#tikosi hiveworld

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (208/?)

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: This story This story takes place about 1000 years before  66 years after  1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[2 February, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

Luffa was not the Legendary Super Saiyan, but she still remembered another time, another life, when she was the Legendary Super Saiyan.  That life, that time was over.

In that other lifetime, at the age of nineteen, Luffa achieved the mythical status after enduring a horrific ordeal at the hands of the Tikosi.  After dispatching her father, Orij, who betrayed her to the Tikosi, she began her Super Saiyan career by hunting down her husband, Kandai, who had sold their unborn child to the Saiyan King, Rehval III, for study.  Luffa found a measure of solace with her second marriage to Zatte, the former captain of the Dorlun militia, and their friends: the young Dorlun Keda, the arachnoid physician, Dr. Topsas, the Yetitan Wampaaan'riix, and later on, the fortuneteller, Dotz.

That all came to an end when Luffa became embroiled in a conflict with the Saiyan Kingdom, which culminated in a final showdown on Planet Nagaoka.  Luffa used the light of the full moon to combine her Super Saiyan form with the Oozaru form, and ended up destroying the entire planet.  She had expected to die along with her enemies, but then she was rescued by the Time Patrol, a band of warriors from the distant future.  They recruited her to help them defend time itself, only to fall before the ancient Demon sorcerer, Demigra.

Demigra had triumphed by destroying the Time Nest, and along with it, the Scroll of Eternity, which contained the entirety of history.  But he had saved a small piece of it, and offered it as a cession to Luffa, the only other survivor of the old universe.  Luffa, it seemed, was the one foe he could not take for granted.  For the Time Patrol had used the Dragon Balls to wish for an ally, and Demigra feared that the wish, granted literally, could mean that Luffa was somehow destined to thwart Demigra's plans.  Unwilling to put that to the test, he offered her a truce.  If she agreed not to oppose him in his plans to create a new history, then he would allow her to live peacefully in the last remnant of the old history, a world where she never became the Super Saiyan.

And so, Luffa was nineteen again, a mere Saiyan housewife in a family of mercenaries, stationed on Dorlu Prime.  The Tikosi had not yet carried out their massacre of the colony, and this time-- thanks to Demigra's intervention-- they never would.   Thanks to his magic, the Tikosi had all turned upon one another and they were all dead.  Orij's betrayal would never take place, and Luffa could live her life over again, without the trauma that had changed everything.

*******

     [3 February, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

Technically, Luffa was still thinking it over.  There was a Scroll of Eternity lying in a cabinet in her living quarters on Dorlu Prime.  According to Demigra, if she opened the scroll, it would bring her to the Crack of Time, where Demigra was busy preparing his new history.  Once there, Luffa could renew hostilities, and Demigra would accept the risk of a final showdown.

*******

     [6 February, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

Technically, Luffa was still thinking it over.  She could use the scroll at any time, so there was no need to rush.  She had missed Dorlu Prime, and its dull, dreary scenery was a perfect place to recuperate and plan.  If she chose to fight Demigra again, she could do it on her own terms.  Here, she could consider strategy, or even train for the fight.  And the longer she waited, the more surprised Demigra would be when she finally rejected his offer.

*******

     [14 February, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

Technically, Luffa was still thinking it over.  After the second week, she decided to return Kandai's affections.   In the former timeline, Kandai had gone along with her father's betrayal, but in this world, the Tikosi were all dead, and so Orij's scheme was undone before it could ever truly begin.  Luffa had been uneasy around Kandai, but she also discovered how much she had missed him.  And it was hard to hold a grudge against him for something he hadn't done yet.    Luffa told herself it was to keep up appearances, so no one would notice that anything unusual about her behavior.  That she happened to enjoy the way he would plant his hands on her sides was immaterial.

*******

     [19 February, 238 Before Age. Dorlu Prime.]  

Technically, Luffa was still thinking it over.  She had kept a professional distance from Zatte during this time, hoping not to complicate things after that impulsive kiss they had shared.  They had been married in the former timeline, but that was still years away.  It would take time to transition away from Kandai and towards her true love, but Luffa had tipped her hand.  For her part, Zatte seemed to respect Luffa's embarrassment over the incident, but it still changed their friendship.  Things would be awkward for a while, but in the end, it wouldn't matter.

*******

     [27 February, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

Technically, Luffa was still thinking it over.

Practically, she had been so busy making plans that she hadn't given much thought to Demigra, or the scroll, or the Time Patrol.   With the Tikosi dead, life on the colony was different, and everyone was figuring out what to do next.  Everyone except Luffa's father, who had been plotting with the Tikosi all along.

Ever since he learned of their extinction, Orij had been despondent.  The Dorluns had agreed to extend their contract with the Saiyan mercenaries, long enough to verify that the Tikosi were truly dead, but this would only confirm what he already knew.  And so, while everyone else prepared for the future, Orij was left to wonder how things had gone so wrong.  No one knew that he had been secretly conspiring with the Tikosi, and so no one really understood what was bothering him.

No one but Luffa, and she had no sympathy for his loss.

She had more important people in her life to worry about.

*******

     [1 March, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime.]  

"What's on Plutark VII, Luffa?"

The Dorluns had a communications array for contacting other planets and starships in deep space.  It rarely saw much use, since the Dorluns preferred to keep to themselves.  Today, Luffa sat at the controls, while Keda watched her with great interest.

"Just some friends of mine," Luffa explained.  "I think you'd like them too.  If I can ever get ahold of them on this thing, I might invite them over.  Introduce you."

"Your dad left today, didn't he?" Keda asked, still eyeing the controls.  She reached for one of the translucent plastic buttons that was glowing green.

Luffa brushed Keda's fingers away before she could touch it.  "Hey, I told you to be careful with this stuff," she said.  "Governor Coyto will put us both in jail if you break it."

"Nuh-uh," Keda said.  "You'd just bust out."

"Yeah, well what makes you think I'd take you with me when I escaped?" Luffa asked.   "Nah, never mind.  I guess I owe you, kid."

"Owe me for what?" Keda asked.

Keda had infiltrated the Tikosi Hiveworld and eventually rescued Luffa from their clutches.   Luffa had felt indebted to her ever since.  She couldn't explain that to the child, since those events had not happened yet, and never would.

"Never mind," Luffa finally said.  "Just don't touch any of these controls.  I can't get through to Plutark today, but I might have better luck tomorrow... so I can't have you messing around with this stuff and breaking it, all right?"

"Okay," Keda said.

It felt surreal to tell Keda not to touch any of the equipment, since Luffa had seen an older, more capable Keda operate most of a starship by herself.  Luffa had shown her much of the basics, and Keda had learned from a few others, but she was mostly self-taught.  She even had a knack for figuring out the controls on other ships with unfamiliar configurations.  It would probably only take a few days for her to figure out how to operate the Dorluns' communication array, but there were more experienced technicians in the colony, and the need for Keda to learn such things never came up.

It was better this way, Luffa told herself.  Here, Keda could just concentrate on being a kid.  She could live her life the way she was meant to, without being a sidekick for the Legendary Super Saiyan.

"What about your dad?" Keda asked.

"What about him?" Luffa said, still looking over the readouts on the monitors.

"He left," Keda said.  "This morning.  Kandai took him up in your ship, and then he came back without him.  He said he dropped him off someplace."

"Yeah, they salvaged a Tikosi ship during their last run," Luffa said.   "Father's going off to do his own thing, but we still need our ship, so he'll be operating out of the Tikoshi ship from now on."

"Forever?" Keda asked.

Luffa shrugged.  "Who knows? He might trade it in for something better.  That's his problem now."

"No, I mean, he's not coming back?" Keda asked.

"I told him I was thinking about going solo," Luffa said.  "Turns out Kandai wants to tag along.  That leaves Father on his own, so he decided to move on."

"Didn't you want to say goodbye?" Keda asked.

"Not really," Luffa said coldly.  "I said everything I needed to say to him already."

That was true enough, though Luffa didn't want to explain the details to Keda.  Luffa alone knew the truth about her father's scheme, though she couldn't confront him, since she lacked the power to defeat him if he chose to fight.   It was better this way.  He secretly feared Luffa's potential, and without the Tikosi to help him exploit it, he was eager to get as far from his daughter as he could.  And that suited Luffa as well.  If they ever did meet again, she planned to be ready for him.

Still, she could tell from Keda's expression that the youth was not satisfied with this, and so Luffa reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's fine," Luffa said.  "I can always contact him if I need to talk to him.  But right now I've got more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Keda asked.  Luffa couldn't help but smile.  She had learned long ago that there was no way to stop Keda from asking questions, but one could distract her with new questions.

"Like confirming that you and your people are truly safe," Luffa said.  "And if the Tikosi really are gone, then we can start to plan for the future..."

*******

     [6 March, 238 Before Age.  Tikosi Hiveworld.]  

The planet was just like Luffa remembered it.  From orbit, the Tikosi Hiveworld looked like a large ball of mud.  There was some sparse vegetation, but no farms or roads or any other sign of civilization.   The Tikosi kept these hidden beneath earthen fortifications.  Like ants and termites on many other planets, the Tikosi dwelled in underground tunnels, but their advanced technology allowed them to remain hidden indefinitely.  They grew food in hydroponic vats, drew energy from geothermal taps, and maintained their fleet of spaceships in vast hangars constructed under hollow mounds of dirt.  An unsuspecting visitor would easily mistake it for an uninhabited world, and by the time that visitor got close enough to the surface to realize the truth, it would be far too late to escape.

"Hard to believe it was so close to us," Zatte said as they walked across the barren surface.  "I mean, thirty light-years isn't close, but still..."

"Surprised the hell out of me too," Kandai said from a few steps behind her.  "We passed through this system a few times, and I thought it might make a decent base, but the scans showed nothing unusual.  Well, nothing unusual then.  But now...well, you can tell this placed used to be inhabited."

As he said this, he stepped over the half-burned corpse of a Tikosi adult.  Its broken exoskeleton shattered under the weight of his bootheel.   All around them, thousands of bodies just like it lay scattered around the city.  The earthworks that had once covered the area were now partially collapsed.   The western edge of the city was still shaded by a partial dome of dried mud, while chunks of dirt lay in the streets in the center.  On the eastern side, the dome had collapsed completely, burying countless Tikosi underneath.

Not far from their position, a column of smoke wafted out of a wrecked machine.  This odor, combined with that of the Tikosi casualties, was what stirred Luffa's memories the most.  As she surveyed the ruined world, she could only compare the devastation to the carnage she had wrought when she first transformed in the Legendary Super Saiyan.   She had managed to restrain herself from slaughtering all of the Tikosi in that reality, but she had destroyed most of their warriors and infrastructure that day.  Seeing them all dead wasn't all that different.

She hung behind Kandai and Zatte, glaring at the scenery without really seeing anything.  She already knew what had happened here.  All that really mattered was letting the Dorluns confirm it for themselves.

"Over here," Kandai said.  He gestured to a pair of Tikosi bodies lying in the doorway of a partially collapsed building.  Each Tikosi had four arms, and all eight of their hands were still locked around each other in a death struggle.

Zatte drew closer, and knelt down to examine the bodies.  "Interesting," she said.  She pointed at a hole that passed through the thorax of one corpse and continued on into the head of the other.

"We found a lot of them like this," Kandai said.  "They died at each other's throats.  Literally.  Looks like a third bug must have snuck up on them while they were fighting, and took them both out with a plasma rifle."

Zatte had reached the same conclusion, and was already looking around to find the shooter.   "There," she said, pointing to another structure nearby.

Luffa was staring off into the horizon when she heard Zatte snapping her fingers.

"Hey.  Hey, dummy," she said.  "Wake up, will you?"

"Huh?" Luffa asked.

"Clear away that debris, will you?" Zatte asked with a grin.  "I want to check for something."

"Debris?  Oh."

Zatte was pointing at a collapsed building behind Luffa.  It only took a moment for her to hold out her hands and produce a burst of force that scattered the clumps of dirt in all directions.  Much of it was knocked away in large pieces, while the rest was pulverized into dust, which hung in the air like an ominous orange cloud.  What remained was a much shallower pile of dirt, and the remains of several Tikosi corpses that had lain underneath.

"There it is," Zatte said.  She headed for the site of the former building, patting Luffa on the shoulder as she passed her.

"Something bugging you, Luffa?" Kandai asked.

"No," she said.  "I was just distracted, that's all."

"She misses her grill, that's all," Zatte said as she sifted through the dirt.

"Yeah, I should have known," Kandai said.  "Not that I mind the company, but it kind of sucks that you won't have dinner ready for us when we get back."

"Got it!" Zatte said, raising a dusty weapon from the debris.  A Tikosi hand was still clinging to the handle, and she had to wrestle it free before standing up.   She wiped off the metal surface of her prize, then inspected it.

"Now how did she know where to find that?" Kandai asked.

"She's more formidable than you might think," Luffa said.  The truth was that each Dorlun had a special ability, which the colonists had kept secret from the Saiyan mercenaries.  Luffa had only learned of this later on, when Keda had used her own ability to help save her from the Tikosi in the old reality.   Zatte's power was revealed to Luffa months later.   She could manipulate different forms of energy, and this gave her certain perception that Saiyan senses couldn't match.  A plasma rifle had no ki signature, but Zatte could locate the power cell inside the rifle quite easily, if she was tuned to its particular energy patterns.

"This one shot the other two," Zatte concluded.  They were rolling around that spot over there, and this one stood right about here, and..."

She leveled the weapon, and fired it at the pair of corpses, then walked over to inspect the new hole she had put in them.

"Burn pattern's consistent," she said.  "I might have suspected an enemy of stealing their weapons to cover their tracks, but seeing all of this... it's pretty clear they turned on each other."

"That's what I said from the start," Kandai told her.   "Hmmph.  'Formidable'."

"Oh, she's pretty handy with a rifle like that," Luffa said.  "I bet she could take you out without too much trouble."

"Yeah?" Kandai said.  "How about it, Captain?  You think so?"

Zatte aimed the rifle at his chest as she considered it.  "I'd need a few hundred yards for safety," she said.  "And a better scope.  But yeah, if you weren't on your guard, Kandai, I think I could put you down."

Luffa couldn't help but chuckle at this.  In the old reality, Zatte had shot Kandai while he was busy trying to kill Luffa.  It was surreal to see the two of them getting along so well.  It had been like this before.   Zatte and Kandai were never close, but they got along reasonably well.   Luffa just hadn't appreciated the rapport between them until now.

Kandai laughed as well.  "I can see why you two are so close," he said to Luffa.  "While I've been out with your dad, you two were back on Dorlu Prime plotting against me."

"It's nothing personal, Kandai," Zatte said.  "I have to be prepared for anything."

She checked the Tikosi rifle and removed its power cell, then tossed them both to the ground.

"I'm satisfied," Zatte finally said.  "Governor Coyto still wants me to take aerial recordings of the planet's surface, maybe find one of their computers, but at this point I think that's just a formality.   Everything you told us checks out, Kandai.  I can't imagine why the Tikosi turned against each other like this, but they're definitely all dead.  If Coyto wants to know more, that's his call, but it's a job for a forensics team, not mercenaries like you two."

"Good," Kandai said.  "Nice to see there's at least one of you blue people that listens to me once in a while."

"It never hurts to verify these things," Zatte said.   "Our species didn't last this long by being reckless.   But we can talk about that on the ride home.  Right now, I just want to get away from this stench.   You mind if I borrow your wife for a little while?"

"Fine, take your pictures for Coyto," Kandai said.  "I'll meet you back at the ship, ladies."

Luffa watched him take off, and kept staring into the distance after he vanished from sight.  At last, Zatte took her by the hand to get her attention.

"You're really out of it today, you know that?" Zatte said.

"Huh?" Luffa asked.

"I need you to fly me over the planet's surface," Zatte said.  "Were you not paying attention?  Maybe I should have had Kandai do it, but it's more fun when you're the one carrying me."

"Right, sure," Luffa said.  She shook her head, and scooped Zatte up in her arms, one hand gripping her knees, the other tucked under Zatte's shoulder.

"Oh," Zatte said.

"What?" Luffa asked.

"I just wasn't expecting this," Zatte said.  "I mean, it's fine.   Uh... really fine, but  uh...."

Luffa grumbled under her breath and leaped into the sky.

*******

     [10 March, 238 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]  

"That's right.   'Topsas'.  He runs a clinic in the city.   Yes that's the number I have, but there was no response on the line.  All right.   Okay.  Well, thanks for checking it out for me.  Luffa out."

Luffa pulled off the headset and tossed it onto the deck.  The communications array on Dorlu Prime was more powerful than the one on the Saiyans' ship, but their position relative to Plutark VII was apparently more favorable for interstellar transmissions.  None of that mattered, though, when Dr. Topsas never answered his subspace radio.

She stormed out of the pilothouse and made her way aft to the habitat section.  There, she found Zatte and Kandai sharing a kettle of nutrient tea.

"You should have seen his face!" Kandai said.  "I didn't know their eyestalks could stick out that far!"

Luffa only caught the end of his anecdote, but judging from Zatte's laughter, it must have been very funny.   She still wasn't used to how well the two of them had been getting along, but after four days alone together, it was starting to feel more normal.

"Any luck with that doctor you told us about?" Zatte asked as Luffa approached.

"No," Luffa said.  "He's probably busy with a patient or something.  I may have to go there in person."

"You really think he can score us a better ship than this one?" Kandai asked.

"Trust me," Luffa said.  She hadn't bothered to explain the details to them, since they wouldn't understand.   As far as they knew, Luffa had a contact that could provide them with better transportation.  The truth was that Luffa planned to steal the same star-yacht she had been "awarded" in the former version of reality.  And she planned to reach out to Topsas and Wampaaan'riix while she was there, since she knew they would all be in the same place.   It would be awkward befriending them when they didn't know her yet, but she would figure that out when the time came.

As she passed the small booth where they were sitting, Kandai reached out and took hold of her tail.  "Hey, hold up a second," Kandai said.  "We wanted to talk about some stuff."

Luffa gasped, more from surprise than discomfort, then stepped backward, letting Kandai reel her in until he was sitting beside him.

"I can't believe you two do that," Zatte said.

Luffa had forgotten about it herself until they set out for the Tikosi Hiveworld.  It had been easy to keep her distance before, when she had first arrived in this new reality.  Dorlu Prime offered plenty of ways to be alone, and if she acted strangely on that first day, it wouldn't be so conspicuous.  But now that grace period was over, and she faced greater scrutiny aboard a small ship with two people who knew her so well.  Fortunately, she found it was getting easier to fall back into the old routines.

"He's just making sure I haven't gone soft," Luffa said with a smirk.  "So what's the big deal?  If this is about dinner, I already told you..."

"I want to come with you guys," Zatte said.

Luffa's jaw dropped.  That had been her plan all along, but she hadn't expected Zatte to just blurt it out in front of Kandai.  She looked over to him, and he smiled.

"We were talking earlier," he said, "and we both realized we had the same idea."

"But it's your show, Luffa," Zatte said.  "I mean, we kind of discussed it the other day, but... well... I didn't want to push for anything."

"Well, I'll push for it," Kandai said.  "I think you should let her join us.  So how about it?"

"Hold on," Luffa said.  She looked at Kandai with one eyebrow raised.   "You're asking me to bring her along?"

"Well sure," Kandai said.  He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer.   "You're the one who wanted to split off from Orij, Luffa.   This is your caper.  You decide who's on the team, or if there even is a team."

"I just thought... You and Father were so much stronger than me," she said.  "I mean, yeah, it's my plan, but I didn't think you'd be this comfortable letting me call the shots."

"Kandai's a chain-of-command kind of guy," Zatte said.  "So am I.   I'll admit I had my concerns, but hanging out with you two on this mission, I can tell we all work together well.  And Kandai feels the same way."

"She's not much of a warrior by our standards," Kandai said, "but she can handle herself better than most aliens I've met.  And she brings a lot of other skills to the table.  And she's not as squeamish as I thought she'd be.  The other Dorluns, I don't think they'd be too eager to dig around a dead planet full of Tikosi corpses."   He glanced back at Zatte and added: "Uh, no offense."

"None taken," Zatte said.   "That's why I wanted to come along.  Now that the colony is secure, I'm not sure there's much more for me to contribute.   But if I could serve on this ship, I could do some scouting, and maybe identify some potential threats to Dorlu Prime before things got out of hand."

"Of course, that'd mean sticking close to this sector," Kandai  said.  "But we've been using her planet as a base for years anyway.   We just wouldn't be getting paid to stand guard over it."

"I think I can talk Governor Coyto into letting me join your group," Zatte said.  "I'd still have to clear it with the Elders, but I have some ideas to convince them.   So, what do you think, Luffa?"

"You're seriously okay with this?" Luffa asked Kandai.

"Oh, come on, Luffa," Kandai said.   "You girls are best friends, right?  I'd feel bad if I split you two up."

"Riiiight," Luffa said.  She had impulsively kissed Zatte a month ago, and had regretted it ever since.  In this era, Zatte had unrequited feelings for Luffa, which weren't supposed to be requited until much later, after Kandai's betrayal.  But without the Tikosi and Luffa's father, Kandai's betrayal could never happen.  This left her in a very awkward position, one made even more awkward by how well the three of them seemed to be getting along.

"The best," Zatte said with a knowing grin. She winked at her with her right eye, the one Luffa still hadn't gotten used to seeing again, since Zatte originally lost it during the Tikosi attack that was no longer destined to happen.

"Well, let's see how the Dorluns feel about it," Luffa said.  "But if they're okay with it, I mean... sure.  I'd love to have you aboard, Zattie."

"Zattie?" Zatte asked.

"Well she we can't keep calling you 'captain'," Kandai said.  "On a starship, that kind of thing gets confusing."

"Ha-ha... right," Luffa said anxiously.  "Anyway, if you can clear it with your people, then you're welcome here with me... us.   Both of us.  Yeah."

"Great!" Zatte said.  She jumped up from the booth and went to the other side, where she gave Luffa a hug.

"I'm really looking forward to this," she said as she finally released Luffa and reached over to shake Kandai's hand.  "And I won't let you down, I promise."

"She'll hold you to that," Kandai warned Zatte as he pointed at Luffa.  "My wife can get pretty demanding."

"Oh, I know all about that," Zatte said.  "And this time I don't have fifty Dorluns to back me up like I did in those training drills.  Listen, I should get started on my report for the Elders.  Luffa, when you have some time, you mind if I pick your brain about some things?"

"Sure," Luffa said.  "After dinner, maybe."

Luffa waited until she heard the hatch close on Zatte's cabin, then looked up at Kandai.  "You're really okay with this?" she asked.

"You keep asking me that," Kandai said.  "It was my idea.  Well, I guess we all thought of it separately, but that just means we're all in agreement, doesn't it?"

"I just thought you'd object to having an alien on the crew," Luffa said.  "Or you'd have a problem with me splitting off from Father.  Or... having a woman on the ship with us."

"Oh, so that's what this is about," Kandai said.   "Thought I'd get jealous, is that it?"

"Well... are you?" Luffa asked.

"Luffa, you're the one who wanted us to get married," Kandai said.  "You wanted the happy homemaker bit, the litter of brats, and all the rest. I, uh, enjoy your company well enough... uh... well, you know what I mean."

"I hear you," Luffa said.  This was as close to a love declaration as he had ever made.  Sparing him from finishing it was the most honorable way for a Saiyan mate to receive it.

"Right, well... if it ends, it ends.  Personally, I don't think you're the type to run off with some alien chick."  He glanced back in the direction of Zatte's cabin before continuing.   "I mean... I'm not blind.  I see the way you look at her sometimes.  I get it.  Some of those blue women aren't bad at all.   I'm not into their weird colorations, but that why they invented light switches.  It's the lack of tails that I can't get around--"

"Let's try to stay focused here," Luffa chided.

"All I'm saying is I'm not your dad, Luffa.  I worked for him because it was easy money, and his daughter practically threw herself at me.  I know he was real particular about how his ship was run, and he didn't mind using his higher power level to get his way.  Me, I'm more of a follower.  If you and 'Zattie' wanna run the whole show and use me as muscle, I can live with that.   If you want a divorce, I can handle that too.  As long as I'm well paid and well fed, I think I can handle just about anything."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.   She had always thought of him as more principled, at least somewhat like herself.  That was what made his betrayal hurt so much in the old reality.   But  now, it was clear that she had only ever seen in him what she had wanted to see.   She had been, after all, an idealistic, lovestruck teenager, convinced that she had a duty to marry a proper Saiyan mate and raise a family.   Like her parents had done... or so she had believed at the time.

And she always assumed Kandai was driven by the same duty.  Instead, he was ambivalent enough that he could take or leave their marriage as long as his basic needs were met.

It seemed so obvious now, and yet she had never suspected it before.

"The truth is," Luffa finally said, "that I'm not really sure what I want out of this.  I guess with all the changes we've seen, it's too fluid for me to make up my mind.  Maybe that's why I thought you'd put your foot down on something like this.  In a way, I almost want someone to decide for me."

"Now I don't buy that for a minute," Kandai said, squeezing her tightly in his arm.  "You're just like your old man... well, not just like him, thankfully... but you're too bossy to be indecisive.   But I know you want Zatte on this crew, and she seems up for it, so we might as well play it out and see what happens."

And in that moment, with the quiet thrum of the ship's engines, and his scent filling the air, Luffa found herself remembering just what she had found so attractive about him in the first place.  She had misunderstood him in so many ways, but he was also very pliable and receptive to her ideas.  He would listen to her ramble on in the small hours, and none of her aspirations were too radical for him.  And so, overcome with that affection, she said the most loving thing a Saiyan could say to their mate:

"I'm gonna get dinner started."

*******

     [12 March, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime]  

"Who is this?"

"I already told you.  My name is Luffa.  I'm a Saiyan.   I wanted to talk to you about the Deathmatch Tournament they're holding on Plutark VII."

After returning to Dorlu Prime, Luffa continued her efforts to raise Plutark VII on the communications array.  At long last, she had finally gotten a response, but her triumph seemed less than satisfying.

"Then you ought to contact the tournament organizers.  Though if you want my advice so badly, then I would counsel you to steer clear of such a competition."

Luffa rolled her eyes and groaned.  The alien on the viewscreen was her old friend, Dr. Topsas.   He looked the same as the last time she had seen him, five years in the future, in another reality.    But Topsas did not recognize her at all, and she had forgotten how blunt and dismissive he could be towards strangers.

"Doc, I'm not looking to enter the tournament.  I wanted to get in touch with one of the participants.  And I happen to know that you provide medical services to the competitors between rounds."

"And how could a little mammal like you possibly know about such things?" Topsas asked.   "Not that I am admitting to anything of the sort, mind you."

The truth was that Luffa had entered the tournament on Plutark VII,  and met Topsas backstage. She had gone to Plutark seeking to test her skills, and the competition had proven very beneficial.  By the time she faced her last opponent, a Yetitan named Wampaaan'riix, she had become so powerful that he was no match for her.  Then she discovered that her Saiyan telepathy had been greatly enhanced, and she decided to test that ability on him.  She had hoped to learn his fighting strategy and nothing more, but instead Luffa ended up learning almost everything about the man: His name, his homeworld, his family and personal history, and his deep regret that he would meet his death at the hands of Luffa.  And so, Luffa was overcome with empathy, and spared the Yetitan's life.

This had greatly upset the tournament organizers, as mercy was against the rules in a Deathmatch Tournament, but their security forces were no match for her, and Luffa convinced them to let the matter drop, in exchange for a star-yacht owned by one of the principal owners of the event.  In time, Luffa's actions on Plutark VII won her the gratitude of not only Wampaaan'riix, for sparing his life, but of Dr. Topsas as well.

"You never approved of the Deathmatches," Luffa said, "but you still felt an obligation to treat the competitors, even knowing they would probably die the same day.   The medical boards all boycotted the events, and threatened to revoke the license of anyone who cooperated with the tournament organizers.  But you worked out a deal to practice there in secret, Doc.  Your pride as a physician would allow for nothing less."

His pedipalps began to tremble in a particular way.   Knowing him as well as she had, Luffa could interpret his body language to some extent.   His arthropodic gestures were impenetrable to most humanoids, but Luffa could tell he was concerned... and curious.

"An interesting story," he said after a short pause.  "But even if it were true, I fail to see why a Saiyan warrior would go to the trouble of blackmailing a doctor."

"I'm not trying to blackmail you, Doc," Luffa said.  "I just wanted to get your attention.  I'm looking for a Yetitan by the name of Wampaaan'riix.  My... sources... tell me he entered this year's tournament.  Chances are, you helped patch him up."

"And what of him?" Topsas asked.

"I have some business with him," Luffa said.   "I'm... not at liberty to say more."

"Ah, of course.  I might have expected something like this," Topsas said ruefully.  "There's a bounty on his head, isn't there?  Or you're looking to avenge some terrible deed he may have committed.  Or perhaps he simply had unpaid debts."

"What?" Luffa asked.  "No, that's not it at all. I just want to--"

But Topsas had heard enough.   "Ms. Luffa, was it?  I am quite busy today, and while this conversation has been very intriguing, I must say that I've had my fill of romance for one afternoon.   The fact of the matter is that your Wampaaan'riix is no longer available for 'business', yours nor anyone else's.  He was pronounced dead yesterday."

"Dead?!" Luffa gasped.  "That... that can't be right!"

"You seemed quite familiar with the Deathmatch Tournament a moment ago," Topsas said.   "Were you unaware of the rules? The competitors fight to the death, and the winners go on to face one another, until there is only one survivor.   Your friend did enter the tournament, and he did not win.   Therefore..."

"But that's impossible!" Luffa said.  "He won every round until--!"

It suddenly hit her like a bolt of lightning.  Wampaaan'riix had won every round before facing Luffa.  She had simply assumed that he would have continued winning, if she hadn't been in the bracket.

But in the old reality, she had stopped the entire tournament.  Dr. Topsas had been very grateful to her for this, but she had only done it because the tournament organizers had dared to oppose her, and she found fighting them to be more amusing than the scheduled opponents.  In that version of history, the Tournament was canceled, and Luffa never found out who would have been her next opponent, or the one after that.

And while Wampaaan'riix would have made it that far in this new reality, there was no telling how he would have fared in the later rounds.

No.   That wasn't true.  There was telling.   Dr. Topsas was telling her right now.

"He... he can't be dead..." Luffa said.   "He had wives... and children..."

"So I had assumed," Topsas said.   "I have, of course, contacted the Yetitan authorities to inform the next of kin--"

"This can't be right," Luffa said.   She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she was too upset to care.   "It can't."

Topsas sighed.  "I recognize that you soldier-for-hire types are notoriously stubborn about these matters," he said.  "You are, of course, welcome to come to Plutark VII, where you can view his death certificate in person.  A waste of time, I should think, but alas, it is your time to waste."

Her dear friend was dead, and Dr. Topsas, who had been like a second father to her, was talking to her like she was a bothersome nuisance.    She didn't know what to say, or even what she was feeling.  And so, she didn't bother trying to express herself to him.  She simply terminated the call, and let the video monitor go blank.  Dr. Topsas could resume his practice.    The 'little mammal' would trouble him no further.

For a long while, Luffa sat alone in the Dorlun communication center.   She did not move, and so the sensor in the room deactivated the lights.  It was a device intended to conserve power, typical for the ever-cautious Dorluns.  There was only the light from the consoles, and the long, murky shadows they cast from Luffa's figure in the chair.

"I spared him," she finally said.  "I never imagined..."

As she wept, she stared down at her black fingerless gloves.   Between the dim, multi-colored lights, and the tears in her eyes, her hands were little more than indistinct blurs.

They began to tremble.

 NEXT: The Decision.

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (144/?)

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: This story takes place about 1000 years before 66 years after the events of Dragon Ball Z.

  [3 November, Age 762.   Earth.]  

"Luffa!   Can you hear me?   This is Trunks, calling from the Time Nest!"  

"I was wondering when you'd call," Luffa said.   "I was starting to wonder if this earpiece you gave me got damaged while I was fighting Nappa."

"You did fine with him," Trunks said.   "Gohan and Krillin survived, so history is back on course, but your mission isn't over yet.   My father... Vegeta, he's still possessed by that purple energy.    You'll have to help Goku defeat him to finish the job."    

"Help him?" Luffa asked.    She had been standing on a rock formation for several minutes, observing their battle from a respectful distance.  "First of all, Kakarot seems to be doing just fine on his own.   Second, I wouldn't think of dishonoring him by interfering in his battle.     That goes for your father, too.   We may be enemies in this situation, but we're all Saiyans here."    

"Luffa, you don't understand.   Someone already interfered in this battle by altering history.    Our job is to balance the scales and put things back to normal.    I understand that you don't like the idea of double-teaming an opponent, but it's the only way to restore the timeline."

Luffa didn't budge.    Overhead, Son Goku and Vegeta were battling through the air, and their blows sounded like thunderclaps whenever they connected.    

"You weren't kidding about Kakarot's training in the afterlife," Luffa said.    She pulled a chunk of Saibaman out of her pocket and took a bite while she watched.     "He's improved a lot since Raditz.   It looks like he leapfrogged Nappa while he was at it.    And without Nappa to get in the way, your dad shouldn't be too much trouble."

"You're wrong," Trunks said, his voice growing more desperate.     "Luffa, I know how this battle is supposed to play out.    My father has an ace in the hole.    You must have noticed by now.   He's got a tail, but Goku doesn't!"

"So what?" Luffa asked.   "He'd need the light of Earth's full moon to transform into a giant ape, and the sun hasn't even gone down yet!"

"He doesn't need the moon!" Trunks cried, "he can make his own--"

"Wait a minute," Luffa said before he could finish.   "What the hell is he doing up there?"

High above, Vegeta was ranting and raving about how he was willing to destroy the entire planet to win his fight with Goku.   Luffa could sense his energy building, and he brought his hands together on the left side of his chest.   At the same time, she could sense Goku increasing his own ki to prepare a countermeasure.   But this climactic struggle wasn't what had Luffa's attention.    She floated up into the air to get a better look at Vegeta's posture.  

"Luffa, you've got to do something!" Trunks pleaded through the earpiece.   "Goku barely managed to deflect this attack before, but with that dark energy multiplying my father's power, he won't stand a chance!"

But she wasn't listening to him anymore.     All around her, the skies trembled from the intensity of power Goku and Vegeta were preparing to fire at one another, but Luffa paid no attention to this either.   She simply flew straight towards Vegeta, and just as she reached him, he launched his attack.  

"Gallick Gun!" he screamed as he hurled a column of purple light down at the Earth below.   Goku responded in kind with his own energy beam, similar to the Gallick Gun, but clearly distinct.    Luffa ignored him completely.

"Hey!" she shouted at Vegeta.    "Are you making fun of me?!"

"Wh-what?!" Vegeta gasped as he finally noticed her approach.  

Luffa held up her hands to match Vegeta's pose.   "Don't screw with me, you royalist trash!   I never learned how to do the Galick Gun 'properly', and here you are imitating my style!    Right in front of me!"

"That's absurd!" Vegeta growled.    "This technique has been in my family for centuries!   I've never seen you before in my life.   Tch!   Why am I arguing with you at a time like this?   Who the hell are you?"

"Who am I?!   I'm the lady that's gonna tear you out of frame!"

"Begone, woman, before I--!   No!   No!"

It was this distraction that gave Goku the opening he needed.   Luffa sensed a sudden surge of ki energy from below, and Vegeta's Gallick Gun was  overwhelmed.   In mere moments, Vegeta found himself on the defensive, and finally he was engulfed in Goku's bright blue beam, which launched him higher and higher into the atmosphere.

"Damn youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Vegeta screamed.

Luffa watched him disappear into the stratosphere and extended the middle fingers of both hands to express her farewells.  

"O... okay?" said Trunks through the earpiece.  "I guess that's one way to do it."    

"So is that it?" Luffa said, finally responding to Trunks.   "Wait, is he supposed to die in this battle?    Were you born before or after this happened?"

"That isn't the problem!" Trunks said.    "He's going to roll off of that Kamehameha wave--"

"Kamayhammy-what?"

"The blast Goku just shot at him!" Trunks said.  

"Hey, don't get mad at me for not knowing all this stuff," Luffa shouted.    "You're the one who wanted me to beat up your dad."

"He's... going... to come back... and transform into a giant ape," Trunks insisted.    "You need to keep Goku alive until the others can help--"

"I keep telling you, he doesn't need any help," Luffa said.    "And neither do I.   After taking a hit like that, Vegeta won't have enough power left to... wait, what is that?"

Luffa's had once been the Legendary Super Saiyan, but her power had been severely limited after an incredible battle on Planet Nagaoka.    She had no idea whether this change was permanent, but she had resolved to carry on at least as far as she could to help Trunks.    But the problem was more than just a loss of power.    Whatever had happened to Luffa had also affected her ki perception as well.   And this was a more dangerous affliction, since she wasn't aware of it.     Vegeta rocketed back to the battlefield like a rogue comet, completely catching her off-guard.    

"You two bastards have pushed me far enough!" Vegeta roared.  "As much as the form disgusts me, I can't think of a better way to finish you than to crush you both as a giant ape!"

Luffa was surprised by his speedy return, but she recovered quickly.     "Nice try, idiot.    It'll be at least an hour before it's dark enough for the moonlight to work, and I can beat you into the ground long before then!"

"Moonlight?"  Goku asked.   Luffa knew little about the man, except that he had lived most of his life on Earth, cut off from Saiyan-kind.   She was beginning to suspect that didn't even know he was a Saiyan until his brother Raditz invaded.

"Oh, yes, you thought you were very clever, Kakarot." Vegeta snarled.   "You destroyed this planet's moon so we wouldn't be able to use it against you.    Too bad for you that I have other ways to transform."  

With that, Vegeta began to yell.   He raised his right hand over his head, and curled his fingers as though grasping at the air.    Then a globe of ki energy appeared in his hand, and he made a fiendish grin.  

"What the hell is he doing?" Luffa asked Trunks.   "He put a big chunk of his  ki into that, but he can't hit us both with one attack.   Is he trying to blow up the planet again?"  

"I already told you--" Trunks tried to explain, but Vegeta beat him to it.  

"Burst open and mix!" Vegeta shouted as he launched the energy ball into the sky.   Luffa expected it to explode, or to fly back down and attack either Goku or herself.    Instead, it diffused into the air, and a curious glow appeared...

"It's artificial moonlight!" Trunks shouted through the earpiece.   "If you look at it, you'll turn into a giant ape!"  

But Luffa already knew.   She could sense Vegeta's power rising as the Oozaru transformation took hold.   Nearby, Goku didn't change at all.   He had no tail, and he also seemed to have no idea what Saiyans could change this way.   As for Luffa herself, she could tell Trunks was still talking, and she could hear Vegeta gloating, but she couldn't make out the words over the pounding rhythm of her own heart.

Real or fake, the light Vegeta had created was all Luffa could see.     She could feel herself beginning to change.    It was that... tightness in her skin, the sensation that always seemed to come just before her body violently expanded in size.    Just like the last time.  

On Nagaoka.    

When her body nearly tore itself apart!

A chill ran through her entire body, and she made a strange noise that might have been described as a wail.   And then, just as she felt the effects of the moonlight taking hold, she shut her eyes tightly and averted her gaze.    She wasn't entirely sure of her actions.   It was like her body was acting without her.   Like dropping a hot potato before feeling the heat.    

"No!" she gasped.    "No!"  

"Luffa, what's happening out there?"  Trunks asked.  

"Nothing!    I'm fine!" Luffa lied.   She reached for the earpiece to remove it, or at least turn it off.   But her hands were trembling too badly for her to get a proper grip.   In her frustration, she fired a small ki blast at the side of her head and fried the device.    She smelled burnt hair and electronics, but not burnt flesh, so she was satisfied that she still had at least some control over herself.  

"It's all in your head, you coward!" she snarled as she tucked her hands under her shoulders.  It didn't help.   She was shaking all over now.   It wasn't just the Golden Ape transformation on Nagaoka that haunted her.    She found herself recalling the Tikosi Hiveworld as well.     There, the insectoid scientists of the Tikosi conducted cruel experiments on her.   One in particular was designed to trigger her Giant Ape transformation, only to cancel it partway.    They would turn her back and forth, or simply leave her suspended between forms.   She thought she had worked past that trauma, but Vegeta had proven otherwise.    

Not far away, she could sense Vegeta chasing after Son Goku.    Trunks had told her that the mission depended on her keeping him alive.     Instead, she found herself running in the other direction, desperate to get control over herself.    As she moved, she fired wildly in the direction of the false moon, but it didn't seem to do any good.     Vegeta's technique was a substitute for a genuine moon.    It only made sense that it couldn't be destroyed as easily as the real thing.   She crouched on the ground and cursed herself for lying down in a fetal position while she took stock of her situation.    

"Shouldn't have blasted my own ear like that," she grumbled between rapid breaths.    "But at least the other one still works.    And I can open my damn eyes as long as I keep my back to that light.    That's easy, right?   So why won't I open my eyes?    Oh, you know why not, dammit!   Dammit!"

She wished that her wife was here.    It had taken so long for her to go to Zatte when these episodes happened, and sometimes Luffa wasn't sure Zatte had been able to help much, but at least it had been better than gutting it out alone, and this was worse than just about any nightmare she'd had.   But Zatte was gone, maybe forever.    Just like Dr. Topsas, and all of her other friends, and her parents, and her son... And it wasn't difficult to blame herself for that situation.     She had been too weak, too afraid, and too unworthy, and so she had lost them all, one by one.    And now Trunks was learning that lesson just like everyone else.  All that mattered about her was the Super Saiyan, and that was over now.    Without that thing, she was nothing special, just a woman teetering on the brink of madness.  

Instinctively, she curled her tail between her legs, and felt its fur in her still-trembling hands.   In her darkest hours, Luffa had taken solace in her tail, both for the Saiyan pride it represented, and for the intensive effort she had put into training it as a child.    From a young age, she had believed that if she could overcome the weakness in her tail, she could rise above any other obstacle.   It was why she had taken such offense at Saiyans like King Rehval, who encouraged their people to amputate their tails.    She could hear Goku's agonized screams, even at this distance.    Vegeta had kept his tail, and it was clear which one of them had made the right decision.    

There was a simple solution to her problem.   Luffa could cut off her tail, here, and now, and then she could fight Vegeta without worrying about the fake moon.  It wouldn't be that difficult.   One sharp twist and it would all be over.   It would hurt, but she had suffered far worse pain in her short lifetime.    It would betray her Saiyan pride, but Luffa didn't have much of that left anymore.    Rehval had shown her just how despicable the Saiyan race could truly be, and Raditz had shown her that there were even lower depths they could sink to.    Was this why Goku and Trunks had no tail?   Had they learned the same painful lesson that Luffa was contemplating now?  

Goku's howls grew louder, and Luffa's fear began to give way to rage.   She wanted Vegeta to pay for this humiliation, and if mutilating herself got the job done, then maybe it was worth it.  And then she heard another scream.    

It was Vegeta.    She could barely sense any power from Goku at all, but he had used what little he had to fire a parting shot.    

"Hah!" she whispered through clenched teeth.    "Kakarot, you dog."

Luffa rose to her feet.    

*******

"My eye!    How dare you!" Vegeta roared.  

At the ape's feet, Goku lay broken and defeated, but still defiant.  

"Heh!    Somethin' for ya to remember me by," he gasped.    

Vegeta raised his massive paw to crush his enemy, but then he cried out in pain once again.    When he turned to see who had attacked him, he couldn't help but laugh.    

"You again!" he chuckled.    "And here I thought you had lost your will to fight, woman!    Maybe you have.   If you transformed yourself the way I have, then you might stand a chance.    But it looks like you've come here to die instead!"

Luffa pointed her hand at him, still keeping her eyes shut.   Her tail waved behind her back.   "I don't need the Oozaru form to beat you down, Vegeta," she said.    "Maybe I'll take out your other eye and finish what Kakarot started."

"You filthy scumbag!" Vegeta snarled.   "You dare to challenge me, but you're too frightened of the moonlight to even open your eyes!     When I'm through with you, I'll make what I did to Kakarot seem quick and painless!"

Luffa waved her hand to encourage him to attack.   "Kill me if you think you can kill me," she said darkly.   "It's your only chance."

He rushed towards her, just as Luffa expected him to.    The fear had not subsided, nor had the trembling in her body, but Luffa still had enough in her to keep the Giant Ape busy.   She dodged his blows, and while she couldn't see which of his eyes was injured, it was easy enough to deduce it from his movements.    Luffa made sure to stay on his blind side and fired as many ki blasts into his flank as she could muster.    

It wasn't about beating him.    She would if she could, but she knew the goal now had to be to stall him.    From Trunks' perspective, this battle was history, and it had already been fought and won without Luffa's involvement.    All she had to do was keep Vegeta too occupied to kill anyone that he wasn't supposed to.   All she had to do was counteract the dark energy that still churned inside of him.    Luffa could sense this on top of his Saiyan power, and she knew that this alien power was her true enemy.      

As she ducked and dodged, she fought to overcome her terror.    It was just like it had been with Nappa.   Each time he hit her, she felt herself getting stronger.   Against Vegeta, she doubted that she could survive many of his attacks, so she focused on mental strength instead.  Each blow he failed to land was a boost for her confidence.    

This was the wisdom she had gained from her tail.    This was why she couldn't cut it off, even now, when it made all the sense in the world.   As a little girl, she had forced herself to overcome her weakness.   Not all at once, like some brazen Super Saiyan smashing her way through entire armies, but one step at a time.    She would survive this Vegeta, and then she would overcome him, and then she would surpass him.     That was the way of her people.   Maybe they had all forgotten, but she still remembered.  

And she always would.

*******

[February 25, Age 850.   Toki Toki City.]

Luffa returned to the Time Nest victorious, but badly hurt.   In the unadulterated history, the fateful battle between Goku and Vegeta was a mismatch to begin with.   Between the dark energy amplifying Vegeta's strength, and Luffa's mysteriously diminished power, restoring the timeline had proven just as tricky.  

"I'm just glad that fat guy with the sword showed up when he did," Luffa grumbled as she wiped the blood off her face.   "Your dad's one stubborn bastard, that's for sure."

"I'm sorry.   I should have retrieved you from the time jump," Trunks said.   He reached out to help Luffa up off the floor.    

She nearly waved him off, but thought better of it and accepted his help.   It wasn't because she wanted it, but she suddenly realized how little she knew about Trunks, or this world he had dragged her into.   Helping him had been almost automatic for her, after years of diving headlong into adventures as a Super Saiyan, but the fight with Vegeta and Nappa had forced her to admit that those days were behind her, at least for the time being.   This new situation called for a more cautious approach.   She wasn't sure she could trust Trunks, but it might work to her favor to get him to think he could trust her.    

"Thanks," she said, hoping that it sounded sincere.  

"It's the least I can do," Trunks said.   "I wish I could join you on these missions, but I need to stay here in case I get a bead on whoever's behind this."  

"Don't worry about me," Luffa said.   "I may look pretty banged up, but I got a lot out of that last scrap just now.    My power isn't back to normal yet, but with a few more fights like that one, and I'll be ready for anything."

"It's not that," Trunks said.    "You were chosen by Shenron, so I know you can handle it.    It's just... well, I wouldn't mind fighting with my father one more time, even if it's on opposite sides."

"I wouldn't know," Luffa mumbled.   She had killed her own father long ago, and found the experience disappointingly anticlimactic.   She wasn't sure if she envied Trunks or pitied him.

He led her out of the Time Vault, but before they could leave the Time Nest, he heard a noise from above, and they looked up to find a large bird soaring in the upper reaches of the Time Nest.   It suddenly occurred to Luffa that the entire structure of this place resembled an enormous birdcage floating in some sort of green cosmic haze.    

Then they heard the click of heels on the cobblestone road that connected the Time Vault to the portal leading to the city, and they looked down to see someone walking towards them.   It was a woman, even shorter than Luffa, with mauve skin and coral pink hair.   Her clothes were similar to Luffa's compression shirt and baggy pants, but over this she wore a purple jacket with a yellow sash tied around the waist.   The cut of the jacket was unusual, as the lower section billowed out around her lower legs, almost like a dress.    The upper section stopped at her torso and wrapped loosely about her arms, exposing her shoulders completely.    Her neck-length hair was styled in a way that revealed her pointed ears and a pair of large yellow gems that hung from her lobes.

"He-loooooo!" she said cheerfully.   As Trunks nervously returned her greeting, she noticed Luffa, and waved to her.    

"Er, this is the Master of the Time Nest," Trunks explained.    "She's the Supreme Kai of Time, and a very important person."

As he said all of this, the Kai stood behind him and began posing and making silly faces.    Luffa had no idea how to take this.  

"Kai," Luffa said.   "I've heard about them before.   They're like the kami, who oversee different planets, right?"

"Sort of," Trunks said.    "Only the Kais are on a level above that.     And the Supreme Kais are higher still.   She manages the flow of time throughout the entire universe, keeping a close eye on history and protecting it."

As he said this, the bird that had been circling above them chose this moment to alight on the Supreme Kai of Time's head.   It was at this moment Luffa noticed that the bird was  about the same size as the Kai.   Before she could ask what the bird was called, the Kai angrily shooed it off of her head and started scolding it like a child.    The bird cooed in reply, and it was impossible to tell if it understood her words or not.  

Luffa looked at Trunks, who seemed even more confused, if such a thing was possible.    

"Well, like I said, she's an important person.  Just trust me..." he said with an awkward chuckle.  

Luffa shrugged and nodded indifferently.    When it became clear that the Kai was no longer paying attention to them, Trunks resumed escorting Luffa to the city.

*******

Luffa's second visit to the hospital was much shorter than the first.   The Namekian healer, Pulmon, rejuvenated her just as quickly as before, and this time she didn't need to sleep.  After her discharge, she and Trunks began to roam the walkways of Toki Toki City

"I'm still waiting to hear back from Admin about your quarters," Trunks said.   "It's probably going to take a while to get you back home.   The Dragon Balls won't reactivate for at least six months, and that's assuming we won't need them for some other crisis."  

"Don't worry about it," Luffa said.   "I... I don't really have any pressing business waiting for me.   Besides, I can always take a spaceship."  

"We, uh, don't really have those here," Trunks said.  

"You can travel through time, but not space?"

"Pretty much," Trunks said.    "The Supreme Kai of Time created Toki Toki City as a base for the Time Patrol.   Most of us are from Earth, and Earth is pretty isolated from the rest of the universe."  

"That's pretty much what Pulmon told me about his own people," Luffa said.   "I was asking him about The Camelian Empire, trying to get a handle on how far it is from Earth, but he said he'd never heard of it."

"The Camelian Empire?" Trunks said.   "I've never heard of it either.   Is that where you're from?"

"No," Luffa said.    "I was born in interstellar space.   Never spent too much time in one place.   I lived on a few planets for a while, but none of them were what you'd call landmarks.   But Camelia's a big deal, with a lot of star systems under their control.   If I knew where that was in relation to Earth, I could get my bearings.    But it's starting to sound like this is a pretty isolated part of the galaxy, or maybe a whole other galaxy."

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Luffa," Trunks said.   "But I appreciate you helping us out in the meantime."

"Don't mention it," Luffa said.    "You've got Saiyan blood yourself.   So you know I'd go stir crazy without some action.   What I don't understand is how even the Saiyans I've been fighting could be so different from the ones I know," Luffa said.  "Nappa claimed that your father was the result of generations of breeding, like he was this ultimate warrior, but he wasn't that strong.   If my ki wasn't all out of whack, I could have taken care of them both without any trouble.   So what was he bragging about?"

"Well, my father was the strongest Saiyan of that era," Trunks said.   "From what I've heard, back on Planet Vegeta--"

"Yeah, Nappa mentioned a Planet named after your old man," Luffa said.    "I've never heard of it.   It's like there was this whole other population of Saiyans completely cut off from mine, with their own kings.   Could this be connected to whoever's been changing history?"

"Hmm... Well, it's not impossible," Trunks said.  "But the temporal incursions we've been seeing are all confined to a fairly recent period, a few decades at most.  I think the enemy would have to go back pretty far to change the Saiyan homeworld.    On the other hand, I've gotta admit, I know a lot more about time travel than Saiyan history.    Wait a minute... of course!"

"What is it?" Luffa asked.    

Trunks drove his left fist against his right palm as he spoke.    "I should have thought of this before," he said.   "We have a research division in the Time Patrol.    One of them could probably clear this up for us.    They might even be able to track down some planets you're familiar with."

"Perfect," Luffa said.    "Where do we find these guys?"

Before Trunks could answer, there was a beeping noise from inside the sleeve of his jacket.    He held up his left hand to reveal a wristwatch communicator.    

"It's the Supreme Kai of Time," Trunks said.   "She must have discovered another change in history."   He touched a button on the face of his watch and said: "This is Trunks.    Go ahead."

"What's the big idea walking out on me while I was dealing with Tokitoki?"  replied the agitated voice on the other end of the call.     "That's extremely disrespectful, you know!"

"I--!   I'm sorry!" Trunks said.   "I just... it seemed like you were busy, and I needed to see to Luffa's injuries and--"

"What sort of example does that set for a new recruit, huh?   Did you even think of that?   Look, just get back here, okay?   I need to show you something!"

"R-right!" Trunks said.    He switched off the transmission and hung his head.   "I need to go," he said with a sigh.  "It sounds like something important.   At least, I hope it is..."

Luffa began to crack her knuckles.   "If it's another mission, that suits me just fine," she said.   "I need to blow off some steam."

"No, if she didn't want me to come alone, she would have said so," Trunks said.  "And this might just be a waste of time.    You can talk to someone at the Research building while I handle this."    He pointed to a box-shaped building in the distance.    "Number 731.   You can't miss it.    Just tell them I sent you.    You can find me at the Time Nest when you're finished."    

With that, he turned and ran, leaving Luffa by herself.   She shrugged, and made her way to the structure.    As she approached, she stared at the large glyphs on its wall and tried to memorize them for future reference.    

*******

The inside of the Time Patrol Research Corps building looked completely different from the high-tech exterior.    The walls were stone and ceramic tile, and the lighting was produced by a series of long tubes that hung from electrical fixtures on the ceiling.   Along the halls were wooden doors with square glass window panes.     As Luffa couldn't read the room numbers or the placards, she simply peeked into each window, looking for an unlocked office with someone inside.    When she finally found one, she couldn't see anyone through the window, but she could hear voices from within.    She took five steps inside, and discovered a man and a woman leaned up against a desk, making out.    

"Whoa!" Luffa said as she averted her gaze.  

"Uh!    Can I help you?" the man blurted out awkwardly.  

"Right!  Yes!" the woman added.   "Can I help you?   Um, also?"  

They were fully dressed, but Luffa was unsettled enough that she held up her arm, as though afraid to look directly at them.    "I... I need a historian?" she said.   "Someone who specializes in Saiyan history, maybe?"  

"Oh!  Um... well I'm a dietitian," the man said.  

"I don't actually work here," the woman said.   "I'm with maintenance.  Here to fix..."

"The wiring."  

"Right!   Yeah, the wiring.    I should... really get back to that."

"Look, I just need to know where your history department is," Luffa said, "and I'll let you get back to... whatever you were doing."

"Dewar's still here, isn't he?" the woman asked.    

"Probably.   He almost never leaves his office.   He's down in the basement.    Room Number 034."  

"Look, let's just assume I can't read," Luffa said.    She didn't particularly want either of them to show her where to go, but she didn't want to waste time either.    

"It's the room with the foil on the window," the man said.  "You can't miss it."  

Luffa muttered a few words of gratitude and shut the door behind her.   Two minutes later, she stood before an identical door in an identical hallway, only this one was underground, and the door had aluminum foil covering the window.   She could hear people talking and laughing inside.    Having lost a good deal of patience, she didn't bother knocking, and simply walked right in.  

She found an alien inside, sitting in an old leather office chair.     He looked mostly humanoid, save for a thick tail that he had threaded between the back of the chair and the seat.   His feet were propped up on a bookshelf.     They looked like the toes of a bird, or some sort of dinosaur.    His hairless head had an odd shape to it, like a nut with a slight point at the top.    And his skin was a pale blue color.     He didn't even notice Luffa's entrance.    His attention was firmly on a small video monitor that was sitting on top of a file cabinet.    

"Ha!  That's what you get, Queen Trowel!   Next time, listen to your advisers instead of cutting out their tongues!   Huh?   Hah?"

He cupped his hand over one of the rimmed holes on the sides of his head and leaned closer to the screen.    "What was that, Your Majesty?   You say there won't be a next time, because Sergeant Prunshir shot you a hundred times?     Ohhhhh!   Who could have seen that coming?    Heh heh heh!"

"Are you Dewar or not?" Luffa asked, startling the alien.  In his excitment, he dropped the box of snacks he was holding.    

"Holy crap," he yelled, gasping at the chest of his tank top.   "Oi, what's the big idea?   The sign on the door says 'Do Not Disturb', doesn't it?    Can't you read?"  

"No, I can't," Luffa said.    

"Oh."   He put his thumb on his chin and considered the door behind Luffa.   "Maybe I should look into a pictogram.    Something with a picture of a guy knocking, because apparently nobody knows how to do that anymore!"  

"Oh, I know how to knock," Luffa said, "I just don't care.   I need a historian.   Trunks sent me here."

"Trunks?!"  he asked.   "Welllllll now, this just got very interesting.   The big shot Time Patrollers don't usually call down here for us little old researchers."   He reached for a holster that was lying haphazardly across his desk, and as he stood up to wrap it around his waist, his tail snaked into one of the desk drawers and produced a pistol.    

"What's the gun for?" Luffa asked.

"What isn't it for?" Dewar said as he held it up and admired the craftsmanship of it.   "I'm nowhere near as strong as Trunks, but I've done a few field missions from time to time.   Never let it be said that Dewar, pride of the Research Corps, can't hold his own in a fight.   But it never hurts to have a little insurance, eh?"

"Pride of the...?   They stuck you in the basement," Luffa grumbled.   "Look, this isn't a field mission, at least not yet.   I just needed to pick your brain for a minute."   She pointed at the monitor he had been watching.    "Maybe you can pull up some images from history, like whatever you're working on here."

"Oh, that?" Dewar said with a chuckle.   He reached out with his tail and pressed the "off" button with the very tip.    "This is just a TV set.  I was watching some old dramas from Ryno VII."  

Luffa put her hand over her face and shook her head.    

"What?" he asked.   "It's an important window into their culture!"  

"I need to talk to someone about Saiyan history," Luffa said.  "Do you know anything about that?"

"Saiyans?    Wellllll now, the plot thickens, eh?   Let me just get my notes and I'll join you both at the Time Nest."  

"No," Luffa said.   "Just you and me.  For now.   I mean... Trunks has a lot going on, right?    No need to pull him away from what he's doing."  

"Hmm, I guess he is a pretty busy guy.    Fine, where's your quarters?"  

"I don't have a room assignment," Luffa said.  "I don't know what the holdup is."  

Dewar threw his hands up.   "Those dopes in Admin!" he said.    "Always taking their sweet time.    Looks like I'll have to bail them out again!"  

Before Luffa could ask what he meant, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a  device that looked like a large pen.    He then powered up a computer terminal in the corner, and plugged the pen into an access port on the side.    

"What are you doing?" Luffa asked.  

"Admin goes through all these silly algorithms to assign living quarters," Dewar explained.   "It's all a lot of nonsense.   Somebody tried to rig it to match roommates by blood types, which only slows things down.    Fortunately, I, er, acquired a master access fob a while back.   Oh, I told myself I'd only use it in an emergency, but the bureaucratic wheels turn so damn slow, and there's so many poor souls like yourself who cry out for help.   I can't just leave you on the streets, now can I?    What did you say your name was?"

"Luffa," she groaned.  

"Ah, nice name.   Haven't heard that one before, but very Saiyan.     There we are!   See?  Now this was exactly what I was talking about.   They've got a dozen openings, but they're waiting on results from some personality quiz that you probably didn't even know you were supposed to take!   Wellllll now, I'll just fix that.    Favorite food...?  Cup noodle, of course.    Tree you identify with...?   Redwood sounds good."

"What's a redwood?" Luffa asked.

Dewar shrugged without looking up from his work.    "Never seen one before, but I'm guessing they're red.   And... blood type is XJ3.    A minute to process the data, annnnnnnd...  Bingo!"

He snapped his fingers and looked back to Luffa.    "Piece of cake!   Come on, Luffa, let's take a look at your new home at..."  He looked back at the screen to read the address, and his mood quickly deflated.   "Oh... oh nooo..."

"What is it?" Luffa asked.  

"Er, nothing!   Nothing to worry about!" he said cheerfully.    "I just noticed that you've got a roommate!   Nothing to worry about.   I'm sure you'll get along just fine.    Jayncho's a little anti-social, but once you get to know her, she's a really nice lady!   Heh heh!   Uh... yes."  

He shut off his computer and gestured for Luffa to follow him out of the office.   As she followed, Luffa noticed that he was still carrying his sidearm...

NEXT: Fitting In.

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (122/?)

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.

[29 May, 233 Before Age. Yetitan.]

Wampaaan'riix was tired. He had spent much of the day on the windswept pastures of his ancestral farm, clearing brush and counting livestock. For a man of his extraordinary strength, this was physically simple, but the tedium of it had a way of wearing him out. He had gone straight to bed upon returning home, barely making time to say good night to his wives and children.

When the communications terminal alerted him to a priority subspace call, he expected the worst. When he saw it was from Luffa's star-yacht, only for Dr. Topsas to appear on the viewer instead, he was even more concerned. He knew Luffa's Federation alliance was at war, with Saiyans battling on both sides.

"She is recovering in a stasis tank," Topsas explained. "I expect she will be completely healed in two months' time."

Wampaaan'riix stroked the long white hair that hung from his chin. There was long white hair covering the rest of his body as well, but the chin was the part he always reached for when he contemplated grim tidings. "In warfare, two months is an eternity, doctor" he said. "I'm surprised you were able to talk her into it."

"I suspect her injuries were more persuasive than anything I might have said," Topsas replied. "Individually, these enemy Saiyans are no match for her, but she has had to fight groups of them, on planet after planet, with little respite. I think she understood that if she didn't take this opportunity to heal, there might not be another chance later on."

"Is there something I can do to help?" Wampaaan'riix asked. "I've all but retired from fighting, but I owe her my life, after all."

"No, nothing like that," Topsas said. "I simply needed some... advice."

"Advice." he repeated.

"I spoke with one of my sons a few days ago. He wasn't very happy about my presence in Federation space during wartime," Topsas said. "He practically begged for me to come home. He arranged a transport ship to arrive at Woshad in four days."

"Then I think you should take it," Wampaaan'riix said. He first met Luffa and Topsas in a Deathmatch tournament on Plutark VII. He had been so certain of his fighting skills, and she had defeated him with ease, then she toyed with him to test her abilities. Then she accidentally read his mind, and after seeing his regret for walking out on his family, she decided to spare him. "I'm positive that she would understand if you left the war to go back to your loved ones."

"I don't know that I can do that," Topsas said.

"Doctor, you just told me that Luffa will be in a stasis chamber for the next several weeks," Wampaaan'riix said. "I've seen how those things work during my time in the Yetitan military. They're very low-maintenance. Now that you've set it up, you could probably show Zatte how to handle the day-to-day operations. And there's no shortage of doctors in the Federation who could take over for you."

"I'm not so sure..." Topsas said. "The statis chamber is one thing, of course. Plenty of others could handle it."

"Well, what else is there?" Wampaaan'riix asked. It was difficult for him to keep his patience. Bad enough that he had been woken from his sleep, that he was sitting at his desk instead of the warm rugs of his den. But Topsas was never very forthcoming about his feelings. Always masking everything with dry humor and sarcasm. He had never known the arachnoid to ask for help like this, and now he was beginning to understand why. It wasn't stubborn pride so much as the doctor just couldn't quite spit out what the problem was.

And when Topsas finally answered, he only said: "Mycotherapy."

Which told Wampaaan'riix absolutely nothing. "What?" he asked.

"There is a particular species of fungus," Topsas explained. "In the wild, it has the ability to alter its DNA to mimic plant or animal tissue. This allows it to graft itself onto a host while avoiding any immune response. Three years ago, a team of researchers found a way to modify the fungus for medical applications. Genetic engineering, you know. A few fungal cells are applied to the site of the injury, and cultivated to replicate. If managed properly, they'll form a structure to fill in the wounded tissue. Then the fungal mass can be made to transform itself into part of the patient's own body."

"That sounds unbelievable."

"It's a rather new form of medicine," Topsas said. "I only learned of it myself very recently, while I was researching possible treatments for Luffa. I... began casting about for more... radical ideas."

"Radical," Wampaaan'riix said. "As in 'dangerous'?

"The graft has to be carefully monitored. Left unchecked, it could grow out of control, and consume the patient. And it hasn't been tested on many species. Until... recently, there's been no testing on any mammalian species at all."

"If you don't know what it could do to Saiyan biology, then why risk it?"

"Because I do know how it will interact with Saiyan biology. I... performed my own tests, using tissue samples from Luffa herself. I only did it to set my mind at ease-- to prove that it would never work, so that I could stop second-guessing myself. But, the results turned out to be more promising than I expected. There's a very strong chance that I could heal her wounds in a fraction of the time it would take for conventional stasis chamber therapy to work."

"Why haven't you told her about this?"

"I only obtained the results a few days ago, right before she went into the chamber. Before that, it was only an experiment. Besides, there would still be an immense risk. I would need to apply multiple grafts to her body and monitor them all simultaneously. No one has ever attempted this before, on any species. No one would."

"Then why consider it at all?"

"Because when I look at the work that would be involved, I cannot help but think I might be able to carry it off. It's not a certainty, but I've carried out delicate operations that humanoid physicians wouldn't dare attempt. The researchers who devised mycotherapy techniques were all vertebrate doctors. Greater minds than I, but even so, I believe I have abilities they did not. And while I lack experience in this specific therapy, I dare say I know Saiyan physiology better than anyone. If it can be done at all, then I believe it must be I."

Wampaaan'riix stroked his chin again. "And if you try this, you definitely won't make the transport your son sent you. But that's not what's bothering you. Otherwise you would just take the transport and let Luffa heal for two months under someone else's care. That would be the best thing for everyone, right? So why are you even considering this fungus of yours?"

He didn't answer right away, and Wampaaan'riix wasn't terribly surprised. He hadn't called from so far away for idle chit-chat.

"I became a doctor because I wanted to help people," Topsas finally said. "In my religion, it is said that my people were blessed with eight eyes so we may always see when others are in need, and eight limbs so that we may always have one ready to lend aid. I was fascinated with vertebrate anatomy, and I thought becoming a doctor would enable me to see more, to help more. Do you remember when we met?"

"On Plutark. You were patching up the competitors in the Deathmatch tournaments. I never did understand how you ended up there."

The tournament organizers paid handsomely for my assistance," Topsas said. "And my practice needed the funding. Besides, I felt that if I could at least tend to your injuries, then I could know that the competitors received as much genuine care as possible before most of them met their end. Another doctor might not bother, since he would expect most of you to die by the end of the day anyway. But I could hold myself accountable at least."

"But Luffa changed all of that."

"She spared you, and in the process, she defied the tournament organizers, and ended up shutting down their entire operation, thereby saving the lives of the other fighters who still had matches that evening. To say nothing of the fighters who might have participated in future matches that will no longer occur. Before, I had written you and Luffa off as little more than brutes. Yet you returned to your homeworld, to your family. You've raised your son into a fine man, from what I can tell. I trust the rest of your offspring have been just as fortunate."

Wampaaan'riix was honored by the compliment, but he was also wearied by the late hour. "What are you getting at, doctor?" he asked with a loud yawn.

"For a time, I saw my work in those dreadful tournaments as an unpleasant chore. I was less a doctor and more of a priest, administering last rites for the condemned. Oh, one fortunate soul would live to see the next day, but I always knew that survivor would die in some other battle, thinking his victory made him invincible. But Luffa was special, and in discovering that, I realized that I had been remiss in my duties, both medical and spiritual. That was why I came to her aid on the Tikosi Hiveworld. It was the right thing to do, of course, but I wonder if any other doctor would have felt such an obligation. You owed her your life, Wampaaan'riix, but I owed her my soul.

"And now, it seems that she blames me for her overzealous crusade to defend the Federation. I comforted her in her hour of need, you see. I held her hand and calmed her down after the battle with the Tikosi, after she killed her own father. She reminded me so much of my daughter. Nwitt died of a terminal illness. In the final stages, it affected her brain, made her a danger to herself and others. In the end, she was so terrified, and all I could do was euthanize her. I couldn't hold my own daughter's hand in her final moments. She had to be restrained, you see. When Luffa first transformed, it seem as though she might explode at any moment. I thought that if this were to be the end, then comforting her in her final moments would be a fitting way to die. Instead, she lived, and she apparently has taken my gesture as an example of courage.

"I never considered the things my patients might do after they leave my care," he said. "Their lives are their own business, of course. I was content to help them with what I had. But there is a ripple effect to it, isn't there? The person I mend one day may help someone else another day. And another. Perhaps someone down the chain actually manages to save someone's life. It's a frightening thing to consider. And Luffa is no mere pebble tossed into a pond. With her power, she's more like a meteor crashing into the ocean. I cannot bring myself to think of hers as a single life. There are so many other lives that she has influenced and may still influence in the future. A week or two months might mean the difference between life and death for countless people. And I can choose. A week or two months. I can play it safe, or I can dare to perform a challenging procedure that might kill or cripple my patient."

"Cripple?"

"One of the potential side effects of mycotherapy," he explained. "Even if the fungal growth is kept under control, the drugs used to maintain that control can affect the patient's senses. Her sight or sense of smell might be permanently damaged."

Wampaaan'riix leaned back in his chair. "High stakes," he said. "Knowing Luffa, she would probably just as soon fight blind, and she might even win, powerful as she is. But her enemies would just injure her again, and worse than before."

"I trust you see my dilemma," Topsas said. "I asked Ms. Dotz for advice. The woman is a fortuneteller, but she has a psychic blindspot where Luffa's fate is concerned, and she seems to have no idea how many people will live or die as a result of my actions. It serves me right for trying to peek ahead a few pages in my own life. She told me that I would certainly do the right thing, but it isn't that simple. I... I don't know what the right thing is."

"And that's why you contacted me," Wampaaan'riix surmised.

"There was no one else to ask. I wanted an objective opinion from someone who knows her," Topsas said.

Wampaaan'riix sighed and considered the matter carefully. "Doctor," he finally asked, "what do you think Luffa would say to all of this?"

"I haven't discussed it with her yet," Topsas replied. "Knowing her, she would probably insist on taking this gamble. Which is precisely why I am so reluctant to suggest it. For me it's an ethical problem, but for her! As far as she's concerned, even a disabled Super Saiyan would be better than an injured one. All she cares about now is time. The young always worry about running out of something they have in abundance."

"No, that's not what I'm asking," Wampaaan'riix said. "Suppose Luffa were in your position. How do you think she would approach this dilemma?"

"I don't understand... you mean, if she were a doctor treating a patient?" he asked.

"Yes. What would she do?"

His fuzzy pedipalps twitched as he wrestled with this scenario. Wampaaan'riix never quite learned to read Topsas's alien body language, so he watched uncertainly as the doctor thought it over. He was mildly concerned that he might drift off to sleep while he waited for Topsas to respond.

"I suspect," Topsas finally said, "that she would find a way to push herself to her limits. The difficulty of the procedure would only be a challenge for her. She would rise to meet it, unless she were absolutely certain that it was beyond her ability."

"Very good," Wampaan'riix said. "Spoken like a true warrior. I think that is the way you should decide. If you truly believed this plan of yours is unsound, then you would have abandoned it a long time ago. Instead, you've slowly talked yourself into it, until now, you stand at the threshold, but you aren't sure you're ready to commit. You're asking the rest of us for permission to try, but this is your battlefield, doctor, and yours alone."

"I will... consider what you have said," Topsas said after a long pause. "Though, to be honest, this was not quite the advice I was hoping for."

"We have a saying on Yetitan," Wampaaan'riix said. "'Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn't.' I don't know Dotz, but she sounds like a wise woman. So I agree that you will do the right thing, whatever you ultimately decide. Good luck to you, doctor."

They exchanged a few pleasantries before terminating the connection, leaving Wampaan'riix sitting alone in the darkened room. He thought about returning to his den, but somehow he doubted he would get much sleep, knowing what he knew of Luffa's condition.

*******

[30 May, 233 Before Age. Pillimede Asteroid Belt.]

Topsas did not decide right away. He resolved instead to wait another twenty-four hours and see how Luffa was responding to conventional treatment. The results he obtained from the sensor scans was less than encouraging.

"This isn't working," he said as he read the results. Luffa could not hear him. She floated in a suspension of medicated statis fluid, kept in an induced state of unconsciousness. Nor was there anyone else in the sickbay of the Emerald Eye to hear him. He continued speaking anyway.

"Your injuries are responding to the treatment, but not nearly at the rate I had hoped for. My own fault for being overly optimistic. I expected you to produce another miracle. Somehow your Saiyan biology would repair itself even more quickly, and you would break out of this tank in a mere ten days.

"But no. The inflammation in your feet has barely changed. Your cracked ribs have only just begun to knit. What is wrong with you, Little mammal? Are you so determined to keep fighting that you defy medical attention, even when you're unconscious?"

He had originally projected her full recovery would take at least two months. Based on the data he now had, that estimate would have to be revised upward. Three months, maybe even four. The bio-regenerative gel was working. He had used it on her in the past, after all. But it wasn't fast enough. Something about her condition was slowing down the whole process.

"My apologies. It is a poor physician who blames his patient. And yet, I cannot fathom what is going on in those cells of yours. Is your body focusing itself on increasing your power? The 'zenkai' as your people call it. Am I seeing a physical manifestation of that right now? Ninth Eye, are you so starved for combat that your body would fight itself? Half of you is trying to use this treatment to repair itself, and the other half is working on making you stronger."

He had prided himself on his expertise in Saiyan biology, but that honor was mostly by default. He was the only doctor who had spent this much time on a Saiyan patient, but there was still much that he didn't understand about how their bodies worked. The light of the full moon could make Luffa grow into a gargantuan ape-creature... unless her tail happened to be injured or amputated. It sounded like pure fantasy, but it was well-documented fact. They were so unlike other vertebrates, and Luffa was unique, even among her own kind. She never spoke of it, at least not to him, but he often imagined that being the Super Saiyan made her very lonely.

"I pray that I am wrong," he said. "Perhaps your body simply doesn't have the necessary compatibility with the medication. It can't be that your power is resisting the healing effects. It would be dreadful to be so devoid of peace. I think you crave peace as much as the rest of us do. Perhaps you only want it as a respite between battles, a good night's sleep, a quiet evening with your wife. I wish I could give these to you. As it is, I cannot even give you a swift recovery."

He stooped down in front of the chamber and looked at her through the transparent surface.

"I am not as oblivious as you might think," he said. "I know how important it is that you return to the front lines. Even now, I feel like your expression is daring me to do better. I don't know that I can. Is it worth the risk? Is it worth your life?"

He had gone over the mycotherapy procedure several times after speaking with Wampaaan'riix. He thought he could do it. What troubled him was that it had never been done quite the way he had in mind. As he regarded Luffa's face, he thought of his son, Turner, begging him to take the transport he had arranged to get him out of the warzone. He thought of his daughter, Nwitt, desperate for help, when the only thing he could offer was a painless death.

Then he put his hand on the control panel of the chamber, and activated the program to revive the occupant.

"I'll need to interrupt your sleep," he said. "I have something to discuss with you, and you may want to talk it over with your spouse."

*******

[31 May, 233 Before Age. Pillimede Asteroid Belt.]

They said yes. Of course they did. Topsas never doubted it. Luffa was a warrior anxious to return to her war, and Zatte was... well, she was something of a fanatic where Luffa was concerned. She insisted on performing some Dorlun ritual to honor Topsas before he began his work. It involved some sort of liturgy, and burning bits of her own hair in candle flames. Zatte could be very strange at times. But Luffa was the one that made him the most nervous. When he had explained the risks and difficulties of his proposed mycotherapy treatment, she simply grinned at him with that savage smile of hers, and shook his hand.

"I can tell how fired up you are about this, Doc," she had said before being sedated. "This should be fun."

It was as if she couldn't tell excitement from apprehension. But something about the conviction in her voice made him wonder if maybe she knew his feelings better than he did. Perhaps he was the one who had been mistaking enthusiasm for fear. Luffa had a peculiar talent of making him question himself.

And so far, it was working. Dr. Topsas wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. An early failure at this stage would at least put the matter to rest. He could say he tried, and move on. But it was working, at least for now, which mean that he had to keep going, and brave the potential failures that might still lie ahead.

He had never used seven hands at once. Not for surgery, not for anything, until today. Now, he rested his cephalothoarx on a barstool he had borrowed from a lounge on the ship, and used only one of his limbs to steady himself on that perch. The other seven limbs loomed over the stasis chamber, operating controls, dispensing drugs, and occasionally probing surgical incisions. His eight eyes observed all of this: his own movements, computer monitors, vital sign readouts, and more.

His two greatest points of concern were a hole in Luffa's left foot, and a damaged section of her right kidney. The foot had the largest injury, which required the largest fungal graft. If any of the grafts were to grow out of control, that was the most likely to do so. The kidney, on the other hand, was the most vital organ he had grafted. The graft was small, but if anything went wrong there, it could lead to more serious complications.

There were fifteen other sites to consider as well. Tendon damage in the right tricep. Puncture wound in the right foot. Left ring finger fracture. Three cracked ribs. Anterior cruciate ligament tear on right knee. Six lacerations in the abdomen, all damaging the large intestine. Large contusion on left thigh. Tendon damage on right shoulder. But he was certain that if the left foot and kidney could be made to recover, the others could be made to recover as well.

The first seventy-two hours were the most intensive. Normally, a team of doctors would carefully monitor the patient's progress and make adjustments as needed. He would need to do this alone, continuously. And he would probably have to be more nimble, since there would probably be unforeseen complications. He could slow down and take a little more time, but this carried a risk. If Luffa's organs rejected the fungal grafts, or vice-versa, he would need to take quick action, or risk undoing his progress. Better to exhaust himself across three days than to pace himself across four or five.

An alert from one of the monitors warned him of an acceleration in growth on one of Luffa's ribs. He applied a dilute solution of R-gel to slow it down. Beside Luffa was a tray of solutions he had prepared at various concentrations before beginning the procedure. Normally, a doctor administering mycotherapy would simply use one of the stronger concentrations. At worst, the entire graft might die, and he would have to apply a new one. Topsas didn't want to wait that long, and so he added his own variation to the procedure. He had to slow any runaway fungal growth, but he would try to use dilute R-gel first, so as not to risk destroying his progress on that front.

It was all experimental and unprecedented. The technique was sound, and he was sure of his abilities, but it had never been done quite like this, with so many simultaneous grafts. He didn't care for blazing new trails. Being the first was a scary proposition. But the situation had forced his hand. How could he turn away from this? He had too many hands, and too many eyes not to try.

Luffa's metabolic readouts were fluctuating, and so he had to divide his attention to modifying her nutrient intake. This, in turn, shifted the delicate balance of the grafts. He was losing one of them, the one on her arm.

No. He refused to surrender. It would be all too easy to sacrifice a few of the mycotheraputic sites and start over on a second session. Easier, safer, and more time-consuming. How many people could Luffa help during that lost time? Was he willing to doom them just to make things easier for himself?

He looked down at Luffa's face. Even unconscious, there was something aggressive in her expression, like she was aware of the struggle he was going through.

He had never completely understood his late daughter. Even before her illness, Nwitt's manic passions seemed alien to him, and to everyone he knew. He had seen some of Nwitt in Luffa, and pitied her for it. But over time, he came to see the Saiyan heart as something more than an engine of war. Luffa had shown him a fiery passion that could do more than kill. She could laugh, cry, love, and draw strength from those intense emotions. And as Topsas came to admire Luffa, he began to appreciate Nwitt all the more. For the first time in decades, Topsas saw his daughter as something other than a tragedy to be mourned. Her short life, and the wild emotions that fueled it, were something to be celebrated and cherished. Even the fear that came at the end, well that had its own meaning, in its own way.

He prayed for some of that energy now. If his skill and steady hands should falter, there was still his pride as a healer to drive him. There was still the thrill of the challenge, the fear of failure. His daughter was dead, but if he could save this little mammal in her honor, then maybe it would give some purpose to her loss.

"I won't lose," he said aloud. Whether he was speaking to himself or to his patient, or to Nwitt's spirit, he did not know. As he worked, he soon forgot all thoughts of the risks of this task. He ignored the fatigue that began to weather his stamina. He simply ignored all other courses, save the one he was on.

Zatte--bless her soul--believed Luffa to be an instrument of God's will. While Topsas respected this viewpoint, he disagreed. He had seen Luffa on the day she had first transformed. He had seen how violent and terrified she was. He had held her hand to calm her down. He still remembered the feel of Tikosi blood on her fingers, the whimpers she made as she fought to regain control of her own body. Perhaps this was the way divine instruments were chosen, but Topsas had trouble believing it. There was nothing glorious or honorable about it. She was compelled to follow an unknown path that was fraught with danger. And Luffa had faced that fate with courage on that day.

He swore to do no less on this day.

*******

[1 June, 233 Before Age. Pillimede Asteroid Belt.]

And the next day.

*******

[2 June, 233 Before Age. Pillimede Asteroid Belt.]

And the next...

*******

[3 June, 233 Before Age. Pillimede Asteroid Belt.]

He didn't sleep in the way that vertebrates did. When he was tired, Topsas simply ceased moving, and remained still for a time, though he remained fully aware of his surroundings. He was long overdue for this type of rest, but he couldn't stop for long. Having completed his work on Luffa, he was anxious to drain the chamber and revive her, so that he could conduct a more thorough examination, and make sure there were no lasting side-effects. The entire process took forty-five minutes. While mechanical pumps removed the medicated fluid, a tube attached to a face mask removed the fluid from her lungs, gradually reacquainting her respiratory system with air. The mask also delivered a sedative, and when he was ready, he reduced the dosage, opened the lid of the chamber and waited.

She regained consciousness almost immediately, barely giving him time to prepare the med scanner. "Where...? Oh. Right, the stasis chamber," she said, as she came to her senses. "How did it go?"

"Better... better than expected," Topsas said, surprised by the hoarseness of his voice. "I... yes, better than expected. I'll leave it at that."

"Where's Zatte?"

"Oh, I... er, neglected to call her. I imagine she would be on the bridge. I've lost track of the time."

"How long was I out?"

"Three days." Tired as he was, he could not easily forget this, as he hadn't rested in all of that time.

"Three? You said it would take a week."

"Ah, yes, I did. It seems that your body was much more agreeable to the mycotherapy than I anticipated. I still want you to rest, but I don't know that we'll need the chamber for that. How are you feeling?"

Luffa paused for a moment, as though searching herself for an answer. "Sore," she said. Holding her hands in front of her face. "Not as bad as before, but... my vision's all... blurry."

Relief washed over him. Blurry vision, he could deal with. He had worried that she wouldn't be able to see at all, or something worse. He passed the med-scanner over her face anyway, to verify what she had said, but now he could feel more confident about it.

"A side effect of the fungal grafts," Topsas explained. "Your eyesight will return to normal eventually, though I shall have to monitor it carefully before we repeat the process."

"Repeat it?" Luffa asked.

"I think... yes, I think I've learned enough from this first attempt to feel confident about trying again," Topsas said. "The benefits seem to outweigh the risks at this point."

Luffa tried to sit up, and Topsas reached out to hold her back and guide her upright.

"Hold on," she said. "You're telling me that you managed to heal me up from all of that, in three days' time? And you can do it again? Whenever you want?"

"Not 'whenever'," he said with a sigh. "As I just said, I need to monitor your vision first. If we proceed too quickly, use the fungal graft too often, we run the risk of permanently damaging your senses."

"Yeah, but still..." She held up her left hand and looked at it. "It's not too blurry. Not sure why I see this blue tint on my skin..."

"That is the stasis fluid, little mammal," he said. One of his hands was already reaching up with a towel to wipe it off.

"Doc, are you okay?"

"Why would I not be?"

"You just sound tired somehow. It's hard to tell with you."

"I... may have overexerted a little," he admitted.

"You should rest," Luffa said. She planted her hands on the side of the chamber and began to pull herself out. "I can the service droid to bring us some dinner--"

He grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her from going any further.

"You are going to stay put until I am satisfied that your condition is stable," he said, noticing a faltering in his voice. "I just put you back together, and I want at least a little time to savor the victory before you rush off to undo all of my hard work."

"Sure, Doc, whatever you say," Luffa assured him. He turned to fetch something from one of the benchtops, and then he noticed her smiling at him.

"Does something amuse you?" he asked.

"You turned a corner, didn't you?" Luffa asked. "I'm a little out of it, but I can tell that much."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You weren't too thrilled about trying something like this, but now that it's over, you're practically champing at the bit to do it again."

"Oh yes, because I always look forward to seeing you return to this ship, bloodied and battered. Truly the highlight of my day."

"You remind me of when I was a kid, after I did my first Gallick Gun," Luffa said.

He said nothing, and pretended to be preoccupied with his scans.

"It might be a while before you get to do it again," she said. "Now that I'm healed up, it'll take a lot more to wear me down again. Those Jindan-using bastards won't have it so easy next time. Don't get too eager. You might get bored waiting for me to get hurt."

"I shall believe that when I see it," Topsas said.

She kept on gloating, as Saiyans so often do, about how she would destroy her enemies and reign supreme on the battlefield. Topsas simply carried on with his work, and when he was satisfied that there was nothing left for him to do for the time being, he called Zatte, then went to Luffa's bedside, and held her hand.

NEXT: To the future...