Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[The Dog]

“To Korrimaru’s thoughts on the patrol, yes. A regular guard of fifteen men rotate around the base’s perimeter clockwise, never staying in one place for longer than a minute or so. They patrol for three hours or so and then fifteen more replace them.”

Shiro stared in deep thought for several moments before asking "What kind of scanners do they have? I have the ability of illusions, including making myself and others invisible, and according to those with the ability I cannot be identified by my energy signature."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

She wasn't expecting to hear her native tongue, especially coming from the half-breed. She wanted to argue, to say that she needed to have the last say, but in truth, she knew she didn't. In the end, the words of the android, Ishtar, and anyone else were just that, words. They didn't know, nor did they understand, what was waiting for her at the Meat Market. If they did, they would understand why she left and why she was so desperate to get stronger.

"I know that. But..." she looked away after replying back in their native tongue. She didn't want to confide in him, especially after that stunt he pulled with Charco just minutes earlier; but who else did she have? No one else truly understood her fears other than him. Damn it. "I don't like being mocked about that. Especially from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. No one knows how horrible that place is like we do, and that stupid robot treats it and me like a joke."

She left it at that. If he wanted to talk more about it later, she supposed she could stomach his presence enough to get it off her chest.

Totoma blinked. Had a fullblooded Saiyan just shown a brief moment of weakness? To him? That was a first, and it left him legitimately bewildered.

But when he thought about it, it made sense for her to confide in him, even a little. He had been to Vacado, spent time there. He didn't know her exact circumstances, but he did know what was at stake for her. Freedom, and, possibly, her life.

He had suffered a lot at the hands of purebreds. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he hated all purebreds except for his mother. Ten years ago, that hatred had burned much brighter. He had enjoyed inflicting suffering and the most humiliating of insults on purebreds.

But that had been ten years ago, and he'd had almost no contact with Saiyans since then. And yet, it seemed that he hadn't completely moved past those old wounds. He had written Sarada off before she'd even gotten a chance to change. His mother had eventually become a... better, if not good, person.

That conversation in the bath yesterday had been pretty normal, so he and Sarada could get along. Maybe not be friends, but at least talk without trying to tear eachother down, either emotionally or physically.

He sighed. He would probably regret this, but he would try to be mature towards her, as Ishtar wanted. Given his... issues... with purebreds, he would probably falter at times, but damn it, he'd try.

Totoma nodded. "Later, after training."

He had an idea for something they could do besides talk. Little training exercise his mother had developed years ago to help refine one's ki blast skills. Might be a fun way for her to unwind after a hard day.

She needed it--at this rate, she would stress out again and start having the same issue gaining power as she did on Vacado. And that wouldn't do for his rival. Definitely not.

"Perhaps.." She slightly conceded. "I'll say this though: She's shown remarkable restraint. It sounds crazy, until you consider her culture and how many times she's been goaded, or insulted but hasn't instantly gotten into a fight."

At the question, she was silent a bit longer then sighed. "As you already know, before I met you and the others my and my family were rather poor and stuck in Wivale city in the worse parts. I had a dedicated group of bullies at that school over there, if you could call it there. Three girls, a bit older then me. Not sure why they took such a disdain for me, but doesn't matter now. Since we had so little money, sometimes the only decent meal was at that school even if it tasted horrible. I think part of that conflict stemmed from the fact they hogged the food from me. At the time, my power hadn't really kicked in entirely so I was only slightly stronger then normal. One day, I had enough of it..and ended up breaking one of their noses and injuring the other two. They didn't bother me after that."

It was the first time she really talked about it, even with Totoma or her parents she didn't like talking about her life in Wivale. "..Still I wonder if any of my childhood friends escaped from waste basket. People say just hard work and you can get anywhere from places like that; but its really not true completely. Sometimes its like an train, you don't have any choice but to go on the tracks laid out for you.." Then she shook her head. "..Sorry. Didn't mean to drag the conversation into a depressing one, I guess its just been on my mind."



Karine did notice the shuffle, back and forth about killing but so far stayed out of it. The android slash monk had a good point, no one was going to hold their life long beliefs and change them in the course of a single conversation. That was the height of being arrogant or naive. It was a bit deeper then the usual that happened around here.






..And she got a reminder of the other parts of the group. Not for the first time she questioned her direction in life.

It was still amusing though.

Totoma stared at Karine. He hadn't expected that, and he hadn't expected it right now. It must have been really troubling her.

He'd know she'd had a tough life early on, and she'd shared some tidbits about it, but she'd mostly seemed content to put it behind her. Wonder why it, uh... bubbled up now?

Still, while he'd seen her get angry--just yesterday, with Sarada, in fact--the idea of her actually hurting anyone in anger wasn't something he could really wrap his head around. She'd always been very gentle and kind.

He reached over and put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. It seemed like a good idea, but he was emotionally retarded half the time, so... bah, couldn't undo it, so no use worrying.

"Yeah, sometimes life is like a train," said Totoma. "But you can always get off at the next station and take a different train. Or the bus, a car... heck, fly away if you can do it."

There were times when you just had to sit down and wait until another option presented itself. And if one didn't appear... make one. That could just be his Saiyan blood talking.

"...I'm having a hard time imagining you just snapping like that, though."

Kami, no longer smiling, taps her foot against the floor and a tremor of her power seems to briefly surround and fill the room, though only those causing problems feel the power beyond the tremor.

"Enough." she whispers into their minds, and it is not a happy whisper.

Whoa, Kami was mad. Time to be a good boy and shut up.

[Yun Lao]

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

So they had a back-up for if their back-up plan fails. Now everyone was just being dramatic about their chances.

Still, he wasn't completely heartless. Kami seemed to have been a benevolent being that he had only met a day or so ago, so he could seriously see himself hesitating if it were up to him to put her down. Regardless, it was their last resort, which just meant that they had to succeed in the first place.

"We just have to get stronger and take care of what needs to be done so we can avoid situations like that, that's all."

[grampagen]

Ishtar flashed a small smile, before nodding. "There is as much worth in self-reflection as there is testing your mettle against others. I would not waste the opportunities given by our benefactor in time we have available to us."

While she may have disagreed with nature of their task- the Dragonballs nothing more to her than trinkets- she she had committed herself to aiding Kami, and so she make sure to be prepared.


What had she hoped to discover ? Was she enjoying herself ?

The Oni went silent again. The questions needed answering, and she could not lie. An attempt could be made to obscure it, she supposed. Yet this one seemed to understand- or accept- the truth of her words easier. In the end the woman decided to speak plainly, they were ultimately allies after the same ends; and this place was far more hospitable than some places she'd be. In life, there were Hells far worse than those to be found in Death, after all. Worst case, the Oni would leave. There was perhaps but one who could stop her. Her word had been given in aid, after all.

"In self-denial I had hoped to find a retort to my former master's final lesson." The woman explained, to the point. "If I allowed myself a few centuries more, perhaps it could still be found ... For the moment however, I have found my timeline manipulated by the young guardian of this planet for a purpose ultimately insignificant to my own ends. Yet, by my own word, I have bound myself to this task until it is completed."

Ishtar shrugged, before locking eyes with Ochazuke.

"So no. I cannot say I am enjoying myself now ... but perhaps that will change soon."

In the pursuit of truth one cannot be deterred by distractions. It would appear that Ishtar held in some way the means in common with the antique aescetics of this world in the pursuit of it.

The structure of truth held fast to foundations. How admirable, the pithy silence before she spoke once more, unobscured.

"Words and images shaped to the form of an idea are a poor substitute for experience," Ochazuke chuckled.

Like a poet describing the dawn, what is even the testament of a master's writ compared to beholding such a thing? She spoke to something old; older than Kami, beyond the concerns of the Guardian's ancient war, that primal assertion of all sentient beings.

Stepping around Ishtar, past the crumpled ruin of the door, Ochazuke entered the deactivated chamber, the hollow echo of his footsteps rang against singed walls and deadened circuits in the wake of its previous user. Setting his folded cloak aside, he turned. Folding a fist into an open palm, uncharacteristically, he looked at her and bowed. Respect wreathed his unspoken request.

Show me your truth. Do not waste this opportunity.

[Sion Reaver]

]

Totoma stared at Karine. He hadn't expected that, and he hadn't expected it right now. It must have been really troubling her.

He'd know she'd had a tough life early on, and she'd shared some tidbits about it, but she'd mostly seemed content to put it behind her. Wonder why it, uh... bubbled up now?

Still, while he'd seen her get angry--just yesterday, with Sarada, in fact--the idea of her actually hurting anyone in anger wasn't something he could really wrap his head around. She'd always been very gentle and kind.

He reached over and put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. It seemed like a good idea, but he was emotionally retarded half the time, so... bah, couldn't undo it, so no use worrying.

"Yeah, sometimes life is like a train," said Totoma. "But you can always get off at the next station and take a different train. Or the bus, a car... heck, fly away if you can do it."

There were times when you just had to sit down and wait until another option presented itself. And if one didn't appear... make one. That could just be his Saiyan blood talking.

"...I'm having a hard time imagining you just snapping like that, though."


Whoa, Kami was mad. Time to be a good boy and shut up.

It was normally true, Totoma wasn't wrong in the sense she didn't like violence but everyone had other sides to them that came out when pushed far enough. Karine knew she had a darker side, all her kind did but that's why they strived to control the negative aspects of their emotions so well. Just letting those negative emotions fester would lead to bad things without a proper release. If she had to say what her particular vice was, it was anger and rage even if she did her best to keep that particular beast locked under key.

Karine flushed at the physical contact, but didn't recoil. "..I think there's probably a lot of things we'd both be a bit surprised at we keep to ourselves." She said quietly. "..Later though, its not the time. Thank you.."

There was a full meeting going on, so the conversation at least a deeper one could wait for the given moment while Kami and Jinzi debriefed them.

[KamenRaida]

“To Korrimaru’s thoughts on the patrol, yes. A regular guard of fifteen men rotate around the base’s perimeter clockwise, never staying in one place for longer than a minute or so. They patrol for three hours or so and then fifteen more replace them.”

"I will join the group infiltrating the base. We will need to prepare distractions, escape options, and fallback plans in case we are discovered. The fact it is a renovated structure gives us an advantage, it was not designed to be what it is, so that creates weaknesses. There are two ideal methods. Infiltrate and escape unseen, or staging a false emergency to draw off Willa's forces so there are less enemies to discover us. Both have flaws. A pure infiltration leaves us surrounded by an unweakened enemy if we are discovered, but a false emergency puts the base on alert, perhaps to the point of increasing security around the dragonball."

“I am agreement with our mechanical friend on the options he has provided. That said, I believe the distraction will be a far wiser choice for us given how much of the base is made of open space. If Kami is right about the frequency of the patrols, we will haven fewer options to enter the base completely unnoticed.”

Koorimaru eyes fixed on the screen, “On the other hand, if we were to set a destraction, I have no doubt they will tighten their defences on the dragon balls. Which brings up another issue. I believe we should make a decision on the size of the raid squad. Needless to say, a squad that’s too large will bring unwanted attention but a squad too small will make circumstances where force is necessary difficult. I propose we bring enough individuals that can create distractions from multiple positions while maintaining the flexibility to move independently.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

In the pursuit of truth one cannot be deterred by distractions. It would appear that Ishtar held in some way the means in common with the antique aescetics of this world in the pursuit of it.

The structure of truth held fast to foundations. How admirable, the pithy silence before she spoke once more, unobscured.

"Words and images shaped to the form of an idea are a poor substitute for experience," Ochazuke chuckled.

Like a poet describing the dawn, what is even the testament of a master's writ compared to beholding such a thing? She spoke to something old; older than Kami, beyond the concerns of the Guardian's ancient war, that primal assertion of all sentient beings.

Stepping around Ishtar, past the crumpled ruin of the door, Ochazuke entered the deactivated chamber, the hollow echo of his footsteps rang against singed walls and deadened circuits in the wake of its previous user. Setting his folded cloak aside, he turned. Folding a fist into an open palm, uncharacteristically, he looked at her and bowed. Respect wreathed his unspoken request.

Show me your truth. Do not waste this opportunity.

Ishtar nodded.

Once more the man spoke true, and to the point. And then like that, he was behind her. Into the chamber she had forced herself out of in her first waking gasps, but why ? Turning around the Oni watched calmly as the man slowed, turned, and offered her the respect she felt her offered a select few ... his peers. The request the bow entailed however, was simple enough.

Do what words could not.

Fight.

Ishtar considered it a moment. Her body was still wracked with the dull ache of exertion from freeing herself from the gravity chamber he now stood yet. Yet ... the feeling in her bones was one of anticipation. The events of the day had stirred in her a sense of urgency, a need to force the issue and ultimately begin the slow process of reviving herself- her complete self- from its hibernation; and this one wished to test the resolve in that.

The Oni stepped into the chamber after Ochazuke, and closed the distance between them to a scant few feet. Reciprocating the bow then, the woman inhaled slowly, emptying her mind of all that was before this moment, and the moments to come; and when she exhaled, her fists burst into golden flames as her Ki manifested. A testament of her intent.

"So be it."

She gave the man a moment's understanding. He meant to test her in her waking- to test her resolve and see the truth in her. So would give him that gladly. Then all at once she was upon him, her body closing the distance between them in an instant; her right fist fired low and fast towards the man's chest.

[grampagen]

Ishtar nodded.

Once more the man spoke true, and to the point. And then like that, he was behind her. Into the chamber she had forced herself out of in her first waking gasps, but why ? Turning around the Oni watched calmly as the man slowed, turned, and offered her the respect she felt her offered a select few ... his peers. The request the bow entailed however, was simple enough.

Do what words could not.

Fight.

Ishtar considered it a moment. Her body was still wracked with the dull ache of exertion from freeing herself from the gravity chamber he now stood yet. Yet ... the feeling in her bones was one of anticipation. The events of the day had stirred in her a sense of urgency, a need to force the issue and ultimately begin the slow process of reviving herself- her complete self- from its hibernation; and this one wished to test the resolve in that.

Engaging in a fight was the unspoken conversation; ungilded by excess matters, one had no recourse but to speak through action. One must act to one's intent and respond in totality. Yet in subliminal ways the brief contact, the reading of action translation to motion allowed in its own way a profound insight.

The Oni stepped into the chamber after Ochazuke, and closed the distance between them to a scant few feet. Reciprocating the bow then, the woman inhaled slowly, emptying her mind of all that was before this moment, and the moments to come; and when she exhaled, her fists burst into golden flames as her Ki manifested. A testament of her intent.

"So be it."

She gave the man a moment's understanding. He meant to test her in her waking- to test her resolve and see the truth in her. So would give him that gladly. Then all at once she was upon him, her body closing the distance between them in an instant; her right fist fired low and fast towards the man's chest.

Breath rouses the ki. The little life-glimmer. Ki is the essence that gives form to intention. The golden flame of the oni lashed against the energy flow of Ochazuke's battle meditation. From a momentary spark, ignition. He stood taller than Ishtar, but this was but one layer of the conversation.

He exhaled, reaching his left hand out. Flames crackled against charged air as he made contact, checking her jab with a parry, carrying the momentum of her charge to her inside.

Venturing forward with a cautioned approach. Patience is a virtue for one who is timeless.

Having tested her range once, he moved to the outside and re-established a neutral distance. He spread his palms and shot his left hand forward with an open-palm jab of his own, testing her guard in turn.

Without risk, there is no fear of failure.

[rhyvurg]

“I am agreement with our mechanical friend on the options he has provided. That said, I believe the distraction will be a far wiser choice for us given how much of the base is made of open space. If Kami is right about the frequency of the patrols, we will haven fewer options to enter the base completely unnoticed.”

Koorimaru eyes fixed on the screen, “On the other hand, if we were to set a destraction, I have no doubt they will tighten their defences on the dragon balls. Which brings up another issue. I believe we should make a decision on the size of the raid squad. Needless to say, a squad that’s too large will bring unwanted attention but a squad too small will make circumstances where force is necessary difficult. I propose we bring enough individuals that can create distractions from multiple positions while maintaining the flexibility to move independently.”

"I am capable of assuming a burrowing form that can bypass most means of traditional detection, and mimicking animal sounds is trivial. In the dark I could get quite close undetected, but without more detailed data on their capabilities I cannot be sure. I propose a three pronged attack. One as a distraction, a great enough threat to warrant a major counteroffensive. A second, false infiltration, something for Willa to discover to make her assume she's seen through our ruse. Finally, the true attack to take the ball from her, that she will not discover because she will assume she already discovered our trick. The first two groups will need to be powerful enough to survive her forces, and have a means to escape, and the third will have to be ideal for going undetected, yet be able to penetrate any final defenses around the ball and escape."

[The Chou Lives]

“ I thought we were attacking when Willa is leaving for Kame island? As it’s a air base because there is a big as flying machine in their resources.”

[IGee]

The screen cuts away as the lights dim, and what appears to be a dirty alley is seen. Battersea, younger and shirtless, bloodied, is running down it before seven dark suited men appear at either end. They draw guns and open fire, but Simon effortlessly seems to dodge around each shot as he closes the distance. With single blows and moving faster than any here can perceive but Kami, he punches through their chests and heads easily, killing them all.

Another cuts away to Battersea fighting in what looks like a wasteland of some sort, dozens of monks around him as he grips in one hand a beautiful looking jade dragon claw. As the monks, all surrounded by battle aura's, attack, Simon powers up as well. His energy surge blows half of the attackers backwards from its force alone. The light suddenly dims in the video as power gathers in his open palm, which he crushes and hundreds of smaller ki beams emit from it, striking and killing the other half of the monks.

Again, another cut, this one to an underground tournament of some sort. Simon and another man are trading blows evenly it seems, until Simon grins and his fists ignite under his power, the blows suddenly speeding up far faster than before. Each time a blow lands, an audible crack is heard as the other man's bones break one at a time. When Simon is done, his opponent is left in a heap. Yet another video briefly shows Battersea fighting a giant man, easily thirty feet tall. He catches the man's blows and then casually kicks his knees out, forcing him to the ground. Once down, Battersea calmly grabs a multi-ton boulder and proceeds to strike the giant again and again in the head and chest with it until it's reduced to rubble.


Some World Martial Arts Tournament footage appears next, and this has a much more boisterous and playing around Battersea. No death blows, no big ki attacks. Instead, he seems to like taunting his enemies, noselling them, or simply one shotting them after they exhaust themselves fighting him.

"In regulation tournaments, he plays around. But outside, Battersea is efficient and direct. He doesn't wait around for people to power up, or talk, or anything. If you're in his way, he'll steam roll through you like you're a chump."

Slipping his reading glasses from his pocket, Ajna placed the wire rimmed frames on his nose as he peered down at his notebook, one of three. This one was had all the info he'd gathered about the "bad guys", their capabilities, and known resources at their disposal.

Simon Battersea, he wrote, underlying it twice. Ajna doodled an unflattering image with his head on an ass' body.

He was one of those celebrities who, just by looking at their face, you really were kind of sure they weren't the life of the party so much as the sort of person who relishes who kills it. From the looks it was image he cultivated with great enthusiasm. Ajna had only ever really seen the guy's face plastered on cheesy fight posters seeing as global news wasn't exactly what he watched when he managed to catch some tele time, nor was he hip to the latest and greatest tech.

Battersea was clearly a deadly foe not to be underestimated.

Ajna continued to take notes as the presentation is laid out piece by piece.

Despite the childish bickering it was information, with Ajna taking notes on each major player as they were spoke of.

Willa Rautt. He wrote and underlined it much as he did the name before.

"The base has three main hangers there, with the barracks across the airstrip there. The other buildings are mess hall, armory, recreation room, comm tower, etc....."

He gestures to the entire thing.

"Looks like an old, abandoned World Government base updated with more modern tech. If I had to guess, the place was scrapped and Willa found it some years ago and had her tech wipe it from the records. Probably gets a sick sense of satisfaction in having an old WG base being the place where she stages her attacks."

"My satellite's thermal scan showed 42 in the base at the time. Enough barracks for twice that much though."

"If Held's radar is still true, it will be located in the central barracks location. Probably a vault or something of Willa's."

Rolling his eyes at all the empty threats and unnecessary muscle flexing, Ajna waited for those with less self control to calm down. It was not his place to curb their more troublesome tendencies, though it did serve to underline his feelings. Though the tension was thick he could sense the readiness of the one called Kami to deal with it, though this feeling was bereft of killer intent. So nothing to worry about, save the real problem that plagued the whole damn world.

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

“To Korrimaru’s thoughts on the patrol, yes. A regular guard of fifteen men rotate around the base’s perimeter clockwise, never staying in one place for longer than a minute or so. They patrol for three hours or so and then fifteen more replace them.”

Ajna frowned as Kami told them that she would forfeit her life freely to any one of them if it was necessary, and he did his best not to stare at any who felt too little at hearing it. He wrote it down too though all the same, along with Jinzi's response to Koorimaru's question.

[rhyvurg]

“ I thought we were attacking when Willa is leaving for Kame island? As it’s a air base because there is a big as flying machine in their resources.”

Adam deigns to glance at Chou. "Assume the worst at all times, plan for catastrophe. That way, fortune can only favor you."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Some may indeed be amenable to resolving differences through a contest of arms. If you desire such with me, I would likely be willing. There is something to be said for blowing off steam." Asha'rah said, inclining her head slightly.

"That said, other cultures, other individuals will have their own methods. Negotiation, games, adjudication, mediation. In the heat of the moment, I would ask that you utilize that Saiyan mental discipline to keep an open mind."

Games, she liked. Negotiation was for weaklings like the Nevadians, she didn't know what adjudication was, and mediation was just compromise, the coward's way to a solution. Asha'rah suggested that she keep an open mind, but why? Her way was the best, most fun way. Fighting immediately revealed whose side of whatever -- argument, debate, discussion, whatever -- was correct.

Right?

A person would fight with their all to defend their point; whoever won obviously believed in their point more than the other, thus fighting harder. That person knew they were right, so fighting was the best way to solve all disputes.

"I'll try. I don't see the value in other methods of debate, but I guess I can try." She looked her over for the first time. "So, what's your story? Are you a robot or something?"

Kami sighs, then looks at Jinzi. The billionaire shakes his head no, but Kami just smiles sadly at him and then looks at the group.

“Before we continue, you need to be aware of something. There is a permanent means to make the dragonballs inert. Normally, the dragonballs are linked to their creator. The set here, however, is different than on Namek. The set on Earth is instead.......linked to the guardian of the planet. When we fought Old Kami, we severed his link to them permanently. When I took the position, the link passed to me.”

She holds a hand up to stop Jinzi who had moved towards her, about to try and stop what she was saying.

“If it becomes necessary, killing me will stop the dragonballs from working. I cannot kill myself, my position prevents me, but any of you could. I would not stop you.”

Well, they had a last ditch plan to stop Old Kami for good. Worse come to worse, Sarada would make the kill. Based on the argument they had just 'discussed', there were more than a few who were uncomfortable with taking a life. Multiplied with a life that many of them felt compelled to feel indebted to, she was willing to bet that none of them would be willing to step up to make the killing blow if all else failed.

Sarada felt so such confliction, so she would be the best candidate to kill Kami to save this worthless planet and, more importantly, fulfill her obligation to her.

To avoid yet another argument, she kept this to herself.

OOC: There is just one planet Namek, but Namekians do occasionally travel to the outside. Some of them are prepared for it, others not so much. In any case, that'd be the type of Namekian that the Saiyans would have captured.

OOC: Whoops, my bad. I'll make a note of that.

Totoma blinked. Had a fullblooded Saiyan just shown a brief moment of weakness? To him? That was a first, and it left him legitimately bewildered.

But when he thought about it, it made sense for her to confide in him, even a little. He had been to Vacado, spent time there. He didn't know her exact circumstances, but he did know what was at stake for her. Freedom, and, possibly, her life.

He had suffered a lot at the hands of purebreds. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he hated all purebreds except for his mother. Ten years ago, that hatred had burned much brighter. He had enjoyed inflicting suffering and the most humiliating of insults on purebreds.

But that had been ten years ago, and he'd had almost no contact with Saiyans since then. And yet, it seemed that he hadn't completely moved past those old wounds. He had written Sarada off before she'd even gotten a chance to change. His mother had eventually become a... better, if not good, person.

That conversation in the bath yesterday had been pretty normal, so he and Sarada could get along. Maybe not be friends, but at least talk without trying to tear eachother down, either emotionally or physically.

He sighed. He would probably regret this, but he would try to be mature towards her, as Ishtar wanted. Given his... issues... with purebreds, he would probably falter at times, but damn it, he'd try.

Totoma nodded. "Later, after training."

He had an idea for something they could do besides talk. Little training exercise his mother had developed years ago to help refine one's ki blast skills. Might be a fun way for her to unwind after a hard day.

She needed it--at this rate, she would stress out again and start having the same issue gaining power as she did on Vacado. And that wouldn't do for his rival. Definitely not.

She nodded once. If there was literally anyone else who knew what she was feeling, this conversation wouldn't be happening. But, there wasn't; she had no choice but to confide in the half-breed. Kami dammit, I hate this! I really hope, for his sake, he doesn't use this against me.

[KamenRaida]

"I am capable of assuming a burrowing form that can bypass most means of traditional detection, and mimicking animal sounds is trivial. In the dark I could get quite close undetected, but without more detailed data on their capabilities I cannot be sure. I propose a three pronged attack. One as a distraction, a great enough threat to warrant a major counteroffensive. A second, false infiltration, something for Willa to discover to make her assume she's seen through our ruse. Finally, the true attack to take the ball from her, that she will not discover because she will assume she already discovered our trick. The first two groups will need to be powerful enough to survive her forces, and have a means to escape, and the third will have to be ideal for going undetected, yet be able to penetrate any final defenses around the ball and escape."

"A three-pronged attack will indeed be most suitable for us under these circumstances. Perhaps the only disadvantage of this scenario is the counterattack they launch when they realise that the dragon ball is taken. As much as I would've liked us to take the dragon balls unnoticed, it seems we cannot avoid confrontation. Our main priority should remain focused on the retrieval of the dragon ball, but with them taken unawares and with the inevitable counter-offensive they will launch, our major offensive should be focused on eliminating as many of their numbers as possible." Koorimaru paused to allow the words to sink in, "In this mission, any chance we can take to eliminate one of their numbers without compromising our primary objective should be taken without hesitation."

[rhyvurg]

"A three-pronged attack will indeed be most suitable for us under these circumstances. Perhaps the only disadvantage of this scenario is the counterattack they launch when they realise that the dragon ball is taken. As much as I would've liked us to take the dragon balls unnoticed, it seems we cannot avoid confrontation. Our main priority should remain focused on the retrieval of the dragon ball, but with them taken unawares and with the inevitable counter-offensive they will launch, our major offensive should be focused on eliminating as many of their numbers as possible." Koorimaru paused to allow the words to sink in, "In this mission, any chance we can take to eliminate one of their numbers without compromising our primary objective should be taken without hesitation."

"Conventional weaponry can cover that, prepare the battlefield with explosives, traps and such. A purely stealthy approach would be ideal, but the danger we might face if discovered is great. There is no honor, there is no fair play, there is the goal, and how we can change the odds of success."