RWBY: A Time of War

Chapter Five: The Independent Farmers League

31-May-3030

Capellan Confederation

Alron

Cuirassiers d'Arc

14:03 Zulu Time

"What can you tell us about Alron, Dr. Oobleck?" Jaune asked, as he and his lance gathered in the hold for their brief.

The Cuirassiers had been lucky and managed to snag a final contract before quitting the area. The Independent Farmers League was requesting help in extracting the remaining bits of their militia from a Capellan attack on the planet.

It had been an easy sell. The four hundred thousand C-bills was a nice added bonus to making Capellans have a bad day.

"Alron, settled in 2603, mostly rural, the only major city is Jacksonville. Used as a port for the shipping of agricultural products off world to nearby settlements for processing and from there to the wider Confederation." Dr. Oobleck rattled off in his normal, rapid-fire way of speaking. "Its status in theory is part of the territory owned by the Lama Yichen Zhu. However due to its small population and little economic output, it is in practice, independent. The planetary governance is controlled by a union of farmers, landowners and share-cropers called the Independent Farmers League"

Dr. Oobleck paused to take a heavy swig of his ever present coffee.

"Recently that relationship has soured. To put it bluntly, the IFL decided to play politics and did so rather poorly. In the early days of the Fourth Succession War, they sided and allied themselves with House Davion and the Federated Suns, in exchange for protection. However, House Davion was never able to break through to Arlon to provide the IFL with the promised support. Though they are helping to evacuate the planet; despite their previous failures."

"Now the Capellans, freed up from the front, have turned to taking care of rebellions in their territory." Pyrrha finished for him, nodding to herself.

Pyrrha and Ren, unlike their lancemates, were not clad in the traditional cooling vests, but in form fitting body gloves that they had brought with them from Solaris and no doubt from beyond. It was difficult, Jaune would admit, to keep his eyes from wandering over to his XO.

Something that no doubt, Nora would bug him relentlessly for. He caught Nora grin out of the corner of his eye and inwardly groaned.

He would never hear the end of it.

"Precisely Ms. Nikos." Dr. Oobleck nodded, as though he was a professor and the hold was his lecture hall. "A full regiment of the CCAF have landed planetside with elements of their premiere mercenary group McCarron's Armoured Cavalry and are pushing towards Jacksonville."

The doctor turned to Jaune with a nod of his head. "Commandant."

Jaune stood up. "The contract is simple. Rendezvous with elements of the IFL militia, here. At the village of Andersburg. This is the key to their northern defensive line. We're to fight a delaying action, to allow what remains of the IFL to evacuate and then escape ourselves. Any questions?"

"So we just gotta go down, and shoot the Cappies, and then keep shootin' 'em until the Cappies get the hint?" Nora asked, raising her hand.

Jaune shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Whoooooo! My favourite kinda mission!" Nora cheered, her enthusiasm infectious as even the stoic Ren cracked a grin.

"Any other questions?" Jaune asked, looking at each of them in turn.

No one raised their hands.

"Good, MechWarriors, to your 'Mechs!" Jaune, despite the six years of command still felt rather silly, like he was in one of those bad holo-drama or propaganda pieces, where the main character was suave and well built. Surrounded by scantily clad women as he gunned down 'Mech after 'Mech.