Author's Note: This is my first ever fanfiction and I was extremely nervous about posting it to the world. I had this idea a while ago and decided to make it a reality since I haven't really seen any stories dealing with the events following Episode of Bardock. Also, being the Sci-Fi nerd that I am, I realized that Bardock's knowledge of "future" technology would enable his followers to have vastly superior technology compared to Frieza and the rest of the Cold Empire.
Introduction: A Hero Stands Firm
Age 737. Ship of Unknown Designation near Planet Vegeta. (Formerly Planet Plant)
Lord Daizu, a tall, muscular Saiyan with short, black hair, stood on a circular pad of light in a rectangular room. He ran a hand over his black armor before smoothing his black combat pants. Depending on one's point of view, the armor was either almost 200 years old or only a few days old.
Daizu looked across the room at a photo of the armor's original owner. The photo depicted a Saiyan male, with spiky, jet black hair and a scar on the shape of an 'X' on his left cheek, standing with his arms crossed. A blood red cloth was wrapped around the warrior's head, commemorating the honor of previously fallen comrades.
"Bridge to Lord Daizu." came a female voice over the room's speakers.
It's time. Daizu's tail twitched in excitement as he replied. "Go ahead."
"Frieza's ship has just entered the system and is on course for Planet Vegeta. Sensors are also detecting a second ship, identical in configuration to Frieza's holding position just outside of the system."
A second ship? Daizu thought. Bardock never mentioned two ships. Then again, Saiyan technology is still primitive compared to ours. Perhaps they never detected it. "Have they detected us?" he inquired.
"No, sir." The voice returned. "The ship's cloak is functioning flawlessly. As long as we keep our energy hidden, their scouters shouldn't detect us."
"Any ideas about the other ship?" asked Daizu.
"Preliminary reports label it as an Arcosian Cruiser;" the voice replied "Its shielding and hull configuration is identical to Frieza's. If I were to guess, I'd say it's Cooler. Cold rarely ventures this far away from his throne."
Good. Thought Daizu. Maybe I can kill the whole family in one swoop. "Send me in."
The pad on which Daizu stood turned a noble blue as a tingling sensation began on his skin. The rectangular room collapsed upon itself and expanded to reveal the pinkish black hue of Planet Vegeta's sky as viewed from the upper atmosphere. A small dot of white light could be seen rising from the planet to meet Frieza's ship.
Daizu smirked as he began to fly towards the now beginning battle between the lone warrior and Frieza's men. It looks like I've arrived just in time.
Age 737. Planet Vegeta (Formerly Planet Plant) Upper Atmosphere.
"Frieza!" shouted Bardock as he nimbly avoided an energy wave. The Saiyan spun, extending his left arm and fired a blue wave of his own towards an oncoming soldier before he continued his charge toward the oncoming vessel. More and more soldiers of various races poured from the circular, disk-like ship to attack the lone warrior, but the battered and bloodied Bardock welcomed them.
It was as if the Saiyan was in a trance. Even without his scouter, he could not only detect but feel the positions of his enemies. He dodged a red skinned soldier's fist while spinning to deliver a rib breaking kick. The soldier tumbled into the atmosphere below. Blood poured into the Saiyan's eyes from a wound on his forehead. His breathing was labored from multiple broken ribs, but still, he fought on, carried by his anger.
As Bardock neared the ship, he saw his objective: a short, white and pink alien creature with two black horns upon his head. His eyes were a piercing red and he wore purple and gold armor of a similar style to Saiyan armor. Frieza, Destroyer of Worlds, The Harbinger of Death, stood upon the white hull of the ship. He smirked as he held out his hands in a sense of mock appreciation. "My my, Bardock. You have put on quite a show."
"Frieza! You murderous self-serving traitor!" shouted Bardock. "It's over! We quit! All of us!"
Frieza closed his eyes and smirked as he extended his index finger. A small, orange ball of energy appeared and hovered just over his finger tip.
"We don't work for you anymore! Got it!" Bardock continued. "You need to find someone else to do your dirty work!" The Saiyan smirked as he tensed his right hand in a cup sort of shape. Blue energy flashed into existence and surrounded it as he continued speaking. "This is the power of the entire Saiyan race! Have it!" Bardock threw the ball of energy as hard as he could at the tyrant.
Frieza let out an ear shattering laugh as the small ball of energy at his fingertip quickly began to grow. Bardock's energy blast slammed into the expanding sphere, harmlessly dissipating and being absorbed into Frieza's attack. When the ball became approximately the same size as the ship, Frieza pointed toward Bardock. The miniature sun quickly began to accelerate towards the lone Saiyan.
Bardock stood in shock. Time seemed to slow down for the warrior. His strongest attack, containing every bit of energy he could muster was completely ineffective. This is the end. At the fringes of his perception, he sensed something, however, that brought him out of his shock. A small power level, quickly moving away from the planet. The Saiyan smirked as he awaited death. At least I bought you enough time to escape. The Saiyan race lives on within you, my son. Bardock's arms and legs began to tingle as the heat from Frieza's attack began to burn his skin. He couldn't escape his impending doom, even if he tried. Once Frieza's energy ball hit the planet, there would no longer be any air for him to breathe. Instead he was determined to greet death with dignity and a final smirk of defiance upon his face: the Saiyan would die an honorable death worthy of his warrior race.
Bardock's hair was whipped backwards by the wind generated from Frieza's attack displacing the air as it moved. His armor slowly began to crumble away from the heat and force of the approaching ball. Sweat mixed with blood poured down the warrior's face as pain from the heat threatened consume his consciousness. Bardock willed himself to hold his ground and not scream. A fleeting vision came to the edge of his perception. A man, with similar hair to Bardock, wearing an orange gi with a blue undershirt and dark blue boots stood facing the tyrant. At that moment, Bardock knew the Saiyan race would be avenged.
It was in that moment that Frieza's attack prematurely detonated. The concussive force slammed into Bardock, causing him to tumble towards the planet. Digging into reserves the Saiyan didn't even know he had, he stopped his fall. In between Bardock and the ship was a large cloud of gray smoke. In the smoke, a black silhouette could be seen. As the smoke cleared, a male of average height with short black hair, similar to Bardock's was revealed. His armor was identical to the style of Saiyan armor that Bardock wore. The most distinguishable trait of this man was the brown tail wrapped around his waist.
A Saiyan?! Bardock thought. Not even King Vegeta, himself, could have survived that attack!
Daizu took the opportunity that the smoke from the blast afforded him to survey the situation. He could still sense his great grandfather behind him. Frieza's soldiers were still too shocked to converge on his position. Even the tyrant, himself, was still attempting to piece together what had happened. He lowered himself until he was standing on the hull of Frieza's ship mere feet from the tyrant. He smirked at the alien. "So you're Frieza."