Nasch's words weighed on his mind.

These were the words of a guilt-ridden conscience, one that considered these things many times before. Null recognized this, because he'd thought some of the very same things. Even as a Dominion soldier, once the thrill and lust of battle had subsided and he returned home to lick his wounds and bask in his strength, thoughts came unbidden.

Thoughts of how weary the life of a soldier could be. Thoughts of how heavy a burden he carried, forcing himself to push further and further beyond his natural limits so that he was not viewed as 'weak' by his race's standards.

It took him a long time to realize the measuring stick by which Saiyans used to measure one's strength was horribly short-sighted. Fighting strength did not equal true power. It was when a warrior could topple a foe, but stayed his hand in the interest making an enemy a friend, that one discovered true strength.

"You would do well at the Ox School. And your words are as wise as you are big, my friend."

He clapped the younger Saiyan on the bulk of his muscled shoulder. He was nearly twice Null's size and stature, but the buck did not seem to revel or bask in his own strength. He did not wield his natural gifts as a weapon to bully those around him.

As different from Null in his Dominion days as one could possibly get.

And for that reason...

"Alright, then. It's settled. We're going to change the fate of the Saiyan race." Null raised a clenched fist, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You and me, Nasch. We're going to change the universe's perception of our people. How do you propose we go about doing this?"

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tag: Nasch // word count: 591

"You're right. This is a nigh impossible task we're undertaking. Perhaps it will end in suffering and defeat. And if I know our people, maybe even our demise."

There were many who expressed blind loyalty to the throne. Despite the fact that Radia was dead, hundreds of thousands of Saiyans sought a leader to fill the seat of the throne. Null did not want to be the king of the Saiyans. But it was the one sure way to unite his people and begin to amend their ways.

Some wounds could not be healed. It was not as if he expected all to be forgiven between the Kingdom and the Empire. But it would not be for a lack of trying.

"But our resilience is our greatest weapon. Even if it pits us against our own."

He appreciated Nasch's declaration of loyalty. But Null needed to give him more than an ideal. He needed to leave Nasch with an everlasting impression. Despite being cut from a different cloth, even men such as themselves respected power. It was their way. But that power could be wielded to their benefit.

Nasch needed to understand the depths of Null's utter commitment to this task.

"You might want to stand back..." He stalked away from Nasch, his eyes scanning the horizon. His sandals stirred the dust as he walked along the edge of the ravine until he was a good distance away from his newfound comrade.

Sand stretched for miles ahead of him in the direction Null was facing. No drills on the horizon, or any other man-made obstructions.

This will have to do.

"Witness the depth of my conviction."

He inhaled a deep breath before thrusting his hands out before him. He curled his fingers, bracing the flat of his wrists together. Squatting low, a look of grim determination overtook his features. He brought his hands down to his side, a flicker of blue ki dancing along his fingers as he began to concentrate his energy.

"Kaaaa... meeee...."

White aura flared to life around his being as his power level spiked dramatically.

"Haaaa...."

Small pebbles and dust began to rise from the ground, levitating in the air due to the immense pressure of his energy. An orb of blue light formed in his hands, growing larger with each passing second.

"Meee....."

Strong rays of light escaped, casting the area around him into shadow as the brightness of the white-blue energy dominated the plateau they stood upon. The surface of the ground at Null's feet erupted into fissures, cracking and snapping as the very earth itself buckled beneath the weight of Null's energy.

"Haaaaaaaaa!"

Thrusting his arms forth, a massive beam of white-blue energy exploded from his hands. It stretched across the vast expanse before them, barreling through craggy spires of stone and shattering huge outcroppings of rock. It carved a path of destruction across the wasteland, eventually fading off into the distance.

But only for a moment.

Soon, the redirected beam of energy came tearing back across the waste, directly at Null.

Squaring his body into a defensive stance, he raised his arms before him to guard against the coming blow. It struck him with tremendous force, driving him backwards. A loud grunt escaped him as the energy bore into his outstretched hands, biceps taut with tension as he struggled to deflect his own Kamehameha Wave.

A warrior's yell erupted from him. The energy suddenly discharged into a massive explosion that lit the skies for miles around in a dazzling display of blinding light that soon faded. A dry wind blew the giant cloud of debris away, revealing a massive crater in the side of the plateau where Null once stood.

The ground before him crumbled away. His muscled shoulders were cut and bleeding, rising and falling with each labored breath. His clothing was torn and burned away due to the blast, revealing a portion of the battle-scarred body beneath. A dribble of red blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, turning a deep crimson as it mixed with the sand on the ground.

All in all, despite the destruction caused, Null was still standing.

His right hand gripped at his opposite shoulder. It had dislocated when he intercepted the blast, and Null did not bother to hide the pain from his ally. That was the whole point of the demonstration.

"Every action has a consequence. I wanted you to see that I understand the gravity of this. If I level an attack at an enemy, I had better be strong enough to withstand that very blow myself. I bear the heavy burden of every choice and decision I make. Even if I were to lead this... Saiyan Remnant of like-minded warriors... I understand I will not come out of this unscathed."

He hobbled forward, extending a hand. It hovered in the space between them -- the final act to seal their chosen fate.

"I will not fail you, brother. And if I do... may I bear the consequences of my own failures before you."

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tag: Nasch // word count: 1,438