Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Edited by: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning
Chapter 119: Cassava the Warhammer
Within the NAIL transport vessel...
On a frozen wall labeled "New Arsenal In Line", the frigid ice crystals began to crack and melt. All at once, the cryogenic stasis that was keeping the new NAILs in their forced slumber lifted and everyone in the ship woke up with pained groans and haggard yawns. It was certainly not a peaceful slumber.
Bardock sat up from his spot on the floor, giving Turles' hand a squeeze before pulling it away to scratch his ass. He stood and cracked his neck, uncaring of the miserable NAILs all around him. And then, without any warning, Bardock picked up the wrenched that he had used as a bludgeon months earlier and started cracking it against Turles' hefty restraints. The shrill ring of metal against metal echoed through the entire ship and everyone aboard began to moan and shout their displeasure. Bardock didn't care as he continued to try and free his little brother. Next to Bardock and Turles, Toma sneered. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Cut that shit out until we wake up."
Bardock didn't even bother to look over at Toma. "Eat shit and die, loser. I don't care about your achy, little head."
The grim little solider smashed the wrench against Turles' restraints again, making another ring echo out. But then, rather than get another shout in response, an even more concerning sound rang out to accompany Bardock's racket.
*CLUNK*
Bardock looked up, listening as the sound happened again.
*CLUNK*
He cocked his head. "What the hell is that?!"
*CLUNK*
Toma's eyes went wide as it immediately dawned on him what was happened. "That's the sound of the magnetic locks disengaging..."
The hefty Saiyan took a break from staring daggers at Bardock to regard Toma. "What the hell does that mean?"
Toma glanced over at him. "We're on a supply drop ship. And, given that we're awake, we must be in orbit of our destination. In other words-"
*CLUNK*
Bardock immediately shot up from the floor and crashed into the ceiling, his head crashed against a thick, metal pipe and his eyes rolled back. Toma called out. "This is a supply drop pod! We're being orbital dropped!"
On the surface of Planet Chimichurri...
The surface of Planet Chimichurri had certainly seen better days. It had only been a couple of weeks since the Warhammer had arrived, the Saiyan empires response to a race that just refused to die. And the Blood Empress and her men certainly didn't meander around the point of their presence. Entire cities had been leveled, forests had been raised, lakes had been purposefully dried to force the Chimchurrians into a corner. They might have to sell the planet as a fixer-upper, but they would be selling this planet.
The area in question was barren, a perfect spot for a drop. A twinkle sparkled in the sky above, and then the drop pod containing the new NAILs rained down like a meteorite, crashing flat onto the surface of the planet and embedding itself into the soil. A perfect landing.
The walls to the drop pod immediately fell aside, each taking a portion of the roof with them and revealing the captive Saiyans restrained within. All at once, the restraints disengaged and the new NAILs were allowed to stand from their seats. Most of them anyway.
The self-styled son of King Cold fell to the ground, the freezing effect having fully worn off from his body, allowing blood to flow from his cracked skull and pool on the floor. The half-breed girl fell to the ground as well, fully unconscious. She was covered in bruises and welts from head-to-toe, the result of several dozen beatings she had endured back on Planet Vegeta.
Turles stood and immediately kneeled down to check on his brother. Bardock was disoriented, but still breathing. Turles gave him a little shake. "Bardock, get up. We've landed."
Sparks crackled and suddenly Turles was illuminated by a yellow-orange light. He looked up and saw the hefty Saiyan looming over him and his brother. "I'd move, One-Arm. I'm pissed off and hungry and that wrench-swinging bastard looks like he's got some meat on him. Stand in my way and you'll be an appetizer!"
Turles shook his head. "N-No! Y-You can't eat my big brother! I-I won't let you!"
The hefty Saiyan sneered and drew his leg back to kick Turles away, but Toma quickly stepped in and stopped his foot. Hefty Saiyan glared at Toma, Toma glared back. "Look. I hate that asshole too, but we need to focus on important things right now. We've been air-dropped onto a planet that Warhammer has been deployed too, so we're already neck-deep in shit. We need to find Cassava the Warhammer or whoever the hell is commanding us and rendezvous, otherwise we're going to be found and slaughtered pretty quickly..."
Hefty Saiyan sneered, clearly not wanting to play nice. The slow-witted, massive Saiyan walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The two of them looked at one another and Hefty Saiyan growled under his breath. "Fine..."
Toma nodded. He looked from the Hefty Saiyan and the Slow-Witted Saiyan back to Turles and Bardock. Then he looked over to see the little girl kindly checking on the half-breed. Then he looked around at all of the other Saiyans who were in the same boat they were. "I'm not cut out to order this many people around, so I'm not gonna try. I'm going to go and find the rest of the Warhammer; I suggest you all follow..."
As he started to walk away, however, the half-breed of all people called out. "...w-wait..."
Toma looked back. She was wincing in pain on the ground, not even trying to sit up. Talking sounded like an impossible feat that she was somehow managing to do. Toma shook his head. "I don't have time for-"
Turles' ears perked and he looked up. He glanced back down to the half-breed and spoke quietly. "Do you...hear it too..."
She grunted in the affirmative. "Vibrations...rippling through the ground...some from the air and some from underneath...big...bad..."
And just like that, the new NAILs were pincered. From the east, an entire battalion of green-skinned aliens appeared. All of them were mounted atop huge, gestating, winged insects. Without even a greeting, they began their assault. The strafed directly over the new NAILs, the wind pressure carrying several into the air, only to be speared dozens of times each by deadly energy spears. The unfortunate NAILs splattered against the ground, dead before they even touched it.
Behind the NAILs, a massive burrowing insect appeared. It spread its massive mandibles and scissored them around several Saiyan troops, cutting all of them in half as they fruitlessly tried to charge ki blasts to fire back. Turles was horrified, watching with shrunken pupils as a four different energy spears plunged through a guy mere feet from him. The blood exploded from the Saiyan like a freshly-lanced boil and Turles was drenched in sticky, maroon-colored claret. All at once, the one-armed Saiyan turned and began to violently shake his unconscious, stronger sibling. "Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock!"
As Turles panicked, curled up and small on the ground, the rest of the NAILs started to mount a defense for themselves. But it was pretty clear how outmatched they were in this fight. When their pod landed, their number was in the triple digits. Now, it had dwindled down into the lesser sixties. The Chimchurrian flying battalion arched upwards into the air, ready to come down and rain another assault. But, this time, several blasts came shooting in and blew two of their number into dust. The Commander clenched his teeth and glared over at their new attackers. "I thought the elder was distracting those savages!"
The new NAILs all turned to see a welcome sight standing on a hill in the distance. It was roughly a dozen Saiyans. All of them were dressed in special armor with bright red shoulder protectors. Each one wore a special crest over their right breast plate: a straightened tail leading up to an Oozaru fist in the shape of a hammer. Toma called out. "Those guys are with the Warhammer!"
One of the Warhammer Saiyans stepped forward. He was a tall man, bald except for a single topknot of hair sticking out from the center of his head. He had a scar that ran from his jaw upwards, all the way through his right eye. He had a single, short cape that dangled down and covered the upper part of his left arm entirely. "Cassava was right! These bastards were just after our new NAILs!"
The rest of the Warhammer Saiyans howled with fury. Their leader shouted. "WARHAMMERS! SQUASH THESE DAMNED BUGS!"
The entire Warhammer battalion rushed in and suddenly the fight was a lot more even. The squad of insect flyers was forced to take more subdued strafes through the air, not able to spam their foes on the ground below with energy spears as easily. Several of the Warhammers were quick to take the fight to the Chimchurrians, rushing into the air while firing off dozens of ki blasts. The NAILs watched on with awe, only to be surprised as the leader came in for a landing. He looked around. "Updates, people, updates! What the hell is happening?!"
Silence at first, but then Toma cleared his throat. "Those flyers came in right after we landed. We've lost roughly 40 of our number, s-sir!"
The commander glared around, seeing the bodies had indeed piled up. He looked at who was left and roughly sighed. "They sent us a bunch of kids. Sometimes I wanna punch King Vegeta in his goddamned wrinkled face..."
He shook his head. "Well, listen up! My name is Bell. I'm the second-lieutenant commander of the Warhammer and its third highest-ranked officer. Welcome to Hell! Now let's get moving! Once we get back to camp, we'll be able to regroup! Let's get moving!"
Bell turned to lead the NAILs away from the all-out war going on, but then the massive burrowing insect stood in his path. The rider snarled. "You aren't going anywhere, ape!"
Not taking the time to even quip, Bell shot a massive blast right into the burrowing insect's head and blew it to pieces. The big bug lurched over to one side, sending its rider crashing to the ground. Bell aimed to kill the rider as well, but the crafty Chimchurrian simply smirked and whistled. Suddenly, from beneath the ground, another burrowing insect popped up and snapped its mandibles around Bell's wrist. Two more shot up and latched onto his ankles. Bell was forcibly dragged to the ground where a fourth insect latched onto his remaining hand and a fifth bit down around his neck. Bell tried to remain furious and fierce as he struggled, but then all five bugs began to retreat back down into their tunnels, each pulling Bell's trapped extremities in a different direction. His eyes went wide with fear and he shouted at the top of his lungs. "NO! PLEASE NO! OH DEAR GOD NO! STOP! JUST KILL ME! JUST SHOOT ME THROUGH THE-"
Four loud pops rang out, the sound of Bell's joints being pulled out of socket. Then the wet sound of meat tearing seared itself into the NAILs minds, alongside Bell's screaming, then all was silent. Toma fell to the ground, shivering in horror. His eyes were wide and practically glued open. "...oh shit..."
The Chimchurrian smirked. "That's one piece of invading, Saiyan filth dead. Now, let's-"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
The Chimchurrian turned to see the slow-witted, massive Saiyan charging at him. He raised his fingers to his mouth to whistle for his loyal attack bugs once more, but he wasn't quick enough. The slow-witted Saiyan clapped his hands around the Chimchurrian's head, squeezing with all his strength. The hapless soldier cried out in pain and horror as his eyes popped out of their sockets, and then his entire head exploded in a shower of blue blood. Toma was gobsmacked. The hefty Saiyan reached down and grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him up. Toma looked to Hefty Saiyan and the fat bastard sneered. "Look, I hate to be agreeable, but you're right. We need to get out of here. Now!"
Toma silently nodded. The hefty Saiyan turned to his larger comrade and shouted. "Totepo! We're makin' tracks! Come on!"
Totepo dropped the bleeding remains of his foe and nodded with a grunt, following along behind his friend and Toma. In the air, one of the Warhammers glared at the fleeing NAILs, and then back at the bloodied remains of his commander. "Dah shit! They killed Bell!"
Another one shouted. "Son-of-a-bitch!"
The Warhammers all looked down and watched as more and more of the NAILs began to flee as fast as they could. They quickly realized that this battle wasn't in their favor. With annoyance in his voice, one called down to the new recruits. "Hey! Jackasses! Run to the northeast! That's where our camp is set up! These bastards might chase you, but they'll turn tail the moment they know Cassava can reach them! So just run!"
The various NAILs on the ground, including Toma, Totepo, and the hefty Saiyan, all nodded in understanding and began to flee to the northeast. Watching as all of his comrades fled, Turles was left paralyzed on the ground with fear. Covered with steadily drying blood, the boy looked to be little more than a corpse as he watched his fellow NAILs, his new Warhammer superiors, and the Chimichurrans all make a break towards the northeast. Thinking the coast was clear, Turles pushed himself up and started to slowly crawl towards his brother. "Come on, Bardock...you can't just sleep at a time like..."
The joints of insectoid legs squeaked as a massive insect landed right behind Turles. The Chimchurrian on the back of the buzzing beast snarled with rage. "Playing dead, are we?! Saiyan coward! I won't allow a single one of you destructive apes to live after all you've done!"
Turles rolled over and stared death in the face. The flying insect's mandibles clicked and snapped as it loomed over this new food source. Turles let loose a shrill scream of panic. "Someone help! Please!"
That scream was enough to give Toma pause. He turned and glanced over his shoulder, seeing the one-armed Saiyan that sat next to him clearly about to die. Every fiber of Toma's beings screamed for him to go back and help. But then, he remembered why he was in this mess in the first place and left with a furious scowl on his face.
Turles was panicking, backing away and screaming his brother's name. "Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock! Bardock!"
Bardock still laid unconscious on the ground, no closer to stirring than before. Turles was shaking with fear, not sure of what he could possibly do in this situation other than die. He fearfully looked over to his big brother again, but this time his eye caught onto something else entirely. It was the little girl.
Given her size and age, that girl should have been the first to flee. She was so small she didn't register as a threat. She was only here due to the cruel actions of others, through no fault of her own. She was crouched behind debris, where the bug couldn't see her, with the abandoned half-breed girl hanging off of her shoulder. Turles swallowed a lump in his throat, genuinely touched by her bravery and compassion. And then, subtly, he pointed his finger towards his brother.
The girl flinched and Turles pointed towards Bardock again, this time also pointing to the girl herself. It took her a minute, but the little one understood. She gave a firm nod to Turles and Turles shot her a relieved smile. And then, to her shock, Turles got to his feet. She was confused, even worried about the one-armed fellow in front of her. But Turles simply gave her a friendly wave. Finally, he picked up the wrench that Bardock had used so many times before and chucked it directly into the approaching insect's eyes. The beast howled in pain and rage and Turles screamed at the top of his lungs. "EAT ME IF YOU CAN CATCH ME, BUG!"
The little girl silently gasped, watching as Turles immediately turned tail and ran. He was acting as a distraction, giving his life for theirs. A sad and horrified grimace spread across her little face, but she knew this was her only time to act. She ran out from cover, once the Chimchurrian and his insect mount had passed, and quickly threw Bardock over her shoulder. The little one gave one last sad look to Turles, watching as he ran, and then started running towards the northeast.
Behind her, the girl heard all manner of horrifying sounds. Debris being crushed, Turles screaming, the sound of mandibles colliding with armor material, and the sound of that material cracking and breaking. Turles shrieked in pain, the sound of his single fist pounding against the chitinous mandibles holding him in place barely audible above his high-note wail of pain. The girl tried her best to ignore the screaming, to make it fade out. She knew that if she listened too close she would turn back. She tried to drown it out by focusing on the ringing in her own ears, but the rough-and-tumble young fellow on her shoulder heard the scream loud and clear.
The Chimchurrian holding Turles captive snarled at his shrieking enemy. "You can scream until your throat bleeds, but it won't make up for what your wretched kind have done to my people! You Saiyans, you filthy monsters...YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU-"
A ki blast shot into the back of the Chimchurrian's head, blasting through his mouth. The top of his head came off like a bottle topper and Bardock landed on top of his corpse. Before the insect mount could react, Bardock raised his hands high into the air and formed a massive ki blast. He shot it down, through the joint that connected the bug's head to its thorax. The joint exploded with a burst of green slime and the bug's head fell to the ground. The mandibles popped open and Turles went tumbling out of them. Turles coughed hard, a wheeze escaping his throat. His ribs were broken, but he managed a smile. "I knew I wouldn't die...not with you around..."
Bardock's face was a mask of mortified horror. He reached down and gently helped Turles to his feet. "You need to be more careful, Turles. Just save your own ass next time. What with how frail you are, this can't be-"
"Please don't be mad at him. He was saving us..."
Bardock and Turles both looked, seeing the little girl standing in front of them with the half-breed laying over her shoulder. The little one looked sad. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just run off and let you try and sacrifice yourself like that. I should've stayed and fought..."
Bardock sneered. "Damn right you should've. Annoying little pest. If Turles would have died for your worthless ass, I'd have cracked your goddamned skull over my-"
Turles walked forward, cutting Bardock's threat off. He knelt down and placed his hand on the little one's cheek. "What's your name?"
She looked up at him, tears already welling in her eyes. "G-Gine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm too scared to fight..."
Turles sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You stuck around to save Bardock and this Celipa person, that's braver than anything I've seen today. So don't you let yourself feel down. You're too good for that~"
She smiled. Turles whispered. "Also, don't take Bardock seriously. He's mean, but he wouldn't do anything like that to you unless you attacked him first~"
Bardock marched forward, a growl present under his breath. "Don't whisper about me. Pisses me off. And we need to get moving..."
Turles looked to the sky. "You think more enemies are on the way?"
Bardock shook his head. "Nah. No enemies. I think the only ones that were out-and-about in this area are either laying here dead or chasing the others. I don't hear any sorta ambient crap that would suggest they're headin' towards us. Way it looks, we're going to be tailing the enemy as they tail the other Saiyans. Won't have to watch our backs as much when we travel, it seems."
Turles nodded. "Well, okay then. My ribs are broken, so I'll take Miss Gine here. You carry Miss Celipa."
Bardock glared down at Gine and the half-breed. "Are you kidding? These two'll only weigh us down, Turles. And you're hurt. We need to focus on what's important."
Turles bent down with some noticeable strain. He motioned for Gine to climb onto his back. He looked to his brother. "Please, Bardock. I'd carry them both, but I think Gine is kinda my weight limit right now."
Bardock looked to Turles, then to Gine, then to the stiff slumped on Gine's back. There was a long silence, then Bardock snarled. "Goddammit. Fine."
Without a word of warning, Bardock reached down and grabbed the half-breed by her ankle, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack. "I'm carrying her like this. Makes it easier to drop her if I need both hands. You follow along closely and be prepared to drop that girl if you need to get to cover, got it?!"
Turles nodded. "Yessir!"
Bardock immediately started running northeast. Turles looked back at Gine and smiled, letting her know that she was safe with a sly wink. Gine smiled and hugged her arms around her new friend tight, making sure that she wasn't hurting his ribs.
The four Saiyans ran northwest with purpose, stealthily trying to catch up to the rest of their squad and unaware of just what awaited them in the Warhammer base camp.
Several kilometers away...
The remaining soldiers of the Warhammer had quickly taken the lead of the NAILs, shouting behind every so often to tell them to hurry up. None of the soldiers wanted to admit it, but they were unnerved. The buzzing of insectoid wings had vanished behind them, which only pointed to one conclusion: the Chimchurrians were flying above the clouds. And they could launch a new attack on their Saiyan foes at any moment. Luckily, the first signs of the Warhammer camp were in view. Once they got within the perimeter of that camp, the Chimchurrians would back off purely due to the terror Cassava inspired in them.
She was their devil.
In the NAIL ranks, the hefty Saiyan was struggling to keep up. His cardio was shot not only from his overweight frame, but from his few months in forced slumber. His body was still sluggish. "H-Hey! Are you sure that those bastards'll lay off once we get to the camp?!"
One of the Warhammers turned to scowl. "Of course, they will! These green-skinned fools know better than to mess with Ca-"
An energy spear ran through the Saiyans chest and, from the clouds, a massive, winged insect swooped down to pluck him from mid-air. The barely-alive Saiyan was dragged kicking and screaming into the sky and was silenced by a hearty crunch. The other Warhammers sneered. One shouted as he looked up and saw the whispers of shifting shadows in the clouds. "Shit! They managed to overtake us!"
Toma looked up as well. "What does that mean?!"
All at once, the winged insects slammed to the ground, forming a tight circle around the small group of Warhammer soldiers and the roughly fifty NAILs. There was no clear opening in their barrier, no easy path to escape. They were surrounded, and not nearly close enough to the Warhammer camp. Moving quickly, one of the Warhammers produced a signal flare gun. He went to pull the trigger, but an energy spear shot through his arm. He cried out in pain and the gun clattered to the ground, where it was promptly skewered by another spear. The Chimchurrians, all summoning an energy spear into their throwing hand, glowered at the Saiyans.
The leader of the battalion, identifiable by the flowing yellow cape he was wearing, stood atop his insect mount and spoke. "Our elder might be willing to negotiate with you damned apes, but we are not! Every single Saiyan that dares step foot on Chimichurri's soil will be slaughtered for the grave sins they've committed against our people! We're going to send your heads back to King Vegeta in a wooden box!"
Toma flinched back, gripping his fists tight. This seemed to be it. This is where he would die. Toma knew that he would die one day, but he had hoped for more than this. A blaze of glory would have been nice. His worst fear was that he would end up dying in some ambush, without a chance to make his mark and be remembered. Toma adopted a nervous smirk and shook his head. "H-Hey, fatty..."
The hefty Saiyan glared at Toma. "What?!"
Toma chuckled. "We're about to die, I think. So, uh, I know that the big dude is named Totepo...but you never said what your name was..."
The hefty Saiyan flinched, but then he chuckled as well. "If you're going to be a meal, you at least wanna know what to call your fellow side dishes, huh? Fine. Name's Panbukin. Can't say it was nice meeting any of you assholes, but thanks for at least askin' my name..."
Toma nodded. "Y-Yeah..."
Totepo took on a defensive stance behind Toma and Panbukin. The two of them did the same. And then the insects rushed in. Their mandibles were spread wide and digestive fluid was leaking from their hideous mouths. The bugs roared and reared up to crash down atop their pray. But, as they were about to dig into their lunch...
"RIOT JAVELIN!"
The sudden energy blast crashed into the abdomen of one of the rear bugs. It shredded upward through the insect's thorax and out of its mouth in a rain of digestive acids and shredded bug guts. The Chimchurrians atop the insects all turned, only to suddenly be overtaken by a flurry of ki bolts. "S-Sudden Storm!"
These attacks were not nearly as deadly as the Riot Javelin, but they did their job. They managed to kick up a shrouding cloud of dust and debris that covered the entire area. The Chimchurrians were taken aback. They tried to control their insect mounts. But, unlike their masters, the bugs were still able to see in the dust thanks to their compound-vision eyes. The insects jerked around, lunging and diving towards something that their riders couldn't see. The leader of the battalion shouted. "Damn it all! Fall in line, mounts! Fall in li-"
Bardock erupted up from the dust with a savage sneer. Before the battalion leader could form an energy spear, the Saiyan boy smashed his fist into the Chimchurrian's face. Teeth and blood went flying as the leader went flying back. Before he could properly recover, Bardock lunged at him. The grim little Saiyan wrapped his arms around the battalion leader's neck and then, with a quick jerk, the neck snapped. The dust cleared and the rest of the Chimchurrians were horrified at what they saw. Bardock glared at them and then fired a blast through the dead leader's chest, killing his insect mount in a brutal display. Turles stood behind Bardock, with Gine and the unconscious Celipa behind him. Panbukin sneered. "That annoying bastard?! I thought he got killed..."
Toma, on the other hand, chose not to stare at Bardock but at their enemies. Saiyans didn't have the same inherent ki-sense that the Chimchurrian people had, so Toma had no sense for why the lot of the bug-riding bastards looked as terrified as they did while staring at Bardock. One of the Chimchurrians stammered in fear. "Wh-Wh-What the hell is that little monster?! I d-didn't know the S-Saiyans were sending th-their elite here..."
Bardock clenched his fists. And then, to the stunned amazement/terror of the Warhammers, the NAILs, and the Chimchurrians, he lunged at the nearest enemy with two ki blasts charged.
In the Warhammer camp...
The situation in the Warhammer camp was frantic. Sudden explosions were going off in the distant and the hive of violent mercenaries that made up the Warhammer camp were suddenly baying for war. One of the outer perimeter scouts ran into the camp, his face conveying a sense of urgency as he made his way towards a large tent in the center of it all. As he ran up to the tent, he shouted in a hoarse voice. "Cassava! The Chimchurrians have ambushed our new NAILs!"
He pulled open the curtain that acted as the tent's door and continued his report. "They-"
A hand shot up from behind the high-back chair in the tent. The soldier recognized that hand and immediately shut his mouth. It was a slender, well-cared-for hand. Even the fingernails were manicured and well-treated, in spite of the great violence the owner could find herself getting into. Next to her chair was a short, squat Saiyan with a pencil-thin moustache. He glared out of the corner of his eye at the disturbance that had entered the tent.
On the other end of the table, at the back of the tent where there was no exit in sight, the Chimchurrian Grand Elder and his six attendants all stood.
The hand's voice finally spoke up. "I'm not deaf, dumbass. If they and Bell's group can't survive a little ambush, then they didn't belong in this outfit in the first place. Right, Taro?"
The squat man with the pencil-stache nodded and spoke bluntly, with a hint of fearful reverence for his boss. "Yep."
Disregarding the messenger, Taro turned his gaze back to the Chimchurrian elder. The old man glared at the two Saiyans in front of him with a righteous, but helpless fury. He coughed. "So, please, simply allow us a few days to round up what's left of our people. We will leave our home quietly. We swear."
An explosion rattled in the distance, making everything on the table shake. The woman chuckled. "Chimchurrian quiet is somehow even spicier than Saiyan quiet. Can you believe that, Taro?"
Taro nodded. "Pretty spicy."
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and putting her feet onto the table. She spoke in a tone of voice both calm and jovial. "I took some time to think. Answer is...nah."
The elder flinched in shock, a pained gasp escaping his throat. One of the six attendants rushed forward, slamming his hands onto the table. "Brutal Saiyan filth! How dare-"
Suddenly, something from within the shadows beneath the table reached out and grabbed the young man by his ankles. All at once, with a mighty jerk, the attendant was helplessly dragged beneath it. His screams and shouts of fear and pain and agony rang out like the jaunty lyrics to an off-tune song. The sound of flesh and bone being rendered apart reminded those present of a mutt tearing into a fresh steak. The woman kept the cool look on her face. Her squat attendant remained stern as flashes of pitch black and blood red ki shone out from beneath the table. And then, when those flashes stopped, blood began to pool from underneath like one massive lake of neon blue.
She continued to speak. "No offense. I actually kinda like you Chimchurrians. Riding bugs is neat. But..."
She cracked her neck. "Leaving survivors only breeds contempt in the long run. I don't need no daggers sticking into my back when I retire, know what I'm...saiyan...?"
She smiled. "Ah? Know what I'm...saiyan?"
She leaned over in her chair and poked Taro on his cheek. "Well, Taro? You, uh, you know what...I'm...saiyan?"
Taro looked over at his terrifying leader. She had a smirk on her face and in her eyes that said she was really, really, REALLY proud of that pun. Taro rolled his eyes. "Yes, Cassava, I know what you're..."
He sighed. "...saiyan."
Cassava giggled at first, but then she busted out into a fit of joyous laughter. She stomped her feet onto the table, laughing and kicking so hard that she nearly made her own chair collapse. She looked over at Taro, as serious and puckered as a pickled plim. "Come on. Laugh."
The Chimchurrian elder stumbled back. A single eyeball floated out from beneath the table atop the river of spilled, blue blood. Cassava frowned, elbowing Taro in the ribs with some force behind it and whispering in a seething voice. "Laugh at my goddamned pun. You're making me look bad in front of the bug people."
Taro glared at Cassava, showing more balls than any living Saiyan in the Warhammer camp could muster. "Ha. Ha. Ha."
Cassava pouted. "You suck."
Unable to take any more of this grandstanding display, the Chimchurrian elder rushed back to the table and slammed down his own hands. "YOU HEARTLESS SHREW! WE SIMPLY WISH TO LEAVE IN PEACE! WE ACCEPT OUR DEFEAT! YOU-"
A shadowy hand erupted from behind Cassava's back and rushed to the table. It flicked a shot glass towards the Chimchurrian elder like a makeshift bullet. The glass collided with the old man's face, digging into his skin and making the boney skull behind it crumble like cheap drywall. The elder's head exploded and the shot glass pierced through the tent, flying over the horizon. The elder fell to his knees, the stump that was once his head looking more like a heavily chlorinated fountain. And then he flopped over dead. Cassava laughed again, kicking back in her chair. "Holy shit! Did you see that?! His head was all FLBLBLBLFLBLFBLPTH!"
Taro rolled his eyes again as his boss blew raspberries with her tongue. Cassava enjoyed another laugh as she stood, holding her hand to her chest. "Aaaaah~ I have new recruits to go meet. Taro. Kill these losers."
Taro shot a pitiless glare towards what remained of the elder's precession. "Understood."
And then, Cassava exited her tent, shoving the ignored messenger out of the way as Taro started blasting.
In the Warhammer Camp...
Bardock and Turles were mingled in the crowd of new NAILs as they followed the remaining Warhammer soldiers into the camp, fresh off of a surprise victory against all odds. There was a visible space in the group between Bardock and Turles and everyone else. No one wanted to be near Bardock after the savagery he had just committed. It was such a brutal display of violence and death that it even unnerved the less combat experience Saiyans within the NAILs.
The Warhammer soldiers, however, all seemed impressed. They were abuzz as they lead the way, celebrating that they had been sent at least one useful soldier in this batch.
Bardock's face was splotched with blue splatters of blood. He was covered in charred insect guts. He had managed to kill all of the Chimchurrians by himself, not a single other person lifted so much as a finger. Nearer to the rear, Toma had his arms crossed over his chest. "What is this bastards deal? The average Chimchurrian is 1,800 in terms of power level. When they work with their bugs, they can exceed 2,000..."
Toma gripped his bicep. "And yet they were all torn apart in short order by that maniac...he...he can't be an elite, can he...?"
Panbukin scoffed. "That nutcase?! No way in hell. Those bug-riders just had to be off their game, is all."
Even as he spoke, Panbukin's voice didn't seem convinced of what it was saying. The weather on Chimichurri was mild at worst, and yet the overweight Saiyans head glistened with nervous sweat. Gine went back to carrying Celipa over her shoulder, now that she didn't have to run. She was far less fearful than the other Saiyans. Even if he was far too blunt on occasion, that Bardock person had helped her make it to safety. So, she wasn't ready to label him a monster just yet.
Gine looked up and saw Totepo walking right next to her. The hulking, quiet Saiyan glared down at her. After a moment, Gine smiled at her giant comrade. And after another moment, Totepo smiled back. The new NAILs were eventually brought to an open commons area. One of their Warhammer supervisors called back to them. "Cassava should be out in a few minutes to look you little brats over! Sit here and shut up until she's done with ya!"
Once the Warhammers cleared out, the NAILs felt free to relax a bit more. They all grouped off and began talking to one another about the lot life had handed them. Some of them looked visibly shaken by the horrors they had faced today, others seemed pumped at a chance to prove themselves to the Saiyan army. They survived that madness, so why shouldn't they continue along and see where this path took them?
Bardock and Turles sat away from everyone else, so many still too afraid to even approach Bardock. The grim, little bastard didn't care. He simply went about his business, helping Turles out of his armor to check on his injuries. After a few minutes of staring over at them, Toma couldn't help himself anymore. He marched over with purpose, wanting to know just what the hell a monster like Bardock was doing here. Toma called out. "Hey, you!"
Bardock mumbled as he ran his index finger down Turles' side. "No breaks. Just a lot of bruising. It's gonna hurt for a while, but you ain't gonna die..."
Toma shouted again. "I said-"
Bardock interrupted. "I heard you. I don't care. Shut up and piss off."
Toma paused, gritting his teeth. "You nasty little-"
Panbukin walked up. "You sure are full of yourself over a fluke victory, huh? Maybe someone should teach you some proper manners when talkin' to your comrades!"
Bardock glared at the two of them. "We aren't comrades. Keep pissing me off and I'll kill you, fatass."
Panbukin flinched back. Totepo marched up behind him, a nasty scowl on his face. Bardock didn't back down at all. "You want something too, ya brain dead ape? Huh?!"
Turles gently placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "D-Don't start a fight, Bardock. We don't need to fight these guys..."
Bardock aggressively stepped forward. "Oh, there's going to be a fight if these three don't slink on back off! I don't need a bunch of nobodies staring holes through me! Now get the hell out of here or-"
Gine, as small as she was, stepped between the conflict before it could really get going. She looked to Bardock and Turles. And then she looked back to Toma, Panbukin, and Totepo. She spoke in her squeaky, little voice and tried to calm them all down. "Let's not be at each other's throats, okay? We all just went through a lot. W-We don't all have to like each other, but we could at least introduce ourselves before we start to-"
Panbukin marched forward, his hand drawn to the side. "Shut the hell up! I ain't gonna have some little twerp tellin' me how to-"
A fist crashed into Panbukin's face and he stumbled back. Everyone present stared at his attacker with a bit of surprise. Standing there, one of her hands gripped onto the aching wrench-wound on her head, was Celipa. Panbukin sneered, glaring into her violet eyes. "You'd better watch yourself, half-breed. I'd say I'd kill and eat you, but I don't want your stinkin' meat in my mouth!"
She sneered at him. "I don't give a shit about your bluster. You're not going to bother her while I'm here, fatty. Got me?!"
Gine stared up at the half-breed with gentle wonder. Celipa glanced down at her and her eyes softened just a bit. "Y-You carried me all the way here. Thanks..."
Gine smiled with a happy little nod. But then, she glanced away. "Actually...I'm not the only one who carried you..."
Celipa flinched, but then she looked in the direction Gine was looking: right at Bardock. Celipa sneered. "Ah. Right. I was wondering why one of my ankles had a sweaty, hand-shaped bruise around it."
Bardock snapped at her. "Coulda left you for dead."
Celipa glared at him. But then, she seemed to dispel the anger in her eyes and nodded in gratitude. "Thanks. I appreciate not being left behind."
Bardock shrugged. "Whatever."
The mood was tense among this little group, but then Turles spoke up. "I-I agree with...with Gine. I think we should all at least introduce ourselves..."
Another silence. Then Toma sighed. He sat in the grass and cracked his neck. "Fine. But I'm not going first."
As the rest of the Saiyans sat down in something resembling a crude circle, Turles and Gine smiled to one another. And then Turles began. "M-My name is Turles. Um...when I've seen Saiyans greet other Saiyans in the past, they've always...uh...mention power levels. So...my power level is 190..."
He cleared his throat. "I suppose my low power level combined with, well..."
He motioned toward his missing arm. "I suppose those are the factors that got me thrown into the Warhammer. But...but I refuse to let that be what defeats me! I might not be the best fighter, but I'll find other ways to be a proud, Saiyan warrior! I swear it!"
Cold silence. No one said anything. Turles looked a bit discouraged, but then Gine stepped forward. "Um, I'm Gine. My power level is 120. My...my mother and siblings gave me to the Warhammer because they said I was in the way..."
Gine tried to smile, but the cruel reality seemed to be weighing on her. She spoke in a slightly quieter voice. "I hope that we can all be friends. But I'm sure you'll all get tired of me being in the way too..."
She mumbled even more quietly. "I miss my papa..."
Once again, cold silence. But this time Celipa and Totepo both looked a bit saddened. Gine sounded to be on the verge of tears and it seemed to bother the both of them quite a bit. And then Panbukin spoke up. "Boring!"
Celipa and even Totepo glared at the obese Saiyan. Panbukin was picking his nose with his pinky finger. "You little sad-sacks make me wanna vomit."
A harsh nudge from Totepo's elbow cracked into the side of Panbukin's head. Panbukin sneered. "What's your problem?!"
Celipa spoke up. "The problem is you, fatass! No one asked for your input!"
Panbukin gripped his fist. "Call me fat one more time..."
Turles quickly tried to calm tensions. "H-How about you, Celipa? What's your story?"
Immediately, a button had been pushed. Celipa got to her feet and, without a word of warning, she slapped Turles right across the face. Gine gasped. And then, as quick as a lightning bolt, Bardock was right behind Celipa. He drew his fist back, clearly aiming to punch her in the back of the head. But, somehow even quicker, Turles intercepted and caught his brother's fist. Bardock paused and Turles turned back to Celipa. "I...I heard the guards say you were a half-breed. Wh-What did they mean by that?"
She glared at him and the throbbing slap mark on his cheek. She sighed. "It means exactly what it sounds like. I'm not a full-blooded Saiyan. My father was a Saiyan..."
She took a deep breath and sighed. "My name isn't Celipa. I hate that name. My mother named me Fasha and you had better damn well call me that. Understood? My power level is 830 and I don't want to be at odds with any of you, but I'm sick of letting people hurt me. So..."
The entire conversation seemed to drain the energy from Fasha's face. She walked over to Gine and sat next to her, wrapping her tail around the younger girl's tail and burying her face in her knees. Turles nodded, and then he looked over at the others. Panbukin's face was glowing bright red, as if he had just been through an unwanted revelation of some kind. Turles spoke with concern in his voice. "Is... something wrong?"
Panbukin sneered. He blew off Turles' concern and spoke bluntly. "Name's Panbukin. Power Level..."
After a long pause, he continued. "...740. I'm here cuz me and my squad got stranded on a planet for a couple months and I ate their bodies when they died. Apparently, cannibalism is one of the few things that the higher ups frown upon. But I'd rather be hated than starved."
Bardock chimed in. "So, how embarrassed are you that you're weaker than a woman and a half-breed?"
Panbukin grinded his teeth, but he chose to ignore Bardock and move on. He motioned to his larger counterpart. "This is Totepo. He was part of my squad that got stranded. Unlike me, he didn't eat the forbidden meat. He just don't think too good. Even by low-class standards. Doesn't even know how to talk as far as I can tell. Stronger than all hell, though. Power Level is 1,020. Killed one of the people that came and retrieved us in a fit of blind rage. Probably the reason we're both here, to be honest. But he's my pal and I'll stick by him no matter what."
And then, it was down to two. Toma glared at Bardock. Bardock glared right back. After a moment, Toma sighed. "Fine. My name is Toma. My power level is 1,050. My reason for being here is my own and I'll kick anyone's ass who tries to pry. Got me?"
This little showing of defiance actually made Bardock smirk for just a brief moment. But then, that smirk returned to the familiar blank scowl. Panbukin called out. "I saw that. What are you smirkin' about, freak? Huh?! What's your story?!"
Bardock glared at Panbukin. "You really wanna know?"
Panbukin flinched. Bardock proceeded. "Name's Bardock. I'm here because I feel like being here. My power level is 3,000."
A very noticeable silence. Toma, Panbukin, Totepo, Fasha, and Gine's eyes all went wide with shock. Turles nervously chuckled. "M-Maybe we should've eased them into that one, big brother..."
Bardock spat. "Why the hell should I ease these losers into anything? Do I look like I give a shit what they think of me? I-"
A loud, somewhat deep voice suddenly shouted over all of the NAILs. "STAND UP STRAIGHT, PISSANTS! CASSAVA IS COMIN' THROUGH FOR INSPECTION!"
Several Warhammers came rushing in, grabbing and forcing anyone that wasn't on their feet to stand up. Quite a few of these hardened soldiers looked utterly terrified, as if they feared what would happen if a single thing was out of place. Once all of the NAILs were stood up and lined up, the Warhammers cleared out. And then, two sets of footsteps began to approach.
One of the approaching soldiers was a squat man with a pencil moustache. He had some semblance of hair atop his head, but his hairline was rapidly receding. He had a cape over his shoulder much like Bell did, but on the opposite arm. The person next to him, however, looked quite a bit different.
She was stunningly tall for a woman, nearly six-feet in height. Her hair was long, flowing, and quite unkempt, stopping in a messy heap right against her butt. She had a small widow's peak, but it was hidden by unkempt bangs that almost completely covered up her eyebrows. She had almond-shaped eyes with steady, almost playful, black pupils. Her Saiyan Battle Armor appeared to be standard issue, but was modified to be a slightly different color: the stomach portion, the shoulder guards, and the waist guards were all bright red. Beneath that armor, she wore a one-piece red-and-black jumpsuit that halted at her elbows and knees. On her hands, she wore a pair of armored, fingerless gloves. On her feet, she wore standard issue boots with all-terrain treading on the soles. Her tail was loosely wrapped around her waist, looking to be more of a drooping shawl than a belt. She wore a flowing, white cape that wrapped around her neck like a scarf, a hood hanging limply off the back.
The squat Saiyan stepped forward and motioned. "Presenting Cassava, The Strongest Saiyan Alive."
Cassava chuckled and gave a couple bows, almost as if she was on stage. "Thank you~ Thank you~ You're all too kind~"
The NAILs were all taken aback. This goofy lady was the fearsome Cassava that haunted lesser Saiyans nightmares? This woman was the boogeyman that King Vegeta sent out when a planet became too much of a hassle for the regular army? THIS LADY?!
Cassava smiled at her new recruits. "Now then..."
She cracked her knuckles. "Inspection time~"
And then, without another word, Cassava went around and started poking and prodding at every last NAIL. She spoke aloud as she did her inspections, not at her new soldiers but more to herself. She made sure to call out what she thought were strengths, but most of what Cassava had to say about her new troops were weaknesses she observed. She was blunt, brutal, and perhaps a bit too honest as she went from soldier to soldier.
She walked up to Panbukin and slapped his gut. "Lard-ass."
She walked up to Totepo and snapped her fingers in front of his face a few times. He barely responded. "Dim as the friggin' night."
She walked up to Gine. "Small."
She walked up to Toma. "Passable."
She walked up to Fasha and looked her in the eyes. Cassava cocked her head, clearly trying to process what she was looking at. She leaned over Fasha and saw a Saiyan tail jutting out from the seat of her pants. "A Tuffle hybrid...apparently..."
She shrugged. "Neat."
Cassava moved along, next arriving at Turles. She kneeled down and looked him in the eye. Turles couldn't help himself and nervously chuckled, blushing at how close Cassava's face was to his. Cassava smiled. "When's the last time you had a proper meal, little fella?"
Turles sighed. "I...had something called a...frood, I think...back on Planet Vegeta a couple months ago..."
Turles quickly corrected himself. "No! It was called a fruit!"
Cassava chuckled, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Well, we'll see if we can get you another. Kay?"
Turles nodded. "Th-Thank you..."
And then, Cassava reached over and poked her finger at the nub that would have been Turles' left arm were he not a conjoined twin. "Aw~ Look at that..."
Cassava giggled and flicked. "Nubby nubby nubby~"
Turles flinched, but then he nervously chuckled. "Y-Yeah. Uh, I was born a bit-"
Before Turles could finished, a fist collided with Cassava's mouth and sent her crashing to the ground. There wasn't even a gasp of shock. The field simply went dead silent. Everyone from the NAILs, to the Warhammers, to even Taro himself fell completely silent and went completely still. Bardock stood there, a scowl on his face and his fist gripped. "Hands off, bitch."
Taro's jaw dropped. After a moment, Cassava stood up with a chuckle. Cassava's ki, a bluish-white ki, flared to life and shot out across the camp in waves. Everyone barring Bardock flinched from the pressure pushing against them. Cassava laughed; her head thrown back. But it was clear that there was a trickle of blood oozing from her busted lip. "Man, it's been a while since that happened~ You knocked me right on my ass~"
She continued to laugh and surge with ki. Bardock didn't back down, his glare only becoming more dire. Cassava pulled her head forward and licked the blood from her face with a menacingly sweet smile. One eye was half-lidded, the other was wide open. She spoke in a cheery tone. "Do it again~"
Everyone was frozen with fear. Bardock, however, gave an uncaring shrug and then lunged at Cassava. He threw an almighty haymaker!
...which Cassava dodged with little fanfare. Bardock's eyes went wide. He thought the exact same sentiment that Cassava had just spoken. It had been a while sense that happened. With an angry, hateful sneer, Bardock threw a punch again. It missed.
Punch.
Miss.
Kick.
Miss.
PunchKickPunchKickPunchKickPunchKick. MissMissMissMissMissMissMissMiss.
Bardock went for another punch and it missed. He slid across the grass beneath his feet and screamed as he turned to face his foe. "WHY CAN'T I-"
Cassava's foot struck across Bardock's face like a whip made of lightning. He stumbled back. Something slapped against Panbukin's cheek and stuck. He reached up to grab it and looked down with a shocked gasp. That was one of Bardock's teeth in his hand.
Bardock glared at Cassava, blood pouring out from his bleeding gums. Cassava crossed her arms over her chest with a smug smile. "Come on. I don't have all day. Leading a war effort and shit."
Bardock bared his bloody fangs and roared like a demon. He rushed at Cassava, only to eat a second boot to the jaw for his troubles. Bardock flipped through the air and crashed hard onto the ground. He immediately tried to stand, anger and adrenaline forcing him back up, but Cassava was already right there. With a chuckle, she raised her foot and stepped down hard onto Bardock's tail. All of the strength left Bardock's body near immediately and he collapsed to the ground. Cassava smiled. "So, over-confident. You haven't trained your tail and yet you let it dangle? Real soldiers keep their tail wrapped, idiot~"
Bardock was paralyzed, but he still managed a hateful glare. He kept his eyes locked with Cassava's and Cassava smirked. "I love hateful brats like you. You're always so fun to make friends with~"
Before Bardock could manage a word, Cassava kicked him in the face again. Blood splattered out across the ground as a massive split opened on Bardock's right cheek. Cassava giggled. "It's been a while since I've had to put someone through initiation. Most people who end up here are scared so shitless of me that they just fall in line. It's boring. Dull. Please never let that happen to you~"
And then Cassava really went at it. She stomped and kicked and brutally bashed Bardock across the face and head with her right foot. The beating went on and on and on with everyone frozen in place. Turles wanted to go and ask Cassava to stop, but his body was frozen by fear. He couldn't make himself move. After five continuous minutes, Cassava's pristine white boot was dyed dark red. She smiled and looked down at Bardock. "There we go. Welcome to the Warhammer...what's your name, again?"
Bardock gurgled, staring with pure malice at his tormentor. "I'll slit your fucking throat..."
Cassava smiled. "Well, Mr. I'll-Slit-Your-Fucking-Throat, my name is Cassava. And I hope that you never change~"
Without another word, Cassava stepped off of Bardock and turned to walk away. She called over her shoulder as she marched back to her tent, leaving a bloody footprint every other step. "You kids are alright, but you gotta get it together. This is no place to be soft or unsure, and you ain't allowed to go home. So... get better or die, I guess~"
As Cassava continued to walk away, Bardock shot up like a bolt and charged a ki blast in his hand. He was aiming directly at her back, when his hand was suddenly seized. Bardock glared behind himself and saw Taro standing there, a stern look on his face. "I've read reports about you. The low-class guttersnipe with a power level of 3,000. You've been a topic of discussion on a lot of military channels. Got a pretty high power level, eh?"
Bardock sneered and gritted his remaining teeth. Taro spoke again. "You're strong, boy. But let me inform you of something. That woman you just fought...has a power level of 28,000."
All of the other NAILs shuddered. Bardock continued to seethe. Taro went on. "That's higher than Dodoria. That's higher than any member of the Pomelo Dynasty: Zarbon, Yuzun, or otherwise. So you had better watch your temper, friend. Cuz she ain't always that friendly."
Suddenly, Cassava's voice shouted out. "Taro! Move your ass! The Chimchurrians are going to notice that their elder is dead sooner or later! We gotta be proactive and plan the final assault! This planet doesn't have a moon, so we're tight on time to plan here before the dim night comes back!"
Without a word, Taro released Bardock's hand and ran to his leader's side. Cassava glanced over at him. "By the way, where's Bell?"
Taro was blunt. "His squad says he's dead."
Cassava flinched, her face becoming a bit sad. "Oh? No shit. Another name for the wall, I guess..."
The rest of the NAILs quickly gathered around the beaten Bardock once Cassava and Taro were out of sight. Turles reached down and grabbed Bardock's left hand, clenching it tight. "Big brother?"
Bardock's eyes snapped open, sending droplets of caked blood flying up onto people's faces. Bardock sneered. "G-Get me to...a healing tank..."
Toma nodded. "Yeah. Probably should. Some of that looks bad. I don't think that gash on your face is ever gonna heal up properly. It looks like her treads shredded all the way to your teeth..."
Toma reached down to help Bardock up, but he stood on his own. "I don't give a damn about my face. But...I swear...if it's the last thing I do..."
Bardock snarled. "I'm going to take that bitch's heart as a trophy!"
