It wasn't fair. Damn the Alliance for stonewalling his attempts, damn their threats, and damn his own cowardice! He should bring this up. Yes, once the mission was over he'd begin his own investigation into these Glyphs. The technology, no, the concept alone would revolutionize the galaxy!

They shouldn't be destroying this!

Damn it all to hell.

"Helm, adjust course," Maloney ordered, fingers relentlessly drumming the arms of his seat as the Pearl glided effortlessly above the moon's surface. "Slow to one fifth, bring us in low. Prep for landing sequence."

And damn Anderson too. The meathead was probably laughing his ass off down there, especially after he'd been forced to grovel at the Lieutenant's feet just to get his cooperation back in ensuring he didn't die a painful death. The Alliance hadn't even acknowledged his blatant insubordination.

This was all wrong. Completely, irreparably, wrong. They shouldn't be destroying this priceless artifact. Clearly this was a conspiracy, an effort to keep Humanity in the dark about the non-technological marvel. It had to be!

"Sir, the ground team is reporting no-go."

His eye twitched and it took all his self control not to scream. "Why?"

"The Lieutenant won't say," the unfortunate comm technician replied, wincing under the Captain's scrutiny.

Of course he didn't. Was Anderson in on this now? A deliberate attempt on his career? Oh, he'd deal that upstart once he had exposed the Alliance for what they truly were. Fools!

He sucked in air, grimacing as it whistled loudly up his nose. The whole bridge was on edge. Despite his attempts, rumors of his and Anderson's disagreement were spreading like wildfire. Much to his horror, the majority stood with the XO.

Was this a mutiny in the making?

Damn them all to hell!

"Contact! Ground side!"

"W-What?!" Forgetting protocol, Maloney rushed to the sensor station and ogled the sensor feed over the poor ensign's shoulder.

"One contact, sir," the woman reported, leaning away from him slightly.

"I-I can see that. What's it doing here?!"

He hated how the ensign shot a helpless look at the helmsman, almost begging for help. Mutiny. He'd have them all locked in irons at the end of this. "I… I don't know, sir. It's signature suggests it's a personal device of some kind. Definitely small."

And right on top of the Glyph, Maloney noted, jaw clenched. Someone got there before him. Was the entire galaxy conspiring against him today?!

"Full stop!" he shouted, storming back to his seat. "Lower the Kinetic Barriers and prep for disembarkment. Someone get me Anderson on the comm!"

As he sat, a sudden flash on a nearby hill caught his attention. That was the last thing he knew as the anti-air guns tore through the viewscreen, shredding the bridge to pieces.

-o0o-

"Pull."

Ruby did so, wincing as the chestplate tightened around her ribcage. "Gah! Too tight."

Wordlessly, Anderson loosed the strap and ordered her to repeat the process, pulling until it sat snuggly on her chest. As he turned to retrieve the next piece of armor from the supply locker, Ruby couldn't help but admire herself.

The light Onyx hardsuit was nothing short of awesome. It took everything she had to keep from squealing in excitement.

However, why Anderson insisted she wear it didn't make much sense. Aura protected her from just about everything, but Anderson looked completely boggled when she brought it up. Didn't he know about Aura? Sure, most people couldn't wield it as effectively as Huntsmen, but everyone knew what it was and used it to some capacity.

You needed Aura for Dust after all!

But Anderson just looked at her like she was crazy, handing her a bodysuit with the words, 'that won't protect you against vacuum.'

Okay, maybe he had a point there. Aura couldn't help you breathe underwater, unless that was your Semblance… or you were a Faunus.

Either way, the armor was beyond cool. The adjustable plating molded around her body perfectly, fitting her like a glove. The clunky body armor of Atlas had nothing on this!

Her unstoppable image was only solidified as Anderson thrust a visored helmet into her hands.

"You put it on like this," he instructed, slipping it over her head. "Press it down firmly, otherwise the seals won't activate. On your wrist is a suit pressure readout. Keep an eye on it. If you begin to lose pressure tell me immediately. Do you understand?"

Ruby nodded distractedly, still marveling at her appearance and the small screen flashing on her wrist. A face pressed against her suit's visor startled her out of it.

"Ruby," Anderson said, his words slow and deliberate. "Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," she squeaked.

Without another word, Anderson turned to his own locker. Within seconds he'd stripped himself down and strapped on his armor at a speed that rivaled Yang's daily race to the shower. She loved her sister and all, but an hour in the shower was one hour too many!

She instantly regretted the thought as loneliness opened a pit in her stomach. She was in space. Unlike her glee from before that reality now filled her with dread. For all her awe at the incredible technology around her, the haunting truth remained.

She was alone.

She once got lost in Vale, many years ago when she was young… well, younger, and that had been the most terrifying five minutes of her younger life. Alone, scared, surrounded by strangers, but there was always the rational thought that if she just kept looking she'd find dad again.

But that was just a city. Only a city. Never before had the night sky over Patch felt so daunting as when she was swallowed by its depths. Being lost in Vale couldn't even come close to this. Here she was, smaller than a grain of sand in the endless abyss of the… of the… galaxy.

Ruby swallowed hard, fighting back the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. She'd find her way back… why, all she needed was a phone or whatever they had here. Home was just a call away. It wasn't that bad…

"Negative," Anderson's voice intruded on her thoughts. "Negative. I repeat, we are no go for deployment. We need a few more minutes." He tightened the last few straps on his armor as he listened to his earpiece with a scowl. "Then make time."

He slammed his helmet on angrily, ending the conversation, and turned to the other members of his team clustered around the makeshift bomb in the center of the cargo bay. A disruptor torpedo, Anderson had called it, forbidding her from even breathing on the makeshift explosive.

"We're running out of time," Anderson said, joining the group who were all arms deep in the torpedo's guts. "Give me some good news."

"Rigging the detonator now," one of the men replied, face screwed up in concentration. After a few tense moments he relaxed and carefully extracted himself from the bomb's internals. "There. Hopefully it won't have a hissy fit before we need it too."

"I-Is that bad?" Ruby squeaked, shrinking back as all eyes focused on her.

"Yeah, it means we all get blown to smithereens and our dust ground down to atoms," the man retorted, turning on Anderson. "These things ain't meant to be tampered with, sir. We've gotten lucky so far."

"It only has to get to the Glyph," Anderson replied calmly, going over to retrieve his weapons.

"And what's the little lass doing here?" another man asked, jerking his head towards Ruby, making her cringe. "Isn't she supposed to be in medical?"

Anderson paused briefly before continuing. "That's… complicated. Call it a hunch."

"This wouldn't happen to involve the Captain, would it?" the first man asked, crossing his arms. "That little twit's been fucking you over from the beginning, won't surprise me if-"

But Ruby never learned what surprised him. For a split second everything seemed to freeze; the man, the bomb, Anderson whirling around interject, the rest of the ground team standing by awkwardly. Everything seemed to hang on that moment before erupting into utter chaos. Lights flashed, changing colour to cast the room in a hellish red light. The sound of sirens, explosions, and tearing metal filled her ears. The cargo bay itself was spinning, tossing men and equipment around like rag-dolls.

A split second too late she realized that she herself was flying through the air, crashing into a locker on the far side, driving the air from her lungs. Before she could recover, the forces that be flung her across the cargo bay again, slamming her into the far wall.

Only then did she register the screams. Her own, filling her helmet, the pained cries of men and the all encompassing screech of tearing metal. The entire cargo bay was coming apart before her eyes, filling with flaming debris as flaming shrapnel tore through the ship's hull. Everything was happening too fast for her to be scared, merely react to the pandemonium in the only way she knew how; by screaming her head off and reaching for something—anything that would stop the mad spin to certain death.

Suddenly Anderson slammed into her, wrapping her in his arms as together they hurled towards the deck.

The next thing Ruby knew she was opening her eyes onto the dusty surface of the same barren moon she'd first awoken on. Everything hurt. Groaning, she tried to crawl to her knees, only to fall back with a hiss of pain when her arms gave out.

Ugh… it was discovering her Semblance all over again, only ten times worse. Smashing face first into walls and doors when it activated on a hair trigger wasn't fun. Back then her Aura had taken the brunt of it. Here though… something felt off. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't seen her Aura activate at all. No familiar shield around her limbs to indicate the protective barrier of her soul.

Had something happened to her Aura? The spike of fear that shot through her was enough to get her to her knees, focusing with all her might on the tiny spot in her psychic where her Aura resided. Her fears were groundless as the familiar electric tingle saturated her body, slightly easing her aches and pains.

But there was no shield. No matter how hard she pushed it just wouldn't appear. Her panting quickened in fright. This had never happened before, what was going on? Was something wrong with her Aura?

Maybe Anderson would know…

Anderson!

Ruby tried to stand, felt her knees give out and tumbled back to the ground, facing a scene of absolute devastation. Her heart sank.

Somehow she'd been thrown clear of the crash, falling into the trench craved in the ship's wake during the crash. Jagged bits of flaming wreckage surrounded her, leading up to the ruined husk of the Pearl nosing up the inner slope of a crater. Aside from the crackle of flames and the groaning of settling metal, the wreck was silent and empty.

Ruby stared, horrified. Was she… was she the only one who survived? No. No, she couldn't be alone, not again!

She almost cried in relief when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Anderson!" she cried, spinning around on her knees. "You're…"

It wasn't Anderson.

Ruby's blood turned to ice in her veins as she followed cruel, black armored legs up to a sinister skull helm. Four black eye sockets regarded her coldly as a pistol was raised to her head.

Her breath hitched as she stared down the length of the yawning barrel to the empty sockets behind them.

She couldn't count the times she'd been in this same exact situation before. All the practise spars in Beacon, the White Fang goons, not to mention all the Grimm she'd faced over the years, this was no different. Staring down the barrel of a weapon or teeth, knowing that the person behind it wanted you dead.

This shouldn't have been any different. Aura was a constant presence in her life, there was never a day without it. Ruby knew its limits, knew what she could take, which was why she was never afraid to blow death a raspberry and keep on fighting. Why not? Nothing could touch her...

But here? It was gone. Her Aura was gone. Her team was gone, her sister was gone, her entire planet itself was gone!

The truth left her frozen in place as the awful reality settled over her.

The skull helm tilted to the side, it's gaze taking on an inquisitive edge as the pistol pressed into her forehead and a finger squeezed the trigger.

Yang…

The silence was shattered by a roar that was more beast than man as Anderson tackled skull-face from the side, a knife flashed his hand as he drove it towards the Skull's ribs. A quick roll saved the man's life, sending them both tumbling to the ground, the knife trapped between them as they grappled in the dust. The pistol went flying away, forgotten as they strained to keep control of the knife.

Their tumble came to an end at a piece of wreckage. In an alarming show of flexibility, Skull-face twisted, getting his legs between them and kicked Anderson away. The Lieutenant hit the metal with a bone garing crack, barely managing to recover in time to deflect a slash at his neck.

Throughout it all Ruby was frozen in place, reeling from what just happened before Anderson's pained grunts jerked her out of her stupor.

With his back against the wall and no room to maneuver his opponent was steadily taking Anderson apart. He tried to break free, throwing his whole weight against his attacker. For a moment, Ruby thought he would succeed. Then Skull-face braced himself, set his shoulder into the man's belly and slammed Anderson back, driving the air from his lungs.

A hard punch in the ribs kept him pinned against the wall.

A second blow to the gut made him choke.

Finally, Ruby watched in horror as a third blow to the head sent the Lieutenant reeling, helpless to defend himself as the alien lunged in for the kill.

"NOOOOO!" A scream tore from Ruby's lips as she activated her Semblance and charged into him from behind. Without her Aura, the impact rattled her teeth as they tumbled away, the knife coming uncomfortably close to the gaps in her armor. Miraculously, her helmet stayed sealed as they rolled to a stop.

"Ow," Ruby groaned past gritted teeth, her eyes screwed shut. "Aura? Where are you?"

Wincing, her eyes fluttered open, only to widen to celestial sizes as she found herself face to face with the skull helm. A cloud of rose petals floated around them, giving the completely wrong impression.

"Uh… Hi?"

The knife flashed. Something grabbed her by the collar and yanked dragged her clear as the knife slashed across her breastplate. She hit the ground hard, scrambling frantically for the wound on her chest. No blood. The knife hadn't made it through. Where was her Aura?!

A shadow loomed over her as Anderson planted himself between her and her attack, pistol firing at such a rate it seemed automatic. Skull-face scrambled back, a glowing shield deflecting the incoming fire as he dove for the cover of another piece of wreckage.

For a moment, Ruby thought it was his Aura; but the shield felt far too solid to be the power of the soul. It sparked and crackled with each shot before giving way with a sound of shattering glass, but Skull-face seemed none the worse for wear as he dove out of sight. Not Aura then, some other kind of energy shield. If she wasn't so scared it might have been the coolest thing ever.

The moment he was gone Anderson yanked Ruby to her feet.

"Go!" he shouted, pointing toward the ruined hull of the Pearl. His words were drowned out as Ruby saw dozens of tiny figures detach themselves from the nearby hills. Their whoops and blood thirsty hollers carried through the thin atmosphere as they surrounded the downed ship.

Ruby froze. She knew that she needed to run, but her legs were locked in place. Grimm trying to kill her wasn't new… but without Crescent Rose? Without Aura? She started to tremble, eyes locked on the approaching figures as hopelessness seeped. There were too many… they had the range and she had no protection!

"RUBY!" Anderson yanked her around so they were visor to visor, shouting in her face as he pointed to the Pearl. "Run! Now!"

His words jerked her back to the present and she fled. Behind her the sharp retorts of the pistol were drowned out by the distant roar of automatic gunfire fire. Puffs of dirt exploded around her as the bullets rained down.

No Aura…

It was all she could think as she screamed, instinctively covering her head as shots tore past her. No Aura. No Crescent Rose. Nothing!

As if her worst nightmares had come to life, a bullet caught her in the back. Her armour held, but it still hit with the force of Paladin mech, slamming her into the dirt. She didn't know when she started crying. Crying in pain, fear, helplessness? She didn't know! Gunfire was peppering the ground around her, each bullet carrying with it a new promise of death.

The wreck loomed above her, promising safety if only she could get up. Through a tear in the hull she could see movement, a figure motioning with a hand, screaming at her to move.

So close… she was so close…

Bullets peppered the ground around her, growing closer with each passing millisecond.

Would anyone miss her if she died here? Would anyone even know? Would dad? Yang?

A fire seemed to ignite in her chest, spreading across her limbs. She wasn't going to die here. She would see them again!

Gathering her courage, Ruby pushed herself up, ignoring the bullets that fell around her as she pulled on her Semblance for one final attempt. She ran, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake and dove through the gap in the hull. Her armor saved her from acquiring a new collection of bruises as she crashed painfully onto the slanted deck.

"Grab her!"

Ruby 'eeped!' as she was pulled aside into the cover of the wreck, narrowly avoiding the bullets that tore through the space she'd inhabited mere moments before.

The cargo bay was in shambles. Not a single locker was left unturned. Sparks erupted from exposed conduits in the deck and bulkheads. Lights flickered erratically, casting the area in a haunting twilight, just like a horror movie. Only this movie was much too real.

The sound of bullets rattling off the hull reverberated through the air as Ruby leaned against a bulkhead. For the first time since the madness began she was able to think. Or more like struggle to process it all. Her heart was pounding frantically in her chest and her hands wouldn't stop trembling. Everything had taken on a surreal edge like in a dream; the bullets, the crash, the firefight raging around her, the screams… the bodies laid out respectfully on the deck.

One was the body of a boy, maybe only a few years older than her, glazed eyes staring off into space. He looked fine… until Ruby noticed his lower half was missing, with a bloody sheet covering the point of bisection.

That could've been me…

The thought chilled the marrow in her bones. The trembling spread until she shook like a leaf, her breathing becoming fast and shallow.

She had dreamed of being a Huntress all her life, a hero saving the world, one Grimm at a time. Helping people, saving them. But in all the training, schooling, and encouragement the possibility of death never really occurred to her. And why would it? She was invincible; trained by two of the best Huntsman on Remnant and wielding the deadliest weapon known to man. Now, the harsh reality of her choices was laid bare, circumstances driving the point deeper. She'd lived with Aura her whole life… now it was gone. So was Crescent Rose. So was Yang. So was everything that she had taken for granted.

Without Aura that could've been her lying dead on the deck.

A crash brought her screaming out of her misery as Anderson dove into cover beside her.

"Sound off!" he shouted, patting himself over to check for blood as he panted.

One by one voices filled Ruby's ears, surprising her by how many people had actually survived. In her stupor, she hadn't noticed the odd dozen marines and crewman trading fire with their attackers. Even so, their numbers were depressingly lacking.

The bad news came thick and fast, Ruby couldn't help but watch Anderson's reaction. His helmet hid most of his expression, but she could still see his eyes through the visor as they scanned the weary survivors. Some were wearing nothing more than a service uniform and breathing mask, shivering with cold and looking as hopeless as Ruby felt, waiting breathlessly for his orders.

Had Yang ever felt like this? Had Weiss, or Blake? With death at the gates and when their lives depended on her choices? Had they ever felt as hopeless as she did now?

As if sensing her distress, Anderson looked down. There was no fear in his brown eyes, only a fire that burned brighter with each second. The look alone was enough to calm Ruby's nerves, filling her with a sense of hope.

"Right, here's the situation," Anderson raised his voice over the gunfire, calm and steady once again. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder out the hole. "We have hostiles advancing from the planetary north and west, moving to surround us."

There was no reply, but Ruby felt the moral drop like a stone.

"The nose is just below the crater lip at our back," the Lieutenant continued, pointing towards the nose of the ship. "If the topography is correct it's a short hike up before heading down onto the plains. We can signal for rescue there."

"T-That could still take days," one of the younger crewmen whimpered, clutching his weapon tight. "We'll be dead by then."

"Better than taking our chances in here," Anderson replied firmly. "The Drive Core could blow at any moment and those pirates are moving faster than I'd like. We stay here, we're already dead. Grahams, Mullins, Weaver!" Three of the crewmen acknowledged his command. "I want fourteen packs: Rations, water, weapons, ammunition, emergency beacon, back up emergency beacon, Emergency Atmospheric Generator, thermal blankets, everything we need to survive for a week. Distribute the weight, we can't afford to be slowed down."

"Yes sir!" The crewman jumped into action, shifting through the tangled wreck around them for the supplies.

"Haylings!" Anderson continued. "Strip down that torpedo. The rest of you, armor up in staggered groups. I want covering fire at all times. Clear?"

"Yes sir!"

The survivors sprang into action, digging through the scattered equipment with a newfound determination that left Ruby in awe.

With just a plan and a few simple commands, Anderson had inspired his team beyond anything she could have done. He was fearless, presiding over the preparations with a confidence that seemed to spread with his every word. If a man was flagging he would step up, offer them a brief encouragement before sending them off on their tasks. Before Ruby knew it the survivors were armored up, throwing packs over their shoulders as Anderson organized them into two separate groups for the assent. One to scout ahead and the other to cover their escape.

Though she'd been team Leader for a few months now, this went above and beyond everything she was used to.

It suddenly occurred to Ruby that she was gawking and looked away, embarrassed. Anderson approached her with the last two rucksacks. He considered her carefully, judging the weight of the smallest bag before transferring a few items over into his own before handing it over.

Ruby took it without question, nearly buckling under the weight as it settled on her back. Anderson was instantly at her side before any true complications could arise.

"Tighten here, here, and here," he said, pulling on each indicated strap in turn. With each adjustment the pack magically settled on Ruby's back. Even then she still stumbled under the weight. When she was ready he guided her over to the first group, who were already climbing the sloped corridors to the nose.

"Head east along the ridge," he told the team leader, a burly man who Ruby vaguely remembered being called Gregor. "Stay out of sight. When you're out of the crater, head south on bearing 3550. In three kilometers you'll find a crater about the size of a Mako. Wait twenty minutes. If we haven't rendezvoused with you by then, keep moving on bearing 4900 for five kilometers until you find a crater the size of a landing pad and bunker down. Radio silence for twenty four hours before signalling for help." He gently pushed Ruby forward. "And keep her safe. Understood?"

"Aye sir."

"W-Wait! What about you?" Ruby cried, latching onto Anderson's arm as he turned away.

"We'll be right behind you," Anderson assured her, prying his arm loose and pointing. "Now go!"

"B-But-"

"Come on, lass," Gregor said, taking her arm as Anderson returned to the firefight. "The Lieutenant knows what he's doin'. Up ya' get!"

Ruby yelped as he lifted her, pack and all, up into the narrow passage. The crash had transformed the corridor into a nightmare of loose panels and sparking conduits, the only sources of light in the darkness. Far ahead, she could see the others making the climb with ease.

She gulped and found a hand hold, pulling herself up with difficulty. She was a good climber; you didn't live in a forest without learning how to climb trees, but this was another gantlet entirely. Every foothold seemed to groan under her weight, the whole wreck creaked around her, punctuated by the rattle of bullets off the hull. The unfamiliar weight of her pack seemed to grow heavier as she climbed higher and higher, dragging her down step by step.

But she persevered, and soon the black sky appeared above her as she emerged into the ruined bridge, shredded beyond repair. The crash had stripped the belly of the ship entirely, making a neat little ramp onto the ridge Anderson had specified.

"Crawl." Gregor hissed, yanking on her arm before she could walk out into the open. "We crawl out. If they see us we're dead."

The reason for their discretion was obvious when she got out into the open. The ridge—if it could even be called that—was a narrow trough that overlooked the crater. They were just below the lip, jammed so close to the crater wall she could roll off if she wasn't careful. At this height Ruby could easily see the attackers surrounding the Pearl. If she had stood up they would've spotted her instantly.

"Keep moving, lass," Gregor encouraged her. "The Lieutenant's got it covered. Just don't look down and you'll be alright. Eyes front, ya' got it?"

It was the longest crawl of her life. Sweat and tears pooled in her helmet as she panted, feeling her arms and legs want to give out with every breath. Her pack seemed impossibly heavy. She just wanted to stop and catch her breath, just for a moment; but the prodding and the whispered encouragement from behind her was nothing compared to the thought of what would happen if they were caught.

They were in the open… it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. And without Aura, it only took a single shot to end her life. She gulped and kept moving.

Finally, the upward slope dipped out of the crater and onto a gentle downward slope. Even then they crawled for a few more agonizing minutes until Gregor was convinced they were out of sight. Then they were marching. Within minutes Ruby was dead on her feet. None of her training had prepared her for this. Swinging Crescent Rose for hours on end was one thing, but she'd been exhausted from the moment she woke up, coupled with the emotional roller coaster and now the crash, all of this…?

Ruby thought she knew her limits, but she'd past them long ago and now felt the end of her rope. Her legs burned with the unfamiliar weight of the armor and pack, and the thought of her Aura not working properly filled her with anxiety, making the journey all the more difficult.

It wasn't long before she stopped thinking entirely, stumbling along behind Gregor in an exhausted stupor until a massive explosion knocked her off her feet. A blooming ball of flame rose over the crater wall when she looked back, too tired to understand what was happening.

"Well, there goes our ride," Gregor muttered, grabbing Ruby by the hem of her pack pulling her to her feet. "Hang in there, lass, we're almost there."

It certainly didn't feel like it. Time blurred with the empty landscape into a grey haze until Ruby's legs finally gave out. When she managed to get her eyes open she realized they had stopped in a much smaller crater and the second group of survivors had already joined them. They were emptying packs and cataloguing supplies while the remainder were keeping watch… or was it establishing a perimeter? That was the military term, right? She didn't couldn't remember.

She must have dozed off, for when she next opened her eyes Anderson was kneeling beside her, armor scorched, pitted, and bloody.

"...You came back," was all Ruby had the strength to say.

"That I did." He smiled back, fiddling with the straps of her pack. "Come on, let's get this off you."

Blissful relief flowed through her as the weight fell from her shoulders, but rest didn't come as soon as she hoped. The air in her helmet was thinning after the hours of physical exertion; the oxygen recycler being pushed to the limits of functionality. She only realized how bad it was after Anderson topped off her air supply from the Emergency Atmospheric Generator. The fresh oxygen helped a little, but ultimately could do nothing for the ache that permeated her bones. For that, Aura was her savior. She basked in the familiar tingle as it's regenerative properties worked their magic. Still no protective barrier though, but at this point she was too tired to care.

One thing was for certain; she was never going to take Aura for granted again.

Eating and drinking was an awkward affair. Even though her throat was parched, the mere thought of taking off her helmet in the thin atmosphere so soon after her last experience left her terrified. It was only with Anderson's assurances that she managed a few deep drafts of water from a canteen before slamming her helmet back on. It was stale and bland, but right then it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me. With all due respect, sir, you're crazy."

Ruby looked up from the ration cube she'd been convincing herself to eat to see Anderson pulling something from his pack. It took her a couple seconds to recognize the head of the modified torpedo.

Now what's he doing with that?

"We're splitting into two groups," Anderson said, setting the modified warhead in the center of the crater, then straightened and took a deep breath. "The situation may be FUBAR, but the mission hasn't changed."

A few groans and even complaints sounded from the crewmen as shoulders sagged. The remaining Marines, however, nodded and began to prepare their equipment; checking weapons and refreshing their air supplies. Ruby felt her heart sink as she looked down at her legs, too numb with exhaustion to even tremble. They were moving again? Though she didn't voice her sentiment, many of the young crewmen did, filling the space between them with grumbles and curses.

"That's enough!" Anderson snapped, pointing at each of the deserters in turn. "You all know what you signed up for! I don't care if you're fresh out of the Academy or not! We have a job, pirates or not."

The rest of his briefing flew in one ear and out the other as Ruby sagged back into the dirt. She just wanted to sleep. Go to bed and forget this was happening. Maybe it was all a dream. She'd wake up back in her dorm and everything would be back to normal.

She'd be back a Beacon. With her team, not lost somewhere in the middle of the galaxy.

Ruby sniffed, staring down at her ration cube. If she hadn't, she would've missed the puff of dirt that exploded between her knees. It was terrifyingly familiar, but she couldn't remember…

"SNIPER!"

Instantly Anderson dove on top of her as the air was lit up with tracers. The men threw themselves down, covering their heads as rounds blazed overhead.

"Stay down!" Anderson roared over the chaos, pressing Ruby's head down into the dirt. "Keep your heads down!"

"For fucks sake!" Gregor's voice shouted. "How the fuck did they find us?!"

"Grenade!"

An explosion rocked the earth. Ruby screamed as she felt the vibration rattle her bones. Dirt and gravel rained down, clattering against her helmet as she tried to press herself deeper into the ground.

"Can anyone see them?" Anderson shouted as dust filled the air.

"Yeah, they're fucking everywhere!" Gregor replied, blind firing over the lip of the crater with his rifle. A second later he cried out, the weapon dropping from his hands as she clutched his wrist. His hand was gone, blown off at the wrist. He stared at it for a moment, then shrugged. "Eh… fuck it."

Another grenade exploded right on the lip of the crater, sending dirt flying everywhere. Ruby covered her head, teeth clenched as she curled into a ball as debri rained down.

They were trapped. Everyone knew it. Ruby could see it on their faces through the visors of the others. Trapped like a rabbit in its burrow. Another grenade sent dirt raining down on her, the noise muffled by the endless rattle of gunfire. Above her, Anderson shouted orders, urging his men to stay down. But nothing could erase the paralyzing terror growing inside.

She was going to die. There was no escape from this.

"INCOMING!"

It wasn't so much an explosion, more like the end of the world. The column of dirt rose high into the air no less than two hundred meters away. A split second later the blast hit, slamming Ruby into the ground, driving the air from her lungs. But there was no noise. The entire world had gone mute. The bullets were still flying and she could feel the debris bouncing off her helmet, but it was all in a muted silence.

The crew around her were screaming, covering their heads as a second explosion rocked the earth right no less than a hundred meters away, but still everything was quiet. She could feel herself screaming as a tidal wave of dust kicked up by the blast washed over her, but still nothing. Had she gone deaf?

A low rumble eased her worries somewhat, until it began something shrieked past overhead. Anderson covered her with his body again, silent shouts falling from his lips as a ship roared above them. Ruby caught a glimpse of dull grey plating as it streaked away before pulling a lazy turn in the distance.

"Bombing run!" And suddenly her hearing was restored at Anderson shouts. "BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!"

For a second, Ruby thought she'd gone deaf again. She could still hear the gunfire, but the survivors had gone eerily quiet as the reality of their situation settled in.

Someone sniffed, then began to cry softly. Ruby was stunned that she could hear it so clearly. One man pulled out a slip of paper and stared longingly before pressing it to his chest. Even Gregor was resigned; slapping the back of the marine next to him with his good hand before blindly returning fire over the lip of the crater in a show of defiance.

In the distance, the ship was straightening out, picking up speed as it headed straight for them.

Ruby couldn't look away as it streaked toward them, mind strangely blank.

This was it. She was going to die.

Would Yang ever know? Dad?

"Don't look."

Anderson pulled her close to his chest. Despite everything, when she looked into his face there was no trace of fear, only a grim determination that set his brown eyes alight.

"Don't look." He repeated calmly. "It'll be over soon." Then he looked back to his men "It's been an honour serving with you all."

The ship was almost on top of them, so close Ruby could see the bomb bay doors open on its belly and the bomb that was about to take her life. Her arms snaked around Anderson's chest, hugging him as he held her tight.

"It's alright," he whispered, somehow audible over the gunfire. "Don't be afraid. It'll be over soon.

As the ship reached its final destination a thunderclap shook the air and then all Ruby could see was white. Was he dead? Was this what the afterlife looked like? Then the light faded and Ruby saw what it was.

The enemy ship was gone, engulfed in a raging fire ball that spewed flaming debris. The fight seemed to freeze as everyone stood stunned at this turn of events. Then from the flames dove another ship, it's hull black as night, diving out of the sky like a hawk.

Anderson seized the advantage, apparently recognizing the ship.

"Return fire!" he roared, startling his men out of their despair. "Help is on the way! Stand fast! Return fire! Return fire!"

Even as his orders carried, he rose up and did just that, his assault rifle sending out bloody tracers into the pirates milling around in confusion. The belligerent humans rallied, filled with new confidence as the black ship's side erupted with large calibre guns, pockmarking the ground and shredding pirates into bloody chunks.

It was awful to witness. For all Ruby loved to slice Grimm to pieces, these were living things. People she was watching getting blown to pieces. Even if they were trying to kill her, she felt vaguely sick as the black ship began another sweep and the men around her cheered as the last of the pirates were wiped off the face of Remnant… or, whatever gods forsaken planet they were on.

Anderson, though, remained vigilant, ordering his men back into place, holding firm until the ship landed and the ramp dropped and men in black armor hurried down the ramp, motioning for the beleaguered survivors to climb aboard. Only then did his shoulders slump ever so slightly in relief.

And even then, Ruby thought she imagined the slight show of weakness as Anderson's strong arms carried her up the ramp where exhaustion finally caught up with her and she slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

A/N: Not too much plot, just a long drawn out conflict introducing Ruby to the reality she is now in.

I'm torn about how to feel about this chapter. On one hand I'm very satisfied I could write a battle sequence almost 6k words long with a cohesive narrative. On the other hand his Ruby's reaction. She's trained pretty much her whole life to be a Huntress, faced Grimm and thugs with intent to harm on multiple occasions, writing her to fell completely vulnerable in this situation feels weird, but I believe it is to be expected.

She's gone through an earth shattering revelation, survived a crash only to realize her Aura isn't working properly and his suddenly faced with the reality that she could die from a stray bullet and there's nothing all of her training or Aura could about that. I would say that would shake anyone up.

In other stories I've seen where Aura doesn't work, the discovery usually happens in a peaceful setting where they have time to cope with their situation and adapt. Here Ruby has no time to think over than realize she'll die just as easily as everybody else. I would imagine it would be a huge shock when you realize a power you relied on your whole life suddenly vanished when you needed it most. I feel Ruby's reaction is warranted, but I feel I could have portrayed it better.

And Anderson is being Daderson yet again. Got to tell you all, I am loving establishing the bond between them.