In chains and tatters [Boliko]

[Antary]

The guards threw him in the cell specifically designed for powerful criminals - a cell without walls or grates. Just a small square in a large room surrounded by a powerful force field, probably strong enough to contain Antary by itself, but the guards decided it will be for the best if the power suppressing hand cuffs stay on. “Can`t make things too easy”, they laughed. The prisoner did not respond to their mocking, remaining just as silent as he was ever since capture.

He was still wearing his disguise - a worn dirty jacket, cheap boots made of leather, a fake beard strapped to his face and a haircut changed to be straight shoulder length hair. It all seemed so natural, however. It seems as if the guards had no idea about the disguise. Like this he wanted to fight on the Saru Arena in that tournament, to quench his thirst for combat, which was not done for more than a year. Training subordinates simply doesn`t have that exciting rush of adrenaline when you move your head to the side at the very last moment to avoid a strike easily strong enough to knock you out or even worse, should you be unlucky enough. The chaos of battle was probably one of the main reasons the saiyans enjoy fighting so much – rarely, if ever, are two fights the same.

Unseen to their superiors, the saiyan warriors that captured him decided to speak out. They yelled and complained about how they need to skip the exciting tournament to protect some traitorous scum who they should have killed right away. There were discussions and dares about sending someone into that cell to see how well they would fare against the weakened rebel leader, but such thoughts went quiet as soon as they looked at the prisoner. The latter was silently staring at them, his look so strong that it was sending chills down the saiyan warriors’ spines.

Antary was patiently waiting. Waiting for something to happen as he listened on to the ramblings of his guards. Their frustrations were growing; it seemed to be only a matter of time before they decide to take them out on the prisoner. He wasn`t afraid of them, however. The only thing that makes him weaker than them are the hand cuffs, and he knew a means to take them off. Antary wouldn`t hesitate to break as many bones as needed to defend himself.

But for now, he could only look at the door that was leading into this room. He had this itching feeling that any moment now it will slide to the side, revealing a mighty silhouette of the saiyan king, angry, probably. Assassination attempts are not easily forgiven, the rebel should know, considering he was the target of one.

[Gray Callahan]

"Sir, the rebel could be dangerous. He is restrained, but precaution may be necessary."

"I can handle him either way. He'll want to hear me out and make a choice, for it's either that or death."

---

The door slides away with a shurr noise, and the gigantic figure steps in. Boliko Koregutsu, king of the saiyans, was face-to-face with the disguised Antary, rebel master. Boliko's eyes coldly calculate and observe his rival's false, haggard features. The guards in the room had fallen silent, and they apprehended the saiyan king nervously. With a single twitch of the head, the powerhouse commanded them to leave, and they shuffle past without another word. The door slides closed, and the Saiyan king lets out an audible sigh.

"Firstly, I must apologise for the guard. No doubt they would have been insolent and patronising."

The saiyan king says this without actually looking at Antary, instead looking at a blank wall. His face is mostly expressionless - he still feels an anger towards Antary, one deep-rooted, but the saiyan king had other matters to attend to. The supposed rebel assassin had failed, and that was all that mattered. Had the outcome been any different, well, Boliko would be a lot angrier. And more corpsey.

He then turns towards the energy barrier. "You may be wondering why you are not dead."

The warrior king falls silent again, considering his words. What was it he truly wanted with Antary? He knew something... peace. But that was not enough. No. What he wanted was a united Vegeta. And so, with that in mind, the charismatic fighter begins to speak.

"I have been considering the relationship between your faction and our empire for a long time. You see the Saiyan Solar Empire as a means for Saiyankind to spread tyranny throughout the universe, a way for us to subdue and subjugate species. You see it, not as a way for Saiyans to evolve and become... better, but to become the primary form of existence - Saiyan barbarism, I mean."

The saiyan king shakes his head. "Which is not the truth. You see, 'Ranty', the truth as I understand it is that we share exactly the same goals and values. Saiyankind can be so much more than it is. We lack a culture outside of violence. While I, like all saiyans, enjoy the thrill of the fight, as a sport and even outside of sport, as a means to show my power... it cannot be the only thing in my life."

He pauses. His dark eyes seem to pierce into Antary's. "We require a higher purpose. Don't you agree, Antary?"

[Antary]

"Your information is both wrong and outdated. I never had such views on our race. I believe that the saiyan race can be important on the universal scale only if they start thinking differently. What do I mean? As it is now, every single person on this planet is blinded with the idea that they are the best race in the universe, that they don`t have to do anything other than what they want to do to remain superior to other species. And you and I both know what saiyans like doing best - fighting. As a result the planet has practically no technological or cultural advancements, meaning we are practically primitive. We learned to use stolen technology, yes, but we never bothered to create our own. The saiyan race, as it is now, is too blinded by senseless pride to see their own mistakes." Only now does Antary lift his head to meet eye-to-eye with the king, standing up from his knees as well. He took a brief pause before talking again.

"I come from a different world. A world where the people know their flaws and mistakes, and work every day on not just fixing them, but turning them to advantage. Although a peaceful world, they will no doubt one day come to Vegeta to conquer us as we struggle to understand what we did wrong." Antary moved his head down, taking another pause before muttering one last sentence on the subject. "And the saiyans will cease to exist." The rebel looked back up at Boliko, trying to see if his words got to him. He doubted it.

It looked like Boliko was about to start speaking, but Antary gestured him with a head movement to wait a moment. "Before we get to the future, I suggest we get the past out of the way first. The assassination attempt on you 5 years ago… I take full responsibility for it. Back then I was too young and foolish to really have control over the mess I had started. There really is nobody else to blame but me." Saying these words made Antary remember the good people that died once things really got out of control. Not the slightest hint of feelings was given away, however. "I thought that I could lead the saiyan people to not just progress, but to evolution. Well, I was wrong. And I paid a hefty price for that. I am not going to threaten your position on the throne." He said quite a lot, but he wanted to say these things for years. Somehow, it got a stone off his chest. He never got to discuss these things to anyone.

It was time to let the King speak. He clearly came here with some kind of an offer, probably not expecting such a barrage of words directed at him. Antary knew that odds of such a meeting happening again are very, very small. Might as well make the best of it.

[Gray Callahan]

The saiyan king muses over Antary's words, not least the fact he admitted to being wrong in opposing Boliko and the assassination that almost took his life. What he was more interested in, however, was Antary's viewpoint. Had he not yet witnessed the changes on Vegeta during Boliko's reign? They were small but numerous.

"Then perhaps you would like to see my viewpoint. I, too, agree that Saiyankind's place in the universe can only be achieved with a change in mindset. You are wrong on a few matters, however. Even as the king of this great race, I do not believe that we are inherently above any other species or empire."

He pauses, considering his next words, glancing away from the rebel leader briefly as he rolls his fingers into his palms. "I believe that we may have the ability to, morally, be the guardians of the universe. If we used our fighting instinct to overcome the evils of, say, galactic tyrants like Touketsuki, then that is a step on the way. But we also must gain interests and purpose outside of war. This has already begun to happen as the differing cultures of additional planets within our empire have begun to give our Saiyans more... taste, I suppose, a flare for variation within their lives."

"Perhaps the people of this world are our betters, but to rise up and try to destroy us would be hypocritical. We have faced adversity before; such as when Bardock defeated the tyrant Frieza, Touketsuki's predecessor of hundreds of years. Saiyankind will alays prevail in some form, even if it requires that our blood mingles with those of other races. It has been known to happen, but even biologically, saiyans dominate."

"You say we have not developed technologically, either. This, within the past two or three years, certainly isn't true. Under the helm of Engineer Mato, our technologies have advanced well. Parts of the planet flourish where before they were dry and deserted. True, some of his technology developed from the need of the Saiyan people to train and grow stronger, but others developed separately, and all serve us in some way outside of the need for warfare. None of our current tech is close to the original 'stolen' technology from over a thousand years ago, when the Tsufuru-jin slavers were overthrown! Except, of course..." the king beats one hand on his chest armour.

"What mistakes have occurred under MY reign, from the past six years?" The saiyan asks, intrigued rather than angry. He knew the government before his arrival was corrupt and aimless, but his own empire was different, better. Yes, he was proud of his empire, but he knew it wasn't perfect. But what had he done wrong?

[Jorlaxl]

Boliko: 750 power level awarded! ...after the saga.

Antary: 600 power level awarded! Right now.