[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (53/?)
Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.
Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.
Previous Chapters conveniently available here
[1 July 236 Before Age. Luffasworld]
Atop a glacier in the middle of nowhere, Luffa screamed.
While she had some vague plan for training, the inescapable truth was that she had no idea how to go about this, nor would anyone else. All she could do was to figure things out as she went, and see what worked. Now that she had faced the upper limit of her power, she wanted to replicate that feeling, to better understand it.
For once, there was no reason to hold anything back. Even on Wist, where she had the luxury of fighting a stronger opponent on enemy territory, she still had to focus on the battle. Here, on this empty planet, she could simply power up and do nothing else. It pleased her to see that she had already grown stronger since recovering from her recent defeat. All Saiyans possessed this trait, sometimes called 'Zenkai', but in her case it wasn't going to help very much. The Zenkai she had gained after losing to the Shockmaster would have been incredible for a typical Saiyan, but in her case it was just a drop in a very large bucket. She suspected that she would have to lose a hundred fights just to see any significant improvement.
That bothered her. When Luffa had first become a Super Saiyan, she had to be convinced that the transformation was natural. Over time, she started to wonder if the ability was not only normal, but commonplace. What if every Saiyan had the potential to do this? The Zenkai was a path to achieving that kind of power, but you had to lose a lot of battles just to get started, and most Saiyans preferred to fight to the death. That shortsighted attitude meant that most of her race never lived long enough to even approach the threshold of Super Saiyan power. Luffa herself had won the ability through blind chance. The Tikosi had forced her to experience repeated Zenkais, and then she transformed in a moment of desperation.
But what if it hadn't always been that way? What if there was a time when her distant ancestors understood the Super Saiyan form, and attaining it was just a normal part of growing up? The Zenkai increases were just to get adolescents ready for the change, and then they would spend their adulthood mastering the form, using wholly other means to improve.
The possibility chilled her more than the freezing winds that blew across the glacier. If it were true, then hers was race of tadpoles that had forgotten how to become frogs. Through no real talent of her own, she was the first one in a thousand years to grow legs, and now she was trying to figure out how to hop.
She thought of her unborn son, and her golden aura flashed in tune with her turbulent emotions. If the boy had lived, maybe he could have learned to transform too. Maybe they would have been able to train together, and he could have helped her figure some of it out. Or maybe she really was a once-in-a-milennium occurrence. Her son would have probably grown up to be a perfectly average warrior. She would have been proud of the boy no matter what, of course, but having him around would have answered a lot of questions.
Normally, she tried not to dwell on the matter, since it always made her lose control of her power, but for once she could let it all out. The tears came, and her hands trembled, and she did nothing to stop them. She balled up her fists, and felt her fingernails digging into the scarred flesh of her palms.
She let it all come back to her at once. Losing her son. The betrayal of her father and husband. Months of torment at the hands of the Tikosi. The terror of not knowing what she had become. The shame of being rescued by aliens as if she were a helpless child. The revulsion and contempt that her own people had for her. All of it was fuel for the fire, and she stoked the flames as high and as hot as she could.
Her thoughts drifted to Zatte, and she used this as well. The Dorlun woman had lost an eye because Luffa hadn't been there when it counted. Zatte had been abducted and corrupted by the loathsome Makyans, and Luffa had failed to prevent this as well. True, she had managed to free Zatte and put things right, but it had taken far too long by Luffa's own demanding standard. And Zatte had been the one to finally avenge Luffa's son, because Luffa had been far too emotionally compromised to do it herself. It was maddening.
The glacier began to crack up beneath her feet. She could still feel the cold air, but it seemed more like an unpleasant memory than an immediate discomfort. Luffa had reached her limit several minutes ago, and now she was simply maintaining her maximum power, but it didn't feel the same as before. Somehow, she knew there was more, just a little more, if only she could bring it out. But sustaining this level was hard enough in itself, and she had no idea what to do next. She pushed herself to hold this power for a little longer, hoping that the answer would present itself.
Then she saw something.
At first, she assumed it was just the rippling of her aura playing tricks on her eyes. But the image became brighter and more clear with time, and while she couldn't quite tell what it was, she was certain it was several yards away.
Unsettled by the disturbance, she leaped towards it, her warrior instincts interpreting the anomaly as an intrusion. But she misjudged her strength, and instead of closing the distance to the object, she sailed right past it. No, through it.
She turned to get a closer look, and the image was as fuzzy up-close as it had been at a distance. It was basically humanoid like herself, though not obviously male or female. Most of it appeared to be grey, with blue and purple markings on its body. There was some kind of tool or weapon in its hand.
She reached out to touch it, unsure how to proceed. The planet was supposed to be uninhabited. Even if the realtors had been lying, she had run her own sensor sweeps before landing, and found no signs of intelligent life. More importantly, her own inborn ki senses could detect no life energy from this being at all. Was this creature even real?
Then, just as her fingertips were about to make contact, it turned and faced her. Its eyes seemed more vivid than the rest of it, and while it wasn't looking directly at her, something about them made her draw back her hand. It raised its weapon, as if making some sort of noiseless battle cry, and then took off running. Luffa began to chase after it, hoping to learn more--
And then everything went dark. She had been maintaining her maximum power for so long that her Super Saiyan form was starting to fail. Her eyes had grown used to the illumination of her own body, and without it they would need time to adjust to the twilight. Irritated, she generated a ball of ki energy in her left hand and pointed it in the general direction of what she had seen, hoping to light the way.
She found nothing.
Luffa flew around the glacier for a while to be certain, then growled a series of Saiyan profanities, and decided to break early for breakfast.
*******
[1 July 236 Before Age. Wist.]
The reconstruction of Wist proceeded quickly by most people's standards, but the Shockmaster was not most people. Tigon had learned that lesson as soon as she was elevated to the role of his chief of staff. The post should have been purely administrative, but he preferred operatives to take matters into their own hands. Using ancient Wistian methods beyond her understanding, he had bestowed special powers upon her, and enhancing her strength and speed, and granting her the ability to fly. Her task was not only to run the day-to-day operations of the Wistian government, but to patrol the planet and enforce the Shockmaster's will.
Before the war, he had entrusted this responsibility to four people. Argon, the former ruler of the planet, Calgon, the one-time leader of the rebellion against Argon's regime, a Saiyan refugee by the name of Kandai, and the Kami of the Planet Wist. The first three had all been killed by the Super Saiyan before the Shockmaster forced her to withdraw. That left the Kami, who had apparently fallen out of favor. Tigon wasn't sure what had become of the planet's god, and if she didn't know, then she doubted the Shockmaster had informed anyone else.
Besides, she had enough to worry about without wondering what happened to her predecessor. The Shockmaster spent more and more time meditating. He would disappear for days at a time, effectively leaving Tigon in charge of the entire planet. If she were a more ambitious sort, Tigon might have found this role appealing. For a few days, she managed to convince herself that she could make a positive change this way, and truly improve the lives of her people.
In practice, she was just the one who bore the brunt of the blame for the Shockmaster's negligent policies.
"We need more workers!" insisted one of the officers in command of the thirteenth zone of the southern continent. Tigon had tried to learn all of their names, but she abandoned this effort once she realized it would make no difference. She remembered his face from her last visit to his zone, and the problems he was facing.
He pointed to a map that he had spread out over a chrome-plated table. "The dam will burst if we don't repair it soon, and if that happens, the whole valley will be flooded. It will take decades for the region to recover--"
"Then fix it," Tigon said cooly. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she had bigger problems to worry about, and she had no time to spare expressing her concern.
"We won't make it in time," he said. "I've got everyone I can spare on it already, and that won't be enough! What happened to the work crews I requisitioned--?"
"The Super Saiyan happened, that's what!" Tigon snapped. "She tore through our armies like they were nothing. The forces we sent to Extraliga never returned, and likely never will. The ones who stayed behind were cut down like wheat. I don't have the luxury of sending work crews to every zone that requisitions them."
"Extraliga!" he growled. "All this death and destruction over a planet on the other side of the galaxy. A year ago none of us had ever heard of the wretched place, and now I wish I still didn't!"
"Mind your tone," Tigon warned. "The Master Reigns, the Partner Provides. The conquest of Extraliga is vital to the Shockmaster's plans. Once it is secured, the way will be clear to make Wist into what it once was."
The officer spit on the silver plating of her uniform. It was a common experience for her these days.
"At the rate we're going, there won't be anything left of this planet to bother restoring!" he shouted. "The people in this zone don't need shiny metal houses or empty promises! They certainly don't need to be sent off to die in another war! What they need is food and protection, and I can't secure any of those things with the resources I have! You cannot--Urk!"
Tigon had grabbed him by the throat and raised him high over her head. She sympathized with him, and with the people for whom he was speaking, but insubordination would solve nothing.
"New orders," she said. "Find all the able-bodied adults you can, and send them to the capitol zone in one week's time."
"That's... insane!" he gasped. She set him down and let him speak. "You can't seriously be planning to send them all into space! I have enough children separated from their parents as it is!"
"Then you can send the children to Zone 14, where they'll be safe from the effects of the flooding," Tigon said. "That should solve your problem, won't it? And without taking up valuable resources from the war effort."
"This is monstrous!" the officer shouted. "You're only sending those people across the galaxy to die!"
"You have your orders!" Tigon said with a sneer. She turned her back to him and floated into the air. "I'll be back to see that you carry them out."
As she flew, she wondered if her powers might have been of some use in repairing the dam, but she had no time to waste on finding out. She still had to visit nine more zones, and then inspect the shipyards. With any luck she could complete negotiations with the mercenaries, and that might ease the situation, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.
*******
[1 July 236 Before Age. Luffasworld]
"No life signs at all then? Not even fossils or ruins or anything like that?"
"Nope," Keda said. "I mean, there were probably a few mosses and insects, but nothing intelligent. Why? Did you see something on that glacier?"
"No," Luffa lied. "No, I just got a little carried away out there, and thought I should double check."
Aboard Luffa's star-yacht, she and Keda were eating snacks on the bridge. The Dorlun child practically lived on this deck, and now that she had finished reviewing the ship's sensor logs, she left the bridge console and sprawled out on the sleeping mat she had laid on the floor.
"How's the training going?" Keda asked idly.
"It's going," Luffa said. "I'm making progress, just not as much as I hoped for."
"You'll get there," Keda said. "Eventually. I mean, how long do Saiyans live for, anyway?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid," Luffa grumbled.
"No problem," Keda said. "It's like when I was learning how to shapeshift different kinds of clothing. It was slow going, but I just had to stick with it. If you need any pointers, just let me know."
"I'll keep that in mind," Luffa said dryly. "Maybe you can make yourself look like the Shockmaster and I can use you for a tackling dummy. How about it?"
"Uh..."
"Didn't think so," Luffa snorted. She put three cookies in her mouth and chewed them with relish.
"So you're not going to the Hobstot System with Zatte and Doctor Topsas?" Keda asked.
"Of course not," Luffa said. "I'm here to train. The rest of you can come and go as you please."
"You mind if I stay at your place while they're gone?" Keda asked. "I've got some work to catch up on, but I've been cooped up on this bridge for too long."
"Why don't you go with them?" Luffa asked.
"I was just there last week ago. Supply run."
Luffa shrugged. "I mean, sure. But I'll be gone most of the day. You'll be on your own the whole time."
"It's cool. I just haven't spent a lot of time there. I thought I could use a change of scenery."
"Well, whatever, kid. Suit yourself."
The bridge was silent for several minutes, then Keda finally spoke up again. "So, uh, about the ship. How would you feel about me bringing guests aboard once in a while?"
"Guests?" Luffa asked.
"Yeah, I mean, I'd check with you first when you're around, but lately I've been making a lot of supply runs without you."
"What kind of guests?" Luffa asked.
Keda shrugged. "Nobody in particular. You know. Boys."
"Aren't you a little young to be thinking about boys?" Luffa asked pointedly.
"I'll be twelve before you know it," Keda said.
"Oh, excuse me, Honored Elder," Luffa snorted. "Are we talking about any specific boys?"
"No, I just want to clear it with you in case it comes up down the road. I'll probably wait until I’m thirteen to really get serious about it. Right now I'm just keeping an eye out. Seeing what's out there. So how about it?"
Luffa took a bite of jerky and rolled her eyes. "Can I think about this for a while?" she finally said.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about checking with Zatte," Keda said. "She and I already talked about it, and she told me whatever you want to do is fine with her."
"I wasn't going to check with her," Luffa said. "It's my ship, kid."
"Well, once you're married, half of it's hers, right? Wait, you didn't draft a pre-nup, did you? I mean, I would if I were you, but how’d you talk her into that? Wait, if it was bedroom stuff then don’t tell me."
Luffa rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed.
*******
[1 July 236 Before Age. Wist.]
"Get off this planet! Now!"
Tigon had gotten up so quickly that she had knocked over her chair. She was pointing at the door to her office, but she would have preferred to pick the man up and hurl him into space.
General Lekvar remained seated, and chuckled. "You know, you're beautiful when you're angry, Madam Tigon, but you really ought to smile more."
He was a tall blue man with scaly skin and red eyes. Every few minutes he would dip his fingers into a small canister of gel and smear it on himself, even though he seemed to be covered in the stuff already. According to Lekvar, it was considered a potent aphrodisiac on his homeworld. Tigon found this to be about as legitimate as his rank.
Sadly, Wist needed men like Lekvar. The first invasion of Extraliga was supposed to be a quick, clean, and bloodless triumph. The Shockmaster had produced a wormhole that connected the two worlds, and the Undeletor, a seemingly magical device that could digitize and recreate an entire occupation army. A single agent could travel through the wormhole and install the Undeletor in a matter of hours. Then the Undeletor could deploy the army in an instant, bypassing Extraliga's defenses and taking the entire planet by surprise. But the Super Saiyan Luffa had thwarted the entire plan, and now the wormhole was sealed, and the Undeletor in enemy hands. The Shockmaster had beaten Luffa, but if he wanted to take back Extraliga, he would have to do it the old-fashioned way, which would not be quick, nor clean, nor bloodless.
The Wistian military could be rebuilt with time, but the Shockmaster was in too great a hurry, and the only way to raise a large enough force was to hire mercenaries. This put the Wistian economy on the brink of financial ruin, but the Shockmaster didn't seem to care. It seemed that all of the peace, prosperity, and glory he had promised would only come true once Extraliga was firmly under his control. Until that moment, no sacrifice was too great for the cause.
But Lekvar had gone too far. He wasn't just a soldier for hire, he was a gangster, a pirate, and a slaver. It would take six weeks for his ships to reach Extraliga, and he wanted Wistian civilians put aboard his ships to 'entertain' his crews during the long voyage. Tigon had a pretty good idea what this meant, although Lekvar was quite forthcoming about explaining exactly what sort of 'entertainment' he had in mind.
"I said get out!" she shouted.
"Or what? You'll cancel our contract? Go ahead. Plenty of other high-paying jobs out there. Good luck on Extraliga."
"You lousy--!"
In a flash, Tigon had leaped over her desk and grabbed Levkar by the collar of his uniform. He grabbed her wrists and tried to break her hold, but she was far too strong.
"What... now?" he rasped. "You'll... kill me? Is that it?"
Tigon hadn't planned that far ahead, but she liked the idea. She had served in the rebellion against Lord Argon before the Shockmaster took over. She had dreamed of having this kind of power. No hit-and-run tactics, or waiting for the right opportunity, or entrusting a higher power to settle the score. She could just grab wicked men and squeeze the misbegotten life right out of them.
"Why shouldn't I?" Tigon asked. She didn't really expect an answer. She just wanted to see the terror in his eyes as he realized she was serious.
"Because if I die, the Levkar fleet breaks up into at least five different factions," he said calmly. "You can negotiate with each of them separately, but good luck getting them all to work alongside one another while each captain is trying to undermine the other four. And you'll still need to supply their crews with 'entertainment' for the long trip."
She stared into his eyes for a moment and saw no trace of fear. And why should he be afraid? He was right.
"You need me, Madam Tigon," he said triumphantly. "At least, the Shockmaster does. Kill me, and you delay his big war plan. And then what happens to you? What happens to the people on this planet? Think about it and ask yourself if it's worth a few thousand civilians."
She released him and dropped her arms to her sides. If she didn't give him what he wanted, the Shockmaster would simply drive the Wistian people even harder to make up for the loss. More families broken up by the military draft. More resources reallocated to the shipyards and away from critical infrastructure.
And worst of all, if she didn't give him what he wanted, the Shockmaster would simply replace her with another subordinate who would. That was how she got the job in the first place, after all.
"I’ll need to clear your request with the Shockmaster," she said in a low voice.
"Naturally," he said. "I'm sure he'll see things my way."
"I'm sure he will."
He reached out and patted the side of her face with his hand, which was still coated in gel. "You really are a beautiful girl, you know that? I'm looking forward to having some of your kind on my ship."
She clenched her fists, but took no other action. Lekvar smiled and turned to leave. When he was gone, she sat at her desk and stared at her hands. Despite the power she felt within her, she had never felt so helpless in her entire life.
NEXT: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?
3 notes
·
View notes