[M][Namek] The Tempest

[Juno]

The clock was ticking.

It had been over a day since the militia soldiers had found his naked body lying in the Namekian wilderness, his power exhausted from the transformation. One of the soldiers had slung his unconscious form over the back of her hover-bike and, thankfully, transported him to safety — but his tour on Namek wasn’t destined to just end there.

After chewing on a Senzu bean and having his wounds healed, he’d been shuffled to a debriefing room, where he had been ordered to tell the higher-up officers everything he remembered about their base.

“What does it matter?” he asked, “They’re all dead now.” He said that with a degree of confidence, despite not knowing exactly how many he’d killed while he was in his Oozaru form. The officer at the head of the table — an older man, with a churlish disposition, in Juno’s experience — chuckled.

“You might have noticed,” he began, “the gargantuan mother-ship that hovers over our city. This is not, as you may have thought, some simple war.”

Juno sighed. They were getting melodramatic again.

“I’m not sure what you expect me to do about that,” the hybrid spoke, lacing his fingers together and sitting his hands on the table. Another chuckle escaped the older man’s lips. Am I … amusing you, old man? the hybrid thought. He pondered the idea of voicing his annoyance with the officer’s persistent attempts at giggling at his every word, as if he was some sort of jester performing funny tricks, but in the end decided against the idea.

“Well, that is exactly why we have called you here, Juno,” his Majesty — the thought tickled Juno, but he held back his laughter — responded, “To tell you what we expect you to do. Or, rather, what we hope you will do for us.”

So now you’re going to make me feel bad, Juno nodded, or … try, at least. I’m not one to be guilt-tripped, sir.

“The Grand Ship Myreen dominates the visible sky above Ja City,” the officer explained, “And we need a warrior like yourself — with knowledge of the enemy — to take it down for us. We have all come to the conclusion that you, Juno, are the warrior for this job.”

The hybrid sat back in his chair, musing over this proposition; it was obviously an opportunity for glory, but for whatever reason, the hybrid didn’t find himself motivated by that whatsoever. On the other hand, he didn’t understand why they thought he knew any more about the enemy than anyone else. The majority of the time he’d spent at their base had been as a guest in their prison cells, or in a state in which his mind was not his own. In the half-Saiyan’s mind, he didn’t think he was any more intellectual than anyone else on the subject of these … mysterious invaders. It mystified him that these men and women in fancy suits seemed to think that he was, somehow, inside a loop they themselves were out of.

“Obviously, we do not expect you to attempt to tackle this alone,” a woman to the older man’s left said, leaning on the elder’s chair.

Are you questioning my abilities? the hybrid thought, a smirk painting itself on his countenance. He stood up from his chair, and looked at the pair of officers across the room. “I think,” he told them rather confidently, “That I can handle myself.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Juno,” the woman’s voice said.

“The invaders that you have faced are tough enough,” the older man continued his partner’s statement, stopping Juno as he prepared to open the door and leave the debriefing room, “And we expect the ones on the Myreen to be even stronger. You’ll need a team — at least three skilled warriors, like yourself — to truly succeed. If you go alone, then you are giving yourself a death sentence.”

And perhaps, he considered, that was exactly what he wanted — a death sentence. He’d been a part of this melodramatic war, and he’d almost gotten himself killed over it. Was it worth that? It wasn’t as if he considered Namek his home, or anything like that — he lived primarily on Earth, which was not in danger, to his knowledge.

“We have warriors that you can use,” the old man continued, “Warriors that you know, and those you do not whose potential is, perhaps, even more potent.” The hybrid glanced over his shoulder, intrigued by this last statement. He hesitantly crossed back to the chair, and slid down into it, staring across the table once more before daring to say anything else.

“ … I’m listening.”

~ + ~

For the last day and a half, Juno had mulled over what had been said in that meeting. The meeting where he’d signed his life away to this cause, no matter whether or not he actually cared about the people he was trying to save — and that had been, perhaps, the thought he’d focused the most on. Or second most.

Why had he said yes? Out of some false desire to leap into adventure again? He’d already done that, and it had ended up getting him almost a week — in Earth time — in the extraterrestrials’ prison. No; he’d grown some sort of desire to do right, some idea that he was obligated to ‘be the hero.’ And it fucking pissed him off. This hero shit wasn’t his ball game. That was Kaden. Or Piper. Or whoever the hell decided they wanted to be do-gooders.

That didn’t mean that Juno wanted to be the ‘bad guy’ — no. He just… hated the idea of caring about other people (well, most other people). He thought that it hindered him, feeling like he had to protect these … people, most of whom he’d never even met before. It baffled him. And it was recent, too. Within the past two years, or so. Before that, he’d only cared about himself. And rightfully so.

Perhaps, though, that wasn’t everything — perhaps there was something else, something a bit deeper swimming around there. And he tried to push away the idea that it was because of them, because it wasn’t. He didn’t even know if they were still alive, for God’s sakes.

Of course they were still alive — they weren’t weaklings. Of course, in Juno’s experience, neither of them had exactly been the best physical fighters, but Sophia had shown her ability to hold her own, and Kaden could blow up shit with the best of them. But it wasn’t them. That couldn’t have been the reason he’d agreed to this.

“Sir, what can I get for you?”

Juno looked up. The bartender raised an eyebrow — she was attractive, but she seemed smart as a whip. She could tell the hybrid was distracted — heck, he’d been so distracted that it had taken prompting from the girl for him to actually notice her. Normally, with a girl that pretty, he’d take notice rather quickly, but his senses seemed to be … lacking, at the moment.

Senses. That reminded him of Kaden, and his invaluable ability to sense ki signatures. The hybrid had, in his many thoughts, convinced himself that it was this technique that made the idea of working with Kaden such an attractive one. After all, if he’d actually wanted to work with the courier for the sake of working with him, he could just give up all of his pride that he’d been storing up over the last twenty years. He couldn’t exactly give in after all of the enmity he’d instigated between himself and the blonde male.

He quickly flipped open Sophia’s folder, and looked at her picture, in an attempt to distract himself. She looked exactly the same as he remembered her — if a bit more hardened, perhaps.

“I’ll — ” he stammered, looking up from the priestess’s (was she still a priestess?) picture and back into the eyes of the hot bartender, “ … I’ll take a, uh, a glass of Coke, I, uh, guess.” The girl scowled.

“No hard liquor?” she asked, “Aren’t you a soldier?”

Juno shook his head. “Not a soldier,” he said, looking back down at the picture, “Not, well, uh … not exactly.”

The girl scoffed, and turned around. Juno closed Sophia’s folder, and let himself get drowned in his thoughts again. What if Kaden and Sophia didn’t show up from their mission in time? He’d need other people. He had to go through more folders, look for more people, backups, and potentially extra people, especially since he didn’t know if the three of them would be enough. The elder man had said three people, minimum, including himself, but… would three be enough?

“Screw this, I’ve got to stop stressing.”

It was true — he had to stop worrying about it. It would all fall into place, eventually. At least, he hoped it would. In the meantime, he watched the attractive bartender slide his Coke down the bar, and then he shot her a flirtatious glance, which she returned amiably; and he sipped the soda with a smile.

He leaned back on the bar stool, and brushed Kaden’s folder off of the bar, then quickly did the same to Sophia’s. He wouldn’t have much longer to rest before he had to take his team — whatever team that may have been — up to the Grand Ship Myreen, where they would all risk their lives and, probably, die trying to protect Namek. And at the moment, he didn’t want to think about them, or anyone else.

This was his calm before the storm, and he was going to savor every moment of it.

OOC: Any questions, PM me. Spots are reserved for Kaden and Sophia if they want them because I've talked to them previously, but anyone can join. We just might have to make two strike teams if we get kind of crowded. Kthxbai.

[Vad]

Beatrix stood looking at her husband, who had his back turned to her.

"I'm tired of this shit. If I'm going to die, I'm taking as many as those fuckers with me. I'm not sitting here holed up in a concrete prison waiting. It isn't my goal in life." The man retorted.

James turned to Trixie who was staring at her husband. He was now facing the room, his right arm holding the elevator door back; his gaze fixated on his wife's eyes.

"Stop him! Talk to him! Do something to keep him from going to his death!" Pleaded the retired assassin.

Doing exactly the opposite, she joined him in the elevator.

"We're going to distract them. Do whatever you need and good luck. We'll see you on the other side. Wherever that may be." Beatrix stated calmly.

The super saiyan rested on one knee regaining his composure. The current situation was all too familiar. As blood and sweat rolled down the man's partially exposed torso he lifted his hands and examined them. The hands responsible for a lifetime of murder. Trixie had retreated to his mind and was now acting as a third wheel for him. For some unexplained reason he had just experienced a vision from Mercy. Vad and his wife had been fed up with waiting and were getting ready to assault a horde, not too different from this one, of Merkashali soldiers.

" We're going for it again?" Trixie sounded less than pleased, but eager nonetheless.

"You do realize that there is no one to save us. We're probably going to die."

Vad silently acknowledged her. Like he did back on Mercy-sei during the elevator ride to the surface.

With a stiff tug the metal box began its ascent to the surface.

"You realize this is the single worst idea you've ever had, right?"

Vad was silent.

"I'll take that as a yes." Trixie said aloud turning her attention back to the elevator doors.

"Third floor. Two more. You ready?"

Returning to his feet, Vad was now completely surrounded; a tactical nightmare. Just how he liked it. The two generals stood to his left and right, both fatigued, but nothing compared to Vad's condition. Large portions of his armor had been torn away leaving surface lacerations on his exposed skin. Random patches of second and three degree burns covered his left arm where he had deflected a blast of fire with a shield; it had melted onto his arm. His newly unscarred torso was now going to have fresh ones to replace the old. His metal covered tail tightened its grip around his waist, readying for the next assault. Blood and sweat both his own and that of which belonged to his attackers littered his body. Cracking his knuckles a wide smile formed itself on Vad's facial features. He was thrilled.

The situation was dire. With most of the invading force being distracted, Vad only hoped it was enough to get his allies out. As the Merkshali began to close the perimeter the united lovers readied themselves. Out of nowhere the street began to crumble and collapse in on itself. Most of the crowd, including Vad and his wife were sucked into an old catacomb buried beneath the city in an abandoned section of bunker shaking the cities foundation. Trixie had retreated to her husband's mind and was desperately trying to get him to talk.

The screeching of injured lizards and the ones on the surface filled the air. Clouds of dust billowed from the opening on the surface and bits and pieces of road fell into the opening. The remaining Merkashali retreated in fear or pursuit of other food. On the border of the mass of broken Merkashali bodies, some alive, some not, was Vad. He was impaled in two vital parts of his body by a dead warriors claws.

The Saiyan regained consciousness with a jerk and instantly released a mouthful of blood onto the dusty concrete floor beneath him.

"Vad! Stay still honey. You're seriously injured."

A slender claw was piercing the lower part of his rib cage; it was directly through the top of his stomach. He felt another pool of blood rise from his throat and he expelled it onto the same spot as before. Another claw was dug into his lower stomach and to the left through his spleen and colon. He could feel his blood seeping from the wound as well as pooling in his inner extremities. His left arm was numb and upon further inspection through his blurry eyesight he noticed it was buried beneath a pile of corpses.

"Trixie. Slow my heart rate down as much as you can. Release adrenalin, endorphins, the works. Keep me...alive...you can." He wheezed into his mind.

Expelling another pool of blood onto the floor he gasped for air through dry heaving that was causing excruciating pain as his pierced diaphragm was trying to move his lungs normally, but found it only able to partially work. The heavily injured Saiyan felt his wife release the adrenalin into his system and at the same time forcibly keep his heart rate low, negating the adrenalins' stimulant effect. Titling his to head to the left and resting it against the blood soaked concrete, Vad closed his eyes.

"Stay awake! Stay awake babe!"

"VAD!"

The visions of his pain and anguish in that damp dark catacomb moments after leaving the bunker ran through his mind. If it hadn't been for Sage he wouldn't have survived. Tears rolled down his face which made his wife coo in concern. At the rate with which things were going he wasn't going to be able to see Sage again; To protect her one last time. Then there was Piper.

“Let me have a bite of that, babe,” Trixie demanded playfully as she reached an arm across the table and grabbed onto the hotdog in Vad’s hand. Despite all their intimacy, the saiyan frowned and refused to allow his wife to snatch his lunch away from him. Seeing that her husband would not capitulate, Trixie began to tug more visibly on the foil-sheathed meal.

Across the table from the two dueling lovebirds, Piper smiled and took a slurp of her soft drink. The Mountain Dew was a drastic departure from the water and liquid protein shakes that the woman had been drinking during her five-day convalescence within a cramped medical tent. As she continued to drain the drink up through her over-sized straw, Piper reached into her pocket and fished out her cell phone. Sliding the screen up, she was able to switch over to the camera and take a picture just as the hotdog and its ketchup- and mustard-laden bun tore in twain. The red and yellow fallout of the explosion rain both ways and left the assassin and his demon wife comically coated in condiments.

“So that’s what love looks like,” Piper snickered as she slid the phone shut. The action caused the phone to revert back to the home menu, which was still a year-old picture of Piper and Kaden enjoying lunch. With a smile, the blonde sergeant returned the phone to her pocket and looked up to see that Vad and Trixie were both glaring at her. Even though her two friends were killers, sadists, and a bunch of other pleasant things, Piper couldn’t force herself to fear their callow expressions given the fact that they were dotted with ketchup and mustard.

Through the thicket of sorrow Vad managed to form a smile.

"You never did let me have any of that hotdog." Trixie groaned sarcastically.

Vad bellowed a laugh with renewed vigor. "I'll buy you one after I wipe the floor with these stupid fucks." His courage had been reignited.

"You better."

For Sage and Piper

The veteran soldier had devised a plan. In the brief period allotted to him by the invading army he had regained most of his stamina. The surface lacerations and bruises did nothing to hinder the near masochistic warrior. With a mighty roar of fury Vad's aura erupted outward blowing the cohorts of alien soldiers around him off their feet. Continuing to scream loudly into the firmament Vad pushed his Super Saiyan transformation to its limit. His golden aura grew larger and took on a more violent appearance. He could hear his mothers encouragement as he dumped every ounce of his energy reserves into his Super Saiyan state.

Reaching the peak of his power Vad's torso armor exploded into dust and was carried away by his energy. Quieting his voice he launched his segmented whip at General Gloo. Wrapping it around his waist Vad pulled him close; driving a metal blade through the commanders chest he dropped him to the ground and sank the blade deeper.

No longer possessing pupils the saiyan took on a berserker like look. A shroud of metal fragments began to swirl around Zulenka as he removed the blade from the now mortally wounded alien leader. Pointing his blade at Fum, the newly energized warrior was completely engulfed in the telekinetically controlled shrapnel.

Without warning the cloud of metal fragments shot out in all directions toward the alien horde. General Fum wasn't so lucky. He was about to be assaulted directly and without mercy. Backpedalling to avoid a downward slash he sent an elbow to Vad's face. Forming his blade into a shield the blow was absorbed. Returning the favor the saiyan bashed his newly formed defense into the General's arm knocking it away. Driving a fist at his sternum the saiyan knocked him backward into his own men.

Before the commander could even get to his feet Vad was a transparent image, his scowling face slowly fading away. Shrieks of anguish made the General turn his head. Waves of his troops were being thrown into the air, dismembered, and killed as they fell back to the planet's surface.

A large wave of pink energy flew off in the opposite direction of the warring saiyan. Bursting forth from the cloud of pink energy came an imperial Valkyrie who shredded through alien after alien, screeching with blood lust as she did so. The two lovers proceeded away from the space port in a figure eight, crossing each other's path every five hundred feet.

Now back on his feet General Fum took to the air, his purple aura leaving a trail of energy behind him.

"BRING DOWN THE SAIYAN!" He roared with frustration at his troops.

Just when he thought things couldn't get any more difficult Vad took to the skies. He was nothing but a mere blur as he collided head on with the General. The alien leader obliged the warring veteran saiyan with hand to hand combat. Ducking under a right hook Vad pushed the generals arm toward his chest and plowed his own fist into his opponents face.

The first mistake.

General Fum over powered Zulenka and took hold of his right arm. Using his knee he snapped it at the elbow and used it to throw the ex-assassin down into the horde of alien soldiers below. Vad landed hard, crushing the aliens beneath him. Before the enemy could feast on his flesh a beam of pink energy pierced through the ranks of soldiers.

"Damn him..." Vad croaked as he fumbled to his knees.

Taking his right arm he broke it back into the correct position which made the saiyan growl in pain. Releasing her transformation Trixie took hold of her husband and lifted him to his feet. Vad's aura had shrunk to but a mere outline of his person.

"Release your-" A blade through the stomach ended her stomach.

General Fum had landed behind them. Retracting his weapon the commander pushed the demon forward with his foot.

"No..."

"NO! NO! NO!"

Vad gripped Trixie's suit and rolled her over, completely ignoring Fum's laughter. Placing his good hand on her stomach he felt the warm sensation of her blood run through his fingers. Tears filled his eyes as he looked upon her fragile face as she struggled for air. Grasping the harness around her torso Vad released his transformed state and both of them became transparent. The only thing Fum heard was the screams of Vad's pain as he used the After Image technique. He roared with anger at his inability to kill the two of them.

Plan ruined.

***

Once behind the wall of the space port Vad released his technique and collided a nearby militia unit. Once they realized who had just plowed into them a medical unit was called up front and Vad's wife was taken away to the main terminal.

"Once she's awake radio me. The sooner I can get her back into my mind the better." The corporal in charge of her protection nodded and rush to the terminal to inform the doctors.

Using his left arm Vad placed his right arm into a 'L' shape on his torso and covered the entire thing in steel. Hardening it he created a temporary cast and sling. It hurt like a bitch, but he didn't care. Sitting down on a nearby bench, a female nurse had arrived from the main terminal to take care of his wounds.

"The horde stopped attacking the walls completely. It was as if they were all going for you and your wife." She said, scrubbing one of the deeper cuts his chest.

Vad sighed. "That's at least a shred of good news. I just hope she wakes up."

Looking up at the ship hovering above the spaceport he frowned. The nurse kept talking, but he wasn't paying attention. She was shocked Vad was still able to stand at all after his encounter, but the truth was he was very close to vomiting. Every muscle in his body screamed at him. The fact that he had used After Image to get them back behind the wall was extremely stupid.

Anything for love

[Mal Nova]

As the troops, of nearly five hundred men reached the hill top, they looked down and had seen what they had been involved in only half a day ago. The massive force of the three units, they had battle previously seemed to have been joined by two smaller units. They of course, had targeted what looked like three militia units. It was almost like dejavu, but luckily the survivors, had arrived early enough in the battle, to perhaps make a difference.

Nova, who was accompanied by Desoin on one side, and Tamsin on the other. looked towards the white haired Mystic, who gave a nod to confirm that the Horsemen Unit was in position. The Horsmen Unit, of course was the unit assigned to be under Nova's actual control, but Nova at the moment, was actually under anothers command. Maleficus , Captain Frez, and Captain Luvuto, had devised a bit of a plan, though the basics were to catch up to the enemy when they had engaged another allied unit, and flank them from multiple sides. The Survivors from the rear, and the Horsemen Unit from the side.

Captain Luvuto was to lead the the troops with Captain Frez assisting, while also attempting to assist Desoin and Tamsin, who had a unique task of their own. The two were to single out an Invading commander and capture the foe, alive. Desoin, was the Horsemen's expert interrogator, and he was great at capture as well as a great fighter in his own right so it was the best task for the two. The remainder of the enemy were sentenced to death, and no one seemed to object to it. Luvuto had even cheered for it.

Luvuto of course happened to make a bet that he'd fell more Commander's then the Imperfect Warrior, and Nova was eager to accept the bet. Maleficus was here to make a name for himself, and for the action.

The Mercenary. who's aura had been egging to get out, because to roar emmincely, as the Jade Fiend looked onward at the battle below. He counted five Invading commanders, and wondered how many of the four he could kill before Luvuto could kill just one. His energy danced around him in an orange glow, as he looked to the rear line. Near it in the mix, was his first target, but first he would enter the troop lines, in an attempt to cause disarray, and most likely cause the opposing warrior to come find him instead.

Maleficus Nova took in a deep breath, as he looked to the ground, deep within, his power surged, the dark side of his inner powers urging to get out. He exhaled, a smrik comming to his face as his Fiend Wind activated consuming his forearms with rapid wind cycles that danced just as wickedly as his aura. Orbs of energy manifested in his palms, growing to fit smoothly in his hands as he gripped the emerald balls of light. He took in another breath as he looked up. His foot barely moved, and he was dashing down the hill, and into the fray.

The first yellow clad victim didn't see him coming. He didn't even get to see the face of his killer, but it didn't take him long to realize his life was forfeit. As Nova neared the lines, his timing near perfect, he had thrust one hand out, and released the first orb only inches from the back of his prey. The energy entered into the unsuspected's back at the size it was formed, but as it exited through the chest cavity, it expanded in a sweeping motion. The Invader only had a few seconds to look down wondering how his had released such power and realize that it was going through him, before he fell into eternal darkness.

Nova didn't miss a beat and released his second wave of energy into another line of enemies. The Imperfect Fiend knew the shock and awe of his initial attack wouldn't last long, and he had to work fast. He dove deeper into the enemy lines, gathering their attention as he went. His hands and feet were deadly weapons in their own rights, but they were like a mobile slaughter house to the lesser troops. If an appendage didn't end their life then and there, he was confident that they'd still be out of commission and be easier prey for the second wave.

Of course, that's why his entrance had been intentionally flashy, to prepare for the others. Nova knew they'd still be seen coming, if they hadn't been seen now, but they'd be able to hit before the Enemy would recover from his own display. His daring act didn't allow him to go unscathed though; The Namekian Warrior had taken quite a few retaliating and defensive attacks already, none that hindered him, but his cloak had sustained a few rips and tears and exposed a few spots that began to trickle blood.

The Namekian's heel caught the jaw of one ballsy trooper, and the force of the blow caused the head to jaw in a very awkward position, Nova assumed it had severed the spinal cord, and turned to the next foe, knowing that the body had went flying into many of the deceased victims. He noted that the Survivor Unit and the Horsemen Unit had converged onto the closest lines and grinned as he pulled out his chained scythe.

His smile did die quickly though, as he knew his job was no where near being done. As a matter of a fact, now was the time to act. The Jade Fiend dodged out of the way of a charging foe and slashed at the back of his foes neck as the Invader lost his balance and went falling. Maleficus knew he wouldn't be getting back up. Another came with a punch, but Nova simply put a boot to his lower abdomen and sent him in the opposite direction.

As the Rengade caught a small window of opportunity, he set his favored steel weapon into motion, spinning in it a cirular moving, the speed increasing with each rotation. It quickly became hard to see and anyone that actually got near the Mercenary lost a limb, their life, or found themselves in critical condition. Nova knew these grunts were good, as a lesser was, but he had the opinion that his own style was something they were not quite prepared for.

With every few seconds that passed, the feed on the whirling scythe got a little longer and the Nova's hand started to raise and slowly bring the weapon from a vertical position, into an angled position. Still the enemy came, or tried to, but soon the weapon had created a deadly radius about it's wielder, and the Namek had started walking deeper into the Enemy lines. Soon he was where he wanted to be and Mal paused. The invaders had learned to stay out of the way of the biting blade, but Nova wasn't done.

He timed his scythe, and lifted slightly off the ground. Using his energy and and the wind, the Fiend quickly entered a cyclonic spin of his own. He unleashed the remnants of the chain and only held onto the ball with both hands. As it reached it's full extention it snapped tight, and though slight, the Namekian could feel it as it dug into flesh. The Renegade closed his eyes then in an attempt to keep himself from getting dizzy and started moving. It was as if he was a deadly walking, or floating rather, Namekian Tornado.

Maleficus knew he was deep in the enemy ranks that he wouldn't get near any allied units. It was, of course, his whole intention to do so as it would be the easiest way to thin out the Invader's that hadn't been able to reach the lines of combat. Still though, Mal Nova wasn't yet done. He had one more trick up his sleeve. His movement stopped when he was in what he calculated to be close to the heart of the enemy ranks. With a single growl that growl with ferocity, the Warrior released his Fiend Wind.

Normally the assault was straight and direct, but as he was in a rapid rotation, the wind released in a swirled motion, until the built up energy had subsided. The screams he had heard before as he moved were nothing compared to the screams he heard now, but he knew that if he opened his eyes he'd not be able to see anything. That didn't stop him from attempting to imagine the bloodshed though. Still, he knew it would have been better to watch.

Nova's thoughts were cut short though, along with his rotation. And like stopping something that has created a concentrated center, Nova went flying, his hands unable to maintain his grip on the ball end of the weapon. The Namek collided into standing bodies and soon rolled across the ground. Obviously, dizzy from his work, the Namek was unable to find his equilibrium, and faltered as he tried to stand. Of course, being unable to stand and focus, meant that he was an easy target, and was quick to be on the receiving end of a heavy boot.

The Namekian tossed and turned as he tumbled across the ground, boot after boot, catching him continuously in the abdomen. Nova didn't have to see to know that as he had predicted, a Commander had targeted him, he just hadn't expected this one to pack such a kick. Mal let out a grunt as the next assault sent him airborne, this time however, he landed on all fours, his eyes glaring.

Shaking his head free of the dizziness, the Jade Fiend took a moment to observe his opponent. He was about the same height of the Namekian, with his armor a nice shiny gold. Hid girth and build was slightly larger then Nova, but that didn't leave cause for the Namek to worry at all. The Invader, did have a rather large hammer, and the Renegade knew all to well that that was what the foe had used to stop his cyclone blade assault. It was very apparent, though, with the chain still wrapped around the handle.

The New Evil only felt the adrenaline pump through his veins as he charged in to extract vengeance. He was quick to send the larger warrior rocking back on his heels as he sent a barrage of routine blows in his direction. Not being a novice to melee, the Invader was able to work his hammer around to block each and every assault sent in his direction. Each time the hammer, was maneuvered for a block though, the chain wrapped around it slipped and loosened, the scythe head slowly getting close to the ground.

Mal Nova didn't miss it either. He soon found himself on the defensive of the routine as the Invader attempted to play 'Whack-A-Namek", a game that he wasn't to good at because Nova wasn't stupid enough to find out how a blow from that hammer felt. Still, each move made the blade slip a little looser and closer to the ground. Just a little bit more.

The aggravated gold clad warrior said something in his tongue and Mal could only assume it was demanding that he stand and get hit, and the next assault came as a hard two-handed downward chop. Nova parried the blow, used his foot to catch the chain and kicked it upward. Before the hammer wielder could realize what was going on. The Renegade had two ends of the chain in his hand and pulled them tight, holding the enemies hands together.

Nova then closed in on his foe, nearly wrapping him up in a hug, With the scythe in one hand, Nova plunged the blade into the back id the commanders skull. The blade embedded itself so deep into cranium that his come out the other side, nearly catching Mal in his own face. The Mercenary took a step back as his foe fell to the ground and took a moment to look over his foe. He quickly gathered his weapon by the chain, wrapping it as he did, but quickly realized that there was a problem.

The blade was stuck way to deep in the head, and the body of the dead wanted to come along with the scythe. Nova knew that it would be quite amusing if he went around slinging the body in a deadly fashion, but at the same time lugging one around would be such a hindrance. His answer to the dilemma was as simple as the blast he released at the body. His desecration had severed the head from the body, and allowed him to carry around a souvenir of sorts, along with his deadly projectile.

Nova took to the air then, seeing as how no enemy soldier wanted to get near him, so that he could get a better look. at what was going on. Luvuto had managed a wedge formation and had somehow had met with another Commander and were now teamed up against a single commander themselves. Tamsin, Desion and a small escort guard of Mystic's had found and engaged another enemy warrior and seemed to be handling him easy enough. Nova knew their task was actually the toughest. They had to capture, not kill the commander.

Captain Frez had found himself in between the Captain and the duo. His eyes looked in both directions every so often, making sure neither groups were in trouble, and continued his own battle against any yellow clad warrior brave enough to come close enough.

Nova, did note the massacre he had caused, and felt that his actions were more then helpful.

THough, scared and full of fear from the Namek, Maleficus Nova in the air, looked like such an easy target, and those still able fired at him. Nova, who had found two of his remaining targets, returned the favor tenfold as he unleashed a barrage of energy at the foolish invaders. The Namekian dove then, back to the area he had just left, and with a swoop, collected the hammer his enemy had wielded He used the chain to hold it for the moment and within the blink of an eye, vanished.

His unseen flight was short as he managed to land behind another warrior, who now stood over the dead body of a dead militia Captain. Nova, dropped his stealth mode and stepped quickly to the rear of his target. One of his hands slipped underneath the jaw, while the other around his foe's forehead. With a quick thrust one way, and using the reaction of his enemy who instinctively tried t jerk the other way, Nova jerked the hand over the forehead with the direction the invader tried to go. The loud snap told the Namekian that it was already over.

Mal already knew where his final main target was and he grabbed his scythe once again and set it into motion. The fiend wasn't surprised by the effect a commanders head with a blade sticking out of it flying in their direction had on the soldiers. Those that didn't flee felt it's bite. And quick they were to disperse and make a path to the final Warrior. This commander heard the commotion and was ready when the Namek launched the scythe his way.

He caught it.

But Nova was no Novice to the use of his own weapon and sent the ball end his way next. The invader didn't catch it, hadn't even expected it, and that allowed it to catch him in the face, busting cartilage and bone at the same time. The alien released the scythe handle as he clutched at his visage and the mercenary pulled it back and took to the air. The blade hardly reached his hand before it was flying again. It ate away at the neck and shoulder of the invader, splitting the head in half that had stuck to it, and with a heavy yank, there came the squirt of flesh blood.

The Commander clutched at his wound in such surprise at the loss of blood he was releasing. The injury was terminal and the foe would soon foe. Nova would let this one suffer as he slowly slipped away. He turned and gathered the hammer once more and turned in the direction of Luvuto and his other comrades. Luvuto and his ally had taken the life of their target, and were now killing off troops left and right. Desion and Tamsin were still trying to capture the last enemy commander and the Namek couldn't help but smile.

He took flight in their direction and readied the hammer. Tamsin saw him coming first and grabbed Desoin, who was about to go at the foe again. The two looked in the direction of the Imperfect Warrior and the curiosity caused the Invader to mimic their action. He looked just in time to see Nova unleash the hammer. The target moved, and unknown to him so did the hammer. The head of the blunt weapon cracked right into the side of the his knee and he let out a yell as he toppled to the ground.

Their object was to capture this one, not kill, but it wasn't said that they couldn't injure him.


-----------------------------------------


Mal Nova, Tamsin, and Desion, had been charged with escorting their prisoner to a nearby head quarters, as well as reporting to a new assignment. Gelidus had heard of something up Mal's alley and pulled some strings to get him the mission. Nova wasn't fully sure of what the mission actually entailed, but he was told it was going to be a tough challenge. He took a deep long breath, and closed his eyes. He needed to rest a bit.

[Vad]

There she lay. Fragile and so close to death. The medical staff on hand had done their best to patch her up, but in her present condition it was only a matter of time before she died. As Vad sat next to Beatrix's bedside, he took hold of her hand. Pressing it to his cheek a fresh stream of tears rolled down his grime covered face, streaking the blood and dirt that covered him.

"Trixie. You can't die...I love you." He whispered.

It couldn't be happening. They had been through so many close calls in the past. She had regained consciousness enough to transfer herself to his mind. No. He couldn't bear it any longer. Gripping her sheets Vad stood up hunched over her body, his eyes clenched shut; tears were falling onto her bed sheets. One of the nurses stood in the doorway waiting for Vad to collect himself before completing her rounds. The saiyan, his wife, and the man named Prototype were the ones to thank for designing and putting forth the defense procedure that was keeping everyone safe for the time being.

A group of soldiers that had fought briefly with Vad outside of the walls stopped on their way by and approached the nurse.

"Is she going to make it?" One of them asked.

Turning to the group the nurse broke down into tears. One of the men wrapped and arm around her. Just when things looked bleak he heard a faint whisper. Vad's eyes shot open. Noticing the shocked looks on his fellow comrades he looked down to see the hospital bed now empty.

"Love you too." Mistress Zulenka whispered into his mind.

She had regained consciousness for just a brief second. Such was enough for her to transfer herself back into her husband's mind and among his soul where she belonged. Dropping to his knees with relief, but most from exhaustion Vad rested his head in the sheets of the now empty bed and fell into a well deserved sleep.

[Chubbs Story Account]

'This is our plan.' A high ranking Militia-official indicates a small, sleek ship, capable of holding maybe ten people.

'It's small, for greater maneuverability and stealth. It's heat signature is barely enough to register on most scanners. At least, most of our scanners. We are, unfortunately, largely unaware of the enemies technical prowess. But, so far, we haven't seen anything beyond our own capabilities. This ship, in particular, we have good reason to believe will be undetectable. It features our most advanced, stable stealth system.

So, we arrive at the plan: Our man will fly you to the ship, you'll get onboard, and destroy it. The pilot is extremely proficient; one of our best. Due to our lack of intel, we aren't currently certain what the best route will be to breaching the ship, but we will figure it out when we get there.

With any luck, they won't be expecting this. And there it is. You launch as soon as is possible.'

[[You can decide when the ship is launched, Juno.]]

Vad: *BUFF* Filled Reservoir (Indefinite) - Vad has recently experienced extreme emotional anguish. This Buff provides a free Transformation (without the deduction of PP), to be redeemed at any point in the saga. During this Transformation, Vad's CA will be boosted by another x0.5, in addition to the base multiplier of the Tier.

Mal: *BUFF* The Demon (Duration of Saga): The stream and scope of Mal's evisceration of the invaders has not gone unnoticed. In various corners of the army, his name is whispered, with a tone of derision, with an underlying element of fear. While the Invaders are, as a group, battle-hardened, they recognize the strength of him they call 'The Demon.' The effect of this Buff is two-fold; the fear induced in the Invaders will diminish their morale during combat, but the recognition of him as a great enemy will make him a significant target.

[Prototype]

Prototype's propulsion system, a crude but small jet-pack fitted into the space between the shoulder blades, spewed out fire and skin searing heat onto the space port floor. Slowly his feet slipped from the ground until they hung limply by the ankles, the jet-pack usurping his feet's responsibility for direction. Robert felt the artificial energy draining from his core at a speedy rate. He made a mental note to work on a cleaner burning form of flight.

He flexed his fingers. They weren't covered in armoured plating, merely sheathed in the nervo-skin, which he had recently named. The nervo-skin, which was a body tight suit with a synthetic nervous system added to it, was a necessary component to operate the robotic machinery. It allowed him to synchronise his own thoughts and physical feedback with the power suit. It was of brilliant design, and he often daydreamed about utilising the same principles for a far larger concept, but right now his experience as Prototype was proving to be fantastic field testing.

Yet as he craned his neck upward, staring through the emerald visor into the innumerable metal drones bobbing up and down like an aerial minefield, he realised again that the power suit had never come up against such an intimidating, unknown test. While it performed well in short, controlled experiments, Robert had no idea how long he could maintain flight with the thrusters, nor if they would eventually overheat or suddenly guzzle an inordinate gulp of his energy. The retractable energy barrels from his wrist worked simply enough, he couldn't tell if they would inopportunely jam or malfunction, or that they would even manage to contain the energy projectiles ready for firing.

Why was he seizing up? Earlier he was ecstatic about ditching the stuffy, numbers-based upper management meeting for untold adventure and excitement, but now that the moment was here, a strange fear clouded his mind. This is exactly what he wanted, wasn't it? Truthfully he didn't expect his next mission after a simple bank heist to be one of a few super-powered protectors of an alien invasion that wasn't even on Earth, but surely that should have been more stimulating. For all the times he flung scrunched balls of copy paper across the room with the aid of a yielding plastic ruler, wishing he was out making a difference, he decided that now that he got what he wanted, he didn't want it anymore?

No, he told himself. It was just nerves. That was fine. That was natural. He was about to rocket himself towards an unidentified alien mother-ship in an experimental shell of gadgets and wires (albeit expertly created, he smugly reminded himself). That was the entire thrill, though! Without a safety net, riding on his own intelligence, skill and instinct into the gaping maw of an enigmatic beast was what it was all about! Robert grinned within his helmet, noticing the nervous trepidation converting itself into inflated, over-compensatory confidence. He was one damn bad-arse, and he was about to stomp that all over the aliens' faces.

Just then, his communicator tuned into a frequency transmitted from the militia, apparently outside the Ja City space port. The sound was so sudden that Robert almost jumped out of his skin.

'An assault on the Great Ship Myreen is currently being prepared. Gifted warriors who are able to help should report to their Militia to be added to this assault team.'

Robert cooled his jets. The militia were calling out to members that were in a position to assist in taking the massive floating city, ostensibly called the Great Ship Myreen. While Falconer was set on skirting into the alien ship and performing his own examination and subterfuge, a niggling doubt returned to whisper in his mind. What if he wasn't enough? There was a gathering force of like minded individuals who also wanted to remove the giant mechanical blight from the sky, so why not go with others? Safety in numbers and all that.

Prototype attempted to thought-activate the integrated scouter feature of the power suit, but for one reason or another did not respond. He tried a few more times, since the speed of thought made several retries a non-issue, but it refused to listen. Bad wiring, he pondered. In any case, he seemed to recall where the militia were situated.

The bright orange-red hue of the jet-pack's flames lashed from his back, launching him towards where he believed the militia to be.

[Vad]

As General Fum recovered from the loss of General Gloo his forces were ordered to halt their attack upon the spaceport temporarily. He needed to make sure that the next push wouldn't fail as miserably as his last one had.

"That stupid saiyan."

***

Vad pushed his way through the double doors of the main terminal building and out into the secondary command outpost. A large canopy tent had been set up for militia debriefings and outside resting areas. Mounted on a large pole on one end of the tent was a loud speaker which broadcasted when shift changes were to occur and what sectors were under assault.

All of this was by Trixie's design. The rumble of boosters in the distance signaled another civilian pod taking off for Earth; it was followed by a stern voice on the loud speaker.

"MAIN BATTERIES OPEN FIRE! COVER THE TRANSPORT!"

Prototype came through and had provided the landing pads with heavy duty anti-aircraft cannons that fired exploding flak rounds that could sear through reinforced steel. To cover the ship once it exited the atmosphere was a single cannon that had been assembled on top of one of the hangar bays. Shooting large charged particle beams it cleared a path through the alien blockade long enough for the civilian ship to make its jump out of the system.

So far the resistance had only lost one ship. A botched launch caused one of the main barriers of the civilian transport to fail allowing the alien drones to break in and tear the ship apart piece by piece as it ascended. Nobody survived. Making his way through the outpost Vad examined the large table used to track enemy movement around the port.

A series of men each assigned to one of the four sectors stood around it wearing headphones and making notes on the map as the radar tower reported its findings. Plotters as they were called by the human military allowed the local militia leadership to make decisions and keep track of the situation. Vad, Trixie, and Robert may have provided the wall and defense strategy, but they were still just soldiers. The saiyan veteran was okay with that fact.

Activating the scouter contact lens on his right eye telekinetically, Vad set it to a self scan. After a view moments the green heads up display inside his right field of vision started displaying current vital signs. The number he was looking for was the dynamic readout of his powerlevel.

Current Power [Dynamic]: 1128 --Increasing: True

With a heavy sigh Zulenka looked down at his broken arm. General Fum had shattered his elbow and most of his forearm. The scouter began producing an X-ray frequency and the soldier was able to see the extent of the damage; it was bad. The tendons holding his elbow to the shoulder and bicep were fine, but his forearm had been snapped cleanly away; tendons as well. Vad could barely feel his right hand meaning something had nicked the nerve. Refining his view he noted that none of the arteries or veins were damaged, but bruising and swelling were rapidly forming.

The pain was barely noticeable. It was more a throbbing in the back of his mind than anything else. Then again, the combat driven man was in battle mode. Little was going to stop him lest his legs got severed from his body. Switching off his device Vad looked down at his person. His leg armor was mostly intact only having suffered some dents and burns; though it was thoroughly covered in blood. Half of his torso armor was missing and his shoulder pads had been disintegrated by his transformation.

Taking a canteen from the table by the entrance to the outpost he poured it over his face and made a poor attempt to clean the blood from it. It made the already dried blood on the rest of his body create streaks as the cool liquid ran down his person; as it did some of his sewn lacerations began to sting. Dropping the empty container to the ground he took another and walked out through the canvas tent flaps. Unscrewing the top with his teeth he took a drink, gargled, and spit it out on the ground. Off in the distance he spotted a familiar figure land by a group of gathered soldiers awaiting the shift change.

"Robert. Known as Prototype while in the suit." A weak voice squeaked from within Vad's mind.

Swallowing a gulp of water Vad approached the soldiers who instantly stopped talking and looked at the saiyan with shock. Tapping the armored individual on the shoulder he made Prototype turn around. Upon seeing the saiyan again he nearly fell over into the men behind him.

"V..Vad!" Robert said in shock.

Covered in sewn shut lacerations, enemy blood, his wife's demonic blood, and nursing a broken arm Vad was not much help for Prototype's morale.

"If you think I'm bad you should have seen Trixie." He said with a grin as he took another drink from the aluminum canteen.

"Don't worry. How many people do you guys know that can stand on their two feet after directly assaulting two of the commanding leaders of the assault force and killing one of them?"

Most of the men laughed nervously, others just blinked in shock. Robert wasn't so lucky. His earlier thrill had been all but extinguished. Vad could easily sense it, even through the facemask Robert was wearing. Dropping the empty canteen to the ground the saiyan placed his good hand on Prototypes' shoulder.

"Relax, would you? I've got your back. I'll be damned if I let you sustain injury." Vad's signature scowl was gone, but replaced with an emotionless, but serious look.

"We're going to kick some fucking ass."

[Juno]

The hybrid twiddled his thumbs, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet on the conference table. He had been holed up in this room for three hours, just waiting for his assault team — the team of crazy, masochistic soldiers who were (albeit probably unknowingly) throwing their lives away — to arrive. He didn’t know who was in it, or what type of abilities they had that made them think they were ‘capable.’ He just knew that they had signed up, which meant that their mental health must be, in some way, impaired.

Even Juno had been told the lack of hope on this mission. The militia didn’t expect them to succeed; they didn’t suspect anything to succeed, not against these invaders. But they had to try, and so they had to find the best people they could muster to take on the extraterrestrials’ mother-ship, and the half-Saiyan had been willing, and qualified. He’d seen the enemy base — well, sort of — and he had killed tons of the invaders. So… he supposed that he knew enough to lead the team.

And, to be quite honest, the seer had been okay with consequences. They were going to die — all of them. Juno was sure of it. One or two might survive, but the hybrid knew that chances of them living were slim. And he didn’t mind. It was strange, but something inside of him told him that this was it — this was the type of thing the past two years had been building up to. It was funny: it had all started with that stupid bitch, the one who had seduced him, drugged him, and handed him over to Kai Demolic. If she hadn’t done any of that… he wouldn’t even be on the map. None of this would have happened.

~ + ~

“You know, I’m pretty drunk,” the hybrid acknowledged, “So… I may not be making good choices right now.”

“Oh, I think you’re making an awesome choice,” the redhead smirked, leaning over and kissing him on the neck. He moaned slightly, and then grasped her wrist. She stopped, and slid back onto her barstool. “Something wrong, Juno?”

“…how do you know my name?” he asked, but he quickly wrote if off as a drunken slip. “…and, I think that’s a bit too… hot for a public bar, miss.”

The redhead smiled her seductive smile and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him again. Juno didn’t realize it, but while his eyes were closed, she dropped a tiny white tablet into his drink. After she released him from the kiss, he reached over, grabbed the glass, and took one last swig.

“Why don’t we go up to my room?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrow, “I’m feeling a bit… tired.”

“Sure,” the hybrid hiccupped. He had no idea what he was getting into.

~ + ~

Now, however, he had to think about the present. There was a ship waiting for him and his crew members — ten seats, if they needed that many. That ship would take them up to the Grand Ship Myreen, and there, they would have to do what they could to survive; even though in the end, it would probably all be in vain.

The door swung open.

“Shit.”

Juliet Bracken, purple hair flowing down her back, sauntered in, a smile on her face, and sat at the opposite end of the conference table. She leaned back, mimicking Juno’s sitting posture, and let her grin grow wider.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Juno muttered, quickly jumping to his feet, “They hired you? Do they even fucking know who you are? You’re a fucking criminal.”

“And you’re a hopeless, washed-up, wannabe hero,” Juliet replied, raising her eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend. She stood, and walked around the table, getting as close to the hybrid as she dared. “I’m on your team because I’m capable. You know it, and I know it. And I promise I’m not going to try to usurp your power, Juno. That’s the last thing I had in mind.”

Juno had never been a guy for serious relationships, but Juliet had been the exception. They had worked together on Frost, and the hybrid had thought her to be dead. He had been wrong.

The violet-haired girl had turned up again months later, on Earth, as the leader of a revolution against the government of Central City. Juno had followed her, in some desperate attempt to get ‘love’ or whatever it was that she offered to him — and then, he had played a role in making sure she went to prison for her crimes. Now, she was here, fighting for what she had tried to destroy, and he didn’t know her motivations — he was comforted by the fact that he didn’t think she did, either.

Juliet looked over her shoulder, and the hybrid followed her gaze to see a Namekian sitting in the chair she had vacated. Juno, confused, shuffled past Juliet and narrowed his eyes — he hadn’t seen many Namekians before, but this one most definitely did not fit the description he’d imagined. He seemed less… meditative and more… angry, for lack of a better word.

“Hey, buddy,” the seer started, “Mind telling me who you are?”

“Maleficus Nova,” the Namekian hissed, “And I will be joining you.” Unsure, the hybrid glanced back at Juliet — a gesture of trust that he could’ve slapped himself for — and she shrugged in reply.

“Uhhh,” Juno bit his lip, “Sure, yeah. D’you mind if I call you Mal? It’s shorter, and easier for guys like me.” The green alien did not reply, but merely looked up at the half-Saiyan, his scowl remaining stagnant on his face. Turning back to Juliet, Juno muttered, almost to himself, “…guess not.”

He’s intriguing, the purple-haired woman projected to Juno telepathically.

He’s freaking me out, the hybrid replied.

I can hear you.

Juno and Juliet almost jumped out of their skin, turning around and looking at Maleficus. The Namek’s scowl had grown deeper. “I have companions,” he said simply, “Outside. They must join us.”

The hairs on Juno’s neck continued to stand on end. This guy freaked the hell out of him, and he didn’t really want to know what company he kept. But he sold out. “Sure,” he said, “The more… the merrier.” He bit his lip nervously, and turned back to Juliet. Her expression showed she was as confused as he was.

Another pair of warriors hobbled in — well, at least, one of them was hobbling. He wasn’t exactly injured in the legs, but he was nursing what appeared to be a broken arm. He was also very familiar: Vad Zulenka, the gargantuan Saiyan warrior who had met the resistance in defense of Central City’s government. He was bloodied and bruised, but aside from the broken arm, appeared to be in fighting condition.

Aside from the broken arm. Juno almost shot himself. How the hell was he supposed to fight these aliens with only one arm? The hybrid began doubting how much importance the militia placed in this mission — sure, its failure had been pretty much guaranteed, but it was if, by sending him a crippled warrior, they were sealing the deal. Did the higher-ups even want them to succeed?

Beside the Saiyan was another, notably smaller-framed, man. He was slightly more meek-looking than Vad, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether or not he wanted to be here; he wore a full-body black suit, not dissimilar to the lower class of soldiers.

“…wait,” Vad coughed, “…it’s you.”

Juno smiled. “Yeah, it’s me — ”

“No, not you,” the Saiyan held up his good hand to signal the hybrid to stop talking. He pointed at the purple-haired vixen standing behind him, “It’s you. The girl from Central City. You were on the posters.” Juno looked back at Juliet, who bit her lip nervously, and stepped forward, standing beside the hybrid.

“Yeah, about that,” she began, “I’m… not exactly into this whole dying thing, so whether or not I actually care for my bosses doesn’t matter right now. I’m helping to kill these aliens. And then after that I can do what I please.”

The hybrid glanced over at Juliet, relieved by this — at least he could be certain that this wasn’t her attempt at sabotage. Unless, of course, she was lying; but the hybrid didn’t think so. He didn’t see her lying about something like that. The Juliet he knew — both of them, because the one he’d met on Frost and the one he’d met on Earth seemed to be vastly different people — did have one constant: her desire for self-preservation. Which meant, he hoped, that she was as fully committed to this mission as she claimed to be.

“Your friend is kind of scrawny,” she continued, kind of frankly, gesturing toward the smaller man next to Vad.

“Oh,” the black-suited man spoke up, “I’m Falconer. Robert Falconer. I’ve got a… special weapon, if you catch my drift.”

“You had better not be trying to flirt with me,” Juliet leered.

“No, no, not at all, miss, I just — ”

A low growl was heard from Mal Nova’s direction, and the four other warriors glanced over at him. Juno, in an attempt to break the awkward air that had filled the room, clapped his hands and grinned.

“Alright,” he said loudly, “So… who wants to move out?”

[Prototype]

Robert wasn't being received as warmly as he had thought. This was war, he guessed, and people weren't exactly renowned for their kind attitudes in the army. Besides, he must've looked rather fashion-senseless as he strode about in his nervo-suit, his Prototype armour restricted back to their individual capsules. He hadn't given it much thought, since the sight of the heavily bruised Vad had shut off most stray thoughts.

He activated the capsule secured to his waist, and after the shroud of smoke receded, was clad back in his magenta robe, pink buttoned shirt and dark, somewhat baggy slacks. While he was comfortable again, his casual attire certainly made him stand out against the uniformly dressed militia. Wherever he was on Namek, he would be a fish out of water. He decided he might as well be a little at ease, if only because he wore what he wanted.

Vad's disheveled, beaten appearance had thrown a hefty amount of salt onto his adventurous flame. It took a decent effort to convince himself not to turn tails and run to the safety of the meeting he was sure had already begun. Then to see Vad, a man who stopped a crashing car with the palm of his hand, scored and pockmarked by wounds and dried blood, was instantly concerning. If an experienced warrior like him was so badly beaten against the alien's forces, what chance did an experimental metal shell over a thirty-something year old inventor have?

Yet, whatever happened to Vad didn't dampen the confident spirit that was housed beneath several kilos of metal armour and even more kilos of hardened muscle. It was like he spotted Robert's trepidation and immediately set out to wipe it out. The manner in which Vad spoke, calm and collected even while untreated for his various wounds, gave Falconer a strange sense of mysterious appeasement. While walking into the militia bar and losing a portion of it in the exchange with the feisty woman, it stopped him from altogether losing it and exchanging his deal with the militia with sitting in the corner while cradled into the fetal position and crying.

Vad also seemed to notice this pugnacious female as some sort of criminal, although Robert wasn't devoting his full attention to the conversation until he was mentioned. Rather rudely, he thought. The scrawny looking one? Sure he was no bodybuilder, but ... well, maybe she had a point. Still, she didn't have to say it with that tone of voice, like having him there was a liability. OK, sure, maybe he was a little, but he still resented it.

There was also a grungy little guy there, with short brown hair and the look of a mercenary. He seemed to act as the unofficial leader, although from the outside he didn't look like much. Vad was the closest thing Robert had seen to reliable on this planet, and his instinct told him to stick with him despite his injuries.

A namekian covered in a black robe atypical of the agrarian race also waited nearby, close enough to be part of the group but far enough to only be on the outskirts of conversation. He watched intensely the ongoings of the motley group without actually contributing. There was a freaky, unsettling feeling to him. Maybe emos weren't confined to Earth?

Once everyone had exchanged ... pleasantries, Juno offered to begin the assault on the Grand Ship Myreen. Robert was fine with it, gesturing with a nod. Going up there with a few others to watch his back was the whole reason he came here, otherwise he would have engaged the floating city by himself.

"Are you feeling all right?" Robert said to Vad, who, considering his damages, was standing with ease without showing pain.

"I'll be fine." He spoke it like it was fact. If Falconer was in that position, he definitely wouldn't answer like that.

"All right, let's go then!" Robert said with a boost of enthusiasm. No one shared it, but no one disagreed. The unlikely clan made their way to their transport.

[Juno]

Falconer’s enthusiasm prompted a shuffling of the comrades as they began to prepare for the journey to the ship. The ship, supposedly, would fly them cleanly up to the Grand Ship Myreen, where they would commence their suicide mission.

“Everybody… uh,” Juno started, attempting to sound as leader-ish as possible, “…everybody go and… make necessary preparations. We’ll all meet on the landing pad in, say, thirty minutes or so? Then we’ve got to get going. Our time is running pretty short.” Mal Nova didn’t take long to oblige, and was the first one to leave, followed by Falconer, who was eager to go make sure his robotic suit was ready for transport. Vad turned to leave.

“I think that guy’s suspicious of me,” Juliet whispered in Juno’s ear, gesticulating toward Vad. The hybrid glanced at his feminine comrade.

“What could’ve given you that idea?” he responded, rolling his eyes to accentuate the sarcasm. It wouldn’t have been necessary; his comment had practically been dripping in sarcasm — Juliet would’ve been a true fool if she’d missed it.

“I’m gonna go talk to him,” the purple-haired girl decided out loud.

“…you really think that’s a good idea?” Juno asked.

“I mean, we’ve got to trust each other, right? Be able to come together as a team, and all of that shit?” she shrugged, and before Juno could even think about trying to stop her, she had nodded her head decisively and begun the trek toward Vad, preparing to make sure her actions during the rebellion hadn’t caused any… well, for lack of a better term, hard feelings between them.

Fuck, Juno cursed.

If he were to be honest, Juno didn’t particularly agree with Juliet that attempting to smooth things over with Vad — if, of course, there was anything to smooth over at all — was the best idea, at least not right now. Of course, she was right; they would need to all be able to coalesce well, as a team, to get the job done, but perhaps that didn’t have much credence to the hybrid because he had never, in the first place, believed that the job would, in fact, get done.

Or, perhaps, it had something to do with the ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it’ philosophy that Juno normally adopted. Juliet, on the contrary, seemed to be taking the ‘burn the bridge down as soon as possible’ approach.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That quote counted itself among Juno’s preferred sayings, and at the moment, it seemed particularly relevant. The hybrid’s eyes rolled to look at Juliet, who still stood locked in conversation with Vad, as she had been for several minutes, now. Surprisingly enough, from the looks of it, Zulenka’s most recent comment had extended beyond what Juno had grown used to with the black-haired man; he appeared to be steadily providing input into the discussion, something that hadn’t been an ability the half-Saiyan would’ve believed the full-blood possessed.

Juliet, it seemed, did not place as much merit into this discovery — she refrained from replying — as she spun toward Juno, walking briskly across the room. Her brow furrowed angrily, and her fists clenched tightly; Vad did not seem to have been all that affected by their conversation as he turned to leave rather abruptly but without a hostile expression like Juliet’s on his face, so Juno chocked it up to the fact that Juliet was, in fact, a woman. The hybrid bit his lip; whatever the full-blooded Saiyan had taken such an extended (for him, at least) amount of time to say seemed to have set off the purple-haired vixen’s nerves.

“Something wrong, princess?” the hybrid scoffed, daringly. Amusement did not even think to cross Juliet’s face; it looked as if the human girl did not desire to grace his sarcastic comment with even so much as a chuckle, or a girlish giggle. No; she didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. At this point, the hybrid became exponentially more concerned for his own well-being — his comment had been in jest, but the violet-haired girl’s temper outweighed any sense of reason or amiability she had possessed before.

“You’d be wise to watch your tongue,” she spat back, sliding into a seat with a furious vigor. The hybrid stifled a laugh — this was the Juliet he remembered from Central City, the one with spark, and fervor. Her newly-crippled frame gave little justice to the fire that flowed through her blood-stream.

“That’s right, order me around,” the hybrid smirked, “because you’re totally in a position to do that.” He slid into the seat next to her, and sat his elbows on the table. Silence engulfed them for several seconds — during which the hybrid took up, once again, the practice of twiddling his thumbs — before the intricate mind of his female companion (his only female companion, he’d noticed regrettably) formulated what she might’ve considered an apt reply.

“Don’t, Juno,” she mustered. The hybrid, once again, held back a giggle; was that the best she could come up with? She continued, “You might be the leader of this… team, but don’t think for one second you’re going to get away with — ”

“Treating you like crap?” Juno interrupted, and Juliet let out a lengthy sigh before nodding. “Juliet,” Juno began, “You’re my convicted felon ex-girlfriend. I’m pretty sure that it’s socially acceptable for me to treat you like crap.” He smiled, to make sure the joking intent of the comment got across, and the purple-haired girl just looked up at him, laughing weakly.

The hybrid looked away from her, chuckling a bit, as well. “You know what?” he said, just loud enough so that she could hear, “You’re not so bad after all, doll.”

Juliet’s face grew red; it seemed that using the word ‘doll’ to describe had a pretty embarrassing result, even if the room was empty. The laughter subsided rather quickly, but the smile didn’t leave the girl’s face; Juno turned to her, and without thinking about it any more, leaned in and kissed her.

The touch of her lips to his wasn’t unfamiliar — no, he’d done this before — but this time, something new brightened the experience. He let himself sink into the moment, reaching up and gently letting his fingers touch her cheek, before he pulled back; and then, he didn’t know whether or not to feel guilty or exhilarated. That might not have been what she had wanted (as if that had stopped him before); but, then, again, she hadn’t fought him at all. It turned out that his fears, however small they may have been, were unfounded, because she took only a few seconds’ pause before feeling urged to stand up, and sit on the table, leaning down and kissing him. He stood from his chair, and fumbled to place his hands on her waist — it was difficult with his eyes closed — as he let the kiss dwell, growing in passion with each passing second.

Her gentle, delicate hand brushed up his arm, fiddling with the fabric of his coat. She tugged — ever so lightly — on the sleeve of the pea-coat, and Juno followed this physical stimulus almost robotically, shrugging his shoulders and letting the jacket fall off of him, to his feet. He broke the kiss, stepping back and smiling in satisfaction. He didn’t know what was going on, but this felt so right — back in her embrace. Almost as if fate had brought them together again, at their lowest points.

He pulled off his long-sleeve black shirt, dropping it into the pile with his coat. Juliet reached toward him, letting her fingers graze his abdomen gently as he bit his lip, holding back the heat building up inside him. It had been a while since he’d felt like this — since he’d done this, actually. Normally, he tried to make this a common occurrence, but he either hadn’t been lucky or hadn’t been willing to make an effort in the past several months. Suddenly, though, all the wheels were turning; all the pieces seemed to fit; and right now, he felt complete.

Thoughts of getting caught — not just by his teammates, but by anyone in the complex — began racing through his head, and he shot a glance across the conference room. “Hold on,” he muttered to Juliet as she attempted to pull him in closer. He kicked off his shoes and ran across the room, closing the door to the conference room and pulling the blinds shut.

I feel, he thought whimsically, gazing over his shoulder at Juliet, who was lifting her own shirt off and tossing it into the pile with Juno’s clothes, like a teenager again. He couldn’t deny the youthful, almost fairytale circumstances that surrounded this particular encounter. Firstly, there was the stigma of getting caught, which reminded him vaguely of finding awkward times or places for sex in his younger years, and secondly, there was the general romance of it all — it hadn’t been preplanned, but rather, driven purely by whatever hormones they had left.

As the hybrid crossed back to her, Juliet slid her pants off and let them fall to the conference room floor. She scooted back onto the table, and Juno climbed atop it, straddling her hips as she laid back onto the shining glass. He kissed her stomach, and she moaned musically, letting her eyes slip closed. Her hands carefully stroked Juno’s hair, gripping it more tightly with every second he kissed her exposed abdomen. Eventually, she clutched his black mop viciously, and yanked his head to be parallel with hers. His clothed crotch — still covered by the form-fitting underwear he wore — pressed into hers, and he felt a surge of adrenaline flow into him. She pulled his face into hers and kissed him hungrily, letting her lips mingle with his own.

“Juliet — ” he exhaled gently, through the kiss; it was one of the most meaningful he had ever been a part of, but he didn’t know why. The most logical reason, he considered, was that he knew that this mission wasn’t going to end well — so, now that he had a chance to experience, perhaps for the last time, one of the universe’s greatest pleasures, why give up the chance?

Still, a troubling thought plagued his mind — what if this wasn’t what they needed to be doing? They were arguably two of the most powerful warriors the militia had to offer, and they were almost fucking each other on a conference table? Shouldn’t they be out there fighting, or… at least… preparing to fight? That was probably what Vad was doing, and what Falconer was doing — even that Namek. Juno, though, had been taken over by his more… primal instincts.

Abruptly, Juliet’s fingers slipping beneath the brim of his boxer-briefs interrupted these thoughts, almost washing away his doubts; he began to trembled, but through his heavy breathing, he managed to spit out what he was trying to say: “Juliet,” he moaned, “Juliet, I… shouldn’t we be… getting read to lift off?”

Juliet giggled. “I guess — maybe,” she muttered, letting her fingers run through Juno’s hair again, “But — we can finish quick, right?” Juno hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps all they needed was to speed the process up a bit? He was pretty much ready to move on, save for the fact that he still had a layer of clothing on, as did she. As if she’d read his mind, she took the fingers that had been stroking him and began to slide his underwear down his legs. Eventually, that was off, and had joined the pile of clothes below.

Juno leaned down and kissed Juliet’s neck, letting the burning sensation inside of him bubble up, fiddling with the strap of her bra. He had consigned himself to savor this good feeling — for however long it could possibly last.

~ + ~

Is this what euphoria feels like?

The hybrid bobbed back and forth on his heels as he and Juliet walked, rather casually considering what had just occurred between them, down the hallway. They hadn’t spoken much after the act had finished — just enough to express their satisfaction and inform the other how ‘great’ they were, then get dressed again. There wasn’t any use, Juliet had said, at showing up at the launch pad naked.

Juno wasn’t quite sure of the etiquette — it hadn’t been long ago that he had loathed this girl, and suddenly, he was sleeping with her all over again? He supposed that nothing had exactly been outlined, and no committed relationship had been agreed upon, so he left himself to assume this was a one-time thing. He didn’t exactly know why he was dwelling on this, though; his death, he knew, was imminent. Somehow, though, fucking Juliet that one last time had served to bring a glimmer of hope into these dark circumstances.

One thought did pop into his mind that actually had some relevance, no matter whether or not they lived or died — since this was, effectively, a one night (day?) stand, was he required to keep it a secret? He supposed that he would, just in case.

They arrived at the launch pad without another word, and without delay; they weren’t the first ones there, though. All three of their other team mates had already arrived, and were waiting for them to get going. Juno’s stomach sank a bit — perhaps, then, he had been right when he’d thought having sex wasn’t exactly a productive use of his time.

“Sooo,” Robert said, looking up at the two new arrivals, “Where have you guys been?”

“Uh,” Juno muttered.

“We were talking,” Juliet snapped, for whatever reason having taken a dislike to Falconer. Juno shot her a glance — the guy had some robotic mega-suit, according to his file, which meant that he was in the hybrid’s good books.

“My armor is taking up most of the back cargo space, so there’s not much room for weapons, but if you guys are anything like Vad, you won’t need them,” Falconer commented.

Juno nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed, “The cargo’s not much use to us. We can hold our own without the big guns.” Having said that, the hybrid glanced around — Zulenka, the Saiyan, glared at Juliet for a brief second before turning and boarding the ship. Juno followed him next, and took a seat near the back. Robert Falconer slid into a seat a few rows up, near Vad — but not too awful close — and Mal Nova sat in the very back of the shuttle. Lastly, Juliet took the seat next to Juno, covertly laying her hand on top of his.

…I’m definitely going to have to get out of this alive.

A buzzing could be heard all around them as the hover-craft began to take off, and a slight jerk knocked the passengers off balance for a second as it took off, heading upward into the Namekian sky, above Ja City, and toward the Grand Ship Myreen. Breathing, and attempting to let his nerves calm, Juno turned to Juliet. “This,” he said anxiously, “is going to be fucking epic.”

“Motherfucking epic, Juno,” Juliet nodded, squeezing his hand and moving her face closer to his — just close enough to tease him — “motherfucking epic.”

Several minutes passed, without incident. The ship flew smoothly after that initial jerk, and through the side windows, Juno and Juliet watched the ongoing siege of Ja City — most of it had subsided thanks to Vad’s efforts, but a few smaller battles continued to be waged.

All of a sudden, the hybrid flew into a vision, activated by his Foresight — he snapped back into reality, and stood from his seat, and attempted, as quickly as he could, to warn the pilot at the head of the ship: “Go down!”

It was too late, though — they were too close to the ship, and the pilot had no time to evade the lime green blast of energy that ripped through the ship; Juno grasped Juliet by the waste and flew her out of the way of the disintegration beam, watching as Vad took Falconer by the arm and flew him out. His prototype armor, thankfully, was saved, and Vad quickly helped him get inside of it, prepping for whatever battle was about to occur. Juno didn’t see Mal Nova’s escape, but somehow, the Namekian ended up hovering not too far from him.

Six alien drones, possibly piloted by the humanoid aliens themselves, whizzed out of the Grand Ship, hovering just a few yards away from the militia warriors; Juno let go of Juliet’s waste and launched a Pop at them, but it quickly flew off to one side, letting the violet blast of ki graze the mothership’s surface, instead. “Shit,” the hybrid cursed to himself, “…this is their most advanced, stable stealth system? So much for that.”

[Vad]

Another thing that soldiers hated, especially veteran ones, was waiting. Waiting for a mission to start for new recruits was nerve racking and slowly ate away at morale. On the flipside it was infuriating for those who were veterans of combat. The nervous chatter, the uneasy feelings of those around them, even the basic fact that they had to fight with those who were not accustomed to dodging automatic fire or punting a live grenade back to the enemy soldier who had thrown it.

Trixie still wasn't talking. Every now and again she would assure him she was still within his mind, but for the most part the reckless saiyan was alone with his own thoughts. The purple haired woman accompanying Juno had brought up the blonde haired courier from Central City. Juno had lead the group to the ship they were going to be using to infiltrate the Myreen Cruiser floating above the spaceport. Turning to head toward the forward outpost for a quick Situation Report Vad was intercepted by Juliet.

"I take it you remember my antics in Central City?" Juliet asked.

Vad turned to address the purple haired woman standing before him.

"Of course."

"Do you suppose we could put it behind us for now?"

Vad laughed. "Whatever. I don't give a shit. I'm the reason half that city was wrecked. If I hadn't been blackmailed into working for the Sentinels I probably would have left you alone. And because of whom I was working for I couldn't end the situation my way. If you thought your hostages would have stopped me from goring your stomach and feeding your intestines to your men you thought wrong. I was on a leash. Thus your head isn't on a pike."

With a quick once over Vad resumed his trek toward the outpost leaving the woman behind. Juliet was taken aback. Was what he saying true? This saiyan would sacrifice children to kill her? No. It couldn't be true. Then again the present condition of the saiyan, along with the fact that he was still standing, lead her to believe his statement. She returned to Juno with a disgusted look on her face.

Frankly Vad was only concerned about his wife at the moment. Without looking he bumped into a nurse crossing his path. Zulenkas' stature effectively knocked her to the ground, but her impact did nothing but make his arm throb a bit more. She was attractive; more cute than sexy. The woman's brown hair was tied into a bun which was neatly tucked under a hat that bore a red cross. Her white nurses dress was stained with various sources of blood, having come from the trauma ward. Holding his good hand out to her Vad helped the woman up. Without a word she reached into her pocket and pulled out a pill bottle.

"Mr. Zulenka?"

Vad focused a bit less on her chest, which made his wife growl with jealousy, and met her eyes with his.

"What." He said plainly.

"Thi-...this came for you in the trauma ward. I had a spare moment so I brought it over here. The soldiers coming off of duty said you had headed off toward the conference room." She held out the bottle for him to take.

"What is it?"

The nurse shuffled her feet nervously. "It's an experimental pill that induces a severe biological acceleration, completely restoring your body to full physical health. I was told that you are going to need to remove that cast if you plan to take it."

Raising an eyebrow at the woman before him Vad took the bottle and dismissed her. A pill that could completely restore his physical condition. Upon closer examination of the bottle he discovered the words "Vox Populi" on the side.

"That's strange. The realm research company is called Vox Populi. Could this be...? No..."

Whatever Vad had just been handed it had a meaning to Trixie. She was whispering aloud to herself. In her current state she probably wasn't aware that she was in Vad's mind; not surprising really. General Fum had literally tried to skewer her.

Twisting off the cap with his teeth, letting the metal on his broken arm dissolve, Vad popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it. His broken limb has become black with bruising and was oozing through several lacerations that had been overlooked during his initial check up from earlier. Almost immediately the man's muscles tensed and bulked up slightly. A loud CRACK like that of wood snapping came from his injured arm as it was mended and returned to full strength. As if acting with a mind of its own his right bicep contracted, pulling his previously destroyed arm into a flexing position. The muscles around his newly healed elbow bulged with energy, the tendons strengthening themselves to match his other elbow.

As quickly as it had started, the process moved from his elbow and into the rest of his body. A pink mist began to seep out of every pore, healing each scrape, cut, and wound it came in contact with on his body. Lacerations were closed up, bruises were removed, swelling was reduced, and his muscles were strengthened back to a ready state. His blue aura was activated briefly in a flash that resulted in a brief scouter message that he had programmed to mean his operational status was now at maximum. As the process ended Zulenka's eyes flashed a bright shade of neon pink which faded with a second brilliant flash of pink energy from his eyes. Letting his right arm fall to his side, Vad pocketed the bottle and examined his newly healed body.

***

Vad was now aboard the vessel that was going to be taking them to the alien cruiser hovering precariously above the space port. Their task was to destroy it. The saiyan only hoped that Juno was smart enough to move it out from over the spaceport so it's falling debris wouldn't rain down upon the space port. Robert sat a couple seats to his right; the man was obviously scared of him. Finally once everyone was on board the ship took off and proceeded on its' path toward the Myreen.

It happened fast. A green particle beam ripped through the center of the ship after a course change from Juno. Quickly grabbing Robert, Vad burst through the glass window to his left. As the ship blew apart Robert's armor was ejected from the cargo hold and left to plummet to the ground. A streak of neon pink light exploded from Zulenka's body toward the armor. Reaching the falling device it shop upward, angling toward Robert. Striking him square in the chest the man was completely enveloped in a bright flash of colored light. When the light faded, the energy streak returning to Vad, Prototype was in place with his boosters on flight mode.

The targeting reticule on Vad's scouter quickly turned red and began tracking six different targets coming toward his vicinity.

"Fuck! Trixie! Evasive action!" The saiyan shouted aloud.

A violent explosion of pink energy burst forth once again from Vad's body, but this time a female emerged from within. Zulenka's blue aura rapidly formed around his body as he brought his energy into attack mode. Pile driving one of the drones Beatrix ripped out it's innards and tossed them to the ground.

Glitch count. One.

[Mal Nova]

It was what he was made for. What he lived for. It was who he was. His life force. But more then anything, it was the perfect opportunity for him.

Nova, who had been healed of his wounds on their trip here, unclasped his dark orange cloak that was lined with ranger green. He left it where it lay, knowing all to well that wearing it could be a hindrance once they got to the Grand Ship Myreen. No one had told him if this was more of a stealth mission or not, and having to take it off once they got there so that he could move without being seen and so that an enemy wouldn't whiip around and see the flap of a cloak as he whisked around a corner would only leave a trail of where they had been.

Without the cloak though, the Imperfect Namek was exposed to the eyes of those around him. His right shoulder and upper arm seemed metallic at look, though was fleshlike enough for him to move like any other being. It was the nano-technology that had been spliced into his genetics when his egg had been prematurely cracked. His base attire, tohugh was similar to his cloak though in color, dark orange a with green trim. The vest he wore though, was mercenary style with quite a few pockets along with a few slots for other things. In the slots were of course a few daggers and blades, of course they were hardly ever needed or used.

Across his chest was his favored chained scythe, and if one were to look into the pockets, they'd find a few fancy capsules perfect for military and mercenary work. There was however, one additional characteristic that allowed the Jade Fiend to stick out. The left side of his face had partial tribal markings that resembled that of a wolf. It covered just over a quarter of his face, and seemed as if it was left unfinished.

Outside, away from the others, Nova met up with Tamsin, who was busy with her own work. As he strode up to her, his curiosity getting the best of him, he observed the project she was tinkering with. The Servus Maid looked up from his shadow and paused for a moment. It was unusual for her to see the Mercenary uncloaked unless he was in fact in the midst of a battle and it happened to be shredded. She recognized she was staring though and quickly looked down and handed Maleficus a small two piece device.

The first piece was a glove of sorts, that clasped around the wrist and went around two fingers. The fingers of course were cut so that his nails wouldn't be hindered of thier deadly use. The second piece was more of a container that strapped on the same shoulder as the glove.

"Here I made this for you", The adolescent spoke with an innocent smile. The Namekian looked at it, and wasn't quite sure what it was for or how it was used, but he placed the glove on first, as it was the most obvious part of the contraption. As he slid the second piece on, Suzaku stood up and assisted him, "I saw you in battle with your scythe and realized that there were a few flaws with how you first bring it into battle."

Nova eyed her without a word, as she adjusted the shoulder piece for a perfect fit. Not many would have the guts to actually tell him he was flawed in his battle style, and most would lose their lives as they tested out their observation, but he knew that the only one that would actually know would be her, and he wouldn't lift a finger to actually hurt her. Even if she was so childishly blunt. Of course, he was eager to hear what she had to say, but he wouldn't ever let it show. His soul had calloused over the time they had spent apart and it was hard to express himself even more then it had been before.

"This will allow you to actually store the blade on the inside of your wrist, and using a similar interface to the nano-technology you possess, you can call it to your hand with a bit of thought and action." The Maid pattered her hand on the mechanical container next, "The excess is stored here, and can feed or retract it as desired as long as it has feed."

Mal Nova looked at it for a moment as Tamsin lifted the chained scythe from the Jafe Fiends body and placed the ball end into the open end of the container. Malfiecus, took a few moments to consider it and balled his fist up and thought for it to retract, and it actually began to reel in the chain. As it did, the Namekian clasped the scythe to the wrist holder and watched as the chain yielded perfectly, giving the Namek full access to the use of his arm. He moved it around and he wanted to smile, but of course he didn't.

"It also frees up one of your hands and can help-" Mal Nova raised his hand to stop her and nodded. The words 'thank you' weren't in his vocabulary for such a situation, and the nod would have to do.

"Also, if you notice that there's room for a third piece on the glove. If you ever decide to get a Power Sync Ring, the glove is already able set to function with it."

Nova, had kept his eye on her, he had known Tamsin to be one eager to please him. but she had never gone as far as to put so much work into a device. He stared into her eyes, trying to see what was wrong, but she looked away and got red in the face. She was blushing but was hiding something. He knew he could ask her what was wrong but he figured she would say that nothing was. She was stubborn and wanted to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders for him, and he acknowledged it and tried to help, but it was hard sometimes.

Deep in her thoughts, there was a cloud of sorts, that she seemed to reject him from feeling, and he knew that the two were linked, but again, he knew it was helpless for the moment.

"This is a great tool', Was all he said.


------

Desoin walked out of the interrogation room a stern visage on his face. Outside, there was Enroshia waiting for him. Desoin, a black haired Mystic baring white armor and a single sword, was quite different from and came from a different sort then Enroshia. Enroshia, white haired and wearing long lose crimson attire with two twin scimitars was the Higher Up's personal tool. They used him to oversee things in the north quadrant and keep tracks of their current Reaper. Desoin, was from one of the families in the Land Hidden from Time, a place where the Mystics could live in peace away from outsiders.

The two knew of each other but hardly ever conversed. But now they met face to face.

"What did you find out?" Enro questioned.

The Raven haired Elf looked up, "I'm not sure. Their language is a pain to cipher. It will take some time. Not to mention Maleficus had already shattered his knee so it's hard to get info out of someone who is already concentrating on another form of pain." Most Mystics had their own specialties outside of their lands, and Desoin's was the ability to read minds and use a painful interrogation tactic in the same manner. Enroshia's was a bit different actually. The white haired mystic was able to plain hop as well as port with the use of portals, across the area. His physical prowess of course was also said to be unrivaled by any other Mystic. That and Enroshia was said to be the giant known as Arbiter, the Arbitrator of Heaven and Hell.

Desoin wasn't a slouch as a fighter, but he felt his own unique skills were a better tool at times.

"Is it true though, about Tamsin?" Des had to ask.

Enroshia nodded his head, "Yeah. If she can't track the Gypsy down soon, the poison curse will kill her."

"And she wont tell Maleficus? He'd be able to help her!" The white armored Mystic found it foolish the way the Servus woman was acting. Who wouldn't want to live? If it was pride, or something else, survival was an important aspect to life, even if it meant asking for help.

"It's hard to understand, and to explain. But I came here to give these to you." The Duo-Scimitar wielder produced three circular devices. Each one was a different color, red, orange, and green. "Make sure Nova gets them. The orange one is there to open a portal that will bring forth A squad of Mystics and Guardians. The Green one will-" Enroshia stopped and looked disturbed as his face twisted. "I am sorry I have to go!" Enroshia turned around and a portal opened and off the crimson clad Mystic fled.

Desoin looked down wondering what the other two opened, but shook his head in bemusement. Nova would find them out eventually, he supposed.

------------

Desoin and Tamsin, who had boarded the transport before the others and were rather quiet , not sticking out much, didn't resist the urging to get the hell out of dodge. Nova was quick to open a way with a quick blast and neither hesitated to follow his lead.

The Namekian watched as their transport was obliterated and the Rogue, was quick to check around for casualties. Everyone had seemed to make it out safe, with the exception of the pilot. Maleficus Nova, looked towards the others, and had to wonder just how good they were. The pilot was supposed to be good, but he was quick to be shown how good he actually had been. Vad was here, along with his companion, the Jade Fiend noted, as she tore through an enemy mechanical suit.

He noted that five more were headed their way, and his mind quickly turned to them. Desoin and Tamsin stayed behind with a wave of his hand, and the Imperfect Namekian went to work. This ship was suppose to be their target so he supposed the opposition would be stronger as well and needed to test out whether or not his assumption was true. The Renegade's aura flared it's dark orange glow and the Fiend took target on one of the drones.

The foe fired blast after blast at the oncoming Namek, but the Namekian averted each attack by dodging and evading each blow. He launched his own set of energy blasts. The suit, though mechanical as it seemed, was quite maneuverable and mimicked the Namekians own tactic. Nova wasn't any fool though and met up in a melee air combat. His fists met alloy and the drone was able to fend off any real damage to the suit with mere ease.

Nova quickly added a boot here and there attempting to throw his opponent off, and quickly wondered what was beneath it. The Renegade looked to his right arm that held the scythe blade at his wrist and he knew what he wanted to do. He threw a wild heavy punch with the arm, and the drone quickly dodged it with simplicity. The Namekian knew that was what he wanted, and as the head of the body came back into position, the Name retracted his arm, the blade diving into the neck of metal and core.

Sparks flew and blood squirted and splattered the Imperfect Namek. The lifeless shell and body fell down back to the planet, only to litter the land with another carcass.

Nova took a moment to look around again. Vad and a woman had singled out another, while the two that seemed to know each other personally, Juno and Juliet were their names, had found themselves on one. The one in his own suit of armor seemed to be the odd one out as two seemed to target him. Nova thought of letting him fight the two himself, but it was Desoin that caught up with the Namek that had an idea.

"Capture one. I will do my best to interrogate one here and now if you can and we can get the helm off of one."

Maleficus looked at him and only nodded, and moved in on the tag-teamers that had chose Robert Falconer as their target. Maleficus, unsure of how he was suppose to actually do this, launched a repitiore of blasts at the two, to distract them from his comrade, and slammed hard into one. The Namekian and drone tossed and turned as they slammed fist into body parts on each other. Mal wasn't scared to do blow for blow, and would have continued, but he needed to single one out and a swift unexpected kick did just that. He was away from the remaining three and Desoin and Tamsin were moving in to assist rather quickly.

Nova, called upon his Feral Outreach and the unseen claws wrapped themselves around the body of the drone. Tamsin, with the power of her psychokinesis and her wicked daggers, were quick to cut through the metal exoskeleton. Desoin, didn't was a moment's time as he grabbed the foe and looked him into the eyes. The two's eyes glared white, and Nova released the ability and turned to observe what else had been going on and also protect the Mystic.

Soon Desoin would be able to hopefully have the nearest entry way into the ship. Nova just needed to keep him safe till then.

[Chubbs Story Account]

A rippling siren courses through the drones; the warriors have been noticed. It is time to move.

There are multiple, large docking bays along the side of the Myreen; they are all closed, but metal bends. They are the likeliest entry point.

*BUFF* Juno | Refractory Period [One Cycle, Sixth] - Juno's focus on combat, and the mission at hand, is increased: +10% CA.

[Prototype]

Robert's heart beat in his chest as if a furious death-metal drummer was slamming it repeatedly. His mind was buzzing, attempting to process the hair raising event that just happened to him. A moment ago he was sitting, peacefully but restless, next to the almost mute Vad on their way to the foreboding alien cruiser ominously looming in the sky, and the next, a fluorescent green beam of energy cleaved the ship in two like it was constructed of gun metal grey jelly. With his power suit foolishly stored in the cargo unit of the transport ship, it seemed obvious that he was doomed before the adventure had even begun. He had a hover disc within a capsule pressed beneath his belt, but the power module within it could not hope to overcome the sheer force of gravity from their altitude.

He watched as the lime sheen of death carved the hull in twain, just to the right of him, and experienced what he assumed it was like to be within a giant rockmelon as it was cut in two. The solid, sturdy metal of the transport vessel melted like hot butter and snapped cleanly apart. A monstrous gust of wind broke into the pried open ship and abrasively slammed into Robert. Terror rushed through his mind. That uncaring gale had the force to lift him from his seat and toss him into the great blue yonder. His fingers clawed into the armrests of the chair, but the winds whipped at him with unrelenting power, and he knew his grip was slipping.

With a desperate but futile scream, Falconer was rushed off the seat and hurled like a discarded piece of paper into the infinite sky. He watched for an instant the space vessel parting ways, each side falling to the earth separately, before succumbing to the unrestrained horror of freefall. Robert grasped for his belt, hoping that his priceless Prototype armour wasn't on the sinking ship and still safely stored in capsules attached to his body, but all he found were the capsules for his ki bow and hover disc, neither of which could save his life.

For ten seconds, Robert experienced sheer terror. The wind slapped wildly into his face, tussling his hair sporadically. He spun around and around, a useless human inventor plummeting from the sky without a parachute. Every step of the way, his deluded dreams of grandeur had warned him not to proceed, but he didn't listen. He fell for the charm and allure of the vigilante lifestyle, of engaging enemies and protecting the innocent with powers that regular men only dreamt about. As he watched the marshmellow-like clouds shrink further away from him, he wished he could take it all away. At least he would've survived, even if he was a bored and joyless senior executive.

Like a bat out of hell, a silver streak shot into his vision. Vad, fully healed from the defense of the space port, his contoured armour plating shimmering in the sunlight, fell steadily at the same speed as Robert. His eyes were calm and still; he obviously didn't fear splattering all over the surface of Namek like Falconer did. Battle must have tempered this man's core to an amazing degree.

"Help me!" the Capsule Corporation inventor shrieked. "I wasn't supposed to die! Not like this!"

"Your suit can fly, can't it?" Vad inquired, his voice stoic yet strong enough to overcome the muffling winds.

"Yes! But it's in the damn ship that's falling to the ground!" Robert yelled frantically.

Vad looked down, spotting the haphazard arrangement of the Prototype suit components spinning downward at a fantastic velocity. The helmet, chestpiece, and four limb-pieces were all intact and undamaged from the explosion, at least from the outside. At the very least, the propulsion system upon the shoulder blades of the chestpiece was ostensibly functional.

"Let's get it, then," Vad said coolly.

"O ... OK!" Robert answered, trying to acclimatise to the sensation of freefalling. Thinking through, he needed his nervo-suit in order to interact with any parts of the Prototype armour, including the jet-pack. He grabbed the spare capsule he kept in his pocket that contained the artificial nervous system and compressed the button. "One moment!"

Robert was enveloped in a cloud of smoke, but the vicious breeze removed the shroud quickly. Falconer was clad in a full body suit, black in colour, with what appeared to be a tree-like structure of white fibres, imitating the human nervous system. With this suit, he could synchronise his brain waves to the power suit, controlling it with a mere thought.

"Now! Let's get them!"

Vad swooped down, snatching each segment of the power suit in succession. He grabbed the forearm components as well as the legs before his arms were full. Tossing them to Robert, he procured the helmet and chest plate, including the attached shoulder plates, and ascended back to the falling scientist. Robert's forearms and legs were housed safely within the armour already, and he eagerly accepted the final sections. The chest plate sunk comfortably over his torso, the shoulder plates snapping into place. With a confident smirk, he affixed the helmet, and the green visor shone for a moment as his internal android power core aligned with the power core within the power suit. His eyes widened as he tangibly felt the sensation, the armour now part of his own nervous system.

"Is that it?" Vad asked.

"Yes!" Robert, now Prototype in the technological armour, yelled enthusiastically. A bright blue flame burst out of his back, the jet-pack earnestly struggling to halt the progress of the fall. Falconer's rate of descent slowed rapidly, and as the expelled fire changed to a cooler orange-red, he floated motionless in the sky.

He was alive!

"Yes!" he shouted emphatically. "I'm not going to die! I'm still here! Yahooo!"

"Calm down," Vad said, somewhat perturbed by Robert's vigor for such a simple task. "We have work to do."

If all the crazy shenanigans that Prototype had seen thus far weren't enough, he was about to see something scientifically unexplainable. From what looked like from within Vad, a figure coalesced, as if born from him. He instantly recognised it to be Trixie, the red headed vixen from earlier, and Vad's wife.

"Wha-?!" Robert exclaimed, his own amazement cutting him off. "How did she ... did you know that?!"

"Focus," Vad chastised. "There are more important matters."

Robert's scientific curiosity was screaming for satisfaction. What the hell just happened? How can two people cohabit one body? He heard that marriage was 'two bodies becoming one flesh', but he always assumed it was symbolic. It was, wasn't it?

But Vad was right. There weren't time for questions, no matter how deliciously absurd and quirky the situation was. He had to roll with the punches, something that Vad seemed well versed in. Perhaps it was a trait of successful warriors and heroes. Robert narrowed his eyes. He could do that.

It was then that the power suit alerted him to a new feature. A red text message floated in his vision, displaying 'Mimic processing complete.' A sudden excitement flared in his stomach. The Mimic function! It was working! He recalled absorbing a part of Vad's energy back at the space port in the hopes that the power suit could examine and reverse engineer the uncanny manipulation of metals that the assassin had displayed earlier. With a short excerpt of video recorded and the extracted energy, the Mimic function, while being it's first test, should've learned and cracked the secret of that exact talent.

Upload, Robert thought. The power suit reacted instantly, flowing data into his brain. He grimaced as new knowledge was forcibly integrated with his own. It was a trial technology, but several years of testing on willing subjects showed there to be no detrimental effects, as long as it was used sparingly. Still, it was an uncomfortable, evasive sensation. Adding information to the brain was done on a physical level, which involved a light electric current. Furthermore, the information was a jumbled mess until it was inserted, decoded, and burnt into the synapses. Trying to focus upon the uploading data was headache inducing, but the stream was so intrusive and alien that it was impossible to do anything else. Perhaps with time, he would learn to subjugate the unpleasant feeling.

In a few moments, it was over. Robert felt a renewed humming in his android core. Not only had the knowledge been passed to his organic brain, but the identified ki had entered the power conduit installed in his chest. Theoretically, he should be able to exhibit the incredible ability without the power suit, but for now that wasn't important. It all made sense in his head, and he understood how to direct and transmute his artificial ki into a malleable form for Metal Binding, as he dubbed it, through the suit. He needed a way to
test it out.

Fortunately, there was an abundant supply of metal buzzing around the sky. Drones, although much different to the spherical robots that decorated the skies above the space port, had been dispatched to intercept the hopeful heroes. His power suit scanned their constituent materials, affirming that they could be indeed manipulated by the new ability in his possession. Robert smirked, his heart beating with apprehensive anticipation. Would this work?
Prototype’s thrusters increased forward movement in a warm burst, launching him towards one of the skeletal drones.

Even in the thick of battle, Robert's mind was making notes on the performance of his suit, and what alterations would benefit the Metal Binding ability, but he shook it from his mind. The thoughts of an inventor did not belong on the battlefield. Prototype suddenly halted, thrusting an arm towards one of the drones.

"Hey! Come here! I'm trying to invade your ship!" Robert taunted. The drone turned and charged him with hungry immediacy. He just needed the antagonistic automaton to close the distance a little more ...

The power suit beeped and a visible marker indicated that the target was within range. From either side of Prototype's extended forearm, a small barrel-like device slid out. A basic look suggested twin guns, but it was a sensitive transmitter designed for an ability that required a wireless, incorporeal release of energy, exactly like the Metal Binding ability. He focused, allowing the waves to extend to the advancing drone.

It stopped inches from Prototype's face and cocked a fist. Vad started towards him, but halted in his tracks. The drone swung down its metallic fist, but it froze just before Robert's helmet as if an invisible force field held it at bay. He smiled.

"It works," he commented. "Thanks for the power, Vad."

The drone, struggling against an unseen will, moved away from Prototype. Its balled fist oscillated madly for a moment before ramming itself into its own stomach, shattering the metal casing and lodging within it. Robert was startled how easily the substance yielded to his commands. With the drone's free hand, Prototype commanded it to grasp tightly around its neck and squeeze until his head or fingers broke off, whichever came first. Robert hoped it would be the head, and to his good fortune, it popped off like a champagne cork amidst a shower of sparks. The drone fell limply out of the sky, the rest of the group wondering just why the alien aggressor chose to commit suicide.

All but Vad.

There were a few drones left, but Prototype no longer feared them. His vision looked past them and settled upon the Grand Ship Myreen. If it was composed of a similar material, procuring an entrance would be a snap.

Today was going to be a good day after all.

[Android-18]

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, a princess sat within a castle looking out at the land around her. Golden spun hair lifted up into the neatest of buns, while a few naughty hairs drifted down to tickle her neck. Porcelain skin was untouched by the concoctions made by the womenfolk and wizards, make-up they called it. Natural pink lips pursed together before falling apart, teeth nibbled upon the bottom, worrying the flesh. Her slender figure stood before the open slot of a window, dark maroon eyes flicking along the horizon where freedom and adventure surely awaited. Both of her toned arms were in front of her body, hands folded neatly, a lady's stance. She wore a simple gown, nothing extravagant, of white. It was tight about the torso, and fell down prettily against her legs.

“Watching the sky again, Lo'clia?” a deep rich voice asked from the far side of the tower. She turned slightly to take in the sight of her brother ascending the stairwell. Feathery handsome lochs of flaxen hung about his face, medium in length. He was several years older, much stronger, it showed in his firm jawline and the way he held himself. Brilliant gold and silver armor rested against his form, their family crest, a dragon and a knight in battle, adorning the front of his chest plate.

“Yes, brother,” she replied. Her melodic accent floating softly on the passing wind. “There's so much out there, and I want to see it all. Don't you?” Her gaze returned to the window, dark irises lit with sudden excitement.

“I've seen enough of the world. Adventure is a child's dream, and you are certainly not a child. Why do you insist on spending all of your time up here?” the prince asked, his deep azure gaze sweeping across the throw pillows stolen from one of the guest rooms, the lush carpets, books and baubles. It was a makeshift room in a place that was meant for guard duty.

Lo'clia turned to her brother, perfect in posture, hands still gently clasped in front of her. “I'm guarding the castle, and who are you to lecture me, Ah'lial? Playing king again?” her words were soft, but with a subtle edge. The princess tilted her head to one side as she often did.

“Don't start with that again.” A gauntlet clad waved at her nonchalantly. “Mother and father asked me to retrieve you for dinner, we're dining with the Grand Guke of Latlan tonight.”

“Latlan?”

“Yes, it's important that you attend.”

The young princess turned from her brother to look at the rolling hills beyond their town. The castle itself rose above the small houses made from bricks and wood. Smoke lifted up from their chimneys, signaling the many dinners that were being eaten at this time. Their kingdom was a good one, led by a strong king and an equally strong army. Rarely were the people in unrest, this was a time of peace. Her father had been making deals with the neighboring kingdom's, sealing alliances and assuring that a war would never occur again.

Lo'clia remembered the war. It was why she had picked up a sword in the first place. Under the strict tutelage of their head knight, Antoine, she had learned to fight as well as the other guards. Father had never been fond of the idea. Her argument had been sound, for, a princess should know how to protect herself. The raging battle had been close, too close for comfort, nearly knocking at their door. She had wanted to go. After learning what she had over the years as the bloodshed went on, Lo'clia ached to test her skills.

A year had passed since the Battle of Hatau. The mountain rage of Hatau had been a prime location for mining materials. It sparked the greatest war of their time, three of the main countries – Latlan, Forar, and Myrn – fought for control of the land between them. It was King Ka'than of Hal'lal, her father, that had finally brought the council of kings to reason. Now under an alliance, the mountain became a source of raw gain between the four kingdoms. It was time for a golden age, and all those within the alliance listened to and obeyed her father. His words were wise, and sound.

“Reginald is an oaf,” she muttered beneath her breath.

“That may be so, but he's still a grand duke. Since the king of Latlan passed away during the war, with no direct heir, it has been left to his cousin. If not for his support the council would have fallen apart. Father owes much to the grand duke for his support in the alliance.” Ah'lial shifted, his armor clinking gently. “I wouldn't keep them waiting, you're to meet with Margaret for preparations for dinner,” his words were firm. The older sibling eyed his sister carefully. “I don't know what's going on tonight, but father wasn't in the best of moods. Just listen to him, and to me, for once.”

“Alright,” she replied as she looked toward the sky. “I'll attend dinner promptly.”

- -

The corset was tight against her bosom, she could barely breathe. Margaret tightened the last of the fastenings causing the princess to release a small squeak. “Must you always make it so tight?”

“A proper lady never complains, Miss Lo'clia. Now, the dress you will be wearing was a gift from the duke himself. It's spun from the silk of the Tssikia tribe. A most elegant of gifts,” the head maid said with praise as she lifted the gown from the bed. It was the most alluring of colors, shimmering from light azure to a gleaming silver. It was fitted onto her slender body, adjusted against her corset, and let to fall down around her hips. It was always such a bother, the princess had felt. She did adore these dresses but corsets and the like had never appealed to her.

“There we are, now we'll get your hair. I see it's a bit of a mess.”

“My hair is fine,” Lo'clia objected and patted a small hand upon the fallen strands. “It gives me character.”

“You look like a ruffian in the night! No, no, a lady is always well kept.”

The princess was pulled along to the vanity where she stood before the mirror. Margaret let down the girls' flowing golden lochs and began to brush them out. A soft sigh sounded in the room from the lass, but she made no more retorts. This was the life of a princess. Where she would have rather gone out and fought a dragon, she was forced to have her hair brushed and bound.

- -

It was a small dinner, her brother wore his best doublet and took a seat on one side of the long banquet table. The King and Queen sat on the end side by side, while their guest sat on the other side, opposite of Ah'lial. Their drinks had been poured, and the king's servants played music in a jovial manner. From the end of the dining hall Lo'clia made her entrance.

“Look who finally decided to join us,” the king chimed and straightened in his seat.

“I'm hardly late, father!” the girl replied, a faint blush swirling to the surface of her cheeks. Reginald looked toward her with a raised brow. His dark raven hair had been pushed back, tucked behind ears, while he wore a loose white tunic. There was no denying that he was a handsome man, albeit twice her age, and an oaf by her words.

“Be easy on her, Ka'than, she's still young,” his wife murmured, one hand settled upon his arm. They were older, gray beginning to tie in with flaxen hair. Faint wrinkles were about her mothers' eyes, from all of her smiling and her warmth. The king had worry lines, and creases around his lips. Many times the young princess had met with his disapproving frown. She hated it...but she couldn't fight the urge to be something else.

“We were just discussing the business at hand, please, sit,” the king motioned toward the empty seat beside Reginald. With a small curtsy the princess took her place at the table. Soft light filled the room from the many torches along the walls, and a grand hearth at the end of the room. Silver glinted upon the table, along with the pristine goblets made from the most expensive of material's. This was a world beyond the reach of technology, a place that lived within a medieval era. The stars were unreachable, save to the Gods. Glass was for royalty, and dragons flew in the sky.

“I thought this was just a dinner,” she said, looking curiously at her parents as she gently opened her handkerchief.

Queen Fy'leen looked with trepidation from her husband, to her daughter. “We didn't want to spoil the surprise, now that you're a lady. Just as I was wed to your father at your age, you're not to be wed to another man of royalty.”

“Wed? I'm not ready for marriage.” The girl widened her eyes and stared at her parents.

“Lo'clia, our alliance is strong between the known kingdoms. In order to continue this age of peace we must continue to support our bonds. Reginald was placed as heir to the kingdom of Latlan, and he's in need of his own queen. We have decided to help strengthen our alliance by giving him your hand in marriage. Reginald has expressed interest in your hand for some time, even before the alliance, and I believe that this is just what you need.”

“What?!” she exclaimed, looking at everyone present. “You're doing what?” her accent pitched and she pushed back her seat.

“Lo'clia, please, this is the best for both of our kingdoms. With you by my side, Latlan will prosper, consider my offer.” Reginald stood from his seat and held out his hands, desire and ache in his eyes.

“I'm afraid that you have no choice, you'll be leaving in the morning for Latlan.” Ka'than took up his drink, his eyes avoiding the flustered princess.

“I won't, not now, not ever. You can't make me,” she held her fists at her sides. “Ah'lial, speak some sense to them.” One hand waved at the King and Queen.

“Father is right, this is the best thing for you. You should be studying the books and following in mothers' steps.” Ah'lial, also, avoided his sister's eyes.

“Mother?” she looked desperately to the Queen.

Fy'leen looked her daughter in the eyes and slowly shook her head. “It's already been decided. I worry for you, Lo'clia. You're out at night without a word, you're fighting and getting into trouble in the town. You're not behaving properly. I love you, my daughter, but I want to see you become a queen like I have. Please, don't fight for once,” there was a gleam of worry in the older woman's eyes, which had always been like the princess'. The hues which had been bright and as soft as lilacs were now deep and maroon.

“Yes, mother.” Without so much as another word, she sat down quietly and took her goblet of Latlan wine and sipped it in silence. Only to add to the wound, Reginald took his place beside her, and set a hand to her thigh with a comforting tap. As if such a thing could assure her of her new life with him...

- -

It was easy to leave the castle. The princess knew of all the patrols, and all the hidden tunnels beneath the castle. She had spent much of her childhood traversing the depth, finding hidden passages and even following the guards as they roamed back and forth. Now she had to escape, these passages and corridors were being used for her freedom.

Princess Lo'clia had bid her mother and father goodnight, had wished her brother good luck on his duties as he left the castle with Reginald, whom she gave a modest kiss upon the cheek. Her bedroom had been where she paced, plotted, and tore off her expensive dress without so much as a care. The girl adorned herself with her armor, much more comfortable than any corset. She redid her hair into a neat bun to keep stray tresses from her face. With her sword upon her hip, a cloak over her shoulders, and her blunt short staff on the other hip she left her bedroom.

Now within the town, she walked with measured steps. Never had the girl thought to do this...she had always been good, aside from her little escapades. She was leaving for good. Lo'clia had no plans on marriage, especially not to a man twice her age! No, the youthful princess wanted to fight, to go against dragons and kingdoms, to feel glory and victory. Marriage would be prison!

It took her all night, and all day, before her wandering took her out of the boarders of the town and into the surrounding forest. Within the confines of the old trees as tall as the castle, and the wild grass with their flowers in abundance, lived the most reclusive wizard known on the land. He hated visitors, in fact, he hated people altogether. Lo'clia didn't know any other wizards, and she needed to get far from here before her father sent out the scouts.

Marriage! Of all the things! I'll show him just how much I abhor the idea. It will take him at least a week to find me, I imagine. Perhaps I'll get to visit the Forar region.

Her mind was filled with her thoughts of adventure. Lo'clia pushed onward on adrenaline alone. She was filled with hope, and although she felt guilt bubbling deep within the center of her being, she only pushed it down. Her father had to see that this was how she wanted to live her life. If this didn't prove it, then nothing would.

A knock sounded against the door, and she waited with her cloak wrapped around her figure. It was dark and chilling, evening just beginning to set in. An owl sounded in the distance beyond the clearing where the small cottage resided. Help from her friends in town had allowed her to find such a place. Now she waited, stature straight and eyes determined.

“Go away.”

Her lips parted ajar, but with new resolve, she only knocked again. “Sir William, please open the door. I'm in desperate need of your help, and I will not leave until you at least hear me out.”

“A princess?” the rough voice grumbled through the door, followed by a scoff. “What would a princess need from a wizard? Is your dress too small? Are you feeling not-so pretty today?” he spoke with venom.

“Not at all! Good wizard, open the door, and I will pay you handsomely for your aid. A simple transportation spell is all that I require,” she all but begged. Lo'clia only wondered briefly how he might have know of her royal blood.

The doorway opened ajar, the haggard man peered at her with a curious eye. She was unsure of just how old he might have been, with white hair falling from around his mouth and down from under a small cap on his head. His form was hunched over, and his eyes were milky. A twisted smile formed on his lips to show rotten teeth as he stared at her youthful features. This was the princess of Hal'lal, there were no others. There was no mistaking the lilac of her eyes, and the golden tendril of hair peaking down from the hood of her cloak.

“Where do you want to go, princess?” his words were smoother, his interest finally ensnared.

It didn't take her more than a moment to reply, her entire figure stiffening with purpose, with nobility, her words were firm, “Transport me to where there is adventure.”

- -

The clouds parted from above, the form of a woman sailing down like a bullet from the heavens. Her cloak fluttered around her body, and a scream erupted from her throat with every foot that she fell. Golden hair flew out from the tight bun, the fasten now flying freely and away, her fingers desperately tried to catch it. Arms flailed, legs kicked, but she was not a bird! At this rate she would die, that blasted wizard!

- -

“Well, a load of good that did,” Sophia remarked as they exited the tunnel. It was surrounded by lush vegetation, almost hidden from view, had the two not trampled the veins and leaves down. Now sunlight speared from the clouds as they drifted by, and it dipped into the dark hole.

“Hey, we did get something out of it,” her companion remarked and motioned with a hand. The device was held tightly in the woman's grasp, which she now looked down upon.

“This isn't going to help us.”

“Why not? Sure, we can't understand what they're saying, but it has to be useful to someone,” Kaden's head turned left and right as he finished talking. They had been fortunate enough to avoid the alien invaders within the town, the myriad of tunnels having taken them out toward the surrounding expanse of fields and trees. Namek's sun's fed warmth to the world, and it was ever so pretty, despite the destruction on the horizon.

An explosion filled the air and both flaxen haired warriors lifted their sights to the display. “What was that?” Sophia pointed, mouth agape. There, within the distance was a massive ship hovering within the atmosphere above the spaceport. “Where did that come from?”

“Sheesh, of all the things...” Kaden sighed and set a hand to his brow in exasperation.

“Well, let's go, if anyone can use this,” the girl lifted her hand, indicating the device, “they'll be that way.”

They two unsuspecting heroes made their journey toward the ship in the sky, and where the explosion had taken place. Sunlight glinted off the surface of what could only be drones far above. It was anyone's guess at what had happened. They were much too far away, yet, to make sense of the figures nor the noise that suddenly sounded off.

Above that noise, another familiar sound wailed from above. Both adventurer's glanced up, ignoring the glare of the sun, and watched as a small dark shape fell toward them. “Watch out-

Sophia winced and opened her eyes as the plume of smoke faded, staring in confusion. Kaden coughed and sputtered before releasing a pained groan. There on his chest was a young woman, hair frizzled and a mess, face contorted in surprise and horror.

“Get your hands off of me, you fiend!” she cried, slapping at the male beneath her.

“Hey, hey! You fell on me!” Kaden shouted. It wasn't until Sophia grabbed the frantic girl by the arms that her partner was freed.

Loch stepped away, stared at both man and woman, and took in a breath. “I apologize,” a hand modestly threaded through her hair and arranged the messy lengths over her shoulders. “I hadn't expected such an abrupt transportation, nor quite as dangerous. I'll be sure to have William reprimanded for being so careless. Although, it was my first time,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “Where are my manners?” Both Kaden, now standing, and Sophia gave the girl a raised brow.

“Princess Lo'clia Shrendar,” A dainty hand lifted from her cloak and awaited the grasp of her new acquaintances. “But you may call me Loch. Is this the Forar kingdom?”

“What...”

“I don't even...”

Sophia raised both brows, but shook the girl's hand. “My name is Sophia,” she offered. “You're on Namek.”

“Another kingdom! Well, I'll make sure to make appropriate charts during my adventure. Father will be impressed, no doubt,” she replied in her charming English accent as she shook the girl's hand firmly.

“We should keep going,” Kaden suggested, his gaze weary on the princess.

“Halt!” she cried and withdrew her sword from her hip. “An enemy is afoot. Stand back.” She lifted her other hand, and turned to face away from them, blocking their path. “There, a demon!” she pointed toward the yellow clad alien that had been spying upon them, he lifted from the rock and bush that had been his cover and ran from them. Without looking back the would-be knight charged toward the invader and lifted her sword. “For Hal'lal!”

Fortunately for Loch, her enemy was little more than a scout. She slashed toward him in what could have only been an epic battle in her eyes. Blood spilled from the target's wounds, and sweat dribbled down her brow. Before long he was upon the ground, writhing with an armored boot to his chest. The tip of her sword angled beneath this grotesque face.

“The kingdom of Namek has some formidable enemies, is there a war?” she looked away from the creature, to the two journeymen, and then toward the sky. Perfect pink lips parted into a circle in her surprise. “By the Gods...” she breathed, her violet hues staring at the monolith of metal hovering in the sky. Lo'clia had a feeling that this adventure was about to become very, very, complicated.

[Mal Nova]

Desoin released his victim and and used his own sword as a life-ender. He pointed to an area on the ship and shouted in the minds of all the members that that was their best option. The Drones had been dispatched quickly, and now their target was infiltration. Mal Nova had to wonder if they actually expected them to get near the ship and just pull in like any other alien ship. The Renegade shook his head and watched as the one in the suit moved to the landing bay first.

Robert laid his hands on the metallic door, and the helm looked back with a nod. Vad and Trixie were close behind them, along with the leading couple. Desoin, was quick to get near the group and announce what he learned, "This is actually the weakest point and from what I understand is that you can not let anyone reach an access pad. This is only a pad to load and unload squads. We will meet minor resistance here, but if someone enters a wrong key in the pad, then it will set an alarm off."

"How do you know all this?" Prototype asked.

The Mystic was more inclined to answer, " I specialize in interrogation and-"

"Open the door." Juno spoke what many wanted.

Falconer didn't waste another moment, and within a matter of moments the door slid down.

Maleficus Nova was quick to dive in, unseen, taking the information the Elven One had gave him seriously. He looked around and expected to see an army in which he could kill. Instead he only saw ten men. Four which were dressed differently and the other six were clad in yellow. The Imperfect Namekian noted that their were two doors exiting the bay area and sent the message behind him to the others.

Those that had never met the peculiar Namek, were a bit baffled at his disappearance. Vad, who had seen this at least once before with his wife, along with Tamsin and Desoin, paused and waited. Juliet, thought to say something, but it was Juno that calmed her for a moment. Mal Nova's thought's flashed through their heads quickly and the Imperfect Namek put himself between one of the yellow wearing aliens and a key pad and watched as the targets awaited the supposedly incoming ship.

Nova made himself known as his comrades entered, first by slashing the throat of the one he found himself behind, and then launching the blade he was known for at the being closest to the other. His blade was swift in the wind, but it was the top that smashed into the head of the target, and the renegade only nodded as it whipped back into place. Two down, eight more to go.

The Jade Fiend paused for a moment and admired his new tool and he had to smirk at it. It was perfect for him and he wanted to look to the silver haired girl and thank her, but he wouldn't. He'd protect the keypads till someone relieved him. His eyes looked to and fro, and watched as they worked. Beatrix and Vad met a single Warrior: He wore black. Juno and Juliet found themselves face to face against an actual yellow clad warrior. Desoin and Tamsin dove past the other two, and it was obvious that the other two ignored them and went to the Suit.

Nova let out a growl, and the Maid and Mystic were quick to try to releive him. Desoin grabbed his arm and paused for a moment. "You need to be careful! You have already made a name for yourself and to them you are known as The Demon. You shouldn't be such and asshole!"

The merceanary paused for a moment and think about how great his name was flying. If the enemy had named him such a thing then he was doing damned good.

The Demon.....

Nova looked on....

[Sophia]

“Formidable, huh?” Sophia clicked her tongue, her head tilted still at Loch, ignoring for the time being that she was staring off into the distance. She was odd, anyway, and that observation was coming from someone who had been through the strangest string of events imaginable during her life. She spoke with an accent, which would have garnered a strange look from the healer, anyway, but there was also her manner of dress. She was like a knight from one of the fantasy books her father had given her as a child. She also referred to herself as a princess, which could have meant anything ranging from a strange, staunch reality to extreme delusions of grandeur. Whatever background this woman might have had, she had felled an invader with one swing of her sword, and that was something to be admired. Sophia let out a small giggle. “Right.”

She lifted an elbow and nudged Kaden on the arm, but aside from the pain he felt at Sophia’s unintentionally hard strike, he offered little other reaction as his eyes followed Loch’s line of sight to the skyline. Sophia pouted as she realized that neither of them were even paying attention, but determined that it might have been prudent to discover for herself what they were gawking at. Her eyes lifted to the sky, seeing nothing immediately because she was looking the wrong way. However, she followed their gazes more closely, and lowered her jaw at what she witnessed. “Wait, what the heck is that?”

“Well…” Kaden took a deep breath and looked over at Sophia. “It’s a space ship, obviously.”

“That is no ship, I assure you,” the princess merely shook her head shifted her gaze between her two new companions. “For one, it’s not in water, it’s in the air. But…how is it floating? It has no wings…”

The woman began musing to herself. Sophia and Kaden both were listening to her, blinking every other word. Eventually, they directed their attention towards one another, realizing that it was going to take a bit for this person to piece everything together for herself. Putting a hand on her hip, Sophia breathed a sigh. “So what are we going to do, Kaden? Any ship that size probably means that we’re all screwed.”

“As tempting as that line of thinking may be, I think we should probably think of a way to stop it,” the courier responded, though his tone wavered. He was apparently as timid about the situation as she was.

“Wait!” Loch exclaimed, garnering all attention back to her. She looked at Sophia, then Kaden. “I’m very far away from home, aren’t I?”

“Yes, it sounds like it,” Sophia smiled at her, masking how unsure of the situation as she pointed at the massive battle ship in the sky. “Which may end up being uncomfortable, since we’re going to be finding a way inside of the shi…the monster.”

“Inside?” Loch glared at Sophia like she was snoring at a funeral. “How do you plan on accomplishing such an endeavor, let alone surviving it?”

“Yeah, Sophia. Do you have a plan?” Kaden seemed less concerned with the actual situation and more just making fun of her.

Sophia stuck her tongue out at him before addressing the actual question. “Well, I don’t suppose either of you could fly? Because that would make everything so much easier.”

Kaden merely shook his head, while Loch shot her one of those ‘what the heck are you talking about’ expressions. Both were amusing in their own ways, and in equal parts frustrating. With a sigh, she scratched at the back of her head and adjusting her beret as she looked around. “Well, it’s bound to have some ports or something. Some way of getting inside,” she stopped, and Kaden opened his mouth to speak. She moved on, sensing his imminent suggestion. “Without being discovered.”

“Well, look at the size of the thing. I could blow a small opening somewhere and not affect it at all. I doubt they would even notice,” the courier mulled.

“Okay, we’ll call that Plan B,” Sophia smirked. “Look, there’s got to be a clean, clear-cut way of getting inside. If not, then…well, yeah, we can blow things to holy…you know.”

“I don’t know about this,” the armor-clad woman spoke. “Marching into the belly of the beast does not seem like a good idea. Your senses must deceive you.”

Kaden and Sophia exchanged glances. The healer wasn’t sure how should say something without appearing to be rude, but luckily for everyone, the courier had it covered. “We won’t turn down help when it’s offered, but you certainly don’t have to come along if this makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“Retreat is not becoming of a princess of Hal’lal,” Loch’s eyes narrowed just slightly, her face showing her nobility…before the signs of hesitance appeared. “I…simply lack the means to function properly in such a foreign environment.”

Sophia started to feel bad for the girl—misled and possibly crazy as the girl might have been, her heart certainly was in the right place. Regardless of her mental outlook, she was lost and needed a hand, one that the healer was certainly capable of offering. It also helped that she appeared to be decent in a fight. Sophia’s eyes pleaded with Kaden, an unspoken request to take the woman along. Kaden blinked a few times, but eventually realized what was going on and shrugged. “Well…come with us, then, Loch. If it’s an adventure you want, that sort of stuff seems to follow us,” he returned his attention to the ex-priestess. “This still doesn’t address the problem of actually getting inside that thing.”

Sophia sighed, giving that “I know” kind of look, but drifted her gaze away from Kaden, focusing on the area that she could see beyond his shoulder. The caverns that they had just left were still in reach, and she wished that they had stayed around longer just in case they had missed something that they could have used. She looked down at bag that was tied around her waist—that alien device was stored inside, but they had little use for something encoded entirely in a foreign language.

As she considered the suggestion of going back inside the cavern, the ground shook, causing all three to shift their weight to avoid falling down. Below, the ground started to part like two doors swinging away from each other. Kaden and Loch managed to step away, but Sophia stepped backwards, stumbling back and down into the pit that had just appeared. The fall could have meant a lot of things, some good and some bad. However, falling into the unknown always seems morbid, and her scream fit the situation well. Energy flowed throughout her body, and she began to float, avoiding hitting the ground in any painful manner.

Lights lined the walls, but the difference in lighting between locations made sure that she knew that she had no idea what was happening. A large object was sitting next to her, and was humming, but she couldn’t quite tell what it was. Shaking her head, she formed a ball of ki in order to increase her vision—something that she had learned from the Nameks—and floated backwards in order to get a better view. A ship, roughly the size of a fighter jet that could be found on Earth, had apparently started up, but was in a cooldown phase. Perhaps her sudden appearance made whoever was trying to fly the thing think twice. The only problem was that she couldn’t see anyone around.

“Sophia! Look behind you!” Kaden’s voice boomed from above, and Sophia did just that. Two invaders, both robed and similar to the ones she had fought before, floated ominously behind her, ready to attack. Sophia raised two fists instinctively, but she didn’t even have time to think. A bolt of ki shot from overhead, piercing through one of them, and the other was being enveloped by some sort of shadow. It became apparent why when Loch crashed down, driving her sword into the alien and swinging it into the ground.

As the action died down, Sophia could only shake her head and float down to the ground, tapping her feet lightly against the concrete. “Why on earth did you jump that?”

Loch raised an eyebrow and looked up. “‘Twas not far.”

“Well, this is fortunate,” Kaden spoke up, pacing behind them as he examined the ship.

“And how did you get down?” Sophia shook her head, eyes blinking rapidly.

Kaden pointed behind him with a thumb with an innocent look on his face. “There were stairs.”

Sophia shook her head and looked around. Her eyes were starting to adjust again, and she could more fully examine her surroundings. There wasn’t much to the place, just the gray concrete of the landing pad and walls, and a window overlooking everything from the apparent control room. For what the aliens had in technology, they lacked in flash. Sophia turned and looked up at the ship. “Let’s hope we know how to fly this thing. That battle ship should see us as friendly…assuming they don’t just look out the window.”

She was also concerned about the potential success of their plan, but decided not to voice it.

[Chubbs Story Account]

Kaden/Loch/Sophia - The ship works and is relatively intuitive in its operation. Due to the ship's identification codes, it will not be attacked by drones (barring suspicious behavior) The entry point of the other team is clearly visible, with a distinctly yellow smoke emanating from the hole.

Vad/Mal/Proto - The keycode is entered successfully, the doors open. An alarm, unseen, is triggered, and a siren goes off, with a warning reverberating through the communications system, indicating the position of the assault team. There is currently no squad in sight, other than the stragglers of the ten guards defending the access point, but that will inevitably change.

Prototype *BUFF* It works! [Duration of Saga] - The suit performs as well as could be hoped. Robert's has increased confidence in it, and its abilities. Robert's CA is increased by 25%.

[Prototype]

The alien mothership was a startling environment. It was far more sterile and plain than Robert had imagined, but it possessed an otherworldly vibe, an aura, a palpable sensation. Perhaps it was due to his limited exposure with unknown technology and his lack of adventures but simply clawing an entry point and belligerently trespassing in an enigmatic vessel rose his adrenaline levels to the highest peaks. While he didn't engage in the ten defenders that awaited the assault team, he scoured his bland surroundings, taking in as much as he could. How were the power sources branched from area to area, how stable was the shielding of the walls, which way most likely indicated a direction that would be less hazardous and more rewarding than blithely plowing a noisy path forward? Did any of the technology resemble anything he'd seen before?

Robert suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. A surging tornado was welling up in his chest. Not in a bad sense, but his installed power core was unexpectedly thrumming with a greater surplus of ki than normal. He felt the power suit diverge the excess into his muscles, which brusquely bulged and strengthened. The once noticeable lag between his thoughts and the suit's subservient features had shrunk. All in all, Robert noticed an unexplainable but welcome flood of energy. He couldn't understand where it came from or why the power core was producing energy at a more efficient rate, but it only meant positive results.

The ill mannered namekian dispatched one of the ten guards as a histrionic alarm warbled through the Grand Ship Myreen. Obviously their break and enter didn't go unnoticed by the vessel. In no time there would be a fresh army ready to decimate them. Even the remnants of the ten original defenders were dusting themselves off and preparing to initiate battle again.

While Prototype had little doubt in his power suit's capabilities, fighting wave after wave of peon wouldn't save Namek from the aggressive incursion. Besides, the Ja City space port, without Vad to stand guard, had probably been overrun by the enemy. The last bastion of defense in the Namekian capital was, in all probability, a crimson forest of fire. If they didn't somehow find a way to repel the invaders, this planet was gone.

For Prototype, the logical avenue to take was to steal the Grand Ship Myreen itself.

It was a risky enterprise, and one that he couldn't guarantee completing, but the sparse, overstretched militia was not enough to retain freedom of the Namekian people. A monumental effort was required, and to oust the pilot of the behemoth cruiser would definitely be a huge boon. Robert was perhaps the best chance the planet had for such a plan; his decades of scientific experimentation and innovate inventions had nurtured in him an uncanny gift to discern unfamiliar technology after a brief study. If he could just find something of worth in the alien vessel, then there was the possibility that he could school himself and somehow commandeer it.

Unfortunately, there was the matter of the unforgiving troops charging towards them at that very moment. While he endeavored to complete his mission as swiftly as possible, an untold number of trained military units bearing down on him would be a massive hindrance. Robert looked around the small, gutsy platoon that dared to penetrate the vessel's interior. None of them, especially the creepy namekian, were desirable to have around, except perhaps Vad. Everyone else was a stranger, and he knew Vad's fighting prowess was second to none. If they could sneak off together, the remainder of the group would be a fantastic distraction while Falconer commenced the real work.

Amidst the confusion, Prototype dashed over to Vad. "Hey! You're coming with me!"

"I think I'd be better off here," the saiyan replied.

Whatever tenuous reverence Prototype had for Vad melted into nothing in that moment. He grabbed his forearm and pulled him away. "No time for arguing! I'm stealing this ship and I need protection! Let's go!"

Vad yanked his arm free. "They need me here. Fighting is what I do."

Robert was losing his patience. All of his paralysing fear for adventure and possible death were just fleeting memories. "They can handle themselves! I need you to help me! You see this power suit? I can use it to hack into their system, but I can't do it without assistance! Come on, you don't owe them anything anyway!"

Vad looked back at the ragtag group with a disinterested gaze, saying nothing.

"Come on!" Falconer persisted.

The seasoned assassin nodded silently, and much to Prototype's pleasure, followed after him just as a yellow fountain of defenders poured into the room.

---

Warning buzzers spilled through the metallic hallway. Prototype's heavy boots clunked noisily against the ground, but the intrusion alarm easily drowned it out. Vad jogged beside him with Trixie following up from behind. Robert didn't know exactly where he was going, but it was away from the distraction of battle behind them, and it was surely closer to a point of interest than back there.

"So do you know where we're going?" Vad asked.

"Not exactly," Falconer admitted. "However, I do have a great sense of direction."

True enough, but he owed the power suit for that feature. From the moment he laid eyes upon the Grand Ship Myreen, he initiated a full scan of the monstrous vessel which was still compiling even as they sprinted blindly down the hallway. The delicate observational instruments, coupled with a Capsule Corporation satellite drifting in low orbit of Namek, were mapping out the colossal starship both internally and externally. While he could call upon a perfect image of the outside of the ship to his mind, the labyrinthine corridors and rooms were still being plotted into the power suit's map.

However, the diagnostic system detected an interesting anomaly. A strange signal was pulsing from a room further into the starship's base, but Prototype had no clue as to what it was. It was their best lead for the moment, so Robert darted towards it, hoping it was something useful.

There were several more anchors of the signal emanating higher up in the vessel, so Robert guessed it was some sort of power conduit or communications system. Either way, there was a sliver of a chance that he could manipulate them to his own ends.

The first instance of the peculiar signal was just around the bend.

"I have a feeling we're about to stumble upon something interesting," Prototype said.

They took the corner and inadvertently dashed into a cosy room glowing in a soft neon blue. Two open tubes stood against the wall which were both hooked up to a foreign but unmistakable computer console. The alien operator turned around abruptly at the intrusion, but he appeared far more concerned than they were expecting.

"We better get him," Trixie noted.

Before Vad moved to snap the technician in half, it leapt into one of the cylindrical pods. A short lived spark of light engulfed his body, and then he was gone.

"Did he just kill himself?" Vad asked.

Prototype clanked over to the terminal, instantly getting to work. "I don't think so. That strange signal that I was picking up earlier just flared up again. Whatever that machine did to that alien, that was what I was detecting."

"So what's it doing?" Trixie inquired.

"Give me a moment." Robert's suited fingers danced over a touch keyboard while the power suit's processor filtered the signal for any discernible patterns. "Oh, here's something interesting."

"What?" Vad said.

"These pods are teleportation devices," Prototype answered, turning to face them. "We can jump from station to station in this starship."

"But we don't know where we're going," Trixie chimed in. "We might end up in a worse position than when we started."

"True, that's a possibility," Robert acknowledged. "But it's far more likely that it's used as a method to quickly travel through the vessel. It is a rather large starship, after all."

Vad stepped up. "So what's the plan?"

"I say we take a leap of faith, see where the pod takes us. Who knows? Maybe we'll eventually make it to the cockpit."

"Then fire it up and let's go," Vad replied.

Robert smirked. "You got it."

[Vad]

A swirling cluster fuck of blue, red and black particles pierced their way into the saiyans vision. Vad felt his body being lifted away into a void as if he were being cast out into space. His skin felt like it was being slowly peeled off, but pain wasn't the byproduct; a strange tingling sensation was. A tremendous headache overcame him as he was cast out of the teleportation pod and directly into the middle of the barracks mess hall floor.

Climbing to his feet, one eye open, the veteran warrior cursed to himself. Even with the ship in red alert, the aliens needed to eat and rest. Every yellow populating the room turned to face the three alien newcomers who had decided to grace them with their presence.

"Oh shit..."

Without waiting for his wife or Prototype to regain their equilibrium from Zulenka, the blood drunk saiyan, dropkicked the nearest alien sending his tray of food spilling into the table next to him. The room immediately started buzzing with pissed off invaders. Rolling right Vad quickly climbed to his feet sweeping an alien to his immediate right down to the floor. Driving a blade through its face he abruptly ended its life.

The saiyan's scouter lit up and began tracking each target in the room keeping tabs on the ones closest to the saiyan. With both serrated blades out and ready Vad began carving into the group one by one. Hacking into an alien sitting at the table before him dissolved his blade momentarily, took hold of its severed upper body and smashed it into an alien to his left; blood and saliva splashed from its mouth as it fell backward into more oncoming aliens. A loud sonic boom that shook the very foundation of the room they were in proceeded by a massive beam of pink energy was all the acknowledgement that Vad needed to know that his wife was ready to kick ass.

Prototype's heads up display finally restarted and to his horror he was sprayed with an aliens blood as Vad cut it down before it could reach him. Quickly regaining his composure he took a deep breath and readied his suit for combat.

"Common! This is as good a time as any to get you familiar with combat. Pick a target, focus on him, but keep the area around you in your peripheral." The saiyan encouraged as he formed a shield from his left blade and knelt down, lifting an alien up and over his head.

Bringing the creature down onto a nearby table Vad crushed it's sternum beneath the heavy steel device, buckling the metal structures legs as well. Driving the bladed edge of the shield into his foes neck, Vad severed its head and batted it into the remaining group of aliens who had been effectively cornered away from the exit. Having blasted the door controls Trixie had sealed the mess hall and was now standing guard, her hands lit up by pulsating orbs of pink energy; her eyes glowing brightly with a pink mist that gently floated upward past her hair before dissipating just above her head.

Vad grinned with sadistic pleasure as he and Prototype closed in on the group huddled in the corner ready to defend themselves. Most of them had been unprepared. It was obvious that the group they had ambushed had been relieved of active duty. Unarmed and in need of rest they were hardly a challenge. Vad, of course, wasn't about to deny himself the pleasure of a good slaughter, but he did want a challenge. Cutting down the closet alien Vad took hold of its head and severed it from the rest of its body. Taking hold of the corpse he tossed the second head into the group before him.

"Now. You can either tell us how to get to the cockpit of this thing or perish with only your anguish to keep you company."

None of them spoke. Stepping closer, Vad put his boot through a dead aliens chest.

"I won't extend this offer again." Zulenka growled.

Prototype was fixated on his partner. He was completely calm, his hands steady like a crocodile ready to grasp its prey. It was amazing, but at the same time horrifying. How could such a man exist? No matter. They needed to find the cockpit and take control of the ship. The entire planet of Namek depended on them and invading team to do so. Just as Vad was about to execute the group of aliens the door behind Trixie was struck leaving a considerable dent in the metal. Twirling his index finger in a circle vertically the saiyan told his wife it was time to wrap up their little fight and she incinerated them within a wall of pink energy that she had conjured up and pushed in their direction. The thin barrier of pink ki slowly incinerated the aliens as it moved into the corner they had piled into.

Flipping the tables closest to the teleportation tubes on their sides to create a shoddy defilade Vad knelt behind one on the right with a view of the door.

"Whatever's behind that door we hold here. If it's too much we fall back to the pods and hope that we don't end up in another section populated by aliens."

The creature on the other side of the door continued its' attempt to break into the mess hall. With a deep breath Vad lifted his head and watched as the mess hall door was thrown from its track. Colliding with a heavy thud against the opposite wall the creature that had been trying to enter walked in.

"Shit, babe. That's General Fum." Vad relayed to his wife.

Tapping Prototype on the shoulder he whispered his plan to the suited man. Him and Trixie were going to unleashed two energy attacks at the Generals' feet while Zulenka was to launch a sharpened shield at the commanders chest. They were going to take the brief opportunity to enter the teleportation tunnels.

He hoped to Christ it worked.