[Note from the author:

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic. I thought I'd outline a few key points before kicking it off. I, like many DBZ fans, dislike GT and how it ended the series. Together with some friends we began writing stories how we would have liked things to happen post DBZ, and began to include multiple original characters, two of which are included in this backstory and are my own creation.

I have permission from the creators to use both the stories we've written together as well as any of their original characters, although I will be rewriting the adventures in my own words. The beginning chapters of this will focus on the backstory for Cale and Rek Reigo, and will eventually combine into the group story later on.

I am constantly trying to develop my skills as a writer and a storyteller, so any feedback is welcome although I do have to ask that if it is about an aspect that you personally don't agree with not to put it as a public review and message me instead. Thank you for supporting my fanfic!]

An explosion. The heat wave, pressure enveloping his pod in the negative pressure of space. Being rocked about inside the tiny sphere, battered and bruised. A bright flash, bright enough to imprint itself forever in his young mind, even over the lost memories of his father and mother. But more than anything else, the death. Thousands of lives silenced, the profound lack of energy perceptible even to his underdeveloped ki sense. And then nothing...

Cale awoke, sweating. Around him his adopted family, along with his blood brother Rek, still slumbered peacefully. Only Cale was being disturbed, only he was tormented by the memories this night. He looked towards his brother, curled clumsily in the little alcove that was his bed in the Yardratian hut, and thought about how it must be for his brother, who had been old enough to remember their parents.

Rek had been 16 when it happened, Cale only 4. He'd heard the story countless times from his brother, always so that Cale would never forget what happened to the Saiyan race, and why it happened.

His brother was a warrior in Frieza's army, rising steadily from his graduating class as he accomplished mission after mission in the short two years after he'd become a full fledged member of the Planet Trade Organization. Cale and Rek's parents had been so proud of him, the son of two low class Saiyans rising like a star. There were rumors among the low class that Rek was set to join the elite, but he never got the chance.

Solara, Cale and Rek's father, had been relaxing after a day's research in Frieza's labs on Planet Vegeta. He and his coworkers were enjoying drinks in a cantina when another low class Saiyan, a friend of the Reigo family named Bardock, stumbled into the bar looking half dead, maybe more. While the arrogance of the Saiyans showed in full as they laughed at Bardock's warning of Frieza's treachery, Solara took the warning for truth.

He'd dashed out after Bardock when the Saiyan left defeated. His half finished drink was left on the bar, along with a tab he would never get to pay. "Bardock!" Solara called out, running up to the battered warrior. "Bardock, what's happened? Where's your team?" Solara hefted Bardock's weight, seeing the damage his friend had taken.

"Solara," Bardock stated through a grunt. His armor was cracked and he was bleeding, and Solara picked up on the coagulating blood staining the bandana around Bardock's head. "Dodoria... he killed my team while I was recovering from the assault on Kanassa." Bardock stopped suddenly, his head tossing back as he screaming and clutched at his skull. "I k-keep having these... these visions!"

"Bardock?" Solara exclaimed, supporting the warrior's weight during the strange fit.

It stopped as suddenly as it had started, though. "I'm okay," he assured Solara. "Just a headache."

"A headache?" Solara asked sarcastically. "Bardock, you look like you've been to the gates of hell and back!"

Bardock panted, blood dripping down his side. "Planet Meat... my team had gone there while I was healing so I followed them but Dodoria and Frieza's elites had... had..." His had reached up towards the bloody headband he was wearing. "I killed all of them. Frieza's so called 'elites' died at my hands like defenseless children. But Dodoria snuck up on me... his Chou Makouoku did this."

"Come on, stand up!" Solara urged. "Let's get your son and get out of here, I'll get my family and meet you at the port. We can take my personal ship and get out of here!"

Bardock shrugged his old friend off, however. "Kakarot left less than a minute before I arrived, and Raditz is already off world on assignment. He can handle himself, he's a grown man. And Kakarot... he's gonna be fine." There was an uncharacteristic hint of softness in the hardened Saiyan's voice at the mention of his youngest son, a softness that had never been there where Raditz was concerned.

"He's a newborn, how can you guarantee that?" Solara asked.

"I saw it," Bardock stated simply. In response to Solara's skeptical look, he went on. "The Kanassans... they did something to me. It's how I know Frieza is about to destroy the planet. But when I passed Kakarot on my way in it's like... like we linked. I saw his future. He'll be fine, I know it."

Solara was a scientist, he didn't believe in precognition, but he could also feel Frieza's monstrous presence far above. He wasn't scheduled to visit Vegeta for another three months, so why was he here now? It only lent credence to Bardock's claim. "Come on, we're getting out of here. We can take who all believes us and escape, grow stronger. Take down Frieza and his men for what they've done."

Bardock shrugged out of Solara's grip. "No," he huffed, standing up straighter. "There'd be no point. The Saiyans are doomed anyways. We've grown arrogant, stupid. What happened in the bar is what would happen all over the planet if we announced this, not that we'd have the time nor the resources to do so. Not to mention that Frieza would wipe us all out the moment we tried to say anything." Bardock peered upwards out of a window, towards one of the suns orbiting Vegeta.

"I'm going to end this now."

"What? You can't, that's suicide Bardock!" Solara yelled out, putting his hand on Bardock's shoulder. "Think of Kakarot, you need to be there to watch him grow. To train him. If we leave now we can still make it!"

Bardock turned, putting his own hand on Solara's shoulder, the blood on his palm staining Solara's undersuit. "There is no place for me in my son's future," he said quietly, but with a strangely warm smile. "And I've already seen him grow. Oh god... he looks just like me..." Bardock stopped, looking out the window again. "And when he's fully grown, he takes on Frieza for all of us."

Solara blinked, confused. "Wait... Bardock what are you saying?"

The battered Saiyan turned back to Solara, clapping him on the shoulder. It was as much physical affection as he was going to show. "I'm saying that you have about fifteen minutes to get your family out of here. I'm going to do what I can."

Solara opened his mouth, memories of his and Bardock's childhood flooding back. Bardock had always been stronger, always the fighter while Solara had thought things through. The two had been quite the team before Frieza took note of Solara's scientific capabilities and saddled him with a research position, while giving Bardock his own squad to lead. He wanted desperately to fight with his friend, be there when it all ended, but Solara had to worry about his family. He had to save them.

"Thank you," he said, grabbing Bardock's hand and removing it from his shoulder before sprinting towards his living quarters. It was the last time Solara would see his old friend.