Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ For the Sake of the Saiyan ❯ Operation: Origin ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Dark Jades 
The twins plan to infiltrate the Army base in hopes of finding their true origin.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.28.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 321 | Status: Work In Progress
The twins plan to infiltrate the Army base in hopes of finding their true origin.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.28.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 321 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: This is a fan fiction/original hybrid. It's mostly original characters, but the concept is from DBZ. Yes, I know it's long and it's only going to get longer, but I guarantee a good read. One more thing, Arigatou Ember-chan!
Disclaimer: I neither own nor have any professional affiliation with Dragonball Z. I make no profit from my work (if ONLY!). There, my butt's covered.
Part One--Operation: Origin
There was something in the air. The black clouds brewing above the western horizon threatened unseasonable storms. The sun had long since disappeared behind the jagged mountains and a cold wind blew in strong gusts. Even the air itself felt of rain, cool and damp.
A lone figure stood on the tall cliff overlooking the wreckage and rubble of West Capital City. A young woman, no more than eighteen. She stood tall and lean with the confidence of a veteran beyond her years. Her long red hair whipped wildly around her face in the bluster, and her ocean-colored eyes were full of uncertainty and earnestness. The solid muscles of her arms, shoulders and chest were stiff and tense.
"Anai?" A light, airy voice broke the silence. A second young woman joined the first. This newcomer was slightly taller than the redhead, a bit less slender but no less muscular. Though they shared the same chiseled facial features, the second girl's hair was snowy white and her eyes were an icier blue.
"Anai, did you hear me?" She asked when the first girl didn't acknowledge her.
"Yes, Nemie, I heard you." Anai replied absently.
Nemie walked to stand next to her twin sister and look out across the sky. "What is it? What's out there that's got you spooked?"
"I...don't know. There's a strange smell on the wind. I can't tell what it is."
Nemie crossed her arms over her chest to try and block the chill. She raised her head to sniff the air carefully. Her heightened senses picked up a faint, oily, dark smell.
"Ryukin?" Nemie's voice wavered in uneasiness.
"No, not Ryukin. This is different. This is worse."
"What could possibly be worse than Ryukin?"
"I don't know, but I'm afraid we're going to find out."
The girls stood there for a few more moments, watching as the dark clouds continued to roll in over the azure sky.
"Ren's waiting for us at headquarters. He's going to think we got captured or something if we don't get back soon." Nemie said finally.
Anai nodded and turned her back on the valley below. She lifted her feet off the ground and started to fly away, but a sudden pang made her stop in midair.
Nemie felt the same sensation and spun towards its source.
High above the twins, three forms sped through the air, surrounded by surging white auras. Nemie recognized the ki signatures as soldiers of the Dark Army.
"Anai!" She hissed, "Bogies at one sharp!"
"Lay low and suppress your energy!" Anai ordered quietly. She dropped back onto the ground and looked around frantically for a hiding place. There was none; the cliff was flat and bare.
Nemie landed and craned her neck up to see if the soldiers had seen them. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw them slow and then stop.
When the Dark Warriors turned back, Anai cursed.
"We've been spotted!" She fell into a fighting stance, ready for a battle. Kami, I hope they're just foot soldiers and not officers.
Nemie didn't wait for the troops to make the first move. She bolted up to confront them head-on.
"Nemie! No!" Anai shouted after her, to no avail. Growling at her sister's impetuosity, she followed to help.
The enemies were men dressed in maroon armor with white helmets. One had a large gold lightning bolt on his breast, naming him a sergeant. The other two were unmarked privates.
"Renegades!" The first private shouted, pointing at Nemie as she charged at him.
Nemie threw a punch at him and when he went to dodge, side kicked his stomach. He threw a few punches at her, but she proved much too fast for him. She blocked almost all his attacks; the ones that landed barely winded her. Delivering a spin kick to his head, she cracked his helmet. She finished him easily by slamming both fists down on the top of his head, sending him spiraling to the ground.
The sergeant went after Nemie while her back was turned, but Anai rammed him with all her might. He grunted and fell back a couple feet. Charging an energy attack, the sergeant thrust his open hand toward Anai and a ball of blue light shot at her. She knocked it away and raised both hands over her head in her own ki attack. A huge yellow orb formed in her palms and she threw it with a battle cry. The sergeant tried to evade it, but the blast followed him and finally engulfed him. He screamed and dropped from the sky.
The twins turned to the remaining private, a small, compact young man, close to their age. He stood staring at the girls through his visor with huge eyes. He was shaking with fear.
Nemie glanced over at Anai.
"Looks like Ryukin's been getting new recruits. He's a newbie."
"Kinda young for a Dark Warrior." Anai looked back at the private. "How old are you soldier?"
The private hesitated before answering. "Sixteen."
"Kami!" Anai exclaimed. "That's ridiculous. Ryukin's enlisting children for his psychotic plots. What are your orders, Private?"
His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "I don't have to answer to you, Renegade! General Ryukin's plans are top secret, and I've been trained to resist any kind of torture you evil rebels can come up with!"
Nemie snorted. "Torture? We don't torture people, kid, not even Ryukin's troops. But," She reached out her hand and, in a flash, she had the boy by the throat and a yellow bubble growing in her other fist, "we DO want to know what you're doing in the sector 342."
"Burn in the inferno, you revolting harlots!" The private shouted, spitting in Nemie's face.
In her surprise, Nemie let go of the boy and her burst faded. The soldier took the opportunity to fire a fairly strong blast at her, not anticipating that Anai would have already charged up an attack. The redhead let loose with the energy and blew the private away.
Anai sighed and turned around to see that the soldier's blast had knocked Nemie several hundred feet. The white haired girl shook it off and rejoined her sister with only a slight burn mark on her cheek.
"I hated to do that. He was way too young." Anai said sadly. "But if I'd let him go, he would have reported back to Ryukin and our base would be discovered."
"We do what has to be done, Anai." Nemie replied softly. After a minute, she slumped her shoulders. "Let's head back to HQ, okay?"
* * *
Nemie hid in the branches of a large oak tree, keeping watch while Anai gained access to the Renegades' command center.
Anai felt along the rocky crag wall, looking for the entrance. Her hand touched a flat, loose stone and she pulled it to the side to reveal a computer console. Anai punched a few buttons and leaned forward for the computer to scan her retina pattern. Then she placed her palm against the screen for a hand print. Red letters popped up on the screen that flashed "access confirmed." The rock wall shook slightly as the place where the cliff and the ground met pulled apart, exposing metal steps that led down into pitch-blackness.
"Nemie, come on." Anai said, starting down the steps.
Nemie floated after her sister, creating a sphere of white light to illuminate the way. Once they were both inside, the opening closed, leaving the two in almost total darkness except for Nemie's light.
They descended dozens of steps, the metal walls steadily closing in until, finally, the stairway opened up into a huge, metal room. In the very center of the room was a circle of computer consoles with wide holo-screens: the Mainframe. Against the far wall, three tall tubes filled with greenish water hung, large pipes running from them to another computer: the genetics lab. To the right of that was another doorway that led to the food storage and kitchen. Next to that was a line of beds surrounded by even more computers: the medical lab. Beside that was the door to the Gravity Room. To the left of the entrance was a wall no taller than five and a half feet that blocked the bunks from view. The room the group referred to as the "locker room" was next to the bunks; it was a lavatory complete with showers. To the left of that were a few barred cells for any enemies the Renegades caught.
Five other beings worked around the ready room, busy with routine tasks.
Ren stood at one of the holo-screens, most likely scanning the area for the twins. He was human, tall and fairly handsome with short black hair and intense dark eyes. He acted as leader when Anai and Nemie were away.
Standing beside him was Silva, the Renegades' medical doctor. She was the only human female of the group. Her deep purple hair was cut in short, ruffled layers and her gray eyes always held a sort of curiosity for everything around her.
Sitting in front of the genetics lab was a beast that would have been frightening if the twins hadn't known him. Lorn was an Alikai, a dragon-like creature with brassy skin and scales overlapping joints like his elbows and knees. He had large bat wings that he folded around him like a cape. His feet were sharp talons, but his hands were nimble and very humanoid. His face was human except for the bone ridge that crowned the top of his head. His strength, though great, was outweighed by his superior intelligence.
Kyris, a middle-height human with wild pale blonde hair and an unmistakable recklessness in his blue eyes, monitored the Army's dealings with an infiltrating computer hooked up to numerous spy cameras in Ryukin's base. He was the newest Renegade and was always eager to fight the forces that destroyed his home.
Finally, Mercay could be seen over the wall sitting on one of the bunks, his eyes closed. Mercay, young even by his people's standards, was one of the last Namekian warriors. His skin was green and completely hairless. He had tiny antennae resting on his forehead and tall, sharp ears.
"Hey, they're back!" Silva said suddenly, looking up from the screen.
"Did you find out anything?" Lorn asked, turning in his seat.
Anai shook her head. "Not exactly. There's a storm moving in, though, and it looks pretty bad."
"A storm?" Ren repeated.
"Yeah," Nemie replied, "Anai seems to think something's up. Something bad. And I kind of agree; there's a smell in the air that I've never smelled before and it bothers me."
"Well, we haven't seen anything, and we've been monitoring Ryukin all day. The weather readings don't say anything about severe storms, either." Kyris said.
"Anai is right." Mercay spoke up suddenly.
Everyone turned to where the Namek sat, watching them with cool eyes.
"What do you mean, Mercay?" Silva asked.
He slowly stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean that something evil is coming. I can feel it. I've seen it in my meditation. I don't know what it is, but it's there."
There was silence for a moment before Kyris spoke. "So what do we do?"
"We can't do anything until we know what it is and how to deal with it." Anai answered. "So until then, let's get back to business as usual. Just keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."
"Right." Kyris said.
As everyone went back to what they were doing before, Nemie walked over to stand next to Lorn, and Anai sat down in a chair in front of the Mainframe.
Ren glanced at her. "Anai, are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
"No you're not. And I have a feeling that it's more than just this unknown sensation you have."
"I'm fine, Ren." When he wouldn't look away from her, Anai sighed. "Okay, if you have to know, Nemie and I ran into a few Dark Warriors on the way back. One of them was only sixteen. I was going to let him go, but he attacked Nemie so I killed him."
Ren sat back in his own chair. "You were protecting your sister, Anai, and the rest of us, too. You shouldn't feel guilty. He chose his own fate by joining the Dark Army."
"I guess you're right. As usual." Anai smiled slightly. "What would we do without you, Ren?"
"Be captured and wither away in prison, I should guess."
Over by the genetics lab, Nemie leaned against the console as Lorn continued to type in data and calculations. When he sat back to survey what he had done, Nemie spoke.
"What have you discovered so far?"
Lorn shrugged his massive shoulders. "Not much, I'm afraid. Even with our technology as advanced as it is, I still don't see how Ryukin's geneticists could have created life forms from a nearly extinct species."
Nemie chewed her bottom lip and gazed at the tubes hanging on the wall. She could hardly believe that she and Anai had come from tubes exactly like those that now only held small plants. She remembered the story their master had told.
Trunks, the son of Vegeta and the last remaining Saiyan, had infiltrated Ryukin's main base, hoping to blow it up and end the Army's invasion. He discovered a secret laboratory with two babies in giant test tubes. Ryukin scientists had mixed genetic codes and essentially built living babies from the Saiyan race in hopes of raising the strongest fighters on the planet. But Trunks stole the babies and brought them up as his own children, as Renegades. Years after that, Ryukin killed Trunks and tried to take the twins back, but they fought him off.
Nemie turned away from the tubes. Eight years had passed since Trunks had died. Ren had been there, though he was only thirteen at the time. So had Silva, at 16. For years they'd been trying to figure out how Ryukin had created Nemie and Anai. When Lorn had arrived, they thought he'd solve the mystery. They were wrong.
Nemie yawned and stretched. "Well, don't work yourself to death, Lorn. Remember that even mighty Alikais need sleep. Speaking of which, I'm turning in. Wake me for my watch at one, okay?"
"Sure Nemie. Sweet dreams." Lorn replied with a grin.
She walked away, unbraiding her hair as she went. She passed by where her sister and Ren sat; Anai had dark circles under her eyes and a haggard look about her.
"Hey sis, I'm going to get a shower and go to bed. Why don't you catch a nap too?"
Anai barely glanced up. "No, I'd better stay up and check some things out."
"Okay, suit yourself." Nemie walked around the wall to the bunk area and found Mercay still meditating. "Hey Mercay, see anything interesting?"
He opened one eye to look at her, shook his head, and closed his eye.
Heh. He hates me. Too bad, he's a great fighter. Nemie thought as she grabbed her clothes and headed into the locker room. Mercay disliked Nemie because she was too brash and impulsive. He was slow to act and very cautious. It didn't matter much to Nemie; she fought the way she fought, she couldn't help that she loved danger.
After taking a quick shower, she went back to the bunks and found Mercay gone and Kyris lying on a bed. He was typing on a small palm pilot.
"Whatcha up to?"
Kyris jumped and threw the palm pilot under his pillow. "Huh? Oh, nothing. Just researching some stuff. Why?"
Nemie shrugged. "Just curious." She tossed her long mane of hair and made her way around the beds. "I'm hitting the sack for a couple of hours, so try not to make too much noise, okay?"
"Sure."
Nemie smiled at him as she pulled the cloth curtain across the room, closing off the three beds that belonged to the girls. She slid under her cold covers and cuddled her pillow until she fell asleep.
* * *
Anai looked up from the holo-screen when Lorn roared in frustration and slammed his hands down on the table.
"Calm down, Lorn, you'll break something."
Lorn growled and walked away from the lab. "I've been working non-stop on this for a very long time. Even my patience runs out eventually." He sighed, folded his wings casually, and leaned against the Mainframe.
"What's the problem? What's got you stumped?" Anai asked.
"Everything. From what I've studied, it's scientifically impossible to create a being from scratch, especially one with specially designed genes." He rubbed his hand over his scaly face. "I'm just about ready to give up. Ryukin would have had to use magic for something like this."
Anai looked down at her hands. She got that look in her eyes; the one she always had when she devised a plan.
"What's on your mind, fearless leader?" Lorn asked, seeing the look.
"What if we searched Ryukin's science data files? His oldest records should show exactly what his geneticists did."
Lorn almost slapped himself. "Of course! Why did we think of this sooner?!" He hesitated. "Wait...those files are protected heavily. One incorrect password and he may be able to track us."
"I'll scout it out; Mainframe will alert us to any tracking devices. If there's no way to get through digitally, then we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"I don't like the sound of that, Anai."
She cracked her knuckles. "I do. And I have a feeling Nemie would jump at the chance as well. First, though, I'll check the digital files." She began typing on the Mainframe and a white picture appeared on the holo-screen.
Lorn watched Anai work with interest. She knew exactly what she was doing.
A few minutes later, Ren and Silva walked over.
"What are you doing, Anai?" Ren asked, leaning on the back of Anai's chair.
"Searching the Army's genetic experiment files for the records of how they made me." Anai answered, her eyes quickly scanning the words on the screen. She gritted her teeth and refrained from cursing. "It's protected. The only way to get these files is through a disk on the Army's main computer."
There was silence for a second as the information sank in.
"Oh Anai...please don't." Silva said.
"It's either that or keep wondering how this all started. And who knows what we could accomplish with technology like that." Anai looked at each of them in turn. "We could finally win this battle."
"But...this is the most dangerous thing you could do!" Silva argued. "Why don't you just call Ryukin on the phone and invite him over for tea?!"
"It can't be all that bad." Anai smiled slightly. "After all, Master Trunks did it on his own."
Silva started to protest, but Ren interrupted her. "When are you planning this little escapade?" When Silva glared at him, he said, "You know very well we're never going to talk her out of it. Besides, she's the boss; what she says goes."
Silva fell silent and they looked back to where Anai sat, still staring at the computer screen. Finally, she nodded. "We'll scope out all the possible entrances and exits and devise our plans tomorrow. Then, tomorrow night, Nemie and I will slip in, slip out, and discover the secret of our birth."
"It's not going to be that simple." Mercay said, joining the group.
"I know that." Anai replied. She stood up and started to walk away. "I'm going to bed now. We'll start 'Operation: Origin' in the morning."
Disclaimer: I neither own nor have any professional affiliation with Dragonball Z. I make no profit from my work (if ONLY!). There, my butt's covered.
Part One--Operation: Origin
There was something in the air. The black clouds brewing above the western horizon threatened unseasonable storms. The sun had long since disappeared behind the jagged mountains and a cold wind blew in strong gusts. Even the air itself felt of rain, cool and damp.
A lone figure stood on the tall cliff overlooking the wreckage and rubble of West Capital City. A young woman, no more than eighteen. She stood tall and lean with the confidence of a veteran beyond her years. Her long red hair whipped wildly around her face in the bluster, and her ocean-colored eyes were full of uncertainty and earnestness. The solid muscles of her arms, shoulders and chest were stiff and tense.
"Anai?" A light, airy voice broke the silence. A second young woman joined the first. This newcomer was slightly taller than the redhead, a bit less slender but no less muscular. Though they shared the same chiseled facial features, the second girl's hair was snowy white and her eyes were an icier blue.
"Anai, did you hear me?" She asked when the first girl didn't acknowledge her.
"Yes, Nemie, I heard you." Anai replied absently.
Nemie walked to stand next to her twin sister and look out across the sky. "What is it? What's out there that's got you spooked?"
"I...don't know. There's a strange smell on the wind. I can't tell what it is."
Nemie crossed her arms over her chest to try and block the chill. She raised her head to sniff the air carefully. Her heightened senses picked up a faint, oily, dark smell.
"Ryukin?" Nemie's voice wavered in uneasiness.
"No, not Ryukin. This is different. This is worse."
"What could possibly be worse than Ryukin?"
"I don't know, but I'm afraid we're going to find out."
The girls stood there for a few more moments, watching as the dark clouds continued to roll in over the azure sky.
"Ren's waiting for us at headquarters. He's going to think we got captured or something if we don't get back soon." Nemie said finally.
Anai nodded and turned her back on the valley below. She lifted her feet off the ground and started to fly away, but a sudden pang made her stop in midair.
Nemie felt the same sensation and spun towards its source.
High above the twins, three forms sped through the air, surrounded by surging white auras. Nemie recognized the ki signatures as soldiers of the Dark Army.
"Anai!" She hissed, "Bogies at one sharp!"
"Lay low and suppress your energy!" Anai ordered quietly. She dropped back onto the ground and looked around frantically for a hiding place. There was none; the cliff was flat and bare.
Nemie landed and craned her neck up to see if the soldiers had seen them. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw them slow and then stop.
When the Dark Warriors turned back, Anai cursed.
"We've been spotted!" She fell into a fighting stance, ready for a battle. Kami, I hope they're just foot soldiers and not officers.
Nemie didn't wait for the troops to make the first move. She bolted up to confront them head-on.
"Nemie! No!" Anai shouted after her, to no avail. Growling at her sister's impetuosity, she followed to help.
The enemies were men dressed in maroon armor with white helmets. One had a large gold lightning bolt on his breast, naming him a sergeant. The other two were unmarked privates.
"Renegades!" The first private shouted, pointing at Nemie as she charged at him.
Nemie threw a punch at him and when he went to dodge, side kicked his stomach. He threw a few punches at her, but she proved much too fast for him. She blocked almost all his attacks; the ones that landed barely winded her. Delivering a spin kick to his head, she cracked his helmet. She finished him easily by slamming both fists down on the top of his head, sending him spiraling to the ground.
The sergeant went after Nemie while her back was turned, but Anai rammed him with all her might. He grunted and fell back a couple feet. Charging an energy attack, the sergeant thrust his open hand toward Anai and a ball of blue light shot at her. She knocked it away and raised both hands over her head in her own ki attack. A huge yellow orb formed in her palms and she threw it with a battle cry. The sergeant tried to evade it, but the blast followed him and finally engulfed him. He screamed and dropped from the sky.
The twins turned to the remaining private, a small, compact young man, close to their age. He stood staring at the girls through his visor with huge eyes. He was shaking with fear.
Nemie glanced over at Anai.
"Looks like Ryukin's been getting new recruits. He's a newbie."
"Kinda young for a Dark Warrior." Anai looked back at the private. "How old are you soldier?"
The private hesitated before answering. "Sixteen."
"Kami!" Anai exclaimed. "That's ridiculous. Ryukin's enlisting children for his psychotic plots. What are your orders, Private?"
His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "I don't have to answer to you, Renegade! General Ryukin's plans are top secret, and I've been trained to resist any kind of torture you evil rebels can come up with!"
Nemie snorted. "Torture? We don't torture people, kid, not even Ryukin's troops. But," She reached out her hand and, in a flash, she had the boy by the throat and a yellow bubble growing in her other fist, "we DO want to know what you're doing in the sector 342."
"Burn in the inferno, you revolting harlots!" The private shouted, spitting in Nemie's face.
In her surprise, Nemie let go of the boy and her burst faded. The soldier took the opportunity to fire a fairly strong blast at her, not anticipating that Anai would have already charged up an attack. The redhead let loose with the energy and blew the private away.
Anai sighed and turned around to see that the soldier's blast had knocked Nemie several hundred feet. The white haired girl shook it off and rejoined her sister with only a slight burn mark on her cheek.
"I hated to do that. He was way too young." Anai said sadly. "But if I'd let him go, he would have reported back to Ryukin and our base would be discovered."
"We do what has to be done, Anai." Nemie replied softly. After a minute, she slumped her shoulders. "Let's head back to HQ, okay?"
* * *
Nemie hid in the branches of a large oak tree, keeping watch while Anai gained access to the Renegades' command center.
Anai felt along the rocky crag wall, looking for the entrance. Her hand touched a flat, loose stone and she pulled it to the side to reveal a computer console. Anai punched a few buttons and leaned forward for the computer to scan her retina pattern. Then she placed her palm against the screen for a hand print. Red letters popped up on the screen that flashed "access confirmed." The rock wall shook slightly as the place where the cliff and the ground met pulled apart, exposing metal steps that led down into pitch-blackness.
"Nemie, come on." Anai said, starting down the steps.
Nemie floated after her sister, creating a sphere of white light to illuminate the way. Once they were both inside, the opening closed, leaving the two in almost total darkness except for Nemie's light.
They descended dozens of steps, the metal walls steadily closing in until, finally, the stairway opened up into a huge, metal room. In the very center of the room was a circle of computer consoles with wide holo-screens: the Mainframe. Against the far wall, three tall tubes filled with greenish water hung, large pipes running from them to another computer: the genetics lab. To the right of that was another doorway that led to the food storage and kitchen. Next to that was a line of beds surrounded by even more computers: the medical lab. Beside that was the door to the Gravity Room. To the left of the entrance was a wall no taller than five and a half feet that blocked the bunks from view. The room the group referred to as the "locker room" was next to the bunks; it was a lavatory complete with showers. To the left of that were a few barred cells for any enemies the Renegades caught.
Five other beings worked around the ready room, busy with routine tasks.
Ren stood at one of the holo-screens, most likely scanning the area for the twins. He was human, tall and fairly handsome with short black hair and intense dark eyes. He acted as leader when Anai and Nemie were away.
Standing beside him was Silva, the Renegades' medical doctor. She was the only human female of the group. Her deep purple hair was cut in short, ruffled layers and her gray eyes always held a sort of curiosity for everything around her.
Sitting in front of the genetics lab was a beast that would have been frightening if the twins hadn't known him. Lorn was an Alikai, a dragon-like creature with brassy skin and scales overlapping joints like his elbows and knees. He had large bat wings that he folded around him like a cape. His feet were sharp talons, but his hands were nimble and very humanoid. His face was human except for the bone ridge that crowned the top of his head. His strength, though great, was outweighed by his superior intelligence.
Kyris, a middle-height human with wild pale blonde hair and an unmistakable recklessness in his blue eyes, monitored the Army's dealings with an infiltrating computer hooked up to numerous spy cameras in Ryukin's base. He was the newest Renegade and was always eager to fight the forces that destroyed his home.
Finally, Mercay could be seen over the wall sitting on one of the bunks, his eyes closed. Mercay, young even by his people's standards, was one of the last Namekian warriors. His skin was green and completely hairless. He had tiny antennae resting on his forehead and tall, sharp ears.
"Hey, they're back!" Silva said suddenly, looking up from the screen.
"Did you find out anything?" Lorn asked, turning in his seat.
Anai shook her head. "Not exactly. There's a storm moving in, though, and it looks pretty bad."
"A storm?" Ren repeated.
"Yeah," Nemie replied, "Anai seems to think something's up. Something bad. And I kind of agree; there's a smell in the air that I've never smelled before and it bothers me."
"Well, we haven't seen anything, and we've been monitoring Ryukin all day. The weather readings don't say anything about severe storms, either." Kyris said.
"Anai is right." Mercay spoke up suddenly.
Everyone turned to where the Namek sat, watching them with cool eyes.
"What do you mean, Mercay?" Silva asked.
He slowly stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean that something evil is coming. I can feel it. I've seen it in my meditation. I don't know what it is, but it's there."
There was silence for a moment before Kyris spoke. "So what do we do?"
"We can't do anything until we know what it is and how to deal with it." Anai answered. "So until then, let's get back to business as usual. Just keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."
"Right." Kyris said.
As everyone went back to what they were doing before, Nemie walked over to stand next to Lorn, and Anai sat down in a chair in front of the Mainframe.
Ren glanced at her. "Anai, are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
"No you're not. And I have a feeling that it's more than just this unknown sensation you have."
"I'm fine, Ren." When he wouldn't look away from her, Anai sighed. "Okay, if you have to know, Nemie and I ran into a few Dark Warriors on the way back. One of them was only sixteen. I was going to let him go, but he attacked Nemie so I killed him."
Ren sat back in his own chair. "You were protecting your sister, Anai, and the rest of us, too. You shouldn't feel guilty. He chose his own fate by joining the Dark Army."
"I guess you're right. As usual." Anai smiled slightly. "What would we do without you, Ren?"
"Be captured and wither away in prison, I should guess."
Over by the genetics lab, Nemie leaned against the console as Lorn continued to type in data and calculations. When he sat back to survey what he had done, Nemie spoke.
"What have you discovered so far?"
Lorn shrugged his massive shoulders. "Not much, I'm afraid. Even with our technology as advanced as it is, I still don't see how Ryukin's geneticists could have created life forms from a nearly extinct species."
Nemie chewed her bottom lip and gazed at the tubes hanging on the wall. She could hardly believe that she and Anai had come from tubes exactly like those that now only held small plants. She remembered the story their master had told.
Trunks, the son of Vegeta and the last remaining Saiyan, had infiltrated Ryukin's main base, hoping to blow it up and end the Army's invasion. He discovered a secret laboratory with two babies in giant test tubes. Ryukin scientists had mixed genetic codes and essentially built living babies from the Saiyan race in hopes of raising the strongest fighters on the planet. But Trunks stole the babies and brought them up as his own children, as Renegades. Years after that, Ryukin killed Trunks and tried to take the twins back, but they fought him off.
Nemie turned away from the tubes. Eight years had passed since Trunks had died. Ren had been there, though he was only thirteen at the time. So had Silva, at 16. For years they'd been trying to figure out how Ryukin had created Nemie and Anai. When Lorn had arrived, they thought he'd solve the mystery. They were wrong.
Nemie yawned and stretched. "Well, don't work yourself to death, Lorn. Remember that even mighty Alikais need sleep. Speaking of which, I'm turning in. Wake me for my watch at one, okay?"
"Sure Nemie. Sweet dreams." Lorn replied with a grin.
She walked away, unbraiding her hair as she went. She passed by where her sister and Ren sat; Anai had dark circles under her eyes and a haggard look about her.
"Hey sis, I'm going to get a shower and go to bed. Why don't you catch a nap too?"
Anai barely glanced up. "No, I'd better stay up and check some things out."
"Okay, suit yourself." Nemie walked around the wall to the bunk area and found Mercay still meditating. "Hey Mercay, see anything interesting?"
He opened one eye to look at her, shook his head, and closed his eye.
Heh. He hates me. Too bad, he's a great fighter. Nemie thought as she grabbed her clothes and headed into the locker room. Mercay disliked Nemie because she was too brash and impulsive. He was slow to act and very cautious. It didn't matter much to Nemie; she fought the way she fought, she couldn't help that she loved danger.
After taking a quick shower, she went back to the bunks and found Mercay gone and Kyris lying on a bed. He was typing on a small palm pilot.
"Whatcha up to?"
Kyris jumped and threw the palm pilot under his pillow. "Huh? Oh, nothing. Just researching some stuff. Why?"
Nemie shrugged. "Just curious." She tossed her long mane of hair and made her way around the beds. "I'm hitting the sack for a couple of hours, so try not to make too much noise, okay?"
"Sure."
Nemie smiled at him as she pulled the cloth curtain across the room, closing off the three beds that belonged to the girls. She slid under her cold covers and cuddled her pillow until she fell asleep.
* * *
Anai looked up from the holo-screen when Lorn roared in frustration and slammed his hands down on the table.
"Calm down, Lorn, you'll break something."
Lorn growled and walked away from the lab. "I've been working non-stop on this for a very long time. Even my patience runs out eventually." He sighed, folded his wings casually, and leaned against the Mainframe.
"What's the problem? What's got you stumped?" Anai asked.
"Everything. From what I've studied, it's scientifically impossible to create a being from scratch, especially one with specially designed genes." He rubbed his hand over his scaly face. "I'm just about ready to give up. Ryukin would have had to use magic for something like this."
Anai looked down at her hands. She got that look in her eyes; the one she always had when she devised a plan.
"What's on your mind, fearless leader?" Lorn asked, seeing the look.
"What if we searched Ryukin's science data files? His oldest records should show exactly what his geneticists did."
Lorn almost slapped himself. "Of course! Why did we think of this sooner?!" He hesitated. "Wait...those files are protected heavily. One incorrect password and he may be able to track us."
"I'll scout it out; Mainframe will alert us to any tracking devices. If there's no way to get through digitally, then we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"I don't like the sound of that, Anai."
She cracked her knuckles. "I do. And I have a feeling Nemie would jump at the chance as well. First, though, I'll check the digital files." She began typing on the Mainframe and a white picture appeared on the holo-screen.
Lorn watched Anai work with interest. She knew exactly what she was doing.
A few minutes later, Ren and Silva walked over.
"What are you doing, Anai?" Ren asked, leaning on the back of Anai's chair.
"Searching the Army's genetic experiment files for the records of how they made me." Anai answered, her eyes quickly scanning the words on the screen. She gritted her teeth and refrained from cursing. "It's protected. The only way to get these files is through a disk on the Army's main computer."
There was silence for a second as the information sank in.
"Oh Anai...please don't." Silva said.
"It's either that or keep wondering how this all started. And who knows what we could accomplish with technology like that." Anai looked at each of them in turn. "We could finally win this battle."
"But...this is the most dangerous thing you could do!" Silva argued. "Why don't you just call Ryukin on the phone and invite him over for tea?!"
"It can't be all that bad." Anai smiled slightly. "After all, Master Trunks did it on his own."
Silva started to protest, but Ren interrupted her. "When are you planning this little escapade?" When Silva glared at him, he said, "You know very well we're never going to talk her out of it. Besides, she's the boss; what she says goes."
Silva fell silent and they looked back to where Anai sat, still staring at the computer screen. Finally, she nodded. "We'll scope out all the possible entrances and exits and devise our plans tomorrow. Then, tomorrow night, Nemie and I will slip in, slip out, and discover the secret of our birth."
"It's not going to be that simple." Mercay said, joining the group.
"I know that." Anai replied. She stood up and started to walk away. "I'm going to bed now. We'll start 'Operation: Origin' in the morning."