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Orion braced himself, pushing arms and legs against the circular walls of his pod. Flames ripped across the port hole, relenting in split seconds to show the parting of cloud as he plummeted into the planet’s atmosphere. The fog dissolved and below a new world opened up before him. A collection of skyscrapers protruded from the ground in silvery clumps in the distance, giving the saiyan hope that there was intelligent life here. The last thing he wanted was to be stranded on some empty planet with only an escape pod to give him a chance at survival.
Orion pressed a small red button and moved his mouth closer to the microphone built into the curved wall of the pod. “Cabbis! Cabbis, can you hear me?”
He waited. No answer.
“Cabbis!”
Only static filtered through the speaker.
“You better not have left me alone,” Orion grumbled to himself.
A thick forest rushed towards him. The towers and lights that made up the city stood out on the far horizon; Orion wasn’t going to land anywhere near there. His escape pod dipped beneath the canopy of trees, shaking as it broke branches, sending bark and leaves flying. He grit his teeth as he descended, waiting for an immovable trunk to stop him cold in his tracks, or the earth to skid and bounce off like a rubber ball.
His pod slammed into the ground, pouring soil over the circular window. It bore over the earth for what seemed an eternity until the momentum finally evaporated and he came to a stop. The oval door hissed open and lifted upwards, allowing Orion to step out onto the mysterious planet. Tall trees groping for the sky surrounded him on all sides except for the felled plants caused by his crashing pod that extended into the horizon.
Orion ran a hand over his weary face and breathed deeply. He had just narrowly survived a mission that should have killed him, a mission that he had been working towards for over twenty years. The saiyan dropped onto his haunches and bowed his head, taking the moment of peace to remember his loved ones and the vengeance he finally extracted for them.
Yet it didn’t feel like he expected it would. Maybe it hadn’t sunk in yet, or maybe his concern over Cabbis’ whereabouts muted the victory. Perhaps it simply didn’t feel like a moment to
celebrate yet, not until he had processed everything.
But life had to go on. What planet had he landed on? After blasting away from the exploding starship, flames ensconcing the escape pod even as it fled, he had vanished into a vast electrical storm. The violet bolts of lightning and purple fog hid his sight from his escaping ally Cabbis, and anything else for that matter, until this world opened up to him on the other side of the storm. Even casting a critical eye to the blue sky, he expected to see the remnants of the gutted starship and the flames that ravaged it, such was the size and breath of the destruction. Yet he saw nothing.
“Tristelle, scan for-“
Orion sighed. Tristelle was gone, another sacrifice for the life of the saiyan. For the first time in a while, he was alone.
A rustle behind him quickly changed that status. Spinning, the saiyan watched as a robotic wolf slinked out from behind a thick tree trunk, its blank, blue eyes locked onto him. Another noise to Orion’s side revealed a second and then third steel predator, all three circling around him slowly, each paw placed meticulously.
Orion stood from his crouch and eyed them individually. “I just survived a situation much, much worse than this. Find another to prey upon or face your destruction.”
The trio of robot wolves growled quietly as if they understood the saiyan’s threat, continuing their intimidating gait around him.
“So be it,” Orion said, facing an open hand at one of the metal animals.
He funnelled ki through his body and to his palm, preparing to craft a projectile orb of his own energy. The familiar sensation stopped just at it reached his hand, as if the skin became an impermeable barrier.
Orion frowned. He could feel his ki literally at his finger tips and yet couldn’t externalise it, couldn’t fashion it into the implements of battle he had done so many times before. What was even more perplexing was that the saiyan was no slouch at this; indeed, one of his greatest strengths was his ki manipulation skills. What was going on? Why couldn’t he conjure a simple ball of energy?
The wolf must have sensed the lapse in Orion’s concentration. It leapt forward, lunging with jaws open. The saiyan warrior broke from his introspection and reached out, snagging the jaws in each hand as they struggled to close over his neck. The sound of paws scratching quickly over leaves and twigs came from behind. Orion, arms quavering, roared as he pulled the wolf around and hurled it like a sandbag behind him. The airborne robot collected one of the others approaching, knocking them both to the ground. The third, unfazed by its pack’s situation, pounced with murderous intent.
Orion boosted his energy throughout his body, taking on a white aura that rippled around his muscular form, setting the edges of his robe to flutter about in its wind. He sidestepped the robotic wolf as his jaws clamped shut, cocked a fist and drove it into its metal skull. Beneath the immense force of Orion’s empowered fists, the wolf’s head shattered. Its body bent awkwardly upward as the punch pinned the broken head to the ground and then flapped down. Orion stood, shaking pieces of debris from his fist. He kicked the headless automaton to ensure its brain didn’t exist elsewhere in the body. Satisfied with the stillness and wild sparking of the neck, he turned back to the remaining pack.
The mechanical animals stopped, inspecting the mess of their former friend. Orion glared.
“That’s one punch. Imagine what I can do with more.”
Low volume rumbling came from the duo’s maws. They slinked backwards, keeping their baleful eyes on the saiyan, then turned and sprinted into the forest, rustling branches and bushes.
Orion sighed, dropping his tensed state and dispersing his white aura. On cue, his stomach grumbled. He hadn’t eaten since before he launched his attack on the starship.
Yet with little coin, he had no way to barter, assuming there were living, sentient creatures on this rock. Or maybe they wouldn’t accept his credits, he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps he would have to hunt for his food, but after what he just went through, he couldn’t be bothered enduring such an activity.
He glanced at the smoking ruin of the robotic wolf’s cranium. Why couldn’t he summon his ki? He could bolster his strength with it easily enough, but despite his years of training and familiarity with the process, he couldn’t shape it externally. Gods, he hoped he could still use it to fly.
Orion sighed with relief as his feet left the ground. He ascended higher, his shoulders brushing past outstretched branches, and eventually emerged from the forest canopy. Thin grassy plains rolled out around him. The distant city on the horizon beckoned to him, offering him hope that a hot meal, a cold beer and a warm bed awaited the fatigued warrior.
The mystery of his ki impotency could wait. In no hurry, Orion flew towards the city.
Orion pressed a small red button and moved his mouth closer to the microphone built into the curved wall of the pod. “Cabbis! Cabbis, can you hear me?”
He waited. No answer.
“Cabbis!”
Only static filtered through the speaker.
“You better not have left me alone,” Orion grumbled to himself.
A thick forest rushed towards him. The towers and lights that made up the city stood out on the far horizon; Orion wasn’t going to land anywhere near there. His escape pod dipped beneath the canopy of trees, shaking as it broke branches, sending bark and leaves flying. He grit his teeth as he descended, waiting for an immovable trunk to stop him cold in his tracks, or the earth to skid and bounce off like a rubber ball.
His pod slammed into the ground, pouring soil over the circular window. It bore over the earth for what seemed an eternity until the momentum finally evaporated and he came to a stop. The oval door hissed open and lifted upwards, allowing Orion to step out onto the mysterious planet. Tall trees groping for the sky surrounded him on all sides except for the felled plants caused by his crashing pod that extended into the horizon.
Orion ran a hand over his weary face and breathed deeply. He had just narrowly survived a mission that should have killed him, a mission that he had been working towards for over twenty years. The saiyan dropped onto his haunches and bowed his head, taking the moment of peace to remember his loved ones and the vengeance he finally extracted for them.
Yet it didn’t feel like he expected it would. Maybe it hadn’t sunk in yet, or maybe his concern over Cabbis’ whereabouts muted the victory. Perhaps it simply didn’t feel like a moment to
celebrate yet, not until he had processed everything.
But life had to go on. What planet had he landed on? After blasting away from the exploding starship, flames ensconcing the escape pod even as it fled, he had vanished into a vast electrical storm. The violet bolts of lightning and purple fog hid his sight from his escaping ally Cabbis, and anything else for that matter, until this world opened up to him on the other side of the storm. Even casting a critical eye to the blue sky, he expected to see the remnants of the gutted starship and the flames that ravaged it, such was the size and breath of the destruction. Yet he saw nothing.
“Tristelle, scan for-“
Orion sighed. Tristelle was gone, another sacrifice for the life of the saiyan. For the first time in a while, he was alone.
A rustle behind him quickly changed that status. Spinning, the saiyan watched as a robotic wolf slinked out from behind a thick tree trunk, its blank, blue eyes locked onto him. Another noise to Orion’s side revealed a second and then third steel predator, all three circling around him slowly, each paw placed meticulously.
Orion stood from his crouch and eyed them individually. “I just survived a situation much, much worse than this. Find another to prey upon or face your destruction.”
The trio of robot wolves growled quietly as if they understood the saiyan’s threat, continuing their intimidating gait around him.
“So be it,” Orion said, facing an open hand at one of the metal animals.
He funnelled ki through his body and to his palm, preparing to craft a projectile orb of his own energy. The familiar sensation stopped just at it reached his hand, as if the skin became an impermeable barrier.
Orion frowned. He could feel his ki literally at his finger tips and yet couldn’t externalise it, couldn’t fashion it into the implements of battle he had done so many times before. What was even more perplexing was that the saiyan was no slouch at this; indeed, one of his greatest strengths was his ki manipulation skills. What was going on? Why couldn’t he conjure a simple ball of energy?
The wolf must have sensed the lapse in Orion’s concentration. It leapt forward, lunging with jaws open. The saiyan warrior broke from his introspection and reached out, snagging the jaws in each hand as they struggled to close over his neck. The sound of paws scratching quickly over leaves and twigs came from behind. Orion, arms quavering, roared as he pulled the wolf around and hurled it like a sandbag behind him. The airborne robot collected one of the others approaching, knocking them both to the ground. The third, unfazed by its pack’s situation, pounced with murderous intent.
Orion boosted his energy throughout his body, taking on a white aura that rippled around his muscular form, setting the edges of his robe to flutter about in its wind. He sidestepped the robotic wolf as his jaws clamped shut, cocked a fist and drove it into its metal skull. Beneath the immense force of Orion’s empowered fists, the wolf’s head shattered. Its body bent awkwardly upward as the punch pinned the broken head to the ground and then flapped down. Orion stood, shaking pieces of debris from his fist. He kicked the headless automaton to ensure its brain didn’t exist elsewhere in the body. Satisfied with the stillness and wild sparking of the neck, he turned back to the remaining pack.
The mechanical animals stopped, inspecting the mess of their former friend. Orion glared.
“That’s one punch. Imagine what I can do with more.”
Low volume rumbling came from the duo’s maws. They slinked backwards, keeping their baleful eyes on the saiyan, then turned and sprinted into the forest, rustling branches and bushes.
Orion sighed, dropping his tensed state and dispersing his white aura. On cue, his stomach grumbled. He hadn’t eaten since before he launched his attack on the starship.
Yet with little coin, he had no way to barter, assuming there were living, sentient creatures on this rock. Or maybe they wouldn’t accept his credits, he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps he would have to hunt for his food, but after what he just went through, he couldn’t be bothered enduring such an activity.
He glanced at the smoking ruin of the robotic wolf’s cranium. Why couldn’t he summon his ki? He could bolster his strength with it easily enough, but despite his years of training and familiarity with the process, he couldn’t shape it externally. Gods, he hoped he could still use it to fly.
Orion sighed with relief as his feet left the ground. He ascended higher, his shoulders brushing past outstretched branches, and eventually emerged from the forest canopy. Thin grassy plains rolled out around him. The distant city on the horizon beckoned to him, offering him hope that a hot meal, a cold beer and a warm bed awaited the fatigued warrior.
The mystery of his ki impotency could wait. In no hurry, Orion flew towards the city.