The Unique Alliance

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z © Akira Toriyama, TOEI Animation, BIRD STUDIO, SHUEISHA INC., FUNinmation.

Disclaimer 2: New characters, The Unique Alliance © Eileen Setiawan, H-san, Hina-chan (i.e. the author of the story)

Disclaimer 3: This story is only for recreational purposes. I do not intend to sell this to anyone/anything.

A/N: Yes, I am aware that it'll probably take MONTHS (even YEARS) to break out of a prison, but I reason that, considering the fact that Gochi IS a hybrid and she's had help from the other prisoners, it'll take less. Four days IS stretching it, but eh, it's gotta happen during a time allocation of a week. ;;

PART 2: Conspiracy

"Habataku no sa sugu ni" Dareka sasayaita

"Hizashita no kyoukaisen tonde shimaou yo"

Senaka awase no jiyuu

"Sabita kusari ni saisho kara tsunagarete nante nakattanda yo"

Mune ni mune ni sora wo tsumete

Aoiro no fukaku ni shizumitai…"

L'arc-en-Ciel – DIVE TO BLUE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN – Prison Break

When Gochi had regained her stamina, she was told that the four Saiya-jin women were now working away at making the hole bigger, the other prisoners keeping watch. However, due to the incident between the guards, Rhia and herself, no one seemed too keen to come in and check on how the prisoners were doing, so that made the situation that much more easier.

Right now, Rhia sat down with Gochi, both sitting in silence. Gochi would occasionally turn to her for a chat, but thinking better of it, she would turn away, staring blankly ahead. It wasn't long however, before Rhia tapped Gochi on the shoulder. Gochi turned, seeing Rhia drawing something into the dirt. She was surprised to see Rhia writing in Japanese, asking her a question.

Why were you placed in here?

"I housed two men who were criminals to the Quillis," answered Gochi, trying to get over her surprise.

Who were they?

"Two Saiya-jin men – Jinn-kun and Tarrec-kun – do you know them?"

Rhia shook her head, Gochi nodding her answer. Gochi then asked:

"How do you know how to write in my language?"

"She was taught," came the same unfamiliar voice from before. "We all were."

Gochi looked up, seeing a Saiya-jin woman coming towards them, her head glistening with sweat. She had been the last person working away at the wall. Gochi looked mystified, looking at the woman. She then turned to Rhia, who nodded.

"Rhia here was a top soldier before she got thrown in here," explained the woman. "We were both in the same order. Right Rhia?"

Rhia gave a small smile and a nod.

"Wow, it must've been great working with a friend," said Gochi, smiling as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"It was. But then, the king died and his son took the throne. Things changed… dramatically."

"What… what happened?" asked Gochi, face reflecting concern.

"They gathered our squad, treated us to a round of experiments. Those that failed were either thrown in jail… or they died from the madness of it all."

Gochi went silent, her expression of remorse. How horrible… to be treated so basely by the very person you served. Rhia was one of them – a failed experiment – so that's what she meant. A laugh broke her thought as a hand clapped her shoulder, so hard it was painful. Gochi looked up, seeing Rhia's friend grinning at her.

"You're so sentimental. That catwoman was right about you."

"Seh… huh?" asked Gochi, looking confused.

Her laughter continued, Rhia smiling also, as Gochi looked more and more confused.

Meanwhile, four guards watching the female prisons from outside looked on, utterly bored. The females weren't doing anything interesting, and none of them dared to enter after last week's incident. A lot of women seemed to be socialising now, congregating around the one spot and laughing and talking.

"Feh – women will find anything to gossip about," said one chauvinistic guard.

"Yeah, they're probably spreading rumours about each other."

In unison, all the guards laughed.

"How about that chick from last week?" retorted another one.

"Aw, that girl got taken care of, I think. They sent her away to get those bracers put on her. She can't hurt a fly!"

Again the men laughed. Then it died down.

"She was pretty strong though," said the same guard.

"Yeah…" agreed all the rest.

Unfortunately for the guards, in their reminiscing, they did not notice a silent red light beeping, warning of a near-breach in the wall.

That night, as the lights dimmed and the women settled in for the night, Gochi walked over to the Shower Rooms once again. All the women were congregating around the Shower Rooms, hoping that the wall would come apart soon. As Gochi entered, she smiled at the vast progress the Saiya-jins had made. The wall was almost paper thin, thin enough to break through with a few more strong hits. Maybe… just maybe tonight would be the night.

Gochi reflected back, thinking of the first time Hayze had shown her the hole, a small breeze coming through from the other side. Now they were almost through – almost on the other side of the wall – to freedom – to home. Gochi's mind reflected on Earth, her home, her birth planet, and her family were there.

With these thoughts in mind, she walked to the wall, readying herself as she had done the other night, and determined that this would be the night, started chipping away at the wall, using those sweeping movements her mother had told her. Dust showered down from the already weakened wall as she continued to slam into it, again and again and again.

"Break," she commanded, hitting it as hard as she could.

It shook, but did not break.

"Break!" she said once again, this time louder, as she used her body to create a strong wave.

Again, it shook but did not break. Gochi sighed, standing up, panting and sweating. She looked at all the women, who remained asleep. Standing in the showers, she started pondering thoughts of what to do. She then walked further back, looking to the wall. How many women have suffered in these prisons? Condemned to a life of imprisonment, those guards terrorising them? Hayze, as she had heard from a small talk she had had with Rayne, practically grew up in this accursed place. No more – these women did not do anything to deserve to be in this place.

On the far wall, Gochi ran towards the weakened hole, and swinging around, gathered as much power as she could. She then slammed both palms onto the wall, a loud resonating boom hitting it with a force so hard that it caused a backlash, wind knocking Gochi off balance. But it was enough. Through her blurry vision, Gochi could see a visible hole in the wall, big enough to allow everyone in the prison through. Gochi stood up just as the other women in the prison, awoken from the loud boom, entered the Shower Rooms, their faces bright with excitement as they saw their escape route – directly into the Docking Bay as Nik had informed Gochi before.

"It's time we get outta here!" said Gochi, turning to the women.

The guards awoke from their slumbers, looking around their small compartment as they saw red lights flashing intermittently. They then looked at the screens, seeing the women piling into the Shower Rooms. Something wasn't right.

"Wha's goin' on?" asked one guard, his voice slurred from sleep.

"I don't know – but it can't be good," said another one, peering beadily at the screen. He had been the one awake when the red lights began flashing, and was now trying to figure out why. He discovered it in a horrifying moment of clarity when he saw the small light flashing on the panel.

'WARNING: Breach in Prison Wall'

"Shit," he swore, jumping from his chair and running out.

Confused but wary, his guard fellows followed him.

One-by-one the women piled out, Gochi staying behind to help those that needed the help. Rhia and the other Saiya-jin women kept lookout, looking for any signs of guards. Near the back of the line were Hani, Shoujo and Mahra.

"CHI you are a GOD!" she exclaimed, hugging Gochi tightly.

Gochi smiled. "C'mon, now's your chance for freedom!" she exclaimed.

Mahra nodded, going through the hole. Shoujo was behind her. She too hugged Gochi, stating:

"I always knew you were special."

Gochi hugged her back. "Go back to your planet. I think they need you."

Shoujo broke the hug and clenched her fists in a show of determination before she exited the hole, Mahra helping her from the other side. After Shoujo it was Hani, who looked proudly at Gochi. She also hugged Gochi, but broke it, holding her shoulders.

"Do you want to know the reason why I was in here?" she asked.

Gochi hesitated before giving a small nod. The answer had always been eating away at her.

"On my planet, I was a General. I served and protected the Royal Family, which I did with duty and care. When the Quillis came, I fought my damn hardest," informed Hani. "But we were outnumbered and outmatched – the Saiya-jins were much too strong. I failed to protect my planet. But you –" Once again, Hani embraced Gochi tightly. "– you were able to set all of us free!"

As they broke from their embrace, Hani patted Gochi on the head. "Be good now, y'hear. Get back home to your family!"

"I will!" replied Gochi, smiling back. Hani nodded, exiting through just as one of the Saiya-jin women yelled.

"GUARDS!"

Gochi's eyes widened as she ran to the front, seeing four guards coming in.

"C'mon, we should go now," said Gochi to the four.

They all obliged as they ran into the hole. However, coming out the other side, they were horrified to find that guards were already coming in through the Docking Bay doors. It seemed the guards watching the prisons had already alerted the ship.

Mahra and Hani held them off as best they could whilst the others tried to make their way through. Gochi ran towards them, but running past her were the other four. As Gochi looked up at the expression on Rhia's face, it looked like one of a strange sort of excitement, very much like Gochi's father before a fight.

"Get going!" yelled Rhia's friend to Hani and Mahra.

Both women were about to retort their argument before Gochi interrupted with:

"She's right! You two go! They'll need a General to help captain the ship!"

Hani stared at Gochi, slightly surprised, but then smiled and nodded, grabbing Mahra and running towards the ship. Mahra, despite feeling slightly dejected that she could not join in the butt-kicking, allowed herself to be dragged by the Nekosian. Meanwhile, Rhia and her comrades stared at Gochi as if wondering what she was still doing with them. Gochi smiled.

"I have friends I need to save," she replied, assuming her stance as she stood in the middle of the four Saiya-jin women.

Within the Inner Sanctum, Kisei sat on his throne, looking amused as the Captain of the Quillisian Guard explained the current situation to him. To the right of him sat Nik, looking grave as the Captain explained the situation. Mikan sat to the left looking bored with Gab standing nearby who also looked grave at the news. However, Kisei merely smiled as the Captain finished, shifting by leaning on his right hand and crossing his legs.

"Y – Your Majesty?" asked the Captain.

"Well obviously the Guard are having trouble with these… how many were there… five women?"

The Captain nodded hesitantly.

"So… its simple is it not? Send in the Syndicate."

"B – But… Your Majesty…"

"Are you questioning me Captain?" asked Kisei, a sharp edge in his voice, as if it itself could cut like a knife.

"N – No, Your Majesty…"

"Good…" he ended. He then turned to Dyne standing next to him. "Dyne."

Dyne gave a small nod and then walked forward, strode past the Captain, who went rigid at the mere atmosphere emanating from the tall figure, and out of the Inner Sanctum. Mikan laughed at the Captain.

"Oh, if you could just see the expression on your face," she said gaily, staring in a self-aggrandizing way at the Captain. "Don't you think Gab?"

"Yes… Princess…" agreed Gab. She then turned her head, seeing Nik, his head bowed down as he looked to the floor.

"Nikolas, don't look so grave!" said Mikan brightly. "Those idiots won't stand a chance against the Saiya-jin Syndicate. Those Controllee brutes will make the problem go away in an instant, especially that Dyne, what an outlandish ogre!"

Nik turned to Mikan, a forced smile crossing his face as he tried to feign comfort in knowing that fact. Gab, however, saw through the façade, and knowing how he truly felt, turned away. She too had to remain calm, despite Mikan's distaste for Saiya-jins.

Gochi, sweating and panting and trying her best to keep afloat of the soldiers without the use of her aptitude, looked around at the other women. Though they too looked just as at a loss of stamina as she did, they were holding their own, their Saiya-jin energy shining through despite their lack of ki power.

Rhia turned to Gochi as she knocked down a row of soldiers going towards her, smiling. Gochi smiled back, excited that she could help these four women in this fight. Despite the fact that Gochi, like her twin brother, never had the urge to fight, this fight was somehow different. She felt privileged to be able to help these women.

"Pull back!" yelled a General of the Guard.

His men complied, pulling back, lining up at the door. They then parted, as if they were the Red Sea, revealing black-striped helmets. Gochi remembered these soldiers, but the soldier leading them was all-too-familiar.

It was the Saiya-jin Jinn had addressed as Dyne, his helmet off, his blank, red-tinted eyes boring into her own. The four Saiya-jin women prepared themselves for a fight unlike any other. Gochi exhaled, also getting ready to fight. Against the guards, they were barely scraping by. Against Saiya-jins, it was impossible.

The ship shook just at the moment, however, as a large ship behind them flared up, its boosters destroying a portion of the controls behind it. Gochi faltered, but Rhia held her up before she could fall. Looking backwards, Gochi saw a ship moving out of the docking bay. In the cockpit, high above on the ship, sat Hani, commanding other women on the ship. She looked down at Gochi, giving a crooked smile. Gochi smiled back and then the ship was moving away, growing farther and farther from the ship.

As the shaking dampened, Gochi snapped her head back to look at the Saiya-jins. It seemed as if the number of soldiers had doubled exponentially since she had last seen them a few seconds ago. Dyne continued to look to Gochi. His head then dipped down, his body crouching, and before Gochi could inhale, Dyne was directly in front of her, his eyes and hers were directly staring at one another, so close she could feel his breath against her mouth. And then, in one painful, agonising moment, the world went completely black.

Translation:

"Fly high now" someone whispered
"Jump over the borderline below your knees"
A freedom back to back
"We were never attached to a rusty chain to begin with"
In my heart, in my heart, take in the sky
I want to sink into the depths of the blue sky…"

L'arc-en-Ciel – DIVE TO BLUE