<div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>Roxi laughed as Jeanette mentioned an after party, "I don't think we ever have those. I don't spend much time with the other racers, we've all kind of got a rivalry going. All the competition kind of makes it a must." She flashed a little grin, then added, "But, ah, I'd be happy to get together with you after the race. Maybe for drinks or something. Whatever you want." She leans in, prodding the commander's armored shoulder lightly, "You won't be all suited up, will you? I think you'd look better in your civvies." The racer grinned, then faltered, "Er, not that you look bad in this! You look kickass! I, ah...” Leaning back, she let out a nervous laugh, "Sorry, that came out all wrong."<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>Jeanette scratched the back of her head self-consciously. "I, uh, thanks," she said, unused to compliments that she actually enjoyed hearing. The platitudes had worn her down, but this time she found herself blushing slightly at this beautiful woman's comments. "It's your world, babe... you tell me what you want me to wear. I'm your date, after all," she smirked, finding her confidence again. "I haven't had the time to go to an event in years. I usually get so exhausted that all I want to do is just lie in the sun and relax... but you've found an untapped reserve of energy. When's the race?"<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>Roxi flushed slightly, but smiled. "Wear whatever you like. Something casual, though. You won't need the armor unless someone crashes into the box." The racer grinned a bit. She was kidding. Well... half kidding. Straightening up, she tapped at her datapad and, with a few nimble finger taps here and there, reserved some seats. "The race is in a couple of hours, so you've got some time to relax if you want. I just got you access to the box seating area, an' four guest passes, if you want to bring some of your crew. It's a nice little area. Private, nice viewing screen so you can see the finish line, plus they provide some snacks and drinks. Hell of a lot better than the stands." Roxi flashed her grin, "It's nice to finally get to use it. An' for a gal I've had a crush on forever, too!"<br/><br/>Stepping back, she snatched up her pad and raised her other hand in a little wave, "But I should get going, I've got some preparations to make before the race! I'll see you after!"<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>"Right... casual." Her "casual" clothes for a long time had been either an off-duty uniform or a bikini bottom. Regular clothes were something of a mystery. She'd have to get her cute comms officer to give some suggestions.<em>Can't invite her though... she'll be devastated if she comes along and finds out I'm there for Roxi and not her.</em>"Sounds like a lot of fun, Roxi! I'll gather up a few of my crew and bring them along to be your cheering section."<em>Gods, this girl is cute...</em>As Roxi moved to make her exit, Jeanette smiled wide and nodded in return to her wave, and gave the racer an unveiled look over. "You damn sure will."<br/><br/>"Another MP before I get the hell out of here," Jeanette called to the bartender. "I'm gonna need some liquid courage to try on some regular clothes."<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>Inside Zero-G Racing was an awe-inspiring sight. It was a spacious dome interior, filled with people scurrying from place to place, dotted with stands selling food or shirts and souvenirs. Three main areas were noticeable from the entrance; over to the left there were multiple doors lined up one next to another. Each had a large picture of a raceway above it, followed by a name. Ganymede Gallop. Jupiter Jump. Terra Classic. Poseidon Peril. Mars Warfront. A dozen courses are lined up and above it all, in a big box, the words 'EXHIBITION'. Front and center, all the way at the opposite end of the dome is a single door leading off into darkness and above it, 'CAREER MODE' in yet another big text box. Over to the right side of the dome, garages lined up one after the other, all the doors closed down save for one or two. Looking inside, it looks like these are where the racers keep their vehicles and do work on them in their spare time. Most of the racers seem to be gone, obviously off to the race. Above these doors, 'OPTIONS' is displayed in yet another box. It occurs that this large dome is actually the interactive title screen of Zero-G Racing, where the player selects what they want to do. From high above, the game's title music spills down, playing the song on a loop*. It fades into the background a bit, thanks to the number of people here. The line starts at the Mars Warfront track and stretches almost all the way back to the center of the dome. It seems this is where tonight's race is held.<br/><br/>After waiting in line, Jeanette and her crew arrive at the head of it and the commander has to give her name. She gets authorized to go in along with her guests and they step through the black doorway. Beyond it the scene transitions oddly as they step out, literally, into another world. It might make for a familiar sight, as Zero-G's version of the red planet stretches out before them. The line of people are streaming to a set of stands not too far off, where alien and human alike sit and watch hovering monitors of the race footage. There are even some people recognizable from other game worlds, come to take in the race for a fun night off. Far, far off in the distance, faint dust clouds and explosions can be seen where the racers are working their way through the course. Overhead, the theme song of the track plays, much like it did in the dome for the main menu**. Jeanette and crew are taken to a special enclosed box seat which drowns out the noise of the music and the crowd. Well, more or less. There are private monitors here to watch the race on, as well as plush seating and an array of food and beverages to enjoy.<br/><br/>The monitors depict the racers tightly packed together, each one struggling for the lead as they wind through the hills, valleys, and red sands of Mars while avoiding traps, missiles and each other. It's a wonder the camera can even keep up with them, as, while most of the vehicles vary in size, they all seem to be packing engines impressive enough to break the sound barrier.<br/><br/>"..coming up to the first hairpin turn right now!" says the announcer, "We have Ogrim in The Doomhammer taking the lead, followed closely by Roxi's CherryBomb and Racer-X's Black Wind! Close behind we've got Gunnar's Longius, Lrr in the Omicron, and Vex in the Red Falcon! Trailing behind in last is Archer in the Isis, but never underestimate him, race fans, anything could still happen! As you may know, we're down a racer today, as XLr8's vehicle was trashed during the last race and he has yet to fix it! He might be out until the game resets, but you never- Oh! It looks like Roxi is making a move around this corner!"<br/><br/>The announcer's excitement fuels the crowd and even from inside the box, Jeanette can hear everyone cheering as the three vehicles in the lead jockey for position around the immensely tight turn. Roxi's vehicle, while far from the smallest, is the smallest in the lead pack and she's able to sneak on the inside of the turn and make it tighter than the others, thus pulling ahead for the moment.<br/><br/>* - http://youtu.be/7sIbLJ5fWA8  (http://youtu.be/7sIbLJ5fWA8)<br/>** - http://youtu.be/LV5lqJdak2I (http://youtu.be/LV5lqJdak2I)<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>Jeanette felt positively naked in these clothes. It wasn’t a complicated ensemble; there wasn’t time to buy new clothes, so she was wearing things there were on hand on the Caen. Her custom A6 leather jacket*, never worn and thus rather stiff, was draped over one of Lorena’s excessively form-fitting burgundy shirts, accompanied by plain old jeans. She cut a dashing figure, but certainly didn’t feel it. Without her armor on and in a strange place, Jeanette felt a little twitchy. She still had a sidearm, folded up in her jacket, though.<br/><br/>Three of her crew had come along: Tarkus, her avian, sharpshooting friend; Lorena, her sensuous purple psionic savant; Kark, the hulking armored brawler.<br/><br/>Tarkus trotted along just behind Jeanette in his typical slightly hunched, goblinesque posture, carrying in one claw a briefcase that was Jeanette’s portable armor. He was long and slender, his bony structure hidden under loose-fitting robes that made him look like some kind of hawkish oracle. His beak clucked idly as he observed the strangeness around him, though he looked right at home in it all.<br/><br/>Next to him was Lorena, a very humanoid but ethereal creature. Her eyes were pale gray and seemed to glow faintly, and her deep purple skin was crisscrossed with what looked like tattoos, but might have also been circuitry. She wore a skin-tight tone-matching catsuit, making her appear naked to anyone that wasn’t looking closely… though most were indeed looking closely. She perpetually had a vague smirk that made it look like she knew something you didn’t. Honestly, she usually did.<br/><br/>Kark was a monster of a man, though he wasn’t really a man. Nine feet tall and sporting four arms, he was powerfully muscle-bound even for someone of that size. He sported intersecting armored plates along the outsides of his limbs, on his back, and on the upper half of his head, with a bit following the line of his nose. It looked as if some kind of six-legged dinosaur had started walking upright. His face, while generally humanoid, had a very broad, flat nose, with feline irises and jagged teeth. The only “clothing” he bothered with was a durandex “loincloth” that he only wore upon repeated request.<br/><br/>Jeanette had decided Kark ought to count for two passes.<br/><br/>It wasn’t difficult to interface Jeanette’s all-tool with the arena’s navigation software. They found their way to the booth rather uneventfully, in time to see the Cherrybomb making its move. At first look, the race looked more like war than professional competition… maybe that’s what it really was, she mused. The raw velocity and amount of explosions was shocking to her untrained eye, but the warrior in her didn’t find it hard to adjust. It actually looked like a hell of a lot of fun.<br/><br/>*Clothing example (http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6220/femshepjacketedit.jpg)<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>As Cherrybomb moved ahead on the following straightaway, Ogrim in his Doomhammer made a move. A panel on the right side of his vehicle popped out, exposing a small launcher carrying a trio of missiles. The first one fired, seeking out Roxi's vehicle. Inside her cockpit, her systems alerted her to the approaching weapon and she quickly thumbed her canopy release. Her ride had its own arsenal, but nothing for shooting down incoming projectiles. She had a space hero to impress, too. So, she grabbed her sidearm and leaned out of the cockpit while keeping one hand on the controls. With the wind whipping through her hair and Mars' twin suns glinting in her glasses, she carefully placed her shots and fired upon the missile, causing it to explode in mid-air. Ducking back in with haste, she resumed driving, pulling further ahead. Back on the vid screen, the announcer (as well as the fans in the stands) burst into excitement over what had just happened.<br/><br/>Roxi sought to go on the offensive. Her fingers flicked over two switches in her cockpit and the back of her ride opened up, two small panels just at the rear sides, spilling out two handfuls of little yellow bombs decorated with smiley faces. Cute. They exploded seconds later, sending Doomhammer skidding off the course, but opening up a path for the next in line to catch up. Roxi was still fighting to keep her place at the head of the pack, the finish line drawing closer by the instant.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>Absent-minded sips had Jeanette most of the way through a beer already. The incredible speed of the race was enrapturing, and it damn sure looked like their inertial dampeners weren’t working properly. Did they even have them? It was hard to tell. More than once she saw nosebleeds and once in a while, eyebleeds from the rabid racers. This sort of game had to be devastating to the racers’ bodies.<br/><br/>Roxi was as cool as ever, though. “No, she isn’t…” Jeanette muttered as the cockpit slid open. Kark let out a guffaw as Roxi, as if it were nothing, shot down a missile with a sidearm.<br/><br/>“Shit, Gagarin, you think you could manage that?”<br/><br/>“’Course I could,” Jeanette replied, unconvincingly.<em>That was damn incredible,</em>she thought. She felt a twinge in her lower regions at the raw confidence on Roxi’s face as she did it.<em>And <strong>she</strong> idolizes <strong>me</strong>?</em>It was easy to tell this would be no one-way attraction. Roxi was absolutely thrilling. Jeanette found herself wondering if this is how others felt when they watched her in combat.<em>Shut up, you narcissistic ass.</em><br/><br/>“You know, I could pick a few of them off for her,” Tarkus crooned, with what amounted to a grin, his beak left open slightly with a twinkle in his eye. “I’d use a suppressor, no one would ever know.”<br/><br/>“No need,” Lorena said quietly.<br/><br/>Jeanette crooked an eyebrow at this. Lorena’s abilities were beyond any current scientific understanding, but they were rarely wrong. When the missiles shot out of the Cherrybomb, Jeanette smirked. “No holds barred for this girl,” she commented. “If they try to kill you, you kill them right back!”<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>"Coming into the last stretch, Roxi's still holding the lead, followed by Racer-X and Gunnar! The rest of the pack is struggling to keep up at these speeds, not to mention the upcoming, the infamous, the deadly, Aries' Spears!"<br/><br/>The announcer was referring to rocky formations placed upon the Martian surface. On Earth they'd be called hoodoo's, fairy chimneys, or earth pyramids. They were massive spires of rock, all of them between thirty and a hundred feet tall. They dotted the landscape, creating a veritable forest of hard, unforgiving rock. The racers darted into the field, the rock formations doubtlessly appearing as little more than orange blurs as they whipped past. Not far into the formations, Racer-X clipped one and spun out, the vehicle whirling in circles for quite some distance before hitting another rock and coming to a smashing stop. The driver seemed alright, but the vehicle wasn't finishing the race in any position other than last. That left Gunnar and Roxi both jockeying for first as they neared the end of the deadly, rocky alley.<br/><br/>"It looks like Gunnar is making his move, ladies and gentlemen! It's all down to the last stretch and he's not taking any chances!"<br/><br/>Excitement was still building in the stands. Gunnar's machine opened up, guns in the front firing rapidly at Roxi's CherryBomb. The female racer's vehicle was peppered with shots, stitching grim lines across the side. She deftly maneuvered her ride, darting between the rock formations and avoiding as much gunfire as she could. Frustrated, Gunnar floored it and caught up. His machine was much larger, much heavier. He used it as a battering ram, jerking to one side and then slamming into Roxi's as hard as he could. Roxi and her vehicle reeled, narrowly missing one of the rocks.<br/><br/>Attempting a second ram, Gunnar pulled off to the side again. This time, Roxi was ready. She hit the brakes and the heavier racer hit nothing but air, kept going, and slammed into a hoodoo with full force, smashing in the side of the ride. It came to a sputtering stop just outside the deadly alley.<br/><br/>"...wait, what's this?! It's Archer in the Isis! Archer from behind! He's zooming past with his nitrous!"<br/><br/>The Isis darted past Roxi's ride in a golden blur, nearing the final stretch. The crowd was on its feet in the stands now, wildly cheering, the noise reaching even Jeanette and her crew in the private box. Roxi wasn't having any of this, however. The flames coming out of her engines suddenly flared and her vehicle jumped before suddenly launching forward at astonishing speeds.<br/><br/>"Roxi's coming back, folks! She's fired off her nitro too! It's going to be down to the wire!"<br/><br/>So close!<br/><br/>Neck and neck!<br/><br/>The racers exchanged first place, once, twice, three times, both rides pushing the limits of their speed. If they were going any faster the sand would probably be turning into glass under them! At the last minute, Roxi's ride shoots ahead and claims victory! The crowd explodes in cheers and shouts of joy, not really rooting for Roxi herself, but more the exciting culmination of a fantastic race.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>“What a treacherous course,” Tarkus mused. “I wonder if Greene could handle this kind of terrain.”<br/><br/>“In the<em>Caen?</em>Of course he could. In one of those little cars, who knows,” Jeanette replied. “Though of course he’d be using the main guns to clear the way.”<br/><br/>Kark laughed. “That’s my kind of piloting! Don’t bother avoiding them, just blow them up!”<br/><br/>“You’re all brutes,” Lorena commented quietly. “Watch the woman dance.”<br/><br/>Jeanette’s eyes had never left the screen, though admittedly most of her time was spent watching Roxi’s cockpit view. The way her hands navigated the controls reminded her of a high-speed ballet, every movement crafted and perfected. She seemed to have even better control of her car than Greene had of the ship, and he was already a genius. Roxi didn’t seem to have any AI helping her, either. It was enrapturing.<br/><br/>When Roxi and Archer crossed the finish line, Jeanette found herself on the floor. She realized she had been inching closer and closer to the edge of her seat, and jerking forward in excitement she had suddenly become without support! Kark laughed and picked her up with one giant hand, setting her back down in the seat. “Looks like somebody’s got a crush,” he teased.<br/><br/>“I, uh… I should go. Meet her. She won after all, she deserves congratulations, right?”<br/><br/>“Nice save, Gagarin,” Tarkus chuckled.<br/><br/>Lorena was serene as usual. “Happiness will be yours tonight, Colonel.”<br/><br/>Jeanette groaned. “TMI, ‘Rena.” She gathered herself up and left the booth, keying up her all-tool for directions to the racer reception area.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>When Jeanette found her, Roxi was worrying over her vehicle, checking out the bullet holes and dents that riddled its side. The appearance of the commander turned her frown upside-down, though, and she beamed as the woman approached, "Jeanette! Glad you could make it. I hope you enjoyed the race." She laughed a little, "I kind of barely came away with that one. Those guys don't pull any punches, but they were really all over me tonight." The racer grinned proudly. Her eyes briefly glanced over the soldier, admiring the way she looked dressed more casual. Jeanette looked out of her element in the outfit, but she was pulling it off quite nicely. Especially the jacket.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div><em>They won't be the last to be all over you tonight.</em><br/><br/>"You kicked ass out there! Though I admit I wasn't always sure what I was looking at... When you shot that rocket down I was like 'Whaaaat?!' How do you handle all that speed without inertial dampeners? Thrown around like that and here you are with barely a scratch... er, sorry, I'm rambling." She chuckled. "I've just never seen anything like that, or anyone like you, before." She was hesitant to approach, both uncomfortable in her casuals and uncertain of the customs in this game world. So instead of sweep Roxi off her feet like she wanted to, she inspected the Cherrybomb's damage. "I don't know about the bullet holes, but I can help you buff out these dents. I've been known to be handsy. ...handy."<br/><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>Roxi laughed. She'd never seen Jeanette quite so excited. In the trailers and in her mind the woman was always so serious, so brave and so firm. But it turned out she was just a regular woman too. It was cute. She grinned a touch as the commander inspected her beat up ride, a bit of pride welling up in the racer at the compliments. She never thought she'd get such high praise from a woman who'd been on battlefields and fought against an inter-galactic menace on a regular basis. As far as Roxi was concerned, she was just a racer. This was her life. She didn't see the big deal. "No, it's okay.. Keep rambling. It's cute." She smiled warmly. "And don't worry about the damage, I can replace the parts with part of the prize money from tonight. I would like to see you get handsy, though." Roxi grinned and clasped her hands behind her back, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, warm and inviting.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div><em>Well, that just tears it.</em>Jeanette stood up straight, said "Alright then," and covered the few steps between them with a long stride. She closed the distance between their bodies, hooking an arm around Roxi's waist, pulling her close and brushing a bit of hair from her eyes with the other hand. This part she was more familiar with. The hand that brushed the hair aside now cupped the racer's cheek, pulling her into a tight kiss. Jeanette savored it, tasted the cherry girl deeply for a long moment, before turning them slightly and leaning Roxi back against the Cherrybomb. Sneaking her legs inbetween Roxi's, she hoisted the woman's legs up and around her waist, and dove in courageously for a second kiss.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj499/MzHyde/Roxi2_zps71663c48.jpg)</div>Roxi melted into the first kiss, returning it eagerly. She felt herself pressed back against her dented ride and then quite literally swept off her feet. Her legs hooked around the stronger woman's waist, one arm looping around her neck, fingers sliding through her hair. Their lips sealed together in another kiss, long and passionate. Roxi's eyes slid shut and she tilted her head slightly, taking it a little deeper. "Mmm..." a happy little noise escaped her lips. As the kiss breaks, she sighs softly with delight. Mouth still close to Jeanette's, she said what was doubtlessly on both of their minds, "...Apartments... too far. I know a place closer. Let's get out of here."<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>SOMETIME LATER</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div>The ping of Jeanette’s all-tool elicited an annoyed groan from the woman. Her eyes slowly flickering open, she found herself with her torso on the floor, and legs still on Roxi’s couch. The blood filling her head, from being upended for probably hours, left her woozy. With an<em>umph</em>she let herself slide the rest of the way to the ground, and as she raised a hand to open the message, found it holding an empty beer bottle.<em>I don’t remember that… but I do remember what happened before.</em>She saw Roxi sleeping sweetly on the couch, and blushed a little at the memory.<br/><br/>Jeanette forced herself up on her feet and took a seat on the edge of the couch near Roxi’s feet. She found herself to be wearing her jeans and leather jacket but no undergarments.<em>What the hell were we up to?</em>Brushing the thought aside, she read the message. “Multiplayer,” she muttered, “who asked for that?” She didn’t relish the thought of meeting her own comrades in combat; all of them were tough customers. Still, it would be fun. Maybe there would be a leaderboard to set up bragging rights.<em>I hope they don’t make me fight myself…</em><br/><br/>Roxi was even less dressed than she was. To say it was a pleasant sight seriously understated the situation. Jeanette thought about waking her, but instead just took a seat back where she had been laying, this time upright and leaning against the couch. She let out a pleased sigh and closed her eyes, letting her pounding head have a rest.