It was a fine day for a fly, and Son Goten intended to do just that. The wind whipped past him with enough force to crush a human, but for Goten it was only a pleasant breeze. A nice, if temporary, distraction from the busy lives they all now led. He knew that tonight, Trunks was expecting him over to train and work on a few of their joined techniques. Then, in a few days, it would be Pan's birthday and he expected he would be roped into that too. Not that he minded much, Goten was a well-mannered young man and it took a lot to get under his skin. He was very much like his father in that respect.

Still, it meant that he would have little free-time for the immediate future. Hence, his intention of enjoying what time he did have. Things were a little crazy back at the Son Household, what with Chi-Chi's preparations and such. Goten didn't really mind being asked to help, but he drew the line at being told to go clothes-shopping for the whole family. Still, it was a nice day. The kind that are always pictured one a person thinks about summer. The inviting warm sun burning in the sky overhead, not a single cloud marring the perfect blue of the sky. The plants were so green they seemed to positively glow. Life was everywhere, and it had gotten to Goten as well. He had always liked this time of year, when things were growing, maturing. It seemed to fill him with energy as he shot through the air, his blurred aura surrounding him. With nothing else to do, he banked right. Heading for the one of the great forests that could be seen here and there.

The Son-House was busy as it had not been in a year. Chi-Chi had insisted that they hold the celebration in her house and Gohan and Videl had relented. Now, Chi-Chi worked tirelessly to prepare. A puzzled Gohan had been sent to town with a laundry list of foods ( After all, Chi-Chi would be serving Saiyans.) Bulma had been despatched to borrow some furniture from Capsule Corp ( Chi-Chi intended to have the main event outside, where the weather would make a perfect backdrop.) The house had been ruthlessly cleaned, every speck of dirt or dust expelled with extreme prejudice. The place sparkled.

Bulma had come over to lend a hand, and the two old friends chatted while they worked. Amusingly, both Tien and Yamcha had been visiting when the party was decided upon and they had both been press-ganged. Yamcha muttered mutinously as he cleaned.

By the time they were allowed to take their break, the place was unrecognisable. The wood had been polished and held a shine now like it had not done for many years, bathroom was like walking into the sun, so much had Chi-Chi worked on it, Bulma had arrived back and already the garden was filling with all the necessities of an out-door party. Tables, chairs and umbrellas ( In case of rain) as soon as Goten returned with the food, the made rush of preparations would begin anew. For now, however, the women chatted inside whilst Tien and Yamcha sat around outside the house, enjoying the light breeze and the warm light of the bright sun.

By all appearance, Yamcha was not a man who would enjoy the peace offered by nature. He looked like someone who lived his life fast, who never looked back, never turned and never stopped. Indeed, his reputation would support this -- a major baseball player now, he was often in the news. More due to his stunts and pranks than his actually games. He had a reputation as a womaniser, and he spent his money lavishly, not holding back. Yet, the former Z-Warrior was finding enjoyment in the pristine beauty of the day. It came of living like he had, supposed Yamcha, one learned to appreciate all the pleasures of life. After all, he never knew when the next alien menace would show up, the next Cell or Frieza or Majin Buu. He never knew when he would be called upon to fight again.

Tien was sitting next to him, the triclops clothed in his usual green. He also seemed to be taking in the nature all around them. It was odd coincidence that they were both here, Yamcha had certainly not known that Tien would be visiting when he called on the Son house-hold. Yet it was oddly ironic, Yamcha had been thinking a lot lately. About everything; his life, his fights, his friends and comrades. Even as late as last night, he had lain in the bed Chi-Chi made for him and looked over all the fights he had ever participated in. So, as the night darkened, and then eventually started to brighten, Yamcha came to one inescapable conclusion, no matter how much he tried to deny it, or to forget it or to simply ignore it, that one fact ate away at his soul. It had been gnawing at him for weeks in an insubstantial way, but now that he was consciously aware of it, it seemed to have tripled in strength.

It chewed away at him even as he sat in the warm light of the sun, the plants around him practically glowing after the heavy rain-fall last night. It was a perfect picture yet he could not fully relax and take it in. The single fact kept tugging at his mind as he tried to let go, it tormented him like some kind of demon. He had never thought that a simple piece of information could possibly do this to a man, yet it had. All his fights, he had realized, as he looked through them, all the most important points in his life were meaningless. It was a sobering realization, but not one that seemed of much import until examined closer.

Most humans ( Yamcha found himself referring to them as that more and more, the sheer power that was Ki seemed like an insurmountable barrier at times.) lived their lives peacefully, they didn't have much of a purpose except to live a good life, that was something easily done, but it was something that had never appealed to Yamcha. Most people contributed to the world in some small way, whether by children, by friends or just be living a worthwhile life. What had Yamcha ever done for the world? Really, when you got right down to it, every fight he had ever been in could have been won without his help. It might have been slightly harder, but it could have been won. At first, this would seem something small, Yamcha was always there to lend a hand, surely that was what mattered? But to Yamcha, it meant that his entire life -- all the training, all the suffering, all of it was worthless. He was worthless.

That was the reason that even with the golden sun slowly sinking below the horizon, he could not bring himself to relax... maybe it was his new discovery, or maybe it was his gloomy mood, but he could not shake the feeling that something was coming, something big.

The roar of the repeating Flux cannons filled the darkened forests, the bright flashes of light repeated many times as the beams energy lanced outwards again and again. Each brief illumination revealed the death of another person, most were blown to pieces, the high-powered Flux Cannons being designed to destroy enemy air assaults were overkill against the lightly armed soldiers that now assailed his position.

Echo Six continued to pound away at the enemy with his guns, they took cover when they could but the cannons ripped through trees and armour with absurd ease. Broken bodies were sent flying backwards, pelted with wood-chunks, each blast claimed a life, the super-advanced AI that served as Six's brain made sure that each blow counted. The Prime was isolated on this backwards world, and it was down to the Mechanicus Guard to hold the line until the main army could be manufactured. The attackers thought they had him surrounded but in reality, it was Six who had the upper hand. No human, he, a machine forged in blood and tempered for battle, the twin cannons, one poking over each shoulder, spat fiery death at anyone who dared move. The enemy returned fire with clumsy metal-firing weapons, slug-throwers. Six didn't even bother trying to dodge, the bullets smacked harmlessly into his armour, like rain breaking upon a tank.

Another salvo of light blue beams launched from his cannons, another round of shrieks and screams as more of the enemy died, another barrage of attacks him him but again, he didn't even notice. Just re-aimed and let loose once more.

Noxum crouched low with his back against the tree, sweat trickled down his forehead and the cut above his eye bled badly, threatening to obscure his vision. He could hear the constant whine of the Flux Cannons, the screams of his men beat a constant cacophony of failure and recrimination. He had brought over fifty of his finest men through the gate with him, now there was only twenty. A number that was rapidly decreasing.

They hadn't expected this, how could they have known? A Core was reactivating on an out of the way world called Earth, no big deal really, take a strike-team and blow it before it could build itself up. No one said anything about the Core being guarded by an Echo-Class Dreadnought! Noxum looked again at the primitive weapon he cradled in his shaking hands, useless. Against the weaker soldier variant it would have served well but against an Echo, it was totally out-classed. Just like me. A man next to him was cut down, the tree beside him caught alight, he wanted to give the order to fall back but knew that there was only two ways out of this. Victory, or death, there was no in-between. And as the Flux Cannons burned another of his men, he decided grimly that victory was not much of an option at the minute. Still, there was such a thing as going down fighting.

Unlike most of his men, Noxum was not human, or at least, not 100% human, he had been grown as a Ki Warrior, a mighty leader to bring victory in the epic wars that wrecked his home. Summoning on his power, Noxum felt the life-giving strength of Ki invigorate him, bringing it to a point in his palm, he held it out towards the Echo, he felt the power pulse and strengthen, the purple light growing stronger and stronger. For several seconds, he held the charge, pumping all the power he had into it, then, when he felt he could handle it no longer and it was release or explode, he, he thrust his outstretched palm forwards, " Pulse Obliteration!"

The purple beam lit up the night for miles around, it tore through the trees like a wild beast, it homed in on the Echo. With a load explosion, it impacted. The ground shook, trees were torn from the earth, Noxum braced himself and stood against the backlash, hoping that when the smoke cleared, he would be victorious.

No such luck, the metal form of Echo Six strode out of the smoke like a ghost or monster of the night. His armour was cracked and broken, having lost its shine, but there was no real damage. Noxum felt the will to fight drain from him as he watched his mightiest attack do no more than annoy his enemy. The others resumed fire, but Noxum could only look on in horror.

Echo Six System Update:

System_Condition: B+

Armour integrity holding at 95%

Unknown Ki attack, sensors indicate that the attacker likely is of a power level equalling 20,000 or above. Power level is likely below 30,000. Threat level: 11.

Echo Six strode from the smoky ruins of the impact site, his twin cannons locked onto the hot life-forms he could detect in the trees, no longer delaying, Six had switched to maximum power.

15 life-forms detected, weapon signatures match that of an Illuian honour guard, bio-signs match. Power level of 14 warriors hovers from 6-8, PL of one warrior equals 20,500. High likelihood. High likely hood this one is synthetic, higher likelihood that this is the one who launched the last attack.

Targeted enemy soldiers, targets acquired, switching to rapid-fire mode.

There was a pause of a half-second while the internals of the Flux Cannons were rearranged and then the fire picked up again, far more rapidly this time, it strafed the trees, biting through wood and leaf and flesh and bone. Six kept track of it all, using his onboard sensors.

Target's neutralized: 1,2, 3, 4 -- Four men had died in the last few seconds, their bodies chewed to an unrecognisable red paste by the storm of Flux energy -- 5,6,7 Another three met their end, two were crushed by a tree as it fell with a shriek of breaking wood, one took a Flux lance to the face, 8, 9, 10 More were killed in the firestorm, to Noxum's eyes this was no longer a battle, it was a slaughter, now he would have called the retreat, if he could only move. But fear gripped him with icy chains and he could not move. 11, 12, 13 14 The last four men in his team were murdered, they had tried to run, panic making them heedless of the danger. Six shot them in the back as they sped through the tree cover.

Noxum stood alone now, shivering and surrounded by the bodies of his friends and allies, he still held the weapon uselessly in his hand, it had been part of his training as a young, Do not lose your weapon, no matter what. He realized that the AI was toying with him now, it could have blasted him away as it had done with the others but instead it stood before him, looking at him. Judging him. Noxum felt a scream build up as he leapt forwards, his fist aiming for the thing's head, but Echo simply moved out of the way, his metal fist slammed into Noxum's gut. The soldier doubled up as pain shot through his body,

He fell to the ground, fighting against the pain and looking up in time to see both Flux Cannons aiming down at his head, the blue power built, crackling light it was some new kind of electricity. It discharged and Noxum was struck full in the face with enough power to rip through Ki-enhanced super armour. His skull was shattered, his brain turned to fine paste.

Echo Six scanned the forest one more time.

Enemies Terminated: 50 in total.

Enemies Remaining: 0.

Battle Time: 6 Minutes.

Mission Accomplished.