Review Responses
Pharamine: I'm happy to know you're one of the readers for this fic. I believe it'll go well. And personally, I think you'll enjoy it.
QueenSirenix: My bad. I should have been more specific. This is a RWBY watches just about any form of visual media: film, video games, cartoons, anime, music videos, etc. There may also be the odd reaction to a chapter from another RWBY fanfiction, if I receive permission from the author.
KaiserBR2003: I'll think about it. If I choose to, Yang will make a good race car driver, even though she drives a motorcycle in RWBY.
Frog in lily pad- Don't worry about that. There won't be any more than twenty RWBY characters watching at a time. As you said, it gets confusing and strenuous to handle too many audience members.
kirito21naga- Yes. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I'm always editing and adding extra bits and lines into previous chapters. From now on, I'll be notifying my readers on any revisions of previous chapters in updates to this story.
Straw Hat PiratesFan2023: Glad to know you'll be reading this one. I hope you enjoy them. I've got loadsof one-shot ideas I can't wait to publish.
AndrewEMack: Keep reading and find out. You won't be disappointed.
GojiraRWBYSW18: Lol, yeah. Gold-Sith is responsible enough to keep tabs on Qrow. Anyway, I was a HUGE Godzilla fan when I was younger, so I'll definitely write an adaptation for him in the future.
TM11: Suggestions must only include visual media like films, video games, cartoons, anime, and music videos. I prefer to receive them via PM so they won't gum up the review section, but many people are sending them to me via review anyway.
Cooldude101011: I watched "What Neo REALLY Thinks", and you're right, it would be funny. Thanks for the idea.
Yang34: I've never played Legacy of Kain, though I've heard good things about it. I'll look into it and see what I can do. Thanks for the suggestion.
Inspiration: Halo- Combat Evolved
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit story for entertainment purposes only. "RWBY" is the property of director and animator Monty Oum (RIP) and production company Rooster Teeth, and "Halo" is the property of development company Bungie and publisher Microsoft Game Studios.
Fade into an unknown sector of outer space. A massive ring-shaped object could be seen floating in the distance just past a huge gas giant planet on the left side of the screen.
"What is that thing?" Nora said, pointing quizzically at the screen.
"It looks like some kind of giant ring?" Ren answered his partner, knowing the object had to be colossal, judging from its proximity from the planet next to it.
"In outer space? Is it human made?" Ironwood questioned, remembering dust didn't function in space.
"If not...then maybe we'll see aliens in this," Neptune said excitedly, being a big sci-fi fan.
The camera then panned up to show a large, blocky starship accelerating towards the ring, its powerful engines glowing bright blue as they propelled the ship forward. Several smaller Longsword-class fighters flew alongside it as escorts. Soft, mysterious music played as the scene went on.
The camera zoomed in on the ship's bridge, passing white letters that spelled out its name "Pillar of Autumn".
"Look at that. It's a spaceship," Ruby said as she munched on a cookie.
"I could be wrong, but I'm assuming that's a human made vessel?" Winter guessed, noticing the Autumn didn't look alien in design.
"Yes. The Pillar of Autumn is a human ship. Specifically, a Halcyon-class heavy cruiser, and a naval vessel of the United Kingdoms Space Command," Gold-Sith explained.
Ironwood tilted his head slightly. "United Kingdoms Space Command?"
"In this universe, the four kingdoms of Remnant are all united by one government called the Unified Remnant Government, or URG for short. And the UKSC serves as its military, exploratory, training, and scientific service branch," Gold-Sith supplied.
The adults were surprised and fascinated that the four kingdoms had managed to unite under one government but didn't doubt there were major flaws with it.
"So, humanity has made it to outer space in this reality? Astonishing!" Oobleck exclaimed with a twinge of envy for the humans of the onscreen universe.
Port chuckled. "You always said you wanted to see such a time come."
"But what powers the Pillar of Autumn? It can't be dust, can it?" Weiss wondered as she carefully sipped her hot tea.
"Actually, Ms. Schnee, in this universe, dust does indeed exist and function in space. However, there is an alternate power source that UKSC vessels function on. I'll go into details on that later."
Gazing out through the bridge's viewport, behind the pilot and co-pilot, was a white-haired woman in her late fifties, standing straight faced on the bridge. She was dressed in a grey naval uniform. And, judging from the number of medals on her chest, she was an accomplished veteran.
"Weiss, all I need to know is did we lose them?" Captain Willow Schnee asked an unseen person.
"I think we both know the answer to that,"Weiss replied, though she was nowhere to be seen.
"Mother?" Weiss and Winter said in tandem surprise at their mother playing a military officer.
"That's your mom. You and your sister take a lot after her," Ruby commented on Willow's appearance.
Weiss nodded. "Yes. But where am I? I can only hear my voice," she questioned, scanning the screen for her counterpart.
"And lose who? Who are they fleeing from?" Blake asked, already sensing trouble was coming.
Winter sighed and scratched the back of her head. "We made a blind jump how did they..."
"Get here first?" Weiss cut off while Willow ascended a short staircase. "The Covenant's ships have always been faster. As for tracking us all the way from Reach? At light speed, my maneuvering options were limited."
Weiss' concise answer created so many questions for the audience.
Ozpin cocked an eyebrow. "The Covenant? Who are they?"
"Probably the baddies by the sound of it," Ruby assumed.
"That is correct, Ms. Rose. The Covenant is a theocratic military alliance of several alien species living within the Milky Way galaxy. Over the past twenty-eight years, the Covenant, after declaring humankind an affront to their gods, have waged a holy war of xenocide against you. And, unfortunately, humanity is losing, badly," Gold-Sith told a brief story.
Everyone was thrown for a loop at how perilous the situation was for humanity was in this universe. Neptune, in particular, wore a downcast expression at his earlier question being answered in the worst possible way.
"H-how badly are we losing?" Velvet asked shakily, already dreading the answer.
"I'll put it to you this way. Before the war, humanity had established over eight-hundred different colonies spread out for hundreds of light-years. Now, there's only a handful left, including Remnant itself," Gold-Sith answered darkly.
"And they've been doing this for almost thirty years?!" Ironwood said, horrified yet amazed by the Covenant's tenacity.
Oobleck cleared his throat. "What about faster than light travel? I presume it's a possibility from what Ms. Schnee's counterpart just said," he changed the subject.
"Yes. It's accomplished via a process called slipspace. But, as Weiss' counterpart mentioned, the Covenant's slipspace means are much faster."
"We were running dark, yes?" Winter asked as she approached a technician sitting at a console.
"Until we decelerated. No one could have missed the hole we tore in subspace. They were waiting for us on the far side of the planet,"Weiss informed.
The technicians screen affirmed Weiss' words. It displayed an image of the planet, the mysterious giant ring, and a blue light, indicating the Autumn. There were also nine additional red dots indicating Covenant vessels on the other side of the planet quickly flying towards the Autumn.
"Jeez, out of the frying pan and into the fire," Qrow accurately described the Autumn's situation.
"What happened prior to this? And what about this Reach they mentioned? Another planet?" Winter inquired.
"Yes. Or, rather, it was another planet. Close to planet Remnant, no less," Gold-Sith revealed darkly.
"Was?" Velvet asked warily.
"About three weeks before this, Reach was destroyed by the Covenant after a lengthy battle. It was a major military and research hub for the UKSC. Now, with Reach gone, they're on Remnant's doorstep. The Pillar of Autumn was forced to retreat, hoping to lead the Covenant away from Remnant."
Gold-Sith's words filled the audience with a cold sense of dread, and they could only hope that the Autumn had succeeded in, at least, diverting the Covenant away from Remnant.
"So where do we stand?" Willow asked as she returned to her previous post, observing a tactical display screen, already knowing Weiss' answer would be bad.
"Our fighters are mopping up the last of the recon picket now, nothing serious. But I've isolated approach signatures from multiple CCS class battle groups. Make it three capital ships per group, and, in about ninety seconds, they'll be all over us,"Weiss finished her negative report.
Willow closed her eyes as the severity of the situation hit her, though she wasn't surprised.
"So, they're outnumbered and outgunned?" Winter muttered, now fearful for her mother and sister's safety.
"Seeing as they're faster than light travel is faster than ours, I think it's safe to assume the Covenant is more technologically advanced than we are," Penny guessed with a frown.
"That's correct. The Covenant is not only much larger than the UKSC, but their military is much stronger and more technologically advanced. In space, the UKSC is outmatched unless they outnumber the Covenant, and even then, casualties are often higher for the former," Gold-Sith provided.
"What about ground battles?" Ironwood probed, though he doubted the answer would be a relief.
"Humans fare better on the ground, but in an interstellar war like this, it's space battles that are the most decisive."
"Well, that's it then. Bring the ship back up to combat alert alpha. I want everyone at their stations," Winter ordered, deciding if they were going down, they'd go down fighting.
"Everyone, ma'am?" Weiss asked.
"Everyone," Willow confirmed.
An alarm klaxon went off while multiple crewmen rushed for their stations.
"Such courage, even in the face of certain death is admirable," Winter commended her mother's resolve.
"If only she were more like this in real life," Weiss said sadly under her breath.
"And Weiss..." Willow said.
"Hmm?" Weiss hummed as her holographic image materialized from a nearby projector. The image was twelve inches high and Weiss herself was dressed in a full body suit [1].
"Let's give our old friend a warm welcome."
"I've already begun," Weiss said with a smile.
Weiss blinked at her counterpart, not comprehending.
"You're an artificial intelligence. The most intelligent and advanced ever constructed by humankind," Gold-Sith informed the puzzled heiress.
"That was unexpected," Winter voiced half the audience's thoughts.
Penny cupped her chin. "But interesting," she said, wondering if she could take on such a form outside her body.
"Who did Willow mean by old friend?" Ozpin asked.
"You'll see very soon."
Down in the lower levels of the ship's vehicle bay, a crewman was guiding a Pelican class dropship with a pair of light batons. Motivational military drumming could be heard concurrently.
Many audience members bobbed their heads or tapped on their armrests to the drumming soundtrack, feeling relieved from the negative news Gold-Sith gave them earlier.
"This music is very inspiring," Ironwood complimented as he ordered a glass of water.
"Given the dire circumstances, we could all use something to lift our spirits," Glynda said, knowing music was good for the soul.
All across the ship, Weiss broadcasted instructions to the Autumns crew over the PA: "Attention all combat personnel! Please report to your action stations."
Within the massive vehicle bay, UKSC Marines scrambled into action. All types of vehicles were being prepared for battle, from Pelican gunships to Scorpion tanks to Warthogs.
"5th Platoon, secure airlocks on Deck 11. 14th Platoon, rendezvous with 22nd Tactical at bulkhead Charlie 14," Weiss continued instructing the Marines, who began rushing for the weapons or vehicles.
"Wow! Look at all the hardware they've got," Ruby beamed at the Autumn's complement of vehicles.
"Those tanks look super-awesome," Yang admired the Scorpions.
"They may not be as advanced as our mechs, but they still possess some impressive machinery," Ironwood agreed.
One particular marine in the Warthog storage room was a stubble-faced veteran wearing a military cap instead of a helmet.
"You heard the lady, move like you got a purpose!" Master Sergeant Qrow Branwen barked at his own squad of Marines, assault rifle in hand.
"I'm here? And I'm a soldier?" Qrow said in surprise.
"I never thought I'd see the day," Ironwood said flatly.
"Neither did I, sir," Winter agreed with her commander.
"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill," Weiss continued over the loudspeakers.
Sergeant Qrow's squad formed two separate lines which he strode in between to give a much-needed motivational speech: "Once again, it is our job to finish what the flyboys started. We are leaving this ship platoon and engaging the Covenant on solid ground. When we meet the enemy, we will rip their skulls from their spine, and toss 'em away, laughin'!"
Qrow looked proud of his counterpart's speech while Yang and Ruby were simultaneously unnerved and impressed by the gruesomeness of it.
"That reminds me of some of your bombastic stories, Peter," Oobleck smirked at Port, who simply huffed lightly.
"Am I right, Marines?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the marines shouted in unison.
"Uh-huh! Damn right I am. Now move it out double time!"
"I hope you're taking notes, Jimmy. Because that's how you inspire soldiers," Qrow praised his counterpart while pointing at the screen. "No need for those tin cans if you can motivate them like my other self can."
Ironwood sighed deeply. "Don't try to rope me into an argument, Qrow. I'm in no mood."
"Neither am I," Glynda said, glad she was present to keep Qrow and Ironwood from tearing into each other.
"Attention all personnel, we are reengaging the enemy. External and internal contact imminent," Weiss broadcasted of the PA.
Qrow's squad filed out of the vehicle bay to their defensive stations while Qrow slowly followed.
"All you greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant up close, this is gonna be your lucky day," he called after his squad.
"I don't mean to be negative, but I would hardly call them lucky, given the odds their up against," Blake said bluntly.
"No, you're right," Winter agreed reluctantly. "Most of those Marines probably won't live to see tomorrow."
"If worse comes to worse, at least they'll go down fighting," Port said, knowing he'd like to check out in such a way.
Elsewhere, inside one of the Autumn's cryo chambers, two technicians observed a computer terminal that read: 'Weiss 10 Cryostorage- 23.4.7- Priority Alpha. Unseal the hushed casket.'
One of the technicians, Neon Katt, gaped at the screen. "Wow! Sir!" she beckoned her superior, Chief Petty Officer Flynt Coal.
"Right. Let's thaw her out," Coal ordered as he started pressing buttons.
"Thaw out? What does that mean?" Nora asked curiously.
"It means awakening someone from cryosleep. While faster than light travel is possible for UKSC ships, journeys can still take weeks or even months. Cryopods, which are fueled by ice dust, put crewmembers into hibernation to survive the long journeys. Shortly after escaping from Reach, most of the Autumn's crew went into cryosleep as they made a blind slip-space jump," Gold-Sith explained.
"Another big sci-fi theme," Neptune identified with a pleased smile he munched on a handful of popcorn.
"So, for about a month, everyone was just chilling out in those tubes?" Yang laughed, eliciting groans from the others.
"Pun aside, yes."
Down below, only one of the rooms cryotubes was occupied. Sleeping inside it was a soldier encased in bulky, high-tech red and black armor. She also wore a helmet with a yellow visor.
Soft, majestic chanting echoed as the camera panned over the cryotube, revealing the white lettering 'RUBY-117' on the dozing soldier's chestplate.
RWBY, JNPR, and Penny all gasped softly at the identity of the armored soldier. Nobody had expected such a thing.
"That's Ruby?!" Yang said in disbelief.
"Look at that armor! It's so awesome!" Ruby gushed with her hands to her cheeks.
"Okay, bringing low level systems online. Cracking the case in thirty seconds," Flynt said.
With a loud hiss, steam exhaled from the sides of the cryopod.
"She's hot. Blowing the pins in five!" Neon reported.
Finally, the cryotube hatch unsealed and opened to release Ruby 117. Flynt descended onto the main floor and stood behind a control panel in front of the cryotube. "Sorry for the quick thaw, Master Chief," he apologized. "Things are a little hectic right now. The disorientation should pass quickly."
"Master Chief? Is that a military rank?" Ruby questioned, looking towards Ironwood.
Ironwood nodded. "Yes. Master Chief Petty Officer is the naval equivalent to the army's Sergeant Major in the army," he clarified.
"So, does Ruby command her own squad?" Winter asked, curious if they'd see more SPARTANS.
Gold-Sith paused. "She used to."
RWBY and JNPR looked disheartened upon hearing the implication Ruby lost her comrades.
"Welcome back, ma'am. We'll have you battle ready stat," Neon said over a speaker from the observation room above.
"Vital signs look normal. No freezer burn," Flynt diagnosed. "Okay, ma'am, go ahead and climb out of the cryotube,"
Ruby nodded, before silently hoisting herself up to her feet, and hopping down out of the cryotube, her heavy metal feet clanging against the deck. She was massive, easily towering over Flynt.
"Look at her. She's huge!" Nora said, noting Ruby's counterpart was at least a foot taller than her real self.
"I must have drank a lot of milk to grow that big," Ruby remarked as she marveled her counterpart.
Weiss shook her head. "I highly doubt that milk was all it took to help you grow that big."
"You're correct, Ms. Schnee. In this universe, Ruby is a super soldier called a SPARTAN. Originating from a research program started on planet Reach, SPARTANS are essentially one-man or woman armies that have fared well against the Covenant throughout the war. Ruby herself is the mightiest of the SPARTANS and one of the UKSC's greatest war heroes," Gold-Sith revealed about Ruby's counterpart.
"I gave you a double dose of the wakeup stim," Flynt informed Ruby. "Take a quick walk around the cryo bay and join me at the optical diagnostics station when you're read."
Ruby nodded and took a quick jog around the to stretch her legs. Finished, she rejoined Flynt at the station. She began to undergo a quick series of tests to check her aiming and HUD were functioning. Everything went smoothly.
"Shouldn't Ruby be heading out to kick alien butt right now?" Nora said impatiently, eager to see some action.
"It would be unwise to just rush into battle like that," Ren refuted. "She can't fight aliens if she can't aim properly."
"Indeed. You must be as prepared as possible before heading off to battle," Ozpin agreed as he ordered a refill for his mug and took a sip of coffee.
"Okay, that looks good. Please follow me to the energy shield test station," Flynt requested, leading Ruby to an energy shield testing device.
"Energy shield? You mean they have no aura in this universe?" Ruby asked Gold-Sith.
"No, Ms. Rose. Aura doesn't exist here. Spartan armor comes equipped with built in energy shield generators that recharge after being depleted, albeit after several seconds."
"Combining that with her armor? She's like a walking tank," Nora said, wishing she had a suit of SPARTAN armor to combine to her aura and semblance.
"Indeed. Though we may not require energy shields, such a technological breakthrough could be useful," Penny noted, wondering if her father would be interested in such a project.
"Fire teams: Report to defensive positions Alpha through Sierra. Sensors show inbound Covenant boarding craft. Stand by to repel boarders,"Weiss said over the PA.
"She'll need to make it fast. It sounds like the aliens are just about to show up," Pyrrha pointed out.
"What do you think they look like?" Neptune asked, though he had a feeling they wouldn't be easy on the eyes.
Coco shrugged. "Don't know. But we'll find out soon enough by the sound of things," she predicted.
The test was a success, with Ruby's shields operating at full capacity. Now all she needed was a weapon and she'd be ready for battle.
"Recharging normal. Showing green across the board," Neon said from her station.
"Bridge to Cryo 2, this is Captain Schnee. Send the Master Chief to the bridge immediately," Willow ordered over the intercom.
"Captain, we'll have to skip the weapon diagnostics. And I-" Flynt tried to reason.
"On the double, crewman," Willow interrupted sternly.
Flynt paused for a moment. "Aye aye, ma'am."
"Awww," Ruby whined briefly, wanting to see what kind of weapons this universe had
"Don't worry, sis. You'll probably get your hands on some high-tech weapons soon enough," Yang reassured her sister.
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Must you encourage her fixation with weapons?"
"No offense, Weiss. But your teammates are a bit…odd," Winter commented awkwardly.
"The skipper seems jumpy; we'd better get moving. We'll find you weapons later," Flynt informed Ruby.
"Okay. I'll leave the self-diagnostics running, at least," Neon said from above.
"You'd better get to your evac group, Neon," Flynt warned his friend.
"Affirmative. I just have to reset the computer and I'm outta here," Neon replied as she typed away at the control panel.
Unfortunately, Neon never got the chance to evacuate, as someone started pounding on the control ROOM door right next to her, and an alarm turned on, flashing red. The Covenant had nearly breached the cryochamber.
"Oh Oum! They're trying to get through the door!" Neon cried in terror. "Security! Intruders in Cryo 2!"
"Oh-no," Ruby breathed.
"They got there so quickly," Jaune remarked in surprise at the Covenant's swiftness.
"But why hit the cryobay so soon?" Velvet asked.
"Perhaps they knew Ruby was there and wanted to take her out while she was in cryosleep," Penny theorized, grateful that Ruby was awakened in time.
"Well, they're too late now," Yang said smugly, hoping to see her little sister kick alien ass.
The door exploded in a shower of fire and metal, and a large humanoid figure clad in red armor could be vaguely seen breaking into the room, grunting in a deep guttural voice.
"No, please don't-Aaah!" Neon screamed before being gunned down by plasma rifle fire.
"Neon! Neon!" Flynt cried out in anguish for his friend.
"That poor woman," Ruby said sadly.
"If only Ruby had a weapon. She might have been able to save her," Qrow lamented.
"Come on we have to get the hell out of here!" Flynt told Ruby as he ran for the exit door.
Ruby followed Flynt out of the room. "This way," he instructed as he took a right turn down a corridor towards another door.
Unfortunately, an exploding conduit from the Covenant assault caused the door to burst inward, killing Flynt instantly. Luckily, Ruby's energy shield absorbed the explosion. She paused and waited a few seconds for it to recharge.
"Good thing she has that shield," Yang said with relief that Ruby was unharmed.
"But now she's on her own without a weapon," Jaune fretted for Ruby.
"Don't worry, Jaune. I'm sure this version of Ruby has been in situations worse than this," Pyrrha assured her partner.
With a fire now blocking the destroyed doorway, Ruby quickly made her way into an adjoining maintenance corridor by ducking under some pipes. More explosions rocked the Autumn as she continued, dodging fires and spraying debris as she went.
Ducking under a half-open doorway, she stumbled into the middle of a firefight between Covenant boarders and UKSC naval defenders.
"Secure those blast doors! Move! Move!" one of the crewmen shouted to a second one struggling with a door control panel.
Ruby shot a quick look to her left down the dark corridor the crewmen had just fled from, the towering silhouettes of a pair of Covenant soldiers could be seen.
"Look how tall they are," Jaune noted the alien's size.
As a crewman struggled to hold off the Covenant boarders, Ruby bolted down the hallway, her shield tanking a few plasma rifle hits as she went.
Luckily, the navy crewmen managed to shut the blast doors, temporarily keeping the Covenant at bay. "Master Chief, ma'am, the situation's secure here. You're probably needed somewhere else!"
Ruby nodded and entered an interconnecting hallway. It was dimly lit due to electrical damage, so she activated the HUD lights built into her helmet to navigate through.
She opened the next door, and suddenly came face to face with a Sangheili Minor in shiny blue armor. The muscular, reptilian alien was huge, easily a foot taller than the SPARTAN. Its most distinctive feature was its quadruple-hinged mouth made up of an upper jaw and four mandibles. The Elite let out a throaty bellow as it prepared to attack the unarmed Ruby.
"Whoa!" several audience members yelped and jumped in their seats at the sudden close-up of the Elite.
Oobleck quickly began to draw a sketch of the Elite. "So that's what the aliens look like. Well, one of them anyway," Oobleck noted, remembering Gold-Sith mentioned there were several different species in the Covenant.
"It's so ugly!" Weiss grimaced at the Elite's face, especially its mandibles.
"Yeah. That's definitely a face for radio," Coco agreed with the heiress.
Luckily for Ruby, a couple of Marines peppered the Elite with assault rifle fire, driving him away, and allowing the SPARTAN to move on.
Ruby glanced at the Marines. "Thanks for the assist."
"Chief, Weiss says to get to the bridge! Double-quick!" one of Marines reported.
Ruby sighed. "That was close. Good to know I've got back up on the ship."
"You mentioned that the Covenant consisted of several different species. Which one was that one?" Oobleck questioned, pointing his pen towards the screen as he continued his sketch.
"The one you just witnessed is a member of one of the two species that founded the Covenant, the Sangheili. Though they're normally referred to as Elites," Gold-Sith supplied information.
Oobleck hummed in interest as he resumed writing in his notebook.
"What was that surrounding the Elite? Do they have energy shields too?" Ren asked, noticing the aliens shield had flared up as it was hit by gunfire.
"Indeed, they do. Elites possess much better tactical and martial prowess than the other races, so they're given much better weaponry and equipment than other Covenant soldiers and hold high command positions, from squad leaders to commanding entire fleets."
"That explains where they got their nickname," Port said.
Ruby ran from one corridor to the next, trying to dodge gunfire as the Autumns crew desperately tried to repel the Covenant boarders.
Briefly, she spotted smaller aliens accompanying their Elite commanders during one of the firefights. They were short, stocky looking creatures with long arms and short legs. They deep maroon or bright orange armor, gas masks, and had strange utilities on their backs. They were only lightly armed with plasma pistols and grenades.
"Look. There's another type of alien," Velvet said while pointing at the screen.
"They're kind of goofy looking," Neptune commented on the Grunt's much less menacing appearance compared to the Elites.
Nora giggled. "And they sound like they were sucking on balloons," she commented on their high, squeaky voices.
"Those are called Unggoy, or Grunts. They are the lowest ranking species in the Covenant and serve as slaves and laborers," Gold-Sith supplied further.
Blake felt a hint of pity for the Grunts upon hearing this, reminded of Faunus slavery at the hands of the SDC while Oobleck drew some rough sketches of the Unggoy.
Ruby ran to the end of the corridor, her shield eating a few plasma bolts before she reached an open doorway adjoining the corridor. A marine stood inside, reloading his weapon.
"Ma'am! The Captain needs you on the bridge ASAP. Better follow me!" the Marine requested.
Ruby was led through a room full of dead or wounded marines being tended to by medical personnel. Unfortunately, Ruby had to ignore them and continue towards the bridge.
"They've already suffered so many casualties," Ruby mourned the Autumn's losses.
"How did the war start in the first place?" Ironwood asked.
"It all began with the loss of Harvest, one of the UKSC's outer colonies. Afterwards, the rest of the outer colonies fell, followed by the inner colonies. Slowly but surely, the Covenant advanced closer and closer to Remnant," Gold-Sith answered.
"How many have died?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.
Gold-Sith paused. "Billions. In fact, over half of humankind has been exterminated," he answered softly but bluntly.
Sharp gasps of horror and grief filled the theater. Ruby, Nora, Penny, and Weiss even had to fight back tears.
"It's like Adam's dream come true…and multiplied by a thousand," Blake thought morbidly, her cat ears flattening.
Ozpin was perhaps the most stricken by this new enemy. The absence of Salem and the Grimm allowed humankind in this universe to expand to other worlds, only to encounter a much worse enemy. In fact, the Covenant had inflicted more death and destruction in thirty years than Salem had in millennia. [4]
"I had hoped our first multiverse viewing wouldn't be so dark and gritty," Port said sadly.
After cutting through one more hazardous hallway, Ruby entered the bridge and approached Captain Schnee, the latter with her back turned.
"Captain Schnee," Ruby greeted the grizzled captain, her voice deep, cool, and somewhat throaty.
"Does Ruby sound much older, or is it just me?" Weiss questioned her partner's voice.
"Nope. She definitely sounds older," Yang confirmed.
"Well, chronologically speaking, Ruby is forty-one years old at this point. She's been fighting the Covenant since the war began, but spent a substantial amount of time in cryostasis, so her biological age is around thirty," Gold-Sith informed.
"What?!" several people said in disbelief that Ruby was twice her real age.
Blake then realized something as she did some quick math in her head. "But...that would mean Ruby was only twelve when the war broke out, right?"
Gold-Sith sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Ruby was first recruited for the SPARTAN program at age six."
Qrow and Yang were outraged. "Six?! What did they do, start a recruitment center at a kindergarten?!" the latter shouted.
"Times were desperate. The UKSC felt it necessary to create SPARTANS."
"So, they resorted to using child soldiers to fight the Covenant?!" Glynda cried indignantly.
Ozpin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, reminded only so much on how he was training teenagers to fight the Grimm.
Willow turned around. "Good to see you, Master Chief," she said, shaking Ruby's hand. "Things aren't going well. Weiss did her best, but we never really had a chance."
Weiss's holographic form reappeared. "A dozen Covenant superior battle ships against a single Halcyon-Class Cruiser with those odds I'm content with three..." she paused, "…make that four kills."
"That's odd. I thought you said the Covenant outmatched the UNSK in space," Penny said in puzzlement.
"They do. The Autumn is only scoring such a kill-rate because the Covenant are afraid to fire back out of concern of falling debris damaging the ring," Gold-Sith revealed. "Additionally, the Autumn is outfitted with some of the newest and most advanced technology and weaponry humanity has to offer."
"Hmm?" Oobleck hummed inquisitively. "And why is that? What is the importance of that ring?"
"I'd rather not spoil anything, but you'll all learn the full story in due time," Gold-Sith assured. "But I'll tell you this much. The Covenant didn't build it."
Everyone was mystified by Gold-Sith's statement, wondering who could construct such a gargantuan object that could float in space. And why the Covenant valued it so much.
Weiss turned to Ruby. "Sleep well?"
"No thanks to your driving, yes," Ruby answered.
Weiss smiled "So, you did miss me." [3]
"We already know each other here?" Weiss asked.
"Yes. You and Ruby were paired up together during the battle of Reach. You performed well together," Gold-Sith revealed in answer.
"Yay! We're partners here too!" Ruby cheered as she hugged Weiss.
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Get off me, you dunce," she mumbled as she pushed Ruby off, but couldn't hide a half-smile.
"How did Ruby and Weiss meet on Reach?" Penny asked curiously.
"Weiss was supposed to help Ruby and her team of SPARTANS sneak into Covenant territory, capture a hierarch and use him as a bargaining chip to force a ceasefire. Unfortunately, the Covenant hit Reach only two days before the operation was launched."
"Wow. That's the worst timing ever," Sun said while shaking his head.
Suddenly, a heavy explosion rocked the ship, nearly throwing Willow and Ruby off their feet.
"Report!" Willow demanded.
"It must have been one of their boarding parties, I guess an anti-matter charge," Weiss responded.
A crewman swiveled in his seat. "Ma'am! Fire control for the main cannon is offline!" he reported.
"Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option," Weiss informed Willow.
Willow shut her eyes, knowing what she had to do. "All right then I'm initiating Ozpin Protocol Article Two. We're abandoning the Autumn. That means you too, Weiss," she declared.
"The Ozpin protocol? What's that?"
"And what role do I play in this universe?" Ozpin asked.
"You were an admiral who led multiple campaigns against the Covenant with surprising success. However, once the war began to go badly for humanity, Admiral Ozpin enacted the protocol shortly before he was presumed dead after he went missing during a battle over a planet called Viperidae, where he destroyed an entire Covenant fleet," Gold-Sith revealed.
"Impressive. At the very least, he died a hero," Glynda praised Ozpin's counterpart.
"Yes. Anyway, the Ozpin protocol dictates that no vessel may inadvertently lead the Covenant to Remnant. If forced to retreat, ships must avoid Remnant-bound vectors by any means necessary, even if that means jumping without proper navigational calculations. Vessels in danger of capture have to self-destruct."
"Drastic measures, certainly, but no doubt necessary given the Covenant's dogmatism. It ensures that Remnant stays hidden," Ironwood said, knowing such sacrifices were needed during times of war.
"But not forever, given how close Reach is to Remnant," Blake reminded grimly.
"While you do what, go down with the ship?" Weiss questioned the Captain's decision.
"In a manner of speaking," Willow answered. "The object we found. I'm gonna try and land the Autumn on it."
"With all due respect, ma'am, this war has enough dead heroes," Weiss tried to have Willow reconsider.
"Land the ship on the ring? It's that big?" Sun asked in amazement.
"Yes. To be precise, that ring measures 10,000 kilometers in diameter, and 318 kilometers wide," Gold-Sith supplied information on the ring.
"By the Brothers! It's like an entire artificial planet!" Oobleck exclaimed, hoping to learn more about the ring.
"Imagine how long it took to build something that big," Ozpin drank his coffee.
"What did my counterpart mean 'enough dead heroes'?" Weiss asked out of worry for her mother.
"Well, the Pillar of Autumn doesn't have any actual landing gear. Landing would be more like crashing as delicately as possible," Gold-Sith revealed.
Weiss and Winter were both fearful for their mother's safety, even if she was a military officer.
"I appreciate your concern, Weiss, but it's not up to me, protocol is clear. Destruction or capture of the shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, and that means you're leaving the ship," Willow declared.
"Lock in a selection of emergency landing zones, upload them to my neural lace and then sort yourself for hard transfer,"
"Aye aye, ma'am," Weiss complied as she disappeared.
Willow turned to Ruby. "Which is where you come in, Chief. Get Weiss off this ship and keep her safe from the enemy. If they capture her they'll learn everything: force deployment, weapons research... Remnant,"
"I understand," Ruby said simply, fully understanding the situation.
"I'm afraid to ask, but what happens when the Covenant conquers a human planet?" Ozpin asked worriedly.
"They perform an operation called glassing, during which they bombard the planet from orbit, reducing its entire surface, land and water, to a barren wasteland of glass. Most recently, Reach was just glassed," Gold-Sith revealed.
Gasps and mutters of anger and sorrow filled the theater.
"Merciful Monty..." Jaune whispered as he almost dropped his soda in shock.
Port furrowed his brow. "No doubt, they must intend to glass Remnant as well," he presumed angrily.
"So, humanity's future could very well rest in Ruby's hands," Penny said dramatically.
Weiss flickered back on. "The Autumn will continue evasive maneuvers until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen but I'd suggest my subroutines handle the final approach,"
"Excellent work, Weiss," Willow said as she turned back to the AI. "Are you ready?"
There was a long pause as Weiss glanced around the room, reluctant to leave her home ship. "Yank me."
Willow punched in a few buttons and removed the chip from the console, Weiss' image flickered and vanished.
"Good luck, Master Chief," Willow said as she handed the chip to Ruby, who inserted it into a slot in the back of her helmet, feeling a sense of vertigo an then an icy sensation in her brain as Weiss' presence entered her mind.
"Hmmm, your architecture isn't much different from the Autumn's," Weiss noted half-jokingly.
"Don't get any funny ideas," Ruby warned.
Ruby giggled softly. "This actually reminds me of ourselves in real life," she said to Weiss.
The heiress shrugged. "The bickering, perhaps."
"So, how does Weiss assist Ruby in battle?" Penny asked, eager to learn more about the onscreen AI.
"Ruby's helmet allows AIs like Weiss to connect to her via a neural link, supplying her with intel and tactical information during battle," Gold-Sith answered.
Winter handed an M6D magnum to Ruby. "I don't keep it loaded, you'll have to find ammo as you go," she said.
Ruby accepted the weapon with a nod, saluted Willow. "Good luck, ma'am."
With that, Ruby left the bridge, bound for the nearest lifeboat bay to escape the Autumn.
"It's not Crescent Rose. But I'll take what I can get," Ruby said with a shrug.
"I wouldn't tackle one of those big aliens with just a pistol unless I needed to," Ironwood advised.
"Perhaps she'll find better weapons later on," Penny guessed, wishing Ruby the best of luck.
Ruby headed out, luckily stumbling up a dead ensign lying in a doorway leading off the bridge, a few spare magnum magazines attached to her belt. Gingerly closing the ensigns' eyes, Ruby took the magazines and loaded a fresh one into the magnum.
High, squeaky voices emanated from the next corridor. Ruby peaked around the corner and spotted a trio of stubby Grunts walking around. Before they could even react, Ruby leapt out, and fired thrice, scoring headshots. The Grunts all fell dead, their blue translucent blood splashing the deck.
"Well, they weren't so tough," Yang commented on Ruby effortlessly dispatching the aliens.
"Grunts are largely inept in combat and primarily serve as cannon fodder, relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm their enemies," Gold-Sith described the Grunts.
"In other words, they're the exact opposite of the Elites," Glynda said.
"Essentially. While the Elites are revered by the other Covenant races, the Grunts are treated with contempt."
"Damn. Sucks for the little guys," Coco as she sipped a diet soda, wanting to watch her weight.
Further up was an open doorway, and lying on the threshold was a dead Marine. Beside him was a MA5B Assault Rifle, standard issue infantry weapon for UKSC Marines. Ruby quickly holstered the magnum and scooped up the rifle and a few magazines, slapping a full one into the weapon.
The next room was a mess hall where a squad of Marines were engaged in a firefight with an Elite and several Grunts. It didn't look good for the humans as the Covenant had them former pinned down behind overturned tables and support beams.
"Those Marines could use some help, Chief, do what you do best," Weiss advised Ruby.
Ruby quickly obliged as she ran towards the Elite and sprayed him with concentrated rifle fire, bringing down his shield. Before the Elite could even react, Ruby reached him and slammed the butt of her rifle into his skull, killing him instantly.
With their commander dead, the cowardly Grunts quickly broke rank and fled, making them easy prey as Ruby and the Marines mowed them down with rifle fire.
"Yeah! Nice one!" one of the marines cheered Ruby on.
"Yeah man way to go!" a second one whooped.
Ruby cringed slightly, not comfortable watching her counterpart kill in cold blood, even if her enemies were aliens hellbent on human extermination. The rest of the audience was at least mildly disgusted at the onscreen blood and gore.
"I wish my other self wasn't so…brutal," Ruby said uneasily.
"That's war for you, squirt. You either kill or be killed," Qrow said simply.
"Your uncle is right, Ms. Rose. Killing is never a pleasant experience, but in times of war, it must be done," Ironwood said simply.
"Even so, Ruby is awfully machinelike in this universe," Weiss commented on Ruby's stoic, almost robotic nature.
Ruby moved on to an interconnecting corridor and spotted an Elite Major wearing crimson red armor. The alien swiftly drained Ruby's shield with plasma rifle fire, forcing her behind cover.
"Keep your head down! There's two of us in here now, remember?!" Weiss angrily reminded Ruby.
"How could I forget with you talking non-stop?" Ruby snarked back as she waited for her shield to recharge.
Blake and Yang laughed while Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yep. They're definitely like our real selves," the heiress sighed.
Luckily, the remaining Marines from the mess hall assisted Ruby by distracting the Elite long enough for her to empty an assault rifle magazine into him, scoring another kill.
"Hey, leave some for me!" a Marine protested, wanting a piece of the action.
Ignoring the marine, Ruby noticed the slain Elite had dropped a plasma grenade, which she picked up and attached to her utility belt.
"Very impressive. It's like SPARTANS are this universe' version of hunters and huntresses," Pyrrha praised Ruby's performance.
"But if the SPARTANS are so effective at fighting the Covenant, then why is humanity losing the war?" Winter questioned, not knowing the full story.
"Because, unfortunately, there were too few of the SPARTANS to turn the tide. And, making matters worse, with Planet Reach destroyed, the SPARTANS headquarters and training area went with it. Additionally, SPARTANS are more effective on the ground than in space," Gold-Sith explained.
"So, what happened to the other SPARTANS in Ruby's squad?" Yang pried, remembering Gold-Sith mentioned them earlier.
Gold-Sith paused. "I'm sorry to tell you, but they all perished when Reach fell.Ruby is the only survivor."
Ruby frowned as she slowly munched on another cookie, vaguely wondering who her deceased teammates were. [5]
Moving on, Ruby came across a pair of Marines guarding a lifeboat hatch.
"What the hell?! Did something just hit us?!" one of the Marines shouted.
After a short pause, the hatch exploded in a burst of flame, killing both the Marines. Then a squad of Covenant began to pour out, a Grunt leading the way.
But Ruby was prepared. She snatched the plasma grenade from her belt and chucked it like a baseball. It hit the lead Grunt's head dead on and stuck to it. The panicked alien gibbered and ran back through the doorway and into the midst of his own squad.
The grenade detonated, killing the remainder of the Grunts while the Elite commander's shields were drained. Drawing her Magnum, Ruby deftly killed him with a well-placed headshot.
"They're using our lifeboat airlocks to attach their boarding craft! We go out and they come in! Clever bastards..." Weiss analyzed the Covenant's boarding tactics.
"Talk about a sticky situation," Yang laughed, provoking more unamused groans from everyone else.
"Yang's pun aside, those alien grenades are pretty cool the way they stick to their targets like that," Ruby commented on the plasma grenade.
"Yes. Covenant plasma grenades have a unique adhesive ability towards enemy soldiers and vehicles they hit."
"Hmmm, sounds like an interesting concept for a weapon," Penny remarked.
"Perhaps," Ironwood acknowledged.
After a long arduous battle and killing many Covenant, Ruby finally arrived at the Bumblebee lifeboat pod bay just as the last of them were taking off.
"One last lifeboat. Quick, get aboard before it launches!" Weiss warned Ruby, the latter making a mad dash for the pod.
The Autumn shuddered again from further Covenant attacks. "The damage to the super structure is extensive. I don't know how much more the Autumn can take," Weiss informed.
Just outside the last life boat, a Marine was knocked prone by an explosion, and began to tremble. "Oh no…oh no!" he whimpered, the stress of the battle getting to him.
Luckily, Ruby showed up, lifted the panicked Marine, and threw him into the life pod.
"Now would be a very good time to leave!" Weiss said urgently.
Ruby shot one last look backwards before entering the escape pod and shutting the hatch with a hiss. Inside the pod was a handful of lucky Marines.
"Well, they made it to the pod. Now they've gotta get off the ship," Pyrrha said.
"But even if they escape onto the ring, the Covenant will be down there too. How will Ruby and Weiss get back to Remnant?" Jaune pointed out.
Coco held up her hands. "One thing at a time. They'll cross that bridge when they come to it."
"Punch It!" Ruby commanded the pilot.
"Aye aye, ma'am!" the pilot complied. "We're disengaged. Goin' for minimum safe distance."
The Bumblebee's engines activated, and it propelled out from its pod and into outer space, leaving the Autumn.
Yang clapped Ruby on the shoulder. "You did it, sis. You got Weiss off the ship."
"Yeah! Good job, other me," Ruby cheered her counterpart.
"I wouldn't celebrate too soon, kiddo," Qrow warned. "I've got a feeling it's far from over."
"We're gonna make it aren't we, sir?" one Marine asked Ruby as he gripped his seat harness. "I don't wanna die out here."
Ruby silently gave the frightened Marine a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Look!" Weiss exclaimed.
Ruby moved to the cockpit to gaze out the viewport as the lifeboat flew towards the giant ring, it's massive form nearly filling the entire window. Looking closely, land masses, oceans, and clouds.
"And look at its inner surface. There's oceans and land masses," Oobleck observed, intrigued about who could have built such an object.
"You were right, Professor Oobleck. It is like an artificial world," Velvet said, excited to see the ring's surface.
"Doctor Oobleck, if you please," Oobleck correctly sharply.
"What is that thing, lieutenant?" the male Marine asked about the ringworld.
"Hell if I know, but we're landing on it," the pilot replied as she flew on.
"Even if the Covenant didn't build that ring, they have no idea what's down there," Winter said out of concern for Weiss. [6]
"True, but they can't stay aboard the Autumn," Ren reasoned.
"It's the Autumn, she's been hit!" a Marine cried out.
Ruby returned to the back of the lifeboat and saw the Autumn had indeed sustained serious damage, a huge section of its port hull ablaze and trailing smoke as it descended towards the ring.
"I knew it! The Autumn is accelerating. Schnee is going in manually," Weiss said, amazed by the captain's piloting.
The Bumblebee narrowly avoided destruction as the Autumn accelerated over it, sustaining several direct plasma torpedo hits as it flew towards the ring.
Weiss and Winter went rigid as the Autumn was hit, hoping against hope that at least Willow would survive once it hit the ring, knowing the landing would be rough.
"Heads up, everyone, this is it! We're entering the ring's atmosphere in five!" the pilot notified her passengers, struggling to keep the lifeboat level.
The Bumblebee shook as it accelerated towards the ring, its underside glowing bright, fiery, orange as it entered the atmosphere.
"Sure you wouldn't rather take a seat?" Weiss asked.
"We'll be fine," Ruby answered calmly as she gripped support bars on either side of the lifeboat, preparing for a rough landing.
"If I still had fingers they'd be crossed," Weiss said nervously as the Bumblebee lifeboat was now only a few miles off the ring's surface, green ground visible beneath it.
Knowing that landing was imminent, Ruby bent her knees, bracing herself...and the screen went white...
Nearly everyone stared anxiously at the screen as it went white, hoping that Ruby's efforts to escape with Weiss weren't in vain.
"Do you think they made it?" Jaune asked softly.
"At the very least, Ruby and Weiss will survive. They've made it this far," Qrow said with faith in his niece.
"Yeah. She's too awesome and badass to die," Yang added, confident that Ruby would survive the crash.
"Stick around and find out in a future viewing," Gold-Sith said ambiguously.
Author's Note: This chapter took a while to write because Halo beat Bioshock by a single vote at the last second. Right when I was half-way finished with a Bioshock adaptation. But truth be told, that's probably for the best, because I like and am more familiar with Halo than Bioshock anyway. You might notice I added a few lines for Ruby to give her more character than the quieter Master Chief.
Anyway, I should be able to post an update every two weeks if my regular schedule stays the same. I'll definitely be editing and improving past chapters and informing you when they are posted.
Author's Points
[1]- I chose to have Weiss' AI hologram be clothed rather than naked like Cortana, even if lines of code cover her private parts. The reason for this is because Cortana is based off a grown woman while Weiss is still a minor at this point, so it wouldn't be appropriate.
[2]- AndrewEMack guessed correctly. I chose Qrow to play Johnson from the beginning. I find it a bit ironic that Qrow's counterpart is a soldier taking orders from the mother of someone he currently shares a mutual hatred with.
[3]-Originally, I planned to cast Penny as Cortana because she is a robot, but I believe Weiss is a better choice. For starters, she and Ruby are partners, like Cortana and Chief respectively. Second, the witty banter is more befitting of Weiss than Penny.
[4]- It's not hard to see how much worse the Covenant are compared to the Grimm. Sure, they don't have supernatural abilities like aura or semblances, but their advanced technology and planet glassing capabilities more than make up for it.
[5]- Another story for another day.
[6]- Unfortunately, Winter, you have no idea what Halo has in store for the audience. And I'm not just talking about Halo's function…