Hello, everyone! Happy New Year! So, like I had said before, updates to this story were going to be fairly slow coming, and with finals, Christmas shopping, and finishing a couple other fanfics, I didn't get to work on this as much as I had hoped. But I'm back with a brand new chapter! A few notes: If you have read Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, you might recognize that I pretty much rewrote a chapter from that here. I do apologize if you are mad about that, but it was just the way it flowed for me. Also, a few questions came up on what type of colony Remnant was. For now, Remnant is an Inner Colony, and is sort of a hybrid between Reach and Onyx from the Halo Universe. I have no idea on what to name any of the cities on Remnant yet, but I will gladly take suggestions. That being said, I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Hopefully the lull in between chapters is not too long!

CHAPTER TWO

1700 Hours, December 12, 2527

Onboard Albatross dropship, on descent to Beacon Military Academy,

On surface of UNSC Colony World Remnant

Ruby looked out of the window port of the dropship as it shot towards the surface of the planet. The heat of reentry caused yellow flames to lick the side of the craft.

Ruby sighed. She was feeling a mix of emotions. Curiosity, anger, fear, and nervousness roiled inside her as the dropship shook from turbulence. After two days of physical exams, written tests, and health screenings, Ruby and Yang were finally en route to their new…well, school was a loose term.

My new life begins today, Ruby thought to herself, as the turbulence passed and the dropship entered the atmosphere. Today I begin my training.

Ruby felt a nudge on her shoulder. She looked to see Yang smiling back. "Everything okay?" she asked.

Ruby returned the smile. "Yeah, just nervous, that's all. I wonder what training will be like. Do you think it will be anything the combat classes we took at Signal?"

Yang shrugged. "It will probably be more advanced. Remember what the colonel said. This won't be easy for us, but if we work hard, we can achieve anything." Yang squeezed Ruby's shoulder. "Besides, it's not like we're the only ones here."

Yang had a point. The dropship was packed with kids, all around the same age. Ruby did not recognize anyone else from Signal.

The door to the cockpit opened and a grizzled sergeant stepped into the troop bay. "We're preparing to land," he said. "Stay in you seats with your harnesses fastened until the back hatch drops. Then, make your way onto the parade grounds in an orderly fashion."

Ruby looked out of the window port one last time to see other dropships descending towards the military complex now visible below. It had a similar layout to Signal: squat barracks, a towering air control building, firing ranges and obstacle the dropship sank and touched down on the landing pads at the edge of the grassy parade grounds.

With the hiss of hydraulics, the rear hatch opened and a ramp extended. Ruby, Yang, and almost 30 other children thundered down the ramp and onto the grass field.

Ruby could see more children streaming from the other dropships, which had all landed on the edge of the parade grounds. They were all around her age, a mix of both boys and girls. Ruby didn't see anyone that she recognized, not that she expected to.

The sun was setting, mixing ruddy orange light with the artificial white of the base's bright stadium lighting.

Ruby was caught up in observing her surroundings that she didn't notice there was someone in front of her until she crashed into her. The two girls tumbled to the grass.

"Hey! Watch it, you dolt!"

Ruby picked herself up of the ground. She looked down to see the girl she had collided with. She had long white hair formed into a ponytail. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Ruby squeaked, as she extended her hand to help the girl up.

The girl batted Ruby's hand away and pulled herself up off the ground. She brushed herself off and gave Ruby an icy stare. "Just watch where you're going next time, dunce!" she replied. She turned on her heels and stalked off.

Yang stepped forward as Ruby watched the girl walk way. "Yeesh, that girl's got an attitude."

Ruby was about to reply, but the sound of a throat clearing sounded over the PA speakers.

Ruby, Yang and over 300 other children focused their attention on the stage set at one end of the grassy field. Two figures stood there: a man and a woman. The man spoke into a microphone.

"Hello there. We have all met before, but allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Colonel Ozpin, and this is Major Goodwitch." He gestured towards the Major before resuming his open remarks. "I understand that most of you are still confused, frightened, or angry about the reason you were selected to join this new program. The truth is, you all share one common point: you all wish to strike back at the ones who have destroyed your lives. Many of you have lost their families to the Covenant's attacks on Atlas, Vacuo, Mountain Glenn, and Patch. The Covenant had made orphans of you all."

Ruby's eyes watered with tears as she bristled at the colonel's casual mention of Patch's destruction. She forced the tears away as she continued to listen.

"Our goal with this program is to transform you all into the pinnacle of military prowess. We wish to recreate you into a razor-edged weapon. You will become the best that we can make you. You will become the protectors of Earth and all her colonies."

A murmur of excitement reverberated throughout the crowd.

Colonel Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing. "However, our resources for this program are limited. As such we only have 100 slots available for training. Seeing as there is over 300 of you, we have come up with a way to select those who truly wish to become a SPARTAN."

Ruby tensed. Another test? What if I fail? What if I miss the cut?

The colonel turned to Major Goodwitch and whispered something to her. The Major stiffened, but slowly nodded. She stepped to the microphone. "All right, I want all of you to return to the dropships that you rode in on the trip here."

A wave of confusion rippled throughout the crowd. Ruby looked back at Yang, who shrugged her shoulders.

Goodwitch sighed. "Well, it looks like we have some washouts. Am I to understand that NONE of you wish to be SPARTANS?"

A chorus of "no's" echoed amongst the children. The Major glared at the crowd. "Then I gave you all an order! Board the dropships! Double time!"

Ruby jolted as if she had been shocked. She and everyone else scampered back towards the ships.

"Drill instructors!" the Major shouted. A dozen men in fatigues snapped to attention.

"You will find Nevermore Air Wing drop packs aboard your designated dropships. Get aboard and make the children ready for airdrop. Their safe deployment is now your responsibility."

The DIs rushed to their ships.

The Major turned to Colonel Ozpin. "You're going to make them jump? At night?"

Colonel Ozpin nodded. "The Nevermore units are the safest drop packs. If they can accomplish a night jump at their age, then the can handle anything we can throw at them."

At least, I hope, the colonel thought to himself.

Ruby was not ashamed to admit it. She was terrified.

The dropship had reached a high enough altitude for a "safe" drop, at least that's what the drill instructor had said as he opened the rear hatch. A hurricane of air roared outside, chilling the interior of the troop bay.

Ruby looked around. At least she didn't appear to be the only one that was afraid. 30 kids were all in varying degrees of fear. Even the white haired girl from earlier had a look of terror on her face.

Ruby looked at Yang, who was strapped in next to her. Yang gave her sister a reassuring thumbs up. But Ruby could see the worry even in her eyes.

"Check your straps!" the DI yelled over the roaring air. Ruby pulled at the straps of the air foil that she was given. It sat snug around her shoulders.

A buzzer sounded and everybody's harnesses were released. The DI moved to the rear hatch.

"All right, listen up! You will all line up here," he nudged a line of tape on the deck with his boot, "and when I give the signal, you jump! Once you are in the air, count to ten, then pull this cord." He mimed pulling the red handle of the air foil. "Once your canopy has been deployed, make your way down back to the grass field. You will have straps to steer with. The left one will turn you left. The right one will turn you right. Any questions, speak up now!"

No one said anything.

"All right! Who is first?"

"Oh, ME! ME ME ME!" A girl with orange hair and blue eyes shot her hand up.

The DI nodded. "Good girl. Up you go."

The girl stepped up to the line and waited for the DI to give her the signal. As soon as she heard "GO!" she jumped off the ramp with a roaring "WHOOO!" The wind ripped her away from the dropship.

"Next!" the DI screamed.

A line formed. Ruby found herself in the middle of the pack, with Yang in front of her. The next couple of kids jumped without incident. Then a wiry boy stepped up to the line. He peeked over the edge, then stumbled back in terror. "NO! NO I CAN'T!" he wailed as he crab walked backwards.

"NEXT!" the DI roared, ignoring the boy.

More kids jumped. A few more washed out, cowering away in the rear of the troop bay. Then it was Yang's turn.

She stepped up, turned to give her sister a reassuring wink, and jumped off screaming.

Ruby was next.

She tiptoed to the line and peered over the lip of the hatch. Nothing but black greeted her.

I can't do this, Ruby thought as a twinge of panic coursed through her. This is crazy-

"Hey, quit stalling, you dolt!" a familiar voice sounded behind her. Ruby turned to find the white-haired girl from earlier staring back at her.

Ruby growled and turned back to the hatch. Just do it, she thought. Just step forward and-

"JUMP ALREADY, YOU DUNCE!" the girl screeched, as she shoved Ruby off the ship.

Ruby Rose screamed until the air ran out of her lungs. She spun as she fell, the twilight sky blending into a blur of purple.

She shook her head and tried to regain her composure. She spread her arms and controlled her spin.

Pull the cord.

The handle! She had to pull it! Ruby groped on her chest, trying to locate the red handle. Her fingers found purchase, and she yanked as hard as she could. She felt the air foil explode out of her pack, and her harness experienced a bone-jarring yank as the black canopy unfurled and caught the air, forcibly slowing her descent.

She felt the steering loops in her hands, and discovered how to work them quickly enough. She looked down. She was still very high up, but could make out a green patch on the surface: the parade grounds.

Ruby controlled her breathing. She mentally kicked herself for being so terrified. I have to be stronger, she thought, as the field loomed closer. Maybe if I felt that I am already dead, maybe then I would have nothing to fear.

Ruby pulled the loops to quicken her descent. She wanted to be the first one down. She wanted to land right in front of the colonel, to show him how unafraid she was.

A gust of wind made her canopy rise a bit, causing her to overshoot the stage. Ruby braced her knees as she landed on the hard ground, practically running along the earth until her canopy tangled on a fence.

Ruby unbuckled her harness and shakily stepped forward. She felt a liquid sensation trickle down her leg. Was I really so scared that I pissed myself? She reached her hand back and rubbed her legs. It came back red with her blood. The rushing air had chaffed her skin raw.

She laughed. Blood or piss, what did it matter? She made it.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

Ruby turned and found that the white-haired girl had landed in her tangled chute a few yards away. Ruby stalked over to her.

The girl finished untangling herself from her canopy and stood up, brushing herself off. She held out her hand in apology. "Sorry for-"

Ruby didn't let her finish. She launched a punch straight into the girl's left eye, knocking her flat onto her back.

Ruby was furious. When this girl called her names and treated her like garbage, that she could handle. But this time she literally pushed her out of the dropship. She could have killed her! For that, Ruby thought, she would pay dearly.

Ruby moved in to continue to attack the girl, but she lashed out with a kick to Ruby's chest, sending her stumbling back. The girl got up and leapt onto Ruby, pulling hair and landing punches wherever she could. Ruby fought back just as hard.

The crack of a gunshot caused both girls to freeze. They both turned to see Major Goodwitch and Colonel Ozpin looking down on them. The Major held a smoking pistol.

"That will be quite enough." She said, holstering her pistol. She scrutinized the two girls. "You two like to fight, eh? I think you two would benefit from being paired together." The Major consulted her data pad, bringing up the two candidates' information. "From here on out, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, you two will be partners. Now shake hands, that that is an order."

Ruby and Weiss glared at each other, but did as the Major ordered. Ruby stared at Weiss' face. Her punch had opened a large gash above the white-haired girl's eye. It wept blood down the side of her face.

The major nodded, satisfied. "Now, let's get you two to the medical tent. Follow us, please."

As the two girls followed, the Major leaned over to Colonel Ozpin and whispered, "That much fight left in in them after their first jump? A night jump? Lord, I only hope the rest of them are like this."