RISE OF THE SAIYANS

By: Cephius

A DRAGONBALL Z fanfic

Chapter 6

It had taken nearly an hour since Tomo's sudden appearance that they were about to take out the last few pockets of resistance.  It was a brutal battle, both sides suffering great losses.  But it was finally over.  They had won it, thanks to Tomo.

The commander headed towards the admiral's planning area, where she had heard that Tomo had gone into.  As she approached, she could see that the rest of Alpha Team had the same idea, all four of them heading towards the makeshift structure.

"I can't believe he's back," Gallaway said to Derdrick as they arrived.

"It is hard to believe that he is here," was his reply.

"Perfect timing as usual," Forrest joking said.

'It's true,' the commander thought to herself.  He had always had a knack for showing up at the last moment to save them.  He had done it time and time again, yet he never reminded them about it.  But, this could be said about the entire team.  It's what made them what they are.  The best of the best.

"Don't you think so, Commander," Greeves said.

"Sorry, Greeves.  What were you saying?"

"I've never seen Captain Vegitt before, but I've heard all the stories.  And now that I have seen him and seen what he can do, the stories don't do him justice."

"Yes, while the stories are true, to actually see him in combat and see him in action is an entirely unique experience."

"I know.  I was talking to a few privates from blue squadron and they said that everyone was in total shock when they realized it was him."

"He gets that a lot," Razoraz said.

As they approached the door to the structure, the two guards quickly saluted Alpha Team and opened the door for them.  Once they got inside, they could hear the major and Tomo talking.

"The fleet is doing rather well, but I'm a little concerned.  We've heard of this renegade fleet, but what I'm seeing is fewer that I expected," the major said.

"I know.  I recall that they had several Colossus-class heavy battleships, but all I see is two of them.  Where are the other two," Tomo replied.

"They are up to something, but what," the major asked.

They both stared at the 3-D map of the planet and surrounding space, looking for something that they had missed.  But for some reason, they couldn't think of it.  Then, the admiral zoomed out from the planet to include the asteroid belt that was next from the primary star.

"There has to be something.  It would take them too long to launch an effective counter-attack from the asteroid field."

Tomo listened to him for a moment, then something caught his eye.  As he watched, the enemy fleet moved ever so slowly away from the planet and towards what looked like an empty spot in the asteroid field.

"Why is that area blank?  Shouldn't there be a few asteroids in that area?"

"According to the scientists, it has to do with some exotic radiation that interfers with long-range sensors.  Why, do you think they would be in there?  If they were, they couldn't use their sensors.  It would be suicide."

"Maybe, sir, but take a look at these two asteroids near that area.  Now compare them to the other asteroids in the area."

The major looked at them and the information that scrolled from them.

"I don't see any difference.  They are made of the same stuff as the others.  Their mass is around what is to be expect...wait a minute.  They are not rotating.  All of the other asteroids are rotating, whether it was quickly or slowly, but they are rotating."

"One quick question.  Will communications work in that area?"

"As far as I know, they should. . .Tomo, you devil you.  Good eye."

The major turned to the communications officer.

"Open a channel to the fleet.  I believe that we have found an ambush in waiting."

"Aye sir."

As the major went over to the communications console, Tomo moved away from the projection table and noticed all of Alpha Team there.  He guessed it was time that he said hello.  So, avoiding a few officers along the way, he headed towards them.

"About time you said hello, you bastard," Gallaway said with a smile.

"Well, I was a bit busy," he replied.

She grinned and hugged Tomo.  Tomo, a bit surprised, quickly returned the hug.

"It's good to see you Gallaway, even if you are still a bitch."

Gallaway just smiled as pulled away from him.

"Derdrick, good to see you, old friend," Tomo said as he stuck out his arm towards his friend.

Derdrick clasped his arm to Tomo's, smiling broadly.

"It's good to see you too, Captain."

They held the clasp for a moment, then released.  Tomo turned to Forrest.

"Still the jack-ass I left two years ago," Tomo said as he smirked and held out his hand.

"I'm hurt," Forrest said with a grin, "well, not really.  You are still an asshole."

Tomo had to smile at that.  It reminded him of the first time he had his first argument with Forrest.  That is what he called him all those years ago.  They shook hands for a moment, then released.  As he turned to Razoraz, the lizard-man saluted him in his ancient sign language.  Tomo responded with the same.

"It is good to see you again, Captain," Razoraz said hissingly.

"It is good to see you too, Razoraz.  It has been a while."

Then he turned to the Commander.  It had been two years since he had seen her.  She was still as beautiful as ever.  The long red hair, the gorgeous green eyes.  Though he had picked her for her leadership abilities, he could not help but look at her and feel the old feelings that he had for her.

"Welcome back, Captain," she said as she held out her hand.

Tomo looked at the hand for a moment, then stepped passed it and hugged her.  For a moment, the commander just stood there, shocked that he would do this, but, a few moments later, she returned the hug, with a lot more feeling than she should have.  They finally broke the hug a few seconds later.  As she looked up at Tomo, she saw pain in his eyes.  Though outwardly, he did his best to hide it, she could tell.  She always could.

"You okay," she asked him.

"I've been better," he replied as he looked into her eyes.

"What happened," she asked.

He thought for a moment about whether or not to tell them, then motioned them away from everyone.  He began to tell them about the last two years.  He paused for a moment before he told them about the village he was living in and explained about the woman that had captured his heart.  The commander fought back the urge to leave and continued to listen to his story.  Once he told them about the destruction of the village and all it's people, the commander suddenly realized why he was hurting.  She felt very foolish about the way she was acting and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to him.

He looked up at her, fighting the tears that were ready to pour from his eyes.  He managed a weak smile and placed his hand on hers.  The others placed their hands of his shoulders and back and offered their condolenses.  He appreciated that they were trying to comfort him.  They are, after all, his friends, his fellow soldiers, his family.

The major, who had been listening through most of the story from a distance, choose to approach the group.

"I'm sorry, Tomo.  I hadn't realized it was you that saved that planet at such a cost."

"Thank you, sir," Tomo said, fighting to get his composure back.

The major nodded his head and was about to head back to the projection table when his communications officer nearly ran into him.

"Easy, lietenant.  What is it?"

"Sir, short range sensors has picked up a planet killer entering orbit."

"WHAT!  Where is it heading?"

"It's taking aim. . .at us, sir."

The entire room suddenly went quiet.  The seriousness of the situation instantly sunk in for everyone there.

"Time to firing," the major asked.

"Thirty seconds."

"Can you give me a specific area this is going to hit at," Tomo quickly asked.

The commincations officer stared at Tomo for a moment.

"It's going to hit us right in the middle of our encampment.  The medical area."

Tomo quickly ran outside and went to stage two, flying as fast as he could to the center of the encampment.  He quickly concentrated and discovered the same energy he had felt back at the now destroyed village.

'Not again,' he thought to himself.

Then he realized that it was not just a village he was trying to save.  It was all of his friends and people he considered family that he had been with the last six years.  And, to make it worse, his mother and Talia were nearby.  He had to stop this.  He could not fail.  Not again, not ever.

Somewhere in space, the planet killer powered up it's main cannon, pointed down towards the planet and released it's energy, to wipe out the military forces on the planet once and for all.  As it lanced down through the atmosphere, it seemed nothing could stop it.  Tomo quickly powered up an energy blast in an attempt to stop it before it killed everyone left that he still loved and cared for.  All around the troops watched him in fear and in awe as he, Captain Vegitt of Alpha Team, attempted to stop a planet killer.

As he fired off his blast, the shock wave it released knocked all within 100 feet of him off their feet.  The beam streaked towards the energy beam that was sent to kill them.  When they collided, a gigantic shockwave blew apart the unlucky clouds that happened to be near the area.  A gigantic sphere was created where the energies collided, Tomo's small, yet powerful golden energy, and the nearly blood-red energy of the planet killer.  For what seemed like an eternity, the two energy beams battled back and forth to overpower the other.  All anyone could do was stare up at it, knowing that if Tomo failed, they would all be killed.  The commander watched Tomo as he continued to pump his energy into what was the only hope for them to live.  But, instead of standing around, she stood next to Tomo and powered up her own attack, sending her white beam up to join with his.  Soon, all of Alpha Team, save for Greeves, had joined in, helping to fight the life-threatening attack back.  For a moment, nothing seemed to be working.  But Tomo noticed, ever so slowly, that their combined attack was pushing the destructive energy beam back.

"It's working," he yelled out.

But, when it seemed they had a chance, the beam widened like it had four months ago and began to push their attacks back.

'NO!  THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!  THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING," he said to himself as he watched the beam push their attacks back.

"I. . .CAN'T. . .LET. . .THIS. . .HAPPEN. . .I. . .WON'T. . .LET. . .THIS. . .HAPPEN," he told himself.

"NEVER AGAIN," he yelled out as he powered to full.

To all below, a huge ball of energy launched from Tomo along his energy beam, slamming into the sphere above, shoving the planet killer's beam back.  He yelled at the top of his lungs, pouring as much energy as he could.  This time, the beam seemed to widen to double it's width, the second energy ball followed the first, except this time, the sphere was completely engulfed, and Alpha Team's combined energy tore through the planet killer's beam, following it back to it's source.  It was said, that from space, as they watched, the golden energy absorbed the planet killer's energy and rode it back to the ship, it blasted a gigantic hole into the ship's midsection, completely vaporizing the entire midship section, literally separating it into two.  The beam that Alpha Team fired, as the people on board the allied ships watched, continued past one of the two moons and reaching out as far as the asteroid belt before the beam finally dissipated.

Down below, as all those in camp watched, they saw two explosions in the sky.  And everyone knew that Alpha Team had once again saved them.  Cheering erupted all over the encampement, everyone very glad that they were still alive.  Each member of Alpha Team collapsed onto their knees, so exhausted from their expenditure that they really didn't hear the cheers around them.  Before they could recover, all of them were lifted up, above everyone's head by the people who were so happy that their lives did not end.

"Well," Forrest said as he gasped for breath, "it seems we did it again."

The other members of Alpha Team just smiled and waited for the people to let them down.  Once down, they were congradulated with thank yous and handshakes and hugs and friendly slaps on the back.

"Alright everyone.  We still have a job to do here," the major yelled over the crowd.

Slowly, the crowd broke up, offering their thanks to Alpha Team as they returned to their duties.  As for Alpha Team, they were glad he had broke it up.  One can only take some many slaps to the back before it began to sting, even it was given with good intentions.

"You five look like hell," the major said as he apporached the group.

"Thank you, sir," Forrest mokingly said as he sloppily saluted the major.

The others just grinned.  The major just shook his head.

"Seems that you guys broke the damn ship in half.  And it seems that the enemy fleet is in reatreat."

"Thank the gods," Razoraz said.

"No kidding," Gallaway replied

"Glad that is over with," Forrest added.

"Let us hope we don't have to do this too often," Derdrick commented.

Everyone agreed.  But the commander noticed that Tomo wasn't saying anything.

"Tomo," she asked.

He didn't respond instantly.  But, he did look up, tears welling up in his eyes, not able to say anything.  She had to fight the urge to hold him in her arms until he was able to recover.  She wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay.  But she knew that he would not want her to.  He was a soldier.  And soldiers could handle anything.

Tomo stared into her eyes and saw the anguish and love that was in her eyes.  He knew that she cared for him more than she should, but he knew that he cared for her as well, but now was not the time to think on such things.  He wiped the tears from his face and tried to gain some semblance of control.

"You alright," the major asked.

"Yes sir.  I'll be fine."

"Okay.  Now I want all five of you to head to the medical area for physicals."

"But sir, we are fine.  A bit exhausted, but we are okay," the commander told him.

He simply stared at her for a moment.

"Yes sir.  That includes you too, Captain," she said to Tomo.

"You forget that I am retired and that I am not under his command."

"True, Tomo, but there is that little clause about civilians working with the military that says I can."

Tomo just stared at the major.

'He wouldn't,' Tomo thought to himself.

"Or I can do this.  As of fourteen hundred hours, galactic time, you are hearby drafted back into the Galactic Army, with the rank of Captain and all that this rank is entitled to."

Tomo couldn't believe it.  The old man just pulled the oldest trick in the book on him.  He had to give the major credit for finding a way.

"Yes sir," Tomo said as he saluted.

"Now get out of here and I don't want to see any of you til tomorrow.  Understood?"

All replied, "Yes, sir."