1885/AWftF: The Chains That Bind

AWftF: The Chains That Bind
Date of Scene:	26 March 2015
Location:	Void - Super Solar System
Synopsis:	Yuri and Kakarot meet in an exchange of words and ideals. Understanding intensifies.
Cast of Characters:	106, 723
Tinyplot:	A Wish for the Future

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Kakarot (723) has posed:
The Bardock, the flagship of the Neo-Saiyan fleet, is a large triangular affair. One might think that they might have stolen some ideas from other space-based empires and modified it, but the presence of curves and no elevated bridge (as well as a lack of huge racks of turbolasers and TIE Fighters) makes it more of a convenient mishmash of alien technologies that have blended into something reminiscent of something completely different.

Yuri's arrival is known. HE is given a transport if he needs one, but the Dark Hero probably doesn't need to worry about something as prosaic as breathing in space. He arrives in a hangar, the area studded with huge numbers of Saiyan-style space capsules. The designs are altered, obviously designed to deal with dropping into actively defended, fortified positions instead of plodding by surprise onto weak, unaware worlds.

Even from the hangar, the ship screams that it is the conveyance of a conqueror. Yuri is escorted by a silent, bald-headed Saiyan in blue-colored armor. His eyes are blank, and he says nothing, conveying his desires with deft hand gestures and perhaps a grunt. At Yuri's arrival, he nods in greeting and gestures for the Exalt to follow.

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    To attempt to not seem like he's planning an assault and, more importantly, to keep FIA from getting hurt if he is assaulted, Yuri is here on foot and has left his mech elsewhere. This means he does need that transport and accepts it somewhat willingly. He's wearing his usual outfit of cloaks layered over cloaks, but they look newer than before. He must have replaced his old ones.

    When he arrives on the ship, he looks around the hangar and takes in all the sights. Not because it's amazing to him, but because the instincts of his nature require him to take a mental snapshot of his surroundings to better facilitate combat if it comes to that. Not that he wants to start a fight, merely that he will know the layout if it comes to that.

    The nod given to him is returned politely and he sets to walking in a careful gait, trailing behind the saiyan leading him by JUST over an arms length at all times. An eerie rattling noises, like metal clanking against metal, follows the Exalt with every step.

Kakarot (723) has posed:
The silent Saiyan leads Yuri through various corridors. Saiyans are seen every so often, most of them wearing red, green, or blue armor coloring. The blue ones tend to stand guard or patrol, while red ones are always on the move. Green are most often seen working with other alien races and handling the systems of the ship.

Gaplan, the Saiyan with Yuri, leads the Dark Hero to a small reception room. It is understated compared to the main hall that Yuri might have seen in recordings.

But he does notice that the walls and vaulted ceiling are heavily reinforced. Hmm.

Regardless, the center of the room is dominated by a square table. At one side, Kakarot sits, clad in gold-colored Saiyan armor as he taps at a holoprojector that displays the planet of Reptilon below. Yuri can see a large number of markings, especially one over the massive Lava Dome.

Kakarot looks up as Yuri enters. "Ah, it's you. Come in and have a seat. Want anything to drink or eat? Travel can be such a wear sometimes." Kakarot's tone is extremely casual at the moment, bearing strangely familiar inflections if he is familiar with Goku, but overall, it is rougher, bearing an edge to it. "So what brings you here? You're not here to negotiate for the Union or Confederacy, so it has to be some kind of personal interest, right?" He makes a 'come on' gesture. "Get settled in and then let's hear what you've got."

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    "I do not drink or eat unless necessary to allow people to feel more at ease with my presence. I gain nourishment via other methods," He notes vaguely, counter-offering, "Would it put you at ease if I ate?" He inquires, head tilting to the side a bit. And then in the opposite direction a moment later.

    "You are correct, however. I am not here to negotiate for either faction. I hold no allegiance to either, save that my fiance is in one. Their operations are ultimately a framework for the present universe, providing context by which I work. I care for either in so much as, say, a wolf cares for the forest as a whole." He explains.

    "I am here for my own purposes. Namely, I wish to understand your motivations and goals. Not all conquerers are tyrants, not all kings are oppressors. I may have resisted your initial invasion, but this does not mean I should avoid seeking clarity and motive for a better understanding."

Kakarot (723) has posed:
"It doesn't matter to me." Kakarot replies. Gaplan silently takes positon behind Kakarot's seat on his right side, almost fading into the King's shadow. Not through any art, but simply through his statuesque patience. Not that such things matter to Yuri except as a tactical point, most likely.

"So. You want to understand why I'm here and why I'm doing what I'm doing." Kakarot says, arching an eyebrow in consideration. He rubs his chin, and then nods. "All right. Let me tell you a story."

He leans back and kicks one leg up. It looks like around Yuri, he has no concerns about projecting any kind of royal presence. Is he reading Yuri, or does he just not care? "The people of my world are warriors. We live, breathe, eat, and loved fighting. The old history of our people is boring. The important thing is that a tyrranical ass named Frieza annexed us, using us as soldiers in his army under threat of our planet's destruction, as well as all of our people. The Saiyan people were strong, but they couldn't fight that kind of power. So we had no choice but to work for Freiza, destroying what he told us to destroy in order to keep him from destroying our world."

He spreads his hands. "Eventually, my father, Bardock, realized what Freiza was going to do. Because we become more powerful through battle, he would use us until we were too dangerous, and then obliterate us. But the King would not listen to him, bring firmly under Frieza's control. The King was too weak to stand against him."

He gestures. "The only choice was a rebellion. Through cunning, my father gathered power in secret, forming an army with his trusted comrades, and waited for their chance. When Freiza was distracted elsewhere, he struck. The royal family was killed, and by the time Freiza got back, my father was in charge. Freiza went insane with rage and tried to make good on his threat to destroy us, but Bardock, his allies, and my older broghter Raditz met him in combat. When Freiza was on the verge of winning, he killed my brother in front of my father."

He pauses, exhaling for a moment. "That loss, while regrettable, gave my father the strength he needed to become the legendary Super Saiyan. That purity of rage and grief is what destroyed the tyrant and preserved our people."

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    "I see," Yuri says, sitting down with some more metallic rattling. He stares more at Kakarot than the plans or details he was reviewing. He's almost eerily silent as he listens to the story.

    "A rebellion would be the only option, yes," He agrees in a monotone, considering it all, "It is the origin story of your father. But what of you? You inherited his legacy and created this. You no more claim to your father's righteousness simply as his child. Your actions and motivations define you."

    "Bardock sounds like a great man. But who is Kakarot? What makes him amazing?" His head cants slightly to the side, "What makes him a pinnacle of freedom? For he has an army, he calls them Neo-Saiyans, and he takes from those too weak to stop him. What makes you different from the tyrant your father fought against?"

    He pauses, "Also, you had matters you wished to address with me in turn?"

Kakarot (723) has posed:
"You're right." Kakarot confirms. "I was simply outlining the environment through which I came into power. I was the only inheritor available when Bardock died. Through his vision, he took over some of Freiza's old organization, the rest of it disbanding. We began to change how we had to operate. The encounter with Frieza showed us that we're going to inevitably encounter a similar situation once again and we have to be prepared. In the aftermath of the collapse of much of the old PTO, the land was in chaos. It needed to be brought under a new leadership, a better one. The nature of a people does not change overnight, either. The Saiyans were still warriors bred and born. The changes Bardock made needed to continue over time in order to gradually change the path of our people. Through discipline, we channel the warrior spirit productively, using our power to protect those who choose to work with us."

He shrugs. "However, a warrior people still require a war. Thus Reptilon was an attractive target. Its people are enough of a challenge to keep my own people occupied, and they would have understood over time. Eventually, they would have joined us and the anger would have been buried."

But then his eyes narrow. "But then it happened. Not one, but /two/ universe-spanning empires decided to get involved. Two empires who told me in no uncertain terms that to not join them will mean death and destruction for my people. There are Saiyans on both sides. On one, a deluded child who does not understand what it means to rule a Saiyan empire, who thinks her naive ideals will simply be accepted without her being overthrown immediately."

He then waves the other hand. "And on the other, an egomaniac who calls himself Prince of Saiyans, and then claims rulership and superiority while hiding like a coward under the mantle of immortality, whose entire plan to protect his people amounts to an eternal rule under his own whims."

He adjusts, leaning forward in his chair and folding his hands. "So tell me, Dark Hero. How best should I serve my people? Should I accept chaining my people in order to save them once again? Should I bend knee in a slavery of words?"

He pauses, letting that sit there. "As far as your matters are concerned, your own strikes against my people have left... /lasting/ effects. Loss of hair, twisted, painful growths. They scream in agony as we look for ways to save them. The medical pods alone are not enough. What did you do, Dark Hero? What disease did you inflict on my people?"

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    Yuri nods his head as he listens, taking in the words. He can understand the principle of it, at least in Kakarot's mind: A nomadic tribe of warriors. He was once part of such a tribe, so he can at least see its core principles.

    "Reptilon was an unfortunate miscalculation. The factions involve themselves in matters which affect their members. It is why I restrict my actions, by and large, to those which affect no one or those which affect both positively. This is a careful balance to walk, but a method of survival," He notes in a subdued tone. He shuts his eyes briefly and then opens them, "As for your dilemma."

    "I can offer you little advice. The Union has ideals, believe they do good, and I would say has more people I consider ethically sound. But that is their weakness as well, for they can never truly accept one such as I without many of them taking offense," He blinks a few times and then adds, "The Confederacy are... hungry for power. Selfish. They would not understand. This is why I am ultimately loyal to neither before my own ambitions."

    "The Union would not properly utilize your army, but neither would the Confederacy," He admits to Kakarot, "This is your paradox. One side would wish to declaw the essence of your group, while the other would place them under a man who seems a tyrant by his own admittance. A monarch who stated he would rule through martial force and violence to keep his people in order, and whom would decide policy through combat." He thinks, "Is this better than this 'Frieza' you spoke of? A leader should have power, but it should not be all that he is."

    And there's a long, long pause, "Green Sun Wasting. The flames of the Green Sun are hateful and wish agony upon those that feel their sting. First the flesh reddens, then the hair falls out. If they have progressed this far, their organs will soon begin to die. If you want to pre-empt the disease, this is where you should focus your healing efforts most specifically. It does not have a cure, but it can be mitigated for long enough to survive its duration."

Kakarot (723) has posed:
Kakarot's normally smiling face is grim as he hears about the terrible effects of the Green Sun Wasting. "Many have already died. Perhaps we can save those who still remain. It is... wrong for a warrior to die in such a way. A warrior should die in battle or honored, in old age. Not screaming on a bed as his body tears itself apart." There is a small shaking of Kakarot's right hand, before it clenches on the chair arm. It creaks dangerously as his hand leaves indentations in it. "I should annihilate you for what you did. But doing that will not restore my people."

His jaw creaks, working for several moments as he masters the rage Yuri can see boiling under the surface. It vanishes, and Kakarot smiles again. "Least of all someone who actually understands what I face. The Union and Confederacy will not leave me be. I cannot even run. The Saiyans of their group will demand action, to follow me and destroy me as a threat. I cannot move forward. I cannot move back. I cannot kneel. These people see me as nothing more than a monster to be slain, to claim the spoils I have accrued and destroy everything I have tried to create."

He pauses. "You seem like the kind of person who knows much about monsters, Yuri Stinson. Do you believe they will understand what they are trying to do?"

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    "Annihilating me is a natural reaction to such an ability, but it is not one I can control. The flames of the Green Sun are a part of my being in so much as being a warrior is a part of yours." He doesn't seem to react much to the comment besides agreeing with it, "If striking me would alleviate your stress, you may do so. But be aware that I do not carry malice behind my actions, so much as it is simply the nature of the scorpion to sting."

    "The Union will not see the ramifications of their actions in relation to your death until they are too late," Yuri says blandly, thinking it over, "There is not a Union Saiyan which could lead your people in the event of your death. Neither is strong enough to hold the reins." He shuts his eyes and considers, "The Confederacy have two such individuals. And if you were to die, they would play for control of what you have built, and your people will be under someone no fundamentally different than who your father fought to defeat, if all is to be considered. Saiyan or not, a dictator is a dictator."

    Yuri actually does sigh. Or at least take a deep breath, "If you are fully correct, then your death is inevitable. It is your responsibility to see to the safety of your people over your own life and to ensure their perpetuated freedom before your time runs out. This is what a wise leader would do."

Kakarot (723) has posed:
"Were these better times, I would have enjoyed fighting you. But now I have to conserve my power for where and when it matters most." Kakarot replies. "You are a man who knows who and what he is. I can respect that."

    The King of the Neo-Saiyans sighs, but does not allow himself to slump even as the weight of his situation is laid bare. "You're perceptive, too. Death is always inevitable, it's just a question of how you go out to meet it. My father died from the Heart Virus, but that will not be my fate."

He narrows his eyes. "I am going to find the best path for my people, no matter what it costs me. I am going to use my power to do what I have to do for my own people. If we face one another on the field once more, you will understand this, even if no others do."

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    "Yes. It would have been a fight that likely shattered whatever planet it took place on," Yuri agrees with Goku in that monotone of his, "I would have liked that. Had you been born to my world, I feel you would have been one of those chosen to pilot the Kings of the Sun. A General-King who led from the front."

    "Being a necessary monster requires an acute awareness of death. To do terrible things for an overarching good necessitates a knowledge that your life may end," He explains, looking across the table, "And indeed, it is inevitable. But in the face of inevitability, it is the duty of the strong to make as large an impact, or further their goals as much as they can, before that inevitability comes to pass."

    "It is a spiteful philosophy, but Spite and Duty can often be synonyms when faced with necessity." He thinks, "You are not a bad man. I apologize for the deaths of your men and women."

Kakarot (723) has posed:
Kakarot nods. "I will let them know. As far as if I'm a bad man or not..."

He spreads his hands, and laughs. "That all depends on how you look at it and what side you're on. I've always been on the side of my people, the Neo-Saiyans. And like my people... If I am going to die, then I am going to make worlds tremble in my wake." There is a small clap of thunder as Kakarot's right hand clenches with insane force before him. "These people will hear my howl, and they will, perhaps, understand fear for a moment before the end. If they demand a monster... Then I will show them what a monster is, before this is over. Go in peace, Yuri. Because it is worth savoring them before there are no more."

Yuri Stinson (106) has posed:
    "It is the nature of men to pursue a monster until they come face to face with it. The men who wish to become monsters mistake this dream for the pursuit of power," Yuri says in a tired tone, "What they truly want is greatness, power, and to be feared. They do not understand that a monster is more."

    "You are different. You understand what it is to be a monster," He doesn't say this as an accusation. It's a statement of observation, "And so I will wish you luck, Kakarot. I will not wish that you survive, for we know that will eventually be impossible."

    Yuri begins to stand, "I will merely wish that as they bring you to ground, your claws and teeth will make them sacrifice for every inch they gain, that you will make them pay for their gains in blood and death so that you may teach them your ideal."

    "As is the way of a hunted monster."