The largest section of the freighter, which plummeted in its fiery mass towards the glittering metropolis below stopped.
A miracle?
Those confused and distraught citizens of Abbayor below--froze in terror.
Above, Lute braced himself in the frigid air--his aura burning bright around himself. Yama was on his way back. This was it-
The big Saiyan veered off path, headed straight after the ship. Lute paused for a second, his aura fading. The beads of sweat trickle down his forehead began to freeze almost immediately. His breath escaped his lungs in white plumes of mist. He almost fainted, but willed himself to remain conscious.
Russ's efforts weren't in vain, because when Yama arrived with his enormous lightning discharge--the remnants of the ship were obliterated, turned into bits of slag. They rained down, breaking windows and crushing duracrete. However, most of the people remained safe. They had enough time with the heroic efforts to flee to saftey in the underground metro tunnels or overpasses.
Quiet fell over the metropolis. It was as though the entire planet was holding its breath.
Lute frowned. What would he do next? Fly down and try to engage the enemy?
A wedge of a half dozen war cruisers appeared out of hyperspace. Squinting, he saw the markings of the Saiyan Dominion on them. And they began to unleash hellfire on the Imperial installations, battering them. The Imperials had their pants down. It would take them too long to muster their fleet and move into position to stop the raid. Plus the amount of ships guarding Abbayor was frighteningly small. Only because the planet relied so heavily on its automated defenses.
Lute didn't understand how they were down. None of this made sense. Her regretted sending the Black Fleet of Hollow on a training mission. Its presence here would have helped severely with the defense.
"Retreat," he whispered.
The word sounded wrong on his tongue. But, he knew it was the best path. He needed to regroup with Polaris and Kuueru. They would have to plan a way to counter attack the Saiyans.
Still the dozen ships that had arrived to capture the planet seemed low. No doubt the Dominion had a bigger fleet than that. Maybe the other ships were on their way. Or, perhaps they were engaged in battle elsewhere.
The Namekian reached into the folds of his belt-sash and produced a small crimson crystal. He crushed it in his fist and threw it. The ruptured bits erupted into a wicked discs of turbulent sanguine energy. Time and space folded inward around it, shifting everything around it as though it were a glass of water and not thin atmosphere.
This was his contingency, a dark spell that would let him teleport back to Hollow in an instant. The Aetherguard had constructed the object for him, using a blood magic ritual. They had to sacrifice several dozens prisoners just to craft it. They were weaklings and wretches, worth little to Lute. So, he didn't care.
Floating over, he passed through its threshold and was sucked into the rift. It lingered for a brief moment, swirling and crackling with crimson lightning before dissipating.
The Demon King was gone.
Captain Quash whistled as he checked the read-outs. It appeared the expeditionary team had gotten their job done. Also, it appeared they done so without causing a huge ruckus or causing a lot of damage to the planet. That alone would earn them stripes and the favor of the higher brass. The Queen would be arriving soon, and she would be able to claim the old Galactic King's throne with ease.
Polaris had moved the throne, but it was an empty gesture. Abbayor had been the heart of the Empire for countless centuries. Taking the capital didn't mean the war was over though. No doubt the Emperor and his minions would be back--in force. He had an entire moon-sized space station that could be brandished in battle. It moved slow, but Quash had read the specs on Mitra. The Dominion had nothing like it in their arsenal. Well, if a few Super Saiyand didn't count.
The counter-attack by Polaris would be the real war, the truest test of the Dominion's might.
Regardless, they could prove a point now. That the Empire was vulnerable, that its heart could be exposed and grasped.
"We're here," he said over the Scouter-Net. No doubt Captain Etohn, Russ, and Yama would hear his voice crackle in right way. "Our ships moving into position, we'll be sending down ground troops as soon as possible. The Imperial defense fleet is scrambling, but I doubt they'll do little more than exchange pleasantries and pot-shots with us."
As a man of pride, Quash didn't know what else to say. Well, he knew what he wanted to say--but the words felt a bit empty. Since, he had done little more than sit back on this one and occ
"Mission accomplished. Good work boys."
WC: 830 | TWC: 8,440
Van ,
T 
