The New Age Empire v2: Book 3

June 22nd, AA 001

~Chapter 6: Spy Games~

Navoran and Daalit joined them in the command center the next day against some people's wishes. The two Kamoku-jin stood silently in a corner, praying that no one even noticed them. Many people talked quietly about the Kamoku-jin, some more harsher than others, but it all stopped when Katrinka and Kallen entered and unrolled a large piece of paper onto the table.

"This is a diagram of the Kamoku-jin war ship that Navoran drew up for us earlier," Kallen said. "I'll let him explain about the best possible places to enter unheeded."

The tall Kamoku-jin entered the circle of Tale-sejin with numerous wary glances. He extended one claw and delicately pointed at one entrance so that he wouldn't accidentally tear the paper. "Commander Portl's chamber is right next to here but it isn't guarded while he is asleep. Instead the troops usually stationed here and moved here," he pointed to a doorway, "to his chambers. There is a back hallway running by that entrance that circles around the entire ship. You can't go left but right is a good choice as long as you time it so that you miss the patrols. At the first intersection the guards pass by every minute because their route is shorter. The time increases gradually until the fifth intersection where they pass by every five minutes. This is the hallway that you will need to go down but there are good places of hiding along it. I recommend that you only take a force of five people or less into the ship.

"The commander goes to bed at precisely nineteen thirty so wait until twenty for the guard to be in position. Daalit and I will be in the power room by ninteen forty-five at the latest to cause confusion among the other troops. Those soldiers patrolling in the places I've showed you must continue to guard upon penalty of death. They will not move from their positions and confuse you." He closed his eyes briefly in remembered horror of a public execution. "No, they will not move."

"Will your commander still be alive when they enter the ship?" Katrinka asked gently and saw how Navoran wouldn't meet her eyes. She waited a moment before continuing. "It's alright, they can do it. Is he a good fighter?"

He snorted. "Of course not. When has the boss ever been good at anything besides shouting orders and giving threats? If several people surround him it should be easy. Of course those several people would have to come with us and hide in my chambers until right before he goes to sleep and before the guard changes. I know you don't trust me but for anything to change you will have to."

"Why have you attacked us in the first place?" a man asked. "We've done nothing to you."

Navoran thought back to one of his commander's drunken ramblings. The mission had come up more than once. 'Lieutenant,' he had said, 'we will get revenge for our defeat by the hands of those Chikyuu people. Headquarters has discovered that the head guy over there has formed an alliance with several planets. Since Tale is the closeset to Ananci it will be the first to fall!'

"He attacked this planet because you are part of the Chikyuu-sei Alliance. The leaders of our planet consider it revenge on Chikyuu. If we weaken the Empire then there is a chance that we would be able to conquer Chikyuu after all. They never thought anyone would be able to come to the rescue in time."

The door cracked open, allowing a thin slice of light to shine inward. Taura locked eyes with Katrinka and motioned her outside for a talk. "Kat-chan, Jas is trying to talk to the Riders. If what you told us before is true, then we definitely don't want them to stick around any longer and have a chance to attract the Thief's presence."

"I can't let him do that," she told him, already headed off toward where the Riders had been attacking yesterday. "This is too big of a risk seeing as he'll have to get Lucifer to take back his orders..." She paused when she saw the look on his face. "Taura? What is it?"

The young man sighed and told her the truth. "Jas as been blessed by Lucifer. He's basically his servant."

"How in the world-?"

"It's a pretty long story, one I'm sure you don't have time for." He turned towards another house, one they had been using as the communications center, and disappeared into it intending on informing Bulma and Gohan with the latest news. Kat stood there for a moment, staring after him in thought, before she took to the skies and tracked down the area with the most dark ki.

***

"We have to talk," Vegeta informed his son in a tone of voice that was very familar to him. The younger Vegeta merely snorted and gave his bearded father an irritated glance.

"I'm not a little boy anymore Father," he said. "You can't tell me to do something and expect me to do it no questions asked. Besides--" he motioned to the activity going on around them, "--do you really think that this is the best time?"

"Now is as good a time as any." Seeing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer, Vegeta sighed and resigned himself to his fate. "How have things been going for you?"

Saying that he was startled was an understatement. Saying that he was shocked beyond belief was closer but... "Have you been reading Chikyuu parenting books?"

"Of course not, boy. You know I can't read any of their languages." He looked away briefly. "But I do notice how Kakarotto is with his kids and it made me feel a little..."

"Cold-hearted?" Vegeta supplied. "Guilty?"

He shook his head. "Bad, Vegeta. Despite what you think I do care about what happens to you." His son snorted. "I know your mother loved you."

"What?" Vegeta asked, unable to keep the surprise from his face. "She did?"

"Of course she did boy! She was your mother." Vegeta sighed. "She told me this right before she died, 'Take good care of him Vegeta. Make sure he grows up right.' I was too busy being king and trying not to give in too much to Furiza that I didn't even pay attention to you. I promised her Vegeta. I promised! But I broke my word as easily as I've broken people's necks. Those six years that we spent together were the ones that mattered the most. They were your," he searched for the term that Bardock had described it as, "formative years. What I said to you and how I treated you mattered the most then and look at what you used to be, look at how you had turned out. That was my fault."

"Papa..." Vegeta whispered, calling his father something he hadn't in more years than he could remember. Any further words were cut off when the other man continued.

"But look at you now," he smiled slightly. "A family, a palace, a empire... You've made me proud. You're not the strongest out there but I guess I can overlook that for now."

"I'm starting to think that maybe second strongest isn't so bad after all," he said almost to himself. "It's not as if I don't have more important things to worry about."

"There you go!" Then he did something so unexpected it left the younger Vegeta off-balance. He hugged him.

"Aw!" said a *very* familar voice. "Group hug!"

"NO KAKAROTTO!" But it was too late. Goku had, once again, stolen the breath from someone with one of his hugs. Both Vegetas were left gasping for air and the grin on Goku's face made them laugh. A lot. Soon tears were streaming down the faces of all three and people were beginning to stare. Vegeta the younger caught his breath first and nodded in the direction of his general. "Arigatou, Kakarotto. I needed that."

"No problem!" Goku said cheerfully. "What are friends for?"

"Is the meeting over?"

"Yeah," Goku sighed. "We're gonna have to kill the commander." The eyes of the other two men lit up. "I don't want to do it but..."

"He's too much of a threat to keep alive," Vegeta-oui said in a pretty convincing voice.

"I'm not stupid, you know. I had already figured that out myself."

"Could have fooled me," he muttered just loud enough for his general to overhear him. Goku rolled his eyes and started off.

"This is a battle, Vegeta. You know how I am where there's a battle."

He sort of smiled. "Hai, I know. There's no one I'd rather have at my back either." That made Goku litterally freeze in mid-step and only his good balance kept him from falling over in shock. "Nani? You don't think that's true?"

He glanced back at him with a smile before continuing on his way to the command center. "I know that it's true. You don't lie about things like that. Arigatou Vegeta."

Vegeta smiled and looked sideways at his father. "What? We're like brothers, didn't you know?"

"I didn't even think that you liked him very much," he said. "But since I haven't been around you much at all I can't read you like I could when you were a child."

"Vegeta-ojisan?" Pan said as she stopped to stand before him. "Can I go with you guys? I know Goku-ojiichan is going to say iie but..."

"Pan, you can't come. I agree with Kakarotto about exposing you to uneccessary violence."

Her eyes grew wide. "I'm just shocked."

"Get used to it. Besides," he kneeled down to her level. "I would rather not have your kaasan or obaasan trying to kill me."

She grinned. "Now that reason I believe. See ya Veggie-ojisan!" He watched her go before leaving himself. He had sons of his own that he needed to talk to.

***

Katrinka landed in a forest not too far away from the Riders' last battleground. Kamoku-jin bodies mixed in with those of native Tale-sejin Some were whole but most were in bits here and pieces there and blood still gleamed dully on scythes. Jas stood there, between the bodies and the Riders, trying to stop the carnage. So far he was unsuccessful.

"What does Lucifer have to do with any of this?" he asked, still struggling to understand.

"The Kamoku-jin are all his Chosen," the leader said in a grave voice. "They called on him to aid their conquest and so we are here."

"I doubt they said to kill the Kamoku-jin as well."

A lipless mouth opened in a gruesome parody of a smile. "They did not ask us not to."

Kat let the words go on for just a bit longer before deciding to interfere. After putting on her best irritated look, she marched over to stand beside Jas. "Go back to your master. We don't want you here."

"Who are you to order us?" the leader asked. "Who are you to override Lucifer's commands?"

"I'm the one who put him down there!" Opened a portal and began to shoo them backwards into it. "Tell him that Katrinka said to ignore all further requests by the Kamoku-jin or I'm coming down there after him. You got that?"

"Whatever you say," he bowed in mock respect. "If anything it'll be interesting to hear his response to your threat." With no further responses from him they departed, closing the portal behind them.

Katrinka turned her eyes to Jas who stood before her without fear. "Explain."

"I wanted my soul back and his price was not too steep to pay."

"NOT TOO-!" She cut herself off and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Not too steep to pay? Becoming Lucifer's servant is about as steep a price as I've ever seen!"

He looked at her with a very placid expression. "You would have done it."

She shook her head. "No I wouldn't have. There's always another way to get what you want if you're willing to look for it."

"You are the Creator," he said bitterly as the calm façade shattered. "You will never have to worry about such things. I, on the other hand, had to walk through the darkness always searching for a way out that didn't exist. You can't preach to me about what you would have done because you aren't me."

Her next words surprised him. "Why didn't you ask *me* for help? I'm always happy to help one of my children."

Jas was suddenly ashamed. Why didn't he ask her? Because he thought that she didn't exist. Any god or goddess that really cared about him would not have let him become soulless in the first place. That was his theory and he stuck by it. But now here she was, standing before him, kindly asking why didn't he ask her for help. That alone made him begin to second-guess his earlier decision.

"I understand," she said to him softly. "I would probably be wondering the same exact thing."

"I apologize Katrinka," he said softly without looking at her. "For doubting you."

"It's no big deal, Jas. Everyone doubts someone or something at least once in their lifetime. I know I have." They began to fly back to the village with Kat explaining the plan so far. "We've got work to do tonight but it should stop the war."

"What about the Thief? Weren't you after him in the first place?"

She grinned. "I still am. This war isn't just about the Kamoku-jin versus the Tale-sejin, you know. It's about the Thief versus Evil. I have to stop the Evil before it gets here or things are going to get really bad, really fast."

Jas looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand."

"What I discovered is that the Thief is only stealing the bits of time that it feels is "bad" because it's trying to make things "good". You can't go around screwin' with the past and expect the present to be fine. It just doesn't work out that way. So I have to stop your war before the Thief gets it into its mind to stop it for me by going back into the past and altering something." Jas involuntarily shuddered and that made her look over at him. "It'll be fine, you'll see."

"I hope so." He thought of his friends, his family, and all of the innocent people that would be affected by another time theft. "I really, really hope so."

***

"If you're not squeamish about killing someone get over here!" Kallen shouted with authority. Pan was one of the people who joined their group and was the first one to leave after seeing Commander Kallen's intimidating stare. Soon the only ones left were of saiya-jin origin. She sighed silently. Of course they would be the only ones left. "Here's is the plan thus far," she explained how they would have to hide in Navoran's quarters for a time before sneaking into Portl's. "You have approximately three minutes to get in there, take care of it, and get out before the guard changes. In fact, only one of you really need to go inside. The others can stand guard outside of the door."

The three Vegetas glanced at each other, then, after deciding on a way to settle things, began to play a game.

"Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors!"

"Scissors cuts paper!" V.J. cheered.

"But," his father smirked. "rock breaks scissors. I win."

Kallen stared at them with a 'I can't believe this is happening' look on her face. "I guess that's one way to settle things..." She cleared her throat. "All right then! The three Vegetas will go onto the ship with Goku but the middle Vegeta will be the one to dispatch the commander. All we have to do now is pick the ones who will help take over the ship from the assembled Tale-sejin military." She looked at said people with a critical eye, noting their strengths and weaknesses. Barely keeping the sigh in check, she began pointing out people. There wasn't much to work with.

She drew her saber. "I want you all to come at me and fight the hardest that you possibly can." The five men exchanged glances. "What's wrong? Are you afraid a woman'll beat you?" That did it. The entire group of them rushed her and, in less than ten minutes, she had them all laid out on the ground. 'Kami,' she thought with a soft sigh, 'good thing they aren't fighting saiya-jin.' "Not bad. Not good either but not bad."

"Can we do the job?" one of then asked. He was short and a little on the pudgy side with thick-fingered hands that clutched at the hilt of his sword.

"You might..." She trailed off, thinking to herself. 'If he stays on his right side to compensate for his pretty bad right hook... Yeah, it'll work.' She began pointing out these little things, trying to shift everyone around so that one man's weakness would be covered by another's strength. In the end everything was pretty well-balanced and that pleased her. "Okay, from now until seventeen-hundred we're going to do drills! If you want to survive this thing you've got to know more."

Vegeta, the middle one, was more than a little impressed with Kallen and even told her so. She grinned briefly before concentrating on showing the proper way to parry and tossed him an offhand comment. "Saiya-jin aren't the only ones who know how to train a bunch of people into an army."

He nodded. "I'll remember that." His ears caught the tail-end of a conversation between Katrinka and the two Kamoku-jin and just couldn't stop listening.

"I can't thank you enough for trusting us enough to help," Navoran was saying. "Betraying my people has been worth every moment."

"What will you do once you've taken over? Do you need us to go back with you to Ananci?"

There was a brief silence. "I guess we'll have to see. Anything could happen on the ship and even though there are four saiya-jin going..."

"Gotcha. If things get too out of hand Goku can get everyone out of there like this." She snapped her fingers. "In fact, that's how we got here in the first place."

"Helpful skill." He looked away briefly and then surprised her with a hug. "I can't thank you enough. Even if this all fails I can die happy knowing that someone at least tried."

"If you die, Lieutenant," Daalit said, "I'll make sure things change. Count on it." He laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let everything worry you so much. We'll go in there tonight and walk away victorious. No one can stand up against saiya-jin."

Vegeta nodded to himself and walked out of hearing range. At least they were finally taking care of the Kamoku-jin problem and in a way that even Bulma would approve of. He had wanted to just do a mass genocide seeing as they had tried to do that to Chikyuu but this way was more worthwhile. If Navoran gains control of planet then he would be an ally. Vegeta smiled, thinking of how large his empire was growing. Allies he liked.

Definitely.

***

The first group was assembled in the darkness of the night receiving last-minute instructions from Navoran. Kallen had dubbed them the Assassination Team and gave them intstructions to just get in, kill the commander, and get out. Nothing else was needed. She definitely made sure that Vegeta Junior had understood this. He had a tendency not to listen to authority.

"What is the next team supposed to do exactly?" Pan asked. She hadn't be allowed to listen in on the meeting.

"The Infiltration Team is going to help Navoran and Daalit gain control of the ship." Kallen informed her and everyone who hadn't been aware of that. "If successful the battles will stop. That's what we're really aiming for, folks. Anything else that happens will be an added bonus."

"If that's the only thing we're tryin' to do then there would just be the Assassination Team," Pan said with a smirk. "What's the real plan here?"

"Pan," Mia said, "the real plan is to stop the war. We're sending another team in just in case taking over the ship becomes reality. How many Kamoku-jin are on the ship, Navoran?"

He thought for a brief moment, adding up the totals. "One-hundred and fifty."

The assembled people gave him looks of shock. "When were you going to tell us this?" Kallen asked with a sigh.

"When someone asked. This shouldn't be a problem for a group of saiya-jin. They took out a huge invasion force of four-hundred on Chikyuu."

"Still..." Mia thought for a moment. "I'm going too. Trunks, Goten, and I will make up a third team just in case. We're the backup."

"What am I supposed to do?" Pan asked them all.

"Do you see all of these saiya-jins?" Vegeta asked her.

"Of course I do."

"Then your job is to train them until Kakarotto gets back. Believe it or not, you know more than they do and you're stronger."

Pan was pleased at the complement. "I'm finally stronger than someone. I like that." She hugged Vegeta briefly and walked off to find her trainees, whistling a happy tune.

"You actually handled that really well," Katrinka said. "Imagine that."

"I'm not a cold, heartless bastard," he said with a amused smirk. "Why does that surprise you?"

She shook her head and smiled. "It doesn't surprise me at all, Vegeta. I'm proud of you." After shooting him another smile, she walked off to speak to someone else.

***

At precisely eighteen-forty-five the team of four flew to the ship where they were let in by Navoran. He led them to his personal quarters and told them to stay put.

"The commander's room is right next door so there'll be no problem finding it. Make sure you go at nineteen-fifteen and are out of there at nineteen-twenty at the very latest. If you aren't you're going to have to fight and maybe jeopardize the next team."

The three full-blooded saiya-jins nodded but V.J. wandered around the room looking at Navoran's things. Overall, he wasn't impressed. "You sure have a crappy room for a lieutenant," he informed him. Navoran was more than a little insulted by his remark but chose not to comment on it. Instead he whispered something to Goku and exited, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"Your comment was uncalled for, Vegeta," his father said sternly. "Don't offend future allies."

V.J. was shocked that he had gotten repremanded but did see the benefits of not pissing people that were supposed to be your friends off. "Sure, Papa." He glanced around and couldn't find a clock anywhere. "How long until the commander dies?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Thirty minutes." He pulled a pack of cards from his pocket. "Wanna play something?" The other three agreed and the short saiya-jin found himself explaining the rules of Poker to his father. Time passed pretty quickly and soon it was only five minutes before showtime.

The four of them crept down the darkened hall using stealth that wasn't uncommon to the saiya-jin race. Vegeta, the middle one, was allowed to reach the door to Portl's room first and he opened it slowly and quietly, privately pleased that the hinges were well-oiled. He was half-way into the room when he realized that it was empty.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed in shock. His first thought was that Navoran had betrayed him but it was quickly squashed when the commander came through a door off to his right. 'Must be the bathroom or something.' He dove behind a piece of furniture and was surprised that the commander hadn't noticed him yet. It wouldn't have mattered if he had, though, he still would be just as dead. Vegeta waited for a few moments, until his back was turned, and jumped to his feet. His had was poised for a blow when there was a thudering noise outside the room that sounded a lot like a stampede. He hit Portl with a blow that sent him directly into unconsciousness and was going to deal another when Goku contacted him mentally.

'We've got problems, Veggie.'

He decided to let the nickname go for once. 'What kind of problems?'

'There are about fifty soldiers running down the hall out here and none of them have even noticed us.'

'How is that a *bad* thing Kakarotto?' Then he suddenly frowned. There were strange beings on their ship, saiya-jin beings no less, and no one was doing or saying anything to them at all. That could only mean one thing... 'There's something a lot scarier than we are somewhere.'

'Exactly. Wonder what it is.' Goku's voice had taken on a anticipatory tone that Vegeta knew very well.

'I'm going to finish this guy off and follow. Save some ass-kicking for me.'

Goku laughed and it wasn't his usual kind. This was of the joyous, battle variety. 'You bet.'

Quickly, the now annoying task was completed and Vegeta was running off down the deserted hallway to join the fun.