Going Native: Desire for Perfect World (ch. 74) (Patreon)

In a perfect world, I could just use machine soldiers entirely for this battle, but we didn't live in a perfect world. Doing so would gravely underestimate an enemy that believed that the fate of the galaxy rested on their shoulders. Using nothing but machines -- droids and drones -- it was simply asking that the enemy subvert their systems. No system was perfect. No trap either. The enemy had the ability and the motivation to win at any cost.

When the Guardians arrived, the battle would become that much more dangerous. They were ancient beings that had forgotten more secrets of the universe than I would ever know. The cages that I had dropped on the worlds and star system were solid, but with trillions of people and the aid of the Guardians? They would find a way out. One way or the other. Worse, even if I won outside the Vega system, I would have created a powerful splinter force that would be untouched and led by the Guardians. A recipe for disaster.

In the end, to get the results I wanted, lives had to be sacrificed. I appointed those that I knew wouldn't flinch when the time came. But, with who was coming to the system, simple soldiers wouldn't cut it. Not with the various Lantern Corps flying about in the Vega system.

"Hal's rebellion will be engaging Oa soon," I remarked, before I turned around to face those that would remain in the Vega system with me. It was tempting to gather up the most powerful forces in the Frieza-Force, but I decided against it. They would be needed elsewhere to act as the driving force to end the war. I had just reported that the Ginyu Squad, my Team, and various other powerful aliens were being gathered here. Instead, it was only a handful -- enough to help me keep a handle on the Federation's special forces.

"Is everything is in position?" Vegeta questioned, earning a curt nod from me. The Federation fleet had arrived, and they were already probing the system, looking for a way in with science, magic, or brute force. They would find something eventually. I made the Vega system as secure as I possibly could, but it would only take one crack for the entire thing to fall apart.

A chuckle rang out in the Warworld, bringing my attention to Komand'r. "This battle shall be unlike anything this galaxy has ever seen! It shall be glorious," she spoke, earning a sideways look from Vegeta, but he found himself nodding all the same. That sentiment was shared through the handful of Saiyans that were in the room.

Mom, Bardock, and Fasha.

The rest of the Team was on their own missions, much to their disappointment. Additionally, none of the children were eligible to join the battle.

The sentiment was less shared by the second in command to the Red and Yellow lanterns. Atrocitus and Sinestro would rejoin us with the Guardians in tow, so they were just standing in. A fraction of their forces would join Hal, a fraction would be in the Vega system, while the rest would be spread across the galaxy.

Then I looked at the one sitting in the chair inside the command room. "Is everything to your liking, Lord Frieza?" I asked the Frost Demon, who sat in a relaxed posture, his face propped up with a hand as he inspected the countless video feeds. I think this might be the first time I had seen his legs, because he always sat on his floating throne. His dark eyes flickered to me as he offered a too-sharp smile.

"Everything is perfect, Tarble. I can't wait for the show to begin," Frieza said, letting out a chuckle.

It hadn't been in the plan that Frieza would be joining us in the Vega system, but as the hour arrived and the full scope of my plan had been revealed, he had insisted on watching the battle. I doubted that he would participate, but that was unsurprising. The battle was no different than watching a show to him. So, the only real adjustment his presence caused was the surplus of cameras I had installed in the system. All of which connected to the Warworld, which sat as the center of the Vega system, near the Citadelian empires’ once-proud capital.

I nodded before I turned my attention to everyone else. It felt like I should say something, but there was nothing to say. In the end, they all knew the stakes. Some inspirational speech just wasn't necessary. So, I went with a few words.

"The war ends today," I told them all. We were here to make sure of it. I knew some had mixed feelings about that -- Mom looking openly disappointed, while Fasha appeared conflicted. Bardock and Vegeta both looked determined, so at least I had half of the Saiyans in question on board with ending the war. Komand'r simply nodded, radiating confidence.

That's all I had to say. The war would end today. One way or the other.

"Don't die," I added a second later, earning a few grins at the traditional farewell. That served as the cue for them to leave. Mom waved goodbye before throwing an arm over Vegeta's shoulders. Fasha and Bardock offered simple nods, as if this was just another routine mission. Komand'r offered a smile and a promise of celebration when the battle was over. Before long, the last two people in the command center were me and Frieza.

I swallowed a sigh as I turned my attention to a hologram. I eyed them, searching for some flaws that I had managed to overlook until the last second, but I found nothing. The plan was solid. The enemy took the bait. They were here in force, committing the bulk of their militaries, including their reserves -- all to ward off a galactic extinction weapon that didn't exist. All that was left was the execution.

"I do believe I am a bit jealous, Tarble," Frieza suddenly announced, making me pause as the Vega system waited for the shields to drop. "I doubt I would warrant such a turn out from the galaxy," he remarked, sounding dangerously amused. Dangerous simply because I didn't know if he was genuinely amused or if he was masking his anger with it.

The truth was, he was likely right. Frieza had an impressive debut, but it was also a decade ago. Since then, outside of conquering minor factions, Frieza hadn't participated in the war. My reputation had been handcrafted by Ada'la during that time, constantly keeping me in the eye of the public with shows and movies and documentaries, and propaganda pieces. It's for that reason that the galaxy had despaired when I became Supreme Commander. And when I proved them right to, it's why they reacted so strongly to the unknown secret in the Vega system.

"The galaxy does fear you, Lord Frieza. They'd be fools not to," I added. That much was true. Despite all of my power and personal strength, I could feel the gap in power between me and Frieza. Before, he had seemed so powerful that I couldn't even guess how much stronger than me he was. The only person I could compare him to was Captain Ginyu and Cooler.

Now, I had an estimate. Frieza was around two hundred times stronger than me, putting him in the ballpark of three hundred million.

My previous life had been right. I should have taken the revolt more seriously far sooner. I had managed to increase the influence of the Saiyan race across the Trade Organization, but I had also seen firsthand how little that meant. The goal was to supplant the Cold Family… I wasn't sure that would be possible. At least, not in a straight fight.

"But?" Frieza questioned, waiting for me to continue.

"There isn't one. You displayed a fraction of your power when you destroyed a Shield World, and the galaxy was foolish enough to believe that was your limit." I answered, hearing a chuckle from Frieza. I didn't build some galaxy-spanning weapon in the Vega system, but Frieza was probably the closest equivalent.

"Ahh, Tarble, you do know just what to say," Frieza sighed, settling into the chair. "But I do believe that it's time for the show to begin." He decided, and that was the cue for the shields to drop just as the timer hit zero.

I watched it all from the Warworld -- the sacrificial defensive lines did their jobs well. The enemy reacted as I expected them to -- they pushed into the Vega system, accepting the losses and heading towards the center of the system. It was a natural conclusion to come to, because the center of the Vega system was the best-defended part of it. Parts of the Federation's fleets broke off, dealing with the planets that they left behind in their wake, while the rest of the fleet continued on. Defensive platforms and drone fleets bled the federation every step of the way.

It was bloody. Every bit as bloody as I imagined it would be. Millions died by the second, and soon, tens of millions would, for the battle was never meant to be a long one.

A timer ticked down, and once it reached zero, right on schedule, two additional planets were teleported into the Vega system. A version of the wink drive that had been stolen from the Reach so very long ago. I wonder if the token fleet that arrived with the Federation recognized the tech.

However, that was also the cue for the shields to go up. Planetary shields were launched, protecting the surface from bombardment while trapping the armies on the surface. Another shield went up around the Vega system, the same shield that had kept everyone out was now turned inward to ensure that everyone would remain inside. The fleet of trillions shifted, caught off guard at suddenly being trapped…

A second later, a pulse of magic erupted from the shield that sealed off the Vega system. A curse of rage. It traveled through the system, through the ships and the soldiers inside. For a moment, nothing happened. After that moment, the Vega system erupted into pure Madness. Federation ships opened fire on each other, the unity of the Federation collapsing like a house of cards… it was easy to see which ones were protected by magic and which were not. Those that weren't affected moved to group up, finding strength in numbers as the Vega system collapsed into a free for all.

An alert brought my attention to Hal Jordan -- his body was nearly entirely made of a green construct, with a dot of red floating inside of his chest. He wasted no time throwing himself into the fray, attempting to subdue the ships that were intent on killing each other.

"I shall take my leave, Lord Frieza. Please enjoy the show," I said, offering a bow before I turned to leave the command room. I just heard a chuckle in the distance as I left. My connection to the Warworld was still there, leaving me still in control of it. And through the mental connection, I could keep an eye on the scope of the battle even as I left the Warworld.

Outside, the entire system was pure chaos. I saw countless flashes of light from countless individual battles. Each planet was still being shielded, but they were being bombarded without restraint. Some had gone as far as to crash their ships into the shield to get through it. So far, one shield had already collapsed because of magic users, though I was unsure how they managed it. With my ki sense, I felt so much life around me -- trillions of people. And I felt so much of it being snuffed out on a scale it never had before.

Clenching my hands into fists, I took a deep breath and blasted off towards the planet Oa. At the same time -- Red and Yellow Lanterns did the same. As I neared, I saw Hal and Sinestro fighting, both sending constructs at the other. The sight told me that the nonaggression pact was in effect over. Irritating, but unsurprising.

A ki spear formed in my hands as I raced towards them, ships exploding all around me. The Vega system was more than five hundred billion miles in diameter, but it felt like every inch was filled with battle. It was almost difficult to keep track of Hal, who was by far the most dangerous of the Lanterns in the system. He used his swirling pools of red, blasts of energy appearing from them as Sinestro weaved through the blasts. In the orbit of two planets, one of which itself seemed to be a Green Lantern, a battle of Lanterns raged.

A free for all. It was the only way to describe it. The three factions of Lanterns all fought one another.

Hal flew forward towards Sinestro, a red sword emerging from his ring that he grabbed hold of. Sinestro evaded a swing that would have taken him in half, while also dodging blasts from the swirling red pools that appeared and disappeared all around him. It was easy to see by the grim expression on his face that of the two, Sinestro was losing. Handily.

A green railgun formed from Hal's ring, making the Yellow Lantern's eyes widen. Hal fired off a shot. Two of them. One that fired directly from the barrel of the construct while the second was sent through a pool of swirling red.

I launched a ki spear at the bullet construct that would have taken Sinestro's head off. An explosion of light erupted in the collision, and the wave of released energy washed over Sinestro, but I paid him no mind. My eyes were on Hal, who turned around to look up at me.

"Tarble! What is this?!" Hal roared, his words reaching me with the aid of an earpiece.

I held out a hand and formed another ki spear.

"War," I answered simply, diving into the fight. Hal was absolutely someone that needed to be tied up during the battle. Both of us had come a long way since our initial battle so many years ago. Now, outside of Vegeta and perhaps the Guardians, no one else in the system could match him.

Hal snarled as he shifted his focus entirely on me. He raced forward, intent on meeting me halfway. A wreck of a ship passed between us, launched towards Oa by a barrage of missiles from another ship. Neither of us let that slow us down, simply punching through the hull of the ship and through however many floors that it took to reach each other, before finally clashing in what had once been a cafeteria.

His red sword construct slammed into one of my spears, biting into the condensed ki and releasing a pulse of energy that blasted away the corpses and tables left floating in the room. Diverting his blade, I thrust with my smaller spear, only to be blocked by a small green kite shield that emerged from his ring. I looked into his eyes, watching as the green construct that made up half of his face began to creep over his nose. His eye was converted, leaving behind a pupil that displayed the Green Lantern emblem.

I met his glare with one of my own, the short spear condensing into a ball in my palm before I thrust it forward at his chest -- a Kamehameha. Hal managed to avoid it, a pool of swirling green appearing between him and the attack, and I knew that he was going to send it towards me. I darted back, narrowly avoiding the blast that appeared above me and tore through the ship in a flash of blue light.

My spear spun in my hand before I launched it towards Hal directly through my own ki. The spear was hyperdense, so it managed to punch through the Kamehameha, while the ship broke apart around us. At the same moment, I clasped my hands together, and lightning erupted from them as I rapidly formed a Galick Gun. It took a second to charge before I launched it at Hal, using my blast as a cover. Everything before me was reduced to nothing, the Galick Gun was more powerful than it ever had been before.

Still, I knew better than to think that Hal had been defeated so easily. Between the two attacks, the ship was in tatters, and what was left was quickly destroyed when red chains seemed to carve the ship into pieces -- a hundred of them, all at odd angles, and my position seemed to be the point where they would meet.

Stretching out my hands, a bubble shield formed around me, catching the chains, before I made it widen. The bubble expanded, pushing away chunks of the ship with explosive force. The chains themselves strained, trying to tighten down on me, but I gave myself plenty of room. My gaze found Hal, who swung his red sword, the blade expanding as it raced towards me. The size made it easy to dodge once I dropped the shield, flying up to face him again.

He fired a railgun at me, forcing me to block a slug construct to the back of the head, then another to the knees. In response, I formed two ki balls in my hand and aimed them in his direction, before dozens of gumdrop-sized balls of ki began to erupt from my hands. Hal threw up a bubble shield of his own, the ki balls slamming into it harmlessly. However, he opened himself up for the ki balls that had sailed by him to all close onto his position for a large explosion.

The Hellzone Grenade still needed some work, I took a moment to reflect, forming a ki spear in my hand before I launched it at Hal. The ki balls were too small and too few for it to scale appropriately to my current expectations. In any case, I didn’t expect it to get through his shield. I just needed a distraction. My ki spear slipped through the flash of light. When it faded, I saw Hal bent over, the ki spear lodged in his chest.

A few drops of blood managed to drift out of him before the green construct part of his body crawled towards the point of impact. In a split second, the entirety of Hal’s torso was a construct. My eyes narrowed, holding out a hand to recall my spear, only to have Hal grab hold of it with his construct hand. His eyes met mine before he clenched down, destroying the ki spear.

I smiled ever so slightly, earning a snarl in response. As the ki faded into the ether, he lashed out with his red ring, sending a tidal wave of red energy at me. An arc of it that seemed to swell as it left his ring, making it difficult to dodge from above or below. I chose to do neither. Cupping my hands together, I formed a Galick Gun, using the few seconds I had to charge it before I fired it off into the wave of rage-infused energy.

An explosion of light filled the space between us, the explosion enveloping the Lanterns and ships entirely. I felt thousands die, but I paid them no mind because, through the mess, I found Hal.

Hal teleported behind me, a half dozen green and red swirling portals appearing around me as well. A bubble shield absorbed the blasts since Hal gave no room to dodge. I was momentarily surprised when he chose to fly in close, but when I saw the dark green sword in his hand, that confusion faded. Hal's expression was twisted into a grim mask, the tip of his sword punching through my bubble shield and racing towards my chest. I diverted it, a short spear appearing in my hands while I lashed out with a fist.

It caught Hal in the side of the head, and I half expected his head to be reduced to crystalized vapor in space, but I felt my knuckles impact something solid. Hal was thrown to the side, sending him flying into the hull of a nearby capital ship. In the split-second delay, I sorted through the presences I could find, searching for a familiar one.

I didn't find them.

So, with a thought, I cut off the Indigo Power Battery on the Warworld.

In response, Indigo revealed herself as well as Saint Walker. The former began to gasp for breath, as any protection that the Indigo Light provided was stolen from her. She was quickly rescued by Saint Walker, an aura of blue appearing around her that momentarily saved her life.

In that second, I spun the spear in my hand and launched it at Saint Walker, intent on killing them both with one move. The attack wouldn't make it, I knew, even before I saw the beginnings of swirling green appear before Saint Walker. That was fine. To follow up, I flew towards the Blue Lantern, just as Hal began to reappear. Closing the distance between us, Hal failed to react in time before I reached the three. My spear spun back into my hand, thrusting at Hal's head, only for it to be diverted to the side by his dark green sword.

I lashed out with a foot, catching Hal in the side of the head again as he was out of position. In the same moment, I formed a second spear. This time, instead of going for the head, I aimed for his wrist. Between the hyperdense ki and the force behind the swing, I manage to cut off Hal's hand once again. The green construct with a green power ring embedded in his middle finger remained behind, while Hal was sent flying away.

Looking at him, I expected to see the construct parts of his body begin to fade. Instead, the stump bulged and took the shape of a hand once again, another ring embedded in his middle finger. The hand he left behind dissolved into nothing. So, that didn't pan out. If cutting off his hand didn't do the trick, then I should look to destroying the ring itself. If that failed, then my options grew limited. If I wanted to kill Hal, I might have to obliterate all trace of him.

Still, I should look to eliminating his support first.

"Don't!" Hal roared when I spread out my arms, my palms facing behind me towards Saint Walker and Indigo. I saw him clench his fists, and I knew he intended to use another portal to redirect the killing blows. Instead of firing at Saint Walker, I launched the ki blasts at Hal before turning around. Just as I predicted, Hal had a portal between me and the other Lanterns. I flew towards it and the moment I passed through, I felt a pins and needles sensation, the engravings on my soul rejecting the magic that was trying to teleport me.

Saint Walker's eyes widened as I passed through. He raised a fist towards me, but it was too little and too late. I closed the distance between us, clenching my hand into a fist that I put through his chest. I heard him gasp before gritting his teeth.

"Shame you'll never get to tell me that story," I told him, ripping my fist free of his chest.

Saint Walker offered a grimace of a smile. He responded with actions rather than words. The blue ring on his finger raced towards Indigo, her protective aura fading. I rushed to catch it, intent on preventing another Blue Lantern from being created. However, it vanished in a swirl of green, as did Saint Walker's body.

A second later, I heard the maddened howl of rage from Hal. Turning around, I saw a murderous expression on Hal's face. An expression of pure hate and loathing to the point that all rational thought had been abandoned. His sword grew a core of red that he swung at me with a wordless scream of hate.

"Enough!" Hal roared, his sword catching in an X formed by my two spears. The force behind the blow caught me by surprise, forcing my arms to bend before I deflected the swing. Hal was growing stronger. I was the better fighter by far, but the gap in strength was being closed as his will and rage grew. "Damn the Guardians, you are my enemy," he snarled.

I deflected another blow before spinning sharply to deliver a foot to his face, sending him reeling back into a Loyalist Green Lantern. My gaze searched the battlefield for Saint Walker and Indigo, but I didn't find them anywhere. Nor did I feel their presence. Were they dead? I held my doubts. Not when I didn't see the body, and given how they both disappeared.

A sigh escaped me -- Hal's ability was a troublesome one. Especially because he was leveraging it well.

"Spare me the dramatic proclamations," I rebuked. "Millions are dying around us every second. Saint Walker wasn't special just because you knew him. Countless people die without deserving it. Where's your rage for them?"

Hal blasted away the Loyalists, "Spare me your bullshit grandstanding." He snarled back at me.

A small huff escaped me. "Fair enough," I agreed, knowing that the time for words was long since passed. Hal had decided that I was his enemy ever since his defeat at my hands. Because I was responsible for the death of his friends. There was no reasoning with him. At best, he managed to swallow his hate for a time, but now he was unleashing it all.

I took a stance, cupping my hands to my side. A ball of light flickered to life as I poured ki into the technique. At the same time, Hal's green ring began to glow as more of his body became a construct -- one of his legs, his other eye and ear, while it began to crawl over his forehead. Streams of light escaped my fingers, the already dense ki swelling in my hands. It grew in weight and power, but my grip on it never wavered.

Then I flew forward, rushing towards Hal, intent on making it impossible for him to redirect the blast. Hal raced to meet me, his ring glowing with an ominous green light that left particles of crystallized will in his wake.

"Spiral… Buster!" I roared, thrusting my hands forward while Hal roared in response, thrusting his fist at me. The two pillars of light, one green, tinged with red, and my own a deep blue ringed with white. We poured our energy into the two blasts, the point of collision becoming a contest of will rather than a spectacular explosion. Gritting my teeth, I poured more into the technique, grasping at a power that had escaped me for years. I pulled at the Wrath State, trying to push it beyond Stage Ten. The thread to pull up the power had snapped years ago, and time hadn't repaired it.

So, I clawed at it, trying to bring up more power to overwhelm Hal. I felt something in my core swell, a tension that I had felt once before, that had left me crippled for years. Even still, I embraced that feeling and pulled at it, a roar ripping from my throat as I pushed more power into the blast.

Something inside of me started to break. It wasn't a thread, but instead, it felt like a piece of glass in my stomach. The more pressure I put on it, the more it began to crack. I pushed on it harder, trying to drag up more power from the Oozaru transformation and damning the consequences…

Then, without any warning, the technique in my hands suddenly vanished. Like a candle flame being snuffed out. My heart dropped to my stomach, that feeling of tension vanishing as my concentration was stolen.

I wasn't the only one.

Hal floated across from me, looking down at his ring in similar confusion. It was only when I looked to him that I noticed that someone floated between us. I had never seen a member of his race before, but there was no mistaking who it was. What he was.

"Ganthet!" Hal shouted, his face twisted into a scowl. "Get the hell out of the way! I don't care about your plans! He dies today!" Hal roared, while I eyed the Guardian of the Universe.

I couldn't feel his presence at all. The alien was short, with a head that was too large to fit the short body that was hidden underneath a simple set of robes. His hands were clasped behind his back, looking at neither of us, but rather something beyond us.

He… he… what did he just do? How could he have suddenly ended my attack like that? I hadn't thought that was possible -- one moment I'm throwing everything I had into the attack and the next… it was like with a flick of a wrist, he had somehow cut off a faucet going full blast and reduced it to nothing. And I had no clue how he did it.

The Guardian, Ganthet, looked at me. His eyes were cold, his expression set. My eyes narrowed into slits, and I proved to him and myself that I could still use my ki by forming two ki spears. His gaze searched my expression for a moment before he seemed to sigh.

"Not even the best-laid plans go off without a hitch," he remarked, his tone tired. I could hear the sigh in his voice. "Perhaps there is no greater example of that than you, Prince Tarble."

"... How so?" I questioned, suspicious by what he could possibly mean by that.

In response, Ganthet pointed a finger out into the distance. I looked beyond the battles being waged nearby. Beyond the countless battles between ships and fleets. Beyond all the flashing lights and death and destruction. I saw nothing, but I didn’t need to. The Warworld sent me an alert -- everything in the system was being monitored. Every ship and drone and Lantern. Everything was tagged appropriately.

Yet, an anomaly appeared on the map.

“We are not all-powerful or all-knowing, nor are we undefeatable,” Ganthet spoke, lowering his hand. “For this reason, a deal was struck with Larfleeze -- the holder of the orange light known as avarice.” As if to agree, far off, I saw a spec of orange that seemed to swell in size, visible across billions of miles… “We agreed that the Guardians nor any connection to us would ever enter the Vega system. This deal we have upheld for billions of years. Until now.”

My grip tightened on my spears.

So this is what lurked in the Vega System.