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Post by Taiga on Jun 21, 2017 3:04:06 GMT
[Thread Power Level - 64,287] Suppressed Form Active! 20% Gains!
Music!
Taiga flies at breakneck speed, putting as much distance as necessary between himself and the battle of titans raging behind him. Once he feels enough distance has been made, Taiga stops and looks back. Even from here, he could still almost feel the battle raging on. His crimson eyes narrow, and his hands clench into fists.
Why did this keep happening? What was it about their Empire that drove the Saiyans to such maddening actions? How many times would they keep attacking? Would it truly only stop with the destruction of the Arcosian Empire, or with the destruction of the Saiyan Solar Empire? Such a pointless waste of life, a pointless waste of potential. This war wasn't about resources nor due to territory; the Saiyans sought only to destroy. Centuries of mutual hatred had boiled over, and now the Saiyans are trying to end the rivalry.
So be it, Taiga thinks to himself; either way, the war would end. But then, there is the issue of their annexation to Xylo's Mazoku Dominion. It was obvious from that point on that the Arcosian Empire had fallen; denying this fact was pointless. And it would not be prudent not to take advantage of it. Be it serving an Emperor or Empress of Arcose, or Xylo, Taiga intends to persist and grow his power. But power by itself would not be enough; he needs to improve everything about himself. His strength, his intellect, his resources.
Taiga slowly descends to the ground, his three-toed feet touching the cold ground. He is not alone, however, as thousands of civilians who had survived the initial attack are herded in droves by troops. Taiga pays them only passing attention, enough to show his genuine concern, but his attention is mostly cut between his inner thoughts, and watching in the direction of the battle. If Xylo and that strange being were defeated, he needed to be ready to intercept the Saiyan and Majin if they chose to attack the civilians. He also keeps an eye out for his fellow Arcosians, the Dominion soldier Ais, and the steward of the Arcosian throne, Koldar Frost.
It was already obvious that if it did come to putting himself between the Saiyan and Majin and the civilians, Taiga was confident he could at least appeal to some sense of warrior's honor to keep the civilians out of harm's way. Taiga cares little for glory; glory is of no use to the dead. He had already given up his life for the Empire once before, and returned to find it crumbling away, in denial of its own laboring breaths. His loyalty would, of course, always belong to the Arcosian Empire; but as he said before, and to the Majin's jeers, the Empire needs to be reborn. These were the smoldering ashes of what once was, and would become the foundation of what will be.
He would fail if he tried to rebuild the Empire alone, that much has been proven time and again by the failed attempts by others. But rebuilding the Arcosian Empire would be short-sighted; no, it needs to be much more than that, much grander in scale. The thought makes Taiga smile lightly. But who would be able to lead such a grand unification? And how would they maintain their power as such? Loyalty being the most obvious, but another reason comes to mind.
"They don't understand its meaning..." Taiga whispers quietly to himself. "An Emperor... is not simply a title..."
An Emperor, or Empress, is the embodiment of power and authority. Their will is absolute, irrefutable, and unchallenged. All beings bow to their will, and strive to ensure the success of their ruler. The Arcosian Empire once had such a ruler, but that was millennia ago... This is why the galaxy is in chaos... there are far too many rulers, far too many Empires... There needs to be only one true Empire. Taiga clasps his hands behind his back, contemplating how such a great Empire would be formed, and how it could maintain the vast universe under its sole banner. Only one thing came to mind...
"An unbreakable will... Unquestionable authority... And insurmountable power..." Taiga says, almost too quiet to hear himself. Taiga possesses none of these things. But, perhaps some day, someone could. A lord worthy of inheriting the universe. Taiga looks up at the blood-red star in the sky that illuminates the landscape, its light reflecting ominously off Taiga's body... |
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Post by Ais on Jun 22, 2017 3:05:23 GMT
[Thread PL: 31 719 Heavy Weights active! Sensed PL: 7 930 Current Form: Suppressed] Ais looked straight ahead as he escaped the battle behind him. Many thoughts ran through the Changeling's mind, but the one he dwelt on most of all was how he was of no use at all. When he was but a child, he would watch his father's men march off to battle. He remembered wishing that he could join them. Now he finally had the chance to join a real battle; and what did he do? Nothing. He waited too long to try and be useful and it cost him. All he had accomplished was almost getting killed. It was maddening. Ais's thoughts were interrupted when he spotted his ally, Taiga. They had just parted ways on the battlefield, but here he was, watching over the civilians as they passed by, herded by soldiers in an evacuation. Ais looked upon the scene, scowling as he hovered over his kin. "So much waste." With that, his expression softened and he descended next to Taiga. "What a mess this turned out to be." He said solemnly, looking over towards the battlefield. Where the columns of smoke were the thickest, Ais could sense the four powers going at it. His thoughts returned to how useless he was in that fight. He should be over there, not retreating like some coward. 'Father wouldn't retreat.' Ais thought grimly, narrowing his eyes at where the battle was taking place. |
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Post by Taiga on Jun 22, 2017 3:52:59 GMT
As Taiga gazes at the crimson star shining down over Arcose and its people, his mind now seemingly blank as he listens to the sounds of battle thundering kilometers away. Officers of various ranks filed back and forth between the rows of fleeing civilians, and over to Taiga for instructions. All he could do, really, was tell them to move the civilians as far from the Capital as necessary. That is when the Arcosian who served Xylo directly, Ais, came into view and descended down to land near Taiga.
"A waste indeed..." Taiga replies vaguely. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and then turns to Ais with a placid, but piercing, gaze. It was a look of sharp thinking, and assessment of his kin and of the situation. After a short moment, Taiga follows Ais' gaze back towards the battle raging in the far distance. "...It is ironic, is it not? Our people were once considered the most powerful in the universe; our political and economic reach spanning entire galaxies. Now look at what we have become; barely recognizable shells of our former selves."
A dim, golden light grows in the distance. Even though Taiga cannot sense the life force of other beings, Taiga suspects that Xylo's fight may have taken a somewhat more complicated turn. He hopes that this presumption is wrong.
"When we first met, you told me that you are the offspring of an Arcosian King." Taiga says, oddly conversational in tone. "I told you that I was of the Lower Clans. I never told you why that was... Centuries ago, members of my clan attempted to break away from the Empire; they wished to create a new one that they believed would be superior. Their actions sparked a civil war that ravaged multiple planets. Of course, ultimately, they lost the war when the Royal Clan became personally involved. My clan, and all their descendants became pariahs. They were allowed to live, but they were ultimately enslaved as punishment."
Taiga closes his eyes and chuckles a bit.
"Koldar Frost seems to be unaware of this. What with him granting me the rank of General. A position I neither asked for, nor have the right to possess." Taiga laughs whimsically. Perhaps Ais would think Taiga was losing his mind, perhaps not. "My destiny, my birthright, was to never rise beyond the rank of a mere Communications Officer; to always remain a mere cog in the machine. And my strength certainly had no business growing. ...Yet here we are; in a war with the Saiyan Solar Empire that has thrown everything into disarray."
Taiga turns to look at Ais again.
"You chose to serve Xylo, to become a soldier in his Dominion. Perhaps you can answer me this question..." Taiga says pointedly. "Why did Xylo bother to come to Arcose? Why save us, when our Empire once toyed with his people? What are we to the Namekian?"
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Post by Ais on Jun 22, 2017 23:54:00 GMT
Taiga and Ais had not been speaking for long when Ais saw a surge of golden energy in the distance and felt the Saiyan's power increase by an order of magnitude. In fact, she was stronger than ever before. "Well... looks like Xylo's battle just got more interesting." Ais knew about Super Saiyans. His father warned him never to challenge one. But this energy he felt... it was too large to just be a regular Super Saiyan. No, this was something different. He wondered if he should go back, but Taiga began to speak about how far their people had fallen.
Their race gave birth to one of the greatest galactic tyrants in the galaxy's history. The entirety of the galaxy bent to their will. But there hasn't been an Arcosian like that since. No, they were far from what they used to be. His father saw that too. That was why he was so desperate to rule over Arcose. He could have saved them. Ais fantasized about his father taking out the entirety of the Saiyan Empire, cementing Arcosian rule across the galaxy once more.
"Our people have fallen far indeed. It's a travesty." Ais kept his eyes on the golden energy in the distance. "We lost our best chance not long ago. Not that you would know. Now we have to trust in Xylo. He has our best interests at heart." He turned his head to look at Taiga. "But even that is only temporary." Ais turned back towards the battle when Taiga began to tell him his story. It was rather interesting. Perhaps he and Taiga had more in common than he initially thought. His clan tried to break away and Ais's tried to take over the Empire, but still, there was a similarity there.
Their clans both believed the empire was weak and wanted a better way; and just like Ais's father, his clan was crushed for it. It seemed that Taiga was mistaken, however. His father wasn't a King of Arcose. The only claim to royalty he had was that he had a small fiefdom on the Saiyan-controlled world of Kabocha. Still, Ais would always refer to his father as a King. He was more worthy of the title than most others he met. "We're not so different, you and I, Mr. Taiga. My father wasn't an Arcosian king. Not for lack of trying. He wanted a better way for our Empire. Not necessarily to strike fear in the heart of the galaxy, but to lead them to greatness under the banner of an absolute ruler." He scowled briefly. "And much like your clan, he paid for his dreams. He ruled a tiny fiefdom on someone else's planet. Far from what he deserved."
Ais chuckled softly to himself. "I often wonder how things might have turned out had he succeeded in his dreams." After the reaction he got from that other Arcosian he fought, he was careful not to mention his father's rebellion. But based on what Taiga told him, he figured it would be safe to be open with him about it. Their conversation took an interesting turn after that. Taiga thought that, as a soldier of the Dominion, Ais had the answer to why Xylo came here. Why he even bothered to help them. He knew Xylo's stated reason. Even took his word for it. But his inner politician had him keep one eye on everyone. Especially those he was close to.
Xylo seemed like a good man. Much like his father, he was strong, commanded respect. He seemed to understand things better than most. Understandable. He had been to Hell and back; literally. There had to be some sort of clarity that came with that. A smirk on his lips, Ais answered the question. "I believe that Xylo is devoted to the cause. I believe that he believes like we do; the Arcosian Empire is weak. Too weak to even defend itself against a handful of Saiyan trash. To be quite honest, without Xylo, Arcose would be in Saiyan hands right now. So he does have a point. My father once told me that an Empire is only as strong as its weakest soldier. The Arcosian Empire is that weakest soldier."
Ais turned completely to look at Taiga. His look was serious. "It won't be like that forever, I promise you. Seeing the sorry state of affairs here... this isn't my true home, but being an Arcosian, it makes my blood boil to see my ancestral homeland treated like a pawn for the monkeys to capture. I promise you, one day i'm going to see to it that all of their heads will be adorning the palace gates as a message to all of those Saiyans who would dare question our position on the food chain."
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Post by Taiga on Jun 23, 2017 1:38:16 GMT
Taiga listens as Ais also explains what brought him to this point, and smirks.
"Perhaps we place too much value in a single planet, ancestral or not." Taiga says after a few moments of thought. "And perhaps our peoples' fall is due to our gradual turn to moderation. We began showing leniency, compassion, and mercy. In a universe where power is everything, our people made a terrible error in judgement."
Taiga glances from Ais to the glow in the distance as a sudden breeze blows against them from that direction. Taiga touches his left forefinger and thumb to his chin thoughtfully.
"Absolute rule... I agree." Taiga says, somewhat quietly. "But moderation wont bring us back to power; until we can move in the right direction, we will remain a foot stool for other galactic forces. If our weakest soldier determines our ability to defend our worlds, then we need to do more than train our own. The empire of old used conquered races to fill its ranks, this is true, but it also utilized powerful mercenaries to deal with matters that troops could not."
Taiga turns to Ais.
"And defeating an opponent does not always necessarily constitute destroying them. The ultimate victory is not to destroy your adversary, but turn them to your way of thinking." Taiga says in a chilling tone. "Saiyans love battle, and the Mazoku Dominion wishes to knock the Saiyans down from their pedistal."
A cruel smile spreads across Taiga's lips.
"Perhaps we are not looking at this war properly; perhaps the destruction and bloodshed will prove to be most salubrious to us." Taiga says, his brows furrowing as his smile becomes a sneer. "My own compassion and moderate ways have already brought me destruction. My battle against the strange being on Kanassa, and their Super Saiyan ally, ended with my death. I was sent to Hell and fought to regain my body. In time, my anger created a path to escape that place and granted me a second chance at life. Perhaps I should use this chance, not to simply grow my power for a failing empire, but for myself."
"Xylo built his Dominion through power, and quickly became one of the greatest threats the Saiyan Solar Empire had seen in a long time." Taiga continues. "We Arcosians must do the same; even if we must walk over the corpses of trillions to reach it. Saiyans, Namekians, Earthlings, even other Arcosians. The path of moderation is the path of failure, and no longer acceptable if our people are to prevent our own extinction."
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Post by Ais on Jun 23, 2017 3:22:15 GMT
Ais looked Taiga over as he spoke of what he believed needed to be done to bring their people back to greatness. It was all rather amusing. Ais took Taiga for something of a goody two shoes. He was wonderfully surprised that this wasn't the case. He might have found a kindred spirit in this strange red Changeling. Although... he seemed a little more extreme than Ais. Talking about walking over trillions of bodies and such. A touch of genocide was all well and good, but there had to be a limit. He saw the mistakes of the past.
What brought down the galactic tyrant? He just got too cruel. He killed too much and showed no compassion at all. He didn't even feign compassion and concern about the little folks. He could understand where Taiga was coming from. In the heat of the moment, right after he lost everything, he would have slaughtered every Saiyan in the galaxy if he could have. But time (and perhaps some of Xylo's influence) changed his mind.
It seemed Taiga was caught in a moral dilemma as well. He spoke of genocide, but also of bringing your opponents to your view. Maybe, just maybe, Ais could gain a powerful ally by bringing him to his side on the issue. "Genocide never helped anything." Ais said simply. "Fleas are annoying on their own. But together, they can be downright maddening. Get enough of them and they might even be a threat. If you make an enemy of everyone, THAT will insure your demise. To put it another way, our peoples' fall began with Frieza's demise. But what caused that demise? Cruelty. Arrogance." The Changeling paused dramatically, a smirk crossing his lips. "Genocide." He then continued. "It's easy to oppose a cruel, evil tyrant. It is much harder to oppose a strong leader that leads their people to prosperity."
Ais shrugged. "Seems to me that leniency is only part of the issue." He held one arm up and out to the side, the palm of his hand up. "On one hand, you have the problems of the cruelty and arrogance of the past." He did the same with his other hand. "And on the other, you have the problems of leniency, unmotivated leaders, and complacency of the present." He let his arms fall to his side. "There is no easy answer, Mr. Taiga. The answer certainly isn't as easy as being more cruel. An Empire built on cruelty and death never lasts. That is why the Saiyan Empire will fall. Whether Xylo is the one to bring it down or not." Ais looked over again at the battlefield as he made his next point. "Power is but one ingredient of our regenesis as well."
Ais walked forward so that Taiga was behind him. "We need time. We need drive. Thanks to Xylo, we have the luxury to work on both." He looked back at Taiga. "Very sorry to hear of your demise. I imagine hell isn't a pleasant place. But you got out. That is admirable. If you wish to grow your power, kinsman, I shall grow mine along with you." Ais looked at his right hand as he held his left behind his back, clenching his right hand into a fist. "I have... things I must accomplish as well." He put his right hand behind his back with his left. "Oh, and that reminds me." He turned back around to face Taiga.
"I'll pretend I didn't just hear you imply that we should kill Namekians. Xylo is one of those and he's... rather sensitive about things like that." Ais chuckled. "I wouldn't mention it around him either. Xylo protects his people fiercely. The whole point of Xylo forging this Empire is to make sure Namekians are no longer treated as fodder for other peoples' wars. We play our cards right, Xylo and the Namekians can be the best allies we have ever had. Or they can mean our destruction. It's about playing smart, Mr. Taiga. Not just playing strong."
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Post by Taiga on Jun 23, 2017 23:54:33 GMT
Taiga closes his eyes and utters a soft chuckle.
"I imply nothing, my friend." Taiga replies, smiling. "I simply intend to plan ahead; contingencies and such. I have no intention of striking out against the people of whom saved our lives."
A sudden rumble growls through the sky, making Taiga open his eyes again to stare in the direction of the battle still raging. His smile remains.
"I once believed that death was the definitive end; that once your life was snuffed out, everything you are, and aspired to be, was gone." Taiga muses. "I now know differently."
Taiga turns to look at the soldiers still shooing away survivors from the city; now only a trickle of people.
"A leader gives guidance to their people, a great leader listens when their people speak to them." Taiga says, turning back to Ais. "You make fine points. Those qualities did indeed beget his downfall; but they were also his ladder to the top of galactic power. Indeed, we would be foolish to make those mistakes, but it would be equally foolish not to use the successes of the past."
"Genocide is indeed more of a last resort, not a first." Taiga concedes. "One I suspect would be used against the Saiyans if those who truly seek their blood had their way. But I, on the other hand... I admit that I have a growing admiration for others who possess great power. Who knows what opportunities will arise during and after the conclusion of the war."
Taiga's gaze rises back to the crimson star glaring down upon them all.
"Power, though, is a means to an end. Ah, forgive me, I seem to be rambling nonsense." Taiga again looks to Ais, and laughs. Doing this though makes him wince, as he is reminded of his injuries inflicted by a single swipe of the giant golden Oozaru. "Saiyans are interesting creatures; able to transform like us, but their power only climbs whilst ours are to control the power we already have. I heard that the Royal Clan, however, learned how to evolve further than our true forms. Shall we endeavor to discover the secret, and show the universe that our people indeed have a future?"
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Post by Ais on Jun 24, 2017 2:57:04 GMT
Ais listened to Taiga's response. This Arcosian was definitely interesting.This had been the first time they really got the chance to talk. Ais praised himself for deciding to stop and talk to his kin. This conversation was proving to be incredibly entertaining as well as eye-opening. When the red Arcosian mentioned that he wasn't implying anything, Ais smirked. "Of course." Ais heard the rumble and followed Taiga's gaze to the battlefield once more. Then he spoke about his views on the afterlife. Or his former views. "I've always believed that there must be something greater than this life out there. It is good to hear that I was right."
Ais chuckled when the other Arcosian spoke about what he thought made a great leader. Ais wasn't sure he agreed. He believed that a good leader would be wise enough to know better than the people what they needed. He kept that to himself, though. He was looking to make himself at least a little agreeable. He found that people were a lot quicker to trust someone when they had common ground on a few key issues. On the topic of the greatest of their kind, Ais found himself agreeing. "Indeed. Would our Empire be in such a sorry state if the Saiyans were all dead? Probably not. Saiyans were always the only ones capable of challenging our peoples' might."
Ais found himself growing excited to see the conclusion of the war when Taiga mentioned the potential opportunities that could arise. He mentioned about the opportunities that could arise during the war as well, but Ais was more interested in what lied beyond. Should the Dominion manage to take down the Saiyan Empire, he saw a lot of opportunities in store for himself. He needed a contingency, however. A way to insure that no matter how this war turned out, it would turn out in his favor. At Taiga's mention of how Saiyans were interesting, Ais shrugged. "Interesting is one word for them. I'd more call them... irritating. Much like a fly that keeps buzzing around your head. Or a colony of ants that get into your cherry pie."
The subject of Saiyans was changed, however. The new topic being how the royal clan found an evolution even further than their true forms. The blue Changeling looked at Taiga in surprise. "A further evolution? Is that even possible?" Ais hadn't heard of such a thing. Even his father didn't possess something like that. The Arcosian's look of surprise changed to an eager smirk when Taiga asked Ais if he would unlock the secret with him. "Mr. Taiga, I must say, my interest is piqued." His smirk grew ever wider. "We will show the galaxy a terror beyond death." He put his arms out in a god-like pose. "Our enemies shall look upon us in fear and our allies will look upon us in adoration."
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Post by Koldar Frost on Jun 24, 2017 19:47:12 GMT
(Koldar Thread PL: 92,750; Voca Thread PL: 69,562.5) (Current Form: Suppressed) Koldar had been cursing himself greatly for the demand of retreat to be met... Yet, the battle at this point was in the hands of Xylo and his partner from that weird fleshy shell! The ape's power became greater than before, her size returning to the original that she had before from what Koldar could see in the city. The Supreme Commander had taken it upon himself to first head back to the ship, to check upon Voca and Dantallion. The ship had yet to leave the planet yet, waiting for the call to do so! The Supreme Commander's arrival at the area brought along many mixed emotions from the crowd there, who were corralling at the front of the ship's open doors, with many people already having gotten inside. Many of them at the front seemed to be high ranking individuals in society, based upon their clothing, trying to bully their way in by means of asserting their rank over the soldiers. The Supreme Commander had turned to his Suppressed state, rubbing the arm he used to punch away the saiyan's blast as he approached. His soldiers saw him, saluting him and addressing him as Emperor. He asked them, "Is Voca still at the recovery bay?"One responded, "Yes, still overlooking the Mazoku officer." "Alright. New orders," Koldar spoke to him with a commanding tone, "Voca is to come with me right now to meet our forces that were in the fight to figure a reinforcement plan. The battle in the city is not over yet. As for you, you are to direct that Mazoku officer to us as soon as he's done.""... A-are we-" "Buck up, soldier! We are still here and alive for many more years to come. Now get Voca down here!"The Brenchian soldier saluted and sprinted inside. It took several minutes for Voca to show up, looking rested and his power having slightly beefed up. Koldar, meanwhile, had been ignoring the jeering from the crowd behind him. "Sir," he greeted him, saluting him before bring his hands forward, "Tell me we're getting the chance to jump back into this fight soon."Koldar smiled, telling the bald Heran, "That comes soon, hopefully. Right now, we're meeting with Taiga and Ais at the rendezvous location. You, get another soldier to help manage this crowd. Let's hurry it up!"The two rocketed over the crowd and out of the hangar, leaving the crowd alone. Koldar could feel the 2 younger Arcosians about 2 clicks from their location. Not very far, but it did give ample time for them to get back to the city, if Xylo called for reinforcements with his telepathic communication! The two would arrive next to them, landing on the ground not far from them. He overheard Taiga's inquiry about the royal family having some sort of form above their standard form's great power! "That form is something that's undergone great experimentation, General, Ais," Koldar shoved into their conversation, "I may have been in the military for over a half Earth century, but I've never heard of a single Arcosian being able to achieve such heights. Even Wyntre, who's admittedly the strongest Arcosian I've felt in those years, hadn't shown such a capability! So flights of fancy like that shouldn't be sought at the moment! Right now, we need to make a game plan, involving reinforcing Xylo, should he give that call, or finding a base to train our forces at.""Ais, Dantallion's in the midst of recovering in one of our rejuvenation chambers," Voca informed Ais after Koldar spoke, "His wounds were healing nicely, so he should be coming out much stronger than he was before! You guys in the Mazoku Dominion got lucky to secure someone of his strength and willpower..."Koldar nodded in agreement and was about to speak up, but Voca continued, "Unfortunately, we've lost two of our own in the fight for one of the worlds. Somatotrope and Professor Daria had gone to defend the planet, Yardrat, from the SSE. Daria is alive, but I am guessing they will imprison her on the planet. What's more, I heard that the Brenchia were being attacked as well... I hope you guys got a game plan in development. That was one of our best men and I DO NOT WANT his sacrifice being in vain! They used the poor boy's body to stop Daria's escape..."The old Arcosian could only stare at his second, his right eye twitching notably. It was clear he wanted to explode in rage right then and there! ( Dantalion , if you wish to join.  . Somatotrope) |
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Post by Taiga on Jun 25, 2017 1:22:16 GMT
Taiga's brows furrow, and his smirk widens at the prospect of his people regaining their lost heritage as lords of the universe. He was about to reply when Koldar, having apparently heard the tail-end of their conversation, lands and approaches Taiga and Ais. Taiga turns his attention to Kolder, and can only inwardly scoff; his not knowing of any Arcosian finding a way to break through the barrier of evolution came as no real surprise. And in all honesty, Taiga wasn't interested in telling the Supreme Commander otherwise. Taiga throws Ais a knowing look, and chuckles as he turns to Koldar.
His grin disappears, however, when Voca reports the loss of Somatotrope and her handler, Doctor Daria.
"I knew it couldn't be as simple as a single attack..." Taiga mutters, touching his forefinger and thumb to his chin. "The loss of the Soma Force is serious."
Taiga racks his brain, trying to come up with some kind of solution. The only thing he could think of would not be popular.
"At ease, soldier." Taiga suggests to Voca, clasping his hands behind his back. He looks at Koldar, dutifully. "And that goes for you as well, Frost. We cannot create a proper plan of action if we are blinded by anger, and our leader must remain calm and attentive above all else."
Taiga paces past the other three, eyes closed, as he weighs how to word his recommendation. At last, he stops and turns to face all three.
"We need to presume that Arcose was the Saiyan Solar Empire's primary target. They likely already knew that our forces were stretched thin on Yardrat and the Brenchian Gemini." Taiga tells them, keeping his posture straight. "Whether we like it or not, we must also presume that those worlds are effectively lost, at least for the time being. The Saiyans are not likely to destroy more than necessary to possess them, lest they risk the worlds immediately rebelling."
Taiga looks pointedly at Voca.
"Voca, what of our other holdings?" Taiga inquires of Koldar's subordinate. "Is Kanassa still held by those pirates?"
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Post by Ais on Jun 25, 2017 20:59:51 GMT
Ais sensed the power of the Supreme Commander approaching, Voca close behind. He landed near them, speaking of the transformation Taiga told him about. The Arcosian chuckled when Koldar mentioned that he had never seen an Arcosian achieve such a form. Apparently, even the strongest among them had not achieved such a transformation. "Well, Koldar, if that is indeed the case..." Ais smirked. "Consider yourself honored to look upon the Changeling that will be the first." The Changeling's smug expression changed to one of surprise, his eyes widening and his beady red eyes shrinking to become even beadier once he learned of what happened on Yardrat.
"Somatotrope is dead, then? A shame. I saw a lot of potential in that little bug man. I suppose it doesn't matter. If I am correct, he should be able to crawl out of the afterlife with relative ease. If I am not, well..." He looked between his two kinsmen, resting his eyes on Voca finally. "...Then he wasn't of much use in the first place, was he?" Ais didn't care much for the doctor. Their only interaction was brief and impersonal. He actually sparred with Soma, however. He saw a lot of raw talent in the Captain of the Soma Squad. While he feigned indifference, he sorely hoped that his assessment of the bio-Android wasn't wrong.
Ais scoffed when he was asked abut a plan. "My plan? Well, I was going to go to check on our other worlds, but if what Taiga says is true, they are lost. The most prudent course of action would be to salvage the situation here." He looked back at the battle. "However, from what i'm feeling, Xylo has this battle well in hand. I don't know if any of you can sense his power... but it is incredible. Not to mention that little Majin's power is falling fast. She is injured and will soon fall. Once that is done, no amount of "Super Saiyan" might will save the other fool." He smiled warmly at his allies. That was uncharacteristic of the Changeling. "Kinsmen, Chancellor, I believe we are redundant at this point. The outcome is the same regardless of how we act." He pointed at Koldar. "So indeed, we shall train. We shall get stronger."
Ais noticed the anger present on Koldar's face and in Voca's voice. Taiga noticed it as well, trying to calm Koldar down. "Indeed." Ais agreed. "A plan made in anger is not truly a plan. I am of the same mind as the General. Let the Saiyans think they've won. Let them play conqueror with your worlds for awhile. It will make their loss all the more bitter. We should focus on what we can change, our own power. We change that, I would be willing to bet a Zeni that we can change everything."
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Post by Koldar Frost on Jun 26, 2017 20:49:37 GMT
Koldar's head turned very slowly, the twitch in his eye becoming much more noticeable. Ais was thinking this was the right time for this? Voca raised a pointed finger to the young Arcosian, stating, "Young man, considering we just got out of the battlefield with losses much higher on our side than their's and you're talking about that... You realize how asinine you're making yourself, don't you?""Plan. Now," Koldar hissed. Voca pointed to the short Arcosian, an expression saying, 'This is why,' to Ais and Taiga. Taiga spoke to keep Koldar calm, but he was visibly seething with anger. He was thinking that if they could've been much more prepared for this attack and they didn't do the information lacking, as Ais explained his plan and acknowledging both Xylo and his new soldier's strength; why hadn't that even be shared? Ais then turned to assisting Taiga in trying to tell Koldar to calm down after his half-assed explanation. At this point, Koldar's lid was blown! "We're in the middle of a damn battle and you're talking about some power that can mark the evolution of the Arcosian bloodline?! IF THIS DAMN THING WERE TRUE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE LOST THE PEOPLE WE LOST TODAY! IN FACT, WE WOULD BE FIGHTING WITH XYLO AND HIS EQUAL SUBORDINATE RIGHT NOW IN RENDERING THOSE TWO ASUNDER FOR THEIR DAMN ATTEMPT TO ATTACK THIS WORLD!"Voca didn't move or say anything to Taiga's question, even as Koldar begun to walk up to Ais and Taiga. Koldar's fingers in both of his hands were twitching, his teeth tightly grit too! Through his tightened teeth, he growled, "Somatotrope would not be dead, Daria wouldn't have been mortified before her capture, all of those guards wouldn't have been slaughtered at the Palace, and Dantallion would not be in a damn rejuvenation chamber with his life barely there..."He paused, looking at Ais, his hands twitching still. "Do not tell me to calm by speaking of something you think you can achieve when the lives of others are on the damn line, Ais!"( Taiga, to you! Koldar's entered a fouler mood.) |
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Post by Taiga on Jun 26, 2017 23:25:01 GMT
Taiga sighs inwardly, closing his eyes as Koldar begins his outburst. Koldar couldn't see past the immediate situation; not that Taiga could blame him. Their once great empire was now the Saiyans' favorite punching bag, and the Mazoku Dominion asserted themselves against the agreement Koldar had made with Xylo some time earlier.
"Koldar Frost, you must compose yourself." Taiga reiterates, his tone flat. "Don't assume that the Saiyans would have left us alone. They needed no reason to destroy Arcose the first time, they wouldn't have to have one now. If these Dominion warriors weren't here, we would all be dead, Frost."
Taiga purposefully places himself between Koldar and Ais, hands still clasped behind his back.
"And don't think so small; we have to find a method that allows us to achieve a power to prevent this kind of thing from constantly repeating itself!" Taiga tells the Supreme Commander, his tone rising, but not angered. "What you call a flight of fancy is not a myth; but I wont waste time trying to convince you otherwise. We suffered losses because we are weak, Frost. No one but Empress Wyntre and possibly her right hand, Zexama, would have been able to stand with Xylo against those two animals. We were caught flat-footed and unprepared because of the sorry state the Empire has become."
Taiga raises his palms face up at his waistline.
"Think about it; what happened after Wyntre died? Our government fell apart!" Taiga continues restlessly. "How many Arcosians tried to steal claim to the throne? Abzerute? Retsu? You? With so many vying for power, it is no real wonder why the Saiyans saw an opportunity to attack. Gaining power is not going to be enough if the Saiyans can close and surpass any gap with a simple power up. We have to evolve ourselves further, there is no other option, whether you believe it is possible or not."
Taiga glances between Ais and Koldar.
"Lives are lost in war, you should be more than accustomed to this fact with your years of experience in the military, Koldar Frost." Taiga says, again clasping his hands behind his back. "I died in the last invasion, and I lost many good soldiers on Kanassa that day. Yet here I stand. But if you cannot handle leadership in a time of crisis, then you must step down."
It wasn't a challenge, but rather a suggestion.
Posting Order
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Post by Ais on Jun 27, 2017 13:23:27 GMT
Ais's expression hardened once Koldar began his outburst. His eyes were locked on to the Supreme Commander. 'That fool dares to...' He barely managed to contain his anger. The Arcosian crossed his arms and waited for the Commander to finish. Once there was a pause, Ais would speak at last. "Are you finished?" The Changeling wouldn't wait for a response. Before he could lay into the Commander, however, Taiga interjected as a voice of reason. He was correct in the assumption that the Saiyans would not leave them alone. At least, Ais agreed with him. Saiyans don't need a reason to destroy and subjugate. It was simply what Saiyans did. It was in their nature. Like a predator mercilessly slaughters its prey, a Saiyans conquers everything they think they can.
At Taiga's guess as to how the battle would have turned out had they been absent, Ais nodded, flicking his eyes over to Taiga, then to Koldar, trying his best to replicate his father's 'death gaze," the late King Kuul's look that could turn even seasoned warriors into jelly before it. "Quite." He said in a hushed tone, arms still crossed, but more relaxed now. "I'd hate to see your reaction if Xylo hadn't been here. You want to tear apart your empire's enemies? I laid out a perfectly fine plan for that." The more this conversation went on, the angrier Ais got. It wasn't even about their current situation anymore.
When he looked at Koldar, all he could think about was how an Arcosian that wasn't half the leader his father was took the position that was denied to him all those years ago. Why Xylo thought this empire was worth saving was beyond him. Why his father thought the same was even further beyond him. All he saw was weakness around here. Not exactly weakness of arm, though he saw that too, but weakness of will. Weakness of heart. It was disgusting to him. It was one thing to cut the rot out of this empire, but what if the whole thing was rotten?
Then came a truth from Taiga that was obvious enough, but had escaped Koldar in Ais's view; lives were lost in war. Ais nodded to Taiga, lowering his arms to his sides and responding. "In war, life is cheap." He said simply, narrowing his gaze at Koldar. "The sooner you realize that, the better. I care not about what happens to this crumbling empire. I'm just following orders." That wasn't entirely true. Some part of him wanted to see Koldar succeed as a leader and his race brought to prominence once more. That part kept him here when he had intended to leave Arcose in Xylo's hands.
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Post by Koldar Frost on Jun 27, 2017 20:37:41 GMT
Taiga stepped in between them and gave Koldar a lecture about how people died all the time and he should already know that. He then had the gall to call Koldar a thief of the throne, which only served Voca to hop back immediately to a safer distance. The Supreme Commander balled his hands into fists, hurling one into Taiga's face! He only intended to knock him a couple of feet away, and even if Taiga blocked it, Koldar begun to scream at them both in anguish! "Your continued talk about this form that we could have had before this invasion's occurrence implies we didn't try hard enough, you stupid children! Our brothers in arms died because we weren't fucking good enough for them to begin with, if this form exists," Koldar bellowed at them, his attention more fixed upon Taiga, "Each soldier that had fought against the same enemy pledges to help their fellow man out! That comes first with the army! None of this damn talk about becoming gods when ya don't know how to be fellow soldiers. When we die, that means our families are at the fucking whims of our foes... That is why I'm angry! I do not give a flying crap about the Arcosian throne or running this inter-galactic nation as an Empire. In fact, I would be having this run fully militantly, and after this incursion upon our homeworld, I may as well do so!"( Taiga to you!) |
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