Bringer of Death

Cooler Saga - Part 2: Diplomacy

Cooler Saga - Part 2: Diplomacy 

Vegeta awoke with a start. He found himself panting, his sheets sticking to his chest and soaked through with sweat. Though it was the next morning, there was no sunrise on Frieza Planet 79. Only the small section of the planet with Frieza's headquarters even had breathable air. In the darkness, Vegeta got up from his bed and walked out onto the balcony. The stars shone brightly as he gazed up in silent contemplation. 

The dream had seemed so real. "Why does Kakarott continue to haunt me even though I have surpassed him?" In the vision, Vegeta had seen himself die at the hands of Frieza without ever becoming a Super Saiyan. Worse, after his death, Goku had fought and eventually defeated the tyrant, ultimately becoming a Super Saiyan himself. 

"Preposterous!" Vegeta murmured. "There is no way a low class warrior like Kakarott could ever achieve the legendary power that I have obtained." His subconscious had somehow presented him with a scenario in which he continued to be second-best. The warning was clear, though he didn't want to see the truth in it. "Even if Kakarott managed to become a Super Saiyan, he couldn't possibly rival me. I know I have surpassed him once and for all!" 

As he spoke, Vegeta felt doubt begin to enter his mind. That fool called "Goku" had somehow always managed to stay one step ahead of him until now. Despite the fact that Kakarott had never actually defeated him in battle, he had surpassed him in power on several occasions. In fact, he had even proven to be a decent opponent without even needing the power of the Super Saiyan transformation. "The last thing I need is to be surpassed again, especially by Kakarott." Vegeta continued to gaze off his balcony, feeling renewed motivation to resume training. First, however, he had some business to take care of. 

Vegeta donned his new suit of clean white battle armor, adorned with a flowing red cape. He always took pride in how he presented himself. Being on the battlefield and having worn out or damaged armor was one thing, but he was compulsive about keeping his attire flawless when he was off duty. He had class even when others didn't, and he was proud of it. 

"My lord Vegeta?" Malaka said, his face appearing on a small screen by the door. 

"Report," the Saiyan demanded. 

"Of course, my lord. We have several schematics for you to take a look at for your new vessel. Our engineers want to be certain it is built up to your specifications." 

Vegeta stared down at the new scouter that had been left for him. It looked much the same as any other scouter, except that its lens as bright and yellow as a Namekian sun. He reached down, picking it up. 

"Fine, Malaka. I will visit the shipyards soon. In the meantime, make sure everything is still on schedule for the conference this evening." 

"Yes, lord," came the reply as the screen blinked off. 

Vegeta had never again intended to wear a scouter, but he did find value in the communication abilities they afforded. It was also something of a status symbol. For low-ranking warriors, differently-colored scouters only indicated whether the model was a new one or an old one. However, Vegeta's scouter was a special model designed for him alone. It had even been uniquely configured to display power levels in units of one million; a built-in damping circuit allowed it to handle up to two hundred times this without overloading. Had it not been for this advantage, he would have crushed the scouter immediately, considering it nothing but a remnant of his past and those years of service to Frieza. 

"He is right I suppose. I need to make sure those idiots don't mess up my gravity chamber somehow." Vegeta swept out of his quarters and down the hall, leaving the guards outside paralyzed with fear at his mere presence.