Planetary Clean Up (Open)

The sound of muffled explosions and falling debris could be heard in the distance; while the cries of civilians drowned out the aggressive rallies of the invading pirates. The force that defended the capital building was far to small to last for long; they had done well enough to allow most of the non-combatants to escape, however it was becoming quickly apparent that the tide would soon become unfavorable. While the primary force of the pirates engaged the front line guards, and the secondary force quickly routed the artillery units; the pirates third force began to push in as a massive wave that threatened to bring an end to the conflict immediately. With the cry of a guard with an energy javelin piercing his side, all hope would seem lost; until suddenly...

"Fall, Blade Rhapsody!!"

In an instant, a plethora of blades would rain down from the sky; impaling the unaware without mercy. With their attack suddenly impeded, the organized pirates would be quick to take to the defensive; a sign that they were no mere riffraff, but rather a coordinated force with a leader amongst them. With the surprise attack exhausted, the culprit of the falling swords would reveal themselves; falling from the sky and landing directly before the main entrance of the capital building.

"What the, did I make a mistake?" Zuqetta would say sarcastically as she stood straight and stared down the gathering pirates before her, "Thought you guys were some scrupulous bastards here ta cause trouble, but were you actually here ta make a bid on the spice trades??" She questioned rhetorically as she threw out her arm and summoned a massive greatsword into her hand.

At first glance, in spite of her weapon, Zuqetta would seem powerless; in very much a literal sense. With her magic enveloping her, scouters and natural senses would easily make the mistake of believing she had nothing in the terms of power to offer. Releasing a short breath however, Zuqetta would undo her magic veil and allow her energy to flow out in an incredible burst around her. As she put on an over dramatic display of her power, uniformed individuals would drop down from the sky and begin to quickly take to treating and assisting any of the guards who were still breathing. The battle powers of this force were substantially less than that of Zuqetta's, but it was clear that they were here to help. Not wanting her distraction to go to waste, Zuqetta was quick to brandish her blade before the readying pirate scum.

"Well, hate ta disappoint, but I'm afraid you'll have ta make an appointment!" She'd announce before charging in towards the group directly before her; wasting no time in ruthlessly decapitating those too foolhardy to flee.

While she fought with an overconfident bravado, she didn't dare drop her guard; her senses had been immediately tuned into the equally overwhelming power of the nearby Arcosian. He didn't seem to be part of the immediate attacking force, but there was no telling if or when that would change. While she dealt with the pirates, she would low key keep a sharp eye on him; all the while hoping that her comrades could evacuate the defeated guards before she was potentially overwhelmed the the numerous invading pirates.

As the battle progressed, Zuqetta would take notice of the Arcosians actions; something that would give her brief feeling of relief. While it was still too early to consider him an ally, at the very least it was clear he wasn't an enemy. Despite the fact that there were now two combatants of overwhelming strength before them, the pirates continued their assault. Foolishly, three more pirates would announce themselves with a battle cry as they lunged at Zuqetta, only to find themselves immediately bisected without mercy. The hordes of pirates equipped with energy based spears and cutlass' seemed endless; something that was beginning to make Zuqetta question just how valuable the spices shipped from this planet were. Luckily, the pressure of the numerous forces would be relived as the Arcosian approached with ease; striking up conversation as he struck down those who would interrupt.

"By all means, help yourself!" Zuqetta would respond as she readied to strike another pirate; only to be interrupted as the Arcosian slapped him down with his tail, "Oh~? How gentlemanly~" Zuqetta would say teasingly with a wink before turning back to battle at hand, "Name's Zuqetta, friends call me Zuq!" She'd answer as she lifted her free hand above her head; summoning forth a series of blades to rain down upon another charging group, "Least they would if I had any!" She'd continue with a laugh, "How 'bout you, Blue?" She'd ask she she summoned a katana of similar design to her greatsword into her free hand.

It was hard to say whether or not the battle was nearing its end; whatever it was the pirates were after must have been of an incredible value as they continued to push their invasion. The overwhelming numbers were causing Zuqetta to fight a bit more defensively; which made her grateful to have an ally for the moment to assist her. With the arrival of pirates equipped with blasters however, Zuqetta's worry of a prolonged fight were alleviated. If the pirates had more ground fighters to send, then surely they'd have done so; ranged fighters were a clear sign that they were running out of options, which meant their boss may have been right around the corner!

While Zuqetta and the Arcosian continued their fight against the brigands, the allies Zuqetta had brought along with her would complete their task. Having successfully rescued the remaining guards, her allies would secured themselves within the capital building; sending a signal to Zuqetta's communicator to indicate the all clear. Most of the melee combatants had been thoroughly dealt with; however the onslaught of enemy range fired seemed to continue without end.

As Zuqetta took down the last of the wannabe swashbucklers; using her larger sword much like a shield to guard from the oncoming fire, she'd listen with the slightest bit of confusion as the Arcosian responded to her question. His stoic and elongated explanation of his lack of friends was both confusing and amusing, prompting Zuqetta to snicker as she held in her laughter. She quickly realized where the miscommunication occurred; but it didn't make it any less funny to her.

"Well I'm glad ta know where I stand with ya!" She'd respond as she dashed towards the Arcosian; kicking away one of his attackers, before striking down another with her katana, "But uhh, I meant your name-" She'd laugh, "'Less ya like bein' called Blue?" She'd tease as she watched the Arcosian take care of his remaining prey; all the while tanking the oncoming fire without much issue.

He was certainly a tough one, which wasn't all too surprising considering the other Arcosians she had met in her life. While she as well likely could have tanked the long range blaster fire, she'd also likely suffer a great deal more pain from it. While the Arcosian before her might have just shrugged it all off; she knew she'd have to deal with burns and bruises the next morning if she tried to do the same, Luckily, with the all clear given, and the guards and civilians successfully removed from the area, there was no reason to allow the fight to drag on any longer.

"Area's clear Blue! Looks like playtime's over." Zuqetta would state as she leapt back from the Arcosian with her power steadily growing, "Hope ya don't mind if I take the spotlight for a moment!" She'd say as the pressure around her began to grow.

The ground around her would begin to crack and shake as her power built; rocks and debris would begin to rise up as a shimmering blue aura steadily lit up around Zuqetta's form. She would dispel her swords as her aura erupted; reaching it's pinnacle, Zuqetta would unleash her Raging Spirit form. Her muscles would tense while her hair lightly rose as if pushed by an unseen force. Giving a cheeky wink to the Arcosian, Zuqetta would then take off straight into the air; attracting the pirates attention and blaster fire. Against Zuqetta's overwhelming aura however, the blaster fire was nothing; simply dissipating upon contact.

"How cute~" Zuqetta would mock as she raised a hand above her head, channeling her magic, "My turn!"

Noticing their attacks were having no effect, the pirates would begin a mass retreat; however, it would be far too late for that. In a massive flash of light, thousands of blades would materialize in the sky; spreading out over the capital square and stretching beyond it's walls well past the positions of the pirates. Sweat would begin to trickle down Zuqetta's brow as the expenditure of such wide range magic tired her; but with a flick of her wrist, the blades would begin to rain down upon all those below.

One by one, the pirates would be run through by the raining blades; leaving nothing more than the sound of impacting metal to be heard as the cries of the pirates slowly faded away. Zuqetta did her best to leave a gap in the blades so as to prevent them from raining down upon the Arcosian as well; though the attempt would be spotty. Materializing so many things as once was already difficult; making her magic even more precise on top of that was still just a bit out of her skill range. She wasn't worried if any hit him anyways, he was strong; if Azoth and Blizzard were anything to go by, then this Arcosian could certainly take it without issue.

The rain of blades would last only a few moments, less than a minute even; but it was more than enough to take out all of the remaining pirates. Crossing her arms with a smug and triumphant expression, Zuqetta would gaze down at the Arcosian below as her senses pinged to slowly approaching battle power from beyond the walls.

"How was that!?" Zuqetta would cheer as the summoned blades steadily vanished, "Numbers like these are n-"

Before she could continue her sentence, Zuqetta would suddenly find herself struck by a massive ball of fire and plunged into the towering wall of the capital building. Immediately after, the entrance wall on the far side of the square would be blown to pieces; revealing the perpetrator of the entire capital assault, the Pirate Captain, Bar'vatos!

"Who n' the seven 'ells be messin' with my crew!?" Bar'vatos would shout as he revealed himself from the clearing dust cloud of the destroyed entryway.

Pirate Captain Bar'vatos, a well know, seven foot tall Heran from the outer reaches of the galaxy. With an overwhelming visage of muscle and scars, alongside a battle power to match his build; Bar'vatos had plagued the criminal underworld for years with her insulting methods of plundering, not from the rich, but from the poor. Going so far as to hire armies of petty thieves to steal from the weak; only to turn around and steal from the very thieves he hired. There were few who didn't know Bar'vatos; though it wasn't for his skill or fame, but for his infamy and the sheer distaste most had for him.

Bearing his massive archaic cannon, Bar'vatos would take aim upon the Arcosian; intent on making him his next victim.

"Damn vermin!" Bar'vatos would shout as a flaming cannonball launched out towards the Arcosian.

Ever the unintelligible, Bar'vatos had no clue as to who it was he was actually firing at. He knew only the plunder, and with how far out this planet was, he had no idea that the individual before him was none other than one of the three lords of Arcose!

"Muh ship!?" Bar'vatos would exclaim, "E'ou right, bastard!? 'Ou do ye think ye are, knackerin' muh ship like dat!?!" He would shout as he shook his fist in the air towards Mint, "Blime bugger! I'll show ye where muh ships power be comin' from!!!" He would continue as he clasped his hands together and began to rapidly charge his energy; channeling it into a single point before him.

With nary a warning, Bar'vatos would allow the energy to release from his grasp; sending a massive, swirling ball of energy hurtling towards Mint. an impressive display for sure, but one that quite obviously required a great deal of refining. Mint wouldn't need to deal with the oncoming ball of energy however, as before the attack would even reach him, a series of massive blades would seemingly appear from nothing before him; intercepting the attack and dispersing it with ease.

Prying herself from the wall of the capital building, Zuqetta would rush forward; stopping directly beside Mint as she dusted herself off with an annoyed expression.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm gettin' paid for this." Zuqetta would explain as she attempted to pat the dust out of her hair, "Besides..." She'd continue at the summoned blades vanished, allowing her to glare down at Bar'vatos, "He's pissed me off..."

"Awwww, the lil' wanker feelin' a bit cranky? Got 'er knickers in a bunch??" Bar'vatos would mock before giving a wave of his hand to shoo away Zuqetta, "Get on outta 'ere girly, dis is business between MEN, 'ou hear me!?" He'd shout, pounding his chest before following it up with a hearty laugh.

Tailing frizzing up in aggravation, Zuqetta would remain stone faced as she daintily dropped from the sky down to the ground below. Calmly walking up towards Bar'vatos who continued his jeers, completely disregarding Zuqetta as an opponent. Bar'vatos would turn his attention up towards Mint before looking back toward towards Zuqetta who now stood directly before him.

"Oi? What's dis about now?" He'd question with a laugh as he raised an eyebrow towards Mint, "You a bleedin' coward? Lettin' lil girls fight ye battles for ye?" He'd mock before looking down towards Zuqetta, leaning down to her level, "Well din, c'mon girly, I'll be givin' ye a free one, on da 'ouse!" He'd continue mocking as he turned his cheek towards Zuqetta, "No need ta be thank-"

His final mistake in this raid of his; before Bar'vatos could even finish his sentence, he would find a fist digging deeply into his jaw as his entire body began to fall off balance. More than happy to take the pirate captains offer, with full force, Zuqetta had decked him right in his grizzled, bearded face. For Bar'vatos, it would seem as though the world had momentarily slowed down, coming to a halt even as the pain from the impacted struggled to even register. Before anticlimactically, the world around would return to its natural speed, and Bar'vatos would find himself hurtling off through the air towards his ship; crashing through it with such a force as to cause the ship itself to tilt off balance, nearly toppling from the sky.

"Just... SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!!" Zuqetta would exclaim as she clenched her fist before her, "Jeez... already embarrassing ta be caught off guard like that..." She would mutter as she internally scolded herself for her earlier arrogance, "You're lucky I don't blow up your ship!!" She'd shout as she rose back into the air; sensing Bar'vatos' steadily dropping energy from within the ship itself.

With the sad excuse of an invasion brought to an end, and the leader of said invasion defeated, Zuqetta would undo her Raging Spirit form and allow herself to relax. Mint had some criticism over her performance, but it wasn't anything that she herself didn't agree with. As she approached Mint she would give a heavy sigh upon looking at the defeated Captain.

"Heh, just typical Saiyan bravado gettin' the best of me!" She'd respond reluctantly with a force grin, "S'all good so long as I get the job done."

Over confidence was something she still needed to work on, and she knew it. While the pirate captain may have been an opponent she could allow herself to be caught off guard by, there were plenty out there that she certainly couldn't have afforded such a mistake with. The very Arcosian beside her, Mint, was likely one of those individuals; especially if her previous Arcosian mentors were anything to go by.

Before their casual conversation could continue however, the defeated captain would begin to cough as he opened his eyes to look around.

"W-who do ye think ye are!?" He would force out through frequent coughs and gags, "Ye ain't 'av no business with me, trog!!" He'd finish with a vicious grin before attempting to lob a shot of spit at Mint.

It was clear the captain didn't consider himself defeat, which perhaps alluded to a secret plan of his or a trap of some sort. Whatever the case may have been, it was abundantly clear that he had know idea who it was he was dealing with as he engaged in such insolence with Mint.

"Pfft, trog?" Zuqetta would laugh; covering her mouth immediately in an attempt to hide the humor she felt from the situation.

She hadn't heard such an insult actually be used before and had thought it merely to be something said in movies. To make things even funnier, the defeated captain actually had the gall to send some spit at the Arcosian; something that Mint had not taken kindly in the least as he used his interesting powers to send the spit right back into the captains face. Was this captain TRULY this incapable of gauging the strength of others??? As funny as things were however, things would take a quick turn as Mint began to monologue.

Zuqetta would raise an eyebrow at his remarks; he was the Emperor of Arcose, and hearing that sent a minor chill down Zuqetta's spine. She'd thought about Azoth after running away from Plant; questioning what had become of him and why he never returned to the Freezing Horizon to rejoin his crew. In the months that passed, finances became a bit too tight to maintain such an organization without a leader, and so the Galactic Frontier had disbanded. Now though, it was clear that whatever had happened to him likely meant that he wasn't coming back; not if the guy before her was the new emperor...

"E... E-E-E... EMPEROR!?" Bar'vatos would shout; quivering with fear and his face became completely pale, "NO! Nononono, my m-m-most humblest apologies O might Emperor!!" He would continue, clearly brown nosing in an attempt to have his life spared, "I-I-I-I would never DREAM of b-betraying the Arcosian empire!! These LOWLIVES refuse to trade with your m-m-mighty Empire, but I had deals! I know people, LOTS of people!" He would explain with a disgusting smile as he continued to quake in his boots, "I might steal today, but sell tomorrow! All I plundered? To be delivered directly to Arcose, I swear it!"

Only now did Bar'vatos begin to realize the situation he was in; something that utterly annoyed Zuqetta to no end. He had been so arrogant before, but now that he was in the clutches of the 'almighty emperor' his tune had changed. Bar'vatos's eyes would dart from side to side, taking in the sight of his completely decimated army; any that remained were completely at the whim of Mint's might.

"Why, w-w-w-we would GLADLY join the glorious Arcoisian army!" Bar'vatos would continue, "It would be an honor- nay! A dream come true like no other my Lord!!"

Infuriated, it was then that Zuqetta would decide to chime in before Bar'vatos could continue further.

"Now hold a damn minute here!" Zuqetta would exclaim from behind Mint before rushing forward to hover near Bar'vatos, "Emperor or no, you're REALLY considering sparing this dumbass!?" Zuqetta would question; crossing her arms in annoyance as she narrowed her eyes upon Mint, "Who knows how many people this lowlife has killed! And what? He gets a promotion for it!? Don't forget, this guy just lost to a, and I quote his own words, 'little girly'." She would explain, "Ya really want someone like HIM in your military? Won't be long before he betrays you, goes behind your back, starts extorting funds for himself and whatever else!"

So badly Zuqetta wanted to merely bring a blade down upon this pirate, but she would hold herself back. While she had an opinion to express, she had no intention of getting on the bad side of the actual Emperor of a planet. She was already on thin ice when it came to the leaders running Plant; making further potential enemies certainly wasn't on her to do list, especially not with a certain blind Saiyan girl she knew also hailing from Arcose.

Released from Mint's grasp, Bar'vatos would drop to the ground in a panic; quickly inspecting himself for injuries before turning his attention back to Mint and Zuqetta who still loomed above. "Ye- Ye really won't kill me?" Bar'vatos would say in a slightly panicked voice, "Truly, truly!! There is no greater Lord than ye!! Glory be to ye my Emperor!" The pirate would continue, prostrating himself before Mint with his face against the ground; before immediately getting up and hightailing it to his ship, "I shan't soon forget this generosity my lord!!!" He'd yell as he ran as quickly as he could.

Zuqetta's energy would flicker up around her in frustration as she watched the man run; the absolute audacity of the situation infuriated her to no end. It wasn't her job to kill the man, she was simply supposed to stop his assault against the capital; so allowing him to flee was technically an allowable outcome. This however, said nothing about Zuqetta's personal desires... She wanted justice, she wanted vengeance, and becoming a mercenary was how she claimed as small bit of those desires.

"Look at how he flees..." Zuqetta would say lowly, but loud enough for Mint to hear her, "You said you allow second chances to those that can benefit you, and yet he runs away? Is him running of any benefit to you OR your empire?" Zuqetta would growl as she threw her hand out before her and charged her ki to her palm, "He's of no use to you! But if you won't kill him-" She'd shout as the ball of energy in front of her palm grew in size and concentrated in power, "-I'll make sure he stays on your good side!"

With that, if the Arcosian Emperor Mint didn't stop her, then Zuqetta would launch the ball of energy at Bar'vatos; eradicating him, thus putting an end to his life as a pirate. Should Mint have decided to intervene however, then reluctantly, Zuqetta would refrain from firing off her shot, and would allow the pirate to escape in his shambled ship to live another day...