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Post by cayenne on Jul 21, 2022 21:32:03 GMT -5
Sorting day. Cayenne awoke before the sun rose, robotically going through the motions she had repeated every morning prior. Make her cot, basic grooming, don cadet-marked armor, sweep her area, beeline for the mess hall. Not even the soldiers had arrived here yet, the Earthling's footsteps clacking across the marbled floor. The self-serve section was open even if the staff were absent; Cayenne moved to fill her plate with fried meats, green eggs, and a special treat in the form of biscuits. Even though her hunger was practically non-existent, she shoveled the rations down anyway. Nervousness would not prevent Cayenne from eating a proper meal this time, so close to the most crucial moment of her adolescence. By the time people started to trickle in, Cayenne had finished her meal, washed the plate, and moved on.
The distant white sun had finally risen, the planet's sky dancing with pinkish-orange hues as thin wispy clouds ambled slowly along. The crunch of courtyard gravel underfoot was indication Cayenne had reached her destination. The barracks' enclosed training yard was forged from dark wrought iron and filled with everything from raw bars to customizable weights. She opted for the former, jumping up to grab the top bar, body already straining under Vegeta's intense gravity. By the time Cayenne had reached her target of a hundred reps, the morning was in full force, sweat pouring from her body. The cadet released her grip, falling to the ground in a gasping heap as her muscles burned with exertion. It wasn't very wise to be working herself so hard before the day had truly begun, but she still had another hour before the cadets were to report to the main hall.
"I'd take a break." The soft command came courtesy of Terces, the Saiyan wandering over and tossing a gourd-like bottle. Cayenne fumbled to catch the drink, greedily popping the cap off and taking long swigs of the ice-cold water. "Trying to impress the birds?" He knelt next to her prone body, offering a hand. Cayenne glared at it, begrudgingly accepting the help and clambering to her feet. "You've got the spirit of a Saiyan, that's for sure. Just remember to apply it when it matters. The cadet program's early entry into the militia apparently works us nearly as hard as the actual soldiers. You'll need every ounce of strength those muscles got." He'd playfully poke at her toned arm, Cayenne jerking it away with a false scowl and downing the rest of the water. "You know I can't sit idle." Tercres nodded once. "Yep." Shoving the gourd back into his hands, the redhead sighed in frustration and moved towards a bench, collapsing on it dramatically. Her friend followed, jumping to sit atop the bench's backpiece and slinging the empty gourd around his belt.
"If you score above the basic requirements, they can't turn you down. Literally. Military said turning away able-bodied fighters willing to fight for Vegeta was, obviously, stupid." Easy in theory, but the daunting prospect of achieving that? Cayenne turned to face the sky, scarlet eyes uncertain. Even if the harsh regime was toned down for cadet entries due to their age, trying to score on the next rung above 'passing' was hellish labor. Doubly so for an Earthling who already had to work HARDER than everyone else around her just to meet their results. "I'd rather be Saiba-food than being stuck in the kitchen," Her tone was bitter, filled with the resentment of having that expectation hoisted on her shoulders for the better part of her life. "I'm a fighter. I'm a hard worker. I can even fight my peers, beat them, because I don't need Oozaru to be strong." Even with amplification, her base battle power was still the lowest of the cadets. And military doctrine called for critical strikes to be done under moonlight or with generator support, for the raw might of an Oozaru army simply couldn't be overcome.
"I know." It was a simple acknowledgment. Somehow, that was more encouragement than Cayenne got from most Saiyans in a year. "And you don't even have to worry about it." Try as she might, Cayenne couldn't entirely conceal the bitterness seeping from her words. Tercres was one of her only friends and endlessly supportive in the face of a system that wanted nothing more than to keep Cayenne down. "...Sorry." Apologies held more weight on Vegeta, where admitting fault was a sign of weakness. The older Saiyan brushed it off, glancing at the Earthling sympathetically. "Don't be. You're right; I don't have to worry about it. Mostly because warfare is what I do. The army might want Tercres for battle power, but he doesn't have half the other skills Cayenne does. Cooking, tactics, determination, AND a mighty warrior?" The girl turned away, covering her face with a fake cough to hide a slight blush. "Flattery will get you nowhere." She grumbled, attempting to sound irritated. "Then it's a nowhere I'm glad to visit," Tercres replied easily, leaping from his seat. "Come on. You need some more water and time to rest before line-up."
"Did you sleep?" Luffa's immediate question fell on Cayenne as she entered the barracks. "You weren't there when I woke up. And I distinctly remember you retiring to your cot later than usual." Squirming, the redhead attempted to weasel her way out of an inevitable lecture: "If that much rest is good enough for the Elite Army it's good enough for me." A silent, judgemental stare informed Cayenne that her answer wasn't satisfactory. "You are not an Elite," The goggles-clad cadet pointed out succinctly. "You are eleven. Our bodies need extremely different amounts of rest and food to build themselves up properly. High command recognizes and encourages this by allowing cadets extra hours. Do you intend to disagree with their findings?" Shoulders sagging, Cayenne accepted defeat. "No, I don't." The girl pinched her nose, glancing around at the light foot traffic filtering through the barracks. "Look. Be surprised I slept at all. Wasn't easy."
The constant evaluation of her health was abnormal and slightly unsettling. Saiyans were only supposed to care about bad health if it was bleeding or rendering a soldier unable to fight. Tension, worry, doubt, and all other ailments were the problem of the individual to solve. Cayenne appreciated her friends' concern, as strange as it may be, but it had started to grate on her nerves even more. "It's not a matter of 'if' or 'will,' Luffa. I must be fine; therefore, that's what I shall be." It had been soul-wrenching tireless work just to reach this point in her life, clawing up the cadet rungs to carve out a spot among the warriors. Who could've ever imagined some Earthling girl competing with genetically predisposition warriors? Flaking out because of emotions would be an insult. Not just to Cayenne's efforts but to the generosity of the Zucchero family for sponsoring her entry as a cadet. They produced strong-willed unerring fighters, not meek babbling cooks.
"So you say." said Luffa, seemingly unconvinced but dropping the subject regardless. "You've heard by now how the testing for each branch functions." It was a statement, one Cayenne confirmed with a quick nod. "Physical course for Militia, Paper and practical tests for Development, and nothing for Logistics." It was almost humorous. Why filter any applicants for Logistics when they were bound to be in the bottom percent anyway? Vegeta always had use for a warm body dedicated to the crown, worthless in a fight or not. "And after that, we split." Tercres (and Marrow, unfortunately) would remain in her life if Cayenne entered the Militia, but Luffa? Development members were generally kept in the capital, toiling in underground labs affixed to the palace. The chance of being stationed close by was exceedingly slim, and today would likely be the last time for the pair to see each other for a long time.
"Indeed." A silence fell over the two. While they'd always known sorting day would come and that their destined paths were different, the total weight of life started to settle in. No matter how well adjusted (or poorly, in the eyes of most civilizations) Saiyan-reared children were to themes of maturity and loss, they were still young. Still vulnerable and in need of connections, even if they wouldn't admit it. "It won't be forever." Luffa sounded confident, nodding twice as her long fluffy ponytail bobbed. "You will still have Tercres, too." Small mercy in the sea of uncertainty. Cayenne moved, legs automatically carrying her towards the same table her cadets always took. Tercres was absent, a handful of loose acquaintances in his place. They were tolerant of her species (to a point) and didn't actively antagonize or belittle her for it, so naturally they gravitated towards the distant friend side of the spectrum. "I assume you ate?" Head nodding absently, Cayenne ambled towards the drinks section and scooped up a generous amount of icy cold water in a fresh gourd bottle.
"Today's the day," She froze for a split second at the familiar voice. Cayenne robotically turned towards the source, a stony expression met by a wide mocking grin. "The day you learn where your place is. Not playing pretend and thinking you can compete with the best. Take it in, Cay," Marrow widely gestured around them, making extra effort to allude toward the cooking areas. "Where a no-blood bitch like you belongs." A few unaffiliated Saiyans glanced their way, taking note of the burgeoning confrontation. They'd watch from afar and make merry among themselves. They always did. "If it isn't the millionth time I've heard that one, Marrow. Oh wait, you don't know what a million is, do you? Stupid gutter trash like you was too weak to stay in daddy's stim pod, so they threw you out and hit your head. The bar for soldier intellect is pretty low; you might wanna watch hitting your ankle on it." The pureblood bristled, offended, but clearly happy she had responded to his ribbing. "Tough words from a weakling. Maybe that AMAZING brain of yours will look just as pretty splattered across the wall."
Cayenne downed the rest of her water, tossing the bottle aside and stepping forward. Marrow dwarfed her in raw size and musculature, though that didn't impede the aura of utter defiance she portrayed. "Please. You couldn't hit the broad side of a cruiser. Do you need the commandant to show you how a bottle works again, Marry?" Luffa watched the situation unfold with an air of discomfort, knowing it was far too late to defuse it by anyone but the two rivals themselves. "How's it feel, Earthling? To steal our names, housing, food, and training, and still come up short? How's it feel to never even know the two weak bastards that brought you into this world-" Interrupted by the sudden strong impact of an uppercut, Marrow stumbled back and clutched his jaw. The Saiyan's eyes flashed murderously as he stormed towards Cayenne. "I won't take shit from a GRUNT!"
A quick step back dodged the sloppy retaliation, Marrow's beefy arms narrowly missing her head. "Make my day, bitch!" Marrow was crass. He wasn't a poor fighter. After the initial rush, the cadets fell back on their instincts. Cayenne hit hard for her size with an emphasis on solid punches and volleys of energy blasts, while Marrow was more of an all-rounder that boasted a much higher vitality. A more accurate jab forced another step back, the redhead attempting to leverage her edge in speed. Marrow's strength wasn't utterly overwhelming, but taking stray hits would simply be foolish. "Keep running. Give ground. Perfect ex-" The taunting was interrupted as Cayenne's booted foot found itself firmly buried in Marrow's nethers. The Saiyan's legs were unceremoniously clenched together, narrowly preventing the devastation of a full-on kick. "You.. fuck..." Didn't manage to mitigate it all, though. Cayenne would smirk as she got caught up in her small victory.
Marrow's hand lashed out, tightening painfully around the girl's exposed ankle. The Saiyan snarled angrily, swinging his victim in a wide arc and slamming her into the ground hard enough to crack the tile. An involuntary gasp escaped the cadet's lips, spurred on by pain and surprise. The grappled foot fought back with another sharp kick to the groin. This time Marrow nullified the attack and prepared to slam his rival again if it hadn't been for the small storm of energy bullets pelting his face. The stinging pain and clouds of smoke proved effective, his grip loosening enough for Cayenne to wiggle free. "Cheap shots and tricks; why am I NOT surprised?" An orb of red Ki formed in response and was crushed within his palm. Releasing the explosive energy, it surged in a fierce wave that sent Cayenne flying. The girl tumbled awkwardly through the air in a futile attempt to halt her momentum. A resounding crunch rang throughout the mess hall, Cayenne finding herself embedded in the wall as a ripple of pain wracked her body.
Marrow eagerly charged her position with a roar. While tapping into her full power was an option, needing it to beat his base form would be a pathetic display. Cayenne opted to wrench herself free and tumble beneath Marrow's wild punch, rolling beside the surprised cadet. "Bite me, Fauntleroy." A quick sweep stole her enemy's balance. Pushing the attack, Cayenne leaped atop her foe, pinning his arms with her legs and unleashing hell on Marrow's unprotected face. He didn't take it without a fight, thrashing legs and struggling arms scoring glancing blows on Cayenne even as she ruthlessly beat him. By the tenth hit blood had started to dust her knuckles. By the twentieth it was slick in crimson. The girl would find herself suddenly torn off by a pair of impossible strong arms, roughly shoved aside as a second adult Saiyan kept a furious Marrow at bay. "That's enough, lass. Finish your feud after the sorting is over." Still somewhat lost in the histamine haze of battle, Cayenne ALMOST attempted to break free to finish her fight. The logical part of her brain won. "...Fine."
Her legs hurt like Hell, abused, bruised, and scratched hard enough for some of the bodysuit to tear. Cayenne's head and back didn't fare much better, still woozy from the brutal grapple they had endured. She'd need to change. Appearing in the sorting with bloodied, torn gear would insult all the strict cleanliness cadets had been beholden to for years. The soldier released their grip, content enough that Cayenne had calmed down. "You both must complete a potentially fatal physical course soon, may I remind you." Luffa seemed terribly displeased, golden eyes piercing straight through the redhead's immediate scowl. "I-" Luffa immediately cut her off with a slap, Cayenne shocked into silence by the action. "You are a fool. You'd throw away your chance to enlist in the Militia for a moment of satisfaction. Understand that this was only detrimental to your efforts." It was one of the few times she had ever seen Luffa angry, the scribe's rage justified as Cayenne stopped to think about what she had actually accomplished. "He did that on purpose." What better way to ensure the trash stayed in the trash can than to give it a pre-emptive kick? "Bastard."
The ward program had three possible ends, all innately tied to the army. Four, if you happened to be exceedingly unlucky or lazy enough to reach it. The Militia, Logistics, and Development. Realistically most able-bodied Saiyans would end up in the Militia, serving their King and species as soldiers spanning a variety of battlefields. Development was reserved for those who displayed extraordinary intelligence or technological savvy, most if not all being physically weaker in return. Logistics was the dumping branch. It was a fancy term for men and women too feeble to serve in the Militia but too stupid to be used in Development. Their roles span from menial labor to transport driving to food preparation. Cayenne's Earthling roots and lack of technical smarts meant she was on track to end up in Logistics, a fate she'd never accept.
The bundle of cadets, about a dozen in total, stood clumped together in the barracks antechamber. Zucchero was a man rarely seen by the likes of orphans. Powerful, tall, imposing, and sporting a perfectly groomed jagged beard like royalty of ages past. His eyes were hardened lumps of blackened resolve, void of mirth or humor. Today he was dressed in formal battle attire. A red-black torso piece bearing full shoulder pads, which the rungs to a blood-red cloak dug into. His tail was tightly wrapped around the fine silken white waistcloth that concealed much of the man's legs. Arms folded across one another, and standing silently, the role of speaker fell to the smaller Saiyan beside him. "FORM UP CANDIDATES! THIS WAY! AND LOOK LIVELY!" The speaker, or more accurately the shouter, was Toma, Zucchero's voice. Lapdog would be too generous a word to describe the man and his zealotry towards serving his liege.
A dozen cadets of varying stature rose from their metallic seats, shuffling towards the two men in a disorganized mess. "COME ON, COME ON!" Not even the warriors seemed eager to pass through the tremendous scarlet wood door Toma held open, Zucchero's impassive stare making the journey all the more wilting. Marrow of all people made the first move, the rest following - now content to trail behind a leader. Once the cadets had all filtered inside, Toma moved to close the door behind them. Zucchero marched over to his desk, taking a quill to parchment. Cayenne glanced around at her surroundings, knowing this space was mostly empty as the lord spent his time at his primary home and the palace rather than here. Even so, it was far more extravagant and exuded a sense of authority and pride far beyond the rest of the barracks.
"Form a line," said Toma impatiently. "Come on! Tallest to shortest. On the terrace!" Cayenne was on the lower end of that spectrum, much to her chagrin. At least Luffa was by her side, a hair's width shorter if one discounted her mane. "Sir! The cadets are prepared now." Zucchero's writing paused, the man balefully looking up at the assortment of aspirants before him. "I can see that." Toma shrunk into himself, aware by his liege's tone alone that it was an unnecessary declaration. "Yes, well-! I shall fetch the branch representative immediately, sir!" The man moved quickly to open one of the chamber's side doors. Muffled speech permeated the thick metal-clad entryway, and soon after, three Saiyans entered the room.
Scallio, lieutenant commandant of the Saiyan Militia. The broad-shouldered behemoth of a man dwarfed the cadets, towering even over Zucchero with a fiercely stern glare to boot. Unlike the lord's ceremonial armor garb, Scallio was dressed practically. A full suite of red-white battle armor: shoulder pads, leg guards, bracers, and firm boots in place of the flexible white pieces most soldiers relied on. Any parts not shielded by his armor were covered in a thick black bodysuit, the stretchy fabric doing little to disguise the raw mountains of muscle on the man. His head was completely bald, face clean-shaven, both likely by choice to improve combat efficiency. A red-lensed mark II scouter sat over Scallio's left eye, data piece retracted to allow his piercing ebon gaze to stare out among them.
Coriander, considered to be the sixth smartest of their kind. The woman was barely half the size of Scallio, though that didn't seem to bother her one bit. She wore a faded, light purple-grey high-necked sweater-like piece ending at the middle of her thighs. The only armor was a breast protector piece, black in coloration with a single strap looped around to the left. Black tights, white gloves and boots, and a uni-scouter device with a light blue tint made up the rest of her garb. While Scallio stood at attention with his arms folded tightly behind his back, Coriander idly tapped away at some lightweight data pad.
Beau, the Logistics recruiter. Despite being slightly taller than Coriander and garbed in armor akin to Scallio, he was easily the least impressive. The Saiyan lacked muscles, scars, and even a firm stance - shifting about and attempting to look presentable. While Logistics was a necessary branch and a superb place to use less than exceptional manpower, that didn't mean the individuals would be respected. His armor was white-yellow, lacking auxiliary pads or bracers, and undercut by a blue bodysuit.
"Alright then, let's get this moving!" Toma said much more subduedly, sending wary glances towards the Militia lieutenant.
The chaff had been separated. Four cadets, underperformers throughout their lives, ended up at Beau's side. Four more, Luffa among them, had been selected by Coriander - the upcoming written and practical tests built to further weed out those intelligent enough to work in Development. That left three. Marrow, Tercres, and Cayenne. Scallio loomed over the trio with an unimpressed look, hands resting on his hips. "So, you wish to join the Militia?" The Saiyan leaned down, baring his teeth in an ugly smile. "One of the finest forces this entire galaxy has to offer? I bet you think we're just a mild stepping stone for the Elite Army, right? WRONG!" They flinched at the roaring declaration. "The ELITE is the best of the best. The one percent of the one percent. Don't think for a moment you're cut out for them. You will CRAWL through the Militia, fight enemies that can slay Oozaru with single blows, and you WILL be pressed harder than ever before. Wannabe soldiers have died in our introductory course before, Saiyans among them. Understand?"
The shouting was nothing new. Cadets quickly adapted to it early on, as their superiors often used it even when not necessary. It was Scallio's malicious intensity that unnerved Cayenne. Each and every word, no matter how predictable and generic, carried an immense amount of weight behind it. The redhead managed to force a salute, the motion mimicked by those besides her. "SIR YES SIR!" Huffing, the bald giant turned towards Zucchero's desk to address the lord directly. "They're not the worst we've had. A bit disappointing compared to last year's yield. And that one passed the basic physicality requirements to even apply?" A big meaty thumb was uncaringly jabbed her way, Cayenne's lips twisting into a slight scowl. To be honest, she was surprised the discrimination hadn't come sooner, and now that it was here - it was honestly quite mild. "The girl's performance has been satisfactory by Saiyan standards," replied Zucchero evenly. "Whether or not she can withstand harsher training is for you to find out."
It was the closest thing to words of praise Zucchero had ever given her. Getting ACKNOWLEDGED for her acceptable performance in the face of so much doubt, by a lord no less, was massive vindication for the Earthling. Scallio grunted. "Fine." Turning back to face them, the goliath's stare fell upon Cayenne. "Hear that, girl? You'll get a fair shake. The exact same course and expectations of a true Saiyan warrior, no more, no less." Marrow twitched from his position in line, resisting the urge to make another snide comment while at attention. "Yes, sir! That's all I could ask for, sir!" Regarding her for a moment, Scallio nodded slowly. "Right then. You lot have tonight to enjoy yourself at the barracks to the greatest extent Lord Zucchero allows. Sleep well; I'll be back at oh six hundred to fetch you. If you aren't already prepared, don't bother trying to come along, you're OUT." Easy enough. The day was still young, and Cayenne had absolutely zero intentions to throw away her one chance by sleeping in. "At ease, cadets. DISMISSED!"
Either the information provided was wrong, or Scallio had changed how things were done. From the limited intel previous cadets - now soldiers - were willing to share, the physical test had ALWAYS been done the same day as the sorting. It generally involved the same equipment and terrain most barracks provided already, so it made sense to save time and filter the worthy early on. Yet as Cayenne feasted and made merry, mind far away from a missing Marrow, a part of her was suspicious. There were a million possible explanations for the situation, but most didn't assuage the girl at all. Scallio could've simply had something more important to do - a military meeting or an audience with the General. Perhaps the equipment at the barracks was deemed non-suitable for their testing. Nothing made sense, except for one. That their training was delayed a day because it COULDN'T be done anywhere close by. It was a boon to Cayenne's minor injuries and fatigue from the day, aches and cuts vanishing after a quick bath in the rejuvenation pod. Maybe she was just overthinking things.
The thoughts lingered throughout the night, embers still burning by the time morning came. An hour early, as usual. Dappled moonlight cast long shadows over the barracks, a half-moon hanging dead in the absent black sky. Small traces of nostalgia washed over the cadet as she made her cot, aware it would be the last night she'd ever sleep in it again. Routine was easy. Make her cot, basic grooming, don cadet-marked armor, sweep her area, beeline for the mess hall. The same thing she had done for years, the same thing she had done yesterday. Today was different; Cayenne felt unburdened knowing she had been given a chance to join the Militia. It would be terrible work, but just getting that far was hard enough for some Saiyans, let alone Aliens like her. While conformity to the culture and attitudes of Vegeta came naturally, a tiny part of Cayenne would forever cling to the smoldering pride she held in being Earthling. A STRONG Earthling, one that could compete with the best Vegeta had to offer and come out on top. Few Aliens could claim rank in the Saiyan Militia, let alone the Elite Army, and practically none were the infamously weak species of human.
Luffa was absent. The Development and Logistics corps had already moved their new recruits out of the barracks, and considering the long-haired girl hadn't been sent back, Cayenne presumed she had passed the tests. A few other Saiyans milled about at this time, servants starting to set up the fresh food stations. The cadet carried her belongings in a triad of capsules, ready to depart at a moment's notice. It was ironic. Capsule tech was an Earthling invention. One that Saiyans, and many other Aliens, found immensely valuable. Though she had absolutely nothing to do with them, the mere thought was enough for a semblance of pride to swell.
By the time various stations of calorie-rich goop had been prepared, the mess hall was seeing an influx of soldiers. Tercres caught her eye from among the crowd, marching up next to the girl who was currently busy scooping various forms of meat and the odd vegetable onto her plate. "Eat enough to be energized, but not enough to feel tired afterward. Guessing you knew that already, but it can't hurt to be given a reminder." It was friendly, harmless advice. "Uh-huh," grunted Cayenne in response, more focused on her spoils. "I won't let something stupid like stomach cramps defeat me this far in, Tercres."
That thought had become a recurring theme. All these minor obstacles that others felt the need to constantly point out. Cayenne was not blind nor a fool; she could see them just fine. "I know you won't, but I'd rather be a hundred and ten percent sure rather than just a hundred." Tercres was considered a pariah for a reason: he was so overly friendly and supportive. Saiyans thrived on reprimand and failure, building themselves back up after being torn down. It was how they'd been taught for the last six years and how future generations would continue to learn. "I appreciate it," said Cayenne slowly, content with her pickings and moving towards a table.
"Truly, Tercres, I do. I'd just prefer if you kept the advice and encouragement for more important things or when I ask. Being able to recognize and overcome issues as basic as these ones is something I NEED to be able to do on my own. Yes, I'll have allies, but they might not always be there. My squad could die, we could get separated, or any other laundry list of issues that would call for self-competence." Cayenne would not insist on doing everything alone, but she refused to rely entirely on support. In her opinion, a healthy mix of both was the best way to live. The poignancy of her declaration was muted as a forkful of chocolate-like pudding was shoveled into her mouth.
"...Yeah, you're right. Didn't realize there was an issue at all, Cay." The cadet had somehow snagged a plate of food for himself during the conversation. Tercres bit into a meaty bird leg, chewing thoughtfully as the pair fell into silence. Cayenne was nervous. Following her routine and speaking with Tercres had been welcome distractions, but reality would always come crashing back in. The standard training course most Militia soldiers recounted was harsh and unforgiving, but it was familiar. Cayenne could prepare herself for it, both mentally and physically. Whatever this strange deviation was, whatever Scallio had in mind, was different.
And being different was enough to scare her. The commandant could make the course nigh impossible for fresh blood to realistically complete, and he was well within his right to do so. Those already powerful and in positions of authority were given ultimate freedom when it came to deciding what constituted 'good enough' for Vegeta. Precedence and tradition held much weight it came to decision-making among them, but if Scallio's plan had been changed because she was an Earthling? An effective way to bar a non-Saiyan from service even IF they met the standards. A sudden shard of pain roused Cayenne from her thoughts, the girl's hand instinctively loosening. Her metallic fork had splintered, cracked beneath the force of her stressed grip. The cadet sighs, a minuscule drop of blood flowing from a pinprick injury.
Another aspect of service was nerves. It was natural for soldiers, even Saiyans, to feel it. Conquering your natural impulses and controlling them was expected of Elites. Being shaken so terribly and consistently that it starts causing mistakes, as minor as the smallest of cuts, became a problem. It was the one emotion Cayenne had yet to least get a handle on. Her cursed Earthling disposition had a heightened sense of self-preservation than all but the most cowardly Saiyan. That, in turn, translated into nervousness. "Healing gel?" Tercres asked mildly, watching as the redhead suffered a minor crisis from a single lame injury. Cayenne blinked, hand protectively falling to her lap. "Yeah. I'd appreciate it." The wonders of modern science. More accurately, antiquated science.
From the vague bits of history Cayenne remembered, a species aside from Saiyans invented the ubiquitous gel with restorative properties. The medicine was later adopted and adapted from simple village remedies to military-grade tanks, capable of restoring the mightiest warrior from near-death to full fighting form in a single day. "We're here." said Tercres, fighting to keep the mirth from his voice as Cayenne lost herself in thoughts. "Ah. Yes. So we are... here." The infirmary was staffed by a single doctor and was generally relegated to self-service on off hours, Cayenne never striking a deep bond with Errba outside of the little chats they had while the Earthling patched her wounds.
The pair hadn't expected to find a bloodied and petulant Marrow, arms crossed and sitting atop an examination table as Errba graciously applied gel. The boy's injuries made his fight with Cayenne look like harmless roughhousing, a slick coat of blood trailing from the entryway and soaking into the table's parchment sheet. His face was bruised, his left cheek swollen to the point it forced an eye shut, the remaining one glaring angrily at the world around it. That vicious gaze fell on Cayenne and Tercres, the cadet making a strangled noise that obviously signaled some discomfort.
For once in her short life, she felt sorry for him. Cayenne's pinprick was forgotten as she walked to Errba's side, keeping a fair distance between herself and the patient. "What happened to him?" Fights and injuries were common between growing Saiyan cadets, but it was never allowed to go this far. The children knew better, and the adults would physically interject. Errba grunted, leaning back from his work and shooting the redhead an intense glance. "Won't say. Nobody seems to know where he scampered off to last night either. Boy's lucky that we still had fast-acting remedies available or he'd be missing his Militia training on doctor's orders."
The older Saiyan whacked Marrow gently with a paper roll, eyeing the gel as it did its magic. "Can't say you'll be well enough to operate at your peak for the training, but army ordinance says we can't let cadets use the pods except for life-threatening situations." After all, there might always be a dying soldier or five needing it more. Tercres looked slightly uncomfortable, his openly empathetic eyes gaining Marrow's immediate ire. "Don't give me that look, Tercres." The swelling had subsided enough to allow speech, discolored flesh mangling itself back into position and returning to the same tanned complexion it had been before. "Don't give me your damned PITY."
A congealed ball of half-spit and half-blood landed at Cayenne's feet. "I'm not telling you clowns anything." Errba guffawed, amused by his patient's prickliness. The doctor shoved him roughly off the table, pointing towards the door. "If he's well enough to talk shit, he's well enough to tough out a training course. Unless you two need something, scram. There's a lot of papers to be filed still." Obeying the ornery old Saiyan without debate, the cadets ended up staring tensely at one another in the hallway. Marrow didn't move to leave immediately, but his closed-off stance and aggressive snarl behind the bloating made it clear he wasn't going to talk. Tercres looked like he was about to launch into a diplomatic tirade, the motion interrupted by a frustrated groan. "You can either say something, or you can fuck off, Marrow." Cayenne took the lead, stepping closer to the injured Saiyan and flashing her teeth. "I won't hesitate to send your ass right back to the infirmary if you play games, injured opponent or not."
Marrow had the wherewithal to look slightly surprised. The boy quickly recovered and puffed his chest, towering over the Earthling with a deathly glare. "Oh yeah? You've never actually beaten me in a fight. Why don't you go get one of your race traitor friends to help?" To her credit, Cayenne didn't immediately attack. Her fist clenched, her muscles tightened, and her breathing quickened - all in preparation to beat the arrogance out of the older boy for the nth time. "I've never been scared of you, Marrow. You're just an insecure, immature little boy whos too afraid to take on other Saiyans. All that bullshit about race purity means nothing, and it'll mean even less when I pass the course and you don't. You're AFRAID of ME, aren't you? Scared that some Earthling girl put the work in to get strong and is better than you." Tercres was stunned into silence, staring at Cayenne with an odd look as Marrow bristled, holding back a punch of his own. The two stared each other down for what felt like hours, each begging the other to make the first move. "That course is going to kill you," His voice was uncharacteristically quiet as if resigned to something. "Maybe that'll be what it takes for you to realize you aren't cut out for this."
"W-what's that supposed to mean!?" Marrow turned on his heel, stalking off silently, deaf to Cayenne's angry calls. "Hey! HEY! You can't just WALK away from that! GET BACK HERE!!" The bleak demeanor managed to unnerve her more than any type of aggression Marrow had displayed before. It was like watching a Saibaman stop spewing acid to suddenly declare their deep sense of empathy for the people they just melted. A hand fell on her shoulder, Tercres gesturing back towards the mess hall. "Finish your breakfast. We'll need to get ready soon to wait for the transport." Reluctantly, Cayenne obliged.
"That," said Scallio dramatically, shit-eating grin plastered to the soldier's face. "Is your entrance exam. Any questions?"
As tradition, entrance exams performed by wards were to be done alone - instructor and aspirant together. Cayenne was last on the list, falling after Marrow and Tercres. She'd not know that status of either of them until her own course was completed, but how her comrade and archnemesis did were far from the Earthling's mind at the moment. There were, in fact, many questions Cayenne wanted to ask. She did not ask any of them. The armor-garbed cadet stared out across the vast reddish wastes, too stunned to bother responding to the rhetorical inquiry.
A jury-rigged path stretched out across kilometers of reddish wasteland, marked by painted ropes and crude metallic signs situated under the blazing white sun above. Her starting point was a mountain, sheer and worn smooth from seasons of acidic rain, dotted with plenty of sharp rocks and crevices to fall in and never climb out of. The extra weights and pre-set rules meant that flying was out of the picture, and yet trying to scale a nearly ninety-degree angle didn't seem terribly plausible either. Once she somehow passed the first hurdle, the path led straight through a bubbling, frothing lake of bright green acid. No doubt the nasty little pond was infested with some wild Saibamen, loyal to none and all too eager to blow up if threatened. A cobbled-together scrap goliath formed the third challenge, taking the shape of a palisade that Cayenne would have to break through with sheer force alone. Slogging through the wall would bring her to the fourth and final section. A flat encircled area packed tight with coarse clay and dirt, making a temporary arena to duel in. No doubt she'd have to try and last some time against Scallio without immediately crumpling. ...Oh, and was it mentioned that this was all timed?
Scallio took her prolonged silence as a 'no.' "Well then! Get ready. You've ten seconds before the test begins." Cayenne stood silently, peering over the edge of her perch. She'd need an alternative if regular climbing wasn't a viable option, and flying was prohibited. "GO!" Reacting less than a second later, Cayenne flung herself from the mountain. Instead of trying to gain distance away from the rugged rocks, the Earthling was mere millimeters off from turning into a human crayon. A spark of Ki flared up, coating the girl's arm as she PUNCHED into the stone. The mountain roared as the makeshift solution worked, Cayenne sliding a solid forty meters before coming to a precarious stop about halfway down. Her feet dangled over a particularly sharp set of jagged spikes, heart rate spiking at the revelation she had narrowly avoided being skewered.
"Alright, not too bad..." Her voice cracked slightly, the cadet thankful none of her peers were around to hear it. Cayenne's foot swung back, slamming into the mountain's face with immense force in tandem with her arm wrenching itself free. The boost flung her out and over the sloped spikes, sending Cayenne into freefall. While the full drop onto a jagged precipice could've killed her, the impact from half that onto flat terrain would... still hurt like Hell, but she'd survive. Seeing that there were three more challenges past this, though, Cayenne shoved that plan to the back of her mind. The girl twisted mid-air, firing a few weak energy blasts to nudge her aerial direction. Her leg lashed out, kicking a slap of sun-cooked stone free and causing it to tumble below her.
Lightbulb illuminating, Cayenne landed on the mostly flat stone as it began to gain speed. Surfing down the rest of a mountain atop a boulder might've looked cool, but it was hellishly difficult to keep her balance. Every bump and irregularity threatened to toss her from her ride, Cayenne leaning over to dig her palms into the rock for better stability. Coasting from the mountainside and directly into the lake started her crossing off strong, but she quickly lost speed a third of the way in. Saiba acid was notoriously dense, enough to hold up Cayenne's lifeline as the green sludge slowly but surely ate away at it. Her body would SINK through it under normal circumstances, liquid burning away at her skin all the while.
"Fuck," she cursed grumpily, turning back to face the mountain and thrusting her hands out. Controlled bursts of Ki gave her vessel small bouts of speed, but by the rapidly dwindling line between acid and her foot, it wouldn't be enough. An irritated Saiba-man clawing its way up from the lagoon and onto her boulder didn't help. "Screw off!" She attempted to punt the creature right back into the muck it crawled from, but the green monster chittered and dodged narrowly. Head splitting open, the Saibaman unleashed a small torrent of acid for her troubles. Cayenne jerked back, nearly slipping into the lake in her attempt to avoid getting caught in the splash. Trace amounts clung to her armor, hissing angrily but failing to eat through the reinforced material.
"I said, SCREW OFF!!" A point-blank explosive wave did wonders to atomize the aggressive creature before it could attack again. Unfortunately for her, it also obliterated most of her remaining raft, the small chunk careening through the lake and falling within a strong stone's throw of the shore. Out of options, Cayenne shrouded her entire body with a thick, nearly-opaque layer of Ki. Pushing off from her crumbling foothold, the girl's bubble shield made contact with the sizzling acidic sludge first, straining to keep it out as Cayenne attempted to SWIM her way through the rest of it. The cadet's muscles straining from drudgery, the physical exertion to keep her barrier up and power through the viscous acid took its toll. Cayenne pulled herself onto the shore in the nick of time, shield failing but thankfully dry.
She was tired by this point, but not exhausted. The massive, looming wall of tri-steel standing before her had thoughts about that. Every second stood idle was a second off her final time, Cayenne grunting as she charged her Ki. "I really don't have time for this..." Rearing back, the Earthling opted for an unorthodox approach - she only needed to punch through an area wide enough to get through. Large beams and explosions would be effective but slow and inefficient with energy. "LUCORA GUN!" SHOUTING the name out helped her confidence, a seemingly endless assault of energy bullets slamming into a small spread across the wall's surface. The technique was cheap AND powerful, the Ki blast equivalent to hammering a nail down... with a few hundred hammers working together.
A small pathway hardly large enough to fit Cayenne's slender frame formed, the glowing metal red-hot from the continuous abuse it had received. Muscling her way through, the cadet found herself at the final trial. It hadn't been a long journey, but the constant use of energy and weighted gear had worn Cayenne's stamina down considerably. If it hadn't been for some of her clever solutions, she likely would've run out just at the lake. A small gourd of water presented itself outside the white-marked ring, a greedy hand swiping it and pouring the much-welcomed relief straight into the cadet's mouth. "An impressive time for the main course," Scallio emerged from behind a pillar, glancing down at a sturdy data pad (explicitly designed for beefy soldiers to manhandle, go figure). "You're in the top tenth percentile of ALL applicants who have ever joined the Militia, in fact. Those little solutions of yours were clever. Smart use of energy. However, you've still one last obstacle. Being fast is well and good, but if you can't FIGHT the types of enemies Vegeta has? You're of no use to the Militia."
Cayenne nodded grimly, stepping into the ring. "I'm ready, sir." A bark of laughter escaped the commandant's lips, hands clapping together in a thunderous cacophony. "Good! Your opponent, cadet, is not me." Taken aback for a moment, Cayenne's gaze shifted. "What do you mean-" Senses suddenly screaming, the soldier's body pivoted just in time to dodge a crackling bolt of Ki, Cayenne spinning to face the attacker. "You." The single world was laced with as much venom as she could muster, the contempt met with a grim smile. "Me." said Marrow calmly, eyes alight with a strange emotion as the two started to circle one another. "I survived," Cayenne said bitterly, palms charged with energy as she shot a volley of bullets at her enemy. "I'm not a soft, defenseless Earthling. I'm strong, I'm determined, and I AM going to beat you." The blasts were blocked by shimmering bracers, Marrow shrugging off the stinging impact and moving closer.
"What are you going to do, Xeno?" Unable to back out further than the line allowed, Cayenne found herself hard pressed by the close-ranged aggression. "Use that little power up of yours?" A swift jab connected with her chin, loosening the cadet's defense as another blow landed squarely in her stomach. "You'll need it to compete with me. Unlike you, I'm REAL!" Cayenne stumbled, regaining her balance in time to deal with another powerful punch, feet skidding across the coarse ground. "I'm not some sort of ALIEN that wormed my way into a system meant for SAIYANS!" She attempted a low blow, too focused on staying in the fight to respond to Marrow's ranting. "I didn't STEAL an opportunity for a child to grow up important because I was too damn SELFISH!" Her crotch kick was blocked with disdain, Cayenne flipping to the side to try and regain some ground. "Couldn't just take a guard job. Too good for Logistics. Too stupid for Development. Too stubborn for anything else." An unexpected headbutt left her vision swimming, Cayenne's guard exposed as a powerful drop kick nearly sent her out of the ring entirely, armor screeching against the ground.
"I always hated you because you were so damn spoiled. You were an outcast orphan in dire need of a chance to prove yourself? So FUCKING what?! SO WERE THE REST OF US!" Marrow stomped over, hands tightening around the girl's neck. "But no. You just HAD to be special. Treat yourself as so different from the rest of us. You never even tried to understand or integrate, not in a real way. It was never your strength that was the issue, Cayenne; it was YOU." Her own fingers attempted to pry the Saiyan's iron grip from her throat, but failed miserably. Cayenne's vision started to go black, the girl thrashing. It seemed as if Marrow had soundly won for a moment, her struggling growing weaker as the seconds passed. And then an explosion of scarlet rocked the arena, flinging the taller Saiyan back. Cayenne stood, aura flaring in the same ruby energy that now coated her hands. "What a bunch of shit."
"You want to know what I think? That you're looking for an excuse." Without warning, she rocketed forward, knee slamming into Marrow's gut and sending him reeling. "I refuse to be shamed for my species. So what if my kind is usually weak? I'm not. I have advantages that you don't... like this." A winding hook sent him crashing to the ground, snarling as wild bolts of Ki flew from Marrow's palms. "And I can use it whenever I want, blutz be damned. I think that's pretty useful, don't you?" The attacks mostly went wide, the few that would've landed deflected by Cayenne's ongoing aura. "And all that garbage about being ABOVE you?" She took a single, purposeful step forward. "I'M MORE OF A BLOODY SAIYAN THAN YOU ARE!! BROTHERHOOD, COMMITMENT, PRIDE, AND POWER! BEING A SAIYAN... IS A CREED!" Outmatched and overwhelmed, Marrow was unceremoniously flung from the ring's boundaries, signaling the match had come to an end. Cayenne's vibrant aura faded, battle power returning to normal as she stonily glanced at the half-conscious Saiyan.
"Well," Scallio approached, a smirk evident on his face. "Allow me to welcome you to the Militia."
The distant white sun had finally risen, the planet's sky dancing with pinkish-orange hues as thin wispy clouds ambled slowly along. The crunch of courtyard gravel underfoot was indication Cayenne had reached her destination. The barracks' enclosed training yard was forged from dark wrought iron and filled with everything from raw bars to customizable weights. She opted for the former, jumping up to grab the top bar, body already straining under Vegeta's intense gravity. By the time Cayenne had reached her target of a hundred reps, the morning was in full force, sweat pouring from her body. The cadet released her grip, falling to the ground in a gasping heap as her muscles burned with exertion. It wasn't very wise to be working herself so hard before the day had truly begun, but she still had another hour before the cadets were to report to the main hall.
"I'd take a break." The soft command came courtesy of Terces, the Saiyan wandering over and tossing a gourd-like bottle. Cayenne fumbled to catch the drink, greedily popping the cap off and taking long swigs of the ice-cold water. "Trying to impress the birds?" He knelt next to her prone body, offering a hand. Cayenne glared at it, begrudgingly accepting the help and clambering to her feet. "You've got the spirit of a Saiyan, that's for sure. Just remember to apply it when it matters. The cadet program's early entry into the militia apparently works us nearly as hard as the actual soldiers. You'll need every ounce of strength those muscles got." He'd playfully poke at her toned arm, Cayenne jerking it away with a false scowl and downing the rest of the water. "You know I can't sit idle." Tercres nodded once. "Yep." Shoving the gourd back into his hands, the redhead sighed in frustration and moved towards a bench, collapsing on it dramatically. Her friend followed, jumping to sit atop the bench's backpiece and slinging the empty gourd around his belt.
"If you score above the basic requirements, they can't turn you down. Literally. Military said turning away able-bodied fighters willing to fight for Vegeta was, obviously, stupid." Easy in theory, but the daunting prospect of achieving that? Cayenne turned to face the sky, scarlet eyes uncertain. Even if the harsh regime was toned down for cadet entries due to their age, trying to score on the next rung above 'passing' was hellish labor. Doubly so for an Earthling who already had to work HARDER than everyone else around her just to meet their results. "I'd rather be Saiba-food than being stuck in the kitchen," Her tone was bitter, filled with the resentment of having that expectation hoisted on her shoulders for the better part of her life. "I'm a fighter. I'm a hard worker. I can even fight my peers, beat them, because I don't need Oozaru to be strong." Even with amplification, her base battle power was still the lowest of the cadets. And military doctrine called for critical strikes to be done under moonlight or with generator support, for the raw might of an Oozaru army simply couldn't be overcome.
"I know." It was a simple acknowledgment. Somehow, that was more encouragement than Cayenne got from most Saiyans in a year. "And you don't even have to worry about it." Try as she might, Cayenne couldn't entirely conceal the bitterness seeping from her words. Tercres was one of her only friends and endlessly supportive in the face of a system that wanted nothing more than to keep Cayenne down. "...Sorry." Apologies held more weight on Vegeta, where admitting fault was a sign of weakness. The older Saiyan brushed it off, glancing at the Earthling sympathetically. "Don't be. You're right; I don't have to worry about it. Mostly because warfare is what I do. The army might want Tercres for battle power, but he doesn't have half the other skills Cayenne does. Cooking, tactics, determination, AND a mighty warrior?" The girl turned away, covering her face with a fake cough to hide a slight blush. "Flattery will get you nowhere." She grumbled, attempting to sound irritated. "Then it's a nowhere I'm glad to visit," Tercres replied easily, leaping from his seat. "Come on. You need some more water and time to rest before line-up."
"Did you sleep?" Luffa's immediate question fell on Cayenne as she entered the barracks. "You weren't there when I woke up. And I distinctly remember you retiring to your cot later than usual." Squirming, the redhead attempted to weasel her way out of an inevitable lecture: "If that much rest is good enough for the Elite Army it's good enough for me." A silent, judgemental stare informed Cayenne that her answer wasn't satisfactory. "You are not an Elite," The goggles-clad cadet pointed out succinctly. "You are eleven. Our bodies need extremely different amounts of rest and food to build themselves up properly. High command recognizes and encourages this by allowing cadets extra hours. Do you intend to disagree with their findings?" Shoulders sagging, Cayenne accepted defeat. "No, I don't." The girl pinched her nose, glancing around at the light foot traffic filtering through the barracks. "Look. Be surprised I slept at all. Wasn't easy."
The constant evaluation of her health was abnormal and slightly unsettling. Saiyans were only supposed to care about bad health if it was bleeding or rendering a soldier unable to fight. Tension, worry, doubt, and all other ailments were the problem of the individual to solve. Cayenne appreciated her friends' concern, as strange as it may be, but it had started to grate on her nerves even more. "It's not a matter of 'if' or 'will,' Luffa. I must be fine; therefore, that's what I shall be." It had been soul-wrenching tireless work just to reach this point in her life, clawing up the cadet rungs to carve out a spot among the warriors. Who could've ever imagined some Earthling girl competing with genetically predisposition warriors? Flaking out because of emotions would be an insult. Not just to Cayenne's efforts but to the generosity of the Zucchero family for sponsoring her entry as a cadet. They produced strong-willed unerring fighters, not meek babbling cooks.
"So you say." said Luffa, seemingly unconvinced but dropping the subject regardless. "You've heard by now how the testing for each branch functions." It was a statement, one Cayenne confirmed with a quick nod. "Physical course for Militia, Paper and practical tests for Development, and nothing for Logistics." It was almost humorous. Why filter any applicants for Logistics when they were bound to be in the bottom percent anyway? Vegeta always had use for a warm body dedicated to the crown, worthless in a fight or not. "And after that, we split." Tercres (and Marrow, unfortunately) would remain in her life if Cayenne entered the Militia, but Luffa? Development members were generally kept in the capital, toiling in underground labs affixed to the palace. The chance of being stationed close by was exceedingly slim, and today would likely be the last time for the pair to see each other for a long time.
"Indeed." A silence fell over the two. While they'd always known sorting day would come and that their destined paths were different, the total weight of life started to settle in. No matter how well adjusted (or poorly, in the eyes of most civilizations) Saiyan-reared children were to themes of maturity and loss, they were still young. Still vulnerable and in need of connections, even if they wouldn't admit it. "It won't be forever." Luffa sounded confident, nodding twice as her long fluffy ponytail bobbed. "You will still have Tercres, too." Small mercy in the sea of uncertainty. Cayenne moved, legs automatically carrying her towards the same table her cadets always took. Tercres was absent, a handful of loose acquaintances in his place. They were tolerant of her species (to a point) and didn't actively antagonize or belittle her for it, so naturally they gravitated towards the distant friend side of the spectrum. "I assume you ate?" Head nodding absently, Cayenne ambled towards the drinks section and scooped up a generous amount of icy cold water in a fresh gourd bottle.
"Today's the day," She froze for a split second at the familiar voice. Cayenne robotically turned towards the source, a stony expression met by a wide mocking grin. "The day you learn where your place is. Not playing pretend and thinking you can compete with the best. Take it in, Cay," Marrow widely gestured around them, making extra effort to allude toward the cooking areas. "Where a no-blood bitch like you belongs." A few unaffiliated Saiyans glanced their way, taking note of the burgeoning confrontation. They'd watch from afar and make merry among themselves. They always did. "If it isn't the millionth time I've heard that one, Marrow. Oh wait, you don't know what a million is, do you? Stupid gutter trash like you was too weak to stay in daddy's stim pod, so they threw you out and hit your head. The bar for soldier intellect is pretty low; you might wanna watch hitting your ankle on it." The pureblood bristled, offended, but clearly happy she had responded to his ribbing. "Tough words from a weakling. Maybe that AMAZING brain of yours will look just as pretty splattered across the wall."
Cayenne downed the rest of her water, tossing the bottle aside and stepping forward. Marrow dwarfed her in raw size and musculature, though that didn't impede the aura of utter defiance she portrayed. "Please. You couldn't hit the broad side of a cruiser. Do you need the commandant to show you how a bottle works again, Marry?" Luffa watched the situation unfold with an air of discomfort, knowing it was far too late to defuse it by anyone but the two rivals themselves. "How's it feel, Earthling? To steal our names, housing, food, and training, and still come up short? How's it feel to never even know the two weak bastards that brought you into this world-" Interrupted by the sudden strong impact of an uppercut, Marrow stumbled back and clutched his jaw. The Saiyan's eyes flashed murderously as he stormed towards Cayenne. "I won't take shit from a GRUNT!"
A quick step back dodged the sloppy retaliation, Marrow's beefy arms narrowly missing her head. "Make my day, bitch!" Marrow was crass. He wasn't a poor fighter. After the initial rush, the cadets fell back on their instincts. Cayenne hit hard for her size with an emphasis on solid punches and volleys of energy blasts, while Marrow was more of an all-rounder that boasted a much higher vitality. A more accurate jab forced another step back, the redhead attempting to leverage her edge in speed. Marrow's strength wasn't utterly overwhelming, but taking stray hits would simply be foolish. "Keep running. Give ground. Perfect ex-" The taunting was interrupted as Cayenne's booted foot found itself firmly buried in Marrow's nethers. The Saiyan's legs were unceremoniously clenched together, narrowly preventing the devastation of a full-on kick. "You.. fuck..." Didn't manage to mitigate it all, though. Cayenne would smirk as she got caught up in her small victory.
Marrow's hand lashed out, tightening painfully around the girl's exposed ankle. The Saiyan snarled angrily, swinging his victim in a wide arc and slamming her into the ground hard enough to crack the tile. An involuntary gasp escaped the cadet's lips, spurred on by pain and surprise. The grappled foot fought back with another sharp kick to the groin. This time Marrow nullified the attack and prepared to slam his rival again if it hadn't been for the small storm of energy bullets pelting his face. The stinging pain and clouds of smoke proved effective, his grip loosening enough for Cayenne to wiggle free. "Cheap shots and tricks; why am I NOT surprised?" An orb of red Ki formed in response and was crushed within his palm. Releasing the explosive energy, it surged in a fierce wave that sent Cayenne flying. The girl tumbled awkwardly through the air in a futile attempt to halt her momentum. A resounding crunch rang throughout the mess hall, Cayenne finding herself embedded in the wall as a ripple of pain wracked her body.
Marrow eagerly charged her position with a roar. While tapping into her full power was an option, needing it to beat his base form would be a pathetic display. Cayenne opted to wrench herself free and tumble beneath Marrow's wild punch, rolling beside the surprised cadet. "Bite me, Fauntleroy." A quick sweep stole her enemy's balance. Pushing the attack, Cayenne leaped atop her foe, pinning his arms with her legs and unleashing hell on Marrow's unprotected face. He didn't take it without a fight, thrashing legs and struggling arms scoring glancing blows on Cayenne even as she ruthlessly beat him. By the tenth hit blood had started to dust her knuckles. By the twentieth it was slick in crimson. The girl would find herself suddenly torn off by a pair of impossible strong arms, roughly shoved aside as a second adult Saiyan kept a furious Marrow at bay. "That's enough, lass. Finish your feud after the sorting is over." Still somewhat lost in the histamine haze of battle, Cayenne ALMOST attempted to break free to finish her fight. The logical part of her brain won. "...Fine."
Her legs hurt like Hell, abused, bruised, and scratched hard enough for some of the bodysuit to tear. Cayenne's head and back didn't fare much better, still woozy from the brutal grapple they had endured. She'd need to change. Appearing in the sorting with bloodied, torn gear would insult all the strict cleanliness cadets had been beholden to for years. The soldier released their grip, content enough that Cayenne had calmed down. "You both must complete a potentially fatal physical course soon, may I remind you." Luffa seemed terribly displeased, golden eyes piercing straight through the redhead's immediate scowl. "I-" Luffa immediately cut her off with a slap, Cayenne shocked into silence by the action. "You are a fool. You'd throw away your chance to enlist in the Militia for a moment of satisfaction. Understand that this was only detrimental to your efforts." It was one of the few times she had ever seen Luffa angry, the scribe's rage justified as Cayenne stopped to think about what she had actually accomplished. "He did that on purpose." What better way to ensure the trash stayed in the trash can than to give it a pre-emptive kick? "Bastard."
The ward program had three possible ends, all innately tied to the army. Four, if you happened to be exceedingly unlucky or lazy enough to reach it. The Militia, Logistics, and Development. Realistically most able-bodied Saiyans would end up in the Militia, serving their King and species as soldiers spanning a variety of battlefields. Development was reserved for those who displayed extraordinary intelligence or technological savvy, most if not all being physically weaker in return. Logistics was the dumping branch. It was a fancy term for men and women too feeble to serve in the Militia but too stupid to be used in Development. Their roles span from menial labor to transport driving to food preparation. Cayenne's Earthling roots and lack of technical smarts meant she was on track to end up in Logistics, a fate she'd never accept.
The bundle of cadets, about a dozen in total, stood clumped together in the barracks antechamber. Zucchero was a man rarely seen by the likes of orphans. Powerful, tall, imposing, and sporting a perfectly groomed jagged beard like royalty of ages past. His eyes were hardened lumps of blackened resolve, void of mirth or humor. Today he was dressed in formal battle attire. A red-black torso piece bearing full shoulder pads, which the rungs to a blood-red cloak dug into. His tail was tightly wrapped around the fine silken white waistcloth that concealed much of the man's legs. Arms folded across one another, and standing silently, the role of speaker fell to the smaller Saiyan beside him. "FORM UP CANDIDATES! THIS WAY! AND LOOK LIVELY!" The speaker, or more accurately the shouter, was Toma, Zucchero's voice. Lapdog would be too generous a word to describe the man and his zealotry towards serving his liege.
A dozen cadets of varying stature rose from their metallic seats, shuffling towards the two men in a disorganized mess. "COME ON, COME ON!" Not even the warriors seemed eager to pass through the tremendous scarlet wood door Toma held open, Zucchero's impassive stare making the journey all the more wilting. Marrow of all people made the first move, the rest following - now content to trail behind a leader. Once the cadets had all filtered inside, Toma moved to close the door behind them. Zucchero marched over to his desk, taking a quill to parchment. Cayenne glanced around at her surroundings, knowing this space was mostly empty as the lord spent his time at his primary home and the palace rather than here. Even so, it was far more extravagant and exuded a sense of authority and pride far beyond the rest of the barracks.
"Form a line," said Toma impatiently. "Come on! Tallest to shortest. On the terrace!" Cayenne was on the lower end of that spectrum, much to her chagrin. At least Luffa was by her side, a hair's width shorter if one discounted her mane. "Sir! The cadets are prepared now." Zucchero's writing paused, the man balefully looking up at the assortment of aspirants before him. "I can see that." Toma shrunk into himself, aware by his liege's tone alone that it was an unnecessary declaration. "Yes, well-! I shall fetch the branch representative immediately, sir!" The man moved quickly to open one of the chamber's side doors. Muffled speech permeated the thick metal-clad entryway, and soon after, three Saiyans entered the room.
Scallio, lieutenant commandant of the Saiyan Militia. The broad-shouldered behemoth of a man dwarfed the cadets, towering even over Zucchero with a fiercely stern glare to boot. Unlike the lord's ceremonial armor garb, Scallio was dressed practically. A full suite of red-white battle armor: shoulder pads, leg guards, bracers, and firm boots in place of the flexible white pieces most soldiers relied on. Any parts not shielded by his armor were covered in a thick black bodysuit, the stretchy fabric doing little to disguise the raw mountains of muscle on the man. His head was completely bald, face clean-shaven, both likely by choice to improve combat efficiency. A red-lensed mark II scouter sat over Scallio's left eye, data piece retracted to allow his piercing ebon gaze to stare out among them.
Coriander, considered to be the sixth smartest of their kind. The woman was barely half the size of Scallio, though that didn't seem to bother her one bit. She wore a faded, light purple-grey high-necked sweater-like piece ending at the middle of her thighs. The only armor was a breast protector piece, black in coloration with a single strap looped around to the left. Black tights, white gloves and boots, and a uni-scouter device with a light blue tint made up the rest of her garb. While Scallio stood at attention with his arms folded tightly behind his back, Coriander idly tapped away at some lightweight data pad.
Beau, the Logistics recruiter. Despite being slightly taller than Coriander and garbed in armor akin to Scallio, he was easily the least impressive. The Saiyan lacked muscles, scars, and even a firm stance - shifting about and attempting to look presentable. While Logistics was a necessary branch and a superb place to use less than exceptional manpower, that didn't mean the individuals would be respected. His armor was white-yellow, lacking auxiliary pads or bracers, and undercut by a blue bodysuit.
"Alright then, let's get this moving!" Toma said much more subduedly, sending wary glances towards the Militia lieutenant.
The chaff had been separated. Four cadets, underperformers throughout their lives, ended up at Beau's side. Four more, Luffa among them, had been selected by Coriander - the upcoming written and practical tests built to further weed out those intelligent enough to work in Development. That left three. Marrow, Tercres, and Cayenne. Scallio loomed over the trio with an unimpressed look, hands resting on his hips. "So, you wish to join the Militia?" The Saiyan leaned down, baring his teeth in an ugly smile. "One of the finest forces this entire galaxy has to offer? I bet you think we're just a mild stepping stone for the Elite Army, right? WRONG!" They flinched at the roaring declaration. "The ELITE is the best of the best. The one percent of the one percent. Don't think for a moment you're cut out for them. You will CRAWL through the Militia, fight enemies that can slay Oozaru with single blows, and you WILL be pressed harder than ever before. Wannabe soldiers have died in our introductory course before, Saiyans among them. Understand?"
The shouting was nothing new. Cadets quickly adapted to it early on, as their superiors often used it even when not necessary. It was Scallio's malicious intensity that unnerved Cayenne. Each and every word, no matter how predictable and generic, carried an immense amount of weight behind it. The redhead managed to force a salute, the motion mimicked by those besides her. "SIR YES SIR!" Huffing, the bald giant turned towards Zucchero's desk to address the lord directly. "They're not the worst we've had. A bit disappointing compared to last year's yield. And that one passed the basic physicality requirements to even apply?" A big meaty thumb was uncaringly jabbed her way, Cayenne's lips twisting into a slight scowl. To be honest, she was surprised the discrimination hadn't come sooner, and now that it was here - it was honestly quite mild. "The girl's performance has been satisfactory by Saiyan standards," replied Zucchero evenly. "Whether or not she can withstand harsher training is for you to find out."
It was the closest thing to words of praise Zucchero had ever given her. Getting ACKNOWLEDGED for her acceptable performance in the face of so much doubt, by a lord no less, was massive vindication for the Earthling. Scallio grunted. "Fine." Turning back to face them, the goliath's stare fell upon Cayenne. "Hear that, girl? You'll get a fair shake. The exact same course and expectations of a true Saiyan warrior, no more, no less." Marrow twitched from his position in line, resisting the urge to make another snide comment while at attention. "Yes, sir! That's all I could ask for, sir!" Regarding her for a moment, Scallio nodded slowly. "Right then. You lot have tonight to enjoy yourself at the barracks to the greatest extent Lord Zucchero allows. Sleep well; I'll be back at oh six hundred to fetch you. If you aren't already prepared, don't bother trying to come along, you're OUT." Easy enough. The day was still young, and Cayenne had absolutely zero intentions to throw away her one chance by sleeping in. "At ease, cadets. DISMISSED!"
Either the information provided was wrong, or Scallio had changed how things were done. From the limited intel previous cadets - now soldiers - were willing to share, the physical test had ALWAYS been done the same day as the sorting. It generally involved the same equipment and terrain most barracks provided already, so it made sense to save time and filter the worthy early on. Yet as Cayenne feasted and made merry, mind far away from a missing Marrow, a part of her was suspicious. There were a million possible explanations for the situation, but most didn't assuage the girl at all. Scallio could've simply had something more important to do - a military meeting or an audience with the General. Perhaps the equipment at the barracks was deemed non-suitable for their testing. Nothing made sense, except for one. That their training was delayed a day because it COULDN'T be done anywhere close by. It was a boon to Cayenne's minor injuries and fatigue from the day, aches and cuts vanishing after a quick bath in the rejuvenation pod. Maybe she was just overthinking things.
The thoughts lingered throughout the night, embers still burning by the time morning came. An hour early, as usual. Dappled moonlight cast long shadows over the barracks, a half-moon hanging dead in the absent black sky. Small traces of nostalgia washed over the cadet as she made her cot, aware it would be the last night she'd ever sleep in it again. Routine was easy. Make her cot, basic grooming, don cadet-marked armor, sweep her area, beeline for the mess hall. The same thing she had done for years, the same thing she had done yesterday. Today was different; Cayenne felt unburdened knowing she had been given a chance to join the Militia. It would be terrible work, but just getting that far was hard enough for some Saiyans, let alone Aliens like her. While conformity to the culture and attitudes of Vegeta came naturally, a tiny part of Cayenne would forever cling to the smoldering pride she held in being Earthling. A STRONG Earthling, one that could compete with the best Vegeta had to offer and come out on top. Few Aliens could claim rank in the Saiyan Militia, let alone the Elite Army, and practically none were the infamously weak species of human.
Luffa was absent. The Development and Logistics corps had already moved their new recruits out of the barracks, and considering the long-haired girl hadn't been sent back, Cayenne presumed she had passed the tests. A few other Saiyans milled about at this time, servants starting to set up the fresh food stations. The cadet carried her belongings in a triad of capsules, ready to depart at a moment's notice. It was ironic. Capsule tech was an Earthling invention. One that Saiyans, and many other Aliens, found immensely valuable. Though she had absolutely nothing to do with them, the mere thought was enough for a semblance of pride to swell.
By the time various stations of calorie-rich goop had been prepared, the mess hall was seeing an influx of soldiers. Tercres caught her eye from among the crowd, marching up next to the girl who was currently busy scooping various forms of meat and the odd vegetable onto her plate. "Eat enough to be energized, but not enough to feel tired afterward. Guessing you knew that already, but it can't hurt to be given a reminder." It was friendly, harmless advice. "Uh-huh," grunted Cayenne in response, more focused on her spoils. "I won't let something stupid like stomach cramps defeat me this far in, Tercres."
That thought had become a recurring theme. All these minor obstacles that others felt the need to constantly point out. Cayenne was not blind nor a fool; she could see them just fine. "I know you won't, but I'd rather be a hundred and ten percent sure rather than just a hundred." Tercres was considered a pariah for a reason: he was so overly friendly and supportive. Saiyans thrived on reprimand and failure, building themselves back up after being torn down. It was how they'd been taught for the last six years and how future generations would continue to learn. "I appreciate it," said Cayenne slowly, content with her pickings and moving towards a table.
"Truly, Tercres, I do. I'd just prefer if you kept the advice and encouragement for more important things or when I ask. Being able to recognize and overcome issues as basic as these ones is something I NEED to be able to do on my own. Yes, I'll have allies, but they might not always be there. My squad could die, we could get separated, or any other laundry list of issues that would call for self-competence." Cayenne would not insist on doing everything alone, but she refused to rely entirely on support. In her opinion, a healthy mix of both was the best way to live. The poignancy of her declaration was muted as a forkful of chocolate-like pudding was shoveled into her mouth.
"...Yeah, you're right. Didn't realize there was an issue at all, Cay." The cadet had somehow snagged a plate of food for himself during the conversation. Tercres bit into a meaty bird leg, chewing thoughtfully as the pair fell into silence. Cayenne was nervous. Following her routine and speaking with Tercres had been welcome distractions, but reality would always come crashing back in. The standard training course most Militia soldiers recounted was harsh and unforgiving, but it was familiar. Cayenne could prepare herself for it, both mentally and physically. Whatever this strange deviation was, whatever Scallio had in mind, was different.
And being different was enough to scare her. The commandant could make the course nigh impossible for fresh blood to realistically complete, and he was well within his right to do so. Those already powerful and in positions of authority were given ultimate freedom when it came to deciding what constituted 'good enough' for Vegeta. Precedence and tradition held much weight it came to decision-making among them, but if Scallio's plan had been changed because she was an Earthling? An effective way to bar a non-Saiyan from service even IF they met the standards. A sudden shard of pain roused Cayenne from her thoughts, the girl's hand instinctively loosening. Her metallic fork had splintered, cracked beneath the force of her stressed grip. The cadet sighs, a minuscule drop of blood flowing from a pinprick injury.
Another aspect of service was nerves. It was natural for soldiers, even Saiyans, to feel it. Conquering your natural impulses and controlling them was expected of Elites. Being shaken so terribly and consistently that it starts causing mistakes, as minor as the smallest of cuts, became a problem. It was the one emotion Cayenne had yet to least get a handle on. Her cursed Earthling disposition had a heightened sense of self-preservation than all but the most cowardly Saiyan. That, in turn, translated into nervousness. "Healing gel?" Tercres asked mildly, watching as the redhead suffered a minor crisis from a single lame injury. Cayenne blinked, hand protectively falling to her lap. "Yeah. I'd appreciate it." The wonders of modern science. More accurately, antiquated science.
From the vague bits of history Cayenne remembered, a species aside from Saiyans invented the ubiquitous gel with restorative properties. The medicine was later adopted and adapted from simple village remedies to military-grade tanks, capable of restoring the mightiest warrior from near-death to full fighting form in a single day. "We're here." said Tercres, fighting to keep the mirth from his voice as Cayenne lost herself in thoughts. "Ah. Yes. So we are... here." The infirmary was staffed by a single doctor and was generally relegated to self-service on off hours, Cayenne never striking a deep bond with Errba outside of the little chats they had while the Earthling patched her wounds.
The pair hadn't expected to find a bloodied and petulant Marrow, arms crossed and sitting atop an examination table as Errba graciously applied gel. The boy's injuries made his fight with Cayenne look like harmless roughhousing, a slick coat of blood trailing from the entryway and soaking into the table's parchment sheet. His face was bruised, his left cheek swollen to the point it forced an eye shut, the remaining one glaring angrily at the world around it. That vicious gaze fell on Cayenne and Tercres, the cadet making a strangled noise that obviously signaled some discomfort.
For once in her short life, she felt sorry for him. Cayenne's pinprick was forgotten as she walked to Errba's side, keeping a fair distance between herself and the patient. "What happened to him?" Fights and injuries were common between growing Saiyan cadets, but it was never allowed to go this far. The children knew better, and the adults would physically interject. Errba grunted, leaning back from his work and shooting the redhead an intense glance. "Won't say. Nobody seems to know where he scampered off to last night either. Boy's lucky that we still had fast-acting remedies available or he'd be missing his Militia training on doctor's orders."
The older Saiyan whacked Marrow gently with a paper roll, eyeing the gel as it did its magic. "Can't say you'll be well enough to operate at your peak for the training, but army ordinance says we can't let cadets use the pods except for life-threatening situations." After all, there might always be a dying soldier or five needing it more. Tercres looked slightly uncomfortable, his openly empathetic eyes gaining Marrow's immediate ire. "Don't give me that look, Tercres." The swelling had subsided enough to allow speech, discolored flesh mangling itself back into position and returning to the same tanned complexion it had been before. "Don't give me your damned PITY."
A congealed ball of half-spit and half-blood landed at Cayenne's feet. "I'm not telling you clowns anything." Errba guffawed, amused by his patient's prickliness. The doctor shoved him roughly off the table, pointing towards the door. "If he's well enough to talk shit, he's well enough to tough out a training course. Unless you two need something, scram. There's a lot of papers to be filed still." Obeying the ornery old Saiyan without debate, the cadets ended up staring tensely at one another in the hallway. Marrow didn't move to leave immediately, but his closed-off stance and aggressive snarl behind the bloating made it clear he wasn't going to talk. Tercres looked like he was about to launch into a diplomatic tirade, the motion interrupted by a frustrated groan. "You can either say something, or you can fuck off, Marrow." Cayenne took the lead, stepping closer to the injured Saiyan and flashing her teeth. "I won't hesitate to send your ass right back to the infirmary if you play games, injured opponent or not."
Marrow had the wherewithal to look slightly surprised. The boy quickly recovered and puffed his chest, towering over the Earthling with a deathly glare. "Oh yeah? You've never actually beaten me in a fight. Why don't you go get one of your race traitor friends to help?" To her credit, Cayenne didn't immediately attack. Her fist clenched, her muscles tightened, and her breathing quickened - all in preparation to beat the arrogance out of the older boy for the nth time. "I've never been scared of you, Marrow. You're just an insecure, immature little boy whos too afraid to take on other Saiyans. All that bullshit about race purity means nothing, and it'll mean even less when I pass the course and you don't. You're AFRAID of ME, aren't you? Scared that some Earthling girl put the work in to get strong and is better than you." Tercres was stunned into silence, staring at Cayenne with an odd look as Marrow bristled, holding back a punch of his own. The two stared each other down for what felt like hours, each begging the other to make the first move. "That course is going to kill you," His voice was uncharacteristically quiet as if resigned to something. "Maybe that'll be what it takes for you to realize you aren't cut out for this."
"W-what's that supposed to mean!?" Marrow turned on his heel, stalking off silently, deaf to Cayenne's angry calls. "Hey! HEY! You can't just WALK away from that! GET BACK HERE!!" The bleak demeanor managed to unnerve her more than any type of aggression Marrow had displayed before. It was like watching a Saibaman stop spewing acid to suddenly declare their deep sense of empathy for the people they just melted. A hand fell on her shoulder, Tercres gesturing back towards the mess hall. "Finish your breakfast. We'll need to get ready soon to wait for the transport." Reluctantly, Cayenne obliged.
"That," said Scallio dramatically, shit-eating grin plastered to the soldier's face. "Is your entrance exam. Any questions?"
As tradition, entrance exams performed by wards were to be done alone - instructor and aspirant together. Cayenne was last on the list, falling after Marrow and Tercres. She'd not know that status of either of them until her own course was completed, but how her comrade and archnemesis did were far from the Earthling's mind at the moment. There were, in fact, many questions Cayenne wanted to ask. She did not ask any of them. The armor-garbed cadet stared out across the vast reddish wastes, too stunned to bother responding to the rhetorical inquiry.
A jury-rigged path stretched out across kilometers of reddish wasteland, marked by painted ropes and crude metallic signs situated under the blazing white sun above. Her starting point was a mountain, sheer and worn smooth from seasons of acidic rain, dotted with plenty of sharp rocks and crevices to fall in and never climb out of. The extra weights and pre-set rules meant that flying was out of the picture, and yet trying to scale a nearly ninety-degree angle didn't seem terribly plausible either. Once she somehow passed the first hurdle, the path led straight through a bubbling, frothing lake of bright green acid. No doubt the nasty little pond was infested with some wild Saibamen, loyal to none and all too eager to blow up if threatened. A cobbled-together scrap goliath formed the third challenge, taking the shape of a palisade that Cayenne would have to break through with sheer force alone. Slogging through the wall would bring her to the fourth and final section. A flat encircled area packed tight with coarse clay and dirt, making a temporary arena to duel in. No doubt she'd have to try and last some time against Scallio without immediately crumpling. ...Oh, and was it mentioned that this was all timed?
Scallio took her prolonged silence as a 'no.' "Well then! Get ready. You've ten seconds before the test begins." Cayenne stood silently, peering over the edge of her perch. She'd need an alternative if regular climbing wasn't a viable option, and flying was prohibited. "GO!" Reacting less than a second later, Cayenne flung herself from the mountain. Instead of trying to gain distance away from the rugged rocks, the Earthling was mere millimeters off from turning into a human crayon. A spark of Ki flared up, coating the girl's arm as she PUNCHED into the stone. The mountain roared as the makeshift solution worked, Cayenne sliding a solid forty meters before coming to a precarious stop about halfway down. Her feet dangled over a particularly sharp set of jagged spikes, heart rate spiking at the revelation she had narrowly avoided being skewered.
"Alright, not too bad..." Her voice cracked slightly, the cadet thankful none of her peers were around to hear it. Cayenne's foot swung back, slamming into the mountain's face with immense force in tandem with her arm wrenching itself free. The boost flung her out and over the sloped spikes, sending Cayenne into freefall. While the full drop onto a jagged precipice could've killed her, the impact from half that onto flat terrain would... still hurt like Hell, but she'd survive. Seeing that there were three more challenges past this, though, Cayenne shoved that plan to the back of her mind. The girl twisted mid-air, firing a few weak energy blasts to nudge her aerial direction. Her leg lashed out, kicking a slap of sun-cooked stone free and causing it to tumble below her.
Lightbulb illuminating, Cayenne landed on the mostly flat stone as it began to gain speed. Surfing down the rest of a mountain atop a boulder might've looked cool, but it was hellishly difficult to keep her balance. Every bump and irregularity threatened to toss her from her ride, Cayenne leaning over to dig her palms into the rock for better stability. Coasting from the mountainside and directly into the lake started her crossing off strong, but she quickly lost speed a third of the way in. Saiba acid was notoriously dense, enough to hold up Cayenne's lifeline as the green sludge slowly but surely ate away at it. Her body would SINK through it under normal circumstances, liquid burning away at her skin all the while.
"Fuck," she cursed grumpily, turning back to face the mountain and thrusting her hands out. Controlled bursts of Ki gave her vessel small bouts of speed, but by the rapidly dwindling line between acid and her foot, it wouldn't be enough. An irritated Saiba-man clawing its way up from the lagoon and onto her boulder didn't help. "Screw off!" She attempted to punt the creature right back into the muck it crawled from, but the green monster chittered and dodged narrowly. Head splitting open, the Saibaman unleashed a small torrent of acid for her troubles. Cayenne jerked back, nearly slipping into the lake in her attempt to avoid getting caught in the splash. Trace amounts clung to her armor, hissing angrily but failing to eat through the reinforced material.
"I said, SCREW OFF!!" A point-blank explosive wave did wonders to atomize the aggressive creature before it could attack again. Unfortunately for her, it also obliterated most of her remaining raft, the small chunk careening through the lake and falling within a strong stone's throw of the shore. Out of options, Cayenne shrouded her entire body with a thick, nearly-opaque layer of Ki. Pushing off from her crumbling foothold, the girl's bubble shield made contact with the sizzling acidic sludge first, straining to keep it out as Cayenne attempted to SWIM her way through the rest of it. The cadet's muscles straining from drudgery, the physical exertion to keep her barrier up and power through the viscous acid took its toll. Cayenne pulled herself onto the shore in the nick of time, shield failing but thankfully dry.
She was tired by this point, but not exhausted. The massive, looming wall of tri-steel standing before her had thoughts about that. Every second stood idle was a second off her final time, Cayenne grunting as she charged her Ki. "I really don't have time for this..." Rearing back, the Earthling opted for an unorthodox approach - she only needed to punch through an area wide enough to get through. Large beams and explosions would be effective but slow and inefficient with energy. "LUCORA GUN!" SHOUTING the name out helped her confidence, a seemingly endless assault of energy bullets slamming into a small spread across the wall's surface. The technique was cheap AND powerful, the Ki blast equivalent to hammering a nail down... with a few hundred hammers working together.
A small pathway hardly large enough to fit Cayenne's slender frame formed, the glowing metal red-hot from the continuous abuse it had received. Muscling her way through, the cadet found herself at the final trial. It hadn't been a long journey, but the constant use of energy and weighted gear had worn Cayenne's stamina down considerably. If it hadn't been for some of her clever solutions, she likely would've run out just at the lake. A small gourd of water presented itself outside the white-marked ring, a greedy hand swiping it and pouring the much-welcomed relief straight into the cadet's mouth. "An impressive time for the main course," Scallio emerged from behind a pillar, glancing down at a sturdy data pad (explicitly designed for beefy soldiers to manhandle, go figure). "You're in the top tenth percentile of ALL applicants who have ever joined the Militia, in fact. Those little solutions of yours were clever. Smart use of energy. However, you've still one last obstacle. Being fast is well and good, but if you can't FIGHT the types of enemies Vegeta has? You're of no use to the Militia."
Cayenne nodded grimly, stepping into the ring. "I'm ready, sir." A bark of laughter escaped the commandant's lips, hands clapping together in a thunderous cacophony. "Good! Your opponent, cadet, is not me." Taken aback for a moment, Cayenne's gaze shifted. "What do you mean-" Senses suddenly screaming, the soldier's body pivoted just in time to dodge a crackling bolt of Ki, Cayenne spinning to face the attacker. "You." The single world was laced with as much venom as she could muster, the contempt met with a grim smile. "Me." said Marrow calmly, eyes alight with a strange emotion as the two started to circle one another. "I survived," Cayenne said bitterly, palms charged with energy as she shot a volley of bullets at her enemy. "I'm not a soft, defenseless Earthling. I'm strong, I'm determined, and I AM going to beat you." The blasts were blocked by shimmering bracers, Marrow shrugging off the stinging impact and moving closer.
"What are you going to do, Xeno?" Unable to back out further than the line allowed, Cayenne found herself hard pressed by the close-ranged aggression. "Use that little power up of yours?" A swift jab connected with her chin, loosening the cadet's defense as another blow landed squarely in her stomach. "You'll need it to compete with me. Unlike you, I'm REAL!" Cayenne stumbled, regaining her balance in time to deal with another powerful punch, feet skidding across the coarse ground. "I'm not some sort of ALIEN that wormed my way into a system meant for SAIYANS!" She attempted a low blow, too focused on staying in the fight to respond to Marrow's ranting. "I didn't STEAL an opportunity for a child to grow up important because I was too damn SELFISH!" Her crotch kick was blocked with disdain, Cayenne flipping to the side to try and regain some ground. "Couldn't just take a guard job. Too good for Logistics. Too stupid for Development. Too stubborn for anything else." An unexpected headbutt left her vision swimming, Cayenne's guard exposed as a powerful drop kick nearly sent her out of the ring entirely, armor screeching against the ground.
"I always hated you because you were so damn spoiled. You were an outcast orphan in dire need of a chance to prove yourself? So FUCKING what?! SO WERE THE REST OF US!" Marrow stomped over, hands tightening around the girl's neck. "But no. You just HAD to be special. Treat yourself as so different from the rest of us. You never even tried to understand or integrate, not in a real way. It was never your strength that was the issue, Cayenne; it was YOU." Her own fingers attempted to pry the Saiyan's iron grip from her throat, but failed miserably. Cayenne's vision started to go black, the girl thrashing. It seemed as if Marrow had soundly won for a moment, her struggling growing weaker as the seconds passed. And then an explosion of scarlet rocked the arena, flinging the taller Saiyan back. Cayenne stood, aura flaring in the same ruby energy that now coated her hands. "What a bunch of shit."
"You want to know what I think? That you're looking for an excuse." Without warning, she rocketed forward, knee slamming into Marrow's gut and sending him reeling. "I refuse to be shamed for my species. So what if my kind is usually weak? I'm not. I have advantages that you don't... like this." A winding hook sent him crashing to the ground, snarling as wild bolts of Ki flew from Marrow's palms. "And I can use it whenever I want, blutz be damned. I think that's pretty useful, don't you?" The attacks mostly went wide, the few that would've landed deflected by Cayenne's ongoing aura. "And all that garbage about being ABOVE you?" She took a single, purposeful step forward. "I'M MORE OF A BLOODY SAIYAN THAN YOU ARE!! BROTHERHOOD, COMMITMENT, PRIDE, AND POWER! BEING A SAIYAN... IS A CREED!" Outmatched and overwhelmed, Marrow was unceremoniously flung from the ring's boundaries, signaling the match had come to an end. Cayenne's vibrant aura faded, battle power returning to normal as she stonily glanced at the half-conscious Saiyan.
"Well," Scallio approached, a smirk evident on his face. "Allow me to welcome you to the Militia."
TWC: 8,124
QUEST: Enlisting - +25% PL & +15% Zeni for 1,500 words + chance for Old Style Saiyan Armor roll
OTHER BOOSTS: +25% PL from Weighted Clothing | +10% Zeni from Wealthy
QUEST: Enlisting - +25% PL & +15% Zeni for 1,500 words + chance for Old Style Saiyan Armor roll
OTHER BOOSTS: +25% PL from Weighted Clothing | +10% Zeni from Wealthy
