I ground my foot into the floor, sparking a few twitches from the corpse as I basked in the feeling it brought out of me. I felt a shiver go up my spine at the wet crunch it made. I only really remember a few times I'd ever felt quite so... satisfied. The scavengers stared at me for a few moments, before scuttling off when I took a step in their direction.
It felt good to finally be acknowledged, even by them. Especially by them. When I was sure they had gone I crouched over the insect creatures corpse, looking overs it's arms. In hindsight the thing has alot in common with a preying mantis. If it was over eight feet tall and could mimic sounds in the most terrifying way imaginable. I had some interest in the way it seemed to control it's own ki. I imagine animals with that kind of instinctual ability are a rarity. The fact that it was so hard to sense even when it was practically on top of me at least once over the past few days made it all the stranger. I aimed my blaster for one of its joints, burning the natural blade of ones of its limbs off at the "wrist". A few curious pokes at it told me it was made of some kind of bone or Chitin, the dull grey of it almost absorbing what little light my blaster could produce.
It didn't have too much trouble tearing my companions apart, and I figure I can wield it to similar effect. I wasn't a martial artist after all. Any advantage I could give myself in close combat was one I had to take. A scythe-like claw the size of a sword? That sounds like an advantage to me. I thought for a moment, then tilted my head, focusing some of my energy into the blade, not seeing or feeling any real change aside from the drain on my power. I stopped soon after, the grin I had almost forgotten I was wearing dropping a bit at that. It would be more of an advantage if I could channel ki into it. That would let me keep the reach and cutting power advantage on enemies indefinitely.
I put that aside for later. The weapon would work out fine for now.
I started for the stairwell, this time walking without fear, without panic, and without any effort to hide. I mulled over my next move as I walked. It shouldn't be long before reinforcements got to this city, and that meant I had a few things to take care of soon. If I waited here I probably wouldn't have much trouble getting back onto the ship, but I would be leaving myself vulnerable. Staying a conscript was a risk. I might have discovered an appreciation for killing things, but I wasn't a fool. I was lucky this world wasn't anymore dangerous than it already was. Who's to say whether or not the next one might be worse?
I was stronger, enough so that I could probably just be re-scanned and sent as a working class slave on some shit world under Freeza's control, but there was no telling what that could mean for me. If I stayed on the ship I had a clear set of goals, and individuals of strength to compare myself to... for however long it takes me to surpass them anyway. Besides, they would likely have questions about just how I had grown so quickly, and while I might run into that problem regardless, it would still be better to wait until I couldn't be strong-armed into it. Which meant it was time to make myself valuable. Or at least try to do so. So cooking then. Not the best plan but all I really had.
I stepped out of the shadows for the first time in weeks, feeling like a new man. The blazing sunlight and overwhelming heat that struck me even inside the ruined building took a little while for me to adjust to, but in its own way it was a welcome change. I found a somewhat sturdy and comfortable wall to rest on, and pulled the last of my nutrient paste from my pockets. The half empty tube wasn't much of a victory feast, but I enjoyed it regardless. Doing anything but eating and waiting for night to fall seemed like a bad idea, and it gave me some time to re-evaluate my thoughts on the defenders.
A desert world filled creatures like those in the underground probably didn't have much by way of good food, but the natives probably had something to that end around here somewhere. It was just a matter of finding it and getting somebody that wasn't me killed. The problem was I had to do it soon. If I waited one of the crew members could easily blow up any of the buildings that had what I was looking for in the middle of the battle, and half the city along with it if they really put their hearts into it. Really it was probably a matter of how badly they wanted slaves.
So I closed my eyes, and brought my focus on the energy of the beings inside the city, looking for large groups that didn't move much. Places I knew had to have a decent quantity of food even if I had nothing to go on in regards to quality. It didn't take too long. A couple of minutes of trying to focus past the soldiers constantly on the surface. When I finally started pressing my focus lower it was almost immediate. Most of them were relatively low powered, only a little stronger than myself. Likely civilians ironically taking shelter in several places below ground.
Somehow I doubted they had the same issues we did. I eventually picked out the closest one.
I had my target.
Sneaking was an easy task when you didn't have to keep track of other people with you. Knowing where the aliens I was trying to avoid were, and what direction they patrolled in made it almost a breeze. Having an ever growing ability to fly made it even easier. I find that not touching the ground makes it a remarkably simple task to move quietly.
It was a lot harder to keep my energy low while I did it. I hadn't sensed what our forces had referred to as "outliers", but I could assume they were this worlds top warriors, ones that might have the ability to sense me themselves. I hadn't seen anything resembling a scouter on any of the natives, but assuming I could freely move my energy about now would be stupid.
I covered the distance between me and my target by hopping from building to building, taking advantage of burned out windows and broken walls to move unseen. I don't have much experience with flight, and it consumed far more energy than I was comfortable with, but it made all the difference in the world. For a people that I know can fly better than I can, they don't seem to look up.
Things got more difficult as I got closer to the center of the city. Patrols were more common, and often much closer to each other. Especially when I actually got to my destination. It was, surprise surprise, another ruined building. The only problem was this one had active guards standing both within and without. A smart move I'd say. The outside guards were fairly obvious, but the ones on the inside seemed to be placed around corners and out of view. An attempt at hiding I would have fallen for if I couldn't sense energy.
It didn't take much to realize I needed a window of opportunity. A distraction maybe? But it had to be something big. A guard on patrol might follow the sounds of rocks shifting around a corner, but a whole damned building would need something more...substantial. If they were smart they wouldn't leave their posts unless they thought the city was under attack again. I think I can make that happen.
Maybe it was arrogant of me, but the challenge of that kind of idea brought up that feeling in me. That need to prove myself. The thought of the rush actually managing to succeed would bring was only icing on the cake. I was moving before I had even really fully decided, my body making the decision for me. I backtracked, taking a position in a building a few blocks off from the shelter. it was smaller, but I had noticed that their was a blindspot from other patrols. A corner they had to turn on, one that left the passing natives out of sight and just slightly farther away from their fellows than the others soldiers would be.
Like most of the groups, the one that passed my spot was a two man patrol. They made mild conversation with each other in a language I couldn't understand, probably talking about the invasion. When they turned the corner I flew out of an overhead window, mirroring their pace and flying just above them. I adjusted my grip on the blade, and flew just ahead of them, before I let go of my control completely and let gravity do the work for me.
A half second of free-fall later, and my new weapon sank directly into a nice soft spot between the aliens neck and shoulder, burying itself almost to the hilt. He died with a wet gasp and a sputter. His friend was quick to react, swinging around with his weapon ready in time to catch an already primed laser blast to the face.
I waited a moment, my head tilted and my ears perked for any sign of notice, before I withdrew the sword with a squelch when there wasn't any. It came out surprisingly easily, the flesh offering little resistance even to my strength. I grabbed one of the bodies by the scruff of the shirt, lifting off into the night sky a moment later.
The world had come to an end. It wasn't a thought anyone had aired openly, but it was one everyone had. Ferric was no different. The invasion had been sudden, unexpected, and brutal. The aliens calling themselves the "Freeza Force" had issued only a single message in the time since their arrival. "Surrender, or die". It was told in the universal galactic language, one of the gifts access to the wider galaxy had granted them just a decade before. The philosophers had called it a sign of peace and advancement among all peoples. It was Ironic then that the attackers were using it as a tool for easier conquest.
When they first attacked Ferric had been excited to serve, and eager to prove himself. Waiting alongside hundreds of friends and family members for combat with a foe outside of ceremonial combat and simulations. It had only been when they arrived that he realized the truth. He had watched nearly half the defending forces die in a short few hours.
They had lost every major city, expended every military resources they had available, and held the enemy back with all they could as the most Elite and powerful of their warriors were sent to match the leadership of an army that was already far stronger than they had ever imagined on an individual scale. He had seen warriors born and bred, champions of arena combat trained in the forbidden arts, lain low at nearly every turn. The strength his people had prided in since they had united their civilization made out to be nothing more than a mild challenge for a little over a thousand killers, and a few thousand more slaves.
The capital had fallen just yesterday, and now those who were left could only wait as the invaders descended down upon them. leaving their last best hope to a single elite warrior who had managed to survive the initial fighting by some miracle. The only good news was that the scattered and few capable and battle-ready soldiers that had survived through desertion, luck, or any other means had gathered here, reinforcing an otherwise vulnerable garrison.
Some thought this was the last prideful gasp of their race, a honorable final stand against an inevitable end. Most knew that they hadn't surrendered only because the invaders cared little for their lives. The elderly and young were often killed in their entirety, while the relatively healthy and strong were loaded onboard a ship to be nothing more than slaves to whatever cruel masters awaited them.
They were all on edge, scared, and left with a world to lose. Which was why when the distinctive laser fire of the enemy sounded from one of far too many empty buildings many of them had panicked, including himself. Two patrols had already failed to report back. At the sound Ferric jumped into an adjacent building for cover, only moving when reports over the coms told of only two shooters in his area, and at least one death. both him and his partner, Domman, were quick to move, merging with a few other groups and flying into the building from the opposite side of the laser fire. The attack was coming from the fifth floor, strangely staying static where many of their enemies had kept to a flurry of movement so quick they could scarcely follow it.
A number of defensive weapons emplacements had already turned in their direction, ready to reduce what was left of the area into dust if whatever foe awaited them proved insurmountable. Ready to face death in battle they charged in, some emerging from side rooms, and some using their strength to burst through the damaged walls with weapons bared.
Waiting for them on the other side was nothing more than two corpses, one hanging from his guts from the ceiling in a grizzly display of disrespect, and another propped against a window, two blasters bound to his hands with ragged cloth and forced to face the downed bodies of an unlucky patrol.