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Post by Taiga on Mar 14, 2017 19:44:49 GMT
Yay for music!
Emptiness... that is all Kanassa has to offer... Death had rained down upon this hapless world, leaving nothing but rubble to give the telltale sign that a civilization had ever existed here. Thirty feet or so above the ground, the air seems to warp; like cellophane being stretched and contorted. The warp cracks, splitting first down the middle, giving way to outstretching smaller cracks in every direction. Sparks fly from the slowly widening center, and the form of something alive trying to push through becomes clearer.
The being presses hard against the cracking air, causing it to warp outwards, spitting more sparks with each passing moment. At last, the bubble breaks, and the thing pressing against it to escape is released, catapulting forward to crash into the remains of what was once a tall building. Whatever was keeping the wall up buckles, raining down steel and concrete-like substances onto the being. After a few seconds, a slab of stone is thrust upwards, permitting the being to free itself from the rubble. The being, an Arcosian, takes a few careful steps away from the slab, stopping only to gaze up at the crack in the air. Or would have, as the malformation seems to mend itself near instantly.
Was this real? The Arcosian raises his palms to gaze at them, and then takes a moment to take a deep breath. He closes his eyes as he takes in the air, and slowly releases it through his nose. Opening his eyes, the Arcosian stares skyward, his crimson irises focusing on the many millions of stars visible in the night sky. A disbelieving smile appears on his face. But this moment of relieved tranquility lasts only so long, as the Arcosian blinks back to reality, and looks around himself at the devastation. Setting his jaw, the Arcosian quickly rises off the ground, stopping only once the height allows him to survey the surrounding area.
He saw only ruin... devastation as far as the eye could see. Where there were once cities, now lay only rubble and black marks that reveal where fires had spread. He could only guess that this was the aftermath of his own death; the Saiyans must have gone on a spree of the world, destroying anything and everything. There were hardly any signs of the soldiers that once inhabited the world; save for shattered gear here and there. The Arcosian floats down to the surface again to walk through the ruins and rubble. Each step taken strengthening his resolve, and fueling his anger. He stops to pick up a scouter laying atop a slab of stone, only for the device to fall to pieces in his grip. His brow furrows, and the Arcosian looks skyward again.
"This was the price of my failure. My weakness..." he tells himself out loud. "I cannot let this stand. The Saiyans must be put into place."
The Arcosian holds his arms out wide, gesturing at the ruins.
"Is this all you Saiyans are capable of?" the Arcosian yells out, despite likely being the only thing on the world. "Do you only destroy? Are you incapable of rebuilding?!"
The Arcosian's fingers curl into tight fists, and he swings his arms down until his elbows nearly slam into his own sides.
"You destroyed my beloved Empire, and now... Now I will come for YOU!!" he cries out in anger to the heavens above. "Revenge will be mine! Your empire will crumble beneath my feet, and the Arcosian Empire will rise again, more powerful than ever in history!! So swears TAIGA!!"
Taiga grits his teeth, focusing his power, letting it explode around him, swirling brightly. The wind pressure created by the small storm of power blows away loose rubble, and causes unstable structures to come crashing down, spilling debris and clouds of dust into the air, only to be whisked away by the wind.
"Power... I need power..." Taiga growls furiously, his eyes widening almost maddeningly. "A hundred thousand... a million... I don't care how long it takes!! I wont rest until my power eclipses all others in the universe! And then, only then, will I unleash myself upon the Saiyans!"
A hate-fueled smile appears across Taiga's face.
"Once I possess such power, there will be no one, nothing, that can stand in my way!" Taiga's fists unclench, and he gestures grandly at the stars. "And once the Saiyans are gone, there will be only one Empire in the universe, the only one that deserves to rule all things! And I will sit on that throne!!"
The swirling Ki dissipates, allowing the air to settle down once more.
"But I am no fool." Taiga growls, letting his arms slowly fall to his sides. "No one wins a war alone. Neither can they win by stupidly acting out without knowing what they face. ...Yes... While I grow my power, I will watch this galaxy closely from the shadows, collecting allies, so that when my war begins... it comes from every direction imaginable."
Taiga chuckles darkly. But the smile fades into a harsh leer.
"The soldiers who died under my command will not be laughed at, nor looked down upon." Taiga mutters. "I will never allow those who look to me for leadership to die so terribly again. This, I also swear."
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Post by Taiga on Mar 16, 2017 15:34:24 GMT
For several hours, Taiga flies over the ruined landscape, spotting the tattered and charred remains of both troopers and civilians. Taiga had carried out multiple extermination missions over the course of his relatively short life so far, but each world he had conquered in those days, before Wyntre's rule, had been cleared of all structures and signs of civilizations. The process was to destroy, rebuild, and sell the worlds to those seeking new worlds to colonize.
It was a simple process really. If such worlds had worthy warriors, they would be brought into the Empire's vast army. This process worked for over a thousand years. But this, this was something else; something different. This destruction was not based around business; this was spite. It served nothing but to make a point; that they can do such a thing. But... something seemed strange at the same time. Suddenly, Taiga spots another oddity; the command tower. The Arcosian stops in the air, gazing down at the structure.
"What is this..?" Taiga mutters, perplexed. This was the same tower that had been obliterated during the Saiyan invasion that led to his death; and yet, here it was. Partially destroyed, but still standing. "Impossible..."
The Arcosian soldier flies down and through a gaping hole in the structure. He lands in a spiraling hall, and elects to follow it to the uppermost floor. A broken door impedes his entrance, but it was a simple matter of pushing the sliding door into place. Once more, Taiga stands in the Command Center of Kanassa. Only, the damage of this structure is completely different from what he knew had happened. Further confused, Taiga walks around the expansive semi-circular room to observe, and then peer through the huge observation window.
"...This doesn't make sense..." Taiga mutters again. "This place... should already have collapsed."
He concludes that the only way he could find answers, would be to search them out off world. But, there was another option to pursue first. The demon he met in Hell. Perhaps the being had escaped Hell sometime before Taiga, but the only way to contact him was through this supposed mental link. It was worth a try, at least. If it failed, he would need to find a way to get into contact with whatever remained of the Arcosian Empire; if it still existed. Taiga closes his eyes and focuses.
<<Alaistair...>>
Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 16, 2017 21:53:19 GMT
(Thread PL: 208,978) (Using Telepathy for this thread, as well as the shop.) Alaistair had been focused at work, having had to work with the thought that the SSE were here, on Konats, and their numbers were increasing! Granted, he had an ally through Vennel who was part of it, but the number was still concerning... Especially since he'd seen the young saiyan that was with the intensely strong super saiyan boy! There was also the matter of Kizuki approaching the planet, too, and having that guy's memories and general mindset in his head since having shared his power with him, Alaistair had to make sure they stocked up heavily on food. Particularly with their stocks of meat. Rice, too, was something they had to account for. "Ok, so it's going to cost about a thousand to get a couple dozen extra pounds of rice, but the meat is-"A voice called to Alaistair, one that he'd not heard in ages. He'd been sitting at the counter of the bar and looked around him. On Konats, it had been about the early evening time. The Devil thought it was someone whispering to him, but upon looking behind him, he realized it was someone else... Someone far away! Alaistair closed his eyes, letting his senses trace where the voice and its energy came from. It went spaceward, trailing towards a planet, practically devoid of energy there... Save for one presence. A toothy grin formed on his face, as he came to realize who this was. "Taiga..! By the horns upon my head, is that you?"( Taiga) |
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Post by Taiga on Mar 16, 2017 22:10:36 GMT
The returning voice gave Taiga a slight surprise; so the telepathy the Devil spoke of was legitimate! The Arcosian soldier smiles faintly.
<<Indeed it is...>> he replies evenly. <<It seems that I was able to find my own way out of Hell.>>
Taiga opts to seat himself in onto one of the scorched chairs still bolted to the floor.
<<Returning to this realm... served to remind my of my failure.>> Taiga continues. <<It is somewhat ironic. I've returned to the place of my death, but... something seems off.>>
Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 16, 2017 22:30:14 GMT
"I imagine it is quite boggling," Alaistair replied to him, leaving a digital pad on the kitchen's metal table. He looked toward Eres and asked her, "Eres, can you take over the rest of this inventory check? I just got some business that needs handling and-""Yes, now get outta the kitchen!"Alaistair rushed out of the kitchen, making his way out to the foyer's elevators and taking it to the 4th floor. Taiga's response was strange... What did he mean by something was off? "Taiga, what do you mean? Where are you right now? I don't sense anyone but yourself where you are," Alaistair questioned the Arcosian militant. ( Taiga)
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Post by Taiga on Mar 16, 2017 22:38:21 GMT
Taiga waits quietly in his solitude for the Devil's reply. It came quickly.
<<I came back to life on the planet Kanassa.>> Taiga replies, opening his eyes to leer out at the ruined landscape. <<I died here... in battle against the Saiyans. But this...>>
Taiga pauses for a moment, trying to properly piece together an explanation, and peering around at the room.
<<I expected the Saiyans to destroy this world's surface in their takeover, that was a given.>> Taiga continues after a moment. <<But what is strange, is that I am sitting in a facility that I know was obliterated during my battle.>>
<<Not just collapsed, but blown away. And yet, here it is, partially destroyed but still standing. It makes no sense...>> Taiga's brows furrow in his perplexity. <<It's as if everything was restored after my death, and destroyed again... I don't understand.>>
Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 17, 2017 2:34:14 GMT
It came to Alaistair's realization that Taiga had been slain during Zucceta's campaign, as the Arcosian described it. He, however, didn't seem to understand that is what happened. Alaistair exited the elevator and started to make his way to the top floor, where his personal penthouse was, as he explained to him, "Taiga, there is much I've to catch you up with. However, know that the world and its people, and from the sounds of it yourself at a later time, were returned to the living. Someone had touched upon something powerful on Earth that returned Arcose and Kanassa to its living state, but this had happened months ago..."Alaistair reached the large door and opened it up, walking inside the enormous place as he continued, "Something else happened on that planet, quite recent in fact... The population was wiped from the planet, as far as my senses can tell. I need you to look for any signs as to what may have caused this. There was a massive power level over there at one point that suddenly vanished, too, that was threatening the planet with its destruction!"He paused a moment, looking up into the dark ceiling above him and asked him, "That presence was in the tens of millions, power level-wise, to put this into perspective! For the sake of the living, I need you to find out what did that, Taiga. Can you do that?"( Taiga) |
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Post by Taiga on Mar 17, 2017 22:37:44 GMT
Taiga blinks with surprise at the information being provided to him. Arcose was rejuvenated? But as quickly as the good news came, the Devil gives him the worst.
"So... it wasn't the Saiyans who destroyed Kanassa..." Taiga mutters, still confused. What else could have ravaged this world, the Arcosian wonders? "A power rating in the tens of millions?!" he exclaims, his eyes widening with disbelief.
Taiga's eyes narrow after a few moments of contemplation.
<<I don't understand, how can you estimate the power of a being you cannot identify?>> Taiga inquires shrewdly. <<You call it a presence, but it has to be something more than just that. A Saiyan? A Nemekian? An Android??>>
Taiga already discounts any possibility of it being an Arcosian. To his knowledge, Wyntre was the most powerful Arcosian that exists; unless there were others whom had hidden away. But why, in any case, would this being attack Kanassa and leave nothing but ruins? He then considers Alaistair's request to investigate.
<<If this presence, this being, is as powerful as you say, then I would be placing myself in a blind, vulnerable position.>> Taiga replies curtly. <<Even if I knew where to start searching, suppose I do find a lead, or that I find the being itself? My power would be next to nothing against it, even at my strongest.>>
Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 18, 2017 0:57:27 GMT
Taiga was afraid of the Devil's statement, wondering how he could detect it without a scouter. To that, Al told him, "It is a sense many truly skilled warriors develop. It is quite possible to be taught, but the training can be straining."The question about if Taiga discovered this immense power showed up on what he should do. Alaistair needed him to not run from the planet without investigating, first. However, he did want the Arcosian to remain alive, too. So Alaistair came up with a answer. "Last I recall, you had a scouter on you, right? Have it act like a radar whilst you investigate your immediate surroundings. Inside the closest building to you and any roads! A planet's population being emptied may have been that they were transported off world, which could mean someone is trying to sell that planet for resources. There would probably be some sort of call-sign or brand. Maybe even a weapon used. When you find it, find a ship if don't have your own and bring your evidence to Konats asap! Do not stay longer than you feel, alright Taiga? Keep talking to me on what you see, too."( Taiga) |
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Post by Taiga on Mar 20, 2017 0:15:14 GMT
Taiga considers Alaistair's words, but doesn't immediately respond. Rather, he stands and leaves the command room, heading to where the military equipment and gear are held. Without power, there was no way to open the doors, short of blasting them. The Arcosian soldier does just that, but holds back to avoid destroying anything that may still be intact within. He waves smoke away from his face as he steps through the storage room threshold.
To his pleasant surprise, much of the armor and other gear are in fine condition. Ray guns, RIT Armor, even scouters. His own had been destroyed long ago, and obviously he couldn't take the technology to Hell when he died. Much of the armor is in the old RIT style, but Taiga manages to find a battle jacket that suits his taste. He stretches the armor over his horns and slips it on. Going through the storage, he luckily comes across a recent model scouter, and takes it. He spends a few moments tinkering with the scouter's settings, and places it onto his left ear. He presses a button on the scouter three times, setting it to search mode. The device bleeps rapidly for several minutes, and eventually emits a short KREEET as it completes the scan.
"...Nothing..." Taiga mutters to himself, pressing the button twice more, expanding the scan distance."Nothing alive, not even within a distance of thirty thousand..."
He leaves the equipment room and heads back to the command room. He gazes out through the destroyed wall for a brief moment before setting off into the sky, keeping the scouter set to high alert for any signs of life. Suddenly, far below, movement catches Taiga's eye in his peripherals. He stops his advance through the sky, staring down in the direction of the movement. Something is there...
Taiga's brows raise at the sight of something, some... machine, or at least what was left of one.
<<Alaistair... I have something.>> Taiga says to the Devil through their link. He floats down to the street, landing next to the mechanical wreckage. He reaches down and picks up what he can only assume is the thing's head. <<I'll show it to you whenever I get to Konats.>>
Taiga looks skyward for a few moments, furrowing his brow. He would find out the truth of what happened here; and he would show whoever, or whatever, it was the cost of this destruction. Saiyans or otherwise... the galaxy will feel his return. The Arcosian soldier gazes back at the thing, trying to identify something recognizable, but he’d never seen this type of craft.
That backwater world, Earth, could have a clue; machines seemed to be the specialty of the humans. At the same time, however, Alaistair seemed keen on having him bring whatever was around to him. This would have to do for now.
Taiga hovers off the ground, and rockets away from the site, continuing his search for signs of life, or a ship to take.
Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 20, 2017 5:14:39 GMT
Alaistair remained silent after Taiga's last message. The anticipation was strangling, Alaistair's breath tight as he waited for Taiga's next message. Would the Arcosian find some evidence of what happened? A planet-wide wipe of the population couldn't easily be hidden, as it literally meant the tech used was omni-directional and had to dismantle bodies into their atomic parts! "Alright, Taiga, what can you find for me," he spoke, verbalizing his thoughts aloud as he stared into the dark ceiling. A message came to Alaistair's mind, telling him he found something! The Devil fist pumped, walking in a circle as he praised the Arcosian, "Excellent! I'll look forward to seeing his in person. While you try to find a ship, tell me about what you found. It may give me an idea of what we're up against and we'll be able to prepare accordingly."( Taiga May as well talk to me about it, since you'll be needing the zeni to get a ship.) |
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Post by Taiga on Mar 22, 2017 3:23:55 GMT
No matter how far he searched, it seemed, there was just nothing left alive on Kanassa. Nothing was here, save for the ruins of the Kanassan and Arcosian Empire's combined architecture. The lack of civilization gave the world a horribly lonely, eerily quiet effect; one Taiga was only barely able to brush to the back of his mind. Before he knew it, huge, billowing clouds rolled over him and the landscape. What began as a light rain, became a downpour; drenching the Arcosian. Rather than seek shelter, Taiga stops to hover in place, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to feel the drops on his face.
He smiles lightly; even with the civilization annihilated, the planet was still alive and breathing through nature. The rain pours over his head and chest, running down his body and dripping off his hands, feet, and tail. Devastated or not, this world still has a future. Taiga's eyes open as he tilts his head forward to gaze at the ground below. The Arcosian blinks at a sight.
"Is that... a hanger?" Taiga mutters curiously to himself. He floats down to better observe. "It is..!"
Excited by the prospect of a still intact facility, Taiga rushes down. He lands just outside of the facility, seeing a gigantic circular ceiling exit that gets his hopes quite high. He approaches the main ground floor entrance which, to his surprise, slides open to permit him inside.
"...The emergency power generators must still be active..." Taiga surmises as he walks through the threshold. The hallway lights are quite dim, but not so badly that he could not navigate. His scouter bleeps, reminding the Arcosian that the life scan feature was still operating. But since it was still a negative report, Taiga opts to switch it off. Silently, Taiga works his way through the halls until, at last, he arrives at the main hanger. The soldier enters the expansive structure and marvels at the sight that greets him; a flagship-class cruiser! "I don't believe it..!"
Taiga rushes to the giant spaceship, going through his scouter's setting to contact the ship. Perhaps there were survivors? But this would prove to be fruitless; as none of the times that he attempted verbal communication yielded results. He floats beneath the ship, finding a small emergency access port. He enters an override code, and the narrow door opens, pleasing the Arcosian. If the override code worked, that mean't the ship was still active! Perhaps it could still fly?
"Only one way to find out..." Taiga says to himself with an elated grin as he shuts the hatch behind himself and makes his way through the rounding hall to the control center. While ships of this size typically needed a fairly large crew, it does have rudimentary controls that would make it possible for him to at least set the ship to automated departure and flight. He enters the control room, causing the lights to blink on; brightly illuminating it.
The Arcosian soldier seats himself in front of a computer, placing the mechanical head on a flat, buttonless surface, and then presses a wide button to activate the console. Fortunately, the programs were not so different from the observation post's computers that he served at on Arcose before the Saiyans attacked. He sees that several things needed to be done; first, the fuel line needed to be detached, the engines needed to warm up, and the overhead hanger doors needed to be opened. Fortunately, he knew full well how to take care of those things. While he set the ship to charge up its engines, Taiga leaves the ship to manually detach the fuel line; which resembled more of a giant vacuum if anything, and then he went to open the hanger doors. A warning appeared on the small console screen of a computer embedded into the stone wall.
This action will drain reserve power supply. Proceed?
As he saw things, there was no one left to benefit from the reserves, and confirms the action. The massive overhead doors screech at first, but slowly give way, allowing the storming downpour into the vast underground structure. Smiling at his change of luck, Taiga returns to the ship, and returns to the control room. Before long, the giant ship repulses off the floor, withdrawing its claw-like legs as it quickly rises. He leaves the control room, taking the mechanical head with him, and heads for the observation deck. As he walked, Taiga suddenly realizes he hadn't spoken a word to Alaistair!
<<Alaistair... My apologies for the long delay.>> Taiga speaks in his mind, looking down at the machine part in his left hand. <<The object I found... it was part of some wreckage; some machine I'm not familiar with...>>
The observation deck door hisses open, allowing Taiga to enter the wide room to gaze through the large, bubble-like screen. Already, the ship was passing the outermost atmosphere.
<<I found a ship, and now I'm on my way. Hopefully, we can both get some answers.>> Taiga adds, smirking to himself at the vague description that he had found a ship. Surely, Alaistair would be quite surprised to see this vessel.
With that, Taiga has left Kanassa, bound for Konats! (I'll make sure to post in the travel thread as well.) Ending thread after Alaistair's post! Total thread word count: Approx. 3,095 words! Woot! I'd like PL for this thread, please!  Behold! Taiga's new ship, The Imperator! Alaistair
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Post by Alaistair on Mar 22, 2017 3:51:29 GMT
Taiga's response didn't come immediately. It left Alaistair wondering if something caused him to go silent, wanting to focus! The minutes droned by, Alaistair's breath becoming a brief from the anxiety building. He must've come across an enemy, didn't he?!
"Taiga, talk to me. Are yo-"
His response was halted with Taiga suddenly speaking up. He explained it as some machine that he was unfamiliar with. Questions were spawning in Alaistair's thoughts, but he pushed them aside as Taiga told him he'd show him when he got to Konats!
"Understood, Taiga. I'll see you in a day or so!"
(Exiting thread. Zeni with Shop Level 1 for me, please!)
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Capper Hofferson
Moderator
PL: 20
Zeni: 61,743
Tag: @sketch
OOC Name: Sketch
Posts: 833 
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Post by Capper Hofferson on Mar 22, 2017 10:37:25 GMT
Gasp! What FIENDS could have done this to Kanassa...? Find out next thread on World of Dragonball: Souls Taiga WC: 3,101 GAINS: 4,962 PL! OLD PL: 45,549 NEW PL: 50,511 Alaistair
WC: 1,037 GAINS: 1,410 ZENI! OLD ZENI: 9,489 NEW ZENI: 10,899 |
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