At the edge of the Solar System, in the Oort Cloud.
This was a desolate region that even interstellar pirates could not be bothered to visit.
There were no asteroid belts rich in rare metals, no terrestrial planets suitable for colonization.
But now, the silence that had lasted billions of years was broken.
An enormous cross-shaped mothership tore open a warp corridor and forced its way into this region of space.
A second ship followed, then a third.
In less than ten minutes, thousands of warships filled the void like locusts.
Their dark red armor plates gleamed dully in the faint starlight, and painted on the side of every ship was the emblem that struck terror throughout the Northern Galaxy—the emblem of the Frieza Force.
On the lower deck.
Private third class Guldo leaned against a bulkhead, holding a can of synthetic alien nutrient solution.
He bit the tab open and took a long gulp.
"Damn it, when the hell is this assignment going to end?"
Grumbling, Guldo crushed the empty can and tossed it into the waste recycling chute.
Beside him, a fellow soldier cleaning an energy rifle did not even look up.
"Shut your mouth. This order came straight from Lord Frieza. You got a problem with it?"
"It's not that."
Guldo lowered his voice and leaned closer.
"I just don't get it. This dump doesn't even have a decent civilization. All the radar picks up are dead planets. Why did we come all this way? To hand out charity?"
"Who knows? Maybe some primitive planet has a rare mineral deposit."
His companion clicked an energy magazine into the rifle.
"Who cares? We only have one job: fly over, kill everything that breathes, then load anything useful onto the ships. It's that simple."
"True enough."
Guldo grinned, revealing