Author's Note: Hello everyone! Boy did I miss this! Going back to the monthly chapter is very strange but it did translate to a longer chapter, so I think that evens things out.

Got a lot going on here with a lot of moving parts. Let me know if the pacing works out or if it moves too quickly. Other than that I hope you are all doing well and keeping safe. I'm still going strong and excited to read your thoughts. With that said, please enjoy.

Years Earlier:

"A what parent?"

"A godparent Goku," Chichi said as she tucked her son into bed. The mother smiled as she watched over her son yawn. The face that wasn't even a year old soften as Gohan's eyes closed to sleep.

"Why do we need a godparent?"

"We don't, it would be for Gohan," Chichi said joining her husband in bed as her eyes were fixated on the crib that held her child.

"Why does Gohan need a godparent?"

"He doesn't really but it is something we can do for him. Which is why I asked you if you think he should have one."

"…what is a godparent?"

"That probably should have been your first question," Chichi smiled as she let her hair down. "It's nothing complicated just someone you think would be good to watch over and take care of Gohan in case something happens to us."

"What do you mean if something happens?" Goku asked with concern.

"It's just a precaution Goku. It would be nice if you have someone in mind who could protect Gohan if we can't."

The saiyan from Earth grew quiet as reflected on his wife's words. After a moment he turned to the ox princess who had slipped under the covers beside him.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Chichi said in surprise.

"I think the person I choose should be able to protect you too Chi."

"You're sweet," Chichi smiled as she gave her husband a quick kiss on his cheek. "You don't have to make a decision tonight just something to keep in mind. Though it should be someone you really trust alright?"

"Alright."

Before long, the light emanating from the house on 439 East District went out leaving the strongest man on Earth staring up at the ceiling in complete darkness. Hours passed as the saiyan thought harder and harder going through all the people he had met in his travels.

Someone I trust…Someone I… "Oh!" Goku exclaimed sitting up in his bed. "I got it!"

"Wha..?" Chichi said trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "I thought we were going to bed?"

"What about Krillin Chichi?"

"The short guy from the tournament?"

"Yep, he and I trained together with Master Roshi!"

"Goku, keep it down you'll wake Gohan," The Ox King's daughter said quietly surprised her son had not woken.

"Oh right," Goku said lowering his voice. "What do you think? I bet he'd made a good parent."

"Godparent Goku," Chichi said with a light laugh. "In Krillin's case, he'd be Gohan's godfather."

"Okay, but he'd protect you as well. So, would he be your godfather too?"

"No, he wouldn't but you can ask him if it'll make you feel better."

"I'll ask him the next time I see him," Goku said firmly.

"Good, now get some rest, and don't forget he would be Gohan's godfather. You need to remember what it's called."

"Don't worry I will."

Present:

Son Goku awoke to a world under siege.

Opening his eyes, the saiyan from Earth saw the green sky above littered with spacecrafts. Already confused Goku sat up the best he could despite still carrying some wounds from his fight with Frieza. Trying to get a sense of his surroundings he scanned the battlefield trying to locate his friends and son. Unable to find them Goku dug into his senses hoping to locate their ki signatures but was interrupted by a large thump that rocked the saiyan as one of the many ships landed behind him. Goku turned in time to see the ship settled down various metal legs supporting the spacecraft's weight as its entrance opened up and a ramp extended out digging into Namek's crust.

"Personally, think this is a bit overkill," A green alien wearing battle armor and a scouter said as he and another soldier exited the ship. "There's no one in the universe who could match Lord Frieza so why are we here?"

"You heard the report," The second alien whose skin ran blue answered. "The Ginyu Force requested reinforcements. They have never done that before. So, whatever the reason is we're here to find out why and help-"

The alien stopped midsentence as he couldn't help but notice Goku laying on his side staring at them.

"Who are you?!" One soldier said as both he and his partner aimed the canons on their arms directly at the saiyan.

"Um, I'm Goku," Goku said still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening.

"He's probably an enemy," The blue alien said activating his scouter while keeping his focus on Goku. "Maybe he's the reason we're even her-"

"Hold on…what?" One alien held his scouter close to his ear as he listened intently. "No…that can't be right."

"What is it?" The blue alien said his focus still on Goku.

"That…that was unit C," The green alien said slowly. "They found Lord Frieza but he's…dead."

"What?"

The two soldiers looked at each other in horror before redirecting their weapons onto Goku.

"You!" The green soldier screamed. "What did you to Lord Frieza?"

Goku slowly got to his feet still unsure what to think.

"Enough of this, fire!"

The two soldiers fired their weapons at the saiyan the impact creating a small hole as it reduced a chuck of Namek to rubble.

A cloud of dust obscured their view but the two grinned as their attacks seemed to hit their intended target.

"We got him!"

The blue soldier smiled as he turned to his partner. Only to see that his green ally had slumped over unconsciousness already grabbing him.

"Wha-"

That was as far as the second soldier got as Goku delivered a swift chop to the back of the blue alien's neck. The space soldier collapsed onto the ground lying next to his companion.

What is going on? Frieza's dead? How long was I out?

"THERE!"

A cry coming from deeper in the ship forced Goku to look up the ramp he was standing on to see many more soldiers glaring down at him.

"OPEN FIRE!" One of the soldiers them shouted and the saiyan's view was suddenly clouded with multiple blasts of energy coming right at him. Goku blocked one and kicked another away but was forced into the sky as the barrage continued. As he tried to make his escape Goku watched an outpouring of soldiers flying out of the ship chasing after him.

"In the sky!" One shouted as countless blasts of energy were fired at them.

Goku dodged most of them and punched away the ones he couldn't redirecting the attacks into nearby stone pillars or the ocean below.

"Charge!"

Another order from the mass was shouted and the soldiers lunged at the warrior like a wave. The saiyan from Earth hesitated for a moment but as the attacks kept coming he was forced to fire a dense beam of ki into the swarming soldiers. The blast easily cut through the horde vaporizing those in its path. The sudden reduction of numbers astonished pack but only for a moment.

"R-RETURN FIRE!"

"Contact the flagship! Inform them of the situation!"

"Lord Frieza is what?"

"Kill him! KILL HIM!"

Numerous orders came from different members of the group sending a few in different directions desperate to complete their tasks. The majority kept their eyes on the saiyan firing off more blasts of energy towards him. Goku was weaved through the blasts and moved back to avoid most of the attacks. As he repositioned, he found an opening in the torrent and gathered his ki for another beam. Only for his eyes to catch a different series of energy waves coming from his side. Letting go of the ki Goku used his free hand to smack most of the energy attacks away. However, he realized that he was caught in a crossfire as a new mass of soldiers rushed them.

"Shoot him down!"

A soldier from the new group screamed as both swarms of soldiers descended onto Goku. Caught between the two groups and still carrying some wounds the saiyan began to struggle against the onslaught as the army began to close in on him.

"We got him! We go-"

That member of the Frieza Force was obliterated with the rest of his unit as a heavy wave of ki wiped them away from the face of Namek. The sudden beam carried itself through the green sky before it collided with a ship above. The destruction that followed was immense and absolute as the ki blast tore right through the spacecraft setting off numerous explosions sending the vehicle into a death dive into the green water of Namek.

"Move!"

The voice boomed as Goku turned to see Piccolo rushing past him. The namekian created a firm barrier shielding them both.

"Keeping firing!"

Another soldier cried as Piccolo opened his maw wide and fired another beam of energy through the barrier directly at the horde and reduced them to ash.

"Thanks, Piccolo," Goku said with a grin. "You saved me."

"We're not out of this yet, "The namekian snarled watching more and more ships descend. "I'll hold them, but you have to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't be an idiot the others need you more than me."Piccolo snapped. "Go!"

"Okay."

Goku sped off towards the rest of the group already sensing their location. The namekian peered up into the sky as mobs of soldiers started flowing out of the countless ships before they even reached the surface.

I can't just leave him.

Chiaotzu's tiny voice danced in Piccolo's mind as the squared off with the mass of soldiers and roared.

Goku quickly located Yamcha and touched down on the island where his friend had already engaged with a small group of soldiers. A large number of the troopers were already out of the fight their bodies littering the land. Some were merely unconsciousness, others were not.

As Goku rushed toward Yamcha a soldier was flung in the saiyan's direction tossed by the former baseball player who had engaged with three more soldiers. Dodging the tossed trooper Goku joined Yamcha in his fight.

"Goku!" The scarred bandit shouted seeing his friend by his side. "Are you-"

The wolf's question was cut off as one of the three Frieza Force members lunged at Yamcha with his weapon raised and already charging up a blast. Goku stopped the attack as he punched the air with enough force to create a shockwave blasting the trooper away. The other two soldiers watched as their comrade was flung off into the distance with just a powerful gust of wind. The distraction gave Yamcha the time he needed to close the distance as he delivered a heavy kick into one of the soldier's side. The blow cracked open the battle armor and shattered the bones underneath stopping the fighter instantly. The last trooper saw his companion fall screamed and tried to flee but Yamcha generated a small orb of ki and sent it flying at the soldier's back. The ball of energy ran the soldier through crafting a small hole in the warrior's body. The exhaustion from the fight had Yamcha wobbling as he placed a hand over his face. Goku was there in an instant to help but recoiled for a moment when he noticed that the wolf had lost an eye.

"Yamcha, what happened to you?"

"Frieza took it," The baseball star answered immediately. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine but what's happening? Where did these guys come from and what happened with Frieza?"

"…we-"

"Over here! More of them!"

The two friends looked up to see another squad of troopers descending on them. The four soldiers fired bursts of energy at the pair. Still holding up his friend Goku lept into the air lending Yamcha his shoulder as the ground beneath was riddled with blasts.

"Don't let them escape! For Lord Frieza!"

The rallying cry emboldened the group but made them blind to the dangers from above. Namek's champion charged at the squad with a fully realized fury. Firing a torrent of ki from his hands onto the unit disintegrating two in an instant. The remaining troopers turned to see the enraged namekian diving at them with enough ferocity to make them freeze. One attempted to shoot another blast but was to slow on the trigger giving Nail the opening he needed to grab the trooper by the forearm and tear off the limb in one swift movement. The hardened soldier screamed out in pain before the namekian smashed the removed arm against the trooper's head quickly silencing him.

"Bastard!"

The last trooper cried as he fired a shot at Nail. The namekian snarled and battered the blast away before lunging forward. Grabbing the soldier by the throat and opening his mouth wide Nail shouted a burst of energy from his open maw erasing the trooper's skull.

"Thanks for the save," Goku said approaching the namekian.

Nail said nothing in response.

"There's more coming," Yamcha said noticing another group as he removed himself from Goku's shoulder.

"There's so many," Goku said as new ships broke through the atmosphere. "How did this happen?"

"We think they're part of Frieza's army. There's no telling how many there are though."

"I heard one of them say that something called the Ginyu Force asked for reinforcements."

"Dammit," Yamcha cursed. "We fought that group earlier maybe we could have stopped this."

"It doesn't matter," Nail spat dropping both the body and limb he held preparing himself for the next fight. "They die here."

"Goku have you seen Gohan? Last I saw he was with Krillin, but we got separated."

"No, I haven't. Is he safe?"

"I think so, but you need to leave and find him," Yamcha said quickly.

"I can-"

"Enough talk," Nail said. "Save your child saiyan."

Goku hesitated but nodded and turned to leave.

"Goku, wait there's something you should know," Yamcha said stopping his friend.

"What is it?"

Yamcha's mouth opened and closed as his fist tightened.

"…you should hurry."

Goku nodded and flew off into the green sky.

"You didn't tell him," Nail said slowly his focus still on the unit of soldiers flying at them.

"…I couldn't…I should have but I couldn't."

"…I understand," The namekian said softly. "You are at a disadvantage with one eye. I shall cover you."

"No need," Yamcha said his power flaring. "I can still fight."

"Good," The namekian by his side said sternly. "Show me."

"There's another one here!"

The cry went up as soon as Goku had finished subduing another group of Frieza Force members. Five fighters had tried shooting him from afar as he tried to locate his son. Knocking them out took seconds but the commotion attracted some attention. Looking toward the source of the scream the saiyan was not happy to see a new batch of soldiers. Blasts of energy started to rain down from above coating the saiyan and the ground beneath in pure destruction. Putting up a firm defense ensured that Goku survived the attack as Namek's crust cracked under the pressure of the assault. As the dust settled more soldiers had joined the unified effort pointing their weapons at the saiyan.

"Again! Open fi-"

A thrown boulder smashed itself into the center of the mob bringing down a handful of troopers into the surface and crushing them. Panic ran through the remaining soldiers as they started to look around for the source of the attack.

"There! Four more watch out!"

Four identical warriors each of them a tubby samurai charged at the troopers as they held a sheath as a weapon.

"Shoot them down!"

With a new target, the soldiers sent a barrage of blasts at the four Yajirobis only for every beam to cut through the afterimages causing them to disappear.

"W-what?" A soldier asked completely confused by what he was seeing.

In the next moment, the real Yajirobi stole the space behind one of the troopers and brought down his sheath right onto the enemy's head. The wide swordsman struck with enough force to crack open the skull and took the alien out of the fight. The sound brought the attention of the rest of the mass. They tried to retaliate but Yajirobi was faster and began to weave through the unit taking out each of them with quick and precise swings of his sheath. Goku watched with surprise at his friend's capability as Yajirobi continued the fight making sure the enemy's attention was on him.

He was so focused he did not notice Tsuno approach his side until the namekian spoke.

"Hold still, I can heal you."

The saiyan turned to look at the new elder of Namek as he held his hands over some of his wounds and the soothing effects of Tsuno's ki started to take effect.

"Are you alright?" Goku asked noticing Tsuno's hands were shaking as he continued the healing session.

"I am, not accustomed to continuous healing. I was able to revive Yajirobi after Yamcha insisted I look after him first, but I am reaching the end of my power."

"What happened while I was out? The last thing I remember was the Grand Elder holding back Frieza."

"Ah," Tsuno said his tone growing soft. "I see." Taking a deep breath, the namekian explained.

"The Grand Elder used the last wish of Porunga and used the energy from the spirit bomb you made to put an end to the fighting," Tsuno said his concentration wavering for a second. "He, he did not survive. But Frieza did."

"Huh? But one of the soldiers said Frieza was dead."

"He is now, thanks to the efforts of your friends, and son."

"Gohan?" Goku asked with no small amount of confusion.

"Neither Nail nor I were there to witness this, but Piccolo explained. Frieza survived the spirit bomb and attacked some of your companions. He killed your friends Bulma and Tien."

"What?" Goku said looking at the namekian with wide eyes. "Bulma and Tien?!"

"…yes."

Goku went quiet as he felt the loss.

"Their bodies are in a safe location and they can still be restored by your dragon," Tsuno continued. "They can still be saved."

"…okay, what happened next?"

"…I don't know how to describe it," Tsuno said before being interrupted by a falling soldier crashing into the ground next to him.

"You smack one and four more pop up," Yajirobi said as he landed next to the saiyan and namekian. "Got weird blood all over my sheath too."

"Yajirobi!" Goku said happy to see his friend. "Are you okay?"

"…I'm okay. Can't find my sword tho-" The samurai stopped as he wobbled and fell to one knee. "Dang it."

"Tsuno that's enough I'm good," The saiyan from Earth said firmly. "Take care of Yajirobi."

The namekian nodded and quickly walked over to the wide warrior using what energy he had left for more healing.

"How much have ya told him?" Yajirobi asked Tsuno while trying to catch his breath.

"I was about to inform him of his son."

"Right,"

"Yajirobi is Gohan safe? What's going on?"

"Your boy transformed into that super saiyan thing Vegeta talked about. Beat the crude out of Frieza and almost blew up the planet. Krillin tried to stop him and nearly got himself killed. Me, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu stepped in and finished off the bastard." Yajirobi said his tone as flat as he could make it.

"Gohan, became a super saiyan?"

"At least that's what we think happened," Yajirobi said rubbing his head. "Only Krillin really saw it but the kid's energy was crazy powerful so that's our guess."

"Wow," Was the only thing the saiyan could say.

"…yeah. I figured that would catch your attention, but. There's one more thing," Yajirobi continued his demeanor changing. "Chiaotzu didn't make it.'

"…he didn't make it?"

Yajirobi went silent finding it impossible to repeat himself. Tsuno saw the hesitation and spoke up.

"Your friend gave his life to finish off Frieza and save the others. I…I am sorry."

"Well, he can be brought back right? Like Bulma and Tien? Where's his body?"

The namekian took a deep breath before continuing. "As I understand it, Chiaotzu had yet to be revived. He did not have a body to lose, only his spirit remained. Without that he no longer has an attachment to this plane or the next. He is gone."

The saiyan was speechless as the information his friend had dumped on him began to settle in.

"We were meeting up with everyone else when these guys showed up," Yajirobi said. "Krillin told us to scatter to better hide you, Gohan, Bulma, and Tien while we fought but it hasn't been going well."

"…Yamcha…said Gohan was with Krillin," Goku said slowly trying his best to digest everything he had been told.

"Yeah he is, Piccolo took you and we made sure to hide Bulma and Tien over there," The samurai said pointing to a nearby boulder.

"…do you know where Krillin is?"

"He flew off in that direction," Yajirobi said pointing to another island in the distance. "He shouldn't be far he said if we can beat these guys back, we should regroup."

Goku nodded and was about to speak but his senses warned him of approaching danger. Another ship had broken through the atmosphere and was heading toward the small group causing Yajirobi to spit in disgust.

"Fine," The samurai said standing up to his full height and tightening his grip on his sheath. "Go and get Gohan. We'll find you when this is done."

"Will you two be okay?"

"We will endure," Tsuno said stopping his healing and trying to take as much time as he could to rest and recover. "Go."

Goku paused for a moment but did not fight the order. Without another word, the saiyan took off in search of his son.

Several islands over Goku was greeted with a much different scene. Here it appeared that the battle that had plagued this part of Namek was already over. Touching down on the patch of land the saiyan looked around to see a large number of trooper bodies scattered around. Some were missing limbs while others appeared to have been burned to the point where they had become unrecognizable.

"M-monster!"

The sudden scream had Goku look in the direction of a soldier flying toward him at a high speed. The saiyan took a stance ready for a fight but the trooper flew not even acknowledging Goku as the alien cried again.

"MONSTER!"

Goku tracked the trooper as he fled for a moment before dashing in the direction he was fleeing from. Running past even more bodies, a sense of unease gripped the saiyan as he scanned the area for his son. On the edge of the island resting next to the green ocean lay Gohan surrounded by more dead.

"Gohan!" Goku yelled increasing his pace toward his only child.

However, the saiyan was to slow to stop two soldiers from reaching the half-saiyan before his father. Standing in front of Goku weapon aimed at him while the other covered Gohan with clear hate.

"Get back! GET BACK!"

Goku immediately stopped the danger Gohan was in demanded he did.

"Are you with him?! Are you with that freak?!" The soldier facing Goku shouted the blaster on his arm shaking wildly as fear ran through him.

Goku said nothing as he tried to get an angle on the second soldier.

"They're wearing the same uniform just shoot him!" The second trooper yelled as he picked up Gohan. "He was trying to protect this kid we can use him to esc-"

That is as far as the soldier got before his head was removed from his shoulders. A small disc of energy disc was thin and did not carry much power within it. Yet it was still enough to steal the life of the Frieza Force member. Gohan fell out of the grasp of the headless warrior as the corpse collapsed backward into the green sea.

"WHA-"

The companion did not get far either as Krillin rammed into his side with all the force he could muster. The space warrior was crunched into the hard ground his armor taking the brunt of the impact. The pain clouded his view for a moment, but it didn't take long to find the monk standing over him with one hand raised and cloaked with electricity.

"E-ENEMY!" The soldier shouted aiming his cannon directly at Krillin. "IT'S THE ENE-"

A volt exploded out of the monk's hand drenching the soldier with a discharge that reduced his senses to ash. However, the attack drained the little energy keeping Krillin upright. The monk fell to one knee clutching his side and gasping for air. His burst of power had only stemmed from seeing Gohan in danger. With the deed done the monk's exhaustion caught up to him. Goku looked over his friend who wore new wounds from when he saw him last. A deep cut ran across the side of his face and had not been addressed. His turtle uniform was nearly in tatters and his grip on his side indicated that he had been fighting on despite many broken ribs. In his other hand, the monk still held Chiaotzu's hat.

"Krillin?" Goku asked taking a step towards the human.

Deaf to his name and only aware of another approaching person the monk lashed out with a ki blast devoid of a lot of power but still powered with the intent to hurt and aimed at the saiyan's head. Goku backhanded the energy attack and remained unharmed but as he looked back at his friend with confusion the monk returned the stare with horror.

"G-Goku? I…I didn't hear…I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay I'm good," Goku said trying to reassure his friend. "Did, you do all of this?"

Krillin hesitated and could not meet his friend's eyes. Eventually, he nodded solemnly before speaking. "Gohan's alright, have you seen the others?"

"Yes, they're still fighting and told me what happened."

"…okay," Krillin said as he got to his feet still nursing his side. "We, we just need to survive this and get home."

"We can use my ship," Goku said as he walked past his friend and picked up his son. "There's enough supplies there for everyone."

"Good," The monk said before looking out into the distance. "Once we are back, we can use the dragonballs to bring back Bulma, Tien, and everyone from East City...we just need to keep going."

The monk took a step and withered, falling back onto his knees. Being closer to the ground had the monk staring into the vapid eyes of one of the many soldiers that now lay lifeless.

"Krillin!" Goku said coming to his friend's side as quickly as he could. "Are you okay?"

"…I'm fine," Krillin said his voice weak and his body still. "I'm just…tired."

The saiyan from Earth paused as he watched his friend and for the first time in a long time, felt powerless.

"BASTARDS!"

Both students of the turtle school looked up and saw a lone trooper floating above and shouting at them with his weapon drawn. "YOU'LL PAY! YOU'L-"

A thin beam of energy cut through the soldier's torso and dropped him into the ocean below. Following the source of the blast, both Goku and Krillin saw the only other full-blooded saiyan in the universe touch down on the island.

"Vegeta!"

The prince said nothing as he waded through the bodies toward the two martial artists spending a moment to glance at Gohan still held by his father.

"Where have you been?" Goku asked not noticing the looks the saiyan was shooting at his son.

"That is no concern of yours," Vegeta snapped. "…is the child still alive?"

"Gohan?" Goku asked in surprise. "Yeah, he's fine. Why?"

The prince said nothing.

"It's a good thing you're here now," Goku said quickly. "Things have gotten pretty bad so we could use your help."

"I am not interested in helping you or your friends Kakarot. Frieza is dead, the dragonballs are gone, and this planet is barely holding itself together. There is no longer any reason for me to remain here or aid you."

"Come on Vegeta," Goku said as he lent Krillin a hand to help him stay upright. "We've already lost too many people."

"Have you?" Vegeta said in mock surprise. "One of the humans I assume and the large namekian no doubt. He was already at death's door before the fight began."

"We lost the Grand Elder and Chiaotzu," Goku said solemnly. "Tien and Bulma were killed as well but if we get to Earth we can-"

"The woman?"

Vegeta's question cut off Goku mid-sentence leaving the saiyan from Earth surprised not only by the interruption but by the prince's expression as well. Surprise, and then anger ran across the saiyan's face for only a moment, but this was just long enough to catch the monk's attention.

"Yeah, Frieza killed her," Goku continued not noticing the strange reaction from the prince.

"It doesn't matter," Vegeta said after a pause. "I am not your ally. I never have been."

"Maybe, but I can tell you're just as frustrated as I am," Goku said confidently. "I know how much you wanted to beat Frieza so it must hurt that you didn't get to."

"You know nothing of me Kakarot!" Vegeta roared. "You have no idea how long I've waited for the chance to kill Frieza! To be robbed of that by a child and a pack of humans!"

Vegeta's hands curled into fists as shame radiated from him. However, it did not stop Krillin from asking, "You were there?"

The prince said nothing.

"You were there? And you did nothing?!"

Vegeta did not answer.

"You could have helped!" Krillin shouted his voice breaking as his grip on Chiaotzu's hat remained strong. Before the monk could speak up again the tense silence was broken as Goku said, "You should come with us to Earth."

The offer left the monk speechless.

"…why?" The prince asked plainly.

"I'm saiyan too Vegeta. If we win this, then we can help each other get even stronger. Plus, the food on Earth is delicious!"

For a few moments, Vegeta went quiet until he had his answer.

"…fine," Vegeta said through clenched teeth. "If your child can reach that level of strength then I will find a way to achieve something far greater."

"I was thinking the same thing," Goku said with a grin. "Great! Now we can't lose!"

…What? Krillin thought to himself looking at the two saiyans carefully. What just happened?

The monk wanted to object to this turn of events. Yet slowly, realized that arguing would not help the situation or bring anyone back. So, he remained quiet and tired.

"I'll fight with you for now," Vegeta continued. "But I do not believe we'll be able to win."

"What?" Krillin said snapping out of his head. "Why not?"

"I know these soldiers," Vegeta said sharply kicking a nearby corpse. "They are under Cold's command."

"Cold?" asked Goku.

"Frieza's father," Vegeta said looking up at the green sky.

"Frieza has a father?" Krillin said in shock.

"Yes, he was the previous head of the army. Why he is here I do not know."

"One of the soldiers say that the Ginyu Force put out a call," Goku answered quickly.

"That explains it."

"What can you tell us about Cold?" asked Krillin just trying to move forward.

"Unless he has gotten stronger, he should be weaker than Frieza. At this point, Kakarot and I alone should be enough to win. However," Vegeta said crossing his arms and looking at the mass of ships hovering on the cusp of the planet. "I don't think he's going to give us that chance."

"What do you mean?"

"Unlike Frieza Cold isn't interested in toying with his victims. He would rather eradicate the problem from a distance and move on."

"There are a lot of these soldiers but none of them are very strong, we could outlast them."

"These are just scouts. I don't understand why he hasn't launched a full-scale offensive yet."

"Maybe he doesn't know what's happened yet," Goku suggested. "The first soldiers I saw were surprised to see me and didn't know about Frieza."

"If that's true," Vegeta said slowly. "Then things are about to get worse."

"My King!" A battle-armored trooper cried as they knelt in front of King Cold's throne back on the flagship. "I have a report on the situation on Namek!"

"No need to shout trooper I can hear you just fine," Cold answered with a wave of his hand. "Give me your report."

"Y-yes," The soldier said bowing before continuing. "We are engaged with several individuals wielding immense power. They have already wiped out full battalions of us despite our greater numbers."

"Is that so?" Cold asked with some surprise. "How curious my son has yet to deal with them. No matter, I am sure he simply couldn't be bothered."

The trooper said nothing his breathing starting to become complicated.

"These individuals you mentioned. Are they not namekians?" The king asked with a cold stare. "I was told that was the name of the primary lifeforms on this planet."

"There are some namekians in the group. Our data collected from Frieza's men earlier this week matches up with what we are seeing. However, most of the fighters do not appear to be native to this planet."

"Do we know where they came from?"

"We are searching the records now but at the moment we are unsure."

"How peculiar."

"My king, you should also be aware there have been sightings of Vegeta."

"Ah! The prince of the monkeys, that explains it," Cold said chuckling. "The poor prince must have fled, rounded up a few fighters, and is making one last stand. No wonder Frieza found his way to this nothing planet. I suppose he got bored of indulging the saiyan and chased him here. He always insists on doing things on his own."

Again, the soldier said nothing.

"Regardless of the reason, it matters little. Have you been in contact with Frieza? When shall I meet with him?"

The soldier started to shake as sweat began to pour from his head. "I…There is…"

"Is something the matter?" Cold asked already bored with watching the soldier squirm.

"R-regarding Lord Frieza I have…I have confirmed it three times over and…and we are currently transporting…"

"Spit it out, soldier."

"L-lord Frieza is…dead."

The ship went silent. Every pilot and trooper on the command deck stopped in the middle of their duties as the trooper continued.

"It…it appears that he was killed in battle, your majesty. His remains are being transported to this ship now or at least what we could find."

"What you could find?"

The question came from the king laced with a chilling power. The trooper's shaking grew worse as he panted for breath fearing for his life. However, in the next moment, the same king threw his head back in laughter.

"A rather dark ruse from my son but no less entertaining. Though he overplayed his hand when he instructed you to report that he was in pieces. As if any force in the universe could do that."

"Your majesty, I…I was not…"

"Very well, I'll play along," King Cold sighed. "Finish your report."

"A-at once your majesty," The soldier said with another bow. "I, I was told both Lord Frieza's tail and his left arm have been…severed. His jaw has been b-broken as well and a weapon of some sort was plunged into his chest deep enough, we are having difficulties removing it. The weapon also…lacerated his heart. He…had already passed when we found him."

"Hmm, a more juvenile description then I thought I would get," Cold said rolling his eyes. "Perhaps he came up with this farce in the spur of the moment. No matter put him on screen."

"M-my King?" The soldier asked confused.

"You said he was being transported correct? Put me in contact with the ship he's on and we can end this charade."

The crew on deck made no immediate moves.

"Must I repeat myself?" Cold asked his tone dark.

"N-no my King!" The crew responded and began making the necessary arrangements.

The screen at the front of the ship showing Namek changed channels and before long shared a new soldier dressed in battle armor breathing heavily.

"This is ship 12 answer-"

The soldier stiffened as he realized the call was coming from the flagship and saluted swiftly.

"Your majesty! W-what an honor it is to-"

"Yes yes," Cold said sighing. "I'm here for my son. Put him on now."

"I…uh…I don't…"

"Are you refusing me?" Cold asked his patience wearing thin.

"No! M-my K-king! I, just."

"Enough of this, put my son on now!"

The soldier swallowed a lump of salvia in his mouth and stepped to the side. There on a slap in the center of the ship lay Frieza. Covered in his blood and the dirt from Namek the tyrant lay unmoving. Still holding Yajirobi's sword in his chest as what remained of his tail hung from his side. His left arm was completely removed, and his jaw swung low. Most striking of all was his expression that showed one of complete shock and terror. Seeing this picture clear on the screen had King Cold standing up out of his throne. Looking at the disfigured form of his son robbed the king of all words and left him hollow.

"Turn it off," Cold said after a long moment of silence.

The crew aboard the flagship complied immediately and so the screen fizzled and faded.

King Cold's hands trembled as the alien tried to understand how and why his son was now gone. It did not take long for Cold's gaze to return to the soldier who had given the report.

"Y-your majesty," said the soldier tripping over his words. "I did not int-"

Cold's tail lashed out from underneath the King's cape and wrapped itself along the trooper's neck. With one swift motion, the tail snapped the soldier's throat and let the body fall forward. The crew made no objections as King Cold grappled with his grief.

"Show me the planet," Cold ordered, and within seconds the screen came back to life with a clear picture of Namek.

"I want all the ships in the fleet to fire directly on those individuals."

"Your majesty," One crew member said in a quiet voice. "We…we still have soldiers on the gr-"

"Must I repeat myself?"

The alien who had spoken up went silent as his king looked at him with an aura of overwhelming force.

"I WANT ALL THE SHIPS IN THE FLEET TO FIRE ON THAT ROCK!" Cold screamed directing his hate onto his crew. "AND I WANT THERE TO BE NOTHING LEFT!"

The command carried enough power in it to crack the glass of the ship. The only thing separating the crew and its king from the clutches of space.

"Yes, your majesty!" The crew answered in unison and began working on making the order a reality.

"Krillin!"

The three warriors looked up toward the voice to see the others had regrouped. Yamcha, Nail, Tsuno, Piccolo, and Yajirobi touched down on the island still coated with the bodies of troopers. Piccolo carried Tien while Nail held Bulma.

"Geez," Yajirobi said walking over a soldier without a head. "What happened here?"

"Is everyone okay?" Krillin asked ignoring the question.

"We're alright," Yamcha answered. "But you look worse than any of us. Tsuno can you-"

"We need to move or fight," Vegeta said looking up at the ships floating above. "I suspect that Cold just learned the fate of his son."

"Cold?" Tsuno asked confused. "Who is Co-"

A blast of energy came down from up high and landed on a nearby island vaporizing it in an instant. The group looked up and saw the energy had come from one of the ships before the rest opened fire. Wordlessly Krillin, Piccolo, Yajirobi, and Yamcha pooled their ki together and crafted a barrier covering the rest of the group trying to hold on as a torrent of energy blasts, began to rain down. Miles of Namek was bathed in fire and destruction as the full arsenal of the Frieza Force fleet was let loose. Mountains fell, the green ocean was torn open, and the many islands were soon reduced to nothing. The ground beneath the group remained whole only due to the efforts of the four who held the barrier up. Under the torrent of the bombing, the small bubble of ki stayed up protecting those in its care. Minutes passed and the bombardment continued without any signs of stopping. The four who could continue using the energy they had were covered in sweat their bodies reaching their breaking point.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

Krillin's eyes went to Yajirobi who was still holding up his side of the barrier. Yet, the samurai's body seemed to be flickering in and out of sight.

"Not now," Yamcha said his own body doing the same. "Please not now!"

"What's happening?!" Krillin yelled his voice barely audible over the outpouring of energy blasts.

"We're out of time," The former bandit said through clenched teeth. "Listen, we'll find Bulma and Tien we can tell them what happened, but you have to survi-"

In the next instant, the two dead men vanished and so did their contribution to the barrier. The bubble shrank and the burden on both Piccolo and Krillin grew immensely. Crying out at the sudden increase of pressure Krillin's breathing started to drag.

"Dammit!" Piccolo grunted his strength fading fast.

"Of all the idiotic ways to die." Vegeta seethed rethinking his agreement.

"I can help!" Goku said giving his son to Vegeta without a second thought. Which confused the prince more than anything else that has happened.

"Kakarot! What are you?!"

"How do I-" Goku began ignoring Vegeta's remarks.

"There's no time to teach you!" Piccolo barked. "Just give us your ki and we'll do it!"

"Right," Goku nodded and placed a hand on Krillin and Piccolo's back siphoning his energy into the two warriors. The increase of power stabilized the barrier but there was still no end in sight.

As time ticked on the first to collapse was Krillin. The monk's arms fell limp to his side as his legs caved in bringing him onto the ground. The barrier felt the loss of Krillin's ki and weakened the group's protection. The sphere growing smaller and energy shots growing closer. Piccolo grunted as he barely remained standing.

"Krillin!" Goku shouted still giving him energy to use.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Krillin gasped. "I just slipped. I can, I can-"

"Stop," Tsuno said walking over to the monk and kneeling in front of him. "You can stop."

"What?" Krillin said still trying to catch his breath. "What are you saying?"

"It's over," Tsuno said slowly. "Namek has grown silent. I can no longer hear its sound."

Despite the chaos outside of the small barrier. The monk could not hear it. His eyes went to Nail who would not meet his.

"But…I…I can still fight," Krillin said with a voice filled with cracks.

"Perhaps you can," The old namekian said looking across his home planet. "But we cannot."

Namek's color began to drain away as the blue grass started to gray. The planet's green sky dimmed and Krillin realized that it had become much more difficult just to breathe. A hard quiet overtook the group as the destruction began to shatter the planet just outside of the sphere. Again, Krillin's eyes burned and again no tears fell.

"Do not despair Krillin of Earth," Tsuno said with a soft smile. "If you chose it to be so. Perhaps one day Namek may live again,"

"But…" Krillin said slowly. "How? Without Namek, we can't summon the dragonballs on Earth…we can't bring anyone back."

"...that is not a guarantee," Tsuno said. "You have to have hope that there may be a way, but you can only find it if you return home."

"No," Krillin said shaking his head and slowly standing up. "I can't just leave."

"You must," Tsuno said firmly. "When the Grand Elder gave me his title, he also shared with me his intentions for you. He gave you our gift as well correct?"

The monk placed a hand over his heart and nodded.

"Then there is hope. So, for the sake of both our worlds, you must flee, and you must do so now."

"I can still fight!" The monk pleaded. "I made a-"

A swift punch from Nail stopped Krillin cold and knocked him back to the ground.

"Hey!" Goku shouted ready to defend the monk.

"Is it true?" Nail said ignoring the saiyan and speaking directly to Krillin. "Did the Grand Elder give you a dragon? Because if it is, do not throw your life away for a planet that is already dead."

"A what?!" Piccolo screamed now the only one holding the barrier up.

The monk looked up at Namek's champion and spoke softly. "…it's true."

"…then we will entrust you with our future," Nail said turning away. "Do you have an escape plan?"

"…there's my ship," Goku said feeling very unclear of what they were talking about.

"That will have to do," Nail said slowly. "Tsuno, you should go with them."

"…I shall champion."

"Good, I can give you the time you need."

"What? How?" Goku asked.

"By becoming a bigger target."

Stepping outside of the small bubble of ki Nail began to grow. Throwing his arms wide Nail stood his ground protecting the group as his body took the brunt of the blasts.

"GO! NOW!" The giant ordered his voice booming over the blasts.

Piccolo wordlessly dropped the barrier and split in two grabbing Tien and Bulma. Goku and Vegeta took to the sky and Tsuno stood up ready to leave. Krillin got to his feet and looked at Nail's back as the great namekian protected them.

"I'm sorry," Krillin said not sure he could even be heard.

Nail's ears twitched but beyond that, the champion did not respond.

"Move human!" Piccolo yelled.

The monk complied and joined the others leaving Namek's champion standing alone.

"Take your son back Kakarot," Vegeta spat as the group soared.

"Oh right, thanks Vegeta," Goku said flying close enough that the prince could pass Gohan back to his father. "Hope he wakes up soon, maybe he can tell us what being a super saiyan is like."

"Humph…ridiculous," Vegeta said quickly.

The ease at which the two saiyans conversed did not sit well with Krillin. To be able to take the losses they had endured so easily, was more alien than anything else. Yet he did not speak up, he simply didn't have the strength.

As the group flew, they were given a clear view of the death of Namek. Various cracks and splits were appearing across Namek's surface the sound ringing out loudly. The water that covered most of the planet seemed to take on a sickly tint. The leaves on nearby Ajsa trees had browned and fluttered onto the gray grass one by one.

"There it is!" Goku said pointing out his ship causing the group to dive toward the ground.

Landing in front of the capsule corp ship Tsuno, Krillin, the two Piccolos, and Goku rushed inside the spacecraft as quickly as they could. The interior of the spaceship had a red-tiled floor with white walls and several windows adorning it. In its center looked to be a machine connected to the ceiling with a long nozzle. As Krillin looked around trying to take in the surroundings he noticed a ladder leading down below. Before he could explore anymore Goku approached him.

"Krillin take Gohan," The saiyan said handing over his son to the monk before rushing to the ship's main console. Leaping into the chair Goku activated the ship with a few simple button pushes.

Launch sequence initiated

A robotic voice sounded out as the ramp leading onto the ground folded into the ship. Soon the capsule corp machine began to shake and rattle as the engines started up, yet the spacecraft remained on Namek's surface.

"Can't you make this thing go faster?" Piccolo shouted as he lay out Bulma and Tien on the ship's floor and merged back into one being.

"I've done everything I can," Goku said looking over the console again making sure he did. "Dr. Brief said everything was 'automatic', so it'll fly on its own. It just takes a few minutes to get ready."

"We don't have minutes!" Piccolo said firmly. "This planet is falling apart!"

The saiyan didn't have a better answer as he obsessed over the console trying to figure out if there was, anyway, he could speed up the process. Tsuno walked over to one of the windows and looked out over his home. The aged namekian could see the ships in the distance focusing their fire on a single area. A giant elongated arm rose from the ground to grab one of the many space crafts. Ripping the ship out of the sky and tossing it onto the ground Nail still in his giant form as he threw himself against the countless energy blasts. Even at this distance, it was clear this was the champion's last stand. The aged namekian placed a hand on the window and bowed his head in silence. Krillin saw this and did not know what to say.

"Goku we are out of time!" Piccolo asked joining Goku over the console. "We have to leave now!"

The saiyan from Earth said nothing as he again looked over the console in hopes it would give him an answer to the problem. The capsule corp ship suddenly shook as something smashed against its side. The impact strong enough to nearly tilt the spacecraft.

"Now what?!" Piccolo snarled.

Krillin took to a window and saw a small number of troopers circling the ship with weapons at the ready.

"More soldiers!" The monk shouted as the ship came under fire again.

Hull integrity damaged

"Are these people insane?!" Krillin asked as the spaceship shook again.

"Both Frieza and Cold have their armies loyal to a fault," Vegeta said through clenched teeth. "Fear of death is a powerful motivator."

Hull integrity damaged

"These bastards are going to get us all killed!" Piccolo shouted stomping toward the entrance. "Open the door I'll take care of them."

"No!" Krillin yelled. "There's not enough time!"

"We can't fly with a hole in the ship!" Piccolo snapped.

Hull integrity damaged

"We can't lose you too!"

"So what do you propose?! Are you the one suggesting we do nothing?"

"I…" Krillin said hesitating the weight of the decision crushing him. "…I."

Launch sequence canceled. All passengers prepare to disembark. Thank you for flying with capsule corp.

Both the namekian and human stopped their conversation dead as the door to the spacecraft opened.

"There! An opening!" A trooper shouted as he and the unit following him converged toward the entrance of the ship. Krillin and Piccolo took a fighting stance unsure what was happening but a blur of someone faster than them both moved first. The soldier aimed his cannon only to be stopped as someone far from powerful then him smashed a knee into his face. The force of the strike tossed the soldier into the ground instantly taking him out of the fight.

"What was-"

A second trooper began before a swift elbow propelled him far into the distance.

"Fire! FIRE!"

The unit of soldiers began to fight back but they were outmatched in every way. In a matter of moments, the squad of troopers was defeated, and the blur took a second to compose himself.

"Phew, there we go," Goku said wiping away some sweat from his head.

"Goku what are you doing?" Krillin asked in a panic. "Get back on the ship!"

"Sorry Krillin," Goku said without looking at his friend. "I can already sense more guys on their way."

"…what are you-"

"Piccolo," Goku said firmly. "The controls are easy the ship will take you home with no problems."

"…got it," The namekian said walking over to the console.

"Vegeta," Goku continued. "Don't make too much trouble on Earth okay?"

"…you're a fool Kakarot."

"Krillin," The saiyan from Earth said turning to look at his friend. "You got a lot stronger buddy. Thanks for taking such good care of Gohan. I'll see you soon."

"No…no. Wait, Goku, there's got to be another way just give me a sec-"

The door to ship snapped shut as Piccolo sat at the chair taking full control of the ship.

Launch sequence initiated

"I said wait!" Krillin shouted pounding at the door. "I can figure something out! Please!"

The monk took to a window refusing to accept what was happening. Instead, he got a last view of his friend smiling and shooting a small human a strong thumbs-up before he turned to meet the second mass of soldiers already firing at the ship. The monk could do nothing but watch as the saiyan from Earth rushed toward the next fight. The ship continued to rattle and shake as the engines gathered themselves for liftoff, but the sounds didn't reach Krillin's ears. Sinking down low the monk clutched Gohan and Chiaotzu's hat tighter his voice barely above a whisper.

"…I can do more."