"Ambush!"

The word rang out clear as a bell within the R.F.S Beacon's Combat Information Center {A/N*}, even as it started to quake under multiple impacts.

"Attention all hands, this is the Captain, we are under pirate attack. All hands to battle stations, all hands to battle stations. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill," the ship's captain said into the intercom.

The ship's Executive Officer{A/N*}, Commander Glynda Goodwitch, looked over to him.

"Shall I give the order to launch fighters, sir?" she asked, too which he simply nodded.

Lieutenant Weiss Schnee was already sprinting to her fighter when the intercom went off again.

"Attention on the flight deck, this is the X.O," Commander Goodwitch called. "Launch all available fighters, repeat, launch all available fighters for emergency intercept."

Weiss stopped for a brief moment to admire her fighter. One of the first brand-new F-290 Paladin class light fighters to roll off the line, it truly was a marvel of engineering. It was armed with four particle cannons, two of which were embedded in the wingtips, with the other two under the nose, hardpoints for two missile racks, each capable of holding two missiles, a shield generator that was capable of surviving twice the damage of earlier generations, and was capable of out-turning even the fastest of the previous generation of fighters. Weiss's was painted a shimmering white with the image of a small flower underneath the cockpit, with the word Myrtenaster emblazoned in a pale blue across the stem.

Weiss climbed the ladder into the cockpit and sealed it shut. She tapped a few controls, and her HUD shimmered to life in front of her eyes.

"Ice Queen, ready for launch!" She called into her helmet.

"Copy," the flight deck controller replied. "Moving you into the tube now!"

Weiss's fighter lurched slightly as it was pulled into the launch tube. Weiss made one last brief check over her fighter's systems while waiting for the remaining fighters to get ready.

"Weapons..check," she thought aloud. "Engines...check...shields...check...cooling systems...check...fuel...this should be enough."

"All fighters ready for launch!" a voice in her helmet crackled.

"Copy," another voice replied, this one belonging to the Beacon's commander of the air group {A/N*}, "All fighters, launch!"

Suddenly, Weiss was thrown back in her seat as her fighter was flung out of the launch tube. Taking a quick glance around to get her bearings, she saw the usual blackness of space completely obscured by flak fire and heavy cannon blasts. There were at least four pirate Taijitu-class destroyers surrounding the Beacon, whose shields were shimmering a brilliant blue underneath the onslaught they were facing, but still holding strong. She quickly picked out a fighter that was starting a strafing run on the Beacon as her target and turned her fighter to engage it. Even as her particle cannons began to shred the fighter before her eyes, she saw still more fighters beginning to engage her fellows. It was going to be a long battle.

Weiss felt her fighter shudder slightly as she landed it on the carrier's flight deck. She jumped down the ladder and to the floor, where two of the other squadron leaders were already waiting for her.

"'Sup Ice Queen," Yang said as she walked over. "Nice work out there today."

"You as well Yang," Weiss said with a nod.

"You really saved my hide from those two Beowolves," Yang said, before she laughed a little. "I swear, Ember Celica may be able to take a few hits, but turning is really not her strong point."

"Well, you shouldn't have chosen to fly a heavy fighter then," Blake replied.

"Yeah, but have you seen the cannons on the Bullhead? I can practically take out a frigate with those things!"

"I have seen them," Weiss replied. "And I still prefer maneuverability over raw firepower. All the damage in the galaxy makes no difference if you can't get your guns to line up on target."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you guys seen the CAG? I needed to talk to him."

Weiss looked at her feet. "He died during the fight."

Yang's eyes widened. "Oh hell. When?"

"He was about to make a strafing run on one of the destroyers when a lucky railgun shot punched through his cockpit."

"Damn. 'Least it was quick then," Yang said with a heavy sigh.

Blake nodded as she took off her helmet, revealing a pair of cat ears underneath. "I believe you're next in line for promotion, are you not?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Weiss replied.

"Well, you are the ship's top ace," Yang said. "It'd make sense for you to be promoted."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait for the captain to-" Blake started before she was interrupted by the intercom.

"Attention all hands, this is the Captain speaking. We will be returning to port due to losses among the fighter group, as well as to refuel and resupply. When we arrive, all personnel are granted shore leave for the duration. That is all."

Weiss sighed. "Well, I guess we'll find out who the CAG is later then."

Equalizing local pressure with exterior atmospheric conditions, the R.F.S. Beacon's {A/N*} synthesized voice called calmly as Weiss stepped into the airlock. The door hissed open, revealing the clean halls of the Remnant Federation shipyards. Weiss stepped through and was about to look for a shuttle to the surface when she heard someone speak behind her.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" a young sounding voice called out. "Is that the airlock for the R.F.S. Beacon?"

Weiss turned around and saw a young woman with short, black-and-red hair and silver eyes looking at her.

"Why?" Weiss asked, her tone a little icy.

"Well, I have orders here to report to the captain of the Beacon for assignment." She began to dig through her pockets. "If you'll just give me a moment, I can-"

"Don't bother. Yes it is the Beacon," Weiss said, rolling her eyes slightly. "However, the captain may not be aboard, as we will all be on shore leave for the next day or so while we restock and refuel."

She looked crestfallen. "Well, you wouldn't be able to tell me where I could find him then?"

Weiss shook her head in exasperation. "No, I would not. He may still be in the CIC, but short of that, I have no idea."

"Thanks Lieutenant!" the girl said. "See you on board!"

When the girl turned to run off, however, Weiss thought she saw a Lieutenant Commander's insignia on her shoulder.

No way, Weiss thought. There's no way she out-ranks me. She hardly looks like she could have completed academy training with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. And she certainly acts like she just completed training too. she sighed. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Lieutenant Commander Ruby Rose stepped through the clear door that lead to the CIC, and saw a single man standing in front of the tactical display table.

"Erm, excuse me, sir?" she called nervously. "I was ordered to report to the Captain of the R.F.S. Beacon?"

The man turned around and looked at the girl, revealing a captain's insignia as he did so.

"And you are?" he asked.

Ruby stood at attention and saluted. "Lieutenant Commander Ruby Rose, sir."

He nodded and returned the salute. "Welcome aboard the R.F.S. Beacon Lieutenant Commander. Regrettably, I don't have enough time to go over with you what your duties will be here right now as I need to go meet with the Admiral, but I'll be able to give you a full briefing tomorrow. Meet me on the flight deck at oh-eight-thirty tomorrow."

Ruby saluted again. "Aye, aye sir."

Ruby turned on her heels and walked back through the doors. She began to wander through the halls, admiring the sleek, clean interior of the ship. It was a far cry from the several-decade-old cruiser she had served on during the wargames at the end of her academy training. She eventually found her way down to the flight deck, where her fighter, an F-290 Paladin, was already being towed into the hangar. she walked over to the craft and placed her hand on it. It was painted in a shimmering black that made it look almost as if it were made from solid obsidian with crimson trimming from the cockpit to the main engines, as well as more trim along the leading edges of the craft. Beneath the cockpit there was painted the image of a rose, with a stem the ended in a scythe's blade. Underneath the image read the words "Crescent Rose."

"Quite a ship you got there," someone said from behind Ruby.

"Thanks!" Ruby replied without turning around. "I've actually done a lot of tuning on her. Had a bit of a reputation at the academy for being able to both fly fighters and tune them so they fly even better."

"Hah, sounds exactly like someone I know."

Ruby turned around to see a woman with excessively long blonde hair, purple eyes, and a goofy grin that said that she already knew who she was talking to.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, and sprinted over to hug her sister.

"How'er ya doing sis?" she asked with a slight laugh as she broke from the hug.

"Great! I had no idea you were assigned to the Beacon!"

"Could say the same thing about you, ya know. What squadron posting did you get?"

Ruby shrugged. "Dunno yet. Captain said he'd brief me tomorrow on what my duties'll be."

Yang glanced down at Ruby's uniform. "Wait a minute. Did you complete training as an LC?"

"Yeah, thanks in no small part to my leading my ship's fighter wing in Operation Black Flag {A/N*}. Why?"

The blonde shook her head. "Oh man, Ice Queen is not going to be happy about this."

"Ice Queen? And what won't she be happy about?"

"'Ice Queen' is Lieutenant Weiss Schnee, top scoring ace on the boat. She-"

"That Ice Queen? She's all anyone ever talked about in the academy! Oh man, it's gonna be so cool to fly with her!"

Yang sighed. "I wouldn't say that, but yeah, that's her. Anyway, our previous CAG bought it in our last engagement today, and she was expecting to replace him. But, it looks like you're going to be the replacement."

Ruby cocked her head. "How do you know?"

"Your rank. Lieutenants are squadron leaders, Ensigns are flight leaders, and enlisted personnel are simply pilots. Which leaves the Lieutenant Commander as-" {A/N*}

"The CAG," Ruby finished, starting to sound a little worried. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to do something like that. I mean, I literally just got here from the academy."

"Well, 'long as you can keep Ice Queen under control, you should do just fine," Yang replied, giving Ruby a smile.

"I hope so," Ruby replied glumly. "Anyway, You wouldn't happen to know about how long the resupply is going to take, would you?"

Yang shook her head. "Nah, not my job to know. Should be done by tomorrow afternoon though."

"I can't believe I lost out on the CAG post to some fresh-out-of-the-academy nobody!" Weiss practically shouted through the flight deck after Ruby had finished introducing herself to the other pilots. {A/N*}

"Woah, calm down there, snow angel!" Jaune said, holding his hands up in an effort to defend himself.

"Please, Weiss," Pyrrha said, "I'm sure command has good reason for assigning her."

"I sincerely doubt that. Seriously, she looks like she won't last a minute when the shooting starts. Not to mention she sounds like she'll just turn tail and run at the first sight of trouble."

"Hey, that's my sister you're dissing!" Yang shouted as she walked up to Weiss.

"Really?" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Yang replied, her hand beginning to curl into a fist, "So I recommend that you shut up before I do something that you're going to regret."

Weiss backed up a little. "Alright, fine, I'll give her a chance," she replied before muttering, "I certainly won't be expecting much though."

"Hey, ummm...Is there a problem over here?" Ruby asked as she walked over.

Weiss shot her a glare and stormed off.

"No, ma'am," Pyrrha replied. "Lieutenant Schnee just has some...concerns over your combat piloting abilities."

Ruby looked crestfallen. "Oh. Well, I guess I can kinda understand where she's coming from. I mean, I technically haven't had any actual combat experience yet."

"Eh, don't worry about her, sis," Yang said. "She 's always been a bit of a stuck up bitch."

"Yang!" Pyrrha interjected.

"Besides, that's what Black Flag was about. Giving you some combat experience without actually putting you in combat. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Guys, I said don't worry about it," Ruby sighed. "Besides, I heard we might have a mission tomorrow. I think we should focus on that."

Weiss watched as Ruby stood at the front of the briefing room, looking over the many pilots who sat in around her wearing bored expressions.

"All right, listen up everyone," She called out. "I know there are a few of you who doubt I can handle myself in a fight." Weiss, who was sitting at the very front of the room, rolled her eyes. "Well, you all will get to test that theory today. At thirteen-twenty hours today, we are going to be engaging a Pirate Nevermore class Carrier that has been raiding the Sigma Ceti trade route from the Voltana system. Reports indicate it has a full complement of fighters, so expect us to be numbered about three-to-two against." Ruby tapped a command on the table behind her and brought up a map of the area that the battle was going to take place in. "Plan will be to have Spartan, Valhalla, and Black squadrons engage the enemy bombers to prevent them from hitting the Beacon. If they manage to launch their torps, focus on those first and foremost. All remaining fighters will be tasked with engaging the enemy fighters to hopefully clear a path for our own bombers, or at least keep them away from theirs long enough for the Beacon's cannons to destroy the carrier itself. Any questions?"

Someone next to her raised his hand. "Yeah, whose brilliant idea was this? I mean, I could come up with a better plan in my sleep!"

"It was the captain's idea," Ruby muttered, looking rather annoyed. "To be quite honest, I'd prefer to set up a skirmish line in front of the Beacon and hold position to intercept the enemy bombers as they approach, then engage the pirate fighters while our own bombers do their work on the carrier when the enemy bombers are down. But these are the orders we've been given. Anyone else?" Nobody else raised their hands. "All right then," Ruby finished. "Combat ops begin in about twenty minutes. Go ahead and get to your fighters."

Weiss got up from her seat and began to follow the others out of the room. They walked through the hallways, eventually making it through the doors to the hangar deck. As Weiss stepped through, she saw a new fighter among the group, a black-and-red Paladin with the words "Crescent Rose" around an image of the same flower. That must be her fighter, Weiss thought to herself. She made a good choice. Though I do have to wonder why anyone would replace the particle cannons on the wings with gatling cannons. The limited ammo they have is going to force her to need to land during an extended engagement. Weiss sighed. She was about to walk over to her own fighter when she saw the girl nearly fall off of the ladder leading into her cockpit, causing Weiss to roll her eyes. Looks like she probably won't last long after all.

Ruby silently swore to herself as she nearly fell off the ladder leading to her fighter. Really? NOW you do this to me? she thought angrily. With a sigh, she resteadied her self on the ladder and climbed into the cockpit. She activated her HUD and gave her fighter's systems a quick check over before signaling the ground crew that she was ready to be placed in the launch tube. He fighter jolted slightly as it was towed away and into launch position. As soon as the motion stopped, she pulled up her fighter's command display and confirmed that all of the other fighters were ready to go. With a satisfied nod, she opened a communication line to the bridge.

"Bridge, this is Reaper," she called. "All fighters are ready for launch."

"Copy Reaper, we're jumping to the battlezone now," the captain's voice crackled through her helmet.

Suddenly, Ruby felt a massive pulling sensation as the Beacon activated its jump drive. almost as soon as that stopped, another voice, this time belonging to Commander Goodwitch, came through her helmet.

"Attention on the flight deck, this is the XO," she said, "Launch all fighters, repeat launch all fighters."

Ruby smiled slightly as she was thrown back in her seat as the ship's catapults launched her fighter into space. Ruby looked around at the other fighters, watching them form into squadrons and preparing to engage. Off in the distance, near an asteroid field, sat the hulking form of a pirate Nevermore class carrier. The twin flight pods hanging on the sides were already beginning to disgorge their fighters, and the ship was slowly beginning to creep towards the Beacon.

"All fighters, this is Reaper," Ruby called. "Form up into your squadrons and prepare to engage. Marking contacts for each squadron now. You are weapons free as soon as they're in range."

The other fighters formed up around her, letting her take the leading edge of the formation. Ruby's cockpit was completely silent aside from her breathing as the two waves of small craft approached each other. Suddenly, the space all around her burst to life with brilliant light as the two formations opened fire. Ruby flipped her fighter around with a growl as she picked out a target and began to pursue it. Her fighter weaved in and out of numerous smaller skirmishes as she pursued her prey. Finally, after leading her on a lengthy chase, Ruby had the target in range. She squeezed the trigger on her flight stick, cutting loose with a barrage of fire from her particle cannons, followed closely by a hail of bullets that spat out of the gatling cannons in what amounted to a solid wall of cannon fire. Ruby smiled with grim satisfaction as the pirate's ship simply fell apart underneath the barrage that Ruby had fired into it. As Ruby rolled her fighter through the debris clod, she started to look around for another target. when she saw a certain white fighter about to be in a very bad spot.

"Ice Queen, you've got two...no...three Beowolf fighters on your tail!" a voice in her helmet called.

"Shit," Weiss muttered as her fighter started to take several hits. "Can't lose them! Can I get some cover here?"

Her fighter shuddered a little from another hit. Alert, the ship's synthesized voice spoke, aft shields down to fifty percent.

"Copy, this is Reaper," Ruby's voice crackled through her helmet, "I see 'em, coming in to engage now."

Anyone but her! Weiss thought. I'd really rather risk getting shot down than worrying that this idiot will run into me due to her inexperience.

Suddenly, a pair of explosions rocked her fighter. Weiss turned her head to look behind her, fully expecting to find the entire rear half of her fighter gone. Instead, she saw the debris of two fighters already sailing past her, and the third beginning to come apart, shredded by a hail of particle cannon and gatling gun blasts, as a fighter that could only belong to Ruby flew between Weiss and the one remaining fighter on her tail. Ruby's fighter swung around its prey, it's guns still trained even as Ruby moved in a completely different direction from where she was facing.

"Ice Queen, this is Reaper," Ruby said again as the last fighter completely fell apart, "You're all clear."

Weiss sighed gratefully. "Copy Reaper," she replied. "Looks like you might have a couple on you now. Need a hand?"

"Negative, I can handle 'em."

Weiss watched as Ruby's fighter flipped around faster than it should have been able to, while continuing to move in its previous direction, and let loose with another barrage of fire, this time shredding the two fighters that were pursuing Ruby. So, it seems I was wrong about this girl, Weiss thought to herself as she watched the impressive display. I should probably apologize to her when we get back aboard.

"All squadrons that have completed your objectives, call off!" Ruby said. "Red Squadron, ready!"

Weiss looked at her sensors display to make sure all of her squadron's targets were down. With a satisfied nod, she replied, "White squadron, all targets neutralized."

"White squadron, all targets neutralized." Weiss's voice crackled through Ruby's helmet.

Yang spoke up next. "Yellow squadron, all of our targets bought it. What's next boss?"

Ruby thought for a moment before tapping several commands into her flight computer. Before long, a line appeared in her heads up display, showing throttle percentages, facings, and vectors of travel.

"All available fighters, I'm sending you a flight and engagement path," Ruby called. "Form up and move in."

"Attack the carrier?" Someone called. "Are you insane Reaper? Look at all of the flak that thing is putting out!"

"Just follow the flight plan," Ruby replied. "Trust me! You'll be fine. As soon as you get in range, start firing everything you've got at the carrier. Guns, missiles, I don't want anyone coming home with extra ammo. Come on!"

Ruby's fighter sped toward the carrier. The other pilot was right. The ship really was spitting out a lot of flak. Combined with the fact that Ruby's flight plan had them flying directly between the two broadsiding warships, the odds of survival were remote at best. Ruby just smiled and started to hum an old song to herself as she followed the flight path. As soon as she passed beside the carrier, she decoupled {A/N*} her controls and flipped her fighter so that she would keep moving in her original direction, but still be able to fire at the carrier. She squeezed the trigger, and rounds began to hit the massive ship's shields causing them to glow a dim red. Just the fire from one fighter would never be enough to crack them, but soon, more fighters joined in, laying a veritable wall of fire into the pirate's shielding. Ruby hoped it would almost be like getting stung by a bee: one is but a minor annoyance. But one-hundred could very well kill. And kill it did, because after several long seconds of fire, the shield shimmered brightly, then suddenly disappeared, and the weapons fire started to chip away at the carrier's hull. Ruby watched as several heavy particle cannon blasts from the Beacon slammed into the hull of the carrier, tearing massive holes open in the ship. Eventually, the ship's structure simply couldn't take the punishment it was receiving any more, and it simply started to fall apart.

Ruby's helmet was filled by the cheers of her flightmates, as well as the congratulations of some who had doubted her plan to assist the Beacon would work out. Ruby smiled, knowing that she had just earned her place on the ship when suddenly her helmet crackled with a single transmission from the captain.

"Reaper, this is the captain," he said, sounding distinctly furious. "See me as soon as you are aboard."

Ruby paled. That's not good, she thought too herself.

A/N: So, here's the story I teased in my latest chapter in A Lone White Rose.

First off, the story A/N's (in order of appearance):

Combat Information Center (CIC): Nerve center of the ship. Where the captain calls the shots.

Executive Officer (X.O.): Second-in-command on the ship

Commander of the Air Group (CAG): Leads the ship's fighters in combat.

R.F.S. : Remnant Federation Ship

Operation Black Flag: A simulated combat mission at the end of academy training in this universe. Basically, it puts recruits into a simulated combat situation that turns "real" but is in actuality still just a simulation. Designed to give the recruits combat experience without putting them in combat. Think "Ender's Game" in reverse.

Fighter compliments are divided into three groups in this universe: Flights (generally four fighters each), Squadrons (four flights each for sixteen fighters total), and Wings (the full compliment of fighters on a ship). The Beacon has 8 squadrons, so it holds 128 fighters.

Ranks in this universe are based solely on merit, no term of service required. So, if a fresh-out-of-the-academy individual proves to be an extremely competent starship captain, they're going to place him directly in the CIC. Flag officer ranks (those above Captain) must still be earned in the field, though also have no term-of-service.

Decoupled: Separated movement vector from ship facing. basically, you can move in one direction whist your nose faces in a completely different one.

Anyways with those done and over with, I actually had this idea while playing Star Citizen. If you love space games, then Google it. Seriously. You won't be disappointed.

Also, for those who are concerned that I'm abandoning A Lone White Rose, I'm not. Really. I'm not even CLOSE to done with that one yet. I still have at LEAST seven more chapters in the current arc alone (all of the currently released chapters are a part of the same arc), and I've still got two more major plot arcs after that after that. I just had this idea and I wanted to get it down on paper(?) before I lost it. It'll just be on rotation with this one for until one of them finishes. If they finish. yeah...

Anyways, up next, A Lone White Rose: Chapter 11: Snowed In!

Oh, and yes, the tune Ruby is humming when she goes to strafe the pirate carrier is totally Red Like Roses.