Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“That would be true if we were going purely off a spatial location, but with other means to track it like the heart, the chaff, etc....our chances are quite a bit better.” Jinzi says as he moves up.

“I talked to Commissioner Mourn of the GP, he’s sending two ships here. One is the Coldlight, that experimental ship I mentioned, and the other set to watch over Earth, with Miras Thane as commander. Should be here in a day.”

"Experimental?" Parsley repeated with raised eyebrows. "As in it may not work as intended?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Experimental?" Parsley repeated with raised eyebrows. "As in it may not work as intended?"

Jinzi grins.

“What’s life without a bit of risk? No, it will work. It just might be....different is all.”

He cough and then nods.

“You will have to supply a pilot. I somehow doubt I’m going to be allowed to go with you all.”

[KingofPie]

Jinzi grins.

“What’s life without a bit of risk? No, it will work. It just might be....different is all.”

He cough and then nods.

“You will have to supply a pilot. I somehow doubt I’m going to be allowed to go with you all.”

"Sasheem calls it!" The Majin smirked. "He's a great pilot. Thanks to Piss-Stain or whatever his name was."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Jinzi grins.

“What’s life without a bit of risk? No, it will work. It just might be....different is all.”

He cough and then nods.

“You will have to supply a pilot. I somehow doubt I’m going to be allowed to go with you all.”

Parsley shared neither Jinzi's excitement nor his confidence in GP technology. "I'd rather have a backup, just in case. If I'm not mistaken, Sarada also has a ship on her person. Plus, there's that blood magic portal that Ishtar can create."

Backups were good and offered peace of mind; especially when dealing with technology that may not work as intended."

[KingofPie]

“Very well then, just the ships then. They should be there in a day, max. But stay on your toes, Blizzar. Mourn out.”

The comm cuts off.

"Understood, sir!" Blizzar saluted. "I will compile the rest of my report on my findings here and send them to Chief Durive for review!"

Blizzar was always proficient at multi-tasking. Enough to speak to Comissioner Mourn and type up a report involving all he'd heard of the discussions over the First Race. With every passing day, it seemed the dangers plaguing the galaxy grew ever more vast, threatening...but not unknowable. This group, these M-Fighters, eclectic as some of them were, the knowledge they gather could spare the galaxy from being a smear on the bootheel of unknown horrors.

And that....made them good for business. Blizzar chuckled as he began to send his report off to the chief. Hopefully Deputy Chief Stragge wouldn't intercept it first. To his relief, it seemed it was not as the vid screen came alive once more, this time Blizzar being greeted by the Chief.

Blizzar saluted once more. "Ah, chief! Salutations. Though, I'm sure you'll be sent word of it soon, I've something of a new assignment from Commissioner Mourn. I've also sent a report of my findings on Earth. I'm sure it'll be of interest. Some details are grave indeed."

The diminutive box-like robot(?) didn't say a word at first, opting to stand atop his desk, reading the report as he took everything in. Then, without warning, he kicked his feet up into the air in a failed attempt at a backflip, causing him to slip and slam the back of his head into the edge of his desk. He fell onto the floor and began to screech violently.

"WhirwhirwhiwwhirWHIRWHIRWHIRWHIRWHIR!" Durive garbled out, each cry increasing on volume. Blizzar stared at the screen impassively, as his finger slowly reached over to lower the volume, embarrassed that anyone would overhear.

The two deputy chiefs rushed into the room. The mage, Stragge and the ninja, Flasshu. Blizzar sighed. Stragge was of ill temperment...in regards to Blizzar. She didn't particularly trust him and even he admit, she had a right to. More than most, given the incident during than heir first encounter with one another. Still, it made things particularly aggravating, especially given that Stragge would be the one he'd have to deal with to find something worth trading to Ishtar.

Flasshu was more neutral in general, but given the vast array of spies at his disposal, Blizzar wondered just how knowledgeable he was of his more...illicit activities.

And then there was the Chief...Blizzar saw Stragge glaring at the screen hatefully. What, did she think it was his fault?!

"What did you do, Blizzar?!" she reprimanded.

Ah, there it was.

[Tami]

He explains about what they had discovered regarding the Doctor, his working with Marduk, the appearance of Glacia’s Dreadnaught heart and what Wilhelm was able to share about the First Race, and attempting to locate The Doctor’s base through various means.

“I also called the GP and got permission to use their new prototype ship, the Coldlight, to travel at far faster speeds to get to the Doctor’s secret First Race base.”

Meagan's eyes went wide, "So this means we can launch a direct assault?"

“That would be true if we were going purely off a spatial location, but with other means to track it like the heart, the chaff, etc....our chances are quite a bit better.” Jinzi says as he moves up.

“I talked to Commissioner Mourn of the GP, he’s sending two ships here. One is the Coldlight, that experimental ship I mentioned, and the other set to watch over Earth, with Miras Thane as commander. Should be here in a day.”

Jinzi grins.

“What’s life without a bit of risk? No, it will work. It just might be....different is all.”

He cough and then nods.

“You will have to supply a pilot. I somehow doubt I’m going to be allowed to go with you all.”

She listened but went quiet. There was a decision she needed to make and make quickly.

[Tami]

"Eh?"

Sarada blinked and scratched her head. "You're pregnant?" she asked Meagan.

That in itself wasn't the thing that bothered her. Fighting while with child was something that every Saiyan woman did. Hell, her mother gave birth to Parsley while in the middle of a battle. She had to hide in a dilapidated building when labor started, then jumped right back when once Parsley was out. Heh, she even strangled an enemy soldier with the umbilical cord when he wondered in.

That wasn't her problem. Her issue was Meagan not saying anything. Just like every Saiyan woman wouldn't bat an eye at fighting wars while pregnant, there were protocols to be followed. First, the pregnancy needed to be announced within two weeks. Next, the woman had to undergo special training to ensure her and her child's safety. Next, she was required to fight alongside four other, more capable women at all times. If and when labor was induced, three of these serves as a barrier while one helped deliver the child.

Obviously, Meagan wasn't very far along - she wasn't even showing yet - but that wasn't the point. She should have said something sooner so Sarada and the others could keep an eye on her. There was no telling what Incenio could have and would have done to her when she was in his custody, alone.

"You should have said something," she told Meagan with an annoyed frown. "It isn't fair to keep that from people; especially during a mission of that importance."

Remembering what Sarada had said earlier, Meagan goes over to her, "May I speak with you, away from the others?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Remembering what Sarada had said earlier, Meagan goes over to her, "May I speak with you, away from the others?"

Sarada nodded and stepped away from the others, near the edge of the Lookout.

[Tami]

Sarada nodded and stepped away from the others, near the edge of the Lookout.

"First, I'd like you to know why I didn't mention it earlier. Jinzi was wrapped up in his research so I didn't have a chance to tell him. Aside from Cyanna and Dash, it didn't seem right for him to be the last to know. Also," Meagan's expression became slightly more melancholy, "I feared that the mission we just completed might be my last and I wanted a chance to fight once more. One last time."

"If I had said something, would you or the others have tried to stop me from going?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"First, I'd like you to know why I didn't mention it earlier. Jinzi was wrapped up in his research so I didn't have a chance to tell him. Aside from Cyanna and Dash, it didn't seem right for him to be the last to know. Also," Meagan's expression became slightly more melancholy, "I feared that the mission we just completed might be my last and I wanted a chance to fight once more. One last time."

"If I had said something, would you or the others have tried to stop me from going?"

Jinzi being too busy with research and work to listen to something of this import really spoke poorly of him. In fact, being too busy to talk to his mate period spoke poorly of him. Communication was the key to a happy life, after all. Sarada supposed, on that front, not telling him right away was understandable.

As was her reasons for not telling her and the others. Saiyan women fought up until labor - or even later, in her mother's case - but other races were an unknown. Not all races were as battle-crazed as the Saiyans were, so fighting while pregnant was likely unheard of. She wasn't sure if that was the case in Chromakai culture, but from the sounds of it, it was.

"Of course I wouldn't have," Sarada answered. "Women fighting while pregnant is perfectly normal in Saiyan culture. Hell, my sister was born in the middle of a battle." She chuckled and patted Meagan on the shoulder. "I can't speak for Held, Blizzar, Cthylla, or Althena, but you would have had my vote of support. And now that we know, we can take precautions to make sure your little one stays as safe as possible while you're kicking ass!"

[Tami]

Jinzi being too busy with research and work to listen to something of this import really spoke poorly of him. In fact, being too busy to talk to his mate period spoke poorly of him. Communication was the key to a happy life, after all. Sarada supposed, on that front, not telling him right away was understandable.

As was her reasons for not telling her and the others. Saiyan women fought up until labor - or even later, in her mother's case - but other races were an unknown. Not all races were as battle-crazed as the Saiyans were, so fighting while pregnant was likely unheard of. She wasn't sure if that was the case in Chromakai culture, but from the sounds of it, it was.

"Of course I wouldn't have," Sarada answered. "Women fighting while pregnant is perfectly normal in Saiyan culture. Hell, my sister was born in the middle of a battle." She chuckled and patted Meagan on the shoulder. "I can't speak for Held, Blizzar, Cthylla, or Althena, but you would have had my vote of support. And now that we know, we can take precautions to make sure your little one stays as safe as possible while you're kicking ass!"

Her shoulders straightened up slightly, like a weight had been lifted from them, "I did not think it was possible to continue fighting. Then again, there is much that I don't know about bearing a child, not having had anyone to share that knowledge with me. Perhaps I should continue to fight for now, to go on this mission Jinzi spoke of."

"Thank you, Sarada."

[grampagen]

“I remember.”

Asha’rah speaks up quietly.

“I remember now, them fleeing universe 18. They begged me, while I still spun this place into existence. They begged me sanctuary. They said they were fleeing extinction. I allowed them passage and a small world to settle upon, Calas they named it, with an asteroid field separating and protecting them. They did not last long beyond that, and they made no move to act violently. I saw them as refugees.”

Her hands clench.

“It seems only a few were.”

More fragments gathered, and a greater piece of the whole began to form. There at the point of beginning, when the intention to create an enlightened universe, she brought them in. Vanity.

"Overtly, they didn't lie," he grunted "And when there was no room left in Hell for invaders, traitors and Destroyers, they sought to claw their way out by any means possible." The world shown in the archive was a grave showered in the detritus of their efforts. They had tread there, and she herself saw it.

When they went to Terra the loam was still loose over the Gods' buried mistakes, and the Namekian, Hammer rose from his shallow grave. He knew Asha'rah would indeed be remiss to forget this. Folding his arms before his chest, Ochazuke pressed a harsh exhale through gritted teeth.

"But where are they now? Their colossal works to inspire dread are all that are left. Nothing besides that remains." The small shudder that had taken his limbs soon had ceased as he looked to the Goddess.

The goddess finally found the memories of her interactions with the First Race in the locked away recesses of her mind. They came to her from 18 as refugees, begging sanctuary, as they were escaping extinction. That was obviously a falsehood, but at the time, there was no way to know that. They were settled on Calas, with an asteroid field protecting them from possible invaders.

Hm.

Parsley glanced at Ochazuke briefly.

"Do you remember the location of this planet Calas?" she inquired of Asha'rah. "If The Doctor is using their technology for his own purposes, then he would have to have access to their planet. If we find Calas, we may find Jinzi, also."

"All valid points."

Karine couldn't disagree with any of the ideas and theories put out for the group to digest. It didn't yield any results besides further speculation but it did at least get her mind pumping.

"I do hope their actual name isn't The First race." Karine mumbled. "That would say a lot more about them if that was the case.."

Logically she couldn't think of a reason for it, such a race should of had all its material needs met and then some with the kind of techology they had. So to her, it had likely to do with conquest. "Though, we may also have possibly accept the fact our potential enemies are, well, alien in mind set. Humans, Nosferartu and even Sayains have differences but a lot can be chalked up as culture, and even then said things can be from a point of view we can understand. However, The First Race may work from a point of view and line of thought that wouldn't make sense to any of us. I think we take for granted how similar many aliens we know about and encounter here we can understand."

"They had been judged accordingly by the deeds rendered by their own hand. If they squandered their second chance, let that fall upon their heads as well."

With a sharp tilt of his head, he pulled his view from Asha'rah to the more immediate concerns. "Like any other people, perhaps they are not a collective monolith. The most visible are always the most atrocious. But the matters of dead men will have to wait."

They had a name, a location. One fixed point.

In the centre of many radial divergences.

"It may not just be a question of where, Parsley. He's been pulling his forces from divergent futures."

The problem in tracing the Doctor with all they had available to them would be quite self-evident to those who peered beyond the First Race's fragmentes pieces.

"He himself seeks to usurp Time. If he struck at us within our present, it would be a simple matter to find him. But he stands outside space, outside of the moment."

The nexus of all possibly futures, reaching back to the past.

Aleka hadn't answered, too deep in her concentration to say or add anything as she dove too deep to offer her own insight.

Though as suddenly as it happened, the vision ended and Aleka backed away from the heart slightly, looking tired and a bit out of it.

"Are you all right Aleka?" Karine asked slightly concerned.

The older woman shook her head. "Yeah..one second kick is a bitch like I thought it be. Never dove that far back from a object from another time." She took a breath as she stood up straighter. "I saw what seemed to be a old man with bright blue eyes working on the heart, a blue skinned male Oni was muttering something but no idea what they were saying. In the dark and in the background, there was golden eyes watching. I couldn't make it out, but they looked female to me and then the vision ended. Not sure if any of that means anything you guys because I'm just as confused and lost as I was before.."

When he heard Aleka announce her discovery, a small smirk curled in the corner of his mouth.

"We now know why, how, and where," he mulled aloud. "All we need now is to find when he affected his divergence."

And to do that, they needed Zurvan. So the course was clear.

"You did well."

“Ready to go.”

Pike walks up and motions to the RoSaT.

“In and out. Ten, twenty minutes tops. I owe you that much. Elder Nail will be more than willing to condense and hand over the nexus.”

When the Namekian returned to the Lookout plaza, Ochazuke greeted him with a small tilt of his head. Days ago they met across the field of battle as enemies, until the truth came out. The Doctor struck him down once he had outlived his usefulness, and held him ransom to the hope of returning to the safety of his home.

"The Doctor promised you mystic knowledge, didn't he," he said. "That was a bit more than the way back to your family."

As they saw that day, the briefest hesitation to take another step beyond was all it took for Pike to make his turn. Who was to say if the Doctor's promise loosed its grip entirely?

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Her shoulders straightened up slightly, like a weight had been lifted from them, "I did not think it was possible to continue fighting. Then again, there is much that I don't know about bearing a child, not having had anyone to share that knowledge with me. Perhaps I should continue to fight for now, to go on this mission Jinzi spoke of."

"Thank you, Sarada."

"You're welcome, Meagan." Sarada let her hand drop to her side. "Saiyan women develop an extra layer of muscle around their abdomen when they get pregnant. They also wear special armor designed to protect their torso. I figure we'll have Jinzi make you some, or I can give you one of our maternity armors if you'd like."

[Tami]

"You're welcome, Meagan." Sarada let her hand drop to her side. "Saiyan women develop an extra layer of muscle around their abdomen when they get pregnant. They also wear special armor designed to protect their torso. I figure we'll have Jinzi make you some, or I can give you one of our maternity armors if you'd like."

"That might be wise." Meagan considered something before speaking, "I have not had a chance to interact with other Chromakai women on a personal level, despite my status as Guardian. I have read up on the biology of the process for my people, and as far as I can tell we don't develop extra muscles. One thing I have read is that the process often drains the energy from the mothers. By their final quadmester, many women are bedridden as a result. Hopefully that won't be the case for me."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Aleka smiled slightly at her enthusiasm, now that she was thinking of it Sarada did remind her of a few students she had back at home. "I'm looking forward to it when we have the time. There are things you can learn from a person in a fight you'd be surprised at. How they carry themselves, what they do in certain situations, all the way if they cower, face or block in certain moments. When I was younger, my teacher told me that and being young I thought I knew everything so I kind of dismissed it as 'sage master talk' or something. Turns out they knew what they were talking about, I just had to learn it myself."

When she addressed her fellow martial artist, the one she had yet to give a name for her interest piqued at the school part. So she hadn't been wrong after all.

"He's an interesting one." Aleka began. "When I first met them, he didn't give me his name, I think he's testing the waters since I'm new here. Strange as it might sound, I want to earn his name so if you could help it don't give me it just yet. "

At hearing that Ochazuke hadn't given Aleka his name yet, Sarada raised an eyebrow. To her knowledge, he hadn't done anything like that to anyone else, so it must have been some new hazing thing he was doing. His name must have equaled his respect, she supposed.

"Sure, I won't give Bill's name out just yet," she responded before laughing quietly. "Seriously, I won't spill, but it'll get pretty awkward talking about him without actually saying his name. Though, I suppose context is a thing."

She shrugged.