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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 18, 2018 9:13:24 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru had learned much in the days following her last interaction with the Saiyan she recruited named Zarun. She had confirmed the death of Emperor Polaris with Lute amongst the rest of the universe. It was not a secret any longer; perhaps what was most shocking was that other deaths amongst him. Queen Radia, the leader of the Saiyan Dominion was assassinated as well as some other cabinet members in her crew. More notable people would include Emperor Carambolis of the Kabochan Confederacy. There was also a diplomat know as simply Gallius who fell that day to the onslaught delivered by Lord Snow and his devious crew.
While they were all apprehended and stopped in the process, those casualties were catastrophic. Kuueru's comrade and friend Commander Lute had already set in the plans to recover Polaris's son Absolut from the Kabochan Confederacy while Cam was out of the way. He was the rightful heir to the Empire's throne, but still, Kuueru could not help but worry about how the boy would fair at such a young age with such power. From what she had heard of the frost demon boy, he was quite the unconfident one. Much in contrast to his father Polaris, he appeared to second-guess himself on the regular.
Lute had another general address the general public in his stead, he assumed that his face and lack of empathy would be less than desired. Still, he handled it better than she would, yet here they were the same ranking in this Navy. Kuueru was beginning to feel a bit useless in terms of leadership, hell—this new recruit was pounding her with questions and she was struggling to find the answers with her lack of experience. Perhaps it was time for the demoness to step up a bit and become more involved in the relations and inner workings of her Empire, especially with the plethora of members underneath her looking to anyone for some guidance.
Numbers had fallen, the number of Imperials seemed to take a hit after the death of the Empire. She wondered how many Polaris had threatened to join? Maybe there was a lack of confidence after one of the most powerful men in the galaxy was struck down with little to no effort? It did not look good on paper to be bleeding the numbers that they were, but Kuueru still pushed her recruitment efforts. Still, since Zarun not many notable warriors had sworn themselves to the cause of the Empire however.
Kuueru sat at her desk, which was unusually clear of the normal piles of paperwork. She had caught up on all of her work in the past week or two, still—she did not feel a sense of accomplishment. The woman tapped upon her tablet and pulled up the file on Zarun, the Saiyan whom seemed so eager to push forward with his work. She wondered what his thoughts were on watching their leader fall? Would he hold it against her for dragging him into a wounded Empire? A sigh pressed from her lips as she pressed the call button to both his mobile and condo's phones. In the days since his recruitment she had given him his badge, phone, and a hefty sum of Zeni to start his life on Mitra and travels throughout the galaxy.
She had sent him to basic training classes which consisted of the shorthand history of the Empire and its relations. He also learned about etiquette, the ranking structure, and the main goals of the Empire itself. Sure, it was a lot to learn, but it was a crash course designed to cram all of the important information into one fun filled week of classroom based learning.
On top of that, she had hoped that maybe Zarun had made some friends or allies in the class or at least in his building. If not, maybe he had decided to try and reach out to his brother? Kuueru did not like the thought of someone going through all this change alone, like she. Still, the woman had Polaris along the way who showed her the ins and the outs personally. It was something she truly valued as it helped her gain significant knowledge of the mortal realm and its social standards and interactions. It was still hard to think that he was gone…
Suddenly, she looked to the tablet with her full attention. Assuming he picked up a broadcast of her face would appear on his screen. With a stern look she addressed the Saiyan accordingly.
"Zarun, if you could come to my office when you get the chance. I may just have a first mission for you, I hope that you're ready; it'll be accompanying me personally," Kuueru spoke in the most professional voice she could muster before promptly ending the call and standing from her desk. She stretched her back and let in a deep yawn. Her sleep had been lacking for the better part of the week. It was more than likely due to the thoughts plaguing her mind in both this mission, and her personal affairs.
With the absence of Lord Snow, she could now move on with a more personal affair. She and a companion, the great witch Kouzi had plans of ruckus. Unfortunately for those, Kuueru had to move in secrecy and not ruin her good standing with the Empire. Luckily, the demoness was a master of disguise and could use her magic to morph her body in any way she could imagine. It was rather handy when it came to covert missions, even for the Empire.
"Hn, Miss Jakun, I am expecting a visit from a Jr. Lt. Zarun today, please let him up," Kuueru paged down to the secretary on the base level just so the Saiyan would not have any trouble making it into the elevator and up to her office. Even with his new badge and security clearance, making it to a Commander's office carried a different level of caution.
So she waited. Admittedly the Commander was curious how quickly Zarun would heed her beck and call. Perhaps the lad hadn't had his breakfast yet and needed to scarf down something before running to her side of town. Maybe he would be there in a matter of minutes thinking it was a rush. Either way, it would be a good measure of his enthusiasm for the demon Commander.
WC: 1071
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Post by zarun on Dec 18, 2018 15:36:12 GMT -5
Zarun wasn't sure how to take much of the news.
He'd, in some way admired the Emperor just on the principle of who he was - not only was he the leader of such a great force, a military power that could claim to be amongst the very best in existence, but he was so incredibly powerful. Zarun had heard it argued that it was entirely possible that Emperor Polaris was the strongest being alive, that he could fight anyone and anything. Now look at him. The Saiyan had seen the footage, which had been broadcasted for long enough that everyone knew what was going on. He was just dead, just like that, and what did it mean? Who was their Emperor now? His classes had explained that the Emperor's son, Absolut, should most likely take his place, but how were they meant to handle something like that? It wasn't as though the Crown Prince was just sitting around, ready to go. From what he understood, and he got that he only understood what he did of the situation from hearsay, that Absolut had fundamentally disagreed with his father on something. That didn't seem strange; people disagreed with each other on various grounds often, but this was apparently a particularly strong disagreement. Absolut couldn't even be in with the Empire anymore, or take any part in it. Instead, he left. He went to the Kabochan Confederacy (Zarun finally understood what a Kabochan looked like, and it was much less exciting than he'd thought) and tried to figure out some new life there, apparently. Their Emperor was dead. Why was it called a Confederacy if it had an Emperor, anyway? He was an Emperor, right? He was sure that was the title he had heard credited to the man he knew as Carambolis.
It was strange and jarring to get all of this information at once. How was he even meant to process it? How was he supposed to understand that, he'd suddenly found himself part of an Empire on its knees, nursing its wounds? How was he meant to deal with that responsibility? Having a crash course on galactic politics and the state of things out here had already shifted how he felt. So far, his goals had been mostly self-centred. He had wanted to fight for the Empire on the basis of his own goals; of furthering his own glory, of being worthy of a Saiyan warrior. The Queen was dead now, too. One of his own people, apparently one of the best warriors that the Saiyans had, killed in an instant. He didn't know how to feel. How to compute it. It made him tremble at the idea of what could happen to him. She didn't even get to fight. She didn't go out with a bang, in any kind of glorious last stand. It was just an instant, and then she was dead. She didn't even know that she was. How could she? She hadn't had any time to understand what was going on, that there was even something else happening along with the arguments at the table. There would never be a Senate, or a United Species, or anything. There was only going to be more conflict, more blood, at this rate. Everyone was dead. Everyone except the Earth's King, but Zarun knew nothing of him. He wasn't someone that affected the Saiyan's life, so he understood now that it was mostly unimportant, his survival or how he felt.
He had been doing push-ups for hours, and now his entire body was vertical, a single finger taking all the pressure and body weight of his form as he moved up and down, pushing his body that much harder. Being upside down was tough, nevermind the sweat seeping into your eyes from where it usually wouldn't, but he didn't care. Something in that tragedy, in the slaughter at the Peace Accords, had kicked up a fire of some kind in him. It made him angry that such a thing could happen as Snow, or whatever his name might have been, wanted. That he was able to walk into a room and kill almost all the most powerful people in the galaxy, and they'd only barely been able to stop him. Apparently he was dead now. Or captured by the Earth's King, or something like that. It didn't really matter now, did it? The damage was done. It was all over with, and the shockwaves of all those deaths were going to pulse out through the entire galaxy. The Empire was wounded, the Confederacy without a leader or direction. Zarun understood now. He had only just begun to understand the costs, the risks of these wars, the inhuman amount of destruction even one action, or a few deaths could cause, if it just happened to be the right people that died.
His attention was taking away from his training, and his brooding at that, as he heard Kuueru's voice coming from the communicator in his quarters. He glanced over to see her face broadcasted up, explaining that he may actually have a mission soon. It was a nice feeling; after all, he had been enjoying training, but he wanted to get out there, start doing something with his new authority and purpose. He hadn't joined the Empire just to pick up training and get fights - well, that wasn't true, he almost entirely had joined for that reason. Now though, he was starting to get that the universe was just a bit bigger than him, and that maybe there were other things that should hold priorities, too. Was that what being a Saiyan meant? Maybe that was why they were considered such fierce warriors and heroes. They had something to fight for. Something to die for. Maybe he'd found just that thing for him. He hoped so. He really hoped so.
Quickly changing into his armour, Zarun wasted no time, making sure he actually looked enough the part before he took the elevator down from his own quarters, just barely remembering to bring the mobile communicator with him. Did he look enough like a soldier? He wasn't sure. He stared at his own reflection in the mirror, taking a deep breath for a moment. He hoped that he could be presentable enough to be an Ultramarine. He was starting to get now how actually important that was. Maybe it was strange that he didn't understand it before - did Kuueru think he was some kind of simpleton previously? He didn't know. He'd already been isolated enough, and he'd only done it further after he heard the news. He had kept entirely away from other soldiers, focusing on training, on becoming more powerful and pushing himself to the power that he wanted, that he craved. He wanted to prove something to himself, even if he wasn't sure entirely what that was yet.
Zarun didn't even give the secretary much time. He knew that the Commander was waiting on him - she had called him to the office, after all. Once he arrived at the 87th floor, quite enjoying the feeling of making use of his own new badge, he walked into the office, looking far more the part than he did a week ago. "You wanted to see me, Kuueru?" As much as he was fitting in with the whole 'soldier' thing, he wasn't good with the formalities. She was just Kuueru to him, and that was the way it was going to stay, unless she changed her name, somehow.
WC: 1,260
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 19, 2018 8:48:23 GMT -5
zarun
In truth, with the news of the Emperor's death, the demoness had done nothing short of improve upon herself. Much like a lot of the other high-ranking officers in the Empire, she pushed herself to new limits with training, nutrition, and meditation. Not only did the woman give up her most beloved 'street sausage' since the news of his passing, she had been eating only the foods needed for optimal fueling and nutrition. On top of that she had been pushing her body in exercise. Frequent visits to the gravity chamber and even training alongside of the Demon King Lute himself only sent her body into overdrive with power. A certain malice had exploded from her aura, perhaps a thirst for blood against those responsible for Polaris's death. Sadly, from what the broadcasts had shown, it was too late. The Earth's Guardian Xell had not only defeated the trio of Peace Accords invaders but took their nearly dead bodies with him through some sort of portal. Kuueru couldn't be sure where he was taking or what the hell he was going to do with their remains, yet there was a pang of envy in her bones that she wasn't able to kill them herself.
Alongside of that envy was a tremendous weight of guilt. Guilt that she was not there for the Emperor when he was slinging himself into such danger. Hell, how was she supposed to know that though? The damn thing was organized and called the Peace Accords. For all she knew, it was supposed to just be a meeting of the leaders, not something to be crashed by some vengeful Frost Demons with astronomical power and numbers. Still, she could think back and recollect how she secretly wanted to accompany Polaris to the event. However, it was the type of thing where lackeys weren't really brought. That would only make a meeting of peace a bit more on edge. If everyone brought their strongest comrades and warriors to the table, there would surely be a fight amongst those trying to unify the universe and bring peace. Kuueru didn't argue with the idea at the time, but now she wish she had teleported at the first flare up of Polaris's staggering power level. She had felt his overwhelming strength all the way from Mitra, yet she didn't question it. She didn't question why he would be unleashing his fifth form at a meeting, yet now she felt foolish beyond repair.
Hence why she had been pushing so hard, along with everyone who meant anything in the Empire and Ultramarines. Today the woman was clad in her Ultramarines uniform. It was much like the old Galactic Patrol uniforms; the main difference was the ultramarine blue color and the insignia. It was a rather uncomfortable walking around so exposed, but the material was resilient in battle and could conform to a variety of body types and transformations. She had once seen Lute go into giant form wearing this very uniform. No rips, no tears, not massive viewable bulges. He was a Namekian however, she wasn't even sure of their anatomy.
Quickly she prepared a large black bag upon her desk. In it she placed her tablet for the mission as well as note taking and other remote operations. Kuueru then added her badge, personal money, and a couple other electronics to prepare. Zarun would be here soon, and the demoness could only hope that he was truly ready for his first mission. However, she had a good feeling he was. She picked up his aura immediately. Spending so much time with him last week definitely made it easy to sniff and sense him out, she had accustomed herself to him in case the time ever arises she would need to teleport to him in case of emergency. Still, something was stronger this time. His presence was booming before he even entered the building. It didn't matter now, Kuueru was certain that he'd be standing within her office within minutes.
She zipped the bag up carefully and slung it over her shoulder carelessly. They were going on a field trip, and she certainly hope young Zarun got his permission slip signed in case of accidental death. Just as she thought it, it became true. The boy clad in his armor and most focused face waltzed into her office. Now she could feel his aura clearly, his power had tripled at least since their last encounter. Her sinister lips curved into a smile as she took in his growth with just a mere week of military service. She knew that he had promise, but she wasn't expecting this much growth, not yet at least.
"Hello Zarun, yes---I figured you were getting cramped up in your housing and not leaving it for a while," Kuueru replied. Yes, she had been keeping tabs on the boy, and yes it was true he was barely leaving his condo except maybe to eat or go train in the gravity chambers. Still, perhaps the news of Polaris's death had turned him into a hermit. Maybe he was just the solitary type all along as Kuueru just didn't know his habits.
"Today we're going on a field trip, so I hope you're ready kid," Kuueru informed Zarun as her smile shifted to a more stern look. She took a few steps up and inhaled the air in front of the Saiyan. The air stunk of sweat and dedication, even recently the boy was training she could see it in his pumped-up muscles and aura. Kuueru could be sure she made no mistake of recruiting this new generation of warrior into her ranks.
"Right, let's head to the spaceport if you're ready to roll," Kuueru smiled and walked out of her office door. She decided against her teleportation magic since it had such a negative effect previously. Besides, Mitra's space port was but a few minutes' walk from them in this very building. Just as quickly as Zarun got off the elevator they were back on and whirling down to the base level of the building. Then they traversed the busy and hectic streets of Mitra. Everyone seemed to be on edge with the death of Polaris. There were Ultramarines and Empire guards everywhere today. All seemed on high alert in case anyone would try and take advantage of an Empire on its knee. Even in the sky warships hovered and kept a watchful eye on anything that would come and try and sweep the legs from under their weakened bodies.
That's not to say that the Empire was miniscule without Polaris, but it certainly was missing an integral piece without his crown jewel on top of Mitra. They needed all eyes at attention to make sure no fleas with potentially damning power would slip through the cracks. Without Lute or Polaris on the planet, Kuueru was their strongest warrior and the one to protect the planet. It would be imperial that no one know of her slipping off the Moon's surface to begin with.
"Ah, all right. Here we are," Kuueru spoke to Zarun as they entered the busy Spaceport. Any unnecessary travel was barred at the moment to protect the citizens of Mitra. Only those with office Empire business were being allowed to come and leave. Kuueru led the boy to a hanger that took not only a badge swipe, but several biometric scans to access. Within this was a simple hanger, and a ship that was both slick and armed with a wide array of weaponry. A warship, a personal warship. It was equipped with the stealth capabilities that the pair would need to complete the mission they were about to take on. Not that Zarun even knew what king of mess he was undertaking today.
"This is my ship, I hope you have everything, we will leave at once."
WC: 1314 | 2385
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Post by zarun on Dec 19, 2018 15:47:13 GMT -5
Coming into Kuueru's office, Zarun could now more easily see that something was a bit different. He was only beginning to fully get the grasp of Ki and all its faculties still, what it could do beyond such simple applications in combat, that came so naturally to him. He could generate different kinds of energy and attacks from it now, but it seemed like being able to sense another being's energy was amongst the most useful applications. From what he'd been taught so far, it changed the way that warfare was fought in most societies, with even specific soldiers trained to enhance their sensing ability in particular, to mark troop compositions and specific enemy signatures. It was all so fascinating to him, coming from such a simple perspective. It was Kuueru's ki that stuck out so much to him, though. In his classes, he had been encouraged to think of Ki in numbers, to use that to his advantage in simplifying it for himself, making the measurement of the energy easier to fathom and understand. It did, in fact, make things a bit more simple for him. As he looked at Kuueru, he could tell that she had vastly improved, to a level that he was sure now even further beyond him than she had been already. What was she like before? She must've been....well, if he was something akin to 25,000 now, which was the scouters claimed, then she must have been more than ten times that. Closer to 300,000, something like that. He had vowed to himself that he wasn't going to use a scouter for these kind of measurements if he could, if only to make sure that he was taking the training to heart and that he would be useful without that piece of equipment.
He did take note of her comment on his voluntary seclusion, though. Zarun glanced to the side, looking awkward about his answer. "Yeah, well. I was training, that was all. I've been trying to get stronger, so I can be a bit more useful. I did try and use the gravity chamber a couple of times, but the Sergeant told me that I was freaking out some of the other guys the second time, so I decided I'd come back to it later. The smell's not as bad as people say it is." He was still a bit confused on how he could've caused the freaking out, but maybe he did. What was it that was freaking them out, anyway? Maybe, now with hindsight, he should've just asked rather than deciding not to poke things any further. He was new, and didn't want to get himself a bad reputation so early into his career. It just wouldn't look good. For him or for Kuueru, and he didn't want to be a problem, or worse a burden, for anyone else. He'd never want to allow himself to be something like that. It was a horrifying idea to him. He was quickly torn from that train of thought as Kuueru walked past him, having already said something a second ago that was only just starting to sink in. "Wait, a field trip? What do you mean, a field trip? What kind of field trip? Wait, the spaceport?" They weren't so much real questions as a smattering of sentences he threw out in response to the confusion. Was this more training? After all, he'd only been here a week or so, right? This couldn't be any official business. Zarun couldn't imagine that he'd be trusted with something like that already. Must've been something kind of easy then, but if it was, why was she going to handle it?
Zarun didn't interrupt her with more questions, letting her think as they went down the elevator, though he glanced over at her now and again. What was this about? He was torn between two options here. Either she wanted to keep an eye on him for his first mission and it was something actually at his level, which sounded unlikely to the Saiyan. If he had to guess, she was a very busy person, even if her desk seemed unusually not set upon by paperwork compared to the last time he'd been in the office. She'd even had that big black bag prepared on the office desk, like she was packing things that she thought she would need. So it probably wasn't something simple, or run of the mill. So, did that mean that it was important? That he was being brought along on an assignment of some actual gravity? That option confused him, too. Like he had thought before, he'd only been here for a week and had a crash course in teaching him anything he could learn quickly about the galaxy and the Empire. Why would you put a guy like that on a sensitive assignment?
He understood enough not to say anything on their way to the spaceport and draw anymore attention than they needed to - he saved that part for when they actually reached the hangar, approaching the ship that Kuueru had ready and waiting. "So, what is this, then? It must be something important, right? They wouldn't send you away if it wasn't important." Though now that he mentioned it, he had no idea who there even was left to send her anywhere. He knew there were other commanders, but he wasn't aware of their names, and that there were Generals, too. There was one that had been handling all the public speaking since the Emperor's death. Was he in charge now? Zarun doubted it, somehow. He didn't seem like the type that would be put in charge of something like this. "Oh, uh, maybe a bad time to mention. I just forgot to earlier. I managed to find my brother. I know where he is, but he isn't answering when I call him." Maybe he didn't recognise the number, or he was busy, something like that.
With those thoughts aired out and not in the forefront of his mind any longer, Zarun more thoroughly examined the vessel, a rather impressive warship as they approached, and was already more than ready to get on. He darted his eyes over to Kuueru, an eyebrow raised as she mentioned leaving immediately. That did seem awfully....short notice. Along with the fact that she was bringing along a new guy that didn't really know anybody, but was apparently stronger than your average soldier. That, and it seemed weird if the Empire would send her off-planet all of a sudden. Zarun decided just to blurt out his thoughts, though he did keep them quiet enough that nobody else would hear. "It's alright if this isn't official, or anything. I'm not going to say anything."
He had no reason to. Besides, it meant he got to go on a mission! Maybe even one where he could pick a fight or two, but he wasn't holding his breath on that.
WC: 1,181 [Total= 2,441]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 19, 2018 18:39:41 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru perhaps stuck a nerve with her comment on his seclusion. She wasn't one to talk though, she more often than not found herself wallowing in her own solitude. It gave her time to think, time to reflect, and time to decompress from the stressful days that the Empire had been handing her lately. Not even finding solace in her eating obsession the woman looked like she had lost a bit of weight within the week as well. That's not to say that her toned muscles were lost, but perhaps a bit of pudge arising from the midsection of too many indulgences had slipped away. She couldn't complain, she reminded herself a bit more of the Kuueru she thought she had left in the Demon Realm. A woman with ambition to shoot for the stars and more. It almost shot a bit more of adrenaline into her veins to even think she was growing closer to an ultimate power, and ultimate strength to do what she willed with.
"It's good you've been training. I can tell you've grown in power! Still, don't let people tell you you're freaking them out. I got the same reactions with my treadmill times and gravity trainings when I first began. That's why I have my own personal gym now because Polaris got tired of me causing a ruckus. You ever wanna come over, just hit me up," Kuueru chuckled and scratched at her cheek. She wasn't joking with her invitation, she was a titan compared to a normal Ultramarine. It was like she was a beacon amongst their mortal progress. Still, she could see a bit of herself within the Saiyan, she could perhaps even relate to his strife. Plus, it didn't help that she was extremely nice for a demon, not that he knew that.
"Aye, we are going off world for this one. Don't fret, I didn't bring you along to babysit either," Kuueru replied as the Saiyan questioned her. He seemed a bit in shock that he was going off Mitra already. He also would be shocked when he found out it was not training, nor a miniscule mission for his ranking. No, it was something much more imperative to the Empire. The retrieval of the heir to the throne. The capture of Absolut, son of Polaris. Kuueru, Lute and a newfound friend Doctor Kaijin Vex had all been working tirelessly within the past week to make the job as easy as possible. They began on Tech Tech by obtaining some advanced Warbots to either attack, defend or cause some sort of distraction on Kabocha. Today, Kuueru was heading to the planet to scout out what she could and see how much effort had been put into defending the planet, the throne, and the young heir.
Finally, once they reached the hanger, the Saiyan pipped up once more. She waited until the airlocks behind them hissed with hydraulics as they shut. She then turned to him with a stern look. Her face was as serious as she had ever shown the boy. She had to make sure that he was ready to take this seriously, or else there may be a casualty today.
"It's very important yes. You're right, I shouldn't be going off world right now if it wasn't something dire," Kuueru paused before pulling a small key fob from her bag and opening the hatch to the ship. A ramp lowered from under the decently sized black warship that allowed the woman to board with a fast past. Once inside she quickly took a seat at the helm and left the co-pilot's seat for Zarun.
"As I'm sure you've found out, Polaris is long gone. As such, there has to be a new Emperor to the throne of the Empire." Kuueru pressed a single button upon the dashboard before everything in the ship illuminated and danced to life with colors and lights. Quickly her slender fingers typed in the coordinates for the destination. Kabocha. Well, as close to the planet as they could get undetected, then they would stealth the ship and try to land upon the now lush planet.
"Polaris has two children, a son Absolut and a daughter. Absolut is our target, and while we aren't going after the boy today, me and my colleagues are aiming to retrieve him and bring him back to serve as the new Emperor," Kuueru looked towards Zarun with an affirming look to make sure he understood. It was an odd predicament. Normally and air to a throne would be jumping for joy to have the chance to exert any type of power. However, it was clear that the relationship between the father and son was marred with a history of disagreements.
Kuueru's face shifted to surprise as the Saiyan mentioned that he found out where his brother was. She smiled and reached over to give him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. While she didn't understand the strain or depth of Zarun and his brother's relationship, she only assumed that this was good news for the Saiyan. It wasn't long before the woman fired up the ship's engine and opened the hangers air lock which led to the void of space.
"Oh wow! That's good. It's weird that he isn't answering you though. Hopefully there's no bad blood, right? I'm sure it's just a coincidence though. Perhaps once he gets back to you, you can go and visit him, wherever he is."
Kuueru cleared her throat as she lifted the ship from the hanger's ground and carefully navigated them off Mitra's surface in a matter of minutes. Of course, she waited until both she and Zarun were carefully strapped into the seats, safety first after all!
Once she was satisfied they were far away enough from the surface of Mitra, she engaged the ships autopilot feature. Quickly they shifted into the vastness and speed of hyperspace, millions of stars and miniscule planets ripping through the void around them. It was an amazing site when the woman first witnessed it for herself, and to be frank, she didn't travel by ship much with her teleportation ability. She was certainly savoring the site before her.
"While this mission isn't exactly known to the rest of the Empire, it's not that it's something that shouldn't be done. After all, Absolut wasn't exactly the most willing to return. However, with a new slate perhaps he could shape the Empire into something other than the vision his father had. Maybe even, he could make the Empire into something that the galaxy needs. Not that Polaris wasn't doing that, it's just---complicated," Kuueru spoke with a sullen voice while they traversed into an entirely different quadrant of the universe. It would take about an hour by flight, but that time wouldn't seem long so long as the pair keep one another entertained.
"I've previously been plotting with others on the simplest and cleanest way to retrieve young Absolut. Hopefully all goes smoothly, and he doesn't try to escape out hold. That's not what the Empire needs to see right now. An heir who doesn't even stand with his people and throne, that'd be no good. He's been held by the Emperor of Kabocha, Emperor Carambolis. I've faced him once in battle, back when Kabocha was a desert world. Now it's lush with vegetation, which is good for us. Also, Carambolis also perished in the Peace Accords, which may seem like it would make our job easier. Unfortunately, Kabocha is on seriously high alert. We need to be cautious about how far we tread."
WC: 1267 | 3652
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Post by zarun on Dec 20, 2018 8:19:31 GMT -5
He guessed he wasn't as weird as he thought.
Zarun had never really considered why his training would cause so much of an issue with the other soldiers, anyway. He at first thought he had just been taking up space that was reserved, but from further inspection of the schedules, he'd noticed that there wasn't any reservations of the sort. He'd spent a while trying to come up with a solution, and now he starting to get it a little bit. Apparently Kuueru used to have the same issue, then? He supposed he shouldn't be that surprised. Someone with a power like hers would always attract a lot of attention, surely. It seemed a bit obvious that she would stand out amongst other recruits whenever she was brought in. Still, it was strange to him to think that his situation even remotely related to hers. He could get why there might be a bit of a situation when she trained; her power would be very threatenign to pretty much everyone around her and would make her instantly different from any other soldier that happened to be in the immediate area. He was sure that the other commanders were very strong warriors just as much, but it still baffled him to think there was ever a time that she was considered simply a recruit. More than that, it baffled him to think that their situations may be similar. Was she at his level, once? If that was true, did it mean that he could maybe reach that same level of power, potentially? Her power level, still thinking about it in numbers, was more than ten times his own. How was he ever going to get to a level like that? How could he even possibly consider it? The prospect itself seemed mad. Maybe it wasn't, though.
After all, he doubted there were many beings just born that strong, right? Well, maybe some. Still, it couldn't exactly be a hefty list, and if Kuueru wasn't one of them, that made it less likely to him. Zarun assumed that for someone to be at a high level of that sort, you had to be born with some kind of advantage. She was some kind of mysterious species that she wouldn't talk about, which made him believe that all the more. He could compare it to other strong people he'd seen, too. Zam didn't even have to try back on Earth, the Majin clearly having had her power and ease of control over it from maybe even her creation, acting on instinct to just do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Then there was Doctor Kaijin, someone else he'd encountered before coming across Kuueru and travelling to Mitra. He wasn't really a living creature so to speak, but he was probably built to be just as strong as that, and maybe get stronger with upgrades. The Saiyan remembered that the Android was probably fighting him at like, 2% of his power, something like that. He figured he could maybe take Kuueru at 2%. Hm. Maybe he'd have to ask about that sometime later, but he wanted to avoid not giving fun fights for now.
He was a little surprised to hear that she had already considered his concern of being someone that had to be babysat or looked after, knowing that his own level of power was far below the caliber of mission you would expect someone like her to go on. She even had a bag packed and ready to go, looking all the more serious as a result. Maybe it really was a situation that warranted bringing him along, but how? How could he possibly be useful? "I knew it had to be something important. Dire though, huh? So it must be a pretty bad situation, then." People didn't say 'dire' except in the negative sense, and somehow he doubted they would send her somewhere just to cheer people up at a time like this, important as that was right now. He followed her into the warship, glancing around the insides of it as they approached the helm, and where a co-pilot's seat waited. "Oh, wow. This thing looks even bigger on the inside than it does outside, somehow." He supposed a ship this impressive did make sense for someone of her rank, right?
Zarun sat down in the co-pilot's seat, finding it unusually comfortable. He wasn't entirely sure on how to work this thing if he needed to, though he was confident he could wing it if really came down to it. He had exactly zero experience, but that hadn't stopped him in doing anything before! The Saiyan rubbed his chin, running his finger across his own cheek as Kuueru spoke of the Emperor's children. It was an awkward situation. So, they were working on getting Absolut, then? Not hi daughter, though. He supposed if she was only second, there wasn't a need to involve her. Still, it didn't make things any easier. "So, he doesn't want to go, huh?" Zarun glanced down at the ship controls, thinking for a moment as he considered the situation. He'd seen enough of the Peace Accords to know how it went, and how horrific it must have been to see his father's death up close. He couldn't even imagine it. "He must be having a hard time. I don't know what it's like." He imagined the pain of losing a father had to be unique, in the same way that he was a unique figure in your life, whether or not you disagreed on things. If Absolut was already far away enough, it meant that he'd been there beforehand. Not that he needed to deduce that. His classes had taught him enough, and he only hoped that the younger Frost Demon would listen.
The Saiyan closed his eyes tightly when Kuueru mentioned that the young Crown Prince was on Kabocha. Of course he was. Where else would he be, right? There was no more fitting or inconvenient a place for him to be currently hiding out on. Zarun had heard of the Confederacy, and had seen their leader be amongst the dead at the Accords. If that was the case, then it was more definite that he wasn't there against his free will, held in captivity by the Emperor. He was willing, and may have preferred things there for now. Still, that didn't change what the Empire and the galaxy needed, did it? "Okay, so. We need a way onto Kabocha, or at least close enough, to figure out what the...'others' are going to do once they get there or what their best way in is, right?" He let out a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of some other way. He really didn't want to resort to the first solution that came to mind, but it lined up enough. He knew the address, he had reason to go, and the Kabochan authorities would have a solid reason that he could get down there. Plus, he would have someone acting as a spokesperson for him...fine. He turned to look at Kuueru, a conflicted expression on his face.
"Sorben is on Kabocha."
WC: 1,224 [Total= 3,665]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 20, 2018 10:01:20 GMT -5
zarun
The vastness of space was something unimaginable for any demon. At least until they were hurling through it at millions of miles per second. The technology in the Mortal Realm was advanced and allowed for them to traverse the universe with little to no ease in comparison to the centuries in the past. Luckily for Kuueru, if she had escaped from the Demon realm any years earlier she would have to deal with a much longer trip than the one she was on now.
The Commander leaned back into her rather comfortable seat, her body molding into the seat as she got comfortable for the remainder of the trip. It was going to be an hour, so she had might as well get as at ease as possible. All the while the weight of how imperative this mission was had finally began to settle on Zarun's shoulders. Kuueru didn't mean to overwhelm the boy with such a dire first mission, but there were little Ultramarines on Mitra of his caliber to be fair, none that would be so eager to head charge into potentially deadly space territory after the death of their figurehead. She chose Zarun because of his abilities and his determination both in making her proud as a soldier and winning any battle that would oppose him. She saw him hold back in his entry exams and testing, to be honest, she wouldn't be worried if combat did come their way and the boy had to defend himself.
She wasn't aware of what threats or powers lurked on Kabocha, but if Cam was their strongest warrior---she wasn't too worried. She had battled the man once before, granted, when she first came to the Mortal Realm. Alas, her power had over tripled since she arrived in the past year. Something about the competition with the mortals and the ever-growing fire in her heart kept her power rising and reaching new heights. It was amazing how much she had improved within a year compared to her relatively long lifespan.
"Yeah, this ship is pretty nice and roomy. I suppose all Commanders get one, and a platoon of soldiers beneath you. Still, I don't make use of them too often. At least, not by my side. They are able to handle most missions on their own, so I allow it," Kuueru chuckled and turned her head to gaze at the boy at her right. He seemed a bit shocked at all the information, but perhaps there was a fire in his own eyes that seemed happy with being selected for such a mission alongside the Commander.
"While Absolut was originally kidnapped by the Kabocha Confederacy, it seems he had bonded quit a lot with Carambolis. Almost as if he was a surrogate father, someone more loving and supportive than Polaris was at least," Kuueru explained while waving a hand around through the air. She was rather talkative through her gestures.
"So, basically---not only did he witness the death of his father Polaris before his eyes. He witnessed Cam dies as well, all within a matter of minutes. So yes, I would say the boy is probably in an odd mindset right now to say the least. I at least he has some sort of heart to lead the Empire, or else this is going to be even more difficult for him," Kuueru paused and turned her gaze back towards the stars as they began to near closer to their destination. "He's young, he will need a lot of guidance I believe. Hopefully the prospect of being back on Mitra with her mother and sister will at least ease his journey back home."
Yes, both of his remaining immediate family members were on Mitra. Both were 'locked' away in a special holding facility by Polaris after disagreeing with his ways of ruling. It was odd, and most of the people of the Empire didn't know this. To the public the family members were reclusive and enjoying their time in resorts and the most lavish of livings. Which, wasn't untrue----it's just their freedom to travel outside of that area was lacking.
"Right, so we are the pre-party planners essentially. We want to make the actual day of the mission go as smoothly as possible. We will scout, find weak areas in the defenses, mark locations of heavy security and machinery as to avoid them on that day. Also, I want to scan and see if I notice any notable power signatures if I can get close enough. We need to know what kinda people we will be dealing with in Cam's place in case stealth doesn't go our way on the day of the mission."
Kuueru elaborated a bit more, but what Zarun spoke next reflected the pain in his face. He spoke a name she hadn't heard, Sorben---perhaps this was the brother he spoke of without a name. Kuueru shifted in her seat and sat up to look towards the Saiyan with a forced smile.
"Sorben, is that your brother? I see…so you're planning to use that as a reason to land?" Kuueru unstrapped herself from her seat as soon as they popped out of hyperspace and into the quadrant Kabocha was in. She would need to appear a bit more suited for the cause if she were going to land on Kabocha herself. She stood all the while plotting what appearance would be fitting, she had been on Kabocha once before as the pink haired Earthling, no doubt they would notice her for causing a ruckus.
"I like your thinking though," Kuueru spoke before whispering a quiet incantation in a language no one could decipher if they tried. In an instant her long pink locks were stained black. Her clothing shifted from her vibrant Ultramarine uniform to some simple purple robes that hid most of the skin. She pulled the new colored hair into a long braid that fell down her back. It looked plausible as she looked in the mirror, at least she would probably blend in with the natives.
"Here," Kuueru tossed the boy a small earbud that would allow her to keep in constant communication with him. It was transparent and used by the Empire's most elusive Dark Ops in the most covert of missions. Hopefully he could and would keep in contact and not go running off with his brother somewhere.
"We should be arriving soon, at least out of sight of the space authority. My ship is not designated as an Empire vessel, so we shouldn't have too much trouble landing and docking within a hanger." So long as they acted like they were supposed to be there, there shouldn't be an issue. However, if Kuueru had to bump a few skulls, she wouldn't hesitate.
"I'm going to try and get us in the legitimate way. What's the worse they could do? Deny us access? I doubt they'd shoot innocents out the sky, not unless they came with a threat. Speaking of…."
Suddenly the weight in the ship was lifted. Kuueru had suppressed her power level to something so miniscule she blended in with most common folk. If she had to put a number on it, a measly double digit would do. She couldn't go busting down on Kabocha land with a 300,000 power level, no, that would signal some sort of attack or invasion.
"I suggest you suppress your own power a bit as well. We want to seem as unthreatening as possible… Remember these people are on guard at the loss of their Emperor. They probably won't put up with no funny business. I'll be surprised if they let us land the first time."
WC: 1284 | 4936
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Post by zarun on Dec 20, 2018 13:07:21 GMT -5
Zarun leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over in front of his chest. He was thinking a bit harder than he usually did. Mostly, he was trying to come up with solutions to imaginary problems that they would naturally encounter on this mission. After all, they were headed to the capital planet of a, uh....what was the Kabochan Confederacy to the Empire now, anyway? He'd heard what he understood of the sovereign state itself in his crash course of education on the galaxy, but he wasn't sure entirely of the Empire's actual feelings on it, or how they would deal with things. His eyes darted to the side, looking towards Kuueru as he asked a quick, jabbing question more out of curiosity than anything else. "What is Kabocha to the Empire, anyway? I know they don't get along, but they were at the peace talks. Polaris and Carambolis are dead too, so what does this mean? For how we feel about them, or anyone else?" It seemed like a massive spanner had just been thrown in the works, messing with all the progress the great powers of the galaxy had made so far. Now everyone was back to square one, unsure of and distrustful of each other, assuming they all planned on back-stabbing and attacking. Zarun of course, was no diplomat, and didn't have his finger on the pulse in the same way others might. He understood enough about people to know that this wasn't going to just go away, though. How many would think that the others had orchestrated it, or that maybe Xell had been the one who arranged it? He, after all, had survived the attack, then carried away the two main attackers before killing them, meaning that nobody knew his true intentions for certain.
The Saiyan kept staring forward at the wave of stars and space rushing past them, listening to Kuueru describe Absolut's situation, the way that he had viewed Carambolis as a father that took the place of Polaris, or at least the figure that he needed him to be. "I get it. Sometimes you need it, and if it's not there, you don't know where to go." He spoke with a bit more seriousness and empathy in his voice, with a tone that gave the impression that he truly understood that feeling, and that he wasn't sure how to make it go away, either. As much as he wished to. "If you say he's good for people, then I believe you. He has to be somebody who has a heart, or at least enough of one to care. He's probably gonna be angry. Lashing out at everything because he's frustrated and doesn't get how he's going to make all those feelings go away. Hope you're sending someone strong." Zarun glanced down, continuing to rub his chin as he tried to think of options, how he was going to handle this. "You'll need to get someone who can talk to him, too. Who can convince him that there's a point to this. If you say he's gonna help people, you have to explain why he's the only option, you know? I know everyone else is older and knows more than me, but I just think he might need that." After all, not everyone wanted to totally dedicate themselves to others. Some people wanted to be heroes, revered amongst many, but even then, they had to feel like there was a reason to keep going, something that made them feel like they were really reaching what they dreamed of.
Still, at least he had his mother and his sister, still. It wasn't a totally empty prospect he had. That didn't mean there wasn't the possibility that he'd act just to get them and run away again. Even if he did, what could they do? At the end of the day, they had to convince him that he was the right person for this job, that nobody else could do it, only him. Zarun had to believe it too, even if he'd never met him, never really understood who he was or what he stood for. He just had to have a bit of faith. He stood up from his seat, poking his head around the ship as he started looking for a way to make himself at least stand out a bit less in a crowded city or market. He yelled back towards the helm, in response to Kuueru's question. "Yeah. Sorben is my brother's name. If we can ask for him, or at least say we're here for him, then it should be okay. He would recognise my name, and he'd help me if I asked him. Just make sure we don't have to ask him to do too much, okay?"
Just about the last thing he wanted or needed, for his own psyche as much as for the sake of the mission was strain his relationship with Sorben after he hadn't seen him for so long. He wondered if he looked any different, or talked any different. He imagined that he must be, right? That he would probably have more of an accent like people on Kabocha in some way. "By the way, I'm gonna need to make sure I don't look too obvious in my armour in a city or something. I think I found what I can use, though."
Zarun stepped back into the helm, wearing a red set of robes that clipped over at the front and obscured his armour and body beneath them, ending more like a trenchcoat near his legs. There was a hood attached to them that the Saiyan already had flipped over his head, as though that would make him more incognito. At least it would be harder for people to see his face when he did that, right? He dusted down the robe, making sure he didn't look too obviously out of place or that the uniform didn't bulge too much and make it clear he was wearing some kind of underarmour. "Oh, I can suppress my power easy. I'll keep it low, make sure nobody thinks it's anything threatening. No idea how you manage to do it with yours." It must've been harder to suppress a power level that high, to make sure that it wasn't catching any attention. You would be so slow, so weak compared to normal. It would be like moving through treacle in comparison, right? Sort of like you were constrained by something, but you couldn't actually see it. It just sounded frustrating.
The Saiyan adjusted again before he sat down in the co-pilot's seat, even if just to look proper. "Well, I'm ready to go when you are. You're probably better at talking, right? Unless you want me to do it." He hoped she didn't want him to do it.
WC: 1,168 [Total= 4,833]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 20, 2018 16:37:40 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru could see the literal gears turning in the young Saiyan's head. He was deep in thought, perhaps questioning both the details of the mission, its ethics, and probably something to do with his brother. Kuueru could only imagine what sort of thoughts were running through his brain. If he was anything like her, he was preparing himself for anything. At this point this mission could split off into a multitude of directions. One had to be prepared to handle themselves in every possibly way. If it went smoothly, keep their guard up. If it went sour, what actions could they take to keep themselves on their feet instead of the plan burning up into flames. Kuueru couldn't take a loss on this mission, that would only predict a future failure when the real extraction was on the plate.
Kuueru chuckled out loud, perhaps she was beginning to go a bit insane sitting in one place for so long. However, it had only been but a few dozen minutes into her trek. Luckily, Zarun was quick to ask some more elaborate questions for the demoness to answer. "Actually, as far as I know the relationship between the two factions is rather neutral. In fact, I think the two Emperors had worked together in the past to cull many a problem together."
Kuueru paused while digging through her head to try and recollect all the correct information. After 750 years of life, the mind began to get a bit cluttered and she often misplaced a bunch of thoughts or threw out information that wasn't entirely relevant to her or her work. "Unfortunately, as you may or may not know, the Empire, and Polaris in particularly had a rocky relationship with the Saiyans and their dominion. Those factions weren't on the best of terms to say the least. The Emperor of Kabocha however, was forming and bridging new relationships with Saiyans, perhaps in an alliance to turn on the Galactic Empire. We can't be sure, but there was rumor that a Saiyan woman was going to wed Cam as a sign of peace between the two. Not that the Saiyans and Kabocha had too much of a rocky past."
"With both of them dead, and even the Dominions spearhead dead, I'm not sure what it means. We were the three leading factions in the galaxy. We are all crippled, perhaps the other groups aim to take advantage of this hard time? That is why we are on guard. For all we know the Dominion or Kabocha could already have their eyes set on Mitra, but after all our losses we can't say for sure. Right now, we don't mean to attack Kabocha no, just retrieve our heir. Hopefully, it won't stir the pot, we probably can't handle any retaliation right now."
"Right, I'll be the first to say Polaris wasn't the best man, or father for that matter. To be honest, I hope that young Absolut can blossom into twice the ruler that Polaris was. I serve the Empire now, not the former Emperor, albeit I enjoyed being his meat shield," Kuueru found herself laughing at the situation. She knew that she was indeed sending someone strong after Zarun's remarks.
"Don't worry, another fellow Commander, a strong ally and I will be retrieving the boy. I'm sure we can handle this," By a fellow Commander she meant Lute, who was double her strength. He was a beacon on power that she had trouble keeping up with, still—she chased after him, ferociously at that. Her own power was closing the gap, one day she would be on par with him.
"You're not wrong. We need some charisma on our side to talk to Absolut, even when we do retrieve him---he's going to know he's not alone here. Perhaps even you can befriend him Zarun! Don't ever doubt your mind though, you may be young but you're not an idiot, right?" Kuueru rested a hand on the boy's shoulder in an affirming manner. She was old as hell and still lacked some of the common sense these mortals were born with. She had long since learned not to doubt anyone's mind, the mortals were resilient as hell.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't ask him much! Say, why don't you do most of the talking with Sorben since you know him better. I don't want to interfere with those relationships, it's not my place, right?" Kuueru looked back at the Saiyan as he explored the innards of the ship or found a spot to change into something a bit more unnoticeable. Soon the monitors in front of them would be beeping, signaling that within ten minutes they would reach their destination. Kuueru quickly found her seat after changing her disguise and let out a sign of relief that soon her feet would be on solid ground again.
"Go for it, use anything that's in this ship for your disguise. It's not like I use this thing very often!" Kuueru yelled back absentmindedly as she pressed a few buttons on the ship's console to make sure that they would actually make it to Kabocha and not some backwater planet. Soon Zarun had returned however. He had clad himself in crimson robes, they seemed homely enough. She nodded and took in his appearance before shooting him the Kuueru thumbs up of approval.
"Well, you certainly look the part now, and once that power level is gone I doubt anyone would bat an eye," Kuueru chuckled at his comment on how she managed to hide her own power level. She couldn't imagine it was much different than his ways, but still—with so much power came a certain amount of skill as well. The woman had learned many a technique in her time training, so something as basic as suppressing her strength had only improved along with her. The now raven-haired woman pointed to a fair sphere in the distance. It was green with dashes of beige scattered throughout.
"Kabocha was a desert the last time I went. Apparently, they somehow revitalized the planet and returned all of the lush greenery that once was on its surface. It'll be interesting to see again," Kuueru spoke softly as they neared the planet's orbit, and with it, a broadcast came through on the ship's console showing a Kabochan Air Space representative who went through the normal 'state your business' type deal.
"Kabochan Confederacy Air Space Patrol #29, Ship number A893 state your business on Kabocha," The helmeted man spoke, Kuueru pointed at Zarun, since this was his whole story of getting on the planet after all. She was simply a friend who offered him a ride.
She didn't mean to force the boy in to talking. She could have just as easily said it. Ship A893 requesting clearance to land, we are here to visit a resident named Sorben---I am a former family member named Zarun seeking contact. Of course, perhaps that was a bit more formal for a family affair. Kuueru was curious to see how Zarun would handle such a task, this was a part of his first mission after all.
WC: 1196 | 6132
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Post by zarun on Dec 21, 2018 13:32:14 GMT -5
The Dominion had suffered the same way, then.
He supposed people would wonder in the time to come why he hadn't joined the Dominion, if he so wanted to be with his people. Part of him wondered why at first, too. He knew there was a logic in his reasoning, but it was hard for him to understand in all his excitement, his analytical mind seeming to be what was often shoved to the background. In truth, he could never have joined them for a couple of reasons. The first was a lack of knowledge, of knowing that he would never truly fit in with them. He was raised by turtle-like Xenos on the planet Vinagra, with his only knowledge of being a Saiyan coming from his brother's ingenuity and much better education about the universe at large. Second of all, was that he knew that Saiyans would not simply accept him for the reason of his birth. From what he understood, every Saiyan warrior had to prove themselves from a young age. He could claim that his life on the arid desert world, not even that far from New Sadla had been his initiation, that he had to prove himself time and time again facing some of the most dangerous creatures, tribals, slavers, game hunters and mercenaries that you could find amongst the scum on that side of the galaxy, but it wouldn't have made them budge an inch. He had maybe proven something there, but not to them. The only witnesses of his struggle on that world were the rocks, the sand and the animals. Them, and Sorben. Only Sorben. "The Kabochans, maybe. It doesn't seem like the Saiyan way to pick off an opponent that someone else wounded. There isn't any honour in beating an opponent like that." That made sense to him. It had to make sense to other Saiyans, right? There was something...repulsive about just beating down on an already wounded enemy like that.
"Nobody's perfect. The Emperor must have tried though, right? I think he must have done more good than bad. If he did, then maybe he could be happy with that. I don't really know anything about ruling, but if his son is able to be more prepared for this, have people around him who can help. I'm not an idiot, no, but I still wouldn't know anything about ruling anybody without itt being explained." Well, he supposed there had been rulers who had done that before. He doubted anyone had to explain how to be an Emperor to someone like Polaris, the way that he carried himself and handled things. Hrm. Maybe he was an idiot, after all. Maybe most didn't need those explanations. If he was, then very well. He could accept that, but he was hoping that his work here would at least give Absolut a chance to live up to his father's status, or surpass it, even if he didn't want to know him, or he didn't care for what he stood for. Not everyone stands for the same things, he didn't see why heirs and kings would have to. It was just too bad that it went down this way. He knew Absolut was there when the Peace Accords happened, he saw him, only just having learned from his classes who he was. He lost his father before they could fix things. It was a shame.
Still, he found it hard to believe that there were even more strong people in the Empire, at Kuueru's level. Still, if there was another Commander and an ally that Kuueru regarded as strong on the case for it, then it must be something they not only took seriously, but couldn't afford a mistake on. Not only outsourcing, but it was risky. There was a reason they were suppressing their power levels - high ones were an immediate threat, and it stood to reason that three large power levels taking part in the kidnapping of a Prince, whether or not he was from their country, would sour relations a bit. Zarun could only hope that Kabocha wouldn't retaliate, or want to deal serious damage to the Empire in turn. Would they attack if they saw things that way? Who knew.
Zarun rubbed his chin a bit as he was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, pulling at his own face to try and help him think. "Yeah. Sorben can be a little...skittish, is all. He doesn't like fighting or violence at all. He knows me, but I don't know how easy this is going to be. He didn't like our home. It was Vinagra, by the way. I forgot the name before. There was always something trying to kill us, and I don't think he was ever really at peace, you know? I'm not sure how he feels about me now. I might remind him of that place. Better than any other idea I've got, though." He trusted Sorben, despite how bad the Xeno might have felt about him or about the world that they came from. Zarun couldn't blame him. He would never blame him. In a million years, he could never throw anything onto Sorben or treat him like it was his fault, he wouldn't take things out on him. Even amongst all the stress and dread of being on Vinagra, he'd never yelled at him. He never wanted to. He didn't deserve it. Not after what that mess of a place did to him.
The Saiyan listened quietly to Kuueru telling of Kabocha's previous state, how it used to be a dry desert world, no doubt where few things could thrive beyond the Kabochans themselves. He understood that most beings hated desert worlds, being just about the least ideal place you could want to live. At least with icy or cold worlds, you could instantly heat up inside. On desert worlds, you got cooked in your home and had to constantly cool down, the sand getting into everything, especially if it happened to be electrical. No wonder they wanted to fix it. Still, how had they done it? Was there some kind of technology that terraformed the whole world, that made everything much more lush and green, easier for other beings to handle and live in? It would encourage a bigger population, for sure.
As the broadcast came up, the helmeted man from the Kabochan Navy or Air Space Authority, whatever body he might represent, demanded to know their business on Kabocha. It wasn't an odd thing to ask, though Zarun's eyes darted to the side and immediately caught Kuueru pointing at him. Okay, so she did want him to speak. Great. Well, he supposed he was going to have to get used to things like this. If he wanted to be trusted, he had to prove that he could handle different aspects of missions, and that meant more than just fighting, unfortunately for him. It just meant that fighting happened to be the best part, as you would expect, right? Zarun hurriedly stood up from his co-pilot's seat, moving inbetween that and Kuueru's pilot chair to speak to the man of authority. "Uh, greetings. My name is Zarun, I'm here to see my brother. His name is Sorben, and he lives here. He should be working in Robotics, I think? I looked him up to meet him again, and it said he lived here and was working on that. You can tell him my name, he'll say so." There was an innocent, warm smile on the Saiyan's face. His young, boyish features and his friendly, almost naive demeanour helped him greatly here. As much as he was still a fighter, who longed for battle, he understood that sometimes pretending was necessary. He was good at it, more than he expected. He fit into the mould of deceit quite well.
WC: 1,324 [Total= 6,157]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 21, 2018 20:49:22 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru perked up when the boy mentioned the way a Saiyan would react in such a time of turmoil. He seemed to think that they would be honorable an not take advantage of the situation. As much as she would like to believe that, Kuueru didn't trust much of anyone. She also didn't know much about the Saiyans, their mannerisms, or much of the other races in the galaxy as well. That's why it was just easier to assume that anyone could flip on a dime at any time. The values they speak from their mouths could all be lies after all, she had learned that the hard way her entire lifetime. In the Demon Realm at least, all beings were cunning, cruel and filthy liars. Kuueru didn't know much else besides that, let alone honor. "I see, well, they are your people. I suppose you know them best. Still, there are bad seeds in every crop, not every person can conform to a people. Not everyone fits a mold."
Kuueru spurted her bit of wisdom for the day, whether or not Zarun took it to heart wasn't her issue. Even those closest to the woman, like Lute the Demon King, were not to be trusted. For all she knew the man could turn on her, slit her throat, and leave her for dead floating in the void of space just like that of what they were traveling through. Her lips curled into a smile at the thought of her own death, in nearly eight centuries she had plenty of times to imagine the grand departure from the world of the living.
Zarun then went on to speak of Polaris. This kid seemed to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, it was almost the opposite of her. She nodded and looked towards Zarun with an appreciative glance. She valued his insight, after all—he had been in this galaxy longer than she, he had more wisdom in that sense. Perhaps the mortal realm really was all peaches and sunshine in comparison to her home world. She was doubtful though.
"The Emperor has done some bad things, for sure. Still, towards the end of his reign he was making huge strides for not only the Empire, but the galaxy as a whole. His idea of a United Species was his dying project, he aimed to have it looked over at the Accords. Unfortunately, that was cut a bit short I suppose. Still, you're right—Absolut shouldn't be expected to just know these things, at least, not yet. I assume Polaris would have explained it all in time, but he never expected his life to be cut so short. Arrogance on his part, he should have prepared for everything with the giant target on his head that being Emperor has."
The boy spoke of his brother next. It seemed that the both endured a great trauma on their 'home' planet of Vinagra. She had never heard of the place, then again, there were a lot of planets in this galaxy that were still foreign to her. In fact, there were so many planets that even if she wanted, she doubted she could visit them all. She would stick to the ones with a decent cuisine for now.
"I see, well—I certainly can be intimidating, especially when my full strength isn't repressed. I will try my best to stand on that sidelines, just tell him I'm your girlfriend!" There was a long bout of silence after her horrible joke, her half-hearted chuckled only made the awkwardness in the room higher. She cleared her throat and waved her hands to clear the air and move to another sentence without blunders, hopefully.
"Well, just show him how much you've changed. How that planet doesn't define you. You've matured I'm sure, you're probably not the same person, maybe Sorben isn't either!? He could not be skittish anymore? He could be some macho fighter on Kabocha." Kuueru was trying to lighten the mood, but she didn't intend to offend the Saiyan anymore tonight. She focused on the space station as their ship came in to dock for the initial interview. Now was Zarun's time to shine, she wouldn't be doing the talking today---hopefully it paid off in their favors however.
There was a long paused in between Zarun's awkward greeting and the seemingly 'Earthling' looking Kabochan's next words. He appeared to type the name into a database to ensure that there was indeed a 'Sorben' on Kabocha. The helmeted man nodded to himself before turning his attention back to the camera once more.
"Ah, Sorben, yes I see him as you say in robotics. The closest hanger would be 13, lucky number eh! I'll send you the coordinates to the robotics laboratory here on Pukinpa, good luck with your stay, A893 cleared for landing," Just like that and they were given access. Perhaps having Sorben on the ground was to their advantage. The hologram before them flickered from existence and Kuueru shot Zarun a thumbs up and a crooked smile. He was impressive, even when put on the spot. Surely, he passed his first test as an Ultramarine.
Next their ship was set to land. They went straight for hanger 13, after all the ship was auto landing. Top of the line features for a ship made for a commander. The hanger door opened, and in the warship went with ease. Landing on the planet had been quite an easy task compared to what she had initially imagined. The hanger door overhead shut, the oxygen in the bay was stabilized and soon it was safe for the pair to disembark. Kuueru quickly grabbed her tablet which had the way to get to Sorben's location.
"All right, let's go I suppose!" Kuueru said with a cheerful tone before grabbing her black luggage and slinging it over her shoulder. Shortly after the pair landed they were out of the hanger and walking through the streets of Kabocha's main city. All the while, Kuueru held the tablet in front of her and followed the arrows until they finally reached a rather, official looking building with various signs about robotics, mechanics and research.
"Ah, here it is I suppose, Um---do you want to take the lead?"
WC: 1049 | 7181
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Post by zarun on Dec 22, 2018 15:40:35 GMT -5
His people. As much as he advocated for them, and as much as he wished it to be so, sometimes he didn't feel like the Saiyans were 'his' people at all. Like they were some other warrior race, long removed. He sort of venerated them in the same way that a being would venerate distant ancestors, those who he had never met or understood, to whom he paid honour and respect to more out of principle and tradition than anything else. That wasn't to say that his respect and admiration was somehow insincere; quite the opposite was true. Zarun was obsessively, always thinking about whether a certain action would be honourable to a Saiyan mindset, even as he struggled to try and come up with what a 'Saiyan' mindset was, what their honour entailed, what would compromise their pride. He felt like a foolish child stumbling in the dark sometimes, struggling to understand his own footsteps or where he was going, neither knowing the destination or the reason for the journey itself. Yet, he was still going to try. He was going to do his best to prove that he was worthy of being a member of their race, that he was a warrior who would live up to those impossible standards he had created for himself.
Kuueru was right, though. It should have been obvious from the far more experience she seemed to have anyway, but she was right. "Yeah. Molds don't work so well. I'm probably the worst excuse for a Saiyan you're going to meet, right now. I like to think they all strive to and can reach that goal, though. It's why I'm trying to." He didn't really have any reason to explain himself to her, but he felt that while they had a moment that wasn't in a public space, it may be a good idea to. She was his Commander, and for the rest of his career in the Empire, he was likely to interact often with her. So, he felt that it was important for her to understand him. He wasn't sure if she felt the same way about how much she should know, or if she even really understood what he was talking about. Maybe she didn't, after all. Or maybe she didn't care at all, but he wouldn't hold that against her. There were a bit more pressing things at hand right now, weren't there? Thankfully, she saw fit to reply to his musing on Polaris, and perhaps she was right in stating the Emperor's arrogance. "Well, if his son didn't agree with him, and...wanted to be away from him, maybe he never really got the chance. Maybe he didn't think he was ready yet, or just hoped he would stay a kid for a bit longer. If he knew how hard it was, don't you think he'd be worried about his son having to do it? Put it off a bit? Or, yeah, maybe he was just full of himself. Thought he would never die." He couldn't totally criticise a man like Polaris for thinking that way. He was intensely powerful, far more than other beings in the galaxy. His mere presence would be enough to send his power rushing through Zarun's body in a wave of excitement he would have never been able to control. Knowing his stupidity, he probably would've wanted to fight, or spar, or something. It probably would've been fun. No chance now.
The Saiyan's face went slightly red as Kuueru suggested an idea that he could use to pretend there was a good reason she was visiting alongside him. He didn't really think about girlfriends or anything like that - he figured he was a bit too simple for anything so complicated. That was one of the main sources of his embarrassment. "W-Well, it's not like they'd believe that, anyway. So there's not any point in me trying that, is it? I'd just- that would never work." He awkwardly laughed along with Kuueru, his eyes sliding away to look out the opposite window of the helm as he tried to stave off the awkward feeling that was now coalescing near the pilots' seats. Why did she have to put it like that? Why did he have to react that way, too? It just made him look stupid in front of his commander. He wasn't going to be impressing anybody during that, and nobody would take a Saiyan seriously if he was stumbling over his words, would they? He scratched the side of his face, trying to think of another subject to change to when she did it already, mercifully. More about how Sorben may have changed, which elicited a bit of a louder chuckle from Zarun at her possible idea of him. "Macho fighter? No way, that's not Sorben at all. He really hates fighting. He's probably braver since he grew fast, and I think he said he had horns coming in. He said he was a, uh...what's it called, again? Pacifist, I think. He doesn't mind if I do it, though."
Zarun of course, neglected to explain what he meant when he said that Sorben was growing horns. There were numerous species out there in the galaxy, but very few actually had horns. He wondered why that was so uncommon, too. He managed to cast aside those thoughts long enough to focus on his act for the Kabochan authorities, though the whole 'lucky number 13' joke was entirely lost on him. He assumed it was something that was just cultural, though. Maybe he'd understand it more once he'd been here at least once. Seeing Kuueru's smile and encouraging thumbs up, he gave her a warm smile back, returning the thumbs-up with one of his own in response. Well, at least he got past that hurdle. For now, anyway. With the ship landing and waiting on the hangar's oxygen supply to stabilise, Zarun had no real luggage to think of, so he just headed straight down the landing ramp once they were cleared to disembark and get going.
The streets of the sprawling Kabochan city were quite impressive, people going about their business and doing their best not to shove into him as he walked past them, hood up over his head through the streets. He would just look like a bit of an awkward introvert more than anything else, and with luck, it'd just result in less people seeing his face, or at least, that was the intent. Eventually, the two of them arrived at a department building for some kind of Robotics and Science division, though Zarun was unclear on whether this was something more privately owned or if they seemed to be supplying to the Confederacy itself. Entering the building and approaching the front desk, promotional posters and some of the nearby armed guards made it a bit more clear that it was an arms manufacturer, at least one who took their security quite seriously. Approaching the receptionist, Zarun cleared his throat, loudly enough that he looked down his glasses at the Saiyan while he spoke. "Hi. Hello, I mean. I'm here to see a Sorben? That should be his first name, I think. My name's Zarun, he'll want to see me!" The cerulean-skinned humanoid looked about as disinterested in his job as any sentient could, and after going through some databases and typing some kind of intranet message upstairs, he eventually pointed a thumb backwards towards a door behind him, with arrows pointing to that door and ones beyond it, giving directions to things like.... 'Robotics Department', 'Testing Range' and finally, 'Dr. Sorben's Office'. So he was here!
Zarun, not bothering to thank the receptionist, simply rushed through the doorways, moving his hood down as he walked down the corridors. He was hoping this wasn't gonna be that awkward. With luck, he and Kuueru could meet Sorben and then go see some more of the city without it being weird. They could just argue it was sightseeing while they were here, or something like that. Finally, Zarun reached the office he was looking for. The door was stark white and featureless, the nameplate next to it reading 'Dr. Sorben' in stark letters. With there being the ability to knock, the Saiyan forgot all about it, simply pressing the door to open the office as he tentatively walked inside. "Sorben?" As he spoke, the doctor sitting at the office's desk looked up. He was a purple xeno, with human-like features apart from his bald head, with an enlarged cranium and veins decorating across it. There were two obsidian-black horns poking out from holes in the side of it, that gave him a rather distinct appearance compared to some others. He was rather lithe in build, his beady red eyes blinking in shock as they looked towards the Saiyan. "Sorben! You are here!" Zarun rushed forward to the desk, restraining himself just enough not to leap over it and hug the scientist into a vice grip.
Through his glasses, the alien smiled, chuckling as he sat back in his chair, a warm and friendly tone coming from a rather harsh, almost hoarse voice. "It really is you. Carmol didn't send your name through when you signed in at the desk, just that you were a visitor-" He leaned forward, a bit of a grin on his face, one that seemed familiar to what Zarun often tried to show when he was pleased. "How have you been?! I'm amazed you aren't more beat up already! Who's this?" He looked up towards Kuueru. It was clear, although perhaps not to the Saiyan, that he didn't have the same level of excited enthusiasm as Zarun did, being reunited with the brother he hadn't seen in so long. Perhaps they simply had different views of the situation. Zarun turned, looking at Kuueru for a moment as he ran into his first hurdle. Maybe...he should have considered that part. He turned back to Sorben, glancing around awkwardly as he tried to think. "Oh, this is, uh....Kuueru. She's my, uh...well. Hm. She's-" He was mostly stalling for time, trying to think of an explanation as Sorben simply laughed, interrupting him. "It's alright. You don't have to explain, I get it! We've both grown up a bit, so I shouldn't be that surprised." Zarun's face went slightly red again as he had to barely hold back a huff, clearing his throat and clearing the colour from his face. Damn it. So he supposed they were going with that line of reasoning, then. That wasn't really the cover story he'd been wanting to do, but he supposed it was what he got.
"Anyway, I've been up to my eyeballs in it. You've got to see some of the exciting things they're doing here at ECTech! We're producing automaton types I'd never even dreamed of, it's incredible! I've been running through some of the simulations, and I think I might be getting close to developing my own artificial beings! I had based them off old military fighting styles, but with luck, I can get a breakthrough on imbueing them with organic material!" Zarun blinked, unsure of what he was talking about, and quickly tried to speak back. "Uh, Sorben-" Unfortunately, the enthusiastic scientist just kept going. "Soon, just about any pleb could be upgraded to become a combat android, even those unable to use Ki! Even as strong as some of the best military units in the galaxy! I have no interested clients right now, but the science itself-" Zarun spoke louder, getting a little frustrated. "Sorben! I came to talk to you, about you, not your robots!" There was an awkward pause for a moment, a tension filling the air as the Saiyan worried he'd pushed a bit too hard, only for the xeno to chuckle. "Oh, okay! Why didn't you say so?"
The conversation continued for almost an hour, with Zarun mostly asking about Sorben's journey from a deck-hand and starship technician to landing the job at ECTech, managing to dodge questions about his own journey enough. He was ashamed - of his homelessness and wandering on Earth, and the strange feeling he had like he was almost using his brother as part of his work for the Empire. He was rather expert at deftly dodging any questions regarding Kuueru, letting Sorben keep his assumptions before the Xeno finally realised he was behind schedule, quickly herding his two visitors out of the office. Standing outside it, Zarun took a moment to process what had happened, then looked to Kuueru. "Sorry that took so long. We can go see one of your brothers or sisters next time."
WC: 2,170 [Total= 8,327]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 24, 2018 7:24:54 GMT -5
zarun
There was clearly a good bit of struggle in Zarun's face as she tried to group him into the Saiyan category. So her comment about some not fitting the mold of their races was true. Here before her was a prime example. Not only did Zarun not appear to really know or hang out with others of his kind, he wasn't the Saiyan who fit unto that trope or stereotype either. Zarun was very much his own person, and despite that Saiyan urge to fight and seek out strength, there wasn't too much else about the boy that force him into that mold. Kuueru smiled at the situation, for she too was struggling to find herself fitting in amongst her own kind. Kuueru was of Demon blood. As such, she presumed she had to invoke chaos and resist order, yet here she was leading platoons of peace keepers. She was in an organized military instead of out destroying mortals and uprooting civilizations. Demons were meant to be evil and malicious. They were to lie, cheat and steal until they were at their place at the top. Kuueru had a hard time with that though. She was often a kind person who tried to invoke growth and good feelings within her comrades. Out of that long list of the things a demon should do, she probably was the best at lying. It was something innate and necessary for her to do everyday though. Everytime she walked into the office she lied. Everytime she showed up with pink hair and fair skin she lied. Even now, on this mission, she lied to the protectors of Kabocha. She was also encouraging young Zarun to do the same. Perhaps Kuueru wasn't the matching mold to a demon, but she still stopped to worry about how those negative traits could affect others. “Don't ever worry about forcing yourself to fit into some sort of stereotype kid,” Kuueru responded with the warmest smile she could muster. As much as she wanted to empathize, and as much as she wanted to explain her own story, now wasn't the time. If Zarun did indeed stay within the military for a decent amount of time, maybe then the demoness would open up more with him. She could tell him just how much she herself was an outcast even amongst her people. Perhaps she would even tell him what exactly her people were. Demons weren't exactly common, only under extremely rare consequences are they actually let loose in the mortal realm. Saying all of this abruptly and too soon may just do more harm than good. So for now, Kuueru kept her lineage under wraps. Just for now… Alas, the pair's conversation continued on. Despite Kuueru's idea to disguise their presence as a couple visiting family, Zarun seemed to think it wasn't very believable. She didn't get why though. Both of them appeared the same in age, despite her great Gap in seniority. Both we're humanoid. Both seemed to have the same interests in fighting and the Empire. Alas, he didn't think it was believable. Kuueru being the professional liar she was merely shrugged and enjoyed a good laugh. Still, she was eager to see what explanation he could muster much better than that. “Sure, if ya got something better. Go for it.” It didn't matter either way. To Kuueru she got onto Kabocha without a hitch. Whatever lies or truths Zarun used to quell his brother weren't too relevant at this point. That's not to say she didn't care about the brothers relationship, but her work always came first. It wasn't long before the pair we're waltzing down the streets of Pukinpa like a couple of citizens. Of course, Zarun's broody outfit only caused the demoness to snicker under her breath. They had made it passed security. They were among civilians. There was no need to act like an assassin now, still the Saiyan's resilience to keep up his profile amused the Commander. There they we're. The robotics area of the research and development area of the world's capital. To even work here one would have to be exceptional at their work. To think that Zarun had a sibling here was astounding. Not because he was full or anything. But because anyone working in this sector under the moniker of a doctor was impressive. Kuueru nearly gasped as she saw his name upon a sign referencing his title. Doctor Sorben. It has a nice ring to it, but for some odd reason, it made the woman hungry. “Hn, you didn't tell me he was a doctor,” Kuueru mumbled to the Saiyan as the attendant behind the desk checked them in as visitors. Kuueru at this point was just cracking casual conversation to make the air less awkward. Still, they were soon led back to the office of the doctor himself. Immediately the connection between the two was seen. They began their greetings right away, and of course the time came where Sorben asked who she was. Of course, Zarun stumbled over his words, yet his brother still got the gist that the pair we're a thing. Kuueru quickly rolled with to, her smile flashing and a tinge of pink filling her own expression as she mimicked his embarrassment. Sorben seemed passionate about his work. Immediately he jumped into talk of his research and development in the world of robotics and artificial intelligence. Ironically an Android was one of the Allie's they had recruited for the retrieval of Absolut. Kuueru was a but curious about Android's and artificial beings, but she held back the urge to ask questions as the pair caught up and talked. It was a small moment, but within it they closed years of gaps and relived old memories. Kuueru simply smiled and kept her place in the corner of the conversation. She only popped in to answer a question or if needed. Luckily, the two seemed to talk perfectly fine amongst themselves. Despite this, Sorben was a busy man and had other business to attend to. Unfortunately their conversation was cut short and left the pair leaving the robotics office eventually. Zarun issued an apology for taking so long, but the woman shrugged her shoulders. “No worries, you needed to catch up. It's fine. Haha, me? I have no brothers or sisters, at least none that I know of.” Kuueru found the thought amusing. Her having a normal family relationship with siblings or even parents. But that idea was just that, an idea. Kuueru had been alone since her birth, how she survived up until this point was a mystery. Perhaps it was her innate ability to defend herself living in such a harsh realm. Either way, they had work to do as the pair poured back onto the busy city streets. “Right so, now we know how easy it is to get on the surface. Now let's see what kind of obstacles we face while here. Keep your eyes open for guards, cameras, weapons. Anything that might seem and issue.” Kuueru pulled her tablet back out and began marking the positions of stationary cameras and weapons. She eagerly awaiting any input the Saiyan could offer. Still, bit by bit she was walking closer to the epicenter of the city. The location they presumed Absolut was held. If possible they needed to confirm the boys presence. At the least they needed to note their obstacles.
wc: 1239 / 8420
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Post by zarun on Dec 25, 2018 4:29:39 GMT -5
Kuueru had tried to tell him not to fit into a stereotype or anything like that, to not try and be something he wasn't, essentially. He was pretty sure she didn't get it. For him, he already felt like he was nothing close to the ideal Saiyan, and to be that, you had to work, you had to scratch and claw until you were worthy. Every Saiyan had to prove themselves from a young age surely, and he'd never had that opportunity to be tested because he'd never been with his people. If he just turned up with a power level like this and without any victories under his belt, how could they ever accept him? He knew relations between his people and the Empire were rocky at best. Maybe he could try and help solve those issues, too. In his mind, he had fantasised about being the one to bring peace and good relations between them, about being someone that would be remembered by both his own people and the Empire he'd chosen to be a part of. Mostly, he was worried that it wouldn't go that way. He'd harboured some doubts at first. Whether his people would see him as a traitor, whether he'd be forced to fight them, before he realised that was the point. A Saiyan maybe remembered an ally, but they always remembered a powerful enemy, one that it took a lot to fight. If there were clashes, he'd stick in the memory of his people, and maybe that would prove his worth. Kuueru wasn't a Saiyan. He understood what she meant, but it couldn't be the same. Could it?
In all honesty, Zarun had more forgotten about how odd he looked walking down the streets in his hooded robe, just finding it more comfortable than anything and wanting to keep it on for that reason. Even with how silly he may have looked to Kuueru or any bystanders, his eyes were still darting around, taking in anything he saw. Pukinpa was a big place, and if Kuueru and her strong allies were going to approach, then maybe they should have multiple entrances to do so. The Saiyan was trying to keep his eyes on the winding streets, and although he was keeping his own Ki suppressed, making his power level register as something much lower, he was still reaching out, sensing what he could around. There were definitly guards, or soldiers, whatever they might have been. Their power was higher than your average civilian, but Zarun was still pretty sure he could take them. Still, he understood that he wasn't exactly a powerful warrior yet. He'd have to be careful around here, even if he did have Kuueru as backup. Besides, maintaining a low profile was more the name of the game. Maybe he should keep his hood up, then - his hair would make it more obvious what he was, whereas the hood let him just look more like some kind of Xeno, or even an Earthling.
Leaving the Robotics Department with Kuueru, the Saiyan raised an eyebrow as he heard of how she had no brothers or sisters. More importantly, she said that she knew of. Hm. "So, you don't know for sure, then? Do you not know your parents that well?" He figured that someone who knew their parents would definitely know if they had brothers or sisters, wouldn't they? Then again, it wasn't as though Zarun was speaking from a position of experience. He had no idea what his parents looked like, who they were, or where they might have come from. It was one of those things that had eaten away at him since he was a child, and that wasn't going to go away any time soon. The Saiyan kept looking forward as they walked, doing a good job of keeping his voice down. It was her business after all, not the entire street's. "It's fine if you don't. I don't know mine. If you don't and you want to find out about them, I can help. Just so, you know. It isn't just you." He didn't like the idea of dealing with that, or the wider galaxy, totally alone, at first. He'd just gotten used to it, even if he didn't like the fact that he had. He'd been without Sorben for a while, and now it felt like the first time they'd met, he was using him for something else. He felt sort of dirty. He didn't know how to place it.
As they continued to walk their way through the city and approach the centre, Kuueru told him of their objective, of what kind of thing they wanted to look out for. Hm, okay. So, she was looking for and taking pictures of stationary weapons and cameras. That made sense. They wanted to see what kind of things would be in the way of the team coming in here. So, what else was there? Zarun decided to not pull out any apparatus for taking pictures - it was better if they looked like tourists as it was. Tourists did usually take pictures of everything, at least the ones that he'd seen on Earth. He leaned over to the side, his face moving up to the side of Kuueru's as he seemed to motion to the view she had through the tablet. "You see how there's some weirdly slanted windows? Really thin ones? I think those are for guards to be able to shoot Ki out of, and look out of without being seen." It made sense to him. Zarun wasn't a vastly experienced military mind, but he knew how battle worked and he understood enough to figure out some of these intricacies. Even if it wasn't the way he liked to fight, it was always good to put yourself into the head of a different kind of combatant and understand how they approached their problems and made do with what they had. It would make you a better fighter.
He let out a small 'hmm' sound, before speaking again. "Some of the cameras and weapons are probably disguised, too. Look for weird outcroppings that seem like they've been added on later, like they're not as old as the building. Do you think a place like this would have an exit tunnel underground? Maybe an entrance that would go out the back? Those might be good." As embarrassing as it was, keeping his face this close just made it look like some dumb couple being affectionate. He would just put up with this for now, even if he found the whole thing a bit awkward.
Being an Ultramarine was harder than he thought.
WC: 1,127 [Total= 9,454]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 26, 2018 20:39:14 GMT -5
zarun
The city streets left them not only hidden, but vulnerable as well. Everyone around them could just as easily be an innocent civilian as they could be a competent enemy. Kuueru would be foolish to think that she and Zarun were the only people thinking to hold a disguise while on guard. She was very aware of those amongst the crowd with not only formidable power levels, but those who could potentially explode into the tens of thousands of power level. No one was to be trusted, and for that reason the demoness maintained her guard at all times.
Dull lavender eyes scanned for points of interest and perches that guards would hide. She particularly looked for the areas that seemed to carry a bit higher of security. Those were the targets. Those places were where the valuables were kept. By valuables she meant Absolut, amongst the other powerful warriors that Cam held close. She had not met any of the Kabochan's entourage personally; still, based on his ways, she assumed the man relied in strength in not only numbers, but power as well. She assumed that wherever the crown prince was hidden, there were among strong warriors surrounding the young frost demon.
"Nah, I never got to meet my parents either. Who knows? There could be siblings out there or something, but I doubt I'd ever know even if I met them face to face," Kuueru murmured to the boy as they continued through the busy streets towards the epicenter of Pukinpa. She carried a loose stride, her eyes darting from the screen in her hands and cautiously around her to ensure she didn't bump into a passerby.
"I haven't thought much on finding them, it's not exactly something that's normal to do right? Do you want to find yours?" It was a simple enough question. Did the Saiyan wish to seek out his own birthright? Did they care to even be found by the lad? Kuueru has just assumed her parents perished in battle and weren't noteworthy enough to leave a mark or a story. However, a small detail about her linage did raise questions. During a meditation session with Lute, he uncovered some sort of holiness to her aura. He suggested she was a Shinjin, born of the fruit from the Tree of Life. Yet, she was in the Demon Realm, alone---She was a spoiled fruit whom was discarded to rot and die. Kuueru didn't die however. The demoness had thrived and fought her way to the top of the totem pole despite the odds. That is why she was as strong as she was---the constant struggle to even survive even when she barely wanted to live herself.
Suddenly as they were walking, Zarun leaned in to look at the pictures she had been collecting. The demoness had a hunch of what she was looking for but hearing Zarun put it into words helped a lot. At least the boy knew what he was looking for in a mission like this. Not only did he pass his test of communication, he was proving to be useful in the field. It was promising for the Commander at least. She nodded as he continued and gave some more notes on what to look out for. "I see, I didn't think about that. Thanks, Zarun, this is all good information. We must be close to the goods; the guards have tripled in numbers."
Kuueru nudged her head towards a cluster of relatively strong feeling guards who lingered around and cracked jabs with one another. They seemed to be at ease considering they were willing to joke around and ignore the pair. Suddenly, the woman opened the front camera and moved in front of a building with old looking architecture. Hastily she pulled the Saiyan by the arm and into her side.
"Say cheese!" Kuueru chuckled and cracked a wry smile before snapping a self-portrait of the pair in front of not only the unsuspecting guards, but the building that several clusters of high levels seemed to be magnetized too. Kuueru could also sense several stronger power levels from the depths of the building. A snap later she looked to the picture to examine its quality. She showed it to Zarun, his confused expression in the photo was rather amusing. Yet beyond it several cameras and odd-looking individuals can be shown.
"Seems this is certainly a main suspect. I suppose we should look for weaknesses then. I don't feel any other strong folks around here, not like what's coming from there," The demoness replied and looked to Zarun to confirm that he noticed the people from within and outside of the huge and elaborate building. Still, she wanted to doubt how easy it was to find their target. Was this a trap?
"Let's go," The demoness uttered before tucking away her tablet and making her way down a side alley beside of the building. There was nothing but trashcans and small rodents in this area, hopefully they wouldn't be noticed. Still, Kuueru wanted to scout out all sides of the building to see if there were multiple entrances and escapes.
Her busy eyes darted around the corner as the pair came out the alleyway on the opposite side. She looked and saw a sole door, it's heavy katchin material signifying that it was more than likely heavily locked or under some sort of extra security. Despite this, there was a severe lack of guards on this side. Perhaps they thought that the front was the main threat and the back would have enough precautions to be secure.
"All right all right, keep your eyes peeled for me Zarun," Kuueru mumbled before she looked up the side of the building. Even on the roof she could spot a few silhouettes pacing the perimeter. It seemed to be the target all right, but where were the weak points? The woman chewed upon her lips before leaning upon the heavy brick wall to take a moment to think. Despite her pausing, the people of the city kept on about their business. They all seemed to be occupied or morning the loss of the Emperor. It was a flurry of emotions and energy from the people to say the least.
"Should we even go this far?" Kuueru thought out loud about the current operation. If they went in now, and aroused suspicion, they may ruin the retrieval mission all together. Right now, they just needed to do the bare minimum to ensure a successful mission later on. If they got caught, interrogated and jailed---it would only spell bad things for the Empire.
"Perhaps we have enough information, still…" Her eyes looked towards the building once more before she searched the ground for some magical bit of advice to manifest from its dirty surface.
"Without Cam here, I assume the highest level I am feeling now is his right hand, still---he's strong," Kuueru spoke under her breath. She wasn't lying though. The power level within far surpasses young Zarun's She was sure he could feel it as well and judge for himself.
WC: 1190 | 9610
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Post by zarun on Dec 28, 2018 6:36:25 GMT -5
Zarun was more on edge than usual, more and a half. He'd never been involved in something where it was so heavily invested in making sure he didn't get himself caught, so he naturally was a bit more nervous than he was expecting to be. Zarun had gone into this, although he wanted to do well and he was taking it seriously, confident that he could handle this. Now, he was left a bit unsure, seeing how much there was for him to actually try and deal with. Any person in the street could be someone watching them, from an informant to a powerful guard disguised in civilian clothing. His eyes carefully watched the people he passed by, and instead of sensing for power levels, he instead watched their movements. Although it may have seemed like a strange choice to do that, there was a method to his madness here. Zarun had been able to tell the difference when he joined the Empire of someone who was trained for combat and someone who wasn't; there was a distinct way that they stood and moved, how they handled things, their mannerisms. He couldn't place it exactly, but he just had a gut feeling that someone was a fighter from these things. It was entirely possible he could be wrong, but at least it was something to go on, rather than nothing at all.
The Saiyan listened carefully as Kuueru talked about her own parents, or lack thereof. Well, at least they came from a similar situation, he supposed. Didn't make it any easier, but it could give some kind of solace, right? He was a bit put off when she mentioned that she hadn't looked for them, and that it didn't seem to be a normal thing to do. Didn't it? Was he the weird one for trying to find his parents after all this time? He hadn't even considered the possibility of that. Maybe he should've. He'd been thinking about his mother and father, what they must have looked like, how they were, and why they must have left him on Vinagra with nothing there to protect him, ever since he was a little boy. He knew he came from somewhere, but he only had faint glimpses of who they must have been. It didn't help that he didn't know he was a Saiyan for years. "Yeah. I do want to find them. I want to know if they look like me. Or why they left me where they did. If I belong to anywhere, I guess." He wasn't very good at putting that feeling he had into words. It was this little empty spot in him, not like it was tearing him up inside, but it was there. It was like having a dull, itching ache somewhere in your body. It wasn't debilitating, but you thought about it often, because it forced yourself into your mind. Whenever Zarun considered anything about himself and who he was, the quesiton of who had actually brought him into existence crossed his mind.
He tried to just refocus on the mission, pointing out things to look for and taking a peek at Kuueru's tablet to see what she was taking pictures of. He was pleased to hear that he'd gotten things right when it came to his suggestions on what to take pictures of, and it gave him confidence again that maybe he did know a bit about what he was doing. Well, he didn't really, he was just going off instinct and common sense rather than any kind of experience, veterancy or research, but at least it meant he had a good hunch about this sort of thing! His thoughts were interrupted as Kuueru grabbed him, yanking him towards her and against her side so she could take a picture of the two from the front, Zarun's entirely confused expression making it quite obvious that he hadn't planned the picture. He didn't even have time to say cheese, whatever that even meant. Zarun moved from her grip, rubbing his face a bit. Mostly, it was to cover the redness that had flushed to it from embarrassment; at least it wasn't as bad as the whole situation with Sorben. "You could've warned me, you know." He wasn't really that mad, but it didn't hurt to feign it just a little at being caught off guard like that. The Saiyan moved over to her, mostly to spy at the tablet when she explained why she was takingt the picture, other than to embarass him, of course.
Zarun rubbed his chin, feeling out the Ki signatures for the building behind them that Kuueru had managed to get a picture of along with the two of them. Man, that was not a good picture of him. He already hated it. "I see what you mean. Doesn't seem like it'd be any other, right?" It did seem a bit easy to spot it like this, but maybe there was a reason for that. "Probably have a lot more guards with what happened recently. Maybe they're planning in case of another Frieza Force attack. Killing Absolut would do a lot of damage to both them and us if it could be pulled off." Not that he was entirely sure if Absolut was in there, but it certainly seemed like the place, and there was nothing more valuable to the Confederacy than him at this point, surely. He was pretty sure the Commander had the right idea, though. Even if Absolut wasn't in that building, it was good to have a scouting report of it in there. Whatever was in there, the Kabochans didn't want anyone getting near it. Which just made him, and he was sure the rest of the Empire too, want to get near it.
The Saiyan followed after Kuueru, sticking close as they moved through the alleyway. He nodded at her request to keep his eyes open, staying on watch and keeping his eyes peeled for any kind of movement towards them. Although they still did look like random tourists just wandering around, trying to figure their way around Pukinpa and getting slightly lost, that didn't mean there wasn't the possibility that someone was onto them. If they were, then he didn't want Kuueru getting caught at a suppressed level of power in a sneak attack. She was vulnerable at that kind of point, surely. Besides, it was better if he took any shots like that. Zarun wasn't under any delusion that he was as important to this as she was. Even ignoring the fact that she was the one carrying the intel they'd use, she was a Commander, and much more valuable to the Empire than he was. He'd been working here for like a week or so, so he wasn't exactly a VIP yet.
He almost had to ask who Cam was, though he realised seconds before he did that Kuueru must have meant Carambolis. Is that what people called him? Why not Caram? Whatever. The Saiyan tilted his head, listening as she felt out the power level of the Emperor's right hand. "Of course he is. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't be his right hand, right?" Zarun would have honestly been disappointed if they'd felt his power and he wasn't somehow stronger than the young Saiyan. Still, it seemed like the soldiers and guards on this planet were in a different league than somewhere like Earth. He was actually beginning to quite like Kabocha. A shame.
WC: 1,270 [Total= 10,724]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 28, 2018 12:38:22 GMT -5
zarun
The demoness found thinking about her past and her upbringing to only rouse a deep anger. She wasn't mad per say at the person who abandoned her, but the circumstances that all people in the Demon Realm had to face. While there were people, like Zarun, who struggled from an early age to even survive. That was the norm for all beings birthed in the realm of the demons. It was hard, cruel---and most didn't make it. Still, each battle you lived through, each time you stood back up---an insurmountable amount of experience and power returned to your veins as a reward. While her past was indeed painful, it was something she wouldn't trade for the world. It molded the demoness into the person she was today---it granted her the power she needed to strive for the stars.
"Ahh, I suppose you must be curious right? I guess I am a tad curious in a way, but---I wouldn't even know where to begin. Maybe one day I will look into it deeper. Still, if you need any of my help or resources to seek out your own folks, please by all means…" Kuueru smiled towards Zarun. Her beaming face was indeed genuine. The woman took an extreme pleasure in helping others and allowing them to blossom into their full potential. It was something that she had never expected to enjoy before she escaped to this realm. Still, if there was something she could do to help, she would move planets with her power.
The day went on, the reaction elicited from her tandem photograph only caused the Saiyan's cheeks to fluster. She stared at him with a sly grin and eventually once his initial embarrassment passed, he had realized what she was trying to accomplish. Kuueru was sly and quite the cunning woman, she wired her way around things to fit into her surroundings in the most efficient days. Pretending to be a young couple of friends waltzing around the city and taking pictures seemed to fit the calling card. No one gave them weird looks, well—besides the occasional old person who didn't understand the culture.
"Sorry, didn't mean to catch you off guard with that, but hey---you look cute right?" The demoness issued a warranted apology. Still, as they exited the alleyway and continued on their journey, the woman couldn't help but get a bad feeling. Perhaps the pair were overstaying their welcome? She watched over her shoulder, perhaps a bit too much.
Zarun had confirmed that he agreed on this building being their mark. She couldn't really sense much else in this city, but Pukinpa was the place, it just had to be. Both she and the Demon King had done their research and had been planning the extraction in the weeks following Polaris's death. They had all their ducks lined up, it was just up to Kuueru to put the cherry on top and prepare to execute the plan. She couldn't flounder now, especially not with a new recruit by her side. Perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her, maybe she truly felt the tremendous weight that being a commander put on her. Beads of sweat rolled from her brow but she wiped them away hastily before walking around the back of the target building and the katchin door that appeared unguarded.
"Right, Absolut is probably their priority. The Kabochan Confederacy can seek out another leader if need be quickly. They are a band of mostly mercenaries and people for hire. They are free to come and go as they please, however, the Empire will crumble without a proper spearhead. We'd be idiots to think tha---"
Her words fell flat. . .
The raven-haired woman fell to her knees beside of Zarun, behind her stood a tall man whom appeared in his thirties. A Saiyan. The glare he shot at the pair was intense, it was clear that he knew their intentions were crass. Maybe if the demoness had chosen her words more carefully, perhaps if she had briefed Zarun ahead of time and prepared better---she wouldn't be unconscious on the ground right now. Her sun-kissed cheek pressed into the muddy soil beneath her.
"Boy, you're weak. Come quietly if you want to live," spoke the man clad in a hybrid of Saiyan and Kabocha armors. There was a scouter affixed to his brow and he soon pulled out a pair of restraints to use upon both the woman and her Saiyan subordinate. It wasn't much of a fight as the larger Saiyan restrained Zarun and delivered a swift chop to his neck, hitting his pressure points in just the right spot to knock him unconscious for a while.
The light was blinding. . .
Kuueru squinted as she noticed that she couldn't move her extremities. She was tied down, using restraints that limited her power even if she were to try and transform or unsupress herself. This wasn't good.
Slowly her vision began to return, the overbearing light in her face was starting to dim and she looked around the dark room, only able to make out shadows and an odd silhouette across the room from them. At her side was Zarun, still unconscious so it seemed. So, they had been caught. At least this would make for some experience for the boy if they made it out of here in one piece that was. She at least hoped that she could figure out a way. Kuueru still had some tricks up her sleeves yet.
Just as she was planning her possible escapes, the booming voice from across the room spoke up.
"Who are you, why are you snooping around?" His voice was heavy with malice and sounded like gravel. It was clear he not only was morning the loss of his emperor, but the threats that they had been facing since. This energy was the one from earlier. The most notable and powerful in the area. This had to have been Carambolis's right hand man. She had felt the man's energy once before, when she fought against Cam in the deserts of his planet. Even with him being miles away, his raw power was distinct and overwhelming.
"You seem on edge, we are just a couple meeting up with some family and exploring the city," Kuueru stated matter of factly, her dull gaze meeting the dark eyes from across the room. It was all she could make out of the man, she hadn't seen him coming to gather what he even looked like. What a coward to hide his face. Ironically, he stood and walked across the room and into the light just as she had the thought.
"Hn, something about that seemed like a lie doesn't it little lady?"
"Little lady? Do you always go around knocking out little ladies?" Kuueru retorted with a sarcastic hiss. Still, she needed to be more mindful about her words here, agitating the Saiyan would only get her into deeper shit.
WC: 1173 | 10783
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Post by zarun on Dec 28, 2018 18:17:12 GMT -5
'Curious' was putting it mildly.
Zarun was almost driving himself nuts with how much he thought about how things really were, how his parents must have been, what their personalities were like. Honestly, he would have been happy knowing nothing about them as people if he could even just once see their faces, to know what they looked like. He had never gotten the opportunity when he was left on that barren, forsaken world as a child. To this day, he still didn't understand why he was left on a place like Vinagra, and not a place like this. Kabocha was a nice world and wasn't even that far from where he'd grown up, so why didn't he get to spend his childhood here, instead? It all just seemed a bit unfair. Maybe there was some kind of underlying resentment towards those who did get that opportunity, some kind of feeling that made him see them as undeserving, as ungrateful of such a thing. How many of them understood that even with how arid this world may have been, that they got to grow up knowing who their family was, who they were? What it meant to be them, or anything like that? It became this sort of...rising feeling in his chest, where it began to tighten, and he just tried to focus on the positive part of her comment, rather than letting himself get distracted. He wasn't sitting around in his room anymore, he had work to be doing.
"Thanks." The response was succint and could have come across quite easily as blunt, or maybe even dismissive. He did truly mean what he said, though - he always did. She didn't have to stick her neck out or offer things to him out of some kind of graciousness, but she did, which was still surprising to him. He didn't understand why Kuueru was so worried about people finding out about her, whatever she might have been. How could she really be anything that bad? Her nature clearly wasn't defined by it if it was, so it didn't matter. It was about people's actions, not where they came from. Surely anyone could figure that kind of stuff out, right? It was these obvious truths that always seemed to get tossed around and debated in societies like on Earth, at least in the conversations that he'd overhead. Not that he was eavesdropping. He'd never eavesdrop, unless it was for a mission or something.
After getting over his initial embarrassment at the awkward photo, Zarun turned his attention onto what Kuueru was actually trying to get at. He respected her shrewdness and ability to disguise her intentions quite well; they were valuable assets for anyone to have, especially when it came to something like a scouting mission. Maybe it would be something that was worthwhile to think about - he tried to make everything obvious and clear about himself, which was what made a mission like this so jarring for him to try and undertake. He still thought this stupid coat and hood was something that somehow made him more subtle, when really it just made him look like someone with an odd fashion sense. In truth, maybe that added to his disguise. In a way, his attempting to hide underneath such a strange look had worked - just not the way that he had originally intended it to. Of course, it didn't help that Kuueru was also dragging him into pictures with the two of them with a big dumb grin on her face in the picture, making him look totally dimwitted in comparison. Which was also his fault. Still, he appreciated that she was continuing the explanation. "By the way, I am not cu-"
Zarun cut himself off as he saw the blow hit the back of his Commander's neck, sending her down onto the ground and her face into the dirt. Really, he should have been expecting this. What was he thinking? He was a week into being trained as a soldier, and had so little experience of combat that he had no right to even be on an operation like that. It was folly of Kuueru to take him on something like this. How could it not be? He apparently, wasn't even capable of following something as simple as 'keep your eyes peeled'. At least, that's what this situation. He was still, looking down at Kuueru's unconscious form with an expression and distinct sense of shame wracking around his body. His eye darted up to the man who had done it, one he immediately recognised as a Saiyan. There was a sickness in his stomach, a disgrace that ran through his whole body on another level knowing that this man was the one to do it. Not because Zarun saw it as some kind of betrayal. Naturally, Saiyans found themselves on opposite sides, but...for this to be the first time a real Saiyan saw him, acknowledged him? The first thing he was told-
You're weak.
There wasn't really anything else he could do. No other retort he could offer, and he certainly couldn't stand against a warrior this far above his own level. He could only stare at him, maintaing eye contact the entire time. He took his hood down, at least showing that he wasn't afraid to show his face, even if for the briefest of moments. It was the only scrap of honour he could salvage from this. Zarun held his arms and hands out, letting the restraints be fitted over them and watched as the chop came towards his neck. He supposed he'd just have to think of something later, when there wasn't all this...mess in his head. Maybe then he could make up for this.
Wherever he was dragged to, Zarun woke up quite early, but kept quiet, unmoving, not even opening his eyes. He made sure his power level stayed as supressed as it usually would be while unconscious, and to do so was stifling. It was almost like holding his breath - stifling and building up a continual pressure in his body from the fact that he was trying to store all of his power away into a tiny little container and somehow hold it there with all his might. At the most, it might help him understand a bit more about Ki control. More importantly, it was letting him listen in on the conversation between his commander and this Saiyan. Plus, he was trying to reach out, to exercise what other abilities he had in the meantime to figure out if there was anyone else nearby. Didn't feel like anyone. Still, didn't hurt to be cautious.
Hey, Kuueru. It was kind of difficult, focusing hard enough to actually speak into another person's mind, but it didn't help that you were doing it while also trying to supress your power level very hard, and make sure you still looked unconscious. Any more, and he would've appeared to be worse off than that. It was part of his plan, actually. Speaking in your brain. Don't worry about it. I'm gonna supress my power more, enough to play dead. If he doesn't notice, you can point it out. Maybe he'll come to inspect me, close enough for you to do something. I'm sorry it isn't more useful. Or of much use at all. Really, he was functioning well as a distraction if they pulled it off, but it didn't make the shame leave him.
Maybe he wasn't the Saiyan he thought he could be.
WC: 1,275 [Total= 11,999]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 28, 2018 20:55:04 GMT -5
zarun
Perhaps the woman wasn't the best with her words. There was clearly a look of sullen expression plastered all over Zarun's face at the continual mention of his parents. She didn't want that, she never meant to bring up sour feelings. Hell, if she even knew what he was feeling, she would have never continued to talk about the subject. Still, the simple 'thanks' that he gave was signal enough for her to drop the subject and move on. Having a thought about giving the male bad vibes or more importantly jeopardizing their mission was not needed. Especially not in potential enemy territory. While Kuueru aimed to maintain a peaceful relationship with Kabocha, despite the kidnapping of Absolut, what they were doing right now certainly spoke worlds otherwise.
The last words she could even hear from Zarun was him denying his 'cuteness'. She continued to have funny dreams about the encounter despite her loss of consciousness. Meanwhile, Duria, the right-hand man of Carambolis, was hard at work subduing her subordinate. Zarun remained cool and composed, even going as far as to show his face to the man. Duria stalled for a moment after realizing the boy too, was a Saiyan. The tail wrapped tightly around his waist managed to coil even tighter as Zarun surrendered himself to arrest. There was a bit of apprehension in his movements, but for the state of Kabocha, Duria had to be stern and concise with possible threats to the world and their assets. Asset such as Absolut that is.
Kuueru had been deep into her interrogation with Duria, all the while she had been collecting information. Information not only about where she was, who this man was, but also, she was trying to milk out anything she could about Absolut, her target. Still, she didn't want to give away the fact that it was he she was after. She also didn't need to let him know about her affiliation with Polaris or the Galactic Empire. If any of this got out, it would be detrimental to the relations between the two factions. First thing was first, she sensed out with her aura, trying to determine if there was anyone else around. If there were additional witnesses to the capture of the two, then there would be additional clean up involved. Fortunately for the pair, Duria was the only notable power level in the area. Hell, that wasn't to say that there weren't a dozen troops hiding in the shadows that all had incredible abilities to suppress their power levels though. Still, Kuueru didn't feel that many notable people earlier before they aroused any suspicion either. She had a damn good hunch that Duria was acting alone. Mostly because he hadn't enough proof that the pair were there to do anything wrong. They were just too close to the wrong building at the wrong time. At least, that was the alibi that she and Zarun were going to stick to. That is, if Zarun ever managed to wake up from his nap.
"Only the little ladies who seem like they are up to nothing good. Why are you here for real? Don't play coy woman," Duria barked in response to her smart-ass comment. It only made the stupid grin on her face grow wider.
"Me, and my friend Zarun here, were here to visit his brother a researcher named Sorben in the robotics lab. You can check that with the security clearance, now you tell me. Why did you arrest us, under what suspicion are we even under?"
Kuueru maintained an even temper despite the anger boiling in her veins. She couldn't be too mad though, the Saiyan policer wasn't completely wrong in his suspicions. Still, Kuueru couldn't afford to take a loss here. That was when Zarun's voice jumped into her head. She tried not to let the surprise show in her face, so she looked towards the ground to reach back out to him telepathically.
Ahh, I didn't know you had this ability. This should make things quite easier for us. Good idea on keeping your power suppressed, you keep impressing me.
Telepathic compliments weren't something that the demoness had the chance to throw out often. So, it was quite bemusing for her to do it now, in such a time of stress.
"You were hanging around our corporate building, taking photos---and I believe I picked up on you talking about Absolut, the late Galactic Emperor's son. Don't play dumb with me woman, while you may have used that pitiful excuse to get on the planet, you're not fooling me."
Kuueru sighed and locked eyes with the Saiyan interrogating her. She let out a sigh of defeat and tried to push as much desperation as she could into her voice.
"Ahh, you got me, you're right. I am here working as a freelance mercenary for a client who aims to kill Absolut. My objective was to come to the planet, map out the land, and make the job easy for my employer. This boy has no idea, I simply used him, and his brother---as a ploy to make it onto the planet. What a shitty person I am right?" Kuueru lamented, her eyes looking over to the 'unconscious' Zarun.
I'm trying to keep Sorben out of harm's way. Just in case anyone else is around or listening to this conversation. I'm sorry for…bringing you into this. It was too dangerous.
Kuueru wasn't lying. She felt incredibly at fault for bringing Zarun here, as well as for getting them caught. Maybe if she had given him intel beforehand they wouldn't be talking about it in the streets. Maybe if she just came on her own all together, the mission would have been smoother. It wasn't too late however, Kuueru had quite the plan up her sleeve.
There's something I need to tell you, I'm a demon, Kuueru was caught off guard by Duria who barked more angry words in her face.
"I see, we've had quite a few attempts on the young man's life. Luckily, we've kept him contained here under heavy security and mitigated most abductions and attempts. Listen, I wish I could let the kid go, but now you're going to face punishment. As much as I hate killing one of my own."
Duria had a bit of resentment in his voice. Still, he aimed to carry on the ideals of the late Emperor Carambolis as well as the good of Kabocha.
She continued with her speech to Zarun. 'As such, I have many abilities in my skill set to influence the mortal persuasion. I think that I can get us out of this. If no one else knows of our capture, we may be able to get outta here. Let's me just try something.'
"Well, you wouldn't be so kind as to help me?" She smiled towards Duria with the sweetest smile she could muster. All the while, her energy was silently floating through the air and into the brute of a Saiyan's head. This was a skill most demons were capable, especially those of the female persuasion. The look in her eyes drew him in, she carried a perfume that intoxicated the senses. Perhaps even Zarun would notice the scent in the air that managed to draw Duria closer to her. So close in fact that she could possibly bite off a finger.
"See, I didn't really do nothing bad, there's no need to hold me up like some criminal, right?" Kuueru teased sweetly, her head tilted to the side like some sort of cute puppy. Still, she continued funneling the intoxicating mana into his body, watching as he played like a puppet into her masterful hands.
"You're right, I'm being the bad guy, right?" Duria lamented, his face expressing doubt and a bit of sorrow as he leaned in towards the woman. There was a yearning in his eyes that only felt satisfied by her praise and acceptance. Despite this, she smiled and kept feeding the man her words.
"You should take me and my friend out of these restraints, you know, so that we can talk better," Duria nodded, his meaty hands reaching behind and releasing the hold on both of the Imperials.
"And, you'll forget about this right?" Kuueru teased, meanwhile her mana was hard at work, messing with neurological connections and parts of the brain that related to memory. The man stood there, his eyes glazed over as she turned to Zarun with a hurried expression. Quickly, she grabbed ahold of his arm before grabbing her things that were confiscated from across the room. In an instant the pair were gone. Huddled upon the ship they had come in.
There was no time for the boy to worry about his upset stomach. They had to get the ship off the planet, and back to Mitra. Hastily she tapped the buttons upon the ship's screen and managed to get their ship off and past the space security before anything could stop them. Finally, they were back in space, with a chance to breathe.
WC: 1518 | 12301
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Post by zarun on Dec 29, 2018 5:32:18 GMT -5
Even while pretending to still be passed out, Zarun wasn't entirely sure why the other Saiyan had hesitated, why he had stopped himself for that brief moment when Zarun revealed his face. He could tell that the tail was coiling tighter around him like a belt, that there was something wrong. Although the young Saiyan didn't have a tail, and never really had one, he could figure out some parts of the body language it showed. Maybe that was just a thing Saiyans naturally did, then. Whatever the case, it only made Zarun think more about his shame in the face of this. About the way that this Saiyan had looked at him, the way he had stared in mild shock. Was it because he was so weak? He didn't even have to supress it that much to not be notable on Kabocha, but even then, at full power he was still far weaker than this other warrior. He admired those who were strong, he always had. He had just always envisioned meeting one of his own people to be...different. At least, he liked to see them as his people. He wasn't sure if other Saiyans would ever accept him the same way.
Zarun had to hold back from wincing, or really making any facial expression when Kuueru dropped Sorben's name into this. Why did she have to do that? He wanted him to have nothing to do with any of this. He couldn't imagine what would happen if Sorben got mixed up in something like this. Ignoring the fact that Zarun didn't really know anything about the penal law of the Confederacy or if prisoners were just executed to save space and society having to deal with them, he wasn't sure how well Sorben could make it under those circumstances. He was smart, and he could handle a lot, but he wasn't a fighter. He was many things, but someone who could handle duress like this was not one of them. The Saiyan remembered back to how he was on Vinagra, how even the idea of something coming near him would make the purple xeno's skin crawl, how he was terrified of being killed or even worse, eaten alive. Zarun couldn't blame him, and it was why he had always wanted to protect him. Even now, he wanted to keep him safe, but instead, he was thrown head-first into danger, and it was his fault.
Zarun felt a twinge of accomplishment when he got the telepathic compliment, but he kept it buried down within him, trying to throw away that feeling that he was convinced he didn't deserve. Why should he get to have it? He had failed her, and potentially failed Sorben. Even if she was making it out so it wasn't his or Sorben's faults, that wasn't going to matter. Sorben was going to pay for this anyway, for his failure at doing the job he'd been asked to do. How had he failed at something so simple. There was a building anger, not against his Saiyan captor or Kuueru, or anything else on this planet, besides him. All of it was directed inwards, and that tightening started to build in his chest again. What was it? Just a reaction to those feelings, he supposed. A way of his body affirming him that he was right to feel that way. He was distracted from his own self-pity once he heard Kuueru's admission running through his brain. A demon? So that was it. That was why people didn't trust her, or saw her as less for it. She had an origin that you would think would push her towards causing harm and chaos for no reason at all. She didn't, though. She didn't have to.
There was that resentment in the other Saiyan's voice, too. He heard every word Kuueru spoke in his mind, explaining her abilities. He caught some of the warrior's words as well, but it was the tone that worried him more than that. It wasn't just the disgrace that it laid upon him - it was the fact that even thinking he was an innocent, deceived party, they planned to kill him anyway. Don't worry about what you are. Just focus on doing right now. He knew at least one of them needed to focus, if he was going to be distracted and distraught by the idea that his screw-up may actually have gotten his brother killed. He felt a little sick at the idea. He'd spent so much of his life trying to protect him. If it was his failure that caused the end of him now, then what did that mean for him? Or for anything that he was trying to do? He couldn't go back for him. It would only make things worse. He could hope, maybe.
Suddenly, he felt the restraints loosen. She'd done it - it worked. He was more shocked than anything at the fact that he might be getting out of here; he had faith in her to be able to pull this stuff off, but he wasn't sure if that meant she would have to leave fast enough that he would be left behind. He wouldn't have held it against her, but he wasn't going to protest the idea of getting to live just a bit longer. Zarun opened his eyes, but didn't glance around enthusiastically or do much. He was still a little caught up in all that self-loathing, even as she grabbed him to get him out of there.
As he was dropped into the ship's helm, he had no time to think about the queasiness, and it actually felt like it hadn't hit him as hard. He could stop suppressing his power, and only had a moment to look up as she was already taking them away from Kabocha. "What about-" He paused, cutting himself off. They couldn't go back for Sorben now. Like he had thought earlier, it would only make things worse, right? Zarun's face twitched as he considered how he could make up for this. He quickly turned around, walking out through the door and further into the ship, slamming his fist into the wall on his side as he did. He had to train. This wasn't good enough. Nowhere near good enough.
WC: 1,061 [Total= 13,060]
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