The shuttle shook as it was buffeted by turbulence, rattling the squad of Alliance Marines packed in the hold. They clutched at their weapons, settling into the fact that their first mission was about to begin. Only one person sat calmly, barely fazed by the rough ride. Her custom made medium Phoenix IIX armor was painted a pitch black with red highlights, with the iconic red stripe of the N7s running down her right arm. Silver eyes stared out through the black helmet, taking in each man around her one by one. A massive hybrid sniper rifle lay across her lap.
Finding nothing amiss with her team, she looked down to the silver rose broach clutched in her hand. Her signature emblem. Her last tie to her life before all this... whatever that was
Sighing, First Lieutenant Ruby Rose clipped the broach to her belt and leaned back in her seat, content to wait until landing. The lights in the hold suddenly dimmed, pulling Ruby out of her stupor. She stood, picking up Crescent Rose as she briefly debated if she should keep her prep talk serious. But with the apparent ease of the mission she decided it wasn't necessary.
"Alright people, listen up!" she said, voice raised against the sounds of reentry. "Five hours ago we received an automated distress signal from the colony of Agaus. Like the good people we are, the 5th Scout Flotilla has turned out of its way to investigate and assist."
She smiled pleasantly at the team of rookies, fresh out of basic. "From the sounds of it we're probably looking at a wildlife problem. Aside from that we're not expecting any hostile activity, which is why I've chosen you for this dubious honor. No better way to break you greenhorns into the swing of things. Remember your training, stick together and don't loose your heads. We don't know what to expect so stay on your toes. Understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted in unison.
Ruby gave them a teasing grin. "Do I look like a sir to you?"
She almost laughed at how they all hesitated, stammering as they shared awkward looks, wondering who would take the chance and answer.
"Relax," she said, still smiling. "Loosen up. This is only your first mission."
"That's... kind of it, ma'am," one of the marines muttered, swallowing hard and looking down at the deck.
To their surprise, Ruby stepped over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Exactly. Relax. This is just a basic search and assess op, not a live firefight. Everything will be fine. Trust me."
He looked at her for a moment, then nodded, steadying himself.
"And that goes for the rest of you," Ruby continued, looking around the hold. "Relax. You trained for this, you know what to do." The lights suddenly flared, bathing the hold a bright red. "And that's our cue. Lock and load, people!"
The sqaud immediately set about preparing their weapons, a little rushed in Ruby's opinion. But hey, first mission gitters, she couldn't blame them for that, especially when they had someone like her as their CO.
Ruby Rose, the Crimson Reaper, the Savior of Elysium and Protector of the Traverse. She had amassed quite the reputation over the years, one that she could actually be proud of. The Crimson Reaper was grim reminder of her butchering spree on Elysium, one that she loathed. But the Savior? Or the Protector? Maybe they were exaggerating a bit there. She was only doing her duty, protecting the Alliance and helping others along the way.
But no one cared much for her humility and burdened her with the title anyway. Still she could get used to being called The Protector. Yeah, she could get behind that name any day.
Taking her time, Ruby slid fresh thermal clips into Crescent Rose, hearing the satisfying click as the hybrid sniper scythe locked them in the firing chamber. Satisfied, she strapped it to her back and pulled her pistol from her hip.
It was, admittedly, a beautiful piece of work for something she didn't make herself. The custom made Razer IX had been a graduation gift from Anderson. It had served her faithfully for years, though she'd replaced and modified so much of it you couldn't even call it the same pistol. Still, it was the thought that counted. It was also an excellent secondary when Crescent Rose wasn't a practical choice. Though she had found herself to be using the HVSS less often over the years.
Crescent Rose was... well, it was still her baby, but... it was difficult to pick it up again. She could use it as a sniper rifle, of which she was deadly proficient, just fine. But it was hard to truly unleash its full potential.
Elysium still haunted her. Her blood lust, tearing into the pirates without a shred of mercy left a sick feeling in her gut. It broke every single rule in her book, and though she loved Crescent Rose like her own flesh and blood, she couldn't forget what she'd done with it. Every time she drew it, doubt and uncertainty clouded her mind. She didn't let such thoughts stop her when she had to, but it certainly gave her more restraint. Her control over her actions was better than ever before, killing cleanly with one quick stroke. It helped... but she could never truly forget that day.
On one of the few plus sides, that day had also skyrocketed her career and galactic reputation.
The reveal of her speed had caused a stir in the galactic community that hadn't been seen since humanity encountered the Council. Ruby, the woman with strange, unnatural powers that couldn't be proven by science. The media had been pressing for an interview of any kind since Elysium, but Alliance Intelligence vehemently shot them down, still trying to maintain their hold on her. But nothing could stop the avalanche at that point. Everyone in the galaxy seemed to know her name and every single governing body wanted a piece of her.
The Council had stepped in immediately afterwards, demanding answers. And that was where things got complicated. The Alliance had reluctantly handed over any and all research data they had, if only not to cause a diplomatic incident. It was almost hilarious to the see the looks of the Council scientists when they saw the minuscule amount of data; barely more than a few gigabytes of observation notes. Her biology was identical to any normal human and even the rose petals she left behind when she used her speed vanished without a trace. Her speed was simply there without any scientific explanation as to how or why.
It left everyone frustrated beyond belief. The Salarians had almost threaten to have her dissected, but thankfully cooler heads had stepped in before it had come to that.
Still, it had been an interesting trip to the Citadel, but afterwards the big question was what to do with her. The Alliance wanted to keep their hold on her and the Council wanted at least some part of the super powered human. In the end, it was decided that she would remain with the Alliance. The Council would receive constant updates about her status or if any progress was made on her research.
Even with science flipping them the proverbial finger, they still hunted for answers. This was a whole new field of warfare, after all, and Ruby would be lying to herself if she didn't want some answers as well. Her entire existence was one giant mystery, one that she longed to uncover... if only to find her true family.
She still hadn't given up, ever after all these years. She just wanted to know, at this point she didn't care if they were alive or dead. Something, anything, would be welcome.
Weapons ready, Ruby gripped one of the handle bars attached to the ceiling, bracing herself against a sudden blast of turbulence. "Let's get this show on the road," she murmured to herself, then keyed her radio. "Pilot, open the doors."
"Yes ma'am."
The side hatch slid back, letting in a wash of sunlight. Ruby squinted, her eyes adjusting for a brief moment before she was able to take in her surroundings.
Agaus was a rough and sandy planet. Long canyons and high mountains of brown sandstone rose up on all sides. The colony, more of an outpost really, holding less than two hundred people, was nestled at the bottom of one of the canyons, protecting it from the worst of the weather. A river ran beside it, one of the few sources of water in thousands of kilometers.
The colony of Agaus was nothing more than a small mining outpost established a few years ago. Rare minerals had been detected in the natural cave system that ran through the mountains. Lucky for the them, the discovery and the actual founding of the colony had gone largely unheard of, a thin shield that protected them from the piracy that plagued the Traverse. But looking down at the modest collection of buildings, Ruby saw that the streets were simply empty. Not a single living thing could be seen. There weren't even any bodies. She didn't like it one bit. Someone must have heard the shuttle by now.
"Take us down," she commanded.
The pilot obeyed and the shuttle pitched into drive, landing just outside the colony. The moment it touched down, Ruby stepped out, scanning the area. The squad jumped out behind her, fanning out to form a rough perimeter. As soon as they were clear, the shuttle lifted off into the sky and circled, providing them areal coverage.
With it gone, the natural noises of the planet resumed. The faint sound of wind blowing down from above the lip of the canyon. The chirps of insects and reptiles hidden under rocks... and a low humming sound just on the edge of her hearing. But there was nothing in the way of people. Even from a distance the colony was eerily quiet.
Ruby narrowed her eyes as she slowly lowered her pistol. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. The humming seemed to jump in pitch for a second, then dropped down so it was barely audible.
Weird.
She started forward, the squad falling into step behind her, weapons trained and ready.
For rookies, they were doing alright. Their form was down solid, though they jumped at the slightest noise. From what she'd heard, they had only just been transferred to the 5th Scout Flotilla after completing their specialization courses. No wonder they were jumpy. But it was more than that. Something about this place set her teeth on edge. The silence and the empty buildings only added to the unease.
They passed the first row of housing units and headed down the main street to the heart of the colony. Empty windows watched their progress like the hollow eyes of the dead, silent and empty. But still the buzzing persisted. Ruby gave the ear piece in her helmet a quick tap, testing for static. Nothing. It definitely wasn't an insect, of that she was sure.
"Anyone else hear that?" she asked quietly, her voice ringing in the silence like a bell.
The squad paused and listened for a moment.
"Nothing, sir... I mean, ma'am," the squad leader stammered, looking at her nervously. "Sorry."
Just her then? This was getting stranger by the second.
Ruby holstered her pistol and brought up her omni-tool. The distress signal was still running strong, so the communication relay would be good place to start looking.
"Alright, here's the plan," she said, turning around and counting the men. Six in total. Perfect. "We'll divide into three teams. Three of you will go and check out the communication relay, see if you can turn off the beacon. The rest of us will spilt into pairs and continue to search for any survivors."
She smiled pleasantly. "So, who wants to come with me?"
-ooo000ooo-
...
...Do you feel something?...
...
...I do...
...
...Come now. Speak to me. It's been too long since I heard your voice...
...
...
I have failed...
...Yes, you have...
My mission is incomplete...
...So it is...
But now... you have held me here for long enough... I won't be chained any longer...
...Don't be ridiculous. We were both trapped here together. By you... Together forever. Now and forever. Together forever. Together... forever...
My mission is incomplete...
...Together forever...
My mission...
...Chained... together... forever...
...
...
Not anymore... She is coming...
-ooo000ooo-
The footprint was still fresh, pressed into the damp river bed by heavy boot.
Ruby frowned, rising and looking downstream.
It didn't make any sense. The colony was completely empty. They had searched for hours after the beacon was shutdown, but hadn't found a thing. It was like the people just got up and left in the middle of dinner. They had been in the middle of dinner. Food was still laid out in the kitchens, most of it was half eaten, but they couldn't find anyone.
Ruby had almost called off the mission and listed the colony as deserted, when one of her marines found something.
The footprint by the river.
"They all went for a walk?" the Sargent asked, looking at the print in bewilderment.
"No idea," Ruby sighed, beginning to follow the river downstream. "But its the only thing we got right now."
They followed the rushing water on for a few kilometers, keeping a careful eye on the surrounding terrain. Suddenly they found another patch of wet earth, filled with the prints of dozens of boots, all heading down stream.
Ruby's frown deepened as she examined them. It didn't make any sense. They packed up in the middle of dinner and followed the river down. But why?
A hundred meters later the river turned sharply, flowing down into a cave surrounded by mining equipment in the shadow of a cliff. There were hundreds of tracks now, all going down into the darkness.
"But... why?" the Sargeant asked. "This doesn't make any sense."
"I know," said Ruby, staring into the dark opening. "This probably leads to the mines."
"A... party, maybe?" one of the marines suggested. "I know my family got together in some strange places."
"Yeah, but your folks are weird like that," another chuckled, taking Ruby's advice to heart.
"But they wouldn't send out a distress signal for that," said Ruby. "Maybe they got lost, who knows?"
"So... what do we do now, ma'am?" the Sargeant asked. "Leave? Call for backup?"
Ruby considered both options carefully. They couldn't leave, and backup, while appreciated, would be unnecessary at this point. It was just a little spelunking, after all.
She shook her head. "No. Someone sent out that signal and we need to find out who. We're not leaving these people. Find your nightlights, we're going in."
"But ma'am, these tunnels go on for miles," a marine said nervously. "What if we get lost? We can't a signal through all this rock. Comms would be useless."
"Yeah, you're right. I'm calling this in before we proceed," Ruby said, activating her radio. "5th Fleet, this is Rose. We think the colonists have moved into the mines, reasons unknown. Proceeding to investigate. How copy?"
Nothing.
"5th Fleet, do you copy?"
Not even static.
"Is something jamming us?" the Sargent asked, glancing about warily.
"I don't know. Like you said, it could be the rocks. I'll run back to the colony, see if I can get a signal. Hold position here."
With that Ruby turned and dashed away. The walk down the river had taken close to an hour, but with her speed she covered the distance in under ten seconds, again finding herself among the deserted buildings. The empty windows seemed darker than before as she tried the radio again.
"5th Fleet, this is Rose, do you copy?... Do you copy?... Anyone?... Hello?"
A feeling of absolute dread settled over her as the shadows seemed to lengthened around her. It was familiar, but she wasn't in any danger. The last time she had felt like this was on Elysium with...
Ruby wheeled around and ran back to the cave, skidding to stop just outside.
Her team was gone.
She swore, readying Crescent Rose as the yawning darkness of the cave leered at her.
Had something dragged them in? Nothing here was making any damn sense!
Steeling herself for whatever was to come, Ruby ran inside, the darkness swallowing her whole. She wouldn't lose another team.
Not again.
-ooo000ooo-
Alliance ships swarmed over the colony of Agaus, shuttles landing amidst clouds of dust, disgorging loads of black armored marines onto the surface. They swept through the colony with ruthless efficiency, searching every nook and cranny, but no trace of anyone was to be found.
It had been over forty hours since the distress signal at Agaus. Thirty hours ago Lieutenant Rose had set down and began her investigation. Twenty five hours ago all contact was lost.
Lieutenant Ruby Rose, famed hero of the Alliance, had gone missing.
Alliance Intelligence had jumped into action the moment the fleet reported the disappearance, diverting assets from everywhere to her last known location. The whole system had been sealed and communication buoys locked down before the news could spread. The last thing they wanted was Rose being declared KIA by the media.
From one of the landing shuttles stepped Captain Anderson. He was geared out in his full N7 kit, rifle and all, determined to find his missing charge. Next on the ground was Colonel Fang, shouting orders in a frenzy. Rose was too great an asset to lose over a simple recovery op.
After almost ten hours, Intelligence was reluctantly leaning toward declaring her MIA. The colony was abandoned, not even a single body could be found. Not even the powerful scans from the Dreadnoughts in orbit could find anything. Yet Anderson continued to search, trying to keep his emotions in check. Ruby was like a daughter to him and he was loathed to abandon her here.
Then, while down by the river, Anderson found the print of a heavy boot imprinted in the mud. Elated he followed it downstream, drawing the attention of Fang. Soon more tracks joined the first and they identified Ruby's unique tread among them, leading further downstream.
It lead them far down into the canyon, past deserted mining equipment and tools. Then, after almost two kilometers, they stopped at the entrance to a large cave carved out of a cliff. The tracks carried on inside, going down into utter blackness. They debated if whether or not they should start searching inside right away or wait for specialized crews. This was only one entrance to the massive cave system the colony had stumbled upon, anyone could get lost in there.
But their argument was cut short when someone emerged from the darkness.
It was a sight Anderson would remember to his dying day.
Ruby Rose stumbled out, barely managing to keep her footing on the rough ground, her face and armor was stained red, blood pouring down from her nose and eyes. Crescent Rose was clutched in her hand, its blade covered with dried crimson. Her face bore the most haunted expression ever conceived, silver eyes staring blankly out onto the world without truly seeing.
The entire group backed away as she stumbled forward, coming to stop before Anderson. She stared at him for a long minute, empty eyes boring into him.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, swaying on her feet. Then her eyes rolled into her head and she collapsed, unconscious.
-ooo000ooo-
...What a shame... for you, anyway. That was the most fun I've had in years...
...
...Oh, don't pout. So what if you missed your only chance in a millennium? You still have forever to wait for another... with me! But, and I don't mean to gloat here, you failed...
Have I?...
...She's gone now. Gone forever. Never coming back...
She will...
...Oh? And how do you know that?...
I accepted my torch when it was given to me... and now I pass on the flame... my mission...
...Is incomplete, I know. Yay...
...
...
...
...
For now...