From the training hall it was only a hop and a skip back towards the main hall for Zukki and her mentors.
The main hall overlooks the edge of the cavern. The stairs that led up to the Kappa's home were insight and beyond that was a rectangular entrance carved into the wall leading to another important room.
The mess hall.
Unlike the dirty cafeteria in the prison this place was well cleaned, dusted even, and you could even see your reflection on the metal tables. The aliens weren't chain smokers in disguise. The room even smelled nice and not just because there was the juicy scent of meat in the air. Real protein that the girl had missed for what felt like an eternity.
"Alright! Let's eat!" Jetto strides forward into the empty line.
The alien had a neutral expression as she placed the usual meal Jetto comes for. A huge chunk of meat was left on the bone, nothing fancy on the side, just a hunk of uncut meat.
Of course Zukki's eyes were rivalling the stars with their endless glimmer.
"I want that!" Zukki points to the hunk of meat on her plate that has the bone sticking out.
"Hold it there, Brisk, can you serve the young lady the normal smoked slabs of meat. It's your specialty isn't it?" Karada was a fan of seasoned foods, but his stomach could digest just about anything with protein.
Zukki looked up like she wanted to protest, but the smoked meat stole her attention right away. As the plate touched the counter, the scent of the food came crashing over her. The protest died in her throat as she accepted the food whilst drooling.
"Enjoy" the alien gave a practiced smile that hid a tinge of truth in it. Who wouldn't feel pleased when someone is drooling at the scent of your food.
Karada picked up the same before they all chose one of the handful of free tables. A four seater was taken by them.
With the plate of food In Front of her Zukki looked stunned. Slabs of ham like meat smoked near perfectly along with some grainy greyish looking substance. The fact that it reminded her of the slop at the prison was enough to overlook it entirely.
Karada wasn't going to stop her, but as she lifted her hands up like a predator ready to dig into its prey he did.
"You're going to use a fork right? We may be related to savages but are not them" he preached lightly, it sounded more robotic in this delivery, but it sounded enough like what her father would say so Zukki believes it.
Then as the two of them seemed to acknowledge the agreement they turned to see the opposite ideal.
Jetto tearing into her meat on the bone, the stretch of the outer layer snaps as it comes off. The woman was holding the chunk of meat by the bone like it was a club. Her eyes met Zukki's and Karada's judgmental gaze.
"What!" She snaps mid chew, no manners whatsoever.
"Just don't eat like that..."
"Ha!? It's all meat. it all tastes the same" she spews excuse after excuse and doesn't even stop to chew.
Zukki nods her head before grabbing the fork beside her. She and Karada were ignoring Jetto now.
In her seat where her legs dangled, she held the fork like a spear. Jabbing at the meat and pulling one of the slabs into her mouth. The food had to be stuffed in her little mouth, cheeks puffed full of food as she chewed.
The three of them enjoyed the meal without much discussion between bites. Jetto chewing rather aggressively after being called out for eating like a savage.
It wasn't a race, but the results were obvious from the start. Jetto finished her hunk of meat and was licking the bone clean. Karada had placed his spoon aside.
Zukki, however, was staring at the pile of grey slop.
"Hmm? Finish up Zukki, we have to get back to training." Said Karada, not realizing the little girl's dilemma.
"You sure this is food..." She responded with great reluctance. Her fork had already clattered onto the table.
"Nahh that's some gross grass meal or something" Jetto nearly gags as she gestures to it.
It only made Zukki that much more resistant to finishing the meal. And the meat had been like a salvation compared to the prison's slop.
"Oh shut it savage woman, ignore this meat eating beast. It's good for you, nutrient enriched grains mixed with milk. Look, I'm not a cook so I don't know what it is, but it gives you lots of energy to work" Karada does his best to convince the girl to the right of him.
Zukki isn't convinced. It didn't have multiple colors and sizes to its consistency like the slop served in the prison. Yet it has that gross liquid like viscosity that made her brows furrow.
Her spear–er fork jabs into the pile. The wet grains fell through and off the utensil. In Spite of her disgust she tried again. Spooning the food with her fork and watching it fall onto her chest before it reaches her lips.
"He–" Karada starts only to be interrupted by Jetto who giggled tenderly for once. "Try this"
Jetto had stolen Karada's spoon and handed it to the girl. Zukki grabbed it from her after placing her spear aside.
Karada was stunned, wide-eyed as he watched the woman known for impulsive, brash, and thoughtless acting considerate.
Jetto watched as Zukki dug into her wet grains. The girl looked like she was going to gag until the grains entered her mouth.
The taste was bland but that's leagues above not even being able to tell what's in your meal to start with. She chews, not struggling to get it down, but there is a lack of enthusiasm that she has when eating the smoked meat.
"What!?" Jetto finally says when she notices Karada staring. Instead of waiting for an answer she looks away with a huff. She knew that her caring gesture was caught and it was embarrassing to be seen.
***
While Zukki finishes eating her father is finishing his duties around the base. He picked up any slack there might be, other than the technical work on consoles. Kappa had long since hired sympathetic aliens to the squadron's cause.
"For peace" beamed one purple alien as Kappa walked past him.
Some really were believers saved from their disillusioned states. While others only gifted tentatively.
"..." Those who were silent only paid respects by bowering their heads. Though Kappa didn't plan to punish those who didn't, those who just turned away and squatted. He helped those too.
Sometimes he had to be called in to speak to certain jaded members. Like the many saiyans who were desperate for change only to find a separate harder path to follow.
Kappa knocks on one of the many wooden doors that line a long corridor. it was lit decently, not dim like a dungeon, button like lights placed evenly down the line of rooms.
The door itself was poorly made. Like someone cut out a crude rectangular shape from a tree and placed it in the hole. It had a hole where a door knob should have been.
"Go away..." A raspy voice choked out.
Kappa didn't hesitate to open the door. Well what he did was pull it out by the hole and then lifted it up and took the side of the entryway.
Inside was a dimly lit room with a bed, desk, and a small bookshelf. Armor and bodysuits hung up on the uneven walls. One the table was a potted planet of some kind, green leaves and a thin brown stem.
A young man sat with his tail drooped off the edge. His hands clasping his head, a full head of hair that spiked all over. He was wearing one of two black body suits, boots and gloves off to the side.
"Komat, have you been practicing the leaf trial?" He spoke to the young man before him with a calm, consistent tone.
"...."
The silence stretched for too long as the large man walked his way toward the plant on the desk. Plucking one of the leaves off of it before moving in front of Komat.
Kneeling down to force eye contact, Kappa took the boy's hands and placed the leaf inside. This only made the boy's dark expression shudder.
"What are you doing?" Komat asks weakly, the tremble in his voice making unable to hide his fears. "I-i can't"
"That's ok..i just want you to try"
"But.. it's... nothing is going to happen" Komat's tail flicks as frustration boiled over in his tone.
Immediately he shrinks back into himself, tail wrapping around his waist as he prepares to beg for forgiveness. Less he be beaten half to death–is what he expected, but he got a sympathetic look instead.
"I thought so too when i first started, never had the talent for energy use either" Kappa starts and his words hit Komat like he read the boys mind. It wasn't that, rather the man was just being honest.
"So.. I'm just weak. I'll just end up dead on the front lines of some planet." He admits his truest fear. Hugging his shoulders tightly in fear of the incoming rejection.
"Maybe you aren't cut out for it." Kappa admits to the young man's horror.
"But that is alright, survive here and you will have a place in our future" Before the heat in Komat's eyes could become wet sobs, kappa continued.
"There is a place for...weak saiyans?" Komat says with hesitant disbelief, shaking his head in denial. "I couldn't even make a door...or burn a leaf..."
"Then you start over"
"I'll fail again"
"And then you start over again"
"What!?" komat says with a gasp. "How many times..?"
"As many as you need." Kappa brings his reassurance to a climax when he places his hand on the mana shoulder. His grip was firm and warm. "When you are ready, we will partner you with a mentor."
Kappa then steps back and holds out his palm with the green leaf.
"Remember your goal. As long as you keep trying we will support you" Kappa's expression lightens just a tad, somehow perceptible to the vulnerable young man.
Before the young man's eyes, Kappa demonstrated the leaf trial.
In his hands the leaf floated just an inch before slowly catching fire. It slowly burnt into ashes and was let go. The young man has his eye glued to the demonstration.
Komat felt inspired, just not enough to move past his insecurities, at least not yet. For now he wasn't hugging his arms, he was reaching out to grab a leaf.
"..." No words came to mind, but some strong emotion welled up.
Kappa didn't look back as he tapped the door.
"I look forward to seeing your next door, Komat" he holds up the back of his hand to wave before exiting.