Dust and Echoes (RWBY/Halo)

Chapter 8: A Symbol of Peace and Unity

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Amity Colosseum

Vytal Island, Kingdom of Vale, Sanus

December 18th, 69 A.G.W., 7:00 AM (Remnant Calendar)

Ozpin couldn't remember the last time he felt this stressed. After the past few weeks, everything was coming together. It almost didn't seem real, and yet as he stared at Amity Colosseum hovering over Vytal Island, surrounded on all sides by hundreds of Atlesian soldiers, a trio of Atlesian airships, various militias from all the other kingdoms, and dozens of Huntsmen and Huntresses from all across the world, he was reminded that this was very much real. In just a few short hours, they were going to have true First Contact with an alien race. The fact that those aliens were human did not diminish what that milestone meant. The people of Remnant had been asking themselves the question of whether they were alone in the cosmos for eons, and even he from time to time dabbled in its inherent curiosity. But now that answer was staring at him, and he was about to speak to it directly.

"Delegates are still coming in," Glynda revealed as she walked over to Ozpin, tapping away at a scroll. Ozpin nodded, taking a sip of hot chocolate from his mug. She then added, "I have to admit, I'm surprised that the UNSC would want so many. They practically sent out an open invitation. If it were up to me, I'd focus first on the kingdoms' leaders."

"They are, in a way," Ozpin pointed out. "We have councilors, headmasters, business leaders, and more arriving every hour. A true representation of Remnant and her people, if I do say so myself."

"Yet, I can't help but notice Menagerie is still excluded," Glynda said with narrow eyes. Ozpin sighed and shook his head. He had tried to convince the other kingdoms to include them in some way, but they didn't budge, insisting that since they weren't a kingdom there was no reason to include them at all. It was a poor excuse and everyone knew it, and yet societal prejudices were hard to overcome even with his best efforts. Not even the other headmasters working in concert were able to muster enough support, and in the end he had to concede.

"I know," Ozpin replied, then took another sip from his mug and rested his cane atop the grassy, snowcapped ground. "But, be that as it may, we must focus on the task at hand. This is an important moment for all of Remnant, and we can't afford to let our petty issues squander it."

Glynda recognized the hidden meaning behind Ozpin's words, an understanding that came from years of working closely with the man. In a low whisper, she stated, "You sent Menagerie an invitation."

"I sent nothing," Ozpin answered, taking a nonchalant sip. "The UNSC did, remember? All I did was help move it along."

Glynda smiled and shook her head, then refocused her attention as yet another bullhead, this one originating from Mistral, arrived on the impromptu landing pad. She took the moment to look around her at where the kingdoms had chosen to host the UNSC as wisps of powdery snow were picked up by the wind. Physically, it was a flat clearing bordered by a thick evergreen forest. To their north was a tall snow-capped mountain, and to the south was a cliffside overhanging the sea. It was a prime defensible location, perfect to defend against the Grimm, yet that wasn't why this particular spot was chosen. It was here that the Vytal Peace Accord was signed almost seventy years prior, and she couldn't think of a better place to welcome their alien cousins.

As more and more delegates arrived onto the scene, Ozpin and Glynda were content to stand in silence. They observed General Ironwood's subordinates organizing the defense, the General himself already up in Amity Colosseum, while Doctor Polendina and Doctor Watts were performing a final checkup on Sergeant Graves. Ozpin couldn't help but study the man closely. He was dressed in appropriate winter attire, courtesy of Atlas, and while he still sported the scars and faint bruises from his brush with death, he was still standing. Ozpin knew that had they not recovered Sergeant Graves, this meeting would have not happened. Simply the translation alone would have taken months, and who knew what would have happened between now and then. At the same time, having Graves around helped to serve as a living symbol towards what these human aliens represented and their seemingly good intentions for the planet. He supposed their upcoming meeting would solidify whether that was true, but he wanted to believe from the bottom of his heart that they were.

He was prepared to be disappointed, though. Ozpin had long since lost count of how many times his hopes were dashed.

It was then that he saw Qrow walking towards him, his back hunched forward and his hands in his pockets. The agent was staring straight at Ozpin, who immediately finished his cup and placed it on a table to the side. Then Ozpin placed both of his hands on top of his cane, and he patiently waited for Qrow to give his report.

"Just did another perimeter sweep," Qrow reported, throwing his thumb back towards the forest. "Took out a few Grimm, nothing major. Yet."

"Scouts?" Ozpin asked, and Qrow nodded.

"I'd bet my life on it. Something of this magnitude? There's no way the Grimm would pass up a chance to mess things up. They'd be stupid not to."

If there was one thing Salem wasn't, it was stupid. One did not become the most dangerous threat on the planet by being stupid, after all. Strength and power alone could certainly make something a threat, but unless it had the intelligence to back it up, those attributes never lasted. Unfortunately for him, and everyone else, Salem had it all. She was a powerful mage, a ruthless manipulator who knew how to play people to her whims like they were nothing more than clay, and immune to the ravages of time. Time that she had used to hone her abilities, and afforded her a long-term view that no one else could really match. Not even him, at times.

"It's obvious the Grimm will attempt to intervene," Ozpin noted. "The question is, to what extent? Will they act to completely destroy us, or will the upcoming attack simply be a probe to determine just how powerful the UNSC truly is? If I had to guess, most likely the latter."

Qrow and Glynda nodded in agreement. After everything Ozpin had informed them about Salem and what she was capable of doing, and how she operated, a probing attack was her most likely response. It would allow her to gain valuable intel on the UNSC's capabilities, allowing her to determine what her next steps should be. Right now, he didn't know what she would do, but he did know what she had most assuredly done already.

"Have you spotted any intruders, by the way? I'd hate for this meeting to be disrupted," Ozpin pointed out, and Qrow shook his head.

"Not yet, but I'm keeping an eye out," Qrow admitted. Ozpin nodded, then looked at his agent in the eyes.

"Please do. If you spot anything suspicious, notify me immediately."

Qrow nodded, but before he could say anything else, Ozpin felt and heard his scroll vibrate. He pulled it up, revealing that Ironwood was calling him.

"General," Ozpin greeted as he opened up the scroll. "Has there been an update?"

"A few, actually," Ironwood replied, his voice tense. "We've detected two more bursts of radiation just outside Remnant's orbit. Two vessels emerged and have rendezvoused with the Everest."

"UNSC?"

"The aesthetic matches them," Ironwood answered. "Luckily, both are much smaller and are transmitting on open frequency. If I had to guess, the Everest was a capital ship while these newcomers are more like frigates or destroyers. Both are different designs from the other, and I can't pretend to know which is which."

"I see," Ozpin said with a nod. It made sense to him that the UNSC would request reinforcements. Their ship was, for a still unknown reason, damaged and in need of extensive repair. Calling for backup only made sense.

"Is there anything else?" Qrow asked.

"There is. They're about to send forces of their own to assist in the fortification. They've marked a landing zone, and unfortunately you are right in the middle of it. If I were you, I'd get back."

Without even needing to be told twice, Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda hastily walked away from their spot along the cliffside. They made their way towards the wider camp, and once they arrived they turned their attention back towards their call with Ironwood.

"Is this far enough?" Ozpin asked. He didn't know just how large their dropships could be, but judging by the wreckage they recovered, their spacecrafts could get quite big.

"I believe so, yes," Ironwood confirmed. "They should be arriving any moment now."

Ozpin nodded, then ended the call and turned his attention towards the sky. It a perfectly clear day, and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon and send orange flickers of light in all directions that reflected off of the ocean. After a few moments, he and everyone else saw a large object descend from the upper atmosphere. As it came closer into view, he could see that it looked remarkably similar to the crashed dropship, only supersized. Attached through underhanging cables was a large, bulky vehicle that was roughly shaped like a box. On top of the vehicle's back half was a flat platform, which was undoubtedly a landing pad. Despite its size, to Ozpin it looked as though it was packed in among itself. For a brief moment, he wondered what the vehicle was for.

He had his answer once the super heavy dropship, as he assumed it was, descended onto the field, the roar of its engines drowning out everything else. Everyone stared as, rather than land, the dropship deposited its cargo onto the field where Ozpin and his subordinates stood. Then, once the cargo was safely on the ground, it unlatched itself and ascended. A few moments later, the vehicle began to expand outward, the front half lurching forward as struts descended from the corners that planted themselves onto the ground. Along the top, a series of dishes and transceivers unfurled, as did a crane along the back right. A shower of sparks followed as various plates were automatically welded together along seams. Ozpin's eyebrow was raised slightly upward, but from the corner of his eye, he could see Qrow groan.

"Oh, that's wonderful. They can drop in forts from orbit," Qrow noted dryly. He could tell that Ironwood, as well as the rest of the Atlas delegation, would be simultaneously worried and salivating at the thought.

"So it would seem," Ozpin replied as another pair of dropships, the same models that they recovered Graves near, landed next to the deposited building. As they descended, they rotated in place to where their aft bay doors were pointed towards their own camp. Then they landed, extending rear struts onto the ground and opening up the back doors to reveal twenty soldiers in each. Rather than wearing the black full bodysuits like Graves did, these soldiers were wearing an olive green BDU over black fatigues, with their helmets open-faced and exposed. Some had orange goggles covering their eyes, while others simply had a green eyepiece over one of them. One dark-skinned man in particular was only wearing an olive green cap and sported a neatly trimmed stubble along his rugged jawline, and he hopped out of his Pelican first and began barking orders. Thanks to the ADA unit currently housed in his ear, Ozpin was able to understand him perfectly.

"Alright, marines! Move like you got a purpose!" the man barked. At once, the marines from both dropships disembarked, fanning out to help secure the area. The apparent leader of the group watched for a moment, then turned around and spotted Ozpin and his group. Holstering his bulky rifle onto his back, the man walked forward with a confident stride, ignoring the looks everyone else was giving. At the same time, Sergeant Graves walked out of the tent they were housing him in despite the fuss of his doctors, and he walked towards the man who met him on the field.

"Sergeant Graves, good to see ya," the man remarked. His eyes went up and down, and he smirked. "You look like shit."

"That's what happens when things go FUBAR, Sergeant," Graves joked back. The fellow sergeant smiled and patted Grave's shoulder, then redirected him back towards the building the UNSC dropped. To Ozpin's curiosity, another flight of dropships were depositing prefabricated buildings along the sides of the original emplacement, helped along by the marines ensuring the process went smoothly. The buildings looked like smaller pads to ferry supplies through, and one was placed on the left and right.

"Let's get you back to the Everest. The docs wanna check you up," he said. Graves nodded, then he turned back to Ozpin.

"Thank you, Professor," Sergeant Graves said. Ozpin softly smiled and nodded.

"There's no need to say thanks, Sergeant," Ozpin insisted. "I'm simply happy things have worked out for the best."

"As am I," Graves admitted. "I know we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but even then, it was a pleasure to get to know you."

"The pleasure was all mine," Ozpin replied, truly meaning it. After spending the past few weeks with Graves, the two of them were able to build a rapport with each other. He had proven himself to be of impeccable character, a model soldier worthy of respect. He might not have told them everything they wanted to know, but Ozpin could tell he was a good man.

"Goodbye, sir," Graves said, giving a respectful nod towards the headmaster. Then the soldier walked off, heading towards the nearest dropship and stepping aboard. The doors closed behind him, then it joined its fellow spacecraft and ascended back to the reaches of outer space. Ozpin's group and the marine sergeant who was left behind watched it go, then the sergeant turned around and walked towards Ozpin.

"I take it you're Professor Ozpin?" the man asked. When Ozpin nodded, the man continued, "You certainly look like a professor. Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson. I'm in charge of the UNSC-provided security down here."

"A pleasure to have you with us, Sergeant. Next to me is Professor Glynda Goodwitch and Qrow Branwen," Ozpin replied. Glynda gave a polite bow, trying to remain respectful, while Qrow simply gave a curt nod. Johnson nodded back, then shifted his eyes towards Amity Colosseum. After a few moments of study, he whistled in appreciation while placing his hands on his hips.

"Have to admit, this is a mighty fine stadium you got here." He turned back towards Ozpin and his compatriots, his expression remaining jovial. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you guys chose that thing for a reason."

"That is correct. Amity Colosseum is a symbol of peace and unity for our people, and we could think of no better place for our meeting to be held."

"Well, if nothing else, the image of a flying colosseum is certainly interesting. Got nothing like that back home," Johnson admitted, then threw his thumb over his shoulder. "The firebase should be fully operational within the hour, with more flights of Pelicans coming down as we speak. Trust me when I say we aren't taking any chances."

"Can't say I blame you," Qrow admitting, crossing his arms. "We're anticipating a Grimm attack. Don't know how big, but they're definitely coming."

"So that's what you call those things," Johnson said, narrowing his eyes. "Grimm… Sounds spooky enough, I suppose. Certainly more unique than monsters and werewolves, although personally I was a fan of hell-spawn."

Despite himself, Qrow chuckled while shaking his head. "Oh, trust me. Those things might as well have sprung out of Hell."

Johnson smiled, then gave a curt nod and walked back to the firebase. True to his word, more of the Pelicans, as he described them, were descending from the upper atmosphere, each one undoubtedly ferrying more UNSC marines. Once Johnson was out of earshot, Ozpin turned towards Qrow and Glynda.

"He certainly seems friendly enough," Glynda noted while Qrow shook his head.

"Probably just playing nice," the gruff Huntsman cynically suggested.

"Oh, I don't know. It certainly felt like the two of you would get along just fine," Ozpin suggested with a smile, which Qrow rolled his eyes at.

"Please. Once this is over, I bet we're never gonna see each other again," Qrow insisted while shaking his head.

"Perhaps. I guess we'll have to see, won't we?" Ozpin asked. After a moment, Qrow shrugged in mild acceptance. Ozpin nodded back, then he lowered his voice and said, "However, Qrow, I do have another request for you."

"Read you loud and clear, Oz," Qrow replied, understanding his request immediately. With one final nod, Qrow walked away from Ozpin and Glynda towards the forest. As he entered the brush, he unfurled Harbinger from its holster, then disappeared from view.

"Well then, I suppose we should head back to Amity," Ozpin said, walking towards the landing pad where a Bullhead was waiting for him. Glynda followed immediately, and as they ascended towards the colosseum where the meeting was to be held, they saw more and more dropships arrive, each depositing soldiers on all corners of the field. From the firebase's interior garage sprung a four-wheeled olive-green vehicle that had a tri-barreled chaingun attached to the back. It didn't have any doors, and the mounted gun was completely exposed outside of a protective plate, yet a marine hopped aboard without any fuss. The vehicle reminded Ozpin somewhat of a large cat, like a puma, yet the tow hooks on the front reminded him of tusks, like those on a walrus.

By the time he finally entered Amity Colosseum, the firebase's expansion picked up in earnest as more and more Pelicans arrived. They were placing a variety of prefabricated buildings, including one that looked like a barracks, a domed structure that seemed to be a lab of some kind, one that looked like an air traffic control tower, and another that looked like a factory. At the same time, the marines began pulling out large cylinders from the firebase's interior, placing the cluster at the back of it and connecting them via cables. As they were turned on, the firebase's lights lit up as well, telling Ozpin that they were generators of some kind. That, more than anything else thus far, intrigued him. From the conversations he had with Sergeant Graves, the UNSC did not know of Dust prior to their arrival on the planet. Yet they were obviously able to power themselves just fine. Ozpin knew that whatever those generators were, Dust wasn't utilized in them whatsoever, which given how dependent Remnant was on the fantastic material automatically made it something he needed to understand. Overall, the sight of the firebase expanding and coming online in such a short amount of time was impressive. One that had everyone on the ground watching with rapt attention, and Ozpin could only hope that boded well for what was to come.


UNSC Everest, Valliant-Class Super-Heavy Cruisier

Geosynchronous Orbit, Remnant, Oum System

December 18th, 2540, 7:30 AM (UNSC Military Calendar)

In the past few weeks, Vice Admiral Preston Cole had learned much about the planet they had found themselves over. What at first seemed like yet another near-Earthlike planet had turned out to be much, much more. From its native human population that wasn't from Earth or any of their colonies to the highly volatile crystals their entire civilization appeared to be based around. Not to mention the creatures more akin to the monsters of myth and legend that hunted people down like prey. By all accounts, this seemingly pristine world was a death trap, one that he had sent good men and women down to die in. Yet, in their sacrifice, something invaluable had been obtained. An actual, peaceful dialogue was able to be reached between the UNSC and the natives, and crucial information had finally been obtained.

To the native humans, the planet's name was Remnant. To the admiral, it was a name that evoked a cultural sense of loss, that they used to be much grander but now weren't. The UNSC also learned the names of the continents. Continent Alpha was known as Sanus to the natives, Beta was Solitas, Charlie was Anima, and Epsilon was Menagerie. Delta's name was lost in translation, but he figured they'd iron that out eventually. Of those continents, there were four kingdoms. The Kingdom of Vale took up the eastern half of Sanus, with the western half claimed by the Kingdom of Vacuo. The entirety of Anima was claimed by the Kingdom of Mistral, as was Solitas for the Kingdom of Atlas. Only Menagerie wasn't claimed by any of the kingdoms, which was odd to him to say the least. In fact, the entirety of continent Delta was unclaimed as well. Given the fact that the former continent appeared to be settled entirely by the Faunus minority, as they were called, he felt the preliminary field reports of them being subject to discrimination were accurate.

Still, his thoughts went back to continent Delta. The only reason he could fathom why so much land went unclaimed and unused by the kingdoms was due to the monsters they called the creatures of Grimm. It was a dark and foreboding title, one that he felt suited them perfectly. After their own limited engagements with them, he'd avoid an entire continent infested with them, too. At least not without ample orbital fire support.

Fire support that they would be bringing down when they went planetside again, as he was about to do himself for the first time since they arrived. After weeks of talks and translation, which experienced plenty of speedbumps along the way such as the binary translation idea not entirely panning out like they had hoped, they had finally managed to both find a way to talk to each other. They had also set a time and place for everyone to talk in person. The meeting was to be held on the island of Vytal, as the natives called it. It couldn't have come at a better time, as UNSC reinforcements had arrived not an hour earlier. They were already appraised of the situation, and now he had three ships' worth of marines and ODSTs on standby. Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson, who was part of the reinforcements, had been sent down to ensure proper security on their end. Cole couldn't imagine a marine more suitable for the job. Johnson was not only a highly decorated soldier, one who had earned the respect and admiration of the entire Marine Corps, he was also highly personable and easy to get along with. Perfect for a first contact. Hopefully this one wouldn't end the same way their last one did.

That being said, the UNSC Paris and the UNSC Iroquois were not the only vessels that arrived in system, albeit the only ones their sensors detected. They were joined by a third ship, the UNSC Dusk. It was an ONI prowler, whose stealth capabilities were so advanced not even the Covenant could detect them. The only reason why he knew it was there was because they let him know, and even that was just so one very important lady could come aboard.

"I hope you realize just how lucky you were, Admiral. Your actions could have resulted in utter catastrophe," the woman chastised him, speaking as though she was his equal or perhaps superior, despite the fact that she was only a civilian. With everything she had given for the war against the Covenant, however, Admiral Cole supposed she was the only civilian who could do that and get away with it.

"I'm more than aware of that, Doctor Halsey. My decisions were made with what intel I had available," Admiral Cole replied. Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey frowned and furrowed her brow, then shook her head.

"You military types. Does the word 'restraint' mean nothing to you?" Halsey asked, raising an eyebrow while crossing her arms over her chest. "You parked a Valliant-class super-heavy cruiser, one of our largest and most powerful warships, over their moon and, despite the fact that you knew they at least had radio capabilities said nothing. In fact, you sent dropships down planetside, an action that easily could have been misinterpreted, all the while the Everest remained silent and didn't respond to their attempts at communication."

Cole sighed, having expected this reaction from Halsey, then said, "Yes, in hindsight my decisions were not the soundest."

"That is an understatement," Halsey continued, pointing her finger at the planet through the bridge windows. "You scared them out of their minds, Preston. If they were more primitive, they might even have thought their gods were coming down to smite them. That level of fear is not conducive to proper decision making. The only saving grace I can see is that our second first contact wasn't completely botched from the get-go, and that it can be salvaged."

Cole stared flatly at Doctor Halsey, who stared stubbornly back at him. After a moment, he sighed in resignation and turned back to the holotable. He asked, "Since you're here, any word on what ONI thinks of this?"

"Needless to say, intrigued," Halsey revealed, turning towards the holotable as well. It was displaying a topographic map of Vytal Island, the scanners from their firebase displaying real-time data on troop movements, both from Remnant and the UNSC. "Are you certain these humans didn't come from one of our colonial expeditions?"

"One-hundred percent," Cole confirmed. "Their biology, languages, stone ruins that were thousands of years old. It all adds up."

"Hmm. If that is the case, I suppose the biggest question is how they got here. Convergent evolution on this scale is nigh impossible, which tells me their presence is unnatural."

"You think someone brought them here?" Cole asked, having the same thoughts, and Halsey nodded.

"Most likely. Of course, there is the possibility that Remnant is humanity's homeworld and we were subsequently brought to Earth, but I very much doubt that." Halsey shook her head, adding, "We've tracked nearly the entire evolution of humanity through the fossil record, a timeline lasting millions of years. If theirs is even a fraction of that length, I would be surprised."

"Well, best not to start saying that during our meeting," Cole admitted despite agreeing with her.

"Agreed. Would probably not go over well. Besides, I would much rather conduct my own research before coming to any conclusions." Halsey paused, then said, "That being said, those crystals they use. They are interesting."

"They call it Dust, apparently."

"Dust? Peculiar name, but I suppose it has a long-lasting cultural reasoning. Fits the theme, at least. Remnant, Dust, it also goes together well, don't you think?"

"It does," Cole replied, then sighed. "Unfortunately, the Dust samples we obtained were mostly lost. Only a few managed to get onboard, where we encountered some…setbacks in their study."

"Enlighten me," Halsey asked through narrowed eyes. Cole looked back at her, steeling his gaze while folding his arms behind his back.

"When the Pelicans carrying the remaining Dust samples arrived back at the Everest," he explained, "for an as of yet unknown reason, they became inert."

"They lost their power?" Halsey asked, and Cole nodded.

"They did. Just a bunch of worthless crystal now." Cole sighed and shook his head. "We haven't been able to ask why."

"I'll be sure to ask when I go down there," Halsey declared. Cole gave her a sideways glance, but he wasn't surprised. In fact, once her arrival was confirmed, he had already began preparations. Undoubtedly, once she learned of the second humanity, she dropped whatever she was doing and came over as soon as she could.

"I'm sure you will," Cole replied, and Halsey nodded. Then she turned around, placing her hands in her white and blue coat's pockets, and walked out of the bridge.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check on my SPARTANs," Halsey stated without breaking her stride. Cole knew she was going to do that too, and with an amused chuckle, he turned back to the holotable and continued his preparations.


Vytal Island, Kingdom of Vale, Sanus

December 18th, 69 A.G.W., 8:00 AM (Remnant Calendar)

Jacques Schnee always strived to present his best. His suits were of the finest make and caliber, his cars and private airships the most extravagant and expensive, and he always made sure his frosted black hair was neatly maintained. First impressions were the only impressions that truly mattered, and perhaps that phrase meant more today than ever before.

He had to admit, the UNSC's arrival over Remnant scared him. Despite the fact that they were apparently human, their presence still confirmed that they were truly not alone in the universe. It made him feel small, which was a feeling he did not particularly enjoy. But that was in the past, and now he was standing before a bold new future. A future that would propel the Schnee Dust Company to new heights, if he had anything to say about it. He had to push a lot of elbows and wave around his wealth and importance over everyone's heads, but in the end, Jacques got what he wanted. He was now considered to be part of the Atlesian delegation, one meant to represent their business interests, not to mention his own.

To be sure, the UNSC hadn't made the greatest first impression. Their vessel's arrival and silent hanging over their world was a fearsome sight, one that made everyone nervous. It did not help that their entire aesthetic screamed utilitarian and military, something that was made even more apparent as his private airship descended onto Vytal Island. It was easily apparent that they were a militarized society, or at least this portion of it. But while the rest of Remnant saw reason for caution, he saw opportunity. The SDC already enjoyed a close relationship with the Atlesian military, to say nothing of all the Huntsmen and Huntresses who bought his company's ammunition. Jacques was certain that, in time, he could position the SDC in a similar way with the UNSC as well.

Which was something he knew was going to happen, given enough time. Due to his status as the SDC's owner and CEO, he was in frequent and personal contact with General Ironwood. When it came to most matters, particularly the economy, Jacques felt Ironwood was hardheaded and too stubborn for his own good. Too prone to making rash decisions at the jump of a gun. In fact, Jacques felt Ironwood thought with his gun first at times. But, when it came to military matters, Jacques conceded to Ironwood's authority. As such, when Ironwood said that the UNSC could have easily turned their warship towards Remnant and fired upon them from orbit, with Remnant unable to do anything to retaliate or defend themselves, he believed him. Yet, that clearly didn't happen. In fact, the UNSC wanted to talk and have diplomacy. More than anything else, that told him what the UNSC truly wanted out of Remnant.

They didn't want subjects or to wage a war of pointless genocide. Rather, the UNSC wanted peace. With peace came trade, and with trade came profit, to those who knew how to seize it at least.

When the airship finally landed, Jacques stood up and adjusted his tie. A faunus stewardess opened the door for him, which extended into a short flight of stairs that he easily walked down. He did so with as much confidence as possible, portraying himself proudly to the outside world while his fellow delegates, both from Atlas and beyond, regarded him with open disdain. Jacques walked straight towards the man he knew from a glance was in charge, a human male with black skin and olive green armor topped with a cap in the same color. The man was holding a small earpiece in his hand, wiping it clean with his finger when he noticed Jacques' arrival, and stopped issuing orders to his subordinates to regard him openly. At the same time, he placed the earpiece back into his right ear, telling Jacques it was a translation device.

"Hey there," the man greeted. "I take it you're with the…Atlas delegation?"

"That is correct, sir," Jacques replied, speaking as politely as possible. "My name is Jacques Schnee. I'm the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, and I'm here to help represent Remnant's economic interests."

"Hmm," the solider hummed with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged. "Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson."

"A pleasure to meet you, sergeant," Jacques replied, holding out his hand. Instead of taking it like Jacques expected, Johnson merely regarded the extended appendage with a deliberate pause before engulfing it in his own gloved hand. The stick-thin businessman struggled not to wince at the crushing grip he found himself trapped in, and with a pained chuckle hurried to extricate his protesting extremity. Once the brute deigned to release him, Jacques tried to regain his composure by pretending to straighten his cuffs while hiding the flexing of his abused fingers.

"Right," Jacques said, swiveling his head around to take a look at the camp. A flight of aircraft flew overhead, ones that were alien in design. Like Johnson's armor, which now that he looked at it was strangely glossy, the VTOL aircraft were an olive green in color. The engines were attached to wings located at the top of the aircraft, with a pair of landing pads on the bottom. On those landing pads were a pair of soldiers, wielding what looked to be rocket launchers. Combined with the nose-mounted chaingun and wing-mounted missile pods, it looked like a predatory insect.

"If you're looking for the others," Johnson said, bringing Jacques' attention back towards him, "they're gathering over there."

Johnson pointed towards a large group of assembled men and women from all kingdoms. He immediately noticed that General Ironwood, Professor Ozpin, and the other headmasters were nowhere to be seen. Undoubtedly, they were already in the colosseum, making final preparations. Jacques nodded then prepared to walk over, ready to end this pointless conversation and move on to more important matters, when he heard Doctor Pietro Polendina's recognizable voice. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Jacques turned his head to look at the rotund scientist, where he saw that he was joined by Doctor Arthur Watts, who were both looking over one of the UNSC's four-wheeled vehicles.

"You mean to tell me this runs entirely off of water?" Pietro asked, completely astounded. The marine escorting him and Watts, who clearly didn't mind the questioning, nodded.

"It does, yeah," the marine admitted. "All of our vehicles do, except for the really big ones. Of course, technically it runs off of the hydrogen in the water, but still."

"Fascinating. All of our technology runs off of Dust," Pietro replied, causing the marine to nod his head. "What about your starships? Do they run off of hydrogen, too?"

"Yes, but not through an internal combustion engine," the marine replied. "They don't produce enough power. Instead, our ships use fusion power plants. Don't bother asking me how they work. The science goes way above my head."

"You have nuclear fusion, too?! That's only theoretical for us!" Pietro exclaimed, he was positively giddy now, and his excitement only grew when the marine nodded.

"Yep. In fact," he pointed towards one of the glowing cylinders hooked up to the firebase, "those are portable fusion generators. We have bigger ones, but those take too long to properly set up."

Pietro's mouth was openly agape, and he was trying and failing to contain just how overwhelmed with excitement he was. Even Watts was openly impressed, although he was maintaining his composure. Jacques, however, could only stare at both the vehicle and the generator with barely restrained horror. He thought back to his earlier predictions on the UNSC's desires. Assuming everything went well, and he had no reason to suspect it wouldn't at the moment, trade between Remnant and the UNSC was sure to follow. With that trade, the UNSC would undoubtedly offer its advanced spacefaring technology, including power sources completely removed from Dust. Although Dust was powerful and allowed them to achieve many great things, the supply was limited. Especially when compared to water of all things.

After being Remnant's de facto source of energy for longer than recorded history, Jacques knew right then and there that Dust had just obtained a competitor it might not be able to overcome in the end. The UNSC would show off their hydrogen-injected internal combustion engines, their fusion generators, and whatever else they used for power. Their economy of scale would allow them to sell the devices at extremely low cost, undercutting the current market price and Dust completely. In return, the people of Remnant would lap it up.

Clenching his fist, Jacques turned around and walked away towards the gathered delegates. He no longer thought solely of what he could gain. Now, he had to contend with what he could lose.


'Arrogant ass,' Johnson thought as he watched Jacques Schnee walk away with a noticeable scowl on his face. He could recognize what Jacques was like as soon as that fancy aircraft touched down. In contrast to the simpler designs that everyone else used, which ferried more than one person at a time, Jacques was big, loud, and demanded everyone pay attention because he was just that important. Then he and he alone had to step out of that aircraft like he owned the damn place, acting like everyone else was beneath him. That he was superior and didn't care about all the hateful looks he was getting. Hearing that he was the CEO of some big company was what sealed the deal. Johnson couldn't finish the conversation fast enough, and it was only his sense of duty that kept him in check.

Dispersing the small frown on his face, Johnson looked back towards the landing pad. They were scheduled for one more arrival, and he was keeping his eyes on the horizon. Eventually, he spotted a small bullhead flying towards them. It was noticeably older looking and smaller than the others. When it drew closer, Johnson could see that it was painted blue and white, with an image of a wolf's head along the side. Johnson nodded to himself and patiently waited, folding his arms behind his back while, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the other delegates were now watching in open shock. He partly wondered why, but then the doors opened to reveal a large man with a bushy black beard, accompanied by a dark-skinned woman with tiger-like tattoos along her arms. The tattoos matched the pair of tiger ears on the top of her head, and they were flanked by a pair of guards wielding simple rifles and pikes.

"Hey there. I'm Sergeant Avery Johnson," Johnson introduced himself for what felt like the fiftieth time in the past hour. Unlike Jacques, the man before him, whom Johnson assumed to be one of these Faunus he kept hearing about, politely bowed.

"Greetings, sergeant. My name is Ghira Belladonna," the Faunus man introduced himself, bringing his hand to his chest then gesturing towards the woman next to him. "This is Sienna Khan, my associate."

"Charmed," Sienna said, her voice containing a noticeable edge. There was history behind that, Johnson knew, but before he could even ask, someone decided to interrupt.

"What is the meaning of this?" a delegate Johnson believed to be from Mistral demanded, marching forward with an angry snarl on his face. "Why are there representatives from Menagerie here?"

"We received an invitation," Sienna answered, clenching her fist and staring the Mistralian down. "Given how important this meeting is for the future of Remnant and all its people, human and faunus, the White Fang felt it was more than appropriate to accept."

"We were offered a seat at the table, an offer we are more than grateful for," Ghira added, his voice much calmer. That tone did nothing for the Mistralian delegate, who glanced towards Johnson with barely concealed frustration.

"Menagerie isn't even a kingdom," he argued. "You have no place here."

"And yet, you allowed Jacques Schnee?" Ghira pointed out with a small frown. "Tell me, how much did he have to spend to get his seat?"

The Mistralian didn't say anything, merely fuming for a second before he turned around and stomped off. Ghira, Sienna, and their guards merely watched him go, as did Johnson with a slight frown. Once the delegate was out of earshot, Ghira closed his eyes and sighed before turning back to Johnson.

"My apologies, sergeant. It was not my intention to cause a scene," he said, but Johnson waved him off.

"Why are you apologizing to me? You weren't the one making a fuss. Frankly, if it were up to me I'd kick him out," Johnson pointed out, already planning on notifying Admiral Cole of the incident. Then, with a raised eyebrow, he said, "That felt like it was more common than it should be, though."

"You would be correct, unfortunately," Ghira admitted. "Faunus have always been subjected to discrimination and prejudice. I founded the White Fang to combat it, and although strides have been made over the years, we still have a long way to go."

"Which is why we were surprised when we got the UNSC's invitation," Sienna pointed out. "As much as I loathe that man, he was right that Menagerie isn't recognized as a kingdom. I would have thought your people would have wanted to focus entirely on the kingdoms first?"

"I'm probably not the one to ask that," Johnson admitted, "but to me, I see no reason why not. The fact you actually got an invitation tells me everything I need to know. Besides, you two are certainly more pleasant than that Jacques guy. There won't be any issues on our end, I can assure you."

Ghira smiled warmly, then offered his hand towards Johnson. "Thank you, sergeant. We look forward to future talks."

Johnson looked at the offered hand, then smiled back and shook it.


UNSC Everest, Valliant-Class Super-Heavy Cruisier

Geosynchronous Orbit, Remnant, Oum System

December 18th, 2540, 8:15 AM (UNSC Military Calendar)

John-117 and the rest of Blue Team knew immediately who was onboard the ONI prowler as soon as it docked. Even if no one outright told them, they knew. It was a feeling engrained into them from a lifetime of training and experience, almost to the point of instinct. There was no way something like this would have escaped her notice, and it was obvious that she would have come as soon as she could. At the same time, they knew what was coming next, and so by the time Doctor Halsey arrived in the SPARTANs' personal armory, they were already prepared.

"John, Kelly, Fred, Linda," Halsey greeted them in a somewhat soothing tone as she walked through the door. While the SPARTANs would have felt at odds at others using their names so causally, with Halsey they made an exception.

"Ma'am," they replied as Halsey walked up to them, then stopped to look up into their golden faceplates. She could see her reflection in all of them, and after a moment she softly smiled and ran her fingers across John's armor.

"What did you do?" she asked, feeling a crack that was recently repaired while also taking note of the damage the others had. Compared to what she would have done back on Reach, the repairs were hasty and ad hoc, clearly temporary before they could get back to UNSC space, but it would be enough to keep them going for now.

"Got into a little scuffle. Nothing we couldn't handle," John replied, giving a small shrug. Deep down, he still mourned the loss of the man under his command, but at the same time he knew that was simply the nature of war. Soldiers died when they didn't need to, and he owed it to them to keep moving forward and ensure their sacrifice wasn't in vain. Halsey shook her head at that and backed away, then crossed her arms.

"I should certainly hope so. That armor costs more than a cruiser. I'd hate to see it damaged beyond repair," she pointed out, then relaxed and softened her gaze. "Those creatures, the Grimm…what can you tell me about them?"

"You mean besides the fact that they're abominations?" Fred asked. When Halsey nodded, he shrugged. "Can't tell you much beyond that, ma'am. I only fought a big worm-looking one, and even after blasting it with rockets and heavy machine guns, we only killed half of it."

"Wasps, for me," Linda added. "My sniper rifle took them out easily enough, but it was like trying to shoot down a swarm of Drones one by one.

"Crocodiles. A point-blank shot with my shotgun finished several off, but it took an entire magazine of my pistol to put down another," Kelly said as well, then everyone's attention shifted to John.

"Mine were a collection of wolves and bears," John explained. "They were extremely resistant to small-arms fire. They reminded me of Brutes, in a way. Brutes in a constant berserker rage. Then we were attacked by a giant scorpion, which was nearly as big and durable as one of our own tanks. Nothing short of high explosives were able to damage it."

"Hmm," Halsey hummed, rubbing her fingers across her chin. "Clearly, you all went down there underequipped. I imagine you aren't making that same mistake again?"

"No, ma'am. We aren't taking any chances this time," John immediately answered, then gestured to the array of weapons next to them. Halsey glanced over at them and raised her eyebrow. She was able to tell who was using what simply by looking at the weapons grouped together and connecting the dots with the SPARTANs she had trained since they were children.

Gone were the SMGs and low-powered suppressed pistols. Instead, they were going in with weapons much more suited for their expected enemies. John, as she expected, was the most basic out of all of them. He had chosen an MA5B assault rifle with an M301 under-barrel grenade launcher attached to it. An M6D magnum was laying next to it, and finally there was an M6 Spartan Laser. For Fred, he would be wielding a similar loadout, just replacing the MA5B with an M392 DMR and the Spartan Laser for an M41 SPNKR with two spare pairs of tubes. Linda had opted for a BR55 battle rifle with an attached underslung shotgun, alongside an M6D magnum and, unsurprisingly, a SRS99 Anti-Material sniper rifle. For Kelly, she had chosen to bring along an MA5B similar to John alongside an M6D and finally an M45E tactical shotgun. Clustered around the weapons were various specialty ammos, including armor piercing, incendiary, and shredder rounds, along with copious amounts of grenades.

"Where will you be during the delegation?" Halsey asked next, not because she didn't know but because she wanted confirmation from her SPARTANs.

John answered immediately, saying, "We'll be in the background, making sure the area is secure. They won't even know we're there."

"I should certainly hope so. Because if they do, that means the situation has gone belly up," Halsey noted. She had complete faith in her SPARTANs' ability to perform, but caution was always warranted. She then placed her hands back into her coat pockets and continued, "Nevertheless, I'll be monitoring your situation through your helmet-cams. I imagine once all this is over, I'll need to adjust your Mark IVs."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Kelly pointed out. Halsey flashed a smirk, then took note of the time on the wall mounted clock.

"Well, I must be off," she said. "Preston and I are going down there shortly. Hopefully, we can salvage this First Contact."

She turned around and walked off, but before she could walk through the door, she paused and looked behind her shoulder back at her SPARTANs. She added, "Keep an eye on the natives. While I'm certain the majority want peace, there's no telling what others may want."

"Understood, ma'am," Linda declared. She and the rest of Blue Team had already thought of that possibility. After all, even with the threat of extinction hanging over their heads with the Covenant, they still had to deal with the Insurrectionists on occasion. A First Contact was prime opportunity for someone with ill intentions to intervene, and for the sake of both the UNSC and Remnant, they needed to ensure that wouldn't happen.

With that, Halsey walked off, and the doors automatically sealed shut behind her, leaving the SPARTANs alone once again.


Vytal Island, Kingdom of Vale, Sanus

Qrow Branwen returned from yet another patrol of the outer perimeter. As before, he only came across a few isolated packs of Grimm, mostly Beowolves and Ursas. Nothing he couldn't handle, and on his way back he noticed that other Huntsmen and Huntresses were doing the same thing. He also saw patrols of UNSC soldiers walking around the forest, clearing out any Grimm they saw while setting up what looked to be automated turrets on top of large towers. He could understand why they would set those up, and they certainly added to the overall security, but he couldn't help but shake the feeling of distrust in him.

He knew why he felt this way, feeling like the UNSC was bringing more harm than good. He often felt the same thing when he had to deal with members of Atlas' military, like they knew what was best and expected everyone else to fall in line. The UNSC may be alien, but at the same time they were still completely human. That meant he could read them, and their utilitarian design, function over form, and everything else screamed at him that this was a highly militarized society. Qrow didn't like it, especially since it was obvious that this UNSC was fighting someone. Who it was, he had no idea, but Remnant needed to find out. Which was why, when he found an isolated patrol of marines making their rounds, he stuck around and watched them from the trees. His bird form would have been preferable for spying without any chance of suspicion, but unfortunately he still needed his ADA to understand anything that their visitors said and his transformation took away the device to…wherever his clothes and weapon also disappeared to.

"This is so weird, man," one of the marines noted. "I mean, human aliens, shadow monsters? What's up with that?"

"No idea, Jenkins," another of the marines answered with a shrug. "Best we just do our jobs and get this over with."

"Yeah," the apparently named Jenkins replied. The marines continued their patrol, their bullpup rifles sweeping the area for any signs of Grimm. Qrow himself remained completely still and managed to evade their detection, while at the same time fully prepared to transform at a moment's notice.

"Hey, Mendoza? I've been thinking," Jenkins said in a low whisper after making sure no one else was around them.

"Well if ain't that a dangerous thing to hear," another marine joked, causing Jenkins to shoot him an angered look.

"I'm serious, Bisenti," Jenkins shot back. "Something about this entire thing is off. You heard the Sarge, these people weren't from one of our colonies. By all accounts, they've been here for thousands of years, at least. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

The other marines paused, then after a moment a marine wearing a floppy wide-rimmed hat quietly replied, "Yeah, I've been getting that feeling, too. Part of me thinks this might be a Covenant trap."

"Maybe," another marine, not wearing any headgear whatsoever and allowing his neatly trimmed black hair to be exposed, stated. "I don't know, man. Personally, I would have thought this was an Insurrectionist outpost, but this is way too big for that. More people live here than on Reach. No way Insurrectionists could get that many people."

"Yeah, you're probably right," the hat marine conceded with a shrug. "Guess that discredits my fear, too. No way the Covies would keep that many people alive just for a trap."

"Exactly," Bisenti said, then paused and shook his head. "The way I see it, none of this makes any sense. But they're still human, so we might as well treat them accordingly."

The other marines nodded and prepared to move out, only for one of them to stop and hold up his hand just as Qrow prepared to move. The other marines stopped and waited for the marine to sweep the area. At first, the rifle was at ground level, then it began to rise up into the trees straight towards Qrow's position. When it finally rested on the branch Qrow was standing on, the marine stared at him, then lowered the weapon and shook his head.

"False alarm, just a crow," he declared. "Come on, best to not have Sergeant Johnson wait on us."

"And that's another thing," Jenkins added as they walked off. "Why are there Earth animals here? It makes no sense."

"Jenkins, I advise you to just roll with it. That's what I'm doing," Bisenti argued. The other marines laughed or added their own bits to the conversation, and soon Qrow was left alone.

Once he was certain the coast was clear, Qrow hopped off the tree branch he was perched on and fluttered to the surface. Once he got close enough, his entire body shifted, turning him back into his regular appearance. Happy to have arms instead of wings once again, Qrow reached into his pocket and pulled out his flask, then took a quick swig of the alcoholic beverage inside and stashed it away once more.

"Covenant, huh?" Qrow muttered to himself as he walked off, making sure to not follow the marines lest they grow too suspicious. Their mention of Insurrectionists also intrigued him, but from what he could tell, they were considered an afterthought to the UNSC when compared to this Covenant, whatever they were. Qrow figured Ozpin would make more sense of it, but he did know one thing. He now had at least part of the answer as to what the UNSC was fighting.


"Hmm," Ozpin hummed to himself as Qrow finished telling him what he had learned. "You're certain this 'Covenant' is whom they're fighting?"

"Absolutely. They mentioned something about an Insurrection, too, but I got the feeling this Covenant was a much bigger deal," Qrow replied, leaning against a wall in Amity Colosseum and crossing his arms. They had chosen a spot well out of earshot, and they were keeping quiet to make sure no one else could overhear them. It was only Qrow and Ozpin at the moment, with Glynda keeping careful watch to make sure no one else got close.

Ozpin hummed again, tapping his fingers atop his cane, then softly asked, "Were you able to find out anything else?"

"Sorry, Oz. All I got was the name," Qrow confirmed, then frowned. "But I dunno. The way they were talking about them…it almost sounded like this Covenant was alien. Like, actualalien. Even if they aren't, it sounds like this Covenant doesn't value human lives at all."

"I can see what you mean, but it's just as likely that this Covenant is simply another group of humans independent of the UNSC," Ozpin argued, then frowned and thought to himself. After a moment, he said, "Even still, while we don't know much, we can still make inferences from their names alone. Names have power and meaning, and the same applies to the names of governments, states, and political groups. Perhaps more so than most, even. This 'Insurrection' sounds to me like they are a rebellion of some kind. Why they are rebelling, I haven't the faintest clue."

"I can think of a few reasons," Qrow argued with a small frown, and Ozpin nodded.

"As can I, but it's best not to jump to conclusions right now. If there is one thing I have learned, it's that not all rebellions could be considered just. Best we learn more before making a decision."

"That's fair," Qrow replied, then asked, "What about this Covenant?"

"Now that is an interesting question," Ozpin confirmed. "It's obvious that they are a separate polity, most likely a breakaway state. On the surface, the name evokes a religious connotation. Perhaps a theocracy, or at the very least a people whose religion is central to their culture. Whatever the case may be, they are at war with the UNSC, that much is certain."

"The UNSC does seem to be pretty secular, from what I can tell," Qrow added. "Maybe this Covenant didn't like that? Wars of religion are a thing, after all."

"Yes, that does seem to be the most likely outcome," Ozpin said with a disappointed sigh. "It's a shame, really. Mankind finally reaches the stars, only for petty differences to tear them apart."

"At least we share that." Qrow then sighed and stood back up, saying, "Well, I better get going before they think something's up. Talk to ya later, Oz."

Ozpin nodded, then he and Qrow separated. While Qrow turned back into a bird and flew back down to the ground where the other soldiers and Huntsmen were gathering, Ozpin went back to the conference room they were using for the meeting. As he walked, he felt a large hand slap across his shoulder, and Ozpin looked to his side to see Professor Theodore smiling at him.

"Ozpin! Nice of you to finally rejoin us!" Theodore declared, his thick arm muscles bulging as he tightly clasped it around his fellow headmaster. Then his cheery demeanor fell for a moment, and he whispered, "What did you find?"

"The UNSC is not as united as they led us to believe," Ozpin whispered. "We've identified at least two groups and entities they are in conflict with."

"How do you want to proceed?" Theodore asked. Ozpin thought for a moment, then nodded once he had an answer.

"Restraint is the best course of action at the moment. We cannot jeopardize this meeting, it's too important. The messier details can be worked out later," Ozpin suggested, and Theodore nodded.

"A smart decision, in my opinion," Theodore declared, then smiled and slapped Ozpin's shoulder again. He boldly declared, "I'm just upset I missed the first meeting! Let me tell you, trying to organize Vacuo is like herding cats. It's very difficult and time consuming."

"I'll take your word on that," Ozpin replied with a smile towards his old friend.

Professor Theodore gripped his shoulder tightly one last time, then he walked away to rejoin the Vacuo delegation, his silver shoes and ruby gloves glistening in the sunlight. Ozpin watched him go, then he turned his head skyward as he noticed one final Pelican dropship fly in from orbit. Rather than land on the ground with the rest of the soldiers, it flew straight into Amity Colosseum, telling Professor Ozpin that the meeting was finally about to occur. He and Professor Theodore quickened their pace, and soon they arrived at the meeting room and took their seats, Ozpin at the center while the other Headmasters were along the sides. A pair of Atlesian soldiers wielding rifles stood at the back corners of the room, keeping a careful watch on the door on the other side.

After a few minutes, they saw heard footsteps come their way. Then the doors on the opposite side of the room opened and revealed a pair of black armored soldiers, the same kind as Sergeant Graves. They were wielding large and somewhat bulky bullpup rifles, and when they took their positions in their corners of the room, they went completely still, keeping a careful watch on their surroundings through their silver visors. While Ozpin and Glynda weren't intimidated, as well as General Ironwood and the other headmasters, they did project an unnerving sight.

Just behind the soldiers was the actual UNSC delegation, which consisted of an elderly man wearing a dark grey tunic with black shoulders. The right side of his chest was adorned with various medals, while the left had the image of a black eagle, its wings raised skyward, standing on top of a planet. His skin was somewhat wrinkled and his once black hair was now greying. He stared at the Remnant delegation through his brown, hardened eyes, but he quickly sat down. Ozpin immediately marked him as the Captain of the vessel, then he turned his attention to the other delegate, a middle-aged woman with short black hair with streaks of grey and piercing blue eyes. In contrast to the clearly military dress uniform that the captain wore, she was wearing a mostly white lab coat with blue markings around it. A blue tunic and pants could be seen underneath it. In her hand was an object that, as she sat down, was placed in front of her. It was a circular pad, which Ozpin figured was a holographic projector of some kind. Then the doors closed, starting the meeting in earnest.

"Ladies, gentlemen, thank you for having us. My apologies for the rude arrival. It was not our intention to cause any alarm. My name is Captain Preston Jeremiah Cole," the man said in a professional tone, his voice deep. Ozpin was once again immensely grateful for the work done on the ADAs that allowed this conversation to occur in the first place, and he nodded.

"It's quite alright, Captain. We know you and the UNSC mean no harm," Ozpin said as diplomatically as possible. So, when Captain Cole raised his eyebrow in confusion, for a moment Ozpin worried he said something wrong. Then, to his surprise, he heard another male voice come from the pad on the table.

"My apologies, sir. It appears that the translation software updates didn't pick up everything," the voice explained, then from the pad sprang a light, clear blue holographic projection of a man wearing ancient bronze armor underneath a toga. The figure then turned towards the delegation and said with a small smile on his face, "He is actually a Vice Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations for the entire United Nations Space Command. Admiral Cole hasn't been a captain in decades."

Ozpin quickly nodded, understanding his minor mistake, but from the corner of his eye he noticed how Ironwood, and the rest of the Atlesian delegation, glanced at Admiral Cole following this new information. He knew why. Assuming the UNSC followed a similar military structure, it was quite likely that Admiral Cole was in the upper echelons of their entire military. It suddenly gave the meeting that much more weight.

"And who might you be?" Doctor Polendina asked once the room recovered. The hologram, which was strangely lifelike, turned to the man and folded his arms behind his back.

"I am UNSC AI Hannibal, serial number HNB 0218-1," he revealed, and both Pietro and Doctor Watts' eyes widened.

"You're an AI? But you're so…lifelike?" Pietro breathed out, and Hannibal nodded.

"He should be," the woman spoke up. For a split second, Ozpin jumped as the voice sounded eerily similar to another that he hadn't heard in so long, yet knew intimately regardless. The woman gave him a quick glance, clearly noticing the reaction but deciding to file it away for later, and added, "Hannibal, like all UNSC Smart AIs, was created from a donated human brain. In addition to generating stellar processing capabilities, it also allows them to form a personality of their own. Hannibal chose to model himself after his namesake, an ancient general from our history, for example."

"Fascinating…" Pietro whispered, then he recomposed himself and turned towards the woman while saying, "Sorry. I just got so caught up in this. My name is Doctor Pietro Polendina, and this is my associate Doctor Arthur Watts. Who might you be?"

"Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey," she answered. "Scientific advisor to the Office of Naval Intelligence. It's a pleasure to meet you, doctor."

The other delegates quickly exchanged pleasantries, introducing themselves to Admiral Cole, Doctor Halsey, and Hannibal so that they could get the meeting underway.

"Once again, we apologize for how our first introductions went," Admiral Cole insisted. "We exercised an overabundance of caution, which in hindsight was not the best decision. I take full responsibility for any undue stress inflicted upon your people by mine."

"I can understand the need for caution," Professor Theodore said, clasping his hands together while resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward, "but I must ask: why did you decide this overabundance was warranted? It seemed almost outright hostile. You must have known our people would have noticed your presence?"

"We were heavily damaged following an engagement," Cole explained, not elaborating any further as to what this engagement entailed. "For security reasons, we entered slipspace randomly, where we found you. After Hannibal picked up your planet's radio signals, we came in to investigate due to how similar they were to our own."

"That doesn't answer our question," a short woman with long blonde hair and a braid added, whom Ozpin recognized as Professor Rumpole, Theodore's right hand woman. "Why didn't you try to contact us once you determined the signals weren't natural?"

"Remnant was just outside the reach of our colonized space. As such, we feared you were Insurrectionists," Cole explained, simultaneously confirming Qrow's information from earlier.

"Insurrectionists?" Rumpole asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One of several loosely organized groups of rebels, terrorists, and insurgents," Halsey explained, clasping her arms together on the table. "They've caused the deaths of millions of civilians over the past fifty years. Due to your planet's proximity to our space, Admiral Cole believed the possibility of your planet being an outpost for them was high, so he acted accordingly. Obviously, that was incorrect."

Halsey shot Admiral Cole a quick glance, but he refused to meet her gaze to instead focus on the Remnant delegation. Ozpin, meanwhile, focused on both what she said as well as what they didn't. The thought of a rebellion causing millions of casualties was horrifying to him, as well as to the rest of his colleagues. Assuming that the UNSC was telling the truth, and Ozpin knew at best they were only telling a partial one, there would have been reason to both suspect rebel activity as well as investigate it. If these Insurrectionists truly were behind the deaths of millions, he'd be cautious, too. Of course, they didn't say why the Insurrectionists were rebelling, but he figured they'd learn that later.

"In any case, I sent special forces operators to the planet to conduct recon, which is when we learned the truth," Cole admitted, then paused and added, "and came into contact with the Grimm."

Ozpin and the others nodded, with Ironwood saying, "You have our condolences for the loss of your men. We understand that pain all too well."

"I'd imagine so," Cole somberly replied. "I sent sixty men down here. Only half came back."

Ozpin slowly nodded sympathetically, then he said, "Which leads us to our next topic of discussion. Your soldiers chose to intervene against Grimm attacks on isolated villages. They would have been destroyed had they not, and for that we thank you."

"Just as we thank you for rescuing and healing Staff Sergeant Ethan Graves," Cole declared. "You have no idea how much that lifted my men's spirits."

"It was our pleasure," Ozpin insisted. He was being sincere, as over the weeks he had grown to appreciate Graves' company.

The meeting fell back from pleasantries and shifted focus to the broader subjects after that. Both sides exchanged basic information about their peoples, cultures, and histories, along with clearing up any misunderstandings. One of which was the name of the UEG, which was the Unified Earth Government, not United. An easily understandable translator error, which luckily didn't need much adjusting. The White Fang delegates from Menagerie were also surprised that the Faunus were not among the UNSC. In fact, before arriving at Remnant, Faunus were completely unheard of. Both of them were somewhat disappointed, and Ozpin could see why. After all, if humans were somehow in space, it stood to reason that the Faunus could have been, too. Luckily, they managed to push aside their disappointment for now, and the meeting continued.

"So, your government is a democracy?" Professor Lionheart asked, and Hannibal nodded.

"We are, yes. The UEG is a representative democracy," Hannibal reiterated. "The UNSC is merely the military arm of the government. We are in charge of providing security and protecting human colonies from Insurrectionists, pirates, and more."

Ozpin nodded, once again noting that while the UNSC appeared to openly discuss the Insurrection, the Covenant wasn't mentioned once. This convinced him more than anything else that the Covenant was the UNSC's true enemy at the moment, but he continued to bite his tongue.

"What about your economy?" Jacques Schnee asked, leaning against the table on his arm. "Remnant is a capitalist society. Can the same be said about yours?"

"UEG citizens enjoy a wide array of personal and economic freedoms," Halsey confirmed. "While the government does enjoy a close relationship with several companies, the economy itself operates under free market principles."

"I see," Jacques said and paused for a moment. He then asked, "How can we expect, then, for Remnant to operate in your interstellar economy? Our market, while global, is still only one planet whereas yours spans hundreds. What is to stop your companies from simply drowning out our own?"

"Speaking from experience there?" Sienna Khan asked pointedly. Jacques and several others shot her a look, and Ozpin noted that Admiral Cole and Doctor Halsey readily picked up on the undertones.

He sighed internally. Just as he had been picking up on the subtle darker side of the UNSC, the side that they clearly didn't want to convey, the UNSC was also picking up on Remnant's. Specifically the treatment of the Faunus. While the UNSC was treating Ghira and Sienna with the utmost respect, the same could not be said with most of the Remnant delegation. The worst offenders were Mistral's, and barbs and jabs were commonly thrown between both groups. Clearly, the UNSC did not particularly enjoy what they were seeing, which told Ozpin that they had managed to move past similar grievances of their own. Perhaps such behavior was now considered taboo, which gave Ozpin some hope that the same could come to be on Remnant in due time.

"To answer your question," Cole finally spoke up, bringing everyone's attention back to him, "that particular area is outside of our expertise. But I can say that the UNSC and UEG would prefer to work with Remnant's native companies to facilitate trade. We understand your concerns in that area."

Jacques nodded, but if he was placated by that answer he didn't show it. Ozpin wondered what, exactly, he was thinking, but obviously it was foremost about himself and not the rest of the planet. At the same time, he did raise a valid concern. History was rife with larger entities swooping into an area and overwhelming what others had to offer simply due to access to larger resources. This often led to exploitation, and while Jacques Schnee was certainly guilty of doing just that, the UNSC had the capability to do it on a global scale. If integration into an interstellar economy wasn't handled properly, Remnant would become nothing more than a mere puppet of a government not of their own making.

"What about the faunus? Can we expect any differential treatment due to the differences between our people?" Ghira asked, his tone easily conveying that he was speaking from experience. Just as Jacques was solely concerned with the UNSC's impact on Remnant's economy, Ghira Belladonna was solely concerned with the treatment of his people.

Cole nodded, remaining professional as he declared, "We intend to treat the people of Remnant, both human and faunus, with the utmost respect and as equals. In our eyes, we're all human, even if there are some differences."

Ghira nodded with a small smile, clearly satisfied with the answer. Sienna was slightly more suspicious, but even she was growing more and more satisfied. In fact, from the conversations that had been going on over the past few hours, both Ghira and Sienna had repeatedly shown that they were pleased with how the talks were going. By all indications, it appeared that the UNSC had no desires to perpetuate the discrimination against the faunus that the other kingdoms exhibited, and even Ozpin hoped that would lead to positive change in the future.

That was the major sense he was getting about this entire meeting. There were clearly challenges and issues regarding the UNSC, challenges he would have to keep an eye on to ensure everything would develop smoothly for his people. But in those challenges were opportunities that could lead Remnant into a brighter tomorrow. Despite his misgivings, he had to at least attempt to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Now, onto other matters," Ozpin began, then he stopped. The hairs on the back of his neck rose up, causing the rest of the delegation to take notice. At the same time, the other headmasters did the same along with their fellow professors, and they looked out the window towards the forest that surrounded them. Cole, Halsey, and Hannibal followed their gazes, and all they saw was the violent ruffling of trees.

A moment later, the alarms blared.

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! Here's the latest chapter of Dust and Echoes. Special thanks to Jesse K and NaanContributor for all their help in bringing this story to life.

The UNSC and Remnant have started their true talks, but Salem's forces have struck. What comes next, you guys will have to wait and see.

Now, onto the Q&A:

Proto 150: Thank you, I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so much so far. Happy to have exceeded your expectations.

Guest (1): Thank you. I strive to ensure that my writing is of the highest quality. As for length of time between chapters, I aim for two chapters per month for all three of my stories.

Cyberpunk1-009: Thank you, that really means a lot to me. I'm glad that my story has you hooked and evokes anticipation. That's the feeling I really want to convey to everyone, as I feel it adds to the story tremendously.

SulliMike23: Yep, she did.

Evinco: That is entirely accurate. As for what the Brothers are in this setting, that will be revealed in due time.

Shadowstorm-Vash: As in RWBY canon, Salem is completely immortal in this setting. Remember, Ozma reduced her to ash and she just came back. A MAC round would just do the same thing. It would hurt like hell, but she'd get back up. As for Kalib, I did indent for that feeling to come across. She was supposed to be sympathetic.

kpmh2001: Thank you. One of the things I really strive to do is get Chief's character right. He's really hard to do effectively, but if done well he's so fascinating a character. And yeah, since this is a sci-fi story, a more scientific view of things is applicable. As for pointers, I'd advise keeping everyone in character, emphasize the unknown and monumental nature of a First Contact, and what both sides want. If it's going all hunky-dory, you're not really taking full advantage of the scenario, in my opinion.

Knighthunter911700: Oh, I think you guys are going to enjoy next chapter.

BanzEye: Yep, one of the things I strive to do is fit everyone's character. Salem isn't a bulldozer, although she certainly has the capability to do so. She's a scalpel more than anything else, and I wanted to emphasize that. As Ozpin said in the chapter, she isn't stupid. Far from it. If I had her simply rush in, she would be stupid, so I didn't have her do that.

Vein Bloodborne: You will have to wait and see.

edboy4926: No, the SPARTAN-IIs are not public knowledge yet. Hence why Blue Team is not mentioned or directly seen at the meeting. As for the Wizard of Oz, as mentioned earlier, don't expect it to be a major thing. At most, it'll be regarded as a interesting coincidence, then moved on. If I even decide to bring attention to it in the first place, which I probably won't.

Steelrain66: As you can see, they did. And Johnson was brought along with them. As for ONI and Parangosky, they'll come into play soon, trust me on that.

Dragon lord Syed 101: More on that as the story develops.

That's it for this time. I hope you all enjoy! See you next time and let us know what you think!