- Location
- Germany
The afterlife, be it the Dragonball- or DC-Version of it, it is confirmed to exist in both settings.
Gone Native: Earth Saga (DBZ/DC Comics)
- Thread starter Ideas-Guy
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The afterlife, be it the Dragonball- or DC-Version of it, it is confirmed to exist in both settings.
I imagine the absoluteness of a black hole would throw a wrench into the Final Destination.
Hestia&theCourt
Turns out we're plural too.
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- In transition
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- She/Her
Why would it? The afterlife is a spiritual thing in both universes as far as we know; the physicality of a black hole should be irrelevant as far as retrieving their spirit goes. It might be a little harder to contact said spirit since you aren't really able to get close to the site of death, but that's hardly the only way to call a spirit.
I imagine there is a relative positioning here and there. I would assume King Yenma just does Earth and no further. 8td be insane to judge all souls in the multiverse.
Furthermore this is a DC mach up with DBZ. We don't have a clue if it is the same. There could be one or it could be millions. Or even none if they are not particularly religious.
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Getting Too Old For This...
- Location
- The Shadowlands
The sad thing is, it's not even unfair. Tarble has shown a tendency to occasionally make extreme and seemingly nonsensical decisions on a dime. Yes, they make perfect sense to him, but because he just tends to plow ahead and do things, from the outside it just looks like he's acting on a whim, and his reasons for doing so are often opaque. That can be fine when there's either a lot of trust or a lot of understanding, but in this situation there isn't nearly enough of either of those things. Raven can trust Tarble because she can understand Tarble, she's not going to get worried unless him flying off the handle is a legitimate concern, and she knows him well enough by now to tell what is and isn't a legitimate concern. The men Tarble led back during the war, there was trust there, because he always did his best to lead them and saved their lives time and time again. Even if Tarble could have crushed them like ants, even if he has a tendency to go off the reservation on a dime without explaining anything, there was enough trust there that they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if they had plenty of reason to be concerned. Basically, there's no real cure to this but time, time and understanding. People need a chance to get used to Tarble and feel like they have a handle on his personality, they need to feel like they know whether or not he's just gonna go off on a rampage or something, and when that time comes, sooner for some than for others, people will calm down and that all-important trust can begin to form.
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Hestia&theCourt
Turns out we're plural too.
- Location
- In transition
- Pronouns
- She/Her
...okay, we're confused. You're trying to use the logic of "we don't know how the afterlife works in this fic"... to justify a position about how the afterlife works??? Like, you made the assertion that the black hole at the site of Vegeta's death could interfere with retrieving his spirit. Talking about the ambiguity of how the afterlife may or may not work in this fic actually hurts your case here.
But like, that aside, in DC comics canon, Superman nearly went into the Kryptonian afterlife after being killed on Earth. He obviously wasn't killed in this fic, but since the DC side of this crossover draws from multiple DC canons, it's reasonable to assume that this could be canon in this fic. So if that carries over to this fic, then distance should be no object here: in spite of being raised in a culturally Christian area and being geographically way closer to Earth than to Krypton, Clark's soul was specifically drawn to the Kryptonian afterlife. If a soul can go most of the way to Krypton's afterlife and back without apparent problems, we don't see any reason why it'd be different for whatever Saiyan afterlife there is based on distance. And as regards the black hole, as far as we know nobody in DC has ever tried to retrieve the spirit of someone killed in or near a black hole, so there's really no data to assert that it would be likely to cause problems. It's also worth noting that when Firestorm was killed in comics canon, he didn't even leave a body behind, and his soul still got to come back in later storylines, so with all of that in mind, it doesn't make sense to assume that the gravitational pressure of a black hole would interfere too much with a seance when Ronnie's body literally no longer existing didn't prevent him from coming back to life.
And yeah, we admit we're speculating here, but we're speculating with evidence. If you have anything beyond just speculation, we've yet to see it.
True. I suppose it was foolhardy of me to admit weakness of knowledge to argue my-
Say what now?!! Multiple?! Could?! IF?! IF!
You're trying to justify your own view points by stating maybes and nitpicking specific examples from what you admit is one example rather than a cross the multiversal truth!? You even admit to knowing nothing about blackhole related deaths! Sir, you do no service to your arguments by using the argument of "we don't know" with any certainty!
ok 👍 now that nitpicking pot calling the kettle black is out of the way I'm gonna ignore those bits so let's discuss!
I only said that it might not be the same as DBZ as we've seen DBZ elements heavily influenced DC but hardly any a true 1 to 1 port. Hell even the power scaling is more akin to DC's power scaling than DBZ. There might be a HIFL but only for Saiyans. Though I do wonder on placement given the planetary blow up that's happened repeatedly. And the way the afterlife works in DBZ Otherworld is truly nothing more than an other world with it's how culture and people that souls from this world simply fall into when they lose their mortal body.
So it makes sense to me that there'd be a physical placement for souls bureaucracy. And if you want to point out to Superman dieing on Earth to appear on Kryptonian SuperHeaven then I point to Kryptonian SuperHell where that afterlife exploded (as in not exist anymore and everyone there died) when Krypton did and a superdevil escaped to Earth's Hell by riding jockey on Kal-El's rocket pod.
Only closest thing we've seen of the afterlife here in this fic is the Saiyan God whose largly on the original Saiyan homeworld with bones we assume to be his. Not in any certain afterlife.
Followed by Raven in her trip to The Vega System pointing out how all the people that died there? Their souls are still there. Multitudes of species and if any of them got ported to their respective afterlife those few are too few to mention.
Neither does Vegeta's and I assume alot of 501st are unrecoverable. The lack of a body isn't anywhere near my argument. I'm arguing blackhole effect on the metaphysical soul. Never once talked about the body in my post except at the point of death.
And you better believe Vegeta wouldn't have run rather than watch his baby brother fight Frieza to the death!
If Tarble starts using necromancers that's the best place to call his people. Just as the scary blackhole would be the best place to call his brother. Assuming they could get close enough and again the blackhole might very well have too great a pull on the metaphysical just as it does on the physical.
We can argue this but the only answer is "whatever the author wants it to be". Stan Lee's words! Though he was referencing character's VS battles I think it works for most of fiction's VS arguments!
Any more points to add to the discussion?
No data to assert anything. For or against anything. No shame in admitting you don't know. But our respective pov's is what we are stating and defending. By admitting lack of knowledge we allow the other to provide a way to inform ourselves so we can strengthen our arguments or find a knew path. Just don't tell me I'm wrong for saying I don't know then turn around and justify your points by saying you have no evidence either but that lack of evidence means your right while I am wrong. Tolerance yo!
Hestia&theCourt
Turns out we're plural too.
- Location
- In transition
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- She/Her
There are no "cross-the-multiverse" truths to draw on here because the only truths that are 100% clear across every single DC canon is that "Kal-El and Bruce Wayne exist in some form", but at least we provided evidence from forms of canon that are reasonably likely to be applicable. What have you got, aside from some bizarre assertion that a black hole could have metaphysical implications that neither canon has any evidence at all to support? Since when do black holes consume or otherwise affect souls in either DC or Dragonball?
Ma'am, if you please.
You made the initial assertion in the first place. It is your job to prove that assertion correct, not ours. You said that a black hole could interfere with summoning Vegeta's soul. We countered with "since when" and pointed out that while no evidence exists of a character's soul being retrieved from a black hole, there is also no evidence to suggest that it's a problem on a metaphysical level, as well as some evidence around vaguely similar circumstances in DC canon that indicate a black hole's physical properties shouldn't interfere either. Distance might be a problem, except Clark's soul nearly went to Krypton's afterlife. The irretrievability of the body might be a problem, but clearly that wasn't an issue for Firestorm. No evidence on whether large amounts of gravity might cause a problem, but no evidence to suggest that it is a problem either.
Then you turned around and accused us of hypocrisy because our argument was admittedly based largely on inference and missing a number of key data points, but you don't even have that. You literally just made an assertion with no backing evidence and are now getting on our back for pointing out that what meager evidence we do have indicates you are probably incorrect. Both sides are not evenly balanced here: you made an assertion with no evidence and are now claiming that we're just as bad as you are for providing weak evidence.
The only thing you've said with any degree of canon accuracy thus far is that calling the spirits of fallen Saiyans would be a lot easier if they could access the place of death, but that's hardly the only way to call a spirit. Arguably, having the king of the Saiyans, who participated in that battle and had deep personal connections to many of those casualties and Vegeta in particular, right there and able to participate in a theoretical seance is just as strong a connection as the place of death would be. It'd be better to have both, but there's no reason to think that you couldn't just do a ritual on Earth using Tarble or Elery as focal points and call Vegeta's spirit back that way. To the best of our recollection, similar things have been done before in the more magical side of DC. The main obstacle there would be Tarble's anti-magic tattoos, and we don't recall if that also applies to magic he doesn't consider hostile or not. Either way, Elery has a pretty strong connection to Vegeta, so even that's not a deal-breaker if it turns out the tattoos prevent Tarble from being used as a focal point.
In short, if you want to continue this argument, please provide some actual evidence for your assertion that black holes have some kind of metaphysical properties in either DC or Dragonball that would complicate a seance, rather than throwing out unsubstantiated theories and then getting pissed when somebody starts poking holes in them.
Resolution
- Location
- USA
There was rejoicing when Komand'r made the announcement that Koriand'r would be her co-ruler. The Tamaranian people felt like they got what they wanted -- a populist leader that would give them what they were demanding. The fact that Koriand'r was just a figurehead was known only to us and the Teen Titans. It was about as perfect a solution as there could be, given the circumstances. The distaste for Komand'r ran deep and Koriand'r's influence would soothe over her more controversial decisions because they would be advocated by Koriand'r herself. Simply because she was backing them, their people would accept it easier than if it had from Komand'r.
"I wonder…" I muttered to myself, perched on the ledge of the Palace. There was a celebration to mark Koriand'r's ascension to the throne. I could tell that Komand'r didn't like how happy their people were about it, but the bad blood and animosity between the two sisters had been put to bed. For now at least. Komand'r was reassured that Koriand'r didn't want the throne, and that dealt with her greatest insecurity. But, both sisters were very different people. It wasn't likely that there would be no issues in the future, but for now…
A small sigh escaped me as I leaned against the roof, looking up at the moon. I could feel my body trying to trigger the Oozaru transformation as I absorbed the blutz waves, but I kept the transformation at bay. Memories came back to me of planet Vegeta, way back when the largest generation of Saiyans had been ready to join the war. It was one of the three times me and Vegeta had both been on Planet Vegeta.
The first was back when I was in the tank with him tapping at the glass or seeing me off on my first mission. The second time, we had been home as equals. It was then that the few good memories I had of Vegeta were made. It had been then that I felt like I had truly joined the Royal Family -- I had King Vegeta's acceptance, Mom had already accepted me, Elery and Vegeta got along, and Vegeta… he treated me as his brother.
Years ago, back on Palace Vegeta, we had looked up at the night sky and talked. I barely remembered about what. I'm pretty sure it had been about the war, though. And the future. I don't think that Vegeta hated me back then. I hadn't eclipsed him yet. Back then, I was just his brother that he could finally acknowledge with pride.
"Hm," I hummed to myself, thinking about the events. A what-if tugging at my mind that I considered carefully. However, I felt someone materialize nearby, interupting my contemplations. I tilted my head, finding Raven rising from a dark shadow. She glanced at me, not at all surprised to see me as she pushed back her hood. "Not enjoying the party?" I asked.
"I don't do crowds," Raven admitted, taking a seat about a dozen feet from me. "People don't notice me. You, on the other hand, have been noticed."
"I've always hated celebrations," I admitted. For a lot of reasons. Partly because they felt like a waste of time when I was forced to attend -- time spent there was time I could have spent advancing the front lines. And partly because I never knew what to do with myself. However, the biggest reason of all was… "It always felt pointless. Our soldiers would celebrate taking a planet, and then half of them would die taking another."
Raven was silent at the admission, turning her gaze upwards as a broken chunk of a battleship floated before the moon. The area around Tamaran had only barely been cleared out. From where we sat, it was impossible to see that the system was full of debris from the last true battle of the war. The only real evidence of it was the lack of stars. There were some, but the debris was so dense that there were only a handful of stars out. If it wasn't for the special atmosphere that had been constructed around the planet, Tamaran and the rest of the planets wouldn't receive enough sunlight and would become winter worlds.
"Did you ever consider that it's because half of them would die?" she questioned, earning a nod from me. Of course, I had. "I guess it was harder on you than them," Raven remarked. "You would keep living. Going from planet to planet, watching the losses grow higher…" she trailed off, glancing at me.
Yeah, that sounded about right. It's why I never joined in the celebrations despite so many offers over the years. Death was much harder to deal with when you knew those that died. When you were close to them. Like the 501st -- so many lives and stories that were just cut short because of the whims of a tyrant. Like my team. Like my family. I did all that I could to mitigate losses, but the fact of the matter was that there would always be losses.
I learned very early on, when I was a child, that a casualty report was a lot easier to swallow when you couldn't put a face to every name. I still tried to for years, but as my responsibilities grew… in a way, being a general was a lot easier than being the leader of the 501st. The casualties were higher, exponentially so, but easier to bare.
"Why are you here, Raven?" I asked her, finally asking her why she decided to show up. Her empath abilities worked like my ki sensing, so she would have known I was up here.
Raven didn't answer for a moment, as if searching for the words. "I wanted to check on you. I was sensing a lot of hatred and rage coming from you," she approached the topic as gently as she could, eyeing me carefully. As if I were a volcano that was on the verge of erupting.
Ah. That made sense. "You're sensing the instincts of the Oozaru transformation. It happens every time we look up at the moon," I offered to reassure her. Her lips thinned ever so slightly, and I could visibly see her swallowing a question as she looked away. "I've mastered the transformation, so I can stop myself from transforming." I elaborated, but I don't think that was what she was going to ask.
"I thought it might have been resentment," Raven said after a moment. "That things… didn't go this way with your brother," she said, and I still didn't think that's what she was going to originally say.
Still, it was a fair concern. "This solution wouldn't have worked with Vegeta," I could admit that to myself. "Vegeta was too proud, and his pride made him insecure. He never would have accepted anything other than one of us dying at each other's hands." I don't think there was a way that we could have gotten a happy ending like this. Even if I did everything perfectly, I don't think that things would have been happy ever after. "And he was likely right. Vegeta was a warmonger. He wouldn't have accepted the War of Light ending with anything less than the entire galaxy being under his control. And as soon as he could, he would have started invading other galaxies."
I could admit that now. My brother wasn't without fault.
"And you would have stopped him," Raven voiced the source of my grief over the subject.
"I told him that I would have exiled myself. That he would never see me again. But, that was a lie. Even if I left, eventually, I would have come back to stop his warmongering, because Vegeta didn't hate war like I do. No matter what, no matter how hard we tried, I don't think that our story could have ended without one of us killing the other," I admitted to Raven, a small sigh escaping me. Raven listened in silence, processing what I said.
It was easier, I thought, because she hadn't known Vegeta. She hadn't known about the war. I couldn't talk about this to Elery, who had loved Vegeta like I had. Or Mom, who probably would have taken Vegeta's side in the ideological conflict. Broly… I didn't think he would understand. And I didn't think I wanted him to.
Raven offered a small nod, "Maybe. Despite what the others might say -- sometimes you can't reason with people. No matter what you do or what you say, they won't change their minds and stop doing whatever it is that they do. I've felt it. People look down on drug addicts, thinking that they're weak because they can destroy anything for the sake of a high. And while it is true they can be cruel and thoughtless and destructive, I can feel them wrestling with themselves." Her lips thinned as she looked at me, her violet eyes sad.
"A lot of them can't help it. I know you disagree," Raven added, feeling that I did. "But I've felt their self-hatred and loathing. Their despair. It's not an excuse for the things that they do, but it is a reason why they do it. Because the world feels so terrible to them and they feel so terrible about themselves that the only time they feel any measure of peace is through their drug abuse." she sounded sad about it. And I saw her point.
People didn't change because you wanted them to. Sometimes it wasn't about finding the right compromise or the right string of words. They had to want to change.
And Vegeta hadn't wanted to.
"The others haven't said it yet, but they see how hard you're trying to be different," Raven told me, a faint smile curling at the edges of her lips. "How you helped Kori really showed them that there's more to you than what the war turned you into." I shifted ever so slightly, finding myself distinctly uncomfortable with the information. "They want to approach you but they just don't know how. Robin and the others, they'll help you if you let them. If you let us," she amended.
Help. That wasn't something I was used to getting.
"Is that why you're really here? To make me come to the party?" I asked her, her faint smile growing a fraction.
"It was an idea," Raven admitted.
I looked back up at the moon to see the chunk of the ship had finished sailing past the moon. "Fine," I agreed, floating to my feet. "But what were you going to ask me? Before you reconsidered?" I questioned her bluntly, making her eyes widen ever so slightly because she hadn't realized that I had caught that.
She rose to her feet, her cloak falling over her shoulders, hiding her body from view. "It's a personal question," Raven admitted.
"Ask," I offered, but it sounded more like a demand to me. I wouldn't normally mind, but… Raven hadn't said it outright, but she was here because she had been worried. That I was feeling anger and hate over the outcome, and she wanted to check on me.
Raven still hesitated, but after a second, she slowly spoke, "I've learned to control my emotions, to try to achieve a state of balance between them. It's not something that I've managed often," she admitted. "I wanted to ask you about how you seem to… crush your emotions. Or take control over them so completely. Is it worth learning?" she asked me, a faint trace of hope in her voice.
"No," I answered shortly, killing that hope in the cradle. "It's not," I didn't elaborate because I didn't know how to. My control over my emotions had been the result of the war. I had to be in control of myself at all times. That control was so iron tight that not even power rings could influence me when I was trying to let them. The one time I lost control I killed the people that I loved. "Your way is more difficult to learn, but it's better. When… something terrible happens, you won't lose control."
Raven searched my face for a moment then offered a shallow nod, "Thank you." she said, but I wasn't sure what she was thanking me for. "I can teleport you down?" she offered, her shadow becoming a pitch-black void tinged with an aura of white.
She looked vaguely disappointed when I shook my head. Raven hadn't done anything to earn my distrust, but she didn't need to. While I was willing to confide in her, my trust wasn't unconditional. Because, even if she did tell someone what we spoke of, the damage would be minimal -- most of my empire wouldn't care, and those that would couldn't use the information against me. "I'll fly," I decided, taking a step off of the Palace, and immediately began plummeting down.
The wind whistled in my ears for a moment as I adjusted my course to land on a balcony, the same one I had left from. Landing lightly, I was assaulted by Tamaranian music. I almost didn't know how to describe it other than an enthusiastic blend of noises that was mostly pleasant, sometimes catchy, and always chaotic. I experienced a little of Earth's music, and it was opinion, but Tamaranian music sounded like every instrument was getting their own solos at the same time.
The party itself was in full swing, far more festive than the last one I had seen, which was thrown in my honor upon my arrival on the planet. Tamaranians were wrestling on the floor, and feasting with complete abandonment of their already Saiyan-like table manners. I stepped inside the throne room, my gaze effortlessly finding Komand'r, who sat upon the throne giving everyone cold looks. Her gaze found me, and her gaze softened ever so slightly. She offered me a small nod.
I made my way into the room, and despite my wishes, my arrival didn't go unnoticed. "Tarble!" Koriand'r greeted me loudly, bringing more attention to me. She flew up, because unlike her sister, Koriand'r was completely surrounded by her people. She wore a dress similar to Komand'r, leaving very little to the imagination. She flew towards me, throwing her arms around me in another tight hug before quickly realizing her mistake and letting go. "I was worried that you would not stay!"
"Raven talked me into attending," I admitted, earning a beaming smile in response. The crowd that had been around Koriand'r followed her towards us. My gaze caught a large man that was closer to twelve feet tall than not, with bulging muscles, and missing an eye. His orange beard was elaborately braided, while his head was shaved bare. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Koriand'r."
"Please, my friends call me Kori. I would like it if you did as well -- none of this would be possible without you! I can finally be with my sister and people now," Koria- Kori exclaimed, unashamed of her joy. And her complete disregard for her status as a queen.
Despite my thoughts, and knowing that Komand'r was a far better ruler whose ambitions fell in line with my own for her people, I could see why her people preferred Kori to her. The power meant absolutely nothing to her. Being queen meant less. What she wanted was her people and sister to be loved and protected.
I could feel Komand'r's eyes on us. And I knew that we weren't in the clear. There would be issues down the line, but I thought that the two could handle them. So long as Komand'r felt like she was still queen, she wouldn't take action against her sister. That being said, I couldn't imagine it would be easy to watch her sister be so popular despite all that she had done for her race.
I offered a small nod, agreeing. The large man wandered over and went to clap me on the shoulder and managed to hit my entire right arm with his large hands. Despite the force he put behind the blow, I didn't so much as budge a millimeter. He smiled down at me, clearly happy. "King Tarble, what a great day that it is! You brought our little sun home!" He cheered, and a loud toast went up, the people seizing the chance to drink more. Not that they really needed it.
"This is my k'norfka Galfore -- he raised me and my sister before we went to Okkar to study under their warlords," Kori introduced Galfore, who bowed his head to me, and still towered over me by a solid five feet. I had absolutely no clue what a k'norfka was, but it sounded similar to a guardian of some type. As far as I knew, Komand'r and Kori's parents were dead.
I returned the nod, "King Tarble."
"Come, drink! Celebrate! What a joyous day that it is!" Galfore said, handing me his mug, which seemed specifically designed for him. I took hold of it, seeing a foamy lime green substance inside. Kori looked a bit apprehensive, but I brought the drink to my lips and started to drink. It tasted faintly sweet, but it was mostly spicy with a faint burning sensation. The crowd seemed to get quieter and quieter as I drank deeply from the massive tankard that was about the size of a small human. Tilting back my head, I drained the last of it, leaving behind only a little foam.
The crowd lost their collective minds when I handed back the tankard after a brief moment of silence. Galfore seemed impressed while Kori smiled brightly.
"You have just challenged him to a drinking competition," Kori informed me and I had no idea how that worked. Was it because I finished his drink? I felt like I'd stumbled on a custom that I hadn't meant to. Or they were making it up. Even if they were, it wasn't like I would be any the wiser.
"I see. Very well then," I said, deciding to uphold the challenge. The Tamaranian people began clearing the way, excited for the competition. I was given my own mug that was the equal of the one I just drank from while barrels upon barrels were brought up. Each one was roughly a full drink and they seemed to expect this competition to last at least a dozen.
I found myself sitting at a low table, sitting across from Galfore and next a dozen others. This wasn't the only competition, it would seem, though they all had much smaller tankards. When the signal was given, everyone began to chug their drinks down as fast as they could. Despite being the ones with the largest mugs, Galfore and I finished first. As soon as the bottom of our tankards touched the table, two servants began refilling them.
The cheering got louder and I quickly found myself becoming the center of attention. I did feel a bit bad for the others and their matches, because they went unnoticed as everyone chanted either my or Galfore's name as we knocked back mug after mug. Things began to speed up as we kept going, to the point that the servers went to find more mugs to fill before we had finished our current ones, so there wouldn't be a need to pause.
The Teen Titans watched on -- Kori and Komand'r were cheering like unruly sports fans, while the rest of the Titans watched with a dull sense of awe and disgust. But, eventually, they all started cheering too. I was surprised when they occasionally threw in some encouragement for me as well.
"You're so tiny, where are you putting it all?" Galfore questioned me, a flush on his face that darkened his orange skin.
"Saiyan biology is efficient," was my composed answer. I felt slightly lightheaded, but I was pushing it back, urging my body to process and breakdown the fermented juice that seemed to be the Tamaranian drink of choice. I had never been drunk before and I held little interest in starting to now.
Galfore threw back his head and laughed as if I had just said the funniest thing that he had ever heard in his entire life. His laughter proved infectious, because everyone else seemed to join in. That was why I didn't get drunk. It made people make fools of themselves. But…
This wasn't bad, I decided, finishing off my fourteenth mug the size of a barrel. I think this had been what the Titans had been trying to show me at that pizzeria, but failed because I wasn't in the right headspace and the underlying tension of my presence on Earth and what it meant for the fate of the planet never diminished. Here, though, there was no tension. It was just people enjoying themselves. Having fun.
I felt a faint smile curling at the edges of my lips, so I hid it by draining my fifteenth mug. When I set it down, I saw Galfore waving his hand in a gesture of surrender, "Oh, no -- I know I have been bested! If I drink anymore, I won't remember this wonderful night! King Tarble is the victor!" Galfore said, sounding happy enough for the two of us.
The crowd cheered, celebrating just for the sake of celebrating, and they found another reason to party harder. I nodded, rising from my seat, feeling full from all the juice. My skin did feel a bit flushed, and the lightheaded feeling intensified. I don't think I was drunk, but I was certain that I was tipsy. I used the distraction to skip out towards the balcony, needing some air to help clear my head.
As I leaned against the stone arch, I heard the balcony doors shut behind me. I didn't need to look to know who it was. "My people shall speak of that for as long as they have tongues," Komand'r remarked to me as she leaned on the balcony next to me. "I did not take you for the drinking type."
"I'm not," I admitted. "I'm just competitive."
Komand'r made a noise of surprise, "Then that bottle of wine we shared?" She questioned me, making me glance at her. The one after we destroyed the fleet stationed above the planet that had been acting as the Citidel's boot on their necks.
"Until tonight, that was the first and only time I've ever drank," I told her, breathing deeply. Would I work through the alcohol faster if I went Super Saiyan? I glanced at her, finding Komand'r looking down at her city. I debated for a moment if I should ask or not, not sure if I wanted the answer, but the alcohol loosened my tongue despite my best efforts. "Are you happy with this outcome?"
Komand'r was tellingly silent for a long moment. However, right when I started to think that I had made a terrible mistake, she spoke. "I would have preferred to remain the lone queen of my people, and I… really hate how they just… love her. But, I know that if I asked, Kori would vanish from our lives. She loves us- me that much. I will admit that there will be resentment on my part, but I won't ever direct it at her." She sounded like she was making that promise as much to herself as she was to me.
"This is a good place," I decided, leaning heavily on the railing. Despite it being such a large city, I could hardly feel people dying or the weakening of their presence from starvation and disease.
Komand'r sent me a sideways glance, "Are you looking to stay, King Tarble?"
It was tempting. But Earth was so volatile that it needed a hands-on approach simply because no one else could handle it. Outside of Broly.
But an idea slowly started to take shape. "Earth was meant to be the new Saiyan homeworld," I told her, making her cock an eyebrow.
"Planet Vegeta 2? Planet Tarble?" she questioned me, and I just sighed. That was fair.
"I wanted my people to learn from humanity's example. So many of us are defined by the war -- we all grew up during the War of Light. I thought that by bringing them to Earth, they would learn to be more, but I made mistakes on Earth. Too many." I spoke, pinching the bridge of my nose. "But now I think our people are too incompatible. Humans are too weak and mine are too callous. It would only end in disaster."
It was the first time one of my plans had imploded so spectacularly. The war taught me to adapt, so I was adapting.
Komand'r nodded her head slowly, "I have been making… inquiries about what was done to my sister and I. In the hopes that what was done to us could be shared with the rest of my people, in a much safer manner. Then we would no longer be treated as cattle, slaves for the rest of the galaxy." That was surprising. I didn't think Komand'r would risk it because it would be a threat to her own power.
There was a silent request in her voice. An offer.
I leaned away from the railing to look at Komand'r fully. I don't think I should be making decisions when I had just finished drinking so much alcohol, but I could only see benefits. My biggest concern with Earth was that humans were just too weak and for all the ways we were similar, humans and Saiyans had very different cultures. With Tamaranians, the concern was still there, but mitigated greatly if they could fly and protect themselves from unruly Saiyans. Even better, Tamaranians were culturally similar and highly empathetic. Something my people sorely needed.
"I can put some of my top scientists on it. Your genetics will likely prove to be the best bet," I spoke, earning a smile from Komand'r as she stood straight, looking at me.
She placed a hand on my chest, taking a half step closer, "And I shall welcome your people to Tamaran. I believe… it would be a strong image of how… close our people are." Komand'r said, rising up ever so slightly and gently pressing her lips against mine. It was the second time she had done so, and this time, I understood that it wasn't to learn any of the languages I knew.
The kiss ended as quickly as it began, with Komand'r pulling back, giving me a sly and confident smile. "I should rejoin the party. I wouldn't want people to talk," she remarked, sounding like she wouldn't mind if they did. I watched her in stunned silence as she slipped through the door and vanished from sight, rejoining the party.
"I think things just got a lot more complicated," I muttered to myself, turning away from the door.
But what else was new?
...
The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!
"I wonder…" I muttered to myself, perched on the ledge of the Palace. There was a celebration to mark Koriand'r's ascension to the throne. I could tell that Komand'r didn't like how happy their people were about it, but the bad blood and animosity between the two sisters had been put to bed. For now at least. Komand'r was reassured that Koriand'r didn't want the throne, and that dealt with her greatest insecurity. But, both sisters were very different people. It wasn't likely that there would be no issues in the future, but for now…
A small sigh escaped me as I leaned against the roof, looking up at the moon. I could feel my body trying to trigger the Oozaru transformation as I absorbed the blutz waves, but I kept the transformation at bay. Memories came back to me of planet Vegeta, way back when the largest generation of Saiyans had been ready to join the war. It was one of the three times me and Vegeta had both been on Planet Vegeta.
The first was back when I was in the tank with him tapping at the glass or seeing me off on my first mission. The second time, we had been home as equals. It was then that the few good memories I had of Vegeta were made. It had been then that I felt like I had truly joined the Royal Family -- I had King Vegeta's acceptance, Mom had already accepted me, Elery and Vegeta got along, and Vegeta… he treated me as his brother.
Years ago, back on Palace Vegeta, we had looked up at the night sky and talked. I barely remembered about what. I'm pretty sure it had been about the war, though. And the future. I don't think that Vegeta hated me back then. I hadn't eclipsed him yet. Back then, I was just his brother that he could finally acknowledge with pride.
"Hm," I hummed to myself, thinking about the events. A what-if tugging at my mind that I considered carefully. However, I felt someone materialize nearby, interupting my contemplations. I tilted my head, finding Raven rising from a dark shadow. She glanced at me, not at all surprised to see me as she pushed back her hood. "Not enjoying the party?" I asked.
"I don't do crowds," Raven admitted, taking a seat about a dozen feet from me. "People don't notice me. You, on the other hand, have been noticed."
"I've always hated celebrations," I admitted. For a lot of reasons. Partly because they felt like a waste of time when I was forced to attend -- time spent there was time I could have spent advancing the front lines. And partly because I never knew what to do with myself. However, the biggest reason of all was… "It always felt pointless. Our soldiers would celebrate taking a planet, and then half of them would die taking another."
Raven was silent at the admission, turning her gaze upwards as a broken chunk of a battleship floated before the moon. The area around Tamaran had only barely been cleared out. From where we sat, it was impossible to see that the system was full of debris from the last true battle of the war. The only real evidence of it was the lack of stars. There were some, but the debris was so dense that there were only a handful of stars out. If it wasn't for the special atmosphere that had been constructed around the planet, Tamaran and the rest of the planets wouldn't receive enough sunlight and would become winter worlds.
"Did you ever consider that it's because half of them would die?" she questioned, earning a nod from me. Of course, I had. "I guess it was harder on you than them," Raven remarked. "You would keep living. Going from planet to planet, watching the losses grow higher…" she trailed off, glancing at me.
Yeah, that sounded about right. It's why I never joined in the celebrations despite so many offers over the years. Death was much harder to deal with when you knew those that died. When you were close to them. Like the 501st -- so many lives and stories that were just cut short because of the whims of a tyrant. Like my team. Like my family. I did all that I could to mitigate losses, but the fact of the matter was that there would always be losses.
I learned very early on, when I was a child, that a casualty report was a lot easier to swallow when you couldn't put a face to every name. I still tried to for years, but as my responsibilities grew… in a way, being a general was a lot easier than being the leader of the 501st. The casualties were higher, exponentially so, but easier to bare.
"Why are you here, Raven?" I asked her, finally asking her why she decided to show up. Her empath abilities worked like my ki sensing, so she would have known I was up here.
Raven didn't answer for a moment, as if searching for the words. "I wanted to check on you. I was sensing a lot of hatred and rage coming from you," she approached the topic as gently as she could, eyeing me carefully. As if I were a volcano that was on the verge of erupting.
Ah. That made sense. "You're sensing the instincts of the Oozaru transformation. It happens every time we look up at the moon," I offered to reassure her. Her lips thinned ever so slightly, and I could visibly see her swallowing a question as she looked away. "I've mastered the transformation, so I can stop myself from transforming." I elaborated, but I don't think that was what she was going to ask.
"I thought it might have been resentment," Raven said after a moment. "That things… didn't go this way with your brother," she said, and I still didn't think that's what she was going to originally say.
Still, it was a fair concern. "This solution wouldn't have worked with Vegeta," I could admit that to myself. "Vegeta was too proud, and his pride made him insecure. He never would have accepted anything other than one of us dying at each other's hands." I don't think there was a way that we could have gotten a happy ending like this. Even if I did everything perfectly, I don't think that things would have been happy ever after. "And he was likely right. Vegeta was a warmonger. He wouldn't have accepted the War of Light ending with anything less than the entire galaxy being under his control. And as soon as he could, he would have started invading other galaxies."
I could admit that now. My brother wasn't without fault.
"And you would have stopped him," Raven voiced the source of my grief over the subject.
"I told him that I would have exiled myself. That he would never see me again. But, that was a lie. Even if I left, eventually, I would have come back to stop his warmongering, because Vegeta didn't hate war like I do. No matter what, no matter how hard we tried, I don't think that our story could have ended without one of us killing the other," I admitted to Raven, a small sigh escaping me. Raven listened in silence, processing what I said.
It was easier, I thought, because she hadn't known Vegeta. She hadn't known about the war. I couldn't talk about this to Elery, who had loved Vegeta like I had. Or Mom, who probably would have taken Vegeta's side in the ideological conflict. Broly… I didn't think he would understand. And I didn't think I wanted him to.
Raven offered a small nod, "Maybe. Despite what the others might say -- sometimes you can't reason with people. No matter what you do or what you say, they won't change their minds and stop doing whatever it is that they do. I've felt it. People look down on drug addicts, thinking that they're weak because they can destroy anything for the sake of a high. And while it is true they can be cruel and thoughtless and destructive, I can feel them wrestling with themselves." Her lips thinned as she looked at me, her violet eyes sad.
"A lot of them can't help it. I know you disagree," Raven added, feeling that I did. "But I've felt their self-hatred and loathing. Their despair. It's not an excuse for the things that they do, but it is a reason why they do it. Because the world feels so terrible to them and they feel so terrible about themselves that the only time they feel any measure of peace is through their drug abuse." she sounded sad about it. And I saw her point.
People didn't change because you wanted them to. Sometimes it wasn't about finding the right compromise or the right string of words. They had to want to change.
And Vegeta hadn't wanted to.
"The others haven't said it yet, but they see how hard you're trying to be different," Raven told me, a faint smile curling at the edges of her lips. "How you helped Kori really showed them that there's more to you than what the war turned you into." I shifted ever so slightly, finding myself distinctly uncomfortable with the information. "They want to approach you but they just don't know how. Robin and the others, they'll help you if you let them. If you let us," she amended.
Help. That wasn't something I was used to getting.
"Is that why you're really here? To make me come to the party?" I asked her, her faint smile growing a fraction.
"It was an idea," Raven admitted.
I looked back up at the moon to see the chunk of the ship had finished sailing past the moon. "Fine," I agreed, floating to my feet. "But what were you going to ask me? Before you reconsidered?" I questioned her bluntly, making her eyes widen ever so slightly because she hadn't realized that I had caught that.
She rose to her feet, her cloak falling over her shoulders, hiding her body from view. "It's a personal question," Raven admitted.
"Ask," I offered, but it sounded more like a demand to me. I wouldn't normally mind, but… Raven hadn't said it outright, but she was here because she had been worried. That I was feeling anger and hate over the outcome, and she wanted to check on me.
Raven still hesitated, but after a second, she slowly spoke, "I've learned to control my emotions, to try to achieve a state of balance between them. It's not something that I've managed often," she admitted. "I wanted to ask you about how you seem to… crush your emotions. Or take control over them so completely. Is it worth learning?" she asked me, a faint trace of hope in her voice.
"No," I answered shortly, killing that hope in the cradle. "It's not," I didn't elaborate because I didn't know how to. My control over my emotions had been the result of the war. I had to be in control of myself at all times. That control was so iron tight that not even power rings could influence me when I was trying to let them. The one time I lost control I killed the people that I loved. "Your way is more difficult to learn, but it's better. When… something terrible happens, you won't lose control."
Raven searched my face for a moment then offered a shallow nod, "Thank you." she said, but I wasn't sure what she was thanking me for. "I can teleport you down?" she offered, her shadow becoming a pitch-black void tinged with an aura of white.
She looked vaguely disappointed when I shook my head. Raven hadn't done anything to earn my distrust, but she didn't need to. While I was willing to confide in her, my trust wasn't unconditional. Because, even if she did tell someone what we spoke of, the damage would be minimal -- most of my empire wouldn't care, and those that would couldn't use the information against me. "I'll fly," I decided, taking a step off of the Palace, and immediately began plummeting down.
The wind whistled in my ears for a moment as I adjusted my course to land on a balcony, the same one I had left from. Landing lightly, I was assaulted by Tamaranian music. I almost didn't know how to describe it other than an enthusiastic blend of noises that was mostly pleasant, sometimes catchy, and always chaotic. I experienced a little of Earth's music, and it was opinion, but Tamaranian music sounded like every instrument was getting their own solos at the same time.
The party itself was in full swing, far more festive than the last one I had seen, which was thrown in my honor upon my arrival on the planet. Tamaranians were wrestling on the floor, and feasting with complete abandonment of their already Saiyan-like table manners. I stepped inside the throne room, my gaze effortlessly finding Komand'r, who sat upon the throne giving everyone cold looks. Her gaze found me, and her gaze softened ever so slightly. She offered me a small nod.
I made my way into the room, and despite my wishes, my arrival didn't go unnoticed. "Tarble!" Koriand'r greeted me loudly, bringing more attention to me. She flew up, because unlike her sister, Koriand'r was completely surrounded by her people. She wore a dress similar to Komand'r, leaving very little to the imagination. She flew towards me, throwing her arms around me in another tight hug before quickly realizing her mistake and letting go. "I was worried that you would not stay!"
"Raven talked me into attending," I admitted, earning a beaming smile in response. The crowd that had been around Koriand'r followed her towards us. My gaze caught a large man that was closer to twelve feet tall than not, with bulging muscles, and missing an eye. His orange beard was elaborately braided, while his head was shaved bare. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Koriand'r."
"Please, my friends call me Kori. I would like it if you did as well -- none of this would be possible without you! I can finally be with my sister and people now," Koria- Kori exclaimed, unashamed of her joy. And her complete disregard for her status as a queen.
Despite my thoughts, and knowing that Komand'r was a far better ruler whose ambitions fell in line with my own for her people, I could see why her people preferred Kori to her. The power meant absolutely nothing to her. Being queen meant less. What she wanted was her people and sister to be loved and protected.
I could feel Komand'r's eyes on us. And I knew that we weren't in the clear. There would be issues down the line, but I thought that the two could handle them. So long as Komand'r felt like she was still queen, she wouldn't take action against her sister. That being said, I couldn't imagine it would be easy to watch her sister be so popular despite all that she had done for her race.
I offered a small nod, agreeing. The large man wandered over and went to clap me on the shoulder and managed to hit my entire right arm with his large hands. Despite the force he put behind the blow, I didn't so much as budge a millimeter. He smiled down at me, clearly happy. "King Tarble, what a great day that it is! You brought our little sun home!" He cheered, and a loud toast went up, the people seizing the chance to drink more. Not that they really needed it.
"This is my k'norfka Galfore -- he raised me and my sister before we went to Okkar to study under their warlords," Kori introduced Galfore, who bowed his head to me, and still towered over me by a solid five feet. I had absolutely no clue what a k'norfka was, but it sounded similar to a guardian of some type. As far as I knew, Komand'r and Kori's parents were dead.
I returned the nod, "King Tarble."
"Come, drink! Celebrate! What a joyous day that it is!" Galfore said, handing me his mug, which seemed specifically designed for him. I took hold of it, seeing a foamy lime green substance inside. Kori looked a bit apprehensive, but I brought the drink to my lips and started to drink. It tasted faintly sweet, but it was mostly spicy with a faint burning sensation. The crowd seemed to get quieter and quieter as I drank deeply from the massive tankard that was about the size of a small human. Tilting back my head, I drained the last of it, leaving behind only a little foam.
The crowd lost their collective minds when I handed back the tankard after a brief moment of silence. Galfore seemed impressed while Kori smiled brightly.
"You have just challenged him to a drinking competition," Kori informed me and I had no idea how that worked. Was it because I finished his drink? I felt like I'd stumbled on a custom that I hadn't meant to. Or they were making it up. Even if they were, it wasn't like I would be any the wiser.
"I see. Very well then," I said, deciding to uphold the challenge. The Tamaranian people began clearing the way, excited for the competition. I was given my own mug that was the equal of the one I just drank from while barrels upon barrels were brought up. Each one was roughly a full drink and they seemed to expect this competition to last at least a dozen.
I found myself sitting at a low table, sitting across from Galfore and next a dozen others. This wasn't the only competition, it would seem, though they all had much smaller tankards. When the signal was given, everyone began to chug their drinks down as fast as they could. Despite being the ones with the largest mugs, Galfore and I finished first. As soon as the bottom of our tankards touched the table, two servants began refilling them.
The cheering got louder and I quickly found myself becoming the center of attention. I did feel a bit bad for the others and their matches, because they went unnoticed as everyone chanted either my or Galfore's name as we knocked back mug after mug. Things began to speed up as we kept going, to the point that the servers went to find more mugs to fill before we had finished our current ones, so there wouldn't be a need to pause.
The Teen Titans watched on -- Kori and Komand'r were cheering like unruly sports fans, while the rest of the Titans watched with a dull sense of awe and disgust. But, eventually, they all started cheering too. I was surprised when they occasionally threw in some encouragement for me as well.
"You're so tiny, where are you putting it all?" Galfore questioned me, a flush on his face that darkened his orange skin.
"Saiyan biology is efficient," was my composed answer. I felt slightly lightheaded, but I was pushing it back, urging my body to process and breakdown the fermented juice that seemed to be the Tamaranian drink of choice. I had never been drunk before and I held little interest in starting to now.
Galfore threw back his head and laughed as if I had just said the funniest thing that he had ever heard in his entire life. His laughter proved infectious, because everyone else seemed to join in. That was why I didn't get drunk. It made people make fools of themselves. But…
This wasn't bad, I decided, finishing off my fourteenth mug the size of a barrel. I think this had been what the Titans had been trying to show me at that pizzeria, but failed because I wasn't in the right headspace and the underlying tension of my presence on Earth and what it meant for the fate of the planet never diminished. Here, though, there was no tension. It was just people enjoying themselves. Having fun.
I felt a faint smile curling at the edges of my lips, so I hid it by draining my fifteenth mug. When I set it down, I saw Galfore waving his hand in a gesture of surrender, "Oh, no -- I know I have been bested! If I drink anymore, I won't remember this wonderful night! King Tarble is the victor!" Galfore said, sounding happy enough for the two of us.
The crowd cheered, celebrating just for the sake of celebrating, and they found another reason to party harder. I nodded, rising from my seat, feeling full from all the juice. My skin did feel a bit flushed, and the lightheaded feeling intensified. I don't think I was drunk, but I was certain that I was tipsy. I used the distraction to skip out towards the balcony, needing some air to help clear my head.
As I leaned against the stone arch, I heard the balcony doors shut behind me. I didn't need to look to know who it was. "My people shall speak of that for as long as they have tongues," Komand'r remarked to me as she leaned on the balcony next to me. "I did not take you for the drinking type."
"I'm not," I admitted. "I'm just competitive."
Komand'r made a noise of surprise, "Then that bottle of wine we shared?" She questioned me, making me glance at her. The one after we destroyed the fleet stationed above the planet that had been acting as the Citidel's boot on their necks.
"Until tonight, that was the first and only time I've ever drank," I told her, breathing deeply. Would I work through the alcohol faster if I went Super Saiyan? I glanced at her, finding Komand'r looking down at her city. I debated for a moment if I should ask or not, not sure if I wanted the answer, but the alcohol loosened my tongue despite my best efforts. "Are you happy with this outcome?"
Komand'r was tellingly silent for a long moment. However, right when I started to think that I had made a terrible mistake, she spoke. "I would have preferred to remain the lone queen of my people, and I… really hate how they just… love her. But, I know that if I asked, Kori would vanish from our lives. She loves us- me that much. I will admit that there will be resentment on my part, but I won't ever direct it at her." She sounded like she was making that promise as much to herself as she was to me.
"This is a good place," I decided, leaning heavily on the railing. Despite it being such a large city, I could hardly feel people dying or the weakening of their presence from starvation and disease.
Komand'r sent me a sideways glance, "Are you looking to stay, King Tarble?"
It was tempting. But Earth was so volatile that it needed a hands-on approach simply because no one else could handle it. Outside of Broly.
But an idea slowly started to take shape. "Earth was meant to be the new Saiyan homeworld," I told her, making her cock an eyebrow.
"Planet Vegeta 2? Planet Tarble?" she questioned me, and I just sighed. That was fair.
"I wanted my people to learn from humanity's example. So many of us are defined by the war -- we all grew up during the War of Light. I thought that by bringing them to Earth, they would learn to be more, but I made mistakes on Earth. Too many." I spoke, pinching the bridge of my nose. "But now I think our people are too incompatible. Humans are too weak and mine are too callous. It would only end in disaster."
It was the first time one of my plans had imploded so spectacularly. The war taught me to adapt, so I was adapting.
Komand'r nodded her head slowly, "I have been making… inquiries about what was done to my sister and I. In the hopes that what was done to us could be shared with the rest of my people, in a much safer manner. Then we would no longer be treated as cattle, slaves for the rest of the galaxy." That was surprising. I didn't think Komand'r would risk it because it would be a threat to her own power.
There was a silent request in her voice. An offer.
I leaned away from the railing to look at Komand'r fully. I don't think I should be making decisions when I had just finished drinking so much alcohol, but I could only see benefits. My biggest concern with Earth was that humans were just too weak and for all the ways we were similar, humans and Saiyans had very different cultures. With Tamaranians, the concern was still there, but mitigated greatly if they could fly and protect themselves from unruly Saiyans. Even better, Tamaranians were culturally similar and highly empathetic. Something my people sorely needed.
"I can put some of my top scientists on it. Your genetics will likely prove to be the best bet," I spoke, earning a smile from Komand'r as she stood straight, looking at me.
She placed a hand on my chest, taking a half step closer, "And I shall welcome your people to Tamaran. I believe… it would be a strong image of how… close our people are." Komand'r said, rising up ever so slightly and gently pressing her lips against mine. It was the second time she had done so, and this time, I understood that it wasn't to learn any of the languages I knew.
The kiss ended as quickly as it began, with Komand'r pulling back, giving me a sly and confident smile. "I should rejoin the party. I wouldn't want people to talk," she remarked, sounding like she wouldn't mind if they did. I watched her in stunned silence as she slipped through the door and vanished from sight, rejoining the party.
"I think things just got a lot more complicated," I muttered to myself, turning away from the door.
But what else was new?
...
The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!
JinnTavar
F=MA. And yes. That -is- a threat.
Coming from a guy who once literally said 'generic excuse' to decline going to something I didn't want to do, you might want to elaborate a bit here.
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
I have to say, I definitely understand why Komand'r did that. She found a way that both of them would be helped, while also ensuring that her position could never be accidentally usurped by her sister. All by getting into a relationship with a man she already likes and trusts.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I've always wanted to do that, but never was in a position I thought I could without repercussion. How did it go?
JinnTavar
F=MA. And yes. That -is- a threat.
I was talking to some friends who know I'm extremely introverted, so the result was mostly laughter.
- Location
- Minnesota
Lots of little lovely moments in this chapter. I'm glad things turned out so well, and that Komand'r is taking things in stride rather than just getting more resentful. I'm continually enjoying all the little moments with Raven too.
Manifest Destiny
- Location
- USA
"I'm impressed," Ada'la remarked as I stepped into what amounted to my throne room back on Earth. She wore a slight smile on her face as she regarded me, "I expected you to return from the Vega system engaged with either Queen Komand'r or Co-Queen Koriand'r. Perhaps both, even." she said as I strode towards my throne, swallowing a sigh as I sat heavily upon it.
In real-time, it had only been a few days since we all left for the Vega system. For me and the Titans, it had been about a two-week round trip. Koriand'r left with the Titans, leaving Komand'r behind to rule over her people. It would take time for things to settle in the system, and for the growing pains to fade, but I think that the Tamaranian people would come to accept Komand'r as their queen in earnest. Kori would go back when needed, but as far as her people knew, Kori was working beside me.
"Would you disapprove if I had?" I asked, sitting on my throne and found myself surrounded by holograms. Even with a small break and the use of time dilation, I was finding that work had a habit of building up. There were thousands of things that needed my direct attention, not to mention status updates on the plethora of projects that I had going.
"It would not be my place to disapprove," Ada'la answered smoothly.
"So, yes," I remarked, hearing what wasn't said as I started to filter through the work by order of priority. Ada'la stepped through a hologram, appearing faintly pleased that I had picked up on the subtext.
"They would not be poor queen consorts, but at this stage, they can offer you very little. The position of Queen is fundamentally a position to secure an alliance. What they can bring to the table should be military might, influence, or strategic resources," Ada'la began. "Under normal circumstances, it would be wise to marry someone within your empire -- an important vassal or another person of considerable influence."
I saw what she was getting at. "Except there is no one that fits that description in my empire." I owned every single planet in my empire. The races that dwelled within were disorganized and still consolidating after the war. I controlled the military with an iron fist, a near stainless reputation, and gratitude for ending the war. More than that, even if there was a notable military faction in my empire, I could single-handedly crush it with ease.
People of influence? There were none. Not outside of Ada'la, really. There were generals, too, but their influence was far more localized.
I held absolute power. To the point that my empire's name was simply Tarble's Empire because, in its entirety, the empire was mine. All other power and influence that existed within it at this stage were purposefully given out by me. As such, it could be taken away with as much ease.
Komand'r and the Vega system could fit the bill of what Ada'la was describing, but the Vega system was a single system within my empire. To give them the influence that Ada'la spoke of, I would have to purposely elevate the Vega system. But, if I did that, then I was creating a major vassal then marrying them for the influence that I just gave them.
"Exactly," Ada'la nodded. "That will likely not be true forever, but at this stage, there are no valid candidates. Nor will there be for the next several centuries. Longer if you maintain constant vigilance and ensure that no one gathers enough influence to have any seating power across your empire. To that end, it would be more prudent to look outside of your Empire. Or you should put more thought into your own marriage customs."
I glanced through a report, finding myself regretting bringing up the subject at all. However, I knew that Ada'la would have found a way to bring it up one way or the other. "Meaning?" I sighed, reading a report on the shadow war with the Trade Organization. A number of our people and slaves were liberated after a string of attacks.
Space stations were destroyed, trade lanes were disrupted, and key figures were assassinated. It was hardly a death blow to the Trade Organization. It was simply too massive for a handful of deaths to so much as disrupt it. Especially when it was designed by the Cold Family so that they were the only people in the organization that could not be replaced. It was a clear statement of intent. One that I knew would go ignored.
"By your people's standards, there are candidates for marriage. Earth has proven to be a boon in that regard. However, it would be diluting your Saiyan blood," she said, waiting for a reaction that never came. By my people's standards, personal strength and power were all that mattered. So long as they were strong, then they were attractive.
Most of my people looked down on other races and breeding with them was frowned upon. I didn't know how my race would react if I took an alien bride. The simplest solution would be to do as my father did and make the strongest female Saiyan his queen, but…
"Whenever I think of my people, I see them as they were on Planet Vegeta," I admitted. There wasn't a huge age gap between myself and the current generation of Saiyans. Five or six years with normal time. Most of them were starting to hit their third growth spurt as well. It shouldn't be an issue, not to mention how long lived our people were. "I helped raise most of them. They were under my care as soldiers."
I didn't think I would be marrying a member of my own race. At the very least, not for a very long time.
Ada'la nodded, seemingly expecting as much. "If race is not an issue, then we do have a number of options within and outside of your Empire. Not to mention, your people do not traditionally practice monogamous relationships." She pointed out, but my lips thinned.
"Any children that I have in the future will be powerful," I told her. "It's very likely that they will surpass me one day. Having numerous children with numerous wives when their Saiyan blood will ensure that they live for thousands of years… it's a recipe for disaster," I pointed out. I knew all too well that being brothers or sisters wouldn't stop my eventual children from slaughtering each other if it meant gaining power and influence. I would like to think that they wouldn't, that it didn't matter for how many thousands of years we lived, we would always be a happy family regardless of how large it became… but that was a pipe dream, and that was being generous.
Ada'la seemed to agree with me based on her thinned lips. I don't think she imagined that my children would ever be stronger than me. Or that I would let them.
However, that was our way. Saiyans were individualistic, even amongst our tribes, but there was one thing that Saiyans valued along with our pride -- our legacy. It was a twisted version of a Human's desire to see their children succeed. For humans, it was to see their children live better lives than them. For Saiyans, it was to be sure that they were remembered.
I would forever outshine King Vegeta the Third, my father, in our people's history. However, King Vegeta the Third would be immortalized as my father and he would be known for siring two Super Saiyans. Vegeta and I, no matter how much we might not have thought it at the time, were his legacy. We were the reasons why he would be remembered. Children fell in the same category as a technique, like the Galick Gun, or an outstanding feat like conquering all the Saiyan tribes and taking down the Truffles on planet Plant as King Vegeta the First had.
I never thought much of my legacy. What I would leave behind. It could be millions of years from now, but eventually, I would die. I could only imagine what my empire would look like at that time. What my people would look like. Just how much would change in a million years? Would I even recognize anything? Would so much time pass that no one would ever remember how things were before?
My empire was a means to an end, when it came down to it. It was repayment for those that died in the war -- to make a place where their decedents or loved ones could live in peace and without worry. My own feats meant little to me as they all were a result of the War of Light. My techniques would be part of my legacy, I suppose. My children, whoever they might be or whatever they accomplish, would be another part of that legacy.
The thought of my children surpassing me in every way was a welcome one.
"I see. With your permission, I can draft a list of potential candidates. Are there traits that you would prefer?" she asked, and I swallowed a sigh. This was something that I had to think about, even if I had no real interest in romance. To that end, I had no idea what my own preferences really were. I couldn't really picture myself with anyone. At least, not as I was.
I leaned on what I knew would constitute a good leader and what would be acceptable for my people to smooth things over for them. "Powerful, but it doesn't need to be physical might. Stubborn enough to challenge me on my decisions if she disagrees. And kind," I finished, offering a small shrug.
"Longevity is not a requirement?" Ada'la asked and I shook my head.
"There are medical and magical resources to extend someone's life. If she comes from a short lived race, we can look into one of them," I decided. Ada'la seemed to pick up on my mounting discomfort with the discussion and offered a small bow and a promise that she would begin immediately. As if she didn't already have a list prepared that she would simply be making adjustments too.
When she left, I resumed focusing on my work. So far, the plan to implement the economy had proven a success. There were some needs in course adjustment where availability in some locations formed black markets selling goods at extortionate prices. There were, of course, those that had already lost their money. There were also scams that were tricking those that were ignorant of their money's value out of it, leaving them destitute.
With money came crime, it seemed as I was getting a flood of reports from across my empire. While the prices for things were fair, there were many that had never used money before. Some had spent their entire lives in the Trade Organization, eating slop that had been prepared for them, so something like paying for a meal or rent was practically unthinkable.
There were stop gaps because this was a foreseen issue, but it was evident those stop gaps weren't enough. Every citizen was given an account, and if they selected that they hadn't used money before, limitations would be placed on spending with recommendations on what the money should be used for, like food or housing. The issue was that a large number of them didn't want the limitation, immediately got scammed out of their money, and now had nothing.
Technically speaking, what was done to them wasn't against the law. My Empire was lacking hard coded laws beyond a vague order to not disturb the peace.
I decided that it would be. It felt wrong that a person's entire life could be ruined because they fell for a scam. Thankfully, all transactions were recorded so those that lost everything could be refunded. It was a system that I suspected would be abused, but I would much rather the system be abused than people go hungry. The abuse could be curbed over time.
In all, the implementation of the economy brought forth a number of issues -- mainly, the aforementioned lack of a codex of laws, and a police force capable of enforcing those laws. Right now, what I had was the military and the Hero-Force. It was a start and enough to keep the peace, but it wouldn't last forever. People needed more.
Ideally, I could begin implementing my plan to have members of the Justice League start governing portions of my empire, but that would be premature at the moment. Right now, half of them were planning open rebellion. Something I would have to deal with, but for the moment, I needed something else. I already had a draft of the police system I wished to implement.
With a wave of my hand, I summoned up a map of my Empire. It contained nearly ten percent of the galaxy, housing hundreds of millions of planets, with a small fraction of them being hospitable. Roughly 0.1% at the moment, but with my terraforming initiatives, I was planning to up the total to 10% over the next century. Even without space stations or colonies, I would be creating hundreds of millions of habitable planets for a growing population.
The sector method that the Green Lantern's implemented was a decent enough foundation, but I found that it was too… simple. It completely failed to account for population density, how dangerous that area of space was, what it needed to import or export to thrive and so on. That thought in mind, I began to separate my empire into a grid and tasked my systems in the Space Elevator to take log of what Sectors A-1 through Z-25 all needed, crime rates, capital generated, industrialization potential, and so on.
I felt people approach as I made my map of my empire. The Space Elevator wasn't a Warworld, but it had enough raw processing power to give me a solid start. It marked planets within the sectors, flagging them for industrial purposes or terraforming candidates, making recommended adjustments in my grid so that the numbers would balance out. I had each grid labeled green, yellow, or red -- green was outstanding in terms of development, yellow meant it could use some work, and red showed that it was underdeveloped.
The door slid open to reveal that my visitors were Superman and Wonder Woman. I saw Wonder Woman's eyes widen a fraction when she saw the vastness of my empire and the holograms that flowed with information. I continued to work, turning over the issue to find a new method of attack.
"Is there a reason you're here?" I asked them as I had the space elevator render a model for me to work off of. It would generate numbers for me to work with -- how many police members would be needed to police districts effectively, how much it would cost to supply and pay them, and so on. I had virtually unlimited funding, it was just a matter of making sure that it got to the right places. Technically speaking, in passive revenue, I was already the richest person in my Empire. And that was without implementing taxes of any kind.
"We heard about what you did in the Vega system," Superman said, striding forward as he looked around at my empire.
"People's expectations of me must be rather low if that is all it takes to impress you," I remarked, getting back the numbers that I needed. To fully police every district and outfit them how I wanted, it would cost hundreds of trillions of credits. Which was expensive, even for me. I had outfitted entire armies for less. I had to rework my model.
"It's one thing to say that you desire change, but it's another to prove it with action. Which you did," Wonder Woman told me. I paused what I was doing to look at both of them, there was sincerity in their gazes, but…
"You're here because of the deal I made with Queen Komand'r," I ventured, a frown tugging at my lips because they shouldn't know about that yet. Had Komand'r told Kori? Or had Robin bugged me at some point? "My people will be going to Tamaran instead of Earth, and you're wondering where that leaves Earth."
Wonder Woman confirmed as much with a curt nod, "That is an appropriate summary," she admitted. "You came to Earth with the intention of making it the new Saiyan home planet. Now that you have decided otherwise, president Luthor wonders… what will be done with Earth now?"
A fair concern, I suppose. The deal I made with Komand'r more or less nullified my entire reason to come to Earth. I imagine Lex Luthor was getting excited at the thought of turning Earth into the center of my empire, only to have the opportunity given to another. I also suppose that people were upset because my coming to Earth was completely invalidated in their eyes.
In response to her question, I picked out Earth and focused on the districts around Earth. Wonder Woman frowned at the sight, "I'm hoping it's a cultural difference, and red means good?"
"No," I answered, dashing her hopes. "The color code is based on the overall development of the districts. Earth, and the sectors around Earth, are all in the red."
Superman frowned, "Why?" he questioned, his gaze flickering to the Vega system, which amounted to a yellow dot in a sea of red.
"A few thousand millennia ago, a pirate named Bojack went through the universe massacring whatever planets that contained sentient life if they refused to join his pirate crew. In general, wherever you see red in this galaxy is where he passed through. It's the reason why your Green Lanterns only had Earth to police. Every other planet was depopulated and has yet to recover." To that, both of them scowled, clearly unhappy with the news. "As a result, Earth is firmly in the rural territory of the galaxy that's widely underdeveloped. Meaning that humanity, for the most part, has no neighbors."
Outside of the Martians on Mars and the Vega System. Beyond that, there was a significant portion of my empire that was left in the red. I could also see Vegeta's empire within mine because his was all marked with yellow -- he had heavily industrialized, but failed to do anything else. What had been my empire before the merge was mostly green. Mostly due to Ada'la's development plans.
"Normally, I would leave Earth be for the most part and treat it as a normal planet. However, Earth isn't," I continued, looking at Superman and Wonder Woman.
Superman offered an understanding look, "Because of us." he guessed, and rightly so. Humans, for the most part, were pretty unremarkable and overall rather weak. Yet there were individuals that outshone the rest of their race.
"Because of you, and others like you," I confirmed. "The metagene is unique to the human race and it can make a normal human into an incredibly powerful being. As things stand, the development of the human race is something that I must monitor." Within my empire, Earth was the one place that had those that could challenge me. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it would be negligent of me to just leave humanity alone.
Then there were beings of magic to contend with as well. Earth was a place where the development made startling little sense. Earth was suffering climate change caused by pollution, but had access to planet obliterating weapons. That was because of a handful of humans that were far ahead of the curve were dragging humanity forward. Of which, Lex Luthor was among those few.
Earth would be my Balkans, to draw comparisons to human history. If I ever faced an internal threat down the line, then it would be here, on Earth. I was doing what I could to undercut that threat, but so far, I hadn't made much progress with it.
"My current thought that is that Earth shall be left in charge of developing this district," I told the heroes, highlighting the district in question that housed near two hundred thousand planets. A small fraction of my empire, but both Superman and Wonder Woman seemed stunned by the sheer size of that small district. "Humanity would be given a guideline on what to develop, but you can think of it as a test. The better humanity does, the more responsibility it will be entrusted with within my empire."
This was my current strategy to help integrate humanity. As I understood, having a stake in the future encouraged humans to excel due to belief that they will prosper as well. It might take a few centuries, but I had the time and the districts around Earth were all left destitute. I had my industrial sectors due to my brother's decisions, and I had my urban centers because of mine. Everything that was marked red was a case by case decision.
Ideally, every district in my empire would be marked as green.
"The proposal itself needs fine-tuning," I admitted. "I intend to have in depth surveys of all the systems in my empire for more accurate development plans. But, for now, this is the current plan to integrate humanity with my empire. Do you have any objections?" I asked them, crossing my arms over my chest.
"It's not our decision," Superman quickly pointed out. "It's all humanity's."
I cocked my head, "You mean Lex Luthor's."
To that, Wonder Woman shook her head. "No. Despite whatever Luthor likes to believe, he is not the ruler of humanity or Earth. He does not have the final say of what Earth's fate is." She was quick to put an end to the idea. I decided to not bring up the fact that Lex Luthor had and did have Earth's fate in his hands. He did when he gave me Earth's surrender. "However, I do believe that this proposal shall appeal to him."
I could accept that. "Then when it is finished, I shall submit it to him. But, there is other business that we need to discuss -- soon, I shall be having a summit across my empire to determine fair laws for all of the races that dwell within my borders. Earth will send a representative as well, but I would like to personally invite members of the Justice League."
Superman saw what I was getting at and smiled faintly, "To ensure that the laws are all fair?" he questioned, earning a nod from me.
"The Justice League upheld the Charter it was placed under, even if your ideas of justice were different than what the law decided. You also did what you did for no other reason than you believed it to be the right thing to do. We might have been enemies for a brief time, but I have always held your ideals in high respect. It's why I want you to have a guiding voice on what is fair punishment for breaking the law," I told them. There was no such thing as a perfect legal system.
However, if perfection was impossible, then I would settle for nearly perfect.
"It would be our honor, King Tarble," Wonder Woman spoke, offering an agreeing nod. "If you could forward any information about the races in your empire so we can offer more informed advice, then it would be appreciated." she requested, showing that she understood the gravity of the offer. "And there is one final thing that I would like to discuss -- my home of Themyscira would like to formally meet you and has invited you to a feast to celebrate the harvest."
Interesting. I could see what was being done -- Themyscira was looking to elevate itself. I think that the small island of Amazon's understood that things were changing rapidly on Earth and if something wasn't done, then they would be left behind.
"Very well, I shall attend." And see what they were planning.
I was back on Earth, but it seemed that the struggle over its destiny was just starting.
...
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In real-time, it had only been a few days since we all left for the Vega system. For me and the Titans, it had been about a two-week round trip. Koriand'r left with the Titans, leaving Komand'r behind to rule over her people. It would take time for things to settle in the system, and for the growing pains to fade, but I think that the Tamaranian people would come to accept Komand'r as their queen in earnest. Kori would go back when needed, but as far as her people knew, Kori was working beside me.
"Would you disapprove if I had?" I asked, sitting on my throne and found myself surrounded by holograms. Even with a small break and the use of time dilation, I was finding that work had a habit of building up. There were thousands of things that needed my direct attention, not to mention status updates on the plethora of projects that I had going.
"It would not be my place to disapprove," Ada'la answered smoothly.
"So, yes," I remarked, hearing what wasn't said as I started to filter through the work by order of priority. Ada'la stepped through a hologram, appearing faintly pleased that I had picked up on the subtext.
"They would not be poor queen consorts, but at this stage, they can offer you very little. The position of Queen is fundamentally a position to secure an alliance. What they can bring to the table should be military might, influence, or strategic resources," Ada'la began. "Under normal circumstances, it would be wise to marry someone within your empire -- an important vassal or another person of considerable influence."
I saw what she was getting at. "Except there is no one that fits that description in my empire." I owned every single planet in my empire. The races that dwelled within were disorganized and still consolidating after the war. I controlled the military with an iron fist, a near stainless reputation, and gratitude for ending the war. More than that, even if there was a notable military faction in my empire, I could single-handedly crush it with ease.
People of influence? There were none. Not outside of Ada'la, really. There were generals, too, but their influence was far more localized.
I held absolute power. To the point that my empire's name was simply Tarble's Empire because, in its entirety, the empire was mine. All other power and influence that existed within it at this stage were purposefully given out by me. As such, it could be taken away with as much ease.
Komand'r and the Vega system could fit the bill of what Ada'la was describing, but the Vega system was a single system within my empire. To give them the influence that Ada'la spoke of, I would have to purposely elevate the Vega system. But, if I did that, then I was creating a major vassal then marrying them for the influence that I just gave them.
"Exactly," Ada'la nodded. "That will likely not be true forever, but at this stage, there are no valid candidates. Nor will there be for the next several centuries. Longer if you maintain constant vigilance and ensure that no one gathers enough influence to have any seating power across your empire. To that end, it would be more prudent to look outside of your Empire. Or you should put more thought into your own marriage customs."
I glanced through a report, finding myself regretting bringing up the subject at all. However, I knew that Ada'la would have found a way to bring it up one way or the other. "Meaning?" I sighed, reading a report on the shadow war with the Trade Organization. A number of our people and slaves were liberated after a string of attacks.
Space stations were destroyed, trade lanes were disrupted, and key figures were assassinated. It was hardly a death blow to the Trade Organization. It was simply too massive for a handful of deaths to so much as disrupt it. Especially when it was designed by the Cold Family so that they were the only people in the organization that could not be replaced. It was a clear statement of intent. One that I knew would go ignored.
"By your people's standards, there are candidates for marriage. Earth has proven to be a boon in that regard. However, it would be diluting your Saiyan blood," she said, waiting for a reaction that never came. By my people's standards, personal strength and power were all that mattered. So long as they were strong, then they were attractive.
Most of my people looked down on other races and breeding with them was frowned upon. I didn't know how my race would react if I took an alien bride. The simplest solution would be to do as my father did and make the strongest female Saiyan his queen, but…
"Whenever I think of my people, I see them as they were on Planet Vegeta," I admitted. There wasn't a huge age gap between myself and the current generation of Saiyans. Five or six years with normal time. Most of them were starting to hit their third growth spurt as well. It shouldn't be an issue, not to mention how long lived our people were. "I helped raise most of them. They were under my care as soldiers."
I didn't think I would be marrying a member of my own race. At the very least, not for a very long time.
Ada'la nodded, seemingly expecting as much. "If race is not an issue, then we do have a number of options within and outside of your Empire. Not to mention, your people do not traditionally practice monogamous relationships." She pointed out, but my lips thinned.
"Any children that I have in the future will be powerful," I told her. "It's very likely that they will surpass me one day. Having numerous children with numerous wives when their Saiyan blood will ensure that they live for thousands of years… it's a recipe for disaster," I pointed out. I knew all too well that being brothers or sisters wouldn't stop my eventual children from slaughtering each other if it meant gaining power and influence. I would like to think that they wouldn't, that it didn't matter for how many thousands of years we lived, we would always be a happy family regardless of how large it became… but that was a pipe dream, and that was being generous.
Ada'la seemed to agree with me based on her thinned lips. I don't think she imagined that my children would ever be stronger than me. Or that I would let them.
However, that was our way. Saiyans were individualistic, even amongst our tribes, but there was one thing that Saiyans valued along with our pride -- our legacy. It was a twisted version of a Human's desire to see their children succeed. For humans, it was to see their children live better lives than them. For Saiyans, it was to be sure that they were remembered.
I would forever outshine King Vegeta the Third, my father, in our people's history. However, King Vegeta the Third would be immortalized as my father and he would be known for siring two Super Saiyans. Vegeta and I, no matter how much we might not have thought it at the time, were his legacy. We were the reasons why he would be remembered. Children fell in the same category as a technique, like the Galick Gun, or an outstanding feat like conquering all the Saiyan tribes and taking down the Truffles on planet Plant as King Vegeta the First had.
I never thought much of my legacy. What I would leave behind. It could be millions of years from now, but eventually, I would die. I could only imagine what my empire would look like at that time. What my people would look like. Just how much would change in a million years? Would I even recognize anything? Would so much time pass that no one would ever remember how things were before?
My empire was a means to an end, when it came down to it. It was repayment for those that died in the war -- to make a place where their decedents or loved ones could live in peace and without worry. My own feats meant little to me as they all were a result of the War of Light. My techniques would be part of my legacy, I suppose. My children, whoever they might be or whatever they accomplish, would be another part of that legacy.
The thought of my children surpassing me in every way was a welcome one.
"I see. With your permission, I can draft a list of potential candidates. Are there traits that you would prefer?" she asked, and I swallowed a sigh. This was something that I had to think about, even if I had no real interest in romance. To that end, I had no idea what my own preferences really were. I couldn't really picture myself with anyone. At least, not as I was.
I leaned on what I knew would constitute a good leader and what would be acceptable for my people to smooth things over for them. "Powerful, but it doesn't need to be physical might. Stubborn enough to challenge me on my decisions if she disagrees. And kind," I finished, offering a small shrug.
"Longevity is not a requirement?" Ada'la asked and I shook my head.
"There are medical and magical resources to extend someone's life. If she comes from a short lived race, we can look into one of them," I decided. Ada'la seemed to pick up on my mounting discomfort with the discussion and offered a small bow and a promise that she would begin immediately. As if she didn't already have a list prepared that she would simply be making adjustments too.
When she left, I resumed focusing on my work. So far, the plan to implement the economy had proven a success. There were some needs in course adjustment where availability in some locations formed black markets selling goods at extortionate prices. There were, of course, those that had already lost their money. There were also scams that were tricking those that were ignorant of their money's value out of it, leaving them destitute.
With money came crime, it seemed as I was getting a flood of reports from across my empire. While the prices for things were fair, there were many that had never used money before. Some had spent their entire lives in the Trade Organization, eating slop that had been prepared for them, so something like paying for a meal or rent was practically unthinkable.
There were stop gaps because this was a foreseen issue, but it was evident those stop gaps weren't enough. Every citizen was given an account, and if they selected that they hadn't used money before, limitations would be placed on spending with recommendations on what the money should be used for, like food or housing. The issue was that a large number of them didn't want the limitation, immediately got scammed out of their money, and now had nothing.
Technically speaking, what was done to them wasn't against the law. My Empire was lacking hard coded laws beyond a vague order to not disturb the peace.
I decided that it would be. It felt wrong that a person's entire life could be ruined because they fell for a scam. Thankfully, all transactions were recorded so those that lost everything could be refunded. It was a system that I suspected would be abused, but I would much rather the system be abused than people go hungry. The abuse could be curbed over time.
In all, the implementation of the economy brought forth a number of issues -- mainly, the aforementioned lack of a codex of laws, and a police force capable of enforcing those laws. Right now, what I had was the military and the Hero-Force. It was a start and enough to keep the peace, but it wouldn't last forever. People needed more.
Ideally, I could begin implementing my plan to have members of the Justice League start governing portions of my empire, but that would be premature at the moment. Right now, half of them were planning open rebellion. Something I would have to deal with, but for the moment, I needed something else. I already had a draft of the police system I wished to implement.
With a wave of my hand, I summoned up a map of my Empire. It contained nearly ten percent of the galaxy, housing hundreds of millions of planets, with a small fraction of them being hospitable. Roughly 0.1% at the moment, but with my terraforming initiatives, I was planning to up the total to 10% over the next century. Even without space stations or colonies, I would be creating hundreds of millions of habitable planets for a growing population.
The sector method that the Green Lantern's implemented was a decent enough foundation, but I found that it was too… simple. It completely failed to account for population density, how dangerous that area of space was, what it needed to import or export to thrive and so on. That thought in mind, I began to separate my empire into a grid and tasked my systems in the Space Elevator to take log of what Sectors A-1 through Z-25 all needed, crime rates, capital generated, industrialization potential, and so on.
I felt people approach as I made my map of my empire. The Space Elevator wasn't a Warworld, but it had enough raw processing power to give me a solid start. It marked planets within the sectors, flagging them for industrial purposes or terraforming candidates, making recommended adjustments in my grid so that the numbers would balance out. I had each grid labeled green, yellow, or red -- green was outstanding in terms of development, yellow meant it could use some work, and red showed that it was underdeveloped.
The door slid open to reveal that my visitors were Superman and Wonder Woman. I saw Wonder Woman's eyes widen a fraction when she saw the vastness of my empire and the holograms that flowed with information. I continued to work, turning over the issue to find a new method of attack.
"Is there a reason you're here?" I asked them as I had the space elevator render a model for me to work off of. It would generate numbers for me to work with -- how many police members would be needed to police districts effectively, how much it would cost to supply and pay them, and so on. I had virtually unlimited funding, it was just a matter of making sure that it got to the right places. Technically speaking, in passive revenue, I was already the richest person in my Empire. And that was without implementing taxes of any kind.
"We heard about what you did in the Vega system," Superman said, striding forward as he looked around at my empire.
"People's expectations of me must be rather low if that is all it takes to impress you," I remarked, getting back the numbers that I needed. To fully police every district and outfit them how I wanted, it would cost hundreds of trillions of credits. Which was expensive, even for me. I had outfitted entire armies for less. I had to rework my model.
"It's one thing to say that you desire change, but it's another to prove it with action. Which you did," Wonder Woman told me. I paused what I was doing to look at both of them, there was sincerity in their gazes, but…
"You're here because of the deal I made with Queen Komand'r," I ventured, a frown tugging at my lips because they shouldn't know about that yet. Had Komand'r told Kori? Or had Robin bugged me at some point? "My people will be going to Tamaran instead of Earth, and you're wondering where that leaves Earth."
Wonder Woman confirmed as much with a curt nod, "That is an appropriate summary," she admitted. "You came to Earth with the intention of making it the new Saiyan home planet. Now that you have decided otherwise, president Luthor wonders… what will be done with Earth now?"
A fair concern, I suppose. The deal I made with Komand'r more or less nullified my entire reason to come to Earth. I imagine Lex Luthor was getting excited at the thought of turning Earth into the center of my empire, only to have the opportunity given to another. I also suppose that people were upset because my coming to Earth was completely invalidated in their eyes.
In response to her question, I picked out Earth and focused on the districts around Earth. Wonder Woman frowned at the sight, "I'm hoping it's a cultural difference, and red means good?"
"No," I answered, dashing her hopes. "The color code is based on the overall development of the districts. Earth, and the sectors around Earth, are all in the red."
Superman frowned, "Why?" he questioned, his gaze flickering to the Vega system, which amounted to a yellow dot in a sea of red.
"A few thousand millennia ago, a pirate named Bojack went through the universe massacring whatever planets that contained sentient life if they refused to join his pirate crew. In general, wherever you see red in this galaxy is where he passed through. It's the reason why your Green Lanterns only had Earth to police. Every other planet was depopulated and has yet to recover." To that, both of them scowled, clearly unhappy with the news. "As a result, Earth is firmly in the rural territory of the galaxy that's widely underdeveloped. Meaning that humanity, for the most part, has no neighbors."
Outside of the Martians on Mars and the Vega System. Beyond that, there was a significant portion of my empire that was left in the red. I could also see Vegeta's empire within mine because his was all marked with yellow -- he had heavily industrialized, but failed to do anything else. What had been my empire before the merge was mostly green. Mostly due to Ada'la's development plans.
"Normally, I would leave Earth be for the most part and treat it as a normal planet. However, Earth isn't," I continued, looking at Superman and Wonder Woman.
Superman offered an understanding look, "Because of us." he guessed, and rightly so. Humans, for the most part, were pretty unremarkable and overall rather weak. Yet there were individuals that outshone the rest of their race.
"Because of you, and others like you," I confirmed. "The metagene is unique to the human race and it can make a normal human into an incredibly powerful being. As things stand, the development of the human race is something that I must monitor." Within my empire, Earth was the one place that had those that could challenge me. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it would be negligent of me to just leave humanity alone.
Then there were beings of magic to contend with as well. Earth was a place where the development made startling little sense. Earth was suffering climate change caused by pollution, but had access to planet obliterating weapons. That was because of a handful of humans that were far ahead of the curve were dragging humanity forward. Of which, Lex Luthor was among those few.
Earth would be my Balkans, to draw comparisons to human history. If I ever faced an internal threat down the line, then it would be here, on Earth. I was doing what I could to undercut that threat, but so far, I hadn't made much progress with it.
"My current thought that is that Earth shall be left in charge of developing this district," I told the heroes, highlighting the district in question that housed near two hundred thousand planets. A small fraction of my empire, but both Superman and Wonder Woman seemed stunned by the sheer size of that small district. "Humanity would be given a guideline on what to develop, but you can think of it as a test. The better humanity does, the more responsibility it will be entrusted with within my empire."
This was my current strategy to help integrate humanity. As I understood, having a stake in the future encouraged humans to excel due to belief that they will prosper as well. It might take a few centuries, but I had the time and the districts around Earth were all left destitute. I had my industrial sectors due to my brother's decisions, and I had my urban centers because of mine. Everything that was marked red was a case by case decision.
Ideally, every district in my empire would be marked as green.
"The proposal itself needs fine-tuning," I admitted. "I intend to have in depth surveys of all the systems in my empire for more accurate development plans. But, for now, this is the current plan to integrate humanity with my empire. Do you have any objections?" I asked them, crossing my arms over my chest.
"It's not our decision," Superman quickly pointed out. "It's all humanity's."
I cocked my head, "You mean Lex Luthor's."
To that, Wonder Woman shook her head. "No. Despite whatever Luthor likes to believe, he is not the ruler of humanity or Earth. He does not have the final say of what Earth's fate is." She was quick to put an end to the idea. I decided to not bring up the fact that Lex Luthor had and did have Earth's fate in his hands. He did when he gave me Earth's surrender. "However, I do believe that this proposal shall appeal to him."
I could accept that. "Then when it is finished, I shall submit it to him. But, there is other business that we need to discuss -- soon, I shall be having a summit across my empire to determine fair laws for all of the races that dwell within my borders. Earth will send a representative as well, but I would like to personally invite members of the Justice League."
Superman saw what I was getting at and smiled faintly, "To ensure that the laws are all fair?" he questioned, earning a nod from me.
"The Justice League upheld the Charter it was placed under, even if your ideas of justice were different than what the law decided. You also did what you did for no other reason than you believed it to be the right thing to do. We might have been enemies for a brief time, but I have always held your ideals in high respect. It's why I want you to have a guiding voice on what is fair punishment for breaking the law," I told them. There was no such thing as a perfect legal system.
However, if perfection was impossible, then I would settle for nearly perfect.
"It would be our honor, King Tarble," Wonder Woman spoke, offering an agreeing nod. "If you could forward any information about the races in your empire so we can offer more informed advice, then it would be appreciated." she requested, showing that she understood the gravity of the offer. "And there is one final thing that I would like to discuss -- my home of Themyscira would like to formally meet you and has invited you to a feast to celebrate the harvest."
Interesting. I could see what was being done -- Themyscira was looking to elevate itself. I think that the small island of Amazon's understood that things were changing rapidly on Earth and if something wasn't done, then they would be left behind.
"Very well, I shall attend." And see what they were planning.
I was back on Earth, but it seemed that the struggle over its destiny was just starting.
...
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- Location
- Brazil
If WW is a goddess of justice of some sort, as she often is, she is then one of the best people in the galaxy for this.
Zap Rowsdower
Ex-cultist vagrant
- Location
- Bright lights, big city
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Eh, her portfolio varies. Truth, Justice, she's even been War.
ArtemisAvant
No longer running, from carpal tunnel
- Location
- Cornfield Central, Indiana
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm not too sure about Tarble marrying
it's just seems
superfluous unnecessary I mean he's got supreme power in his empire essentially notwithstanding some outliers
so why exactly does he need a queen? the only alliance that matters is the Trade organization and Reach essentially. strengthening ties with planets in his Empire can be a double edged blade. it could both strength and weaken his position. if he wants a legacy then this empire is great for one .And he can also make clones/however he was born. Not sure if Saiyans do well with relationships.
Either way it's sure to be interesting his love life i mean if he figures out love.
it's just seems
superfluous unnecessary I mean he's got supreme power in his empire essentially notwithstanding some outliers
so why exactly does he need a queen? the only alliance that matters is the Trade organization and Reach essentially. strengthening ties with planets in his Empire can be a double edged blade. it could both strength and weaken his position. if he wants a legacy then this empire is great for one .And he can also make clones/however he was born. Not sure if Saiyans do well with relationships.
Either way it's sure to be interesting his love life i mean if he figures out love.
- Location
- Perth
Because he's an autocrat/dictator/big hooch/big mama/etc.
He's in charge, but is he going to be in charge forever? If not, who is going to replace him when he dies in a safe and reasonable manner so we don't get a giant civil war and trillions of dead.
He wants a wife so he can produce an heir, that in turn guarantees the stability of the empire.
Right now it's being held together by his strength, him dying? Everything goes to hell.
Hestia&theCourt
Turns out we're plural too.
- Location
- In transition
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Let's be honest here, though, how likely is it that Tarble will die of old age? He's made many enemies, few friends, and he's clearly not unbeatable; if we recall the fic's scaling correctly, Cooler could probably kill him right now in a one-on-one fight. There's a decent chance that Tarble could get killed long before he even gets old enough to contemplate dying of old age.
- Location
- Perth
That and he's a Saiyan, how many of them in recent memory have died of old age?
Like... odds are, he's going to go out against some threat to the Empire. Cooler, or some multiversal threat that he's going to punch in the face.
He knows it, the Empire knows it, and they want a continuation of the Tarble dynasty to ensure stability.
Like, just look at Britain, the royal family barely does anything in direct relation to the British people and governance... but they still go insane over who the heir is and what this represents for Britain's future. Extrapolate that onto Tarble, where he's the sole lynchpin of Empire stability, a lynchpin that likes to lead at the head of armies and punch things in the face... and well, worry would be an understatement.