Well, Happy New Year everyone! Time for Chapter 5 of The Vale Order to go up. A little slower than the last few, but that's only for a little bit. The action will definitely be picking p over the next few chapters.



Enjoy!

Day 27, Month 7, Year 75 of the Sixth Age

The last week was anything but calm.

The Emerald Forest had suffered heavy damage to various systems. Oxygen restoration was still active, and the artificial gravity arrays were still operational, but the radiation shielding was weakened to below standard levels. It was still active, but it wasn't operation within suggested parameters. Multi-dimensional radiation, which was a form of Cherenkov Radiation, was caused by light being so blue shifted that it becomes high energy waves. In the case of Emerald Forest's maximum dimensional bubble, even simple radio waves could be shifted into high energy gamma radiation, which could be lethal after only a few minutes of exposure.

As such, the Emerald Forest was stranded in orbit around Beta, waiting for a repair ship to arrive. And, given that the Grimm had begun their invasion, this wasn't going to be for a while.

Shortly after being released from the infirmary, Ruby immediately checked on Weiss. The heiress' injuries wouldn't be fatal nor debilitating. She had, for the first few days, limited use of her left arm, the muscles having been damaged, but the injury was already healing. Dust medicine was extremely effective, allowing for wounds to heal at an alarming rate. However, it came with the side effect of being extremely difficult to pinpoint an exact amount for a certain injury. As such, the white-haired girl was under constant medical watch.

Yang had spent most of her time in the ship's gym, keeping her body in peak condition. Sometimes she trained with others, Nora being one of Yang's most common partners, and other times she spent her day taking out frustrations on a defenseless punching bag.

Blake hadn't been around often, and usually kept quiet when she was. The faunus either didn't trust people, or didn't like people. And this worried Ruby. She wanted her team to work together effortlessly, but so far it seemed as though the only people who could stand each others presence were Ruby and Yang.

Six days after the attack, Weiss was finally released from the infirmary. The heiress had little trouble using her left arm now, but seeing as she hadn't used it actively for six days, it was feeling sore.

Of course, before she was even out of the infirmary, Ruby was at her side. "So, what are you going to do now?" Ruby asked as the pair headed through a main corridor. This area of the ship wasn't heavily damaged, as the Grimm were kept far away from the medical areas. However, as they entered a large park like area, the effects of the battle could be seen. Several of the decorative tress were splintered, and the benches were shattered.

Weiss rotated her arm, testing it's range of motion. There was no pain, but it felt stiff. "I'm going to head to one of the training facilities." The heiress said plainly. Ruby nodded.

"You think I could join you?" The redhead asked, a slight hint of eagerness entering her voice. Weiss sighed, trying her best to hide the annoyance she was feeling.

Weiss thought long and hard about what to say. She could see Ruby was trying to be a good leader. Combat-wise, there was no strategist on board who could match Ruby. The young girl had some kind of sixth sense, predicting how the battle was going, and she was extremely perceptive. She saw and memorized details that even AI's could miss.

However, when it came to social interaction, Ruby was less than stellar. She had trouble talking to people, even with insistent nagging from Yang. And even if she did somehow start a conversation, she had trouble holding it. Interactions with Ruby were, to say the least, brief.

"You know what?" Weiss said, exiting the park area and passing a pair of patrolling marines. "Sure." Ruby's eyes lit up with excitement, an almost infectious smile forming on her face.

The redhead remained mostly silent as the two entered one of the many training facilities on the ship. This one wasn't a holographic system, like the one they used against team JNPR. This one was more like a gym. However, instead of weights or punching bags, there were rapiers.

"You fence?" Ruby asked curiously. Weiss nodded sharply, approaching a locker.

"Ever since I could walk." Weiss answered almost automatically. "Granted, it was because my father wanted me to be good at something he could use." She added the words with an almost undetectable venom.

Ruby watched as Weiss opened the locker, which contained a set of fencing gear. "Well, I've never fenced before." She confessed. "I don't even know what to do." She added, trying to sound humorous, but it instead came out as sheepishness.

Weiss grabbed the set of gear and smirked. "Then I'll teach you." She said evenly. "It's not all that hard to understand, even for a dunce like you." She added, letting rare humor seep into her voice.

Ruby smiled at the words, eagerly grabbing her own set of gear. Maybe this might work out after all.

xXxXx

Blake was the only person in Team RWBY's bay, and used the alone time to her advantage. The faunus went to her locker and pulled out a small, thick tome with various symbols written elegantly throughout. To most people, this would be unintelligible. But not to Blake.

The tome was a Jiharî, a holy book in Denyara. Particularly, Jiharî was the 'Book of Tales', which recounted the various stories told through history of the Denyara faith.

As Blake started to set up a makeshift tenura, she heard the lock click. This immediately followed by Yang stepping into the room. "Hey, Weiss got let out today and she's fencing with Ruby." The blonde said, heading to her bunk.

Blake simply nodded in response, not breaking concentration on her task. The faunus set two sticks of incense and a sîaro, a thin mat, near her bunk, facing the far corner of the room.

"Whatcha doin'?" Yang asked from her bunk. She sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off the side.

Blake frowned, a small sigh leaving her lips. "I'm trying to pray." She said evenly. "I would prefer it if you kept quiet while I do so."

Yang let a small frown show itself on her face for a brief instant as she hopped down with a dull clack. "You follow Denyara, right?" Yang kept her voice casual.

Blake simply nodded. She was starting to get agitated. Yang hummed in reply. "Why do you ask?" Blake said, trying with all her might to keep her voice even.

Yang sat down about a meter away from Blake, near the middle of the bay. "Well, you never said anything about it." Yang said, trying to keep her voice from not sounding cynical. "I mean, we are your teammates. Why keep it a secret?"

Yang's question honestly made Blake nervous. She wasn't afraid of what others might say about her beliefs. BEACON was very neutral when it came to religions. Yes, Denyara wasn't a large religion by comparison, but almost every faunus on board practiced it.

However, Blake had a…dark past. The kind that you'd rather fall asleep one night and forget all about when you wake up. The kind that haunts you when you finally do get to sleep, and keeps your dreams from being pleasant.

Letting out a deep breath, Blake turned to Yang. "I've made mistakes in the past." She said finally. "And I don't mean the kinds that could just be forgiven by a simple 'sorry.' My past…" She paused here. Yang put a hand up, silencing the girl.

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to." She said, keeping her voice low. "Is that why you do this?" Yang motioned to the religious stuff Blake had pulled out.

The feline girl nodded. "After I started to turn my life around, I was taken in by a deniera. They pretty much raised me." There was a hint of nostalgia in Blake's words.

Yang nodded. "What's it about?" She asked, pointing to the Jiharî.

Blake looked surprised at the question. Granted, it wasn't the bad kind of surprise. It was a nice shock.

Blake thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Well, Denyara is about selflessness, while trying to better oneself through selfless acts." Blake answered, still trying to convey the words in an understandable way.

Yang nodded slowly. "Well, that sounds simple." She said, practically jumping off her knees. "Anything else?" She asked almost immediately.

Blake remained silent. "Not really." She said after a moment. "As long as you do what is right, morally, that's about it." She said.

However, it was clear that Yang wasn't quite buying that answer. "So, what's this then?" Yang motioned to the various prayer aids that Blake had set up. "What does prayer have to do with 'bettering oneself'?" She asked.

Blake lowered her head slightly, in a way that imitated traditional prayer. "Everyone, even the most selfless person in the universe, acts either selfishly or immorally." She said. "We pray so that we may ask forgiveness for what we may have done, or for guidance when things seem bleak." She explained. She then opened the Jiharî.

"This is called a Jiharî." Blake said, turning to a page near the middle of the book. "It's more or less similar to the Bible. It is full of tales and prayers." She explained, showing Yang the various writings. Not that Yang could read them.

"What language is that?" Yang asked, pointing at the page. "I might not be able to read Faun, but I at least know what it looks like, and this ain't it." She said. Blake nodded.

"All of the scriptures in Denyara are written in Renyan." She continued. Yang nodded in understanding.

Blake pointed to the page, to an excerpt written near the bottom of the page. "We have many different prayers." Blake said. "This one here is the Hirua Kinsa, a prayer we recite for those whom have died." Blake kept her voice even.

Yang looked the verse over. If she was correct in her assumptions of the Renyan language, it was four lines long and wasn't extremely long. "Which one are you going to be doing?" Yang asked curiously.

Blake tapped the page a few times. It was obvious that she meant 'this one.' "Why?" Yang asked before her mind could act.

Blake didn't seem to take offence to it. "Any form of killing is seen as a sin." She explained. "However, in my case, I don't kill for pleasure." She continued, letting a long sigh escape her lips. "I do it to protect others." Yang nodded.

"Yeah, that's what we do." Yang spoke, trying to sound humorous. Blake let a small smile grace her face.

"Indeed. And this is a selfless choice." She continued. "So, I say this prayer for all those I have killed." Blake's voice held the most subtle hints of regret. "Through this, one's iaro, our soul, is cleansed." Yang nodded in understanding.

"So, how's it go?" She asked. Blake gave a slight smirk, beginning to recite the prayer to Yang, who listened intently.

xXxXx

Less than an hour had gone by, and already Weiss was impressed. Ruby had no idea how to fence at first. She didn't know any of the rules, nor did she know the proper way to hold the foil. After a brief lesson in the basic rules, Weiss started to show Ruby some offensive and defensive techniques.

After Ruby seemed to master these, Weiss had agreed to a bout against the younger girl. At first, the discrepancy of skills showed, and Weiss handily defeated Ruby 5-0 (5 being the standard amount of hits, or 'touches', required to win a single bout).

However, in the second round, Ruby showed a marked improvement, holding Weiss to a 3-2 victory. And when the two squared off a third time, Ruby was able to best Weiss by a score of 4-1, with the previous two bouts ending after the standard nine minutes had passed.

The heiress took her protective mask off, stepping off the piste, and gave Ruby a small smile. "Impressive." She said, her voice praising. "You've got a natural talent." Ruby took her mask off and exposed a lit up face.

The younger girl's smile was infectious, and Weiss's smile got deeper. "Thanks for teaching me, Weiss." Ruby said, placing her foil with the others as she followed Weiss into the changing area. The white-haired girl nodded once in response.

After changing into their casual uniforms, which were grey t-shirts and black shorts, Weiss led Ruby back to the bay. "You might be able to compete in a tournament with your skills." Weiss said as the two stepped out of the gym. "You'd definitely have a chance, if you work on your footwork." She added a slight tone of disapproval here, a playful remark at Ruby's rather sloppy movements.

Ruby beamed even more. "Really? You think I could actually compete?" She half-squealed, a huge wave of excitement washing over her. Weiss couldn't even be upset at Ruby's childish behavior. Weiss still thought Ruby wasn't acting as professional as she should, but she was beginning to get past it.

"That doesn't mean you can't practice." Weiss added, keeping her voice even. "You might be talented, but without proper training, you won't make it far in a tournament." Ruby felt the wind leave her sails ever-so-much, but she took it in stride.

"Right." She said, her voice suddenly very serious. "You don't have to worry. I'll train everyday if I have to!" And then she was back to her usual self, even striking a theatrical salute to emphasize her resolve.

Weiss let out a sigh that was a combination of annoyance and humor. "If you say so." She added flatly.

The pair approached the central mall, the thoroughfare heavily damaged from the Grimm attacks, but it was still bustling with people shopping and enjoying themselves.

The two were almost to their bay when Yang stepped out. "Oh, hey sis." The blonde said, her voice cheery as usual. Ruby gave her a small wave.

The three had barely stepped back inside when a knock came at their door. Weiss answered it, exposing a young man in the Standard Combat Uniform. "Mail call." He said, handing Weiss a tablet that held the team's collective mail. Weiss nodded in reply before the PVT continued on his rounds.

"Any for me?" Yang asked eagerly as soon as Weiss shut the door. The heiress was ready to make a sharp remark, but there indeed was a message for the blonde.

Yang noticed that Weiss didn't tell her no, and immediately snatched the tablet out of the heiress' hands. She found the file with her name attached and uploaded it to her AURA. It flashed with a few private messages, but one message stood out.

Once she saw who it was from, she lit up like a supernova. Ruby let out a short squeal, reading the same thing Yang was.

With their teammates looking confused, the two sisters wordlessly scrambled to a digital screen and fought to input something on the interface. After less than three seconds, a message popped up on the screen. "Contacting 'Summer Rose'" It read.

Weiss didn't have time to ask her question, because at that moment the screen went from a mostly blank display to one that looked like it was on board a ship. Prominent on the screen was a woman in her mid-40s, with her graying black hair tied into a bun. She was wearing the dress uniform of a Hunter, and her rank insignias were that of a Lieutenant Colonel.

The woman beamed warmly at the two girls, who were also smiling back. "Hi, mom!" Ruby said, waving like a lunatic at the screen.

The woman, Summer, gave a small laugh at her younger daughter's antics. "Hi, Ruby, Yang." She said, her voice a mixture of kind and stern. "How've you two been?" She asked.

You could hear the smile in Yang's voice. "Great. I've been keeping Ruby here out of trouble." Yang playfully pushed the younger girl, who countered by poking Yang in the side. The older girl let out an uncharacteristic squeal at the touch.

Summer barely contained her laughs. "I see. Have you been keeping yourself out of trouble?" Summer's voice became one of a parent's, stern, if a little playful. Yang suddenly went silent.

Ruby, in typical little sister fashion, smirked. "Well, she did 'accidentally' break one of the gyms' boxing machines." Ruby said, getting a glare from her sister.

Summer's look towards Yang remained sharp, but it was mixed with exasperation. She then let out a sigh. "What am I ever going to do with you?" She said, bringing her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

Ruby then smiled happily. "Mom, guess what?" She said, getting her mother's attention. "Weiss here taught me how to fence, and she said I could enter in a tournament!" Ruby said excitedly, motioning for the heiress to come over. Weiss tried to argue, but Ruby practically dragged her into view.

"Really?" Summer said, her voice a mix of pride and wonder. "And just how did you manage to do that?" She added, her tone not faltering an inch. She looked to Weiss, her gaze one of close examination.

Weiss didn't like being put on the spot, and was suddenly embarrassed. "Well, ma'am," She started, trying her best to look Summer in the eyes. "I showed Ruby the basics, but she grasped the concept really quickly." Weiss's compliment made Ruby blush slightly. "She's still not skilled enough to enter a tournament right now, but she could if she trains enough." Weiss finished, noticing the smile forming on Summer's face. It looked just like Ruby's, obviously being where the young girl got it from.

"Well, I'll be." She said, looking to Ruby again. "My little girl's being trained in the art of fencing by the Schnee heiress." It was clear Summer was proud. Weiss bowed lightly, stepping out of the frame.

For a moment, things remained silent. However, the silence was finally broken by Summer, whose face went from a smile to look of seriousness. "Now, I know about what happened last week." She said professionally, her voice lower than it had been previously. "I read your after-action reports." She added.

Ruby and Yang both nodded, the two also serious. "It's true, then?" Yang asked tentatively. "BEACON's declared war?" There was a weight that hit all four girls as the question was asked. There had been rumors, but so far nothing had been said.

Summer nodded sharply. "Yes. That attack was much too coordinated to be a random encounter." Summer kept her voice low, as if trying not to attract attention. "Now, I'm not supposed to tell you this." Summer added, her voice barely audible.

At this point, all four girls were engrossed in the screen, not just the two sisters. "The Forever Fall is on its way to the Beta System." Summer continued. "It should have already arrived. All Infantrymen are being moved there tonight." Summer took in a breath. "And all Hunters." She added quietly.

For a moment, there was only silence, barring the sounds of the ship on Summer's end of the conversation. Blake was the one to break it. "You mean every Hunter?" She asked calmly, despite the implications of the answer.

Summer nodded. "Yes. Even the recruits." She sighed. "Even you all." Now there was emotion in Summer's words. It was a mix of emotions heavily dominated by fear.

Ruby gulped thickly. "You mean we're being transferred?" She asked, hoping that this was all it meant. However, seeing as there was no mention of civilians or Marines, she seriously doubted that.

Summer sighed. "Not permanently. The Forever Fall is on its way to the Kappa system." She said, keeping her voice as even as she could muster. "Kappa's under attack by Grimm invaders." She added. Yang sighed.

"So we're headed into battle?" Weiss asked tentatively. Summer could only nod. Weiss's eyes went wide. "That's not possible…We've barely been in BEACON three weeks! How could they send us to war!?" Weiss was shouting, out of a combination of anger and fear.

Summer sighed. "You've all completed basic combat courses." She stated. It was the truth. To become a Hunter, you either had to transfer from another branch after your term ended, or complete a BEACON approved combat school. That meant that even new Hunters were capable of combat. "Gen. Ozpin feels that the extra assistance could prove vital in the battles to come." She said the words almost regretfully.

Silence dominated the group. The revelations were, to say the least, shocking. Yes, it wasn't as if they believed they would never see combat. Hell, they almost died fighting off Grimm boarders. However, they didn't expect to be sent into a war after less than a month.

Ruby finally spoke. "If we really are headed off to war, then we better make sure we're ready." She said, her voice full of resolve. Yang looked her sister over a moment, before smiling widely.

"You bet!" She said, pumping her fist into the air. "Let's get ready to kick some Grimm ass!" She said loudly. Weiss simply sighed.

The four resolved to face this head first, Summer smiled. "You stay safe out there." She warned, though her voice was less concerned and more stern. "Watch each other's backs, and stay together." Ruby nodded in understanding.

"We will, mom. I promise." She said, her face full of resolve and preparation. Summer simply nodded at her daughter's determination.

"Alrighty then, Rosebud." Summer said. "You make sure to do us proud." Her voice become more caring and protective. "And you make sure you come back, alright?" Her voice was softer here. Ruby and Yang both nodded.

"We will." They said simultaneously. Summer smiled.

"Good. I love you two." She said, sighing. "Now, I have to go. We've got to prepare in case the Grimm try to attack one of the inner colonies." She gave one last wave, and then cut the channel.

The four remained silent. They each thought about what had just been revealed to them, each with differing levels of enthusiasm. It was evident that Yang was starting to get excited, the blonde practically shaking with energy. Ruby was nervous, but her face held a resolve unlike anything anyone else had seen. Blake seemed to be deep in thought, playing various scenarios over in her mind. And Weiss remained calm and collected, despite her inner protests.

Their thoughts were broken when the PA system sounded. "Will all Hunters-in-training please head to the armory immediately." The mechanized voice spoke. The girls gave each other knowing looks, and immediately set out to their destination.

xXxXx

24 of the original 28 recruits had gathered in the armory. One team, Team TIAL, had been given leave from the action, as the four members had suffered serious injuries in the battle. LTC Goodwitch stood before the recruits, her face serious.

"Now, you may have heard the rumors going around that BEACON has declared war on the Grimm Alliance." She started, her voice unusually soft. There was a silent murmuring among the recruits, but they stopped when Goodwitch continued. "Those rumors are indeed true." She said flatly.

Recruits began to discuss among themselves, varying from excitement to nervousness. "Silence." Goodwitch said forcefully, and the talking subsided. "Now, normally, this would not affect recruits. However," She paused briefly, almost as if she herself did not agree with what she was about to say.

"Seeing as everyone here has completed basic combat training, Gen. Ozpin has seen fit to order all recruits on board to head to the Kappa system." She spoke evenly, keeping her voice loud but not sharp. More talking erupted, this time in mass protest. Many of the recruits were wondering why the Commander of the Hunters would do such a thing.

LTC Goodwitch put her hand up to silence the crowd. "Unfortunately, these orders are final. You are expected to follow them, or you will suffer the consequences." This time, her voice was sharp and strict. The whole room went silent.

The LTC cleared her throat. "The Forever Fall will be taking you into the Kappa system. You will be boarding today." She said, motioning to a Marine, who opened the armory. "Grab your weapons and make sure you have plenty of ammo. You may supplement your supplies on board the Forever Fall if needed, but the trip will be brief." The recruits then began to grab their preferred weapons from the armory in relative silence.

The Forever Fall was a much faster ship than the Emerald Forest. While the trip to Kappa would take the Emerald Forest around 12 days (10 with relativistic dilation), the Forever Fall could cover the same distance in only 7 days, a little less from the dilation effect. Combined with the fact that the Forever Fall had much more firepower and military capacity (the Emerald Forest's civilian population outnumbered the military population nearly 10:1), it made for the perfect opportunity to send more men into the front lines.

Ruby gathered all the ammo she could stuff into her duffel bag, with much more assault rifle ammo than sniper rifle ammo. She didn't know what she was going to be doing once she set foot on Kappa, but she was certain she'd need both types of ammo.

Yang, as usual, carried the team's ammo, barely feeling weighted down by the four stockpiles of ammunition on her shoulders. The blonde's ammo was kept in boxes, both the shells and Dust rounds, so while it didn't weigh as much as a magazine did, it took up more room. This meant that, by comparison, Yang had less ammo.

As the group waited for orders, they were approached by LTC Goodwitch. "Alright, Team RWBY. We've got the first transmissions from Kappa. They say that the Grimm have utilized a hit-and-run type tactic." She stated, showing the four what looked like security footage take from various locations on the planet. "Unless things change in the week to come, which they very well may, then you will be assisting the evacuation civilians in the city of New Ivory." She added, giving Ruby a data node that held information on the city.

"We understand, ma'am." Ruby said, linking the information on the node to her AURA. The display showed a basic roadmap, with various landmarks noted. One thing that caught Ruby's eye was a Schnee Dust Headquarters, which obviously oversaw the Dust economy of the planet.

Goodwitch nodded once, allowing the four to begin to plan what they might do. However, they didn't have much to plan for. Without knowing definitively what they were doing, they could only plan for broad scenarios, and not for the task at hand.

After a few minutes, the PA system crackled back to life. "All Hunters, please report to Docking Bay 18." It ordered. The team silently headed there, keeping a brisk pace.

Once there, the four, as well as every other recruit, filed on to a Bullhead that took them to the Forever Fall. The trip wasn't long, barely 10 minutes, and once on board, the four were directed to the bay area. Seeing as the ship was fitted for military postings, the team had their own bay.

The Forever Fall then jumped to Kappa less than an hour later, heading headlong into war.

Alrighty, there's this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

