So, he had been called to the Saiyan Palace of all places. From what he understood, there was a new leader of the saiyans in town. From what he had been told it was Amara. They had not talked in a long time. Korado had been doing his science and she had..Korado was not sure where she had been. Korado would head into the palace, unsure what was he was going to say to her. On the one hand it was good they were seeing each other agian. On the other hand, last time he remembered it was their plan for Taori to rule. Now he was gone. So she decided to take over. Amara was half saiyan but she was also half tuffle. And he knew that unlike Taori, not everyone would have respect for that.
So what was she doing at leader? What was the long term plan? A unification of Saiyan and tuffle? Maybe trying to change saiyan culture? Korado didn't know and these were the assortment of questions he was going to have to ask Amara. Guess he'd have a lot to catch up on. When he arrived at the palace he bowed his head to the guard. "I've come see Queen Amara can you bring me too her." The guard nodded and began to lead him towards where Amara should be. He smiled lightly, he couldn't wait to meet her. Even if he had a lot of question this was still his half sister and someone he had not talked too in months.
Most royal summonses saw the guest escorted to the throne room; The monarch was typically seated in all their regal splendor as if they had been waiting for eons for the meeting to take place. The quiet guardsman escorting Korado took the hybrid through winding halls and twisting corridors, sticking close to the visitor as he was guided to the upper reaches of the palace. Eventually the pair reached a common door much like any other. The Saiyan motioned for Korado to wait as he lifted the heavyset knocker, banging away in a vague pattern. "One sec!"
The guard patiently took a step back, tugging Korado to do the same if he didn't. Moments later, the door blasted open, slamming against the wall. A bleary-eyed Amara, half-dressed in a thick layered bluish-black suit dotted with armored plates and fizzling particles of hardlight, stared at her half-brother for a few seconds before her memory clicked. "Oh! That was today! Right. Come in, come in. Thank you Regil; you're dismissed." With a firm yank, she'd attempt to pull Korado through the doorway and summarily shut the door. "Watch your step. I gotta lot of loose stuff still out."
The woman wandered in a snakelike pattern back to a vertical desk with more segmented pieces upon it. "Just been working on something. Normally it'd be in the labs, but, don't really want any of the other eggheads seeing this project right now."
Korado glanced at the door as the guard was told to wait. Seems Amara was working on something. After a few moments, the door exploded outward as it seemed she was working on a lot of devices. She seemed to have forgotten he was coming in. "Well, seems you been busy." He glanced at the desk she had set up. "I don't think the castle used to look like this. You have been changing it up to fit your needs huh." Korado glanced around as she explained that she would normally have all her stuff in her labs but she didn't want the eggheads seeing it. Guess, she wanted to test it a bit more before putting it on display.
"I see, so you show off to all your loyal Saiyan warriors?" He glanced outside for a moment and allowed Sickle to escape his bag. The slime bounced across the ground and began to play around with some of the door rubble. "When you became leader of the Saiyan I was shocked to hear about it. I thought Taori was a leader but guess he vanished? So you came over to take over. But, I assume you have a long-term plan? I can't image you leading the saiyans that long." Maybe she was going to unite the saiyans and tuffles with Cheri help? Or maybe she was waiting to find the right leader for the saiyans? Either way he had a lot of worries about what her position was going to mean for the unstable peace on Plant.
"Just parts of it. I don't wanna start a riot over excessive changes where I can help it, but having some sort of workshop in arm's reach is pretty necessary if these projects are to be done anytime soon. You understand, what with all the bio-science you've been presumably still dabbling in. Showing off isn't really a part of it. Most of my subjects are still uninterested in anything that isn't... simplistic." The curse of mixed blood. Amara could feel the call of combat from time to time, but letting her suppressed tinkerer run loose after her death at Yangcong's hands had solidified it as an important part of her.
"Taori is... somewhere," Amara replied hesitantly. "We know he isn't dead, and all records point to his previous travel back to Plant after the Konatsian Tournament, but obviously, that could be false. Nobody's seen the guy for months. Alpinia, too, for that matter. For her sake, I hope he's OK; Taori is a warrior, but that woman would be easy pickings for any strong assassins." A mishmash of scraps, parts, and messily scribbled-on pieces of paper was shoved aside, Amara hopping up to sit on the now unclogged desk.
"I'm not too sure what I should do. I'd like to steer Vegetan culture away from the bloodlusted society it is and towards something a little less destructive. Purging the warrior from Saiyan veins is impossible, but we've already seen how Nasu, Dion, Carro, and Russ turned out." It was about upbringing, not genetics. "I'd LOVE Cheri's help, but she won't respond to any of my formal requests. I could understand when I was still technically a random Saiyan noble, but repeatedly denying audience with the new Queen could stir some serious trouble with hardline loyalists if word of that got out. If you could get me in touch with her, that'd be a massive weight off my shoulders."
Amara noted that yes, she was not going to show everything off.But she wanted to have some things that were close at hand so her work could be easier. “No I understand, just surprised as all. Your acting less like a saiyan more like a tuffle at least with all the tech. Might piss some saiyans off.” Even if she had won fair and square. Korado could image them not being too happy with any of the tech and someone who may of had saiyan lineage but also was a tuffle at heart.
But that didn’t matter at the moment as Amara noted, Taori had just gone missing. He had headed to Konats and then poof. He was gone. He and his wife had gone missing. As Amara said hopefully they were ok but why would they just vanish. “Something bad must of happened on the way back. I think if he knew hew as going to abdicate the throne he of least been responsible enough to find someone else to take his space and keep things running." Then again maybe the only person would of been someone like Amara. Known by the saiyans and the tuffles. Being strong. It made some sense while Amara decided to step forward and take her spot as Queen of the Saiyans.
Amara said that her plan was to hopefully purge the saiyans of some of their bloodlust. To make them a more peaceful people. He gave a nod. “It would be a nice thing to do. But the people of Plant had been at war for years. It is going to be hard to find a sense of peace. And Image after they thought they won the warr only for their king to vanish and someone who. They may look at and consider a saiyan? It is going to cause more tension.” Amara noted that she would like to get Cheri’s help to bring the sayians up. But she had been unable to contact her. She was worried that was going to hurt her rule so was hoping that Korado could head over to talk to Cheri. “Right, I can do my best. But i’ve not talked to her in a while. I been working on my own projects. She prob been doing the same. If I can talk to her, I’ll let her know you been trying to contact her.”
"That was gonna happen regardless. You and I both know it's impossible to please everybody; Look at what's happening on Plant. THE war finally ends, and the first thing some people jump to is revenge. Exterminate the weaklings this, kick the invaders of our planet that. Like we're stuck in a bloody time loop." Her expression soured, eyes glancing away from her brother. "The Tuffles earned their right to live as warriors; any Saiyan should see that. The Saiyans earned their right to live in the only home they have known; any Tuffle should see that; they don't. At least not all of them. And all it takes is a small cell to detonate a Destron bomb in Sadala or exterminate Hatchi for tensions to re-ignite."
She sighed. For all the know-how and technical advancements Amara had made over the past two years, had it amounted to anything? "I don't think I can bridge the gap. I was never a good leader. And with radio silence on Cheri's end, trying to keep tabs on Tuffle politics has been challenging. Honestly, the best thing I could do at this point is just... leave. Maybe take whatever Saiyans are interested in a life away from Vegetan violence with me. There's just too much ingrained hatred and revenge in these people, Korado. All they know is vitriol, and vitriol eats away at everything it touches. I think the Tuffles might've been justified in continuing the war for Plant in the past; at this point, it's just feeding the flames of revenge."
Korado nodded as Amara pointed out that people were not going to be happy. They never going to be happy. They were going to need to find some sort of fight. They could never escape the fact for Saiyans and tuffles, were just at each other throats. They had been so for fifty years. Despite the past few months, the Saiyans and Tuffles had not really earned each other respect. Instead, they were at each other throats. At any moment the Saiyans and tuffles could go to war with each other. And what would they do when that happened? “You just got work to make sure it does not. But it is not that easy. The war ended with Saiyan Victory. Tuffle submission. However, we wanna spin it I image that how both sides see it. For the saiyans? Why not fully remove the tuffles if they are weak? And for the tuffles? They still wanna take back their home. It is not gonna be that easy to change people’s minds.” He wished it was but it was never that easy to convince people to strive for peace.
Amara noted that maybe it was best for her good. It was not that easy to be queen, and he could not blame her. But to just up and leave? That would not do. “If you wanna quit that is fine and go somewhere else. But you can’t just leave. You need to find someone else to take your spot. Another saiyan that you think would be a good ruler for the saiyan people. That would keep the tuffles safe? If you don’t have a plan for that then leaving woul be a selfish move. I can understand this is tough but the survival of the tuffle and saiyan is paramount.” Korado shook his head, he was sure what else he could say to Amara. He was not in her shoes so he couldn’t fully understand how tough this was. But, she could not give up.
"I know," her voice came out as a low growl, Amara turning away for a moment as she huffed. "I know. Obligation to prevent genocide and all. The person who challenged 'Taori,' Zuqetta, ran away from it. SHE had the power to defeat Jagaimo and I soundly. To take command and lead the Saiyans however she saw fit. She didn't. Decided to wave the white flag and hand it off to ME instead, for who knows what reason. What was I supposed to do? They wouldn't accept the defeated challenger as Queen, Jagaimo surrendered, and Taori never bothered showing up. It all feels like some sort of elaborate political trap that I'm still too stupid to have clued in on yet."
Her thoughts fleetingly turned to the most absurd answer; If Zuqetta placed a peacemaker on the throne during a time when peace was nigh impossible, it might delegitimize it as an option for the future. Convince more and more to continue on with bloody war. "And I can't exactly pick a replacement. That's not how the crown succession works. Someone needs to challenge me officially and WIN. And if Zuqetta isn't going to pounce on it yet, that doesn't mean there's a suite of good options either. Vocado, Cato, Dark - they're the strongest, but I wouldn't trust any of them to not try and reignite some sort of conflict in the name of 'glory' or some other bullshit."
Amara seemed to understand the duty but she really didn’t want to do it. Instead, she got sorta left with it. One of the people challenging the throne, Zuqetta had run off. She had the power to take the throne but she seemed to just accept Amara as queen. Guess that was just how things were. She didn’t want the responabiltiy so she dropped it on Amara instead. Then again, he didn’t know Zuqetta that well. So for all he knew it was a good thing she allowed Amara to take the throne. Maybe she would not have as friendly of a policy towards the tuffle people. “I doubt it was some plan just how you described it. Not sure what the benefit would be to putting your in power. Unless justification for an attack on the tuffle? But any king or queen of the saiyans could dictate an attack towards the tuffle people. So not really sure.” It was quite confusing, but either way things had worked out in the time being.
Amara then pointed out she could not exactly just give up the throne. Which was true, giving it up meant their was gonna be a power vacuum. They had gotten lucky 2/2 times so far after Queen Rosemary. But that didn’t mean they would continue to be lucky. Amara listed off the names that could be leader of the saiyan but dismissed them all. But he was not going too. “Vocado could be a possible choice. He is a man bound by glory yes, but I don’t think he want to destoy the tuffles. I think I could talk and convince him not to do that. I don’t know about not wanting to move the tuffle off the planet. Dark not bad either there hunter type, i think if the tuffle are considered a weak foe then they won’t attack them. Prob would be willing to keep them as a semi vessel like Taori did. Not saying it a good bet but there two options potentially.”
She idly gnawed at the edge of her thumb nail, suppressing the urge to snap at Korado, knowing her half-brother was only trying to help. Honestly, things would be better if I took the Saiyans and shoved 'em somewhere else. Different planet, out of this solar system, at least. Peace and cooperation aren't impossible but keeping both sides this close together with all this excess animosity and hatred aren't doing anyone any favors. So far, it's been rogue Saiyans pushing for blood and death against Hatchi, but what happens when one of the vengeful eggheads over there decides to cart a Destron bomb over to Sadala?"
They were simply too close. Any stray terrorist attack struck flint and steel next to a powder keg. "Actually doing that? Not likely. Not with me, and certainly not if Vocado or Dark was in charge. I can phrase it as dismissively as I want - 'we're leaving this crappy planet full of murder gas to get a better one for ourselves since we already won,' but how many of the fence-sitters or anti-mes will actually buy that? We had to orchestrate an entire fake battle just to get some of the glory hounds to shut up. They'll take this as a retreat."
Amara motioned more to the idea of finding a new planet. But it was not going to happen. As she pointed out, that was not going to look good to most of the saiyans. They had to already set up that fake battle for Hatchi. And now it seemed that was potentially going to up in smoke since Taori was going and Amara was ruling. Korado was sure there was a lot of people really wanted to throw the tuffles off the planet. On the otherhand, there prob be a lot of tuffle who wanna remove the saiyans in the future. It really was just a mess.
“You are correct that we can’t just leave the planet. Either party is not going to accept that. But, I guess we have to ask if that is something that can be sustained with peace. I am not so sure it can happen. If there is a lot of saiyans who don’t want the tuffle staying around there gonna eventually have someone unite around them. And if your unsure if you wanna rule long term which is understandable, that gonna be taken advantage of eventually. You have to remain fully vigilant.” Korado put a hand on his chin in deep thought. “Plus, with Cheri. I assume she has some sort of plans cooking but I image those end with making sure the tuffle are put in a better position then being at threat of war whenever a new king or queen takes over the saiyan people. That might to conflict naturally in the need for defense.”
"It was a lot simpler before." Amara's eyes drifted to the floor, unwilling to meet Korado. "Back when I was just another noble brat being reared by you while dad was off to war. Didn't have to really think. I was a Saiyan, so I'd grow up to be a soldier, maybe even an Elite like Garrick, and I'd fight. The Tuffles were just the wall they threw us at." And she'd killed for them. In the mire of Plant, between mud-slicked wastes and crackling bluffs baking under the harsh sun. "And now what? I'm supposed to figure out to quell animosity between two species, decades-old enemies? And if I don't try, who will?"
Amara stood, fingers trailing over the mess of schematics, parts, bits and bobbles she had. "I'm not even the strongest 'Saiyan'. Not top three, either." A small part of her was bitter. Tuffle genes meant Amara had to work thrice as hard as the average Saiyan to see the same gains. Zenkais and natural talent carried them. They were always so haughty about what they survived and how it made them stronger, but did those lucky warriors ever ACTUALLY have to work? Amara couldn't lose and magically get better. She had to rely on crutches. Tactics, gear, numbers superiority.
Korado nodded as it was clear Amara's confidence had been shaken a lot. This was a hard task. It was easy to talk about making peace between the two species, action was a lot harder. He had learned that the hard way as well. He had talked to a lot of Saiyans. Some seemed willing to seek this peace but others were not going to allow peace to exist for even a second. There was the same for some tuffles. Not all accepted that the war was over and they had to keep fighting. Peace was something that people seek but on their terms. So it was never going to be that easy to get everyone on the same page. What some accepted for Peace others would say was unacceptable.
"It was easier then. To be a soldier. But it was not right. For anyone. To be forced to fight and kill. For what? What were you killing for? Conquest? That is not something that is truly worth fighting for. Now you are the queen of the Saiyans, you may not be able to change the desire to fight but you can change the fight. You can change it to be just and not violence for the sake of violence. It is a long process, and no one else may be willing to sit on that throne and try you are right. So you have resolved yourself too it. You fought so hard and long for both the Saiyans and tuffles. I can't say I fully fathom what you must be going through. But I know you can push past it. Even if your not the strongest saiyan I know your damn well one of the smartest and you got one of the biggest hearts." Half Brother pep talk. Something he didn't expect to do but he'd give it a go.
"Not like there's much competition for being the smartest." Amara forced a watery smile at her own jab. "I appreciate it." Still. Having to worry about a potential coup every day because she couldn't punch the hardest was annoying. Surely the Saiyans were getting sick of the revolving door monarchy, even if it was tradition.
A vacant throne for months, Rosemary, Taori, and now her. "I've still got a lot of work to do. Nobody realizes how much paperwork and organizing needs to be done when you assume command in a chaotic government. Magically fixing all our problems will have to wait until I have basic economics and food supplies straightened out."
Then there was the whole Destron thing. Certain elements within the Kingdom made it clear they intended to move against the Tuffles soon in order to 'fix' that problem. Amara had no idea if Hatchi DID have stores of Destron - she assumed not since Cheri had publicly outlawed it, leaving the crags as a better place to continue the trade.
Mustering up the proper force and marching on the Tuffles without provoking conflict or framing it like another invasion was the hard part, and a small part of Amara realized that he who shall not be named didn't have the patience for that.
"Well. That's enough of the heavy topics; I'm beat." She'd stretch, donning a few pieces of armor to remove the whole 'casual' look, turning to Korado. "Want to get lunch? I'd like to spend some time with family outside of... this."
Korado nodded as it was clear Amara even as she smiled. Korado wished he could do more to help her, but he was not much of a leader. He had been mostly focusing on his scientific work. He didn't imagine running a government. Even if he had run to take control of the tuffle government when he was concerned Cheri would not run. Amara then noted that there was a lot of paperwork she had to deal with as Queen. The government was chaotic, and there were many problems, not just with Destron or tuffles. There were issues with things like economics and food. Made since they had been at war for fifty years, and Plant didn't have a lot of farmland or economic opportunity besides Saiba hunting, he supposed. Either way, there was a lot of work to fix Saiyan Society.
Anyway, they had done a lot of talking. And it was not really something either of them wanted to keep talking about, so why don't they get a bite to eat? Korado smiled lightly. "Sure, we got a lot of things to talk about besides the bad. I have been working on a lot of scientific inventions. I'll have to show some of them too sometimes. I'd also like to see more of what you're working on." Of course they could talk about all that once they got a bite to eat so he was ready to follow Amara over to get some nice food.