Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[KingofPie]

The temple was of Earth, that was undoubtedly true, but the atmosphere was all too alien. Structurally there were quite a few similarities to Zxu'Ro's temple but that Sasheem had noticed but it'd be impossible for him not to have encountered this before. If it wasn't him that discovered it, it'd be those two doofuses and then he would've found out eventually. There was a mission of great import at hand, yadda, yadda, yadda and Sasheem did want payback for having his butt succinctly kicked by a caveman and some kinda space siren....but as far as he could tell there was no way out.

He could fly certainly, but all that lied beyond the mountain peak seemed to be an endless expanse of...nothing. Just blue light. ...Thinking it over, even that felt familiar. Scratching his chin, he did recall the woman mentioning something about her boss wanting to meet with him. He didn't sense anyone but....if the boss was hiding somewhere, the temple seemed like a good place to start.

But why a temple of Zxu'Ro? Bah! This raised too many questions. And Sasheem hated having a plethora of question in which the answer ultimately boiled down to "blast it!" Begrudgingly, he trudged along in the air, through the doors of the temple. Taking his first steps inside, he was greeted with sights unfamiliar yet not. Within stood ten doors, five on each side. Beside each door stood two statue that represented one of the Ten Schools.

It was not the order Sasheem was accustomed to however. Tiger stood opposite Lion. Phoenix lay across from Dragon. It seemed apparent that wherever this was pulled from, the lost five hadn't quite been so lost. Wherever....whenever...Sasheem was beginning to understand it, he thought. More timeline bullshit. ...Perhaps. One could never be too sure anymore, nowadays.

Curiosity drew Sasheem's mind to delve through the doors adorned on each side by his own school, the Snake. It was dark, but Sasheem adjusted fairly quickly. In was a big room, though there wasn't much inside, save for another massive statue. "Doku..." Sasheem muttered, approaching the statue of his school's founder. Perhaps there was an etching, a scroll. Anything that hinted towards the completion of the Yamata no Orochi Fist...but no. Nothing of the sort. Just a cold, empty room as far as he understood it.

Glancing thoughtfully up at the statue of Master Doku once more, Sasheem left, seeking further answers for his current predicament. A light caught the corner of his eye. It came from the halls of the Turtle School. ...Strange. Only Turtle he was even vaguely aware of was practically a zombie. Delving in, he breezed past the fires alight atop the braziers lining the walls. Like the Snake School, there stood a statue of the Turtle's founder, Yoroi.

Unlike the halls of the Snake, there was something else present. A man sitting before a table, calmly preparing tea, it seemed. From his clothes, he seemed like a a monk almost, but he didn't quite look the part.



"So, you've arrived, Student of the Snake. You took quite a while to get here, I thought you might've gotten lsot!" the figure greeted with a dismissive smirk. Sasheem already began to hate this guy.

"Alright, Lobe-O, cough it up!" Sasheem folded his arms and sneered. "You the one behind all this time bullshit?"

"Now quite how I would put it, but yes!" the monk said with an oddly boastful tone. "You may call me Xuan Wu."

"How 'bout I call you dead!" Sasheem raised an arm, firing a massive ki blast in the monk's direction. The blast was near instantaneously dispersed by what appeared to be a barrier unseen. The monk seemed slightly offput, but kept his bemused expression.

"Difficult as it may be, don't be stupid," Xuan Wu insulted. "I merely wish to talk. There doesn't need to be any more conflict than necessary."

Than necessary? Interesting choice of words. Disregarding that, Sasheem had to wonder what all this was about. "So, what's your big scheme. Gonna force the whole world to meditate or somethin'?"

"I simply aim to course correct," Xuan Wu began to explain. "Long ago, the sentient races of this world were sent spiraling on a path that I believe is far beyond our control. You constantly mettle with forces that seek to upset the balance further. This should not be. All because of the callousness of the haughty."

"So....what ya wanna just. Reset all of time?" Sasheem asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, from the beginning," Xuan Wu smiled with a maddening grin. "And I know the means of how to do so..."

[grampagen]

Where the edge of civilization broke away from the rural roads, beneath him was an endless field of green that split itself among the cypress mountains. Flying silently overhead through the night, Chahan had been looking for a sign, and foolishly he had turned to the stars. There was no more providence there than as it appeared, and all that had been left to his thoughts were the ripples he left in his wake. The islands would soon resume the filth of industry and consumption, the Capital would find a new head to replace that serpent, and whatever else was left to his successor and the Thousand Wings Foundation. 85 years had passed and now the curse of the sea god had left him with meaningless battle after meaningless battle. But these were the unthinkable, the unthinking, the malformed, irrational. They were already damned, for they were not warriors.

The psychic shout of the sea god, drowned in the air, was no longer silenced by Grinthorn's suppression, and so it was that Chahan the Elder Crane found himself pursued by all sorts of things that had fallen into legend. By day, strange cryptids wandered into the roads of civilization and their bestial efforts were swiftly tamed by brutal and lethal means, and yet their presence never seemed to leave him. Though blood may wash away, there was something that issued from the Yokai host that marked him, a faint spectral resonance that clung to him. The frenzied denizens of Makai could smell it across a range, and it bred violence in his path again and again.

Even when they were struck down, the malevolent aura seeped into the world itself, Tsukumogami possessing the instruments of man's world and animating the imprint left behind. Eyes sprouted upon tapestries, legs gave flight to broken umbrellas, and knives spoke through twisted mouths. Eighty-Five years in this life, and he was forced into a war of attrition with the fever dreams of a demented child, and even worse, the fatigue that plagued him was slowly beginning to win.

His flight came to an end when he landed there. The derelict village was empty, and there was not a presence for some distance, which gave him some time to collect his thoughts and recover.

If there were a last fight to be had, he would seize it on his own terms. Where would that take him, however? God would not answer him, and the Youkai were swift to take for granted their bodies, for their minds were feeble things of sand.

The road to true martial mastery...what had it left him? The legacy that had passed to him had been safeguarded under his stewardship. Two thousand years since the house unified under Master Nomi's winged crest, and they stood upon the peak...and nothing else besides that. Everything he had done had been the sake of the martial family, the good and the bad; and now all he wanted was to bring this fist to the peak.

There was one man who might understand, perhaps, but he was quite elusive he would not be found unless he wanted to; a curious habit that had been gifted in kind to his student.

Seated under the broken thatch roof near what had once been a firepit, Chahan heard a rush in the airs and quickly fell on guard. There was nothing for miles, no...human presence, and yet the deep monotone sound of prayer rang in a series. Stepping out from the enclosure he saw then a procession of Faceless Ones. Komuso Monks, ascetics stripped of ego, each hid their faces behind great reed masks as they blew the meditative melody of shakuhachi, dancing in step to the music as they moved.

Ghosts possessed of men, now I find men moving in the manner of ghosts.

What did they gain from this meditation? It was curious, however, that no yokai manifest in pursuit of this procession as they moved single-file through the ghost town. The flicker of lanterns and the the wooden reed-pipes the only sound as they moved upward toward the base of the pagoda filling the trees.

Should they linger, they will surely die... His aged wings still had strength in them.

The Old Crane followed behind them at a distance, trying to feel through their ki what was the difference. Perhaps their cultivation had been miniscule, and thus no beast would find the faceless ones threatening. //No ego. No ambitions. No life lived.// To a man who had trained to fight a generations long feud, it was only inconceivable. //They do not attract attention, perhaps, for they believe in nothing, and thus have nothing to fear.//

Yet as they moved closer toward the pagoda upon the hill, he detected a certain aura in the air, one he had only the displeasure to encounter once. It was in his very home. A ki signature that flowed with the environs, but like two parallel streams of sound that followed in a delay, the discordant feedback became more pronounced the nearer he drew towards it.

The procession filed into the prayer space and he found the sallow hermit seated lazily upon his side with his tortoise...who was the first to respond.

"Gyek."

"Oh it's you! N'wonder th'boys r'prayin', they felt a disaster comin' up the road, e-heh-heh~!"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

While waiting for the computer to finished scanning the planet below her Praxat pulls out a map she's been making. ( Okay, going over my map I've been making. I have counted that this uncharted space has several star systems within one yet-to-be-named galaxy,) Praxat thought.

( within those star systems were asteroid belts, including this one, but only this one has a planet. most star systems in this uncharted space having multiple stars, except this one. I count only one star in this system, and it's a red dwarf,) Praxat thought.

[Yun Lao]

"I am Shōchū of the Last Stand... and I renounce you, Charco White."

Charco chuckled with a deep rumbling from his chest, "I can't say I'm a fan of the dramatics, but it doesn't matter." Golden energy spilled from his hands onto the ground and magical glyphs forming where the energy hit the earth. The glyphs began to organize themselves, creating circles that slowly rotated. Shochu knew what it was, having seen it countless times: summoning magic. Unlike the other Charco variants, White rarely fought for himself, hypocritically claiming pacifism but the truth was, he simply let others do such dirty work. Two figures rose from the portals, both familiar to her.

Sarada and Parsley, or at least they used to be. Broken into submission and their minds warped, they were little more than attack dogs at this point.

"Pain is horrible, yet temporary..." White declared, "... but to rebuild you, we must break down all of your imperfections, Hibachi."

Snapping his fingers, both Sarada and Parsley's hair erupted into golden spikes, and errant energy sparks crackled between them. The super saiyans lunged forth and they were nearly upon her before she activated the chrononaut. The world around her came to a crawl and stopped, surrounding her in the void of silence and stillness. For a moment, she contemplated freeing the two saiyans, knowing the golden tattoos that glowed across their bodies acted their leashes, but she sadly knew that such efforts would do little for them. No, to accomplish anything, she would need to break their master.

Apologizing to them both, Shochu reared back her staff and swung it into Sarada's left rack of ribs. She could feel the bones crack under the impact and the momentum would be enough to send her crashing into her sibling once time resumed. The world began to move again, first slowly before abrupting rubber-banding back into the place, a small cloud of dust and dirt kicking up in the distance from where the saiyans crash-landed. A cheap shot like that wasn't going to stop them, but it would buy enough time for her to close the distance between her and their master. Rearing back her staff once more, a curved blade extended out from the head midway through her swing. Blood painted the thick grasses, but to her annoyance, it was not his. The bisected remains of a toadian lie on the ground between them, yet soon enough, White's magic revived the creature and reversed the damage done.

"Hiding behind your minions will do you little good, White," He chuckled again, only to wag his finger at her, "It pains me to hear such condescension towards my flock. Rane'fritte is but the most loyal of them." The toadian's wide mouth opened and a barrage of tongue lashes was launched at her, forcing her to step back to evade the sticky appendage only to be driven even further back as Parsley dropped down with a punch that sundered earth and stone. His servants moved like well-oiled machines, each complimenting the other when it came to forcing her back from their master. It was of little surprise, having witnessed it countless times, but it was still frustrating to have to fight against it. Blinking indications popped up in her vision, alerting her to the rapid amassing power in the distance. No doubt Sarada was planning to pay her back for her ribs.

Feet firmly planted against the earth, both of Sarada's arms were extended toward her general direction, the heels of her hands pressed together as ki poured the swelling chaotic sphere of power. The saiyan's muscles bulged against the strain of energy, telling her that Sarada was coming close to firing; unfortunately, the other two weren't going to stand around and let her avoid this so easily. Turning to the side, Rane'fritte's tongue passed by her, yet she would only have fractions of seconds to turn back to her original stance to avoid one of many of Parsley's punches. As she turned back, she swung her staff behind her, catching the saiyan in the jaw, disorienting her for long enough for Shochu to backflip behind her. Grabbing Parsley's shoulders, mid-flip, the machine mutant swung her legs down and planted them firmly into the super saiyan's back, the momentum being enough to launch her forth towards the approaching tongue of the toadian.

"FINAL... FLASH!!"

The air around them was filled with a blinding light, forcing Shochu to rely on her sensors rather than her organic eyesight when it came to her aim. Naginata popping back out from the head of her staff, the blade crackled with energy and she brought the weapon back.

"Ptera Slash... White LIGHTNING!!"

Swinging forth, there would be little determining who would win this until the dust settled; she could only hope she had gotten strong enough.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Their words went in one ear and out the other after Wilhelm's initial statement, the abhuman's eyes closing in thought. It wasn't every day you just absorb a miniaturized sun, although it was difficult to get a feel for it considering the melting pot of energies he had accumulated through his entirety.

There it was, like the gentle warmth of the sun on a winter day. Attempting to draw upon it, however, stirred up the heat as if he were trying to embrace the sun itself. Releasing his concentration, the warmth dissipated, "It certainly lives up to its name."

OT: Charco has gained the unique ability to add a new type of damage to his attacks. He can increase the heat of his attacks now, making them burn even hotter and potentially inflicting greater harm than his beams previously could.

He has also gained a large amount of heat resistance as well.

IC:

Wilhelm nods.

“Would you…mind trying out…..a few more things with…us?”

Wheelo nods emphatically while the Android and Cyborg continue to argue in the back.


OT:

If you choose to help, please role a D20 and tell me the result.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

To Namek! Maiz and Sarada Journey to Slak's Homeworld!

Month 9

When Sarada returned from Earth two months ago, she brought with her details of a pair of visions with portents for their immediate future and the news that Grand Elder Nail had been brought back to life. It was pleasing to here that an innocent individual was given a second chance at life; and for someone as important to their race as Nail was to the Nameks, especially so. Beyond that and secondarily, it meant that Maiz could finally do what she had been waiting nearly a year to do: create her own set of dragonballs and finally undo the last of Tundra's bloody conquest.

There were Saiyans on Sadala who were killed according to Sarada, and she already knew about those killed on Ruco during the invasion. Those of the latter included her own children, Mato and Rutaba. For the latter, she was especially excited. Rutaba was still young and deserved to enjoy the rest of her life in the peace that Sarada's hard-fought victory afforded them. Besides, it was depressing watching Pinach live his life by himself. The two had been practically joined at the hip for much of their lives and it didn't take a mind reader to know that her death was affecting him poorly.

She had in her the power to make it right, and that was what she intended on doing, even if doing so put her life at risk. Rutaba and Mato unflinching sacrificed everything to help ensure their race's survival. What kind of person would she be if she let them rot away in Otherworld for the rest of eternity simply because she was too afraid of being put on some maniac's hitlist? Not one she could look in the mirror. By putting her own life in danger the way her children did, she would be giving them the reward they deserved for the valor: a new lease on life and the chance to be reunited with their families.

With that in mind, she opted to wait a few months to give the Nameks the chance to return to some semblance of normalcy. She doubted they would ever truly feel safe. Perhaps she could change that.

"A treaty with the Nameks?" Sarada asked when Maiz approached her the day before she was due to leave.

"Yes. Namek is still, as far as I know, vulnerable. The Warrior Clan is undoubtedly strong, but if any of the innumerable would-be conquerors were to set their sights on them, they would be hard-pressed to defend themselves. Much less if another incident like the Ulthan one happens again."

"True." She could see the wheels in Sarada's head turning. "Slak is there, and I know he's been training. But, you're right. They'll need help on the off-chance something like this happens again." Sarada nodded and smiled. "And besides, there's nothing wrong with rekindling old alliances."

The Saiyans and the Nameks had an ancient link in the form of Flute.

"Then it's settled. Will you come with me tomorrow?"

"Yes," Sarada answered. "I'll need to be there to make sure it's official and all that.

The next day came and Maiz and Sarada boarded her space cruiser. Accompanied by a caravan of a dozen smaller ships, they all took off for Planet Namek. The ships had undergone an upgrade once the Turripians had an opportunity to really study the First Race ships Sarada and Parsley had been utilizing. While they weren't able to perfectly copy the engines, they were able to learn enough to massively upgrade their own. Sarada's ship was fast enough to make the trip to Namek in only a few hours.

Maiz spent those few hours in meditation. Clearing the thoughts of distractions was key to focusing on the task at hand and avoiding making critical mistakes.

"When we get back, I'll have to travel to Earth so Parsley and I can finish our training there. I should only be a day at most," Sarada said.

"For the Fusion thing, right?"

"Yes."

Maiz smiled. "Years ago, the thought of you two joining bodies would have sounded like a joke."

"A cruel one," Sarada muttered. "And it still is! I only hope our joined body keeps my figure."

Maiz could only shake her head. Despite her insistence on focusing on the immaterial, she knew that a fusion of the two strongest Saiyans in the universe would be enough to defeat any enemy. With their combined might, techniques, and experience, Sakin and the dragon didn't stand a chance.

Eventually, their destination came into view.



"Fall back," she ordered to the caravan over comm-link. "The last thing we need is for them to think we're an invading force. Maiz and I will go in alone." The two then boarded a smaller ship that was held within a small hangar in the back of the cruiser. Sarada fired up the engines and piloted the ship toward the planet Namek.

There isn’t really any established starport or Stellar Control station, so your shuttle can pretty much land wherever.

A caught familiar energy signal, Slak, does appear to be in the largest Namekian settlement however.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The GP shuttle's computer finishes scanning the planet below Praxat, and Praxat reads the results on the monitor." Okay, let's see, this planet has an Earth-like mass and density. It has the same volume as Earth. The atmosphere matches that of Earth's," Praxat said.

" Landmass on the planet is 90% swamp. Planet classified as a swamp planet. Sentient amphibious life detected on the planet. Orbital defense cannons detected on the planet's surface," Praxat said.

Praxat goes to her cockpit and starts flying the GP shuttle straight into the planet's atmosphere. ( Okay, this planet has to be my grandmother's home planet Amperior,) Praxat thought.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

There isn’t really any established starport or Stellar Control station, so your shuttle can pretty much land wherever.

A caught familiar energy signal, Slak, does appear to be in the largest Namekian settlement however.

"Hm. Nowhere to really land," Sarada noted. It made sense. The Namekians weren't really much for traveling the stars, with a few notable exceptions.

"That just means we can land anywhere," Maiz responded.

Sarada nodded and began landing procedures. She found a nice patch of land near a lake and set the ship down. Ah, Namek! Green skies and blue grass! Sarada opened the gangplank so she and Maiz could exit. She took a deep breath and let it out.

It was either woman's first time on the famed planet, so they weren't sure what to expect. She did, however, have experience with Namekians. One, in particular, whom she could sense. "I sense my friend. Follow me!" She took to the air and headed for Slak's energy, Maiz close behind her.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

As Praxat enters through the atmosphere of the planet she believes has to be Amperior, she ponders to herself. (Heh, I came all this way just so I could meet my grandmother's side of the family and see her people. I expect they're all nihilistic assholes,) Praxat thought.

( Of course, hey, when I meet them, maybe I'll be proved wrong, but I doubt it. ) Praxat thought.

Praxat sends out a message. " Hey, there's anyone this planet with the last name Mcfrog. I have a message for you. My name is Praxat Luue, and I'm the granddaughter of Araxat Mcfrog," Praxat said.

" I have tracked down this planet so that I could meet her side of the family. I have a belief that the Mcfrog family are nihilistic assholes. Base on my interactions with my grandmother. In fact, I have a belief that all the people on this planet are nihilistic assholes," Praxat said.

" Prove me wrong!" Praxat said. ( Okay, I hope my message went through to someone on this planet,) Praxat thought.

[MrSandman]

“A simple bargain. You want a vision, we want something in turn.”

Lady Binder grins and claps her hands.

“Oh, I know just the thing! We would like a little bit of you! Well, by that I mean your hair! A single lock should do, right mother?”

The Queen looks Etrina over before nodding to her daughter’s request.

"Just some hair should do, is that it?" Etrina mused a moment in silence, the look on her face a clear indication she wasn't pleased with the implication at all.

The moment stretched on into what seemed like months of mental debate.

Finally, Etrina broke into a chuckle. "Would it do me any good to even ask what you intend to do with my hair....hardly seems a fair trade to deal in objects whose value is only known to the one party, especially when I'm the one in the dark....." Etrina closed her eyes and hummed softly in thought for another moment. "I doubt it would be worth the sleepless hours pondering what a fairy is going to do with my hair in their spare time..."

Etrina reaches to the back of her head and grasps a few strands between her fingertips...releasing enough energy to separate them with a gentle tug. Holding the lock up to the light, Etrina then turned her attention back to Binder.

"The vision first....if I'm satisfied with the result, I'll deliver what is promised....and then we can continue our discussion."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Just some hair should do, is that it?" Etrina mused a moment in silence, the look on her face a clear indication she wasn't pleased with the implication at all.

The moment stretched on into what seemed like months of mental debate.

Finally, Etrina broke into a chuckle. "Would it do me any good to even ask what you intend to do with my hair....hardly seems a fair trade to deal in objects whose value is only known to the one party, especially when I'm the one in the dark....." Etrina closed her eyes and hummed softly in thought for another moment. "I doubt it would be worth the sleepless hours pondering what a fairy is going to do with my hair in their spare time..."

Etrina reaches to the back of her head and grasps a few strands between her fingertips...releasing enough energy to separate them with a gentle tug. Holding the lock up to the light, Etrina then turned her attention back to Binder.

"The vision first....if I'm satisfied with the result, I'll deliver what is promised....and then we can continue our discussion."

The Queen chitters, but nods.

“Than a bargain is set.”

Lady Binder approaches and lays her hands on Etrina’s head.

“I would relax, Time Magi. Visions….can be very intense for the Fae.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Hm. Nowhere to really land," Sarada noted. It made sense. The Namekians weren't really much for traveling the stars, with a few notable exceptions.

"That just means we can land anywhere," Maiz responded.

Sarada nodded and began landing procedures. She found a nice patch of land near a lake and set the ship down. Ah, Namek! Green skies and blue grass! Sarada opened the gangplank so she and Maiz could exit. She took a deep breath and let it out.

It was either woman's first time on the famed planet, so they weren't sure what to expect. She did, however, have experience with Namekians. One, in particular, whom she could sense. "I sense my friend. Follow me!" She took to the air and headed for Slak's energy, Maiz close behind her.

Eve stilly, a large settlement comes into view. Standing atop a nearby cliff is two people, one recognizable as Slak, and the other taller and more imposing.

Elder Nail.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

As Praxat enters through the atmosphere of the planet she believes has to be Amperior, she ponders to herself. (Heh, I came all this way just so I could meet my grandmother's side of the family and see her people. I expect they're all nihilistic assholes,) Praxat thought.

( Of course, hey, when I meet them, maybe I'll be proved wrong, but I doubt it. ) Praxat thought.

Praxat sends out a message. " Hey, there's anyone this planet with the last name Mcfrog. I have a message for you. My name is Praxat Luue, and I'm the granddaughter of Araxat Mcfrog," Praxat said.

" I have tracked down this planet so that I could meet her side of the family. I have a belief that the Mcfrog family are nihilistic assholes. Base on my interactions with my grandmother. In fact, I have a belief that all the people on this planet are nihilistic assholes," Praxat said.

" Prove me wrong!" Praxat said. ( Okay, I hope my message went through to someone on this planet,) Praxat thought.

There is no response.

In fact, the GP shuttle is having problems reading anything beyond the planet makeup.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Eve stilly, a large settlement comes into view. Standing atop a nearby cliff is two people, one recognizable as Slak, and the other taller and more imposing.

Elder Nail.

It all looked the same. Every square inch of the planet looked the same. Green and blue as far as the eye could see. While Sarada could appreciate the simplistic beauty of Names, it was really dull and boring. Then again, that was likely just how they liked it. Boring meant safe, which was preferable to exciting and dangerous for a lot of people.

Eventually, she and Maiz noticed to men standing on a cliff side. One was Slak, Sarada's old friend. The other, neither woman recognized.

"Is that him?" Sarada asked. "Is that Elder Nail?"

"I believe so," Maiz replied. "We should be respectful, regardless."

"Right." The two Saiyan women cautiously approached the two Namekians in an effort to appear nonthreatening. (Good day to you!) she greeted in rough Namekian.

Maiz twitched with surprise. "What?"

She chuckled proudly. "If you're going to be a diplomat, it helps to speak the language. People are more impressed and more receptive when you speak to them in their own tongue." Surprisingly, no one taught her that. It was just something she thought up on her own; it was more common sense, really.

Maiz looked at her daughter and smiled approvingly.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

It all looked the same. Every square inch of the planet looked the same. Green and blue as far as the eye could see. While Sarada could appreciate the simplistic beauty of Names, it was really dull and boring. Then again, that was likely just how they liked it. Boring meant safe, which was preferable to exciting and dangerous for a lot of people.

Eventually, she and Maiz noticed to men standing on a cliff side. One was Slak, Sarada's old friend. The other, neither woman recognized.

"Is that him?" Sarada asked. "Is that Elder Nail?"

"I believe so," Maiz replied. "We should be respectful, regardless."

"Right." The two Saiyan women cautiously approached the two Namekians in an effort to appear nonthreatening. (Good day to you!) she greeted in rough Namekian.

Maiz twitched with surprise. "What?"

She chuckled proudly. "If you're going to be a diplomat, it helps to speak the language. People are more impressed and more receptive when you speak to them in their own tongue." Surprisingly, no one taught her that. It was just something she thought up on her own; it was more common sense, really.

Maiz looked at her daughter and smiled approvingly.

Slak seems surprised at her Namekian, but Elder Nail smiles just slightly. He responds in near perfect Saiyan-Go.

“A pleasure, Queen Sarada. Guardian Maiz. Namek welcomes you.”

Slak nods and responds in a much rougher version.

“Nice to see you again, Sarada.”