Mutants & Masterminds: Galactic League - Episode Two: Acting

[Sean Cassidy]

Originally Posted By: Sapphire Rose

Well, Chance, are you up for teaching a petty and annoying demon a lesson?

Originally Posted By: Chance

I'm...I'm ready. I'm ok... I'm ok.

"Then stand ready, lovely Chance, it will take all my concentration to get us there. You will have the first strike at the Minion of the Legion. Show him the strength that binds demons in chains of your own will." Sapphire twined her elegant fingers between Chance's and closed her eyes. She inhaled, long and slow, seemingly too long, then the two of them dissolved into cerulean motes of pure thought. With mental contact established with Layel, Sapphire knew exactly where to go.

Mere moments later, though time appeared to stretch to infinity as their minds become one with the Collective Unconscious, motes of blue light coalesced behind Layel, then resolved into the forms of Chance and Sapphire, their hands still joined.

"That step shall be your last, Legionnaire," Sapphire purred, her eyes alight with twilight, the seductive tones of her voice - envied by any succubus - paired with a righteous confidence.

[Krul]

The demon, or whatever it was, stopped the moment the two of them appeared, and for a moment, as it's gaze fell on Sapphire, raw lust passed though them. Then the creatures gaze fell upon Chance, and sudden dismay appeared on it's face. "You!? Your not supposed to be here!" Due to in part arrogance, a measure of certainity that he (or it) could deal with him, the demon ignored Layle for a instant.

[Gabe Meadow]

That ignorance Layel immediately noticed, and he snapped into action. Leaping up, spinning deftly in the air, he brought up his feet to the demon's face and snapped out at said face, before completing his circuit in the air and landing easily.

Click to reveal..

Attack roll

1d20+10=23

DC 25

[Krul]

The demon, not paying the attention he should to Layle, an arrogance many demonic beings share, took the blow from Layle full on, momentarily knocking it off it's feet. The creature also appeared to be slightly bruised, as it got back to it's feet, with a growl, though it remained nervous about the presence of Chance.

At the moment, Chance seemed to be struggling slightly with control over the horde within her, leaving the battle to Sapphire and Layle for the moment.

[Sean Cassidy]

Holding onto Chance's hand, providing what support she could, Sapphire glided in front of the witch, chin elevated, staring up at the Demon with regal and enticing contempt, lush lips pulled back in an intoxicating sneer. She waved a pale hand at the demon in arrogant dismissal.

"Leave this place, Demon," Sapphire proclaimed in her sultry tones, "lest the Demon-Binder condescends to notice your trifling presence. Leave this place, this planet, this sector of space, and never return. Else, you will wish you had never congealed from the muck of the abyss."

As she drew the Demon's attention with her needling words and the exquisite perfection of her ravishing beauty, it never felt the subtly tendrils she wove through its mind, piercing its will and shredding it to pieces.

Click to reveal..

Distracting Looks (DC 20, Will Save) - If the Demon fails, it is at DCs for Interaction skills against the Demon are reduced by 6, or it suffers -3 to opposed skill checks and/or Will saves, whichever applies.

Using Tendrils in the Mind - Drain Will Save 11 (DC 21, Will)

If a skill check is necessary to draw the Demon's attention, here it is, using Bluff (and applying the Attractive bonus).

Bluff: 1d20+24 = 29

[Gabe Meadow]

Layel paused for a moment or two, amusedly smirking while Sapphire drew the attention of the demon with obvious ease, then made his move again. Leaping into an uppercut punch to the side of the demon's head, as he rose to the monster's head, mouth at meeting the entity's ear, he focused his incarnate connection to the powers of the Wraith, and the feelings that boiled in their imbued connection.

"Give it up. You can't win." Six words, which began to reverberate in the demon's head. The demon heard the subconscious whispers vividly and growing in volume. It was stuck against three League members at the top of their game, it was exposed, and unable to put up even the slightest defense.

*Admit it.... ADMIT IT!* The words now seemed to be a painful chorus, demanding the demon give this farce up.

Click to reveal..

Standard Attack:

1d20+10=29

Damage DC 25

Extra Effort for an additional Standard action, taken away by a hero point.

Emotion Control (Causing Despair):

1d20+10=21

[Krul]

Looking between the two attacking, and the one member of the group it was most frightened of, the demon looked between them for a moment, and it's cowardly nature rose to the forefront. It was outnumbered, exposed and under attack, furthermore, from all indications, it was losing this particular battle. Additionally, it didn't know what was holding Chance back, or why, which frightened it even more, after all, it could end up imprisoned with the demons bound within Chance as well.... and that would be bad.

Though it feared what its Master would do to it for this failure, but not as much as what might happen to it now. Making a show of bravado, for the sake of it's own ego more then anything else, it decided to depart. "You win, insects, for now, but you will pay a price for this momentary victory, and you may win here, but you will not win so easy against my master." And with that, it vanished in a blaze of hellfire, leaving the three alone with the body of the unconscious security chief at their feet.

[Gabe Meadow]

Layel snorted as the demon fled, he clearly say the bravado for what it was. "Insects were making mincemeat of him." His sarcastic voice conveyed the contempt of someone who knew a farce for what it was, and thus had little tolerance for it. Noting the body left of the security chief, he bent down and began to search the limp body.

"This triple agent had gotten his orders from his Empire bosses, perhaps his wrist-comp will have them." He said by means of explanation to Sapphire and Chance. "Ah."

He found the wrist-comp that the Head of Security wore, and removed it from the arm that wore it. He also continued to check for any else of information use on the traitor's personage. When he was done, he activated the mini-computer to peruse the orders and data stored.

[Sean Cassidy]

As the demon disappeared in a ball of sulfur and brimstone, the unearthly beauty of the psionic Elan seared its eyes with lust and hate, even as the subtle tendrils she had planted in its mind carried her smokey, tantalizing voice to it. *In facing the Darkness and Destruction of unmitigated evil, enduring its depredations, I have alsways been willing to pay the price. We will be waiting for you and your master, Legionnaire.*

Sapphire turned to Chance, pressing close, running a hand down her arm in comfort, and brushed a feathery kiss across her cheek. "It is well, Chance. One Demon has run and the others remain chained. Come to my quarters tonight, and we will silence their screams for another night, okay?" She gave the taller witch a devastating smile, enticing and gentle in a way no succubus could produce, then glanced at Layel, giving him a gracious nod that made her long hair ripple like a sapphire waterfall.

"You check his wrist-comp, Layel, and I will check the security chief. With the Demon exorcised, his mind should be open to me - he may not have been totally at fault for his... loyalties." She knelt gracefully beside the formally possessed head of planetary security, her thin dress stretching to near translucency against her divine figure. She placed an elegant hand on his slowly rising and falling chest, lightly and familiar like a lover.

With infinite tenderness, her will reached out, relieving the damage that demonic possession inevitably left behind, piecing together his fractured mind. With the same ephemeral care, she searched for what he knew of the Emerald Empress' plans and any residue of the demon's intentions. As she restored his mental health, she implanted a suggestion, impelling him to trust her, so smooth and fine, that it would be impossible for him, or anyone else, to question its validity.

[Krul]

Sapphire was correct in fact, his mind was fractured, and in fact in considerable pain. If it was not for her efforts, the man would be permanently insane, screaming madness from the torment he had undergone.

Colonel Jason Sarvis had at one time, been an honorable and loyal to the people of Shangra La, but in the course of his activities, he had been exposed to member of the Legion, and they had taken him, possessed him for their purposes. The Legion wanted him to increase tension between the newly developing nation and the Empire, to prepare for an invasion of their own, into this area of space, which was supposed to happen as both sides were fighting one another, weakened by their own conflict.

He had contacted the more extreme and fanatical members of the Emerald Empire's military forces, and encouraged their plans for this area of space. He had then used other contacts to increase tension within Shangra La, and the other planetary systems here, so that they built up their own forces, in a slow plan to involve everyone in a major battle.

As the Colonel opened his eyes, and gazed up at Sapphire, knowing what she had just done for him, his gaze was not mearly trust, but adoration.. and from a man like him, trust and love were not easily given. "Oh, by the Core.." The anquish and gratitude in his voice was so deep, even one who wasn't empathic or telepathic could hear it.

[Sean Cassidy]

Sapphire's perfect lips curved into a sympathetic smile as she caressed Jason's cheek with smooth, elegant fingers, as gentle as a mother, as enticing as a lover. She leaned forward, pressing her delectable lips against his forehead. "Shhhh... You are free now, Jason," she promised in her dulcet, husky voice, fingers running soothingly through his hair. "Freedom always costs, and you have my deepest regret that you had to pay so high a price. But all is not lost. There is yet time to stop what you have been forced to watch put in motion. With your help and what you have witnessed, first hand."

Layel felt Sapphire's titillating touch on his mind, then the essence - if not the details -of what had occurred to the Head of Planetary Security faded into his awareness. *He was an unwilling agent, Layel, his will and mind devoured by one of the Legion. But he is free now, and an ally, once more.*

With tender care, the slender, impossibly beautiful Elan urged Colonel Jason Sarvis to his feet, her physical support slight beside the immense mental and emotional strength she lent him, even now smoothing away the pain. She didn't take it all away, but made it bearable, as if it was something that he had lived with for some time. Her body pressed close to his side was warm and soft.

"Come with us back to our ship," Sapphire extolled. "Even now, my Captain addresses the Council, welding them into a firm coalition, but she will wish to speak with you, I'm sure, as will your superiors. Never fear, I will vouchsafe you, this I swear." There was no way that Jason could dispute the sincerity of her tone. "With your help, we can disrupt the Emerald Empress' plans and curtail the domestic threats, and make of this coalition something of adamant."

"For you, Sapphire, anything, everything, I have to give, is yours." Mere words couldn't convey the depths of his gratitude. He had been broken by the machinations of the Legion, one of the enemies he had sworn to defend Shangra-La against, and this dream of a woman had made him whole - and himself - once more. Tears he hadn't shed since he was a child threatened to fall. And he knew that she was aware of all this and held none of it against him.

Sapphire chuckled in smokey delight. "Only what you wish to give, Jason, only that. Perhaps, for now, can you give my Companion Layel, the access codes to your mini-comp, and tell him how to get around your safe guards? Then we need to get you back to our ship, you still need time to convalesce." Her luminous twilight eyes glanced towards Chance, noting the pain furrows on her brow. "And you may not be the only one."

"Of course..." He didn't know how to address this woman who had saved him, nothing seem adequate. Queen, milady, my Love, Mistress, Goddess... Sapphire smiled up at him and the answer came to him. "... my Sapphire Rose." Jason Sarvis turned to Layel and gave his hand a shake, thanking for his help in defeating the demon then giving him the information he needed to access his mini-comp without its memory being wiped.

Sapphire twined her fingers with Jason's and Chance's. "See you soon back on the Scheherazade, Layel." Then the three of them dissolved into motes of azure light and coalesced in her quarters. As mental exhaustion began to over take her charges, Sapphire settled them onto her plus, extensive bed. She nestled herself between them, holding their heads to her breasts, fingers and mental magic easing their stress and rest.

Namiah felt an ephemeral sensation, as of teasing fingers running up the fine hairs at the nape of her neck, an echo from an another time, waiting to be addressed. When she had a moment, Namiah turned her focus to her former lover and current subordinate. With little of her usual teasing temptation, Sapphire gave her Captain an in-depth update on the status of the compromised Head of Security - compromised no longer - and the plans of the Legionnaire that had inhabited him.

[Gabe Meadow]

Layel chewed on that information, that the Legion had manipulated the Colonel while also making plans to make the systems here easy prey for their twisted plans, while quickly going over the wrist comp's information.

It was rather scarce of information, mostly contact channels to subordinates and the Empire, but mostly not useful. Except one thing...

Layel had already tucked away the wrist-comp and flow out toward the atmosphere in ghostly form as he mentally messaged Sapphire.

*Sapphire, I only found one thing, but it's important. The third agent, is an IT. The Empire has control of an AI lurking somewhere in the planetary control systems. Relay that to the Captain, and please let me know what my new orders are.*

[Sean Cassidy]

Basking in soft silk and plush pillows and the warmth of resting bodies pressed to her flawless flesh, Sapphire relayed Layel's information to Namiah, adding a touch of her own concern for the Scheherazade's Avatar, considering what Layel had learned. She kneaded Jason's back with long fingers, her other hand tracing idle designs on Chance's new - if yet unwanted - wings.

[Krul]

Even as Sapphire went to work on soothing minds, the ship's doctor entered the room, to shiver a moment as she looked at Sapphire laying there. Though she had informed the Captain first, Sapphire had informed her shortly after as to what had happened.

At the moment, she had some basic diagnositic equipment with her, nothing like her lab of course, but it would let her check the health of Jason, though she didn't really have anything normal that would allow her to check Chance's health. That was something she was going to have to remedy, and soon, perhaps some more mystical techniques were possible?

With a smile toward Chance and Sapphire, she turned her attention to the third individual present. "Greetings, Colonel Sarvis, I'm just going to run a basic scan of everyone's health." Actually, she was specifically checking his health, but by checking everyone's, she could downplay how a demon's presence could alter someone, like for example, the wings that Chance had developed.

[Sean Cassidy]

Sapphire stirred, glancing at Amanda with heavy-lidded eyes and an inviting - too inviting - smile. She felt a trace of self-consciousness growing in Jason as he realized he was sharing a room with three beautiful women, and Chance grew a bit tense, concerned about her recent... additions.

"Do not fret you two, the Amandas have very gentle, very capable hands. You can trust yourselves in her care, I know I do," Sapphire assured them. "I'll go first."

The awe-inspiring Elan caressed Jason's cheek then with two gentle fingers on his chin, tilted his head up to meet her descending lips, to receive a kiss like no other he could imagine, pulsing throughout every particle of his being, and tossing his concerns aside. Chance received a like kiss, and though Sapphire couldn't add a psychic touch to it due to the influence of the Legion, the natural desire and care in it made her arch her back, wings flaring slightly. The Legion shifted in its spiritual bonds, but was wary of testing it chains again against what the two women shared - one of its greatest tools had been turned against it.

With skill honed from sharing the beds of hundreds of lovers, Sapphire slid from the bed without disturbing the two other occupants and floated languidly through the air and landed in front of Amanda. "I put myself into your capable care."

Twilight eyes brightened with concentration as an elaborately wrought stool of blue and lavender crystal formed behind her, topped with a soft cushion of gem-coloured silk. She sat down with a flourish, crossing her legs enticingly, arms outstretched in invitation, waiting for the doctor to begin her... examination.

[Gabe Meadow]

The sensation for flying in an ethereal form through space is... non-existent, to an extent where is disturbs the flier somewhat. Of course, the same could be said about being in an ethereal form, period. Layel could naturally handle long periods being in his ghostly form, but it seemed strangely unnatural, lacking that feeling of solidity and the tactile sense.

Thus it was a relief when he could fly in and appear, first to sight, before settling down to the deck of the Scheherazade and finally became solid. Kat was there on the bridge, at his pilot's station.

Layel saluted him before settling down at the weapon officer's station. "Well, that hellish situation is over, pun intended." He remarked to the fellow Lieutenant. "Unfortunately, the Legion started this mess, apparently and they're just as much a threat as the Empire. Worse, really. I'd rather there were twice as many Empire ships out there instead."

[Krul]

Originally Posted By: Sapphire Rose

Sapphire stirred, glancing at Amanda with heavy-lidded eyes and an inviting - too inviting - smile. She felt a trace of self-consciousness growing in Jason as he realized he was sharing a room with three beautiful women, and Chance grew a bit tense, concerned about her recent... additions.

"Do not fret you two, the Amandas have very gentle, very capable hands. You can trust yourselves in her care, I know I do," Sapphire assured them. "I'll go first."

The awe-inspiring Elan caressed Jason's cheek then with two gentle fingers on his chin, tilted his head up to meet her descending lips, to receive a kiss like no other he could imagine, pulsing throughout every particle of his being, and tossing his concerns aside. Chance received a like kiss, and though Sapphire couldn't add a psychic touch to it due to the influence of the Legion, the natural desire and care in it made her arch her back, wings flaring slightly. The Legion shifted in its spiritual bonds, but was wary of testing it chains again against what the two women shared - one of its greatest tools had been turned against it.

With skill honed from sharing the beds of hundreds of lovers, Sapphire slid from the bed without disturbing the two other occupants and floated languidly through the air and landed in front of Amanda. "I put myself into your capable care."

Twilight eyes brightened with concentration as an elaborately wrought stool of blue and lavender crystal formed behind her, topped with a soft cushion of gem-coloured silk. She sat down with a flourish, crossing her legs enticingly, arms outstretched in invitation, waiting for the doctor to begin her... examination.

Amanda smiled slightly at Sapphire, shaking her head slightly, and shivering at the slight edge of desire that seemed to move though the room like a perfume as Sapphire got out of bed completely nude, and made her way over to the Doctor. "There was no need to undress... although, I have difficulty imagining you doing anything less then you desire.. and these are your chambers.. so I suppose it stands to reason that you should do as you please." She did a quick scan over Sapphire with her instruments, then nodded slightly. "As expected, your in prefect physical and mental health, my dear, though you have been under a bit of serious mental strain, I'd recommend some rest and relaxation.. but I doubt I need to."

She glanced over at the other two and gave them a compassionate smile. "Come now, you two can't say your more shy then Sapphire? At least your clothed.. " She paused, sense Chance was wearing nothing but her cloak, which barely covered her due to the wings... "Well, the Colonel is anyway."

Originally Posted By: Layel Haete

The sensation for flying in an ethereal form through space is... non-existent, to an extent where is disturbs the flier somewhat. Of course, the same could be said about being in an ethereal form, period. Layel could naturally handle long periods being in his ghostly form, but it seemed strangely unnatural, lacking that feeling of solidity and the tactile sense.

Thus it was a relief when he could fly in and appear, first to sight, before settling down to the deck of the Scheherazade and finally became solid. Kat was there on the bridge, at his pilot's station.

Layel saluted him before settling down at the weapon officer's station. "Well, that hellish situation is over, pun intended." He remarked to the fellow Lieutenant. "Unfortunately, the Legion started this mess, apparently and they're just as much a threat as the Empire. Worse, really. I'd rather there were twice as many Empire ships out there instead."

Kat responded himself, his gaze watching both the piloting controls and also as he was checking the space around them. "I suspect, the Legion has more up it's sleeve, they can sometimes be arrogant enough to put all their eggs in one basket, but they tend to react quickly, if they don't have fall back plan. After all, we may have uncovered the agent here.. but what about Legion agents over there?" He gestured in the direction of the Empire ships.