Kori found that she was just so happy that she couldn’t touch the ground if she tried, the boundless joy that filled her making her so light that she physically couldn’t walk through the halls of her home. Never before had she been so happy. Her people were free. Her people had been liberated. And while their freedom had not come without cost, those who had perished did so willingly with hearts filled with righteous fury.
She would dream of this moment on Okaara. Where she and her sister would liberate their people from their shackles and their fears. But she could never have imagined the form that the moment would take, nor the allies that aided her in her quest. But, now that the moment had arrived, it felt as if her heart would burst with joy.
It was a feeling that was shared by all, Kori found as she pushed open a large set of double doors to find everyone in the great hall was much the same. The valorous warriors of Tamaran feasted and drank, hovering in the air as they were too light to settle on the ground. Many sported injuries, some worse than others, but that did little to vanish their high spirits.
“To Koriand’r! Princess of Tamaran and friend to the Saiyans!” One such warrior made a toast, half of his heavy tankard spilling over the rim. That made others toast her as she entered the great hall, a wide smile affixed to her face as she frank the scene in. It was more intoxicating than even slurm berries could hope to be. “And to the Saiyans! Liberators and warriors!”
The same man made a toast up to the ceiling and it was there that Kori found Caulifla. She was sitting on an arch, peering down at the festivities below, but she did not partake. Worried, Kori’s smile dimmed a fraction before she began to fly up. “Friend Caulifla? Is everything alright? You do not appear to have eaten your snurkle berries -- they are most delicious!”
There was a plate next to Caulifla, but it remained untouched. Something Kori would have deemed impossible before now -- it was as if the Saiyans had a special instinct to know where food was so they could eat it. Perhaps her stomach ached? Was she ill?
“I'm fine,” Caulifla said, sounding most unfine.
“Please, tell me what troubles you! I shall do everything in my power to help!” Kori swore -- it would have been true no matter what, but it was especially true now. She and her people owed Caulifla, and all of the Saiyans, a debt that they could never hope to truly repay.
Caulifla glanced her way as Kori found that she was able to take a seat next to her. Her lips thinned before she looked away, kicking her legs back and forth. “I couldn't do anything,” Caulifla said after a moment, making Kori’s brow to furrow. “Tarble… back at the Wilds, I was the head of my own tribe. We weren't doing great, but we were doing okay. We didn't go hungry for more than a day at a time. So I thought I was doing great… until Tarble showed up.”
Her lips twisted into a frown, “He was a real weirdo, even for a kid right out the incubation pod. I tried to make him my underling, but he beat me in a fight. And kept beating me whenever I challenged him. Everyone wanted him to be in charge. And… I kinda did too? He taught us how to cook our food, how to hunt better, showed us a bunch of tasty rocks, and he made us stronger.”
That sounded familiar to Kori, so she could understand what Caulifla was saying.
“So, I was okay with him being in charge. But, since then… I've gotten stronger, but it doesn't feel like I accomplished anything! Tarble nearly died protecting me and Cabba from that half-tail Turles. And this time, I couldn't beat Tora on my own while Tarble blew up a spaceship and fought Bardock to a standstill. And the Kaioken… gahh!” Caulifla shouted, kicking her legs back hard enough that the arch that they sat on cracked. “How am I supposed to catch up to him when that jerk keeps getting stronger?!”
Kori reached out to her friend and cupped Caulifla’s hand with her own. “You do yourself a disservice! Tora was a most fearsome foe! Even with our combined efforts, we could not defeat him!” After Raditz had used that Tri-beam attack, she, Komand’r, Cabba, and Caulifla had attacked Tora as one but even then the Saiyan had been too powerful. Both Kori and Komand’r were still adjusting to their newfound power, so they did not fight as well as they could have… but Kori was unsure if it would have mattered.
“Tarble would have beaten him,” Caulifla said with a pout. To that, Kori wasn't sure if she disagreed. And she could understand Caulifla’s faith -- in the months that they had trained together, Tarble always felt like he was simply ahead of them.
It had been most confusing to learn that he was less than a year old due to the Saiyan practice of intubating their children for the first three years of their lives.
“Perhaps,” Kori agreed. “But Tarble did not fight him, so we cannot know that. What's more -- Tarble would say that you are being too limited in your ambitions! He is not the strongest there is. Your goal should be to surpass him!” Kori said, thinking on how Tarble would reassure their mutual friend.
She did not get the reaction that she hoped for as Caulifla sighed. “Yeah, that's what he'd say…” Then she glanced Kori's way, “Any idea how I'd even start doing that?”
“I do not,” Kori admitted. “But did Master Ulf not give us the lessons we would have learned? Perhaps the answer is in there?”
Caulifla seemed to think about it, though her nose crinkled at the thought of having to study. However, she was more bothered by the situation that Kori realized because she nodded her head slowly. “Master Ulf was pretty strong… so he should know a way of getting stronger. Thanks Kori!” Caulifla said before hopping off the arch -- though before she took off, she made sure to grab her plate.
Kori felt lighter once more, relieved to see her friend was feeling better once more. And she brightened that much more when she saw Komand’r entering the grand hall, her violet eyes scanning the crowd and how her sister's lips curled into a satisfied smirk when she was greeted with honors.
Kori was overjoyed that her sister was receiving her due. Her sister had always been…
Her sickness left her weak, and her birthday was one of the worst tragedies in their history -- the Citadelians managed to breach their defenses, and they destroyed one of Tamaran’s cities. Millions had died. It was a day of great mourning, and there were some who blamed Komand’r for it as the Citadelians had informed them that it was their gift to her elder sister. For all of Komand’r’s life, she had struggled with that weight.
And now she could carry it just fine. While Komand’r couldn't absorb as much ultraviolet light as most Tamaraneans, she could now do anything that the others could. If not more.
“Komand’r!” Kori called up, waving at her sister to get her attention. Komand’r glanced up at her before making the gesture to come down. It was something of a struggle as she found that she was just so happy that even with effort, she hovered a few feet off the ground.
“Father and mother wish to speak to us about what comes next,” Komand’r informed her, her smirk growing as she spoke. Kori nodded eagerly, her heart filling with a glorious purpose.
“We shall continue to free our people, yes?” Kori asked, floating after her sister.
“That is for father to decide,” Komand’r replied in a tone that Kori recognized.
She pouted, “You know, but you will not tell me?” Komand’r always sounded like that when she knew the answer to a question Kori had asked. Usually in regards to schoolwork.
To that, Komand’r offered a much gentler smile than Kori was used to seeing, “And ruin the surprise?”
“Oh! Then do not tell me! I love surprises!” Kori gasped, earning a chuckle from Komand’r as they continued through the palace. How strange it was to once more be in their childhood home -- Kori found that she had very few memories of it. Both she and Komand’r had been sent to Okaara for their safety when they were both very young. For six years, they had studied under the Warlords of Okaara, so it was strange to consider this place… home.
They arrived at one of the private offices where two guards opened the doors to reveal their parents -- Myand'r and Luand'r. They both smiled softly at them as the doors closed behind the sisters, but the smile on their father's face was quick to fade. “Komand’r. Koriand’r. You both have done well, my children. What we have achieved… much of the glory belongs to the two of you.”
“We succeeded because of Tarble,” Komand’r replied. “Both because of his ability to draw out our latent power and in his willingness to aid us.”
“This is known,” their mother spoke softly. “He has asked for so little. The ship has begun construction by our finest minds, and it should be completed within three months.” With a wave of her hand, their mother brought forth the designs and Kori brightened. They were most incredible!
“He is sure to be pleased. It does not repay the debt we owe, but it will be a start,” Komand’r said, also approving the designs.
“It shall be a start,” their father agreed. “But that is not why I wished to see you.”
To that, Kori and Komand’r stood straighter while their father dismissed the blueprints and raised a hologram of the Vega System. The dozens of planets, notable space stations, habitable moons, as well as markings denoting the asteroid fields from where planets were destroyed eons ago through some unknown means. All of the space was filled in with military information -- fleet positions, military stations, as well as their estimated numbers.
“It has been five days since the Citadelians failed to subjugate our people and in the time since then, we have finally seen the reaction that we expected,” Father stated. “The Citadelians attempted to suppress the information to the best of their ability, but they failed. As a result, there have been notable rebellions on the planets Rogue, Slagg, and Kuraq. Additionally, the Euphorixians of Euphorix have decided to take an active role in the war against the Citadel.”
That was most wonderful news! “Then together, we shall throw off the tyranny of the Citadelians!”
“To what end?” Komand’r questioned, crossing her arms. “With this new power we possess… We are stronger than we have ever been before, but we are still vulnerable. Our freedom from the Citadelians means nothing if we find ourselves under the boot of another.”
“Sister?” Kori questioned, frowning at her sister, who only had eyes for the hologram.
“Your thoughts, my daughter?” Father asked, leaning forward.
“It is as the Warlords say -- appear strong where you are weak,” Komand’r began and Kori’s lips thinned. “Our people need time to recover, as does our infrastructure. Yet, if we wait until we are at full strength to get ourselves involved with this conflict, then it shall be others that find that they rule the Vega System. I say we act!”
“How?” Father questioned, and Kori remembered the tone. It told her that there was a correct answer to the question.
“We mobilize to Slagg,” Komand’r answered swiftly. “It is a developed world rich in minerals. Before the Euphorixians make an offer, we present ourselves as saviors. We will aid them in exchange for… concessions. They shall become a junior partner to Tamaran.”
Kori’s breath was caught in her throat, her brow furrowing as she found her feet planted on the ground. She looked to her parents, and while Mother offered no reaction, Father smiled broadly. He rounded the table and reached out, patting Komand’r’s head, who leaned into his touch. “Well said, Komand’r. Well said.”
Kori’s heart clenched, “We… are replacing the Citadelians?” she asked, finding herself uncertain. She wished to be mistaken, but was unsure how else to interpret what was said.
“We must, Koriand’r,” Father declared. “To the people of the Vega System, we are trogs. We are nothing. That perspective will not change because we have won a great victory or at the power we now hold. There are millions, if not hundreds of millions, of our people still suffering in the system alone. If they are to be liberated, then their masters must have reason to do so -- either because of fear, or with their death.”
Her reaction must have shown because his gaze softened. “We shall not become the Citadelians. We shall not indulge in wanton cruelty merely because we have the power to do so. However, the Vega System has always required a master and if it is not us, then it shall be another. And once they see what we are now capable of -- flight, starbolts, and our great strength? They shall view us as rivals to their supremacy because, whether we like it or not, we shall be.”
War. Her father spoke of going to war. To not indulge in the peace they had long sought, but to conquer the Vega System.
“Then let us be the masters of the Vega System! We shall reclaim all those who have been lost to us, and those who were born in chains. We shall take our place of supremacy over every world in the system!” Komand’r declared, having no reservations about this course of action.
The discussion continued, but Kori found difficulty following it. They were plans of invasion, preemptive strikes while their abilities were still unknown, and stages of their conquest. There was even talks of gaining the Trade Organizations backing for supplies.
Kori hardly listened to a word, but by the time they were dismissed, Komand’r was floating next to her…
While Kori’s feet were firmly affixed to the ground.
…
Bardock and my fists clashed and the air rippled from the impact. His face was set in an intense glare, his lips pressed into a thin line before he went to feint a punch before going for the elbow. I didn't even react to the feint before catching the elbow with my forearm. A ki blast formed in my other hand that I fired off at his stomach, only for him to bat it away, back off, and send one of his own at me.
I knocked it away with a flick of my hand, making an explosion echo out as a massive crater formed.
“You little… how dare you hold back against me,” Bardock snapped, and I could tell that he was genuinely pissed off. That did nothing to the smirk that tugged at my lips.
“Why would I need to go all out?” I teased him, needling mostly for fun but hoping to get a reaction out of him. Bardock had better control over himself than that, though. When his frustration mounted, he just dug in and focused. It was a good trait to have. And, honestly, I could understand his frustration.
I had healed in the weeks since the failed invasion, and now I was stronger than ever.
25,000pl in my base state. And, the thing was, I’m not even sure if most of that boost in power even came from a Zenkai. After near a year of effort, I had finally smoothed away some of my rough edges and progressed with my techniques.
Bardock was still stronger than me, of course, he now had a power level of 28,000. But that three thousand points was something I could bridge with technique and experience -- experience that I got because the first thing Bardock demanded once I woke up was that we settle our fight, and we fought every day for the past month since. And it really got under his skin that I didn't need the Kaioken to match him anymore.
“Come on, Bardock! Don’t lose to a little kid! You’ll make us look bad!” Tora shouted up at us, Raditz sitting on his shoulder. A vein throbbed in Bardock’s temple before he whipped around to face our audience.
“Would you shut up?! How about you come up here and fight him if you’re going to run your mouth?” He shouted, making most of his team laugh at how he was getting wound up. Tora started to sweat, though.
A smile tugged at my lips, “Remember the stakes, Bardock. When I win, you have to teach us a technique!” My little taunt did the trick and fired him up. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but apparently techniques were something of an inheritance thing for Saiyans. I didn’t know that largely because I spent all of three days on Planet Vegeta outside of the wilds, and I had been unconscious for most of those three days.
Saiyans didn’t really care about property or money inheritance, but they passed on techniques to one of their kids if they proved to be ‘deserving’ of them. Sharing them outside of that was generally unheard of, but it also wasn’t uncommon to steal techniques. So, the entire process was messy.
“Not happening,” Bardock growled in my general direction before blasting off, and the bout resumed. His fists flew, and I found that I could dodge them with ease, though I was wary of using my tail as Bardock proved that he was willing to grab it if it meant winning. Which was another pretty big social taboo I had to discover the hard way. Poor Turles. “I’d be willing to trade, though -- how about that Kaioken technique?”
My body felt lighter. Stronger. That breakthrough I had with Ultra Instinct had elevated me to another stage, and I found that my fighting was just… cleaner. There had always been a little bit of wasted movement, a sliver of hesitation as I considered the attack and how best to respond. Now things just clicked into place, and I found that I could weave between Bardock’s punches and kicks. Not effortlessly, but he was struggling to land a clean hit on me. “Poor trade.”
As I delivered the words, a Dart ball formed in my hand that I unleashed in his direction. A dozen of them raced forward, forcing Bardock to dodge them by flying up into the air. Eleven of them were distractions to eat up his attention while the real attack took the long route, sneaking up on him from below to attack him from behind.
He shouldn’t have been able to dodge it, but all the same, he flipped out of the way and detonated the Dart with a ki blast of his own.
“Especially when you’re already stealing my techniques,” I felt compelled to point out, sneaking a glance at Raditz. I’m not sure when he told them, but there was no doubt about it -- Bardock was definitely using ki sense to dodge my attacks.
Bardock sent me a smirk that all but confirmed it, “That’s a pretty big accusation to make, brat.” It wasn’t the end of the world. Honestly, out of everyone, Bardock was probably the best Saiyan that the secret could spill to. Now, if he would be a little less irritating about it, I might even share a couple of other tricks up my sleeve that he could find useful.
“Stingy,” I accused.
“Yeah! Dad, you’re being stingy!” Raditz doubled up from the peanut gallery. “I’ll tell Mom!” He added and that got Bardock to blanch and let out a groan of immense suffering. “You said you'd teach me the Power Ball if I-”
“Shh! Shhhh!” Bardock shushed his son, putting a finger to his lips with an expression of exasperated panic. He glanced my way to see if I caught the reference and I just cocked an eyebrow in his direction. To that, he just dragged a hand down his face.
From below, Raditz shot me a thumbs up, which I quickly returned with a grin. Tora and Fasha both looked deeply amused that we had played Bardock like a fiddle and didn't sell us out.
“Fine. Fine! I'll teach you lot the Power Ball technique.,” Bardock said, crossing his arms. “Only I'd you manage to defeat me, that is,” he added with a smirk.
I liked Bardock. Even if I knew I shouldn't. The guy was a ruthless mercenary who was willing to help enslave an entire species for a cut of the profits. Even in the show and manga, while Bardock was capable of mercy and compassion, he’d still slaughtered countless innocents who had the misfortune of living on a planet Frieza wanted. But, I did like him -- there were hints of the man beneath the mask of a monster.
And moments that showed where Goku got his love of fighting from.
“Cool,” I replied before sucking in a sharp breath and flexing my ki. Bardock put his game face on as I powered up, balls of ki materializing in his hands before he started lobbing them at me in high speed bursts. I dodged and weaved between them effortlessly, closing the distance between us before my ki spiked.
There was no sign of it outwardly, but Bardock's eyes still widened in alarm as I used the Kaioken. So he was absolutely sensing my ki. Not that it mattered as I planted a foot in his stomach that sent him flying down to the ground, carving a trench in the purple dirt for more than a hundred feet.
My mastery of the Kaioken was still near the beginning. I could use it at higher intensities now, but I could tell I shouldn't go beyond x5. And I could only use x5 briefly and with consequences. So, I turned my attention to mastering the initial levels of it by slipping into x2 and leaving it on until it became effortless. I would also use it in bursts, much like Goku did against Frieza, using it to block an attack or deliver one of his own, but dropping the technique as soon as it was done to avoid wasted energy.
It was getting easier the more I did it, and my body was becoming accustomed to the strain. It was my hope that once using the Kaioken became an instinct, I could combine it with Ultra Instinct.
Darting down to make sure the job was done, Bardock started to rise until he saw a ki blast aimed at his face. Defiance flared in his eyes for a moment as he looked up at me, but it faded as a sigh escaped him. “Beaten by a kid. How shameful.” With that, he relaxed and I let the ki fade from my hand.
“Now, about this Power Ball…” I started, trying to keep my eagerness out of my voice, but I don't think I succeeded by Bardock’s rolling of his eyes.
“Tora, Fasha -- you two scram. Raditz, get over here,” Bardock ordered easily, getting up and brushing off purple dirt before reaching into a pouch at his hip to pull out two blindfolds. Revealing that despite his resistance, he had anticipated that things would end this way. “Put these on. No peeking either! At your age, it doesn't take much to trigger the Oozaru transformation and if you manage to perform the Power Ball… the only way I'd be able to stop you is by cutting off your tails. Got it?”
A shiver raced down my spine at the thought of losing my tail. But I was a little curious about the Oozaru transformation itself. I hadn't ever undergone it, and I was getting a little worried that by the time I got the opportunity, I'd be simply too powerful to risk going off in a blind rage. And I would need to master that transformation eventually.
“What about you, dad? Won't you transform?” Raditz questioned, putting on his blindfold as I did mine. It fit snug around my head, and seeing as I wasn't so curious as to risk my tail, I closed my eyes.
Through my ki sense, I'm pretty sure Bardock glanced at me before deciding to answer. “I can resist the transformation. I've mastered the Oozaru state -- it's supposed to be a trick for the Elite-Class and royal family alone, but I figured it out. Mostly by accident," he admitted.
Interesting. By that, I’m guessing he turned himself into an Oozaru so often perfecting the Power Ball technique that he learned to control it.
“Anyway, the technique isn't that complicated in theory. Harder to pull off in practice, though,” Bardock started and I listened carefully. “First, you bring ki to your palm like this: Hn! Then you think about the moon, like: Hm!”
Hn then Hm?
Yeah, I could do that. Cupping my hands together, I channeled ki to my hands while thinking of Earth's moon, trying to replicate its silvery white hue. Bardock hummed as the technique flickered to life. “Tarble, you need less Hm. Raditz, you need more.” There was a noticeable strain in his voice, and I guessed that resisting the transformation wasn't easy.
I kinda wanted to see it, though. I mean… big monkey.
But, doing as instructed, I dialed back the Hm in the Power Ball. Next to me, Raditz dialed it up. For the next couple of minutes, Bardock had us fine tune it until I sensed him nod. “That's it. Perfect. Now, start from scratch and do it again.”
That was a little harder, but by the third time we did it, Raditz and I were able to faithfully recreate the Power Ball. By the tenth time, we had mastered it.
“Bardock,” I said, letting the technique fade before taking off my blindfold. “How did you create the Power Ball?”
“I got tired of getting sent to planets without moons so I just decided to create my own. I paid some scientists to study Blutz waves for me and I figured out how to recreate them with energy. Why?”
Because I wanted to create variants of it. For the Tamaraneans, I could create a UV variant of the Power Ball that could power them up. Or I could create a variation that mimics the effects of a red sun.
Kryptonians were a prevalent threat, and while I didn't know a lot about DC Comics, through osmosis, I knew more than I thought I did. Such as Superman's weaknesses -- kryptonite, red sunlight, and magic. Though the latter was more of a case of Superman lacking any specific resistance against magic than a true weakness. And given that Superman could put the beat down on literal gods, I wanted to have a little something in my back pocket in case I ever had to face his people.
“No reason,” I replied a little too late, making Bardock narrow his eyes at me a fraction. But then he shrugged, indifferent to whatever I had planned.
“Hm. In that case… how about another round? A three way fight,” Bardock offered making Raditz brighten up.
“Same stakes?” I asked, making Bardock smirk.
“My Riot Javelin against your Kaioken.”
“Bet.”
…
Three months passed with surprising swiftness, I found. Tamaran was in a state of frantic action with everyone on the planet doing something. And that something was usually related to their ongoing war with the Citadelians.
I hadn't really understood what I set in motion when I agreed to awaken the powers of the Tamaraneans. I figured I'd give them enough strength to protect themselves, but they decided that the best defense was a good offense. The thing was, I didn't disagree.
I was just coming to grips with the fact that I had made a decision that would affect trillions of people. The Vega System was just one system, but it was a very densely populated one. From planets to moons to asteroids and space stations -- the Vega System was home to an estimated eight trillion people of various races. And that was just the people who were in the system. I could only guess how this would affect the rest of the local galaxy as the Vega System was a popular spot due to the Green Lanterns steadfastly refusing to enter it for some reason.
About a month after the battle for Tamaran, King Myand'r led an attack on the planet Slagg to kick off the Citadelians' garrison there. Slagg agreed to become a protectorate and to supply Tamaran with materials to rebuild their home planet. In the months since, they have conquered a planet called Voorl and they were spearheading the conciliation of several space stations.
I wasn't sure how I felt about it. All the more so because they had outright rejected the idea of me helping them as I thought I might as well finish what I started. It hadn't been my intention, but I was the one that tipped over the first domino and I should see the course of my actions through to the end. King Myand'r had been appreciative of the offer, but my aid would defeat the purpose of their actions -- to show the Vega System that the Tamaraneans were not to be trifled with.
Bardock, upon realizing that a contract wouldn't materialize, decided to leave a month ago. It had been a private affair since the Tamareans hadn’t exactly been enthused with him and his team's continued presence on their planet, and they were only tolerated due to his relation to Raditz. Raditz had been pretty down for a bit, but that wore off as the days went by. Then the weeks as another two months passed us by.
We trained for the most part. We studied the disk that Master Ulf gave us, with Caulifla unusually motivated to do so. But, as much as I enjoyed the time we spent on Tamaran, it felt like we were just wasting time waiting for our ship to be completed. And we planned for what came next.
“Are you sure about not going back to Okaara?” Kori questioned, a disappointed note in her voice as we floated to our destination. After three months of construction, our ship was finally done. My team floated behind me, all vibrating with excitement -- both at seeing our new ship, and to start our next adventure.
“I am,” I admitted. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, but it was the right call. “With the disk that Master Ulf gave us, we can learn most of what I wanted on Okaara. And with our current level of strength, we’d struggle to get physically stronger there.” That, and I think it would be best if we left the Vega System for a spell.
I had no idea what King Myand'r intended with Okaara, but I’m not sure if I wanted to be on the planet if the Tamaraneans invaded it. If I wasn’t going to be firmly on their side… I figured it would be best to step back and let things take whatever course they might.
“I see…” Kori muttered, visibly deflating with disappointment.
Caulifla nudged her, “Don’t be so glum! We’ll see each other eventually! Probably,” she added, which was a little less reassuring than she had hoped for.
All the same, Kori nodded but said nothing. None of us mentioned it. But, since the invasion of the Vega System began, Kori had carried herself with a certain kind of tension. She was still herself, just… dimmer.
The moment was quickly forgotten, however, as we arrived at our destination -- the very top of the royal palace that stood at the peak of the mountain it was built into. There, I saw a number of people. Chief among them was Queen Luand'r and her honor guard, but there was also an alien with them. He was very tall, very lanky, with greenish skin. Most interesting, however, was the clearly robotic head that was attached to a skinny neck.
“Greetings, friends of Tamaran,” Queen Luand’r said, offering them a small smile, though her gaze seemed… a little sad. “At long last, as promised, your ship has been completed. This is the engineer that helped design it,” she said, gesturing to the alien. “This is Docomendius vask Denomaskus.”
Um…
“Non-Aelloians call me Doc,” Doc informed with a distinctly synthetic voice. There was no real inflection, though, so I couldn’t tell if that annoyed him or not. “Queen Luand’r employed me to develop a starship that met and exceeded your expectations. Allow me to unveil Project Crescent.”
With a name like that, I felt my expectations rise a bit but when there was no immediate follow up, I found myself a little… puzzled. At least until Queen Luand’r gestured for us to look up, and it was then that I realized I should have raised my expectations even higher.
Descending from orbit was a massive spaceship. It was the size of a moon and shaped like a crescent, with a large centralized ‘eye’ dead in the middle. I blinked when I recognized it, glancing down at Queen Luand’r, who was quick to give a confirmation.
“It is built from the remnants of the flagship you destroyed protecting our people. We thought it… fitting,” she said, her lips curling into a smile.
Doc elaborated, “The forefront of the ship was preserved while the back half was largely obliterated. As such, it became the frame for Project Crescent. The circumference of the frame is fifty miles with what had been the core of the flagship being rebuilt with a radius of thirty seven miles.” That… was massive. I mean, it wasn’t mega-structure massive, but I hadn’t expected our ship to be measured in miles, much less hundreds of miles.
Wait, did I blow up the equivalent to the Death Star?
“The ship itself is modular,” Doc continued as the ship continued to descend, and it just got bigger and bigger. “It can be restored to a complete sphere, if that is your desire, with blueprints of various designs. These were not implemented as it would require several years at current production rates.” Fair enough. It sounds like they saved a lot of time by harvesting what was usable from the moon ship.
“As it is now,” Doc continued, as the ship had arrived in low orbit and stopped there. It looked like a little moon, which hinted how massive the thing was. “The ship has several facilities that meet your specifications -- there is a gravity training chamber that can produce gravity up to one hundred and fifty times the galactic standard. In addition to crew quarters, mess hall facilities, and a dock for your Attack Balls -- there are also general amenities, such as simulator pods, botanical gardens, and a library. Other areas have been left alone so they can be customized to your specifications.”
Nice. Nice! All of that was great. A gravity chamber up to x150 the galactic standard of gravity, which was around the same level of Earth, was pretty much perfect. Something up to x300, or even more, would be better but we could make the upgrades as we needed them. The rest was just gravy -- a simulator pod so I could keep playing my RTS game? Great. Gardens? Cool. A library? I couldn’t wait to fill it up.
The ship itself was technically a skeleton of one, and we could further develop it. And I think I might do that, even if I had no idea what I would fill that empty space up with. Having my own personal Death Star just tickled my fancy.
“It is powered by a cold fusion reactor. However, there are a dozen fusion injector rods that can be used to fire the main weapon -- the orbital laser. Additionally, there are standard defensive platforms and missile grids for protection. A high-powered forward-facing shield has been implemented, though it is vulnerable on the sides and rear. It is my recommendation that if you do not intend to have a large crew, then drone starfighters would be an excellent choice for both offensive and defensive capabilities.”
Useful, but I think the biggest deterrent would be having us on board. Still, the weapons and shield would still be useful.
“Lastly, the ship is equipped with both hyperlane technologies and propulsion methods of faster-than-light travel,” Doc continued without missing a beat. “While hyperlanes are far more restrictive, they are much faster depending on their traffic and quality. One from the Vega System to Planet Vegeta could reduce the travel time of your Attack Balls from a year to a week. The propulsion method, however, allows for far more freedom, albeit at the cost of speed. Still, it is a marked improvement as the travel between Tamaran and Vegeta will be reduced to three months.”
I let that wash over me for a moment. That was a big upgrade. That was a massive upgrade. It didn’t eliminate travel time completely, but the galaxy was big. What mattered most was that we could now be active during travel rather than putting ourselves in hibernation for months or years at a time.
“Awesome,” Cabba muttered under his breath, pleased with the results.
“Thank you, Doc. And you, Queen Luand’r,” I said, bowing my head to her. “The ship is beyond anything I could have expected.”
“It is far less than you deserve, Tarble,” Queen Luand’r replied smoothly. “You have done much for my people. More than we can ever truly repay. However… I do have one more favor to ask of you,” she said, her gaze gentle but heavy. I looked up, curious what it could be before she continued, “I wish for you to take Koriand’r with you on your travels.”
Of all the things that she could have said, I didn’t expect that one. Neither did Kori, apparently based on her gasp. “Mother?”
“This war shall be a long one. Longer than my husband or Komand’r suspect, I fear,” Queen Luand’r stated, her voice gentle as she approached Kori, cupping her face with her hands. “You are a protector, Koriand’r. You have a warrior's heart and resolve, but you are a shield for our people. Not a sword, as your sister is. I will not see you used as such, sent to conquer worlds and felling enemies who are only guilty of protecting their homes. It would destroy you, my daughter.”
Kori made to say something, but her throat was thick with emotion. “I… I am… I am sorry,” Kori tried, but her mother smiled. And, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caulifla watching the interaction with a furrowed brow and intense eyes. I’m not sure why she was watching the interaction with such intensity, but it mattered to her for some reason.
“You have no reason to apologize, Koriand’r. It is simply your nature. And while it saddens me you cannot thrive in your home, I believe you can with them,” she said, looking at us. “Can I trust you with my daughter, Tarble?” She asked, but it wasn’t a question.
I had no real idea what would come next for us, but I knew one thing -- I had no intention of conquering planets. “You can. There will be challenges in the future, and some of them we’re going to hunt down for the fun of it, but we won’t ever ask Kori to do something she doesn’t believe in.”
Queen Luand’r searched my eyes for a moment before she smiled, “I believe you.” She looked down at Kori, who gave her mother a powerful hug, and her ferocity was matched by her mother. “I shall miss you. Do not forget to visit… but more than that, have fun. Travel the galaxy and see all of it that you can. It does not matter when you return… only that you do.”
“I understand, mother,” Kori replied wetly, sniffling before she gave a beaming smile. Then she looked to us, as if she was still questioning if we were okay with her coming. So, I smiled and jabbed a thumb up at our ship.
“Let’s go check out the new digs. Sounds like we have a lot of rooms to see,” I said, making a bubbly laugh spill from her lips. Kori immediately dove in for a hug, and I was glad that my ribs got stronger because she really wasn’t holding back with her strength. Meanwhile, I caught a glance from Queen Luand’r, and I gave her a small nod, leaving a lot unsaid but the message got across.
We’d protect her to the best of our ability.
Floating up, we said our farewells, but I think I spoke for all of us that we were curious to see the ship itself. It seemed massive as it was, and it only got bigger the closer that we got. It really started to sink in as we arrived, flying through a docking bay that slid open at our approach -- I functionally had my own Death Star. I mean, it wasn’t blowing up planets. Yet. But it was still pretty much a Death Star.
“Welcome aboard, Captain,” I heard a synthetic voice ring out across the intercom. “I am A.D.A, your Autonomous Digital Astrogator. Please follow the lights to the command room to begin charting a course.” I checked around the docks to see the lights leading to a door to the interior of the ship, with the dock being a large open area that seemed built with the idea of expansion. It felt pretty empty with just our Attack Balls.
“An AI?” Cabba questioned, and that seemed to be the case. I had wondered how we would maintain and monitor such a massive ship with the five of us.
“Seems so,” Raditz muttered. “Hopefully it won’t steer us into a star…”
The lights lead us into a sterile feeling hallway that seemed to go on for literal miles. Which, honestly, it probably did. But, before long, the lights lead to a double door that slid open, revealing a command center that vaguely reminded me of the command deck for the Normandy in Mass Effect. There was a central area that displayed what looked like the entire galaxy with a number of points highlighted, including our current position.
Around it were a number of empty seats that I’m guessing would be filled by the support crew. As our support crew was non-existent right now, we would just have to leave that stuff to Ada.
“Before we are able to chart a course, Captain, the vessel requires a designation,” Ada said, speaking through the intercom so it sounded like she was coming from everywhere.
Name the ship? Me? That was a bad idea. There was a reason why I hadn’t renamed any of the techniques that I was stealing -- I was terrible at naming things. “What was the ship's old name?” I asked, half curious and half hopeful that it was just something I could slap on.
“Before reconstruction, the Siege Moon had the designation of ‘Zariman,’” Ada informed us, and that was…
“That will simply not do!” Kori cried out, looking at me with pleading eyes. “The ship must have a new name! One that conveys our righteous resolve and fearsome demeanor!”
“Yeah!” Caulifla agreed, a wide smile on her face. “I don’t want to be flying around in a ship named by some dumb aliens, probably named for dumber reasons.”
Fair, I think. My lips twitched, “Alright. How about Ship Vegeta?” I asked, throwing it out there and got the reactions that I thought I would.
Cabba offered a thin smile while the others wretched, much to the confusion of Kori. “I think a planet, a city, a castle, a prince, and a king is enough, Boss,” he vetoed.
True. I could reference something. It wasn’t like they would be any the wiser. Calling it a Death Star felt like it would set the wrong tone, and admittedly, it felt a bit edgy. The Millennium Falcon? Eh, I wasn’t really feeling it. Couldn’t go with the Devastator for the same reasons I couldn’t the Death Star. The Normandy felt like that would be hard to explain if I ever brought the ship to Earth.
No. I needed something else. Something personal. Something that reflected everything I had done so far, even if that wasn’t much. The Liberator? A little on the nose, but it wasn’t bad. Felt fitting given how we earned the ship. But, if I looked further back, to the very beginning of this journey that began the moment I got thrown out a window…
Rebellion. If I had to describe everything that I had done to this point, then the word rebellion came to mind. A rebellion against the Saiyan traditions, and now a rebellion against the Citadelians who tried to strangle the Vega System with an iron fist.
“The Rebel Moon,” I decided, gauging the other's reactions. They seemed to like it after mulling it over for a few quick seconds. When they nodded, or in Kori’s case, gushed approval, I committed to the name.
“Designation: Rebel Moon has been accepted,” Ada declared, and I felt a bit giddy. I had my own spaceship. “Captain, please select a destination so I may chart our course.” As Ada spoke, the galaxy at the central console rose up, ready to traverse the galaxy if needed. I looked at it, my gaze drifting over the general area that I knew Earth would be. It would be a general area of lightyears, but… I could probably find Earth if I wanted.
I could return to Earth. I wasn’t entirely sure what I would find there. Would it be a Dragonball-inspired Earth? Would it be DC Earth? A mix of both? DC Earth was a certified deathworld, but that was a plus to my Saiyan brain that heard ‘extreme deadly danger’ and thought ‘That sounds like a good time.’ It could be a place I could train. It could be a place where I could recruit people like Superman to kick the shit out of King Vegeta for me, which would make the whole wager a moot point.
I couldn’t lie -- the idea had appeal.
But, instead, my attention drifted elsewhere. What about Yardrat? Namek? I could train there just as easily if I could find them. More than that…
There was an entire galaxy that was floating before me. I could go anywhere I wanted. Did I really want to go straight to Earth? A planet that I’d spent the entirety of my last life on? Didn’t I used to dream about something like this? Going on a great space adventure across the cosmos?
Earth can wait.
“Destination selected,” Ada said, as I chose a planet in Saiyan Empire controlled space. “We shall depart shortly, Captain.”
I found myself grinning from ear to ear.
“Let’s start our next adventure!”