Remnant - XXVI

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Requested By : Gib

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Ninety one percent.

Of the twenty three-mech units he had dispatched, approximately ninety one percent of the units had returned in repairable states. Three of the destroyed units had simply been swarmed by smaller Grimm that ripped and tore at them until something went off, or they managed to get inside and kill the pilotes. One of the remaining two had been plucked from the ground by a lucky Nevermore that had survived the shrapnel that killed its two fellows, and one more had been destroyed when its internal heat dampening sinks couldn't contain the excess heat of the autocannon and PPC being fired far more often than training mandated, and it had exploded, flooding the cabin with super-heated air and excess plasma from the particle cannon.

An unfortunate weakness of the machines…

"Sir." He turned and looked across his office at his assistant, standing in the door of his office. "Titan Fleet is fully loaded and stowed, ready for launch. On your word, General Ironwood."

He nodded and turned, reaching out to press a button on the Scroll in its dock on his desk. "Titan Fleet, General Ironwood. Launch when ready."

"Yes, General." Hanna Foil answered, her voice raspy and staticy across the connection. As with the tradition she always served so faithfully, she added, "We sail for Atlas."

"For Atlas." He nodded, cutting the line and turning to the distant horizon.

Titan Fleet was the single largest air-fleet ever assembled, of any kind, in Remnant's known history. A hundred warships, fully fitted and crewed by over ten thousand men and women supported by another ten thousand ground-support robot drones and two hundred Paladin-2s. Sixty of the air-ships were the lighter Mantle class attack ships, and he saw the evening sun glint off their hulls as they lifted up and away, surrounding their designated Atlas class air-carriers protectively even now.

It was supported by a painfully motley assembly of the wet-navy, or what it could spare. Most of the forty ships were little more than transports, carrying equipment, transporting soldiers, and providing general logistics support. But among their number were a handful of old bombardier ships, whose large cannons would operate as artillery support. All along Mistral's coast, as needed, and on to Menagerie.

The chime of his Scroll drew his attention and he turned and grunted, "Accept call."

"General." Ozpin's voice broke across the line after the few moments of delay, there and back again, passed. "I wanted to speak to you about the war."

"I suspected as much." He sighed, taking his seat and speaking clearly, "I got your letter, Ozpin."

"Then you understand my suspicions." He returned, "And what they may imply."

"I do, yes." Salem, the immortal witch-queen of the Grimm. Just a couple years ago, he'd have thought anyone telling him such things was mad. And had them locked up for it, too, to prevent them inciting panic. But after everything he'd seen… "The war will be over by the end of the month, Ozpin."

"You're certain?"

"I am, yes." He nodded, tapping his finger on his desk meaningfully and explaining, "I have dispatched the single largest fleet Remnant has ever seen. It will end the resistance in Mistral, see the Faunus relocated, and properly seize and occupy Mantle as a whole. All at once. With every venue secured, the Faunus won't be able to resist. And by the time they've adapted, they will all have been relocated."

"And so, have no reason to fight." Ozpin surmised, "Beyond vengeance."

"Let them try and come to Atlas for revenge." He scoffed, "With their backs broken, they won't accomplish anything. And with Menagerie dependent on us for trade, most won't want to risk it for what? Some pride?"

"Pride is a powerful motivator." Ozpin pointed out, "Like, for instance, presuming you can control their trade."

"I'm not presuming." Ironwood defended simply and frowned, "With the taking of Menagerie, I've ordered the summary scuttling of all their ships. Atlas will construct new ones, and license them to them. I've also ordered the destruction of their docks. Which we will also replace, on credit to Menagerie."

"I see…"

"With control of their trade and fishing, secured by tracking devices hidden in their ships and a mandatory escort policy that will keep our ships with theirs, they won't be able to get out from under our hands." Ironwood finished, allowing himself the thinnest, satisfied smile, "This will be disliked, I'm certain. But with the conflict at an end, and Menagerie a proper, colonial enterprise, we can enrich it. And Atlas too. Eventually, that will bring true stability."

"I see." Ozpin murmured, face flat and blank. After a moment, he sighed and nodded, "Well… We shall see, I suppose."

"This will work, Ozpin." He ressed, leaning forward and nodding firmly, "I know it."

"Then I wish you luck." Ozpin smiled, "Be safe, Ironwood."

With that, Ozpin ended the call and Ironwood sighed and turned his seat to watch the air-fleet vanishing into the distance. As it went, he sighed.

"It's time this ended… One way or another."

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"Short, controlled shots!" Sienna called out as she paced along behind the line of kneeling Faunus, the dry, cracked ground of the badlands cracking and crumbling under her feet. "In a firefight, your ammunition is limited! Aim center mass and understand that getting rounds on a target is the objective! Not striking specific parts of it!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The recruits called out, heavy rifle fire echoing around her, with that odd electric hum of Shockwave's modified 'rail gun' enhancements. Just one of many weapons he'd made for them…

"Yuma!" The young Faunus, as always, was at her side in a second, appearing at her side like he'd stepped right out of her shadow. Lithe, and a handful of years younger than her, but dependable enough, she supposed. "Lead the rest of the firing drill. Your scores are high enough."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The shooting range was simple, nothing more than a line of ammunition-stacked stalls and a reinforced wall far enough away to pose a challenge that had been lined by targets. More targets, both broken Atlesian drones and simple stacks of rocks, lined the way in between. They were obstacles, too, though - the further targets were worth more points. Between that motivation and her own rigorous instruction, it was almost ideal.

And the new recruits were coming along well, thanks to it.

"Flit!" She looked up as, on call, the sleek-bodied Insecticon swept down, its wings swinging back behind it as it knelt to regard her. "Is Shockwave still working on his project?"

"Yes." She answered, "Shall I take you?"

"Yes." She nodded, and let the metal maiden wrap her thin fingers around her. Far from the most comfortable way to travel, sure.

But the speed left nothing to be desired.

Shockwave's new project was… A big one, being constructed in a handful of dugout pits miles away from her arid, Insecticon protected, training camp. Built by his Insecticons, in the shadow of the Dark Mountains. Or at least, what had been the Dark Mountains until Shockwave decided he had better ideas for it than nature or the Stars did.

All of the mountains around where Ghira had found Shockwave, years ago now, had been fully enclosed by black, layered cylinders that rose up all the way to their peaks like terraces. Each flat topped layer was lined by exhaust pipes, spinning turbines, communication dishes and antennae all presumably meant to coordinate the work going on in and around the so-called 'manu-factories' Shockwave had erected over the last few months, to help advance Menagerie's development however he could.

To her, though, it looked like some sort of evil, dark fortress… Complete with thousands of windows lit up in angry red hues that lined the entire thing.

Flit didn't take her there, though. Instead she dipped down towards the deep pits the Insecticons had dug out. As Flit came down, Sienna looked out from between her fingers to get a look at it, too.

There were four pits, dug twenty feet or so down, into the hard rock of the region. Huge frames had been erected all around the inside of the pits, with dozens of Insecticons that walked and flew around it carrying sections of armor plate and decking between them. Others, mostly the fliers like Flit, zoomed around quickly with long-handled, brightly red-tipped lances that they used to weld the sections of metal into place on the frames. A couple of the massive frames were closer to done, with hundred foot long, oval shaped bodies that glinted a dull silver color while Insecticons carried around building-long legs, segmented like some kind of insect, that they were working to attach to open sockets along the sides of the machines.

One, though, was almost done, sans the rounded, segmented head that was being attached and the hinged hangar-like doors that were being attached to its open back.

"A… Giant scorpion?"

"Master waits." Flit hissed as she landed and let Sienna out. Turning, she pointed down the pit they'd landed at, with the mostly finished scorpion, and said. "Inside the Scorponok."

"Alright…" She nodded, "Thanks."

"Of course." Flit nodded, turning and lifting off to… Do whatever she intended to do, while Sienna was here.

Thick metal supports had been built around the edges of all of the pits, to keep the rock stable and safe to traverse, and she used one to climb down. A few insecticons, carrying long sections of cable, batteries as large as Sienna herself, and crates of whatever else, turned to eye her as they passed. But when she didn't ask for help, they moved on, presuming she could handle herself.

Which was smart of them, because she could.

Until it came time to find a way inside the giant 'Scorponok'.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long. Shockwave came out, hand reaching up to grab the edge of one of the open segments along its back and pulling himself out. Standing on top of it, and surrounded by his workers, he surveyed its curved surface. Then he cocked his head, regarding something Sienna couldn't see or hear. And, suddenly, his gaze snapped around and locked onto her.

She almost flinched.

Turning, he stepped to the curved edge and then crouched, sliding down it almost elegantly before hitting the ground, rolling and coming back up to standing without so much as a stumble. Coming towards her, he rumbled his usual, simple, "Sienna."

"Shockwave." She nodded and smiled, crossing her arms and jerking her head at the massive machine. "The hell is this?"

"A Scorponok combat transport." He explained simply, standing beside her and looming over her like a monolith. "All will be completed within the next week, and ready for our invasion."

"And they're used for…?"

"Their interiors are hollow, with repair bays for my Insecticons and medical bays for your warriors." He started simply, pointing up at the curved upper section of the flat-bellied machine, "In combat, its upper shell will raise up, exposing a number of doors out of the interior and allowing gun emplacements to be erected along its platform edge to support engagements. Bays on its top will also open, to allow my Insecticons to deploy."

"How many can they carry?"

"Each has space for twenty Insecticons." He answered, "And one hundred Faunus. With storage for Energon, food, medicine, and spare parts in its belly. Enough to maintain those forces."

"How many Scorponoks are there?"

"There will be five." Shockwave answered, "Two will split apart to seize Mistral's arid East, under your command, if you will have it."

"I don't mind." She shrugged, "The rest?"

The remaining three will fall under my own, direct command." He answered, "And we will go to Mistral itself. With them, we shall seize the Kingdom. With your conquests in the East, we will seize the continent."

"And then?"

"The Mistralians subjugated your people." He answered simply, "In turn, they shall bend the knee to Menagerie's demands. Supplies, reforms, Lien- Perhaps, even, federation."

"You… Want us to vassalize Mistral?"

"No." He shook his head, turning to kneel beside her and explaining patiently, "Vassals are servile. And, inevitably, rebel. I suggest you remove Mistrtal's leadership. Remove them and replace them with your own, well-reasoned and more egalitarian, appointments. Appointments which will eagerly ratify a federated unification with Menagerie. Two Kingdoms, one Council."

"That sounds complicated…"

"It will be." He nodded, holding up a finger which produced a slim sort of drive. Sienna took it and he explained, "This details plans to form up a representative system to replace the traditional one. Which will allow Faunus and Humans to truly come together, and address the problems at hand."

"Ambitious of you."

"I am prone to ambition." He chuckled, "But this will work."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because it has before."

"Yeah?"

"It was modeled after a greater nation on another planet. An organic one. Earth." He explained, a strange sort of… Excitement creeping into his tone, almost. "The nation itself is irrelevant, but the system is a good one. With my own more democratic modifications and protections, such as the guarantee of an equitable, direct vote and the chartering of what is referred to as 'sapient privilege' which supersedes all, the Human majority will be unable to harm the Faunus or, in time, even the Insecticon minority."

"You're giving your Insecticons freedom?"

"They are not my slaves." He murmured, "But… In brief, yes. I am."

"Why?" She asked frankly, curious. "They don't seem to be pushing against you."

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings." Shockwave answered as he rose and turned to regard the Scorponok. "Such took me too long to understand. But now, I will fight for it. For both our peoples."

"We're one people." Sienna corrected, drawing his gaze back to her and smirking for it. "Faunus and Cybertronian, doesn't matter. We're Menagerie. One people. All of us are one."

"'Til all are one'..."

"What's that?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and turned away, "Did you need something, Sienna? Or were you merely seeking a status update?"

"Well, I was done for the day, so…" She shrugged and chewed her lip for a second, unsure of what to really say. Or why she'd just decided to come all the way here, when she could have simply asked an Insecticon to relay an update. Finally, she said, "I came to make sure you take a break, get some rest."

"Rest?"

"Yeah." She nodded, bobbing her head up the hill, "Come on. Let's go see Kali and Ghira. I'm sure they could use a bit of a rest, too. And pretty soon, we'll all be too busy to spend time together."

"I suppose you are right…" Turning, he knelt and let her step into his palm. Then, as he rose, he let her onto his shoulder and turned to climb the steep side of the pit. "My Insecticons can complete construction without me."

"Yeah." She nodded and smiled, "I'm sure they'll handle it just fine."

"Indeed." He rumbled, "And then, we shall end this."

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