As we begin with our group on the bullhead heading for a spot to make up camp to scout possible locations of Salem's palace so they can finish her off and the Locust once and for all.
Benjamin: Now I just wanna say to everyone.
As they all look at him.
Benjamin:Nobody said this was gonna be easy okay? I mean to find Salem and kill her, We don't know what Locust forces she has along with her creatures of Grimm as well.
Baird:So you are saying to expect anything.
Benjamin:That's right...be prepared for any kind of fight.
Oscar: Well long as we keep our wits about us. We should be fine.
Nora:Ya let's hope they didn't bring any bigger guns ya know?
Marcus: Here here, I do not wanna fight a Brumak on foot again.
Cole:Hell ya I second that. That shit was just stupid.
Yang:How did that fight go anyway Marcus?
Marcus:Well seeing how I am still alive, We lead a Brumak into a set of electrical power lines. That fried the bitch to a crisp.
Ruby:Cool -as she had sparkles in her eyes-
Weiss: Any other crazy adventures of Delta Squad?
Baird:Oh tons but I am still pissed about Marcus sending Cole and I into the sewer during that one mission to get into the imulsion factory.
Marcus chuckles.
Marcus: Heh ya I kinda forgot about that, man you two smelled like shit for weeks.
Baird:I don't wanna hear it man. Not a word.
Cole: Come on Baird that stuff would be good for ya, builds your immune system.
Baird:Ya also builds disease.
Blake stared out the window of the bullhead listening to the chatter, as she stares out the window she starts to daydream of what sort of changes will come to the world after Salem and the Locust are gone.
Yang: You guys got any good COG jokes?
Baird: No...not really we were always in battles too little time to think about jokes.
Clayton: Cole
Cole looks at Clayton.
Clayton:Didn't you take the mic and made an announcement to the Locust how Delta squad was gonna stamp out their raggedy ass queen?
Cole:Maaaaan I can't believe I forgot about that, ya I did do that. Can't say the Locust appreciated it hearing it from the Cole Train.
Baird: But it was a decent morale boost.
Ruby glances to Blake:Blake?
Blake:Huh? Oh sorry I must have been day dreaming.
Yang: About what?
Blake:What sort of changes will come to our world with out Salem and the Locust.
Qrow:Well without Salem, I'd imagine a faction of her followers would still be around to cause some trouble but nothing a group of Hunters and Huntress can't handle.
Clayton: Hey that looks like a decent place to set up camp.
Baird:Alright let's set this bird down.
As Baird lands the Bullhead in nice little clearing, the others spread out putting up their sleeping bags and such, assigning duties of fire word and food for the night and night lookouts for any Grimm or Locust ambushes.
As the group done their tasks and had a fire going, they made a circle around it with their sleeping bags nearby.
Ruby: Did you guys ever have to set up camp before during your war?
Marcus:No not really. We had bases in certain areas but other than that no.
Ruby:So some rest was very rare to get unless you got rid of the enemies and done your mission?
Cole: Yes and no Rosebud, there were always new missions coming and going after each one we done.
Clayton: Ya even plenty of rescue missions or convoy missions, citizen evacuations.
Baird: Also dodging bullets from the stranded if you got too close to their camps.
Cole:Ya that too.
Weiss:So the stranded were those who stayed behind in their destroyed city?
Clayton:Ya and really wanted to be left alone by the COG so they would salvage weapons from nearby battlefields and train themselves to use them in case of Locust attack or any COG soldiers showing up.
Marcus: I remember stopping some stranded from taking COG weapons from a crashed Revan when the soldiers were still alive just wounded from the impact.
Blake:That's just sick..you soldiers needed your guns more than they did right?
Baird: Well since the Locust came up it was basically every Human for theirselves at that point which really I didn't understand the division between our soldiers and citizens..we all needed to fight together if we were to really beat the Locust.
Cole:We even brought in some old friends well they were once our biggest enemy before the Locust.
Weiss: The..what was it?
Blake:UIR?
Baird:That's right, they helped us in some battles but not all of them.
Ruby: Well I mean you both had a common enemy now which meant a common goal.
Cole:Right but they were still bitter about the Pendulm Wars.
Yang:The war between you guys and the UIR right?
Marcus:Ya that's right.
Clayton looks and sees Benjamin is already asleep and so is Qrow and Oscar.
Clayton:Well they went out like lights.
Baird:As will the Locust when their time comes.
Marcus: I think we should do the same and get some sleep, got a lot of recon to do if we are to find Salem's Palace.
The group decides to get some rest for their journey to hopefully put an end to this.
As they awake from their slumber they see Benjamin has already packed his stuff away on the bullhead and was waiting for the others to awake so they can get moving.
Benjamin:Rise and shin buttercups.
Baird:You are up early.
Benjamin:Wanna get a headstart on tearing the camp down and get moving incase of any Locust patrols.
Clayton:Smart thinking but if a patrol was nearby they would have found us already.
Ruby: Clayton is right, we could have been killed in our sleep if a patrol was close.
Cole: Who was on watch?
Weiss: I thought it was Oscar.
Ren: No. Nora and I were on watch.
Nora: If there were any Locust, we would have warned you guys or just took them out ourselves.
Benjamin: True. Ren is a good marksman while Nora is great for offensive and suppressing fire, they could buy us time in any situation.
Yang: Hey Ben?
Benjamin looks at Yang.
Benjamin: Ya?
Yang: You ever thought about being a commander? Ya know while you were in basic?
Benjamin: It never really crossed my mind, I really do have a lot of false bravado though.
Marcus: Don't sell yourself short Benjamin. You are keeping us alive and our morale up, Yang may be right. You could make a fine Colonel one day.
Clayton: Squirt becoming a colonel? I'd be shocked and yet proud at the sametime, my little brother being a higher rank than me.
Benjamin: Anthony would have made a good colonel too, since he always done his best to model himself after his favorite ones.
Clayton: Ya that's true but...
Benjamin: I know...he didn't make it long through the war.
Marcus looks down then looks at the brothers.
Marcus: It was an honor to serve with Anthony, he actually was a brave soldier.
Ben and Clay: Thanks Marcus.
Clayton: Dom was a hell of a soldier too Marcus.
Marcus: Thanks Clay, he really was huh.
As those two exchange in conversation, the others are packing up their stuff to place into the bullhead to head out looking for Salem's castle.
Weiss's scroll begins to go off as Jack is also receiving a transmission.
Baird: Jack patch that call through.
As Jack done he was commanded, Ironwood appears on screen, looking beaten down and worn out.
Weiss: He looks so drained...
Ozpin: Well considering he runs a military and a school...I'd feel drained too if my back hit the wall.
Ironwood: It's great to see all of you again, given the circumstances I must keep this brief. We believe we may have made a weapon capable of destroying Salem's castle, we just need you guys to find it and we will launch the weapon right on top of her.
Baird: And what sort of weapon is this General?
Ironwood: Well Baird I am glad you asked, what we are gonna use is something very similar to Ruby's eyes when she uses them on the Grimm, given if she cannot trigger them in time to affect Salem, the weapon get handle the rest if need be.
Marcus: That sounds convenient actually, its more a back up plan.
Ironwood: Yes, if you guys find the castle but cannot get to Salem, call upon us as a last resort and the weapon will handle her, but you must handle the Locust.
Benjamin: Consider it done General, we will keep you posted if we find her Castle.
Ironwood: Thank you. Ironwood out.
The transmission ends there.
Cole: Least he is contributing to our war effort right?
Baird: Ya but I hope we don't have any other nasty surprises once we find that castle.
Benjamin: Alright let's load up and head out of here to continue our search, if you see anything that can resemble that bitch's castle say something.
They all nod and get onto the bullhead and begin their search again.
As time went by while searching, they again come up empty.
Yang: There it is!!
Everyone looks where she pointed.
Yang: That's what it will sound like if any of us spotted it.
Benjamin: Smartass, I assume you take after your uncle.
Qrow: Hey I'm a qualified smart-ass thank you very much.
Baird: Is that a challenge I hear?
Marcus: Baird is a smartass as well.
Cole: Heh ya he is. But he still doesn't know when to shut his mouth sometimes.
Baird: Hey!
Cole: I meant no offense Damon.
Baird: Some taken.
Benjamin: Anyways let's keep looking.
As they are flying, still searching high and low for Salems hideout, still finding nothing but small areas of Grimm here and there and Nora bombing them with her boomshot.
Ruby: What if we don't find it out here?
Benjamin: Then we will search another or see if Ironwood can spare any manpower to help extend our search radius.
Weiss:I'm sure I know someone who can help.
Marcus: Winter?
Weiss: Yes that's right, I know she will help us when she can.
Clayton: Man I hope so
Yang:Feeling lonely Clayton?
Clayton: Ah...no? We can use the extra eyes in all other areas here.
Benjamin: Anyone seen any Locust yet? Its been very quiet.
Marcus: Ya...something isn't right but we gotta be close or something.
Baird: Nope...still just trees and grass and hills and mountains, and animals, and-
Marcus: Baird shut up.
Baird: Okay I can do that.
Benjamin: I suggest we can just relax and if we have to hopefully find a spot for some fuel or else we are gonna have to land and walk the rest of the way there.
Baird: Ya fuel....what place can we land at to get fuel for this?
Blake: Ah...Weiss you should know right?
Weiss: Ahhh....maybe try to see if we can find an atlas ship and see if they can allow us to get some fuel from them.
Baird: That depends on how far out they are deployed.
Qrow: I will see about getting ahold of Ironwood, you guys worry about finding that castle.
As everyone looks the day turns to night, Baird lands the dropship and everyone sets up camp and gathers food from hunting and wood for the fire, as time passed they went to sleep to get the needed rest for the search to continue the next day.