[Age 737]
In the vast, nigh, endless void that was space: above Planet Vegeta, one lone Saiyan warrior stood against the hordes of the tyranical Frieza's army. Flying forward with undying determination this lone warrior known as Bardock punched and kicked his way through all who stood against him, taking on a seemingly endless horde of alien lifeforms. Battered and bruised; his trademark red headband flowing down behind him and his green Saiyan battle armor heavily damaged, Bardock grated his teeth in frustration. More and more soldiers crowded around him with each passing second, but Bardock was ready to kill them all if they were foolish enough to challenge him like the rest. As Bardock held his bloody left arm, the crimson liquid streaming down from his wounds, a mysterious purple aura briefly flickered over each one of Frieza's soldiers: their eyes glowing deep red for a fraction of a second. The lone Saiyan narrowed his eyes and grated his teeth as the underlings of the tyrant inched ever closer.
"FRIEZA!" Bardock exclaimed at the top of his lungs, calling the Tyrant forth from his spaceship that floated before Bardock above a doomed Planet Vegeta. Bardock's aura flared up, a blue wave of energy engulfing him whole as he prepared to fight the Frieza force henchmen around him. A mysterious flash of light suddenly appeared behind the brave Bardock, a sign he was not alone on this battlefield. No longer would he fight this hopeless battle alone. Briefly glancing over his shoulder: Bardock met the gaze of his new and unknown ally.
Meanwhile on the other side of Planet Vegeta, flying through the depths of space away from the doomed planet at their fastest possible speed was a single Saiyan woman around 20 years of age. With short and unkempt black hair and black eyes, the iconic traits of a Saiyan, she had a surprisingly gentle face to contrast with her warrior race origins: but it was filled with rivalling determination and sorrow today. This Saiyan woman wore battle armor completely identical to Bardock's; with a light green and black paint job with gold straps over the shoulders and two flaps around the waist, along with red sweat bands over her forearms, which reached from her wrists to her elbows. The same boots Bardock wore were also on her feet. One notable differences in attire being that she wore a blue sleeveless and long legged jumpsuit akin to what Vegeta would wear during the Majin Buu saga. An old model, green lensed, scouter was placed over her left eye. The Saiyan woman looked behind her, towards Planet Vegeta as she flew away, thinking back to prior Bardock's last stand... the last time she felt she might ever see him.
Bardock stumbled into his household, bloody and beaten; his armor broken and a deep scar acoss his left cheek. He rested up against a wall off to the side, taking a few deep breaths as he looked around wearily. He was tired from a prior battle.
"Bardock, is that you?" A woman's voice called out from a doorway across the room, that very same Saiyan woman walking through said door and then stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Bardock. "What happened!?" The Saiyan woman rushed towards Bardock and helped him to the living room couch: setting him down to rest.
"Frieza..." Bardock coughed as the Saiyan woman laid him down on the couch.
"Frieza...? What do you mean?" The Saiyan questioned, raising her left brow with intrigue.
"Gine... I want you to leave Planet Vegeta... follow Kakarot's pod... don't worry about Raditz, he is with Prince Vegeta on some far away rock, he'll be perfectly fine, they're far away from here..." Bardock replied. Gine was this Saiyan woman's name.
"Bardock, what's going on? What do you mean Kakarot's pod?" Gine responded, her tone inching away from concern.
"He's been sent away to a distant planet on the grounds of an infiltration mission..." Bardock was cut off when Gine's rage exploded. He was about to get a painful taste of such wrath...
"YOU SENT OUR SON AWAY WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT!?" Gine burst out, slapping Bardock around the face and leaving a distinct red mark. Bardock held his face in seering pain and immediately jumped away from Gine as her aura flared up and she clenched her fists while grating her teeth, her tail waving to and through behind her as her eyes twitched. Fear gripped Bardock as Gine hung over him: having slightly elevated herself off of the ground to intimidate her husband.
"Wait will you!" Bardock pleeded, Gine held the distinction of being the only person that ever made Bardock feel fear; coincidentally akin to Goku's future wife Chi Chi, Gine's future daughter-in-law. Gine narrowed her eyes and waited to hear Bardock out. "It was a ruse of mine to get him away from Planet Vegeta! I had him sent out by some scientists, explaining that I wasn't happy with his Power Level and wanted to see if he could handle such a weak planet... It is only 1 after all... but anyway, he's safe and that's what matters." Bardock explained. Gine's aura slowly died down and she began to regain her compusure whilst floating back onto the ground.
"That's surprisingly 'soft' coming from you." Gine folded her arms and slightly smiled. Bardock chuckled weakly and shuck his head.
"You rubbed off on me." Bardock defended.
"But what is going on?" Gine inquired, folding her arms.
"It's Frieza... he intends to destroy Planet Vegeta and kill us all, I have to stop him... he already killed my squad, my friends... all of them..." Bardock bowed his head in sadness. A silence fell upon the room.
"Bardock..." Gine bowed her head too.
"It's ok, I'm going to kill that tyrant! But I want you away from here just in case I can't save everyone..." Bardock replied, standing up and adjusting his own red sweat bands.
"I want to fight with you." Gine insisted, standing directly in front of Bardock and clenching her fists.
"No! You go and find Raditz and Kakarot, if I fail, it's up to you three and Prince Vegeta." Bardock retorted.
"But..." Gine was cut off by Bardock.
"We're not discussing this." Bardock insisted, passing a green Scouter from a table over to Gine, who after taking it placed it over her left eye.
"Ok..." Gine nodded solemly. Bardock gave his wife one last hug. "I'll find them." Gine spoke to Bardock as they embraced.
"I know... now for the first time in my life... I've got a planet to save." Bardock let go of his wife and tightened the headband around his head, Gine nodding to Bardock.
"Let's go..." Gine followed up.
Gine continued to fly through the emptyness of space, Planet Vegeta becoming more distant with each passing second as she continued on. A sudden bright flash of light illuminated from behind Gine to catch her attention; immediately making her look over her shoulder as her tail uncurled from around her waist and she froze up. Planet Vegeta was being torn apart; cracking up before inevitably exploding as a giant ball of energy crashed into it. Frieza's Supernova attack. Gine trembled in fear at what she saw, shivering as she looked on at the dying planet she had called home: a safe haven to raise her sons and live with Bardock in a rarely seen bond between Saiyan couples, wiped out in the blink of an eye and all but wiping out the Saiyan race.
"BAAARDOCK!" Gine screamed out as Planet Vegeta exploded along with its moon, reaching out with her right arm hopelessly before being blown back and sent hurling through the void of space further and further by the resulting shockwave of Planet Vegeta's end. "Bardock..." Gine muttered, closing her eyes, making no attempt to stop herself as the shockwave pushed her back.
[Earth]
Deep within a crater, a slightly damaged Saiyan pod in the cente, was a young Saiyan baby with spiky black hair identical to Bardock ,crying to itself at being all alone with no idea where it was. From the bushes near the crater stepped out an old man with white hair and a beard. Stepping down into the crater and picking up the Saiyan child, the old man known as Gohan looked at the mysterious boy with a monkey tail curiously.
"I can't just leave you out here like this... I'll take you home and get you cleaned up and clothed... but what am I going to call you?" Gohan spoke to the child, who looked at him with confusion. "I know... Goku. I'll call you Goku." Gohan smiled, the Saiyan baby laughing and clapping upon hearing his new name. "Son Goku it is." Gohan beemed with joy.
And so the hero of Earth, Son Goku, came to be... in a naming sense... but this is not his tale.