MOON BASE ALPHA, Earth's moon.

Regent Stone strode down the ramp of the shuttle into the cavernous hangar of the Moonbase. He stopped and adjusted his tie. His shiny black shoes clicked on the polished floor as dozens of bodyguards shrouded him. Hundreds of ships, from freighters to cruisers were parked in a chaotic mess. Most of them were going through maintenance and repair. Moonbase also served as a dry dock. Far off, what was almost a mile of hangar away, he could see the skeletal framework of two new cruisers being constructed.

He passed a cluster of Battle Jacket pilots, all tending to their suits of armor. They were a hard bunch of soldiers dressed in coveralls. He snapped them a crisp salute. They didn't snap one back. All he got was a scowl. Sure, technically, as Regent he was their Commander-In-Chief, but Stone seldom sweated the small stuff.

"Keep up the good work."

He had a bounce in his step. The world was his, literally. All he had to do was keep it coasting along and move it toward his goals. Earth was one of the cornerstones of trade and commerce in the galaxy. But, it had little sway other than sanctions. It needed muscle to swing around. With monstrosities like the Frieza Clan and Saiyans lurking out there, humans had to buy every advantage they could get.

In the briefcase, Stone held that advantage. He had purchased the tech from a Galactic Patrol "scientist" who happened to know a hell a lot about ancient Tuffle nano-technology. He was going to use it to change the game, to put Earth on the map as one of the big dogs in the yard.

The whole fiasco with Dr. Hani was still fresh on his mind, everyday. It still brought him sadness that Project Yellow and the CRITU5 technology had been leaked. If he used that now, it would cause a public relations nightmare. He never foresaw Hani's revenge. That wouldn't happen again. This time Stone intended to do it right. 

It was a long walk to the elevator. A few stray soldiers did fall into line. Stone paid them no heed, simply sweeping past with his entourage. The elevator doors swished open and he rode the lift up to the Main Tower. General Mathers had his office here. The secretary parked outside practically shrieked when the Regent walked in without warning.

"G-Good morning sir."

"Where's Mathers?"

"He's in his office."

"Thanks."

Stone stopped in front of his door, the body guards flanking him on both sides. He held up a hand to let them know they didn't need to follow him inside. The door didn't open and seconds passed. He glared at the secretary.

"Will you open this?"

"He asked t--"

"Now."

She shook her flabby head and tapped a button under her desk. The door swung open. It was thick as a bank vault, probably layered with a katchin alloy too. Stone found that funny, as it seemed the old General was rather afraid of threats. Did he think that a door such as that would keep out a Super Saiyan or some other mutant freak? No, Stone had seen what sort of damage they were capable of--ki users. Even the weaker ones were walking armies, with enough power to crack a planet in two.

General Mather lowered his fork, mouth agape. He was in the middle of eating his breakfast. The yellow eggs tumbled off of it and onto his plate.

"Regent Stone, you did not advise me that you would be visiting this morning. If I had k-"-

"Relax General. I am here to deliver you something, and then I have a two o' clock in South City."

Stone hefted up the briefcase and dropped it on General Mather's desk with a dull thud, rattling the plate. He thumbed the locks open and let it drop, revealing a glass canister filled with a mercurial liquid suspended in padding.

"What is that?" Mathers asked.

"I have orders as well, for you. This here is a can of Tuffle Nanovirus. Said virus has been programmed to infiltrate the bodies of organic beings and destroy them from the inside out. You're going to drop it on Arcose and watch what happens."

General Mathers stood there for a long time, his face twisted into a hard scowl. Stone imagined he was trying to process the whole thing. So, he gave the old soldier a minute. He took at least four minutes before running a curious finger along the glass tube.

And then General Mathers smirked at Stone, who smirked right back. 

"We're in agreement then. Enjoy your breakfast and the gift, General. Get it done, pronto!"

Stone snapped another sloppy salute and strode out, his bodyguards filing in around him as he exited the office.