"Third time in a row, huh?" Neiz said, looking over the bruises decorating both Kale and Salza's faces. "Why don't you two just save your energy and screw around like normal people?"

They had just come from Salza's room, and before that, the training room. As a result they were both overheated and had already finished several drinks.

"You don't get it," Kale said, taking the water that came with her food and dumping it over her head, "It wouldn't be the same that way. You know how you feel a rush of energy after a fight? It kind of-"

"Clam up," Salza snapped, "He doesn't need to know. He doesn't get any anyway."

"I could if I wanted to, and I don't have to resort to monkeys to get laid, either." Neiz piped in, laughing

"Are you-"

"Come on now, Salza," Kale said suddenly, "We really don't need to fight again, now do we?"

"After what he-"

She got up, smirking, and brushed his cheek with her tail in the process. "Do we?"

He grumbled, but remained passive, and went back to his drink. "No."

"Wonderful. Now, if you boys will excuse me, I need to get back to training."

"Didn't you just leave there an hour ago? We'd like to get to it to, you know," Doore added, as he passed her.

"You're welcome to fight me for it," she replied with a smirk.

"This can't be right." Kale looked over the datapad quickly, certain that this was a joke. "If I may, this a waste of-"

"You may not," Cooler interrupted, "Planets are a bit thin lately, and you aren't earning me anything sitting around here."

"But why me? Can't Frieza's men handle this? Porato is one of his soldiers, after all."

"True, but he knows them. He has an advantage over them, like you seem to have over those you've fought alongside. And that is why you're the one being sent. I expect this business to be finished quickly. Whether you kill him, or whether you bring him back to my brother is up to you-he doesn't care either way. And neither do I. Now, do you have anything constructive to add, or are you going to continue to question your orders?"

"I wasn't questioning them. I just thought my talents lay elsewhere."

"One more word of protest," he said as he drifted closer in his hover-chair, "One more."

She went pale, but bowed quickly. "As...as you command, Lord Cooler."

"Dismissed."

As she left he turned back to think. She'd been frightened like that before, but...no matter. If this mission didn't do the trick, her next one certainly would.

"Alright...last known trajectory..." Kale glanced over the data as the pod neared the planet. She had hoped that his energy signature wouldn't show up, but sure enough, there it was. Sighing, she punched in the coordinates and a half hour later she was the ground.

The pod opened, and she stepped out.

"Alright, let's see where you are..." she tapped on the scouter a few times, and looked left and right. Nothing.

"Looking for something?"

She looked up and there, standing at the edge of the crater behind her, was Porato.

"You could say that. Now tell me, why did you have to run off? You aren't doing yourself any favors. You'll be lucky if Frieza decides to let you live!"

"Do you really think that that's all I care about?" Porato flew down-after he blasted her scouter, of course.

"It should be, it's your neck on the line. I don't get it, you were always the most loyal saiyan in his army, and now you go AWOL! What the hell are you thinking? What exactly is your goal here? There are easier ways to kill yourself, you know." She grumbled as she tried to sweep the shrapnel off her face. She was already there, what had that accomplished?

"I was loyal to my planet. To my king. That Frieza destroyed and killed, respectively."

There was a flash. The sound of Frieza's laughter. The seemingly endless nights and days that seemed to so blend together that she lost whole weeks of time before going to bed.

"Yes." she said quietly. "I watched the explosion happen."

"Then you know why I left. I was fine working for him because it worked for our entire race. We had to serve him, yes, but we got what we wanted. We got to fight. We got to get stronger."

"Not that you fought much," Kale pointed out, "I heard you don't like to."

"What you heard was a lie. I like to fight those who are a match for me. What I don't like is the senseless waste of life."

"And it saves him money not having to rebuild. I guess that's why they call you the Surgeon, you get things done with as little bloodshed as possible. I heard that you actually let them evacuate. But that doesn't matter right now, does it?"

"Kale, I...just give me two minutes. Okay?"

"You can have a day for all I care, I'm in no hurry to go back."

"See, it has affected you! It's not the same anymore, is it, now that you know how disposable you are to them? They only keep us around because we're still useful to them. But the second that we lose that usefulness..." He paused to let the implications sink in.

She had seen that with Frieza, certainly. Cooler, though...? She hadn't seen him do it. But then again, she wasn't always around, was she?

"But you can't just run away. That's not going to accomplish anything."

"I want to get stronger, and I can't do it safely around Frieza. I want to fight for my sake and not for some spoiled wretch or his snake of a brother."

Hearing the jab at Cooler and what she perceived as a self righteous tone, she lunged across the short space of ground between them and unleashed a massive hay-maker.

He swayed back from the swing and struck her in the ribs with a couple quick jabs forcing her to clutch her side.

She glared at him but made no further move to attack. Fed up with the whole situation she said, "Go then, if you want. I don't care."

"You could come with me if you wanted."

Kale looked away. It seemed a bit late, really. Everything that they accused Frieza and Cooler of, she had done in spades as well.

Of course, you can always remedy the situation...do something about it. You're a patient woman. You can wait.

"I'm going to need some proof of your death," she said as she mulled over that thought. What could she do, really?

"Here," Porato said. He plucked off his scouter and tossed it over to her. "Show them that. That's my personal scouter, it'll have all my information hardwired into it."

You could always kill Cooler...

She paused, glancing over the scouter. It would take her ages...and Cooler could get suspicious about it.

It is better to try than not. Think of what you would be accomplishing!

"If...if I do decide to go, where will you be?"

"It's called Doragon," he replied, and told her the coordinates, then had her repeat them back to him until she thought she'd crack him over the head. "Good luck, Kale."

"You too," she said, getting back into the pod.

As it took off she sighed and rubbed her forehead. Everything had been going so well. Her life was fine. And now this had to happen, and throw that all off balance. If she did have to do something about this, it was going to take a while.

She couldn't beat Cooler with a day's effort, after all.

It's funny how things work out.