Jesus, It's been a while. Sorry this chapter took some time to work on. Have a good day.
Discord…Group Chat Text
The Magical Bullcrap Gang…access confirmed.
Members (nicknames)
Chili and Mac - Amas
Yakult Stabby Jappy - Shino
Boba Bomber - Nora
Tea Security - Lie
Deep Fried - Ram
Maple Patty - Sydney
Fish Meat - Melo
Beans and tea - Pelayo
Chatbox:
Chili and Mac: "SYD Need Help!"
Maple Patty: "Amas it's 2 a.m here. Time difference. Wut?"
Chili and Mac: "I don't know how."
Chili and Mac: "I made team leader. Ozpin made me team leader."
Deep Fried: "..."
Beans and tea: "That's bad? That's amazing!"
Deep Fried: "Have to agree on my former ruler's people Jarry. How's that bad?"
Boba Bomber: "Fascinating! Did you blow anyone up?"
Tea Security: "Nora, please stop trying to dream of murder with explosions. We just got out of the hospital."
Fish meat: "How did you get it? Violently knocked the knight off the altar?"
Chili and Mac: "no. the great wizard made me leader after I blew up the deathstalker. why am I a leader? 😔"
Maple Patty: "Brother, you are 2ic in our group."
Maple Patty: "How bad is it? Whose on your team?"
Chili and Mac: "Knight, Spartan, and maiden."
Yakut Stabby Jappy: 👍
Boba Bomber: "Wait you got ashtray? Weren't we suppose to headshot her"
Chili and Mac: "Gods no! Original. Ran ashtray over with a senator."
Tea security: "Explains a lot."
Boba Bomber: "Roadkill!"
Maple Patty: "Yeah ok. You're good."
Chili and Mac: "Good?!"
Maple Patty: "You are 2ic for a reason. Listen, this isn't going to be much different from what you normally do when the rest of us are present."
Maple Patty: "not to mention you are the only one there with actual combat leadership experience."
Maple Patty: "it'll just be like old times."
Chili and Mac: "It's not!"
Maple Patty: "Yes it is. And you're luck. For all you care, Ozzy, could put you with vigilantes girls. We know how much you dislike W and B."
Chili and Mac: "...Fair."
Veggie Meat: "Bro, you got the most chill group of Beacon. Besides CFVY. Make sure everyone lives, make sure no civies are in the way, get the job done."
Maple Patty: "Just take some seconds to think. You'll live. My line's almost open all the time. Just call me if you need advice."
Yakult Jappy Stabby: "And remember, you pent up on stress, there exist combat rooms for a reason."
Chili and Mac: "...K"
Maple Patty: "Alright? Don't die. Me, Nora, and Lie need to get our sleep. We have exams tomorrow."
Chili and Mac: "K. Good luck with your studies."
Maple Patty: "Thanks. Nora, Lie. Get off your phones. We have exams."
Mapple Patty - Disconnected
Boba Bomber - Disconnected
Tea Security - Disconnected
Veggie Meat: "Just stay alert, watch your ammo reserves, and make friends bro. Don't die."
Chili and Mac: "Thanks sis."
Chili and Mac: "P.S., anything on Amber's horse?"
Beans and tea: "Ah, the horse Amber loss? We had it transferred to Buckler. It's healthy, though Doc's discovered she needs some checkups. Tell maiden that, k?"
Chili and Mac: " 👍"
Chili and Mac: "Hang on. Got to run. Team's setting up room."
Fish meat: "God speed little bro."
Chili and Mac: "Upset emoji."
Deep Fried: "Watch your back Gumball. We'll be at your six soon enough. I'll stab any who touch your MRE stash."
Beans and tea: "I'll make time to do emergency drops as well. I can have the skies open if need be."
Chili and Mac: "Thanks, guys. See ya."
Chili and Mac - Disconnected.
Beacon Dorm Room # 0206, Beacon Academy Dorm Building 2
1830 Hours, March 22nd, 80 AGW/2039 CE
The Beacon dorm rooms were roughly the size of a master bedroom or a two-car garage, in terms of volume. Two closets, two bathrooms, four beds, four desks, and several bookshelves made up the room. Several textbooks the students could use, and some storage shelves, and cabinets lined the walls.
A little cramped, but the newly minted team AAAN could make due.
"So Umm, what do we know?" Jaune asked, sitting on one of the beds. They had all unpacked their gear and suitcases (or 4 duffel bags in Amas's case) with all the gear they would need. Though Amas was still clad in his combat gear, having yet to take it off.
Amas looked up from the Ipad he was using to text his friends. "Well, that depends. Either a) we just sit back and chill, classes start tomorrow, or b) we do something productive."
"Well, the initiation wasn't that hard." Amber pointed out. "We still have some time left right?"
"Hard!? That felt like running three competitions back to back!" Jaune protested.
"To be fair, outside the Deathstalker and Nevermore, we didn't run into many tough Grimm," Pyrrha added.
"Ok, something productive." A gurgle rumbled from the marine's stomach. "But something not too extraneous. How about we….sit in a circle and further introduce ourselves."
"Maybe we should go to the cafeteria? Is it still open?" Jaune wondered out loud.
"Nope, it's closed at the moment." Amas looked at the note he received on his Ipad, which he had linked to his scroll so he could use both and access apps that would usually be found on his scroll. Also he instead several Terran firewalls and electronic defences just in case. "How hungry are you guys?"
"Oh much. I ate enough." Pyrrha politely declined.
"Same here. I'm good." Amber added.
"Jaune?"
GGUuURRGLE? The rumble from Jaune's stomach answered the question.
"Uh, sorry." Jaune just looked a tad bit embarrassed.
"Meh, no worries." Amas dug out the MRE package he had opened up earlier from his bag and yanked out the Apple Cinnamon energy bar.
"Here, it should keep you full until tomorrow." Amas tossed the bar (thankfully in the easy-to-open plastic wrapper instead of that massive package) over to Jaune.
"So, now that we are all acquainted, I suppose we should do some…..introductions I guess?" Amas suggested. "Name, age, location of being taught, notable feats."
The four new team members looked at each other. And then Pyrrha spoke up. "I'll go first."
"Sure, go ahead cereal girl." Sydney laid back.
"I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I'm from Argus, Mistral and was born in 63 AGW. I trained at Sanctum Academy for six years." Pyrrha stated. "And….I'm a champion of the Mistrali Regional Tournament."
Pyrrha mentioned that last part with hesitance.
"Uh, what's that?" Jaune asked.
"The Mistrali Regional Tournament is an internal fighting competition within the Kingdom of Mistral. Various fighters from fighting schools and hunter trainees apply there to fight each other tournament style. They are some of the best fighters Mistral has to offer and deadly against other armed combatants." Amas explained.
"Wait, really?" Jaune spun around to face his partner. "I thought you were an actor! And a Cereal Mascot!"
Pyrrha giggled. "You recognized me from Pumpkin Pete? Of all things? Not my best shine off."
"The life of the celebrity," Amber commented.
"Still, I imagine the pressure to be immense. Celebrities, especially famous ones, have to deal with the hassle and hustle of social life and maintain their skills." Amas added.
"It…is." the Spartan dejectedly sighed, "It can get….lonely. I came to Beacon hoping to avoid my fame here. It appears that I am mostly wrong"
"Well then, congratulations Pyrrha Nikos. You are no longer in Mistral and in the claws of their aristocracy!" Amas said in a tone that emulated his drill sergeant of a father. "Welcome to Team Amaranth, our team is made up of people from all walks of life. And most of us really can't give a damn about celebrity."
"Speaking of which, Jaune, want to go next?" Amas turned to his blond companion.
"Sure! I'm Jaune Arc, born in the Town of Ansel, Vale and also in 63! I uhhh-" Jaune paused. "Have a dream of becoming a huntsman since I was a kid."
"Where did you train?" Amber questioned.
"I…..have no formal training. Not at the fighting academies. I was privately taught." Jaune winced.
"A former huntsman or huntress tutored you?" Amber asked.
"Ehh, kind of. My aunt taught me the skills. And I have a lot of outdoor experience as well." Jaune sheepishly added.
"You know what. Considering that feels like half the kids in Initiation look like they're going to an anime convention, I say the outdoor experience will be some help." Amas commented.
However, the marine's mind had other questions. Wasn't Jaune suppose to have no training? And who was this aunt of Jaune?
"Wait, why did you come to Beacon then? Haven and Shade have lower standards." Amber asked.
"I've been to Mistral. I honestly don't think I can survive there for more than a month." Jaune chuckled. "Although my elder sister thinks the opposite."
"Sister?" Pyrrha asked.
"Saphron. Oldest of the 7 sisters I have. And the only one who really supported my dreams." The blond admitted.
"Woah woah woah. 7?" Amber gawked.
"Yup. 7." Jaune admittedly slightly sheepishly.
"Damn, your parents must love each other a lot," Amas remarked.
"They….really." Jaune blushed brightly. "We ended learning the birds and the bees after they were"
"Ok, maybe let's not venture into that area." Amas prevented the conversation from going in that direction. "Amber?"
"Name's Amber. My last name is Autumn. AGW 62. I'm also Valen blood. Although I haven't lived in Vale for most of my life. Mostly came travelled the countryside. Actually, I might have visited Ansel once." Amber mentioned.
"What's it like actually? Heard of the place, never been there." Amas questioned. Google Maps didn't exist on Remnant yet. And he is mostly stuck on Earth or in one of the fortress cities.
"It's a border town near the mountain ranges that shield Vale from major Grimm attacks. The last true settlement before you enter the Northern corridor and into the frontier. North East of the city. It's about halfway between the Vytal Islands and Vale itself." Amber recounted. "Many hunters retire there and it's one of the few settlements with over a few thousand people and that far from Vale."
"Just about right. Although missing the part where there are several retired huntsmen and huntresses, and famous for our bakeries and farmlands." Jaune added on.
"Nice. Sounds cozy. Wait that prompted me to ask, why do the two of you want to be huntsmen and huntresses?" Amas threw out there.
"I want to be a hero," Jaune added. "I just felt….cooped up in my home. I felt like there was no future for me in Ansel…..so I might have departed on not the greatest terms with my family."
Amas could tell Jaune ran away from home or at the very least left on not great terms with him.
"Honestly, I can understand. Part of the reason I left Mistral." Pyrrha sympathized with the blond.
"...ok maybe let's not venture too deep into family lore. Don't think I'm ready to become a counsellor yet. Amber, you are up." The jarhead opened up.
"Fine. I'm Amber Autumn, Vale born. I'm of very ancient Valean Royal Lineage. I'm here because of….of- Amas what is the term that you used earlier?"
"Witness Protection," Amas answered.
"Right. I got into a scuffle with some bandits earlier and they found out who I was. Ozpin requested that I stay in Vale, and I might have convinced him to….uh-"
"Do something productive instead of letting you sit on your butt?" Jaune questioned.
"Pretty much," Amas replied. "And that leads us to me. I'm Amas Ermey. I'm going to rip the bandaid off since it's going to be known in a few days: I'm a part of NOD."
If Pyrrha and Jaune were drinking something, they both would have spat it out because the two were gawking at him.
"NOD!?" Pyrrha exclaimed.
"The same organization responsible for the destruction of Vacuo's White Fang Cell!?" Jaune added.
"Yeah. Though compared to the other cells, it was a minor affair. And we didn't actually destroy them." Amas admitted.
Vacuo's White Fang Cell was the smallest and weakest of the five nations of Remnant. This was because A) Vacuo was a literal wasteland and nobody wanted to waste resources on stupid racial issues, B) Vacuo was also a major producer of cheap alcohol so anything not super serious could be solved with a nice drink, C) Vacuo was one of the few kingdoms that had a single coherent cultural identity compared to the sprawling mess of cities and villages of other nations, and D), everyone respected each other since it was a wasteland and strong and resourceful people respected each other regardless of race. So the White Fang really weren't welcomed in the Kingdom. The values that the White Fang fought for already existed in the desert kingdom.
And it got worse when the White Fang attacked some famous weapons makers and tried to 'recruit' the local Faunus to their cause while simultaneously ambushing a NATO patrol and killing a native soldier. The Terrans, understandably upset for their dead soldiers, reduced multiple Fang bases to nothingness with air and naval strikes while the Vacuoians rallied and kicked the survivors out of the kingdoms.
And whereas NOD/Terran military forces were viewed with neutral, mixed, or negative reactions from the other Kingdoms (the most distrustful being Menagerie and Mistral), the people of Vacuo had respect for the personnel of NOD for being one of the few groups to do something about the now violent Faunus right group.
And the only one besides the Vacuoians to not use the situation for political gains (Curse you SDC).
As such, Vacuo was the only kingdom where Terrans and the Natives provided…..very limited support for each other. And by that, it meant that were a few cases where Vacuian warriors aided several Terran patrols against the Grimm and shared some drinks before parting ways.
Similarly, Terran forces in Vacuo did their best to destroy or downsize Grimm hordes threatening Vacuo's settlements without showing too much of their abilities. Whereas other Terran fortress units were limited to defensive or limited strike missions, the forces in Vacuo regularly launched large-scale offensives to cull Grimm hordes.
"And the same organization to take out the Lusede tribe as well?" Pyrrha had a look of admiration.
Ah, the Lusede Tribe. A Mistrali bandit gang that was not as bad as the Branwen tribe, but worse than every other bandit tribe. They were rapists, slavers, drug smugglers, bandits, child traffickers, and just about every heinous evil job that most Humans detested.
But they committed a cardinal sin: they found a Terran fortress city and planned to sell the location to the highest bidder.
On one hand, they were criminals that deserved to burn in atomic fire or the deepest levels of hell (Thank you Terran culture for teaching us about hell).
On the other hand, Amas wasn't sure that 50 Million USD in terms of Tomahawk cruise missiles was worth the cost. 25 Cruse missiles to kill 60 guys, even those with aura, was overkill in his mind.
The plus side was that the people of Mistral were happy for the Lusede tribe to no longer exist. Except for the government, who were humiliated by the fact that a PMC-like force did the job.
"My people. Though should explain that I was simply a humbled child when those happened. I personally had nothing to do with that." Amas raised his hands.
"However, as team leader of Amaranth, I will warn you three of something." Amas stood up and walked over to the window before leaning against the adjacent walls.
"I grew up in a culture that views battle, violence, and war differently. Where the people of the Kingdoms see it as an evil to be avoided at all cost, my people see it as a tool to be used as a tool of last resort, but a tool constantly sharpened. Where most Huntsmen and Huntresses seek to capture a bandit leader, NOD does not believe it is worth the effort to expend to capture and is more willing to kill."
"Where a Huntsmen focuses on fighting the Grimm, NOD tackles the elements of society that hurt the collective defence and interests of all."
"Where a Huntress may choose to save the life of a criminal in hopes to redeem them, NOD has often chosen to take a grayer path in hopes they may never harm another person again."
"Where a hunter may refuse to kill to promote the values of protecting the innocent and peace, NOD is more willing to make difficult choices that sometimes weigh heavily on our conscience."
"Where the hunters seek to protect all Humanity holds dear, NOD is the one who is willing to neutralize the ones who wish the harm it. Grimm, criminal, or otherwise."
"NOD differs from the Hunters as we are more willing to cross the redline so that the redline stays there for others the next day."
"And it brings me to my main point. Amber and I are likely going to be involved in dangerous missions. It may and will result in shots being fired, people getting hurt, injured, and maybe even getting killed."
"That's why I am giving you a chance. On this team, there may not be a black-and-white situation. Or a solution where everyone gets out alive, whether on this team or the opposing force. We will help those in need, but what this team does may not be innocent."
"Jaune Arc of Vale, Pyrrha Nikos of Mistral, I, Amas Ermey of NOD, will not think lowly of you if you believe you cannot handle being on a team that may be involved in the dangerous and thick of it. If you request it, I will ask Ozpin to transfer you to another team if you believe I cannot handle this and-"
"Nope."
"Wait I'm not-"
"No." Jaune got up. "I am fully aware of the life of a Huntsman. I am fully aware that we will do things of questionable actions. I lived on the frontier to know that. I'm staying."
"Same here. And I can't go back to Mistral and the way I lived for 6 fucking years. I want to do some good, alongside a team like family. We're staying." Pyrrha asserted the claim.
…..Ok, when did Pyrrha start swearing? And where did Jaune get this boost of confidence and reality? I really need to talk to Syd. "Just to be clear, you are fine being on this team, which may get into some big scuffles?"
"Yes." the Arkos pair confirmed.
"...well there goes that one thousand word speech I wrote up. Guess that solves something." Amas pulled out a stack of cue cards from his pocket, held it up so the rest of his team could see, and promptly ripped it in half.
It was these actions that finally lifted some floodgates and Team Amaranth bursted into laughter.
"Well, guess we start from the beginning. I'm Amas Acqua Ermey of Nod. Born in Vale, inducted into the organization five years ago, received combat training at MCRD Daley's Dike….."
It would be another three hours before any member of team Amaranth went to sleep, but in that time they had truly bonded.
It was the start of the most unusual hunter team on Remnant. A Spartan Gladiator looking to leave the spotlight, a good/dorky knight inexperienced but wanting to do good, a magical fire lady seeking friends, and a Marine with ties to another world.
Remnant would never be the same after this night.
80 KM east of Fortress City Sahayog, Western Sanus
Next Day
Sahayog was a unique city as it was the only Terran fortress city beside Buckler to be built on the same continent as the kingdoms. As such, it places a much high emphasis on its land forces than its naval and airpower due to the threat of maurdering Grimm hordes, bandits, and maybe even the rare instance of mercs.
Its sponsor nations hailed across the Indian and South China Sea region. The most prominent were Vietnam, Philipines, and most importantly, India.
India sort of….barged into the NATO-led operation after its spies found out about a top-secret operation that was drawing a suspicious amount of money….after utterly crushing Chinese and Russian attempts to find out about the same projects.
After some nice negotiations, NATO allowed India and several Western-aligned nations to join in on the operation "Let's invade another world and kill an immortal" and provided many key resources.
Most noticeable was India's large military. They contributed as many personnel and equipment as the United States did and much more land forces.
This included the 20th Lancers. Also known as the Chargers of Cheorwon, they were the Indian Army's main contribution during the UN push into North Korea. They fought with pride with their NATO and Western Allies, devasted several North Korean armoured regiments, and chased surviving North Korean forces to the Chinese Border.
Armed with the brand new Arjun MK2-2, a major upgrade over the already impressive Arjun main battle tank. Besides using an advanced hydrogen burning power plant used in the M1A3 Abrams, the Arjun was fast, had datalinks to the rest of coalition forces, an autoloader, and most importantly the few MBTs to be armed with a multi-purpose laser system. Perfect for bringing down pesky drones, infantry, or even light Grimm.
And Major Ahaan of the 20th Lancers, a veteran of the Korean Continuation War, was keen to show off the prowess of the Indian army as it moved from a Soviet/Russian-like force to one akin to a modern Western power. His company of 14 Ajurn Mk2-2s was a powerful force on the steps of Vacuo. His force was in one of the forests that bordered the Northwestern portions of Sanus and the deserts of Vacuo, his specific tank under the shade as the Major observed the ridge line.
"Ahaan! Got your breakfast!" Major Ahaan, who was taking a drink of water from his bottle, turned to face his American counterpart and friend of the 4th BCT of the US 1st Armoured Division, Captain Lavi Nix carrying two heated meal packs.
A refugee from the large, now-destroyed Mistrali town of Boonie, he had led a convoy of vehicles of refugees fleeing from several bandit clans and the Grimm. And he was so successful at evading the hostiles of the Mistrali frontier that they accidentally stumbled across a Vietnamese and French combat patrol (something that should have nearly been impossible), who proceed to bring them to the Terran fortress city of Mist (EU sponsored).
The U.S. was genuinely impressed by Lavi's ability to coordinate dozens of vehicles. They offered him a chance to play with the big guns. 6 years later, Lavi now found himself a captain coordinating the Bravo company of the 4th BCT.
2 platoons of 4 M1A3 Abrams, a command unit with two more Abrams, an attached infantry platoon with M2A5 with upgraded 30mm autocannons and a new Micro missile weapon system, a platoon of Stryker APCs equipped with anti-air lasers and manpads, and a support platoon with additional ammo, fuel, and food.
60 years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a combined American and Indian armour force. While not necessarily enemies, India's previous friendliness with the now-defunct Soviet Union made the two nations….not the best of friends.
Now, after a certain nation decided to piss off their neighbours, the internet, and a few other things, the Indians and Americans were as the peanut butter to bread as friends. Or something like that saying.
Lavi tossed one of the heated meal packs up the turret and to Ahaan who caught it in one hand and took a peak at the label.
"Mutton Curry? My favourite dinner for breakfast?"
"Lucky man. I got an FSR Honey BBQ sandwich for breakfast. I can say one thing working for aliens: we actually get some good food." Lavi added, climbing up the Ajurn and ripping open his First Strike Ration.
"Trade my Namkeen for your Pretezels." Ahaan piped up, opening up his curry and breaking out the wooden spoon in his packet.
"Deal." Lavi tossed his packet of pretzels as Ahaan slid his pack of Namkeen across the turret roof.
"Heard your unit got transferred over from Roung Luo. Anything new from the east?" Ahaan questioned.
"Meh. Same shit as usual. White Fang are an absolute pain for the natives. Our little roughing of the Vacuo branch did little to deter them in the other kingdoms. And some elections happening soon in Vale for a new councillor." Lavi munched on his BBQ sandwich. "Oh, one thing. Apparently, we got a man in Beacon now."
"Jigyaasu, who?"
"Some jarhead by the name of Ermey. Adopted son of a marine colonel. Was one of the kids that got swept up in the Dinahai incident with Ross Junior." Lavi continued on. "We sending marines to school again, especially one with volatile teenagers, someone screwed up."
"Dost, you went back to school, you would have gone bonkers. You like it too much out here." Ahaan mused. The pair spent the next several minutes enjoying their breakfast for ten minutes and as they were finishing up, the Comms barked up.
"(Comms) Chomper Actual, Bison Actual. This is Peacock 8-1. Repeat, Stomper Actual, Bison Actual. Peacock 8-1."
That was a mobile recon platoon attached to their combined companies, causing Ahaan to stomp eating and pull out his radio set. "Peacock 8-1, Bison Actual with Chomper Actual. Go ahead over."
"(Comms) Bison Actual. We have eyes on a class Delta one four-class horde of Grimm. Estimated strength is regiment strength. Light and medium Air Grimm were spotted amongst them. No tunnelers. Their heading is towards the Southeast at heading 162 at some Vacuian villages, requesting support to engage. They are about three two klicks from your position."
Ahaan mused for a second. "Acknowledged Peacock 8-1. Bison and Stomper will move to engage. Captain, get your company ready to move. We have a Delta 14 horde to deal with."
"Yes sir! Time to get back to work. " Captain Lavi leapt off the turret, onto the ground, and began running towards his own company.
"All Bison elements, Bison actual. Mount up and start up your engines. We have a Delta 14 horde to engage. Prepare for both anti-air and anti-armour combat." Ahaan ordered as he slid through the Ajurn's hatch into the commander's seat in the turret.
A chorus of affirmative and confirmation from the fifteen other Ajurn MBTs in his company, along with the six Shilka SPAAG units assigned to him as well. What the Indian company lacked in technological advantages and combat flexibility possessed by the Americans was offset by sheer firepower and the number of heavy combat vehicles.
"(Comms) Bison 1-4. My platoon is ready for combat."
"(Comms) Bison 2-4. Second platoon in standby."
"(Comms) Bison 3-4. We've buttoned up down here. And I can see the Americans are getting ready as well."
"(Comms) Bison 5-6. All Shilkas ready for anti-air duties."
"All Bison elements listen up. Filipino scouts report a regiment-sized horde moving towards Vacuo-held lands, we are intercepting that horde. Understood?"
"(Comms) Yes sir!" The unanimous cry from the Indian tankers came.
"(Comms) Bison Actual, this is Chomper Actual. All my guys are buttoned down and ready to go. We got on your command." Lavi's voice came over the radio.
"Understood Chomper Actual." Ahaan booted up the GPS display on his commander screen. He ran through the diagnostics of his machine. Autoloader, turret traverse, limited point defence, engine, liquid heating vessel, everything was in good shape.
"This is Bison Actual to all Chomper and Bison elements. Advance forward at a speed of three eight KPH. Follow the waypoint I'm giving you." Ahaan sent the waypoint on the shared GPS all Terran tanks shared. Bless the creation of Link 16.
"(Comms) Affirmative Bison Actual. Chomper will follow your lead."
"Driver, get us moving. We have a horde the catch up to." Ahaan ordered.
The driver, Sergeant Chui, nodded. "Yes sir!"
The engine of the Arjun roared to life, and the fifty-five-ton tank first slowly inched its way forward from underneath the tree cover at a few KPH. The 15 other Ajurn MK2s and six Shilkas also followed suit, and 10 Abrams, four Bradleys, and 6 Laser Stryker entered a solo formation right behind the Indian armoured force.
And soon enough, the armoured column was travelling at a brisk thirty-five kilometres per hour through the rocky and sandy sands of Vacuo. Away from the forests of Eastern Sanus. Minutes passed by before Lavi asked a question.
"(Comms) Bison Actual, Chomper Actual. Any chance for air cover?"
"Standby." Ahaan switched frequencies. "Sahayog Air command, this is Major Ahaan of Bison Company. We are moving to engage a Delta one-four horde in sector 2396. Requesting any air assets."
"(Comms) Affirmative Bison Actual." The voice of a Singaporean officer responded. "We have a flight of four Indonesian Hinds being prepared to ground support, a flight of four MiG 29s on ready support, and an AC-17 lifting off now. ETA for manned assets is 14, 8, and 20 minutes respectively. We're also sending Reapers armed with Hellfires and Chimeras to assist."
"Understood Sahayog air command. We will make do. Bison Actual out." One quick toggle of the radio switch later. "Stomper actual, Bison Actual. Good news, we have some air cover. UCAVs, Hinds, MiGs, and a Specter."
"(Comms) Understood, reserve planes and something fresh from the factory lines. Not ideal, not terrible. We will make do. Chomper Actual, out."
The convoy trembled on for several minutes, passing by vast stretches of sand and rock formations but also the occasional patch of standing trees and greenery that showed the divide between Vacuo and Northeast Sanus.
It would have been a beautiful drive if it weren't for the fact that they were in an alien world and about to fight more monsters.
"(Comms) Bison Actual, this is Iris Leader." Ahaan looked at his tactical screen and noticed the icons of four old but battle-worthy MiG-29s approaching his convoy rapidly. "We are flying overhead. We will suppress Grimm horde, the rest is up to you."
"Acknowledged, Iris leader. Good hunting." Aheen could only smile as he poked his head up and saw the four MiGs approaching his convoy. A ripple of amazement and cheers erupted as the four MiGs roared overhead at Mach 1 and disappeared into the horizon.
Still, the armoured convoy trundled on. Aheen could only overhear the communications between Peacock and Iris.
"(Comms) Iris Flight, we are lazing targets. Primarily heavies, Goaliths, Ursas, and even some Humpbacks. Focus your target on the big ones. Lazing targets."
"(Comms) understood. Starting attack run, bombs ready."
"(Comms) targets marked, give them hell."
"(Comms) coming in hot…..pickle, pickle."
A ripple of distinct booms erupted in the distance, indicating that cluster munitions had been used and the convoy was getting closer to the fight. And Aheen saw the four MiGs pulled straight up from behind a sand dune.
"(Comms) good effect on the target, 250 Grimm eliminated."
"(Comms) understood, coming around for another pass."
"Peacock 8-1, this is Bison Actual. We are approaching your location." Ahaan reported.
"(Comms) Affirmative Bison Actual. Got a hull for you to fire from. No Grimm shooters now."
"Understood. Let's get to work. Lavi, have your company advance to Waypoint Theta. I'll head to the dune and rendezvous with Peacock. We'll catch the Grimm in a crossfire."
"(Comms) Understood. Chomper is moving around the dunes." The American contingent of the convoy abruptly rotated and raced out of the convoy, leaving just the Indian Shilkas and Ajurns.
"Up the dune people," Ahaan ordered.
"Yes sir!" Sergeant Chui responded.
The 16 Arjun MBTs and 6 Shilkas beelined straight towards a single sand dune, their 50-ton vehicles easily making the short incline up.
Up on the ridge, are four Filipino Sabrah Light tanks, another four Filipino own Japanese-made Type-74 Medium Main Battle Tanks (*), and four GKN Simba APCs. Their 105mm guns machine guns fired a slow but steady salvo of 105mm bullets shells into the expanse of the Grimm horde.
There was even a few squads of Philippine Army Ranger Scouts firing away with M7A1 rifles and LAW anti-tank weapons.
And it looked as if the Grimm were in a haze of confusion. Combined with the air strike and being utterly pounded from over 3 kilometres away, the Grimm horde was split between continuing towards wherever they were heading and toward the Terran force.
"(Comms) kumusta kayo Bison Actual! Glad you can join us."
"Acknowledged Peacock. You seem to be having fun." Sheen covered his mic. "Rassa, prepare to fire on my command. Fire how you may like."
Sergeant Rassa, the gunner of the Arjun and sitting in front of him, nodded. "Affirmative Major. Will fire at my discretion."
The 16 Arjun MBTs parked themselves into a firing line next to their Filpino counterparts.
"What's on the menu today Peacock?" Ahaan asked, looking through one of his scopes.
"(Comms) Take your pick, my friend. Stalkers, Sphinx, beowolves, goliaths, Sulfur Fish, and even a Drake. Plenty of Lancers and Nevremores for your quad gunners."
"Affirmative. All Bison elements, fire at well. Fire at your discretion."
A series of affirmatives echoed across the comms system and all 16 Arjuns and 6 Shilkas aimed at a Grimm.
"FIRE!"
In an epic display of firepower, a cacophony of BOOM and BANGS rippled across the desert and 16 120mm rounds streaked into the Grimm horde. A mixture of HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) and APFSDS (armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot) rounds ripped into the Grimm Horde.
The result was horrific for the Grimm. Tungsten ripped into Grimm Beasts, ripping into creatures that would have taken a huntsmen/huntress team to eliminate. 7 plastic explosions ripped right through weaker forms.
"(Comms) Hot damn Bison. That is some nice shooting." Lavi's voice comes over the radio.
"Indeed. Would be nice to have some music to go along." Aheen admits.
The silence was all that came from Lavi as it was now the turn of the Shilikas to open up. Lead and steel ripped through the sky and into flying Grimm.
And then it blared over the radio.
Play Sabaton: Reign of Terror
The sky is on fire, burning black gold
Eyes of the west turn to the east
Driven by greed and an urge to destroy
Merciless killing your own
Ahaan paused, then laughed. "Ah, American. Sabaton of all things?"
"(Comms) American armour and tech, Indian aircraft and spies, Filipino scouts and APCs. Might as well add Swedish IFVs and music to the list."
Slave to the power, a slave to the gold
Ruthlessly ruling the east
Your reign of terror must come to an end
Fighting your unholy war
Sharp echoes erupted from 105mm and 120mm cannons, APFSDF, HESH, HEAT, Canister shot, and even a few SAMHO cannon-fired rockets were sent into the mass of Grimm.
Now you will pay, we'll charge you our way
Sooner or later we'll get you!
The Grimm now seemed to have a single focus, its beasts' heads turning towards the Indian and Filipino troops on the high ground.
"(Comms) This is Iris Flight, moving for a second bombing run."
Don't try to hide in your holes underground,
The MiG-29 Fulcrums roared over the dune, above the Terran ground forces, in a low-level attack before pulling straight up as they jettisoned a few dozen air-to-ground munitions ranging from light 250 Kilogram MK-82 to CBU-87 Cluster bombs.
Just like an insect, we'll smoke you right out!
A torrent of explosions ripped right through the horde, hundreds of Grimm were ripped apart by Terran munitions. Many were reduced to their base dust component while others fell to the ground leaking Grimm fluids and dust.
"Good hits Iris Leader. Now where in Kashimer are the Americans?!" Ahaan almost asked.
"(Comms) Pipe down Bison Actual. Chomper Company, engaging!"
The Indians had been perched up on a major dune, dozens of kilometres away there was another rock formation indicating that this part of Vacuo had a once vibrant desert. The Grimm had been caught in the middle of the now-dried river bed and pinned by Indian and Filipino armour.
Now it was the American's turn to hit back. The Abrams, Laser Strykers, and Bradleys rounded the dune that the Filipinos had taken control of.
Night-time primetime
Law and order pays the fine
Smoke erupted from 30mm autocannons and 120mm tank guns, sending hundreds of steel rounds down range.
Blue Pulse lasers lit up the sky and Sidewinders MANPADS raced into the sky, joining their Shilka brothers.
Cluster micro missiles, taking the place of the old TOWs, erupted from pods on top of missile pods and rocketed into air and land Grimm alike.
Genocide you cannot justify!
The indian and Filipino Tanks and AFV sent their own salvo their way. And soon, a second torrent of explosions erupted in what was left of the horde.
2 minutes would pass as the song of Sabaton echoed through the battle.
Tank round by Tank round, bullet by bullet, missile by missile, the Terran tore a force of Grimm apart with ease.
Night time primetime, Ancient legacy of crime!
An Abrams slammed a 120mm round into a Goliath, exploding the beast from the inside out.
"(Comms) All hostile neutralized Bison Actual."
"Acknowledged Chomper Actual. Nice work people. We just eliminated a major threat to the kingdoms." Ahaan nodded in agreement.
"(Comms) It would be nice if they knew who was risking their necks out for them." someone said over the radio.
"The real heroes get the job done with recognition. It's our job to protect people and our interests. Make sure of that." Ahaan shot back.
Just then from behind them, the familiar whirl of helicopters could be heard. Four old Soviet Mi-24 Hinds provided by Indonesia arrived.
"(Comms) Cobalt 1 here. We too late to the party?" the Lead hind pilot responded.
"Affirmative Cobalt 1. Sorry, we cleaned up early." Ahaan chuckled.
"(Comms) Understood Bison Actual. No battle against the Grimm is a good day. Saves ammo and fuel. RTB, all Bison, Chomper, and Peacock elements. We will cover you."
"Understood Cobalt 1. We will pull back. All Peacock, Bison, and Chomper elements. Time to go home."
The joint Indian, American, and Filipino strike force collected any infantry, mounted up, and turned West. All under the watchful eyes of four deadly hinds.
There may not have been many tank battles on Earth now and certainly not on Remnant. But the Terran Tankers were proving their worth that the Tank was something: The Tank had a future on the battlefield.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Database…Hunter's Cadet League.
When NATO and Allied forces received large waves of refugees from across Remnant and gained their expertise, it realized that while their conventional forces were capable of handling most threats, the Terrans would need new forces to handle specialized roles that the Hunters and Specialists of the Kingdoms had. To fill this role, the Terran forces created a brand-new education pipeline to begin training their aura-users. To ensure that no one nation had a monopoly on aura users, this program would be the first true international cadet system: the Hunter's Cadet League.
The Hunter's Cadet League is formed from the various youth military cadet programs across North America, Europe, and Asia. This includes but is not limited to, the Canadian Cadets Organization, the U.S. JROTC, the Australian Defence Force Cadets, the British Combined Cadet Forces, Indian National Cadet Corps, and Filipino Cadet Academies. While the League acts as a separate branch of service, it is, on paper, an interservice program and members from Terran cadet programs (EX. A Canadian Air Cadet could technically transfer to the League) could theoretically transfer over (though this is extremely rare due to the classified nature of Remnant). Less than a hundred Terran children from pre-existing Cadet groups have joined the League. Much of the League's funding comes from the individual Ministries of Defence (and equivalents) of their respective nations and uses both national military and other Cadet program infrastructure and equipment.
The League is organized into 6 major branches, each corresponding to one of 6 primary Fortress Cities with Gateways (the first 5 original gateway sites and New Mantle). Each branch is further divided into squadrons with each squadron typically composed of members of a Gateway city and its neighboring Fortress settlements. Each squadron (associated with a single service branch and regional location) is broken up into smaller flights of around 30 cadets, each 3-5 flights per squadron. Each flight is led by the equivalent of an RCAC Flight Sergeant or Sergeant, a squadron is headed by a Warrant Officer 1st class equivalent, and every member of a squadron (including support staff) is commanded by an active duty military member of Captain to Colonel ranking, though some cases do involve retired hunters with honorary ranks. While most squadrons correspond with a service branch (such as New Mantle's International 2nd Sea Hunter Squadron, Shugart's 9309 Army Hunter Squadron, or Buckler's 667th Air Hunter Squadron), there do exist squadrons with members of varying service branches. The most famous is the 1st United International Cadet Squadron, which includes members of Marine, Army, AirForce, Space Force, Navy, and Ranger Cadets including Amas Ermey (Marines), Sydney Ross (Marines), Amelia Pelayo (Army), Melo Ermey (Air Force), Ram Sharma, and more.
Children can join the Hunter's Cadet League at the age of 12 to 19 with parental consent. The entry progress is however quite rigorous as applicants must be in fit conditions to be able to handle aura. Despite this, non-aura users are allowed to join the program though are excluded from certain activities such as Grimm hunts and live combat exercises. Citizens of any Allied Nation are allowed to join the league, and many squadrons are composed of a wide range of nationalities but the most common are Valean, Canadian, Mistrali, American, Indian, Japanese, French, Atlasian, British, Polish and Taiwanese though there are infinitely more cultures around. Anyone of any race, Human or Faunus, is allowed to join the league.
From the ages of 12 - 15, all Hunter Cadets will undergo basic training that involves learning ceremonial drill, uniform taking, survival skills, aura familiarization, basic first aid, and mathematics. If desired, Hunter cadets of a specific branch might undergo more specialized training, including advanced swimming courses, leadership, mechanical maintenance, advanced first aid, and aeronautical basics. They will also be sent on certain activities like Field Training Exercises, simulated combat exercises, gliding flight days, and more. Due to regulations and treaties, cadets of this age are only given minimum self-defence training with hand-to-hand combat and light firearms. If Cadets lacked it, they may also receive additional schooling in the language arts and sciences, contributing to normal schooling.
Cadets of the Age of 16 to 19 are given more intense physical training, aura management/combat, semblance work, and, if wishing to join the military, live fire training with weaponry. Rather than focus on the more traditional semblance dueling and brute force methods used by Kingdom hunters, League Cadets are heavily inversed in martial arts based of the U.S.'s Marine Corp Martial Arts Program, Korean Teukgong Moosool, and modern CQC which focuses on quick and rapid strikes using hand to hand combat, firearms, grenades, and non-lethal weaponry. Cadets with their auras and semblances unlocked may also be tutored to use their semblance in unconventional ways, such as the [Redacted]. Cadets looking to further themselves in military training will also have the option of selecting weaponry, albeit looking from the existing Terran arsenal rather than the highly individualistic and customized weapons of the kingdom hunters. Outside of combat, League Hunters, depending on their branch of origin, may undergo other training courses such as aircraft piloting, vehicle driving, intense medical care, stealth operations, and more. The age of 17 is when some Cadets may see active combat with Grimm, under the strict supervision of instructors and supported by conventional forces. Cadets who volunteer to enter combat are grouped up into squads of 4 to 8, typically consisting of those that work well with each other both mentally and with semblances.
At the age of 19, League Cadets officially age out of the program. Cadets are expected to forge their path forward into adult life. Many stay in the League to act as instructors or supervisors. Many return to civilian duties and take roles in non-combat jobs such as mechanics, medics, computer specialists, and communication operators. Some head on to post-secondary education. However, a third to half of any year's cadets join the military of their host nations. Aura users are highly sought after and many branches, such as the Marines and air force, seek out aura users due to their better honed reflects, aura, and semblances, and expert training and familiarization with military equipment.
There are an estimated 5,300 Hunter Cadets, a good sixth of all children residing on Terran soil. A further 798 cadets have graduated from the program and are full adults in life. Many in the military, others in civilian work, some contractors, some working for government agencies. Some fly as fighter and gunship pilots for air forces, others as administrators using their semblances to push paperwork through. Some as engineers maintaining and upgrading Terran fortification, others as pathfinders tracking Grimm flocks and bandit groups. Whether the case, the Terran Hunter Cadet League has turned out to be one of, if not, the most successful internationally managed Youth Programs in recent history.
(*) the Type 74 Medium MBT is currently in service with the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force though there have been offers to transfer them to the Philippines Military. It has yet to be confirmed and equally unlikely to happen but in this story (considering the Grimm), I'm giving the Philippines some extra heavy armour.
