"You have a new report for me, Admiral?"

"I do. We currently have four Hunter units at our disposal, their pilots included."

"Only four?"

"It's not as easy as it might seem to track down seemingly non-existent machines from centuries ago. I'm amazed we even found four."

"Have you stopped your search, then?"

"No. I still have a few frigates out combing the fringes for anything anyone might have missed. Still, we're running out of time."

"What do you mean, running out of time?"

"Grimm activity out on the fringe worlds has increased significantly."

"I see... and you think these four girls are going to be ready to face those horrors?"

"Judging by the old records, I don't think anyone could ever be ready to face the Grimm. But what choice do we have but to rest our fate upon the shoulders of the young?"

"I suppose you're correct. Where are they now?"

"Scattered. Ruby Rose is currently on the space station orbiting the planet, finishing her training under Captain Goodwitch. Weiss Schnee is still on Immer Kalt, her father had preparations to make before her departure. Blake Belladonna is aboard the Signal, with Yang Xiao Long due to rendezvous with them enroute. They should all be gathered within the week."

"I see. It seems you have everything in hand."

"Mm. Have you had any luck with the President?"

"None. He and his chief advisors continue to spout nonsense about Atlas, despite evidence to the contrary. I think they plan on using the loss of the Third Fleet to make demands regarding the core systems we lost during the last war."

"A pointless attempt. Atlas won't give those up easily."

"Agreed. Still, if what you say is true, then you have larger things to worry about than politics, Admiral. Focus on getting those girls ready. I'll deal with keeping the council from asking too many questions."

"I can't thank you enough for the support you're giving me."

"Save your thanks, Ozpin. I just hope all my efforts are worth it all, in the end."

"That's all anyone can hope for in life, Councilman."

Present Day, In Orbit over the Capital Planet Vale

Ruby pressed her nose to the viewing deck's glass windows, eyes widening at the sight that never ceased to amaze her every time it came into view. At first, there was nothing to really see but the planet below. Then, as the world below spun around, a blinking light broke the planet's horizon, sending out a warning signal to all ships trafficking through the area. What followed behind it was the largest shipyard ever constructed, the birthplace of the largest and most famous spacecraft in human history. It boasted of building both the Ivory Throne and the Remnant, and now it would boast of one more great accomplishment. The construction of the second largest ship in human history, and one of the most powerful military vessels ever constructed. Ruby's heart started beating even faster, the young girl practically dancing on her toes as the shipyard, and the great Titan-class warship currently housed within its belly, came fully into view.

The Beacon.

The ship was meant to stand testament to humanity as a whole, in a way that the Remnant never could, and as such it had been constructed from materials gathered from all over human controlled space. It's symbol of unity was made further apparent by the crew itself, composed of an even mixing of the various nationalities, and even including a generous helping of the faunas. That didn't, however, stop it from displaying its raw military might. The latest in indirect-fire, point defense, reactive plating and anti-fighter weapons systems. Not to mention some of the most powerful dust-cannons ever conceived, the test firings alone shattering the records for mass acceleration.

Ruby had already gone over the technical details with her tutor, a lesson in capital ship design being the excuse. And while this new ship wasn't nearly as large as the Remnant, it didn't stop it from being, in the young girl's professional opinion, much more awe-inspiring. And to think, SHE'D get to be on board for its maiden voyage. If only her sister could see her now. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that Ruby failed to notice the footsteps of her instructor coming up behind her.

"Still wasting your time daydreaming, are you?"

Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin, her surprise at the sudden voice readily apparent, then she spun to face Captain Goodwitch, as the woman insisted on being called, offering a quick salute. The officer merely rolled her eyes, already having spotted at least three mistakes in the shoddy attempt at military decorum, but ignored the issue. The young girl in front of her was not part of the military after all, however much she begged to be allowed in. The Captain already had issues with some of the other "recruits" that had been allowed into the service, some of them barely even seventeen, and the girl in front of her was two years younger than that.

"Yes, Ma'am! I mean, no Ma'am! I mean... It's just... It's so cooool~"

"Hm. That has yet to be seen. Gather your belongings. We're do to shuttle over in ten minutes. Bay 4. Don't be late."

Glynda spun on her heel and walked off, confident that the girl behind her would do as instructed. Ruby watched her instructor stride off, already getting assaulted by various lower officers for this or that. Then she turned to take one last look at the ship being completed before setting out herself, headed for her temporary quarters aboard the station. The trip only took a few minutes, down a few decks and across a few halls, and once within her room she quickly gathered up the few belongings she'd brought with her, putting them in a bag. Then Ruby was bounding through the corridors, making her way towards the shuttle bays and the massive capital ship that awaited on the other end. In her excitement, however, Ruby was completely ignoring her surroundings for the second time of the day, and she was barely through the shuttle bay doors when she collided with someone, sending both, and the luggage the girl had with her, sprawling. A second passed, and Ruby took in her opposites white hair and slim build in that single moment. Then whoever it was scrambled to her feet, anger clear on her face.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!"

"Wha-"

"Do you even realize how much damage you could have caused? All this is incredibly high-grade dust, just a pinch of this could blow a hole in the station!"

"I didn't mea-"

"What is someone your age even doing here? This isn't a playground!"

"I know, I-"

"This is a military shuttle bay, in case you hadn't noticed! The civilian bays are a deck down!"

"I'm supposed to-"

"Ms. Rose. Hurry up, we don't have all day. Ah. Ms. Schnee. Good, you're here as well. Get all this dust packed up and onto the shuttle, we have a schedule to keep."

This time, the interruption came from the arrival of Captain Goodwitch, who swept past both girls, lower officers in tow, and stepped onto the shuttle. The look the white-haired girl gave Ruby was enough to freeze a small sun, causing the younger girl to shrink in on herself, even as she got to her feet and awkwardly fidgeted in place. There was a moment of complete silence, and then the white-haired girl sniffed in disdain and gestured for her servants to pack up the dust and carry it aboard. Ruby followed much more slowly, dragging her feet as much as possible. Hopefully the unfriendly girl would pick a seat by the time she'd gotten on board.

Weiss Schnee was, to say the least, beginning to have reservations about her chosen path in life. Sure, she got some measure of freedom, especially with Myrtenaster in tow. Admittedly, she was getting to work alongside some of the finest men and women in the known galaxy, each highly trained in their area of expertise. Not to mention she was, at this very moment, sitting only a few seats away from her idol, Captain Glynda Goodwitch, renowned for her countless military achievements during the equally numerous military operations she'd been a part of. All of that would likely have made the young heiress the happiest girl in the entire system. What took away from this, however, was a certain red-cloaked girl that, for some completely unknown reason, seemed to have weaseled her way onto the shuttle.

Weiss shot a glare at the back of the girl in question, but her target remained completely oblivious, instead plastering her face to the viewing port next to her seat and practically squealing with glee as the Beacon loomed ever larger. Weiss eventually pushed the girl from her thoughts altogether, convinced that it was a mistake of some kind, and would be corrected at some point. Otherwise, her faith in the military was going to be proven misplaced. Weiss settled into her seat for the remainder of the journey, which passed uneventfully enough, despite the occasional squeals the filled the silence. Soon enough the shuttle seemed to slow however, and Weiss sat up in confusion, her curiosity outweighed only by her devotion to rigorously taught etiquette. Thankfully, someone else had no such training, and fewer reservations about asking questions.

"Captain? Aren't we supposed to dock with the Beacon?"

"There's been a change of plans. Besides, wouldn't you like to see the Beacon take its first steps into space from the outside, Ms. Rose?"

The Rose girl's eyes widened in awe, then she was back to plastering her face against the glass, anticipation causing the girl's body to almost literally vibrate in place. Weiss sniffed in disinterest, even as she slid as silently as she could into a window seat herself and angled her head so as to provide herself with a view of the dock-release procedure. Goodwitch smiled knowingly, even without looking, she knew almost everyone on board the shuttle was going to find themselves a window to get a look from. It wasn't everyday the most advanced warship in space released maglocks and pushed itself through empty space for the first time.

Rear Admiral Ozpin strode down the halls, a cup of coffee in one hand and a file in the other, junior officers swarming him like hungry Grimm and bringing him problem after problem. The man allowed himself a moment to wish his companion was here with him, if for nothing else than intimidating everyone around him, before he banished the thoughts from his mind. As he neared the entrance to the bridge, Ozpin passed off the file to one of his aides, then he stepped through the hatch as it hissed open, leaving the junior officers behind him, even as his temporary XO noticed him and stood, chest expanding as the man prepared to call the room to attention.

"Commander on the bridge!"

The entire room dropped what they were doing and stood at attention, waiting for the follow on command from the admiral. Ozpin sighed in mock frustration, but a smile adorned his lips as he began making his way towards the command chair. How he'd missed this during his months of political maneuvering.

"Carry on!"

The staff got back to work on their tasks, while Ozpin settled into his seat and activated the console attached to the chair. He brought up current status of the Beacon and was pleased to discover that everything was ready for departure. Of course, according to the schedule, they weren't due to move out for another day, but what was a minor change in schedule?

"Lieutenant Lie?"

"Yes sir?"

The youth turned slightly in his seat at the communications panel to glance back at the admiral. The man had been recruited, along with Lieutenant Valkyrie, from one of the border worlds, and both had proven themselves exceptional recruits. Like many of the crew aboard, they were still only in their late teens, 17 if memory served the admiral, but they had earned their place aboard the Beacon regardless. Lie Ren, for instance, had proven to be extremely adept at remaining calm in a myriad of situations, not to mention his remarkable ability to master languages. His record already reported his mastery of seven different languages, and conversational levels in over a dozen more. His reported friend and near constant companion, Nora Valkyrie, on the other hand, was a master at the controls of a capital ships weapons panel, having outclassed dozens of supposedly more "qualified" individuals. On the other hand, she also had issues staying focused, and when not actively engaging an enemy, her reports indicated a level of discipline bordering on that of a child.

"Send a message to the shipyard. We'll be releasing mag-locks and embarking ahead of schedule. They have ten minutes to remove personnel from the construction arms."

"... Yes sir. Relaying message."

"And, if I might ask, where is our weapons officer?"

"... That is... a difficult question to answer, sir."

"I see."

Ren turned back to his control panel and began his work, while Ozpin turned to their current helmsman, silently amused by the lack of Lieutenant Valkyrie. Another foreigner to Vale controlled space, Lieutenant Pyrrha Nikos was considered a prodigy, even among her much-lauded family. The Nikos had been churning out excellent helmsman and navigators for generations, and the latest in the line seemed to be the culmination of all that talent. She'd passed her flight exams at the age of thirteen, but for obvious reasons was denied immediate access to the military. In response, her family transferred her to the Sanctum, a minor patrol ship in the Mistral military fleet, where a distant relative continued to hone her abilities into what they were today. Because of this, she was one of the few younger members aboard to have seen combat, and more importantly, to have taken the controls of a capital ship. Today, she'd be the first to helm the Beacon, an honor Ozpin hoped was not lost on the girl.

"Lieutenant Nikos. Prepare for the release of magnetic locks."

"Preparing for release of magnetic locks."

The young girl's hands slid over the control panel in front of her with practiced ease, fingers tapping away at keys without hesitation. The necessary preparations would take awhile, and the admiral did little more than wait patiently. He could hear Ren's muffled attempts to argue with whoever was on the other end of the communications, and while he briefly considered intervening, Ozpin told himself to have faith in the Lieutenant. Wouldn't do them any good to constantly be looking over their shoulders all the time. A few minutes later, and Ren breathed out a sigh, before tapping away at his console again and relaying the news.

"Messaged received, Sir. The arms should be clear within a few minutes."

"Excellent. Nikos?"

"Preparations for release of magnetic locks is underway. We'll be ready for departure whenever you are ready."

"Good. Lieutenant Lie. Any word on the arrival of the Signal?"

"The Signal reported to her last stop an hour ago. Assuming they maintained maximum speed during the jump, arrival can be expected in another ten minutes."

"Hm. They'll miss the show. A shame." Ozpin took another sip of his coffee, even he considered those arriving on the Signal, not to mention the two already here. Hunter pilots. He hadn't met any of them directly yet, although from everything he'd been told, all were exceptional in their own way. Glynda herself seemed grudgingly accepting of Miss Rose, although she would likely never say so herself.

"Sir. The arms are clear."

"Oh? So they are. Lieutenant Nikos. Release magnetic locks and bring us forward. Nice and gently if you please."

"Yes sir."

The helmsman's hands once again flew across the control panel in front of her, tapping keys and setting dozens of procedures in motion all at once. For a moment, she was silent, simply running what were mostly routine, if mandatory, checks on all systems for the seventh time that morning. Then, finally getting to the actual task at hand, she began to recite each step out loud, alerting both the Admiral and the flight tower what was happening.

"Releasing magnetic locks."

Outside, to the delight of everyone who could be watching at that moment, the magnetic locks, massive things that clamped onto the surface of the massive starship in order to keep it from drifting while it was under construction, suddenly released their hold and withdrew from the ships surface. The Beacon, for the first time, was drifting through the sea of space on its own without its metallic umbilical cords.

"Increasing engine output to ten percent."

The engines, viewed from the outside, began to glow from the heat and energy being expelled from them. The Beacon began its slow crawl forward, meter by meter leaving the construction station of its birth. Pyrrha watched the proximity sensors carefully, making minute adjustments here and there to keep them on track, before they finally cleared the entirety of the construction yard. The woman allowed herself a small smile before once again returning to business.

"Obstructions cleared. Increasing engine output to twenty percent. We should arrive in standard orbit within five minutes."

The Beacon, engines glowing brighter, began to pick up speed as it accelerated away from the from its birth place. Its finally destination, at least for now, was much higher in orbit over the planet, and it would only take the massive ship a few minutes to reach. Everything was proceeding smoothly.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Excellent work."

"Sir. Receiving a request to doc from a one of the orbital station's shuttles."

"Ah! Yes. I was expecting them earlier, actually. Permission granted, and have Captain Goodwitch report to my office. We have things to discuss. In the meantime, establish orbit, then relax until the Signal reports in. Captain Stone, you have the bridge."

"Yes sir!" Came the chorus of replies from the bridge staff, before the Admiral exited the room and swept down the hallways, already taking the shortest path to his own destination. He had much to discuss with his XO, and they had very little time.

Lieutenant Jaune Arc was by no means the most successful officer aboard the Beacon. In fact, it might be more accurate to call him the most unaccomplished officer imaginable, and he was only seventeen to top everything off. Which is why it had surprised him, and several other, more experienced officers, when he had been assigned to ensure the personal safety of four young woman, who were apparently to be treated as impromptu royalty. Which is why he now found himself in shuttle bay four, nervously wringing his hands together, four marines behind him, waiting for the shuttle itself to finish docking procedures and unload its oh so precious cargo. Finally, after some very uncomfortable minutes, the shuttle doors finally opened and out stepped Captain Glynda Goodwitch. Jaune practically fainted on the spot.

Instead, he tried to reign in his nerves as best he could before taking a step forward, snapping a hopefully dignified salute and delivering the message he'd been sent along with.

"C-Captain. I've been instructed to inform you that the Commander is waiting for you in his office."

Goodwitch turned her gaze on the younger officer, and Jaune could almost feel her judging his worth, and most likely finding him lacking. Instead of commenting however, she simply nodded her acceptance, offered a much more crisp salute in return, then frowned slightly.

"I doubt they sent you down here just to give me a message, Lieutenant."

"I'm also in charge of security for the... uh... precious cargo? I was informed that there were two of the four aboard your shuttle, Ma'am."

"Ah... I... see..." The Captain's gaze focused once again on Jaune, only this time much more sharply. "The two will be along shortly. You've been informed of their importance?"

"Only that they are to be treated with the utmost respect ma'am, and I'm to make sure they are both safe and comfortable, the former taking precedence over the latter."

"Good. I expect a report on my desk every morning."

"Yes ma'am."

With that, the Captain was gone, disappearing into the depths of the ship and heading for her destination with all the deadly intent of a guided missile. Jaune finally calmed, muscles he hadn't noticed were tense relaxing visibly. Unfortunately for the officer, he wouldn't be getting much of a reprieve. Almost as soon as he was sure he was in the clear, a harsh demanding voice cut into his thoughts, one that promised punishment should its desires not be met.

"Where's the person who's supposed to take me to my room!?"

Jaune flinched visibly, then turned back to the shuttle doors and discovered the third face he'd received in his "informational" packet. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the largest producer of dust and dust technology in the galaxy. It helped that she wasn't dressed anything like any of the other personnel aboard the ship. He'd received endless streams of information on his console. None of it had prepared him at all for actually dealing with the real thing. Still, he had his orders, and he might as well carry them out.

"Th-That would me me... uh... Ma'am. Lieutenant Jaune Arc, at your-"

"I don't care! Just take my bags and show me where I'm going to be staying!"

"Uh... yes, ma'am..."

Jaune gestured for the marines he'd brought with him, and they stepped forward, hefting her bags onto shoulders and backs. Jaune sighed before starting towards the door, keen to do what the heiress wanted, only to halt in his steps, realizing he'd almost forgotten something. He turned back to the shuttle and began scanning around it for someone else who looked out of place. Weiss, on the other hand, was not so forgiving of delays, particularly for reasons she had no knowledge of.

"Why are you stopping?"

"There were supposed to be two on board."

"Two? Two of what?"

"Um... hi?"

Jaune nearly jumped out of his uniform, not expecting to hear someone voice come up behind him and still weary of the strict instructors who'd loved to, as they said, "ninja" the new recruits. He'd been a particularly favored target, because it was likely he was screwing something up anyway, or if he wasn't, would when you surprised him. He turned around again and found a small, red cloaked girl in front of him, looking extremely shy and awkward, and somehow managing to make herself look insanely similar to a kicked puppy. Ruby Rose. Jaune gawked for a moment, then quickly shook himself from his stupor and presented himself, offering his greetings for the second time today.

"Good Morning, ma'am. I'm Lieutenant Jaune Arc. At your service."

He snapped off a salute, and was surprised to find the younger girl offer a smile and salute of her own. It seemed she'd be much easier to get along with then the Schnee girl. She was fairly cute to. If she were even a year older, he might have considered laying on some of his "moves", although it might have helped if he'd had any to use. Not the time to be delving into those thoughts. Before anyone could do anything else, however, Weiss quickly interjected, clearly completely unbelieving of what was going on.

"HOLD ON! You mean to tell me that SHE is as important as I am?"

"That is correct, ma'am."

"That's... impossible!"

"Hey!"

Jaune sighed again, suddenly certain how he'd managed to end up with baby-sitting duty. While they had been labeled important cargo, they were also, it seems, a severe pain in the neck. Still, the officer had to do his duty till the end. Might as well try to make the best of it.

"Excuse me. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to you quarters, and then to the conference room. I'm sure everything will be explained there."

That seemed to forestall any further discussion, even is Weiss was not-so-secretly fuming and Ruby was continuing to look as awkward as possible. Still, Jaune could only hope the last two wouldn't be quite as difficult to deal with. He wasn't holding up much hope, however. Not if his usual luck was anything to go by.

Author's Note- And there, finally, another chapter for this thing. I agonized a lot over how to make Jaune still be Jaune, and still have no satisfactory way I could think to pull it off. So I decided to just throw caution to the wind and make Jaune much less of a screw up, my justification being that while he isn't anywhere near good enough to be assigned somewhere like the bridge, or anywhere else important, he is still an officer, and would have had to go through the same training as everyone else. We'll see how far I end up taking that, although I don't think this new Jaune will be much better at handling situations than the old one.

Regardless, comments, questions and concerns are always welcome, and keep dreaming.