Terra-Node Station #3

Alone with nothing more to do than wait, Zuqetta had begun to nod off as she leaned against the structure. She regretted not bringing her gaming handheld, but she wasn't really in a position to do so. She lifted a hand, very nearly thinking about attempting to materialize one; the machinations might not have been to tough, she wasn't sure; the power source and certainly the code however? She had no idea where to start! Luckily, it didn't seem like it would come to that, as she quickly noticed the approaching vehicle as it made no attempts to keep itself hidden.

She tilted a head curiously, that curiosity replaced with interested as she realized exactly who had arrived.

"You, you're that old man and-" she looked towards woman and her sleepy child, remembering the slap Kronos had received and averted her gaze with an awkward smile, "Ah, heh, ahhhhh--" she quickly cleared her throat, moving past introductions as the old man hadn't given any of his own, instead choosing to address the question at hand, "New, but not too new! This is just the third of many we have planned." she'd smile, placing a hand on the tower with a hopeful expression.

Her tail swayed happily behind her as she thought of the result to come in the future after the activation of these towers, but there was still much to prepare before such could happen. The Saiyans had been responsibly for the manual labor, constructing the tower itself with resources sent from Arcose, while a commission of Tuffles saw to the more technical side along with Empire science officers. The importance of the project meant it had yet to be revealed openly to the public, but it was by no means some well kept secret. It was simply something Zuqetta didn't want to risk near-do-wells sabotaging.

"So it interfered with your survey equipment?" she'd ponder, "I'm not too technical and science-y myself, but I think that makes sense." she'd say, her expression somewhat worried, "Ticoga tells me this is a terraforming station, he has technology that could work on a planetary scale from a single thingy, but says that such a thing usually results in... hehe, well, it can't be a planet anyone lives on." she'd laugh, "This however, when working in tangent with all its sisters, should revitalize the landscape without causing anything like earthquakes and such!" she'd beam, her attention turning back towards Ambrose, "We're working on restoring Plant to its beautiful self! Its pre-war self!"

Parents, a difficult thing to deal with for Zuqetta; she couldn't hide the awkwardness on her face as she tried to feign a smile, just how exactly was she supposed to communicate with someone like this woman? "It's... no issue at all! Don't worry about it in the least." Zuqetta would respond, at least trying show a bit of respect.

It wasn't like she didn't know other parents, Nero and Zhalla though, were entirely different. Her mind played back the slap this tall woman had given to Kronos, something that immediately think the woman was the rather violent type. The most she could hope for was not to unintentionally upset someone so quick to strike another, but considering she'd let the boy who insulted their daughter go free... well, this lady didn't need to know of that.

Zuqetta's attention would instead shift from the woman to Mitama, a curious youth with wide eyes to match that curiosity. The awkward expression she wore relaxed naturally, speaking to children was MUCH easier by comparison! She'd smile, laughing to herself just a bit as the name Mitama said processed.

"Ti-co-ga~" she'd emphasize playfully, "But he's super nice, so I don't think he'd mind whatever you choose to call him." she'd reassure, before turning her attention back to Ambrose, her tail swaying blissfully behind her.

"But that's neat, I didn't realize they pioneered it! Honestly, tech like a lot of the Tuffles and Arcosian stuff is kinda the same to me. I can figure out how ta use it well enough, but I dunno the ins or outs of any of it." she'd admit with a sheepish laugh, "But, you're free ta give it a looksie if ya like! Before they're each operational, I intended ta speak with Cheri about my plan, it's why I was in Hatchi before, but..." she'd glance nervously towards the taller woman for only a second, before returning her gaze to Ambrose, "That... was interrupted, heh."

As Ambrose approached the tower, giving it a rudimentary examination, Zuqetta's attention would drift to Mitama who seemed to be enraptured with something she was mumbling. A short moment later, and Zuqetta would be clued in as Mitama quite proudly exclaimed a name, and while not quite correct, Zuqetta could tell that it was once again Ticoga's. She laughed, quickly bringing a balled fist to her mouth to stifle anything further, her tail beating the ground softly as she internally chuckled.

"Close enough, ya get an A plus for effort!" she'd encourage, giving the little girl a soft smile before Ambrose would once more regain her attention.

There was a clear bit of hesitation from the man, though it wasn't an issue that stemmed from himself it seemed. His words indicated reservation with Cheri, and more specifically the Tuffles as a whole. Zuqetta would nod, she understood the sentiment well enough; the Saiyans themselves having much less care for restoring the world and more more interest in simply taking over and moving into the Tuffle side, something she refused to allow. As he continued however, Zuqetta would brighten with a keen interest.

"Waitwait, do you really thinks that's possible!?" she'd question, her tail flicking about excitedly despite how she tried to contain herself, "You think we could have cool oceans, and icy mountains!? Warm beaches, lush forests, plains, deserts... ALL of it!?" she'd question, her eyes wide with hope and excitement in equal measure.

Ever the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, Zuqetta's expression shifted immediately to one of disappointment as Ambrose said the word, no. She slumped, but Ambrose would be quick enough to continue, and she'd perk up once more as he brought up the potential workings of the Arcosian tech. She'd follow beside curiously as he made his way to his car, removing a tablet to display what information he had. Zuqetta, having no idea how terraforming worked in the first place, had no clue what could and couldn't cause a natural disaster. The only thing she was certain of was that she didn't want to lose Plant like her ancestors had lost Sadala, so she simply followed Ticoga's instruction with the adequate amount of caution.

"Hehe, I wouldn't mind things bein' cooler! Compared at so many other places I've been, Plant's pretty hot and arid." she'd remark; while truthful in her words, saying it more as simply a conversation point. Looking at the display and listening to the explanation Ambrose continue to give, Zuqetta's demeanor would change. She seemed more inquisitive, taking the information in and processing it as best she could.

"I see, this makes sense... can't make something outta nothin' and all that." she'd muse, looking towards Ambrose, "But question, how familiar are you with magical energy and transmutation?" she'd ask, holding her hand out beside her and conjuring a simple ball with her materialization before she'd continue to explain, "My plan with Ticoga, for lack of a better term, I'm intended to be a battery. Once the stations are all set, we intend to use my Super Saiyan form coupled with my magic as a near infinite source of energy to not only power the devices across the world, but to conjure forth the necessary components needed to seed new life across Plant."

Zuqetta would give Ambrose a moment to process what she'd said, bouncing the ball a few times before allowing it to dematerialize.

"With my magic alone, I can materialize all sorts of things... admittedly, not everything, but that seems to come to my own skill. Ticoga's confident that if he can manipulate my magic himself with his technology, he could conjure anything." she'd explain further, her tail flicking about playfully as she smile, "Heheh, and ya might be thinking, but is this stuff permanent? The answer? No, actually, anything I conjure with magic is maintained so long as I draw breath, even if I sleep. If I use all my mana or it becomes inaccessible to me, the things I've materialized vanish."

She nearly laughed, recalling the uniforms that vanished from her own Royal Guards when she was training with the power dampeners, but quickly recomposed herself to finish her explanation.

"Well, Ticoga found a solution to that, and it involves my separate source of power, Ki Energy." she'd lift a finger, feeling a bit proud of what she understood from Ticoga, "Basically, when I battle, while I might use my magic to conjure my weapons, the items are maintained by my naturally released Ki, becoming permanent constructs unless I willing choose to dispel the items!"

In truth, it wasn't something she knew that she was doing, but it explained why more serious battles left the the landscape riddled with the blades she rained down upon her foes. Ticoga attention to detail and analytical mind had given her much to think on when it came to how she used her magic, so the fiasco with the guards was thankfully, not something that'd be happening again.

"That's why Ticoga wasn't to use my magic ta conjure what he needs, and my ki to make it all permanent!"

It was clear by Zuqetta demeanor and enthusiasm that she hadn't taken herself into account at all in this plan. She had no thoughts of the potential consequences, looking solely at the goalpost ahead and the favorable outcome for Plant. Even should she have thought about it for only a second, she figured Ticoga would have already taken such things into account himself.

As Zuqetta was primed to muse over Ambrose's remark, the two were interrupted by the taller woman who'd stepped forward with an explanation of her own. Though wary as she'd already been, as Momo began to manipulate her own magic to form columns of ice, Zuqetta couldn't help but to look on with a hidden interest. Even the tiny one was capable of doing the same, though all Zuqetta could do was shake her head lightly, giving an awkward laugh. "Hehe, impressive, I can't make any of that stuff myself, not ta say I haven't tried." she'd remark, her tail shifting from one side to the other, "Luckily, I won't need to! My mana will just be the raw resource used in the conjuration, it's up to Ticoga's machine to decide what's actually created."

Ambrose made a good point to follow however when it came to reseeding the planet, having the physical seeds would certainly help and would be less of a strain on Zuqetta herself. Though, she was no botanist, so that was about as far as she was able to understand.

"Hmm, can't say I know exactly what Ticoga plans ta do, all I gotta do is supply the stuffs!" Zuqetta would remark with a bit of a laugh, listing a hand and allowing her mana to flow out as a simple shimmer of sparkles and light, "But, if ya have input like this, why not speak with Ticoga himself? It'd be much better than-- oh!" she'd begin to explain, before suddenly interrupted by...

A snag?

No, the little one had scurried out of sight as the three were speaking; the temptation apparently a bit too much for her.

"Oh? Hehe, feelin' rambunctious, are we?" Zuqetta would laugh, lifting her tail as Mitama clung to it and holding it out before her, between the three, "Ah, that reminds me-" she'd say, looking between Ambrose and Momo, "I don't believe we've even exchanged names, hehe though, with how you approached, maybe you already know who I am?" she'd laugh, coiling Mitama in her tail and bobbing the girl lightly up and down as she coiled and uncoiled her tail, a little game she played with younger kids in Sadala.

"Titles aside, my name's Zuqetta-" she'd greet, holding a hand to her chest as she gave a light bow, before turning her attention towards Mitama and giving the girl a light poke on the cheek, "But you can just call me Zuq, hehehe." she'd remark, attempting to keep her name as simple as could be for the syllable-challenged girl, "And your name?" she'd ask, personally to Mitama, but her eyes would move between the parents as well, asking the same.

Though, considering the girl had already used her own name maybe it was unnecessary to ask, but introducing oneself was always a bit of fun to Zuqetta, so she wouldn't exclude the child that same bit of engagement.

Zuqetta took the offer Ambrose made into consideration, weighing the difficulty of materializing so many things hadn't yet crossed her mind, but even she knew that the task would be far less difficult if natural samples were provided in place of her magic. The less she had to materialize, the more her magic could be focused to the primary task of restoring life to the soil itself. Of course, even then the task was easier said than done; while the levels weren't life threatening, the saturation of destron into Vegetan soil made efforts difficult. Such was why the humble Saiba was the most common source of food; but with things like trade picking up and kingdom resources growing thanks to Vocado's liberation efforts, the state of the Saiyans was looking up!

"Actually, I think that'd be a great idea!" she'd remark, "I dunno if the process will need some tweaking, but could couldn't be too difficult to implement." she'd remark, glancing towards the tower momentarily, "In fact..." she'd mutter, a bit of contemplation in her voice.

She'd cut herself off however, an uncomfortable jolt shooting down her back in response to Momolu scolding Mitama. Though, even to Zuqetta, it was clear it wasn't really scolding; Zuqetta simply couldn't shake off her internal prejudice.

"Ah! It's no bother at all, hehe, I don't mind playing with her!" Zuqetta would remark, her attention turning to Mitama with a bright smile as she spun her tail around, and in turn, Mitama as well.

Yet, despite her seemingly pleasant, happy tone, Zuqetta's fur frizzed with wariness towards Momolu. The tone of her voice didn't waver however, she was growing more accustomed to the "family unit", a foreign experience to her, at least in any positive regard. Zuqetta steadily began to realize it in herself, the reason she felt so wary, so suspicious.

Discipline...

It was a different thing to different people,and Zuqetta had yet to met a parent that "disciplined" their child. Daucus was so small and young, and Zhalla and Nero so kind and caring. Jagaimo's own child was a newborn, there was no reason she'd be disciplining a literal infant. Mitama was older however, and while neither Momolu nor Ambrose did much beyond a mere spoken word, the amount or level of discipline didn't matter. Zuqetta couldn't get Momolu's reaction towards Kronos out of her head, and in turn, couldn't stop thinking about her father and how she was treated as he "raised" her.

Zuqetta's eye twitched, a light display, almost imperceptible; she'd taken notice of her frizzed tail, and so would unfurl it and release Mitama in front of her.

"Heheh, and nice ta meetcha too, MitaMita~!" Zuqetta would respond, playing along with Mitama by giving a nickname of her own.

Zuqetta's expression softened greatly, it really was so much easier to deal with children. No expectations, no airs to put on; she wondered if she ever saw things with such a carefree attitude as Mitama did. she was sure she once did, but taking the throne had forced her to mature a bit more than she might've been ready for. It made her brief moments with people like Tunic or Jaggy so much more relieving, but even with Jaggy, Zuqetta could tell her friend was growing into her own, taking up the life of an adult.

She'd ruffle Mitama's hair before lifting her up with her tail once more and placing her nearer to Momolu. Upon doing so, she would turn away from the trio without warning, facing the tower before continuing to speak, crossing her arms before her.

"So, a geneticist you said? I've been curious to find an expert in the field actually, as coincidental as that might sound."

Her tone changed, becoming more serious, she was speaking like the adult she was, to fellow adults; putting on the airs she was meant to put on. Ever the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, Zuqetta could feel the change in her expression just moments before she'd turned away from the two. The hint of sorrow and regret, mixed with worry and loneliness. A complete mess of sudden negative emotion, and something she didn't want Mitama to see. Her feelings were irrational, they often were; so she would push for a topic change, and expel the thoughts that intruded due to these parents.

"I'm unsure how much exactly you may know, but it should be public knowledge that the current Saiyan Monarch, myself, ran something of a guild before taking the throne." she'd explain, "I still do in fact, and despite the slander; pirates, mercenaries, etcetera, we are none of those things. We're a guild of like minded individuals, and for the most part, a found family, nothing more and nothing less." her tail smacked the ground, hopefully keeping away the little Mitama; those Zuqetta made an intentional attempt not to accidentally strike the girl should it not have scared her away, "We call our guild, Dreadspawn, and I'll cut to the chase."

Zuqetta would turn, calm removing her previously negative expression; confidence thanks to the topic change now displayed as she looked to Ambrose directly.

"We live in space, the ship we call our home can hardly even be called a ship anymore. Tuffle, Galvamite, Cerebrocian, Arcosian; you name it, and if they're a people who call themselves "the most intelligent in the universe", then they can be found amongst my crew." she'd say with a bit of a laugh, "Along with a healthy mix of... well, anyone else we come across with similar ideals."

She'd lean against the tower, her tail shifting side to side as her mood lighten while she spoke. She gave Ambrose a moment to digest the sudden shift of information, before continuing with her reason for bringing it up.

"Minds well beyond what I can understand built out space sailing home, a singular vessel somehow comprised of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of ships. We certainly don't want for mechanics-" she'd giggle, before her smile faded, her expression much more serious, "-but what we have begun to lack, is the resources to maintain our continuously growing population. Factions within my guild have formed, and while there's still order for now, I'm not stupid to the effects of dwindling resources. The coffers of Dreadspawn hold for now, trade being our primary source for the things we need..."

Zuqetta paused, giving a light shake of her head before narrowing her gaze, "But what I want, is for the people I care for to be self-sufficient, self-sustaining. We have farms, and have begun to raise livestock, but neither are enough. Synthetic foods are available, but I can't deny the cultural needs of those that call Dreadspawn their home. So, I'll ask plainly-"

She'd push from the tower, straighten up as she looked between Momolu and Mitama, before looking back towards Ambrose.

"Do you have people you care about? Would you do anything to keep them safe? Make them happy?" she'd ask in quick succession, "If the world your loved ones called home was dying, would you go above and beyond to save it? Even if it meant using unconventional means? Even if people criticized your every action? Calling you weak? Foolish? Insane even?"

Zuqetta stopped, realizing her own feelings were bleeding into her words; she'd take a short breath, before making final remark.

"I'm terraforming this world, I didn't ask for permission from the Tuffle or the Saiyans, and I don't intend to. My plans to do so haven't been secret, but as Monarch of the people who won the war, this planet belongs to the Saiyans." she'd say, firmly, but without hostility, "And right now, the Saiyans live in a dire situation. Even if all the destron on the planet magically disappeared, this wouldn't just suddenly bring the Vegeta region back to life, maybe it'd come back to life eventually, but tensions are on the rise, and if there's a solution to be had, I refuse to wait." she'd say, her tail beating the ground behind her firmly, "This is only step one; Ambrose, all this might seem sudden, but I want to know if someone like you is someone I've been looking for." she's say, her serious expression finally softening as she dropped her noble airs and allowed her soft smile to return, "You approached me after all, what'd you hope to gain in doing so?"