#he wants to preserve his species and end a war that he finds completely pointless

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (119/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[9 April, 233 Before Age.   Planet Travigar.]

Luffa needed help.    Seltiss just needed to get her to admit it.    

It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worth doing ever was.   Their people, the Saiyans, were a stubborn lot, and Luffa was a Super Saiyan, which probably made her even more stubborn than most.   Seltiss was a princess of the Rehval Dynasty, which ruled the Saiyan kingdom.   Luffa came from a family of anti-monarchists, and she bore a personal grudge with Seltiss' father.    

But the war changed all of that.   The Jindan Cult, led by the mysterious Trismegistus, posed a threat to the Saiyan species, as well as the rest of the universe.   As powerful as Luffa was, she couldn't defeat them all by herself, and neither could the Saiyan Free Company, which Seltiss had formed in opposition to her father's kingdom.   Their only chance was to join forces.    Luffa hated the idea, but couldn't deny the reasoning, and so she allowed Seltiss' mercenary bands to operate within Federation space.    Seltiss had set up a base of operations on the Federation world of Eetii.    

Most of the fighting took place along the frontier of the Federation, as the Jindan strategy was to invade planets along the borders to spread the defenders thin.   Eetii was fairly close to a group of worlds near one end of the periphery, and Seltiss had kept an eye on things there while Luffa handled things on the opposite front.   And yet, some new offensive had forced Luffa to approach Eetii.    Early reports had said something about a "rock creature" that kept appearing on one planet after another.    Whatever it was, it had led Luffa on a merry chase along the border worlds, only to vanish after being defeated on  Planet Travigar, less than twenty light years from Eetii.    Luffa sent a subspace transmission on a Saiyan Free Company channel, for Seltiss' eyes only.   The message was simple: "Need a lift.   Come alone."  

It was a perfect opportunity.    Seltiss had hoped to spend some time with Luffa, to forge a peace between them that could ensure the survival of the Saiyan Free Company beyond the war.   Seltiss had plans, and none of them would amount to much if Luffa could swoop in and topple them without warning.    Her father had tried to manipulate and destroy Luffa, and failed.    But a little soft power-- friendly gestures, kept promises, healthy respect-- could go a lot further than brute force or palace intrigue.    Even if a lasting peace wasn't possible, Seltiss could hopefully convince Luffa that the S.F.C. could be useful in the future, and therefore worth keeping around.  

Besides, Seltiss enjoyed traveling alone.    It reminded her of the stories she read about space exploration.   There was no beguiling outer space.   No negotiation or manipulation.    There were the laws of physics and one’s ability to work within them.    As she descended through the Travigarian atmosphere, Seltiss quickly located the starfighter Luffa had been traveling in.   The scanners confirmed that the vessel's engines were inoperable.   Her ship's sensors could detect Saiyan life readings well enough, but it was simpler for Seltiss to handle that part herself.   Seltiss was an average fighter by Saiyan standards, but she still knew how to sense the battle power of other strong warriors.    In Luffa's case, it was hard not to notice Luffa’s mighty ki signature.   All Seltiss had to do was focus on that power and follow it like a beacon to Luffa's location.    She was mildly surprised to find that she wasn't with the ship, but Luffa was the restless type, and the little starfighter was useless to her in any case.  

Instead, Seltiss found Luffa on a grassy plain, surrounded by soldiers.   Seltiss didn't recognize their uniforms, and her sensors only indicated that they were molluskoid aliens.   She landed in an empty space nearby and flew directly to Luffa.  

She looked terrible.  

"It's about time you showed up," Luffa said.    "What the hell are you dressed like that for?"

The alien soldiers probably had no idea that Seltiss and Luffa were of the same species.    Luffa had a long tail covered in brown fur, which was now matted with blood and grime.    She normally wore a black sleeveless shirt with baggy yellow pants that were tucked into black combat boots.    These were now so badly torn that they now barely qualified as clothing.    The left pant leg was shorn off completely, leaving a rag hanging out of the rim of her boot.   The right leg wasn't much better off, as only a strip of fabric ran all the way down from the waist to the ankle.    Luffa's modesty was mainly preserved with various bandages and medical tape, most of which had been scorched or stained with blood.    Her short black hair was ringed with a strip of fabric around her head.

Seltiss, on the other hand, had no tail, as her father had it surgically removed at birth.   The only evidence that she had ever had one was a hint of scar tissue mostly covered by the waist of her pink-and-black checkered sarong.  Her heeled boots were Montalban originals imported from Camelia, and her black bandeau had pink straps that wrapped around one shoulder and criss-crossed down the length of her arm.    Her hair, piled in a messy beehive style, was dyed a vibrant shade of pink, which matched her eyeshadow, nail polish, and lipstick.

"Excuse you?" Seltiss asked, forgetting the greeting she had rehearsed to try to curry Luffa's favor.  She had put a lot of thought into her appearance, after all.      

"Never mind," Luffa said, pointing at the soldiers.   "These guys are from Planet Oat," she explained.     "Thousands of years ago, they were at war with Travigar, back when it used to be called Planet Bob.     Something about soy milk, I didn't follow that part of the story."  

One of the soldiers started to speak up, and Luffa held out her hand to stop him from explaining their backstory.    "Look, let's not go over that again.    We'll be here all day."    

"Luffa, what does this have to do with that rock creature you told us about?" Seltiss asked.  

"Not much," Luffa said.    "These Oatians got trapped in a mystical fissure during the Oat-Bob War, and they've been in suspended animation the whole time, until the Jindan cultists came here and summoned that rock creature.   My guess is all that magic disrupted something and set them free.   But they still want to conquer Travigar, and that's where you come in."  

"Me?" Seltiss said.    

"Yeah, I told them it was pointless to fight an all-out battle from an old war, but they have their pride, so I offered them a contest of champions.    Their best ten guys against my handpicked warrior."    Luffa pointed at Seltiss, then jabbed her finger at Seltiss's chest.    "And my hand just picked you, little girl."

"Wh-why?"  Seltiss asked.   "Are you hurt?   I mean, I've got Saiyans working for me on Eetii that are totally stronger than I am, but your message said to come alone, so...?"

"Hah!" Luffa scoffed.   "Your idiot father always ran his mouth about how he planned to breed the Saiyans into a mightier race.   I thought his own brat would have a little more confidence in her skills."

"Is that what this is?" Seltiss asked.   "Like, a test?"

"It shouldn't be," Luffa said.   "I think you can handle ten of them without too much trouble.    I just want this to be a decent fight.    These guys have waited long enough to see some action.   Do a good job, and they might even agree to join our side in the war."

Seltiss sighed and began limbering up.    In spite of everything, she was a halfway decent fighter, at least for her power level.   "Okay, okay.  I'll play along, I guess.   Just promise me something, will you?"

"What's that?" Luffa asked.  

"When we get back to Eetii," Seltiss said between leg stretches, "you have got to let me buy you a new outfit."

*******  

[9 April, 233 Before Age.   Planet Eetii.]

The Eetiians had a near religious regard for plant life, so they allowed it to grow freely throughout their cities.    Their shopping malls weren't all that different from others Seltiss had visited, except that the view from every window and skylight offered the same view of a thick tangle of weeds.  And yet, the Eetiians seemed to genuinely appreciate this.    Passers-by would often stop and stare out the windows, as if they were gazing out upon some majestic mountain range.

What mattered was that their clothing stores had the right colors and styles to approximate Luffa's signature look.    Seltiss would have preferred to give Luffa a full makeover, drawing upon fashion resources from the rest of the galaxy, but there was a war on, and Seltiss had to work quickly with the resources that were on hand, before Luffa was called away to another battle.    As it was, Seltiss barely had time to assemble a new outfit for herself, to replace the ensemble she had worn into battle against the Otians.   She would miss that sarong, but she liked the black sequined pants and pink suit-coat she had found to replace them.    Seltiss would have preferred to wear something very revealing under the jacket.    The models in the magazines always did this, teasing their bare skin from underneath the crisp angles of the coat.    But a stern glare from Luffa had persuaded Seltiss to go with a white blouse instead.  

As for Luffa, Seltiss had found a black racerback swimsuit to serve as the top of her outfit, and a pair of nylon windbreaker pants for the bottom.    Luffa normally wore fingerless gloves, but there had been  no sign of these on Travigar, and Seltiss assumed they had been lost.    The best she could find in the mall were black gloves that had fingers, although Luffa made a approving grunt when she tried them on, so Seltiss supposed they would do.  

"You look amazing!" Seltiss cheered as Luffa stepped out of the fitting room.   "Way sleeker than the old gear you used to wear."

"What did you do with my boots?" Luffa asked as she began looking around the room.

"Oh, those.   I threw them out," Seltiss said.    

"What?"

"Okay, first of all, I’m on your side, so chill out," Seltiss said,   "Second, I took one whiff of those old clogs and yuck," she pinched her nostrils shut for effect.    "I tried holding them upside down, but that actually smelled worse."

She reached into a shopping bag and produced a pair of black cleats.     "So I found these while you were changing.       You don't have to keep them, but you can at least wear those until we find something you like.    Preferably something in the non-barfing section of the store."

Luffa took the shoes and examined the thick treads that stuck out from the soles.   "Hmm," she said.   "I could get used to something like this..."   She took a seat on a bench and began to try them on.    

"So what's with the yellow pants, anyway?" Seltiss asked.    "The black I get, black goes with everything and it never goes out of style, but the yellow..."

"It's a family color," Luffa said without looking back at her.   "My mother liked it because it wasn't royalist blue.     Isn't that why you wear pink?   To piss off your old man?"

"Well, not exactly," Seltiss said.   "At first, it was to stand out as my own person, separate from the royal bloodline, but then it became kind of my thing, you know?"

"Then I guess we have something in common," Luffa replied coldly.

That should have been a good sign, but something about Luffa's tone was less than encouraging.    Seltiss wasn't sure what to say that could improve the situation, and then Luffa stood up and started kicking into the air.    

"Yeah," she said as her left leg moved almost too fast for Seltiss to follow.   She switched sides and did the same motions with her other leg.    "Yeah, the balance is good.   Nice traction, too.     Not so sure about leaving my ankles exposed like this, but I can deal with that.    Let's go."

She started walking straight for the exit, not even waiting for Seltiss to settle her bill.    Seltiss groaned and went to the register, figuring that it was enough to have Luffa on Planet Eetii.   It wasn't like she would be hard to find.

*******

Seltiss eventually found Luffa standing on a mesa overlooking one of the S.F.C. encampments on the planet.    Below, Saiyan mercenaries ran through training drills, while Federation technicians provided maintenance to their ships and weaponry.    They occasionally glanced up at the mesa, each of them well aware of Luffa's presence, even though they couldn't see her.    Seltiss was grateful that she had told her officers about Luffa's visit in advance.    As it was, there was still a chance her troops would panic, but at least they had been given a fair warning.  

"I was hoping to give you a tour of our camps," Seltiss said as she alighted beside Luffa.    "I'm sure you could provide some valuable insight.    From what I've seen of the Federation's military, I can tell you run a tight ship."  

"The Federation military runs itself," Luffa said.   "Well, Marshall Booth runs it.    I try to stay out of their way."

"Oh.    Well, I guess that's a good call," Seltiss said.    "They're a very efficient operation.   My generals have already learned a ton from them."

"That's not too surprising," Luffa said.   She uncrossed her arms and waved one hand toward the camp below.    "Saiyan mercenaries aren't exactly known for their discipline.   Must be like herding cats."

Seltiss made an insincere chuckle.    "It's, ah, it's a major challenge, that's for sure."

That was an understatement.   Seltiss had inherited her father's talent for statecraft, and she had a galaxy-class education to fall back on, but most of her ideas and plans were founded on textbook theory, rather than real-world experience.   Her followers weren't used to working within such a large and diverse group, and so they incessantly came to her to solve all their organizational problems.   She suspected that the only reason they weren't pestering her now was because they were so unsettled by Luffa looming over them.  

In a way, Luffa’s visit made for a pleasant distraction.   It was another challenge, perhaps even more difficult, like rolling all of the unruly Saiyans under her banner into one.   But at least it was a change.   Luffa's grim silence gave Seltiss a moment to enjoy the warmth of desert sun on the back of her neck, and the slight odor of her new suitcoat as it mingled with the scents of the native flora.  

"I'm curious how you got this many Saiyans together without my finding out about it," Luffa finally said.    

"Oh, it wasn't that complicated, really," Seltiss said.    "I set up a base of operations on an obscure planet, and then I started contacting embassies, mercenary contractors, and all the other usual places you'd go to find Saiyan activity.   I also had some copies of, like, my father's records.    He had a lot of contact information.    E-mail addresses, subspace comm frequencies, stuff like that."

"I tried searching Rehval's embassies," Luffa grumbled.  "I never found anything useful like that."

"Um, duh, that's because all you had to offer anyone was a violent interrogation," Seltiss said.    "I didn't go anywhere in person.   I just sent messages with an offer of safe haven.   I got a lot of takers, but I made it a rule that you had to contact at least one other Saiyan before I let them join.   They didn't have to get the next guy to say 'yes', but it helped spread the message quickly and quietly.    Turns out, there's a lot of Saiyans out in the galaxy who wanted an alternative to running from you, or waiting for my father to come out of hiding."

Luffa shrugged.    "Serves me right.  Maybe I should have taken a more subtle approach."

"Well, it's not really your style," Seltiss said.   "Besides, the Saiyans who joined my group never knew anything about my father's whereabouts.   Even if you had found them all, they wouldn't have been able to tell you anything."

"Still, to hide a whole population of Saiyans from me... that's something," Luffa said.   "That must be a really backwater planet you found.     I’ll bet it’s tough for you to maintain supply lines."

"We manage pretty well," Seltiss said.  

The truth was that Seltiss' base was on Planet Shenia, an inhabited planet she and Xibuyas had conquered several months ago.   The S.F.C. lived quite comfortably there, as they relied on the Shenian people to serve their needs.     Seltiss considered herself a benevolent overlord.    The Saiyans generally stayed out of the natives' way, and Seltiss permitted the Shenians to live and work mostly as they had done before her invasion.    As long as their leaders provided the food and materials she ordered, she would leave them alone.  

But Luffa didn't need to know that.    Seltiss knew very little of the Super Saiyan's personality, but it was clear to most observers that she had a soft spot for aliens.    Luffa had liberated numerous planets in her career, and she seemed to go out of her way to defend weaker peoples from aggressive powers.    Seltiss doubted that Luffa would actually turn against the S.F.C. over an insignificant planet like Shenia.    Their alliance was too important to jeopardize over a backwater planet full of weaklings.  Even so, there was no need to strain their relations by bringing it up.    The less Luffa knew about it, the better off they would be.

"Must be difficult wrangling all those Saiyans without anyone revealing the location of your headquarters, though," Luffa said.  "They seem to respect your authority well enough."

"They know my father is no longer fit to rule," Seltiss said.    "They also know what a massive control freak he is.    I knew if he ever found out about what I was doing, he'd try to meddle with it, one way or another.     A lot of my guys only want refuge, either from your or from my dad.   They like the secrecy even more than I do."

"Sure, but it's a big universe," Luffa said.    "Plenty of ways to hide without turning to a teenage girl for help."    

Seltiss smiled.    "True, but most of them know that the Saiyan people need a ruler, and as the heir to the throne, I'm the best candidate."  

"Is that right?" Luffa asked idly.

Seltiss began floating into the air, and she waved for Luffa to follow her.    "Come on," she said.    "I want to show you something."

*******

There was a palpable tension in the public areas of the Saiyan camp.    The mercenaries did their best not to show it, but Seltiss could tell they had been on edge ever since Luffa arrived on the planet.   Now that Luffa was walking in their midst, Seltiss could practically feel their discomfort like the heat from a radiator.   Even so, they went about their business, milling about, swapping tall tales of past battles, arguing about repair work for their ships, and giving lessons to their children.

"They're usually more enthusiastic than this," Seltiss said.    A little Saiyan boy ran past them, and they could hear his mother yelling for him to stay away.     "Well, I guess the kids are about the same," Seltiss added.   "Everyone's just nervous because..."

"I get it," Luffa said.    "They were like this on Planet Saiya, only there's a lot fewer of them here.    If I decided to play with them a bit, they wouldn't stand a chance, and they know it."  

"Okay, then why are you, like, enjoying it so much?" Seltiss asked.   "I tried to calm these guys down, and you're grinning at them like you want them to be afraid of you."

"Oh, please," Luffa said.   "You've spent time around aliens.   Don't tell me you've never gotten a kick out of being strong enough to defeat them all in a heartbeat."

"Well... yeah, sure," Seltiss said.   "But we're not aliens... unless you..."

"Oh, I'm as Saiyan as the rest of you, little girl," Luffa said.   "But we're not equals, so don't pretend a few chromosomes put us on the same level.   When I was your age, I was a lot weaker than you are now.    Pretty sure if that Luffa was standing here today, you wouldn't even give me a second look.   I didn't ask to become this strong, but now that I am, I won’t pretend I'm not just to make you feel better about yourself."

Seltiss nodded.    "Like, fair enough, I guess.     We're just not used to being so low on the pecking order."

"And that's what's wrong with our whole species," Luffa said.   "Most of us are chumps who think they're a big deal just because they can knock over a planet.    We call ourselves warriors when most of the time we're just bullies who don't know what to do when someone stronger comes along."

Seltiss took some solace in the word "we".   A lot of Saiyans claimed that Luffa was an alien posing as a Saiyan.   To Seltiss, that just sounded like a crackpot conspiracy theory.    And yet, despite Luffa's outward appearance, there was something very unnatural about her.    Seltiss could finally see how the 'alien' rumor got so popular.    The truth was perhaps more horrifying: that Luffa used to be a normal Saiyan and somehow evolved into something... else.    At last, Seltiss finally understood why Xibuyas was so worried about the possibility of being her son.   But at least Luffa still considered herself a Saiyan, even if she looked down in disapproval at her brethren.

Seltiss led Luffa to the command center, which was constructed out of a special material Seltiss had discovered during her occupation of Planet Shenia.   It resembled cloth, but when connected to a device Seltiss didn't really understand, the fabric stiffened and became like a thick sheet of strong metal.    The Shenian military could carry it easily and set it up like a tent, but then activate it to make a shelter strong enough to withstand a bombardment.  Seltiss expected Luffa to take an interest in the building, but she never said a word.     Perhaps she had seen something like it on other planets.  

She introduced Luffa to some of her generals.   Each of them was a Saiyan man at least fifty years of age.    They briefly discussed their own impressions of the ongoing war, but all Luffa was concerned about was tracking down the Jindan Cult's base of operations.    None of them could offer any solutions to that problem.  

Seltiss then took her to the mess hall, and barely managed to convince Luffa not to go into the kitchen and "help".    

"I guess it would be dishonorable to just barge into their place and take over," Luffa said as she gnawed on the barbecued rib of some large animal.    "It's just that I live with aliens, and it forces you to get very protective of cooking spaces.   You can't trust them not to make a mess of things.   But these guys here, they seem to know their stuff."  

She passed a bowl of stew to Seltiss's side of the table.    "Here, try some of this," she said.    "It'll put some meat on those arms of yours."  

Seltiss shook her head.    Like all Saiyans, Seltiss had a ravenous appetite of her own, and her side of the table was stacked with her own share of animal bones and empty plates.    Even so, she didn't seem to eat enough for Luffa's liking.    Seltiss wasn't sure if this was some sort of motherly instinct, or flat-out body-shaming, or something else entirely.    

"Your, ah-- your wife," Seltiss asked, desperate to change the subject.    "Is it difficult to cook for her?   When you had me over for dinner on your ship, I only ever saw her eating from one plate."

"Oh, you have no idea!" Luffa said, still chewing on a piece of bread.    "She *says* she's a survivalist, but she hardly eats at all.   Honestly, I got used to her eating small portions.    What's *creepy* is how she doesn't even act hungry at all for *hours*, even though she barely ate anything.   Like, how does she do it?"

Seltiss relaxed a little.    For the first time, it felt like Luffa was opening up, however slightly.   She was worried that her alien wife would be a sensitive topic, but it looked like she had been dying to talk to another Saiyan about it.  

Luffa pointed a fork at Seltiss and raised an eyebrow.   "As far as cooking goes," she said,  "the trick is to remember that you only have one shot, so you need to make it count."   She reached into the pile of bones next to her and pulled one of them from the bottom of the stack.    "Now this one was a little overdone, but so what?    You cook this much meat all at once, you're bound to have a few pieces on the fire too long.    It happens.    But for some aliens, this one rib might be enough to feed three people, so you have to get it right, or they'll think you don't know what you're doing."

"I see," Seltiss said, not sure if she actually understood.    

"You have to focus your effort on very small portions.   And you can't just serve one dish and call it done.    Aliens have to eat some vegetables, just like the rest of us.   So the portions have to get even smaller so you can serve more than one in the same meal.   So you end up spending all this time and energy on something a normal person would gulp down without even noticing."  

"That sounds way challenging," Seltiss said.

"It is, but my senses got sharper after I--" Luffa held her free hand next to the side of her head and waved it upward to signal what she meant.    "That helped, believe it or not.    There was a time when I couldn't handle a spoon without bending it in half, but eventually I managed to control my other form enough where I could cook that way.     Then I got to where I could make those improvements work in base form.    Now, it's kind of fun to cook at microscale."    

"That's great," Seltiss said.    She had no idea what sort of alien Luffa's wife really was.   She looked humanoid, with blue skin, green eyeballs, and blood-red hair.   Seltiss half-suspected that the creature didn't need to eat whatsoever, and only played along to salve Luffa's culinary pride.    But Seltiss certainly wasn't going to suggest that out loud and spoil the mood.    

So instead, she tried to steer the conversation towards her own agenda.    "You know, what you're talking about feels a little like what we've been trying to do with the Free Company," Seltiss said.   "I'm hoping that this war will be a chance for us to show the galaxy a different side to the Saiyans.    This might be, like, the only shot we have.   Like those meals you cook for aliens, we only get one chance to get it right."

"Yeah, I figured that's why you said you wanted to show me something down here, Seltiss," Luffa said.    "What was it you wanted me to see?"

"Uh... really?"  Seltiss had to fight to suppress her frustration.    She had hoped that she wouldn't have to spell it out, but it seemed that Luffa hadn't even been paying attention.    "I mean, you saw everyone outside.    Working together, respecting the Eetiian population.   A lot of the Free Companions still have their tails, and they brought their children along to train them for full-scale wars.    I'm not forcing them to assimilate or put their embryos in tanks like my father, or anything gross like that."

"You want a medal?" Luffa asked.    "I didn't turn this camp into a smoldering crater, but I don't see anyone throwing me a parade."

"You met my generals," Seltiss said.   "That proves something, doesn't it?   That I'm not just some ditzy teen playing leader.   They wouldn't have joined me if I hadn't earned their respect."  

"They joined you because you have something going for you," Luffa said.   "Generals need troops to command and kings to give them authority.    You might have some credentials, but let's face it, this is just a convenient arrangement for all of us."  

"Doesn't it feel even a little comfortable to be around other Saiyans?" Seltiss asked.   "I know they're all afraid of you right now, but we can work on that.    You don't have to be alone--"

"Your old man tried to make the same pitch last year," Luffa said.     "Then he tried to kill me."

"Yeah, I know," Seltiss whined.    "I'm trying to show you that I'm not like him."

"I've noticed," Luffa said.   "You've been very eager to impress me, Seltiss," Luffa said.  "Why is that, exactly?"

"I need your support," Seltiss replied.  "A lot of Saiyans have joined me because they want to get away from my father's oppressive policies, and because they don't want you harassing them to get at him.  If I can get along with you, it proves that I'm a leader who won't make more trouble for them."

Luffa sneered.  "Spoken like a true politician."

"You saw me fight those Oatians," Seltiss said.  "Are you telling me I lack passion, just because I'm pragmatic?"

"You fight like you talk," Luffa said.  "Very precise, very calculated.  It slows you down, though.   You think too hard about what you're going to do before you do it.  When you finally commit to a course of action, it's a smart play, but it slows your reaction time."

Her words stung.    Seltiss had always prided herself on her ability to stay cool under pressure and examine the situation.    She had assumed that Luffa made her fight the Oatians just to see what Seltiss could do.    She had tried to end it quickly, so she would have fewer chances to make any mistakes.    And yet, in that short battle, Luffa had not only analyzed Seltiss' entire fighting style, but had deconstructed it.

"I... no one's ever told me that," Seltiss finally said.  "I usually get complimented for my quick reflexes.  Xibuyas even called my style 'poetry in motion'."

Luffa snorted.  "Katem is a teenage boy," she said.  "He'd probably watch you slip on a fruit rind and tell you how  graceful you are.  The worst part is, he would  probably mean it."

"I guess you're right," Seltiss said.  "But I thought that his speed would allow him to notice flaws in my moves, and if he couldn't see any, then..."

Luffa pointed at her own eyes.  "He's fast, but I'm faster, kid.  Take my advice.  Sometimes you have to let your instincts take over.  A hasty punch can be more effective than a well-considered one."

"Heh.  All right.  I like you, Luffa.  Not many people are willing to be so direct with me."

"Good, then I'll keep going," Luffa said.  "I think you're a walking example of why monarchy doesn't work.  People follow you because they're fed up with your father, and yet they still think you're qualified just because you're his daughter.  That's ridiculous.  You're a child.  I don't care how smart you are."

"That's another reason I want to impress you, Luffa," Seltiss said.  "I have a lot to prove.  If I can convince you I know what I'm doing, then I can convince anyone."

"And then what?"

"Huh?"

"Let's say you succeed.  You become the Queen of the Saiyans.  What would you do with that?  Where would you go from there?"

Seltiss was beginning to realize that Luffa was an even greater challenge than she had ever dreamed.   She was used to her followers accepting her vision very readily.   But then, what choice did any of them really have?    Even Xibuyas, for all his power, had nowhere else to go.   She cleared her throat as she tried to think of some way to make her dream as compelling as possible.   Then she gave up, as she knew Luffa was too straightforward for anything less than direct honesty.

"I'd want to shape the Saiyans into a nation, just like my great-grandfather wanted," she began.  "But I'd want to undo the failed policies of my father.  The secret police, the cultural reforms.  His obsession with you.  The strange experiments... Why are you laughing?"

"Because you don't get it," Luffa said.  "Did it ever occur to you that all that of your father's dirty tricks were the only thing keeping him in power?  That without all his backstabbing, his precious kingdom would have flown apart a long time ago?"

"Are you saying I have to embrace his wicked ways to hold power?" Seltiss asked.

"No, I'm saying the Saiyans can't be united under a single ruler," Luffa said.  "Not for long, anyway.  Not without abandoning what makes our kind great.  You and your dynasty are just spitting into the wind."

"Then... then I'll never convince you that I'm a great leader," Seltiss said.   "At best, we can only agree to disagree."

"Now that's the most mature thing you've said all day," Luffa said.   She rose up from the table and began picking up the dishes.  

Seltiss wasn't sure what to make of that, but she hoped it was a good sign.   She had hoped to get some sort of truce with Luffa, some kind of formal promise that she wouldn't intrude on Free Company affairs, but maybe this was good enough.   She might not believe in Seltiss now, but if she was willing to give her a chance, if she was prepared to wait and see, then that was something.   At least it implied that Luffa would back off and let Seltiss run things without interference.    

She was sure Luffa would confront her about her base of operations.    But she didn't seem to know about Shenia, and there was no indication that she had any interest in finding out.    As long as the occupation was a secret, then there was a chance.   There was only one other loose end she needed to tie up.    As she considered how best to broach the subject, Luffa had dropped off all of their dishes at a receptacle on the far wall of the mess, and she was already heading out the door.    

"There was one other reason why I wanted to impress you," Seltiss said as she caught up to her.      "I'm, uh, dating your son," Seltiss said. 

Luffa made a mocking show of surprise.    "You don’t say?" she asked.    "I had no idea..."

Seltiss ignored her sarcasm.    "Depending on how things go, you and I could wind up as in-laws, right?"

"You're sixteen," Luffa grumbled.  

"I like to plan ahead," Seltiss said with a smile.   She needed Xibuyas, not for any romantic reasons, but for his power.    He was probably the strongest Saiyan in the universe after Luffa.   The problem was that Luffa claimed to be his mother, and he vehemently denied it.    She needed to find some way to keep that conflict from exploding in her face.   One of these days, Luffa might come to take custody of Xibuyas, or he would take it upon himself to kill her, or die in the attempt.     Neither outcome was favorable to Seltiss.   She needed to get a handle on Luffa's intentions towards the boy.   Would she even allow him to marry?   Would she let him be his own man?    Her entire timetable depended on having loyal Xibuyas wrapped around her little finger for at least another five years.    Unfortunately, Luffa was more concerned with the short term.  

"Can you cook?"    Luffa asked.    "Because I can almost promise you he can't."

"Why does matter if we can cook?" Seltiss asked.

Luffa threw her hands up in the air.    "What do you two lovebirds plan to eat?"

"We'd have servants for that," Seltiss said.    

Luffa stopped along the path they walked and turned to face her.   "Hah!    You actually think it's that simple!    Just get someone else to cook the meals?    Launder the sheets?   That's no marriage, girl.    That's a stay at a hotel.   What do you have to offer a mate, besides your title and bloodline?"

"Well, Xibuyas finds me attractive enough..."

Luffa shook her head.    "Useless.    Boys his age... There's a few hundred million women in the universe who'd turn his head the same way if he ever saw them."

Seltiss couldn't help but admire Luffa's ruthless appraisal.    As much as the young princess prided herself on her detachment, she supposed that she had let Xibuyas' flattery go to her head.    Around him, it was easy to think there was something special about herself that he could never find in anyone else.    He probably believed that, but she couldn't risk letting herself believe it too.  

"Let me ask you this," Luffa went on.  "What do you see in him?"

"He's very sensitive," Seltiss said.    "Well, he puts up a lot of barriers, but he lets them down around me.   I'm the only one he can truly confide in."    

These were facts, although they didn't actually answer Luffa's question.    Seltiss had long ago crafted a response for what she liked in Xibuyas.    It sounded a lot better than saying: "He's easy to manipulate, and he's nice to look at."

"So what?" Luffa asked.    "That isn't practical at all.    It sounds to me like you're in love with being in love.    That won't get you very far.   Trust me."

Perhaps, Seltiss thought, her pat answer needed workshopping.    

"Then you're saying all that matters is doing chores?" Seltiss asked.

"Marriage is a partnership," Luffa said.   "It's one thing to share the pleasures, like sex and war and listening to the same music.    But what really counts is being able to take care of the little things.   The boring parts where no one else is around.    If you two can handle that, then you don't really need my approval, or anyone else's."

"So I should learn to cook,"  Seltiss said.   "Is that what you're telling me?"

"Hell no," Luffa snorted.    "Get him to cook.   He'll be better at it, since he should have inherited my talent for it.    When's he coming back here?"

"Tomorrow," Seltiss said.   "He had some mopping up to do on Penticede, but his last transmission said he'd be arriving on Eetii in the morning."  

"Fine.    I need to fill him in on the rock creatures.    He should be strong enough to defeat one on his own, as long as he knows where to strike."

"Oh!   Wow, that’s a relief.   I was wondering why you hadn't told me anything about the rock creatures until now," Seltiss said.   "I was starting to think you didn't trust me."

"I don't trust you, Seltiss," Luffa said.    "You keep trying to get on my good side, like we're buddies or something, but you keep your secrets, don't you?"

"Secrets?" Seltiss said.    "I... I don't know what you're talking about.     If you mean our home base, that's a matter of security.   I can't just--"

"I'm not talking about Shenia, kid," Luffa groaned.   "I already know how you took over the government so you could use it for your own plans.    Federation intelligence tracked it down for me three weeks ago."

"You... you knew?" Seltiss suddenly felt her throat going dry.  

"You'll order your forces to withdraw from the planet immediately," Luffa told her.   "If you don't comply, my spies will report that back to me.    The jig is up, Princess."  

"Now hold on!" Seltiss said, her voice sounded a little higher than she would have liked.    

"Don't get me wrong.    I don't like having all these Saiyans of yours operating in Federation space, but I have to admit that Marshall Booth was right.   We do need this alliance to hold off the cultists.    But you personally?   Well, that might be another story.

Seltiss couldn't believe this.   How could it all go so wrong so quickly.    "You knew, this whole time?" she sputtered.    "But you let me go on and on, trying to be friendly towards you... Why?"

"I'm no diplomat," Luffa said.   "Ask anyone on the Federation Council.    They'll tell you that I negotiate like I fight.   And there's nothing quite as satisfying as letting your opponent waste their energy while they think they have a handle on the situation.   Then you tell them how things really are, and you catch them off balance."

Seltiss took a step back from Luffa, and nearly stumbled.    "You can't be serious.   You'd kill me over Shenia?   You've never even been there!     I made sure to pick a planet you've never been to."

"What difference does that make?" Luffa said.   "I've seen enough planets conquered by invaders.    I think I've got a pretty good idea what it's like.    You want me to believe you're some kind of genius leader?   Stop acting like a pirate.   Try building a country from scratch, instead of on the backs of someone else.    Or I can kill you here and now.   Your choice."

"Now hold on!" Seltiss gasped.    "You can't kill me.   You just said you needed our alliance.   Without me, the Free Company falls apart!"

"Maybe," Luffa said.    "But something tells me a lot of your guys might decide to stick around and see the war through without you.   Once they get a look at those rock creatures, they'll see things my way."

"What do the rock creatures have to do with it?!" Seltiss demanded.    

"Your daddy's face, that's what!" Luffa shouted.  

Her outburst was loud enough to be heard by Saiyans who were passing nearby, though none of them could have understood what it meant.   But Seltiss understood.    The shock of it was like a chill through her entire body.   Her knees gave way, and she nearly sank to the ground.

She surely would have, except Luffa caught her by the arms and held her upright.  

"No, that won't do," Luffa said, looking down on Seltiss with wide eyes.  "You're the Princess of the Saiyans, aren't you?   The iron lady should face this on her feet, shouldn't she?"

"T-trismegistus..." Seltiss stammered.    "The alchemist who trained my father.   He could just be using dad’s likeness to--"

"Get real, Princess," Luffa said.    "Rehval is Trismegistus.   He stole the real guy's name, just like he stole the name 'Rehval' from your uncle.   Did you know about that?    Nobody knows your dad's real name.   Not even you.   He thinks it's cute or something that no one knows."

Seltiss wanted to say she couldn't believe it.    That wasn't true.    She didn't know the full extent of her father's machinations, but she knew enough about him.    Jindan, the cult, the war, the rock creatures.     Was any of it truly beyond his abilities?     There was no escaping it.    Unable to retreat into denial, all she could do was look away from Luffa's steely gaze.    

"Huh.  You really had no idea, did you?" Luffa said.    "I thought if I played along, let you talk long enough, you might betray yourself, give me some clue that you were secretly in league with the cult.    But no, the tears are real.    Maybe you did know about all this, once, but your old man altered your memories."

She wanted to angrily deny this charge, to insist that her father had never used any of his mind-altering potions on her.    But... how could she ever be sure of that?    If he was behind the Jindan Cult, enslaving his own people, then was there any depth he wouldn't sink to?    

"I so wanted to believe he was dead," Seltiss said.   "It would have easier that way.   So much easier.    I could lead the Free Company into war and avenge him, instead of trying to compete with him for however long it took for dad to realize he was obsolete."  

"Avenge yourself, girl," Luffa said.   "Your father is the lowest kind of scum, but you can restore your honor by helping me find him.    But first, you withdraw your soldiers from Shenia.    You'll never rise above your ancestors by wallowing in the same kind of filth."

There was something oddly comforting about Luffa's grip on her shoulders.     Seltiss vaguely wondered if this was the sort of thing she had missed out on from her own mother.    Brutal as Luffa's words were, there was a ring of truth to them.    

"I'm not with him, Luffa," Seltiss said angrily.    "I don't expect you to believe that, but I'm saying it anyway.    I'll do, like, whatever you ask, but I have to see this through.  I can't rest until he dies."    

Luffa smiled.   "Very good, Seltiss," she said.    "My father betrayed me once, too, you know.    Maybe you'll get a chance to kill him, the same way I killed mine.    And then... Well, we can have something else in common."

She shoved Seltiss to the ground, then turned and flew away, leaving the daughter of the Rehval Dynasty to wish that she could be anyone else than who she was.  

NEXT: Method to the Madness.