AN: Apologies for the delay! Holiday weekend = busy... Oof! This was an interesting chapter to write. We have finally reached the mission! It's very battle strategy heavy chapter, which is outside of my wheelhouse. But I think it turned out well enough. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6

Bulma sat strapped in her seat as their ship made the final approach to the target planet. She kept her mind focused on the task at hand and what the game plan was upon landing.

The final iteration of the drone program had done wonders for their training. It really helped everyone get acquainted with fighting against an opponent they couldn't predict, and this magnified any weaknesses that were quickly focused on and corrected.

Bulma was single-mindedly focused on her training. She knew she wasn't truly behind because she was a good fighter with a fast reaction time and a finely honed intuition, but she had still missed a great deal of training with the group. It was well worth it as the drones turbo charged their skills and learning, but she still felt like she needed to work twice as hard. She threw herself headlong into her daily routines, as much to improve as much as possible as to get the prince out of her head. She, more than anyone in those last two weeks, worked herself so hard that she needed the rejuvenation chambers. The pain was worth it, though; that level of physical damage combined with the quick recovery jacked up her strength exponentially. She had gotten to the point where she commanded a certain level of respect, and not just for her brain.

She had seen Vegeta only once since the… incident, and that was at their final briefing the day prior when he addressed the congregated elites, laid out the basis for the mission, and outlined their plan of attack.

"Soldiers," he boomed, standing in front of the group of his hand-picked warriors. Bulma and Goku had been placed in the front row in recognition of their prowess and dedication to the betterment of the team. "The task at hand will not be an easy one. That is why I felt the need to add to my ranks.

"We will be leaving for the planet Elor in the morning. The trip will be roughly 12 hours. You are encouraged to spend the time onboard mentally preparing yourself. The situation we are going into will be dangerous.

"The purpose of this mission is to secure the planet for the Elorian people, who are under our protection. Four months ago, we received an emergency transmission from those we have stationed there. We only received a short message before it was cut off, and we haven't heard from them since. They are all presumed dead.

"The information gleaned from what we did receive as well as from spies we have in place on the ground has revealed that a large group of powerful mercenaries called Karthis are the ones responsible. They are among the fiercest in the galaxy. They have taken over Elor because it is a planet rich in many resources. So not only are they enslaving those under our protection, they are also stealing from us.

"According to our spies, they have been working under the assumption that we have abandoned the planet rather than fight for it since we have not retaliated yet. We have let this assumption stand, not only to give ourselves time to prepare our strike force—you—but also to lull them into a false sense of security. We had the option of a full-scale invasion, but we know how this group handles these kinds of head-on attacks. They raze as much of the planet to the ground as possible, and it would result in mass casualties for not only those inhabitants of the planet but also our troops as they have many strategies to attack large groups using surprise tactics that can wipe our entire infantry. It is near impossible to predict how they will employ these tactics as they are constantly changing how they achieve this. They are also extremely strong. Because of this, we are taking a small contingency of our best to conduct multiple surprise attacks, converge on the seat of power where the bulk of them are likely to be stationed, and then finish them off with a full-scale attack from all sides before they have a chance to use their usual stealth approach. Our ship has shielding to keep us off of their radars, and we will take individual pods down to the surface which will drop us in remote areas confirmed to be unpatrolled.

"We will be broken into groups, and each group will be responsible for clearing their specified quadrant of enemy soldiers before proceeding to your rendezvous point. Once we have all confirmed to reach these points, we will begin the attack on the main compound. You will all split into your groups where you will study your maps and go over the plan of attack. Nappa will inform you what your groups are."

Prince Vegeta then nodded to Nappa who stepped up and began calling names and separating out the force. As Vegeta stepped from the head of the room, he nodded at Goku and Bulma and gestured for them to follow him. They looked at each other, mildly surprised, and followed him.

He led them to one of the corners, stopped, turned, and watched Nappa as he divided everyone up and assigned team leaders. Bulma and Goku stood silently at attention, eventually coming to the realization that they would get more information once Nappa finished. He gave everyone communicators which also included maps and important information about their quadrants before making his way over to them. He handed the two newest members in the foursome their communicators and gave Vegeta a nod.

"Our group will be part of the vanguard," he began, addressing Goku and Bulma more than Nappa. "I have included you two because you have shown a particular aptitude in being able to pick up on your enemy's moves before they make them as well as exceptional strategy planning and execution. These will be particularly important in this mission given the strengths of this group. I will need you both at the top of your game as when we lead the attack on the group, especially their leader, you will need to be anticipating those around him. I will be taking him on personally, but he will have a cadre of soldiers near him at all times. I trust you three will be able to keep them out of the way as I take out the leader."

The two of them nodded. Bulma couldn't believe he had enough faith in the two of them—over even his more experienced elites—that he would entrust them to be part of this core protection group.

"Now, bring up the map on your communicators, and we will go over strategy."

Bulma was brought back to the here and now as the ship stopped and the lights flashed, letting them all know to get to their pods. Everyone unlatched their harnesses and got up. She nodded at Goku as he got into the pod next to hers and saw Nappa get into the pod on the other side of Goku's. She looked the other way, and there were Vegeta's eyes again, locked onto hers the way they had frequently done before. They smoldered, and she could see the trust in them as well as other swirlings she couldn't decipher. She hoped she was communicating through her own gaze that she could be counted on—she never half-assed anything. He gave her a nod before getting into his pod, and she followed into hers.

She sat down in the small unit and strapped into the harness. The time ticked by as she methodically tapped her foot. She was ready, and she was tired of waiting. Finally, she felt a shudder in her small pod, and then it felt like the floor dropped out from beneath her. She gripped the harness to ensure she wouldn't fly out, out of instinct rather than necessity, as she hurtled to the ground. She felt the jets kick in, and her pod began moving in a predestined direction. She could see through the portal window in front of her the other pods shooting off in their own directions. A few moments later, her pod approached the ground, and she felt the reverse jets start up to dull her landing, though not by much, she thought. I bet I could improve that, she thought as she unlatched her harness and opened the door.

She stepped out into the small crater her landing created, and stood still, attempting to sense any power levels near her. She felt Goku, Nappa, and the prince nearby, but nothing else larger than likely wildlife was anywhere in the near vicinity. She poked her head out of the crater and saw three other craters spread out not far from hers. She looked around again before flying up to land near the others who were just exiting their pods.

"I guess these things aren't known for their soft landings," Bulma commented to Goku as he dropped down next to her. He rubbed his neck.

"You're not kidding," he mumbled back. The prince and Nappa were conferring a few feet away before meeting the two of them.

"Our first target is 5 miles to the east. There does not appear to be any impedances on the way," Vegeta instructed. "Remember, we have six targets to hit before going to the rendezvous point. These are their soldiers' stations. We will employ a pincer attack on all six as that is the likely best strategy based on their layout and how they are manned. Nappa will be with me, you two will take up the other side. Coordinates are in your communicators. I will signal the start of the attack when we are in place. Let's head out!"

He turned and shot off into the direction of their target. Nappa was right behind, then Bulma, and Goku took up the rear.

The eradication of their six targets was done with surgical precision with no hiccups. No one was expecting the incursion, and the group worked in perfect tandem to clean up quickly and effectively to prevent any transmissions to headquarters which could alert the enemy of their attack.

They reached their rendezvous point early and awaited the notification of others following suit. Each point added a base of attack that had the capital surrounded in a way that would prevent them from forming against a single army attack as they normally did. The prince announced their arrival to the rest of the strike squads. Then they waited.

Bulma surveyed the land. Behind them was all of the lush agricultural lands, and in front of them was the industrial center, which also included the seat of power that the mercenaries had taken over. A surprise attack was necessary as there weren't any places to easily hide when trying to attack the capital. It was open and sprawling whereas the countryside had hill and tree cover.

"Strike Team 2 in position," they heard over their communicators. She glanced at Vegeta and noticed him nod as he continued to survey the scene before him. Not long after more teams began reporting their arrival at their designated spot.

After a while of waiting on one final group, Nappa stepped up to Vegeta, who was still just watching out toward their target. Bulma would bet any amount of money that his mind was running through every strategy and contingency plan possible. "What is taking Acer so long?" Nappa queried in a low voice.

Vegeta's frown deepened. "I don't know," he replied, "but I don't like it."

Bulma could sense the tension coming from them; she could feel it in herself. She stepped over to Goku who was looking out at the landscape they had come from. "Goku," she said quietly, nudging him. "Something might be up. We need to be on guard." He looked over at her, confused, but upon seeing her demeanor nodded at her. They both walked toward the senior pair and followed their lead in looking out over the industrial center.

"Sir!" Bulma heard the muffled call coming from Vegeta's communicator. That was odd… All of the other communications had been to everyone so the entire elite force knew what was going on. This one appeared to be directed solely at the prince. This isn't good… she thought, listening closely.

Vegeta touched his communicator. "Go," he responded curtly. Nappa and Goku turned their heads toward him.

"We have a problem, sir," came the muffled voice.

They could practically hear Vegeta's teeth grinding. "Explain."

The voice hesitated but continued. "At our last station, one of them got away long enough to send a message before we took him out."

That was all that needed to be said. Bulma's breath hissed through her teeth. This plan hitched on surprise. Vegeta was deadly silent.

"What is your location," he finally ground out, his voice low and dangerous.

"We are just approaching our rendezvous point," came the response immediately.

"How long ago was the message sent to the base?"

"Roughly two minutes ago."

Vegeta stood there silently for a taut moment. Bulma noticed his eyes flicking back and forth over the target area. He took a deep breath and touched his communicator.

"Soldiers," he said, having switched his communicator to the entire squad. "Our presence has been reported as of two minutes ago. We no longer have the element of complete surprise we were hoping for. They don't have much of a head start, though. The plan is the same, attack as planned. Take out your planned targets and head inward. Be aware that they will likely not be the sitting ducks we were planning for. Be prepared. Attack now!"

He looked at the soldiers next to him who nodded in response, and the foursome shot forward like lightning bolts toward the city.

The forewarning the fleeing guard sent to the main base had given the mercenary group very little time to prepare. By the time most of the groups reached their targets, they were still scrambling for gear and weapons. These defenders were taken out quickly and easily, but that was to be expected. It was further inside where the real danger lay now that they were notified of the incoming attack.

Bulma and their group bypassed all of this early fighting as best they could so that they could more quickly get to their target, thus lessening any preparation time they might have. They blew through the masses of cannon fodder like wind through grains of sand, barely needing to give these encounters strategic thought.

Finally, as they arrived at the antechamber to the war room where their leader spent the majority of his time, Vegeta held up a hand for the rest of them to stop. He looked around the empty room which, during normal times, should have had at least some people milling about. He glanced back and met Bulma's eyes.

"They're inside preparing," she said, catching the meaning in his look.

"Or they're already prepared and are waiting for us," Vegeta replied, making sure to make known the worst case scenario. The squad nodded in acknowledgement. "I think our best course of action, considering the circumstances, is to blast our way in. Don't give any advance warning. Hopefully we can catch them off guard."

Bulma, however, was already looking into other options. If all four of them go parading through one point of entry, they will be much easier pickings. Also, if their enemy is already prepared and waiting, they could attack immediately—the saiyans would be walking into an ambush. She had brought up the blueprint outlines of the building on her communicator and was looking for alternate entry points while the rest of the group were discussing their strategy in hushed tones.

There it is! she thought triumphantly before holding up a hand in the middle of the three others, signaling for silence. They looked at her questioningly, seeming annoyed that she was interrupting their strategy discussions. She pushed a few buttons on her communicator which sent what she was seeing to theirs.

"There, that's how we get in." She waited while they looked over their screens.

"How did you find this?" Nappa asked, understanding the plan she was suggesting.

"I accessed the parts of the blueprints considered 'nonessential' during prepwork last night. Don't want to go in without all of the knowledge there is to know about your location. I found the room has multiple large vents at the top of the room; with a room that large, you would need many to keep it properly temperature controlled. With this extra blueprint access, I also found where the entry points are for these vents. The ducts are all pretty large, considering the size of the building, but the ones in the back near where most of the table work would be done are larger. Goku, that is where you will be. Prince Vegeta and I, since we are smaller—" she glanced toward the Prince, quirking a smirk at him and getting a moderate amount of satisfaction at seeing his eye twitch in response, "—will enter through two of the smaller vents on either side of the room. Nappa, you will need to come through the main door as you are too big even for the big vents."

She let that sit with them while they thought it out. After a moment, Vegeta nodded. "Kakarot, you will come out first, attacking from the back. They will be expecting the front door, so coming through that way should catch them off guard. Then Bulma and I will begin our attack from the sides. Nappa, after you hear us start attacking, you will then blast through the front door and begin attacking from that side. They won't be able to focus on where the attack will be coming from next."

The group nodded in unison, understanding their role. Vegeta nodded to Bulma. "Where are the vent entry points?"

The blue-haired Saiyan tapped a few buttons on the communicator and sent a ping to their screens, indicating the nearest entry point for the vents they were to inhabit. Vegeta motioned to Nappa to place himself near the main door and then sent Goku off to his vent. He locked eyes with Bulma, and she could almost physically feel the admiration and respect wafting off of him. She felt her chest tighten. He then nodded and shot off like a bullet to his vent. She blinked a few times, shook herself, and quickly found her way to her vent.

Thankfully the vents themselves were not very circuitous, and it was easy to find one's way to the exit point into the room. The challenging part was keeping quiet. Any heavy-handed limb placement on the vent surface could echo throughout, and putting too much pressure would cause the material to dent out which would make a popping noise that could be heard in the most chaotic of environments. As Bulma entered her vent, she recommended to the other two vent crawlers through their communicators to hover as best they could, especially Goku considering his size, to avoid these potential pitfalls.

After a stress-inducing float through tight vent shafts, she finally found herself at the exit into the room, blocked by a slatted vent cover. She looked down into the room and was immensely grateful she had found this other entry. What she saw was a concerted effort of a group of well-trained fighters—all with weapons and bodies directed squarely at the main door. As she worried, they would have walked right into a firing squad.

She looked toward the vent directly opposite her, the one Vegeta was to occupy. She could almost make out the reflective shine from his eyes in the darkness of the vent. Bulma sent the quick notification signal through the communicator to let them know she was in place. She heard Vegeta's signal indicating he was also in place, followed shortly by Goku's. She took a breath and steeled herself.

The signal for Goku to attack pinged in her ear.

What immediately followed was an explosion of ki blasts combined with the shocked cries of those inhabiting the room. Many were taken up in the explosions before they even realized where the attack was coming from. Once they realized it was behind them and began to focus themselves on that side, Bulma received the attack ping. Both she and Vegeta came blasting out of their vents, further contributing to the absolute chaos now erupting in the room. Before they could get a handle on what was happening, Nappa came through the front door in a flurry of light and crashes, once again adding to the madness.

Vegeta made a beeline for the head honcho, who was surrounded by soldiers. Bulma followed shortly behind while Goku and Nappa distracted the throngs of other throw-away bodies filling the room. The prince bared his teeth as he came to the leader, a burly humanoid named Vito, who snarled right back at him, and their fight began. They had done their research on this particular individual—he was no wilting flower. He gained his power on strength. He was a formidable enemy.

Bulma's job was to keep the riff raff at bay while the prince and Vito fought. She was able to keep these minor players out of the way while also keeping an eye on the prince; she was also his protector, after all. From what she could tell, it was going to be over in not very long. They had the element of surprise, and strategic though this group and leader may be, they could not match the strength of the Saiyans, let alone their prince.

Something was off, though. From what she had gathered of this Vito character, he was one who would fight dirty if it gave him a victory. She kept half an eye on her targets and one-and-a-half eyes on their battle.

That was when she noticed it. There was someone on the other side of the room not participating in the fighting but was focusing very intently on the battle between the two leaders. He was holding what appeared to be a glowing sword of some sort, and he was getting closer. Before she could abandon the group she was facing, she saw him launch toward the men, aiming that queer blade at the center of Vegeta's back.

"VEGETA! BEHIND YOU!" she yelled, clearing a circle around her with an explosion of energy. She saw him glance behind him just in time to avoid a direct piercing of his heart, but not fast enough to avoid the attack entirely. The sword punctured him through his side, and he let out a sharp cry of shock and pain just as Bulma flew past him and directly into the would-be assassin. He was easily dispatched as he was likely just the fastest, most sneaky person they had and, therefore, had the highest chance at success. A suicide mission.

She turned her attention back to Vegeta just as he was pulling the weapon from his side. He winced as it was fully removed, dropped it to the ground, and glared at Vito in a rage. The battle began once again in earnest, but Bulma could tell that the prince was no longer playing games, and this would end quickly. In the meantime, she cleared out the remaining minions from that area and collected the sword to examine it. There was something odd about it, and she wanted to study it.

Looking around, she noticed that Nappa and Goku had also cleared out their areas, and all around them lay the dead and dying mercenaries that had taken over this plant. Behind her she heard the agonized cry of Vito.

"Mercy!" he cried as he lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from nearly everywhere. "I can be of use to you!"

Vegeta sneered down at him. "Unlikely. We don't need the help of cowards." With one final ki blast, Vito was no more.

And Vegeta collapsed.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried, rushing to his side. She moved him to his back and checked over his many wounds. Most were superficial, but then there was the hole in his side from that unknown blade. The site was unnaturally red, and the bleeding was profuse and continual. There was something about that blade…

"Goku! Nappa! Call the ship. We need to get Vegeta back to Vegeta-sei now!"

AN: Dun dun dunnnn! Now obviously Vegeta can't be taken out by some measly weapon, but a specialized one? Hmm... Until next time! R&R!

- Trixie-chan