It wasn't long before Vegeta's space pod reached the Planet Vegeta's
atmosphere. He broke into a psychotic smile as he gazed on at the ruby
like mass he was entering. It felt good to be home - especially after the
incidents on Namek.
What would he tell his Father though? King Vegeta was merely another puppet for Frieza and the Prince knew this all too well. However, even if his Father couldn't help him to the extent that he'd be sure of safety, he also understood that his Father would never turn over his own son to the icy tyrant.
The pod crashed onto the safety mat type landing platform with a thud. Vegeta hated those landings - he always ended up banging his head on the top of the ship. No matter though; there were more important issues distracting him.
The Saiya-jin Prince sprawled out of his pod and collapsed on the floor. Within the space of a few seconds two purple aliens had picked him up and were carrying him to the regeneration area. These purple aliens were like slaves to the Saiya-jin race. Of course, they were classed as being under the control span of Frieza himself, but in practise the Saiya-jin ruled them and they answered to King Vegeta.
The two aliens could hardly believe that they were carrying the King's son to the healing area. It was unheard of for warriors of such strength to ever need any medical attention. This ensured that a little bit of banter was passed to and fro between the aliens as to how Vegeta could have got himself into such a state. The funny thing about the situation was that the aliens presumed that the Prince couldn't hear them due to being unconscious. However, the Prince was not unconscious at all and simply could not find the strength to open his eyes. Vegeta listened on as the little aliens speculated as to who had done this to him. He didn't care too much about whatever they were bantering about because he knew that only his health mattered in this current climate.
He faced up to a frightening prospect as the aliens gently lifted him over their backs; taking turns in doing so. His lack of eyesight failed to make him blind though. Now, he was left with a mental image of Frieza glaring down upon the broken body of a Saiya-jin warrior on the Planet Namek. His dream. The battered Saiya-jin. Vegeta.
***
Frieza stood alone in the grand chamber of his ship. Often he'd just stand for hours upon end gazing out of the window at the parts of the Universe that fell under his control. His power now spanned slightly further than the Northern galaxy and he had plans to expand into the Eastern section too. There was no reason why this could not be achieved as well. What could possibly stop Frieza from controlling the entire Universe? Nothing, right?
Frieza winced ever so slightly.
There was something that had been bothering him for a good deal of time now. Lately, he'd been encountering visions. These were the sort were mental images just appeared before your very eyes - as if you were living out a fantasy.or even nightmare. In this situation, it was the latter of those two possibilities.
It was almost as if Frieza's one flaw was being continually exposed. That fear of course being that one individual would rise up and overthrow his rule. The Saiya-jin were arguably the one race that could make that happen. Frieza was able to recognise their ability to transform during a full moon and despised them for it. He'd meant to destroy the Planet on several occasions but after careful consideration he been driven to the conclusion that the Planet Vegeta had some useful iron ores and raw materials.
It was sometimes very stressful being the ruler of the galaxy. Frieza often remembered the way in which he had seized power - it brought a smile to his face through even the toughest of times. He could never claim all of the credit for building the Empire though. It was a family effort that brought their home Planet to its knees.
The Planet Glacier boasted some of the strongest warriors in the Universe as each new born began with a power level exceeding at least 3 times that of any Saiya-jin. Frieza was a freak of nature though. The child had been born with a power level of around half a million. Frieza's father was astounded when he first heard how powerful his new son was and it was in the instant that he was informed of his son's strength that he began to plot the downfall of his own race. It didn't take long either; Frieza trained for several years under the supervision of his father and found himself as the strongest Glacierian in existence. Once this plateau had been achieved, the destruction of the Planet Glacier soon followed as the Cold family set off in attempt to conquer the galaxy. They recruited several races to carry out their dirty work and conquer new Planets for them as time went by. It had been a lengthy process but a very worthwhile one.
Just thinking about the events on Glacier ensured that all notions of a Saiya-jin uprising against him were quashed for the time being. Frieza began to drift off as he pondered about new Planets that could be conquered for the Empire.
This apparent naivety surrounding the Saiya-jin race would prove to lead to his ultimate downfall.
***
King Vegeta bounced into the regeneration area of the Saiya-jin palace as he went in search of his son. The King had been informed of the ill state of the Prince and was quite concerned about the situation. He knew that his son's state could not have been caused by something minor. No. Indeed, if what the alien slaves were telling him was true - something critical had occurred to his son on Namek.
Finally, the King came face to face with his son as he looked on at the battered body of the warrior locked inside of the regeneration chamber. Prince Vegeta's head hung and faced the ground as the oxygen tank over his mouth attempted to breathe new life into him.
"Is he done in there yet?" inquired a worried King Vegeta as he scowled across at 3 or 4 of the aliens with intent.
"He's actually supposed to be in there for another half an hour, Sire," mumbled one of the aliens to the blatant irritation of the King.
"I don't have half an hour!" he growled, as he once again seemed to intimidate the aliens with just a mere glance. The King placed his hand on the glass base of the chamber. "Release him now and after I had found out how why he has returned in such a state then he can go back in!"
The little alien nodded as he shuffled across to the control panel beside the chamber. It took a few seconds but slowly the glass from around Vegeta peeled back as the water inside his prison drained away. The Prince still looked weary from his escapades on Namek but seemed a lot better than he been previously.
"Vegeta!" proclaimed his father as the Prince managed to finally stumble out of the chamber. The little alien quickly wrapped a robe around the naked body of the Prince as he walked slowly towards his father. "Vegeta! What the hell has happened to you? Who has done this?"
The Prince gazed up at his father. It wasn't going to be easy trying to explain this.
"It.It.was Frieza!" announced the Prince as he sat down on one of the many beds scattered around the regeneration area. Upon hearing the name of the icy tyrant, the purple aliens that had been attending to the Prince knew that this was not their place to listen to whatever Vegeta was about to tell his father. They fled without prompting.
"Frieza?"
"Yes!" bawled the Prince. "There was no mission on Namek. When I arrived, King Cold was nowhere to be found. Then, Zarbon showed up and attacked me! It was a set up! Frieza wants me dead!"
The King's jaw dropped almost to the ground as he struggled to come to terms with such a revelation.
"Frieza?" he repeated. "But why would he want you dead? You're quickly becoming one of his most powerful fight."
Then it hit him. Frieza saw his son as a threat. That was why he wanted him dead. It all made sense now. King Vegeta shook his head as he gazed down upon the Prince. If Frieza found out that the King had helped his son escape death then he would be killed. On the other hand, there was no way that the King could turn over his son or kill him. The King faced a dilemma. The Prince knew exactly what was going through his father's mind.
"He must think you're getting too strong!"
The Prince shrugged off his father's response and continued with purpose.
"You can't simply just present me to Frieza on a plate, father! I am your only son and the only heir to your throne! You simply cannot do it!" pleaded the Prince as he awaited a definitive response from the King. The Saiya-jin had a reputation for being particularly ruthless even with regards to their children and this was stuck in the back of the Prince's mind. "I also understand that I can no longer stay here whilst Frieza is after me!"
An awkward silence overcame the duo as the pondered the future. It seemed like an eternity as the pair looked at one another. Around a minute passed as they both sat in deep thought. Then, the King spoke.
"You're going to have to flee the Planet, son," he commanded as he placed his right arm on Vegeta's shoulder. "I can help you no more than this. If you stayed here, you'd be as good as dead anyway."
The Prince seemed to crack at such a suggestion. Leave Vegeta? Leave his heritage? Leave EVERYONE? He sighed. Vegeta knew it was the only way that he would be safe from Frieza for the time being. The Prince nodded his head slowly.
"I will not let you wander the Universe on your own though. I will get 3 of the Planet's strongest to accompany you. It's for the best this way, Vegeta," stuttered his father as he struggled to hold back a tear. He was witnessing the departure of the son he had raised from birth. The son he had hoped would take his rightful place amongst his ancestors as a Super Saiya-jin. The son he had hoped would one day over throw Frieza and rule the Universe alone. The King realised that he was going to miss out on the best years of his son's life. Heartbreak didn't even cover it. "Train hard, my son. Train hard and then return when you're strong enough. I know you have it inside of you to become the strongest Saiya-jin that has ever lived!"
King Vegeta's words filled his son with passion. The King always seemed to have that effect on the Prince. They had built up a respect for one another over the years. Of course the relationship he sometimes hit the rocks because of the tempers of both father and son, but never the less they were almost identical in personality. Their relationship had never been built upon love and perhaps there was doubt as to how much they did love each other, but they always maintained their pride. It was pride and respect that kept them together.
The pair looked on at each other, waiting for the other to say something worthwhile but it was not forthcoming. The entire story was told in their respective facial expressions. The broken father. The teary eyed son.
***
A situation such as Prince Vegeta's required immediate attention and of course the King had prepared a pod for Vegeta to travel in within the space of 20 minutes. The three Saiya-jin that had been assigned to escort Vegeta were Saiya-jin that the King knew he could trust.
The first of three was Nappa. An elite class Saiya-jin that had been a long time acquaintance of the Prince. Vegeta and Nappa had often been assigned by Frieza to carry out missions in conjunction with a few of Frieza's middle class warriors. They knew each other very well and realised their strengths and weaknesses.
The second of three was another strong Saiya-jin by the name of Raditz. In comparison with Vegeta and Nappa, perhaps he wasn't that strong but he would prove useful due to his good knowledge of the Planets. He often travelled alone when conquering Planets and this made him a valuable asset to the team.
The third warrior was a surprise selection from King Vegeta and a personal request from Raditz. The Saiya-jin's name was Bardock. Raditz's father. He wasn't an elite. He was a lower class. However, he was the Captain of one of the Saiya-jin's best fighting teams. He'd conquered Planets that seemed unconquerable to a lower class Saiya-jin. It was true that Bardock had surpassed all expectations of a lower class and now found himself with a sizeable power level.
Bardock longed to fight side by side with his son in battle and saw this as his chance to do so. Raditz had been stronger than his father for a good few years but recently Bardock had seen his power surge beyond that of his son and was eager to show off just what he had achieved. Most of his motivation stemmed from the fact that Raditz never seemed particularly proud of his father or his strength. This was his chance to prove that he was one of the best Saiya-jin.
The team of Vegeta, Bardock, Raditz and Nappa stood on the departure platform as the King looked on at the 4. Would he ever see his son again? There was a possibility that this would be the last time that the Prince and King met. They both knew it. You could see it in their eyes.
"Farewell, my son!" proclaimed the King as he placed his arm on his son's one last time.
It was emotional moment as the Prince stared directly into the eyes of his father. This time something was different though. This time there were no tears from the Prince. He didn't wear the look of an exile or fugitive. The Prince's face stiffened as it he was about to embark on a mission that would ultimately lead to his glorification.
"Farewell, father!" proclaimed the Prince.
The pair stood once more looking on at one another. They both waited for the other to speak. Was it enough to simply say farewell at a time like this? A part of the Prince wanted his father to finally admit he loved him as son. Yet, another part of the Prince simply wanted to get away. There were many sides to the Prince and most of these sides were dark and cold. The battle of personalities continued within Vegeta as he could stand to wait no longer.
The Prince turned and advanced to his pod. He knew it was for the best.
***
The pods raised from the departure platform as King Vegeta stood there with his hand raised in the air. The bond between father and son seemed to drift away as the pod lifted itself into the atmosphere. Slowly, the image of King Vegeta was lost to time as he faded away from view.
This was not a time for tears though. This was a time for a new beginning. A new era. It was the first step to the revolt that would change everything.
What would he tell his Father though? King Vegeta was merely another puppet for Frieza and the Prince knew this all too well. However, even if his Father couldn't help him to the extent that he'd be sure of safety, he also understood that his Father would never turn over his own son to the icy tyrant.
The pod crashed onto the safety mat type landing platform with a thud. Vegeta hated those landings - he always ended up banging his head on the top of the ship. No matter though; there were more important issues distracting him.
The Saiya-jin Prince sprawled out of his pod and collapsed on the floor. Within the space of a few seconds two purple aliens had picked him up and were carrying him to the regeneration area. These purple aliens were like slaves to the Saiya-jin race. Of course, they were classed as being under the control span of Frieza himself, but in practise the Saiya-jin ruled them and they answered to King Vegeta.
The two aliens could hardly believe that they were carrying the King's son to the healing area. It was unheard of for warriors of such strength to ever need any medical attention. This ensured that a little bit of banter was passed to and fro between the aliens as to how Vegeta could have got himself into such a state. The funny thing about the situation was that the aliens presumed that the Prince couldn't hear them due to being unconscious. However, the Prince was not unconscious at all and simply could not find the strength to open his eyes. Vegeta listened on as the little aliens speculated as to who had done this to him. He didn't care too much about whatever they were bantering about because he knew that only his health mattered in this current climate.
He faced up to a frightening prospect as the aliens gently lifted him over their backs; taking turns in doing so. His lack of eyesight failed to make him blind though. Now, he was left with a mental image of Frieza glaring down upon the broken body of a Saiya-jin warrior on the Planet Namek. His dream. The battered Saiya-jin. Vegeta.
***
Frieza stood alone in the grand chamber of his ship. Often he'd just stand for hours upon end gazing out of the window at the parts of the Universe that fell under his control. His power now spanned slightly further than the Northern galaxy and he had plans to expand into the Eastern section too. There was no reason why this could not be achieved as well. What could possibly stop Frieza from controlling the entire Universe? Nothing, right?
Frieza winced ever so slightly.
There was something that had been bothering him for a good deal of time now. Lately, he'd been encountering visions. These were the sort were mental images just appeared before your very eyes - as if you were living out a fantasy.or even nightmare. In this situation, it was the latter of those two possibilities.
It was almost as if Frieza's one flaw was being continually exposed. That fear of course being that one individual would rise up and overthrow his rule. The Saiya-jin were arguably the one race that could make that happen. Frieza was able to recognise their ability to transform during a full moon and despised them for it. He'd meant to destroy the Planet on several occasions but after careful consideration he been driven to the conclusion that the Planet Vegeta had some useful iron ores and raw materials.
It was sometimes very stressful being the ruler of the galaxy. Frieza often remembered the way in which he had seized power - it brought a smile to his face through even the toughest of times. He could never claim all of the credit for building the Empire though. It was a family effort that brought their home Planet to its knees.
The Planet Glacier boasted some of the strongest warriors in the Universe as each new born began with a power level exceeding at least 3 times that of any Saiya-jin. Frieza was a freak of nature though. The child had been born with a power level of around half a million. Frieza's father was astounded when he first heard how powerful his new son was and it was in the instant that he was informed of his son's strength that he began to plot the downfall of his own race. It didn't take long either; Frieza trained for several years under the supervision of his father and found himself as the strongest Glacierian in existence. Once this plateau had been achieved, the destruction of the Planet Glacier soon followed as the Cold family set off in attempt to conquer the galaxy. They recruited several races to carry out their dirty work and conquer new Planets for them as time went by. It had been a lengthy process but a very worthwhile one.
Just thinking about the events on Glacier ensured that all notions of a Saiya-jin uprising against him were quashed for the time being. Frieza began to drift off as he pondered about new Planets that could be conquered for the Empire.
This apparent naivety surrounding the Saiya-jin race would prove to lead to his ultimate downfall.
***
King Vegeta bounced into the regeneration area of the Saiya-jin palace as he went in search of his son. The King had been informed of the ill state of the Prince and was quite concerned about the situation. He knew that his son's state could not have been caused by something minor. No. Indeed, if what the alien slaves were telling him was true - something critical had occurred to his son on Namek.
Finally, the King came face to face with his son as he looked on at the battered body of the warrior locked inside of the regeneration chamber. Prince Vegeta's head hung and faced the ground as the oxygen tank over his mouth attempted to breathe new life into him.
"Is he done in there yet?" inquired a worried King Vegeta as he scowled across at 3 or 4 of the aliens with intent.
"He's actually supposed to be in there for another half an hour, Sire," mumbled one of the aliens to the blatant irritation of the King.
"I don't have half an hour!" he growled, as he once again seemed to intimidate the aliens with just a mere glance. The King placed his hand on the glass base of the chamber. "Release him now and after I had found out how why he has returned in such a state then he can go back in!"
The little alien nodded as he shuffled across to the control panel beside the chamber. It took a few seconds but slowly the glass from around Vegeta peeled back as the water inside his prison drained away. The Prince still looked weary from his escapades on Namek but seemed a lot better than he been previously.
"Vegeta!" proclaimed his father as the Prince managed to finally stumble out of the chamber. The little alien quickly wrapped a robe around the naked body of the Prince as he walked slowly towards his father. "Vegeta! What the hell has happened to you? Who has done this?"
The Prince gazed up at his father. It wasn't going to be easy trying to explain this.
"It.It.was Frieza!" announced the Prince as he sat down on one of the many beds scattered around the regeneration area. Upon hearing the name of the icy tyrant, the purple aliens that had been attending to the Prince knew that this was not their place to listen to whatever Vegeta was about to tell his father. They fled without prompting.
"Frieza?"
"Yes!" bawled the Prince. "There was no mission on Namek. When I arrived, King Cold was nowhere to be found. Then, Zarbon showed up and attacked me! It was a set up! Frieza wants me dead!"
The King's jaw dropped almost to the ground as he struggled to come to terms with such a revelation.
"Frieza?" he repeated. "But why would he want you dead? You're quickly becoming one of his most powerful fight."
Then it hit him. Frieza saw his son as a threat. That was why he wanted him dead. It all made sense now. King Vegeta shook his head as he gazed down upon the Prince. If Frieza found out that the King had helped his son escape death then he would be killed. On the other hand, there was no way that the King could turn over his son or kill him. The King faced a dilemma. The Prince knew exactly what was going through his father's mind.
"He must think you're getting too strong!"
The Prince shrugged off his father's response and continued with purpose.
"You can't simply just present me to Frieza on a plate, father! I am your only son and the only heir to your throne! You simply cannot do it!" pleaded the Prince as he awaited a definitive response from the King. The Saiya-jin had a reputation for being particularly ruthless even with regards to their children and this was stuck in the back of the Prince's mind. "I also understand that I can no longer stay here whilst Frieza is after me!"
An awkward silence overcame the duo as the pondered the future. It seemed like an eternity as the pair looked at one another. Around a minute passed as they both sat in deep thought. Then, the King spoke.
"You're going to have to flee the Planet, son," he commanded as he placed his right arm on Vegeta's shoulder. "I can help you no more than this. If you stayed here, you'd be as good as dead anyway."
The Prince seemed to crack at such a suggestion. Leave Vegeta? Leave his heritage? Leave EVERYONE? He sighed. Vegeta knew it was the only way that he would be safe from Frieza for the time being. The Prince nodded his head slowly.
"I will not let you wander the Universe on your own though. I will get 3 of the Planet's strongest to accompany you. It's for the best this way, Vegeta," stuttered his father as he struggled to hold back a tear. He was witnessing the departure of the son he had raised from birth. The son he had hoped would take his rightful place amongst his ancestors as a Super Saiya-jin. The son he had hoped would one day over throw Frieza and rule the Universe alone. The King realised that he was going to miss out on the best years of his son's life. Heartbreak didn't even cover it. "Train hard, my son. Train hard and then return when you're strong enough. I know you have it inside of you to become the strongest Saiya-jin that has ever lived!"
King Vegeta's words filled his son with passion. The King always seemed to have that effect on the Prince. They had built up a respect for one another over the years. Of course the relationship he sometimes hit the rocks because of the tempers of both father and son, but never the less they were almost identical in personality. Their relationship had never been built upon love and perhaps there was doubt as to how much they did love each other, but they always maintained their pride. It was pride and respect that kept them together.
The pair looked on at each other, waiting for the other to say something worthwhile but it was not forthcoming. The entire story was told in their respective facial expressions. The broken father. The teary eyed son.
***
A situation such as Prince Vegeta's required immediate attention and of course the King had prepared a pod for Vegeta to travel in within the space of 20 minutes. The three Saiya-jin that had been assigned to escort Vegeta were Saiya-jin that the King knew he could trust.
The first of three was Nappa. An elite class Saiya-jin that had been a long time acquaintance of the Prince. Vegeta and Nappa had often been assigned by Frieza to carry out missions in conjunction with a few of Frieza's middle class warriors. They knew each other very well and realised their strengths and weaknesses.
The second of three was another strong Saiya-jin by the name of Raditz. In comparison with Vegeta and Nappa, perhaps he wasn't that strong but he would prove useful due to his good knowledge of the Planets. He often travelled alone when conquering Planets and this made him a valuable asset to the team.
The third warrior was a surprise selection from King Vegeta and a personal request from Raditz. The Saiya-jin's name was Bardock. Raditz's father. He wasn't an elite. He was a lower class. However, he was the Captain of one of the Saiya-jin's best fighting teams. He'd conquered Planets that seemed unconquerable to a lower class Saiya-jin. It was true that Bardock had surpassed all expectations of a lower class and now found himself with a sizeable power level.
Bardock longed to fight side by side with his son in battle and saw this as his chance to do so. Raditz had been stronger than his father for a good few years but recently Bardock had seen his power surge beyond that of his son and was eager to show off just what he had achieved. Most of his motivation stemmed from the fact that Raditz never seemed particularly proud of his father or his strength. This was his chance to prove that he was one of the best Saiya-jin.
The team of Vegeta, Bardock, Raditz and Nappa stood on the departure platform as the King looked on at the 4. Would he ever see his son again? There was a possibility that this would be the last time that the Prince and King met. They both knew it. You could see it in their eyes.
"Farewell, my son!" proclaimed the King as he placed his arm on his son's one last time.
It was emotional moment as the Prince stared directly into the eyes of his father. This time something was different though. This time there were no tears from the Prince. He didn't wear the look of an exile or fugitive. The Prince's face stiffened as it he was about to embark on a mission that would ultimately lead to his glorification.
"Farewell, father!" proclaimed the Prince.
The pair stood once more looking on at one another. They both waited for the other to speak. Was it enough to simply say farewell at a time like this? A part of the Prince wanted his father to finally admit he loved him as son. Yet, another part of the Prince simply wanted to get away. There were many sides to the Prince and most of these sides were dark and cold. The battle of personalities continued within Vegeta as he could stand to wait no longer.
The Prince turned and advanced to his pod. He knew it was for the best.
***
The pods raised from the departure platform as King Vegeta stood there with his hand raised in the air. The bond between father and son seemed to drift away as the pod lifted itself into the atmosphere. Slowly, the image of King Vegeta was lost to time as he faded away from view.
This was not a time for tears though. This was a time for a new beginning. A new era. It was the first step to the revolt that would change everything.