"I spy, with my little eye, something… blue," Maizcal said. The three divines from Universe Fifteen were hovering in a circle, trying to stave off boredom.

"Class B star. Easy," Reis said dismissively.

"Reis," Atua said, grinning.

"What?" the angel replied. "It's obvious. It's the only blue thing to be seen."

"No. Reis, you're the answer to the riddle," Atua said, grinning. The angel blinked, and then shook her head.

"Come on Reis, that was at least a little clever," Maizcal said. The angel glared at him and opened her mouth to retort.

"…can hear us out there, we're in trouble," a muffled female voice said.

"Okay, now that's a little melodramatic," Maizcal said, glaring at his attendant. Reis looked at him, as she often did, like he was an idiot.

"I did not say that," she stated. Atua began to pat at his robes, and then dug around in one of his larger pockets.

"If an… ear us out…" the voice said, this time ending in a burst of static. Atua finally withdrew his hand, holding the twin to the crystal that the team had received. Snippets of the voice continued to emit from it, which vibrated and scintillated with exotic colors.

"We can barely hear you," Atua said, speaking directly into the crystal. Reis and Maizcal drew nearer, looking down at the device with anticipation.

"Atua? Is… u? This is Bulma," the voice said.

"Bulma! How is the mission? Are you all okay?" Atua asked in a concerned tone. He ran his fingers over the crystal, reinforcing the divine magics holding it together. The static in the background faded away.

"We're fine, except for Ganos. The Emperor got him," Bulma's voice said.

"Quitela's going to be pissed," Maizcal said. "That was his right hand man."

"Which any of us can resurrect once all of this is over," Reis said. "The mission, Bulma."

"The Emperor still has the mirror, and he's on full alert. We're ah… laying low at the moment," Bulma's voice said.

"Do you want me to teleport you out of there? I'm having trouble sensing you," Atua said.

"No," Vegeta's voice sounded from the crystal. "I'm officially calling in reinforcements. All of them."

"Full mobilization?" Reis asked. For the first time in days, she suddenly looked wide awake and alert. She fixed a stern gaze on her charge. "Maizcal-sama, the authorization is yours."

"Wait a minute. Mobilizing for what? You can't just take it back?" Maizcal asked. He looked down at the crystal with obvious disappointment.

"Without the god-level transformations, I can only match my analogue. He's just as powerful as I am, and is surrounded by a cadre of loyal Super Saiyan elites," Vegeta said. "He's killed two of my men already, and almost killed the rest of us twice over. His daughter is even crazier, and she almost killed Trunks twice over. Stop screwing around and send us an army!"

"Watch your tone! I may not have a universe any longer, but I am still a God of Destruction. Show some respect!" Maizcal shouted at the crystal. There was a long moment of silence, broken by Maizcal's sudden yelp. Reis, now standing behind him, had his arm behind his back in a very painful position.

"Maizcal-sama," she began in a formal, polite cadence. Deftly, she brought the elbow in her grasp just within the point of dislocating. "Do you authorize full mobilization?"

"Yeah, sure," the Saiyan god said, sweat running down his face. Reis let his arm go and at once began to manipulate her staff, speaking into it with high speed and at near-silence. Maizcal shot her an angry look as he rubbed at his arm, and then glared at the crystal. "Vegeta, you're turning into a pain in my ass. Don't forget, I'm still more powerful than you."

"Come get me then, big guy," Vegeta retorted. "Weather's fine here in old Fifteen, shouldn't be a problem for a powerful god like you."

Atua's snickering drew a dirty look from Maizcal, who was red in the face with anger.

"I am so kicking your ass when you're done saving the multiverse," Maizcal said.

"Whatever. Just get those troops ready. We're going to need them," Vegeta said.

DRAGON BALL EXODUS

Universe 15 Saga IX: Colors

MARCARITA

The Cone was almost at full capacity, and the line of glory-eyed men, women, and aliens in red-and-black still stood in a line almost to the horizon. Marcarita stared out at them, and for a moment felt a rush of admiration for the god that she served. Some angels are lucky if their gods pick up after themselves. Mine creates armies on a whim. He can be headstrong, but that's a trade I'll make. Oh, wait – there they are. Heles and Sour had arrived bearing a large prismatic traveling cube, and less than thirty seconds later Quitela and Cognac appeared with their own.

"Line up the cubes on either side of the Cone, if it pleases you!" Marcarita shouted to her siblings. With unnerving grace, the two cubes did just that. Without needing to be told, the line of eager Pride Troopers split into two and began to file on board the translucent, prismatic cubes. Standing next to Marcarita, surrounded by the only free deck space left on the Cone, was the clown-like God of Destruction of Universe Eleven.

"That's more like it," Belmod said, watching with obvious satisfaction. "No opposition from the other gods, full endorsement from Zeno-sama, and the gods who usually try to interfere are actually allies this time. For once, the Pride Troopers can go all out. They don't have to hold back."

"Yes sir," said Kahseral, close-by and noticeably ill at ease. He pulled at his new uniform, still wearing it in. The nature of the universe makes it impossible for Top to contribute to this mission. The risk of him inadvertently using godly ki is too great. It is no surprise that he chose Kahseral to lead – in strategy, the man has few equals. "I hear that we're fighting Saiyans, Belmod-sama?"

"Yes. Evil Saiyans, born from a corrupted universe," Belmod said, completely straight-faced. He then chuckled to himself. "It sounds like a bad play, but it is real. There is an actual force for evil in the multiverse. This isn't just another mission, General. This is literally what the Pride Troopers were built for."

"Yes Sir!" said Kahseral, echoed by several of the surrounding Troopers. Belmod's words spread quickly through the crowd, energizing the soldiers.

"This time, we're protecting the entire multiverse," a deep voice said. The other Troopers turned to see Jiren towering over them. The soldiers standing close to him looked understandably nervous. "None of you better slack off. I'm not going to tolerate it."

"No, Sir!" replied several of junior members. The senior members and officers simply nodded. They know he's going to talk tough, and then save their lives half a dozen times later on. As with my earlier consideration, a good trade.

Loading the remaining Troopers took almost half an hour, all three vessels almost at full capacity. Pride Troopers stood shoulder to shoulder, sliding into each other whenever the carrier they stood on drifted. After a few counts, the officers sounded off in good order. The angels gave a customary final call to board.

There was no one left to answer. Other than Top, every Pride Trooper in the universe was already there.

VADOS

"Tell me sister," Whis said. He smiled at Vados, clearly amused. "What do you do with several hundred Super Saiyans?"

"Whis. Drop it," she replied wearily. The forces contributed by the newly reinstated King of Sadala nearly filled the two large transport cubes that the two angels had summoned. Fighters who had been at each other's throats only a week before were now wearing the same uniform, eating the same terrible food, and about to fight the same threat. Sharpened by the civil war, the volunteers of Sadala were disciplined and dedicated, veterans who understood well the sacrifices they would need to make. I can't even be angry at Whis, as much as I'd like to be. The Super Saiyans I was concerned with are about to save our existence. We literally have an army of them now. A loyal army that actually works. The man who had organized it all looked ill-at-ease, having boarded early along with his officers and advisors. Cabba pulled at his uniform's collar, the dark circles under his eyes showing the nearly sleepless days he'd been spending unifying the former enemies now under his command. Somehow, he made it work. Also, our mortal level has increased significantly.

A huge shadow passed over the green hills outside of Sadala's capital city where the cubes were being loaded. It was followed by several smaller shadows, and then what seemed like a mosaic of tiny dark shapes all moving in concert. The Admiral's fleet, overhead. Along with Whis and Kusu, we should be able to transport them as well. They have fire support and marines with drop pods, and are abnormally well organized for Saiyans. They should be an asset here.

"Where's the King? I thought he was coming too," Kale said. She stood next to Caulifla, obviously unnerved by the crowd that was becoming denser by the moment.

"He's in a secure shuttlecraft, guarded by Colla's men. Some of his personal guard, along with some of Brusso's , are there as well," Cabba replied. He took up a dubious position of honor near the God of Destruction. Champa-sama had been engrossed in a mobile phone game since he had arrived, and had only looked up once to give the Saiyans a cursory nod. Standing to the god's other side was Hit, hands in his pockets and eyes closed. He hadn't greeted anyone when he boarded, and still hadn't said a word after nearly an hour at the loading dock.

"Vados, let me know when they're finished loading. We'll go put an end to this quickly," Champa said idly. He did not look up. Blue and yellow light glared from the bright screen, illuminating his face from below. Vados did not bother replying. She knew he wasn't really listening.

VEGETA

"…literally different universal constants. Your capsule miniaturization won't work in my universe, and my nanites won't work in yours," Strap said. She gestured at a series of equations that the two women had been adding to for the last hour or so. The poor bulkheads in the small makeshift classroom were covered in symbols and shorthand, looking like a math professor had suffered a stroke while on magic mushrooms. Sitting in a corner, sorting through some of the items he'd purloined from the corrupted universe, Lavender watched the two of them warily. Vegeta, leaning against the doorway frame, did the same. This is far beyond my understanding of mathematics. Sometimes watching my wife work reminds me of Babidi; it's just another form of magic at this point.

"That explains it, actually. I tried to use a capsule earlier, and it just sat there," Bulma replied, tapping on her chin with one finger. "Meanwhile, you're basically an android with a built-in 3D printer."

"Yep. Hey, my husband was the highest profile assassin in the universe. I lost count of how many kidnapping attempts I had to put up with," Strap said. "I either had to find more power or put up with being used as a pawn whenever Vegeta killed someone important."

"That's… unfortunate," Bulma said, staring at her.

"One of the costs of living in deep space," Strap replied with a shrug. "I don't even like fighting, but I can punch people really hard when I get angry."

"With the nanites onboard, she hits hard enough for a Super Saiyan to feel it," said the assassin, walking into the small galley. "Trust me, I know. There were only two attempts on her afterward. I didn't have to do anything but sit back and laugh at the looks on their faces. Since then, nothing."

"It doesn't bother you that your wife is in mortal danger?" Vegeta demanded. Much as the two women had been having a mathematical debate, the two men had taken to arguing about… everything. The assassin glared at the fighter.

"Every person that threatened her up until that point; I killed all of them personally," the assassin said. "I was sick of having to deal with it. She was sick of having to deal with it. The only way to dissuade those morons was to make her a much harder target. As a side benefit, my wife was the strongest Earthling in our universe. Not bad for someone who almost never fights."

"Enough, you two," Bulma said. "Atua said that we only had two hours to prepare, and then the reinforcements would start coming in. We need to figure out how to approach this."

"You're not approaching anything. You're staying right here," Vegeta replied. When she opened her mouth to protest, he simply folded his arms in front of his chest and glared at her. I'm not listening to a damn thing about this. She has almost no resources to call upon, and her capsules don't even work. She needs to stay out of this. Slowly, Bulma closed her mouth and sighed.

"I hate this, but you're right," Bulma said. She then rose and pointed directly at him. "You better win this, or I won't forgive you. And… um… take some drone footage, okay?"

Thank all of the gods, all of the angels, Zeno-sama, High Priest-sama, and their fucking janitor. She's actually not going to argue about this. I… almost want to kiss her.

"Same with you, nanites or not," the assassin said, grinning at his wife. Strap rolled her eyes at him.

"Not interested to begin with," the engineer said. A stream of nanites flew from the container at her hip and washed over the bulkheads, removing the mathematical graffiti and polishing the metal until it shone. "I've seen enough action for many lifetimes."

"What about us?" a boy's voice asked from the main door to the galley. Having stayed in the gym longer than their fathers, the two children both looked worse for wear. One of Garter's eyes was swollen shut, and Trunks was limping slightly on the right side.

"That depends. Did you two injure yourselves already?" Vegeta asked, eyeing both of them skeptically.

"That's not really an issue," Garter said. She looked expectantly at her mother. "Mom, can you heal us?"

"Sure," Strap replied. The nanites detached from the bulkheads and flew across the room. Strap merely stood there and waited, but Trunks began to back away.

"Is that safe?" he asked, staring at the oncoming green haze.

"Totally safe. It only accidentally stopped my heart once," Garter said conversationally. Trunks made a strangled noise and dove back into the hallway.

"Garter," Strap said in a disapproving tone. Giggling helplessly as the nanites surrounded her and began to treat her wounds, the girl paid no heed to the glares of both of her parents.

"Trunks, she's lying. Come out and get healed," the assassin said. "Garter, enough of that."

Trunks peeked around the corner of the doorframe and then slowly emerged. The nanite swarm silently surrounded him and his wounds began to heal immediately. He looked down at himself in wonder.

"That's a pretty nice trick," he said. Strap grinned and gestured toward her husband.

"Ever since I got married, I've become an accomplished trauma surgeon," she said. "To be honest, I only invented the medical protocol because I was sick of playing nurse."

"She's not lying," the assassin said. "She has a couple of framed newspaper articles in the medbay, reporting my death. If not for her, they would have been right."

"Okay, so the kids are going then," a forgotten voice said from the corner. They all turned to see Lavender, watching them with yellow eyes. "What about me?"

"That depends. How is your stock of poisons?" Vegeta asked. Lavender bared his teeth at the Saiyan.

"I don't ask you if you're running low on Super Saiyan, do I?" Lavender said. "I'm good."

HIGH PRIEST

The corrupted universe loomed in front of him, growing a little larger with each second. The small angel gazed at it solemnly. I still don't understand exactly how this happened, but now we will go to war to stop it. At least, I hope that it is stopped. Zeno-sama has been becoming increasingly more erratic in the last few days. What his guardian said was true: when the multiverse suffers, Zeno-sama suffers. Behind him were all of the gods of destruction and most of their attendants. Nearby, their Supreme Kais had also gathered. The World of Void had not been this populated since the Tournament of Power had concluded.

Six of my children bring all of the forces here. Twelve Kais transport them in as fast as they can. Will it be enough? Belmod's Pride Troopers are a known quantity, but I have never associated Champa's universe with military matters. Wait… I had forgotten. This is the work of the Saiyan known as Cabba, one of those I transported weeks ago. I remember him now. At the time, he had reminded me of Maizcal, but… I see now that he's not similar at all. Very reassuring.

"High Priest-sama," said a familiar voice from over his shoulder. Camparri, probably with Mule in tow. "Please accept apologies from Universe Three. Our prototypes are not quite ready at this time."

"The Doctor is working as fast as he can, but creating robots that can beat Super Saiyans isn't easy," Mule said over the loudspeaker. "I am sorry, High Priest-sama."

"It's quite all right," High Priest said without turning around. Their creations have yet to impress me. I honestly had expected nothing from them… and my expectations were sound. "Between the Pride Troopers and the forces of Universe Six, I believe what we have should be sufficient."

"Of course, High Priest-sama," Camparri said smoothly. While there are others amongst my children who are smarter, faster, and stronger, Camparri is by far the most patient. It is not always an asset.

"High Priest-sama!" shouted one of the Kais. This time, the angel did turn around. It is very rare for a Kai to address me directly. They have little business with angels. All twelve of the Kais, Atua included, were floating together in a group and facing him grimly. "Working together, we've been able to sense the disposition of the forces against us. As Vegeta had said, the Emperor has gathered his armies. We're estimating six thousand Saiyan fighters, with at least three hundred capable of Super Saiyan."

"Oh shit," Maizcal blurted. The other divines turned to glare at him. "Sorry."

"That is dire news," High Priest said, ignoring the Saiyan's rudeness. "But the messages I have received from Marcarita and Vados give me hope for this situation. There are over a thousand Pride Troopers inbound, and nearly eight hundred Saiyans along with a battle fleet. I do not know how many of the Saiyans can transform, but given the nature of their prior crisis, it should be a considerable number."

"That is... excellent news!" Shin said. His expression shifted slowly from relief to thoughtfulness. "But it means that we are the bottleneck. We will have to transport them down even faster than expected."

"We can do it," said Fuwa, standing with hands clasped behind his back. "We have to do it."

VEGETA

The sun was setting over the windswept plain where the Emperor had marshalled all of the forces currently on Planet Vegeta. Adjacent to the forestlands of the capital, it was a verdant series of fields dotted with occasional farms owned by client races. The Saiyans had arrived from all over the planet, and those in space who had received the signal to return were now making their way back to the planet with great haste. The host of warriors numbered into the thousands. Impromptu fighting rings had sprung up, with predictable fatalities. Old feuds were settled, and new ones arose. When the Emperor called to muster, those who answered were tested; the enemy would only see those who survived.

The portal appeared on the plain, a good distance away from the gathering horde. Five figures quickly emerged from it, and then it disappeared almost instantly. Crouching down and watching the chaotic mass of warriors arriving, the father, the son, and the analogues thereof made their profiles as low as they could. The canid alien accompanying them dropped to all fours and hunkered down.

"I can't even count them all," Garter said, watching wide-eyed. "So many…"

"You should have seen the invasion of Earth," Trunks said. "This is a small army."

"The invasion of Earth?" the assassin asked.

"We had a dispute with our god of destruction. We lost," Vegeta said.

"You're still alive?" the assassin asked with a skeptical expression.

"I said I was sorry. They let me go," Vegeta said, deadpan. The assassin and his daughter both stared at him, and then looked to Trunks.

"Y-yeah. That's what happened. I think," Trunks said. In the distance, a massive explosion sent nearly a hundred Saiyans flying into the air, and left several bodies in its wake. "Dad, how long until our armies show up? This isn't like Earth, we're not fighting conscripts."

"Are you trying to lecture me on military strategy?" Vegeta asked, and then made a scoffing noise. "Boy, I'm well aware of the situation. And the answer is that I do not know. Which is why we will stay put and wait."

"No complaints here," Lavender said. "Even on my best day, I wouldn't have enough poison to deal with this many Saiyans."

"That's funny, in the Tournament you didn't have enough to deal with one," Vegeta said mockingly. The coyote-like alien rolled his eyes.

"Being a jerk is just your way of passing the time, ain't it?" Lavender muttered.

The conversation faded into silence as the sun dropped below the horizon. Hundreds of fires were lit, casting light on the elevated throne that had been hastily constructed in the center of the gathering mass. Flickering yellow and red lit up the distant dark figure of the Emperor. In shades of gold and blood, ignoring the bloody combats breaking out beneath him, the Emperor sat and waited for his enemies.

"Vegeta?" Atua's voice sounded from the crystal that Vegeta held.

"Atua. Where is my army?" Vegeta asked brusquely.

"Armies, actually. The first just arrived, and the second is coming soon. We Supreme Kais will be teleporting them into the universe at your location. We're combining our power, so we should be able to transport a few hundred at a time," Atua said.

"Good. They better be ready for a fight. I'm looking at an army of Saiyans gathering here, and I've already seen several of them transform," Vegeta said. By the time he finished speaking, there was a strangely cold breeze on the back of his neck. He stood and turned to look, finding himself face to face with a Saiyan military officer. The man was shorter and slighter than Vegeta, with a few days growth of beard and almond-shaped eyes.

"Master Vegeta," the officer said, suddenly smiling in the dim light. Behind him, hundreds of soldiers were appearing, carpeting the plain. Vegeta's eyes narrowed and he gave the officer a closer look.

"Cabba. You look different," Vegeta said. Is this really the same man that abased himself in front of me and asked for lessons? He looks like he's been through Hell.

"I just got finished fighting a civil war. We won," Cabba said. Suddenly, the night sky light up with a thousand lights overhead. The clamor from the distant Imperial army quieted almost immediately as they stared upward. "I don't know how the Supreme Kais managed to transport a Saiyan battle fleet, but they did it. Good thing, too. Admiral Colla wouldn't have been very useful without it."

Vegeta watched, a fierce grin spreading across his face, as the army and navy of Universe Six's Sadala unfolded before his eyes. I haven't seen anything like this since I was a child. I had forgotten what it looked like. He suddenly became aware of a distant beeping sound. Listening closely, he realized it wasn't a single sound; it was thousands of them all together. He turned to regard the Emperor's army once again, and found that the entire horde had stopped. They were staring across the darkened fields as the rhythmic beeping continued. Their scouters. All of their scouters went off at once. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. His attention was distracted once again by a bright flash of light. A figure, still glowing from the remnant energy, walked toward the small group of heroes.

"Hi guys," the figure said, resolving into a muscular female figure. "It's been a while."

"Kefla," Vegeta said, nodding with approval. "I have no love for fusion, but your power is welcome."

"Works for me," Kefla replied. Garter stared at her in open admiration, drawing an amused glance from her father.

"V-Vegeta?" Cabba stuttered, his newly earned military mien completely gone. He was staring at the assassin, who looked back at him without recognition. "Two Vegetas?"

"Three," the assassin said. He stood and pointed across the battlefield-to-be, where the armies of the corrupted Empire were forming in battle ranks. Still sitting above it all, bathed in the colors of flame, the seemingly motionless Emperor watched them.

"How? If Master Vegeta is from Universe Seven, and that King or whatever he is comes from the corrupted Universe Fifteen, where do you come in?" Cabba asked. His face hardened back to near unreadability as he stared skeptically at his teacher's analogue.

"He's a clone of the Emperor, made as a backup body. You know, just in case," Lavender said suddenly. In the dark, his coat blended eerily well with the grass and he looked like two gleaming yellow eyes on a field of darkness.

"Uh… yeah," the assassin said. "Woke up two days ago in a tank. Learned how to be a master swordsman in two hours, then spent the last day and a half in a brothel."

"That's disgusting," Cabba said reflexively. Even in the darkness, his face was still burning.

"He's me from the original Universe Fifteen," Vegeta said impatiently. "Lavender, save the jokes for when the battle is over."

"But I'm goo… ooo…" the coyote-man trailed off. Garter, grinning, had reached over and started scratching him behind one ear. He made a whining noise and then his leg kicked the ground a couple of times. He pulled away from her warily. "Knock it off!"

"Guys, maybe we should start getting ready," said Trunks. Across the field of grass, a massive line of Saiyans, some standing in darkness and some lit up with gold, watched their enemies arriving with anticipation.

"He's not going to attack until all of our troops arrive," Vegeta said. He folded his arms in front of his chest and stared coolly at his distant adversary. "If he attacked us while we prepared, his own army would consider it an act of cowardice."

"Also, he's us," the assassin added. "None of us are satisfied with victory unless we know our opponent was at their best. Unless I'm getting paid to take care of them, of course."

"Just so," Vegeta replied. Behind them, the last of Cabba's forces arrived. While they seemed less organized than the troops of the Empire, the power that Vegeta sensed from them was considerable.

"That's all of them," Cabba said. His eyes then widened. He looked off into the distance, and let out a whistle of appreciation. "I don't know who that is, but I'm glad they're fighting with us!"

"Yeah, no kidding," said Garter, staring at the shadowy figure that had arrived at the head of a column of dark-suited fighters.

"Jiren," said Trunks, almost reverently. "Dad, is it true that he beat up Beerus-sama?"

"Twelve only has the footage from twenty different angles," Vegeta said wearily. "I had to order him to stop talking about it. I had to punch Kakarot to get him to stop talking about it."

"Beerus-sama is our God of Destruction," Trunks said to the assassin and his daughter. "Jiren is one of the Pride Troopers of Universe Eleven. He's probably the most powerful mortal in the multiverse."

"Pride Troopers. Heard of them, never crossed paths," the assassin said, raising an eyebrow. "A group of vigilantes, wanna-be super heroes?"

"Real vigilantes. Real super heroes," Trunks replied. "Seriously. They're no joke."

"Especially not when the entire force is here," a loud voice said. A burly man with a cybernetic eye was approaching them, the red part of his uniform barely visible in the starlight. "Almost every single Pride Trooper is deploying. Top had to sit this one out, but we're planning to make up the difference."

"I remember you," Kefla said, turning to the suddenly wide-eyed man. Involuntarily, he backed off a step from the playful warrior woman. "Or, at least, my girls remember you. Kahseral, right? Heh… I guess we're on the same side this time."

The man's cyber-eye switched from red to green, and he surveyed the group in front of him. After a long moment, he unexpectedly started laughing.

"Half of the Tournament of Power is here," the General said. "Of course, no offense, Universe Seven is in the middle of it all."

"I did not choose this!" Vegeta shouted, startling the onlookers. He pointed at the distant Emperor. "I'm the hero and the villain, and technically this isn't even my story."

"Life is occasionally unfair," a flat voice said. Vegeta's gaze snapped upward. Jiren's stoic visage was looking back down at him. He could hear Trunks snort, trying not to laugh. What does he think is so funny? The Saiyan growled something under his breath and turned back to survey the Empire's forces. Even more Saiyans had arrived, their ranks swelling by the minute. As Vegeta watched, the Emperor rose from his chair. His form erupted in gold, tinted with blood-red from the flames below him.

"Imposter! Weakling armies of the multiverse!" the Emperor's voice boomed across the to-be battlefield. He's using ki to project his voice. Father used to like that trick. "Prepare yourselves for death. For your sakes, I pray that your gods can transport your souls away from my universe."

"He is us," the assassin said. All relaxation in his face and pose were gone, replaced by a nearly supernatural calm. Only the sudden focus in his eyes showed that he was preparing himself to kill. "This is not acceptable. He has to go."

"I told you, Dad. The other me is just as bad," said Garter, glaring at the distant red-gold figure. Slowly, more golden light joined his, as more and more of the thousands of Saiyans began to transform.

"A few hundred Super Saiyans, and a horde of ambitious killers," Vegeta said, wearing a strange grin. "This may end up being the best fight of my life. I almost feel bad that Kakarot isn't here."

"Really?" Trunks asked, looking up at his father in surprise.

"No," Vegeta replied. "But it is strange having a battle this large without him being here. I hate to say it, but I've gotten used to having him as an ally. It is al-"

"Protectors of Sadala!" Cabba shouted toward the ranks of Saiyans who were forming a deep line of soldiers alongside the Pride Troopers. "Show them your colors!"

An answering roar erupted from the Saiyans of Universe Six, and almost as one, a band of golden light spread across an entire wing of the field. Hundreds of Super Saiyans shouted their defiance at the Emperor, while others chanted Cabba's name. The Pride Troopers were caught at surprise, and then suddenly their soldiers began to power up as well. Many different colors sprang to life, but predominantly a deep shade of red, almost matching their uniforms. Vegeta almost smiled to himself, thinking of what the Emperor was seeing: a great line of gold next to a great line of red and black, almost mocking the Emperor's meagre aura of the same hues. The Empire's forces responded with even more transformations, along with a cacophony of challenges and threats. The plain between the two armies was lit almost as bright as day, and shadows were cast long into the distance.

"Cabba," Vegeta said sharply. The general, having transformed himself, was standing and watching his soldiers with unabashed pride. At the sound of Vegeta's voice, he powered down and turned to regard the other Saiyan nervously. I teach one meek man how to transform. He teaches an entire fighting force and wins a planetary war. This is a true Saiyan. He's earned the name. Vegeta did not turn, but he did manage a tight grin. "You don't get to call me Master anymore."

When he realized what had been said, Cabba's face lit up. Tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes, and he turned away. If anyone else noticed, they chose to say nothing.