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

[Tami]

Praxat goes into Max Mode. " Don't know why I'm pulling this out. It's a waste of stamina and Ki, but okay," Praxat said.

"If you don't know why, then maybe you shouldn't, unless it's the best you got." Dash decided to give her an option, "Gonna stick with this or try somethin else?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"If you don't know why, then maybe you shouldn't, unless it's the best you got." Dash decided to give her an option, "Gonna stick with this or try somethin else?"

" Right now, Max Mode is my most powerful tech, but I know I can develop something better. Something more powerful than Max Mode without the drawbacks," Praxat said.

[Tami]

" Right now, Max Mode is my most powerful tech, but I know I can develop something better. Something more powerful than Max Mode without the drawbacks," Praxat said.

"Fair enough. Lets' give it a workout an see what we can do to make it better." Dash's bluish aura flares as she raises her hands over her head. Soon a flash of electricity Jumps from one hand to the other, "lets' see how you handle this." She then leaped back and fired off an electricity charged Ki blast at Praxat.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"Fair enough. Lets' give it a workout an see what we can do to make it better." Dash's bluish aura flares as she raises her hands over her head. Soon a flash of electricity Jumps from one hand to the other, "lets' see how you handle this." She then leaped back and fired off an electricity charged Ki blast at Praxat.

Praxat lets her self get hit by electricity charged Ki blast as she bulldozes through it. The electricity part of the Ki blast has no ill effect on Praxat. However, even without being effect by the electricity, Praxat does feel the concussive force of Dash's charged Ki blast, and even as Praxat is charging towards Dash. Dash can feel Praxat's Ki rapidly draining.

Praxat then shows surprising flexibility for her massive size and launches a punch that sends a shockwave towards Dash.

[grampagen]

The hanger doors of The Great Galloping opened, and the Nevadian activated his jet pack, gently setting himself down within. The doors began to close behind him, as he keyed a command into his wrist device, which transferred the command to the ship.

The Great Galloping gently lurched as it shot into space, following the coordinates set.

"I'll be there ASAP." Held continued as he snatched off his helmet, transferring the communication to a nearby screen on the Galloping. "Although, let me know if you hear anything else from my friends. It's not exactly protocol, but I'm not adverse to helping them express their..."

He chuckled.

".....'Disagreements with management' as you put it, if they find the negotiations to be more troublesome then they realized. I'm something of a negotiator myself."

"If you want a slice of that action, then you'll need to get here swiftly," Ulysses replied. "Fortunately, The Starmap Uplink should complete itself soon."

"Triangulate your position using our transponders on this frequency, and there's your planetside GPS. It's centred in on our location; the readout, despite all appearances, will be 0'0" by 0'0"."

His narrow eye winced at the admission, for leaving a planet's surface uncharted without latitude or longitude, even a hostile one, was an outstanding issue which he had no excuses for in this line of work. "It's...imprecise...but it will have to do, Admiral. We'll rendezvous when you arrive."

As the Captain ascended the pyramid, in spite of its engineered precision he was struck most by its uncanny design. Stretched between the superstructure beams was a network of fascicle tubes that seemed to make up the walls. Tapering shapes, stretching to angles that interlocked like conjoined limbs, they striated the ziggurat's mechanical interior.

With a dull, hollow thrum, they carried a strange energy like technorganic veins as they clustered toward the apex chamber. The sounds of battle he'd heard before were no longer so remote, the clash shaking the walls, the sound of metal on metal splitting the air sharply and echoing throughout the complex.

Taking a step forward, the back of his throat stung with a biting inhale. So consumed he'd been with keeping his guard up that Ulysses hadn't noticed just how cold the chamber had become until his breath fogged the air. Jungle humidity had collected itself into crystalline frost that broke under his boot. Condensation broke into steam that caught the artificial light of the temple walls and twisted upwards, the perimeter a curious waver between ice and thaw.

Then the floor surged upwards, shattered upon a mighty blow. Led by the point of a great blade, it burst into scattering shards lancing upon the Navigator's light shield, and as he gazed through the transparency, he could make out three silhouetted figures. Dusky, shrouded in decor and finery, two of them fled further up as the third emerged.

He turned to join his companions, when suddenly a sharp noise echoed through the air.

BGM - SOTN Prologue

"---b-o-o-ooooooOOOOJAAAAAAAAAAAAACK-!!!!!!"

A rush of blue light flood the chamber as a great pillar followed the fleeing Threshlings, slammiing the Silver Knight flat against the ceiling and sending him plummeting gracelessly upon the floor. Ulysses crouched behind his shield in disbelief.

What the hell? That was the Cook?!

"Villain! Feel the bludgeon of my Valiantium Staff!" Zaofan spun his staff wreathed in energy at his side as he landed. "Of course, you won't be feeling it for long! ...because you'll be knocked out."

No reply was made, no sound besides the glide of plate-on-plate as the Knight's armoured frame slowly rose.

"Well met, dull creature. To think that I, Canin the Severing Sword, should be tested by-"

"Ryuka Dodonpa!"

Striking swiftly, the tongue of hardened flame pierced with a furor, and lash of torrid plasma ignited in a white blaze upon all the Silver Knight's armoured frame. As the light died down, Ochazuke rose to join his martial brother's side.

Kneeling in the ashes of the floor burned concave, Canin shuddered within his burning armor, hissing red metal pooling its adorned standards to slag, weeping in scalding droplets that fell between fused plate joints.

"Stand down," came the final warning.

The Threshling knight's armour buckled, twist, and split as its shape contorted under the great strength beneath it. A shadow veil seeped through the shredded gaps, like molten smoke that quickened and scabbed darkly over his armour, retaining its lustre even in spite of its gnarled state.

"Though might may be the sole language we hold in kind, my dialect is no kindred of your churlish valour."

If he had been fazed, his voice betrayed none of it, and if anything his armour seemed to grow greater in its stature. In an instant the air stilled, and a strange aura began to expand around him. Ochazuke Zaofan reflexively fired a Dodonpa and Optic Blast forward, but no sooner had the the beams impacted the miasma they arrested themselves just before impacting their target, and Canin lift his blade. The swathes of energy were slashed into fallen pillars that scattered about his frame like broken ice.

"For my service is beholden to a higher calling. It is my duty, sworn to his Victory! You may have caught us off-guard once, Outworlders, but those test the might of Auroc shall be broken. It is his Will that shall seed his Glory, and my blade to reap his Truth from the chaff of delusion!"

In response Zaofan clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Remember Amdapor...?"

Caught in the crossfire, Ulysses Prizzm, witness to this, found his sharp, jaded tongue for the moment struck quite dumb.

"Behold our quarry, Captain," Ochazuke said, "They stand in this obsidian tower looking down on those below. The grind them into the mortar of their Empire and call it salvation."

"Impure disparity, the great enemy of unity. Blaspheme if you will, foreign knave, for it shall be molten down and recast from the forges of belief."

"Brittle ethos and soft minds are all that results from your crucible."

The students of Zxu'ro, so near to the final stretch of their months-long journey into uncharted space, saw the blade of the Threshling Empire rise, and swiftly moved forward to meet it.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The moment Sarada stepped foot inside Lasair's realm, she saw him waiting for her.

"So, you have finally arrived," he said, arms folded over his chest. "And unfortunately for you, you are alone. You will not survive this time!!"

Sarada still had the ice tear Oighear gave her years ago to survive the extreme heat. She was just going to straight up kick the **** out of this little bastard and knock him down a peg. It wasn't going to be a lesson for her, but for him; and that lesson was to not fucking with Queen Sarada. She powered up and charged straight for Lasair, who in turn charged for her.

The two collided, creating a shockwave that ripped through the ground like tissue paper. Both combatants were flung in opposite directions. Sarada righted herself first and flew toward Lasair. She sent a pair of blasts to herald her arrival. They were dodged and left to harmlessly sail over the horizon.

"It seems you have learned nothing!" He roared and unleashed a tremendous heat wave that warped the air between himself and Sarada.

Sarada tried to power through, but somehow, the haet was too intense for her to breach the distance. She growled and flew up high to try and think of a strategy. Damn it! Just punching him isn't going to work, she groused silently. That was the entire point, yes, but she still wanted to do this one fight her way.

She knew that she was likely stronger than he was, but by how much wasn't certain. However, he complete mastery over fire and heat gave him an advantage. However, she knew that fire needed three things to thrive: oxygen, heat, and fuel. Lasair was both the source of heat and the fuel, meaning he still needed oxygen to thrive. Much like her fight with Oighear, she knew exactly what to do.

From what she could tell, Lasair was a hot head like her. That meant that he could be easily goaded into making mistakes. Of course, that wasn't to say that Sarada was easily goaded, because she wasn't. She was far to astute and sharp-witted to be fooled by simple schemes and deceptive tactics. Unlike the dummy she was fighting, she used her brain while fighting.

The two clashed pretty evenly, though Sarada was purposefully holding back to lull him into a false sense of security. The ice tear protected her from the burns that would have resulted from touching his super-heated form and she was still too fast to actually be in danger of being hit. After so many quests where she couldn't fight her opponent, it felt good to actually do some punching. The only downside was that both beings were weaker than her, so she didn't gain anything from it.

With that in mind, she decided to wrap things up. There was no point in dragging things out and wasting time. She had two fights to go after this one and at least one of them was promising.

The dance between the two fiery warriors continued unabated. They dashed across the gloomy sky, creating shockwaves that rocked the surrounding area with each clash. The longer it went on, the more Sarada was enjoying herself. This was what she had been missing.

"Well, dummy," she said suddenly. "Time to end this."

If Lasair had eyebrows, one of them surely would have been raised. "Surrender is not an option. You will see this fight through to the end."

"Ha! You would think that I'm the one that'll be doing the quitting!" She clenched her fist, then thrust it forward. A green barrier quickly formed and surrounded Lasair, sealing him off completely from the outside world. She smirked and watched him begin to understant the dire straits he suddenly found himself in. "Confused? Lemme dumb it down for you. Fire needs three components to start: fuel, oxygen, and heat. You know that better than me. Without one, no fire. I took away your oxygen, so your fire should be dying out pretty soon."

Lasair was silent. Clearly, he was dumbfounded by Sarada's clever strategy and was struggling to figure out a means of escape. Assuming he had two brain cells - or whatever these things had for brains - to rub together, he would figure out eventually that there was no escape. He wasn't strong enough to brute-force his way out, and there wasn't a crack or tiny hole in her shield for him to worm his way out. Escape was quite impossible.

Like a caged animal, he lashed out. His power blazed and lashed out against the barrier. The large green sphere was filled with the ardent flames of a young master, yet it was of no avail. Yet, even despite his lack of headway, he persisted.

Sarada raised an eyebrow. Surely he would have run through the oxygen that had been left in the barrier by then. "Hey, what gives?" Then, her barrier started to crack. "What?!" She quickly reinforced it, even as he continued to lash out.

She didn't understand. Then, she quickly realized where her thinking was askew. I've been thinking about this all wrong. These creatures have mastered their elements. She went back to her first fight with Gaineamh. It said there was a reason they were the Archons of their species. She didn't pay it any attention at the time, but she then realized what she meant. They were the elite. Snuffing out Lasair's flame wasn't going to be as simple as applying science to something that was well beyond science.

"So, you finally understand," he stated while drawing back his power. She quickly noticed that it was diminished, but still burned brightly. "You will never snuff out my flame. It is impossible. There is a reason, out of all the powerful fire elementals of my species, that I am the Archon of the Flame. I have worked for my entire existence to hone my control over fire."

Sarada felt her eyes widen a touch. He had worked his entire life to get to where he was right then. "That sounds familiar."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was one of the weakest members of my own race just a few years ago. I've worked hard to gain the strength I have and earned the mantle and the right to rule over my people." She frowned heavily. This was not how she expected this fight to go. She wanted to pound his face in and snuff out his flame like a cheap candle. Not only was the latter impossible, but they had more in common than she thought.

"I see." He fell silent, hands lazily hanging at his sides. "You are a Queen. I am not royalty, but I am the leader of the fire elementals that rule this world. I know we'll the burden leadership places on an individual, especially one so "young".

She had a feeling that was the way it was. From the way the other Archons deferred to her, she could tell that Criostalach was the leader. How she gained that position wasn't known, but she was definitely the most powerful. That Lasair was so "young" and was also the leader of his tribe was impressive. And relatable. "I see." She disengaged the barrier. "We're more alike than I realized."

Both hot-headed and prone to making decisions based on emotion, rather than rational thinking. Not to mention they both had a predisposition to kill anyone who grieved them in any way, rather than punish in a more just manner. Sarada had managed to get over that in the last few years, but the urge still lingered at times.

"So, no one can cut off your power?"

"That is correct. It is still possible for lesser elementals, but Archons are the best our species have to offer. Your ploy would have only slowed me down, but stopped me completely."

That was good to know, and a very interesting ability to have. The ki draining techs Parsley and Avoca had made them both very annoying to fight. If she could learn how to resist that, then she could mop the floor with both of them no problem.

She had a feeling there was more to this than a simple fight, given how Lasair seemed to lose the bloodlust he appeared to have before. "Your ploy from before was a sound one, but you mistakenly assumed I was beholden to your laws of science. Basing strategy on assumptions is dangerous and will only very likely lead to defeat."

She took in his words quietly. He may have been the youngest of the Archons, but he was still thousands of years older than her. He had likely faced an untold number of adversaries who tried every permutation of techniques, ploys, and tactics to best him. That he was still there proved how formidable he was. "Yeah, that was my mistake." Again, her lack of awareness showed itself.

"Good."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

She spent the rest of the day with Lasair, a far cry from the urgency she treated the previous phases of her quest. Being young rulers who had to earn the respect of their peers, she had quite a bit to learn from him.

The remainder of that day passed, giving way to the night and then the morning sun. "...nd once I determined that Inanna was not the Ishtar who destroyed Ilargi over five thousand cycles ago, I had no choice but to let go my rage and want for vengeance." He sighed. "In truth, it devoured me alive for so long. Now that it has been exorcised, I feel much better."

He let go of his vendetta? She supposed that if Inanna had been training wtih these creatures for so long, that something would have needed to change. "I understand. Then, in that case, there's no point in me continuing to hold my grudge." She felt that it was a personal affront whenever someone made an attempt on her Oni's life - or whatever Inanna was. That dated all the way back to when Ishtar was still around and kicking, and it wouldn't change any time soon.

"That is good to hear. Sound leadership, I have learned, requires a clear mind. Thoughts of revenge and bouts of anger only cloud the hear and judgment."

She had a feeling that was a lesson he had to have impressed on him more times than anyone could count. She knew she did. "I'd better get going. I have two more stops to make and then I'm done." She saluted and bowed slightly. "It's been fun. Let's do it again sometime!"

"Indeed, young one. I will be here, waiting for you."

She smiled and nodded, and took off for the next realm. From what they talked about the day before, the next realm should have been the Archon of Tintreach. "Lightning, hm? That should be fun."

[Tami]

Praxat lets her self get hit by electricity charged Ki blast as she bulldozes through it. The electricity part of the Ki blast has no ill effect on Praxat. However, even without being effect by the electricity, Praxat does feel the concussive force of Dash's charged Ki blast, and even as Praxat is charging towards Dash. Dash can feel Praxat's Ki rapidly draining.

Praxat then shows surprising flexibility for her massive size and launches a punch that sends a shockwave towards Dash.

Relaxing her body, Dash catches the shockwave and allows it to push her backwards, back far enough to evade Praxat's punch. Catching herself and remaining upright, she then taps into the speed boost of the Spirit of the Storm and moves in quickly. As she moves, she draws on the air, summoning it to her as she races around her training partner in a blur of motion. The motion creating a vortex of air and wind, with Praxat in it's eye. Praxat can begin to feel her feet leaving the ground as she is dragged upward.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

After all this time, and all endless effort he had been putting in the last several months, the time was upon him. It was time for Pinach to either ascend or die. And the means Rousong planned on using were, in his own words, terrifying.

Pinach didn't scare easily. Even still, what was coming up filled him with a measure of dread. But the power and status that awaited him was worth it.

With a determined expression, he nodded. "Let's do it!"

Rousong turned, then nodded. "Good. The method will be simple--we will fight, and you will either meet my expectations or fail to meet them. Live or die, that's it." His tone of voice made it clear that he would not hesitate (...much) to slay the young hero, if he faltered. He wouldn't enjoy it, but without that element of danger--that need--then Pinach would never be able to transform.

At the same time, he wouldn't go all out... he would use just enough power to overwhelm the boy, but not enough to simply kill him instantly. A delicate balance, but one he could strike very easily.

Cracking his neck a few times, Rousong then dropped into a fighting stance, waiting for Pinach to do the same. Once the boy had done so, Rousong shot at him, aiming a heavy knee strike at the boy's center of mass. He wasn't using his full power or speed, so it would be within Pinach's ability to block, but after he was done giving the boy a chance to display his progress, the Emperor would gradually ramp things up until Pinach had but one choice... ascend or die.

Show me your mettle, Hero.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Eva gasps, looking around in darkness. The vision, something that hadn’t happened since her resurrection and loss of wish granted Fate altering powers, is unexpected. Looking around, her gaze stops as a faint figure emerges.



The figure smiles, grey eyes twinkling as it places a single finger to Eva’s forehead and speaks a single word:

‘Observe’

Images run through Eva’s head, like a movie on high speed. After a minute, she staggers back, blood dripping from her nose as her own eyes take on a glow reminiscent of when she plucked on Fate’s strings. A strange power beats within her body as the stranger cocks his head to the side.

‘The time to move is now, Fate Changer. I await the upcoming storm. Good luck.’

He fades, as does the darkness, and Eva awakes.

———————

Eva gasps, blood leaking down her nose as she looks around her room. Eyes glowing, she pauses and listens, watches, then calls Robin Kai to her. When he comes, she issues her orders swiftly.

“Take Praxat and Dash out of the RoSaT. They can finish up later. Also contact Inanna, Neva, the Saiyans, and everyone else still here. Auroc needs to fall now. Their ride is already on its way.”

Kai nods and runs to get the two out of the RoSaT. After wards, he summons all the M-Fighters they can to the Lookout.

All the while, Eva stands and waits their arrival by the edge of the Lookout, Fate in her eyes as she watches something.

[Tami]

Praxat lets her self get hit by electricity charged Ki blast as she bulldozes through it. The electricity part of the Ki blast has no ill effect on Praxat. However, even without being effect by the electricity, Praxat does feel the concussive force of Dash's charged Ki blast, and even as Praxat is charging towards Dash. Dash can feel Praxat's Ki rapidly draining.

Praxat then shows surprising flexibility for her massive size and launches a punch that sends a shockwave towards Dash.

Relaxing her body, Dash catches the shockwave and allows it to push her backwards, back far enough to evade Praxat's punch. Catching herself and remaining upright, she then taps into the speed boost of the Spirit of the Storm and moves in quickly. As she moves, she draws on the air, summoning it to her as she races around her training partner in a blur of motion. The motion creating a vortex of air and wind, with Praxat in it's eye. Praxat can begin to feel her feet leaving the ground as she is dragged upward.

This was the 2nd day of Training. By the time Kai goes for them, a little more than two weeks had past within the RoSaT, each day they worked on techniques and on becoming stronger.

Praxat and Dash had just finished a sparring session when the door to the RoSaT opened and they heard Kai's voice calling to them. Returning back inside the building, they were told that Eva had summoned them early.

In moments, they had gathered up what few belongings they had brought with them then followed Kai out and back to where Eva was gathering everyone.

OOC: Posting this since Bruce isn't online. He can add to it or we can change it if needed.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

At Parsley direction, Pinach left with his little niece in tow. In all likelihood, Pois would be in something resembling a position to care for the infant on top of her two children. All five would be on Langal, which was likely the most secure planet in the empire due to its distance from the other worlds. Knowing that her children were safe put her mind somewhat at ease. She wouldn't be completely at rest until she knew the fate of her wife versus Tundra's forces on Ruco, and until Sarada killed Tundra and ended this madness once and for all. Until then, she would be on edge.

She intended on joining Pinach for a spell, but Ronin Kai suddenly summoned her. He spoke and moved with a sense of urgency she hadn't seen in some time. She held her questions until she found Eva at the edge of the Lookout. "What's going on? Has Auroc made his move already?"

It had barely been a day since he was humiliated on Vocado. She would have thought he would take some time to recollect himself. If that even happened, then he was able to regain his composure and make adjustments in his overall plans. Whatever the case, she was ready to end him once and for all. For the good of not only the universe, but the Threshling in particular, he needed to die quickly. The creature had aspirations that would plunge everything into darkness.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Totoma, once he was able, returned home. As much as it pained him, he wouldn't be any good to his friends now. For now, he needed to rest. And, hey, he could spend some quality time with Karine and the kids, so that was a plus.

As he entered his house, he was greeted by the scents of cooking--his father, no doubt--and his mouth began to water. Yeah, he didn't need to eat these days, but he still enjoyed it, and his father's cooking was so damn good. Moving through the house to the dining room, he found... something--or someone--unexpected in the dining room.

His kids were there, as expected, and, of course, they ran over and hugged him, but the real surprise was the man they'd been playing with. He was an older, neatly-dress gentleman, with blonde hair, a neatly-trimmed (...and also blonde) beard, and a strong frame.




One might think a 'strange man' in his house would put the Just Saiyan on edge, but this man was no stranger to him. He knew him quite well, as he was the former leader of his mother and father's merc group...

"Voyavoda, ha ha, hey, it's been so long! How ya been?" he said, picking up his kids and walking over to the table.

Voyavoda smiled. "A little over... ten years, if I recall? Ja, it has been quite some time, hasn't it? I am... as fine as I can be, considering..." He trailed off for a moment. "...certain recent personal issues. Decided it was time to catch up with Bekon, you, and... your mother, whom I've not had a chance to speak with since Lobatus graciously advocated for her revival to the Namekian Elders. How have you been, Toto... or perhaps you'd prefer me to call you the 'Just Saiyan'?"

"Ehhh, good... and bad. Lots has happened today."

"Oh? I'm all ears, if you feel like getting some stuff off your shoulders. It will be quite some time before your father finishes, and you know how... focused he can get."

He was right, of course. Only a few things could get his dad out of 'the cooking zone', and none of the ones that didn't involve punching were available, so...

"Well..." he began. And with that, he explained, in as much detail as he could manage, what he'd gone through. All through it, Voyavoda listened quietly, occasionally rubbing his beard in thought. By the time he'd finished... his dad was still not done.

"I see... so the Saiyan worlds were attacked--twice, at that--as well as Capsule Corp... and you seemed to have burnt yourself out as a result of that battle on Ruco, only for an alternate version of you to... perform some sort of ki healing on you?" Voyavoda fell silent, rubbing his beard in thought even more.

"...Totoma, you never cease to amaze me with how much trouble you get yourself into, and I've had to deal with Solana getting herself into trouble, and let me tell you, she is quite the firebrand, that one," he said, a small smirk spreading across his face. "Speaking of, she was quite... disappointed to hear you'd gotten married."

Totoma blinked. Solana was Voyavoda's granddaughter, and one of his childhood friends--heck, he'd even saved her from saiyan slavers like... fifteen years ago or something--but the difficulty in communicating and especially getting to Nevadian space means they'd grown apart. "...uh, that's a bit weird. Why?"

Voyavoda's expression went blank for a moment, and then he laughed. "You know her. Competitive, doesn't like losing."

Losing? What the heck was he talking ab--

...

Oh. Wait, did... did Solana have a...

...right, well, guess it was a moot point now.

"Oh, uh... well, I mean..."

The older man waved away his concerns. "She'll get over it. Solana may be hotheaded, but that hot head is a good one... usually. Now..." He leaned back in his chair, doing that beard-rubbing thing again.

"Would you like me to look into it?"

"Uh, look into what?"

"This Threshling Matter. I could perhaps... represent you when it comes time to go face them. I've been out of the action for far, far too long and I feel the need to stretch my legs, so to speak," he said. "And considering the effects of the Threshlings' actions on the Riskbreakers--and you especially--as well as the danger they clearly represent, I feel obligated to do something."

"Aw, man, I appreciate the thought, but you don't have to do that. I mean, at least tell your wife you're gonna go out and punch people," said Totoma.

The older warrior fell silent for a moment and Totoma 'felt' a slight tinge of... sadness and pain from him. After a moment, he spoke. "...unfortunately, I can no longer do that. She... is no longer with us. As selfish as it may be, I am here, in part, to see if friends can soothe the pain of that loss."

"O-oh, I'm... sorry..." Totoma paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Jeez, if there's anything I can do, just ask."

Voyavoda stood up and ruffled Totoma's hair, something he always did when he was a kid. "It's not your fault she passed... age is an enemy not even the mightiest of warriors can prevail against... for the part."

"?"

"Now, what say you? I won't involve myself in this of my own accord, but if you were to request that I do so on your behalf..." In a way, he almost seemed to be pleading, in his own subtle way. Perhaps he felt something important to focus on would help take his mind off his wife's death.

Totoma mulled on it for a few seconds, then sighed. "...yeah, not gonna lie, it bothers me--a lot--that I can't see this Threshling stuff through, but I'd feel a ton better if I had someone there giving them my, uh... regards. But are you sure you can handle it, ya old coot? Everyone's fighting in the big leagues now, not, uh... the little leagues, like back when the riskbreakers were still around." He didn't actually know how old Voyavoda was, other than being a grandfather.

...he didn't actually know what species he was, either.

Voyavoda smiled. "This old soldier still has a few bullets left in his gun, and a few tricks up his sleeve... and it's not as if I've been sitting idle these years. I'll be fine."

"Well... alright. You should head to the lookout and tell 'em I sent you. It's the place with a bunch of strong powers, can't miss it," said Totoma.

"Excellent, I--"

"Alright, food's ready. Sorry it too--...oh, son, you're back. Where's your mother?"

"Oh, ya know... off fighting dragon-men and stuff."

Bekon stared at Totoma for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "...should've known. Right, well, everyone sit down, because have I got a treat for you!"

For the next few minutes, Bekon--with Totoma's help--laid out an absolutely delectable selection of meats, cheeses, fruit & veggies dishes, and drinks. Since everyone that was likely to be there--apparently Karine was visiting some distant relatives with her folks?--Totoma, his kids, his brother, father, and Voyavoda enjoyed a nice, relaxing meal together, reminiscing about old times, catching up, and getting covered in mashed potatoes because three toddlers thought it'd be funny to start a food fight.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

This was the 2nd day of Training. By the time Kai goes for them, a little more than two weeks had past within the RoSaT, each day they worked on techniques and on becoming stronger.

Praxat and Dash had just finished a sparring session when the door to the RoSaT opened and they heard Kai's voice calling to them. Returning back inside the building, they were told that Eva had summoned them early.

In moments, they had gathered up what few belongings they had brought with them then followed Kai out and back to where Eva was gathering everyone.

OOC: Posting this since Bruce isn't online. He can add to it or we can change it if needed.

Dash, thanks to our training in that room, which has been cut short. I have learned how to combine my Bio-Electromagnetic field with my Ki aura to keep my body at a constant temperature when it's cold. I'm also well on my way to developing a new power-up tech that will surpass Max Mode," Praxat whispered.

As she has a flashback of her eyes flickering blue with electricity, During her training in the RoSaT.

[Miburo]

It's centred in on our location; the readout, despite all appearances, will be 0'0" by 0'0"."

The Galloping was fast, making pace at speeds that would dazzle even the most sleek of ships, perhaps rivaled by some prototype GP Cruisers, and of course, the Gallopings own sister ships.

Held sat cross legged within an empty section of the ship, clearly a training hall of some sort to allow a warrior to maintain his keen edge, even in the depths of space.

His breathing was slow, even and deep, a habit born of training as much as the necessity of doing so in an area where the gravity had been artificially enhanced. Yet another of the newer modifications Jinzi had added. It was heavy enough to make the Nevadian aware of it, and let light enough as to avoid seriously taxing his body.

It was Helds way of putting himself through his paces; It had been too long since he had found the time to train as he ought; Moments were taken here and there, but the relentless onslaught of duty had put a slight bit of rust on the most keen edge of the Nevadian Spearsman.

Breathe....Bring nothing into this moment....

Against such powerful foes, Held would not be so overconfident as to fight them unprepared.

Breathe.....Focus....Calm.....Peaceful....This is what it means to be of the Unicorn...

The strain of gravity faded into the background. However, something else popped in the the Nevadians mind, distracting him from his meditation.

"A flawed conception." Crazy Horn bellowed, extending his neck as the point of his horn was jut towards the Nevadian, threatening to skewer him, "The purity you've obtained is the result of a flaw inherent in most life forms."

The Nevadian's hand glow white as he chopped at the horn, narrowly deflecting it to his side, poised to counter with a knee--

Only to be launched in the opposing direction when his opponent slammed the entirety of his neck into him, sending him crashing and rolling onto the earth.

"Grace. Poise. Calm. Beauty. These are all inherent in what we---what I am." Crazy Horn continued, snorting as Held somersaulted to his feet. "But purity, above all else. You have understood the tenets, but the purity you have obtained is but a pale shadow cast by the blazing sun of true righteousness."

Held said nothing in response, his mind as clear as a river as he advanced towards his opponent, launching himself into the air, leg raised high as it threatened to collide with the crown of the Majestic Beast.

Crazy Horn advanced, as even Ki enhanced bone was at a disadvantage against the Unicorn's Pride.

"Purity is not equanimity, it is not gained by the emptiness that you bring into battle, nor is it something as trite and simplistic as ones lack of sexual depravity, or the quelling of the chaos in ones soul."

A feint. The Nevadian lowered his leg, corkscrewing threw the air, before landing to the side of Crazy Horn. His leg shot out in a fluid motion as he spun, threatening to sweep the front legs of the beast.

"I could walk through hell, subject to all manner of debasement and depravity, and still myself I would remain." He hopped backwards slightly, before raising himself onto his hind legs. "And I would still raise all the wickedness and inequities of this world into ashes and nothingness."

The Nevadian advanced in an instant, a palm strike finding its way towards the center of the Unicorns stomach, sending it sliding backwards, if only slightly. It showed no sign of discomfort.

"True Purity is not simply loftiness of spirit, or perfection of body. It is the will to cast judgement on the wicked of the world; to disdain them, and to take pleasure in the conquest of the just, over the unjust."

Held paused for a moment, somewhat confused by his mentor's ideals.

"....That is...Unusual." Held said after a moment, "And the feelings you describe are---"

"Easy to lead you astray." Crazy Horn confirmed, nodding his head as all four feet touched the ground. "This is the fear that lead to your people stripping away the emotions I bring into battle. It was far too easy to become intoxicated by ones own virtue...."

The Ancient Creature shook its head, as if remembering a distant memory.

"It was far to easy to be blinded by one's own power and self righteousness, foolishly believing it to be a holy light, when it is the scorching fire built by allowing ones anger at the inequities of this world to consume you."

Crazy Horn fell on the ground, reclining on its side with a grace that can only be considered awesome.

The Nevadian walked closer, before sitting down, placing his knees into his chest.

"....Anger blinds you to reality." Held replied, considering his own--His Tribes--feelings on this matter, "It makes one sloppy. It makes one stupid. It makes one the very antithesis of what you describe. The very act of judging with passion throws one of center, let alone with anger."

"The Sunlit Planes is a place of Judgement. The Wicked do not thrive. I cast judgement as easily as I cast breathe. Through knowing myself, the universe, and the dispositions of those within, I act in accord with the ideals this universe was forged---"

He snorted, "Or rather, should have been forged with. Have you never wondered why our aura's of purity were so different? That Aura of purity you possess is a stout shield, fortifying yourself, while weakening the wicked. My aura of righteousness destroys the wicked, while sparring the pure. A subtle difference, but surely you see it, if your eyes are half as potent as you claim them to be."

The Nevadians frown deepened. "I could spend all night reciting the names of my tribesmen who fell into wickedness because of what you are advocating for." Held replied, sighing deeply as he procured a bottle of wine from a capsule, before drinking deeply of it.

"They got so full of themselves that they overstepped from being 'just' or 'virtous' or 'right' into something close to tyranny....Correct me if I'm wrong but....."

He sighed, "As things were, my father explained to me that the Unicorn and Bicorn tribes were one in the same, with the latter...."

He fumbled for the words. "Drinking too deep from the well, I guess, and leaving after they bought what the Bicorns were saying."

Crazy Horn gave no reply, impassively looking upon his student, expecting him to say more.

"Let me put it another way." He continued, grumbling, "The Silver Spear I carry is my birthright, as a member of the Bicorn clan. That Golden Spear---your spear--was something I earned through being the most prolific of my brothers with the spear, despite being adopted into the Clan."

"I have realized all of these things, yes. We have had this conversation before." Crazy Horn replied, his laughter booming through the trees, "I am old, not senile. It changes nothing."

"Yeah, that's great and all, but I'm sure you see where I'm going. If I try let myself get carried away, like I almost did when Charco---"

"All are one. The differences between both tribes are a difference of opinion. One holds a flawed, asinine opinion, to be sure
but there is no inherent wickedness passed down the line....However, fear and superstition inevitably take hold and certain taboos are maintained. While these are for understandable reasons, one who obtains true understanding should have no fear to go beyond them."

He tilted his head towards the bottle Held carried, and the Nevadian rose to his feet, helping to quench the thirst of his master.

Who drained the whole bottle.

"...I liked that brand, dammit." Held mumbled.

"You were right to grieve the death of your friend, and you were right to wish to send that Doctor to the hereafter. While her life was tragic, her actions were one filled with hate, spite, and wickedness. Only in death was she redeemed. You know this as well as I."

Held shrugged.

"The Anger is not the issue. The uses of that anger, the reason behind it is. So long as you are mindful, so long as you seek to vanquish the evil so the good may flourish, so long as you despise the depraved, then I have no doubt that someone of your disposition need not fear falling prey whatever befell your kinsmen."

He released a surprisingly graceful belch.

"The difference between the Bicorn Clan and The Unicorn are no different then both sides of your hands." Crazy Horn continued, nonplussed, "Even the difference between true Unicorns, and True Bicorns, stem from--

Destination Approaching

The Ovehead speakers boomed in the Nevadians ears, as the formerly red lights flashed white.

Destination Approaching

"Computer. Halt Gravity."

The Gravity suddenly relaxed its hold, and Held felt his body become much lighter, as he felt invigorated.

"Good Grief. I can't tell if I lost that much focus, or if we're that fast."

He hopped to his feet with a grunt, before swiftly stretching in all directions.

"Computer. Begin landing procedure." The Nevadian commanded, exiting the chamber and walking towards the rear entryway of the ship. "Keep us about 300 kilometers away from the coordinates given."

It'll be too much of a pain to try and land in all that brush and with all those temples...

The ship beeped in confirmation, and the Nevadian pushed a button on a nearby wall, and the rear hatch opened with little fanfare.

He stopped for a moment, feeling out for the Ki signatures of his allies. As strong and potent as they were, it took little effort to find them, along with unfamiliar, foreign ones radiating dark intent.

"Yeah...That's definitely them, and they're definitely busy." Held mumbled, jumping out of the ship as a white aura flared around him, as he launched himself towards there position at super sonic speeds, "I better get a move on."