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((Reposted from previous thread))
Earth's Orbit
Fortunately the Captain has enough sense to not test that theory. Traveling with a world-annihilator tends to do that. One moment, please. The airlock depressurizes again, before the door opens back into the vacuum of space.
"Silly Appy! One would think you'd see the connection immediately, but now I have to painfully torture metaphorical gamblers:"
She pulls out a stack of ordinary poker cards, and begins shuffling them.
"Everyone in this life plays a game of cards. With the hand you are dealt you either have high numbers..."
She suddenly fans a hand of a king, queen, jack, a ten and a nine.
"....Or low numbers."
22 reshuffles them and shows a hand of 2's and 3's and an Ace.
"And you have to play this game of bluffs and hands and betting stakes, of going for longshots or choosing to fold, and by learning how to play the game, you go beyond your starting hand to discard and draw better ones. Playing what cards you will for the results you want. But of course, not everyone is playing with the same deck yes?"
She keeps shuffling- then pulls out a hand impossible to get in the game: five 13's, one in each suite then an extra in a made up suite of shovel, on each card an image of various people: Broly, Freeza, Cell, Saitama, Superman. Saitama was the shovel suite.
"Some get cards that no one else has. That defeat all other combinations, even through normally impossible. A hand that allows them to play and win recklessly without thought, as long as they don't encounter anyone capable of playing the game better."
She reshuffles and pulls out five Tarot cards instead: The Tower, The Fool, The Devil, The Chariot, The Wheel of Fortune.
"....And of course, some play with Tarot cards, while others? Just outright cheat. They stack the deck, they slip the cards they want or arrange things so that others get bad hands while they get good ones. And of course, some store cards up their sleeve for when its desperately needed....and others? Find ways of knowing what card they are going to draw next before they draw it, their top card always facing upwards to their eyes."
She shuffles the cards back in, the strange abnormal cards disappearing.
"Its poker Apfel. Of all people, your probably this era's best player. You know that some cards aren't played until some players are no longer in the game."
She holds out the deck with a mysterious disarming smile.
"Care to tell me what card will be drawn next?"
There is silence for a few moments. Then Sailor Arcos says out loud:
".....Ok, did anyone actually follow this alien card nonsense, or am I only one who doesn't get it?"
Spirit World
She looks at Amon-Kami
"Aha, ahahahaha.....feeling bad for Spoon, your funny. Because I don't. At all.
Huh, your right, I guess my usual black leather jacket biker girl look is a little too casual. Maybe I should get a work uniform to show how divine I am as a goddess. Y'know, something a little more formal when I'm on the job, y'know? Hey guys, is there any specific godly attire thats acceptable as a dress code?
Elegant white togas? Fancy kimonos and red tattoos or little hats? Multiple arms and complicated fabrics?animal head and revealing clothing? I don't think I'd pull off the Aztec look, honestly? and I don't think I have enough eyes and extra everything to go with the old testament look anywhere...."
She jokes a little. Then she double takes at Yenma.
"Wait what, Yama DIED!? Agh. That jerk! He got the last laugh on me, and came up with an excuse good enough to get out teaching me things. Sigh. Thanks for the info Yenma, I'll get back to work. Its not as if I know any sensei other than cold harsh experience anyways."
Not as if getting screwed over was anything new to Android 23, either. She takes off, flying back to Earth.
Masala The Pirate, AGAIN!
She flies down and lands on one of Fenrir's ships, wearing her pirate outfit again, and brandishing a cutlass. Masala begins to squeak at Fenrir in a pirate-y accent, her voice too young and girlish for a proper pirate voice.
"Yaaaaaaaar, matey! Ye be Fenrir, are ye not? I be hearin' that ye eat human flesh, and that this be not in the Tournament Spirit! I must save the Tournament Spirit From Ye, and even if'n such rumors be untrue ye scurvy sea-dog o' the scourges, I cannae ignore this here blockade around yonder town. Cast your sails for more peaceful horizons, matey, afore I sink all ye vessels and their bilge rats with ye to feed the sharks and meet ol' Davey Jones!"
She would normally just charge in fists a-blazing, but she really wanted to make that pirate threat.
[Lookout]
Vodakana as usual, knew to notice the important stuff.
"Nya?! Show me again, the card with hot blonde angry man! nyyya!" she purred and asked 22.
[Spirit World]
Amon Kami frowned. "What this supposed to mean?! Merrow?! I am doing my job well, King Yenma! Don't pull foolish jokes on me!"
He turned again to 23, smilimh. "Merowrowrow! You surely have the material of Cheff! Why don't you try my style? Merrow?" he snapped his claws, and gave her a silky and golden revealing egyptian like outfit, decorated with Nyagato hieroglyphs which looked like cat Smilies- ;3 :3 (:3 ):3 amd such
[Fenrir's Fleet]
few beastmen growled. "Fenrir The Hungry, is right now feasting on the main ship! But he won't be intrested at demonic-human tournament!" they pulled their weapons
[Earth's orbit]
The human(?) happily floats outside. He gains some distance and glances down to Earth and... then he's just gone. The sensors on Apfel's ship might tell the Captain that space was warped close by in a manner reminescent of a high-power frameshift engine.
---
[Above Kami's Lookout; meaningless fraction of a second later]
There's sound akin to a thunderclap and a gust of wind blows over the terrace of the Lookout. If someone looks up, they'll see a bronze-skinned short man in black clothes and a white cloak. The clothes resemble those olf God of Earth used to wear, while the cloak might remind someone of Piccolo Junior, if they have pictures of that person.
The man looks down from his vantage point, seeing who all are present.
Spirit World
She accepts the clothing, and says
"Huh.....thanks...."
She didn't have the heart to tell him that her only dish was "Trollface Surprise". and that she was probably the most horrible cook in existence.
As she flew away she thought a little why he would give her this. Was it just thanks for taking care of Spoon? Hm. Anyways, she would have to assess the Nyagatos with her own eyes to judge their state of society. If what Spoon said was true, perhaps she would force change, but she had be careful. This could be a genuine gift from a kami who is good, or a bribe to keep her from being critical of them or something, so take it as a tentative assumption that it was a gift of gratitude, simply because that is how society works until proven otherwise.
But how was it going to come with her when she got back? This was her astral form, her real body was still on the Lookout. Oh well. Guess she will find out.
The Lookout
As 22 awaits Apfel's reply, she pulls out the Broly card from the middle of the deck and gives it to her with a teasing smile.
"Screaming bara fangirl hm? You can keep it. If you want more such cards, or even posters of people like him, I could add it to the rewards for showing progress on your training, particularly your self control."
Meanwhile 23 comes back to her body, and the Nyagato clothing appear on her lap.
"Huh weird, some form of magic? Or is that just how it works?"
She looks up at the new arrival.
"......Who's the Piccolo cosplayer? Hey, you forgot the green skin, pointed ears and antennae, or the turban. At least do it right. With your height, I think your more of a Gohan, or a Krillin if your willing to shave if your committed or put on one of those false baldness rubber heads. That seems more your lack of effort."
Fenrir Fleet
"Well thats just rude! Now I have to sink y'all, cause I have a tournament to get to, and I can't really fight you all day looking for him no matter how fun. I gots to have priorities! Can't be late after all."
She extends her arms and begins punching big holes in ships or just karate-chopping them in half one by one, leaping from one to the other. Its not as if any of these fighters posed any actual threat to her after all.
The Lookout
While Apfel didn't quite understand 22's meaning, there was one thing that was clear that she was communicated.
She knew. Apfel didn't need psychic powers to figure out that 22 was at least somewhat aware of his abilities. Then again, she'll likely severely overestimate them.
But she's also communicating that she's playing, too, and she has her own tricks. But what? And what does it relate to Talsaiga?
You don't strike me as a historian. He remarks. What do you mean by the best player of "this era?"
Apfel glanced upwards at the new arrival, but didn't think much of it.
[lookout]
Vodkana grabbed the card with purr. "Yes! Please! Nya!" she said, wagging her tail.
Anything... to swallow with it, the pain...
she blinked and stared at 23. "The First Meal-Kami dress?! Nya!? Where did you get it from?!" she has asked with shock.
Vodkana waved to the new person.
"Are you hungry? Nya? I still got plenty of food!" she said cheerfully.
[Fenrir Fleet]
They started to rain her with axes, swords, onions and some occasional catapult artillery. All in vain of course.
At the Main Ship-
A dark canine character sighed, while his monocle shined. "What all of this ruckus? Can't a gentleman drink a cup of tea in peace?" *sigh
He gotten out to the board of the ship, looking at the destruction, caused by a strange slime girl.
Now under the light of the sun, he could be seen- slim built, dog man with blue fur, dressed as victorian gentelman with a top hat, tied with a blue ribbon. On his chest he wore emblem of his own flag. On his right eye he wore monocle.
He talked calmly- but surprisingly, loud enough for Masala to hear.
"Excuse me, Lady Pirate. Why are you behaving like this? I quite have the need for this fleet, in order to move on for world domination and fulfilling the prophecy. You know? So would you be a dear, and stop acting like that, and adress your distress to me? What ever inconvenience my beastmen have caused you, is under my responsibility. So, can you please talk this out with me? Both of us aren't filthy humans after all. Now, are we?"
The Lookout
"Oro!?"
22 said with surprise as she realizes her mistake with a comical expression. Android 23 rises and puts a solid calming hand on her shoulder.
"That, Apfel is highly related to the Oxyribo Thing. Technically why Talsaiga is also related to that. To divulge such information is dangerous if not done wisely. Don't worry 22, Apfel is a tricky one, there was bound to be some things that picks up on. Now, what happened while I was gone?"
23 then listens to 22 explaining the current situation in her own weird way and 23 just nods in understanding not having any problem with comprehension. Then she turns to Apfel.
"Yes, you see Apfel...there are some secrets you do not say, until you are absolutely everyone-"
She shoots a glare at Sailor Arcos
"-Is someone you can trust with the information. Things you never want someone...undesirable to know. I will tell you soon, when the time is right and conditions have changed."
Arcos narrows her eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean, Arcos is: Apfel, why did you bring a Hailing loyalist to my planet? I am someone that is slow to trust. I already am on guard simply because your a competent politician. And you bring someone who thinks highly of Hailing to a gathering where we discuss his death?"
"Um, 23 Starlight and Apfel both talked about his arrest-"
"So? I don't recall agreeing to that. Nor do I recall allowing anyone to speak for me on that matter. I'm pretty sure the agreement I made was with two Arcosians named Ieez and Artic and that they want to kill Hailing, a tyrannical slaving bastard for both great justice and to avenge their father. Not to carry out an arrest, for reasons that I personally find such a great threat to the galaxy so willing to blow up planets is not one I can personally live with if I am to lead a good life."
"Why you! Hailing only blows up planets that he is legally allowed to!"
Android 23 just remains silent for a moment while raising her eyebrow.
"Now see, that is the most screwed up sentence I ever heard.
Planetary genocide is bad! but not if the person has authorization first! Give me a freaking break. Just because its legal doesn't mean it stops being bad. I'm not here because Hailing forgot to ask two people to agree with him first, I'm here because he BLEW UP PLANETS and killed BILLIONS OF PEOPLE. Regardless of the legality. The world may not be black and white, but it sure is a rainbow, and the color red is on Hailing's hands. I am not going to be complicit in this so-called "justice" out of some misplaced sense of mercy. No matter how grey the world is, an atrocity is still an atrocity. That Arcosian law only opposes him on the grounds that he didn't get permission first is screwed up in itself, really.
While as for the secrets I'm keeping, let me make this absolutely clear Apfel: There is at least one secret here, that I'm willing to fight you or even die to protect, simply because its more logical than allowing anyone bad to know of its existence to do whatever people would want with it. You might be curious why I trusted people like Aspa or Oxyribo with such a secret, when I haven't yet trusted you. Simple: they were people who while stubborn and full of pride, were also straightforward, honest and didn't potentially have ulterior motives. They didn't have a manipulative bone in their body.
You on the other for some reason thought it was a good idea to show up here with someone loyal to Hailing while claiming to merely want to arrest him, and are a known tricksy manipulator person. So how do I know your on the level here? Starlight may take it as a given but I'm not."
Sailor Arcos was unsure about this return. She would wait for the others reaction to 23's speech before making a move herself. There was still a vague chance that Apfel could be trying to fool them and just stringing them along until he could lead them into a trap.
Masala For Equality!
She stops at his words and remembers what her mommies taught her:
Spoiler: Masala's Lesson on Racism
Masala is crying. Her parents stand over her
"Masala. What happened?"
"A bunch of humans called me a "dirty majin"...they... they hated me...."
"....Really. What did you do?"
"It hurt my feelings....I felt.....horrible....I ran away. Crying."
22 puts her arm around her.
"Your not dirty. Your a good person, no matter what you are. Those people are just too blinded by hate to understand that."
"To understand what?"
"That we're all equal. That we all deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of species or appearance or minds or who we love. That we all deserve happiness."
"But...your both more powerful than anyone else on Earth! You can defeat them all easily!"
"Just because we're more powerful, doesn't we're better than them. We can make mistakes, we can be fallible or fail. It just means that when do, those failures are bigger, and thus we need to be more careful. So that it doesn't cause collateral damage"
"....Oh..."
They were silent for a moment, then Masala looks up and asks
"Mommy......what do I do when I see people like that again? What if its a Majin calling people a dirty human or something?"
Android 23 raises her fist.
"You punch them in the goddamn face, human or majin. Or any other species. People like that? Who won't respect people because of reasons like that? Will never learn. You fight for equality, and that means everyone gets treated the same, and thus gets punished the same."
"23!!" 22 shouts, a little cross at her.
"No teaching our child Renegade actions!"
"I didn't hear you complain when I got rid of those Anti-Majin terrorists, its not as if there are any jails left around in the post-apocalyptic remains of society."
"Ugh! Masala what you should really do is-
She forgot the rest.
Her only response is to launch more punches at him specifically.
The Lookout
Lord Apfel remains impassive, only tilting his head towards 23 once she is finished. He says nothing for a moment before silently walking up to the post-human, only stopping once he's close enough to whisper in her ear, such that even a keen-eared species wouldn't be able to make out what Apfel was saying. Who are you, that believes Hailing will allow himself to be arrested?
The Lookout
She whispers back:
"Shouldn't you be asking Sailor Arcos that? If the whole arrest plan is to satisfy Starlight and make us seem more legit to the galactic media at large when he inevitably doesn't, cool I'm down with that. But doing this to string Arcos along seems like just setting up a traitor to shoot us in the foot somewhere down the line. Its already bad enough that she knows the location of this planet."
Sailor Arcos meanwhile narrows her eyes in suspicion. What were they speaking about that the rest weren't privy to?
Lookout
Vodkana had hard time to relate to 23's speech. Sue, she has learned that people beside her have emotions, and reasons to live, wich aren't neccarily to please her.
She could even feel and show compassion toward induviduals.
But faceless masses were a diffrent story. And beside- planetary anhilation sounded like something awesome and fun! So why not legalize it? And why the nya aren't we fonding this?
But she trusted 23 and 22's morals more of her own.
'Apfel-chan..." she said sweetly.
"If 23-Senpai want to do something she will do it!"
then Vodkana turned to 23.
"But, if may I say something.. nya. You don't like politic. I understand this is boring and not fun.... but acting like zealots of justice, might push us further instead of closer to our vision. Nya"
she paused.
"I have thought, that are porpuse is to bring freedom and safety to the galaxy nya. Does is really matter if one certain induvidual will keep living or not?" she said it ,as if it clear that 23 CAN kill Hailing. Apfel doesn't have the right kind of ki detector to check that.
And still, she was worried the 23's srubborness will!lead them further from 23's vision.
"If this Hailing will be arrested, and few lil' reforms will be made, nya- what would be wrong with that?"
[Fenrir Vs Masala]
Fenrir frowned, raising one arm to block the punches, putting the cup of tea on a little table with the other.
"Your irational behavior, might make me lose a little bit of patience. And that would probably kill you. So be a dear, and try to be reasonable." Now using both arm to block the punches.
"Whatever it is, I am sure, that as fair inhumans, we can come to a rational concusion! After all, I just want to make Earth paradise to every inhuman there is! Doesn't it sound like a pleasant dream and vision?"
[Kami's lookout]
The short man floats closer as 23 quips on his outfit. "Such funny names you are throwing around. For sake of clarity, I note I have nothing to do with those people." Then he's distracted by Vodkana offering him a meal. "No thank you. I have no use for food, cat or human. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Then he falls silent, tilting his head curiously as 23 and Apfel engage in their conspiratory natter. He walks a wide circle around those on the lookout, hands behind his back, eyeing the gathered people. After some time, he decides he's waited enough and coughs in his hand. "Clearly, you're in the middle of something. However, I'll note, in spirit to what the red-haired girl there said, that I can hear you loud and clear. I didn't intent to eavesdrop, I just can't help, being here. Ha. Ha. Ha."
The man walks to Apfel and 23. Each step of his makes the lookout tremble slightly, as if the man is immensely heavy. "You are Apfel, I gather", he says to the Incirran. "I'm here to talk about your ship. I'd like to break it to pieces to see how it works. I would, of course, provide you with alternative methods of transportation in return. How about it?"
The Lookout
She is at a crossroads. Apfel replies. She will either betray us, to her own doom, or become our strongest ally. After all, you cannot truly hate something without loving it, first. He then steps back and sees the newcomer. What an odd creature, and an even odder question. No, nothing good could come of a pre-Type 1 civilization interacting with the technology of a Type 3 civilization.
That is not going to happen. Apfel replies firmly. Who are you?
The Lookout
23 says nothing in specific to Apfel's explanation, aside from general grumblings about the only one seeming to have read about farmers and vipers around here. She then starts communicating in phone-telepathy to 22.
What now? We need to start moving on and getting things done, but we can't just leave Arcos the way she is. I don't trust her the way she is.
We need to get this moving somehow. Which means we need to start taking risks. Everyone is playing turtle now, Apfel is too smart to force the issue, Starlight is going to continue being a peacekeeper, and Arcos has too much discipline to make any rash decisions, so we have to do something that break the conversational stalemate.
And if Arcos finds out a secret and reports back to Hailing, it might be all over for us. I say we wait until she makes her move. She is clearly slowly breaking down.
Thats happening too slow for that and she might recover in that time and figure out some way of safely reporting back and dooming us all. We NEED to do something that will break the ice.
But WHAT? What can we possibly say that won't risk an important asset? Particularly the Dragon Balls?
They both thought for a few moments then 22 had an idea.
This won't put any thing we have at risk. While being relevant to the discussion at hand, and why we're doing this. While still being a secret we can use to test Arcos's loyalty.
....Yeah, I think THIS idea will be our safest bet. Though there is some risk they won't believe us, we have to get this started or we will just be going around in circles.
They made a few mental preparations. They would begin soon.
Meanwhile, Sailor Arcos is lost in thought:
Spoiler: An Arcosian Cartoon
Her name was Flake back then. It still is, but she couldn't remember the last time she was called that. Here, she supposed was where it all started on a day very much like this day. Her quest to become Sailor Arcos, when she was a young child:
With cheesy cartoon opening music like this
I mean, what else did you expect?
An opening full of silly poses that look cool when your like, 6.....7....maybe 8 years old? With of course an big strong male Arcosian as the main protagonist and leader, the guy from the strong but stupid race, the small one from the smart but socially awkward race, the reckless loner member who constantly butts heads with the leader and the newbie from a planet that doesn't have a lot of good fighters but is eager to prove himself. Yet despite all their quirks they were all the best of friends who worked together for the good of the Empire if not the entire Galaxy.
The title of this episode flashes upon screen:
"The Liberation of Galgamatrax-11."
They use the same animation and pre-recorded lines they do every episode when the squad is called to order, complete with poses:
"Bigstrong, reporting for duty!"
"Smallsmart, reporting for duty!"
"Alonzix, reporting for duty....I guess."
"Bipple, uh....reporting for duty!!"
"CAPTAIN BLIZZARD, REPORTING FOR DUTY!!!"
They all salute as Captain Blizzard bursts in out of nowhere with a big smile on his face. He was the ideal Arcosian Hero: a hardy explorer yet urbane and polite. A force for order and justice wherever he went and never hesitated to risk his life for the greater good of the Empire. A great fighter, yet well educated. He was everything, the pinnacle, the ideal.
"Men, I have received a mission from Our Glorious Emperor! The tyrannical witches of Galgamatrax-11 are going to cast an ancient ritual that will destroy all FTL drives in the empire! We must stop them and overthrow their cruel regime, before they render all space travel in our fair civilization nothing but slush!"
They all gasp. Dramatic notes play.
Alonzix says some line about going it alone, and everyone else chides him with a smile while he just groans, like always. In contrast, Alonzix was an anti-role model. He was a soldier who originally joined just for the glory of getting the kill and showing off, he wasn't a team player, all that bad boy rebellious nonsense, but in an early episode learned some of his lessons and goes along with the program at least some of the time, and of course kept around because oddly a lot of people liked him.
They then board a space ship and zoom to the planet in an instead in another trippy stock animation.
They arrive on a stereotypical jungle-like planet. They stop to comment
"Wow! This place is wild, Captain!" says Bipple.
"Indeed, Private Bipple! Be on your toes, for not everyone is as fortunate as Arcosians! Remember that we must always bring the light of civilization to where it does not shine!"
"Right, Captain Blizzard! Your dedication to giving all a better life knows no bounds!"
They head deeper in and soon encounter native troops sent to attack them and keep them from getting to the ritual. The enemies are blatantly barbaric looking and savage, with exaggerated bestial features and barely speaking anything intelligible. They use spears and wear leather armor. Soon after some fighting, they begin to retreat and split up two ways. Alonzix goes after one of them alone.
"Quick! You three chase after the other group, I'll catch up to Alonzix and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!"
Captain Blizzard does so, and he and Alonzix after the obligatory lines of dialogue about teamwork, fight off the remainder. Bigstrong, Smallsmart and Bipple however all fall into a trap set by the natives and have a net thrown over them, then are carried away, captured.
Alonzix and Captain Blizzard catch up to and follow the captured ones to where the witches were carrying out their rituals, the witches get out a sacrificial dagger and declare they were going to sacrifice them to complete the ritual.
"And thus, ruin the Arcosian Empire- FOREVERRRR!!!!!" with an over the top maniacal cackle.
Alonzix suddenly jumps in while Captain Blizzard protests
"No wait! We need to come up with a plan!"
Alonzix is soon captured. Then Captain Blizzard comes just in time to foil the whole ritual with one punch. The witches order people to attack him, but the swarming warriors attacks bounce harmlessly off him.
"Haha! You cannot beat the power of natural Arcosian toughness, fiends!"
Alonzix grunts while the other three members cheer him on.
He then proceeds to wipe the floor with all of them then defeat all the witches in one attack. Soon the squad members are freed and all the peaceful natives around them come out of nowhere celebrating it as loud as they can. Alonzix cries
"how did you do that!?"
"Why with the Power of Teamwork, Alonzix!" Captain Blizzard replies
"After all, I couldn't have possibly won without them having faith in me, couldn't I?"
Alonzix just groans while everyone else laughs.
Soon a new native leader with a white beard comes up and says
"You did a great thing today and freed us all from the witches tyranny! How could we ever repay you, friend!?"
Captain Blizzard laughs it off.
"Nonsense, I'm just doing my job! Any Arcosian could've done the same!"
They then board the space ship and take off. Roll credits.
From then on, she vowed that she would be the first magical girl elite squadron captain. All the other ones were too obsessed with sentai. Going to new planets and places, fighting to protect the galaxy- what could be better?
Masala Vs. Fenrir
A vein appears on her forehead and she yells as her pigtail-arms draw her scissor-swords, and her let arm draws her cutlass, and an axe appears in her right.
"MY! MOMMIES! ARE! HUMAN! I! LOVE! THEM! VERY! MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!!!!"
The water and the ship vibrates and trembles at the mere force of her shouts, and she begins her flurry of attacks with her sharp weaponry.
[Kami's lookout]
"I am general of the Red Planet Army. You've likely never heard of us. Mostly because peculiarities of your vessel made you miss the checkpoint halfway into this solar system, so I had to come and investigate personally." The short man beckons at the Androids and others. "It appears you are in good company so I can't accuse you of trespassing. However, I'd still like to examine your ship so that anyone not in good company can't sneak past us in the future. Are you sure your stance is final?"
Ryuichi watches the "man" intently, trying to get a read on him. He certainly hadn't remembered anything about a "Red Planet Army", but it didn't sound good. Even so he had no reason to attack it seemed, and at the very least the man seemed... reasonable, if not overly logical. Though something about his clothing was familiar.
After some deliberating, Ryu speaks up.
"If you Don't mind my asking, who or where did you acquire your clothing from?"
The Lookout
My stance is final. Apfel reiterates firmly.
The Lookout
Android 23 suddenly turns her attention upwards.
"Oh really? So YOUR the one who leads the Units Who Don't Do Anything. Hi, I'm the new Kami around here, and I have a few questions like um, I don't know, where the hell did you come from? What is your purpose here? Why is Yama dead? Cause THIS unit doesn't take being a mushroom. Cause your certainly keeping me in the dark, and I don't want any of the bull you might feed me.
Apfel you are smart to not take his offers. We don't know any of his goals."
"For once we agree. And I don't like how he offered to dismantle the ship without specifying whether or not the crew would taken off alive first."
That and 23 was not about to let these upstart clockwork jokers mess around in space for who knows what reason.
In Sailor Arcos's memories:
Spoiler: Becoming a Soldier
Years pass and Flake soon goes through the academy and joins the army of the Arcosian Empire. She finds herself in the drill camp. Before she could be a full soldier, she would have to pass the trials and the training. Their short drill sergeant with a bio-visor over his mouth before them barks out:
"Alright, maggots! The world beyond our planet may all be weaker than our own, but if you think that will be a picnic and an easy paycheck for you sad excuses for Arcosians, boy are you in for a rude awakening. We don't take lazy asses who think they're on a tourist trip! If you even want to see the rank of private, your going to be tested and trained to your limit. Your going to broken and remade into the finest soldiers of our Empire!
For you, are all snowflakes, thinking your special. But your not! Thinking that just because your resilience and ability to breathe in space will save you from everything. All my dead comrades disagree and are busy shouting at you to MAN THE HELL UP, and FALL IN LINE! For Arcos is strong, not its little snowflakes but as a blizzard! A raging unending torrent, a united storm of cold, that when all the little flakes charge together, freeze and kill anything! All enemies of our regime and Hailing's glory will be buried in the snow of DEATH! We are strong together! And if you ever hope to reach the rank of Elite Squad member and prance around doing their stupid poses, YOU WILL DOUBLE TIME FIVE LAPS AROUND THE CAMP! MOVE IT MAGGOTS!"
"Sir Yes Sir!"
She would under go countless exercises all day everyday. The already naturally tough homeworld Arcosian body needed a lot more work to improve it even a little bit compared to other races- by starting out strong, it took that much more work to make it even better. Even at the end of her training, her PL was only 102,000 compared to the normal 100,000 and it would take her years more to reach her current 300,000 PL even on a workaholic training schedule and constant battle.
She remembered the final test: The sergeant dropping them into the harshest terrain of Arcos while laughing maniacally, everyone fighting to make their way out of it and racing to the finish line where they would be evaluated. Battling through harsh storms, treacherous terrain, and powerful beasts. However the worst was when one of the Arcosian recruits, named Icicles attacks her.
"Heheheheh. Poor Flake, having her delusions of becoming the Captain of an Elite Squad....pitiful."
'Why are you doing this!?"
"Isn't it obvious? To eliminate the competition. I will cheat, kill and power through my way to the top. And when I'm strong enough, I will kill Hailing and take power for myself! I'll live a life of luxury, as the leader of the entire galaxy, with no one able to oppose me! And I can't have idealistic fools like you getting in the way of that farther down the line, eh?"
Their fight is brutal and unforgiving, but Flake couldn't do it for long- she needed to finish the test. So she ended it as fast as possible, cutting off his head first so that his body was still alive but nothing but a twitching, flailing organism with no direction from the brain. Icicles manages to use flight on his still living head and blasts ki from his mouth, zipping around much fast without the weight, but she flash steps and disintegrates his head between her two palms. She then destroys his body. Flake had no sympathy for such a traitor.
However even when she got near the finish line, the Sergeant was himself there to fight the recruits. Every time one got near, he would throw them back. She charged and he threw her back. She charged seek some other way, but he threw her back. She tried a third time but he knocked her back with a kick. Finally she got angry and charged forward to tackle him, putting her full force upon him, and other recruits joined in tackling him as well and they all made it through the finish line, all of them passing.
"See what I mean, maggots!? LIKE A BLIZZARD! TEAMWORK! TOGETHER! YOU ALL PASS!"
She had done it, but there was still more to go....
The short man glances at Ryuichi. "I made them", he says simply. Then he turns back to Apfel. "Is that so? I suppose I will have to procure another of its kind, then. A pity, you could've saved me a lot of trouble."
Then 23 and Sailor Arcos interrupt. The man gives a bemused look at the latter. "Don't be silly. I offered them alternative means of transit. I would've hardly bothered if I wanted to kill them. I would've just killed them." He then steps toward 23, wondering why she's looking up when he's already down on the lookout and shorter than her to boot.
"You sure have a lot of questions, young lady. Funny you'd say I'm keeping you in the dark when this is the first time we've met. I've hardly had an opportunity to feed you anything. But, to answer: I came from the asteroid belt to inquire about Apfel's ship. I thought as much was already clear. As for the last one, I guess you use 'Yama' to refer to old God of Earth. He died because he wanted to. I'm sad to hear his apprentice didn't make it back to Earth, but I guess you will do for the time being."
[Fenerir Vs Masala]
"Well, this is sure escalating badly. For you." Fenrir said, as he hoped and dodged, with feral instincts.
"Slightly annoyed form!" he has announced. His muscules swelled a bit under his suit, and his fur on his head turned a little bit spikey. His ki been raised by 25%.
He hopping in mid air, sending a powerful punch.
"your parents cannot be humans! You are NOT human!" he barked.
[Lookout]
Vodkana sighed, as her role models have ignored her. But it was understandable..
Vodkana didn't liked the Red General, but she waited.
The Lookout
If you had viable alternate means of transit, you wouldn't need to dismantle mine to figure out how it worked. Would you? Apfel replied rhetorically.
"There will be no torturing!" Starlight insisted. "This may be your culture, not mine, but as a pony I cannot in good conscience you were being metaphorical weren't you?" she added, sheepishly changing tracks near the end. She listened to 22's explanation, nodding in understanding, but there was something that didn't make sense to her. Starlight was there when Apfel made his declaration, and even if she wasn't, she clearly had the queen's confidence, so shouldn't Apfel know already that the alliance knew of his powers?
Starlight stepped closer. "23, you're both the Kami of this planet and our leader, and Princess Celestia clearly trusts you, so I will trust whatever judgement you make here," she whispered to 23, and only her. "But as the ship's diplomat, may I make a suggestion? We need Apfel's cooperation on this if we're going to fix things with minimal disruptions and casualties. You and I both know that Hailing will not allow himself to be arrested, so we lose nothing by trying, while gaining Apfel's trust and cooperation. When Hailing resists, we can kill him in self defense and within the bounds of Arcosian law, while minimizing the resulting political turmoil, making instating a new ruler such as Ambassador Rime and the elimination of expansion by force a much smoother process."
Starlight sighed. So much was happening at once. She placed a hoof on Vodkana's shoulder, smiling comfortingly, then stepped over to address the newcomer, nodding respectfully.
"Good afternoon, mister, um....?" She left a small cliffhanger to give him a chance to tell her his name. "We are extremely busy at the moment, would you mind waiting just a few moments while we clear things up here? I'll be more than happy to personally introduce you to Lord Apfel and Kami 23 then."
She hoped that the newcomer would be amenable to this, she needed to give her attention to Arcos for a moment and didn't need any more distractions.
The Lookout
Android 23 looks down at the General. Her eye twitched. She didn't like this guy.
"I meant: 1. Who created you and the Red Planet Army? 2. What purpose does the Red Planet Army in general serve? I'll just leave the third one alone given your answer."
Android 22 noticed that Vodkana was ignored and decided to address her.
"Oh sorry, look, Vodkana...The reason why 23 thinks Hailing should die is because with his level of power, its likely that he won't obey the law at all. He simply is on a level beyond even his own Empire's power to contain him. Much like how technically 23 isn't actually empowered by any of the governments of Earth to legally do anything- its all from the Kais. Yet if me or her ever decided to whatever we wanted with Earth when no one else was around, no one would be able to stop us. By her logic, the law means nothing in the face of somebody who could quite easily destroy the people who enforce it.
From 23's perspective in the world we live in....the law is whatever the most powerful person wants unless you can beat them. Thats why you have people suddenly acting all polite and courteous when Beerus comes by, and why he isn't bound by any rules of the native planet. This meeting is quite the anomaly in terms of powerful beings and rules, as everyone here values them too highly to break them. Problem is....Hailing violated the rules, therefore showing us how LITTLE he values them. Therefore it throws into question if we can trust him to follow the rules enough to be arrested at all, when he could just kill us all, go back to ruling claim it was a failed assassination attempt and who would argue? No one, because they wouldn't want their planet blown up.
That and 23....is used to permanent solutions. To her, the question of Hailing is a question of whether any good form of civilization can survive someone like Hailing ruling it with the constant fear of your home, everyone you know, yourself.....all being blown up in an instant just because of some thing you had nothing to do with. I mean, imagine the people who get blown up by Beerus who were on the other side of the planet to the people disrespecting him feel. Your day getting ruined because of some OTHER guy's mistake is not a pretty feeling. and personally, I don't entirely disagree. I mean, I'd love it if we could get everyone to get along with each other, but there are people far worse than Hailing out there who wouldn't even give lip service to politics or rules simply because they now they are powerful enough to make such things not apply to them. Such beings are called monsters. You don't negotiate or befriend them, because all they will do is attack, and the only way good is to be done when they come is for the hero to draw the sword and vanquish the monster from the world."
"Oh by the way, I'm totally fine with "arresting" Hailing. For reasons. Apfel made a good argument. Don't worry about it Starlight."
"Huh. That was an oddly fast turnabout. Oh well!"
In Sailor Arcos's Memory:
Spoiler: Just Following Orders.
Flake remembers her tour of duty among the rank and file. Long weeks of eating and sleeping on a ship punctuated by battles in space and atmospheres against space pirates, hardened criminals, mercenaries, alien races who were a threat to everyone around them. Those mixed murkily into her memory. What really stood out to her was the time she participated in wiping out an entire race.
They were touching down like any other mission. The only mission parameters were as usual, cold clinical and impersonal: "Eliminate all targets. Secure the area for colonization." She thought at the time it was just for one city or the immediate area.
She of course sprang into battle against the defending aliens. They fought bravely, but she blasted them all down. They were like toys to her. So easily defeated, one after the other. She thought tons of them, all their warriors dying like flies to their overwhelming assault. However when the battlefield was destroyed and they were dead, they did not stop. They continued flying outwards and forwards. She asked if the are was secure.
"Not yet." was all the reply she got.
One battlefield became another. That battlefield became two. Then three, then four. There did not seem to be an end to it. Battlefields became cities, and combatants became civilians. Her eyes widened.
"Wait, those are civilians!"
"Yes, so? it said to eliminate all targets."
"Civilians are targets!?"
"Do I hear insubordination, Private Flake?"
"....No Sir."
She blasted ki at them as well. The killing continued until there was only one city left. Flake stares in horror as a dying alien crawls up to her and says
"....You....can stop this madness...."
"No...I can't....I have to obey...."
"....No....you always have a ch-"
He is cut off by a blast from the sergeant. Flake asks
"How....how do you handle this?"
The sergeant grunts and replies.
"Remember these words Flake: Just Following Orders. Thats all we're doing. The area means the entire planet. We just weapons of our Emperor's will, an extension of his fist. Its not our place to choose or to question why, its our place to do and to die."
"Just...following orers? But how do you know...that they are right?"
"We don't.We just have to have faith that the higher ups know what they are doing when they send us to make us do these things. That and do you really want our families getting killed if we disobey? Just trust in them, and hope that you don't get called to do this again."
As they both raise their fists for the final blast, Flake repeated "Just Following Orders" under breath.
And so it would become her mantra through the tour of duty, throughout her missions, constantly repeating it over the years. Flake over time reasoned that her leaders couldn't possibly be doing this without good reason right? Hailing must be doing all this for the greater good, he must be! Otherwise those planets that died, the ones she killed was all for naught, was just a slaughter, and that couldn't possibly be the case.
She had to believe that there was some plan that she was not seeing. That there was something she was missing and that Hailing knew better than her. The only way that could be true is if Hailing was perfect in every way, which meant that he was perfect, the greatest Arcosian that could ever be. Which meant that she should love and worship him, so that she could always obey and carry out the plan that she was not privy to, otherwise what she had done was monstrous, and that everything she was raised to believe in was a lie. That couldn't possibly be the case, therefore Hailing was always right, there was a plan beyond her which she did not know, and she was Just Following Orders.
She has never once actually met Hailing.
That was how she got through it all until she became apart of the Elite Squad: Just. Following. Orders.
Masala Vs. Fenrir
She gets hit and crashes into the front of the ship and picks herself up, her form reforming from the impact of the punch, as she yells
"ADOPTED! ARE PARENTS IN MY HEAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRTT!!!"
She flies into the sky, extends her arms and karate chops the ship in half then begins throwing extending curving punches at him, flying around and trying to find an angle to hit him from.
"NO AMOUNT OF STUPID LOGIC CAN CHANGE THAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!"
[Kami's Lookout]
The short man gives Apfel a blase look. "You either didn't think that through or you have a very strict interpretation of 'viable'", he says laconically and then turns back to 23. "The foundations of the Red Planet army were laid by your precedessor and a distant relative of the man who built you. We have claimed this solar system and seek to defend it from trespassing time travellers, extraterrestrials and... what have you." The man turns to give Starlight a poignant look.
"Ah. A talking little horse. Very curious. I have to say what I came here for is already done. If I am not given permission to study this Apfel's ship, I will simply have to find an alternative way to attain knowledge of it. I will leave you to yoir scheming." He begins walking towards the edge of the lookout. "For the record, I endorse overthrowing any interstellar tyrants you might have a grudge against. It will make my own job easier. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Starlight wore a small frown of concern. "Pony. Horses are a separate species," she said automatically. She summoned a quill and a roll of parchment and write a quick note, sending it to its destination in a flash of pink energy. "If you want information on the ship, you could always ask for its blueprints, or whatever specifications Apfel is willing to share," she added.
If there was nothing more to say, Starlight turned to Arcos with an apologetic smile. "Sorry that took so long," she said. "You said you wanted to talk in private? Would you like me to teleport us someplace private, or did you have a place in mind?"
The Lookout.
The Arcosian Carrier is a very common pattern of ship. Apfel offers, following Starlight's lead of at least being somewhat amenable. As are hyperlight drives. If you are capable of interstellar travel, any drydock in the Arcosian Empire will have ships similar to mine for sale. Plus, the blueprints of the Carrier and obsolete hyper-light drives are available for download off the Hypernet, for free.
The short man stops on the edge of the lookout. "Really? Can you tell me, using this planet as a reference frame, where might one of these 'drydocks' be located?"
The Lookout
The nearest star to the Earth system is Proxima Centauri, which is squarely an Imperial system. Virtually every civilized system and even most colonial systems have drydocks somewhere, with ship dealers. The problem was, this planet's daytime made it impossible to see the stars, and even if he could, the stars of this system are unfamiliar. While he could very well just point to a random star in the sky, and odds are it will turn out to be an Imperial system, it's not something Apfel was willing to do.
The nearest star to this system is known as Alpha Centauri. There should be several space stations in the system you can dock at, with multiple drydocks. He wasn't sure if the system had any habitable worlds, but space stations are common enough that it's a high likelihood that a system has at least one. Though the Alpha Centauri system is infamous for one station in particular, Hutton Orbital. Hopefully he didn't have the sense to go to THAT station.
"Alpha Centauri. Affirmative. You can expect to not hear of me for a while. Have a nice day." The man steps over the edge of the lookout and... disappears in a thunderclap-like sound, a small shockwave rattling the trees on the lookout. Not long after, the sensors on Apfel's ship on orbit alert the crew that a high-power frameshift device was launched from Earth. By then, the short man is passing Jupiter already.
[Lookout]
Vodkana breathed with a relif. She held both the rings.
"If I am not needed for now.. nya..." she said quietly.
"I... want some time alone. Nya"
[Masala Vs Fenrir]
Fenrir gasped, and his monocle fell off.
"M.. M.. MY FAVORITE SHIP! MY PRECIOUS CRYSTAL MONOCLE!" he whined in horror.
He growled. "Well... now I am getting into my "SOMEWHAT PISSED OFF FORM!" his musculs swelled again, tearing a bit his shirt, his pupils shrinked, and he gotten stronger again by 20%,
"YOU FOOL! THE HUMANS USED AS A PET! THOSE WRETCHED CREATURES WOULD NEVER LOVE US, INHUMANS!" He jumped, in hulkish way, raising his both fists to hit her.
The Lookout
Well that answered a few questions.
"Ok. I'm going to have to do some investigating after all this. Anyways..."
Arcos looks at Starlight, thinking upon her response. Unfortunately the whole plan with wanting to talk with Starlight in private hinged on variables that had changed by now. The plan at the time was based on the assumption that Starlight was the one to get rid of, the brains to cut off from the body and she would do so by simply asking the reason why Starlight valued enough to attack Hailing over when private then finding some way of threatening what she valued so that she would leave or be provoked to attack her, thus breaking Starlights own peacekeeping ways, and making Arcos the defender. However it was clear that Android 23 had enough decision-making power for that to not be the case, especially since 23 was clearly the one communicating with Apfel the most, and the one most hardline about killing Hailing.
Starlight therefore unknowingly avoided a situation where Arcos would've threatened to go hunting for animals while justifying it as the Empire's laws having rules against discriminating people based upon their diet, since there were purely carnivorous races whose biology literally cannot digest any vegetable matter. By simply delaying it long enough for it no longer to be a viable plan of psychological attack. It simply did not make any sense to try that anymore, especially when there was too big a possibility that Starlight would've been smart enough to find some way out of that anyways. Sorry, but the window on that is kind of closed now. You were too successful at peace for that to happen.
"Uh, nevermind. It wasn't anything important. Not anymore, anyways."
Android 22 say to Vodkana:
"By all means rest, all we're going to talk to them about is boring history stuff now. Probably nothing you'd find interesting."
The Androids step up to speak. They just hope that stupid Red Planet General didn't give them away early with that slip of the tongue.
"Everyone. In the interests of furthering the discussion instead of letting it be bogged down further, we will be revealing one of the secrets of the Rebel Alliance, as a show of trust."
Sailor Arcos narrows her eyes.
"Oh and let me guess: you want me to fly away somewhere else so that I won't hear it before you tell it?"
Android 23
"On the contrary, Sailor Arcos. You should especially hear it. After all, it concerns you and your race perhaps most of all. Apfel as well."
Sailor Arcos turns and raises her eyebrow. What was 23 up to? Android 23 takes a deep breath and says
"I will reiterate Rule Four: You are not prepared for this. You may find this unbelievable. But I assure that what I state is true, no matter how outlandish.
22 and I.....are time travelers. Not by choice. Don't worry about paradoxes and whatnot, there are people who take care of that. This timeline is stable, so don't worry.
Yeah, already pretty out there, yes? We come from the future of this planet Earth, specifically five centuries from now. Our own story of how we got here and how this relates to the Arcosian Empire is a complicated tale all by itself and not relevant at this juncture. Mostly because it takes place years after the Empire fell."
Sailor Arcos and all the other sailors perk up and suddenly look at her wide eyed at this.
"Yeah that got your attention, didn't it? We'll be telling this story in a few parts, pausing here and there to allow you to take info in and ask questions. We will be starting with the first part, which is historically the longest part.
Basically over five centuries, the Arcosian Empire comes to conquer nearly the entire galaxy, prosper and crush all resistance underneath its heel without any notable opposition. The Emperors develop a strange bloodline with mutant capabilities far beyond any other Arcosians and are kept in check for the most part by Apfel's descendants. However for some reason over time they become less and less able to do so, until the Incirrans are nothing more than just another race of minions under the Arcosians heel. However the real evil doesn't begin until King Cold takes power. He takes the Arcosian Empire and reforms it into an entity called the Planet Trade Organization. Thus it goes from a purely political entity meant to uphold a planets ideals and becomes a hybrid political/economic entity, essentially become a vast powerful galaxy-spanning mega-corporation, wiping entire races off a planet so as to sell it as property to another race for profit, a vast galactic real estate scam. What little restraint left was gone and the Planet Trade Organization now slaughtered races indiscriminately simply for money.
In this new age, King Cold has a son, known as Freeza. For reasons we don't know, Freeza is chosen as the successor to the Planet Trade Organization and carries out most of the functions as the ruler in the spotlight, while King Cold takes a back seat but somehow still holds some form of political power. The parts after this one will mainly concern Freeza and how the PTO, formerly the Empire falls due to his actions. Any questions?"
Final Sailor Arcos memory:
Spoiler: Transformation! Sailor Arcos!
Flake stands proud at her ceremony. She had done it. She had finally earned her position as Elite Captain of a Squadron. She worked for years to get to it. Everyone cheers. She had done it. To become so is not to meet expectations, but to far surpass them. She went above and beyond the call of duty when needed, she trained and figured out techniques and fighting style that was all her own. She wasn't just any Arcosian soldier anymore- she was the best of the best. One of the greatest fighters in the Empire. And she would command four others of similar caliber.
She met the four of them: Lobsanna from Torgas, Banaia from Cirra, Guillotanne from Vantarine, and Tequille from Yakara they saluted while shouting.
"Reporting for duty, Captain Flake Ma'am!"
"At ease. I've been thinking. We are elite squadron yes? But why not be our own squadron? All the others ones do Sentai. Why not do Magical Girl instead?"
"....Yes Ma'am! We agree and love this suggestion Captain Flake!"
"Good and please....don't call me that.....call me......Sailor Arcos."
As the others happily joined in with their own planet names, Flake herself felt a quiet relief. She would no longer be Captain Flake. She would be Sailor Arcos. Sailor Arcos was a representation of all Arcosians and their desires, an ideal greater than herself. Let Flake be a thing of the past. Flake was a person with doubts, dreams, flaws, mistakes, and she would no longer be any of that.
She would wear the mask of Arcos until she became it. She would transform herself until she was the perfect instrument of Arcos's will, the new Captain Blizzard to everyone who knew of her. She would no longer have to have lingering doubts, or worries about what she has done. Whatever happened, she would hold fast to her ideals, to her faith in the Empire. Her new self would see her through any hardship, for she would no longer do anything wrong. Sailor Arcos would not be weak enough to question or to doubt.
And thus she and the Sailors served under Apfel. Thus they traveled across the galaxy, battling many foes. Torgas being the resilient user of brute force, Vantarine the speedy but fragile blade user, Cirra the ranged blaster, Yakara being the smart one with the most tricks and special abilities up her sleeve to get them out of sticky situations. While Arcos herself was the Captain, a well-rounded strong and fast fighter as well as possessing a couple tricks of her own for foes that gave even her trouble.
Apfel she recalls as always being a figure of respect, and someone she could value for his insight. Not by his mere dint of his authority but because his reasons made sense, his morals made sense. Someone who kept them informed, showed restraint, a sense of honor, and knew when to have good humor. A relationship she could value personally, rather than impersonally. That was what the Apfel and Sailors gave her. The Sailors camaraderie, Apfel's wisdom, they gave her something more than the cold ideal of an impersonal empire to fight for. She didn't want this to change. She could work with them forever.
Sailor Arcos wanted things to stay like this forever.
But change comes to all. No matter what decision she made now, she would lose something. Sailor Arcos's world was falling apart, and after so long of following orders and allowing others to make decisions for her, she was not sure what to do.
Masala Vs. DOGGY!
She gets punched across the water, skipping like a flat stone. She thinks as she skips along the water.
Wow! He is really strong! I need to up my game! But how do I become stronger? Oh I know! Mommy 22 once told me stories about fighters who get twice as strong by taking of their clothes! The less clothes, the stronger I am!
Therefore she rips off most of her clothing until she is only in her underwear. Of course, being both a child and a majin, her figure completely lacks any attractive features whatsoever. Her Power Level does get a boost as the result of this, because she believes it should, not realizing the people who did this originally was because the clothing was weighted. She charges back towards him, unleashing a new furious assault of kicks and punches upon him, trying to speed around him, attack him from behind an come at him from strange angles with her greater power.
"YOU BAD DOGGY! ME NO LISTEN TO YOU!"
Starlight walked over to Vodkana, placing a hoof on her shoulder and nodded. "Let me know if you want to talk," she said. "Regardless of whether I seem busy or not."
Letting Vodkana have some time alone, she listened as 23 recited the story. She kept a close eye on Sailor Arcos, noting her reactions. When 23 paused, she stepped closer to her. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
Lookout
While a lot about what 23 was saying sounded quite bizarre, somehow, nothing stood out to Apfel as being an outright lie, even though even the most believable tales would usually signal his inherent lie-detector. The only conclusion left was that she was, against all odds, telling the truth.
Actually it explains a lot. He remarks. Your power-levels are zero. The only living creatures with a power-level of zero are Lord Beerus, his attendant Whis, and artificial organisms. Given that AI research has not progressed to the point where even the most sophisticated of AI can have personalities and thoughts equal to that of an organic, it only made sense that you were from the future. Even so, it was clear that Lord Apfel considered 23 and 22 by extension to be "alive." Time travel research was theoretically possible in Imperial science, but the technology simply didn't exist yet, and the energy requirements would require the output of a Dyson Sphere built around a Class O Blue Hypergiant star for several years.
Though it's clear that the Empire, pardon, the World Trade Organization ends. How does this happen?
Tzarbone
Is there a reason you wish to keep your source concealed? Again, I promise this isn't a trick.
The Lookout
Arcos sniffs at Starlight.
"Hmph. Why would you care? Why would you try to? I'm your enemy. Feeling compassion for people on the other side is stupid."
Inside she is breaking down. Her ideals. The Empire she fought to protect...it to, would someday fall not nobly but by being turned into a scoundrel.
Android 23 answers Apfel's question:
Spoiler: One Long Explanation Later, See Isn't This Easier, ME?"How the World Trade Organization ends is a tale that spans a couple decades: Basically, the Saiyans just a couple decades before my "present", wipe out the Tuffle race, take their technology for themselves and the planet is renamed Vegeta, after King Vegeta. The Arcosians then made a deal with the Saiyans, and the Saiyans joined the World Trade Organization, probably on the promise of constant battles in return for lending the WTO their muscle for wiping out alien races. Seems like the perfect match right?
Well Freeza, for whatever reason didn't think so. Apparently he was afraid of the Saiyans enough to wipe them out and destroy their planet personally with a single attack. No one actually knows the exact reason why. But the best theory is that he did it out of a mix of racism and fear of this legend of the Super Saiyan. Whatever his reasons, however four Saiyans survived."
"Five actually, according to more recent research. Tarble was off planet at the time."
"Yes, yes five. However of those five, only two are relevant to this tale. Well three to be technical, but Raditz never counts. The two I speak of are Son Goku, a saiyan who was sent to Earth as a baby to grow up and wipe out all earthlings but got amnesia and instead grew up to be its greatest defender. and Vegeta, son of King Vegeta and self-proclaimed Prince of All Saiyans, who grew up under Freeza's rule as one of many Freeza's troops meant to wipe out planets all by themselves was deceived inot thinking that a meteor did it because he was off planet at the time. To cut a long story short, Goku learns of his true heritage from invading Saiyans about twenty years after the destruction of Planet Vegeta, Vegeta gets beaten but not killed by Goku, Vegeta retreats.
Freeza meanwhile after these twenty years gone to a Planet called Namek to seek immortality, or to put in another way, invincibility. He was already the strongest being in the galaxy, essentially a spoiled noble brat who never had to train once his life but had four transformations and could destroy a planet. So what he wanted was to rule forever without fear of ever losing his power. Goku and Vegeta, for reasons of their own went to Namek as well, Vegeta ends up learning that Freeza destroyed his planet and seeks revenge, but fails, and with his dying breath, tells Goku that he is the last hope for the saiyan race against Freeza. Goku being an honorable goodly sort, buries him despite once being an enemy and fights Freeza in his place.
To skip to the important part, it turns out the Freeza was right to fear the Saiyans. When Freeza killed Goku's best friend right in front of him, it triggered a transformation into a Super-Saiyan, and with his rage he overpowered Freeza, was more powerful than him. But here is where the tale gets strange: Freeza tried to blow up the planet but half-failed so that it would blow up in a limited amount of time. Everyone else evacuates off in time. Goku supposedly spares Freeza because he was too bored of their fight and was kind of a good guy if dim. Goku somehow escapes to a planet called Yardrat, and Freeza survives a planet blowing up in his face, only for King Cold to somehow swoop in and repair Freeza with cybernetics.
Freeza's true end would be right here on Earth-but not to Goku. Instead when Freeza gets here with King Cold, they are both easily killed by a man named Trunks, also a Super-Saiyan. Though he arrives there for completely different reasons than doing that, and while you could technically say his actions are or might be the reason why we're here and why our stories are related to yours, like our story, his is not relevant at the time.
What matters is that afterwards, the WTO falls into complete chaos. Suddenly it shatters into a million pieces and the remnants are chased and fought away all across the galaxy with Freeza no longer there to lead them.
That, is how the WTO, the shadow of the Arcosian Empire, falls.
"Man I wish there was some way to better tell all this in a more abridged version. I get so long winded when explaining this stuff, especially when half the people here already know it. The big takeaway here is this why we want to change the past. We've been given a unique opportunity to avert the genocide of countless races and the deaths of who knows how many more. Technically, we've already changed the past with our actions, Hailing did not attack Plant in our timeline, and Vati did not pull his stunt like he did here. You Apfel, did not ever come here. Time has already changed, and the vision of the future I just painted for you, might now never come to pass."
"Yes, now that the secret is revealed, enough recapping! What matter now is what we wish for the new future. We cannot let the Old Future happen again! We need to think ahead, and most importantly- what do you think, Arcos?"
Sailor Arcos is dejected.
"....Its clear.....that no matter what I do.....that I'm going to lose...something dear to me either my friends...or the Empire as I know it...I don't want to change. I just want things to remain the same, safe and static. But....that will never happen now, will it? Change is inevitable, and your the ones making that change happen. Your the people ruining my life. I should be able to choose, to act to influence things but...
I am weak in mind, or soul. I cannot choose what I want to happen. So long has that choice been made for me and I've just followed along....that I know not what choice to make myself."
She leaps backwards and flies into the sky overseeing the Lookout.
"Therefore! I propose this. You have your pretty words, your ideals, your beliefs. But none of that matters if you don't have the force to back it up! You must prove your strength to enforce them to me! I challenge any one of you Rebel Alliance to a duel, one honorable and Non-lethal. Defeat me, and I will join you, proving that you have the strength of conviction to win. But If I win, you will allow me to retreat back to Arcos to defend against your inevitable assault. After all, if you cannot win against me- how do you hope to fare against Hailing himself!?"
What, you thought you were getting out of this without a fight? Just because there is a fight, doesn't mean anyone has to die. You want her on your side? Then lets do it Old School Defeat-Means-Friendship Style!
The Lookout
I like to think this is the better of either timeline. Lord Apfel remarks. It will take five hundred years for the Empire, or the monster the Empire transforms into. During that time there will be just Emperors, yes. I have nothing but hope for the future with the crown Prince, Polar. But I suspect Frieza to not be an aberration. Simply the scion of a bloodline that will devolve into true moral degeneracy. How many will suffer who are yet born as a result? Apfel has entertained the idea for a while, but even with Polar on the throne, it's a temporary solution at best. No, the Empire must be disbanded.
Then Sailor Arcos issues her challenge. If the Alliance is willing to accept. Will you accept one-on-one challenges or do you wish to fight them as a group? He directs the question to Sailor Arcos.
Starlight wanted to answer, but then 23 resumed her story - it would have to wait for another time.
"Any one of us," Starlight pointed out. "I believe she means a one-on-one duel." She glanced around at the others.
"Who do we want to challenge him? I believe she originally was going to challenge me, but 23, you're the de-facto leader of our group, and this planet's Kami. What do you think?"
[Hutton Orbital]
Slushy hearing his favorite song, while getting finally to the distant planet!
He held his Space surfboard with his tail, while dancing his victory dance!
[Tzarbone]
"He trust me not to expose him. What do you think the Emperor will do to him, if he knew that intel from his ship coming to YOU?" he has asked.
"He will rip off his handsome face!"
[Lookout]
Vodkana nodded, simply sitting hugging her tail, not too far from there.
She.. letted herself to shed a tear. It was painful. Just sit, and feel her emotions.
But.. it felt RIGHT.
She perked her ears, and hurried to get back.
"NYA! Let's make a bet!"
she grinned.
Nya... does anyone have an idea for a bet?" she has asked puzzled.
[Fenrir Vs Masala]
Fenrir sent flying, getting crushed through a line of dozen battle ships.
"So.. much destruction for the beastmen..' he groaned.
"THIS MAKE ME ANGRY! ANGRY FORM!" he growled, swelling more, his top ripped finnally. Now looking less like a gentel dog and more like http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121122174731
"Doom!" He roared, and from the ruins of his ship, an axe flew to his hand.
"Agony!" A second axe flew to his other hand. In this transformation he gotten 50% stronger!
Like an extreme evoultion in matter of seconds.
The Lookout
Sailor Arcos snorts arrogantly.
"Apfel please, if they want to all fight me, I will oblige. After all, I am one of Arcos's greatest fighters. I'm not just another soldier, I'm one who has risen above to be honored for my exceptional abilities and combat experience. I say that then if their entire Rebel Alliance cannot defeat me in one-one duels, I will count that as a win for me. After all, I've faced groups of weaker fighters before. Come face me in any order I'll defeat them all."
If Artic kept up with such things:
Spoiler: Potential Artic knowledge onlyhe would know that Sailor Arcos is known not for higher than average power level- that was just an expectation for the Arcosians. No real her renown was how she wielded the power she had. It was known that she used her powers tactically and brutally but not like a cudgel, but it was confirmed that she did NOT have a transformation yet. Of particular note is that she has studied other biologies to exploit their weaknesses, and there are rumors of secret techniques she has developed to take advantage of her own.
She looks at Vodkana.
"Oh, A bet? Very well, I bet I can defeat YOU without using a single ki blast."
Super Fiery Masala!!
She frowned. What other way did Mommy 22 say that those fighters powered up again? Oh right that one monkey dude who glowed with a red fiery aura. She could use THAT method! So she conjures a lighter, flicks on the flame and sets herself on fire, thus gaining another boost in power.
"Lots of people win by setting themselves on fire! Super Fiery Masala!!"
She then leaps forward, now powered up by both being in her underwear AND being on fire at the same time, seemingly unhurt, she tries to evade the axes and punch him in the face.
[Lookout]
Vodkana really looked forward to it. Pain and fear might shake her grief off- or at least distract her.
She looked over Arcos Sailor. "If you win, nya, I'll make you ten kilogram of cookies empowered to your level nya!" then she added:"If I win, I take the cute sailor outfit! Nya!!!" she said fired up.
So Sailor Arcos won't use ki blasts- this might give Vodkana a chance, with her strategy building up.
She cloned herself. One of the Vodkanas flew away, while the other shouted:"Busy resturant Evening!" she shooted a lot of purple ki plates toward her.
(the other tried to hide behind a cloud and gather ki in secret)
[Fenrir Vs Masala]
Fenrir spitted blood,and the punch pushed his head to the side. But the scholar grinned like the beast he turned into.
"Right into my trap, human-pet. Don't worry.I'll help like I have helped myself! COMPASSION OF DOOM AND AGONY!!!" Fenrir roared, and swinged both of his magical axes to Masala's back- if she'l manage to dodge he will cut himself- but he was to berserked to care
The Lookout
The plates go right through Sailor Arcos's after-image. You didn't even see her move, for she gone faster than eye can see. Suddenly Arcos tries to pull the other Vodkana behind the cloud into the cloud and begin beating her up in the middle of its obscuring form with her other fist.
"I must admit. I didn't expect you to be so tactical, considering how emotional you are."
Arcos says as begins her onslaught.
"I guess everyone has surprises."
One's fighting style can tell a lot about somebody. Perhaps this says that Vodkana isn't as foolish as some would think. Interesting.
Masala Vs. Fenrir
She remembered the words Mommy 23 said to her when facing a serious foe or threat: DODGE!
Which is exactly what she did, flipping over backwards out of the way of the axes. Mommy 23 made her dodge faster attacks than that, and he was starting to prove to be an actual foe worthy of actually dodging.
".....You DO know that calling out "it was a trap!" is completely stupid, right?"
Even she knew that. Mommy 23 taught her such things. But what Mommy 22 said about people powering up by turning their hair gold was also something she remembered. Technically she didn't HAVE hair, but she did have a goo-top of pigtails that was basically the same thing. So she took her pigtails and quickly tied them into some weird balloon sculpture version of a super-saiyan hairdo then conjured some gold paint and splashed it upon her chaotic balloony fire-hair to look like a messy resemblance of a super-saiyan. Thus getting her another power boost. While near naked. And on still fire.
"I am Super Gold Hair Masala! Tremble in fear before my mighty new hairstyle! For this the hairstyle of Ultimate Power!!!"
The Lookout
Ieez watched the fight with interest while Artic studied both combatants' moves. He noted that although Sailor Arcos could move while masking her energy, just brief enough to disguise her movements. Very clever. This means either she can sense energy, a technique extremely rare in the Empire, or it was a beneficent but unintended side-effect of an exotic relocation technique. Ieez and Apfel in turn, noted the brutality of Arcos' technique. It lacked sublety. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it meant Arcos goes into battle expecting to end the fight as quickly as possible. Possibly so she can move on to the next target in a multiple-combatants war scenario. In a sustained battle, it could allow the Elite to be tired out quickly, at least in theory.
[Hutton Orbital]
As Slushie arrives at the remote space station, he can hear there's an argument of sorts going on. A short humanoid in black clothing and a white cloak is arguing with one of the used ship salesmen. "Gold? Gold? Are you kidding me? Any oaf can tow an asteroid here full of the stuff! I keep telling you, I won't give you a single ship without liquid currency!", the salesman shouts.
"What weird economy you have here. I thought raw materials would be more useful than numbers on a paper. Especially since you're this far from... well, everything.", the short humanoid replies, frowning.
The salesman folds his tentacles and glares at the humanoid with all his six eyes. "What stone age planet are you from? Matter can't be used to trade over the hypernet!"
The humanoid tilts his head. "I keep hearing about this 'hypernet' thing. What's it for, catching hyperfish?"
The salesman turns yellow from rage. "What, you claim to not know? No-one's that out of the loop! That's it, I'll let you waste no more of my time! Get out!"
The humanoid looks disappointed. "You arr quite a rude individual. I asked you a question. I'd rather you answer it."
The salesman puffs himself up. "You threatening me? Try anything pal, and the guards will throw you out of the airlock in a flash!"
The humanoid sighs. "Why does everyone assume I'm threatening them? If I felt like committing violence upon you, I wouldn't waste any time warning you in advance."
So on and so forth.
[Vodkana Vs Sailor Arcos]
The clone mewed with pain as she gotten beaten up. Despite that the original grinned grimmly.
With her wink, Clone-Vodkana hugged Sailor Arcoss with all of her strentgh, while Vodkana collected purple energy and sent it as huge blast attack, not caring to harm her own clone.
Deep inside... she wanted the pain to come.
Either way, she wins.
[Fenrir Vs Masala]
Fenrir cutted his own ribs with his axes. But his whines of agony stopped by the wierdness of Masala.
"I see that your time as human's pet has made it's number on your sanity... just like mine."
Fenrir grinned grimmly."I'll heal you! With the spirits of Agony and Doom!" He slashed with both axes red ki slash attacks.
[Slushie]
"Suuuuuuuuuurfing! bleahargfgbleahaha!" Slushie sang and stopped, when his tail gotten twitchy! "My Slushie sense tells me that, that wave of cowabanga is coming...this way!"
the psycodelic colored arcosian imp jumped on the surfboard, and floated!toward the arguments
"what the mess, dudes and dudets?" he asking with a wide smile
[Hutton Orbital]
The short humanoid and the used ship salesman both turn to face Slushie, though the salesman still keeps two of his eyes on the hominid.
"Oh. Another curious lifeform. You must be one of those Arcosians", the humanoid greets, then nods towards the salesman. "There is no mess. This person is cleanly refusing to sell his fleet of ships to me."
The salesman scoffs. "I'm under no obligation to sell anything to some creditless bum!"
The humanoid rolls his eyes. He insists I pay him in some virtual currency called 'Qubit coins', which sounds like a thing he made up and I can't understand why imaginary things are worth more than precious metals."
"Well that's your problem for being an idiot from some backwater planet!", the salesman barks.
The humanoid glances at him. "He is also being quite rude and I'm now of half mind to simply crush him into neutronium and take his ships. What do you think, stranger? Would that be a reasonable course of action?" He looks at Slushie. He doesn't sound like he's being rhetorical.
The Lookout
Why would she-? Ah. Sailor Arcos flies out of the cloud fast, sees the ki blast and throws the clone into it then flies to the real Vodkana, to punch her in the stomach to knock the wind out of her. Then follow up with a series of blows calculated to keep her off balance while knocking her closer towards the Earth until she crashes into the ground.
"Its not often talked about, but so much of fighting relies on the way our bodies are built. Too large and muscular, and your movements become too inefficient and slow for your greater strength to matter. But too much focus on tricks and not improving your base quality of your body, and your easily defeated once people find a way around them. Too relaxed and your open to surprise attacks, too stressed and you can't reach your full potential.
In a world like this, a lean but strong fighter is ideal, a body known for it maximum efficiency of speed, strength and stamina. This is the ideal I strive for. Its why I haven't tried for a transformation yet. Second forms while potentially powerful, also alter the way your body works and can burn through you incredibly quickly if your not careful. Sure I'm not far away from going for it, but its important to do such a thing right or not at all. I mean what fool would work so hard to achieve a new state of being only to go off to fight with it the instant he gets it without getting used to it first?"
Somewhere, 500 years from now in some other timeline, Golden Freeza is ticked and he doesn't know why.
"You are a pudgy cat, used to hedonism. What made you think that you have a chance against me?"
Masala Vs. Fenrir
She dodges the ki slashes one after another.
"....Methinks doggy who act like gentleman human have no place to speak about hating humans. I think your just jealous of them."
After all, if the doggy really despised them, he would act like a dog and chase bones, fight cats, bark at mailmen and generally be a silly puppy who pants and plays and chases to as inhuman as possible. Rather than imitating the most stick-in-the-mud and polite people of humanity.
"Spinning Top Kick Attack!"
She flips upside down and midair and spins, become a near-naked flaming spinning top with a golden tip. Her legs extend and flies around in circles near the axes trying to break them through constant kicking to disarm him.
[Slushie]
Slushie has listened to the arguing due. He floated upside down.
"I guess, I could buy it legally and smoothly for you, Stone Age-dude. But what waves are you planning to catch with it, dude?" He has asked wagging his tail thoughtfully.
[Vodkana Vs Sailor Arcos]
The clone gotten wiped out by Vodkana's blast.
Vodkana mewed with pain as she gotten punched, unable to react, feeling so out of breath that, she felt choked and started to see black spots.
"I didn't" she smiled wearily.
"But thanks for the lesson.... I won't lose again, against you... nya" she lost consiounse.
[Fenrir Vs Masala]
The axe slashes cutted two longships into two.
Fenrir growled, as he gotten kicked deep into sea, creating a whirlpool
Tsarbone
"Well, I don't want me to die, if you aren't planning to do anything about Hailing's crimes. That all. I am way too beatiful to die."
The Lookout
Android 22 catches Vodkana and wordlessly sets her softly on the floor of the Lookout. Arcos turns to the others.
"Well? Whose next? The armor-wearing criminal clearly not confident in the abilities of his own body, the diplomat with unusual biology and an inefficient killing intent, or one of the two aloof young adults who've have the basics optimized for them with cybernetics? Or that green-haired quiet one over there?"
She turns to 23.
"Though if your the de-facto leader, shouldn't you be the one fighting me?"
"I wouldn't want to insult you. I know nothing of honor. Better to let others go first to see if I'm needed at all. Power Level isn't everything, and looks can be deceiving...I wouldn't count them out. I'm not overly concerned with Vodkana's loss, I think we both know that she needs far more experience before she is ready."
"Ah, confident that you could win against me, are we? Letting the others have their fun first?"
"Please, as if I'd indulge that sort of stupid martial artist posturing. I simply think it better to improve their abilities doing this. I get enough recorded memories of the Z-Fighters doing that sort of nonsense."
"Then why are you letting me do mine?"
"Because its less messy and potentially destructive to the Lookout, as well offering a chance for you to be an asset or even a good person. I mean, this place is mysterious, we don't know what most of the rooms in this place even DO. Figuring out they are for will be an adventure for another day, and one that might involve danger. Can't have it be destroyed y'know, can't exactly repair it yet."
Sailor Arcos blinks. Huh. Ok.
Masala Vs. Fenrir
"Aaaaaaw, is that all? I was hoping for more, I've got two more methods of powering myself up to try!"
She said in a whiny tone. And she hasn't even put on her battle theme music yet, no serious foes ever find her for her to play it!
"Oh well. Bored now. I'mma finish ya. KAAA.......ME........HAAAA....ME...."
She begins to power up her finisher move, the blue sphere glowing in her fiery hands as she prepared her attack against the sinking Fenrir.
[Hutton Orbital]
"Hear that? Hear that? He's threatening me again!", the salesman cries in appeal to Slushie, pointing accusingly at the humanoid.
The humanoid ignores him. "I don't plan to catch any waves. I intent to dismantle it", he replies flatly to Slushie. "It would be most convenient to me if you'd buy all those ships for me. I would, of course, offer compensation. Do you accept gold?"
The Lookout
Apfel hovers next to Starlight. Puzzlement clearly on his face. You don't truly believe morality is subjective, do you?
It's my turn, then. Artic steps forward, putting his helmet on. Let me tell you a story, loyalist. In five hundred years, three ordinary humans will be enhanced with cybernetics sophisticated and strong enough to do battle against Majin Buu. And win. Don't underestimate the power of technology.
Besides, i've integrated some Tuffle technology and materials into my armor, i'm eager to see what it does. His armor's previous weakness was that no matter what its power-setting, its defenses were always the same, leaving Artic a glass cannon. Thanks to the development of materials that are rare and exotic in the Empire but common on Plant that harden and soften depending on the flow of energy into them, he could increase his defenses with his offenses.
In addition to physically withstand the strain wearing the armor puts on his body on higher power settings. He sets his armor to x5, putting his effective power-level at 240,000. Although he can sense power-levels, he activates all his scouters and scanners to make certain he can track her movements.
You homeworlders, so high! So elite! So much better than us lowly colonials because you survived being crushed by a planet that wants to be a star. You have no idea how satisfying this'll be for me. Artic then leaps at Arcos, blasters integrated into the wrists of his armor firing cerulean energy-blasts rapid-fire.
Tzarbone
I don't want you to die, either. That is why I want to make sure your source is credible, as this is a very dangerous path to pursue. Why are you so dodgy about this?
The Lookout
Sailor Arcos quickly strikes a silly pose to increase her defensive power then endures or slaps the the blast aside, the smoke clearing, only a little damaged.
"Now, I admit: The Colonies and Arcos don't have the best relationship. Thats always true of empires when they get large, historically speaking. But its interesting to note that in my experience, Colonial Arcosians actually develop in their training much faster. I've been fighting and training for 12 years since I was 16, and in all that time I've only gotten three times as powerful as when I started. While there are Colonials in the army who underwent the same training and in two years gotten hundreds if not thousands of times more powerful from where they started, and caught up to the golden number of 100,000. Pity they always stop and enjoy the fruits and benefits of reaching that and never develop further.
I'll give you this: At least you didn't stop your improvement there. I can respect you over the ones who just do it so they can walk around on Arcos being wannabe home-worlders instead of using their strength for an actual reason."
Pretenders, the lot of them.
"And fighting against machines will be an interesting challenge. None of the usual biological weak points, and admittedly, my ultimate technique won't work on you or any Arcosian, even if its too lethal for any of these duels anyways. But I can try for my other secret technique: Gravity Star!"
She creates a strange purple orb of light and hurls it into the sky. It stops in midair and doesn't explode. Instead it radiates a strange focused light down upon the two combatants and cancels flying for both while applying the equivalent of Arcos's gravity upon both. Sailor Arcos smiles. This was just her first technique she developed to take advantage of her biology, a little bit of Arcos everywhere she goes. This was a very focused form really, she used to spread it out as much as possible when in battles so that she could kill the enemy forces while they were down and she was walking in what was normal gravity for her. She just had to land lightly when they both got to the ground and begin beating up a colonial who would be weighed down by both armor and gravity. Simple.
The Lookout
Ack! Artic was surprised when flight suddenly became disabled and he landed on to the Lookout, the full force of Arcos' gravity sending him to the ground almost instantaneously, his reflexes only enough to land him on the ground on a slightly less graceful version of what might be considered a superhero landing. Were it not for his armor, mechanized and powered in all joints to facilitate and enhance speed and strength, Artic knew he would be in trouble. Even so, he questioned if this version of his armor was able to withstand this gravity as a few of its sensory systems were already returning information about internal damage. Likely due to being crushed inside their own housing.
I'll give you credit, that's some technique you got there. He stood up, extending an arm towards the Elite. Here's one of mine: Stellar Eradication! A cerulean Ki lance surrounded by dozens of orbiting ki blasts shoots out from his armored gauntlet. Unlike the wrist-mounted blasters which solely the suit's own internal energy supply, this one used Artic's own energy.
Tsarbone
"I have already told you. He work at the inner intelligence of the Emperor's ship. He has way to get recording of everything that going on, on the ship. And I am "dodgy" because I have found myself at very ugly situation which could easily turn even uglier.
Slushie
"Dude, what would I do with gold? I am not a stone age-dude." Slushie laughed.
"But I still want to know, what are you planning to do with a fleet, dude."
[Masala Vs Fenrir]
Fenrir jumped from the whirlpool, swollen more than ever- looking like blue werewolf hulk.
"FOOL! THE MORE YOU HARM THE STRONGER I GET! BERSERK MODE!" he growled, his eyes rolled, so only the white side, were seen. He was... drolling. His ki doubled- finally in full power. He didn't exactly flew- but his jump was so powerful, that he almost flew.
He jumped again charging himself against her, slashing her with his axes in form of X.
Starlight watched the battle, taking mental notes. Sailor Arcos had some clever tricks up her sleeve, she'd give her that. Her training in the gravity chamber should partially negate her disadvantage under that technique, but she'd have to be wary. And if that was the arcosian's only trick, she'd eat her mane.
The Lookout
"Azure Heart Cannon!"
She fires a heart-shaped blast of power in response to the lance, hitting the middle one while the ki blasts surrounding it hit her. The lance and the heart collide and explode- but the explosion is contained by the Androids quickly putting up force fields around it to make sure the Lookout isn't damaged.
"What did I JUST SAY about this place being mysterious and not something we're sure we can repair or replace!? Ugh, we're going to have to run damage control this whole fight, aren't we?"
Meanwhile Sailor Arcos is wincing from the attack, even with her poses defense boost. That hurt. What now?
While the gravity was giving her the advantage, using her Azure Heart Cannon to blast him was out- if she was too careless, the others might get involved from the collateral damage, even though a defensive enemy wearing armor was probably the best thing to use a big blast like Azure Heart Cannon to do so. Her Blue Blizzard while not as destructive was meant more for fast dodgy foes and wasn't precise for these close quarters. And her ultimate technique was only meant for killing, and wouldn't work on Artic anyways.
This called for precision. A precise offensive. She suddenly struck a different cheesy pose. She lost her added defensiveness, and gained even more speed.
"Y'know, while I admit perhaps Homeworlders don't have the best interplanetary relations ever....I once served years ago alongside soldiers from Planet Brench, aka the Brenchites or as they call themselves, the Brench-seijin. They are much like those two humans over there, except far more colorful,coming in colors from red to blue to others and have ten times this world's gravity. Fighting alongside them, I learned a technique of theirs, my own version of which being:"
She extended a blue ki-blade of energy from her hand.
"Sapphire Spirit Sword. It is quite fortunate that we're both Arcosian. Technically, a blade like this isn't lethal to either of us."
She then leaps forward in a burst of speed, sending out sonic booms with each major movement as she furiously hacked and slashed at him. She remembered the times when she got one of her arms cut off, it made it harder to beat the foe but she always got through it, picked up her arm and got back to the field medics to get it sown back on.
Masala Vs. Fenrir
She surprised by his sudden re-emergence. The axes cleave through her and she loses her focus, the ki for the kamehameha dissipating. In mid-air her four parts float, then with a great effort of will she pulls herself back together-literally. She pants a little. Regenerating from that took lot out of her. But she still needed to defeat him. She takes her golden ice-cream swirl of hair-do and pulled it backwards so that it lengthened to resemble a super-saiyan 3 hair style, unaware of the similarity she shouted.
"Now my hair lengthens to make my power even greater! Behold, Super-Rapunzel Masala!!!"
She then speeds forward, now near-naked, on fire, with golden goopy hair thats now as long as herself, and said golden Rapunzel hair forms into a giant golden fifth arm on her head and she begins to use her Rapunzel-Hair-Fist as her exclusive weapon, punching at him from any distance as it stretches and snaps back while she runs around him.
The Lookout
While Arcosians and Incirrians had vastly different centers-of-gravity due to their body shapes, Lord Apfel couldn't help but note Sailor Arcos' amateurish blade-work. Each swing left her open to at least three attacks Apfel could imagine an experienced swordsman could exploit specifically to incapacitate even an Arcosian.
While Lord Apfel is a master swordsman whose fighting style made extensive use of his World Blade, Artic lacks the Segmentum Governor's skill and training. In fact he has none whatsoever. As he recovers from the explosion, hard-points in the armor taking the brunt of the impact, his senses relayed to him a shift in the Sailor's energy and her rapidly closing the distance, with an energy signature emanating from her wrist, outwards, just like Aspa's Ki-Blade. Artic knew he was in trouble.
He only had enough time to rise up and parry one swipe of the blade from Sailor Arcos, using his left arm. The pain that shot through and the system failure readout on the left arm's blaster told him all he needed to know about whether or not his armor could withstand the ki blade. Not that he held any such delusions. At the minimum, he could still feel his hand. As much as he didn't wish to test the resilience of his physiology to dismemberment, he had no desire to give up yet. Arg, well, it's a good thing that theory won't be tested.
Sensing an opening, Artic swung a kick to Sailor Arcos, aiming it straight at her center of mass, if only to knock her off-balance just long enough for him to get some distance, and fire back with the blaster on his right hand.
The Lookout
It was true. She had overextended herself on the offensive, and thus doesn't expect the kick, knocking her back, dissipating the ki-blade, and while the wind was knocked out of her, the blaster blasts a hole through her chest and shreds some of her sailor dress away.
"Ooowww!! Ugh."
Tactical errors have been made.
"....Are you going to be okay?"
"Oh its just a hole in my chest, I've lived through worse. Look at what you've done! My uniform is ruined and now there is this hole in me making me look asymmetrical! Its going to take weeks for this heal. And do you know how expensive the protective yet flexible material these sailor suits are made out of!?"
The Gravity Star was a mistake. The Lookout was too confined an area to battle in, especially with so many people around to make ki blasting risky and no way to fly. She waves her hand and the purple ball disappears and she flies out into the sky to fall back to try and figure out her next move. Her ultimate technique wasn't going to work. That offensive approach didn't work out. How could she regain the advantage? He was too close in Power Level to just overpower him. And her hole in her chest with its pain and bleeding, while not fatal was still a wound and would slow her down, make concentrating harder-
Maybe she had a way to regain it after all. She intentionally flies slower and in a less focused and less steady manner, and waits while she plays up the results of her injury in an attempt to lower his guard, then sneak attack if he tries to come near. Of course there was always the possibility that he would stay at a distance and keep blasting her. So she prepared to do a little trick of hers just in case...
The Lookout
Artic can already feel the gravity return to normal. What ever advantage she had before is gone now. All that's needed to end this fight is-power modulator malfunction?! Of all the systems in the armor that isn't hardened against huge gravity...this isn't good, Artic's trump card is off the table. He'll need to harden that against supermassive gravity in the future. She says she's been through worse though her movements say otherwise. He had half a mind to fly up there and finish it, but even with her injury, he was pretty sure the difference in power level would allow her to outright overpower him in melee, especially with the option of switching to higher power modes no longer an option. No, playing it safe brought him this far, he won't take unnecessary risks.
He aims his right hand's blaster at at the flying Arcosian, with his left hand holding a charging Ki blast. You should yield. He suggests.
The Lookout
"...Why? If your wrong....then I'm gathering vital intelligence....while if your right....then Hailing is fallible. Which means during my time as a soldier....I've committed the very deeds under his orders that you want to kill him for under the excuse of "Just Following Orders". So either I should keep fighting for as long as I can....or fight as much as deserve to get beaten up for what I've done. Why hesitate? Either I'm your enemy who needs to be eliminated for your side of the war, or I'm someone who doesn't deserve mercy after what I've done. I don't have any reason to stop, and you don't have any reason to stop hitting me. Once I'm defeated and on your side, you'll be able to do whatever you like to me"
She coughs a little and stares back at him.
"Go on. Do it. Its what you want either way, right?"