A/N: If you've ever wondered what the Ethereal was saying to you every time a new wave of enemies attacked you on the Temple Ship... congratulations, I couldn't understand him either. The wiki has a convenient transcription of every line the Ethereal says for each new foe (and it's quite interesting), but a few of them are included in this chapter for your enjoyment.

The Elerium-enhanced turbojets of the Skyranger roared to life, and Ruby felt the familiar sensation of XCOM's golden chariot delivering her team skyward. Except it wasn't her team this time, but van Doorn's. Bradford asked the Field Commander to take the reigns for what was literally the single-most important operation in XCOM's history, and Ruby had absolutely no objection to the squad leader assignment. With the fate of XCOM riding on the success of this mission, Ruby felt far more comfortable with the prospect of following orders instead of giving them.

The ride started off in relative silence. Van Doorn and Annette, designated Actual and Two, sat across from each other by the Skyranger's gangplank and were engaged in a hushed conversation. Ruby's friends from RWBY and JNPR, with designations Three through Ten, filled out most of the jump seats in the cargo hold. Each of them sat next to their respective partners, and while some (like Jaune and Pyrrha) contented themselves with small forms of physical contact, others (like Ruby and Weiss) engaged in no activities beyond sitting next to each other. Ruby didn't mind, though, since she knew how much Weiss valued her 'professional' self-image. Besides, the mission was important, and Ruby wanted her best friend to stay on top of her game. And if getting Weiss 'in the zone' required a silent and absolute focus, then so be it.

Captain Beagle, designated Eleven, sat in the back next to Jaune. It seemed like the two were slowly becoming attached at the hip ever since Jaune and Pyrrha first joined Beagle's crew on that fateful Harvester operation, and Ruby enjoyed the idea of Jaune making new friends. Sitting across from Beagle was Strike One's twelfth and final member, Gizmo. The MEC pilot sat in absolute silence, her eyes closed and her face impassive. Ruby vaguely remembered Blake taking Gizmo down to the Fission Generators to instruct her in the art of meditation, and it looked like the Pathfinder had taken the lessons to heart.

There was one face missing, and it saddened Ruby when she remembered Bradford explaining to her that Penny would not be joining Strike One aboard the Skyranger. He mentioned something about another project, and how he needed Penny for that instead of letting her join the party. Whatever the case, Ruby trusted that Bradford had a good reason for making his call, so she just made a mental note to see Penny after the successful conclusion of the operation.

The sound of a voice on the comm pulled Ruby out of her thoughts, and she smiled as she recognized it.

"Big Sky, this is Colonel Lucerno. Central has assigned me to personally escort your craft to the Temple Ship. He suspects that the alien bastards actually want Major Durand to reach her destination, but we agreed that it would be ill-advised to take any chances."

"Well, we're happy to have you, Eightball. Ride should be short, but I'll never say no to good company."

"Excellent. Central estimates an hour to the drop site, so this should be a piece of cake."

Ruby felt a small sense of comfort knowing that Strike One now had Eightball watching over them. After the Overseer dogfight, Ruby always made a point of watching Colonel Lucerno's air battles against UFO contacts. Knowing that he was the one that Bradford sent to escort the Skyranger… Ruby knew they'd arrive at their destination in one piece.

As the flight continued, Ruby thought back on her time here at XCOM. She'd come a long way from the naive, idealistic girl that first fell through that portal into Bradford's backyard. Now, she commanded a vast amount of experience in squad tactics and combat acumen, knew the strengths and weaknesses of her fellow huntresses on a much deeper level, acquired a wide array of impressive technology designed to make it even easier to kill aliens and Grimm alike, and (perhaps most importantly) developed friendly and professional relationships that she would carry with her for years to come.

She glanced at Annette, who flashed her a grin before turning back to van Doorn. Part of Ruby secretly hoped that Annette would fall in love with Remnant and Ruby could convince her to stay indefinitely. She had close friendships with the rest of XCOM's personnel, of course, but she shared a deeper connection with the French Major thanks to their psionic… adventures. Annette's training helped Ruby strengthen her resolve, giving the young leader an immense boost to her self-confidence and an array of abilities that would surely impress even her Uncle Qrow.

The Captain's thoughts turned to Zhang. Ruby felt a little bummed that the Colonel couldn't join Strike One for the final op, but he still needed to recover from his run-in with the Ethereal. Regardless, he was another friend that Ruby wouldn't mind seeing regularly after the war's conclusion. While she was shocked when Zhang initially revealed how he felt about her, Ruby eventually came to realize just how much she appreciated the sentiment. Sure, she already had a father back on Remnant, but it felt nice to have a figure like Zhang looking out for her while she was stuck on Earth. And besides, it sounded like Zhang intended to use his impressive assortment of talents and contacts to be a force of good in the world once the alien threat was officially dealt with. Ruby smiled at the idea that she had a hand in making that possible.

Bradford, Shen, and Vahlen… perhaps the three most important members of XCOM's team. Bradford's unwavering confidence served as the thread that tied everyone together while Vahlen and Shen worked as the greatest dynamic duo Ruby had ever seen. Shen's caution and realistic outlook served to temper Vahlen's fiery and oftentimes impulsive nature. If Ruby learned anything over the past six (... or seven?) months, it was that a healthy combination of both caution and audacity allowed XCOM's research and engineering department to perform miracles on a daily basis. She hoped that Shen would be able to spend some time with Ruby and her friends on Remnant, though Ruby knew that he had a small daughter to take care of. Well, maybe she could convince Lily that a vacation to another world would be a great idea, and then Shen would have no choice but to come.

"Holy shit, that's a fuckload of Battleships."

Ruby's head snapped up at the sound of the pilot's voice. She noticed that the rest of Strike One was likewise at attention, wondering what the news meant for the Skyranger.

Van Doorn decided to ask the question on everyone's mind, "Are any of them on a collision course with our trajectory, Papa Bear?"

"Negative. They're too busy bombing the hell out of civilian targets. God fucking dammit…" He muttered, "You fellas better find the leader of all this bullshit and wring his fucking neck. 'Cause this is taking 'scorched earth' to a whole new level."

As silence resumed in the hold, Ruby strained her ears and tuned out the low hum of the Skyranger's engines. Sure enough, she heard the faint clap of heavy artillery booming as the aliens sought to crush humanity into subservience. Her heart sank as she thought about all the thousands, possibly millions, of lives being snuffed out simply for the sake of satisfying some twisted purpose of the aliens.

You can hear them too, can't you?

Ruby looked up and saw Annette casting a sideways glance at her. The Major must have opened a mental link without Ruby noticing.

Is my expression that obvious?

A strange sensation that Ruby finally identified as 'mirth' came across the link before Annette answered, Just a little. But in all honesty, the sounds make me sick. How can they justify this?

The ends justify the means, or so they probably believe. That, and they probably don't care about a race that isn't their own.

Fair point. Let's just make sure we stop this invasion here and now.

We will, Annette. I know we will.

"Strike Two is locked and loaded."

"Strike Three, ready to kick some ass."

"Strike Four, standing by."

Zhang sighed as he heard the various Strike Teams sound off on the base comms. He managed to convince the security personnel assigned to the medbay to fetch him a commlink. Even if he couldn't join the fight, he didn't want to remain in the dark when the action started. Still, it hurt to simply listen and remain helpless to do anything, especially since he was the only patient in the maddeningly empty infirmary..

"Strike Seven, all operatives ready to go."

"Strike Nine, awaiting orders."

"Alright, listen up Strike Teams," Bradford's voice called out over the radio, "We have three main approaches into the base. I want Two, Three, and Four to be on point and keep those locked down. Five, Six, and Seven will remain in reserve, ready to support the point teams with a defensible fallback position or to deploy to any vulnerable locations that our guests have managed to exploit. Nine, you're the last line of defense for key facilities. Your top priority is the research labs, but be ready to move if the aliens manage to strike elsewhere."

A sound plan, Zhang thought. He was certain that the front teams wouldn't be able to hold out against the entirety of an Assault Carrier's crew, however. If the reserve teams had any sense, and Zhang trusted that they did, they would use their time to create truly impressive fortresses behind the front teams, allowing the operatives of Two through Four to fall back when their positions became compromised. Everyone had a role to play in the fight. Base Security would try to assist the field operatives with supporting fire while Engineering personnel assembled sturdy barriers and operate SHIVs. Even Vahlen's researchers had the ability to use their superior knowledge of human biology and triage to act as supporting medics for the base defenders.

Everyone had a role… except for Zhang.

"A terrible fate for a warrior." He muttered.

One of the soldiers guarding the medbay glanced over at Zhang, "Something wrong, Colonel?"

"No." Zhang answered with a sigh, "Nothing that you can fix, anyway."

You hear our voice, New One, now listen well…

Annette stiffened as the Ethereal's voice once again found its way into her head. They must have been watching the Skyranger, because the voice began to speak almost as soon as Strike One stepped off of the Skyranger.

Long have we watched… and waited. So many promising subjects, so many failed efforts. And now, after untold trials, the New One emerges to face the rigors of our collective… An enduring physical form, paired with an equally adept mental capacity — the rarest of traits, finally within our grasp.

"I feel sorry for you, Ruby." Annette groaned, "I've only had these Ethereal assholes in my head for a minute, and I already hate them."

The Captain smiled at Annette, "You learn to tune it out."

And you have brought the foreigner, the Ace in the Hole, to serve as a contingency plan. We appreciate the forethought, though we hope such measures will not be necessary.

"Oh good, now they're talking about you."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Well isn't that interesting."

Annette checked her shotgun and shrugged, "Eh, just something about they think you're a contingency plan. I'm not sure what they mean by that. Unless it means you're secretly their puppet, and you're going to turn on us at the last minute?"

"Nope." Ruby said, shaking her head, "Hate to disappoint you, but that's not gonna happen."

"Strike One, this is Central. Have you established a perimeter around your insertion point?"

"Yes, sir. No signs of contacts yet." Van Doorn answered.

"Good. We're dropping off a package for you that should be arriving very shortly. Something tells me you're going to like this one."

The members of Strike One looked at one another curiously, wondering if anyone knew what Bradford was talking about. After seeing everyone either shrug or shake their head, Ruby keyed her mic, "Err, what kind of package are we talking about here, sir?"

"A big one. Should be arriving right about… now."

Jetboot thrusters fired overhead, and twelve heads snapped up to look at the source of the sound. Ruby caught sight of the second Skyranger flying off at maximum speed towards the direction of HQ before her attention was completely occupied by the hulking machine dropping from above at an alarming rate. Everyone backed away from the center of the landing platform, and the ground shuddered when a giant robot slammed into the metal floor with a resounding clang. Silence reigned as the operatives found themselves too stunned to speak. Support struts shuddered, servos whined, and the robot stood to its full height.

Ruby thought she was somehow back on Remnant, staring down Torchwick's Paladin mech in all its heavy artillery glory. However, tell-tale signs of XCOM aesthetics and design choices immediately told Ruby that this was definitely something Dr. Shen cooked up. Twin Rail Guns replaced the usual arms XCOM MECs possessed, while a shoulder-mounted rocket pod, grenade launchers, a Restorative Mist Dispenser, and a smooth, circular plate were fastened to the robot's back. Ruby noted heavy plating adorned almost all external surfaces of the machine, allowing it to withstand heavy punishment while (ideally) remaining relatively unscathed.

Just as Ruby was about to hail Bradford once more and ask what exactly her team was looking at, the new arrival turned to Ruby and waved one of its weapon arms.

"Hello, Ruby! Did you miss me?"

"P-Penny?!" Ruby practically shouted.

"Yes! Dr. Shen built me an upgraded combat platform. Mr. Bradford asked me to keep it a secret, though, so I couldn't tell you about the new suit." She flexed her arms and rocked on her feet a bit, "I get the feeling he enjoys using me to surprise you guys about things."

"Noted…" Ruby mumbled. She glanced at her sister, who looked completely slack-jawed at the sight of Penny's new hardware.

"Does… does it have the capacity to support a MEC pilot?"

"Yang…" Blake sighed.

"Absolutely! Bradford sent me as the pilot for this mission, but the Odin is also capable of interfacing with a MEC Trooper."

"Blake."

"No, Yang."

"But I wanna pilot it, Blake."

"You'd have to de-suit, install yourself, and let the hardware run basic telemetry diagnostics. That would waste a lot of time that we don't have, Yang."

"But I wanna!" Yang whined, "It's called the Odin, Blake! Do you have any idea how badass I'd sound if I could brag to our friends that I piloted the Odin?"

"You mean the friends that are all standing right here with you?"

"Hello!" Pyrrha said with a wave.

"Or the friends back at the base who are very likely in on the secret?"

"Oh, no. This was one of Bradford's 'dark' projects from Delta Section. He had the engineering crews start work on it around the same time as the second Skyranger."

"My point stands." Blake said firmly, "You can play with the new MEC some other time."

Yang groaned, "Fiiiiiine. Let's just get this over with, then."

"Don't worry, Yang! I still have a co-pilot even without you." Penny gestured towards the circular shell embedded into the MEC's back, "Dr. Vahlen was nice enough to develop a way to interface Gidjit with the Odin!"

"Y'know, I feel like I should be surprised." Beagle commented, "But shit just… doesn't surprise me anymore. Because why wouldn't Vahlen integrate a fucking Cyberdisc into a goddamn Gundamn?"

"Ignore him." Ruby said, "We're happy to have you, Penny."

"Chuffed as nuts, really." Beagle added, rolling his eyes.

The air hung heavy with silence as the team cautiously stepped through the towering archway into the depths of the Temple Ship. With their newest squad member in tow, Strike One prepared for the inevitable battle that lay ahead. Hands firmly gripped steel as eyes tried to pierce the darkness, on alert for the possibility of a trap waiting to be sprung by their hosts.

The New One faces the earliest effort of the Ethereal Ones, the first… failure. Though possessed of a certain… brilliance… they are marred by their cowardice and frailty… which made them cruel… and ultimately useless.

"Contacts." Annette muttered.

Beagle raised an eyebrow, "I don't hear shit. What makes you so sure?"

"Call it a hunch." Annette answered, moments before the first bolt of plasma flew overhead.

"Hunters, form up. Gunners, keep the contacts locked down while the shadow team moves to flank." Van Doorn ordered.

Blake and Ren vanished from sight while the other six pulled out guns and began firing into the room. Ruby heard a low hum of Penny's rail guns warming up while pink explosions rocked the far end of the room, courtesy of Nora. A combination of plasma and Dust filled the air as the rest of Strike One took cover and searched for the original source of alien gunfire.

"Contacts located." Blake reported over the comm, "Squad of Sectoids holed up down the hall. Looks like their opening shot was just to test the waters, since they don't seem to be in a hurry to step back out into the line of fire."

Van Doorn growled, "Their little plan worked, but they'll regret it. Shadow team, tear into the little bastards. BFG and Hammertime, move in to assist while everyone else prepares for Grimm or any other contacts the Ethereals throw at us."

"This is Strike Four, reporting first contact in Engineering."

Zhang felt the hairs on his neck prickle as the faint crack of distant gunfire reached the medbay. Before, the waiting felt somewhat tolerable because everyone else was doing the same thing. Now that the fighting had begun, the feeling of helplessness multiplied tenfold.

"Remind me again why one of XCOM's top field operatives is sitting uselessly in the medbay when he could be out repelling one of the most dangerous alien incursions to date?" He asked to nobody in particular.

One of the two infirmary guards stationed to protect Zhang seemed to think the Colonel expected an answer, "Because Dr. Vahlen ordered it, sir. Personally, I agree with you, but I also remember the last time somebody ignored one of Vahlen's bed rest mandates." His eyes glazed over slightly, "I don't think I'll ever be able to erase the smell of vomit and blood from my memory."

Zhang rolled his eyes, "You're exaggerating."

"Wish I was, sir."

"Where is Vahlen, anyway?" Zhang asked, "I doubt that Bradford would risk his chief of research by ordering her to pick up a gun and join the fight."

"Strike Two, got some mechanical fliers in Delta Section."

The guard shrugged, "Not sure. I think Bradford's keeping the whereabouts of Vahlen and Shen a secret to everyone but their personal squad details avoid a potential mind control leak."

"Or you just don't know." Zhang said with an amused smirk.

"Or I don't know." The guard admitted, "Look, I really… really look up to you, sir. It's killing me to enforce Vahlen's orders to keep you on bed rest when we both know that's the last place you want to be, but I also don't want to be known as 'the guy that gets Chilong killed because he bent the rules.' So as much as I would love to follow you into combat, sir, I can't."

"Looks like the aliens decided to send their zombie-spawning shock troops through the hangar entrance, and there's a shitload of them. Strike Three could use some backup over here."

"Three, this is Seven. We have a defensible position set up about fifty yards behind your position. Fall back, and we can support you."

Zhang growled, his impatience starting to get the better of him. The guard exchanged nervous glances with his partner. The two of them knew better than to defy Vahlen's orders, but they also knew that Zhang's temper sometimes turned… volatile. The two exchanged nods before the first turned back to Zhang, "Look, I can't let you suit up, but maybe it'd be okay if I help you get out of that bed. Would you feel better if you could at least walk around in here?"

"It's a start, at least." Zhang sat up and winced as pain immediately shot through his body.

"Uh… yeah, you might not want to move just yet. Vahlen's got you hooked up to, like, a billion different sensors and IV drips. You kinda look like a marionette. I'll help you get unhooked."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

The guard shrugged, "From what I've managed to overhear when the aides talk, they're pretty much cautionary measures. None of them are giving any sort of life-preserving drug, so I think you'll be alright. Just… take it easy."

"Yeah, yeah. Just help me up."

The new one faces a great foe, and an equally great… disappointment. When their organic form failed to evolve… it was given the strength of a machine, creating this… merciless, fearless, killer… A fate worse than death.

Annette's knuckles turned white as she gripped her shotgun while her eyes darted around wildly in search of contacts, "Uhh, I think we've got Floaters inbound, Actual."

"Well, you were right about the Cyberdiscs and Drones, Two, so I'd say you're getting pretty good at this premonition business." Van Doorn said as he put down the last Drone still engaging the team. The Sectoids went down easily enough after initial contact, but the Field Commander suspected their true purpose was to morph into Grimm upon death. While the hunters busied themselves with their natural foes, several Cyberdiscs showed up with their usual Drone entourage to make things difficult.

When the mechanicals showed up, Penny and Gidjit proved to be a godsend. With two rail guns and a fully-functioning Cyberdisc fighting for the good guys, the alien newcomers seemed a lot less of a problem. The enemy 'discs still posed a very real threat with their Assault Cannons, especially now that they possessed the 'explosively detonate Grimm' functionality, which forced the hunters to tread cautiously as they waded into combat. Jaune and Ruby stayed behind with the Earth operatives, Ruby providing long-range fire support and Jaune using his tower shield to provide superior cover for the biologicals while the rest of their teams pressed forward to engage the Grimm.

Now, the sound of high-energy thrusters echoed throughout the room as a squadron of Floaters (both Heavy and otherwise) blasted into view. In a matter of seconds, plasma fire rained down on the operatives from on high as the Floaters began shooting at anything with a pulse. The hunters were agile enough to dance around the shots, but van Doorn, Annette, and Beagle remained hunkered down behind cover to avoid getting seriously injured.

"Elsa," The Field Commander said, "Our new friends seem to be running a little too hot for my tastes. Why don't you work with Hammertime to cool them down a bit?"

Weiss and Nora nodded, falling back from the Beowolf fight still in progress on the ground and taking cover behind a large, alien pillar. Magnhild shifted into a grenade launcher while Myrtenaster's revolver locked the vial of ice Dust into the active chamber. Nora gave Weiss a thumbs up before the duo stepped out from behind the pillar's protection. Small weapons fire erupted from the balcony where van Doorn's team tried to keep the attention of the aliens away from the two exposed huntresses. With a dancer's grace, Weiss twirled her rapier in a precise pattern before finishing the performance with a standing thrust towards the Floaters. A large, rotating glyph winked into existence between Nora and her targets. The fiery huntress raised her grenade launcher and unleashed a salvo of explosives at the flying horde.

The heart-stamped grenades passed through Weiss's glyph and sailed onward towards their targets, now with blue contrails instead of pink. Seconds later, they detonated in a crystalline cloud of frost, enveloping the Floaters with sub-zero temperatures. Several of the aliens still managed to fight through the cold, but the fliers closest to the blast centers suffered engine failure as their jetpacks seized. Van Doorn smiled as he watched the little cybernetic balls of hate drop out of the air and slam into the metal floor.

"Melee team, move in and take them out. We'll handle the rest of the fliers." Van Doorn turned to Beagle, "Isn't that right, Captain?"

Beagle heaved the Recoilless Rocket Launcher to his shoulder and took aim at the fliers, "You know me, boss. I love the smell of smoking ayys in the morning. One Flak Rocket coming right up."

Van Doorn groaned, though he couldn't keep the smile off his face, "Sometimes, I feel like you could do with a touch more professionalism, Beagle."

"Yeah, well… at this point, people would probably wonder who the fuck was mind controlling Beagle and making him talk like a pretentious prick if I changed my ways."

The warhead hissed to life and streaked across the room before detonating amid the still-hovering crowd of Floaters. Beagle took a moment to put on a pair of shades and admire his handiwork, "Besides, sometimes you just have to take a moment and appreciate the finer things in life."

"On that account, I couldn't agree more." Van Doorn answered before keying his mic, "Prepare for new Grimm contacts, team. I don't know if the cybernetic aspect of the Floaters will interfere with the genesis process, but it's probably safer to assume the worst."

"To any available units, Strike Two is getting hammered in Delta Section. We could use some help down here. Preferably with something that can handle Cyberdicks."

"Strike Two, this is Six. We're en route and bringing MECs. Sit tight until the cavalry arrives."

Zhang sat at the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. This wasn't right. He should be out there with his squad, pushing back the proverbial barbarians at the gates. Instead, all he could do was sit here and listen while the operatives in his squad faced death in his absence. It almost made him wish he never asked for the commlink in the first place.

"They'll be alright, sir." The medbay guard assured him, "There's a reason the 'Chilong Gang' is famous throughout XCOM, and that's because they kick ass and take names."

"Yeah, but Strike Two is currently missing its squad leader and second-in-command." Zhang pointed out, "In case you forgot, Major Durand is on the Temple Ship operation with Commander van Doorn while I'm stuck here with fuck-all to do."

The guard chewed his lip, unsure of how to respond to Zhang's (admittedly solid) point, "Well, Six is Witchy's mob, isn't it? She knows how to snipe the ass off a Sectoid at eighty yards, and she trained up the rest of the squad's GLR hotshots. Those 'discs are toast."

"Strike Three-Seven is suffering losses from the Chryssalid offensive, and requesting more security teams for support."

"Three-Seven, this is Nine. We can send a few operatives to back you up, but the rest needs to stay in reserve to defend the labs."

"Understood, Nine. Any firepower is good firepower. We'll take what we can get at this point."

"Three Assault Carriers-worth of contacts." Zhang mused, "Even with seven Strike Teams to fend them off, it's hard to imagine fending off that much firepower."

"Central, this is Four. Engineering is lost. Repeat, Engineering is lost."

"That's not an option, Four." Bradford growled back, "We lose Engineering, and the aliens have access to a lift that spans the entire base."

"It's already lost, sir. I-"

Zhang raised an eyebrow at the guard as static filled the channel. Seconds later, Bradford's voice returned, "All available security teams not already engaged with the invaders, haul ass to the labs. I need anyone and everyone capable of picking up a gun and pulling the fucking trigger to get to Research ASAP."

He knew that a smile was highly inappropriate at a time like this, but Zhang couldn't help it. His lips curled into a grin as he watched the two guards exchange nervous glances once more. The Colonel slowly stood up and grabbed his handgun off of the table next to his bed before facing the guards once more.

"You heard the man: everyone capable of picking up a gun needs to muster at the labs." He held up Aurate Mercy and casually examined it, "Do I need to demonstrate that I'm capable of pulling the trigger as well, or can we just skip that and start moving?"

"I… that won't be necessary, Colonel."

Zhang nodded, "Good. Congratulations, gentlemen. You are the inaugural members of XCOM's Strike Ten, led by Colonel Zhang." He popped the revolver chamber out and confirmed that it was full before flicking it back into place with a click, "Now show me what you're made of."

Now… the New One confronts a greater threat - a rare strength, found in an easily controlled breed. And yet, they are incapable of brilliance, of independence… they will never be more than primitive warriors… serving only to fight, and die, as those who came before them.

Annette held up a hand, signaling for the team to stop. She shared a look with van Doorn, who nodded and turned to Blake, "You're up, Shadow Team. Annette's spidey senses are tingling again, so move ahead and figure out what we're up against this time."

Blake and Ren saluted before activating their Ghost armor and vanishing without a sound. The rest of the team took cover in the hallway and remained on high alert in the event that the aliens chose to actively seek them out. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Penny took up a position in the rear while Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora kept watch up front. The Earth operatives took cover between the two hunter squads.

"How do you think the base defense is going?" Pyrrha asked her partner in a low voice.

Jaune looked mildly surprised that Pyrrha wanted to engage in small talk, but he answered all the same, "They'll be fine. Bradford's got seven different Strike teams at his disposal, plus all the tech we've developed over the course of the war. Three Assault Carriers is a lot, but there's only so many places they can funnel in their troops, you know?"

Pyrrha nodded, though Jaune could see that she looked unconvinced, "I suppose you're right. Still, it would be awful if this victory turned out to be-"

"Pyrrhic?"

"You know I don't like that joke." Pyrrha said, glowering.

Jaune held his hands up in surrender, "Sorry. I think Beagle's gallows humor is starting to rub off on me."

"Joking or no, you're still right." Pyrrha continued, "What if we come back to a completely destroyed base? Even if we've managed to cripple the invasion, Vahlen and her staff is the only way we'll be getting back to Remnant anytime soon. If they die-"

"We'll find a way." Jaune interrupted, "I firmly believe that Bradford will mount a successful base defense, but if the worst does come to pass, then we'll find a way."

Pyrrha was about to respond, when a panicking Blake cut her off, "We've been detected, and hostiles are closing in! Lots of Muton squads, both ranged and melee." The sounds of plasma fire in the next room reached the hunkered down squad, "We need backup, and we need it now!"

Van Doorn swore, "The aliens must have developed countermeasures to our cloaking tech. Haul ass, squad! Penny, lead the charge and go in guns blazing. We need to take the heat of of Shadow, and I can't think of a better way to do that than with a fifteen-foot MEC. Gizmo, make a beeline for Shadow team and pull their asses out of the fire. Everyone else: weapons free. Fuck those Mutons and fuck them hard."

The Odin unleashed a gutteral cry that sounded not at all like Penny and the MEC barreled down the hallway. After Penny rushed into the room and started to make some noise with her arm cannons and grenade launcher, the rest of the squad followed suit and took stock of the unfolding situation. Indeed, multiple Muton fireteams were scattered across the room, taking up firing positions while the Berserkers made their way towards Blake and Ren's cover in the far corner of the room. As soon as the two MECs had burst through the archway, several dug-in teams turned to attack the newcomers while the rest continued their assault on the cornered scouts.

"Focus fire on those Berserkers." Van Doorn ordered, "If they get into melee range of Shadow, we've got serious problems. Hammertime, give our friends some smoke to help them hold out until we get things under control."

"Yes sir!" Nora cocked her grenade launcher, and two canisters whistled as they arced through the air towards Blake and Ren. Seconds later, a pair of concealing pink clouds bloomed into existence. Gizmo jet-boosted herself overhead and started to make a run for the scouts, and the fire teams responded by peppering her with plasma fire. Ruby noticed the MEC's armor plating flare as the superheated munitions struck its surface.

"Hostiles possess HEAT munitions." Gizmo reported, before ducking behind a pillar, "I will not survive the run to our comrades."

"Then don't try it." Jaune answered as he put away his Plasma Dragon and activated his semblance, "I'll make sure our friends get the cover they need. Pyrrha?"

Jaune felt the familiar tug on his armor and found himself soaring through the air seconds later. He tucked himself behind the safety of his shield and watched as it soaked all of the plasma shots that ordinarily would have hit him instead. At the apex of his flight, Jaune stole a look at the battlefield and cringed. The number of Mutons arrayed against Strike one was staggering. Didn't Annette say that the Ethereals wanted her to reach the end? If so, why try so hard to kill their precious 'key to ascension?'

He landed with a thud behind the crumbling cover occupied by his friends, "Hey guys. Fancy seeing you here."

Blake rolled her eyes, though she looked relieved all the same, "Good to see you too, Jaune."

On the other end of the room, Ruby used her enhanced senses and psionically-enhanced reactions to pick off one target at a time before the rest of the fire teams forced her back into cover. The squad managed to decommission most of the Berserkers, and Nora's cloud provided enough cover for Blake, Ren, and Jaune to safely kill the rest without exposing themselves to the plasma fire of the rest of the aliens. As Ruby tried to take another shot at a target, she considered asking Weiss for a Time Glyph to further boost her killing potential. When she remembered how energy-intensive the process was for her friend, however, Ruby decided against it. As Strike One continued to trade blows with the Mutons, Ruby wracked her brain for a solution to the deadlock.

"This is taking too long. Every second we waste in this piss fight with those aliens is a second they get closer to taking out Shadow." Beagle said, "Not to mention we'll likely have Grimm trying to chew our asses off in a minute. Permission to use a rocket, Actual?"

The Field Commander nodded, "Do it, but make it count. Everyone else, provide covering fire while Beagle makes his shot."

"Your best bet is aiming for the upper-middle walkway." Jaune called out over the comms, "I got a good look at their formation on my flight over."

"When that rocket goes off, we need to use the opportunity to punch through."

Weiss watched everyone gear up for the rocket gambit and felt an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach. Beagle's rocket would be helpful against the central squads, but the outer squads would still be capable of counterattacking and doing considerable damage to her allies. They didn't want to count on Gizmo or Penny for help, because of all the HEAT ammunition flying everywhere, so their couldn't use their heavy firepower against the Mutons. They needed some sort of meat shield, but sacrificing anyone from the squad was not an option. The word 'expendable' simply didn't exist in Strike One.

Unless…

"On my mark, Strike One!"

Weiss knew she had seconds to pull off something that she'd never been able to do before. Eyes closed, she calmed her mind as best she could before focusing on the task at hand. Never before had she summoned a Beowolf, a miniature Nevermore, or even a Creep. How could she possibly do it now? Then again, maybe she didn't have to summon a Grimm at all. Winter told her to think back to her fallen foes, those who forced her into becoming the huntress she is today.

Like a lightning bolt, an idea struck her. A long shot, surely, but maybe she could make it work. She wracked her brain for a strong memory she could use for the summoning. When had the aliens forced her into becoming a better fighter?

Weiss smirked.

"Mark!"

As everyone else stepped out and let loose with their rifles and grenade launchers, Weiss brandished Myrtenaster and whipped it at the Mutons attacking from the right. Beagle's rocket screamed towards its target, and the room became enveloped in a flash of white. When Weiss could see again, a pair of white and blue Chryssalids stood before her, facing the Elites she had her eye on. Her heart soared, and she used her soul's essence to command the Alien horrors to charge forward. The summoned spirits shrieked and skittered forward. Friend and foe alike gawked as the evanescent creatures charged the Muton line, tearing into the first one with very real and very wicked talons before everyone remembered how to pull a trigger.

A roar from the left indicated that Jaune's team seized the opportunity to push forward towards a more defensible position.

"Thanks, Vance…" Weiss whispered.

"They're disorganized!" Van Doorn shouted, "Push the attack!"

Ruby heard Annette's voice in her mind, Ruby, with me. Let's sow more terror among the Mutons, shall we?

The Captain and the Major locked eyes and shared a knowing smile. Ruby channeled her psionic energy and sent it towards Annette, additional fuel for the fire to come. Annette's eyes glowed a bright purple, and the fingers tapping her forehead shot out and pointed straight as an arrow to the fire teams wounded by the rocket. A whirlpool of psionic energy swirled into existence, lashing out and killing the aliens caught within its chaotic grasp.

"Forward, MECs! Let's finish them off!"

"Targets acquired! Firing solutions ready!" Two deep thumps resounded as Penny's rail guns annihilated a pair of Mutons trying to defend against Weiss's pets. Gizmo's Jetboots fired and launched the Pathfinder into the midst of the Mutons scrambling to mount a defense against Jaune's push.

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. The tide had turned, and the fight was now well in Strike One's favor.

Hopefully, the rest of the fighting would get easier from here on out.

A/N: Alright, important question for you all. The second half of this battle is already written and ready to go through the editing process before it gets posted next week. The only problem is that 'second half' is kinda stretching it, because the chapter clocks in at a whopping 10,250 words. Now, I have two options for this monstrosity. Option A, just post the whole thing as a single chapter so you don't have to wait even longer for a resolution to the Temple Ship assault. Option B, split up the mission into thirds (like the Terror Mission) so you're not faced with the prospect of tackling a 10k word chapter.

I don't mind either way, so I want to hear from you guys which option you'd prefer. Let me know!