Our footsteps echoed annoyingly loudly as we descended a shattered staircase, I hadn't seen or heard anyone enter the building since the fighting stopped, but it was only a matter of time. Even now I felt several energy signatures flittering around the building, and as the day went on it would only become more likely for us to be noticed. I tried to hold back my annoyance as one of us spoke up, and far too loudly for any sort of comfort.
"Why would they leave us? We were winning weren't we?" It seems one of the Gerresians, Shalex, was not taking our new circumstances well. "Were all going to die here, just because they decided to abandon us to the world we've already been forced to attack!" I cringed at his yell, before cutting him off.
"Be. Quiet." I felt out the energy of the aliens outside, making certain none of them had heard, before I looked the alien in the eye. "They left because someone on this planet has power enough to be a threat to the invasion itself. They were talking about Outliers, those who were stronger than the average on this world. It's only a guess, but i'd say they were withdrawing to gather a group strong enough to take down whoever or whatever this threat is." I shook my head. "If you were this worried about your own survival on the ship you would have been paying attention."
I guided us down the staircase as far as we could go, passing several floors, each with indistinguishable from the last, and every hallway lined with what looked to be dozens of large pipes across the walls and ceilings. Lighting was low, provided only by some flickering yellowed fixtures every few feet. Good news if the defenders just didn't care about visibility, bad news if they could see in the dark. I spoke up as the distance between us and the surface grew.
"The war on this planet was supposed to last a few days, but it sounds to me like it might take longer. If no one else has a better plan I say we hide here for however long it takes for reinforcements arrive." I paused, looking back at the group. I didn't want to have to fight anybody for the posistion of leader, and for all I know someone has some sparkling nugget of information that could change things for us.
No-one spoke up, the Gerresians only looking to each other before nodding. I frowned, before moving on. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, being as thoroughly defeated as most conscripts were had to have an effect on individuality. Only those who kept their heads down and their actions submissive lived for long. Its better to fold to the PTO than have your arms ripped off and fed to the crew. As inexperienced as I was, I recognized that much. Far too many died just for speaking out against the cruelty they endured.
"I guess I'm in charge then. It seems like we'll at least have water for a while, that should help us last, but that does leave food. Anyone have any idea where we might find some?" This time at least, someone had something to say.
Marriv stepped closer to me, keeping his voice low and his eyes on anything that might be a threat. "Didn't they say the dropballs didn't always carry slaves? If someone got outside they could try and scavenge. " I nodded. He was right. We could try and find supplies from the scrap fields outside the city. Nutrient paste wasn't good, but it didn't seem like the heat would be much of an issue for it.
"Scavenge. That'll work. But I think it goes without saying that we should be careful. Tonight we won't be eating, at this point its safe to say none of us have any kind of energy left." The desert, the heat, and the sun had not done any of us any favors, and that's not even counting the planet-fall. "We find somewhere safe and easy to hide in, and then we rest in shifts. With any luck by tomorrow night the people of this world will be too busy on other parts of the planet, and we'll have a chance to grab some food and come back before anyone notices."
I rose a brow. "All in favor?" Mumbled agreement followed me as I walked down another set of stairs. This was a surprisingly deep building
Some argument was had over where we should hide, and how we should do it, but eventually we decided on what was probably the alien equivalent of a maintenance closet. It was, rather ironically, about the same size as the standard holding area for conscripts aboard the ship, but it meant we weren't going to be found easily even if someone was looking for us, and it didn't seem like it. We weren't followed on our descent, though a few of the natives had wandered onto the surface level and above. The overhead light seemed to be on its last legs, flickering above us.
It seemed the natives had other priorities then looking through shattered buildings. Personally I was glad. I don't know for certain how much stronger I've become, but I do know it isn't enough to reassure me about my prospects in a fight. When we were certain no one was coming to end our lives the group decided to rest fully. I volunteered for first watch, more out of paranoia over any kind of kindness, but I received some warm thanks for the effort.
With nothing else to do I practiced my energy manipulation as I waited for my time to rest. I don't have a teacher to impart techniques of any kind to me, and while I'm already eager to call myself something of a talent for the art, I believe my control needs to be my first priority at all times. Without significant luck or time I would never have enough raw power to match talented members of the truly dangerous species in this universe. So I needed something to give me a leg up on the rest. With the right knowledge ki could do many things, and with the right control I just might be able to do those things myself.
I need to build a foundation for real power. A way for a human to succeed against the Super Saiyans and Destroyer gods in this nightmare of a place. I spread my energy outward, manipulating a thin, and almost invisible string of energy outside my body. It was nothing more than a light projection of heat, but like most outward manipulation I found it hard to control. It was a wonderful way to practice, if a little demanding on my reserves, but I wanted to improve quickly, and it wasn't like I had any fight left in me right now regardless. If I was found I was dead, and that was it.
I "watched" as the energy moved about the room, forcing it to go slower, faster, to make turns on a dime and to split apart into different threads moving about. It almost never did what I wanted it to do, when I wanted to do it, but as the hours went by I found it responded better than when I started. I thought of the techniques I was aware of that could make the difference I wanted. Luckily most of them could be found fairly easily on earth, unluckily I had no fucking idea were earth was. However that didn't mean I was out of options.
Not being able to learn an ability directly didn't mean I couldn't try and replicate its effects in the future. I might not know how they're done, but I know what they do, and that was more knowledge on them than many could claim. The most notable of these techniques is the Kaio-ken, for its ability to increase the power of someone(mostly Goku) by anywhere between double its natural state, or even possibly above ten times its power. Then there was another technique, one that I couldn't use myself but couldn't help but be interested in.
The spirit bomb. A gathering of mixed energy from the non sentient facets of life on an entire world, maybe even several. On its own it was an attack of incredible power, one that like a few others was capable of beating opponents beyond the users own ability. It was the implication of making the bomb that excited me. For whatever reason the technique required a "pure heart", whatever that meant, and I doubt I qualify to learn it myself, but its existence on its own proves that energy that doesn't belong to you can be used for your own means. That means a way can be found to exploit that concept. A way I would find if I had anything to say about it.
Of course knowing about them now wasn't much help, but it proved to me at least that such things could be done, and assuming I survived I'm beginning to think one of the few things I will have in abundance would be the time to try and figure them out.
The crew of "my" ship had spoken of Freeza a few times, and many of them were focused on comparing him to King Cold, his father. I hadn't thought much of it at first, but with nothing to think about but my time on the ship I've been analyzing what I know about my situation. Freeza was in charge for over a decade before the events of Dragonball Z take place. That seemed to me like it was a sign he's only recently been put in charge. Maybe a year or two, maybe longer, but not enough for people to forget about his father. It was terrifying, and it was exciting.
On one hand it meant I had to wait nearly my entire lifetime before I could reliably find help and safety on earth. I was stuck, suffering under a tyrants boot for as long as he was stronger than me. even If I did run I would likely be tracked, I could endanger my entire species just by stopping there. I might not be willing to risk myself to save them, but I wouldn't condemn my entire race to death or enslavement on the assumption i wouldn't be followed.
On the other hand it meant I had time to prepare. It meant I had time to grow, and when the day comes that the monsters come out to play? I'll have become as much a part of this universe as any of them.
I'll have gathered every scrap of power twenty years of effort could earn me, and it'll be the monsters that cringe in fear at my approach.
With that in mind I kicked one of the Gerresians awake, before laying against the wall and closing my eyes as he tried to argue. An hour had passed and I had waited for rest more than long enough to earn my reward. When I was certain he was up and looking around I relaxed, pulling my energy back and in my own way celebrating my first night on an alien world.
I found that sleep came much easier with exhaustion, smiling lazily as the next shift grumbled out in mild distress.
"Feels like I've only been asleep for a minute..."
The steady, calm rhythm of my breath halted as a liquid splattered on my cheek. I moaned, pawing at my face and turning over just as a growl cut through the silence of my slumber. My eyes fluttered open blearily, before they locked onto a maw lined with rows upon rows of jagged and yellowed teeth, just barely visible in the dark. Two blue eyes I easily could have mistaken as human looked back at me.
The room lit up with a pulse of red and the sound of blaster fire.