Chapter 32
A new reality
It was almost a sense of Déjà vu when they returned to the dining room. Once again the room was filled with tension and anxiety, minimal conversations taking place. The monitors on the walls were muted not that there was anything to watch except for repeats of what they had experienced already. At least twenty of the white armoured troopers had taken position against the doors and window and walls. Thought their weapons were not pointed the tacit threat hanged in the air, not that any were eager to test the troopers resolve, not after the example that had been made of SSSN
In a fit of misplaced bravado in front of a girls team of Atlas. Neptune had refused to surrender his scroll and weapon when ordered to do so. Taking it a step further he had pushed the trooper who had stepped forward to forcible remove it. He received a stun bolt for his efforts and though it failed to knock him out it had left him on hands and knees and unable to fight back as the troopers had stepped in with their rifle butts and fists and feet after kicking his weapon to the side. When the rest of his team had jumped in they were the secondary recipients in lessons as to how stormtroopers kept order.
It had taken both Yang and Blake to keep Weiss from going to Neptune's aid. The girl still too infatuated with the sauve flashy boy to see through his act and notice his constant womanizing. Again Yang and Blake had to step in and retrain Ruby when her beloved Crescent Rose had been carelessly thrown into a crate once she too had reluctantly surrendered her pride and joy. The last they had seen of SSSN were the four prone forms on the ground as the door to the shuttle had closed.
Yang was the first to rise as their team was called forth by a black uniformed figure holding what they now knew was a datapad instead of the clipboard the others might have thought. They were met outside the doors by a grim faced Moody and an escort of troopers
" Girls before you get taken to your rooms you will be registered and undergo a physical examination. This will be done by robotic units. Beacon requires your full cooperation with this procedure." Moody spoke mechanically. An undertone and a flash of fire in her eyes showing her anger
They had their information recorded before given flimsy paper gowns and directed to screens to change. Once changed their clothes too were placed in bags labelled and dumped in crates. The examinations was both humiliatingly thorough and painful, with blood and tissue samples being taken as well as cerebral spinal fluid via lumbal puncture, though Yang could almost swear they had taken bone marrow with how deep the probe needle had been inserted.
Still dressed in the gowns they were marched through the hallways to their rooms. Constantly under the eyes of their escorts and lines of troopers holding sentry positions along the route through to the rooms. Reaching their room they were forced to stand against the wall as their room was thoroughly ransacked as the troopers under supervision from another black uniform and a grey uniform ripped the room apart taking all electronics, tools , dust and ammunition. Yang was simmering in anger as their underwear was held up for scrutiny before being tossed to the ground along with the rest of their clothing.
Once the troopers had finished they were given permission to fix their room and change to regular clothing with the addendum that the door must remain open at all times and they were only to leave the room in order to use the facilities or if ordered to step outside
Yang was truly worried as Ruby was just mechanically going through the motions, though she could not blame her for being shocked. Not only were twelve friends unaccounted four, they witnessed the brutal beating of another four and then she lost her most prized possession apart from Crescent Rose, the winter cloak of Summer Rose. She was tempted to tell her that they would get it back but she desisted as there was no way to ensure this
" So this is the Empire. The descriptions we got were rather understating things." Blake said softly
" Ruby Weiss, no. You can not lift heavy objects if you have had a lumbal puncture." Yang interrupted
The two had been preparing to lift the bedframe of one of their beds. Hurriedly they let it go.
" I think for tonight let us just push the beds together and sleep close to each other like we did in the tents." Blake suggested
" We taking turns for watch as well?" Yang asked
"I believe it would be best, for what it is worth." Blake nodded
Silently they returned their room to some semblance of order. One of them keeping an eye on the open door frame at any given time. They heard the noise from the other rooms as their occupant were returning their rooms to habitable states but their was no sound of conversation echoing the halls as it normally would have on a normal evening. Yang ruefully held up the dress she had bought for the ball that would have taken place the following night, the delicate fabric stained by a boot print from the trooper who had thrown it on the floor
"So I am guessing that tomorrow nights ball will not be happening?" She said with a sigh
" We should have fought." Ruby snapped belligerently
Her eyes almost had a glow to them. Her face was flushed a dark red, her lips set in a thin line and her hands were curled into fists, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. Blake stood before Ruby and gently placed her hands on her shoulders
" Ruby, we would not have won." Bake said gently
" Blake is right, against a ship like that and how ruthless they are, fighting was not an option."
" We should have done something. Instead of being treated like experiments." Ruby's voice was sounding broken
" We could d nothing. It was planned too well. They wanted us all were we were. Jaune and the others being captured showed us that." Blake replied gently and softly
"At least they tried something, running like a bunch of cowards is better than doing nothing." Ruby retorted
" Ruby, you know calling them that s unfair. They are not cowards, as to why they tried to run, I don't know." Blake replied
"More likely they were going to try and draw them away. Not that it would have worked." Weiss said softly looking out the window
"Why not?! They brought them here!" Ruby shouted
Weiss turned around. She pulled her arms across herself as if she was freezingly cold
"They tried their best to hide where they went when they ran away. Yes, you could say they brought them here if you are being really uncharitable." Weiss said looking down
Weiss sat down on her bed and hugged herself harder
" But blaming them for the Empire, it is not their Empire came here to seize the planet, why else would they send a ship of that size. If they had just wanted Jaune and the Ichuru's they would have send strike teams after them and capture them, or used bounty hunters to track them down." Weiss said
"Weiss, this is all too much for four people. They wanted Remnant." Blake said
The fight went out of Ruby and her shoulders started hitching
"What is going to happen to us now?" She asked her voice broken, a single tear running down her face
Keira groaned as she returned to consciousness, she tired to move but was held back by restraints. She was feeling ice cold and from the sensations of minimal contact on her skin and the cold she guessed she was dressed in only Her mouth was dry and she is hissed in pain as her body protested, she felt nauseas . Slowly she tried to remember the last thing she could. Slowly a picture started to form
She had led the prisoners to a processing room under escort of a dozen stormtroopers. The prisoners had been told to undress as part of the search and seizure for and of weapons. The troopers had lifted their weapons and fired stun bolts. That was when all hell had broken loose. Eleven of the twelve had staggered and dropped to their knees, weak but still conscious. The last one had seemed to be getting more nergised before she had started throwing stormtroopers around like an enraged drunken Wookie. Each stun bolt she had taken seemingly energizing her more. Keira had been the last one standing as she had furiously fought of the girl in unarmed combat and losing badly. Reinforcements in the form of ARC troopers fared no better, then the call came for gas.
" Finally with us." A voice spoke. A well known and hated voice
She looked up in the smug face of the Inquisitor, behind his stood two of his inquisitors their helmets closed off. From the corners of her eyes she could see the four she had sensed as force sensitive retrained as she was. Flickers ran across their restraints as random electrical shocks were being administered. As if waiting for her to be awoken shocks started running along her restraints. The Inquisitor looked at her appraisingly
"Not going to comment on your situation?" He asked
"No it is obvious. My use came to an end and it was decided not to honour the deal I was given. Not that it comes as a real surprise." Keira replied.
The Inquisitor waved a hand around the room
" The Emperor is looking forward to meeting all of you." He said
" I am sure the pleasure will be all his." Keira replied dryly
"My dear, you should know by now that the only force sensitives allowed will be those serving the Emperor. Resistance is inadvisable and futile." The Inquisitor
Her reply was short crude and extremely ride. One of the juniors stepped forward and slammed fist into her stomach. She retched as her breath was forcibly expelled. He Inquisitor looked at her impassively
" Seems as if you had chosen. Your conversion will be extremely tiring."
"I would prefer to die." Keira coughed out defiantly
" As per the Emperors order you will be converted, death is not an option."
The inquisitor turned around and walked out the room. Cries of pain soon following as the torture fields on all five interrogation table were activated
Derrick woke as someone approached the couch he was sleeping on. Sitting up he switched on the table lampshade. The television was now showing a constant notification that all programming has been suspended. Sparrowhawk sat down opposite him. Her weapon in her lap
"We have just received word from HQ via the hardwire system. No scroll contact to be used. The CCT tower has been taken over and we are certain they will be monitoring all calls. All police patrols now have two of their soldiers with them." She reported
"What else?" Derrick asked
"The same goes for all emergency vehicles, one or two of those white armoured soldiers per vehicle. They have landed two different types of land vehicles inside and outside of Vale. Four heavy units are patrolling outside the walls. In Vale itself they are using a two legged walking unit in combination with some advanced motorcycle units." She continued
Sparrowhawk shifted in her seat
"Watchers on the Fort Freedom residence report that the building ahd been invaded and searched. There has been no sign of the Governor or his wife and no contact has been established with beacon. Stations A One and Mantle, Haven and Vacuo report that the Council members of those Kingdoms are being gathered, we have not heard from our assets in Menagerie but we believe they too will be gathered. All indications are that of an occupation." She said softly
Derrick rubbed his face and sighed deeply
" You know I had always thought if Vale would come under occupation it would be from Atlas. Never would I have thought it would be from spacemen." Sparrowhawk said shaking her head
" Nor did I. But we know our duty. Vale forever." Derrick said firmly
"Vale forever." She echoed
Derrick looked at the cat faunus before him
" Since we are going into war I think you should know my name and not just my cal sign. Derrick Arc." He said
" Daphne Willowbrook." She responded
" How did a cat faunus end up with a birdname as a call sign?" Derrick asked
Daphne sighed
"It is my own fault, when I passed recruitment I said I wanted a heroic call sign. My recruiter decided to indulge me and still be a smug prick about it. Hence Sparrowhawk." She replied
"I am almost to scared to ask about Tabbycat then." Derrick replied
"Andrew Garfield." Tabby cat said from the doorway
"And Garfield being a cartoon cat…" Daphne said
"Hop skip and jump and you have tabbycat." Andrew replied tiredly
Andrew sat down on the other couch and unlaced his shoes before swinging his legs up onto the couch and shift into a comfortable position. His automatic weapon placed close to hand
"New watch is in place, we should receive new orders in the morning." He said
"Anything else I should know?" Derrick asked
" The Atlas ships had been forced to land outside the walls. One of the large mechanical units is patrolling around them. It seems as if a camp is being set up by the white armoured troops. Though our contact on the wall can not confirm it as they too are being restricted to their stations. He managed to contact us briefly while in the bathroom. I do not think we will be that lucky again." Andrew replied
Qrow in his alternate form reached Beacon feeling exhausted, having flew as fast as he could since leaving patch. A quick trip and look through the windows had him confirming the absence of Ozpin. Not that the office was empty. The room was filled with grey and white uniforms. Several robots were connected to the mainframe that had been hidden behind a door panel and the Ozpin's desk terminal. He edged back into the shadow as a female figure dressed in skin tight black and a covered helmet snapped her head in his direction, a circular device ending with two nozzles attached to the rims being brought in a four fingered hand.
He dropped from the ledge and went into free fall as a red lance of light stabbed through the window. He opened his wings and glided away. He made his way to the students dorms and entered through an air vent at the far end shower room. Still in bird form he dropped to the floor and was caught in a light. The light was attached to a rifle barrel. The rifle attached to a white armoured figure.
"TK five five four one, did you find the source of movement?" A voice echoed from a radio channel
" Some kind of local avian. It must have tripped the motion sensor." The armoured figure replied
" Kill it."
Qrow was already moving rapidly exiting where he entered before the figure could even think of complying with his order. He flew around the building looking for an open window finding none. The rooftop doors had guards posted. He landed on the windowsill of Cameron;s room and peered into the darkened room as the curtains had been left open. He could make out the forms of the rooms occupants and from the slight gleaming eyes he could see that at least one was keeping watch. A light was shortly seen as a white figure backlit by the hallway lights played another mounted light over the forms of the rooms occupants. This was repeated another ten minutes later.
Flying to the window of Ruby and Yangs room had him seeing a repeat of the first, The young Schnee sitting upright as she was on lookout. Qrow spun around as he heard noise from below. Two squads of white armour were rapidly approaching the groundfloor doors the black figure from Ozpin's tower behind them. He froze as she looked up straight at him.
Qrow decided to vacate the premises, the woman following his movements unerringly as he flew away