“Another world has fallen…” Stone cracked, ground to dust under indestructible hands. Still seated on his throne, Thragg scowled at Ursaal’s report. “This new FTL drive that the Coalition put into play has us three steps behind… recall all operatives outside the core Empire, it’s time I entered the field myself.”
“Understood, Father,” Ursaal bowed her head and backed away from the visible rage on Thragg’s face. Three dozen Viltrumites had already fallen in this conflict, to a fleet led by the greatest traitor to their race. “Anissa was the last to lose contact, I’ll inform the others of your commands immediately.”
Thragg sighed as his daughter hurried from the throne room. She was a loyal servant, but soft of heart compared to his other children. The Viltrumite Empire stood at a crossroads, poised to fall if they took the wrong steps. It was not a time for soft-hearted weakness. The latest reports had revealed a new enemy, powerful vessels manned by sentient machines.
“They can jump from star to star in an instant, just like Thaedus and his pair of dogs,” Thragg returned his focus to the display, where his nemesis was depicted in a strange black and white combat suit. The traitor had grown stronger, and he’d found allies that had impossible strength. “This child in yellow and black is the real problem, without him the other two are still too weak to be a real threat.”
Thragg glanced at the skull of the last Emperor, a man that Thaedus killed to start Viltrum’s only civil war. Viltrum had not fallen then, and it wouldn’t fall now. He would avenge the dead, no matter what allies the traitor gathered to his side. This spiky haired boy and his strange powers would be the first to taste his wrath.
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“You’re strong!” Fist against fist with the short haired woman, Goku’s face split into a grin. He vanished in a flicker, only to reappear at her back. “Not as powerful as that Conquest guy… but you’re a lot more fun, he was so cranky and I wasn’t allowed to fight him on my own!”
The woman’s eyes flashed at the mention of Conquest, but she didn’t respond. Mouth shut tight against the vacuum of space, she spun, leg raised in a brutal kick. Goku met her with a knee that drove her back, toward the atmosphere and away from his friend's approach. Both Thaedus and Allen shouted at him over the com, ignored as they raced to join the battle.
“Who are you… from what race do you hail?” The woman stabilised in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, face flushed as she braced to meet Goku’s charge. “You’re not a half-Viltrumite, but your strength…”
“I’m a Saiyan!” Goku blitzed through the woman’s guard and landed a clean blow on her chin. She seemed slower, weaker inside the planet's grasp. If this was all she had, this fight would be over too soon. “If you like, we can take things back into space? I’d rather fight you at your best.”
“Goku!!!” Allen pulled up behind his friend, a step behind Thaedus. The bearded Viltrumite flexed his hands, while Allen slipped between him and the Saiyan. “What have we talked about… you can’t run off, if you get into trouble we won’t be able to help if we’re too far away.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Wait!” The Viltrumite woman raised her hands as she glanced between the three men. Her eyes settled on Thaedus, a mix of surprise and fear. “I know when I’m beaten… but Grand Regent Thragg will come for you, traitor Thaedus.”
“Come on…” Goku sighed and gave both Allen and Thaedus a dirty look. “How about this, you and I will fight… if you beat me, you can go!”
“Shut up, you witless, combat hungry child…” Thaedus thumped Goku on the head with enough force to spin him away. He turned back to the woman and frowned. “Anissa, it has been some time… we both know the why of my actions, do you really believe me to be a traitor?”
Goku lost track of Anissa’s response, mind consumed by the thunder of his pulse. His eyes struggled to focus, locked on a bright, silver orb in the sky. This world’s moon, proud and full in the heavens, awoke the animal chained within his heart. The great ape roared from the depths, chains broken by the light on his skin.
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“Hmmm?” Quill frozen above a thick sheet of parchment, Merlyn squinted towards the ceiling. A long suffering sigh forced its way from his lips, before he glanced at the large room that he now used for lessons. “Qui-Gon, you’ll be covering the rest of this class… your talent in rune-work should let you answer any relevant questions, and I’m afraid I’ve got urgent business.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one in charge?” Anakin rose from his seat, face taught with annoyance. “I am the most senior after you and Mistress May, my knowledge of runes is…”
“I am well aware of your skill, but arrogance and insecurity have no place in my class,” Merlyn snorted as he summoned his staff. “Qui-Gon will soon be ready to teach beginner lessons on his own, this practice will prepare him for that task… you are still young, be patient, continue to learn, you will be the greatest Archmage to live if you can set aside your ego and fear.”
A tap of his staff teleported Merlyn from the classroom and into the centre of Etrigan’s stadium. He cast a glance at the dust covered surface and snapped his fingers.
“Come, Demon,” The wizard sketched runes into the air as Etrigan rose from the shadows, a yawn on its lips. “The Saiyan is in need of our loving care…”
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The all consuming white faded away, replaced by the glow of a familiar sun. Garnib’s blue star cast its empowered light on his skin and a sigh passed Dan’s lips. Home sweet home. The alpine peaks and bracing winds had grown on him, enough that he planned to use the original fortress as a vacation home in the future.
“We’re back.” May smiled, eyes half-closed as she directed the Starforge into a stable orbit around the sun. After a moment of hesitation, she opened one eye and turned it toward Dan. “Should I park this thing here, or move it to New-Krypton?”
“Take it to New-Krypton and get the passengers down to Sekot’s surface,” Dan gave his Wife a quick kiss, before he floated toward the exit to the bridge. The Kryptonians would be needed to greet the newborns of their race, due in less than three days if only two weeks had passed in this world. “I have business with our versions of the Force Priestesses that can’t wait.”
Dan slipped through the corridors of the Starforge at high speed, focussed on his future conversation with the Force avatars. He was sick of being teleported away without his consent, even if the trips had been valuable in the long run. Before they managed to charge up that clockwork device for a third time, he intended to convince them to stop.
“How is the state of the galaxy?” Dan tapped at Venom and jumped into the phantom zone, straight into the Priestesses home system. He scanned the Wellspring’s cracked surface and beyond, until he met the calm eyes of Serenity’s mask. “Before I start something here, fill me in on any major changes.”
“We have reconnected to the Hive… all goes as planned,” Venom’s normal gruff voice trembled with satisfaction as his mind rejoined his children. “Mark Grason’s universe has been connected by the gates, Ultron has led a force inside as he was ordered… Doom has secured the vote and become the next Chancellor.”
“Perfect,” Dan smiled as he held Serenity’s gaze and moved toward the planet. The remaining Priestesses gathered at her back, but he kept his focus on the one with the greatest influence of the others. “We’re almost where we need to be, close enough, if I can put an end to the random interruptions…”