Chapter 2: backwater station
"Receiving incoming transmission. Com-link established." Said Blake as the emitter from ports desk started to project Jaune and port was happy to see him still alive. "Hello Governor, how are you?" Said Jaune as he looked port in the eyes. "I'm just fine though wish I could say the same for the mediator." Said port as he also looked Jaune in the eye. "Governor, have you gotten the refugees tucked nice and tight in the star port. Provided you can sidestep any more surprises from our dominion friends and we can keep them away from those creatures. They should have an easy time." Said Jaune and port was just about to issue a retreat back to the central spaceport. Suddenly Blake issued an alert, "priority alert! Backwater Station is under attack by unknown alien organisms. Distress beacon activated at 0658. Alerting Republic command on pride water. Stand by for incoming transmission." Said Blake as a new face appeared from the emitter then spoke. "We've already received the distress beacon from backwater however with the Dominion blockading the system there's nothing we can do. The last thing we need to do is trigger a war might I suggest that you send the commander of the planetary garrison or militia to liberate the trapped personnel. Beyond that your on your own, sorry." Said the woman.
"Damn it! Listen, I'll take what forces I have and go. If we wait for Dominion reinforcements then that stations nothing, but ruins. I'll head over along with Ruby Rose as second in command should my com-link ever be cut. We'll save those folks, trust me." Said Jaune as port gave him the green light to go ahead with his plan.
"Alright, Jaune we're here. Get into the c.c. And get to collecting resources." Said Ruby as they came up to the base site. "Ruby you don't need to talk like that your only a noncommissioned officer so you don't fall into the command chain unless there is at the very least no Sargent." Said Jaune as he entered the c.c. And sent the s.d.v.'s to start gathering resources. "Builder one condition command: when a hundred minerals have been gathered construct a refinery on the geyser to the north of the c.c. And start gathering dust." Said Jaune and not long after the command was sent builder one went to carry out the commands given. "Alright now to get two more in line. Builders two and three condition command: once a refinery is built go and start collecting dust." Said Jaune then he heard a beep sound and with that, he knows his orders would be carried our. "Forage bay construct three additional s.d.v.'s and have those s.d.v.'s start collecting materials." Said Jaune and again he got a confirmation in the form of a beep. "Alright now to start producing additional troops." Said Jaune as he sent and order to the barracks to produce five marines.
"Hay, Jaune are ya gonna send us into the field or not?" Asked Ruby who was starting to get a bit antsy. "Keep your cool marshal I can't have you dying in the field can I." Replied Jaune and Ruby just contented herself by looking at her scroll. What she was looking at Jaune didn't want to find out and once the first group of clones were finished Jaune ordered another batch to be produced. Once the second batch of clones were finished Jaune gave the order to move out as the battle group headed north they came across a group of three creatures. The creatures noticing the group and charged towards them but they were gunned down by the group. As the group went up a ramp they saw what looked like the ground was alive. "What the hell is that? Looks like the ground is alive." Said a Ruby as they came to it and saw a group of five creatures and a giant pulsating mass of flesh.
The pulsating mass of flesh looks as if a creature was mutated to be stuck to the ground with a tower like lump on the back, a fin on the left side and claws growing from around the tower like lump on its back with a long tube-like mouth.
"Mam, there are more of those creatures up ahead. Your orders?" Asked a clone marine looking dead ahead. "Stay in formation and gun 'em down." Said Ruby as she took aim with her rifle. The marines charged forward Ruby shot one and it fell instantly the remaining four charged at the large ground of marines and were swiftly gunned down. "Shoot that mass of flesh movement is slow on this stuff." Said Ruby as she once again took aim along with the marines waiting for her signal. "Fire!" Yelled Ruby and the sound of fourteen c-13 war rifles along with the sound of a sniper rifle firing and after four seconds of sustained fire the blob of flesh died and the stuff covering the ground started to recede, but the group didn't stop to watch they continued their track north to find backwater station.
After about ten minutes of walking the group saw a bunker. "Ya Ruby do ya think anyone's still. Ya know alive in that bunker or even the entire station?" Asked a marine as they came up to the bunker. "I don't know, but thank you for volunteering private." Replied Ruby as the rest of the group stopped about ten meters away from the bunker and formed a firing line. "Me and my big mouth." Said the Marine as he closed in on the bunker to open it. Just before the marine pressed the open button on the holo-pad the door flew open. The marine ran back to the group and joined the firing line. "Thanks for the rescue. We've been holed up in these bunkers for days. Hiding from the monsters." Said an s.d.v. That was colored green, white and ginger as it and an elderly man came out of the bunker. "Ugh, is it just me or did that s.d.v. Just talk like a teenage girl?" asked a marine utterly confused. "Way, yes my daughter can talk she can't rely on radio communication forever can she." Said the elderly man. "Sir, you do realize that tampering with equipment this important without permission from any government is illegal current?" Asked Ruby as she pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Oh, I know which is way I built her myself is building an s.d.v. Chaise from scrap illegal?" Asked the elderly man. "No, but is she even registered? If not I must ask that you dismantle her immediately." Said Ruby as she shifted her rifle into its scythe form after putting way her cuffs. "We were on our way to do just that and to get her patented as well. When suddenly she picked up on her radio that there was a blockade in orbit and monsters attacking any settlement or group. So we took cover inside of this bunker." Said the elderly man as he looked around as if fearing for his life. "Well since we're so close to backwater we'll escort you to there and you can get her registered and patented when we get there and she can even get to work gathering resources." Said Ruby as she shifted her scythe back into a rifle and with that, the group continued their track to backwater station.
As the group continued their track to backwater they found an outpost. "These things have been out here awhile, but they could prove to be pretty useful." Said Ruby as she contacted Jaune. "Ruby good to hear from you did you get to backwater or find doctor copper?" Asked Jaune with a sign of relief in his voice. "Ugh, who's doctor copper and no we did find an outpost that proves to be quite useful." Said Ruby as she looked around the outpost. "Actually Ruby that outpost is backwater station and doctor copper should be there. He's an elderly man with an s.d.v. He built out of scrap and refers to it as his daughter." Said Jaune as he got ready to move everything to backwater station. "Jaune, I'm gonna have to call you back." Said Ruby as she closed her fist and had a venomous tone to her voice. "Alright, I'm not that far I should be there in a few minutes and please don't seriously injure the good doctor, please?" Asked Jaune but all he got was static. "I should hurry and save the doc before Ruby injures him." Said Jaune as he picked up the pace of getting everything in order.
"Your doctor copper? Really I thought you were a young genius who passed every test with flying colors. But this? This is not what a genius is supposed to look like…" said Ruby as she continued to rant on about what a genius was supposed to look like. "Ah, doctor copper. Has the marshal been treating you well?" Asked Jaune as he came up to the site. "Well, for the last twelve minutes she's been ranting on about what a genius is supposed to look like." Said Doctor copper as he continued to look over his s.d.v.'s systems. "Ruby." Said Jaune and just like that Ruby ceased her rant. "Yes, Jaune?" Asked Ruby stopping and looking at Jaune. "Ruby, you should get back to the troops." Said Jaune and Ruby left to go get the troops ready to move out. "Doctor Copper, please follow me to the command center for your own protection." Said Jaune and doctor copper complied by getting up and having his s.d.v. Build a craft Bay then had her help gather materials. So Jaune and doctor copper went inside the c.c. And took command of backwater station.
Ruby had the troops from up but before they left Ruby got a message.
Send troops back to barracks to get equipment upgrades for the area.
So Ruby had all the troops go to the barracks to get upgraded equipment for the area. When the troops came back outside they had: stimpacks, upgraded weapons, and armor, but the Marines had D-238 shells. "Well, this is an improvement and keep death to a minimum and enemy kills high." Said Ruby as her own armor was upgraded but not her rifle. "How come my rifle wasn't upgraded yet I can get D-238 rounds?" Asked Ruby to Jaune. "That's because your rifle is custom built the weapon upgrades are for standard issue weapons only." Said Jaune to Ruby. "Ok. Well me and the rest of the troops have some hunting to do bye now." Said Ruby as she got the troops into formation and left backwater station.
After about five minutes of walking they saw what doctor copper had dubbed creep and so the troops referred to it as creep for convenience. With this in mind, the flame-bats took the front and the Marines brought up the rear and after two minutes of trudging through creep, they group saw a group of ten zerglings as the doctor also called them and so did the troops for convenience, that were around a creep tumor again doctor named it troop convenience. The creep outpost was swiftly dispatched with only a few minor injuries amount the flame-bats. As the group moved down a ramp they saw new creature.
The creature was on a serpentine tail, a torso with two arms with claws much like zerglings, a wide head that appeared to be able to shoot spines at a long range.
As the human group got into battle formation with flame-bats in the front and marines in the back the monsters group moved to intercept the humans. The zergling ran ahead as the serpentine creatures brought up the rear. The zergling was swiftly burned as the group advanced forward, then the serpentine creatures released spines at the flame-bats and marines, but couldn't fire fast enough to bring down any of the troops. "Ma'am, we've taken critically wounded troops. Granted their clones but still your orders." Said a Marine over the radio to Ruby. "If their clones then put them in the front if not keep to the rear." Said Ruby as the troops rearranged the formation and not long after the formation was rearranged a force of seven Zerglings came running in and they were shot and burned to ashes. After the skirmish the wounded two of three clones were dead. "Alright, lists move we've got to secure the area." Said a clone marine that was ready to move. As the group moved they were attacked by a force of six zergling that were swiftly put down.
Meanwhile back in backwater station
"Commander arc, I've found the best name for the new serpentine creatures: hydralisk." Said doctor copper excitedly. "Good well did you but it in the database so we have an official for them?" Asked Jaune still looking over the map to oversee how things were doing and so far Jaune was pleased that even in spite of the deaths of two clones that it was demeaned acceptable. "There's a ramp that leads to higher ground. All units head up this ramp and kill any hostiles you find." Said Jaune as he watched his forces head up the ramp to the east of backwater station.
Back with the soldiers
"Alright gents from up standard battle formation." Said Ruby as they got into formation. After they got into formation they began their track up the ramp when they were ambushed by a hydralisk. The wounded marine was killed by the hydralisk but the creature was swiftly dispatched. As the group trudged through the creep they found creep tumors that they shot to kill as well as six zerglings and another hydralisk. Once the creep tumor on the left was destroyed they started attacking the creep tumor on the right, but before they could do any real damage they were attacked by two hydralisks and three zerglings. After that, the group moved up north again and found another creep tumor unguarded, but regardless of that, it was still shot to kill on unknowns and hostiles.
After the creep tumor was destroyed the group once again moved north only to find a command center with living matter growing all over it. "What the hell did they do to that command center?!" Yelled a marine in shock. "I don't know but it has enemy structure written all over it and is completely unnatural. Burn it down, boys." Said Ruby as she had the troops form up into a firing line and started to fire on the structure. After about a full thirty seconds of sustained fire, the structure exploded, but no one was injured. "Must have hit the dust generator. Alright boys lets pack up and go." Said Ruby as she turned around to head back to backwater station but was interrupted when a transmission came in for everyone that was in the unit.
"Marshal Ruby Rose, by destroying a vital inter-kingdom/empire installation, you and you forces have violated standing colonial law. As of right now, you're all under arrest. I heavily suggest you throw down your weapons and come peacefully." Said Edmund Green as he got ready to send forces to arrest Ruby and her group. "What? Are you mad? If we hadn't destroyed that structure this entire colony could've been overrun-ed! Maybe if you hadn't taken your sweet time getting here –" said Ruby before Green cut her off. "Now I asked nicely the first time, girl. I didn't come here to talk with you. Now throw down those weapons, now!" Ordered Green frowning. "Guess you wouldn't be a dominion dog if you weren't a complete pain in the ass." Said Ruby as she and the rest of Jaune's troops threw down their weapons.
"Doctor Copper looks like Ruby and most of my forces have been arrested. We need to get to the central starport." Said Jaune as they ran outside. "Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. Penny you'll have to carry me and commander arc to the central starport looks like we're not getting you registered today." Said doctor copper as he got into penny along with Jaune. "Understood, one way to the central starport." Said Penny as she took off toward to central star port.