Dodoria Battle Area, Namek
December 21, A762

"Here," Vegeta pointed, and they flew down to the ground, "I dropped the Dragon Ball down here in the water. Without Scouters, and with this area already being abandoned, they wouldn't think to look here, but I'll always remember where I killed Dodoria."

"That's pretty sick," Tien said with a sneer.

"Dodoria was pretty sick," Vegeta said, "I'll grab the Dragon Ball, and we'll be on our way."

"No funny business. My Scouter can see where the Dragon Ball is, and it's always transmitting to Bulma, and Roshi," Tien said, tapping his sunglasses. Vegeta rolled his eyes, and dove into the water. Tien stood to attention, sensing something. He turned, and heard growling. He scanned the area, but saw nothing.

He looked up.

Three of the beasts they'd encountered were snarling at him from up on the cliff, and they were much more powerful than the first ones. They had armor around their chests, similar in design to the armor the soldiers wore, and they had what were clearly cameras attached to their collars.

"Hah! Here it is! And you didn't trust me!" Vegeta said, emerging from the water.

"We've got a problem," Tien said, staring at the beasts. Vegeta's eyes went wide.

"Are those...Demsu?"

XXX

Ruins of Moori's Village, Namek
December 21, A762

"Sorry about your village," Krillin said when they found the village. They stood on the same ledge where they'd spied on Freeza before. It was abandoned, aside from the bodies of the slain Namekians, who had been left where they lay.

"The buildings are just objects. It is the destruction of the trees that I mourn. A lifetime's worth of work, uprooted and destroyed...Our world was once covered in their forests, teeming with life. It will be another generation before we can recover," Moori lamented.

"I'm sorry. You'd like Earth, it's covered in trees in places. Deserts, too, but even they have life. There are plains of green grass that go on for miles in places," Krillin said.

"It sounds beautiful. I'd like to visit, when this is over," Moori said.

"We'd love to have you, but there's not much room at Master Roshi's anymore," Krillin said, "So where's this Dragon Ball?"

Moori jumped down from the cliff, next to the pit that was made by the Kikoho.

"In here," Moori gestured to the building he was standing next to, unable to look away from the bodies of his people. Krillin peeked his head in.

"I don't see it."

"I've hidden it well," Moori said, approaching where the floor met the wall deeper inside the house. He pried some bricks out of the floor, and pulled the Dragon Ball out of its case, "I hid it as soon as I felt the invaders arrive. I am glad I did."

"Good thinking ahead," Krillin took the Dragon Ball, "Let's get out of here before we get spotted."

"I think we're too late for that," Mori said, "One of the bodies is missing, and something is stalking us."

"Oh, no…"

Moori stepped around the building, and found the body. It was benign devoured by a purple hairless four-legged beast with a fin-like fringe running down its back. The ebast had armor covering its chest that resembled the Freeza Force's armor. It looked up, and it growled at Moori. Its fin expanded in a clear gesture of dominance and hostility.

"This is very not good," Krillin said, taking off into the sky. For Ki blasts started firing at him from the destroyed village, forcing him to duck and weave and, inevitably, land.

"Okay, we're going to need a new plan. Can you fight?" Krillin asked.

"I'll have to."

"All right," Krillin set down the Dragon Ball, "Let's do this."

The beasts charged at Krillin, who charged back to keep them away from Moori. Krillin could sense that, together, the four beasts were much stronger than he was, so his focus was on dodging and only hitting them when he needed to. Mostly, he kept on the defensive and prevented them from changing targets.

Moori aimed his hand at the nearest of the beasts and fired a Ki blast, leaving a mark on its armor. It snarled at Moori, but a kick from Krillin got its attention.

The four beasts sparked Ki from their teeth, but instead of firing as expected, the beasts seemed to 'kiss' each other, the glow in their mouths getting brighter, until it reached the fourth beast, which charged straight at Krillin, pinning him on the ground with a flash of pink light. Krillin let out a yelp, and pressed his hands against the beast's head to keep its glowing jaws away from his face.

Moori charged another blast, this one much larger and more powerful than the last, and fired, blowing a hole in the beast. The other three beasts were already charging him, forcing Moori to jump over them. The beasts replied by firing Ki at him in the air, but by this time, Krillin had recovered, and charged back at them, stopping their bombardment. With a spinning kick, Krillin launched one of the beasts into the hole from the Tri-Beam, leaving him with two beasts.

"Kame! Hame!" Krillin charged an attack. One of the beasts jumped into the air, and was in his face.

"HAH!" Krillin struck it with a point-blank blast, and the beast landed in two pieces at his feet. The beast that had been knocked into the pit leaped out, landing next to its remaining companion. The two beasts barked at them, turned, and ran off.

"We need to leave, now," Moori said.

"Yup!" Krillin agreed, taking the Dragon Ball, "Let's boogie!"

"What about feet?"

XXX

Dodoria Battle Area, Namek
December 21, A762

Vegeta punched the beast that had its jaws clamped down on his arm, but it refused to let go as the Demsu extended its retractable jaws, digging into his flesh and tightening its grip. Vegeta blasted it with some Ki, but while the Demsu yelped, it didn't let go, nor was the blast enough to kill it.

"What did you say these things were?" Tien asked, punching one, and then the other, away from him.

"Demsu! We took a job to wipe them out, but Freeza must have kept a few as War-Beasts!" Vegeta said, "These are some of the big ones!"

Indeed, these creatures were nearly as tall as Vegeta at the shoulder, and were much larger than either him or Tien. The one with Vegeta in its jaws started to shake. At first Vegeta tried to fight it, but decided instead to fly up. While on the way up, Vegeta started to punch the beast in the throat, trying to get it to choke or otherwise let him go. He almost panicked when its mouth started to glow, but instead, Vegeta shoved his other hand into the Demsu's mouth, and shouted,

"GARLICK GUN!"

This time, the beast ate Ki, and in a purple and pink flash, the Demsu exploded. Down below, as it rained chunks of flesh, Tien held one hand out to each beast, ready to strike at whichever came at him. Tien closed all three eyes, and took a breath. Even without his eyes, his Ki sense was now advanced enough he could 'see' not only the creatures, but the terrain around them. He could even 'see' Vegeta above him.

Tien rolled his arms around, his Four Witches arms slowly emerging from his back, and he started to glow yellow. Both Demsu attacked, but were shocked back by the sudden Ki shield Tien had created. Front he shield, a Dodon Ray was formed, fired straight at one of the Demsu, and destroyed it. The other Demsu dodged the attack aimed at it, and ran off between the rocks, letting out howls of pain and panic.

"It's off to get more, I'm sure of it," Vegeta said.

"Yeah, but it's hiding its power level."

"They can do that?" Vegeta hissed, "Damn you, Raditz, you should have wiped them out!"

"There's not much we can do about it now. Let's head back," Tien said, taking off. Vegeta grabbed the Dragon Ball, and followed.

XXX

Freeza's Ship, Namek
December 21, A762

Chief Lemo swallowed a big lump in his throat. He knew that Vegeta was on the planet; were the other Saiyans on their way? Was he about to betray them?

He knew that Freeza would find out about this one way or another. He now had the locations of two parties, and they were beelining straight towards the same location, albeit at different speeds. If he held this information back, he was a dead man.

Was his life worth the chance these people had to finally take out Freeza?

Lemo swallowed again, and sent the message to the Demsu to return to base. The beasts would follow his orders faithfully. He at least had them on his side.

"I've got to trust they'll be able to figure something out," Lemo muttered to himself, "I hope they can forgive me for this, though."

Lemo transferred the data to a pad, and ran to the bridge.

"Halt! Only those authorized may speak with Lord Freeza!" a guard held out his hand.

"Then go and get him!"

"What business do you have with Lord Freeza?" the Guard said.

"I know where the rest of the Dragon Balls are!" Lemo said, holding up the pad.

"What?" the guard gasped, "Come with me!"

The guard chimed the door.

"Come in," Lord Freeza declared.

"Lord Freeza, this crewman claims he's found the last of the Dragon Balls!" the guard announced. Freeza turned in place to regard them.

"Well?" Freeza said.

"My Demsu beasts have been released all over the planet, sweeping for lifesigns. Mostly, they've been killing fleeing Namekians, but two different groups have encountered the Earthlings and Vegeta. May I share to your map, sire?" Lemo explained. Freeza nodded, and Lemo's map appeared on the big screen.

"They found one Earthling and a Namekian at a village we'd already attacked, here. Their collars confirmed they found the Dragon Ball we missed there. At this location, another pack found Vegeta and a second Earthling, and also confirmed the presence of a Dragon Ball. That accounts for two. Assuming they already have one more, that makes all three, which I admit is a big assumption, but given how hard it's been to find all the villages, it's consistent with our operations that perhaps one of the Dragon Balls was hidden someplace special.

"The packs managed to get video of their direction and velocity, as well. Assuming they're flying straight to their destination, I suspect they have a hidden camp where the two lines would meet, at these coordinates," Lemo modified the map to illustrate.

"What is your rank and name?" Freeza asked.

"Erm...Master Chief First Class Lemo, sire."

"You're the first person to actually deliver results since these meddlers have arrived on Namek. Congratulations, I'm putting you in for a promotion, Commander Lemo," Freeza said.

"An officer? Sire, that's too generous. I'm not a warrior, I just handle the Demsu, my lord."

"And yet your beasts have been of more use than any of these worthless minions, and you can do basic math, which is more than I suspect Dodoria of. You are now in command of this vessel in my absence," Freeza motioned to the computer, pulling up the file, and instantly upgrading Lemo from NCO to Commanding Officer.

"You are...Too generous, Lord Freeza," Lemo bowed.

""At least until Captain Ginyu arrives. I'm given to understand he'll be here in a few hours, having met up with some fleet trying to put down some rebels, but if your information pans out, his presence will have been redundant anyway. Good work, Commander," Freeza said, "Pick out a bodyguard for yourself."

"Of course, Lord Freeza," Lemo said, trying to avoid the shaking in his voice. Officers hadn't had a long career on this mission so far. He watched Freeza climb into his hoverchair. The viewing window opened, and Freeza flew out of the room at supersonic speeds. Lemo turned to the guard next to him.

"I want Demsu sweeps around a perimeter immediately on a rotation. Everyone must remain at Battle Readiness. If ANYONE gets aboard this ship and steals these Dragon Balls, I am feeding them to my beasts, do you understand?"

"What? Yes, Commander Lemo!" the guard stood at attention.

"Computer, activate all security measures! We're at Yellow Alert as of right now, CO Authorization. As far as ANYONE on this ship is concerned, this vessel may as well be Lord Freeza's personal chambers! NOTHING gets on!"