Rise of the Polygems IC

[daxtinator396]

Dax yawns as she lays against him, their warmth cocooned in with them by the sheet,"Sweet dreams milady..." Her eyes close and so do his as he views her smile one last time before sleep overtakes him.

[MiscChaos]

Derek is more than a bit stunned for a few seconds as he digests that this whole thing has been a set up. So much so he almost misses her confession, which adds another layer of brain freeze to him. The kiss kinda gets things moving again though and he finally starts to process everything that's happened. After her second kiss, he only has one thing to say to her.

"That was all kinds of messed up." he says around a smile. Now that he knows his conscience won't hit him like a nuke, he can admit to himself that the whole thing would've been amusing if he was in Jill's shoes. "I was tired until you shocked me awake. But still, why me? I mean, Greg did a lot more for you and you know him a lot better. I'm almost a stranger to ya." he asks the last part pretty seriously. After all, matters of the heart are not something to be trifled with.

[Icaelus]

Luna breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Looks like she wouldn't be getting them killed this time. She wiped a trace of sweat from her forehead as Hubey explained more on her duty. Just scout the screens and stuff. Simple enough.
"Lucky for us then, Major.
Her cool, gray irises scanned the screen's diagnostic. Hey, she did display some talent for this tech stuff, even though she did fail hard and crash and burn at the practicals.
"I wonder..how much can the E-Guard take? If I'm not wrong, it only protects the mech from energy-based weapons.
Luna considered the ballistic shells with a sudden realization. Not much doubt they were probably to take down a mech with the E-Guard as well..
Hubey spoke, and she glanced up from the screen to him.
"No, that's okay. Intel support and scouting was always a job for Recon or something, but that's not to say I don't do it well. Besides, I think we've delayed long enough, haven't we?
She seated herself and adjusted it slightly to compensate for her slightly vertically-challenged condition, making sure she could get a full view of the screen.
Oh, and if you don't want to die in your bed, never call her short.

[Lady Foxy]

Jenna's had been staring right into Greg's for about five minutes before she looked away; blinking several times while breathing deeply. It was all too complex for her, since she hadn't experienced none of the 'love' feeling before, but if she did; then her father had something to do with it to remove it. She frowned for no apparent reason, as if she were remembering unwanted memories; but the reason her arms were wrapping themselves around Greg were different.

''~My heart tells me to say.. ~Surprise!'' Jenna whispered softly before giving Greg a peck on the lips, shortly followed by a full kiss.

[Zender_Solarheart]

<<Jenna and Greg>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Your sudden move takes Greg by surprise, and his cheeks blush a deep red during the full kiss following the peck. That blush only lasts for about a single second, however, and he responds by wrapping his own arms around you, softly caressing your back, while his lips follow the lead of your own. If you want to make the kiss more passionate, he'll follow into it; the same applies if you want to make it a little gentler.

While he can't say it out loud, due to the kiss you and him are sharing, Greg mentally speaks in his head: (I love you, Jenna...I will always love you...)

<<Jason vs Nevvy>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Your leg-sweep takes Nevvy by surprise for a brief moment, allowing you to connect and sweep her off her feet (22 damage). Of course, being quite the bad-ass, she's only phased by this for an instant, and quickly vaults back to an upright posture by slamming the floor with her fists.

"Okay, not bad...now it's my turn." she says, while altering her stance to one that has her left hand forward in a claw-like position, her right hand held back in a fist, and her knees bent for a lunge. You have some time to prepare for her next move, but do it fast; she was on the defensive earlier, and who knows how fast she is on the offensive...

<Jason>
HP: 173/200.
Status: Better get ready...
(Bonus at 1 AP for now)

<Nevvy>
HP: 378/400.
Status: Preparing for a big assault, it seems...

<<Derek and Jill>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Funny that you should mention Greg; it's thanks to his insight that I know you're the one. He always said 'true love can't be put into words, but when it's real, you just know it.'" Jill smiles gently, while caressing your left cheek with her right hand's soft, smooth palm. Her left arm is wrapped around you, and is using its own silky-smooth caresses to ease the tension in your back, helping you to relax a bit more.

"I promise you, Derek...the love I feel for you is very real." With that said, Jill moves in for another gentle kiss, then looks into your eyes with her own, and wears another gentle smile.

<<Luna and Hubey>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Yeah, that's E-Guard tech for ya. Thankfully, the Shield Disk also protects against ballistics, and the Photon Spreader can be used to shoot down missile clusters. Good thing, too, because this baby will need them both against a beast like the Caladbolg..." The Major's words may not seem too confident, but then again, the Caliburn is basically the "yang" to the Caladbolg's "yin." The former is very fast and good for shock-trooper tactics, whereas the latter is built more for tanking through the hits and unloading heavy destruction.

In response to your comment about having delayed long enough, Major Hubey says: "You do have a point, Lieutenant. Thankfully, this machine's 'rival' won't be out there, so as long as we keep our approach inconspicuous, and use the surrounding debris for cover, we should be fine." Who'd think that the debris from Halberd team's dogfight would play into this? Ah well, might as well make use of it while you can, eh?

With all systems go for launch, the Major activates the Pulse Thruster in hover mode, releases the docking clamps, and starts moving the Caliburn towards the docking bay's launchpad (which, btw, is protected from vacuum by a shielding system on the launch doors). "Ready for lift-off, Lt. Meanders?"

[MiscChaos]

Derek knows himself well enough to realize that he doesn't know Jill well enough to be anywhere near "in love" with her. The closest she's going to get in this situation is "friendly but in lust", and that just didn't seem fair to Jill. The devil on his shoulder tells him to fake it for just long enough to get his bone on if that's where this leads, but Derek hasn't listened to him much in a long time. Finally, he sighs and puts his forehead to hers, both a show of closeness and a way of stopping the kiss in progress.

"Jill, I appreciate this, I really do. But I'd feel like the biggest asshole in the world if I didn't say what's on my mind right now. Before today, I'd never met you, and I like to think I know myself well. I can't, in all honesty, say I return your feelings. I may after getting to know you, but right now..." He lets the sentence drop, the meaning shining clear. "I don't think it'd be fair to you to let this go on without saying so."

[Icaelus]

Luna considered the E-Guard's capabilities against the Caladborg for a moment.
"We seem quite geared to be taking down the Caladborg, don't we..?
She gave the equipment loadout a casual glance. Indeed, most of the Caliburn's equipment either countered the Caladborg if not nullifying the latter's weaponry completely. Just another much needed advantage they had over it.
Luna gave a heavy sigh.
One of the most obvious disadvantages they had was her, though. One of the Stiletto's worst pilots. She still couldn't figure out why they even bothered to place her on the Caliburn as a co-pilot.
She gave a quick nod as the major mentioned the Caladborg not being out there.
"Yeah. We should probably try to avoid the Caladborg to our best..The Caliburn is geared to taking down Caladborg, but even then it's pilot is something else...Alex Spade, hm?
With a few quick taps on the screen she brought up the person's profile, noting the data displayed. Her superior's brother had been thought dead..only to come back with a burning vengeance and throw their entire mission into jeopardy, killing Tank in the process.
Too bad though. She had liked Tank and his gruff attitude.
Lunalesca sighed. Such was life with the Stilettos. People died on missions and there usually wasn't anything you could do about it.
She leaned back in the chair as Hubey asked if she was ready for lift-off.
"Alright. Let's go, Major."

[Lady Foxy]

Jenna giggled like a school girl as Greg wrapped his own arms around her, feeling the soft caresses on her back. ''~Mwah..'' She whispered before opening her eyes, moving away from Greg's lips as she was blushing slightly; a large smile on her lips. ''Surprise!'' The giggling Jenna said while firmly keeping her body against Greg's, leaning forward to rest on his right shoulder; breathing deeply.

[jayjaycaps]

Jason jumps back, giving Nevvy a sly smile. He readies himself for her attack, bending his keens and facing her at an angle. He raises his fists boxing-style, ready to react.

[Zender_Solarheart]

<<Derek and Jill>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

At first, Jill's reaction makes her almost seem as if she's about to burst into tears...but she seems to realize your point, and looks off to the side blushing embarrassed. Her eyes do have some tears ready to trickle out, but she's doing her best to maintain composure.

"I guess you do have a point..." she says softly, and with a little bit of shakiness in her voice, most likely from her trying to hold back the tears. After taking a lengthy moment to try and calm herself down, she wipes the tears from her eyes, and says: "Well, I guess we can start out as friends...you know, get familiarized?" Well, at least she's patient...

"...but you must be tired, I'm sure. If you'd like...I have a spare bed in here...though, I'd trust you to not try anything...'sneaky' even if we did sleep together...or do you want to get your own room?" Good to know that Jill trusts you that well, if nothing else...

<<Luna and Hubey>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Alright then. We take off on my mark." The Major aligns the Pulse Thruster for launch, and begins the countdown:

"Three...two...one...mark!"

With that, you both are shuttled out of the hangar, through the vacuum-insulation energy shield, and into the vast emptiness of space...well, empty aside from the colony and various debris, that is. Thankfully, the Caliburn has an inertial diffusion unit, which allows the pilot (and any co-pilot) to remain stable even during the most extreme of maneuvers. Your flight proceeds as normal, and you land in Docking Bay D, which is the closest one to Halberd team's location.

<Docking Bay D>
The Caliburn's landing supports pop out from the sides of the thruster, allowing it to support its own weight quite effectively once the engine shuts off. Once it's safe to climb out, Hubey jumps out to the floor, which would normally be too far below to jump to safely. Thanks to both your suits' shock-absorption boots, however, the impact is reduced to a level that won't cause injury to your feet, so you can feel free to do so, as well.

"There's an ISPC squad we'll be meeting half-way. They'll provide escort to Halberd team's 'camp,' just in case any enemies are around waiting to ambush passersby. Never hurts to be careful, am I right?"

<<Jenna and Greg>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As you rest on Greg's shoulder, he brings his left hand up to softly caress your left shoulder, while whispering gently to you: "That was a wonderful surprise, Jen. I don't think I've died, but I do feel like I'm in heaven." Aww, how sweet.

Meanwhile, Greg's right hand moves to hold your left hand gently, as he softly kisses the mid-point between your right shoulder and your neck, then whispers: "I love you, Jenna...now and forever..."

<<Jason vs Nevvy>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

(I'll need to speed this one up, so we can move on to the final assault soon...so yeah, Nev's gonna be hitting you harder now. )

Nevvy kicks forward off the ground, and is up in your face within the blink of an eye. Your hand-to-hand training has been practiced into a habit by now, and you impulsively move your left arm to block her right-handed punch...

...but that punch doesn't arrive. Instead, the wound-back right fist was simply a feint, and the real threat is her outstretched left hand. Once again, you react habitually, moving your right arm to intercept the palm closing in on your face...but Nevvy's too fast for it, and before you know it, she's grabbed you by your right forearm, thrown your guard wide open, and slammed her right fist into your left side. To follow up, she pushes the fist up to knock you airborne, then crouches down, leans backward, and slams your abdominal area with a swift flurry of kicks, landing a 3-hit combo before back-handing you into a spiraling knock-back (total damage: 120...ouch).

That one hurt...that one really hurt. She was barely an inch away from striking your floating ribs (a vital weak point on the human body), and if she had hit any harder, the combined impacts could have knocked one into your vital organs, causing a painful, nasty death. Good thing she's not trying to kill you, eh?

The assault was not entirely without cost, however: a very small bruise can be seen on Nevvy's left cheek. It seems your right arm knuckled her in the face while it tried to block her grapple, even if not for that much effect (10 damage). Taking note of that bruise, Nevvy simply scoffs and mutters "I must be getting sloppy..."

Then, she alters her stance a bit, this time with the right palm forwards, yet with the elbow bent so that the bicep is angled down, and the forearm up. Her left hand is held back, but in a chop-like position, with the fingertips angled vertically and pointing forward. According to your training on alien martial arts, she's either using the Neko-Dwarves' frontal-aggression art of "Nekodengen," or the Reptilians' swift bait-and-counter art of "Huanjeyo." Unfortunately, they are two very different styles, so your chances at effectively preparing for it are about 50/50, at best...most likely less than that, though, courtesy of the rattling in your brain from that earlier combo.

<Jason>
HP: 53/200.
Status: Just took a monster of a beating.
Current Bonus AP: 1.

<Nevvy>
368/400.
Status: Probably going to smack you down right here, if you're not careful.

[jayjaycaps]

Jason puts his hands on his thighs and bends over, catching his breath. Dammit, he knew he would lose, but not this bad! Too late to back out now anyways. Before he attacks however, he calls out to Nevvy in between breaths. "Shit Nevvy... You certainly can... Throw a punch...! We said no knock out punches... Right?" Jason then charges Nevvey again, just as fasted as he started this fight. He might get his ass handed to him on a silver platter, but Jason is no quitter! Jason tries for a foot ball style tackle, bending over as he charges, hoping to get his shoulder into Nevvy's ribs and pick her up.

[Icaelus]

Lunalesca nodded slowly at the Major, settling herself into her seat for the launch.
The launch and flight went smoothly, and Luna's previous thoughts that they were going to crash and burn were quickly buried. Hubey was quite the pilot, after all.
They landed in Docking Bay D, the one closest to team Halberd.
The stealth trooper did an quick equipment check..Magnums, check.. Knives..check. Suit was at 100%, check.
She nodded in approval, turning to climb out after Hubey and jumping out onto the floor of the docking bay.
"So we'll be meeting an ISPC squad halfway through? Good to know..and the enemies..I take it that they're probably those crystal bioforms?"
Luna's hand drifted over to the hip holster holding one of her Magnums, her fingers daintily drumming a rhythm on the cold metal. A rhythm that only promised painful death.

[Lady Foxy]

Jenna definitely giggled and gave Greg's back a cute 'slap' as she blushed deeply at his comment. ''Oh, Greg.. Stop it..'' She whispered softly while her breathing was becoming very soft and intimate at the moment, giving a slight nod which made her rub the left side of her face against his neck..

''I-I love you too.. G-Greg..'' She managed to whisper back before kissing him quite suddenly, turning out to be quite experienced at kissing -- even if she honestly hadn't kissed nobody else in her entire lifetime. Her little demonstrations of love had gotten Greg to rest on the bed, her on top of him while looking down at his lovely eyes; blushing with a crimson hue.

[Zender_Solarheart]

<<Jason vs Nevvy>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Nevvy's response to your question is as follows: "Why, are you complaining? You're supposed to be a top-notch soldier. Might as well act like one, eh? If this were a real fight, that combo would've killed you. Gotta watch those floating ribs, man." Well, she's got you there...

Moving on, your tackle seems to work perfectly, as you slam right past Nevvy's guard, your sudden charge packing the element of surprise. Hell, you even get her hoisted up into the air...but then you realize, that's exactly what she wanted. This is shown by how her hands suddenly smack down on your shoulders with a pair of karate chops, stunning your arms just long enough for her to wrestle out of them, land behind you, sweep-kick you off your feet, then slam you in the back with her knee. The impact sends you rolling across the floor for a good 6 or 7 feet, and knocks out of you whatever wind was left; shortly afterward, Nevvy takes a seat on your back at the center of gravity, just to add insult to injury. (Short version: your ass has been whupped, and no amount of icy-hot will remove the stinging humiliation. )

"Let this be a lesson, Jason: those who talk what they can't walk, won't be walking for that long." Ouch...burn...

<Jason>
Status: Out of this fight. You could say he's been..."benched."
Bonus AP: 4 (gave you 3 extra, cuz I felt like being merciful. )

<Nevvy>
Status: Taking a load off after relieving some stress.

<<Luna and Hubey>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Yup. Intel calls the things 'Polygems,' but we can call them 'Gems' for short." With your question answered, Hubey leads on, and the two of you (surprisingly) make it to the ISPC rally point without a single 'Gem showing up to cause a ruckus.

At the rally point, you are greeted by three ISPC operatives: Capt. Richter "Rick" Longinus, Lt. Conny Ticket, and Pvt. Marcus G. Vamoose. Richter and Conny are wearing plain-color grey armor, but Vamoose's is different; his is bright blue in color, and seems to have a somewhat outdated helmet. Conny's the one who steps forward first. She salutes, and identifies herself: "Lt. Conny Ticket, at your service."

Vamoose then says something rather off-topic: "Oh my God...they have a lady with them...is she mean like the others?" Rick sighs with what can be considered annoyance, and replies: "Vamoose, what did I tell you?" "That transmitters don't have Minesweeper?" Rick facepalms, as he probably should, and says "No, the thing about ladies." "Uhhh...that most ladies are only mean if they don't like you." "Good."

Rick then turns to speak with you, and says: "Sorry about Sgt. Vamoose. He's...a bit 'special,' if you catch my drift."

<<Jenna and Greg>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Your skill at kissing is another welcome surprise for Greg, who answers your lips' passion with that of his own, though making sure to keep the "mood" of his kisses loving and romantic. The love you and him share serves to make it even more blissful, and the dance of your lips and his holds more joy and "passionate compatibility" than one would think humanly possible.

With you set on top of him, Greg takes the opportunity to gently caress along your back and shoulders, though keeping his right hand holding your left, and while those caresses move rather close to your waistline on occasion, they never reach beyond that. As beautiful as your body is, the wondrous love he feels for you keeps his sex-drive in check, at least for now. He is a bit turned on, to be fair, but don't worry; he won't make a move like that unless you let him know that it's okay.

With the joy of dearest love reflecting in his eyes, Greg gently peers back into yours, even while your lips are locked with his. It's as if he's entranced by the romantic bliss the two of you are sharing, and he couldn't really let go of the kiss, even if he had wanted to.

<<Meanwhile, in a dark, crystallized room...>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

A total of four individuals are seated at a holo-projection table, which provides only enough light to dimly illuminate their faces. Three of those faces are purely crystalline in form, whereas one is crystallized only beneath the chin, leaving the rest unmistakably human. One of the two green gem-faced women speaks up first: "So, they took out Garnecles...I knew the dude was hot-blooded, but you'd think he could've done the job right..."

For a painfully-long few seconds, the room is saturated with morbid silence...then the other green-hued woman replies: "Yes, he should have...but it seems he was careless, as I expected from his nature. Still, his loss weighs heavily on us..." The purple-hued crystal-man on the table's other side chimes in: "To be completely honest, I'm not that surprised. With such a hot head on his shoulders, the fool was bound to be killed at some point." Such a comment gets a pair of glares from the two green ladies, but then the human-faced one, otherwise covered in black crystal, states: "Your opinion is as cold and calculative as ever, Amethujin, but who can blame you? Your skills don't leave much room for emotion or sentiment, now do they?" The green women smirk with amusement, but restrain whatever laughter they would have otherwise let out.

"On that note, however, I have received intriguing news from the Alpha Mind. Apparently, another Prime Judicator has been created...obviously not a moment too soon, as we'd be short one member otherwise. He should be arriving in 3...2...1..." Right on cue, the automatic sliding door to the room opens up...revealing a blonde young man, with all but his head covered in a very unique set of power armor. "Sorry I'm late, folks. Had to check on a few things."

As he is clearly not a Polygem, the others in the room stand up ready to defend themselves, but then hear a deep and ominous voice speak to them telepathically: the voice of their leader, the Alpha Mind. "Halt. This one is with us, by his own will. He knows our enemy, and has even fought with them before...quite effectively, I may add. His skills and information will be invaluable to us." Knowing their master would never betray them, the meeting's attendees sit back down.

"See? It's all cool." the newcomer smugly remarks. "As for our enemy's impending attack, don't worry. I have some very special ideas..."

[Icaelus]

"Polygems, huh? Interesting."
Luna walked along with Hubey, albeit with a bit more caution now.
Her hand continually drifted around her holster, ready to draw and put a few rounds into anything not human that made a move towards them. She wouldn't have any qualms about doing that.
They continued on to the rally point surprisingly without any mishaps. Seemed like Lady Luck was smiling on them for now. They would need all of that luck if the Gems were as dangerous as she had read..
"There they are..our escort."
Luna removed her hand from the Magnum holster, lazily saluting to the Captain as he approached.
"Lt. Lunalesca Meanders.
She briefly introduced herself, nodding towards Conny as she introduced herself.
The Sergeant, Vamoose had some rather..interesting words, though.
Luna raised an eyebrow at the Captain inquiringly as he turned to speak to her. Apparently Vamoose was..yeah. Special.
"Special. Obviously not in a good way, though."
She glanced once at Vamoose and immediately decided that he was either an idiot or something worse.
"Where is Team Halberd holding up? We shouldn't waste any time."
Luna turned back to Rick, impatience seeming to flow out of her.

[jayjaycaps]

Jason didn't move when he landed, but let out a loud groan when Nevvy sat on him. Splayed out, Jason sat there and took it. He deserved it, the way he was talking.

"Ufffh, is that necessary? I'm already in enough pain."

[Lady Foxy]

Jenna felt his hands caressing her back and shoulders, blushing heavily while her left was holding onto his right. Once or twice his other hand would get close to her waist, but she never seemed worried as it never got beyond that 'border'. Her eyes looked back at him, noticing how they seemed so full of charm and love.. Breaking the kiss after what had seemed an eternity, breathing heavily and resting on top of Greg's chest.. Her own soft and gorgeous chest resting against his.

''I.. I feel.. I feel I can't breathe..'' She said with a blush, breathing down his neck as she was exhausted from what had seemed days of just kissing. Jenna hugged him and stayed there with him, closing her eyes and letting herself rest for a while.

[Zender_Solarheart]

<<Luna and company>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Rick replies: "That would be the residential district in Bravo sector. Thankfully, the Brain Stone coordinating enemy forces in that area is destroyed, so any skirmishes we might have will be with disorganized stragglers. Most of the big-time threats in this area are back at the hive, anyhow." With that settled, Rick turns to face the rest of his team, and says: "Alright folks, we're moving out. Try to keep our little hike quiet...that goes double for you, Vamoose." Vamoose, however, seems to not quite get the picture. "A hike?! Oh boy!...wait...I didn't pack any trail mix." Wow...on a station filled with hive-minded crystal marauders, and he's worried about trail mix...

<<Jason and Nevvy>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Nevvy doesn't seem to appreciate the complaint, as she leans back (putting more weight on her ass and you in the process), and remarks: "What's with the petty complaints? I thought you guys were professionals, not a bunch of whiners. If you're a man, then take it like one." Wow...seems she's as cold and rough as her black armor suggests...

<<Jenna and Greg>>

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Greg can tell that you're worn out, and simply lets you rest for now. "If you're tired, it's okay...just rest easy, my love..." he whispers reassuringly, and with the same level of charm and affection that you saw in his eyes. To think that such a warm-hearted man could be found among the ranks of the Platinum Stilettos...you really hit the jackpot, eh Ms. Swofford?

[jayjaycaps]

Jason let out another groan when Nevvy shifted. Bitch... "Yea, well, I'm sure if you got your ass handed to you as bad as I did... Oooff! Alright, fine. I probably did deserve this anyways..." Jason continued to lay still, not wanting to move and provoke another attack from Nevvy.

[Lady Foxy]

Jenna gave Greg's right cheek a soft kiss, hugging him lovingly before closing her eyes and resting for a bit at his side. She had gotten exhausted from what had seemed an hour of kissing, although she didn't regret not a single second.

''Thanks.. ~Captain..'' She whispered with a tired giggle, smiling before cuddling next to her officer in command.. Who'd guess she would have fallen in love with her Captain?