabilities that will help in bringing the Nevermore down," he pointed toward himself and then back at Rowan.
"You and I are gonna focus on the Death Stalker," he grinned slightly.
"Unless you feel like you aren't up for the challenge of fighting something even Pyrrha Nikkos is having trouble with."
Rowan grabbed him by the collar, "What the hell are you trying to imply, Jedi?"
Jacen exuded calmness through the Force, "Only that if we win today, you'll be able to get your fight," Jacen said.
"Also, you and I prefer a straight fight," he added.
Rowan stared open-mouthed for a moment, but then it became that familiar grin of excitement, "Alright then, Jedi, we'll do it your way."
With a quick gesture, Rouge, Gray and Skipper went toward the Nevermore battle while he and Rowan prepared to fight the Death Stalker.
Skipper had witnessed several battles during the Clone Wars, most of which were intelligence-gathering missions or space battles in which he was locked into Jacen's starfighter.
However, this battle was unlike anything he'd yet witnessed.
Yang was busy firing those powerful gauntlets of heres to get the Nevermore's attention just as the girl, Blake, swung from her weapon, which she used to flip into the air and slash at it with the larger blade.
The Nevermore knocked against Blake only suddenly; Blake was actually above the Nevermore, firing her weapon and then giving it a deft slash with her smaller blade.
She might have fallen into the fog-shrouded abyss below had Skipper not fired a grappling cable, which she grabbed and swung upward, landing on solid ground beside him.
He whistled in a manner trying to see if she was alright, though Blake stared at him.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that," she said, then moved Skipper out of the way as the Nevermore tried picking him up with its claws.
In retaliation, Skipper took out his fusion torch then, turning it up to a white-hot intensity, aimed it at the Nevermore's foot, making it caw in pain.
Blake seemed to regard him for a moment, "Here I thought you were some kind of trash can, but I can see how you'd be useful," she said with some respect.
Why did everyone who met him compare him to a mobile trash can?
Skipper focused his photoreceptor as Gray and Rouge fired their weapons to lure the Nevermore to Jacen's indicated spot.
Not bothering with vocal communication, he used his manipulator arms to gesture at Rouge and Gray then toward the spot in front of where Weiss and Ruby were now combining their efforts to prepare their trap.
Seeming to understand what was in play, Blake nodded at Skipper, "Think you can get me closer?" She asked, with Skipper giving something of a nod.
He positioned himself as Blake got a firm purchase on him, and then he activated his booster rockets, propelling both of them closer toward the spot.
Once in sight, Blake jumped and then tossed her weapon to Yang, who wrapped it around the first pillar while the blade end was buried into the second pillar, creating a makeshift sling.
A loud bang was picked up as he saw that Rouge had fired one of her stakes, which must have had ice dust infused to its core then Gray sent a slash of ice-infused dust which pinned the Nevermore's wings right onto the spot Jacen had indicated.
It's time to see how this would play out now.
Rouge felt an incredible surge flowing through her as she used her semblance after having drank the generous amount of blood Jacen had given her.
She knew what happened whenever she had typical O-positive blood, but there was something else regarding Jacen's blood.
She felt stronger and even more rejuvenated.
What was it about Jacen that was so compelling?
His blood certainly was a dangerous lure for her, and the weapon Jacen used was unlike anything she'd ever seen.
He'd identified him as a Jedi Knight as well.
Were there other such people like Jacen?
She shook her head to get her weapon ready as she used her momentum to slam her weapon into the Nevermore's head, making it slam onto the platformed surface.
It attempted to raise itself up to fly away, only for Rouge to cock the pump action stock on her weapon, which deployed a stake that had a clearly shimmering blue stream running across it.
She fired it perfectly, pinning one of its wings onto the ground, and it exploded, covering that portion of its wing in ice.
Then, Gray lept into the air then, with one of his weapons in its scythe configuration, he sent an ice dust-infused slash toward the Nevermore's other wing, now ensuring that it couldn't possibly move.
With the Nevermore immobilized, Rouge landed on the ground on one side of the pillars where Ruby's team was preparing for the final round, while Gray landed on the opposite side with a look of excitement on his face.
"This is going to be such a historic moment," Gray said as he began recording the rest with his scroll.
Another loud bang rang out from behind, and Rouge turned to see the old bridge where the fight with the Death Stalker had ended, with the Death Stalker falling to its death along with the entire bridge.
She hoped that whatever skills Jacen had would ensure that he didn't end up losing anybody.
Despite his earlier apprehension, Rowan had to give Jacen begrudging respect.
Not only did he fight like a warrior, he had the air of an experienced commander, but how was it possible that someone as young as Jacen had such experience?
Rowan remembered his training and experience while preparing to become a member of the Cú Warriors, earning the Royal Emerald Sash of Valor.
If Rowan was to fight and beat Jacen eventually, he'd have to learn more about him.
Still, he wouldn't be ashamed to admit that he and Jacen seemed to work well during their fight with the Death Stalker.
Rowan covered Jacen's flank while Jacen did the same for Rowan.
He gave an inner growl as the fight continued.
His semblance had amplified his strength by about 25 percent, barely making the thing budge.
He was willing to amplify it to about 35 percent, but that was pushing it too close.
The higher the percentage was, it made him stronger certainly, it made him more wild, uncontrollable, and very dangerous.
A slight trimmer sneaked into his mind as he remembered what happened when he used his semblance at 100 percent power, but he quickly dismissed it.
Now was the time to show what a member of the Cú Warriors could perform.
True enough, the Fiskare girl Nora proved to be incredibly powerful with her weapon, firing grenades at the Death Stalker, which seemed to stagger backward, complete with her changing the weapon into its hammer configuration and landing powerful blows.
It was said that the Fiskare people had warrior ancestry that fought with the fury of a storm; clearly, Nora was a living incarnation of that mighty lineage.
Not wanting to be outdone, Rowan brought his foot up and gave a solid kick to the Death Stalker's claw, which actually seemed to crack a bit from the blow, causing it to fall back further.
Rowan noticed that the Death Stalker's stinger barely hung on its tail.
Pyrrha saw it too as she tossed her shield toward it, which severed the stinger, and Nora, having changed her weapon from a grenade launcher to a hammer, which she slammed down onto the stinger with incredible force.
The ground began to crumble underneath Rowan's feet as he realized the force of Nora's blow had compromised the integrity of the bridge they were standing on.
"Hey Jacen, the bridge is about to break apart!" Rowan shouted loud enough for Jacen to hear him, just as he saw Jacen perform an acrobatic leap from the falling debris before landing in a roll on solid ground.
Rowan was hardly surprised Jacen had made it, but his eyes shifted to where that blonde kid was about to fall to his death, only for Jacen to reach out his hand and pull Jaune onto the ground without actually touching him.
What were these Jedi Jacen claimed to be part of?
That lightsaber he used, then all those telekinetic feats.
During his time in Beacon, he would learn what he could about these Jedi.
Jacen nearly collapsed, breathing deeply; even Rowan himself was exhausted from the number of times he'd used his semblance, and he took a kneeling position as he sat on the ground.
Off to the side, he saw Jacen looking purposefully at the horizon where the fight with the Nevermore was about to close.
"Now, it's their turn," Jacen said between breaths.
Rowan had time to turn and see the red brat mounted on her weapon, which she had in its scythe configuration, and the Schnee girl had a gravity glyph pulling back a black ribbon.
With a dancing flourish, the red brat used her speed semblance plus the velocity of her weapon to aim her blade at the Nevermore's neck; then, following glyphs that went to the top of the cliff, ran straight up and with a loud bang, the Nevermore's head was severed, and the entire body fell as it began to dissolve.
Rowan wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes; the red brat's crazy plan worked.
Rowan had a feeling that he may have been premature in his evaluations, there were definitely some people he saw as wannabes, but there seemed to be more that had a lot to prove.
Inwardly, he was looking forward to seeing what else this year would offer.
Ozpin had been watching the fight unfold as though he were watching some tournament match.
Many surprises arose from today's events.
For one thing, Ruby Rose practically had the same potential that her mother, Summer possessed.
Even though Jaune Arc seemed rather green as grass, he had the heart of a brave warrior and leader.
Jacen not only demonstrated skill in combat, but he also divided his team based on combat skills needed for specific tasks.
This was clearly his skill as a commander during his time during the Clone Wars, a matter which Ozpin hoped to be able to learn in greater detail later.
"I don't understand," Glynda's voice held noticeable concern.
"The defenses should have kept the Grimm out, but how could so many get inside?"
That was one of the surprises that Ozpin didn't like.
The generators that provided power for the anti-Grimm barrier should have prevented any intrusion by the Grimm, yet how had so many gotten through?
"Could the generators have failed?" Glynda asked.
Ozpin didn't answer right away; his gaze fell upon the area with the monitors that showed the generators, or at least objects that might once have been generators.
It looked as though three of them had imploded and were crushed as if they were soda cans.
This couldn't have been the work of a Grimm, as the generators were on the inside of the barrier.
His mind reflected on Jacen's discussion about how the Republic he fought to defend had fallen to become an empire ruled by the Jedi's enemy, the Sith.
Was it possible that such a being was in league with, Her?
If so, then Jacen would have to be brought into Ozpin's confidence fully.
Till then, he still had to play the part of the headmaster of a prestigious huntsman academy.
Finally, it was over; Jacen and the other teams found themselves gathered in the Great Hall for an assortment of their teams.
Team CRDL, spoken as Cardinal, was composed of Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark.
Next up was Jaune's group, "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikkos, and Lie Ren; as of today, you will be known as Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc," Ozpin announced.
Jacen was surprised, but then, after hearing how Jaune had a hand in ensuring the Death Stalker's stinger was loosened to the point where Pyrrha and Nora could finish it off.
Ruby's team followed, and Jacen could practically sense the anticipation mixed with tension.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin announced.
"As of today, you will be known as Team RWBY, led by," Ozpin seemed to pause, perhaps letting the anticipation build.
"Ruby Rose."
Jacen saw Ruby staring in disbelief while Weiss was undoubtedly fuming over her not being the leader, though it had been Ruby's plan that resulted in success, however fortunate or, in anyone other than Jacen himself might consider luck.
Yang gave Ruby a big hug to congratulate her.
Jacen's group was the last to take the spot where Ozpin stood.
"Jacen Arkos, Gray Tuman, Rowan Conall, and Rouge Nightshade, as of today, you will be Team JGRR, led by," Ozpin seemed to enjoy letting the anticipation build when it came to announcing leaders.
"Jacen Arkos," Ozpin said.
Skipper whistled congratulatory while Gray shook his hand; he was looking forward to collecting information on Jedi for his own historical records.
Rowan snorted, but otherwise, he wasn't nearly as put out over not being the leader.
Just then, Yang wrapped her arm around Jacen's neck, "Congrats," she said with a wink.
The sound of applause became muted as Jacen began reminiscing on another event that had as much joy as this.
The Clone Wars had raged for over two years now, and during that time, Jacen had matured a great deal since he'd become Daro's padawan.
Though, Jacen himself wasn't exactly sure, considering how often Daro still called him kid.
Now here he was, pacing back and forth with Commander Shade, standing as a sentry for the door leading toward the hangar bay aboard the Reliance, Daro's command ship in the Republic Navy.
Shade, like many of his brothers, shared the same face, but he expressed himself differently.
Namely the two Nexu scars across his face and how he kept one part of his hair long while the other side was kept short.
"Come on, Shade, let me see what's going on," Jacen said, trying to add authority to his voice.
"I'm sorry, Commander, but the General said you weren't to go in just now," Shade said through the same accented voice his brothers used.
What could Daro be doing that would keep him waiting outside the hangar bay doors for hours?
The footsteps behind him made him turn, and he saw that Daro Kilaeon was dressed in a more formal version of his standard robes, with a grey-blue tunic wrapped with a matching sash and a matching dark brown cloak which appeared black in a particular light.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, kid," he said with his usual tone that made Jacen wince.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Master," he said, only for Daro to stop short to appraise him.
"True, but saying teen isn't as catchy as kid," he said humorously.
Unbelievable, Jacen thought, "How much more do I have to do before I stop being called a kid?" He asked, then began ticking off a list of things he'd done throughout the war.
"Who helped lead our fighter squadrons when we supported Master Kenobi during the Battle of Ryloth?" He asked.
"What about when Dooku's bald banshee tried to sneak into one of our Republic listening posts to slice for critical information and save Shade from getting his head cut off?" He gestured toward Shade, who reflexively rubbed his neck.
"What about when we faced General Grievous as he was closing in on Ord Mantell?" He paused to let the weight of his following words be felt.
"What about when Dooku set that trap on Galidraan when he tried to get you to join him?"
Daro placed a hand on Jacen's shoulder, "You've performed many great things throughout this war, Jacen," he said, looking Jacen in the eye.
"Perhaps the greatest one was when you helped me to resist Dooku's temptations, and even you managed to resist."
For a moment, Jacen was going to point out that he nearly lost his own life when Dooku attacked him with Force Lightning, only for the Count to break away and withdraw to some other Separatist hideout.
However, Jacen knew that Daro had been wrestling with the shadow that had been cast upon him with Dooku's fall to the Dark Side, with some in the order even going so far as to imply that Daro might end up on the same path as Dooku, considering both Dooku and Daro were from Serenno with both admitting that the Republic isn't devoid of corruption.
Furthermore, like Dooku, Daro was also versed in politics and could act as though he were a count himself if he hadn't been turned over to the order.
Before he spoke, Daro rose and faced him squarely, "You asked when you'd no longer be called kid, but you should be asking, when you'll no longer be called a padawan," he paused to let his words be felt.
Only then did Jacen realize what Daro was saying, "I-I'm to be knighted?"
Jacen's voice was filled with surprise, but it was replaced by confusion, "What about the Trials?" He asked.
"I spoke to the Council, and they each agreed that you've undergone things more harrowing than the trials," he began, then began making his way toward the door.
"Though your knighthood will be a bit different from how I did it," he nodded in Shade's direction, putting his helmet on before opening the door into a nearly darkened hangar bay.
Daro looked over his shoulder before he continued, "Give a five count before entering," with those words, he and Shade went into the hangar bay.
A mixture of emotions surged through him, excitement, joy, anxiety, and apprehension.
Had this been how Daro was before he became a knight himself?
After giving a five count, he adjusted his robes and ensured his braid was presentable.
As soon as he entered, the door shut behind him, and the hangar bay lights all came on at once, making him shield his eyes.
When his eyes adjusted, he looked in amazement as the hangar bay was filled with clone troopers in polished armor, with a pathway being formed from the door to an awaiting platform.
"Present, Arms!" Shade's voice rang throughout the hangar bay, and the row of clone troopers facing the inside of the pathway held their rifles in a ceremonial salute.
As Jacen proudly made his way forward, each pair of troopers he passed executed a precise order arms action, resting the barrel of the rifles along their shoulder.
As he reached the platform, he recognized a few other faces.
Master Kaiya Fenni and Maru Thorne, or rather, Jedi Maru as he, saw that he was holding his own recently severed padawan braid.
Throughout the war, Maru and Jacen often worked together, though there were often months that passed between their last meeting, given Maru was being trained as a Jedi Shadow, which were dedicated to finding and destroying dark side artifacts while also acting as a specialized, secret operative unit to deliver critical information regarding Dooku's movements.
As far as Jacen stood, he believed he was somewhere between a Jedi Guardian, Jedi trained mainly in lightsaber combat, and a Jedi Counselor, Jedi that were taught to hone their power in the Force for wisdom and even acting as mediators during trying situations in which deplomacy was the answer rather than a straight fight.
As Jacen approached, he couldn't help but notice Maru looking genuinely proud, though he made it clear that he'd probably hold over the fact he'd become a knight before him for a long time.
They still had their occasional competitive spirit between them, but when fighting occurred, they had each other's back.
Daro had his lightsaber at the ready, and once Jacen was fully in front of him, a command from Shade had the assembly of clones execute a crisp right or left-facing movement so that all eyes met the front.
Jacen got to one knee in genuflection as Daro activated his lightsaber, then placed the tip just above Jacen's right shoulder.
In unison, Master Kaiya and Maru activated their lightsabers, hers the rare yellow color, while Maru's was an electric blue-white, and held their lightsabers upward in salute.
"By the will of the Force," Daro's voice held a much more formal tone that Jacen typically heard whenever Daro acted as a negotiator or mediator.
While Daro wasn't what anyone would expect from one trained by Dooku or Yoda, when he became more formal like this, he spoke with the weight and authority of a proper Jedi Master.
"I hereby dub you, Jacen Horne," Daro had tapped his blade once over Jacen's right shoulder and then over his left before coming to rest just underneath Jacen's braid.
"Jedi," with a skillful flick of the wrist, Daro's lightsaber cut Jacen's padawan braid, which fell silently to the floor.
"Knight of the Republic," Daro said with a measure of pride that would be recognized by any father proud of their son's accomplishments.
As he deactivated his lightsaber, Jacen felt tears of joy forming in his eyes.
As he stood up, the clones gave him a congratulatory applause.
A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he saw that Maru was beaming with pride at Jacen's accomplishment.
"Well, I knew you'd make it eventually if that's any comfort," Maru said.
"Though I think Master Kaiya had a bet going as to which of us would become a knight first."
Jacen cast an over-exaggerated look of shock as he looked at the Echani master, "I never took you for the gambling sort, Master Kaiya," he said, trying to sound astonished.
Kaiya crossed her arms over her chest, "I know what roles to play, Jedi Jacen," she said with a tone that had a playful tease to it.
"However, this was more for the fun of it," Kaiya said, looking at Daro, who reluctantly gave her about 25 credits.
"If you and Maru still have time, I believe a less formal ceremony in order," Daro said.
"I have a bottle of Cortyg Brandy in my chambers, directly from Kashyyyk."
Kaiya raised an eyebrow, "When did you get that?"
"A lot of hard work," Daro trailed off when he noticed Jacen looking slightly irritable.
"You had me fight a Kashyyyk Slash Spider threatening a local Wookiee village," Jacen said slightly annoyedly.
"I knew you had it in hand," Daro said.
Maru folded his arms across his chest, "Your Shrewook still rusty?" He inquired.
"It's hard to understand what Wookiees say sometimes; I have to focus before I actually grasp what they say, never mind even trying to speak a language I've no hope in replicating," Jacen answered, earning a bit of laughter from Maru and Daro.
"Still, I hate for the gift to go to waste," Daro said, then looked toward Shade.
"Um, I'd be careful with that, sir, Wookiees aren't known for making light stuff," he said, letting misgiving fill his voice.
"Even the men have time to get a drink when they need it, don't they?" Daro asked.
Shade eventually relented, and they ended up sharing a generous amount of the Cortyg, with Jacen and Maru trying to see who could go through an entire glass in one go, only for both to nearly choke on the burning alcohol while Daro and Kaiya laughed at their expense.
Shade was also in the process of coughing up the strong drink, clearly no more accustomed to drinking the stuff as Maru and Jacen were.
"I told you this wasn't light stuff," Shade said, finally finding his voice.
"It's smoother and more tame," Daro said between sips.
Daro had more experience with this Wookiee brew, which was no surprise, considering Daro had imbibed the strongest grogs, brandies, whiskeys, and even wine.
Couple that with his mastery of Jedi techniques to negate intoxication, which Jacen hoped to be able to master himself.
Looking at the scene, Jacen was struck with a brief ripple of insight.
He had no memory of his parents or even if he had any other family members, but he observed that what he had was as close to a family as he'd ever had.
The Jedi typically taught that attachments were forbidden and that they must overcome their instincts to form bonds with their fellow Jedi and the people they fought to protect.
Daro often taught that the only danger that came from forming attachments was when a person let the grief and fear that came from losing someone they had made a bond with consume them.
Even with Daro's unorthodox training, he accepted that eventually, everything that lives will one day die.
However, Daro stated that one should always cherish the moments one shared with those they bonded with.
Daro was much like his father, while Kaiya was practically a mother, though that was likely more true for Maru himself.
Maru, in comparison, was pretty much the closest thing to a brother that he had.
Shade, meanwhile, seemed to be either the supportive uncle or an older brother whenever Maru was on one of his missions.
There may be a war going on, but for this moment, it was one he'd cherish for the rest of his life.
After the ceremony was over, Jacen suddenly found himself alone facing Weiss.
She did indeed say they would talk, and now the time had come.
"You must think I'm stupid falling for whatever that trick was you pulled," Weiss said in her bitter voice.
"I'm assuming Ruby didn't tell you much?" Jacen asked, only receiving a grunt from Weiss.
"The only thing that dolt did was act like a child," she said in a huff, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I want to know exactly what you are," she continued.
"I'm not trying to make enemies, Schnee," Jacen said, trying to reason with her.
"Too late," she said, her voice filled with an icy anger.
"If I find out that you really are a delinquent or something worse, I'll have a little discussion with Professor Goodwitch and see to it you're arrested."
"The only thing I am right now is a student learning to become a huntsman; how's that different from your own goal?" He asked.
Weiss raised a finger, "The difference is that I am a Schnee, and my goal is to bring honor to that name," she said with certainty.
"Why do so as a huntress?" Jacen asked.
"I'd think a member of the Schnee family would have the top pick of anything in Atlas," he added.
Weiss seemed to prepare another verbal attack, but her expression seemed to go from angry, to slightly uncomfortable.
"I don't just want things to be given to me just because I'm a Schnee, I want to earn it on my own," she finally admitted.
However, her ire arose again, "How am I supposed to do that when that bratty dolt is the leader rather than me?"
That was eating away at her, but in that statement regarding earning things rather than having it be handed to her, he couldn't help but notice that she had a deep burden she was carrying.
Small wonder, from what Jacen knew about the Schnee Dust Company and the family that had owned it for years.
While initially, it had something of a moral compass when Nicholas Schnee had founded the company.
Now, under Jacques Schnee, not even the rightful owner by blood, the company was often the hot point for Faunus oppression due to their willingness to send Faunus workers into the mines only for those same mines to result in injury or even death.
The White Fang typically carried out raids on anything owned by the company, and it was likely Jacques often took out his frustrations on the family.
"I think you have what it takes to be a good huntress," Jacen said, trying to be sincere.
Weiss looked at him suspiciously, "What are you trying to pull now?"
"I'm not pulling any tricks on you, Weiss, I mean that you have the makings of a huntress, though you could be less mean," Jacen reluctantly added.
Weiss seemed to take a deep breath before she spoke, "Don't toy with me," was all she said before she stomped off.
Jacen felt a bit of disappointment, for a moment, he thought he'd managed to get through to her, but Weiss still had way too much pride and other obstacles to work through.
Letting out a sigh, he heard the sound of running footsteps heading toward him and a familiar gauntlet-covered arm wrapped around his neck.
"So, how'd it go with the Ice Queen?" Yang asked in her humorous manner.
"I'd have better luck with a beowolf at this rate," he answered, almost regretfully.
Yang simply placed a hand on his shoulder, "Let's forget about her and go out for a drink."
Jacen raised an eyebrow, "You wanna end up like that time weeks before we went to Beacon?" He asked.
"That's why I'm asking you to come with me," she said insistently.
"Besides, I wanna try my hand at a rematch with, Dust Bunny," she added humorously.
Jacen laughed inwardly, he hadn't expected to run into Dusky that night, and the Force didn't indicate that he'd encounter her there again, especially if she was still busy helping Tukson with his underground network.
"Even Dog Boy decided to go," Yang said.
Now, that was going to be an interesting experience.
With a sigh, he took her by the arm, "Try not to get too carried away," he said with a tease.
"No promises," she said, leading him out the door.
He supposed, given the circumstances, a celebration drink was in order, though something about the ordeal bothered him.
If the defenses were operational, how did so many Grimm breach the grounds?
He had a feeling that Ozpin would call upon him to discuss the matter, but for now, a bit of controlled celebration wouldn't hurt.
END