A/N
This was written over a month ago, alongside a second chapter that I will edit and look at another day.
I don't own anything, nothing whatsoever.
This will feature most of the cast of RWBY in some shape or form, but Ruby will be older then the others, it will become clearer when i post the next chapter.
September 8th 2021
A loud alarm blared out through the speakers waking the two occupants of the room.
Ruby Rose-Schnee's eyes opened wide as she heard the alarm, her wife Weiss Rose-Schnee woke up at the same time and both of their bodies started to work on automatic.
They were only dressed in underwear as both worked on their skin tight under armour suits and within a minute of hearing the alarm both women were running out of their room towards the hanger bay.
The year is 2021 and it has been 3 years since Russia has attacked Europe and the US.
In the year 2017 the Schnee Advance Weaponry Corporation created a new jet fighter, however this wasn't what was revolutionary. It was how the jet was piloted.
It used a similar design to the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter in use of the cockpit and main body of the aircraft, however it also took idea's from the V-22 Osprey and lastly the F-22 Raptor.
The aircraft was a hybrid of the three, the craft could reach speeds of over 2400 km/h or around Mach 3, and its four engines easily achieved this.
The craft held two twenty-five millimeter cannons running alongside both sides of the cockpit, it could hold six thousand pound bombs and in a compartment that could pop out from the middle of the craft could hold up to twenty Hellfire missiles, twenty Air to Surface missiles, or twenty Air to Air missiles depending on the mission requirement.
This was an impressive fighter jet requires two pilots to work, similar to the Apache attack helicopter, there is one pilot in the rear who flies the aircraft and another in the front seat who fires the guns. Although both seats can either fly or shoot the aircraft and the cockpits are reinforced so if a missile hits the front cockpit the rear cockpit will be undamaged.
However the pilots need to be of a special requirement.
This jet came from the weaponry side of the company; the science side of the company was tasked to find a way for two pilots to work together closely and to increase the efficiency between the two pilots.
What did they come up with? They came up with a way for two brains to be linked together to work almost as one mind.
In a process called Drifting, two minds are able to connect together through a type of mind meld, which allows the two pilots to share memories, experiences, emotions and instincts.
Through this process the two pilots are connected so they can work together seamlessly to fly the aircraft and to shoots its weapons at the same time, and any maneuver that the pilot has to take, the gunner will know and prepare for this.
The two pilots could not just be any random pilots put together, they would need some sort of connection, be it they are friends, lovers or family.
When the whole process was tested together, the aircraft and the drifting process it gained a large amount of media attention, especially since the details were leaked somehow, what surprised the media and public even more was who the test pilots for this idea would be.
Weiss Schnee at the time of this development was 18 at this team, and had already been at an Air Force academy in the United States for two years, learning everything she could about the different types of helicopters and fighter jets, before spending a final year learning about the type she wanted to fly.
At the same time a girl called Ruby Rose was doing this same process, and was roommate and secret girlfriend to Weiss Schnee, they had started dating about two terms after they started at the academy although due to regulations they could not be overly affectionate in public around the academy.
After spending two years deciding the two girls had finally decided what sort of aircraft they wanted to fly, for Weiss she had set her eyes on the most advance fighter jet to date, the F-22 Raptor.
For Ruby it was the AH-64 Apache, preferring the weapons to the speed for a change, as well as having been trained for Infantry fighting as well, meant she had a large respect for the Apache and it's performance in close air support roles.
This all changed when Weiss' father asked her to test his new fighter jet and neurological linking, but Weiss being the stubborn and mistrusting person she is didn't want some random person in her head, which prompted Weiss telling her father about Ruby.
Ruby didn't know about this and when Mr. Schnee appeared at the door to her and Weiss' shared room at the academy resulted in her being caught off guard, but after making the man know she loved Weiss, he reluctantly agreed to them dating and also for Ruby to be the partner of Weiss.
Both Ruby and Weiss finished up learning what they needed to, for Weiss it was to pilot advance fast jets and for Ruby she became a Weapons Officer for the Apache helicopter, trained in most weapons that came with the helicopter and also she spread her knowledge to every known type of weapon a helicopter or fighter jet could carry.
Once the two did this, the new aircraft was ready to test and they went to test out the 'Drift' and the aircraft.
To say it went off without a problem would be a lie; it took a number of attempts for the two women to get used to feeling and hearing each other in a way unfamiliar to everyone on the planet.
Once the process was refined it was easier and more effortless to perform once the pilots had gone through it enough.
Within three months all the testing was complete and SSWC had gotten a government contract by the DOD to make a squadron of these aircrafts and the facilities to maintain and operate the craft as well.
Once this information came to public knowledge, there was an arms race between Russia and America, as the Russians said that the Americans were preparing for a war.
Then out of the blue at the start of the year 2018, just as the first squadron of the new advance fighters entered service the Russians launched a surprise attack not only against the United States, but a number of allied countries in Europe.
Within two years of the war starting Russia had taken over most of mainland Europe, with only small parts of Italy still resisting and the United Kingdom untouched but fighting an air war, China and Japan were fighting back alongside the United Nations, which became the main united force opposing the Russians.
SSWC was contracted to make more fighters, but this was a slow process and they were limited to certain airfields, however this changed when they were able to create mobile Heli-carriers, which could support the fighters.
Ruby and Weiss however, alongside a number of pairs, including Ruby's half sister were all apart of the advance fighter jet force, the fighter itself earned a name for itself after multiply missions, the media had named the craft, Wraith and it stuck with the pilots and that was what the official name of the craft, however each craft had a unique name.
Ruby and Weiss, the first pilots of the Wraith fighter jet, and within a year of war became the most decorated pilots and well-known pilots out of the force. Also within a year of flying and 'drifting' with each other they married, as the drift was able to show them their true emotions and how they feel about each other.
Now with the history lesson done, let's get back to the present.
Ruby and Weiss were sprinting along the hallways of the USS Beacon, the first Heli-carrier to be put into service. They were sprinting towards the hanger bay and towards their aircraft.
The alarm that awoke them was to tell them they had a scramble, meaning that a hostile radar contact has been found and because Ruby and Weiss alongside Yang and Blake were on the response team rotation, meaning they could be called out at any time.
Reaching a room filed with technicians preparing armor pieces to attach to the pilots entering the room.
Yang and Blake would be doing the same thing in a similar looking room on the other side of the hanger.
Entering the room the two women stood in the middle of the room allowing the technicians to start attaching pieces of armor onto their suits.
The armor is to provide protection against the environments they could be flying through or even land in.
Once the armor and helmets were on, Ruby and Weiss picked up their weapons they would carry with them.
A service issue M1911 pistol was strapped onto their left leg; both girls had a personalized pistol, wedding gifts from some of their friends from the academy.
Ruby's was a dark red pistol with the Schnee snowflake symbol etched into its handle; Weiss' was similar however it was white in color and Ruby's Rose symbol etched into the handle.
Above the pistol both girls strapped a Katana above their pistol. The Katana was an idea that Ruby had for all Wraith pilots to have and train in; it was also a way for pilots to be paired together.
To duel with Katana, there needs to be a trust in the skill of the other person but also a special talent to duel with a partner and not injure them. When dueling partners are in tune with each other, that they can match each other's moves perfectly without the drift to tell them what they are going to try.
This was twofold as the sword provided pilots with a close range weapon to use in ground combat, although rare as it is.
Walking towards their aircraft, Weiss spoke Ruby, "I've got front seat, sweetie."
A side effect of the drift was the skills of the pilots could be transferred, which meant that Ruby could fly the jet thanks to drifting with Weiss and vice visa.
"But you have the front seat last time." Ruby pouted at her wife, they took turns swapping seats whenever they went out on a mission.
Weiss just smirked in reply, and kissed Ruby and whispered in her ear, a promise for what she would do in return when they got back.
Blushing Ruby just nodded her head and the two women climbed into their aircraft into the correct seats.
As soon as Ruby sat down in the rear seat and Weiss in the front, Ruby started the process for starting the engines of the aircraft.
Going through all the checks on the craft, Weiss checked weapons and listened out for the strike package.
"Strike package Delta loaded, check?" The lead weapon engineer spoke into the aircrafts com.
Weiss looked at her display and responded, "Strike package Delta loaded and checked."
The aircraft could be equipped for a number of roles, each a different strike package.
Strike package Alpha held twenty hellfire missiles, which are used for close ground support that the fighter is able to provide.
Strike package Bravo held twenty air to air missiles, this was used when the fighter was going to fight other aircraft and would be the normal package for the fighter.
Strike package Charlie had air to surface missiles, which held a large payload then the hellfire's so they could be used in taking out large targets.
Strike package Delta was a mix of all three, with a focus on air to air missiles. There was a mix of five hellfire missiles, five larger air to surface missiles and ten air to air missiles, allowing the fighter to be ready for any sort of mission. This package was mostly used for the alert teams to allow them armed and ready for anything.
Ruby started the first stage of ignition for the engine, and once that was done she heard Glynda Goodwitch's familiar voice came into their ears.
"Prepare for Neural Handshake."
Ruby and Weiss both stopped what they were doing, and prepared to be in each other's mind, focusing on keeping their own clear.
Hearing the countdown, once it reached zero both Ruby and Weiss felt a sense of weightlessness before they started going through each other's mind.
Ruby and Weiss, so use to drifting easily went through each other's minds, already knowing everything that was there, within thirty seconds they had completed and were linked together.
Glynda spoke with Ozpin who was standing behind her, "Drift holding at 100 percent, they're ready for second phase of launch."
Ozpin nodded, activating the com system, "Wraith One, you are cleared to move into launch tube."
Ruby started to prepare for second phase as the engineers outside moved the fighter onto the elevator to take them into the launch tube.
Two minutes put Ruby and Weiss into a long tube, running the whole length of the ship; they could just about see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Ozpin's voice came over the intercom again, as data starting being sent to the craft about their mission.
"We have had one enemy contact that Wraith One-Two will be sent for, you mission is to find out about an unknown contact detected twenty miles off the coast of Japan."
Everything that Ozpin said, plus more information about location of the contact streamed into their heads and on their heads up displays from their helmets.
Once that was done, both women strapped the oxygen masks onto their lower half of their faces.
"Permission to launch?" Ruby asked as she was increasing the power towards the engines as she heard the familiar whine of the railgun launch tube they were in.
"Granted." Ozpin spoke through the com piece.
Ruby increased the speed further to reach towards maximum speed while Glynda spoke one last time.
"Control of railgun launch handed over."
"I have control, Wraith One launching." Without needing to speak, Weiss felt Ruby say in her mind about the parking brake.
Once the brake was released nothing was holding the ship from moving, and accelerating forward as the clamp holding the front wheel in position started to shoot forward, bring the aircraft with it.
Both women were pulled into their seats at the force as the combined force of the engines and railgun firing them moved together to launch the craft at high speeds.
Exiting the tube they were shot off heading towards the open sea next to Japan, heading towards the contact.
Ruby and Weiss didn't speak as they went through checks and the process of flying and arming weapons, because they were in each other's heads so they didn't need to speak.
Within three minutes they had arrived at the location of the contact and Ruby was bring the craft around to check out the area, trying to find anything.
"There's nothing here, at all." Weiss spoke for the first time since they left the heli-carrier.
Ruby just hummed in response as she looked around trying to see if there was anything.
"Contact, heavy enemy fighter force, need assistance." Yang's voice broke them out of their search.
Ruby already knew that Weiss was thinking the same as her, as they pulled out of their search area and started heading towards her sister's location.
"Command, Wraith One responding to call from Wraith One-Two." Ruby told her commander, as they shot off towards her sister.
Weiss at the same time was speaking to Yang, "Wraith One-Two, Wraith One inbound in one minute."
"Copy that Wraith One." Yang had responded back to them acknowledging them.
As they were closing the gap, an alarm went off inside the fighter, and large letters appeared inside their HUDs shouting, "MISSILE LOCK"
As soon as the alarm went off, training kicked in as Ruby started to fire off countermeasures in the shape of flares being shot out the underside of the aircraft trying to distract the missile.
While that was happening however Ruby started to pull back on the controls to try and dodge the missile as well, in case the countermeasures didn't work.
The next event happened in an instant but to Ruby it happened in slow motion.
The missile they were trying to evade hit the front, underside of the aircraft, normally the armor would hold against missiles, being reinforced to protect the pilot.
However this missile seemed built to counter that, as two explosions hit the underside breaching the armor and as soon as that happened the missile pieced through the bottom of the front cockpit, and the third and final charge detonated and destroying the whole front cockpit.
The only thing saving Ruby was the fact the missile couldn't breach both cockpits in one go from the armor of the cockpit and design.
The drift allowed Ruby to feel what Weiss was thinking and feeling as she died, and her last thoughts that she had.
Ruby screamed out in pain feeling her wife die, almost losing control of the aircraft in the process.
Burying the pain as she felt anger overtake her, Ruby's HUD displayed the location of the launcher, bringing the craft to bear, Ruby unloaded the two cannons and almost all of the Hellfire missiles she had, effectively destroying the launcher and anything around it.
Back at the command center, Glynda and Ozpin saw everything happen on screen, as they saw Weiss die and then lost contact with Ruby shortly after that happened.
Ruby was able to fly the fighter back to the mainland, and using the Osprey way of landing, Ruby brought the Wraith fighter to land vertically in the middle of a field on the outskirts of a city in Japan.
Climbing out of the craft, limping in pain after feeling Weiss die. Getting to the tree line around the field, Ruby waited for the fighter to be recovered before disappearing into the city, finding somewhere to stay and found a kind man who would take her in.
A/N
Ok so some things not completely clear and I know that, firstly the date 8th September is important to me so I thought to use it here as well.
The aircraft itself, it has the front body of the Apache, but the two cockpits are level with each other instead of one being elevated.
The rest if similar in looks to the F-22 Raptor with it being streamlined but has four engines instead of two, and a larger underside so it is able to house the impressive arsenal.
Two 25mm cannons as well, would of gone with the 30mm but that thing is massive so yeah.
Anyway as you can see the drifting is the same thing as it is in Pacific Rim but I prefer aircraft over giant robots lol.
Oh and the Rail gun launcher is something I got from Gundam, but Rail gun technology is something I follow quite closely especially considering the US navy is testing out such a weapon. If you look into Rail guns then you will also see a method in which we are able to launch spacecraft into space through these means.
Oh and just for the strike packages:
Strike package Alpha held twenty hellfire missiles, which are used for close ground support that the fighter is able to provide.
Strike package Bravo held twenty air-to-air missiles, this was used when the fighter was going to fight other aircraft and would be the normal package for the fighter.
Strike package Charlie had air to surface missiles, which held a large payload then the hellfire's so they could be used in taking out large targets.
Strike package Delta was a mix of all three, with a focus on air-to-air missiles. There was a mix of five hellfire missiles, five larger air-to-surface missiles and ten air-to-air missiles, allowing the fighter to be ready for any sort of mission. This package was mostly used for the alert teams to allow them armed and ready for anything.