Vendetta

[Orion]

Alastor hung in the air, suspended by swarms of tentacle-like cords plunged into access ports covering his robotic head and back. His consciousness flooded the entirety of The Black Armada, a huge warship floating in the orbit of Cevanti, its presence cloaked. Alastor monitored the communications that bounced around the planet’s satellites and other interceptable media, just in case the authorities below wielded technology that could pierce his hidden status. If they knew of their presence, they weren’t broadcasting it.

It had been a rough few days for the Saiyan AI. Although Orion’s NOVA unit was upgraded and he was no longer in jeopardy of dying from the obsolete technology, his cooperation with Alastor’s primary objective left a lot to be desired. He also no longer had Tenso, his trusted counsel, to help him in matters that Alastor would not prefer to deal with personally. A traitor, that one, using Alastor’s vast resources to attempt to extract revenge from Orion. He had dispatched one of his modified Saiyan warriors in pursuit of Tenso, with the expressed goal of returning him alive. In a direct confrontation, Tenso wouldn’t stand a chance. But the sharp mind of that one meant that a confrontation was highly unlikely. Whether they would ever meet again was up in the air.

No… Alastor thought. Nothing. How irritating.

He sent a communication request to the strongest warrior onboard. It was swiftly answered. “Yes, Alastor?”

“Meet me in my quarters,” Alastor said. “I have a task for you.”

“As you wish.”

The doors slid open in short order and in strode the Saiyan he summoned. The room was only lit by a single spotlight on Alastor’s floating frame, so he walked in darkness. The Saiyan reached the perimeter of the light and his features were fully visible - long black hair cascading over his shoulders, rough stubble and a rougher stare, broad-faced and well built. He had refused to be outfitted by Alastor, instead requesting sturdier enhancements to the clothes he already wore; a long brownish-copper robe that covered his arms, a maroon waistcoat with silver lining, and a loose, dull crimson scarf that was slung about his neck.

“You summoned me?” Cabbis asked.

“Yes. There is a unique pulse originating from the planet’s surface,” Alastor said as he descended from on high, his metal feet touching the ground. “I’m unable to decipher it, but I know it has some significance to our efforts. I need you to head planet side and identify the signal’s source.”

“A simple enough task,” Cabbis said, squeezing his knuckles, “but isn’t this more suited to one of the Drones?”

“No, the importance is too great to leave to anyone but yourself.” And Orion, if he managed to stick around.

“As you say,” Cabbis said. “I’ll depart immediately.”

As the Saiyan warrior left the room, and Alastor gradually hoisted himself back into the air, he dwelled on what could have been.

No, he thought, what could be.

But it required a deft touch. The nuance and patience to recognise the moment that would make it all possible.

And that moment hadn’t arrived yet.

 

[Orion]

Cabbis dropped himself into the sole seat of the upgraded space pod and pushed against the arm rests. The back of the seat adjusted into a more leisurely angle. The cushions on these bad boys felt so good. The Frieza Force never spent the dough to upgrade the comfort level of their spacecraft like this. One of the many perks of signing on to Alastor.

He flicked a few switches, hit a few buttons, and the engine within the space pod purred into action. Alastor, while not being a part of Frieza’s army for many years, agreed with the simplicity of design with the standard space pods. A simple spherical capsule with a single round window, the vehicle took off using anti-gravity propulsion technology, aided by gravitational fields of passing planets and stars to ‘refuel’ its inertia. They plummeted into the planet like a meteorite, scarring the surface with a sizzling crater. Landing and crashing in one of these pods were synonymous.

Cabbis’ NOVA unit synchronized with The Black Armada’s communications network as he steered the space pod towards the opening hangar doors. A stunning sapphire planet framed by a flood of stars greeted the Saiyan’s eyes as the doors parted laboriously. He hadn’t been on-world since they arrived in this new system. A basic overview of Cevanti had been uploaded to his NOVA unit, but experience taught him that the dry details often overlooked the soggy truth of being there.

Commander Cabbis, the radioed voice said in his mind, you are clear for take-off.

Grasping the throttle, Cabbis jammed it forward and the space pod fired like a bullet from a gun, aimed straight at the heart of Cevanti.

Flames hungrily clawed at the space pod as it broke through the atmosphere. Cabbis stared through the port hole with crossed arms as orange fire ravaged his view of parting clouds whipping past. Why did Alastor see so much value in this place? They had been orbiting Cevanti for months, waiting for some sort of command, some sort of clue as to their purpose here. Even though Cabbis had been sent down to investigate an anomaly, he wondered how much Alastor knew and withheld from him.

Perhaps his investigation would shed some light on that. He had thrown in his lot with the Saiyan AI, even going so far as installing a NOVA unit into his brain. His path had been laid out and he set his feet upon it – it was up to him to follow it until it ended.

The clouds slithered away and the world opened up to him. Markov stuck out like a sore thumb, a mass of cold, gleaming steel and glass looking less like a city and more like a ragged metal splinter jammed into the planet. Wild, untamed plant life blanketed most of the world, with large oceans filling in the remainder. At first glance, it appeared true that Markov was the only hub of civilisation left on Cevanti. His journey, however, would leave that tangled jungle of steel untouched.

The ground raced towards Cabbis with unfathomable speed as he ploughed into the earth. A snake like hiss emanated from the door as the pod depressurized and the Saiyan stepped onto Cevanti soil for the first time. Levitating out of the crater, he scoured the landscape for his objective. Arrows and symbols not unlike those he was accustomed to from his old scouter flashed in his vision, directing him towards the location of the anomaly. A blast of air bent back the trees that survived his crash landing as he exploded into flight.

Even though his NOVA unit indicated his close proximity to his target, he didn’t need it. Black sludge streaked with vibrant red engulfed an unnatural crater, pulsing and bubbling like heated magma though no steam escaped. Cabbis landed by its edge, grabbing a stick and thrusting it into the mystery liquid. He scooped it up, watching the heavy and thick strands drop back into the pool. Unusually, despite angling it downwards, it crawled up the stick, towards his hand. Cabbis threw the stick into the liquid where it seemed to heavily press down into it, then suddenly break the surface tension and disappear beneath.

Much of its appearance matched the descriptions of the Unmade, though why it was spread out all over the soil was not in his files. He also expected some form of twisted animal or zoid to greet him with animosity but he stood alone. Something told him – a hutch, or an instinct – that this wasn’t related to the Unmade, despite having no direct experience with it.

A strange sight to be sure, but what did this have to do with him? Why did Alastor send a Commander down here instead of a Drone?

Cabbis caught something moving from the corner of his eye. His battle instincts engaged and he bounded backwards as a large glob of the molasses-like substance flew past, splattering on the ground and immediately began twitching.

He turned in the direction of its approach.

A rippling humanoid creature composed of the blackish red goo stood with an arm outstretched, its ‘flesh’ dripping in heavy blobs to the ground. A mass of the substance parted on its ‘head’ to form a rudimentary mouth. It growled, a sound like a feral predator snarling underwater.

Cabbis initiated the thought to contact The Black Armada, but the blob monster struck again, flinging another mass of its body at him. The Saiyan warrior hopped to the side and threw a hand forward, firing a ki blast. The spherical ball of energy screamed towards its target, but the alien beast molded a hole in its chest, letting the attack sail through his body.

The creature’s bubbling voice returned, a series of less frustrated grunts.

“Give… me… knowledge…”

 

[Orion]

Cabbis sneered at the monster. It spoke – slowly and with an off-putting voice – wanting knowledge? Just what had Alastor sent him into?

“Knowledge?” Cabbis replied, his narrowed eyes remaining alert for any sudden movements from the goo creature. “What knowledge?”

“Knowledge!” it roared back, the red rivulets through its sludgy body shining brightly. “Give me knowledge!”

“Of what?” Cabbis bit back. “How am I supposed to know what you want to know if you don’t tell me?!”

The beast lunged forward, its syrupy fingers drying and hardening into hooked claws. Cabbis felt the wind brush past his face as slashes missed his cheek by inches. Igniting his aura, the Saiyan focused on the surprisingly capable enemy, weaving past the aggressive attacks.

As the sludge monster continued its assault, the red streaks in its skin shone even brighter, as if its anger and bloodlust produced light. It fought with a primal intensity, but Cabbis recognised something about its fighting style. It seemed almost familiar, if a little unfocused and unrefined. He narrowed his eyes, reading each slash and thrust forward, quickly deducing the matter in which the beast moved.

Dodging beneath a slash, Cabbis spun about and grabbed the beast’s extended arm. Its tar-like flesh felt thick and yet its outer layer was malleable and stuck to his fingers, but he flung the sludge creature over his shoulder with great force. It crashed into the ground as a puddle, then slowly re-emerged in its humanoid form, building upon itself.

The crimson light had faded from the beast’s streaks. In fact, the colour shifted to silver. Two hollows formed in its face for eyes, and the silver light pulsed there also.

“You… defeat me,” it gurgled. “Defeat me… and we will… speak.”

Before Cabbis could respond, the silver bled away into red and the creature bounded forward with the same furious intensity it had before.

The Saiyan warrior bounded over the swing, spinning in mid-air and landing in a crouch. He threw out his hand and summoned the ki within him, firing a much wider blast that enveloped the entirety of the sludge creature. The energy wave tore chunks of its body away, disintegrating it as it dislodged until all that was left was a steaming black mark on the earth.

Cabbis dusted his hands. “I’m not sure I would want to hear what you would have to say anyway.”

A loud bloop emanated from the puddle of black-red sludge that Cabbis had originally stumbled upon. From its centre, another humanoid shape lifted from the muck, though its outline was less hulking and intimidating. The red streaks dulled to silver, much like when the sludge creature calmed down momentarily and spoke with greater clarity. The beast made a sound like a deep breath, though stifled with bubbles and grime.

The Saiyan fell into a defensive stance. Though apparently not enraged immediately, his only experience with these creatures so far was not a civil one.

“Halt,” the new sludge beast gurgled, holding out a hand. “No fighting.”

“I’m not lowering my guard,” Cabbis said, “until you tell me what this is all about.”

The silver streaks flashed red momentarily but quickly reverted to silver. “I know you… a Saiyan.”

Cabbis frowned. His species’ immediate giveaway was their tails, usually wrapped around their waist or dangling free. Cabbis’ outfit, however, hid his furry appendage. Plus, in order to know that, this creature had to be familiar with them.

“How do you know that name?” Cabbis said, feeling unease towards the conversation.

“Because you… you are Cabbis.”