Scene #2001: 2001: A Saiyan Odyssey

Owner	Pose
Serori	Kakarot never said /don't/ drop by unexpected. Sure, it's not a very diplomatic thing to do, but Serori was getting tired of the diplomatic wheel-spinning. Neither side had caved, no real agreements had been made, and the tension on all sides had been building to an unbearable degree. Yes, she knew what to expect now from her own people, but the Reptilonians and the Neo Saiyans couldn't be counted on to act in a predictable fashion -- not with the likes of Kakarot and Genghis Rex behind each faction's respective decision-making. Two such cunning creatures as those would no doubt try to out-strategize one another, and that's got Serori concerned about what each day might bring. Since another day had gone by /without/ serious incident, she'd opted to take things into her own hands. Kakarot's ship is approached and boarded the moment clearance is given; that's about the only nod she gives to Kakarot's authority. Once inside his ship -- the /Bardock/, she reminds herself -- the Queen of Some Saiyans But Not All Saiyans strides along like she owns the place. Her prowling step takes her past the hangar guards without a thought. Where she should turn to approach Kakarot's meeting chambers, she goes another way, moving toward what she anticipates to be the barracks and training quarters. It's time to see what these Neo Saiyans /live/ like.
Kakarot	He never did tell her to not drop by unannounced. On the other hand, there's nothing saying he wasn't expecting someone to do it eventually. Word gets sent to Kakarot about Serori's arrival, but much like many things, it's going to arrive too late for him to keep her contained, especially as she heads off the reservation. The halls of the ship are kept mostly spotless. As she enters the barracks and training areas, she notices several large divisions immediately. Everything seems to be color-coded: Red, Green, and Blue, and divided appropriately. Her ears pick up the sound of fighting, raucous laughter, and various shouting, much of it in unison. The training arenas seem to take up a great deal of space, no surprise for a race like the Saiyans, whom tend to need lots of room to prevent excessive collateral damage. Red section seems to be focused mostly on speed and maneuvering drills, with many Saiyans taking turns undergoing flight speed and precision tests. Green section is loud with the sound of ki blasts, as troops stand in line shooting down augmented and reinforced ranges. One such range seems to be dedicated to developing the ability to put ki blasts in on ballistic arcs and other indirect attack patterns. Blue section is a mass of pure, direct physical force. Endurance training, grappling, and melee tactics are all prevelant there. Gravity pads are seen inlaid into floors, likely to increase training intensity, and many Saiyans are seen using them to various degrees. Every so often, the ship shakes from some colossal impact out of sight. No one seems concerned, however.
Serori	The sound alone is enough to take her back thirty-some years to the last time she'd seen Planet Vegeta. Add the sights and smells to the mix, and Serori's overcome by something like nostalgia. Oh, she's not sentimental enough to recollect her childhood with any real fondness -- it had been awful, thanks to her status -- but it's still strange to feel suddenly taken out of time. The present momentarily recedes to the back of her mind, and she's left standing in the past. The red room holds her interest longest. Serori stands in the doorway watching the saiyans at work for quite awhile. It'd give Kakarot the chance to catch up to what she's up to, anyway, and for him to dispatch a more appropriate welcome if he wanted. As the speed-focused tactics and techniques are closest to those Serori's mastered, she finds it fascinating to observe so many variations on her own schooling. It's amazing what breadth of skill Kakarot has brought to his people; the result of war, she wonders, or the result of subjugation and evolution? "Aah...so fast, and so precise..." The green section would be more likely to entertain Vegeta than Serori. So would blue. Serori decides to watch both for a little time, anyway, before she decides to take her curiosity elsewhere, to where the Neo Saiyans are engaged in raucous, informal socialization. Wherever she goes, she says nothing to no one, unless directly challenged, and even then it's just to give a cold look until her challenger backs away. She'll converse when she's ready.
Kakarot	Serori doesn't get interrupted at all. She gets a lot of looks of interest, as she's not dressed like they are, but she's clearly a Saiyan. Is it respect, fear, or something else that keeps them from interfering with her? Either way, a group to corral Serori seems to be not materializing. Maybe Kakarot /wants/ her to see this? As Serori leaves the training area, she passes a couple Saiyans scrubbing the walls and floor with irritated expressions on their faces. Looks like that's how they make sure everything stays clean. They keep their eyes downcast from Serori, clearly in embarassment that they'd be seen in this position. Disciplinary procedures, no doubt. Past them, she enters what looks like a mess hall. Trays are loaded up with stacks of meat, fruit, vegetables, and grains, the Saiyans there consuming it all with aplomb with a variety of non-alcoholic beverages. Should Serori try the food herself, she finds the food fairly average. Not spectacular, but at least it can be enjoyed, and there's enough variety that someone won't get too bored. The main problem seems to be the sheet /amount/ Saiyans eat, and there's a fairly large number of Saiyans here. Where are they getting all this food from? The conversation in the area tends to be mostly about Reptilon. It's what's on everyone's mind, and it's kept tensions high, just as Serori imagined it's just as bad on Kakarot's side as it is for hers. There is a great deal of grumbling that they should have just taken over the planet by now. Others spread tales of ridiculous events, clearly magnified from the actual battles Serori were present for. Other conversation topics tend to apparently involve several different alien races and how they interact, some kinds of plans mentioned for a competition scheduled to begin when they get back to Planet Vegeta (at least they didn't rename it), and discussions about fighting and gender relations of various stripes.
Serori	The discipline, the camaraderie, the /presence/ of so many saiyans... Serori does not become sentimental about her past, but she has worked too hard on her future not to find the proof of its possible existence rather stunning. The longer she observes, the more she yearns to sink into their wild midst and become one of their fellows. As royalty in name, she might stand apart still, yet she finds it too easy to imagine herself as ruler over a similar throng. Serori's expression changes from one of cold detachment to one of hopeful interest. Her curious nature starts to supplant her practiced disdain, and she finds herself straining to not only observe, but to learn and memorize, too. If this is what she wants, she's going to have to capture every detail while she can, to make later emulation much less difficult. Something like an apple crunches between her sharp teeth. After she swallows, she flicks her hand at a nearby female, and makes a demand. "Fetch your king, or find someone who can. I'll see him now." As if that random female is totally aware of what's happening. Well, Serori's too arrogant to think these saiyans /don't/ know who she is.
Kakarot	The female nods. "Yes, Colonel Serori." She turns away and Yeah, they know exactly who she is and why she's here. There is a short delay, and then the woman returns. "Colonel, the King requests that you come to the special practice hall. I will escort you." She turns, and smartly moves to do just that. They return to the training area, and move to the opposite side of where Serori entered. This seems to be the source of the occasional shaking and booming noises, and the door is heavily reinforced. The Saiyan reaches out and hits the door control. The door irises open, and Serori is immediately greeded with a wave of high power level and ki flash. There is a low rumble as a blast strikes the wall, rumbling for a moment and missing the doorway by a half foot. Within, Kakarot stands, grappling with Gaplan while Zuki angles into the battle, trying to find a clear shot with the growing sphere of ki she's holding. Both Gaplan and Zuki are Super Saiyan. Kakarot is not. The King is showing several wounds, himself, but that doesn't keep Gaplan deom roaring as he grapples with Kakarot and folds him into a crushing, deadly bear hug. Kakarot immediately responds by cocking his head back and slamming his forehead into Gaplan's repeatedly with stunning force. It takes the third strike to force Gaplan to reel backwards, letting him go. Huh. That's a thing.
Serori	"Oh? As the king wishes, I suppose." Serori drops the core of her fruit into a compost receptacle, and follows the female to where King Kakarot is training. As the door opens, Serori's smirk appears, full of teeth and wicked. She hadn't been expecting to get /this/ kind of show. The angle of the oncoming ki blast is perilous, but Serori knows how to read its unstable trajectory; she doesn't flinch from it, or the ensuing blast. What she does do is stride through the door as confident as can be, her black eyes lit by excitement and interest. Kakarot's watched most closely, but she follows Zuki's movements, too, and Gaplan's, even if she's less interested in whatever the big male's trying. "Incredible," Serori murmurs. The sharpness in her glare is envy and admiration lumped into one intense look. "And he does that without transforming, himself?" Another show for Serori's eyes, no doubt. Not only is she permitted to go where she pleases and see his people at work; she's given the rare chance to watch the king at his training, too. Saiyan pride swells in her heart and heats her blood. He really is something else. The urge to jump into the fray is overwhelming. Oh, why the hell not -- laughing, she leaves the nameless female behind, and darts forward in a rush for Kakarot's back. By the time she swings her knee at his spine, she's flashed into Super Saiyan. "These odds aren't in your favor, King Kakarot!"
Kakarot	The Saiyan woman who escorted Serori withdraws. She's not capable of handling that level of training. But Serori can see a glint in those eyes. That same hunger that Serori herself feels. Perhaps she can't handle it... Yet. But that's a story for another time. Zuki's tactics are fairly clear: She has a heavy preference for ki manipulation. Kakarot's counterplay is also clear: He's using Gaplan as a shield where he can to interfere with her attacks. The fact that Gaplan prioritizes melee means Zuki has to work to find openings instead of being able to rain down attacks wholesale with impunity. But Kakarot has bigger problems at the moment. When Colonel Serori slams into the fray, the addition of the unfamiliar fighter causes Zuki and Gaplan to pause for a moment, giving Serori a clear shot to make her attack count. The impact of the knee lands with a loud CRACK, and Kakarot is thrown into the wall with a loud impact. While mere ground might have been cratered from the impact, the wall bows for a moment, before snapping back to a sheer surface. Kakaroy flips off of the wall, looking over to Serori with that smile he always seems to wear. "Hah! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist!" Zuki doesn't even wait, the beam she's been charging firing with a massive flash of light, and Kakarot backflps. The beam looks like it'd miss, but then it curves upwards, attempting to compensate for his movement. A moment before impact, there is a flash as Kakarot meets ki with ki, fields burning each other out as he is driven back into the wall with another massive impact. And yet, he laughs. "NOW THIS is a REAL training match!" He declares. "You're right, Colonel. Let's make this a little more fair, shall we?" There is an explosion of light as Kakarota yells, gathering his own power, surging with intense power as he begins to give himself over to the glory, the adrenaline, and pure joy of combat, manifesting in the trademark golden lighe and hair of the Super Saiyan. Zuki and Gaplan look at each other, and then over to Serori. They look back at each other. Zuki nods, and Gaplan smiles, both of them falling into line beside Serori. Zuki unleashes a pair of ki beams, while Gaplan lunges, going in low and fast like a freight train. The impact is colossal as Kakarot takes Gaplan head on, slamming a fist into his gut and flinging him back at Serori like a projectile. The ki blasts land a moment later, forcing Kakarot to push them back lest he take damage from Zuki's own attacks. How will Serori handle this?
Serori	Return like for like, of course. Serori lets out her own joyous laughter as Gaplan's flung her way like an oversized and kind of ugly missile. Before he can go too far, Serori darts forward to snatch him up by the straps of his armor. So much sheer /force/ should be agonizing to her shoulder joints, but as a Super Saiyan, she can bear the pain and strain. Serori spins mid-air like a furious little tornado, and sends Gaplan streaking back at Kakarot at high speeds. Gaplan's probably offended to be treated no better than a rag doll, but Serori just finds the whole thing /very/ funny. Without much more warning than a motion blur, Serori's laughter is suddenly coming from behind and slightly above Kakarot. Ki warms up inside her hands, crackling and fierce. If she's given another moment or two, she'll able to rain something down on King Kakarot like Zuki is now. Flanked by two Super Saiyans, with a third barreling toward him -- how will Kakarot react?