Part III
“Students please welcome Ms Adria. She comes to us from the Imperium as part of a unique exchange opportunity.”
The assembled students look with awe at their new classmate. The legendary Gravball champion herself. Male students specifically crowding the hallways in hopes at glimpsing her in person. Adria is a fit, slim Hynerian with blonde and pink hair that falls lightly on her shoulders and bosom. Wearing a short dress that fits snuggly around her chest. She smiles wide and bends just slightly, waving coyly to a specific student in the class. “Hiiii, Orion.” spoken in a sing-song tone.
The boy she speaks to looks as tho he wishes to bolt, mouth aghast. Others around him mutter “How does he do it? She knows HIM! Some guys have all the luck!”
Three weeks earlier. The bright silver Imperium Quick Ship arrives at Minth in record time. As the personal yacht of the Governor Admiral, all it’s functions are cutting edge. Aboard the ship sits the Governor’s daughter, her Gravball partner, and the trainer/coach for their school.
Broadcasting across the galactic net. “Well Gravball fans, we’ve been waiting for this match up for cycles. The Championship game, the Talons versus the Vors! First as we know Netball has swept the galaxy in flash fire fashion. With it’s simple rules and appealing personalities, every game has had record audiences. Like all cultural phenomenon the players drive this fire storm. One of the stars of this sport and team captain of the Talons is Adria. This student athlete from Educlave T99 has shot across the galaxy with endorsements in clothing and the Nike gravity-wing company. She currently is one of the most downloaded sports personalities on the net!” Graphics flash across the screen of Adria, a beautiful Hynerian and Educlave student in both dominating sports shots and seductive fashion shoots.
“Across the net will be her biggest rival both on the field and in the media. When Venus signed on with the Edu-Colony of Minth the sports world was a buzz as to why this championship winning student would transfer to such a young school. Rather than sit in the shadows of other star players, Minth gave Venus the chance to shine. And shine she did. Winning 10 consecutive games in a row, she took Minth from unknown to net-fame nearly overnight!” Again a montage of images flashes across the screen the beautiful Akkadian is shown winning game shot after shot and seductive fashion shoots. Both players have achieved fame that professional players envy.
The Imperium Yacht lands softly in the dry dock specifically reserved for this arrival. Hundreds of news hounds wait for the occupants to disembark so the media circus can begin. On board. “Adria, this is crazy, and only getting worse. There must be a hundred net-reporters out there!” The slender Mardian netball partner looks concerned and agitated. “I’m sorry Eva, this was definitely not what you were expecting when I drug you to T99 but we’ve become role models of sorts and we need to stick too it.” Eva pipes in “I don’t mind the whole role model thing, it’s the darkside of this fame that bothers me. And I’m a Marduk for crying out loud, you can’t more free spirited than a Mardian.”
Stepping into the flashing lights and talking reporters the pair pose for shots, hand out autographs to fans crammed between reporters and perform an impromptu news conference on the boarding plank.
Several hours later, sitting in a comfortable hotel room the girls nearly fall into the beds. FTL-lag and the throngs of people draining all the energy from them previously. Eva is the first to talk. "That was exhausting, I think I could sleep until the match." Adria responds disapprovingly. "Eva, we need to live a little, our only chaperon is Coach and he's off getting a drink. Come on, lets check out the town and the BOYS."
"Adria, how are we going to get out of the hotel, Coach may be getting a drink but he's still guarding the door."
Before Eva can utter a warning, Adria is at the open window and walking out, casually looking down the 7 stories to the ground. "Eva, we can fly. Duh!"
"Adria, no. The magnetics of this planet mess with our gravity wings! ....Or your going to jump anyway. Please let he wings land her!"
Adria walks off the ledge he wings silently producing anti-gravitons, but just as Eva feared her wings malfunctioned and she began to plummet.
Not two minutes earlier a group of students is passing by this very building. Three boys of Akkadian race, except one his linage is foreign to this galaxy But his appearance does not betray that fact.
"Orion, this Gravball game is going to be historic. You can't miss this" Spoken from the shortest of the three.
Orion responds. "Historic, riiight, Ayden your only interested in seeing Venus' partner in the skimpy outfit."
The third party member puts his arm around Orion's shoulder. "Orion is this because we have to participate in the opening ceremony or are you just not interested in girls?"
Orion looks at Mitsuo with an angry look. "At least I'm not going to be trolling the other tournament players for a quick date."
"Orion, it is not my fault I will only have one night for love. These pretty girls must return to their home planets after all." Mitsuo gestures dramatically.
Exasperated Orion begins to speak but catches the sight of someone falling from the sky. "Mitsuo, your... What the!"
With surprising agility Orion leaps from several pieces of Architecture, reaching a height of nearly 15 feet. With a firm grasp he catches the falling angelic form of Adria! Unbalanced the two crash into a shallow water feature, the intricately carved fish spraying water in a long arch onto Orion and Adria.
Mitsuo and Ayden run to the fountain and find a very wet Orion and Adria. Wet clothing and awkward positions leave an arousing sight for these two adolescents. “Um Orion, your hand...”
Adria begins to come to her senses while Orion is still reeling from the landing. With a growl, “Your hand is on my breast.... you pervert!” Orion’s eyes meet Adria’s, “No this isn’t what it seems..” Before he can respond Adria cold cocks him, putting Orion back into a reeling state.
Mitsuo and Ayden help Orion out of the fountain. Mistuo whistles, saying “She’s even more hot when wet. Just add water!”
Orion brushes water from his hair. “That girl is insane.”
The classroom is stunned that a celebrity is joining them, but not nearly as Orion who knows first hand the trouble this girl can cause. The clock strikes mid-day and lunch break begins. Adria stands upon a concrete riser in the outdoor amphitheater that is now a lunch area. Orion, Mitsuo, and Ayden sit wishing she would be a bit more discrete. The entire Amphitheater is watching her every move.
Adria looks down upon the three. “I remember you two! YOU!” Pointing directly at Mitsuo. “At the tournament, you tried to feel up Eva!”
“Me...No. My intentions were purely honorable. I was simply trying to keep her from dropping her bag!” Adria’s eyes bore into him, smirk and all.
Eva, teammate and best friend to Adria, appears with lunch. With an eye roll “Adria, why don’t you sit. Were going to be stuck here for a while so stop making a scene.” Eva blinks twice and looks directly at Orion’s companions. “Your Ayden, right? You were one of the choreographers for the stunt performance before the tournament!” Eva slides right next to Ayden, his face turning red as he is not sure to talk or run.
“How did you know I did that?”
“I asked the officials, I’ve seen some impressive stuff but that was pretty awesome.”
Mitsuo butts in hoping to have a second chance with the beautiful Eva. “Eva, I’m glad to meet you again. Let me formally introduce myself since I did not the first time.”
“The first time? Have we met?”
In stunned silence Mitsuo sits back down, he could see that this pair was not worth the effort to woo. Mitsuo watches Eva talk up Ayden, plus a visibly stressed Orion as Adria starts commanding him to give her a tour of the facility.