QUEST FOR POWER:
THE WARLORDBy Konrad
PART 8
Chen brought his run to a halt and got down on one knee. His chest heaved, sweat flowing in torrents down his face, as he struggled to catch his breath. In spite of that, or maybe because of it, he was exhilarated. He gave himself a small smile. Not much of a workout but not bad either for a bunch of losers. He thought.
He jumped in the air and the tracking missile that had followed him slammed into the ground, exploding into a small crater. Chen continued into an array of back flips and spins until he landed directly behind the soldier who had fired at him. The soldier swallowed nervously and turned around slowly to face Chen.
"Boo." Chen said smirking. The soldier merely fainted.
Good, no loss of life today at least. Chen surveyed the area and noted with satisfaction that he didn't need to kill anyone today. The small enemy strike force never stood a chance but it was well equipped and did make him sweat a little. Never liking the political implications of his job, Chen instead positively relished the fighting. It's on a battleground, mixing it up, that he felt most comfortable, if not happy.
While the lab security was busy rounding up and containing all the enemy soldiers caught, Chen went to talk to the lead scientist.
"Good news, sir!" The scientist said. "We have completed the translation of the scroll. This should be useful."
"Good, let me see." Chen replied as he took the scroll and the read the translated version. "So with this I can transfer energy from the Power Stone to whomever I choose."
"Yes, but the effects are exponential. The increase is bigger in someone stronger."
"So the stronger the recipient, the more power given?"
"And vice-versa, it's almost useless on someone who's weak." The scientist completed. A plan formed inside Chen's head.
"I see. I'll be going to Mesata right away with this then. Excellent work."
"Thank you, sir!" The scientist beamed, missing Chen's concerned expression.
Mesata is a couple of hours away. I hope everyone can just maintain until I arrive. Please, Lulu, just hang on!
- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
C'mon! Just a little more time. Lulu thought anxiously as she monitored the evacuation of Planet Mesata. Earlier reports warned of a battle fleet that had briefly appeared at the edges of Jubian space, then quickly vanished before it could be tracked. Lula was certain that Dudan must now know the location of the Power Stone and she had ordered the civilian evacuation almost as soon as she had left her home in Yoshuro's ship over two hours ago. While the Z Squad, Yoshuro included, waited patiently in the center of the ship to arrive at their destination, Lulu was at the helm issuing orders and reviewing the situation.
"Colonel, update on the refugee situation!" she barked speedily into the communications link.
"No slowdowns in the evacuation process, ma'am. There are about less than seven hundred thousand civilians left on the planet." A voice on the other side of the intercom responded. "With all the armed forces in place, we should be done in ninety minutes."
"Alright. And the Power Stone?"
"An excavating team is at the coordinates you gave us, they are digging already."
"Great, thank you, colonel." Lulu replied before cutting off the transmission.
Resting her head in her hands, Lulu sighed wearily and looked at the stars ahead. Until the population of Mesata has been completely evacuated and she personally had the artefact secured, she was determined not to rest. At the same time, however, the weight of the responsibilities were crushing her, her nerves were increasingly on edge, while a dreadful feeling crept up. There was still twenty minutes before they could reach the planet. Lulu kept staring blankly into space for a few moments before a hand touched her shoulder, causing her to yelp.
"Whoa! Hey, it's just me." Came Trunks' voice.
"Trunks! Don't scare me like that!" Lulu said, swatting his hand away in annoyance.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You look tired; maybe you should take a break. The auto-pilot is pushing the ship as fast as it can anyways."
"No, I need to keep an eye out for anything new. I'll be in charge of everything until Chen can join us. I gotta be ready to take care of whatever happens."
"You're taking a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders." Trunks stated.
"Like you would know!" Lulu snapped back before immediately regretting her impatience. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… I mean…"
"It's ok." Trunks replied, smiling gently. "Yeah, I know that pressure, when an entire people depend on you against impossible odds. I know that feeling." Lulu drew a sigh of relief.
"It feels bad… and I feel like something horrible is gonna happen. I just know it!"
"Hey, you got us, remember? And me."
"Yeah, I guess so… Um, Trunks? If we get through this, what will you do? Where will you go?"
"Well I guess I'll go back to Earth first with the others." Trunks said, staring dreamily into the stars ahead. "And from there, I'll go back to my own time. I'll help restore my home."
"Ah… Yeah, you gotta go back and do what you can." Lulu replied with a twinge of sadness. How can I abandon my life here and go to the future? And he can't stay here. This wasn't meant to be, I guess.
Suddenly, the link wailed loudly, causing Lulu's heart rate to climb.
"Report!" She yelled frantically into the device.
"General, we are under attack!" A panicked voice responded. "The entire enemy fleet just appeared suddenly through a warp hole, we're being hit hard!"
"Protect the evacuation ships at all costs! Reinforcements from all sectors are on their way so hold on for at least half an hour, I'll be there myself in less that that!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The communication was cut.
"Ok, evil warlord, worlds in danger, power to conquer galaxies… This is going to be bad." Lulu muttered while Trunks wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"What's going on?" Android 18 exclaimed as she barged in the pilot cabin with the rest of the Z Squad.
"I don't know but we'll soon find out, I think." Trunks replied.
Less than twenty minutes later, Yoshuro, back in the pilot's seat, manoeuvred the ship into view of Planet Mesata.
"Well, this is more like it." Vegeta said coolly. Piccolo frowned and crossed his arms while the others gasped in shock.
In the distance, Mesata's rust-coloured color betrayed its desert climate. The atmosphere's cloudless sky would've been a sight to behold in itself if not for the spectacle all around it.
Massive, dark battle cruisers, in two sides, fired volleys of laser and missile weapons upon each other. Carriers launched nimble fighter crafts to disable the opposing fleet while other specialized ships contributed in their own ways to the giant fight. The planet traders' ships seemed to have the edge in offensive capabilities but the Jubian side balanced it with more defensive weaponry, disabling techniques and numerous robotic fighter planes. The resulting light show of laser trails and explosions from thousands of ships covered almost of what was visible. In the meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, convoys of cargo ships, in effect any ship that was space worthy, were hurrying to complete the evacuation.
"Hey, look!" Gohan exclaimed. A large, circular ship detached itself from the rest and started to descend onto the planet, under the cover of many others around it. It sported a stylized 'D' on one of its sides. "That must be the lead ship, it looks like it's going down for the Power Stone."
"Either way, we can't put our powers to any use from here." Piccolo noted.
"Right! Yoshuro, take us down as quickly as possible." Lulu ordered.
"Okay. Hold on tight, everyone!" Yoshuro responded.
The experienced pilot pushed the ship as fast as it could go, engines blazing an energy trail behind it. In a few moments' notice, taking advantage of the confusion from the giant battle, the ship nimbly spun and spiralled its way into the fray. It barely dodged obstacles and weapons fire, both friendly and enemy, rocked the vessel, prompting the Z Squad to silently count their blessings. Even Vegeta, unaccustomed to feeling so helpless, could only observe in complete silence as they flew.
If he knew how uncomfortable his passengers felt, Yoshuro didn't let it on. He gazed with a stone face at the scene before him, constantly on the lookout for danger as well as openings he could slip through. He briefly thought about his family and friends on Mesata, then he kept on pushing the ship to its limits, making impossible twists and turns at high speed. He let his instincts control his reactions and for a moment Lulu wondered if he was almost one with the ship. Reassured and trusting in Yoshuro's skills and dedication, she continued to observe their approach. Eventually, after several tense minutes, they were past the brunt of the battle and they entered the planet's atmosphere.
"That was absolutely insane!" Tenshinhan said. He immediately realized how long they all had been quiet.
"Yes, thank Kami!" Android 18 exclaimed in relief.
Only a few minutes later, Yoshuro's ship sped above the frantic streets of Mesata City. Down below, soldiers, authorities and brave volunteers were running around, trying to complete the evacuation of thousands upon thousands of civilians. A flotilla of craft hurried in the air in all directions, some taking more people to safety off the planet, while others, empty, came back for more. Crowds of panic stricken people raised their hands to the ships, desperately hoping to be the next to be airlifted off. Others ran around in disorder, calling out for friends and relatives and gathering whatever last possessions they could bring.
The extended Z Squad reached a military outpost on the western outskirts of the city. As soon as they exited the ship, Yoshuro dashed inside the compound. The local commander, trying his best to keep his cool in the midst of all the chaos, greeted the rest. Lulu saluted him then turned to look north. Far off in the horizon was the giant enemy ship that had entered the planet's atmosphere. It maintained its position floating in the air.
"Well?" Lulu coolly asked without taking her eyes off the ship.
"It's confirmed as a Planet Traders Guild flagship, a giant carrier." The commander responded.
"So we have potentially a few hundred airships to deal with in addition to Dudan himself? And the city?"
"Still over a hundred thousand civilians left. I'm not entirely sure how we'll get them all."
"Find a way!" Lulu responded sternly. "Let us do the dirty work, we'll buy you the time…"
"Time is already running out!" Piccolo stated.
"W-what?" Lulu stammered.
"One large power just left the ship and it's heading directly for the Power Stone's location." Piccolo continued.
"Damnit!" Lulu cursed.
"Heads up, guys! There are more strong fighters coming our way. Plus hundreds of soldiers." Tenshinhan added.
"Let's split up. Trunks, 18 and I will go to the Stone…" Piccolo started.
"No, I'll go to the Stone, you help here, Piccolo." Lulu interjected.
"What? But your people…"
"It won't matter if I can't get to the Stone first. I know exactly where to get it, there's no time to lose. Trunks, 18, let's go!"
"Very well, but be careful." Piccolo said.
Lulu paused to look at him, and then with a nod she blasted off, followed by Trunks and Android 18, leaving the others and the local commander there.
"Well, this could be interesting." Vegeta said.
"And if interesting you mean life threatening, I agree." Piccolo replied sternly. Vegeta merely chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"I'm curious… Is this how it felt?" the Saiyan Prince asked as he watched for signs of the incoming air force.
"Huh, how what felt?" Tenshinhan questioned, puzzled.
"Waiting for me… when I first came to Earth and attacked with Nappa. Was this how it was like when you were waiting like we're waiting now for this Dudan character?"
"Well what do you feel?" Piccolo asked in turn.
"How should I know?" Vegeta shrugged. "It's not like I'm used to playing hero."
"You don't have to be here if you don't want to." Piccolo gently mocked. "I'm sure you'd rather be sleeping or eating or whatever it is that you do."
"And let you have all the fun, Namek, like I let Kakalotto! Please! I must admit this does feel kinda personal, being here to defend other people for no good reason."
"Things feel different, don't they, after Trunks was killed by Cell?" Piccolo asked but Vegeta couldn't respond. "I know it feels different for you, Vegeta. When you have to defend something that's your own, whether that's your home or someone you care for, you don't want to lose that something. And you don't want others to lose their home, their loved ones or their lives either. That's why it feels more personal as you say."
"You know, I asked a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, I didn't ask for a lecture." The Prince grumbled.
"You're welcome." Piccolo replied, grinning.
"Well, that's one way of seeing things, I guess." Tenshinhan added.
"Yeah… well here goes nothing." Piccolo stated as he looked at the sky.
"Hey guys!" Yoshuro exclaimed as he came running out. "I just checked and my family have been evacuated and… oh!"
"Oh man!" Tenshinhan cried out.
The sky was filled with hundreds of small aircraft buzzing and hovering over the city. The sound of engines roaring was only matched by the screams of the populace now in a complete state of panic. The enemy air force immediately started firing into the city, causing a few buildings to explode and catch fire.
"All air fighters, robot flyers and those warriors who can fly, take to the sky immediately! Everyone else, fire at will! Fire at will!" The commander yelled out frantically on his communicator. Rapidly, Jubian pilots manned their planes while a few select soldiers trained in ki mastery took off to engage the enemy ships. Piccolo hardly paid attention to the military actions as he was on the lookout for the more important foes.
"There!" Piccolo exclaimed. "To the back of the enemy fleet, there's four of them. Can you feel them?"
"Yeah, I can. They're definitely strong." Tenshinhan responded, tensing.
"Oh, now you're afraid, Human? I for one have been waiting for the real fight to start." Vegeta mocked. He then turned to Gohan. "What about you… eh?" He paused when he looked at Gohan's face. He only then realized the young Saiyan hadn't spoken a word in a while and had a look of pure focus. Gohan simply looked at the sky. Piccolo looked on also in curiosity. "What is wrong with you, brat?"
"Gohan." Piccolo said. "Are you alright?"
"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay… Let's do this." Gohan spoke softly without looking at the others. His tone held a slight tone of apprehension and aggressiveness in it, as if he was pondering something else. Piccolo decided to let it pass.
"Okay, let's go!" The Namek said.
The four Z warriors blasted off into the air. Masses of Planet Traders' airships buzzed around them, some veering away from the unexpected arrivals, others tailing in pursuit. They began firing but the Z soldiers outmanoeuvred them as they tried to reach their real opponents. Tired of their pursuit, Piccolo let out a massive cry. His ki flared around him, creating gale force winds that knocked more than a dozen aircraft out of the fight.
"Nice shot, Piccolo!" Tenshinhan said.
"Yeah, now where are… Ugh!" Piccolo was about to talk when a purple flash streaked by him, knocking him back in the process.
"Why, since you insisted so much on meeting us, we're right here. We are the Elites!" A woman spoke from behind the Z Squad. They immediately turned to see their contenders.
"Ah! Well about time you showed up… what the? This can't be!" Vegeta started but his mocking tone was quickly replaced by one of confusion.
"What…?" Piccolo could only mutter in astonishment and fear.
"No way…" Gohan whispered in shock. No words escaped Tenshinhan's open mouth.
The purple flash stopped moving, revealing the smirking, overconfident form of Crest as he took his place alongside his three comrades. With him were Cerion, Sulfus and Timber, three other members of Dudan's Elites. Crest was a very tall figure, taller even than Piccolo. His skin was light purple and he also had teal eyes. He wore a sleeveless, open black shirt along with loose green pants and various chains crisscrossed on top of his shirt. His dark brown hair was arranged in a single mohawk and he sported a large silver ring in his nose.
Cerion, human in appearance, hovered with an almost regal manner to her and she certainly dressed and looked the part. She wore a golden, light armor that only looked metallic and started at her chest down to an impressive silver coloured belt at her waist. On her forearms and shins were also golden pieces of armor of the same, protective material as her top. A light orange skirt covered her down to a few inches above her knees. A large purple cape was attached at its ends to her wrists. A golden, thin crown with a single jewel rested atop her jet-black hair to complete her outfit. Impressive and unusual though those two were, the Z Squad couldn't believe their eyes looking at their two companions.
The relatively slender Timber had a somewhat rectangular face with rough skin, almost as if his face was made from the bark of a tree. Spikes protruded from the top of his head. Most of his body, since it appeared to be naked, was leaf green, save for patches on his arms, legs, and the very top of his head, which were dark green. Sulfus, on the other hand, though only about as tall as Vegeta, was an extremely muscular figure. His arms and his chest bulged out fearsomely. His head was far more normally rounded; however he also wore a helmet, which had tusks extending downward, barely removed from his cheeks. Sulfus was mostly a very pale yellow on his body, save for patches on his head, shoulders, arms and chest that were a darker shade of yellow. Once these differences were taken into account however, with their overall figures and their massive tails, Sulfus and Timber more or less looked…
"Freezer!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"What?" Sulfus asked, curious.
"You… you look like him but that's impossible!"
"Huh? Oh, I get it! Timber, they don't know about our people, even the Princeling is ignorant! And to think you once worked for Freezer too!" The four Elites laughed.
"Your people? You mean there's more like you and Freezer?" Piccolo asked.
"Yes, that is correct. A lot of other races call us 'Changelings' or 'Elementals' but we call ourselves Kosajin." Sulfus explained.
"An entire race of you bastards!" Vegeta spat venomously. "For all that your race has done to me, I'll kill you all!" Sulfus chuckled.
"Not likely."
"Empty threats, Saiyan. But either way, you and your friends are still in our way." Crest spoke.
"But we'll ignore everything if you just go and return where you came from. Why come all the way over here for another people? That'd be such a waste of your blood." Timber added arrogantly.
"What we do here is none of your business, we defend who we want to!" Tenshinhan yelled. Sulfus rolled his eyes.
"Hmpf! I knew you Earthlings would want to fight, I would've expected nothing less." The yellow Kosajin said. He absent-mindedly cast his eyes down to the city and a wicked smirk crept up his face. "So we fight now, then we need a battling area, no? Any place will do, so how about… down there!" Sulfus immediately dropped down and flew into the city. The Z Squad were stunned for a moment, and Crest and Timber followed Sulfus down.
"Cowards!" Vegeta screamed at the top of his lungs.
"The city… but we can't fight there, all the bystanders!" Tenshinhan said.
"Looks like we have no choice. Either way, innocent people are going to get hurt and we got to stop them!" Piccolo countered forcefully. Immediately, Piccolo, Vegeta and Tenshinhan flew as quickly as possible into the city. Meanwhile, Cerion and Gohan merely looked on.
"Well, that looks exciting." Cerion stated before turning to look, with a smirk, at Gohan. "Wouldn't you agree, Son Gohan?" Gohan grimaced.
"So you're the one who was talking to me in my head since we landed on this planet." Gohan replied icily. "Who are you? How come you know me? And what the hell do you want?"
"My name is Cerion. And I know that you have a lot of potential; potential that I can help you realize… if you join me!"
END OF PART EIGHT