If Ivory had to spend another minute cooped up in this house with her mother, she'd likely kill her.
They had only been on the planet for about four days now and in that time, Ivory had explored the entire house and garden, but hadn't been farther than that. She wanted to venture into town soon but wanted to get settled on the planet and get used to its atmosphere before she went exploring. But, instead of trying to learn with her or keep to herself, her mother had complained each and every day and berated Ivory every time they were together. Ivory had been in a good mood on the first day, but her mood decreased with each passing day that she had to hear her mother complain. She tried to keep calm and not do anything rash, but today was going to be her breaking point. She wasn't just upset with her mother, she was itching to get out and burn off some of her energy before she did something drastic.
"Does something trouble you Princess?"
Ivory peered over the cover of the book she was reading to look at Biamuh. She had been trying to get a grasp of the language earlier and tried her hand at reading their language but was honestly just staring at the jumble of text until she could recognize symbols. As many languages as she was taught, this was by far the most challenging. Nothing really made sense to her and it was frustrating that she couldn't grasp it yet. "I'm alright."
"Are you sure? You haven't turned the page for a while now."
"I…" She really was trying to read it but her thoughts kept wandering. "I'm irritated Biamuh."
"With the Queen?"
Most everyone who served under Ivory knew that her and her mother and tended to…disagree. They had a loving relationship on the surface and Ivory did care about her, but whatever maternal bond they were supposed to have just wasn't there. Ivory didn't know when it started but she knew it had something to do with the death of her father; after he died, Ivory's relationship with everyone became strained, but especially that of her mother. She worried when her mother was hurt or upset, but she wouldn't be quick to seek affection from her. From her father, of course, but her mother? The last time Ivory willingly wanted to hug her was…she couldn't even remember. She remembered her mother reaching out to her for affection and Ivory always felt like it was a chore more than something she wanted to do. That's how bad their relationship was.
"Yes. I know she isn't content with my plan, but if I make a mistake, I should be the one to deal with the consequences. If she dislikes being here so much, I'm not forcing her to stay. We have an empire to run and she can go back to doing that."
Biamuh chuckled. "If I may speak out of turn Princess, your father's organization would all apart if the Queen tried to take over."
Ivory laughed. She left Sorbet in charge of their forces before she left, knowing that her father trusted him and that Sorbet was, if anything, loyal to her and not her mother. After her father's death, Sorbet had been the once to coach Ivory on strategy when she wasn't training to get stronger. He wanted her to succeed and be as great as her father had been. Her mother didn't like Sorbet and refused to listen to him, regardless of the experience he had. If her mother were to go back, Ivory would likely have to follow and fix whatever her mother stirred up or strip her mother of her status and put Sorbet in charge. Either way, it would end with Ivory taking over like she was supposed to. "I wouldn't allow her a position of power. I would still rule, even if I was all the way from here." She set the book to the side and stood. "I grow tired of being in the house. We're going out Biamuh. I don't care where, and don't you dare tell my mother we're leaving, but I'm learning the lay of the land now before I go stir crazy."
Biamuh bowed, trying to hide his smile. "Of course Princess. Allow me to make preparations before we leave. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to visit?"
"A market area perhaps? I'd like to expand my wardrobe a little, and maybe find something for mother while I'm at it." Something that would hold her mother's attention for just a little while, at least until Ivory located the Saiyans. If she had to keep buying her mother gifts to keep her placated, Ivory would do it until she had her revenge. "And any areas you feel are important. I need to have all bases covered if I'm going to do this correctly."
She wasn't rushing in blind like her mother thought. Once she had a better lay of the land, it'd be easier to blend in as if she were a normal earthling and get more information. She could even take the Saiyans by surprise by hiding among the earthlings. Her possibilities could be endless if she played her cards right. But to do that, she needed to have all cards on the table.
"Of course Princess."
Her father had always told her that her curious nature would get her into trouble one day, but Ivory never paid attention to him when he said that. She was naturally curious and every time she accompanied Frieza to a new planet, he'd grab her by the neck and keep her still because she was likely to run off the moment she was allowed. If he didn't grab her in time, and most often than not he couldn't grab her, she would run off to sate her curiosity and explore everything she could in the time she was allowed. If he were able to grab her in time, he'd hold onto her while he conducted business and let her run free afterwards.
Honestly, her father could've spent less time on planets he had little business with if he reigned her in before they landed. He never really told her not to go exploring, only held her back from getting off the ship too quickly. In fact, if he hadn't had to spend time conducting trade and making deals, her father probably would've accompanied her himself. When he did have actual business, he would send Zarbon and Dodoria with her to make sure she didn't get hurt or wander to far (the one time they returned and Ivory had slipped away without them noticing, Frieza beat them within an inch of their lives and had the entire ship search for her). No matter where they landed, Ivory had to see the land.
Years later, she still couldn't break that habit.
She was so happy to finally be outside even if the planet was a bit on the hot side. From what she saw the day they arrived, the planet was more interesting than reports had said. Earth had been brushed off as the most useless planet to date and hadn't been a place of interest (save for when her father and grandfather traveled there), but why? What did this planet lack that made it go on the radar as unusable? What was different?
Ivory was sure it was a mudball when they first arrived, but now that Biamuh was leading her around, her opinion had changed.
The Earth had taken her by surprise. One of the first things she noticed was the fashion, simplistic garb with minimal flare and made of material that looked soft but inexpensive. People of a higher class wore clothes with bundles of fabric and jewels that really made it stand out. People had bags and accessories galore on their person and carried around bags of various cost and design. Unlike other planets she visited, each gender wasn't divided and forced to wear particular clothing and everyone was free to express themselves as wanted. It made her curious as to how the planet was ruled. Did the people govern themselves or was there a ruler or council in place?
"Biamuh, what's the hierarchy like on this planet?" Most planets she visited had people divided up by class, from peasants to kings, some weren't divided at all and everything was shared equally, and some planets had a council of rulers that decided most of the rules. So, what was kind of rules were in place here?
"As far as my knowledge goes, I believe there is a "king" of sorts that rules the entire earth. He is of great significance to this planet and the people. Much like your father, he is highly respected among the people and has his own forces to command. However, he's seen as a benevolent ruler to everyone, well respected, and his duty is to the people."
'Benevolent? Then he's a pushover! How can someone have so much respect when they're benevolent?' You didn't have real power by just being kind, and people didn't actually respect you. Being kind was a form of manipulation, nothing more. Ivory learned that when she was a child; people took kindness for granted and that was why her father ruled the way he did. He got results. Those planets that had benevolent rulers in place? All of them were torn apart by rebellion and coups. Benevolence was pointless. The best rulers were ones like her father, who made sure his subjects knew their place. "Is this king powerful? Is that why he's the ruler on the planet?"
"I don't actually know Princess. I have only heard about him, never saw him in person. Though, I doubt his power would compare to yours. The highest power levels we recorded were in this area and they were only in the triple digits. I'm not sure if its his or not, but it doesn't seem like power level determines rank."
Triple digits? If she didn't have to worry about the Saiyans on the planet, she could conquer it in a heartbeat. But as it stands, Ivory was still going to lay low. Being the ruler of the planet could come later, after the Saiyans were dead. Maybe she'd keep it around for a little while and use the abundance of water for a different purpose; she already had some ideas for what to do with the water to make this planet far more advanced.
But those were plans for a different day. For now, she'd focus on learning her way around.
"Princess?"
"I was just thinking Biamuh. Don't worry about me. But tell me, where does the Prince rank in all this?" Was he parading around as some type of royalty, trying to pretend he was still the prince of a race? Or had he been reduced to a low-class whelp, struggling for a meal and wishing he was lavish royalty once again? How satisfying would that be if that was how she found him: a dirty, miserable ex-prince who lost his throne and his subjects, forced to live like a rat. She'd enjoy rubbing it in his face before she killed him.
"He looked the same, though he was with one of the wealthiest women in this area. I'll give you more information on her later; she seems to be a person of interest for you."
"Truly? And why is that? Not simply because of Vegeta I assume." She didn't doubt Biamuh, not with everything he had relayed to her. But her mother, as loathe as Ivory was to admit it, was right: Ivory did need to be careful while they were here and there was no need to investigate someone who held no purpose to her plans. If this woman was allied with Vegeta, it might be dangerous to pursue her, and could throw a wrench into her plans if Vegeta told the woman everything about serving under her father. There were risks involved, risks she couldn't afford to take.
"No, but trust me when I tell you to keep an eye on her. She'll be very useful to you if you can get her on your side."
"I'll trust your opinion on this one but it's your head if she turns out to be useless." Biamuh had a tendency to be cryptic sometimes, but it was always in her best interest. If he said this woman was important, Ivory would listen to him. He knew the consequences of being wrong or giving her useless information.
They continued walking, Biamuh navigating the crowds while Ivory followed silently. To his credit, Biamuh was right with what he said earlier: she looked almost identical to earthlings and Biamuh had chosen a new identity, one that passed as normal on this planet. For all intents and purposes, they were another pair of people in the crowd. They looked, dressed, and sounded like they'd been born here. This was the only time not looking like her father actually benefited her; the less than appealing features she got from her mother were good for something after all. Biamuh looked even closer to the species due to his time here: his new disguise this time had even stranger features and hair, but it was apparently enough to garner appreciative looks and a few females stopping to ask for a date. It was a little annoying and Biamuh seemed uncomfortable each time they were stopped but they held it together. Biamuh knew better than to blow their cover and Ivory was desperately trying not to.
"Something just occurred to me Biamuh. You said the woman I should keep an eye on is the wealthiest around. Does that mean there is a class system and hierarchy?" Was there some sort of social order on this planet that she didn't know about? Because if so, they'd have to keep that from her mother else she'd insist that they needed to be at the top. Ivory had already explained that they'd have to blend in; suddenly moving up in the order would raise some questions that Ivory would no doubt have to answer. They lived comfortably right now and didn't need to jeopardize where they stood because her mother still wanted to live like a queen.
"To put it simply: yes. It operates a little differently than you'd think. You can tell the rich from the poor, as most of them are identifiable by their dress, and others simply flaunt their wealth around. Wealth is a determining factor in a lot of their lives."
'So a class system is universal.' She still had questions concerning hierarchy but those could be saved for later. There were other, more basic questions that needed answers. "Speaking of wealth, how does currency work on this planet?" She knew they couldn't just survive in their home for months on end; they'd need to get supplies at one point and might need currency to do so. This wasn't like their previous situation, where they had anything they could ever want at the tips of their fingers. They needed to know how to survive here. She wasn't as concerned about food at the moment since the residence they were staying at was well-stocked, but it would run out after some time and have to be replaced. It was her job to make sure they stayed comfortable while they were here and she'd do that by any means necessary.
"It isn't as difficult as you may think. The currency here has a different name and everything you may want has a different price attached to it."
"So, similar to how father used to conduct trade?" Then that wouldn't be difficult to grasp at all. Of course, they wouldn't be bartering planets or labor or anything of the sort, but the concept was the same.
"Very much so. The only difference is the currency is valued differently. Don't worry about it: you'll find that everything here is very similar to the way you used to live."
'Except father isn't with me.' She woke up every morning thinking she was just having a bad dream, only to be met with the reality that this wasn't a nightmare. Her father wouldn't come into the room and comfort her until she went back to sleep or tell her stories of all his conquests until the new day. He wouldn't sneak her out to look at the moons of a planet or watch the stars with her. She would wake up in her new room and not recognize anything, and no one would come in and tell her that it was alright. Her father was dead and this was her reality. It was a bit overwhelming to be here but she'd push through if meant finishing her father's work. She couldn't fail him; she wouldn't fail him.
Biamuh seemed to notice her distress and cleared his throat. "If you would like, we could think about the wardrobe and finding a gift for the queen. I'm sure you'll enjoy where I take you." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a series of small plastic cards, all with a different series of numbers across them. "I have all the necessary funds for the endeavor."
"Yes. I'd like to see what markets are like on the planet. I'd like new clothes and I need to find a gift for mother." She was hoping there would be some kind of jewelry she could purchase. That was probably the only thing that would keep her mother happy.
'This gem is beautiful.' Ivory had never seen anything this color before. It was a blue gem of sorts, but not quite as dark as a sapphire. It was light, like the second moon in the Avashian sky. Her mother would like it; Ivory remembered all the trips they to Avashi and how her mother praised the moon. This would be the perfect gift for her and might put her in a better mood about this whole thing.
"Do you think your mother would like that one?" Biamuh wasn't really sure what the Queen would like and left the decision to Ivory. He didn't spend much time with the Queen as he swore his whole life to Ivory when she was small, so he had little clue as to the Queen's tastes. If he'd been shopping for his princess, he'd know exactly what to get. But the Queen? He knew next to nothing.
"She'd love it. The color would suit her rather nicely." Her mother always dressed lavishly and had a collection of jewels for every occasion. She was always happy when gifted a new set and if Ivory could keep her occupied with new jewels, she'd do it. "This should keep her satisfied for a while, at least until I'm done gathering information."
Biamuh had taken her to a "mall" which was a large building that was filled to the brim with stores. Just about anything could be found here, clothes of all different styles, jewelry, accessories, shoes; a little bit of everything could be found here and it was a popular place based on the amount of people here. Shopping to expand their wardrobe would come later, after they found a gift for her mother. Ivory knew just how picky her mother could be and wanted that out the way first before they did anything else. She spotted a jewelry store and knew that if there was one thing her mother liked, it was jewels. Ivory knew that a fine jewel would entertain her mother for weeks on end before she desired a new one. Now that Ivory knew the mall was within walking distance, she could afford to buy her mother something the moment her attention started to wane.
"Is there anything you would like?"
Ivory hadn't really seen anything she liked, as she wasn't much for jewelry, but maybe she'd look for something. All the jewelry she'd ever gotten had sat in a box because she didn't particularly like wearing it, thinking it flashy and gaudy. Maybe it was just the jewelry her mother wore, but this planet could be different. Maybe she'd have a change of heart. "I'll look, but I'm not sure."
She had only been looking for a few moments, not really caring for anything she saw, when a necklace in a display caught her eye. "That. I want that."
It was a silver necklace with a purple gem in the center. The gem was lovely, a deep purple that was almost exactly like her father's bio-gems. It was off by two or three shades in color, something that Ivory noticed immediately, but it was so similar to her father's gem that she loved it. She didn't have gems like her father and she accepted from a young age that she never would; all she ever wanted was physical traits like her father and this necklace could at least help her pretend she did. It would let her feel closer to him.
Biamuh took a closer look at the necklace. "That gem bears a striking resemblance to-"
"I know and I want it."
Biamuh nodded. "Give me a moment princess. If you see anything else, be sure to let me know."
Ivory didn't even want to look for anything else. She'd be happy as long as she had the necklace. The only piece of jewelry she wore every day was a pendant she'd gotten from her father, but the chain had rusted and was close to falling apart. This necklace would only serve as a mere replacement as nothing would ever come close to being as precious to her as her pendant, but the fact that the color was so close to her father made it worth it.
Biamuh returned a moment later with a small box and a bag. "The necklace came with a set of bracelets, which I took the liberty of getting for you as well. Would you like to wear them right now?"
"Yes." She held out her wrist and let Biamuh clip the bracelets on, then turned and held her hair up so that he could put the necklace on. "Thank you Biamuh."
"Of course. Now, let us go. You wanted to get more clothes and there are many shops that you can choose from."
"That sounds lovely."
If Biamuh was fed up with all her questions, he didn't show it.
Or maybe he was just eager to please and show off everything he had learned while here. Either way, he had all the answers to her questions or offered information even if she hadn't said anything. Most of it was him pointing out objects that she should pay attention to or learn how to work, and the rest was more serious business, such as their search radius and suspected Saiyans. Sometimes Ivory got side-tracked by something she saw, but Biamuh once again didn't say anything.
They passed by another shop when something in the window caught her eye. "Don't we have one of those screens at the house?" She remembered seeing them in numerous rooms in the house, but she didn't know how they worked. She hadn't made time to actually try figuring out the one in her room, more concerned with learning the language rather than how their machines functioned. It was something she was going to come to later, once she could read all the symbols presented to her.
"Yes. These screens play a number of televised shows. As you see, this species is easily entertained." Biamuh pointed to a gathered crowd of people in front of each screen, which broadcasted a different program on each one. Some people in the crowd were young, some were old, but their eyes were all glued to the screen. "They get entertainment from televised shows such as this one."
There was one particular show that seemed to hold everyone's attention, as it played on at least five different screens. A man with a ridiculous hairstyle and weird facial hair spoke boisterously into a mic, causing a crowd to go wild. Women swooned, men shouted, children held up toys, even the elderly were causing a fuss over this man. She couldn't hear what he was talking about over the noise from the crowd watching the screens, but it was undeniable that they all adored him.
"Who is that man and why do the people seem to go crazy for him?"
"That Princess, is the World Martial Arts Champion, Mr. Satan. Get used to that name Princess because he's a celebrity on this planet due his proficiency in martial arts and his feats in saving the world. Everyone knows him and looks up to him as their savior."
Ivory studied the man carefully. His physique spoke of a well-trained fighter and from the crowd both in front of the screens and on the screens, his charisma captivated them. Anything he said people would probably do. "I guess he looks the part of a fighter but looks can be deceiving. I'm guessing he's the one with the highest power level?"
"I haven't managed to get close enough to him to see, but he boasts about his strength. We can only assume at this point."
Could this be the earth's ruler? It certainly seemed plausible. If he was a so-called savior, of course the people would make him their king. Based on what Biamuh said, the king was well respected and well loved by the people for his benevolence. But while it could be him, there was also the possibility that he was a figurehead. Putting on a face for the people while the real king ruled privately. It was a good strategy if anything; this man excluded confidence even through the screen. He'd be an excellent choice as a figurehead if he wasn't the ruler already.
"You can ask anyone about him and they'll ramble on and on about how great he is," Biamuh explained. "It's not very difficult to get close to him, as he makes public appearances, but he is always surrounded by a crowd. It was tough for me to get a reading because of the amount of people around him."
"Huh. Considering what you've told me about the other power levels, that makes sense." He'd be the strongest warrior on this planet if the Saiyans weren't here, but still not a problem for her. It would be a waste to try and attack this 'Mr. Satan' now, but it'd be fun to conquer the planet and kill that buffoon first. No better way to get a species under your control than the kill the person they look up to. "Is there anything else about him that I should be aware of?"
"No, that is all to report. There isn't much more you'd be interested in. I've tried to come up with as many people of interest for you in this area, but there aren't many. For that, I apologize."
Ivory shook her head. She wasn't upset with Biamuh, far from it actually. "You have nothing to apologize for Biamuh. You gathered more than enough information for me while you were here than I could've asked for. Trust me; you'll be rewarded for that alone once we're finished on this planet."
Biamuh dipped his head. "Thank you Princess."
She meant it. Ivory was a fair princess. Everyone who had accompanied her on and stayed loyal during the entire duration of this mission were going to be promoted as soon as she returned. If anyone decided to leave when her mother left, they wouldn't be punished, nor would Ivory see it as treason and demote them. They'd do a bit of grunt work until she was satisfied but no one was getting demoted or killed.
"Shall we depart? Or is there something else you'd rather do?"
If she was being honest, she could stand for being out a little while longer and exploring more. But, she did want to get home and review everything she learned, maybe check on her mother. Her mother didn't like exploring like Ivory did and liked material things more than anything. And who knew what kinds of trouble she would get into. "Let's head home. I'd like to give mother her gifts and I need time to think."
"Very well. Follow me."
"There you two are!"
Ivory kept from rolling her eyes. She knew this was coming but she was hoping her mother would've fallen asleep out of boredom or had actually left, but it was her fault for getting her hopes up.
"Where have you been?! You shouldn't have left me in the house alone!"
"I apologize for leaving for so long mother, But, I went on a trip for you." It was a complete lie but her mother wasn't going to question her about the validity. "I took the liberty of getting new clothes for you, since I know you dislike the ones we discovered on arrival." And she knew that because her mother had complained about the poor quality for hours until she decided to go to bed. That was a headache Ivory could've gone without.
She pulled out a couple of clothing items from a bag and held them out to her mother. Most of the fabric slipped through her fingers and felt light, exactly like her mother would like them. "I think these will fit you better." They had to go through five different stores before they found anything remotely close to her mother's tastes, which was difficult in its own right.
"Oh." Kirsi reached out and ran her fingers over the material. "These…these are gorgeous." She held one of them up to her body and smiled. "I love them."
"I'm glad you like them. We also found you a necklace to wear." She presented the small, ornate box to her mother and watched her eyes light up when she opened it.
"Oh, it's beautiful!" She looked between Ivory, the dresses, and the necklace. "Perhaps staying here won't be too bad."
"I'm glad you think so Mother." Of course this would change her mother's mind. Dangle a pretty jewel in front of her or nice clothes and you could get her to do anything. There had been too many close calls with her mother making rash decisions because of expensive gifts. Had it not been for Ivory swooping in and stopping her, the empire would've been vastly different now.
"What did you think Princess? How was our excursion? Did you enjoy yourself?"
"It was…different." Not bad per say, but different. As many planets as she had traveled to, all the diverse cultures she had seen, she had to admit that the Earth had one that she hadn't seen before. Sure, it was composed of many different traditions she had seen on different planets, but the execution was different. It just seemed like this planet was…freer, in a sense. The people lived as they wanted, dressed as they wanted, ate what they wanted; many planets didn't have the same sense of freedom as this one.
"I like what I've seen so far. If given the chance, I would love to see what the whole planet had to offer." Now that she had gotten a taste, she didn't want to destroy the planet. She didn't even want to sell it. She wanted to keep it for herself, make it her personal playground. Earth was unique and she was already enjoying her time here, from just the little bit she saw. "Do you think father would've liked it?"
"I cannot say for sure Princess. Your father looked for value in his planets, not aesthetics."
"Hmm, you're right." Destroying the planet would be a last ditch effort, if the Saiyans ended up stronger than she expected or someone discovered her. Both of those outcomes were implausible but she needed a last resort, just in case.
But if she had to flip the coin of keeping the planet intact or taking out her enemies all at once, then the planet might have to suffer.
Since this was being re-written after Dragon Ball Super, there was a lot of information about the Frieza Force that came into light that I had to add for story development. There previously weren't many soldiers (named soldiers at least) that I could add as advisors or staff, but with Resurrection F and DBS, I have more to work with. So a couple of names from DBS will show up here and there and I added some extra background to help flesh this story out.
Also don't know if I mentioned this before but this story will move a bit on the slow side. I rushed the last version out and there were holes I didn't fill. This version will explain a bunch of those holes and help flesh out Ivory better than the last one did.
