RWBY: A Time of War

Chapter Three: Destruction on Blackgate

8-June-3030

Periphery

Blackgate

Ruby's Rangers

18:12 Zulu

The gate to the depot was just as rusted, pitted, ill maintained as the walls. If the pirates had hoped that it would have been enough to buy them a few extra seconds to get to what vehicles remained operational, they were to be sadly disappointed.

A blast from Myrtenaster's PPC and Crescent Rose's large laser turned the centuries-old barricade into molten slag, as the two 'Mechs stomped into the depot.

Ruby swung her large laser around, targeting the fuel lines and fired. Flames leapt up and the fuel tanks exploded into great pillars of fire. Small arms fire sparked off her armour as the pirates scattered, trying to defend themselves as the two MechWarriors set about reducing the depot to smouldering rubble.

"Weiss, Ruby." Ruby called as she saw a Galleon powering up and rolling into a firing position. "Galleon on your left."

"Roger, I see him." Weiss replied, almost bored, as Myrtenaster strode over and stomped the light reconnaissance tank flat beneath the fifty-five tons of her 'Mech.

A shot from her PPC melted blast doors to what looked like an ammunition dump. A second later, twin beams from her medium lasers lashed out, carving through the weakened armour and igniting the ammunition.

The ground shook as the bunker exploded in a massive fireball.

That broke what remained of the pirates, as what was left of them fled on foot out into the wastes of the dead planet.

"Ruby, Weiss. I think we're almost done here." Weiss said, as Ruby charged Crescent Rose into the maintenance bays, as she tore down the cranes and kicked over the hydraulic lifters. Smashing them into unrecoverable bits of twisted metal and leaking fluids.

"Roger, I think so too." Ruby concealed her disappointment. She had hoped there would have been a bit more than just a few odd tanks and a dilapidated Phoenix Hawk. But hey, job is a job and not all of them could be glorious and daring.

"Ranger Two, Ranger One. We're finished here and moving to Milk." Ruby reported almost dejectedly as she kicked over what looked like an unassembled Skulker.

"We're going to be stuck here for a bit," Yang replied as there was another deep thwump of an explosion. "They're dug in a bit deeper than we expected."

"Need assistance?" Ruby asked, as she moved to cover Weiss. The abandoned city that marked the boundary of their evac point, not more than a kilometre away.

Its rusted out towers, broken streets, the decaying vision of what humanity had achieved in the Golden Age of Star League.

"Nah, give us five, ten minutes tops." Yang replied, "Blakey watch your three o'clock..."

Yang cut the link.

"Ruby, Weiss. I'm picking up more signatures. Looks like we got company coming in from the North.." Weiss reported evenly.

"Roger... I'm getting them now." Ruby scanned her sensor display, before peering out into the darkening horizon of the dead world. "Looks like two... three tanks and another 'Mech. Maybe a Hornet?"

"Roger," Weiss didn't question Ruby's assertion. "Plan?"

Ruby hesitated for several seconds, watching the pirate vehicles and 'Mech as they rumbled towards them.