(Disclaimer: DBZ is property of its respective holders. Blah.)
Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force OutlookBy Son Rhandi
Part 1Berter gazed out the violet-tinted windows of the main headquarters on Freeza Planet No. 79, watching what seemed like an endless amount of stars. He seemed a bit depressed these past few days, as if a string of sadness was tugging at his heart. The blue gian dragged out a sigh as he folded his arms behind his back and turned to walk down the long winding corridor. Suddenly, he felt a warm something place itself on his shoulder. Berter bolted around with a fist drawn back, ready to defend himself if need be. An orange and white blur stepped back.
"Whoa! No worries, man. It's only me."
Oh. It was just Jeice
. "Sorry, man. Don't know what came over.""Think nothing of it," said Jeice, with an accent that would be regarded as something near Scottish on Earth. "I forgot how instinctive you become when you're suddenly touched like that. You really should take that armor off. We are off-duty, y'know."
The corners of Berter's mouth turned upward slightly. "Yeah, I know. But I feel strong in this, like I can beat anyone that comes my way. I feel kinda big, y'know?"
It was kind of hard for Jeice to understand. After all, the 9-foot tall lizard-being practically towered over his orange teammate, not to mention most of Frieza's soldiers. How much bigger could he possibly feel?
"Big....riiiight.....Anyway, you feelin' okay? You've been moping around for the past three days now. Is anything wrong?"
Berter's bumpy brows lowered. "Nothing you would understand."
Jeice ran a gloved hand through his long white hair. "Maybe, but it might help if you talked it out. I'm right here."
"I don't feel up to talking right now. Maybe later."
"Okay, if you ever feel up to it, I'll just be in the rec. room with Recoom." He raised his hand and gave his blue comrade a cheery Ginyu goodbye pose, then headed for the rec. room. Berter placed a hand atop his tan-scaled head and strolled down the corridor Jeice had come though to his quarters.
Jeice....
thought Berter. You are a good partner and a good friend, but there are some things I couldn't tell even you about.Berter halted when he realized he had reached his destination. He punched in the code to enter his vacinity and was successful in doing so. Once inside, Berter pulled his armor up over his head and tossed it to the linoleum floor, making a loud 'thunk' as it hit. He flopped on his giant bed and let out an anguished sigh. He put his hands behind his head and looked to the cream-colored ceiling.
I was hoping to forget it, but it seems I can't. It's been five years....since it happened.
And with that, Berter's thoughts drift back before the days of the Ginyu and Frieza, before any of this business with the planet trade, back to the days on his home planet.
"Get up and fight, you wimp!"
"Leave me alone, Jerin!"
"What are you gonna do about it, Berter? Bleed all over my fist like you did last week? Ha ha! This is adulthood training, fool! Either stand and fight or be a child forever!"
Berter's origins take him far back to his home planet of Hachuurui. Hachuurui was like Earth, as far as atmosphere goes, except for the fact that the skies were orange-red in the day, and faded to a deep purple at night. Otherwise, it wasn't much to look at. The planet was mostly desert and plateaus, with a few man-made oases here or there were the oceans and rivers were too far off for water, but was valued for its rich mineral deposits in the mountainous regions. There, he belonged to a race of reptillianesque people know as the Tokage. They were much larger in size than most aliens of that sector of space, not to mention speed and strength, but much smaller in number. On every Tokage child's tenth year (equivalent to about a sixteen year-old's time on Earth), their nurturers would escort them to a camp (the location varied on what region of the planet they lived) for adulthood training--males to one camp, females to another. After four years of training, young males were eligible to participate in the Regional championships to compete for females (for rather obvious reasons), and only ten of the strongest and fastest Tokage males were allowed to claim females and take their place to continue their glorious race.
A bruised young Berter picked himself up off the dusty earth as Jerin turned and walked
away. He touched a hand to the cut on his cheek and winced. "That stupid Jerin. Always picking fights with me. I don't see why I have to be here. I don't want a female. I don't want to take a mate.
He dusted his clothing off--a black sleeveless tunic with white Piccolo-type pants--and headed for his barrack to await instructions from one of the Riizards, the 'counselors' of the camp. Upon his arrival, Berter was met with a friendly face.
"'Ey yo, Berter! How goes it?" A husky young Tokage male greeted. Berter smiled.
"Tage, how goes it every day?" He pointed to the cut on his left cheek and bruises along
his arms.
"Yeah, same here." Tage rolled up his left pant leg to reveal numerous cuts and scrapes. Berter lowers his brow. "You too, huh?"
"Yep. It just wouldn't be the day if he didn't slap me around a bit," Tage grinned. "You should really get that cut taken care of. You don't want to risk getting it infected, do you?"
Berter thought about it for a second or two. "Nah, I think it'll be alright. If anything, you should take care of that leg. You're at more risk than I am, Tage."
"No, I'm fine. I've already cleaned them, and they've already started to heal nicely.
Come on in and I'll clean you up. You know the Riizards look down on shabbiness."
He looked down at his tunic and pants. Seeing that they were a bit dirty, decided to go along with Tage's offer. "Fine, if you insist."
Tage was Berter's one and only true friend in the adulthood camp. They both could relate to each other, mostly due to the fact that they were both picked on by Jerin, the biggest (and most arrogant) Tokage trainee in the camp. Both Berter and Tage were both considered the 'losers' of the place. Berter was tall but a tad on the scrawny side. While the rest of the males had already broadened noticeably, poor
Berter had yet to fill out. Tage was just the opposite. Although he could perform just as well as the rest of them, Tage was a bit husky, and top physical appearance was a big thing with Tokage males, so he definitely was teased. But despite all this, the two of them got by.
"All right!! All Tokage of the tenth and eleventh year report to the fire circle immediately!!" The shout of a Riizard rang throughout the barracks. "I repeat, all Tokage of the tenth and eleventh year report to the fire circle immediately!!"
Berter, Tage, and the other Tokage children rushed to their instructed location, the fire circle--the center field of the male adulthood camp. All of the boys gathered round the large circle, awaiting the Riizard to speak. The Riizard cast his eyes on all of the trainees. After looking them over, he cleared his throat and said, "Future Tokage men, stand and pay respects to the head Riizard of the plateau region's male adulthood camp! Give your salutes to Miruku!"
The young Tokage did as told. They all rose as the one called Miruku walked onto a platform a few feet away from the circle. Miruku appeared to be in his mid-forties, which was considered old by Tokage
standards. His skin was a pale blue and possessed a long scar, which started at his right brow and ran off the left side of his face. He turned to the large group of Tokage boys. Each boy stuck his right arm out in
front, the two forefingers of the right hand pointed toward the head Riizard to form sort of a backwards 'L', then touched the shoulder with the opposite hand. Miruku nodded his head in approval.
"Please be seated."
And so they sat.
"Future Tokage men, --and Riizards, too-- what brought be before you today is an act of importance. I have received a message from the Hachuurui Leaders that brings me a great disappointment. Apparently, this planet is now in open trade with the alliances of a man call Freeza, and it seems some of your nurturers are being relocated to the mountainous regions to assist in mining. In light of this event, all the camps have been ordered to cut back the training spans from four years to two years, so that means in the next four
months, those of you who will not be relocated will be returning to your homes."
It took all Berter possessed not to jump up and cheer. In only four months time Berter would be away from this camp and away from Jerin. He allowed himself a tiny smirk of satisfaction, and continued his attention to the head Riizard.
"Arrangements for the nurturers for those of the twelfth and thirteenth years have already been made, so if any of you have made any sort of friendship bond with members of those groups, you may want to wish them farewell after this. But some good does come of the change," Miruku raised a taloned finger. "This means we can up the final trials."
Berter cringed at that. He had heard stories of the final trials from those of the thirteenth year group. The Riizards would split up the senior age group into several smaller groups, (how many depending
on the number of Tokage in the age group)and escort them to the Razher Outlands of the plateaus--A dry, dusty place with little water, where beasts resembling dinosaurs and wild 'birds' roamed. Each group would receive a map of all the surrounding oases in that area. Their task was to spend two months in the Outlands, living off only what it provided, then successfully find their way back to the camp.
"And that also means," he continued. "that Miruku's Challenge can be initiated." The group of young Tokage all gain questioning looks on their faces. Miruku raised a brow and turned to the Riizard.
"You didn't tell them of my challenge?"
The Riizard looked back at him blankly. "I did not know it would come so soon, sir.
Had this change not taken place, I would have told them ahead of time."
Miruku turns to face the tenth year group, not bothering to say any more to the Riizard.
"My challenge is a simple one, and takes place the same time as the trials. You will be escorted to the Outlands by a Riizard and must spend three months there. Of course, you'll not be in a group of your fellow members. No, this is something you do alone. You will spend one month living off the land, and the third month you spend getting back to camp. As for the second month....." Miruku hesitated. "During the final two weeks of the second month, you will track down a Razher dino, kill it, and bring the body back with you. And you MUST have some sort of scar that proves you've tangled with the beast. If you present to me the body of one of the beasts, but have no wound of sorts, then I'll assume it was already dead when you found it, and you will not be eligible to enter the Regional Championships. So, who here is up for the challenge?"
Silence. Even Jerin, in his constant self-assured state, had to think twice about this one. Those Razher beasts were not ones to be messed with. Miruku was displeased.
"Come now! Who here will be a man and accept Miruku's Challenge?"
Slowly but surely, a blue hand rose. "I will, sir."
Miruku's face lights up. "Excellent! Come now… Stand up, boy! Tell me your name!"
"I am known as Berter, and I accept your challenge."
