A Tail To Remember
by Gie: phowah@cs.com
***

Well, here you go people! The second part of this lovely escapade to New York! *grin* I won't babble too long here--just let me know what you think. I got a sorta...weak...response to the last chapter, so hopefully there will more this time! Gie-chan

A Tail To Remember
Chapter Thirty Two: A Meeting of Minds, part 2
*************

Inside the council chambers, everyone silenced when Trunks and the
rest of the group entered the room. The Chinese Saiya-jiin nodded to the
others and quickly moved to their own section of the floor. The Japanese
representative stood up and came to their side, ushering them to their
section. All eyes were on them, but after a few minutes, conversation slowly
returned to normal levels. "Did you have a good lunch?" Mamoru asked
them.

"Yes, thank you," Bulma replied, running a hand through her straight
locks. "Although the accousting by the press outside was not the best
dessert offered on the menu."

Mamoru shook his head in disgust. "I can imagine. Sometimes I think
they are more canine than human--they are always sniffing out a story from
any situation. I had lunch with Shamar this noon."

"How is he taking everything?" ChiChi asked. "He seemed a little
overwhelmed earlier."

Mamoru smiled. "I was overwhelmed, and I knew about the
non-human part. Although I didn't realize that we had visitors from the
future." He looked pointedly at Trunks and Bulma. "You are Bulma's future
son, are you not?" Trunks nodded. "So you are half human." He nodded
again. Mamoru turned a bit when he heard Vejiita muttering about half
breed brats. "I was impressed by your eloquence, Mr. Briefs. You too, Mr.
Saotome." Tobuma nodded his thanks. "President Shamar was very
overwhelmed by the information, but he took it pretty much in stride. I
think he would've liked to have been warned, but it's a little late for that
now. Are there any more secrets that need to be explained before they
start up again?"

"I don't think so, Soho-san," Bulma smiled apologetically. "Like
Seiika said earlier, we didn't really want to reveal the saiya-jiin. They look
human enough to blend in with society. There are other races on Chikyuu
that stand out more, and they are accepted as natives."

"Shamar did have a question, though, and I was unable to answer it
truthfully, since I don't know the full answer." Mamoru's eyebrows came
together in a worried 'V'. "What is your stance on Chikyuu?"

Akane spoke, her voice even and low. "Do you mean how we want to
be known?" Soho thought for a bit and shrugged. "Well, all of us, save
Vejiita, have been raised on Earth, and we think of it as our home. We don't
want to be singled out, or anything like that. Peace is what we're fighting
for, Soho-san, not recognition." She smiled a bit. "We aren't here to
conquer Earth, if that's what you mean, Soho-san. We just want to live and
raise our families in peace. But if threatened, we will rise up and protect
what is ours." The saiya-jiin nodded in agreement.

A smile grew on Mamoru's face, and he bowed in respect. "You speak
with much honor and pride for your people, Saotome-san, and I wish you
luck, and in the end I hope you get the peace that you so desperately fight for.
You bring honor to the great nation of Japan." He looked around and when
he saw the German delegation talking to themselves, he quickly turned back
to the group. "Just to warn you all, Spiel was very friendly with the press
earlier. He was throwing some nasty rhetoric to very hungry ears."

"Like what, Soho-san?" Akane asked worriedly. She felt the
comforting squeeze of Ranma's tail as it wrapped around her waist.

"He spouted things about aliens, human-like or not," he glanced at
the saiya-jiin, "are a threat to the human race." He nodded at the grunts
and sounds of disgust and disapproval. "I know. He also talked about the
dangers of leaving the fate of Earth in the hands of such powerful
unknowns. He said that he and Germany are willing to help Earth and her
humans. There was a definite stress on the human part."

"Xenophobic bastard," Nabiki crossed her arms. "I'll give him a
stress."

"Nabiki..." Bulma shook her head, but couldn't hide the smile peeking
at the corner of her mouth.

She smirked back. "Then we'll just have to see what Mr. Germany
will have to say against our defense plans."

Three sharp raps brought everyone's attention to the front of the
room, where President Shamar stood. "If everyone could start to settle
back down, I'd like to reopen this summit meeting." He glanced around the
room as the noise level gradually dropped. When his gaze came to rest upon
Bulma and the group, he gave them a slight nod, which she returned with a
smile.

Shamar sat back down when the room became quiet. "Thank you, all.
For opening comments, I'd just like to say thank you to Ms. Bulma Briefs and
her delegation, for coming forward today." Bulma nodded in
acknowledgement. "What they have presented so far is invaluable to Earth
and her people. They didn't have to come and tell us what they knew, and
therefore exposing their nature in such a way and I, for one, am very
thankful for their cooperation."

He paused until the almost deafening applause quieted. "I'd also like to
state on behalf of Mother Earth and her people, we would like to welcome
the Saiyans to her soil, and into the great melting pot that is composed of her
people. We are a world of many nationalities, dieties, beliefs, and ideas, and we
more than welcome a new perspective to our world's situations." He started to
clap, and immediately, just about everyone else joined in once again.

The saiya-jiin took the greeting in stride, and when everything
calmed down, Akane stood up. "May I speak, Mr. President?"

Shamar gave the unfamiliar young lady a smile. "Please introduce
yourself first."

"Of course," Akane nodded. "My given name is Seiika. I am the
Saiyan Crown Princess and Heir to the Saiyan empire. I am also Akane
Saotome, wife to Ranma Saotome," she placed one hand on Ranma's shoulder
and the other on the back of Tobuma's head, "and future mother to Tobuma
Saotome. On behalf of me, my brother Prince Vejiita and the rest of the
saiyans on Earth, we thank you for your warm reception. Both Ranma and I
were raised on Earth from the age of two by very caring humans, who
accepted their newly-found children with open arms and willing hearts.
From them and everyone else around us we have learned of the love and
peace you are capable of, and hope that now that our full status has been
exposed, nothing will change, and we will still be able to live in relative peace
and harmony with everyone else. We ask for no special recognition or
status, only to be given what we earned through hard work and
determination, just as everyone else on Earth is entitled. We are honored
to be able to fight united with you for everyone's freedom against the
Hachi threat. Again, we thank you for your official welcome." She sat back
down to the roar of applause.

Ranma leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple. "Very good,
Hima-chan. Who knew you were such a motivator?"

"Well, I am royalty," she said in the same tone of voice he did earlier
when bragging about Tobuma's lineage. He stuck his tongue out in
retaliation.

"Thank you, Mrs. Saotome," Shamar nodded back, his smile even
wider than before. "You and your people are more than welcome. Again, we
can't thank you enough for what you've done so far for Earth." His tone
immediately went from warm to serious. "But this does bring up a valid
point. The Hachi are still at large, and Earth has no manner of defense, save
the warriors that have been valiantly defending us so far."

Nabiki stood up. "If I may speak, Mr. President?"

Shamar recognized the young woman from earlier. "Yes, Ms. Tendo."

"Thank you, Mr. President." She stepped up to the podium. "Because
our warriors have been fighting the Hachi attackers, we also know what
they are capable of, and their manner of defense against our own attacks.
The Hachi aren't very complicated beings, in general. Their warrior and
scout drones are fighters. They are experts in hand-to-hand combat, and
are very agile. Their flight ability gives them a very big advantage to those
of us stuck on the ground, and they are very fast fliers."

"But they are not unbeatable. One thing they lack and our warriors
have in abundance, is ki, or that life energy that Mr. Briefs and Mr. Saotome
demonstrated earlier. They are incapable of generating it, so if the energy
hits them, they are injured. But that doesn't mean they aren't capable of
defending themselves against this weapon. The probe discs have more than
one use. Along with the injecting of the nanoprobes, they also can absorb ki
thrown at them, and then send it back at equally rapid, if not faster, speeds.
But once the drone is relieved of the discs, a properly placed ball of ki will
distinigrate it."

"But what does this mean to us, the non ki-wielding members of
society? How can we protect ourselves against a maurauding party of
Hachi? Well, one thing would be to learn and master several types of
martial arts, including both hand-to-hand styles and weapon styles. But,
being normal humans, that is slightly beyond our reach." She let a smile
echo the laughs that surrounded her. "Exactly. Pretty near impossible."

She sobered up quickly. "To tell the truth, there is not much a single
person can do when met face-to-face with a drone. The best thing to do is
run and hide. Pray that it does not come after you."

"Then what is the point? Why have you come here, if we can not do
anything to protect ourselves?" A woman from the French delegation spoke,
her arms thrown high into the air in exasperation. "It seems that we are
doomed to fall under the Hachi control, and become drones."

Nabkiki opened her mouth to reply, but Dunkirk stood and
interrupted her. "It does seem very fatalistic, doesn't it? But it doesn't
need to be that way."

"And what do you propose, Mr. Spiel?" Nabiki questioned him,
crossing her arms. "What is your plan to save the world?"

"My, a sharp tongue will not solve anything, Ms. Tendo," Dunkirk
smirked. "I will not save the world, my dear. I am only one man--and as you
stated, what can one man do against these galactic invaders? But what my
associates and I have done is detail a plan that each government will
welcome with open arms. We can not just sit back and let these aliens take
over our world." A well-planned glance to the saiya-jiin in the Japanese
delegation turned the vocalizations of agreement into a dull roar. And all
the while Dunkirk's smile grew bigger and bigger.

"That is true, Mr. Spiel, we can not let the Hachi take over the world." She
stressed the real threat. "What would suggest be done?" Nabiki crossed her
arms, throwing Spiel's smirk back in his face.

He didn't let her faze him. "What my associates and I present, along with
the collaboration of Germany's highest generals, is this discourse to
the Security Council." An extensive outline became visible on the touch screens.
"Within it outlines what the assembled armies can do when the Hachi atttack."

"That sounds nice and longwinded, Mr. Dunkirk, but what would you
do? Have legions of soldiers patrol large metropolises and contrysides?"

"Yes, that is one aspect." He nodded.

"How about the local populations? Have them travel around in large
groups? Safety in numbers, correct?" Nabiki stared hard at the smile
disappearing off Spiel's face.

"Correct..."

"Wrong." She stepped away from the pdium and walked across the
platform so she stood directly in front of the German delegation. "That is
the exact opposite of what needs to be done to protect everyone. That plan
will get everyone killed."

"Now, see here, Ms. Ten..."

"No, you see here, Mr. Dunkirk," she cut him off again with a wave of
her arm.

Akane smirked and leraned close to her brother. "She's going in for
the kill now." Vejiita nodded, an indentical smirk on his lips.

"Let me tell you what is wrong with your plan. If you have patrols
of soldiers, not only do you cause mass panic and confusion from the
residents, but also you are also putting these soldiers in prime spots for
Hachi attacks. Yes, they will be armed," she held up a hand to stop Dunkirk
from interrupting her, "but the guns and such can't do much against a
hundred paraylsis beams. Guns need people to make them work."

"And it works the same way with people traveling in large groups.
Might as well have regular offerings."

Shamar frowned. "Ms. Tendo, plesae."

"I apologize, Mr. President," she bowed slightly in apology.
"Sometimes it's rather frustrating when people don't stop to think."

Dunkirk didn't let the barb affect him. He spoke again, a neutral
look to his angular features. "You made your point, Ms. Tendo. But then
what do you suggest, since everything some of the greatest military minds
in this century put together is all wrong?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Mr. Dunkirk," Nabiki's tone turned
sugary-sweet. "If everyone could take a look at their touch screens, you will
see a list of what our warriors have compiled to present to the Security
Council and the different major countries." The screen from earlier came
back down behind her and displayed what she was talking about.

"First and foremost, the inforation I present is generalized, so the
public can be as well informed on their safety as much as the council.
Everyone must know what to do in case an attack happens in their area.
For the general public, the most important thing is to go about your daily
lives as normal as possible. The attacks are random--there is no definite
pattern that can be mapped or predicted. But should you be in the area
where one is taking place, here are a few tips to stay safe."

She looked up into the crowd. "Don't be stupid. If you see a drone,
don't go trying to attack it. All you will do is present yourself as an easy
target. Hide from their view. They have no real means of detecting
lifeforms, so if they can't see you, they can't get you."

As Nabiki was talking, Ranma was watching the other people in the room,
taking in everyone's reactions to the plans he, Goku, Ryouga devised.
They all had worked long and hard, trying to make them simple and
easy to understand and implement, with the least amount of casualties as
humanly possible. And when Vejiita had pulled him out of the room the
other day, they went over the plans again, and the elder saiya-jiin gave many
pointers and ideas that the original three never even thought to implement.
He let his blue gaze settle on the elder male, taking note of the satisfied
smirk on his face. He really knew his stuff. Guess that comes with bein' a
warior for all his life, plus the royalty trainin' that he got on Vejiita-sei. He
nodded back at Vejiita when they locked gazes.

Vejiita grunted and turned back to the main arena where his sister's
adopted sibling was detailing the different implements for the armed
forces. Have to admit, the female can hold her own under hostile situations.
Could tell that she wanted to strangle the baka.

Something in the corner of his mind fuzzed, and he frowned, scanning
the room once again. As he turned to the side, he caught the gaze of the
other two male saiya-jiin. It seemed he wasn't the only one that felt the
disturbance.

Goku jerked his head in the direction of the door, and the other two
males nodded in agreement. When all three stood up, Akane looked into
each of their faces curiously. "Where are you going?" she hissed, trying not
to attract any more attention than necessary.

"Never mind, Seiika," Vejiita grunted, "stay here and watch the
proceedings."

Her hand flashed out of view and Ranma covered his mouth the stifle
the yelp that fought to escape as her fingers curled tight around his tender
appendage. "Tell me now!"

"Akane, let go," he hissed back, his face scrunched up in a mixture of
pain and anger, a rare emotion seen on the young male's features.

So rare, the female in question let go in surprise. "Then tell me
what's going on!"

Ranma sat back down, and nodded to Goku and Vejiita to leave the
room, which they did, wrapping their own tails tightly around their waists.
"Didn't you just feel that before?"

"I felt something, but I didn't think it was anything other than the
malevolent feeling coming from the audience." She frowned and stared hard
at her mate. "Is it something else?"

"That's what we're gonna go see. It was too strong and...wrong...to be
a couple humans giving us the evil eye." He stood back up. "We'll just take a
look around. I'll let you know if we find anything, ne?" He smiled
encouragingly at the hesitant nod he received. "Besides, you need to be
here for moral support. Although, Nabiki is doin' a damn fine job."

"I'll make sure to let her know you're her number one fan."

He leaned back down and nipped her nose quickly. "Thanks,
Hima-chan." He smiled again and quickly left the room.

She watched his lean figure retreat, a worried frown creasing her
smooth skin. "I hope they don't find anything." When she turned back to
the front, both Trunks and Tobuma were staring at her, deep crevices of
concern etched over their features. "Looks like someone else felt it too."
She shook her head silently and indicated to watch Nabiki. Both reluctantly
returned their attentions to the matters at hand, where Nabiki was
answering a question posed by the Security Chief, Shaun Levington.

"Well, Mr. Levington, we were hoping that we would be getting
permission and full participation from the American and Russian
governments. Combined, they have the best network of satellites orbiting
Earth, and if used properly, we would be able to establish a fool-proof
early-warning system. Since the satellite Capsule Corp has can only do so
much, it would be a literal asset to have these satellites broadcasting in our
favor. Our own warriors can only do so much in the detecting department."

"What do you mean by that, Ms. Tendo?" One of the Russian delegates spoke
up.

"Which part, the warriors or the satellites?"

"Explain both please, just in case."

She nodded. "Of course. The Z warriors have an interesting ability
to be able to sense higher-powered beings--that is, people with a
higher level of ki than a regular human being. The drones don't have a
distinguished level of ki from a normal person, so it is impossible to detect
them in that way. But with the satellites, we hope to be able to detect them
in flight, since they travel in larger groupings. Although, we will need
picture along with that. Wouldn't want to send them after a flock of
migrating birds." She bared her teeth as the room chuckled at her attempt
at humor, followed by healthy conversation at what she had presented as so
far.

"It seems like we may pull this off," Tobuma quietly commented to
Trunks behind her.

"Hopefully. Although, I didn't expect such discord."

Bulma shook her head. "We have good, sound plans, thanks to Goku
and Serori. They did an excellent job."

"I have a question, Ms. Tendo," Jacob Marro, another member of the
British delegation stood. "What about the warriors, then? How will they
work into these plans? Because so far, you've presented what the humans
can do to protect and defend themselves from the Hachi. At some point, we
want them defeated." A generalized murmur of agreement rumbled through
the room.

Nabiki sighed and turned off the screen. "That is a valid point, sir,
and a serious one. We have, as an unit, only about a dozen warriors that
have the ability to defeat the Hachi. A dozen warriors against tens of
thousands of Hachi drones are not very good odds, even with the
fantastic abilities they possess. But also, we didn't have the knowledge of
where they were striking--we only knew where they were by the news
broadcasts to tell us where the attacks were happening. And sometimes--a
lot of times--it wasn't soon enough. But with the advanced warning from the
network of satellites, we should be able to get our warriors to the attack
sites that much faster."

"But this is also a two-part deal. If the people aren't doing their part
by making themselves prime targets, then the situations will become worse."
She shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "They can't help those who can't help
themselves."

"That is a very cold statement, Ms. Tendo," President Shamar said,
frowning. "Sometimes situations will arise that can't be avoided."

"Of course, Mr. President, I understand that. I was mainly referring
to those who know how to protect themselves and others and refuse to do
anything about it." She purposely stole a glance to the German delegation,
and noted with some surprise that they seemed to be listening to what she
was saying. About damn time, I'd say.

She also saw as her gaze panned the room, that three seats
surrounding her younger sister were empty. And the female in question had
a look of worry plastered across her face. "If that's not a look of impending
doom, then I'm the next Queen of the Saiya-jiin," she mumbled to herself.

"What did you say, Nabiki?" Trunks leaned forward, his intense azure gaze
boring into her own toffee one.

"Never mind," she shook her head, trying to control the blush that threatened
to warm her cheeks.

President Shamar stood up again, trying to bring the room to order.
"Thank you, Ms. Tendo, for your presentation. Mr. Levington, did you want
to make any other comments?"

Shaun Levington stood up. "Yes, Mr. President. Actually, I just
wanted to thank Ms. Tendo, Ms. Briefs, Mr. Briefs and Mr. Saotome for all
of the information and suggestions brought to the table today. The
Security Council has a lot to go over, and many decisions to make during the
coming days. Thank you again." He sat back down amid a roar of applause.

"It seems we have made quite a bit of progress here today, and quite
a few revelations have been made that will change the way we view our world
from now on." He nodded to Trunks and Tobuma. "And finding friends and
allies in stressful situations is always welcome, even if they came from the
most unlikely of places." The set of cousins nodded back.

"Mr. President, can I ask a question?" Bulma raised a hand to get
attention. Shamar nodded his agreement. She turned to Levington. "Mr.
Levington, I was wondering when will we know when you've come to a
decision?"

Shaun cleared his throat. "After the Security Council and I have
met and discussed what was talked about here, we will come to the decisions
needed. Then we will bring our plans to the general assembly, where they
will be discussed again, and voted upon. Then they will be dispatched to the
rest of the world."

"So what is the time frame from the end of this summit to the world
implements what you have decided. A week? Month? Several months?"

He cleared his throat again. "I can not give you a set timeframe, Ms.
Briefs. It will all depend on how well we agree in each setting."

"So while you're debating the use of satellites, the Hachi are
attacking cities and taking away it's residents. Something needs to be
decided, today, Mr. Levington, for the sake of Earth and her people." A loud
rousing of agreement answered her call to arms.

"She's right, Mr. President," Sara Cunningham spoke up again. "At least, a
statement must be released. The public needs to know how to defend
themselves against an immediate threat. By leaving them in the dark, the
only thing it accomplishes is raising the missing count."

Bulma nodded in gratitude to the British woman. She was glad that
one of the ambassadors spoke up in agreement with her. She sighed and sat
back to watch the debates ensue over what the public needed to know.

*****

~~Times Square~~

A large crowd gathered around the giant screen in Times Square,
which was broadcasting the proceedings from the UN building. Many cheers
and gasps ran through the crowd in waves, as information was revealed, both
about the Hachi and about the warriors themselves. A rousing cheer went
up when they heard the British delegate speak up on their behalf.

Although some weren't convinced of the fact that the Hachi were a
threat to national and world security. The idea of a government scandal was
brought up, but the dissenting voices were quickly drowned out by others
that said they had friends and family members missing in the areas of
where Hachi attacks were reported. One person actually said they saw a
raid happen, and escaped alive.

One young woman was talking with another about the loss of her
friend when the child holding her hand started to tug for attention.
"Momma, Momma! Look't the birds!"

"Shush, Sammy. I'm trying to talk."

The little girl was quiet for a moment but then started again to tug
on her mother's sleeve, this time more incessantly. "Momma, they're gonna
land on our heads!"

"Stop talking nonsense, Sammy," the mother scowled down at the
child, then up in the air where Sammy was pointing. "The birds are not
going to land...on..." Her eyes widened and a scream ripped from her throat
when she realized that the black and white cloud rapidly descending from
the sky was not a large flock of migrating geese.

"HACHI!!!"

The crowd erupted into total terror when others took notice of the
approaching doom. People were trampled by others in their mad attempt to
escape the threat of being assimilated. Others were frozen to their spots
in abject horror, their feet petrified in fear. No one took notice that the
mass of black and white flying creatures spilt into four groups, three going
in opposite directions, and the fourth remaining over Times Square. The
only thing they did notice under the green light was their inability to move.

The rapid beating of wings was the only noise that was heard over
the sound of the screaming humans as their bodies mutated into drones.

********

~~Inside, UN building~~

"Again, I want to thank Ms. Briefs and her delegation for coming
forward today. Madam Secretary, please announce the next item on the agenda."

The four speakers quietly left the stage area and made their way to
where the others were sitting. She gathered up their belongings. "Let's
get out of here and regroup." They made their way out of the large meeting
room, Bulma giving a smile and a nod to the Chinese delegation. Yuukari and the
other three replied in kind.

But as they made their way to the door, it burst open before them
and revealed a very distraught-looking Ranma, his chest heaving from his
quick flight there. Immediately, he spotted Akane, and made his way to her
side. "We gotta seal this building up! The Hachi are attacking New York
City."

Everyone was wondering what the excited young man said, for he
spoke in rapid Japanese. But two words did register: Hachi and New York
City. Loud murmurs rumbled through the room.

"What's going on?" Shamar spoke up from the main platform.

Trunks quickly turned around and explained what was going on as
Ranma informed the rest of the group the situation at hand. "Mr. President,
is there a way to seal off the building?" He jumped up on the stage.

"Yes," he nodded slowly, "all of the doors can be locked
automatically. Why do you ask?"

He stepped closer to the president and spoke quietly, making sure
that the other delegations could not hear him. "The Hachi are attacking
New York, sir, and we need to seal this building." Trunks took off his coat
and threw it on a chair. "How soon can it happen?"

After Shamar recovered from the shock of that statement, he
reached into his pocket, pulling out a small cell phone. "The doors can be
sealed in ten minutes."

Trunks nodded and took off the tight dress shirt and tie, revealing
the tank underneath. "Do it then." He reached behind him and a large
sheathed sword appeared, the ornately decorated handle gleaming in the
florescent lights. He heard several gasps, and smirked at the advantage of
a subspace pocket. He unsheathed the thick sword and threw the case on
his other clothes. "There are other people in this building, right?" Shamar
nodded, staring wide at the sharp edge of Ke'petik. "They'll need to know
why the doors are sealed." He heard another round of gasps as Tobuma
pulled his own sword from subspace.

"I...I can have an announcement made over the intercom system. Mr.
Briefs...where did you get that sword?" He tried to look behind the
purple-haired male, but could not fathom where it came from.

Trunks smirked and pulled the blade closer to him, letting the low
hum sing in his ears. "From my father." He nodded to the blond man and
turned to the rest of the room. "Attention, please! Within ten minutes, the
doors of the UN building will be sealed tight. This is for everyone's
protection." He took a deep breath and prepared for the onslaught. "The
reason my uncle came rushing in here was to announce that the Hachi are
attacking New York City." He quickly covered his ears.

He was justified in his act. Many people screamed and attempted to
leave the room, but Ranma, Tobuma and the fathers prevented them from
leaving. "Please, don't panic. Remain in your seats and stay calm." Tobuma
held up his hands. "The Hachi are not in the immediate vicinity, but they are
close. We are doing this for your own protection."

"What about everyone else? All of the reporters outside?" Someone
shouted out.

Tobuma nodded to Soun and Genma, and they immediately left the
room. "They will be brought in. And we are on our way to protect everyone
else." He turned to his father, who was quickly filling in Trunks. "So what
now?"

"Well, we're gonna go fight the Hachi." Ranma said grimly. "We
spotted three separate groups. Goku and Vejiita are at Times Square,
taking care of one. Trunks and I will go to another, and Tobuma and Gohan
can go to another."

"Now, just hold on a minute!" ChiChi sputtered, her face turning red
in anger.

"No, ChiChi-san, I need everyone." Ranma's tone held no room for
arguments.

"Then that means me too, Ranma." Akane said, standing up from her
seat.

He looked at her and shook his head. "You know better, Akane. I
need you here, in case they would get in." She glared at him but nodded in
agreement.

"Is there a way to get in contact with Piccolo-san?" He turned to
look at Gohan.

"Well..."

The youngest warrior started to speak, but a soft voice entered
their heads. "At the moment, Piccolo, Kuririn, and Kamesen'nin are fighting
a different swarm, Serori. They are unable to assist you."

"Nani? Who in the hell was that?" Ranma looked around, his eyes
wide. Everyone else in the room seemed to hear the disembodied voice as
well.

"That would be Kami-sama," Bulam smirked.

"Oops!" he held a hand behind his head in embarrassment. He quickly
sobered up. "Another attack? How any are there?"

"There are nineteen other spots the Hachi are attacking." The voice,
newly identified as Kami, replied. "Concentrate on this attack, Serori; you'll
need every bit of power to defeat them."

"Nineteen other spots!?" Bulma echoed outrageously. "But how can we
protect Chikyuu..."

"Do not fret, child," the soft voice caressed their frazzled nerves,
"it many seem bad, but have faith."

Ranma snorted. "Of course a kami would say have faith," he grunted
and shook his head. "Anyway, we need to worry about us, right now. We
have a city to save."

At that moment, the pair of fathers came back. "Everyone that was
outside is safe, Ranma," Soun reported, "the doors will be sealed in five minutes."

He nodded. "Good. Pop, you come with me and Trunks, and Mr. Tendo
goes with Tobuma and Gohan. Akane, give them swords." She nodded and
reached behind her, pulling out a long blade. She handed it to her father,
and then pulled out another one, handing it to Ranma's father.

She quirked a lip at the surprised looks. "What, did you think we
came unprepared?"

"Okay, now, let's go." Ranma spat impatiently. As he turned around,
he almost ran into the Chinese delegation. "Oh geez, I forgot about you
guys!"

"We thought so, young lord," Xi smiled. "Would you like some help?"

"You don't have to ask twice," he nodded gratefully. "We've got
three corners covered. You can take the fourth."

Xi nodded. "Ninjin will stay here and help her highness protect the
ambassadors."

Ranma nodded, a smile breaking out across his face. "Even better.
Thanks guys." He glanced around at the group, his clouded gaze lingering on his
mate. "Let's go." They quickly left the room.

Akane sighed and turned back around, catching the worried eyes of
President Shamar. She made her way to the front. "Excuse me, Mr.
President, but do you know where they are holding the reporters?"

Shamar nodded. "More than likely. Follow me, Mrs. Saotome." He
led her out of the room and down a few halls, to where the press was talking
loudly in another large meeting room. It took a few minutes, but President
Shamar got their full, undivided attention. "Excuse me, I know you all want
to know what is happening, so we will explain what is going on." He turned
to Akane. "Did you want to say something?"

"I did," she nodded to Shamar and then turned to the rest of the
room. "I need one representative from each of the major news networks,
and your crew, to follow me, please." A few moments later, Akane led the
small group of media members to a smaller conference room. "Please, set up
your equipment. I'm going to make a statement about what is going on."

The TV crews never worked so fast. All too soon, everything was set
up, and several microphones were shoved in her face. She took a deep
breath and started to speak. "Hello, my name is Akane Saotome, and I just
wanted to let you know what was happening. Everyone needs to be informed.
Less than half an hour ago, several warriors spotted a swarm of drones over
New York City. Please, do not panic. Try to get inside as soon as possible, so
you are not a viable target. Remain there until everything is in the clear.
The most important thing is to remain calm with a clear head. All of the
available warriors are out trying to defeat the drones. Thank you for your
cooperation."

******

~~Times Square~~

"Che, I didn't realize that Seiika knew how to remain calm with a
clear head." Vejiita grunted as he attacked the cloud of drones using the
green paralysis beam on the crowd of people. The drones were unable to
defend themselves, since they did not have any assimilation discs, so he and
Goku worked quickly to try and dispose of as many as possible. But once the
drones on the ground realized they were under attack, they rushed into the
air to defend the others. Now they had to fight twice as many.

Goku kicked a drone in the midsection, and watched as it fell into
three others, knocking them to the ground as well. "That's not a nice thing
to say about your sister, Vejiita. You have just as short fuse as she does.
HA!" He launched a large sphere of ki at the four stunned drones,
disintegrating them on contact, and injuring a few others before the ki was
caught and thrown back to the owner. He pulled out a sword from behind
him and charged a group of twenty or so drones, getting close enough to
slice a few antennae off with a mighty swing. Another swing severed several
more heads.

"Watch it, Kakarotto, or I'll show you just how short my fuse is."
Vejiita returned his concentration to the ten drones that surrounded him,
and blurred out of sight. The only evidence he was there was a flash of
black through the shower of blue liquid that erupted from each of the
bodies as he attacked them head on.

After awhile, the number of drones emitting the green paralysis light
dwindled, and as it decreased, the amount of people frozen decreased as
well. When they realized they were no longer trapped, they high-tailed it
out of harm's way.

Goku noticed the dwindling numbers as well. "Come on, Vejiita. Let's
kick this up a notch." With a loud yell, the aura surrounding him burned a
bright yellow, and he flared into super form, Vejiita following his example
immediately. Their constricting clothes immediately burned away in the
heat of their auras, leaving them clothed in tatters.

The saiya-jiin prince cracked his knuckles and flicked his tail once
before it settled around his waist. "My blood sings for your entrails,
drones!" He laughed out loud and launched himself into a large group of
drones attempting to assimilate a cluster of humans. Goku watched as the
drones and the morphing-drones exploded one by one as the golden blur took
no prisoners. He shook his head, a smirk curling at his lips as he fell to the
ground to join his warrior brother in the slaughter.

****

~~Staten Island~~

Come on, people! Stop trying to run in the way of the damn drones!
Ranma growled to himself as he tried to usher a cluster of frightened kids
inside a store. "Hide! Stay!" He spoke as clear as he could. Bad time to
regret not listenin' in English class... "Oyaji, help me get these people
inside!"

Genma came over and held up his meaty arms. "Stay! Hide!" He put
his arms down when the kids screamed in terror. "What's wrong with them,
now?"

"Maybe if you stop waving that sword in the air, they'd listen to ya
better," he snapped at his father, slapping him upside the head. Genma
stuck his tongue out in retaliation. A loud scream made them turn their
heads. "Come on!" They ran down the road, and when they turned the
corner, they skidded to a halt. Five drones were surrounding another group
of young adults. Two drones had paralysis beams and the other three were
mounting the discs on the prisoner humans. "Oh no, you don't," Ranma
growled audibly before he launched himself at the cluster. "Use the sword,
Pops!"

Genma nodded and swung the blade at the drone that Ranma was
pinning, taking off the head. Ranma jumped out of the way, barely missing
Genma's swing with his own head. The pair of martial artists stared at each
other for a second before Ranma bared his teeth at his adopted father.
"Next one!" Ranma jumped onto the back of another drone and brought him
to the ground, while Genma slit the drone's throat, severing the head along
with it.

A scream brought their attention back to the other three
drones--that now totaled eight. "Kuso..." Ranma swore and jumped to his
feet. "Stand back Pops, I'm gonna power up." Genma did as he was told and
watched with awe as the golden power swirled around the young male's form
and exploded through the air as a shower of ki launched itself at the eight
drones. "Moko takabisha revised: Supersonic Tail Twizzler!" The large balls
of ki whizzed around the forms of the drones, circling the Hachi in the same
yellow light. When the drone was thoroughly confused, trying to track the
ki sphere, Ranma clapped his hands together and the sphere drove itself
through the chest of the Hachi, detonating it in a blast of yellow light.

When the area was dim enough to see, Gemna smirked at his
golden-haired son. "Nice attack, Ranma." He blinked at his state of
undress. Ranma's shirt and tie had completely burned away, and his
trousers were reduced to ragged shorts.

"Arigato, Oyaji. Vejiita-ouji helped me with that one. It's a variation
of his Big Bang Attack. Come on, let's go find Trunks." The pair didn't
have to run to far. They arrived within moments to find Trunks slicing
through a large group of almost a hundred drones. "Where are the humans,
Trunks?" Ranma called out as he formed a blade of ki and attacked several
drones with it.

"What humans?" he returned, flicking his blade to rid it of the thick
blue substance that oozed from each of the drones, then going head on into
the fray once more. "Where were you?"

"Down the road a bit, playing with our own clutch. You want to try
the double spiral?" He ducked a foreleg that attempted to rip off his head.
"Not today, ya striped flea." He slashed with the ki blade and the leg that
tried to decapitate him fell to the ground, and Ranma quickly turned around
to slice off the head as it screamed its pain in a high-pitched keen. "Damn,
they're loud!"

Might as well," Trunks replied, looking around. "I don't see any
humans that can get in the way. You take inside, since you're super already."

"Right."

Gemna glanced between the pair of saiya-jiin. "Double spiral?
What's that?"

"It's another technique we've been working out. It's a variation on
the hiryuu shoten ha. Since the drones don't have a ki, we need to use our
own to create the cyclone. What, did ya think I was just playin' house with
Akane in Western Capital, Oyaji?" He smirked at the dumbfounded look
upon Genma's face. "Ya better duck into one of the stores, Pops. This
twister's gonna be big."

The burly martial artist took heed of his son's words, and watched as
Ranma flared his golden aura, so he burned like a miniature sun. He started
to circle the group of drones, herding them to a tight group, while flaring
his aura nice and hot. A blast of cold wind made him turn his attention away
from Ranma and focus on Trunks, who had a thick blue aura surrounding him.
He moved in the opposite direction of his uncle, using his cold ki to react
against the hot ki swirling around the drones. "Very inventive," Genma
muttered to himself as he watched Ranma spiral outwards and Trunks
inwards. And when Trunks reached the center of the spiral, and Ranma the
outside, the purple-haired male called out the attack name as he swung his
fist to mix the ki: "Double destiny helix!"

A deafening explosion made Genma cover his ears and he watched
with a fascination that bordered on evil glee as the tornado of swirling ki
shot the Hachi up into the air, along with much of the surrounding area.

"Big Bang Attack!!"

Genma watched the two males send their ki up into the swirling mass,
and another explosion rocked the area, and he had to turn away from the
window as it shattered right in front of him. When everything settled down,
he turned back around to see the two young males looking around for
surviving drones. Both were covered in that same thick blue substance that
had literally drenched the area.

He picked his way through the rubble, jumping over large chunks of
debris as they fell back to the ground. "Quite a...destructive...attack, boys."

"Yeah, that's the only major disadvantage to it," Ranma commented,
wiping the blood from his face. "That and it's incredibly messy."

"That's an understatement," Trunks drawled, as he spit out a wad of
blue phlegm. "You weren't in the middle of it all."

He grinned. "I know. Come on, let's take a look around and see if
we've missed anything."

*******

~Bronx Zoo~

"Oh, why did they have to go here?" Tobuma half whined-half
grumbled out loud as the three males ran through the gates, trying to avoid
the masses of people as they ran in the opposite direction, tryong to escape
the drones that had beaten them there.

Gohan and Soun stared at each other in confusion, wondering why the
pigtailed male was complaining about the attack site. Gohan decided to voice
their thoughts. "What's wrong, Tobuma-san?"

"Nothing, Gohan," Tobuma shook his head. "It's just that we're
gonna have a lot more to deal with than just the humans. HA!" With a loud
yell, he launched a large ball of ki into the elephant area, where two drones
were attempting to assimilate the helpless pachyderms. The ki hit the
animals, sending them to ashes, and Tobuma jumped in the pit with sword
flying, slicing off arms and antennae of the hapless Hachi.

Soun watched with wide eyes. "Animals, too? The Hachi can
assimilate the animals, as well?" He jumped into the pit, sword raised and
with a wide swing, beheaded one drone and watched Tobuma do the same to
the other.

"Hai, Ojiisan, the nanoprobes are just as effective on animal DNA as
human DNA. They prefer the humanoids, since intelligence is a factor, but
nothing is immune to their raids." He jumped out of the elephant area and
ran down the large cobblestone pathway to the giraffes, where three Hachi
drones were placing discs onto the long-necked animals. "Gohan, Ojiisan,
keep going and I'll catch up with you." The two nodded and kept going down
the walkway, while Tobuma leaped over the fencing, his battle-cry making
the Hachi turn to see the tri-colored saiya-jiin chop their heads off in two
slashes of his sword.

The young boy and the older man kept running until they came to a
large circular building with screaming people running out of the doors. "You
suppose there are some in there?" Gohan asked somberly.

Soun nodded. "More than likely, young man, or someone released the
scary gophers." He pointed to the sign that identified the building as the
small mammals exhibit. "Come on, Gohan, let's go see what's going on." He
nodded and they both went inside.

When they crossed the threshold, they were shocked to discover
that there was nothing wrong--or at least they couldn't find anything out of
the ordinary. The large open area was empty, except for some trash that
spilled out of a knocked-over garbage can. There were no humans, animals,
or drones in sight.

The pair of males walked slowly around the room, taking in all the
details. Even the animals in the glass walls seemed to have disappeared--the
only creatures they saw were some small tan rat-like creatures tunnelling in
a large pile of sand in their exhibit. They seemed fairly unfazed to any
activity outside the thick glass wall.

"If there's nothing going on, why was everyone running out of the
building?" Gohan asked out loud. He righted the garbage can and pushed it
against the wall.

"I don't know, son," Soun walked up to a wall with two doors, one
partially open, and the other closed. He pulled the open one wider and
peered around the edge. The only thing in the room was cleaning supplies.
He closed it and moved to the other one. There was no handle on the double
door, but there was a button alongside. Pushing on the door revealed they
were shut magnetically, so he pressed the red button. A soft 'click' was
heard, and the door swung open to the inside. "Gohan," he nodded his head
to the lit passageway, "in here." A short walk down the corridor revealed
another well-lit room filled with shelves.

The pair walked around the room taking note of all the different
animal names. "This must be where they feed them," Gohan observed,
pointing out the refridgerator filled with vegetables. He grabbed a carrot
and started munching on it loudly. Soun glanced at him and the young
saiya-jiin smiled sheepishly. "Gomen...it's been a bit since lunch."

Soun just shook his head and made his way back to the door they
entered from. "There's nothing happening here. We better get going." The
young saiya-jiin nodded in agreement, and followed the elder male out of the
room. But as they passed a large shelving unit, they heard a scratching from
inside. "What's that noise?" he asked. Gohan shook his head. "Well, let's
take a look." He reached out, turned the handle, and to their surprise, two
men tumbled out.

Soun reached down and helped the trembling men to their feet. "Are
you okay?" he asked in English.

The man he was holding onto lifted his head and tears immediately
started to pour from his eyes. "Thank you so much mister! Those bee
things were in here and they got Bobby!" He threw his arms around Soun
and held on with all his might. "They got Bobby and we hid and we heard her
screaming and screaming and screaming..." He finally couldn't speak any
more, his crying too loud and harsh for words.

Gohan helped the other man stand up, and the dark-skinned male
shakily waved his hands away. "I'm good, man, good. Just some wobbly legs
from bein' stuffed in that locker with Bitsy there."

"Are you going to be okay?" Soun asked 'Bitsy' after his crying
toned down to a few sniffles.

Bitsy nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess. How did you know we were in
there?"

"We didn't," Gohan shook his head. "We saw everyone running out of
the main exhibit hall, and we thought the Hachi were attacking."

"Hachi? Ya mean those damn bugs, right?" Gohan nodded. "Name's
Dobber. Yeah, they were here, all right, but I don't think that's what
scairt the people away." Dobber pointed to an open cage. "What was in
there was Big Bubba. He's a twenty foot pit viper that got away when those
damn bugs came in. We were feedin' him, since one of his tooths has an
infection, he has to be fed specially." He nodded to the door. "More than
likely he 'scaped during the happenin's."

Gohan and Soun blinked at each other for a few seconds. "Uh...okay,
sir," Gohan spoke slowly. "The bugs...the Hachi are still around, so make
sure you stay hidden. Seal yourselves up in here and you should be okay."
He looked up to Soun, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, okay, thanks, man, for lettin' us out of that locker," Dobber
stuck his hand out to Soun, who shook it slowly. "There's no latch on the
inside, so we woulda been stuck in there for a long time."

"No problem, Mr. Dobber, we were glad to help." Soun bowed slightly.
"Come on, Gohan, we better get going, Tobuma is probably looking for us."
He called over his shoulder as they jogged out of the room. "Make sure you
stay hidden."

"Sure thing, mister!" Dobber called back and closed the door behind
them. "Nice guys, those two. 'Specially that big-ass sword the man was
carrying."

"Wonder what he was going to do with it?" Bitsy mused as he wiped his
forehead with a red cloth. "The cops usually don't like people walking
around with such dangerous weapons."

"Don't know," Dobber shook his head. "Can't get arrested for havin'
a concealed weapon, though!" The two men chuckled and started to clean up
the mess made in the room.

******

~~U.N. Building~~

Akane stepped away from the microphones as Bulma walked into the
room. The reporters immediately started a barrage of questions at both
females.

Bulma stepped up to the stand and waved her hands. "Quiet, please!"
They soon settled down. "I'll answer a couple of your questions. Please, do
think before you speak." Immediately several hands went up, and she
pointed to a grey-haired man.

"Ms. Briefs, can you elaborate to what is actually going on right now?
Ms. Saotome," he gave a questioning glance to Akane and she nodded, "Ms.
Saotome said there are Hachi attacking New York City."

"Well, she's right. The Hachi are at the moment attacking New York,
along with numerous other sites around the world. The warriors that were
present at the summit meeting are right now trying to protect the citizens
of New York." She pointed to another man. "Yes?"

"Joose Tellone. Ms. Briefs, can you tell us about the aliens?"

"The Hachi? They were well defined within the..."

"Actually, not them, Ms. Briefs," the man interrupted her. "I mean
about the..." he glanced down at a notepad he held in his hand, "saiyans?"

Bulma smirked and turned to Akane who smirked back. "Well, I could
tell you a lot about the saiyans, Mr. Tellone, but I think Ms. Saotome here
could tell you more, since she's one of the 'aliens' you want to know about."

"What did you want to know, Mr. Tellone?" Akane smiled politely at
the reporter.

"You're one of the saiyans?" He blinked at Akane in surprise. She
nodded, her smile remaining in place. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you
sooner. I was not present inside the council room."

Akane shook her head. "That's okay. I understand. What did you
want to know, Mr. Tellone?"

"When did you arrive on Earth?"

"My mate and I arrived on Earth about 16 years ago. We were four
years old, but the earthlings that found and raised us thought we were two.
We weren't meant to land here on Earth, but the ship we arrived in was
damaged, and somehow arrived here. For the last sixteen years, we thought
we were human, and were raised in that manner. The arrival of the Hachi
heralded the reawakening of our heritage."

A woman raised her hand. "Susie Felle. Is it true that the China
ambassadors are saiyans as well?"

Akane nodded her head. "Yes, it's true. They have been here for a
lot longer than any of the others. Their parents crashed here over a
hundred years ago, and they were born on Earth. We didn't know of their
existence until today."

"Ms. Briefs, you said that Mr. Briefs was related to you." Bulma
nodded. "What is the connection?"

"Trunks is my son from the future."

"So it is true that he and the other man are from the future? That
they traveled back in time?"

"Yes, it's true. It's also true that the Hachi have taken complete
control of their time. They were the only ones left that were not dead, or
assimilated into drones. I can't thank the gods enough for sending him and
Tobuma back to help give us a chance at a better life."

"He is one of the saiyan warriors, is he not?"

"Yes he is." She frowned out into the crowd of media personalities.
"The answer to the question you're trying to allude to is yes, my husband is
saiyan. He is also Ms. Saotome's brother, and the prince of their race." She
looked around. "The saiyans are not here to conquer Earth and rule it.
What they are here to do is live. Their homeworld has been destroyed and
they have found Earth to be an enjoyable place to reside. I know there
are some others that have a distinct dislike for others that are not of his
blood, but I can tell you one thing: The saiyans are not the first alien
species to arrive on Earth. There are a few races that are considered
indigenous to this soil. Both the Henka and the Besshu are not native to
Earth, but since they are so small in numbers, and aren't in the public
limelight very often they are not thought of in such a way. They don't
wish to be singled out because of their alien status."

She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry for spouting on
such matters. Sometimes things just need to be said. I think we've answered
enough of your questions, everyone. Please remain inside until an 'all-clear'
signal is given. The doors are sealed, so you won't be able to go outside."
She nodded to Akane and they left the room. President Shamar remained
behind to answer any other questions the reporters had.

Bulma growled under her breath as they walked along the empty
hallways. "Sometimes, I wish I could take the entire media system and send
a gigantic ki blast at it. They get me so worked up!"

Akane smiled apologetically at her sister in law. "It's okay,
Bulma-chan, it's what they get paid to do, ne? At some point we would've
had to talk to them anyway, so might as well get it taken care of. I just
hope that they don't get too nosy and start prying into our lives."

"Who knows. Depends on if it's a slow news week or not. Although,
with the Hachi attacks, it seems like that's all they would talk about. Today
we've given them plenty to discuss, dissect and rearrange into their own
little moldings for months of headlines."

They re-entered the large chambers to find everyone silently
watching the large screen, which was showing the footage in Times Square.
They sat down next to the rest of their group. "What's going on? Is that
Vejiita and Goku?" Bulma asked, trying to decipher the cock-eyed golden
blurs on the screen.

ChiChi nodded, tearing her dark gaze from the destruction. "Hai.
Goku-saa and Vejiita are the only two in Times Square. The footage is from
a network camera that was left on when the operator and the reporter were
turned into drones. Where were you two?"

"We held a mini-press conference on the attacking Hachi and general
information on the saiya-jiin." Bulma winced when splatters of blue blood hit
the camera lens. "How long have you been watching this?"

"About five minutes," Nabiki answered her. "I think the camera is
lying on a garbage can. One of the reporters announced the footage and
they patched it in."

Several loud screeching shrieks from the dying drones made them
wince at the harsh sounds. A head flew past the camera and splashed more
blood onto the lens. "They are fairly...violent...in their tactics, aren't they?"
Nodoka grimaced at the scene.

"Well, they have to be, Obasan," Akane said quietly, her eyes
following the blurred movements of the two males on the screen. "The
drones aren't there to spar."

The sounds of ki blasts stopped, and everyone was silent as they
heard Goku and Vejiita talk to each other, which meant most everyone in the
Council chambers was not able to understand, since they went back to
talking in Japanese.

"I think we're finished here, Vejiita. I don't see any other drones
around."

"Make a final sweep, and then we'll split up. I can sense Serori and
Trunks in one area of this city, and Tobuma and your brat in another."

"Hai. I'll go find Tobuma and Gohan." They heard a grunt, which
meant Vejiita agreed and then a bright flash of yellow filled the screen.

"Well, that means they've taken off." Bulma stood up. "Can someone
turn off the video feed? The battle is over. Thank you." She sat back
down and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to try and see if I can
talk to Vejiita." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the dark essence
in the back of her mind, mentally wrapping her arms around it and
internalizing the thick sensation of the male she knew as her mate.

***

Vejiita was flying low to the ground, his black gaze scanning the area
for any remaining drones, when he felt corner of his mind dedicated to his
blue-haired mate come alive. He grunted out loud and internally turned his
focus to the light. *What do you want now, Onna?*

The blue flamne flickered and spread throughout his mind, covering
the darkness with warmth. *Who said I wanted anything? Having fun in
Times Square?*

*Then what the hell are you bothering me about? What's Times
Square?*

*Times Square is the name of the area where you and Goku are.
There should be a very large screen on a building. Your fight with the Hachi
was broadcast into the Council chambers by a camera that was left on when
the operator was assimilated, so we saw the massacre.*

*Hn. Is there something in particular you need from me, Onna? Or
is this a social call?*

His tone was turning impatient, and Bulma knew when to cut to the
point. *I just wanted to know how things were going. Did you have any
problems? Were there many Hachi there?*

*There were around a hundred, half had discs and the other half was
using their paralysis beams to hold everyone in place. Kakarotto and I had
no problems dealing them a swift demise.*

Bulma frowned visibly, and her emotions sent through their link was
tinged with concern. *They've never send out that many in one raid before.
And if there are that many in the other areas of the city, that would be
over three hundred Hachi in New York alone, never mind the other raids.*

*What other raids?*

*When Serori came back to get Trunks and the rest of the senshi,
Kami-sama communicated to us that there are nineteen other raids
happening on Chikyuu. Kuririn, Piccolo and Kamesen'nin were trying to stop
one, but that's only one out of nineteen. Who knows how efficient they will
be. I have a bad feeling Chikyuu is not going to fare well today, despite of
our efforts here in the Council.* She sighed mentally and Vejiita could feel
her starting to withdraw from the connection. *Just be careful, ne,
Vejiita?*

*Your concern is misplaced, Onna. It is not needed.* He radiated
waves of confidence.

*Just make sure that cocky attitude doesn't get you killed.* He felt
a warm flash encompass him and she was gone.

*******

~~Hachi operations base, Underground~~

Daisy kept a steady eye on the computer screen that monitored the progress
of the swarming parties. "Computer, show gathering rates." A list scrolled
down the screen, and he nodded as he noted each number growing larger and
larger. "Group six seems to be having the largest success rate," he
murmured to himself as more numbers flashed across the screen. "Thirteen
is low, but I sent a gathering party to that area in the last run."

A flashing line of data caught his eye and he directed his attention to
it. A frown thinned out the fine lines of his lips as he read the status of
groups 17 and 18. "Why are their numbers decreasing? Every other group
is increasing dramatically. What could..." he let out a breath of air as the
one thing that marred his progress so far. "Those damn saiya-jiin. But they
aren't anywhere near their generalized location..." He let out a curse as the
numbers kept steadily decreasing. "Damn it! They have been a thorn in my
side this entire time. It's time I've done something about them." He
pressed a few buttons that would link him up to the Tokemonu. After typing
in a message, he shut down his systems and left, but not without giving a few
of his crew members instructions to wait for an answer to his request, and
them immediately let him know of the outcome.

***

~~Tokemonu, main bridge~~

Rose twitched his antennae in boredom as he watched the main
screen. They were at a standstill because the power to the engines needed
to be taken offline to complete the repairs needed for full capacity. He was
the only one on the bridge, since everyone else was reassigned to different
tasks for the duration of their suspension around one of the many large,
grey-colored satellites that orbited a large planet with constant electrical
storms.

But his mood soon changed when he received the forwarded message
from the on member of the crew on location of the new hive; He
immediately sat up and hit a button. "Captain Iris, please report to the
bridge."

He immediately received a response. "I'm on my way, Rose."

A few minutes later, the doors opened and Iris walked briskly into
the room. The purple patch of fur matched the one on his commanding
officer. "What is it, Rose? Are the engines ready to be brought on-line?"

"That's not why I called you up here, sir. Take a look at this." He
brought up the text message he just received from Earth. "It's from
Daisy."

**The Saiya-jiin are getting out of hand. They just took out two of
my swarming parties effortlessly. I am requesting major backup. Please
come immediately.**

Iris frown grew larger and deeper as he read the urgent message.
He leaned across a control panel and pressed a button. "Violet, what is the
status of the engines?"

"They are just about finished, Captain. We will be able to initialize
main power in a couple hours."

"Let me know immediately when they are ready. We need to be
underway as soon as possible."

"Yes, Captain."

Iris glanced at Rose. "When the engines are back online, our
estimated arrival time will be three days. Send a response to Daisy that
we're on our way."

"Right, Captain."

********

And that marks the end of part two. Iris and the crew of the Tokemonu are on their way...withh Chikyuu be ready for them? Next time, we take a peek at the skills of the Chinese Saiya-jiin, and what is that wandering around at JFK International?? Is it... *evil grin*

One thing I wanted to mentio about the Hachi: I refer to them in the male state, if you haven't noticed. They don't have a gender, but it's easier to think of them in the male form. Sort of like Piccolo--he's asexual, but everyone thinks of him as male. It's just an easier way of referencing them--you can only call them 'it' so many times. ^_^;;;

Read and review, please! Gie-chan