How did Jaune end up in space? Well, it's a long story.
- - -
It all began with a deceptively simple proposition. Jaune Arc, just turned sixteen, burning with the desire to become a Huntsman, approached his eccentric Aunt Obertha.
"You want me to unlock your Aura so you can become a Huntsman, Jaune?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Yes, Auntie!" Jaune replied, his enthusiasm undimmed.
"I'll do it! If you help me out!" Obertha declared.
"Okay! What's the worst that could happen?" Jaune said.
Oh, the foolishness of youth.
A year later, seventeen year old Jaune found himself strapped into a spacesuit, lying on his back in a capsule named Juniper, perched atop a rocket stack on Sanus's north shore at Denzel Base. Obertha had secured funding for her audacious space program, with Nana Arturia's aid, and somehow persuaded Jaune's mother, Isabel, to support it. The control crew, housed in a distant building far from the launch pad extending into the sea, buzzed with anticipation.
Obertha's laughter erupted, wild and manic, over the radio. "They called me mad! THEY ALL CALLED ME MAD! But who's mad now?! WHO IS MAD NOW?! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Jaune pressed the communication button. "Auntie Obertha, was the skintight suit really necessary?"
"Of course!" Obertha's voice crackled back. "For the last time, we have to save every bit of weight we can!"
Since his sixteenth birthday, Jaune's life had been a grueling gauntlet: orbital calculations in his head, spacecraft repair training, working his body out into a precision machine, and endless hours in a centrifuge. All of this to pilot Juniper, his spaceship. A name he'd chosen for reasons that felt right.
Isabel's voice grumbled over the radio, "I still can't believe you talked him into this. Or me."
How Obertha convinced his mother remained a mystery to Jaune. She should have been willing to tear him out of the rocket! But he supposed the fact it wouldn't be Hunting Grimm convinced her. Being on top of a giant bomb that flew into space was somehow safer in her eyes.
He would never understand women.
"Now, now!" Obertha countered. "Jaune is going to be the first man in space! That's better than a doctor any day! Well, first Remnant man!"
And… Hey… He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to be.
Damn his love of adventure.
"All right," Obertha continued. "Hopefully, this goes better than the last three times." The flight had been postponed thrice—high winds, a faulty pump, an electrical issue—leaving Jaune frustrated but resolute.
"Juniper? This is Denzel Station. We are beginning final preparations," Obertha announced. "We show all systems green, what about you?"
Jaune checked his console. "Denzel Base, everything's green on my end, and because I know Professor Houston is going to ask, yes, the camera is rolling."
Obertha ran through final checks. "Capcom?"
"Go!"
"Weather!"
"Go!"
"Flight Surgeon!"
Isabel's voice: "Go!"
All systems cleared, one after another. Obertha's voice came over the radio.
"All right... final countdown. Ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."
The rocket trembled beneath Jaune, power surging. Despite the grueling training—the pain, suffering, and humiliation of being scanned nude for his suit-twice!-excitement coursed through him.
"Three... two... one... ZERO!"
Juniper roared skyward, pressing Jaune back with six gees. His Aura cushioned the strain, but the intensity was staggering. The rocket shook, pogoing violently even as it climbed for the sky above.
Obertha's voice cut in: "Juniper, we have a pogoing rocket. Looks like it's Engine five! We think it will even out as you ascend! Abort or not?"
Jaune took a deep breath. "Negative, Denzel. I think the world's waited long enough for this one. Let's see if the ol' girl can make it." He gripped his controls and muttered a prayer as Obertha chirped over the radio.
"Come on, Juniper, let's show these folks what you can do!"
He managed to silence the alarm as they soared higher. Through the porthole, he saw the vast expanse of the ocean between Vale and Mistral, and clouds pass by.
"First stage separation... 3... 2... 1!" Obertha called.
The first stage detached with a jolt, the second stage igniting smoothly. Higher they climbed, Remnant's blue-and-white curve slowly appearing through the porthole.
"Second stage separation! 3! 2! 1!"
The second stage fell away, leaving the command capsule. The escape tower jettisoned, and a Pumpkin Pete plushy tied by a cord floated up, signaling weightlessness. Jaune's stomach lurched, but the sight of Remnant below captivated him.
"Juniper? This is Denzel. Do you read?" Obertha's voice crackled.
"Hey, Denzel, I hope you're getting this 'cause let me tell ya, the view ain't nothing like you've ever seen before!" Jaune said, awestruck. Cheers erupted over the radio.
"Congratulations, Juniper! You're in orbit! First in space! Well, first Valean in space! SUCK IT, ATLAS!" Obertha shouted, then added, "Oh, um, edit that out of the official log."
"No, no, keep it in," Jaune laughed. "With how much they've been hassling you, I'd say they've earned that!"
"Well, they are providing a ship to relay our communications, so let's be polite," Obertha said. "Now, get your checklist. We have experiments to do!"
Jaune's gaze drifted to the porthole. Remnant's glory unfolded below—lands, oceans, forests, deserts. It was overwhelming, but the long hours of training pushed Jaune into action. He ran down the checklist: The cameras were all going, recording everything. Thermal sensors were mapping out the heat signatures below, as a dozen other sensors recorded everything they could.
One of which failed with an audible beep.
"Oh no, it's the cosmic ray detector!" Obertha reported. "It's not deploying." A grinding sound confirmed it was stuck.
Jaune unbuckled himself. "Don't worry, Denzel, I got it. I'll shut off its deployment features so it doesn't break."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Isabel interjected. "We didn't agree to an EVA on the first flight!"
"We have more than enough oxygen," Obertha countered. "Jaune, plug in and lock yourself with the tether."
"I still say we can wait," Isabel protested.
"Jaune, do you think you can handle this?" Obertha asked.
Trained relentlessly, Jaune psyched himself up. "Denzel, we didn't come all the way here to do a half-assed job. I say we try it. Besides, I can't ride my noble steed only from the inside, right?"
Isabel sighed. "...Fine."
Jaune depressurized the cabin, secured his toolkit, and tethered himself. Opening the hatch, he stood, gazing at billions of stars in the Milky Way, the broken moon half-illuminated, a pink glow over Remnant's atmosphere. Silence enveloped him, only his breathing audible.
The majesty of creation recalled childhood stargazing, sparking a thought: If I'm looking up at this, is someone looking back at me?
He reached out, and closed his fist, almost imagining he was touching the stars beyond him. It was strange yet exhilarating.
"Juniper? Everything all right?" Obertha called, startling the astronaut. "You're just staring into space."
"Just fine, Denzel," Jaune managed.
Crawling across the service module, Jaune found the cosmic ray detector's arm jammed by a servo. "Denzel, I've found our problem—one of the servos is jammed. Proceeding to unjam it."
"Proceed," Obertha replied.
Working, Jaune spotted a black mark near the engine bell—a hole. His stomach lurched, but he kept calm. "Uh, Denzel, are you getting this?" He asked, adjusting the camera on the side of his helmet.
"We are, Juniper. Check it out," Obertha instructed.
Jaune checked inside, activating the lights on his helmet.
"Look like one of the gas bottles for the reaction control system burst," Jaune said, looking over the interior. Indeed, the gas bottle had an outwardly projecting hole. "I think it's just this one."
"No alarms went off... Can you see if anything else has been damaged?" Obertha asked.
Jaune inspected the tubes and wires, noting the damage carefully. Some bits of debris came loose when he fiddled with one of the cables. They floated out into space. He breathed deeply to calm himself.
"Okay, based on where I found the breach, any internal marks of damage should be right around... here!"
He pulled the cables apart, just enough for his camera and light to peek inside. Some of the piping looked scorched.
"Yes, we agree," Obertha replied. "Juniper, I don't think we can risk firing up the main engine."
Jaune felt his breath freeze in his lungs and pool in his lower stomach. He took a few breaths before he responded.
"...Denzel Base, just to clarify, you want me to not turn on the engine I need to get home, correct?" Jaune asked, snark creeping in.
"Don't worry! We have a plan," Obertha assured. "We will send you the new program. In the next hour, you'll burn off momentum by skipping across the atmosphere, like a stone across a pond. The heat shield is double-thick, but without the engine, we can't control where you'll land. Chances are you'll hit water!"
"T-that soon..." Jaune glanced at the cosmos. "B-but the cosmic ray detector hasn't even been up that long?"
"We don't know what else might be damaged," Obertha insisted. "And the alternative is risking the main engine, which might blow you up," she added.
Jaune twitched.
"Besides! The service module will work remotely! It's still mission accomplished! We're just bringing you back sooner than anticipated."
Jaune took a few more calming breaths, and then sighed.
"Well, it's better than plan D, I guess." He made his way back into the capsule, shut the hatch, strapped himself in, refilled the cabin with air, and began to input the commands for reentry.
Obertha rattled off instructions, calm as always.
"All right Juniper: Ready to come home?"
"Yeah... but let me say one last thing, would that be okay?" Jaune asked.
"Of course," Obertha replied. "But the sooner we get you out, the less likely you'll burn up."
Wincing at her bluntness, Jaune hit the radio to broadcast on all channels, and spoke: "People of Remnant, I'm the first man in space, seeing the stars like this. The beauty of our world, the universe... I hope my step is the first into a new ocean. Our ancestors explored Remnant boldly. I hope we unite to explore this ocean in peace. From orbit, I see only beauty, not borders or violence. I hope others see it as I do and take further steps. It is my hope that-that even if I do not return, you will still boldly go where no one has gone before, out into the infinite possibilities of this new horizon. To my family and friends? I love you. That's all."
He shut off the all broadcast, taking a few calming breaths. He heard the voices of his parents over the radio.
"You'll be all right, sweetie," Isabel said. "I know you will."
"Whatever happens, we're proud of you, son," Nick added.
Jaune detached the capsule, maneuvering the thrusters to align the heat shield.
"Full burn in five... four... three... two... one! MARK!" Obertha called.
The capsule shuddered as thrusters fired, plunging toward the atmosphere.
"Don't worry, Jaune, Remnant is 70% water, how hard could it be to hit the ocean?" he muttered. The atmosphere struck like a divine fist, flames roaring outside, the capsule shaking. Radio silence left him alone, following the program's timing.
Juniper skipped across the atmosphere, Jaune hitting thrusters at each countdown point. The ship rattled and shook violently, servos squealing loudly around him. He winced.
"Thank Aslan, we didn't go with plan D!" he exclaimed. After a violent passage, parachutes deployed, jerking the capsule. Night enveloped him, the view outside the porthole offering no clues.
A splash signaled he'd hit water, followed by a brutal impact against solid ground… But the ship held together. He took deep breaths, and carefully looked outside the porthole. Thanks to the lights on the capsule, he could just make out water around him: Very shallow water, with a muddy shoreline and some trees beyond. Again, Jaune said a silent prayer.
"Holy shit, I'm right on a shoreline... one degree off, and I'd have been crushed..." Jaune shivered, "Let's hope there's reception to inform Denzel of my... mostly safe return, hehe. Juniper to Denzel? Juniper to Denzel base?" Static was all that replied. He groaned: The radio must have been damaged in the impact.
Jaune emerged onto a sandy, muddy shore under the stars, illuminated by the lights of the capsule. He scanned around, and stopped short when he saw movement. Two figures approached: a stunning blonde with lilac eyes, wild hair, and biker clothing aiming a gauntlet, shielding a shorter girl with black-and-red hair, in black with a red scarf, pointing a sniper rifle.
"Are... are you from outer space?!" the blonde called out.
"Do you come in peace?!" the goth girl demanded.
"Yes, and yes," Jaune replied. But before he could say anything else, a blow to his head sent him slamming into the mud. "URK!"
"NO SPACE CASANOVA IS IMPREGNATING MY GIRLS!" A man bellowed.
"Dad! What the hell?!" the blonde shouted.
"He said he comes in peace! You can't just knock out an alien!" The goth girl yelled.
"I just did!" The man snapped, pointing the shovel at Jaune as he slowly looked up at them. Everything looked fuzzy. "He's some slick space pretty-boy trying to charm my daughters! I know his type!"
"I'm… not… a Casanova… Or an alien…" He mumbled, his blue eyes now dazed and slightly cross-eyed, "I'm… Jaune Arc… Aunt Obertha… launched me… Into space… And I missed my landing point…"
Which is when everything went black.
- - -
He awoke in a plain bedroom in what looked like a wooden cabin, naked under covers, and with one hell of a headache. The blonde watched over him, smiling, as she leaned over the bed.
"Hey, Prince of Space. How are you feeling?" She asked with a wink.
Jaune blushed bright red, and self consciously pulled the covers up a bit more.
"My head hurts a bit, but I'm fine..." His stomach growled. "Okay, maybe hungry."
"You can eat eggs, right, Spaceman? Or prefer Rocketboy?" she teased, turning around and bending over (Jaune's heartrate went WAY up at that), before turning back with a tray full of eggs, bacon, and toast.
"Um, it's Jaune. Jaune Arc," Jaune smiled bashfully. He accepted the fork and knife and dug in hungrily.
"T-thank you, um... I just realized I don't know your name. We skipped that step."
"Yang Xiao-Long. My dad, Taiyang, knocked you out. We—he thought you were an alien," Yang said, giggling. "You're lucky you're the first guy in space. Otherwise, you'd be a total dork."
Jaune blushed, pouting. "I think my dorkiness adds to my charm."
"Yeah, it does," Yang admitted. "So, you got shoved into a rocket? How'd that happen?"
Jaune scratched his neck. "I wanted to be a Huntsman, but my parents wouldn't train me. Mom pushed medical school..." He frowned. "I begged, tried outside teachers, prep schools, practicing alone—nothing worked. I thought I was stuck. Then my aunt, head of the Denzel Space Base, needed a test pilot. I'd heard about past space failures, but I thought, 'She needs a pilot, I need Huntsman training—let's bridge it.' I offered to pilot for Aura unlocking and training. Next, I'm in hellish training for this flight. After delays... Well, you saw. I made it."
He grinned. Yang beamed and tilted her head.
"You did... So, you gonna keep being an astronaut?" Yang asked.
Jaune shrugged. "The goal was Huntsman. I'd pilot again if needed, but I want others to see that view. One mission I'd sign up for in a heartbeat, though."
"What's that?" Yang asked.
"The moon," Jaune grinned, as if it wasn't insane.
Yang stared. "The moon."
"THE MOON?!" Ruby burst in, petals swirling. "REALLY?!"
"Yup," Jaune said. "This was a test flight. Future ones scale up, like learning to swim—start shallow, then deep. It'll take time, tech upgrades, but it'll happen in our lifetimes."
"Wow! The tech's cool, but your radio failed!" Ruby held up the broken module. "Solder broke loose and fried it."
"Expected," Jaune nodded. "Juniper's tech is prototype, no Dust."
"No Dust?!" Ruby exclaimed. "It doesn't work past the atmosphere! What was space like?!"
Jaune grinned giddily. "Like nothing you've seen. Weightless, yet heavy. No sound—just my breathing or Denzel's relays. Liquids float; you'd slurp them mid-air. Solid food's risky—crumbs could gunk machinery, so they're researching freeze-drying. The view... Remnant from above made everything small. The cosmos—stars, worlds—made me smaller. I wondered if they looked at me as I did them. It was... out of this world!" He chuckled.
Yang giggled. "You were starry-eyed?"
Ruby groaned. "You're both terrible! But amazing!"
"Are you hiring astronauts?" Ruby asked. "I want to be a Huntress like my mom, but..."
"I'd put in a word, but I need your name," Jaune said.
"Ruby Rose! And I'm single!" Ruby declared.
Yang elbowed her. "And 15."
"OW!" Ruby yelped.
Jaune blushed. "I'm 17 and single, so you can be an astronaut," he said quickly.
Yang smirked. "Could an astronaut use a hot, amazing girlfriend?"
"YANG!" Ruby protested.
"Well, yeah, but where'd I find a girl like that?" Jaune said. "It's not like someone as gorgeous and funny as you wants me-we just met." He gestured to Ruby. "Same for someone as adorable as your sister. I'd love one, but it's not in the cards."
Yang grinned. "How about I put you in a headlock until you decide?"
"YANG!" Ruby cried.
Jaune's blush deepened. "It'd be rude to say no, but what's this got to do with a girlfriend?" Seeing Yang's predatory look, he gulped. "...I said that out loud, didn't I?"
"Eeyup," Yang confirmed.
"Yaaaaang!" Ruby groaned.
"Okay!" Jaune clapped his hands. "That's enough... Can you explain where my clothes are so I can change and stretch? My Aura's handling the head pain, but I might need someone nearby if I fall or pass out."
"Wellll..." Yang began with a little grin. "I might give you a hint… If you give me a peek~..."
Jaune gulped as Yang leaned in close.
"Ah… Um…"
"What? I'll make it fair~," she murmured.
"AHEM," Taiyang interrupted as he entered, his face stern.
"Oh... hey, Dad!" Yang said, pulling back abruptly.
"Hey, Dad!" Ruby echoed. "Yang's sexually harassing Jaune!"
"I AM NOT!" Yang protested.
"Out, you two!" Taiyang ordered.
Yang pouted. "Fine... see you later, Jaune~." She kissed his cheek before she strutted out, swinging her hips.
"AH! YANG!" Ruby cried, then sneaked a kiss on his other cheek before fleeing after her.
Taiyang sighed.
"Sorry. First time meeting an astronaut... who's their childhood friend."
Jaune touched his cheeks in shock. "We knew each other?!"
"Yup. Lucky, huh?" Taiyang chuckled, showing a photo of young Jaune, Yang, baby Ruby, Summer, Taiyang, and Jaune's parents on his Scroll.
Jaune smiled. "What are the odds I land near family?"
"You're lucky, kid," Taiyang said, clapping his shoulder. "Sorry for knocking you out."
"Nah, I get it. Mom'll let you off with a minor beating," Jaune teased.
Taiyang laughed. "So she's mellowed out."
The door burst open, feet pounding. Isabel stormed in, her eyes glowing brightly. "WHERE'S MY BABY?!"
Jaune waved. "Hi, Mom! Uncle Tai was apologizing for knocking me out!"
"YOU WHAT?!" Isabel roared.
"Ummmm-" Taiyang began, but Isabel threw him out the window, and hugged Jaune tightly.
"URK! Um, good to see you too, Mom," Jaune said, eyes wide. Though not too wide, he knew how strong his mother was.
Her grip tightened, stifling his breath. "Mom, too tight!" he gasped.
"AH! Sorry!" Isabel released him. "I was terrified!"
"Now, Izzy," Nick said, entering. "He's a hero! Let him enjoy it without mothering him to death."
"How's going into space heroic?" Jaune coughed. "Anyone could've done it."
"Son," Nick said, "you got into a tin can on a bomb, built by Obertha, and went where there's no air beyond the reach of mortal men and faunus. You're crazy or a hero. To me, both!" He gave a thumbs-up.
Jaune scratched his head bashfully. "Maybe, but it's not a big deal. In a week, people'll forget."
Isabel pointed out the window. Jaune, wrapping a bedsheet around his waist, peeked out. In addition to the put-out Taiyang, brushing off his clothes, a very large crowd of reporters and onlookers awaited him.
They all began to cheer and scream, "JAUNE! JAUNE! JAUNE!"
Aunt Obertha was grinning in front of them. She pointed her finger at him.
"THAT'S HIM! I SHOT HIM INTO SPACE! HE'S MY GUINEA PIG! ALSO NEPHEW! BASK IN MY GENIUS! WAVE, JAUNE!"
Blushing, Jaune obeyed and slowly waved his hand. However, this led to him accidentally dropping the sheet, exposing himself. He ducked with a yelp at all the cheers and hooting, and looked frantically over at his parents.
"...They're not airing that footage, right?!"
He heard Yang and Ruby squeal behind the door.
Isabel facepalmed. Nick grinned.
"THAT'S MY BOY!"
Fireworks from the city's New Year celebration burst faintly in the distance, reflecting off the Bullhead's windows.
Here's to another year of great stories, prompts, and whatnot.
