Chapter VII: Prepare for Attack
Bulla ran over with a brown paper bag from a roti shop as she entered the hair salon where her professor was getting her hair braided. Stuka was her beautician's favorite customer as she showed absolutely no pain during the entire process, no matter how fast the job was done. "Bulla, you're a life-saver." Stuka said as she pulled the roti out of the bag and took a not so feminine gigantic bite out of it. "Conch," she chewed practically with her mouth open with curry starting to drip down the side of her face, "very nice. I'll make time for you on my busy day." She then wiped her cheek with her wrist.
"I need another week Professor Phillips." Bulla asked. "Without more time for the grains to grow it will be difficult to see if the experiment succeeded, and I don't want to do anything to falsify my findings." Somehow, even though it was obvious she was in a rush, she did not appear like she was breathing heavily or even tired. Stuka found this peculiar but felt little of it, as she frequently makes contact with warriors capable of destroying solar-systems on a daily basis.
"Since my husband's probably out to the gym and you got me my lunch, consider it me who owes you a favor!" Stuka smiled with her eyes closed while a blue braid was being placed in, before taking another huge bite out of her food.
"I see, it brings out the blue in your face," Bulla noticed, "but it's hardly as blue as my hair."
Stuka's brown face blushed red before returning to its bluish undertone, "None more blue!" She joked. Then she asked a question out of the blue to Bulla, "What color hair does your father have?"
"His hair looks black most of the time," Bulla responded, "but it's actually a dark red."
"Ah," Stuka realized, "Your father has a recessive gene. That's why you look so much like your mother. I was always told I looked like my father though."
"Before I go," Bulla asked before she was about to turn around, "what's the special occasion?"
Stuka smiled giddily, "I need my hair to look perfect for the big announcement I'm going to make tonight. Consider yourself the first who knows about it!"
"I'll keep my eyes glued to the news." Bulla responded, "I'll see you soon!"
Roman was lifting weights in the gym with the other officers. Roman's comrades and General Cori thought he was crazy. "Are you sure your recruits are up to the challenge of handling the Z Fighters alone? You don't want your ranks reinforced with experienced fighters?" She pointed out.
"Could they handle the likes of Vegeta?" Roman pointed out, "Of course not. My recruits' mission is to not have the likes of Vegeta get involved, I'm sure the Earthlings will unwisely exhaust their resources with the weaker fighters."
"I think you have another reason Colonel that you'd like to tell us," she chided him while doing squats.
"You should worry about securing the lookout," Roman dismissed while continuing to do curls. "My men can take care of the Z Fighters satisfactorily."
"Men, women, leave." General Cori commanded, the gym was now empty of everyone but those two. "Roman, I speak to you as your Saiyan sister, why do you not want any further assistance? I'm sure I could spare many of my 2,500 soldiers whose task is to simply take control of an undefended wind current."
"As your Saiyan brother," Roman almost mocked, as if he felt he was being judged, "Is that I want to ensure that no one dies."
General Cori was stunned with rage, "No one dies? This is war!"
"No one dies before they have the chance to breathe the fruitgas, and become mated with Tuffle DNA." Roman tried to pass off as a legitimate reason.
"The world will be a lot better without the likes of Vegeta." Cori hissed, "We were alive to remember his brutal reign, how he sold us out to Frieza. How I had to kill thousands just to survive, how I had to make company with those so called high-class Saiyans as they spat names at me as if I was an animal. If I have to kill a few more to put my fighting days behind me, so be it. I'm not going to let such insane idealism get in the way of accomplishing the operation."
"I understand what you went through, how you had to become a missing casualty in battle just to escape the clutches of King Vegeta. I also appreciate you don't put my wife into the mix," Roman pointed out as General Cori was legitimately treating him as an equal, "all of my decisions get questioned due to my relationship with the Tuffle. However, you don't have to worry about my soldiers and I; our plan will catch the Z Warriors off guard. It'll be the only way to ensure our victory."
General Cori responded coldly, honestly, and pragmatically before walking away, "Your choice of timing for moral concerns is perplexing. I can't be too concerned, as I'm sure Saiyans in the heat of battle will have little choice but to kill when necessary. If your force of recruits dies in battle, I can send reinforcements from the Neo-Saiyan army easily."
Roman could do little but meditate afterwards, as all of his thoughts were consumed with anger. Eventually his wife came Stuka came back with some chicken patties for Roman, who atypically did not show any appetite. She did not know what was wrong. Stuka stood in front of Roman with regular street clothes, her nails done, her eye-brows touched up, and her new hair, "I'm surprised, usually there's a marked rise in your battle power when I come back from the salon…" Then she spoke with a more concerned tone, "We're two hours before the military operation we've been preparing our whole lives for, what's wrong?"
Roman came face to face with his wife, he was not mad at her, simply feelings he has been holding in were coming out. "The General volunteered some of the army's forces be used to reinforce my division of recruits."
Stuka was not sure why this was an issue, "Well, if you feel that the recruits are not powerful enough, there are plenty of soldiers to spare as the army's mission is simply to secure the lookout."
"The recruits are powerful enough to accomplish their objectives, but the only warriors who could fight Vegeta are my brother and the general herself. Vegeta is likely to wait to enter the battle until he finds a challenger who is worthy, which is one aspect the operation depends on. But when Vegeta finally does enter the fray, you or Zerstorer will get involved."
"That's fine," Stuka continued to be slightly dismayed, "like I haven't waited patiently to test my powers on Vegeta ever since my days in the camps."
"Kiki, I want to ensure that no one dies. Let the Fruitgas take effect instead of having casualties."
Stuka's good mood dissipated, "No one dies?" She yelled, "This is war!"
Roman did not show any fear despite the disparity in power, he remembered every day how weak she used to be. "Kiki, I finally figured out how your brother and you hatched your universal-domination scheme. When both of you enhanced your powers with Saiyan DNA, you also started to think more like a Saiyan. It's like the Saiyans' Tuffle DNA enhancements, we still have free will, but we're more inclined to think and act like Tuffles. Ever since your brother and yourself started this quest to be more powerful than Frieza, you've let your Saiyan side consume you."
Stuka was about to show extreme rage, yellow bio-electricity started to bolt out of her and damage the nearby surroundings in the lair, "I in no way have been affected by having Saiyan DNA! I'm the same exact person you met eighty years ago!"
Roman held back his tears and tried to cover up his emotion, "Ensure me that nobody dies. This operation can succeed easily without death."
Stuka was not surprised about Roman's idea, but how stupid she felt it was. If she had the opportunity to get revenge on King Vegeta by killing his son, why would she not? However, she did remember that while Prince Vegeta was an arrogant murderer back in their Planet Trade Organization days, the killing machine known as Vegeta has mostly been dormant since Frieza's defeat. She stepped back and thought about the fact that maybe there was not a good reason to be enraged at Vegeta, since it was mostly the Tuffle King and King Vegeta himself who brought the most ire into her life. She considered that maybe her intentions were clouded, yet that of her husband's, the man who saved her life in the camps and maintained loyalty for decades and cooked for her, intentions were pure. She decided to give her word, "I just had a serious moment of thought Rome. I don't know if it's the best idea, but I love you. I want to prove to you I'm the same meek girl you met in the camps, and how I appreciate that you saved my life. Whether I would have took it myself or I would have simply succumbed to illness or starvation. I swear I won't kill anyone."
Roman was surprised at his wife's genuine response, "You swear you won't kill anyone?"
Stuka blushed, and responded nervously, "Trust me!" Roman then picked his wife up, sweeping her off her feet. All she could do was happily stay in his arms as Roman brought her to their quarters.
On Frieza Planet 150 in Fridge's palace, Majuub warned Fridge of what was about to occur. "Do you feel that? How terrible it is?"
Fridge was perplexed, he swung his tail from one side to another, "What do you mean?"
"There's about a hundred of them coming this way, including that Saiyan I think you're talking about, and they mean harm." Then Majuub surprised Fridge. "But I'm not concerned."
Fridge was stunned, "Not concerned? Why?"
"I was trained by Goku, the Saiyan who defeated Frieza." Majuub smiled with pride, "He always told me that one day I would receive the responsibility for protecting the Earth and the whole universe. He always told me that my potential was limitless. I have trained with Goku, whether it was in person or spiritually for over twenty years. I didn't realize my potential until recently. My power and my magic abilities are unparalleled."
Fridge looked back at Majuub and was still unappreciative, "I hope you're right, don't make me regret not getting Prince Vegeta for the job. The best way of beating a Saiyan is with another Saiyan."
Majuub knew he was being insulted but he took it as an opportunity to surprise him, "You have no idea what I'm capable of!"
Two hours passed and there were the recruits, in full grey Saiyan armor with the red, white, and black Tuffle crest on the left side of their chests, in their base forms waiting at the bottom of Korin's tower. Nion, who has become the recruits' lieutenant continued to order his men to wait, "I'm surprised at the lack of military precision, we're here at 1600."
"I say we take the battle to them!" Said an excited Articho, "Why do we have to lure them to a defensive battle when we have the power to attack?"
"We can't deviate from our orders," Dorthea held him back with one of her hands, "wait for the Colonel to tell us to power up and give off a power signature. If they're running late, there must be a good reason—"
Suddenly, with a blue aura quickly disappearing as his flight ended, Roman appeared in his battle armor, fixing his hair. He communicated to his troops using his scouter, "Soldiers, I apologize for my tardiness. Increase your power to 50%, this will lure the Z Fighters into battle."
All at once, with an eagerness of combat that awaited the Saiyans, they started to power up at the base of the tower. Tien was the first to pay attention and fear the level of power, "I feel it now! Wow, they're amazing, there're a hundred of them!"
Krillin concentrated then was surprised, "Wow, you're right!"
18 did not act as surprised, "This seems like all of the other opponents we've faced in the last ten years or so, we have a sizable advantage."
Roman concentrated and a translucent-white aura appeared around his body. Goten felt this power and reported to the others, "This must be the Saiyan you were talking about Trunks!"
"It must be!" Trunks screamed, as he expected his opponent to be holding back. "Krillin, listen to me," he ordered, "get the senzu beans from Korin, we need them just in case the situation gets sticky."
"How many!" Krillin asked, being unable to make a logical decision.
"All of them!" Trunks yelled. The Z Fighters were still procrastinating, much to Trunks' irritation. "What are we waiting for?" He yelled out, "We have to find out why there's a hundred powers like this suddenly appearing on the Earth, Let's go!" All of the Z Fighters except Master Roshi started their descent towards the ground. Dende looked surprised that Master Roshi did not follow them after all of his training.
"I know you tried hard," Dende said admirably, "but even these opponents are beyond your well-honed skills."
"They're not just beyond his level of skills." Mr. Popo quipped while watering flowers.
Master Roshi lifted up his sunglasses, then let them drop back on his nose. He walked to Dende and said, "You may need me here, in case the going gets tough! Also, I used the lookout as my forwarding mail address and I'm expecting next month's issues any hour now!" A giant bead of sweat appear on Dende before he finally fell over.
Bulla, Vegeta, and Freon also picked up on the power while Bulla was recording findings in the greenhouse. Freon did not appear too concerned, knowing how strong Vegeta was, but he had to make a remark about the obvious, "That is the most Saiyans I sensed in almost a century, but that is not the power I felt back home. However, it makes me think, he must be coming... Why else would a hundred Saiyans appear out of thin air?"
Bulla seconded Freon's lack of worry, but was less concerned with what may happen next, "Trunks trains tirelessly to the point that he doesn't concern himself with the day to day operations of Capsule Corporation. He's definitely stronger than these guys, isn't he dad!"
"Yes," Vegeta agreed while wearing street clothes, hardly dressed for combat, "but only for now. I'm going to sit and wait until they are unable to handle the situation themselves. There's no need to show them all of our cards as so to speak."
Bulma finally got the gist of what was happening, she was unable to sense power but was obviously able to hear. "What's the point of letting things play out? It's never worked in the past."
"We have little choice but to be strategic," Vegeta responded with a level of confidence, "with Gohan and Majuub missing in action, we can't put all of our chips on the table just in case this power Freon's been talking about decides to arrive later."
"I agree," Freon responded, "even if there is a hundred of them."
Somewhere in the bowels of the Capsule Building, Beerus and Whis were weaing plumbers' uniforms and were fixing the pipes. "You feel that Whis!" Beerus sensed with excitement, "the Saiyans are here! Maybe one of them will beat Vegeta then, bang!" He suddenly started yelling, "I finally destroy this rock, then they can't breathe—"
Vegeta's voice suddenly buzzed on Whis' walkie talkie, "Do I hear work not getting done? Do I have to go down there and help you plot faster that way the east wing of the building has hot water?"
Whis defiantly crushed the radio device in his hand to Beerus' surprise. "We'll be Vegeta's slaves no more!" Whis announced to an audience of no one. "Ever since we lost that bet to Vegeta that his son Trunks was stronger than Verclere, our very own god of destruction, we had to pledge servitude to the Saiyan. When Vegeta's defeated we will slave away no more!" Beerus beamed before Whis' voice became gentle again, "Now let's finish the work on these pipes and report the radio malfunction to Lord Vegeta when we're finished with the task."
Trunks, Goten, Pan, 18, Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, and Chatzou descended to the bottom of the lookout to the Saiyans, all in their base form. Trunks stepped in as the leader of the Z Warriors. He walked towards Roman who was descending to the ground. He noticed the tails of all the warriors dressed in their Saiyan armor, with a strange diagonal red, white, and black crest on the right side of their chests. He also noticed that the Saiyan apparently leading them all had no tail of his own, it was quite peculiar. It did not matter though, whether they were friend or foe, he had to assess the situation. Trunks spoke confidently, "Who are you and what do you want? If all the Saiyans died on Planet Vegeta, where did you all come from?"
Roman did not bother lying or acting ominously, "We are the Romaine Division of the Neo-Saiyan Army, allies of the Tuffles. We are here to secure the planet from our opponents; that would be you and your comrades."
Trunks was surprised he did not hear anything curt, witty, or any maniacal laughter; it was almost anti-climatic. "What are you hiding?" He deduced.
Roman let out a rare Saiyan smile, this was too easy, "Seeing that Vegeta and Gohan are not here, may I ask you the same question?"
"You don't need to worry, I'll keep your hands full." Trunks responded confidently, "but I know a better place to fight than here, too many…" He started to trail off because there were not a lot of people around the lookout that could get hurt.
Roman deduced that Trunks did not know that the lookout was indeed a strategic objective for the Neo-Saiyan army. "How about the badlands," Roman suggested, "where your father and Kakarot had their first battle."
"Sure," Trunks said while gesturing the rest of the Z Fighters to follow him, "we'll follow you and your men."
Roman spoke at a volume only his soldiers could hear on their scouters, "Move out to battle positions, be prepared to execute the first phase of Citadel." Roman took off, with the rest of his soldiers following him. The Z Fighters took suit, and followed Trunks.
Goten flew close to Trunks, who was ahead of everyone else, "Are you sure we're not heading straight into a trap?"
"There's only one way to find out!" Trunks responded coyly, not concerned of the challenge awaiting him.
Zerstorer and Stuka were watching the badlands from a long distance in their grey military uniforms, black shin-high boots, gold shoulder pads, red capes, and military officer hats with the Tuffle crest symbol in the middle of where the black stripe met the bill and the grey top of the hat. "You're right Zero," Stuka said impressed to her brother, "they're exactly as stupid as you planned on them being."
Zerstorer smiled confidently, "I didn't achieve the rank of Field Marshal by not knowing what I was doing Kiki."
"You achieved it by promoting yourself to that rank, remember?" Stuka corrected him.
Zerstorer angrily turned his back on his sister, probably to hide his embarrassment. "Well, General just didn't have the same ring to it, Stuka." Stuka was starting to chew on something, he did not see what. "What's that? Hmmm… It smells sweet, savory, and a little spicey. Are you eating junk food during the commencement of the most important military operation since the original Citadel itself?"
Stuka continued eating, "Well, if you don't want to eat my groundnut sugar cakes so be it. I guess I'm going to have to eat all of these gingery peanutty brittles all by myself. And, oh… look at this. I brought soy milk, I know how you're lactose intolerant and all—"
"Very vanilla flavored?" Zerstorer broke from character, now being concerned whether or not his sister would share her junk food with him.
"Well of course, but, hey, this one-sided battle here's far too important. You wouldn't want to fight Vegeta on a full stomach."
Zerstorer snatched the rest of her treat from her hand, "Speak for yourself!" He said happily as he started chewing. Suddenly Roman and the Z-Fighters arrived within their view. "Hey Kiki," he announced with his mouth full as he saw everyone coming into their field of view, "Put on your scouter, view exactly how much power they're hiding."
Stuka floated up in the air as she was standing and gathered all of the readings quickly, "Exactly as our projections stated. The two Saiyans have the potential of about 250 a piece, the girl that looks so sure of herself is around 225. The rest are ants. Roman may kill them all by mistake due to their fragility."
"Good," Zerstorer announced while chewing, "Even if they're ascended Super Saiyans they'll fare poorly and be unable to intercept the lookout as General Cori and the Neo-Saiyan army unleash the Fruitgas in the source of Earth's wind currents."
"You may have to create another rank for yourself man, this is your best work yet." Stuka responded impressed.
"Simply 'Master' would suffice.."
Roman looked Trunks into his eyes, he was not the type to behave in a sinister fashion. "Let's cut the small talk," Roman talked to Trunks, "tell your friends to power up. I'm a Saiyan, I'm not interested in a moral lecture or posturing."
"Very well then," Trunks said, impressed at his opponent's simple nature, "let's turn it up!"
The Z-Fighters were furiously powering up with white auras around the each other them. Trunks, Goten, and Pan continued to stay in their base forms while their opponents continued to power up their base forms. "So, you save your Super Saiyan transformation when things get hairy?" Roman taunted Trunks, now acting less impressed.
"I'll be the judge of that." Trunks snarled, as it was everyone's habit to save the transformation for deeper into the fight.
The Saiyan pods finally landed onto Planet Frieza 150. Nach emerged from his pod, then his highest ranking officers, then the rest of the soldiers. His children Galbans and Pea walked to his side, anticipating what was happening next. "How will it feel father," his daughter Pea spoke to him confidently, "for the Saiyans to be masters of the universe tomorrow?"
Galbans, his son, who was exceptionally tall and muscular with short spikey black hair spoke, "Soon all of the half-breeds, and racial vermin in the universe will be systematically eliminated. This universe is only big enough for us Saiyans, with the advances in technology we'll ensure eternal Saiyan mastery. We're stronger than gods."
Nach turned around and spoke to all of his soldiers. All wearing black Saiyan armor with the angular "PS" Protection Squadron symbol. "We are now entering the last stage in the struggle for Saiyan survival. We are about to commence the first step of the solution to the universe's ills. For eons, we've suffered enslavement, whether it be from our past masters, the Tuffles, and Frieza. Now, feel the Saiyan blood flowing through your veins." All the Saiyans started suddenly transformed to Super Saiyan 4, with their tails puffing up and their eyes turning red with lust. "Remember the day you took control of your life again. The day you looked at the moon, and unlike so many Super Saiyans before you, you made the choice to survive, and tame the savage Oozaru within you! That penultimate transformation wiped clean your polluted Saiyan-Tuffle blood, and you felt what it was like to be a pure blooded Saiyan again! You made the choice to reclaim your Saiyan identity! From that day on you were no longer a Tuffle, your thoughts no longer impaired by this so called great mission for universal peace. The Saiyan's warrior body has been built for war! The day will finally occur where all the weaklings and those who have subjugated us through trickery and science will be destroyed! This is the first day for the rest of history, where only Saiyans will survive, and will only have worthy Saiyan opponents! Remember today as the day the Saiyan race triumphs! The day there were no more kings, no more so called masters, and no more so called allies to depend upon. We will have left just an universe of your, the Protection Squadron's, descendants. Only pure blooded Saiyans!"
The Protection Squadron yelled triumphantly in their Super Saiyan 4 form before reverting to their base forms. Due to the display of power, their violent red auras shook the ground of Frieza Planet 150, scaring the world's population. Nach himself though, remained in his base form the entire time, yet smiled confidently. With the Tuffles likely extinguishing any threat he was unprepared to face on Earth, the Protection Squadron can now begin their plans. Not that of Citadel, but of the complete domination of the universe by Saiyans, and the elimination of all who were not Saiyans.
