A/N: PLEASE READ OR YOU COULD BE CONFUSED
First off, this is AU—remember that! Secondly, ages are different and some characters are a tiny bit different as well due to the way they are portrayed in this AU fic. Thirdly, I do not own Star Wars or DragonBallZ and that is including the planets, the characters, the occupations, etc. "Across the Stars" has been borrowed from a track on the SW2: AotC soundtrack which is beautifully done by John Williams. So I do not own the name either.
Fourth, this Across the Stars Saga is divided into 4 separate stories: Revelation, Recovery, Redemption, and Reconciliation. Fifth, I owe a great deal to DoraMouse's website for information. Sixth, beginning of each chapter I will let you know which planets and characters belong to me.
With that said and done, read on…
PROLOGUE
The Jedi Order has maintained peace in the galaxy for centuries.
A new planet had been found by the Jedi Order, near Zonama Sekot, called Planet Vegeta. One whole new race had been discovered; the people on the planet have remained isolated from the Republic, relying on their own resources and way of life for many years prior. Two beings both incredibly strong in the Force had been taken at age five and four to the Jedi Temple located on the capital of the universe, Coruscant. One is a Prince, the other a Third Class. They were to be trained in the ways of the Force and their extraordinary strength would aid them greatly.
Unfortunately, they had not had enough training in fighting and they frequently felt the urge to fight, especially the Prince who had a fiery temper. The Jedi feared that Vegeta, the Prince, and Kakarott, the Third Class, would stumble upon different ways of the Force that would lead to the Dark Side… So the Jedi Council themselves trained the two everyday, pushing them to their limits and allowing them to visit their homeworld from time to time to learn other techniques of fighting.
Kakkarot preferred his nickname, Goku, and Vegeta always insisted on being addressed, as "Prince" although rank was unimportant in the Jedi Order. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council complied with that demand, afraid Vegeta would turn against them and use his great powers for evil. Their purpose was to keep Goku and Vegeta on the Light Side, to use their powers for the well-being of all and restoring and maintaining peace in the galaxy.
Goku would do fine—he had a heart of gold. But Vegeta struggled with some techniques over the years, leading him to develop the desire to keep ahead of "Kakarott" (Vegeta deemed it proper to call him by his real name) in everything. Ultimately, this would lead him down the path to the Dark Side.
Now, the Sith have been dormant for nearly an eternity, having been struck down in defeat by the Jedi, never to reemerge again. But a great darkness has preserved itself all these years on planet Korriban, a place where the tombs of Sith warriors and Sith masters and their dark and terrible secrets dwelled. The Dark Side in Vegeta's soul had reawakened, partly in blame to his Saiyan nature, during a mission to Korriban to find a missing person that was vital to the structure of the Senate. Vegeta brought back this person and completed his mission like always, choosing to travel alone as a Jedi Knight, not a Jedi Master. But no matter how hard he tried, the darkness would not heed his commands to disappear and it slowly grew and consumed him whole. Vegeta then disappeared from existence it seemed, leaving behind a two-year-old son named Trunks, and his wife, Bulma, a Scientist, who had been pregnant with his would-be daughter, Bra. No one has heard from or seen him since.
Goku, who went on to become a Jedi Master, married a woman named ChiChi, an orphan he and his Master had saved from a devastated planet (though newly rebuilt) called Melida-Daan. She became one of the cooks at the Jedi Temple and bore Goku two sons, who both are evidently strong in the Force and in their physical bodies, because they are half-Saiyan. Their names are Gohan and Goten, separated by five years with Gohan being the oldest.
The Jedi Order had forbid attachment and marriage because it would interfere with their duty and loyalties. But like all organizations and special groups, a rebel could and would always be found. Goku revolted against this rule though not in a blatant way as Vegeta had. Goku had simply voiced his opinion respectfully to the Jedi Council, saying that more Force-sensitive beings would be in existence if their parents were strong in the Force. Vegeta had just, well, gone and done it, having always been a rebellious pupil in the Jedi Temple. However, he did love Bulma.
The Jedi Order simply feared the Saiyan Race since they could very well be the most powerful and dangerous race in the galaxy.
However, throughout history, good has always triumphed over evil. Even when it seemed evil had conquered and remained for many a year. Even when morality had been thought to have simply lost in its darkest hour, it is only seen as a battle won in the Great War between good and evil, the war that in the fullness of time, goodness and righteousness will prevail. But until that time comes, evil must be fought and dealt with, no matter how great or small it is.
The Jedi must be prepared…for another great battle waits within the shadows…
CHAPTER ONE
Bulma sat by the window of her large apartment, peering outside at the flying traffic among the tall skyscrapers of Coruscant. She had been born on Corellia and right away was noted for displaying such brilliance at a young age. She later became a Scientist and moved to Coruscant where better facilities were located.
Bulma's father had died before she was born. Her mother was Senator Stai'La Briefs of Corellia and constantly was busy with the Senate and the Republic itself. Bulma barely saw her mother during the teenage years but nowadays they saw each other a lot since Stai'La wanted to see her grandchildren, Trunks and Bra.
It often made Bulma feel sad. Trunks barely knew his father, and Bra did not know him at all. Vegeta had disappeared when Trunks was two and had never reappeared after that. She wanted her children to have their father, especially since she didn't know her own father. Bulma sometimes wondered…did Vegeta run off with someone else? No, Vegeta wasn't like that—he was fiercely loyal to and protective of her, before he left, claiming it to be a Saiyan custom. Did he not want to be a part of their family? That one left her thinking. Vegeta had never really shown signs of affection, except when they were alone together and he wasn't off training or on a mission for the Jedi Order, an Order he seemed to be no longer a part of. Did he consider his family a weakness?
"Oh Vegeta…" The blue-haired woman breathed as she leaned against the cool glass. The morning sun was most likely rising but you never could tell what with all the lights that seemingly never shut down. Today, she would have to go to work and tinker with her latest project. But first, the mother had to wake her children and get them ready for another day of training at the Jedi Temple.
Trunks, nine years old, was training more than his little sister of six was. Not just because he was older but because Vegeta would have wanted it and Trunks himself wanted to become a Jedi Knight. He was unmistakably powerful in the Force and needed to learn how to control it. Bra only trained a few days out of the week, mostly because Bulma had not permitted the Jedi Order to train her full-time like Trunks.
Trunks' best friend was Goten. Goten, the youngest son of Goku, who was eight, trained with Trunks and the two were best friends. While Gohan had his own unique hairstyle, although resembling Goku closely, Goten was almost an exact copy of Goku. Gohan was only thirteen years old and newly accepted as an apprentice. Already he showed great potential and it was possible that he would be ready to face the trails in less than ten years, the usual length of time of training with a master for some apprentices.
'Trunks is going to be a great warrior someday.'
The Scientist got up from her seat and stretched. Yawning, she walked slowly down the hall to wake up her son. Which reminded her…Vegeta didn't even know he had a daughter, unless he sensed her during Bulma's pregnancy. She had only been two months when he had left and coincidentally, that had been the day she planned to tell him. An ironic thing and to this day, it continued to irk her. "Why didn't I tell him sooner?" she whispered to herself as she approached Trunks' room.
After punching in the code for all rooms except the master bedroom, the doors slid open unhurriedly, revealing a small boy under the covers, sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression. 'Darn it!' Bulma bit her lip. Nearly everything her son did reminded her of Vegeta. 'He's making my life so hard…I hate this! Blast you, Vegeta!' She silently willed herself to keep Vegeta out of her thoughts today, and sat down on the soft covers and gently shook him awake. "Trunks…Trunks! Wake up!" Bulma pulled back a bit of the covering and then opened the curtains for his window to let in the light.
"Mmm…a few more minutes…" Trunks mumbled and shifted his body so that he was facing the wall. Bulma allowed a small smile and left the room, leaving the doors open, to get her daughter up. Bra would not be training today. Instead she would go to her grandmother's place and stay there for the day. Bulma did not want any interruptions while she worked. She only hoped Stai'La didn't say anything critical about her husband since the woman had never approved of Bulma's marriage to a "scoundrel" as she called Vegeta. Even though he was a Knight and a good one at that. But Vegeta did tend to act like a scoundrel at times and that was part of the reason why she had fallen in love with him.
Bulma kissed her daughter's forehead and woke her up. "C'mon sweetie, get up!"
Bra moved a bit and then opened her eyes. "Morning Mommy," she whispered and then closed her eyes again, hoping to sleep a little more.
"Morning honey." Bulma smiled and then left the room to Trunks' room again. The crown Prince had not gotten up yet. There was only one thing left to do. "Trunks, get your butt out of bed or Goten will eat all of breakfast!" she called out loudly and then strode to the kitchen.
That did it. "I'm up! I'm up! Goten if you eat all the food, I'll…" Trunks suddenly realized that he had been duped. Goten lived at the Jedi Temple with his parents and rarely ate breakfast here in Trunks' home. Rolling his eyes, Trunks sulked as he stepped outside his room and headed for the kitchen where his mother had begun to pour blue milk.
Bra was one step ahead of him, already gulping down her milk with satisfaction. "Good Morning Trunks!" she greeted her older brother cheerfully. Trunks, in return, only stuck his lower lip out even further.
"That was dirty pool, mom." Trunks pouted as he sat at the table.
Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "It was the only way to get you up," she said as she began to prepare their breakfast. Knowing her two children had inherited their father's Saiyan appetite, she would have to cook quite a bit.
"Am I going with you today, Mommy?" Bra asked as she patiently waited for her breakfast, unlike Trunks who made it obvious he was impatient by kicking the leg of the table.
"Yes Bra, to Grandma's," Bulma answered, heating up one of their favorite breakfast meals, which happened to be a popular one on planet Vegeta. "Trunks, stop that. A Jedi—"
"Control's his emotions—there's no anger—been there, done that," Trunks finished sarcastically. He sighed heavily, frustrated. "Mom, I want to become a Jedi Knight and all but being a Padawan stinks! You can't do anything! Goten and I are more than ready to become real Apprentices and build lightsabers!" A gleam of excitement came into his soft blue eyes.
"Trunks…" Bulma shook her head. "You're just like your father." 'Darn it! There I go again!' "He…he always craved the action and the dangerous parts of training and a mission," she added thoughtfully, remembering the day she had yelled at Vegeta for leading her down into a dark tunnel. Then he had scared the daylights out of her when he ignited his blue lightsaber, a blade he had been most proud of.
"Really?" Bra asked. "Mommy, what was Daddy like?"
Trunks perked up at this. He'd been told his father had simply disappeared. Bulma hadn't wanted to lie to him or tell him that Vegeta was dead so that was what she had told him. The boy missed his father. He had had only a few memories of Vegeta and they were starting to fade away, as he grew older.
Bulma sighed and smiled at her children. "How about I tell you as a bedtime story? I'm in a bit of a rush this morning…and Trunks you need to shower and get ready. Goku's coming to pick you up." She set their breakfast on the table. "I'm going to go take a shower myself. Now. Eat." She strode briskly out of the kitchen, calling back a last order. "And be quick about it!"
"Yes mom," Trunks dully replied and dug in.
Scoop after scoop of the meal went in his mouth, instantly savored and devoured, chewed into a bolus and transported down to the stomach through the esophagus. Bra watched her older brother with interest as she ate in a less atrocious way. "Trunks?" she suddenly chirped, causing her brother to pause for a fraction of a second, before he resumed chewing.
"What?" he inquired after swallowing.
"Do you remember Daddy?" Bra was certainly anxious to know. Bulma had never told her about Vegeta and the girl was very curious about her father. She knew he was gone but she didn't know what he was like.
Trunks hesitated and then shook his head. "Wait till tonight, Bra," he said and continued to eat.
The two siblings had a close relationship. Trunks was your basic protective big brother and Bra was the one who liked to annoy him for most of the time, although Trunks did get in a bit of teasing. Nevertheless, Trunks and Bra loved each other dearly.
It was similar to Trunks' friendship with Goten, who was also great friends with Bra. Goten was a little clueless and not very bright but he was strong in the Force. The two were the best of friends and stuck to each other like glue, sometimes indulging in playing a couple of pranks on the Jedi Masters in the Temple.
Trunks chuckled out loud as he remembered a recent prank they had played on one of their teachers, Krillin.
Krillin was eating the midday meal in the cafeteria and had gotten up to get another serving since he had been training hard with Goku, building up his appetite. The training had consisted of lightsaber combat and Martial Arts. Goku had, after all, been taught some fighting techniques before they were transported off planet. And the two frequently visited Planet Vegeta whenever they could, where Goku talked with his father Bardock, and brother Radditz.
Trunks and Goten were sitting nearby with their fellow Padawans. Goten was having second thoughts about the whole prank, but Trunks persuaded him to go through with it. Trunks was the one who had conjured up the mini-airbag using who knew what and Goten was the one who was supposed to place it where Krillin sat.
"Trunks, I'm still not so sure about this," Goten wailed quietly. They were at the far end of the bench. "What if Master Krillin senses something wrong? And you know people are bound to see us!"
"Goten, Goten, Goten…" Trunks sighed heavily. "Honestly, can you stop worrying for just one second?" He glanced around, making sure no one had heard their conversation. "And whisper! Tsulin might hear us."
Tsulin was a human boy who was very popular (and fairly strong in the Force) with both humans and aliens and very snobbish. It was a wonder he was a Padawan. Goten had tried to be friends with him but Tsulin just shot him down by insulting him with a comment about his tail. Trunks didn't even try; he had learned that many Padawans were jealous of their unique abilities and the fact that they would probably be picked first as an apprentice. Some were even jealous of the fact that Trunks was basically royalty.
At least they had one true friend: Greslee. Greslee was a Twi'Lek from Ryloth and was very shy but polite. He had other friends of course but seemed to be the only who accepted the Half-Saiyan boys as they were.
Tsulin came over to them with a snotty expression. "What are you two whispering about?" he questioned, giving them a suspicious look.
"Mind your own business!" Trunks snapped.
"Tsk tsk." Tsulin smirked. "A Jedi does not know anger," he recited.
"Whatever," Trunks replied.
"A Jedi respects life in all forms," Goten remarked sharply, shooting a hurtful look at Tsulin, remembering the tail insult.
Tsulin huffed and stalked away, muttering things under his breath.
Trunks studied his friend. He would have never expected Goten to do or say something like that. The black-haired boy was staring at the floor, a wounded look evident in his soft brown eyes. "Aw, Goten…forget about him. Next time, we'll play a prank on him," Trunks assured his friend good-naturedly. He grinned. "Now, I believe you have something to do."
Goten smiled back and nodded. "Okay." He took the mini-airbag and stood to his feet.
"Hurry! He's coming back!" Trunks urged the Son on.
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying…" Goten muttered as he quickly made his way to where Krillin's seat was. When Krillin sat down, his back would be to the wall—the perfect place to be sitting for a prank like this. Goten held the bag against his chest, pretending it was some sort of luggage. He made it to the bench before Krillin did, setting the bag below the bench. "Hi Master Krillin!" Goten chirped, standing before him.
Krillin was pretty much alone at his table except for one other master, Aidan Bok. Aidan raised an eyebrow as the two said hello to each other. He sensed something…amiss… Something was up. 'Not those two again…' He wondered what they were up to this time.
"Hello Goten. How are you?" Krillin greeted him cheerfully. "Why, you're getting to look more like your father everyday!" Krillin was Goku's other best friend, aside from Vegeta who didn't consider himself to be a best friend to "Kakkarot" but Goku did.
"I'm fine," Goten responded and reacted speedily before Krillin sat down. Utilizing the Force, Goten was able to set the airbag onto the bench just in time for Krillin to sit down. A loud funny noise filled the air, as everyone present in the cafeteria became quiet.
Trunks was biting his tongue so hard he thought it would bleed. 'Stars, how does Goten manage to keep a straight face like that? I'd be on the floor in a second!'
Aidan's lips formed an 'O' and he immediately bit down on his bottom lip, stifling a chuckle.
"Gosh, Master Krillin…" Goten cracked a grin, one hand behind his head in a familiar style.
Krillin's face had turned completely red. Giggling and laughter soon sounded throughout the room. "Goten…Trunks…what did you—"
"Um, I have to go," Goten mumbled and ran off towards the exit where Trunks already was. They might be able to get away from trouble but certainly not the wrath of an angry ChiChi.
They narrowly missed Piccolo, a wise Namek and member of the Jedi Council, who had entered the cafeteria, curious about the laughter that had reached his sensitive ears. "Humph. Don't tell me." Piccolo saw Krillin banging his head on the table.
"What's so funny?" Bra asked, finishing up her breakfast.
"Nothing," Trunks answered. "Nothing at all…hee, hee…"
Bulma ushered Bra and Trunks out of the turbolift. "Come on you two, Goku's waiting!" she scolded as the two children did their best to avoid the other residents of one of Coruscant's finest apartment buildings.
Goku was waiting outside next to a twin-turbine speeder he had borrowed from the Temple. "Morning guys!" he called out, overly cheerful for a Jedi and a Saiyan.
"Goku!" Bulma reached the speeder with children in tow. "Sorry we're late!"
"Hi Master Goku!" Bra waved her hand at the tall Saiyan. "I'm going with Mommy today to see my Grandma!"
"That's okay." Goku grinned at the daughter of Vegeta. "So I hear! You—"
"Sorry, Goku, but we've gotta get a move on!" Bulma walked over to Trunks who had already seated himself in the passenger seat of the teal-colored airspeeder. "Bye sweetie—be good!" She kissed the top of his head, leaving the boy in utter embarrassment.
"Mom!" Trunks grumbled, sinking low in his seat. "I'm not a little boy anymore."
"On the contrary." Bulma smirked. "You'll always be my little boy. Bye now…Bye Goku! And thanks!" Both she and her daughter waved good-bye to the Saiyan and halfling.
"See you later!" Goku called back and powered up the airspeeder. The two were gone in an instant since Goku liked to fly fast. He was a good pilot although not quite as good as Vegeta had been. Vegeta had been the one with the brains, the piloting skills, and the mastery of the Lightsaber. Goku was a Master of Force in contrast to Vegeta; he was calmer and more relaxed than the Prince thus able to practice many Force-using techniques and use them to his advantage. The knowledge of the Force aided him greatly in both combat between rivals and actual battle between an enemy.
The Saiyan glanced at his young passenger, astounded by the resemblance to the Saiyan Prince. Trunks was the Crown Prince after all. Then again, Vegeta, from the last time they had ever talked, hadn't decided about what to do about his title and his duties to his people. 'Maybe that's where Vegeta is…' Goku thought but then brushed it off since the Jedi Council had long since contacted Planet Vegeta to find out if it's Prince had returned.
"So, how's the training going?" Goku asked, trying to strike up a conversation before they reached the Jedi Temple, which loomed in the distance.
"Fine. Nothing new, as usual," Trunks muttered darkly.
Goku raised an eyebrow. "You mean, you and Goten haven't tried to 'borrow' some lightsabers yet?" he questioned with a hint of humor in his tone.
Trunks looked up to see laughter twinkling in the Master's dark eyes. "What makes you think that?" he wanted to know, tilting his head slightly.
"Face it—I know you two so well you can't hide anything from me," Goku answered with a goofy smile, knowing of their desire to have a real lightsaber. "What did you do while Gohan and I were gone?"
Trunks was silent for a moment. "Um, nothing much…where did you guys go?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Goku chuckled. "We went to Gala to settle some disagreements," Goku answered, keeping an eye on the traffic on either side of them. "It was another successful mission without bloodshed or battle." There was a pause. "How angry was Krillin?" he suddenly asked out of the blue.
"Krillin?" Trunks echoed. "What do you mean—Oh…" His tone was low. "You found out, huh?"
"I sure did. You know you shouldn't have done that…but it must've been pretty darn funny!" Goku laughed lightly. "At least it was nothing too extreme," he added as an afterthought.
The airspeeder smoothly made its way through the busy air traffic and took a sharp left and then a right with Goku applying adequate pressure to the accelerator. "Guess what? You and Goten are allowed to practice your lightsaber skills with low-powered lightsabers today. I just found out," the adult Saiyan informed the Padawan.
"What? Really?" Trunks squeaked, glad for the opportunity to finally prove himself good enough to become an apprentice, maybe even early.
"Really," Goku affirmed.
Soon the two beings of Saiyan blood arrived at the grand Jedi Temple. Trunks hopped out of the airspeeder, eager to start his training. His face lit up when he saw his best friend and Gohan waiting outside in front of the doors.
"Hi Trunks!" Goten called out and waved.
"Morning Trunks." Gohan smiled as Trunks reached the doors.
"Hey guys—did ya hear, Goten? We get to practice with real lightsabers today!" Trunks announced with a mischievous grin.
"Yeah Gohan told me. Master Piccolo told him!" Goten responded with equal enthusiasm. "They're low-powered, though," he then added with a hint of remorse.
"Oh Goten," Gohan chuckled as everyone entered the Temple. "Don't worry. Someday you and Trunks will be wielding your own lightsabers and they won't be low-powered."
"Indeed." Goku smiled warmly at the young Padawans. "But before that happens, you'll require a lot of training, including your martial arts training. If you're not careful, you could hurt somebody, or worse…"
Perspire slid down his face, courtesy of the hard work he was putting into swinging the blue laser blade around and clashing with the opposing light sword. Every move he made, every step he took, and every prediction he made of his rival's next action was vital to his victory. Trunks had thought that it would be easy to handle a lightsaber since he and Goten had practiced with smaller things, pretending they were real lightsabers but it was quickly proving to be far more difficult than he had ever imagined.
As for Goten, the young Son was having troubles as well but strangely enough, he found it…fun. Goten could feel the Force flowing through him, through his veins, through his muscles. It was a close friend and fairly simple to summon and use to assist him in exercises or spars. With twinkling eyes, Goten swung his emerald green blade around to the side, preparing to lightly tap Trunks' tunic but he never succeeded. Trunks brought his own sword up and the two connected, a satisfying sparking sound filling their ears.
Gohan, Piccolo, Goku, Dende, Aidan, Tien, and Krillin stood off to the side, watching the battle with amazement that is except for Piccolo and Goku. Piccolo was always expressionless and serious and the reason for Goku not appearing astonished was the he knew full well that Goten and Trunks would do well. They would grow up to be incredible Jedi Knights and Saiyan Warriors.
However, Piccolo's mind was not on the fight but on something else. Grunting, Piccolo motioned for Goku and Tien to join him in the hallway. Aidan glanced at the trio curiously before turning his attention back to the duel.
Piccolo, the green alien from the planet Namek, was a wise Jedi Master and head of the Jedi Council. Lately he had been receiving disturbing visions and had sensed a tremendous surge of power in the Force and that was just what he told Goku and fellow master, Tien. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" Piccolo demanded in an impatient tone.
"Hmm," Goku began, scrunching his face up in confusion. "Well…I…hmm…tsk…it could be…gosh, gee—I don't know!" he finished, blinking at the two.
Dumbfounded, Tien blinked right back. There were times when everyone wondered just what it was that made Goku a Jedi Master. "Uh…these visions…can you tell us more about them?" he pressed, crossing his arms with a frown.
"Very well," Piccolo said gruffly. "They have all been roughly the same things: darkness, a red light, and a mysterious being, mysterious in terms of identity." Hesitating, Piccolo recalled something else from his vision. "There was a chant of some sort but the words were barely audible."
"The red light…could it be a lightsaber? Some sort of weapon, perhaps?" Tien reasoned, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Are you implying that it could be a…a Sith?" Goku let the question hang in the air, oblivious to their obvious shock. "I mean, only a warrior of the Dark Side would carry a crimson blade," he stated further.
Tien raised an eyebrow. "The Sith haven't been around for centuries. It just isn't possible that—"
"I'm afraid that it is." Piccolo nodded. "The source of power could not have come from the Light Side of the Force. It was…dark, very dark..." He paused, hearing a cheer and a cry of pain and surprise from inside the training room. Goten had beaten Trunks. "Anyway, Dende is going to have to tend to Trunks' wound." Dende was also from Namek, noted for his ability to heal. "We will discuss this more in detail, later." Turning abruptly, Piccolo strode down the hallway, probably heading for the Room of a Thousand Fountains to ponder over his visions.
The day went by fairly quickly for the liking of Bulma. Her brain was exhausted from the amount of work put into her recent project at the Coruscant Technological Center. It was late afternoon and soon she would leave to pick up her daughter from her mother's, and then head home for dinner. Goku would bring Trunks back in the late evening.
Sighing, Bulma brushed some of her shoulder-length hair back behind her ears and leaned back in her chair. "I think that's enough for today, Alla," she breathed, speaking to her female alien assistant.
Alla, a Shi'ido, nodded but did not say anything. The young woman was quiet and did not say much and hardly smiled. Her skin had a grayish tone and had hazel eyes with long, stringy chestnut-colored hair. She was in her human form, as her species were widely known to change forms and shapes, a shapechanger.
"Bulma!" a male voice called from behind the two and Bulma spun around in her chair to see a man her age, Yamcha. Yamcha was originally from the Outer Rim territories but had left to make a living on the galaxy Capital. He had become one of Bulma's mother's personal bodyguards, and that was how he had met Bulma, the two quickly becoming good friends, what with being around the same age. Yamcha made a great deal of money but never flaunted it. He knew being a bodyguard was risky business, so he was grateful for everything he had and earned. If not for the excellent training he had received, he might as well have been killed already since there were frequent attempts on Senator's lives and other dangerous things.
"Oh hello Yamcha." Bulma stood up and smiled at him, smoothing out a wrinkle in her sleeve. "What brings you in here today?" she asked after giving him a quick hug.
"Nothing. I merely wanted to see you," he replied, returning the smile. "I haven't seen you in awhile."
"Right," Bulma scoffed, hands on her hips. "I know you. Nobody ever comes in here just to say hello. There's always requests, orders, etc." She smirked.
Yamcha feigned shock. "Me? I certainly don't have orders for you but I do have one request…I was hoping you would join me for dinner tonight? I'm off duty for the rest of the evening."
Silence passed as Alla began to clear up a few messes surrounding the worktable. Bulma shrugged her shoulders after considering the offer. "Sure, why not?" Chances were that he'd take her to some fancy restaurant and she didn't feel like cooking tonight anyway. "What time?"
"I'll come for you in three standard hours," Yamcha suggested. "19:00."
"All right. Thanks!" She grinned and suddenly frowned. "I'll have to find a babysitter for Bra though." Maybe she could get ChiChi to baby-sit for her. ChiChi could accompany Goku and Trunks back to Bulma's apartment building and stay there until Bulma was back.
Trunks sat on Goten's bed, nursing his sore arm. It wasn't a bad wound since the lightsabers had been on low power, but losing to Goten hurt his pride, a lot. Sometimes he wished that just once he could accomplish something at an easier and quicker pace, something that Goten wouldn't be able to achieve. There was always this desire to be the best, the most powerful…and it made him uncomfortable whenever such thoughts entered his mind. It made him feel guilty. A Jedi did not seek power. A Jedi knows no anger, fear, or hatred, which led to suffering and the Dark Side.
The lavender-haired boy sighed. Goten was in the refresher unit at the moment and Trunks was resting, waiting for dinnertime to arrive. 'I am starving!' he thought, wondering what their evening meal would be. 'I hope it's something good.' Drowsiness overtook him and he leaned against the pillow, yawning.
There is no fear, there is power.
"Huh?" Trunks gasped and snapped his eyes open. He glanced around the room wildly, searching for the person who had said that one particular phrase. It didn't sound right; it contradicted the teachings of the Jedi. "Hey, Goten? Did you say something?" he yelled to his best friend.
Goten hollered back, "No! Why?"
"…Nothing." Trunks shook his head and narrowed his eyes, reaching out with the Force, hoping to find the source but to no avail. He could detect no other life force, except for the familiar ones.
There is no death, there is immortality.
There it was again! "Argh!" Trunks jumped to his feet and ran to the door, punching in the code and darted through the opening. There was no one in the hallways, not even a droid. "That's funny…" He did however feel something, through the Force. "I've got a bad feeling about this…" he muttered, retreating to Goten's personal quarters.
"About what?" Goten came out of the bathroom with a perplexed look on his boyish features. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not! I heard something, Goten, or someone…" he answered in a low voice. Quickly he explained the situation and repeated the two sentences that continued to echo inside of his head. "The voice…it sounded so…familiar. I've heard it before, I know I have."
Goten's eyes widened. "Who do you think it sounded like?" he asked fearfully. "Trunks, those words…they're not right. They're wrong."
"I know that!" Trunks snapped, catching his friend by surprise. There was an awkward silence and Trunks allowed himself to calm down, using a Jedi calming technique. 'There is no emotion' "I'm sorry Goten."
"That's okay." Goten smiled, always ready to forgive and forget. "But you still didn't answer my question."
Trunks was deep in thought. "I don't know…it kind of…sounded like my..." His voice trailed off.
"Your…what?" Goten pressed. "Your sister?"
The lavender-haired boy snorted. "No!" Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind. Let's go find something to eat, okay? We'll see if supper's ready."
"Yeah!" The two took off down the hallway, the two single phrases forgotten.
They bypassed a droid who had heard their entire conversation, a droid designed by Gero Machinery. Dr. Gero, a famous now-dead scientist, had been the one to attach artificial limbs to a female, nearly dead from a flying accident, who was now the most feared bounty hunter in the entire galaxy…
The female assistant of Bulma's activated the security code for a storage room. Alla silently turned from the door and started down the long winding hallway. 'Another dull end to a another dull day.' She thought as her footsteps echoed all along the lonely hall. Alla didn't mind her work but sometimes she got tired of the blue-haired scientist's ravings and non-stop talk. Bulma was brilliant, yes, there was no doubt about that but other times she got on Alla's nerves. But it was a job and Bulma was nice enough to her. The Shi'ido was wary of most humans despite taking on a human form herself. Some humans she had come across in her life had been rather racist towards aliens and even people within their own species. It never ceased to amaze her, how humans and even aliens could act so terribly towards others just because of a small difference. It was utterly ridiculous.
Lifting her eyes from the metallic floor, she saw the side door to the Center where a guard was awaiting her in the dim light. Wait a minute…
'That's no guard!' Alla felt her heartbeat quicken in fear as the nebulous figure stepped out from the shadows. The being, about Bulma's height, wore a black cloak, which covered his face, assuming it was a male. Hooded and menacing, it began to run after her and she spun around, already fleeing. Casting a glance behind her, she noticed he was incredibly fast and was nearing her a little too fast for her taste.
"Blast it!" Alla mentally cursed herself several times for forgetting her capabilities. Quickly she transformed into a towering wampa, a fierce beast with white fur, native to the snow-covered planet of Hoth. Aggressive by nature and at heart, Alla let out a roar and lashed out with a massive arm and claw at her pursuer. The figure instinctively ducked but Alla, predicting he'd do that, moved forward and caught him a great hug, wondering if she should squeeze him to his death.
However, one should not underestimate a Sith warrior…
The dark Knight's hood fell back, revealing the face of Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans and former renowned Knight of the Jedi Order. Snarling, Vegeta called upon the Dark Side of the Force, harnessing it's unfathomable power, and grasped her throat. He was preparing to crush her neck when Alla dropped him to the ground, recognizing him as the husband of Bulma. She had met him when he had come to talk to his wife, privately, many years ago.
Vegeta, momentarily off guard, jumped to his feet. "I need information. You will cooperate or face my wrath," he ordered, smirking slightly, the Dark Power resting on her neck.
Alla immediately changed back into her human form, mouth drawn open with shock, not only from his presumed identity but also from the small pressure she felt on her cervix. "You are…Miss Bulma's husband…?" she asked, a little unsure since he had seemed less…evil-looking from before. Her gray skin began to move like waves.
Ignoring the question, Vegeta narrowed his eyes, releasing the hold. "If you even try to escape using your pathetic ability…you will die quickly by other means of force before you can even breathe…" he threatened, his free hand moving down to the hilt of his lightsaber, newly constructed in the ways of the Sith.
Alla knew of those weapons and got the hint. Defeated, the female Shi'ido became still, quiet like the grave.
Satisfied, the Prince continued, "What do you know of the woman's plans for tonight?" he demanded icily, certain Bulma had to have moved on without him by now. Vegeta would kill any man, without hesitation, that may have married the woman. But Bulma had made a promise to him, to never remarry should he fall to death during a mission or a disease and he had made the same vow…
Alla blinked. "Pardon me…the woman?" She did not mean to sound so dull-witted but one moment he was talking about Bulma, the next about some woman.
"You fool! Who else do you think we are talking about!" Vegeta snapped, seeming to have lost all patience. "I should just kill you now—"
"No! I apologize." Alla held out her hands protectively in front of herself. "Miss Bulma, she—she is going to dinner with someone named Yamcha but where I do not know," she responded fleetingly.
A low growl emitted from his throat at the mention of Yamcha, Bulma's good friend. Sure, Yamcha was polite enough and showed Vegeta much respect, mostly because of his status back then as Prince and Knight, but Vegeta despised any man who came too close to Bulma. Even now in his changed life, which was for the better, in his opinion. "Anything else?"
"Just that she needs someone to watch her daughter for the evening." Alla replied, searching her memory at the same time. Weren't Jedi supposed to protect, preserve, and not threaten? 'Wait! He must be…' It had been a long time since she had checked the data banks and even harder to find documents on the Sith since there was only one remaining with a small amount of information. They'd been destroyed long ago…hadn't they? "You are a Sith," she stated plainly, ready to transform just in case, regardless of the consequences of such a move. If you were desperate, you would do anything and Alla wasn't quite ready to leave the universe just yet.
"How observant." Vegeta's sarcasm was blatant. He debated over whether he should really kill her. If he did, it would draw too much attention from the Jedi Order because of some of the relations to Bulma and he hadn't fully formed his plan yet…
'Hang on…'
"Just that she needs someone to watch her daughter for the evening."
'A daughter…' Vegeta was not stupid. He knew he had fathered one child, at least, and he knew he had a son, but was it possible he could have sired another, before he left? Or had Bulma…?
It was at that time in which Alla chose to run away, instantly transforming into a Nek Battle Dog in case the Sith Prince tried to attack her for real though she was certain he'd have her in a second with a swipe of the lightsaber. 'Better to have tried to stay alive.' Snarling, Alla took off down the hallway, leaving her belongings behind, surprised when Vegeta did not follow.
"Darn her," Vegeta muttered, still pondering over the whole 'Do I have a daughter?' issue. "Oh well. She is not worth it." He knew she wouldn't say anything. He could sense, even smell the fear he had instilled in her. Besides, it would draw unnecessary awareness to the Technological Center, and because Bulma worked there, his old friend, now enemy, Kakarott, would be suspicious. He was sure that one of them had to have felt his massive power outburst when he had attempted something he hadn't before.
He had to reach Juuhachigou as soon as possible. She had information for him as well as the sharp wits to capture a certain somebody…
Krillin waited in the Hangar of the Jedi Temple for Trunks and ChiChi. ChiChi was going to baby-sit Bra while Bulma was out. Trunks stubbornly refused to be baby-sat, insisting he would be fine. Trunks was going to be going to bed anyway, exhausted by the day's amount of training. Bra did not have to go to bed yet, at least not for a few more hours. Goten had wanted to accompany his mother but ChiChi sent him to bed already. Goku and Gohan had also gone to sleep, so Krillin had volunteered to take ChiChi to Bulma's place and to go back for her.
When Krillin saw ChiChi and Trunks emerge from the side doors, he hopped into the pilot's side of the speeder and started it up. Eyelids drooping, Trunks followed his best friends' mother at a snail's pace. "Hurry, Trunks, your mother is waiting!" ChiChi spoke urgently to the son of Bulma. "Come on now!"
"Sorry." Trunks jumped into the backseat and put on his crash webbing.
"All set?" Krillin asked, and at ChiChi's nod, he guided the speeder out of the hangar and into open air, turning in the direction of the apartment building where Bulma lived.
Pleasant conversation and nearby starships were the only sounds that filled Trunks' ears as he lazily gazed out at the air traffic and dozens of skyscrapers and buildings. The nightlife was awakening; Coruscant never seemed to rest.
Suddenly, a vehicle with a similar design to the swoop bike, passed by at an extremely fast rate. "Whoa!" Krillin watched as the crazy pilot disappeared from view.
"My goodness!" ChiChi shook her head. "That numbskull almost hit us!" The raven-haired woman turned to Krillin. "How come you didn't use your Jedi senses and get us further out of the way!" she snapped.
"I'm sorry ChiChi!" Krillin replied, a little bit nervous of the wife of Goku. "It came out of nowhere! These things do happen, you know…" Sighing in relief, as his last comment seemed to have sufficed the fiery-tempered woman, he directed his attention back to flying.
"That was strange," Trunks muttered, blue eyes darting from one place to the next. Both he and Krillin, who mostly concentrated on getting to the apartment building safely, had sensed a disturbance in the Force at the same time the crazed pilot bypassed them.
Soundlessly, Vegeta recited the Sith code as he waited in the shady Cantina in the lower levels of Coruscant.
There is no fear, there is power.
There is no death, there is immortality.
There is no weakness, there is the Dark Side.
I am the Heart of Darkness.
I know no fear,
But rather I instill it in my enemies.
I am the destroyer of worlds.
I know the power of the Dark Side.
I am the fire of hate.
All the Universe bows before me.
I pledge myself to the Darkness.
For I have found true life,
In the death of the light.
End of Chapter 1 of 3. There are only 3 chapters in Revelation. There will be definitely more in Recovery, Redemption, & Reconciliation.
A/N: Now that the cliché sayings & intro chapter is over, here are some things you should know. Yamcha is a good person. He's no cheating scum & both he and Bulma are not romantically interested in each other. I simply do not believe in character/dub bashing. The main characters are Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Bra, Bulma, Gohan, & Goku. Rest assured, ChiChi, Launch, Tien, Videl, Yamcha, Krillin, 18, Piccolo, Dende, & other minor characters like Bardock & King Vegeta, will play very important roles as well so expect most of them, excluding the latter two, to be in the story frequently.
Please review! Don't judge the fic because it's Star Wars, or something else like that. Give it a chance! Also, please make sure you read all A/N's before reading. Generally they are very short once I get into the story. The only time they are long is at the beginning of a story. Chi power and blasts have not been mentioned yet for a reason. I wrote this months ago before I became excited again about Revenge of the Sith.