Alright, time for my (hopefully) first longterm RWBY fanfiction. Inspired by nothing in particular, this story is my take on RWBY set in a sci-fi universe. Things like space travel are the norm in here, as well as potentially complicated mathematics (though not a lot). The story is semi-based off of the canon, but many things that happened won't happen, and vice versa. Anyway, if this has interested you, read on!

Another thing: There might be pairings. This isn't a story about pairings, but rather a story to develop a world I've designed around the RWBY Universe. If there are pairings, they will not be the focal point of this story.

So, go ahead and enjoy!

Disclaimer: RWBY is the registered trademark of RoosterTeeth, and is owned by Monty Oum.

Day 1, Month 7, Year 75 of the Sixth Age

"Welcome to the V.O.S. Emerald Forest." An AI spoke through the computer. A young girl, with black hair that faded to red, approached the user interface and placed her hand on it. A scan commenced.

"Handprint confirmed. Ruby Rose." The computer spoke. Ruby stepped back. "Please enter you Vale Order Identification Number." The interface now changed, allowing Ruby to enter her VOID Number.

After the computer was satisfied that Ruby was indeed Ruby, it trilled. "Please step into the scanning booth." A pod lowered from the ceiling, with a door to enter from. Ruby did as she was ordered, keeping her arms close to avoid hitting the pod.

A full body scan commenced. Every aspect of the young girl's body was catalogued, and the data appeared on a large screen in front of her.

"Scan complete." The computer said. The pod returned to the ceiling, and Ruby stepped off to the side. "Please head to the assignment office for further questioning." The computer order. A door opened, which would head to the office in question.

Ruby headed out at a brisk pace. She could hardly contain her excitement. She would, by day's end, be a full-fledged member of the Basic Extraterrestrial Advancement and Colonizing OrganizatioN, or BEACON. A great honor, to be sure.

Ruby entered what looked to be a waiting area, but noticed that no one was here. She looked at each of the doors. They were all closed, with a display above them that read "Do not enter." However, Ruby noticed that one read "Rose, R." She approached that door and knocked twice.

"Enter." A gruff but kind voice said from the other side. The girl did as she heard, and entered the office. It had a nice view of Vytal below. Currently, the Emerald Forest was above the dark side of the planet, so you couldn't make out every detail, but you could see the lights of the largest cities.

The man who would assist Ruby in entering BEACON had a thick, bushy moustache. It, and the hair on his head, was messy and grey. You couldn't see his eyes, but he obviously had no problems seeing. "Ah, you must be Miss Rose." He said. Ruby nodded. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Port." He added, motioning for Ruby to sit in the chair across from him. The girl did as she was offered.

"So, let's get straight to business." LTC Port started, pulling out a tablet that held Ruby's files. "Which branch were you looking to join?" Port asked.

BEACON was divided into 6 different branches, specializations that allowed the organization to flow smoothly. The most basic was Crewman, which performed the day-to-day tasks aboard large starships, like the Emerald Forest. Command also worked on starships, but instead of operating them, Commanders were in charge of the entire ship. All Commanders are officer ranks.

The next branches were all combat oriented. Pilots flew the various fighters that defended starships and planets from invasions, and operated turrets that defended stations or starships. Marines protected starships and stations from invasions, while also boarding and invading other starships and stations. And Infantry would be the 'boots on the ground,' fighting the enemy in combat, usually on the surface of a planet or moon.

The last branch of BEACON were the Hunters. Hunters are specialized, highly trained soldiers who carry out missions where Infantry or Marines might fail. Hunters are the cream of the crop, and are only the best. No exceptions.

Which is why, when Ruby answered, "I want to be a Huntress.", LTC Port did a double take. It wasn't every day that a new recruit came in wanting to be a Hunter. It was even rarer to see one so young want to join the top branch. But that was what happened here.

The LTC nodded, looking through Ruby's files. She was a prodigy if there ever was one. She attended Signal Training School, the best combat school in the entire Order, and passed Valedictorian. She was, without a doubt, the best recruit that the mustachioed man had ever seen.

"I see." He said, a slight tone of surprise in his voice. "It would seem that you have all the qualifications of a Huntress." Port looked over Ruby's files again. "Indeed, you could very well be the most qualified Huntress we've had in years." He said with a hint of respect. Ruby beamed.

Port pushed a button on his tablet, and a small interface appeared on the desk in front of Ruby. "All you need to do is fill out this file, and then I can refer you to the Hunter's Commissioner." Port said. Ruby looked at the file on the tablet. It was similar to many Ruby had already filled out, and the redhead did so as quickly as possible.

"Take this tablet to Lieutenant Colonel Goodwitch." Port said, handing Ruby the tablet in his hands. "Just follow the hallway to the right until you see her office." Port smiled. "Good luck."

Ruby nodded her thanks and began the trek to LTC Goodwitch's office. She could barely contain herself. She was ready to scream. However, she knew she needed to be professional. Fangirling could wait until later.

The walk to Goodwitch's office was longer than Ruby thought. After nearly three minutes, she finally found it, in a large lounge like area. Several offices were here, all of them associated with the Hunters. Ruby approached the door and saw a stern looking woman, with glasses framing her face, sitting at her desk.

"Miss Rose, please sit down." She said, not even looking up. Ruby did as she was told, suddenly felling very small. LTC Goodwitch seemed like a woman you did not want to cross.

"Lieutenant Commander Port tells me you wish to be a Huntress." Goodwitch spoke, now looking at Ruby. If Ruby felt small before, now she felt microscopic. The redhead nodded, handing the LTC the tablet. Goodwitch took it and looked it over in silence.

"I see…" She said after she finished. She set the tablet on her desk. "It would seem you meet all the qualifications to become a Huntress." The woman said plainly. She stood up, approaching a shelf on the other side of the room. Ruby became fascinated with the view of the Cluster Nebula, the expanse of space in which Vytal sat.

Goodwitch pulled out a tablet and set it in front of Ruby. "Fill this out." She ordered. Ruby nodded and looked it over.

The file would be Ruby's "Hunter Identification File," which was the basis of Ruby's information. It wasn't long, but it held information like date of birth, planet of origin, species, and VOID Number. It also contained information collected from the earlier scans. Ruby quickly began to fill it out.

Once finished, Goodwitch took the file, now back in her seat. "For now, head to Deck 5, Section 12." Goodwitch said. "Show this to the quartermaster there." The LTC handed Ruby a card that read 'Recruit.' "You will be told which bay you will be staying for the next few days until we can fully process your entry." Goodwitch finished by pulling out another tablet. "You are dismissed."

Ruby left without a second word. She was glad to be out of the room, even though Goodwitch didn't seem like a mean woman. Still, Ruby didn't want to test it out. She was currently on Deck 8, Section 2, three decks below Deck 5. So she needed to find the central mall.

The mall, which acted like a highway junction for the Emerald Forest, was near the center of the ship. It was large, featuring elevators to each Deck, as well as stairwells. Instead of a ceiling, there was a large glass window, from which Ruby could barely make out the most notable constellation in northern Vytal: The Dragon.

The mall was also a shopping area, but Ruby didn't have any lien to spend. Still, she looked at all the different things for sale. After a few moments, she found a lift and took it to Deck 5.

As Ruby headed closer to Section 12, she noticed that the hallways got more Spartan. Instead of being marked by computer panels, the different sections were marked by physical paint. In fact, there didn't seem to be any panels once you passed Section 7.

Section 12 was by far the largest area on this Deck. It was rimmed by various offices and examination rooms, with a single hallway that read "Barracks." Ruby looked around and found the quartermaster's post near the hallway to the barracks.

As Ruby approached, she caught the attention of the quartermaster. He was lanky man, with closely cut blonde hair. He seemed like an energetic guy, stuck in a boring job.

The markings on his uniform designated him as Petty Officer Second Class. He looked at Ruby and smiled. "How can I help you?" He asked, his voice thick with an accent not native to Vytal. Remnant, most likely.

"I was told to give you this." Ruby answered, handing the PO2 the card Goodwitch gave her. The man looked it over and nodded.

"Alrighty." He said, and typed on an interface Ruby couldn't see. "Okay, name and VOID Number?" He asked.

"Ruby Rose." Ruby said. "167-E70V-21S" The man typed this all into the computer, which trilled in response.

The PO2 whistled. "Huntress, eh?" He asked in admiration. Ruby nodded proudly. "Alright, you'll be staying in Bay 6B." He said. He then went to the back of his 'office,' grabbing a large duffel bag. "Your personal effects will remain in storage until you are assigned your team and given your own dorm." He handed Ruby the duffel bag. "This has everything you'll need until then." Ruby nodded in thanks.

Duffel on her shoulders, Ruby looked for the correct bay. According to the directions, it was near the back of the bay area. Ruby sighed, half in exhaustion and half in frustration. She began her march, the duffel somehow getting heavier with every step.

Once Ruby found her bay, she sighed. She stepped inside and saw it half full. Inside were various other Hunter recruits, male and female. Scattered throughout the bay were bunks and foot lockers, about 20 in all, enough for 40 recruits.

Ruby was then approached by another recruit. The man, a full head taller than Ruby, smiled as he approached. "Hey there." He said, taking Ruby's duffel off her shoulders. "I'm Teal." The man said. He was a faunus, a humanoid from the planet Menagerie, the second largest planet in the Order. Teal's hair was a vibrant gold, though his cat-like ears were pitch black. Ruby could barely make out his tail, which was the same color as his hair, but with black spots and stripes.

"Ruby." The redheaded girl said, thankful that the weight on her shoulders was gone. The younger recruit looked around, not sure what to do. "So, do I just take any bunk?" She asked. Teal shook his head.

"Nope. I'll assign you one." He looked around the room, searching for an empty bunk. When he was satisfied with his choice, he smiled. "Alright, follow me." He led Ruby towards a bunk occupied by a girl in all white, matching her hair, tied up in an offset ponytail.

As the pair approached, the girl noticed them and sighed. "What?" She asked Teal, almost as if she was above him. Ruby frowned; she hated dissent in ranks, and until she heard otherwise, Teal was in charge, most likely a bay leader. Teal, however, brushed her off.

"Weiss, meet Ruby." The faunus brushed off Weiss's attitude, placing Ruby's duffel on the ground. "She'll be staying above you until our initiation." Teal informed Weiss, who looked disinterested.

"Whatever." Weiss said plainly. Ruby's frown deepened. The girl's cold demeanor was disheartening.

Ruby tried being friendly, and reached her hand out towards the girl. "Aw, c'mon." Ruby said, trying her best to sound cheery. "There's a chance we might be put in the same team together. We might as well get to know each other." Teal seemed to agree, nodding at Ruby's words.

Weiss, however, scoffed. "I think I'd die before I'm put on a team with you." She said flatly, and rather harshly. Ruby, for her worth, didn't falter, only pulling her hand back slightly.

"Don't worry about her." Teal said to Ruby, who decided to start unpacking what she needed to. There wasn't a whole lot in the duffel bag that could be used for recreation. There was a digi-pad, so at least she'd be able to draw and write. "Weiss's a member of the Schnee family." Teal's words were laced with something akin to hatred, but it was very subtle.

Ruby turned to Weiss. "You mean the Dust family?" The redhead's voice wasn't excited, but rather intrigued. "What in Vytal made you want to join BEACON?" Ruby asked, interest seeping into her words.

Weiss huffed proudly. "It doesn't matter why I joined." She said flatly. "And I expect that you show me the respect I deserve." Pride practically radiated from the girl in white.

"For what?" A feminine voice asked from nearby. This girl was also a faunus, her black hair topped by black cat-like ears. Her eyes were the most clear amber Ruby had ever seen. "The Schnee Dust Company has made it no secret they enslave faunus laborers." This girl's voice was laced with a dry, sarcastic humor, but there was definitely venom in the words.

Weiss's face turned red instantly. "How dare you!?" The heiress cried, though her voice wasn't much louder than usual. She stood up, almost as if challenging the new girl. The faunus girl didn't back down, but approached, accepting Weiss's unspoken challenge.

Teal stepped between them. "Whoa there, easy Blake." He spoke to the new girl. "This isn't the time or place to pick a fight." He spoke softly. Blake looked at Weiss with disgust, before heading to a bunk a few meters away.

Weiss looked ready to follow Blake, but Teal wouldn't let her, stepping in her way. Unable to follow, the heiress laid on her bed, arms crossed, fuming. Ruby gave a nervous laugh, trying to break the tension. Teal sighed.

"Sorry about Blake." He said to Ruby, completely ignoring Weiss at this point. "She's normally very reserved, but she get's very passionate about our heritage." He chuckled. "I for one don't really care." Ruby smiled.

"I guess everyone's opinion's different." She said honestly. Teal nodded in agreement. He began helping Ruby familiarize herself with the layout of the bay, as well as the basic rules and regulations. He also made a point to show Ruby the fireguard roster.

"Everyone has to do fireguard." He said, pointing at the list of names he was slowly adding to. "You'll be performing the 0100-0200 shift tonight with none other than the ice queen herself." He motioned to Weiss. Ruby gave a look similar to someone who had a really sour bite to eat. Teal chuckled.

After Ruby was familiarized with the area, she returned to her bunk. Weiss didn't seem keen on starting conversation, but that didn't mean there weren't others who were. A girl with orange hair and a boy with black hair, save a single pink lock, were talking nearby. Or rather, the girl was talking, and the boy was listening with mild interest.

"I can't believe we're here! Well, I can, because we are here. But still, it's so cool! Do you think we'll be on the same team? Ooh, that'd be so awesome! I mean, if we aren't on the same team, it'll be fine, but I'd rather be on a team with you!"

That was a small snippet of the girl's rant. Ruby was amazed she could breathe, let alone zip around like it was nothing. The boy looked helpless, like he had no other choice.

Time passed relatively slow. Ruby, being a tech geek, was looking at the schematics for the Emerald Forest. She was amazed by just how fast it could go when at full power, but that was barely the tip of the iceberg. The Fort Castle, for example, was the fastest ship in the entire fleet. It could cover the distance between Delta and Lambda, the two most distant colonies, at almost 169 light years, in 23 days. Actually, it'd feel like 20 days, due to time dilation, but to an outside observer, it'd take you 23 days.

Ruby was broken from her studies when she heard a familiar voice booming through the bay. The redhead turned to see a tall girl, maybe 13cm taller than herself, with long, flowing blond hair. Ruby beamed.

The blonde didn't notice Ruby, but the redhead didn't mind. She put her digi-pad away and approached the new girl. She was setting up on the bunk above Blake's. The faunus girl was busy reading a physical, paperback book, not a digital one.

The blonde noticed another presence, and knew who it was by instinct. "Ruby!" She turned around, and before the young huntress could escape, she was caught in a patented Yang Xiao Long bear hug. Ruby made a squeak, shocked by the embrace, but returning it when she could move.

"Hey sis!" Ruby said breathlessly. One gets used to not being able to breathe for a while after Yang hugs you. The blonde, Ruby's older sister, smirked, another trademark.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be sharing a bay with my baby sister!" Yang's voice boomed, proud like a parent's. Ruby smiled widely. "So, you fill everything out right this time?" A hint of a tease.

Ruby's smile downturned ever so much. "Yes!" Ruby shot back, the slightest bit of annoyance in her voice. Yang chuckled. "And that was one time!" Ruby playfully shoved the older girl.

"Geez, lighten up." Yang ruffled Ruby's hair playfully, further annoying the redhead. "So, you excited?" Yang herself sounded excited, but the squeal Ruby let loose made Yang's excitement look like boredom.

Ruby made what Yang could tell was an attempt to speak, but nothing but intelligible noise came out. The blonde smirked, slightly amused at her younger sister's over the top reaction.

"Calm down." Yang put her hands on Ruby's shoulders to steady the girl. "Just, I don't know, act normal." The blonde paused. "At least wait until we get assigned our teams before you go crazy." The redhead nodded.

"Okay." Ruby backed away a single step. "I'll let you get unpacked, then." The young huntress-to-be turned around, returning to her bunk.

Once the redhead was away, Blake finally spoke. "So, that's your younger sister?" The faunus asked. Yang turned to the onyx haired girl and nodded.

"Yep. She's trying to become a Huntress." Yang's voice was full of pride. Blake gave a respectful nod.

"She can't be older than 17..." Blake commented rhetorically, slightly impressed.

"Yep. She'll be 18 in a few months though." Yang answered, digging through her duffel for something to occupy her time. All it contained were several sets of PT uniforms, hygiene supplies, and a single digi-pad. Yang frowned. "Guess there's nothing to do…" She said offhandedly.

Blake gave a short, unnoticed scoff. "Read." She droned sarcastically. Yang gave a small laugh.

The blonde turned to the faunus and noticed the book in her hands. "Wow, haven't seen a physical book in ages." She said, trying to get a glimpse of what it was. She could make out writing, but it wasn't in a language she knew. Or rather, she could speak it. "What is that, Faun?"

Blake nodded distractedly. "Yes." Her voice was flat and uninterested. Yang nodded, trying to keep the conversation alive.

Seeing that Blake was not the most talkative guest in the bay, Yang decided to hop on her bunk and wait for night to approach.

xXxXx

The next few days were less than exciting.

Most of the time, Ruby was standing in line, waiting for an inoculation, or to be bio-scanned, or for lunch. It wasn't exactly the glamour and gallantry that she had hoped for. However, after those days were done, the recruits were asked to gather by LTC Goodwitch in the Main Area of Section 12. It was to do with the teams that recruits would be in for their entire BEACON career.

Several of the recruits were excited. Ruby was; she could barely stand still. LTC Goodwitch stood nearby, looking down at a scroll with information that couldn't be seen. After a few moments of silence, she approached.

"Alright, recruits, I'll keep this brief." She said, her voice even. "Today will be your first training mission before you become Hunters." She spoke clearly and loud enough to be heard in the back of the bay. "You will also be assigned your team today."

Several students began to murmur among themselves, everywhere from excited to anxious.

The group went silent when a man, dressed in a green uniform, approached. His insignia designated him as General (GEN), but he was much more important than that. He was the Commander of BEACON.

He was GEN Ozpin.

Ozpin looked at the recruits before him. "You will be training in an exercise designated for infantrymen." He spoke, his calm voice carrying much more than it should've. No one spoke. "While the danger you will face is simulated, you will be expected to fight as if it was real." Again, his voice was heard loud and clear.

"You will all be placed in random locations in the facility." He continued. "The first person your AURA makes contact with will be your partner through your career." Everyone paused.

Goodwitch continued the instruction. "You will head to the center of the facility. There, you will find a set of scrolls." She held hers up. "You will download the data of a single scroll into your AURA device and head to the extraction point it gives you." A pause. "You will be given weapons for this mission. Choose wisely." She stepped back.

With that, a sergeant stepped into the room and motioned for the group to head to the armory. Inside, there was a large selection of various weapons, from rifles to launchers, sidearms to shotguns, and even hybrids of different types. The first thing everyone got, however, was an AURA. AURA, or Augmented User Reconnaissance/Radar Unit, was used throughout BEACON, although only Hunters got one as a standard issue. Each recruit's AURA is unique to them, and does not work with anyone else. It acts as a small-scale radar, showing the locations of friendlies as well as enemies within a 15 meter range, as well as vital signs, ammo capacity, and even where your weapon is aiming. All in all, it was a vital piece of equipment.

After being assigned her AURA, Ruby began to look over the various weapons, cataloged by type number. All weapons have an alphanumeric designation; A-E was the pistol class, F-J were snipers, K-R was basic assault rifles, S-U contained shotguns, V-Y contained submachine guns, and Z was the launcher class. Ruby was, without a doubt, one of the most skilled markswomen in the batch of recruits, and she preferred snipers. However, she also liked mobility and quick, medium range weaponry.

After scanning every weapon in the armory, Ruby found her choice; the FM261, a hybrid sniper/assault rifle, good at both medium and long-range combat. Satisfied with her choice, Ruby exited the armory and headed to the hangar, where the group was gathering.

Once everyone had a weapon and their AURA, Ozpin flagged over a Bullhead-class transport. "This Bullhead will transport you to Training Platform 2, where your test will be administered." His voice, as usual, was calm. He then motioned for the group to enter the transport.

It was cramped with the almost 50 recruits, but the flight over was, thankfully, short. There was no window, so Ruby couldn't see outside. Not that there'd be anything to see; she was stuck in the middle of the ship.

Upon landing, several Infantrymen were waiting for the recruits. As the group spilled out of the Bullhead, the highest ranked Infantryman, a First Sergeant, stepped forward. "Listen up, recruits." He said, his voice somehow able to shake the very ground. "You will be participating in a training exercise to determine whether or not you can make it as a member of BEACON." his voice was clear and sharp.

"You will step forward and enter this pod." He motioned to a pod to his left. "It will take you to your starting location." He turned to the group. "Until you make contact with your teammate, your AURA will not detect friendly targets as friendly." He paused.

When it was clear he wasn't going to continue, the first recruits stepped forward. Ruby was in line behind Yang, barely able to contain her excitement. Yang, on the other hand, was the same cool, even tone she had been her whole life. The blonde had chosen three shoguns; one larger, primary shogun on her back and two, short-barreled guns as her sidearm. "You ready?" Ruby asked.

Yang smirked widely, her AURA already personalized with a dark visor. "Of course." Though Ruby couldn't see Yang's eyes, she could see the concern on her face. "Are you?" The concern was evident in her voice.

Ruby nodded; they were nearing the pod. "I'm always ready." She said smugly. Yang chuckled.

The pair reached the pod. Yang went first, stepping inside. She gave Ruby one last wave before the pod shot downward, zooming to its exit point.

Ruby waited until a soldier gave her a motion to approach. Another pod rose from the ground. Ruby's heart was beating like a drum. "The pod doesn't have a momentum reducer." One soldier warned. "Stay relaxed, and don't try to fight unconsciousness. We'll pump the pod with a waking agent before we start the program." He sounded calm, though Ruby started to get nervous. She nodded, stepping inside.

The last thing Ruby saw was the group of recruits shoot up at ridiculous speeds before darkness overtook her.

So, there we have it. Let me know what you think of it so far.