Well, I'm back and I am appalled by the reviews some trolls have left on my story. I might be up to a thousand something reviews, but I would rather have it be from people who enjoyed my story and are not trying to spam to get me to do certain things, one of whom is a complete and disgusting human being, not just because of the stories they write and what they cover, but because of what they and someone else are trying to get people like us to do, send a threatening letter to someone who they hate because of certain things, telling them to kill themselves and that if they return to this site, they will kill them and everyone they know. Did I forget to mention that they have been stalking that person for the last seven years of their life?
Anyway, I'm back and have a new chapter for you all. Sorry for the wait, but I hope it will be worth it.
Onto the reviews.
Monster King: Thank you.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Like I said, I was experimenting with that idea for my Power Rangers story.
SunPhoenix90: Trust me, that's my plan. To make Jacques more of a criminal then he probably was in the series. Considering we don't know much about his younger days, but mostly his personality, his greed and relationship with his family, I assume he's committed far worse than what we already know he's done. He'll be getting his just deserts in the future, I promise.
VoteDonaldJTrump2024: Don't ever come back to my stories if this is what you're going to leave in a review.
Tellemicus Sundance: Why don't you let me write my stories my way? Ok.
IFarted1768: Can we not talk about politics in the reviews? I think that's what caused many people to stop leaving reviews.
Gina what's your face: GET YOUR COMMENTS OFF MY STORIES AND LEAVE THIS SITE RIGHT NOW! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING, PEDOPHILE, CYBERSTALKING BITCH! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR THE SHIT YOU ARE SELLING!
ArcherDomain: What happened, is that I stood up someone who was being told by that bitch to kill themselves because of something they said in their profile, which that bitch hates and believes that everyone like that should be dead. That's what happened.
Lord Salazar's Revenge: Can we not discuss that bitch in the reviews?
Raedarius: Let me write my stories my way, ok?
Kiltlord: Thanks
Sorarocks531: Thanks, I do my best and follow my gut when I write.
Songs this chapter are 'Battle of Hoth', from the Empire Strikes Back and 'Legendary' by Skillet. Oh, and you'll be seeing a fight between Barriss and Ahsoka this chapter.
(Start Polaris, by Blue Encount)
On that day I promised to protect you. That promise still remains in my heart.
(A blizzard rages across the tundra of Solitas before subsiding to reveal Galen, Team RWBY, Jaune, Ren, Nora, the Clones, Ace Ops, and their allies standing on a cliff as in front of them lies the imperial occupied Atlas and Mantle, with the Executor hovering high in the air. Behind it is the silhouette of Vader, Adam Taurus, Maul and Salem as the title card is revealed with the title.)
Remnant Unleashed
Even if I must lose everything I have. To Save a life in front of me.
(The camera zooms down below to Fort Arrowfell where exhausted Atlas soldiers and pilots sit on crates with their heads hung low in disbelief at the loss of their home.)
I'd be happy to give it all away without a doubt. This is the first time I've ever felt this way.
(One soldier is looking at the picture of his family, almost on the verge of tears until Captain Rex puts a hand on the soldier's shoulder. Behind him are Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Ray, and Neo. Harriet is nearby, glaring at Galen, the badge of the Ace Ops no longer on her uniform.)
I won't hide my scars anymore. Making the despair as my weapon, That's how I want to live my life!
(Cuts to Galen who is standing in front of a massive attack force of Grimm, Battle Droids, Imperials, White Fang and Death Bots with his teammates, friends, allies, and fellow Jedi behind him. Above them, Republic and Rebel ships fly towards the enemy force alongside Remnant fighter jets, before the ground forces charge)
Push aside these tears as best I can. I'll give you everything that I have.
(Explosions light up the tundra as Ray and Neo lead the charge with the Bad Batch and Delta Squad, firing at their enemies while the young huntsmen and huntresses cut their way through the Grimm, as Vader engages Luke and Ahsoka in deadly lightsaber combat.)
So please, don't give up on me and disappear.
(Cuts to Salem and Maul wielding their lightsabers against Ray and Neo while the Fox, Winter, The Ace Ops, Artoria and Mordred run through the bowls of the giant whale Grimm towards Oscar.)
On that day I promised to protect you.
(Shows Whitley standing in front of his mother defensively as White Fang soldiers move in with their weapons raised. In his hands is a familiar object.)
The promise still remains in my heart.
(Galen and Ruby stand in Mantle with their hands extended as Atlas falls from the sky towards them, joined by Faye, Kara, Lop, Ahsoka, Serra, Zett, Plo, Kit, Aayla, Rahm and Grogu. While the others, including the Fox stand behind them and watch in awe before the screen turns dark)
Even if the light is fading. Just Go!
Disclaimers are the same as before, please enjoy.
Chapter 126: Tower Defense
Schnee Manor
Atlas
The members of Team RWBY clung to the wall close to the manor's doors. They waited for more than a half hour before the last of the White Fang soldiers who were searching the manor for Weiss's brother and mother left, ransacking more of her home, not that she cared considering it felt more like a prison due to her fathers constant need to control her life. "Alright, let's move." Weiss said as she lead her teammates to the manor door, and entered the building.
Paintings were ripped to shreds or otherwise removed from the building, marble busts, statues and vases were shattered, furniture was thrown around and smashed, and written on the wall presumably in blood, were the words 'Death to the Schnee's'. The sight of her home in such a state made Weiss's heart sink, but regardless she kept her resolve and guided her teammates into her father's office, which was even more of a wreck than anywhere else in the manor. "So, what are we doing in your father's office, Weiss? I thought you sent everything about your old man's crimes against the people?" Yang asked.
"We're looking, for my brother and mother." Weiss answered, pulling open the drawers of her father's desk. "Knowing my father, he'll have a hidden panic room underneath the manor that not even my mother or the staff knew about. Serra, she discovered it shortly before Arthur, Hevy, Hardcase and I left for Mistral and it confirmed my suspicions. My father had that room built secretly so that in the event that someone attacked our home, he would be safe while everyone else would die."
"Just when I thought your father couldn't sink any lower, we learn about this." Blake sneered with disgust, just as Weiss found the switch that opened the door to said room. "Did you…"
"That wasn't me." Weiss answered, drawing her blaster pistol and was about to pull the trigger until Ruby pushed her weapon down and stepping out of the panic room, was Whitley. "Whitley!?" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Sister. It's you." Whitley said in relief, pulling his sister into an embrace. "I was worried. Please, get inside, before they come back." Whitley instructed. The members of Team RWBY did so, but not before hiding the switch to the panic room again, so to keep anyone searching for the other Schnee's from finding them.
Once the door closed, Whitley guided them down the stairs. "Things are already bad enough after what father did, but now we're considered criminals and hiding in our own home." Whitley groaned.
"That's what your worried about?" Blake said with annoyance.
"You misunderstand me. I'm more worried about Winter, mother, Weiss, and myself." Whitley answered. "I'm not worried about the reputation that father created for us because of his actions. You might find this hard to believe, but while mother and I were hiding down here, I've been able to tap into the communications system of the tower, without our foes knowing it. I planned on letting the military learn of our location, so they could rescue us once Atlas and Mantle were retaken, but I believe I might have another idea." Whitley told the girls as he guided them to the common area of the panic room, where Weiss's mother was resting. "We may have lost the house staff, but Klein was able to return and has been tending to mother. He's trying to cure her of her addiction to alcohol."
"And I'm doing my bloody best." Klein said, but then noticed Weiss. "My happy little snowflake." He said, this time in a happier tone, rushing towards Weiss and embracing her like a daughter. "I was worried about you."
"I'm glad you're ok, Klein. I'm sorry that you lost your job." Weiss said, feeling ashamed of herself.
"Pa, fiddlesticks. I was getting bored of working for that bastard you call a father. I could careless about working in Atlas, so I took to Mantle and have been working as a doctor. I have a PhD in medical care, you know." He answered. "Your brother called me around the time of that whole runaway train ordeal, and I arrived shortly before the war started and have been helping your mother."
"I figured that with father arrested, mother would be able to quit drinking, but she's become addicted to it. Klein has been doing all he can to help her break her addiction." Whitley explained, stepping into another room where he removed his old clothing and came out a few seconds later. A bomber style jacket covered his black shirt, while a pair of black pants and boots replaced his old pants and shoes. "I normally wear this when I venture into Mantle, without father knowing, but considering the situation, I can't cling to the life I once had." He spoke.
"Why do I feel like that Serra helped you pick that outfit out?" Weiss remarked aloud.
"Well, thanks for letting us in." Ruby said. "But we need to get access to the communications system. The world… no the galaxy needs to know about our situation and we need all the help we can get to stop Salem from getting the relic."
"That, I can certainly do." Whitley said with a smile and guided them to the communications room while Klein continued to tend to their mother.
Monstra
"They're hurting you. You can hurt them. You have the power to destroy them. Use it and let me kill them." Cinder's voice echoed through Kara's mind. Once again, Kara was brought to the massive airborne whale Grimm for 'training' as Salem called it, but she knew what the true purpose was. Salem was trying to bring back the 'real Fall Maiden' as Cinder liked to call herself and it became clear to her that Salem wanted her back.
Her body pulsated with pain, not just from the interrogation, but from the torture Salem had inflicted on her, using the force in an effort to break her mind and will, all so Cinder could return to the world of the living. But Kara, was stronger than Salem had thought. Her training with Faye had helped strengthen her mind, to resist the temptation of the dark side, but the pain was becoming too much for her to bear.
As expected, Cinder's disembodied spirit was starting to gain a foothold in Kara's mind, slowly creeping into her mind and body, forcing Kara to engage in a mental battle with herself and Cinder's spirit that severely left Kara drained, mentally.
"I… won't… ever… let you… take control…" Kara panted.
"You mustn't let her take control. The powers of the maiden are meant to be spread to the people of Remnant. Not to be used for one's selfish gains." The disembodied voice of Amber Autumn, Ray Autumn's older sister and the true fall maiden, reminded the young Jedi. "No one should crave power just so they can become powerful. Power should be used to help those who have none, not for one's own gains. You are a maiden and a Jedi; your power should help the people." Amber added.
Kara knew she was right, but if she didn't find a way to get herself, Oscar, Hazel and the lamp away from Salem, she might end up wearing the armor and clothing she saw in her dream.
ISD Chimera
At the same time, Thrawn was looking over the data that was sent to him by their carefully placed spy within the enemy ranks. Though Ironwood was able to erase the data regarding the vault, the data regarding the communications tower had been transmitted and brought to Thrawn's attention. "It appears that our enemies intend to spread a message to their allies across the planet and beyond the stars." He mused, finding the concept of turning an arena built for competition into a new communication system, designed to be out of reach from the likes of Salem intriguing. "Unfortunately, they have yet to discover our spy." He then pressed a button on his console and brought up a display of Amity Coliseum, which had been moved to Rosamond and reinforced.
The rebellion, Atlesian and Vale armies had established a large defensive network. A powerful railway ion cannon had been built to target the larger imperial capital ships. Dozens of anti-infantry blaster's, light anti-vehicle blaster turrets, missile crawlers, tanks, and speeders along with fighter squadrons were guarding the tower, while a series of trenches were dug into the snow and ground. A formidable defense, in terms of this planet.
Probing attacks were launched by Salem's forces, costing her many droids, death bots and Grimm, but the results were worth the sacrifices. Tensions between the Atlesian forces and their allies were rising, causing more Grimm to converge on the tower, which kept the enemy on the verge of exhaustion. "A desperate enemy will make mistakes and the tensions between those who lived in luxury and those who were scrapping by in the lower city have risen. Salem knows much about deception." He mused, getting up from his seat and headed to the hanger, where he boarded a shuttle that took him to the executor.
Guided to Vader's chambers, Thrawn waited outside before he was granted entry by Vader. "Lord Vader, I have discovered why the rebels have made few advances towards the capital." Thrawn said to the dark lord, who turned around in his meditation chamber.
"What have you discovered, Grand Admiral." Vader inquired.
Thrawn was about to speak but was rudely interrupted by an enraged Adam Taraus. "Vader! Why haven't you're forces found her yet!?" Adam demanded.
"Are you inquiring about Blake Belladonna and her teammates, Adam?" Thrawn inquired.
"You know exactly who I am referring to! My followers told me that they spotted someone matching Blake's description with three humans making their way through Mantle and up to Atlas! Blake is in the city and that means the Schnee girl is with her! They will both pay for their crimes against the Faunus! We need to find them and…" Adam said in a rage, only to find his hand reaching for his throat, desperately gasping for air.
"You are in no position to make demands of me." Vader stated, his hand raised as Adam was lifted off the ground. "Your petty quest for revenge is not my concern. Perhaps you might believe that killing these two will bring you victory, but it will bring you nothing but despair and death." Vader continued, before finally letting Adam go. "You may continue Grand Admiral."
"Thank you, Lord Vader." Thrawn said, clearing his throat. "Our spies within the enemy ranks have confirmed that the late General Ironwood was constructing a new communications tower, using the Amity Coliseum. The goal was to send the tower high into the air, where Salem couldn't reach it, in an attempt to restore global communications and unite the world, once the general told the rest of the world about Salem."
"That explains why Ironwood had called back all his forces from the other kingdoms." Adam muttered under his breath.
"Whether the tower is complete or still under construction right now is uncertain, but what is certain as that if the tower is constructed, the remainder of the Atlas forces that are scattered across Remnant will converge on the transmission and bolster their numbers." Thrawn continued. "While many like Admiral Ozzel believe that the Aigiaon and the Executor will spread fear into our enemies, they do not understand that by uniting, the people of Remnant will be able to defeat Salem and reclaim what was lost when we attacked."
"What do you propose, Admiral?" Vader asked.
"If I may, I recommend launching an assault on the tower itself, not the enemy base. Our spy has sabotaged the early warning systems of the base, but it would be prudent to land beyond their detection, so as to maintain the element of surprise." Thrawn suggested. "General Veers and his men are more than capable of fighting in this terrain and are the logical choices to put in command of the operation."
"You have made your case, Admiral." Vader said, as said general walked into the chambers.
"Yes, Lord Vader." Veers said with a bow.
"General, prepare your troops. You are to destroy the enemy's communication tower before they can complete its construction. Have your troops land beyond the range of the enemies' sensors and decimate anyone that stands in your way." Vader instructed.
"As you wish my lord. However, if I may speak freely." Veers said.
"You may speak, Admiral." Vader allowed.
"I believe that the weapons used by the Garuda Team known as the Star Adder and Blood Asp may be present during the battle. I believe these weapons may be of use to the empire and would like to suggest the use of a probe droid, if we can scan the systems of these 'mechs' we might be able to build improved versions of them and use them against the rebels." Veers suggested.
"You speak the truth, General. However, I believe that Lord Vader would want those weapons destroyed." Thrawn speculated. "But, if it is possible, we will pursue that option, but our objective remains, destroy the tower."
"You may do as you wish, General. But the tower remains your objective, do not focus on these machines of war." Vader told the General.
"Thank you, my lord." Veers said, bowing to his superior and left to prepare his men. "Grand Admiral, I'd like to discuss something with you." He told Thrawn, who followed after the general, leaving Adam alone with Vader for a few moments, before the leader of the White Fang left the chambers.
Rosamond Command Center
Two days later
"I've got to say, that Trigger is something else." Diego said to Winter, both of whom were on the runway preparing to board a Bullhead that would take them to the tower. "Defying orders like that to eliminate an enemy fleet, and a secret factory that we didn't know about. It almost makes wonder what would have happened if I had been the one to pilot that plane and attacked them."
"I thought you were the type of person who hates conflict?" Winter questioned.
"Oh, believe me. I hate conflict but given current situation I'd probably have to join up and do my part." Diego chuckled. "But I'm better suited at working with the VR 8001 instead of machines for combat." His tone then changed to a serious one. "Anything from your sister and her teammates?"
"They made contact two days ago. My little brother and mother are alive, hidden in my father's secret panic room, but I'm still worried for all of them. It won't take the enemy long to find them and if Salem gets her hands on Ruby, then we'll have lost our advantage." Winter admitted. "But I know my sister. She's strong enough to take care of herself, but that doesn't mean I'm worried about them."
"Your sisters strong, she'll be fine, especially with her teammates by her side." Serra said, with Cody, Waxer and Boil by her side. "Even when she was 'grounded' by your father, she still maintained her strong will and desire to become a huntress. I've seen many Jedi during the old days much like her and while I don't know if any of them survived, but I do know is that they would see a lot of themselves in your sister if they were to meet today."
"I agree with the Commander. Weiss is a tough girl, she'll be alright." Cody agreed.
Winter smiled as the six of them boarded a nearby Bullhead and headed for the tower.
Amity Communications Tower
Hidden behind a powerful stealth generator that gave the impression to the naked eye that there was nothing but barren land, technicians, Altesian, Rebellion, Clone and Vale worked to put the finishing touches on the new communications tower with Pietro overlooking the entire plan. "We have enough systems up and running to broadcast our message and keep Amity in atmospheric orbit. But our original thrusters just weren't capable of reaching our target altitude on their own. But, thanks to our friends in the rebellion, we have fixed that problem." Pietro told the A.I. version of Ray's sister. "Once we pass into broadcast range, we'll activate the stabilizers, re-establish global communications, and boost the message we've recorded out into the rest of the world, and the galaxy. But that will only succeed if the enemy doesn't discover our plan."
"I estimate a ninety-eight-point five percent that the Empire and Salem have already discovered our plan for the tower. They will not want a united force to stand against them. I strongly recommend that you return to Rosamond and board the next refugee train leaving the continent." Amber advised.
"But what if no one is able to come and help us? Even if we weren't responsible for what happened in Vale, the rest of the world holds Atlas in contempt. We have all this advanced technology, yet we've barely given it to the rest of the world and have the most powerful military because of it. The people will think that Atlas can handle the situation on its own and that this is all a lie." Penny pointed out.
"Yeah, that's the attitude of a lot of people in the other kingdoms." March said, walking up to the two of them with his hands covered in grease and grit. "You guys are pretty stingy when it comes to handing out presents to the rest of the world. It's kind of the reason that Vale and Mistral use old school naval vessels, which they have modified over the years just to keep up with Atlas. Same thing goes for aircraft."
"But this is different." His sister added, landing on the ground with her jetpack. "Unlike with Beskar, which belongs to the Mandalorian people, this technology Atlas has developed over the years, could have been given out to the rest of the world and maybe, maybe things could have been different."
"They got a point." Ahsoka said, her arms crossed. "I can't tell if it's either greed or fear that the White Fang would get their hands on their technology, but Penny's concerns are warranted. But we must have hope that people will come to our aid. If not from Remnant, then from the Rebellion and it's allies."
"That maybe true." Pietro said with a sigh. "But I'm sure that many people will find it hard to believe that a single person has control over the Grimm and is immortal. They might find it to be a losing battle and may not even send us aid."
Lop, who was nearby with her sister was about to say something when Ocho's scroll buzzed. Quickly, she answered her device and the moment she heard the call, she tapped her earpiece and broadcasted a message to all forces. "All personnel are to prepare for immediate combat. Another wave of Grimm is heading towards our location!" she shouted. "How much longer do you need to get the tower online?"
"Not long, but I have a feeling that this attack is not a random one." Pietro answered.
"Rex. We've got Grimm incoming! Do you see anything else heading our way?" Ahsoka said into her commlink.
"Sensors aren't picking up anything else, commander. The regular boys are already opening up on the horde now, but it's smaller than the previous ones. We've got another problem; our sensors are down. Looks like they've been infected with a virus. We're trying to isolate the virus, but I think we can expect more company on the way." The clone captain reported.
"Start running all the anti-virus programs and isolate that virus! Scan everything! It might have spread to other systems!" Ahsoka ordered. "Get those sensors back online! If the horde of Grimm is that small, then it means we've got more company on the way! Get the men ready for combat!"
As she lowered her commlink, Winter, who had just arrived with her group had a concerned look. "How did Salem learn of the tower? Ironwood deleted all the data from the academy servers before he died. No one could have recovered the deleted data as fast as they did."
"I might not know a whole lot about these systems, but maybe someone might have been able to recover the systems?" Diego suggested.
"Either that, or someone in our own forces is spying for Salem and the Empire." Serra theorized.
"Doesn't matter how they found out, they found out. We can't let them destroy the tower. If I'm right, they'll be sending in the big guns." Cody theorized, turning to the two troopers by his side. "Get Galen on the horn, his team too and contact team JNPR. They're on a recon out in the tundra and should be close by. See if they can get eyes on the enemy force."
"Yes sir." Waxer and Boil replied at the same time.
"I'll go see if I can get some help from the base." Diego said, running back to the Bullhead. In truth, Winter knew exactly what kind of help he was bringing, but didn't say anything, not that she could before weapons fire echoed from nearby.
Trench line
"Let them have it!" An Atlas soldier shouted as he peered through his binoculars and called out targets for the soldier operating the heavy machine gun in the trench. The entire trench line erupted with light as the machine guns roared to life, sending a lethal stream of dust infused bullets that ripped the attacking Grimm to shreds. The horde of Grimm was mostly comprised of the bipedal ones that carried no weapons and Beowolves, all of which were charging towards the trenches with drool dripping from their mouths, but they were cut down by the gunfire. "Oh yeah, that's showing those bastards! Let's show 'em the might of the Atlas military! All artillery, open fire!" the soldier shouted into his scroll.
Missile crawlers rolled forwards behind the first trench, followed by the Rhino, Mauler and Timberwolves and opened up with their cannons and missiles, blowing the horde of Grimm to pieces just as Rex, Cody, Ahsoka, Serra, and Winter arrived. "Hold your fire! Stop wasting your ammunition!" the specialist ordered.
"Why? We're kicking their asses!" the soldier protested.
"You're falling for a trap! Do you see any armor or big guns? This is just a probing attack!" Rex explained. "They're getting you to waste all the ammo for the heavy weapons, so you won't have anything to use when the main force arrives!"
"Like you know what you're talking about, you damn…" the soldier began to counter before the ground suddenly shook violently. "An earthquake?" they questioned.
Rex knew it wasn't an earthquake and lowered the range finder on his helmet, scanning the tundra for contacts. Snow and dirt from the recent barrage obscured his view, but the moment it cleared up, he saw a massive, armored leg crash down onto the snow. Its source was a massive, armored AT-AT, leading a formation of about twenty-five more walkers, several dozen AT-ST's, imperial turbo tanks, mobile artillery and anti-aircraft platforms, followed by Blast Bots, death bot transports, tanks and fighters.
As a swarm of TIE fighters and bombers roared behind the massive, armored column, Rex brought his commlink up to his helmet and called for backup. "Rex to command! We've got imperial walkers and death bots heading for the tower! They've found us! We need reinforcements. Get our boys in the air! Dispatch Rogue Squadron!" he shouted.
(Start Battle of Hoth)
The moment Rex ended his transmission, the approaching fighters opened up with their cannons, strafing the trenches while bombers dropped their payloads on enemy positions. Several weapons emplacements and the soldiers manning them were killed as frantic soldiers, hurried to fire their weapons at the airborne hostiles. Their aim was poor, as they were freshly trained soldiers that had no combat experience at all.
These soldiers were supposed to be getting additional training from clone and rebel officers, but were redeployed to guard the communications tower, despite the objections of many soldiers, including Clover.
One of these soldiers was panicking in the trench, his ears ringing from the explosions. They had only joined the military to provide for their family, who were living in Mantle and help ease the stress of their lives, due to the neglect of the council and the Atlas population. His squad was killed by one of the bombs, but he was the only one to survive. As explosions continued to echo around them, they were pulled to their feet, by none other than the first imperial defector that arrived on Remnant, Jesdan Cornver, who brought up the rocket launcher he was holding, took aim and launched a rocket. The projectile slammed into a TIE Fighter, which went spiraling down to the ground in a ball of flames and twisted metal. "Get up soldier! Fight!" Jesdan shouted to the soldier, who broke out of his panic, grabbed their fallen rifle and joined the battle.
As a squad of soldiers ran through the trenches, dozens of T-47 Snow Speeders, F-5's, F-16's, S34's, A10's and other close-air support aircraft arrived on the scene. "Rogue Leader to ground units, we're on route." Luke said over the commlink as the speeders of Rogue Squadron flew overhead, through the barrage of enemy fire and moved to engage the enemy.
Death Bot aerial units dived in one of the trenches, firing their cannons at the exposed soldiers. "Alright boys, cover the soldiers in the trenches. Don't stray to far from the tower, you can't take those walkers on your own." Luke advised his squadron, who broke off into small groups and engaged the enemy flyers. One Death Bot fighter flew past him, making an attack run against one of the friendly artillery units, that was undergoing maintenance after it was discovered that it was sabotaged. Luke caught up with the flyer and pulled the trigger, turning the attacking unit into flaming and twisted metal.
The artillery that wasn't sabotaged opened up on the enemy assault, raining deadly fire down onto them, but their numbers were few and ammunition was low, due to the cockiness of the Atlas soldiers, and the supplies that were requested had yet to arrive. Their saving grace was the railway ion cannon, which fired volley after volley of ion blasts at the incoming wave, targeting the imperial escort carriers and escort frigates that were providing anti-air support. One frigate suffered critical power loss and fell to the ground, exploding behind the mountains in a ball of fire.
Though the walkers hadn't reached firing range, snow troopers and death bots had already cleared the first two trenches, and we're moving onto the next trench. A wounded soldier of the Atlas army crawled through the snow, but stopped when he looked to see that a Death Bot was standing right in front of him, the last thing they ever saw before they were killed by the Death Bot's twin blasters.
The machine was then pelted by a barrage of blaster fire from Rex's twin pistols, as he Fireball, Nemec, Greer, Samson, Nova, and Wyler, accompanied by their commanding officer, Wilco laid down covering fire, allowing several of their brothers to move in and dragged as many wounded soldiers as they could back to the safety of the rear trenches. "Suppressing fire!" Rex shouted, ordering two heavy weapons soldiers of the Vale army behind them to open up with their machine guns, unleashing a deadly stream of fire at the Death Bots that turned them into scrap metal while the Snow Troopers took cover in the captured trenches.
Dragging a wounded soldier back to the trench, a blast knocked Nemec to the ground, while the soldier he was trying to save was killed. A Death Bot took its bipedal form and prepared to fire at the trooper, but a whip then wrapped around it's left arm, forcing the shot to miss as a Boarbatusk made of ice slammed into the machine, courtesy of Winter and the Fox. "Get these soldiers back to the trenches!" Winter ordered, swinging her swords at another machine, her eyes emitting blue flames from around them.
A flight of S34's screamed as they came in for an attack run ahead of the captured trenches, but the imperial anti-aircraft walkers were quick to turn their attention to them and unleashed their concussion missiles, destroying the entire flight of fighter-bombers in one blow. "Rogue Leader to all Rattler pilots, get below their radar's and hit them. Your cannons should do more damage to them. All other pilots, target the scout walkers and fighters!" Luke ordered.
"Copy that, Commander Skywalker!" One of the F16 pilots acknowledged, breaking off with their squadron to focus on a group of bombers going after the rail gun. Luke flew over the trenches, firing his speeders laser cannons at one scout walker, pulling up just moments before it exploded.
"Rex, what's the status on the ground?" Luke asked.
"Not good. We're being pushed back. Tower is not even operational yet. The doc needs more time!" the clone captain shouted over the commlink, as Luke pulled up from another attack run on a scout walker. "Good news though, Team JNPR was able to get back to base and notify command. So reinforcements should be on their way."
"Copy that." Luke replied, leveling his speeder out, just as fire from the AT-ATs bracketed his craft. "Rogue Squadron, we're taking out those walkers! Use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs, that's the only chance of stopping them!" he instructed his squadron. "Biggs, Wedge, on me. We're going after that first walker."
"Right with you, boss." Wedge replied, forming up on Luke's wing, as did Biggs as they sped towards the walkers. Heavy laser fire bracketed their speeders as they got closer and closer to the heavy walkers. Weaving in and out between the fire, the three snow speeders broke off and each targeted a walker.
"Dak, get ready to fire that tow cable!" Luke called out to his gunner as their speeder flew underneath the massive walker's legs. Dak took a shot and the harpoon latched onto the walker's leg. Increasing the power of his speeders engines to the maximum, Luke made several passes around the legs of the walker before Dak detached the cable and he sped away.
Its legs tied up, the massive war machine tripped over 'face first' and crashed into the snow, exposing its neck to the rebel pilots who finished off the walker with their cannons, but more walkers continued approach the communications tower, forcing the defenders back little by little.
Rocket fire from F5's and F16's strafed the incoming enemy units, but their weapons were ineffective against the heavy armor of the imperial walkers. Even with the support of artillery fire, the defenders were continuing to lose ground and casualties were mounting, as were negative emotions, which were drawing in the Grimm. "There's just no end to them!" Samson shouted, firing back with his rifle as best as he could.
"Watch your left!" Nemec shouted, only to take a blaster bolt to the head.
"Nemec's down!" Fireball called out before he himself was killed by blaster fire.
A concussion grenade from an AT-ST exploded, killing several more clones, one of whom dropped a primed thermal detonator which exploded, killing a few rebel soldiers. Those that weren't killed cried out in pain from their wounds, which unfortunately drew the Grimm towards them and ended their lives.
A pair of Beowolves snarled as they leapt into the trench, going after the wounded soldiers, but they were met with resistance from Lop, Ocho, Faye and Serra who had their sabers ignited. The Grimm pounced, but Serra threw one of her green blades at the Grimm, impaling it through the chest while using the Force to the second Grimm flying out of the trench. A Sabyr snarled as it charged towards Faye, but she held her ground and waited, then swung her lightsaber upward, slicing the creature vertically in half.
Lop leapt over the trench, her saber held tightly in her hands as she swung it, cutting down several Grimm with her green blade. One Grimm was able to get the drop on her but was impaled by her sister's twin swords. Smirking at each other, the two turned their attention back to the onslaught that continued on its way towards them. "All Tanks! Flank those walkers and target their necks! Don't charge headfirst into battle! Missile Crawlers, prioritize anti-air defenses. All artillery, target those blast bots and scout walkers!" Ocho shouted into her headset, taking command of the situation as the original commander of the defense forces was already killed.
With new orders given, the remaining defenders organized their ranks and followed Ocho's orders. Cody, Waxer and Boil, each of them holding a rocket launcher in their hands took aim at a Blast Bot and fired. Their three rockets totaled the machine, but the weapons from the heavy walkers continued to decimate their positions, spreading panic throughout the ranks, something the clone marshal knew from experience. "Get those armored units to fall back and protect the railgun! We can't afford to lose that piece of artillery! Everyone else fall back to the tower! Get inside!" he ordered.
"What about the walkers?" Lop asked, redirecting blaster fire back at their enemies.
"You forget what's also protecting the tower? They won't be able to break through it with all that firepower they brought with them." Cody told the girl, who mentally smacked herself on the head after forgetting about that piece of tech. "Commander Skywalker, get your men to fall back! You've only got one tow cable each! Get some bombers! We'll hold out as long as we can!" the commander then shouted into his commlink.
Luke wanted to protest, but he knew that Cody was right and immediately ordered the rest of Rogue Squadron to return to base to get some Y-Wings. As the Snow Speeders turned back to Rosamond, the incoming walkers opened up on them, shooting down a few while damaging some of them.
The advancing walkers and their support continued to move forward, unabated by the fire from the remaining defensive installations that put up an effort to defend their allies but were no match for the walkers' heavy armor. Blaster fire cut down the retreating soldiers, but those that were able to survive were able to make it to the tower entrance for vehicles and supplies, which was then closed as the walkers crossed the last trench.
Pulling down his periscope, Veer's targeted the doors and contacted the other walkers. "Target! Maximum firepower!" he ordered. All of the walkers opened up with their heavy cannons, but their shots were unable to blow open the doors as a hard-light dust shield surrounded the door and the tower itself. "Trooper, what's your assessment of the enemies shield?"
(End song)
"Permission to speak freely sir?" the trooper asked.
"Granted." Veers answered.
"For primitive technology, that shield is stronger than anything I've ever seen. I don't think we can break through it with the firepower we have. Orbital bombardment is out of the question and bombing won't do much." The trooper answered honestly.
"I concur." Veers agreed. Though he believed his walkers embodied both his personality and that of the Empire, he knew that all the firepower of the Imperial army wouldn't be enough to break through the shield. His commlink beeped, so he reached for it and answered the communication. "Yes?"
"Sir, we've discovered a series of tunnels connect the trenches to the inside of the enemy facility. They go right under the shield." A trooper reported.
"Have our men enter the facility through those tunnels. The inquisitor has reported that she and her Storm Commando unit have already infiltrated the enemy's position." Veers ordered. "Bring us about and target the enemies mobile cannon." he instructed the pilot of the walker.
Inside the tower, the defenders laid down mines, placed tripwires and set up auto-turrets as countermeasures in the event that the empire and their robotic allies managed to get past the shield. Which, unsurprisingly the Atlas soldiers believed would not happen, much to the annoyance of those from other kingdoms, the rebellion and clone army, especially the Clone Commando known Hilo who had seen many soldiers with overconfidence get themselves killed. "Keep those weapons at the ready boys and girls! That shield won't last forever and when it falls, we'll have plenty of fight on our hands."
"No one can get through a hard light shield!" a soldier said.
"Sarge is right. Hard Light shields are the toughest shields in Remnant. It will take them forever to get through this." Another boasted.
"Just goes to show you that we can handle this on our own. Atlas can win this all on our own." A third gloated.
"That's a good way to get yourselves killed." Arthur said as he, his sister and cousin walked towards the Commando and the soldiers. "Overconfidence leads to bad habits and results in death. Perhaps you might think you're invincible, but one must always expect the unexpected." The knight continued.
"Says the filthy…" the Sergeant began before they were decked across the face by Mordred.
"Say that again and you'll get another punch, this one harder that the last one!" she spat.
"Knock it off!" Serra shouted, making her presence known. "Fighting amongst ourselves is what Salem wants. We need to focus."
That prevented any further arguments, but unknown to them, the enemy was making its way into the tower, using the tunnel network that was neglected by the Atlesian soldiers. Said network was constructed as a way to bring weapons and munitions to the trenches, but now it was being used by the enemy to bypass the defenses that were placed by the defenders.
Further inside the tower, Pietro was finishing the last few details on the tower, as Waxer, Boil, March, Alice, Penny, and Ahsoka stood guard. "How's it going, dad?" Penny asked.
"I've repaired the damaged conductors and rerouted the central power conduits. The tower is ready for its broadcast." Pietro said from the control room. "Unfortunately, it will take some time to power up the tower's boosters."
"We don't have time, doctor." Ahsoka said. "The enemy's already inside."
"Are you certain?" Penny inquired.
Ahsoka didn't need to answer as an explosion echoed through out the interior. Marche's rabbit ears heard the distance sound of armored footsteps heading their way, just as another explosion echoed around them. "We got baddies heading our way. Can't tell how many, but I have to say a lot of them." the faunus boy answered.
"Looks like they found a few ways inside." Waxer said, tightening the grip on his carbine.
"Anyone want to guess that they found something we didn't know about?" Boil inquired.
No one answered the clone's question as a pair of heels clattered from one of the entrances into the modified arena. Waxer, Boil, March and Alice raised their weapons, but Ahsoka held out her arm, forcing them to lower their weapons as Barriss Offee stepped into the light. "I had a feeling you'd show up again, Barriss." Ahsoka said with a slight snarl in her voice.
"Ahsoka." Barriss said as she came to a stop, along with her unit of Storm Commandos. "I was wondering when we would have another chance to fight one another." She then turned to the commandos. "Deal with the others, this Jedi is mine."
The Commando leader nodded and ordered the other commandos to attack Penny and the others, leaving Barriss and Ahsoka staring down at each other. "It seems that you are still acting like you were all those years ago, during the war. And here I thought you'd changed after our last duel." Barriss said.
"And I see that you've fully embraced the dark side after what you did." Ahsoka retorted. "I thought you were my friend, but it seems that I was wrong. You just saw me as another Jedi who found themselves lost in the war, all because I fought in it, alongside my master."
"You're just like all the other Jedi who fought in the war. You enjoyed the violence, abandoned the rest of the galaxy and our duty to the republic. They allowed themselves to be caught up in the war and forget what the Jedi were meant to stand for and because of that, they became drunk on power and tried to overthrow the Republic and the senate. Those like me who saw this knew the truth and those who failed to realize it deserved to die." Barriss ranted.
(Legendary starts)
"You actually believe that?! They deserved to die!? Even your master, Luminara? There's no way you believe that!" Ahsoka shouted, while behind her blaster fire and the sounds of lightsabers echoed around. "What happened to the Barriss I knew during the war? The one who begged me to kill her when she was infected with one of those brain worms, the one I refused to kill! The one I called my friend!"
"That Barriss is dead. She was weak, naïve and a fool to think that the Jedi stood for the people of the Republic. I destroyed her." Barriss snarled, igniting her lightsaber.
"Then I will avenge her." Ahsoka responded, igniting her own lightsabers.
"You are just like your master. Always thinking with your lightsabers." Barriss scoffed, extending her arms outward and sent a surge of lighting towards Ahsoka who raised her lightsabers, blocking the lighting strike, but the attack was a ruse as Barriss leapt in with her lightsaber intending to run her through.
Ahsoka leapt overhead, landing behind Barriss and swung her dual blades, but Barriss countered with her own saber, locking their blades together for a few seconds before Barriss used the force and grabbed several empty crates, flinging them towards both her and Ahsoka, but she leapt back while Ahsoka sliced through each of the empty crates.
Barriss then charged in with a downward strike, but Ahsoka leapt back, into the stands. "So, all this time hiding has made you a coward, hasn't it, Ahsoka? Lord Vader would be disappointed if he could see you now." Barriss taunted.
"Talk all you like, but I don't care what you say to me." Ahsoka retorted, rolling aside as Barriss leapt towards her, her lightsaber slicing a seat in two. "I'm not the same padawan I was all those years ago."
Barriss scoffed and swung her lightsaber at Ahsoka in rapid session, but Ahsoka kept on ducking and dodging each attack until one of Barriss's attacks struck her shoulder. Barriss smirked, but her smirk was short lived as she realized what was struck. "That's beskar! The armor of Mandalorian warriors! How do you have it?" Barriss roared.
"When your lover is a Mandalorian warrior and ace pilot, you'd be surprised what you can get your hands on." Ahsoka smirked back, and swung her blades at Barriss, putting her on the defensive. Barriss raised her saber and blocked each of Ahsoka's attacks, but with two sabers in her hands, Ahsoka had the advantage. "Every Jedi that you knew, even the ones you killed when you bombed the temple, they would be disappointed in you, especially your former master."
"Be silent, traitor!" Barriss growled, channeling the dark side of the force into her attacks, knocking Ahsoka's green saber from her hands and to the arena floor. "I have more power than you could ever imagine! The tower will fall, and you will be defeated!"
Ahsoka leapt backwards, putting some distance between herself and former friend. "I will not allow that to happen." Ahsoka said, shutting down her lightsaber and just stood still before going to her knees. Barriss charged towards Ahsoka, ready to bring her saber down on her old friend, but her caught her attack, deactivated her lightsaber and then shoved her back with the force. "Siding with Salem is a mistake; she'll betray you the moment you give her what she wants."
Barriss snarled, leaping back to her feet reached out and grabbed Ahsoka, sending her flying backwards, then slammed her into the ground, knocking her saber out of her hand. "I don't need a lightsaber to kill you." Barriss growled, decking Ahsoka across the face the moment her old friend got back to her feet.
"The old you would never do anything like this." Ahsoka said, surprised at Barriss's new tactics, then cracked her neck and readied herself for a brawl. "Then again, times have changed." She raised her arms as Barriss came in with a flying kick, which Ahsoka blocked with bracers. A punch to Barriss's chest followed suit, followed by an uppercut and sweeping kick from Ahsoka. "But compared to others, you're not as skilled as them. You still have a lot to learn."
The anger in Barriss grew as she roared and summoned the dark side of the force, launching Ahsoka back, but her opponent was able to recall her lightsabers back to her, ignited them and stabbed them into the ground, bringing her into a skid. "Looks like all that training in the dark side hasn't given you the skills you thought it would." She taunted.
"You know nothing." Barriss snarled, raising her hand and recalled her lightsaber towards her, igniting its red blade as it spun towards her and Ahsoka, the latter of whom leapt into the air and avoided losing her legs while she got back to her feet. "Capturing you will please Lord Vader."
"You can tell you master he'll have to wait." Ahsoka retorted, glancing as the last of the Storm Commando's fell to the ground. The tower itself then began to shake as Ahsoka charged at Barriss, attacking with downward slash, but Barriss blocked the attack as an explosion echoed from outside. "Sounds like backup has arrived. Surrender and you'll be treated with mercy."
Barriss snarled, then used the force to propel herself up into the air and back down to the arena floor, then ran to the exit. "We'll settle this another time, Ahsoka." Barriss shouted.
(End song)
Back outside of the tower, the attacking Imperial forces and Death Bots were taking a beating from the combined firepower of Rebel and Clone air power and armored units with the Blood Asp and Star Adder fired all their weapons at one of the AT-AT's exposed neck, blowing it to smithereens as jet and star fighters arrived on scene and engaged the enemy fighters, led by Luke in his X-Wing.
A gunship opened its doors, allowing several Jet Troopers to rocket out and onto one of the other AT-ATs, where the Fox had his lightsaber ignited and cut a hole into it's cockpit, allowing the troopers and the vigilante to take control of the massive war machine, turning it's weapons on the imperials and death bots.
Veers scowled from his own walker, the thought that one of his walkers was taken over by the enemy. "Grand Admiral, we are taking losses. We won't be able to destroy the tower." He reported to Thrawn.
"Gather your remaining men and commence retreat, General. Our spy was able to acquire the plans for the two mechs and that is a victory on its own. Let the rebels believe that they have pushed us back. Their overconfidence will be their undoing." Thrawn instructed the general, who then ordered one of his men to fire a flare from the walkers cannons, issuing the retreat.
"Hold your fire!" Clover shouted as the enemy started to retreat. As the massive machines led the retreat, he looked at the battlefield. So many soldiers, from Atlas, Vale, the rebellion and clone army had died during this battle, a battle that never should have happened. The location of the tower was supposed to be kept a secret and Ironwood had deleted all the data before his death. Yet somehow, they learned of the tower.
What's more, when Team JNPR arrived at the base, informing them about the attack, Clemens and Monasterio immediately dismissed the claims that the tower was under attack and wouldn't send any reinforcements. It was only after Luke and the surviving pilots returned that the two reluctantly authorized the deployment of reinforcements. Something in the back of Clovers mind was telling him that the two of them couldn't be trusted and they weren't who they claimed to be. A rumble from behind him broke his thoughts as the completed tower was launched into the sky. That was enough to brighten Clover's spirit.
As the tower reached the required altitude, a pre-recorded message of Ruby played. "My name is Ruby Rose. I'm a huntress and I'm talking to all of Remnant. I could explain as to how I am speaking to all of you but I don't have time. What you need to know is that the Kingdom of Atlas is under attack. Things are desperate and we need help. Please try not to panic. This isn't some new enemy or invading kingdom. This is a force we've before, for centuries… Salem."
Mistral Central Station
Mistral
Passengers waiting to board their trains fixed their gazes on the screens. "The White Fang, the Death Bots, the 'Atlesian drones' even the Grimm themselves have all been controlled and manipulated by her, in order to tear down the Huntsman Academies." Ruby continued.
Vacuo
Even a pair of certain students were watching the broadcast, looking at each other with surprise.
Menagerie
Ilia sat on a roof, watching the message on her scroll as Ghira called her. "I know the idea of the Maidens and Relics seems… well… crazy, but I promise all of you that Professor Goodwitch of Beacon and Headmaster Theodore of Shade can verify all of this. They will be able to help organize a way to fight back, but sadly, our fight is not just with Salem." Ruby continued.
Monstra
Kara sat in a meditative position as she listened to the message from one of the guards ensuring that she wouldn't escape her cell. The same was said for a certain prisoner. "The ships that attacked Beacon during the Vytal Festival, they are ships of the Galactic Empire, a dictatorship that rules the galaxy with an iron fist and has allied with Salem. Those ships, along with the machines that everyone has come to believe are Atlesian in origin are also our enemy. They have attacked and taken control of Atlas, killed General Ironwood and now the White Fang have taken control of Atlas and Mantle. We didn't have time to prepare for Salem. But now you do. She can be destroyed, and she can be beaten. If she was unstoppable, she wouldn't have acted with such caution until now."
From the throne room the robotic Tyrian sat beside the throne, watching the broadcast with a scowl while Salem placed a hand on the robotic killer's shoulder. "She knows we're a threat. So even if we—no even if Atlas falls, you mustn't give up."
Patch
Xiao Long-Rose household
Even Tai watched the broadcast with Zwei in his hands from the living room. "But just like Salem has allies, we also have allies. The ships that fought with us at Beacon and Argus, they are part of an alliance to restore the Galactic Republic and with them, are Jedi. Warriors who once lived on Remnant years ago and protected us from Salem, regardless of whether they were Faunus or Human. The Demon Lord of the Round Table, Galen Marek, he is a Jedi, just like I am. While I am nowhere near as strong as Galen, I know that we can beat Salem, but we must come together. We must show her that no matter what she does, she will not divide us and force us to fight one another. We must come together and show her that we will not be threatened by her. I hope that Amity Tower will help bring us all together. Because in the end, that's how we'll win—" Ruby went on before the broadcast was unexpectedly cut off.
"No! No, come back!" Tai shouted, reaching out to Ruby for a moment, but then lowered his head into his hands, while Zwei whimpered, laid down and rested his head on Tai's leg.
Deep Space
Salvation
The message also reached out into space, where Kota and Plo picked up the message. They had been tracking Vader's movements for months and now they knew where he was. "Contact command and call a meeting immediately." Kota instructed one his men.
Executor Bridge
Vader watched as the communications tower went down in flames, having been shot down by the ships turbo lasers once it was in range. With him, was Adam who watched the flaming tower crash into the ground. "Blake and her friends are fools. No one will believe their claims about Salem, the Empire or the Rebellion. They'll all think it is an act, meant to get the other kingdoms to let their guard down so the brutes in Atlas can invade the other kingdoms." Adam scoffed.
"The proof of our existence has been revealed." Vader countered. "The ships at Beacon are proof enough. Those who do not believe the message will think that, but those who do believe will flock to the rebellion and it's allies."
"An accurate assumption, Lord Vader." Thrawn said as he stepped onto the bridge of the Executor. "I estimate a sixty-five percent of the population of Remnant will flock to the side of the rebels while the rest of the population will think as young Adam suggests. While I will admit that my plan to destroy the tower before the it could transmit the message, but we were able to acquire the readouts of the two mechs, thanks to our spy."
"I have a few ideas about our own mechs to create. Something that will show the humans we mean business." Adam said with a clenched fist.
"Onto another matter, one of your men detected a small power surge from the Schnee Mansion." Thrawn told the young man. "I am certain that your former ally, Blake Belladonna is there with her team and I am certain that you want to take make an example of her and the Schnee's, am I right?"
"You know me all too well." Adam said with a glare under his mask. "Do you have a plan to lure them out?"
"Salem is already taking care of it now." Thrawn reported. "For now, we wait until the rebels make their next move."
And done. My first chapter of the year for this story.
So, in Star Wars news, Star Wars Outlaws is looking interesting, the Bad Batch has officially ended, Carl Weathers passed away months ago, and Star Wars Acolyte seems a little interesting. But that's another topic for another day.
If you all couldn't tell, Cinder is not the only one in Kara's mind. Amber, Ray's brother is fighting back against Cinder's advances, to keep Kara from becoming Salem's newest follower. The rescue of Kara, Oscar and Hazel will come soon, but who is the other prisoner?
While I'm on the topic of RWBY, I've been thinking about the possibility of giving Raven a chance at redemption. How I plan on doing that, I'm not entirely sure, but I do have a few ideas. If any of you have an idea, I'd be glad to hear it.
But it appears that Empire has taken interest in the Blood Asp and Star Adder mechs of the Garuda Team's one and two. I'm thinking the Ymir, Ragnarök, Atlas, and Prometheus assault mechs, along with the Nova Cat and Wendigo heavy mechs would suit the White Fang and Empire, considering the firepower they have. That's pulse lasers, autocannons, medium lasers, missiles, gauss cannons, ppc cannons, and the deadly lava cannon for the Ragnarök and Ymir mechs.
But once again, the traitor/spy has struck. Who is it and what do they hope to accomplish? Well, you'll have to wait until the time is right.
Until then, please read and review.