Chapter 1: New Faces, New Mission

[ST]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IT BEGINS IT BEGINS!!!!! OPERATION GO!!! *ahem.. controls self*

---

During the seemingly calm (since Blaze is sleeping and Stardust is pouting) airship ride to Shumi village, a sudden shift in direction is felt and you are startled, wondering why the airship is turning around.


Stardust
You feel a vibration in your pocket and see that the cell phone Xu gave you is ringing, so you pick it up.

"Infinity, there has been a change of plans," Xu's voice says through the speakers, "I'm bringing you back to the Garden. Don't question me, just stay put. The ruby must wait for now."

[Stardust Infinity]

Stardust Infinity quickly straightened up at the feel of the cellphone in her pocket. Hurriedly, she reached for it and flipped it open. The look of surprise in her face faded when she found out that it was just the Headmistress calling.

Heaving a sigh, she brought the phone to her ear.

"Infinity, there has been a change of plans," Xu's voice says through the speakers, "I'm bringing you back to the Garden. Don't question me, just stay put. The ruby must wait for now."

Stardust blinked at the news. "R-roger Headmistress..." was all she could say. A change of plans? What change of plans...? It seemed like things were starting to get more incomprehensible around her. There was no choice but to inform the others. As soon as she hung up the phone, she turned to look at her teammates.

"Hey all of you," she said to Blaze, Jun, and Zacke. "Listen up, the Headmistress wants to bring us back to Garden. There has been a change of plans. Don't ask me what it is."

[ST]

Okay, someone slap me if I strayed off our plans! >_< Officially goodbye to Zackie ~__~ *sigh*

Stardust's teammates held their questions until they reached Balamb Garden. Once they got in the premises, they went straight to the Headmistress office. It was there that Xu informed Zacke some bad news regarding the situation with Claire in the hospital. Worried about his sister, Zacke apologized to the group and left the office immediately. There were more news to come. Reese Amaerick's beaten up body was also found by Garden this morning. He was put in the Infirmary's ICU, fighting for his life. Questions about what happened to him were still at high and Garden had a bad feeling about it all. Adel's forces were starting to advance to Deling as well. Indeed, Garden was in a predicament and needed to get a hold of the Ruby soon.

"I understand that with the dropping numbers of SeeDs in this mission, it is going to be more of a challenge to be able to defeat Adel--especially with our current situation." Xu explained, exhaustion evident in her voice. "Just like I said to all of you in the very beginning, there is power in numbers. Therefore, I have arranged a handful of elite SeeDs once more to fill in the places of those who fell behind." She paused, observing the reactions on Jun's, Stardust's, and Blaze's faces. "This is a war we are in. We do not have time for grief."

Walking behind her desk, she pushed the intercom button and said, "All of you may now come in." A minute had passed and a dark-haired lady with a familiar face walked in. Right after her were two lean guys who made their way in front to line in front of the SeeDs.

Xu cleared her throat. "There are still a couple SeeDs that are being transferred here as we speak. From now on, you are going to be working with these SeeDs until you finish the mission." She looked at the three newcomers. "Sho Miyavi, Rayden, and To...Polaris Lyn."

[Jun Kuroki]

Jun had been operating in a detached state of shock/surprise ever since the Airship turned around from Shumi Village and headed for Garden. And being hustled like ducks on a rack to Xu's office, where Zacke decided to depart on the word go and they were told that Reese was severly roughed up (that being the understatement of the century) and hooked up in ICU. Jun immediately turned in concern to look at Stardust's reaction, fearing how the pink-haired teammate would take the news. Her own face was scrunched with worry, as she exchanged a glance with Blaze. But that was again interrupted by Xu's announcement that they would have new members on the team.

As the group of people filed in, Jun couldn't help but wonder how in Hyne's land these new people could immerse themselves into the mission this late in the game. The last thing they needed was having to slow down to let the new ones catch up.

Hmm I suppose this explains Stardust's aversion towards additions when my batch first joined...

{Look, isn't that Tomoe Sepiroth? Why did your headmistress address her as Polaris??} Sappy mentally nudged her.

Jun inspected the row of faces even more closely and indeed her GF was right.

"Polaris?" She whispered to herself while giving questioning looks at both Xu and the dark haired lady. But she looks exactly like Tomoe! Is it a clone or something?

Deciding that the questions would have to wait, Jun scanned the new-comers quickly before breaking into a warm smile.

"Welcome to the team. My name is Jun Kuroki. I hope you guys are up for a tough ride."

[Bun]

Polaris

"Welcome to the team. My name is Jun Kuroki. I hope you guys are up for a tough ride." Jun proferred a warm smile to Polaris, although it was doubtless that she was confused. Polaris smiled back, a soft, gentle beam that was completely unlike her old stoic self. She raised her arm and snapped a SeeD salute to the Trinity team, her eyes meeting Blaze's astonished face.

"My name is Polaris Lyn," she said with a smirk in Stardust Infinity's direction. "If you're all worried about briefing me on this mission, you needn't worry. I'm pretty sure I'll just fall into the rhythm of things here."

[Blaze Sanaku]

As soon as the Trinity team had been ushered into Xu's office back at the Garden, everything seemed to happen at once. Zacke immediately took his leave after Xu explained that there was something wrong with Claire, who Blaze knew was his sister.

Then Xu announced that Reese had been found in critical condition, something that Blaze hadn't been expecting at all, especially since Reese had been gone for only half a day. She tried to glance at Stardust's reaction discreetly, but thought better of it and exchanged confused glances with Jun instead.

Reese deserved it.. dotNA scum.. She reminded herself, yet there was always that nagging feeling that she had been wrong about Reese being a mole.

Xu signaled for the news members to come in, which interrupted Blaze's thoughts. "There are still a couple SeeDs that are being transferred here as we speak. From now on, you are going to be working with these SeeDs until you finish the mission. Sho Miyavi, Rayden, and To...Polaris Lyn."

Three of them with more to come? Blaze questioned herself. It was at that moment that she knew Zacke was out of the mission for good. Something serious must have happened to his sister.

Then she noticed something about the girl among the two new guys. She looked exactly like Tomoe. But Blaze knew Tomoe would never dress like that, or wear her hair like that, and she was definently sure that Tomoe's name wasn't Polaris.

Still, Polaris looked so much like Tomoe it was scary. Juns seemed to be confused too.

"Tomoe?" Blaze asked after Polaris introduced herself.

[Bun]

Polaris

Polaris was barely finished with her introduction before Blaze burst out, "Tomoe?" in her typical Blaze-like way. Polaris almost had to laugh at her best friend's expression. Blaze was torn between a look of disbelief, confusion, and curiosity. Her lip was twitching into a semi-smile-slash-frown. Polaris guessed that her new identity wasn't new enough, and shrugged, throwing her mid-length mass of black and chestnut-streaked curls over one shoulder. Then she gave Blaze a look that very plainly said, "I'll tell you later."

She shot a look at the other new members of the group and shifted her stance, the war axe strapped to her back a heavy warmth pressed against her spine. There was a blonde and a...blue-haired kid?? Where the hell were they getting the SeeDs with the flourescent hair??



Sho

Sho dimly heard himself being introduced, then some girls talking, and finally silence. He didn't really much care. Waiting around outside the office had gotten boring, so he had taken out an old, dog-eared, faded copy of "Timber Maniacs" to keep him occupied. And it had kept him occupied, so occupied that he didn't bother raising his head when he heard his name being spoken. After a few minutes of silence, he could tell that people were getting uncomfortable, and frankly, it was getting kinda annoying. So in his usual fashion, he raised his eyes momentarily from his reading, raised a hand and said, very clearly and detachedly, "Yo."

[Blaze Sanaku]

Blaze was startled by the look Polaris gave her.

So I haven't gone crazy.. it is her she thought, glancing at Xu to see if she would explain why Tomoe was back on the team. Blaze could guess why though, nobody would recognize Tomoe now.

"Yo," Blaze heard the guy standing next to Polaris say and she looked at him, wondering where the hell Xu was getting these seeDs from. His face was practically amassed in piercings and his hair was blue.

I'm sure he's not going to stand out in a covert operation Blaze felt like rolling her eyes. She didn't return his greeting, it wasn't like she was going to have to get used to him for very long.

"Headmistress, are we to continue the Ruby now?" Blaze asked, returning her attention to the mission. She couldn't care less about these new male seeDs, they were just hours away from getting the Ruby and then it was "Mission Completed." Blaze supressed a grin.

[miyavi]

"Headmistress, are we to continue the Ruby now?"

Sho spoke up after the weird chick with the evil eyes of doom, still not looking beyond his magazine. "Yeah, could we? Because the chick that just spoke before me sounds like a kid that really needs to pee; she wants to get things over and done with. And frankly, I do, too. Not pee, I mean, but get this done with."

---

~__~; Gee, way to make friends, Sho.

[ST]

Xu shot a sharp look at Sho and his peeing comment before adressing all of the seeDs gathered in the room.

"As I said before, the Gardens are still in the process of selecting and transferring one more seeD for this mission. I suggest getting to know each other on your own time, and until the last seeD arrives there is no point in me giving you the mission briefing." Xu sat down in her seat and shuffled some papers on her desk.

"You are dismissed until further notice," she said.

---

okay now the charries can do whatever they want until Ani's ready with her charrie XD

[Polaris Lyn]

Xu dismissed them and Polaris wasted no time. She sidled up to Blaze and forcefully steered her best friend out the room before Blaze could retort to the blue-haired man's remark...though Polaris had to admit, he kinda had a point...but that didn't matter right now.

They made it out the door of Xu's office before Polaris turned to Blaze. And at once she was at a a loss for words. How could she explain what she had done in a way that would make Blaze understand her reasoning, and not get bored? She opened her mouth, then closed it, looking a bit sheepish as she fiddled with her arm warmers.

"Aa...I guess..." she began, dropping her gaze, "you'd wanna know why I look...like...well...this?"

There was a pause between them, and Polaris glanced around, uncomfortable.

[Blaze Sanaku]

Just as Blaze was going to whip up a nasty remark to Sho, Polaris pulled her aside.

"Of course I want to know what happened," Blaze scoffed, "I think Jun and Stardust deserve to know as well. It's been what?" Blaze crossed her arms, "About a week since the last time I saw you and now you look like this?? Your names' not even Tomoe anymore!"

Blaze stared at Polaris's hair as if trying to figure out if it was real or not.

Is she still the same person?

/Only her looks have changed/ Deathstrike tried to reassure but Blaze wasn't convinced.

[Polaris Lyn]

"I had to change my name," Polaris replied, shrugging again. "And my hair--it's real," she added quickly, noticing Blaze eyeing the mass of curls that hung to her shoulders, "I had to change my hair because it's the most recognizable, so I can be safe in Esthar if we need to go there..." She scratched her arm beneath her arm warmer. "But...I'm still me, except a little different...but hell, just because I swear more and laugh more and I'm swinging an axe instead of a sword doesn't mean I'm not your best friend." She looked uncertainly at Blaze, hoping that a new hairdo wouldn't force her to find a new friend. "Anyway, what do you think?" She spread her arms out and stepped back. "Different enough?"

[Stardust Infinity]

How far is the ICU from here? It was the first thing that registered in her head.

At first, Stardust didn't know what to react. It almost like everything happened in a split second. Zacke left, Adel's forces were getting stronger, and then Reese. Stardust turned pale. Her mind was barely inside the room with the others, barely noticed the entrance of the new SeeDs.

/Will you look at that blue-haired kid/ Diwata tried to lighten the situation. /And I thought you having a pink hair was out of this world...haha...uhm yeah.../

Stardust was tempted to unjunction Diwata but was distracted when she spotted Tomoe--or someone that looked exactly like her. Her forehead creased and she went to examine all three newcomers in the room. Hyne, not again. she told herself. She didn't even bother introducing herself. She just wanted to leave this room and go look at how Reese was doing.

It only took a matter of minutes before she heard the magic words out of Xu's mouth. She gave the headmistress a salute and turned towards the door. Polaris and Blaze beat her outside, and Stardust finally got a good look at Polaris's face.

Stardust's eyes narrowed as she walked right past the two girls. So it is Tomoe... Only Tomoe would hang out with a whacko like Blaze. Stardust couldn't have been so right. Whatever was she doing BACK in this mission again was completely beyond Stardust. She pushed the button for the elevator and headed inside. At this point, no matter how ridiculous it was, she couldn't care less. The Infirmary was waiting.

[miyavi]

The elevator was closing. Sho moved forward, reaching out to stop the doors from shutting him out, and he hurried inside, liquid grace dressed in white and blue. He let the doors close and fell back against the wall, shoving his rolled up copy of "Timber Maniacs" into the pocket of his jacket. He turned his head to greet the only other person in the elevator...and stopped.

"Oh," he said, not bothering to hide the boredom from his voice, "it's you."