They left the underground warehouse.
Outside, the sky had grown completely dark.
Searchlights from the spaceport swept back and forth across the night sky. Cargo ships took off and landed one after another, their engines roaring deafeningly.
The pungent smell of engine oil was even stronger in the air.
The three of them headed back through the shadows along the edge of the cargo passage.
Cacao's optical units rapidly scanned their surroundings.
"A patrol is approaching, fifty meters ahead," Cacao said.
The three immediately took cover in the shadows behind a shipping container. A squad of fully armed Planet Karen soldiers walked past, their boots thudding against the metal floor.
Once the footsteps had faded, Turles continued forward.
They crossed the restricted zone and left the range of the signal jamming.
A faint crackle came through their earpieces.
The Heeters Group's communication channel reconnected.
"Mr. Turles." Elec's voice rang out.
"We've got your signal. Is the meeting over?"
Turles reached up to adjust his earpiece and gave a subdued grunt of acknowledgment.
"Did it go smoothly enough?" Elec asked.
"Whether it went smoothly wasn't for him to decide."
Elec laughed on the other end of the line.
"Very good."
"Mr. Turles, you're even more reliable than I imagined."
"The coup could break out at any moment. He can't wait any longer."
"For the next few days, you'd best keep a low profile and refrain from going out on any more operations."
"I know."
Turles's response was as brief and cold as ever.
"Here's to a pleasant partnership."
Elec finished speaking, and the communication channel fell silent.
The wind howled ceaselessly through the canyon, stinging their cheeks.
Elec put away his communicator, slipping it into his pocket.
Maki came over, her twin ponytails tangled by the wind.
She was chewing a fresh piece of candy, and her words came out muffled.
"That guy talks so coldly. He's no fun at all."
Elec smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
"Aren't all Saiyans like that?"
He turned around and gazed at the distant blue-green planet.
"Besides, he's a powerful Saiyan."
Elec's tone held a hint of self-mockery, but his eyes betrayed no emotion.
"If we weren't still working with the Frieza Force, do you think those savage monkeys would even give us a second glance?"
Maki pursed her lips, pushing the candy from one cheek to the other.
She was about to say something else when Jass, who had been silent beside them, suddenly stepped forward.
Elec turned his head.
"What is it, little brother?"
Jass raised his head.
His eyes held an almost obsessive fixation.
"I want to fight him."
Maki stopped chewing, and the hard candy in her mouth cracked.
Beside her, Oil also turned his fat body to look at his little brother.
Elec didn't answer right away. He simply looked at Jass.
Maki swallowed the candy fragments in her mouth, her tone unusually serious.
"Jass, that guy doesn't look any weaker than that Saiyan from back then!"
"I know."
Jass cut her off.
His voice remained steady, but that calmness was itself decidedly abnormal.
"But I'm not who I was back then, either!"
Elec fell silent for a moment.
He smiled with relief.
"All right."
Elec walked up to Jass and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"But not now."
"After the mission is over."
Elec looked into his younger brother's eyes.
"If you still feel the same way, I won't stop you."
Night had completely swallowed Planet Karen's capital.
The pungent smell of engine oil hung in the air, stronger than it had been during the day.
Turles and his two companions moved through the capital's streets and alleys like ghosts, avoiding every plainclothes patrol and soldier before returning safely to their base in the commercial office building.
The alloy door on the underground level slid shut behind them, completely cutting off all sound from outside.
Then the communicator in Turles's ear suddenly burst into loud static, and the channel was forcibly switched.
"Lord Turles!"
Amond's rough voice exploded directly into Turles's ear.
"When are you finally going to let me go down there and get to work?!"
Daiz, standing nearby, jumped at the sudden sound and instinctively looked at Turles.
Turles rubbed his ear, his face expressionless.
Amond had clearly been cooped up too long.
Without waiting for Turles to reply, he unleashed a rapid-fire torrent of complaints.
"My bones are practically rusting! I stay here every day watching those two brats, Reiz and Lakasei, tinker with their little gadgets. My eyes are going to go blind!"
"Boss, let me go down there! Just let me go down! I promise I'll smash every disobedient bastard on this lousy planet into meat paste!"
"Why go to all this trouble over something so small? Why bother with a plan? Can't we just go in and kill them?"
Amond's voice was full of agitation and impatience. He couldn't understand why something so simple had to be made so complicated.
"Amond."
"Are you done yet?"
Amond's complaints came to an abrupt halt.
"If you're done, shut up. Have you forgotten who was chased all over the universe by the Galactic Patrol before? You still haven't learned a thing."
"Boss, but..."
Amond still wanted to argue.
"Your job is to keep an eye on our spaceship and make sure those Heeters don't interfere with Reiz and the others' work."
Turles's voice left no room for negotiation.
"For now, we don't need you down here."
Turles paused, his tone softening slightly, as though he were calming a wild beast on the verge of losing control.
"This is nothing more than a race tearing itself apart as part of someone's scheme. We just need to proceed step by step."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by Amond's sullen voice.
"Got it, boss."
The connection cut off.
Silence returned to the underground command room.
Daiz looked at Turles, a trace of admiration in his eyes.
Only the boss could keep that battle maniac Amond in line.
But the work Reiz and the others were doing, which the boss had mentioned, piqued Daiz's interest.
"Lord Turles, do you think there's something wrong with those people from the Heeters Group?"
Turles didn't answer directly. He pondered for a moment, then said, "Who knows..."
"It's always good to be a little more cautious."
As he spoke, Turles looked toward the three-dimensional holographic map in the middle of the room.
"Maybe we'll get an unexpected reward?"
Daiz and Cacao exchanged glances. They didn't quite understand, but that didn't stop them from thinking it made a lot of sense.
"Then... what should we do now?"
"Nothing in particular. Just get yourselves into shape over the next few days. We haven't fought in so long, so don't let your bodies get rusty. It'll be trouble if you mess up at a critical moment."
At that, Daiz and Cacao suddenly grew serious.
"Boss, don't worry!"
"We'll be careful!"