Chapter 2

Chia's frustrations were beginning to boil over as she sat at the console and slumped back in her pilot seat, staring at the vast expanse of space ahead. She could see from the device - if only just from taking note of the items - that there was going to be a variety of bullshit she would have to endure just to complete this task; especially as Tien had been less than forthcoming about the requirements or the stakes of it all. The wily triclops also failed to disclose Dodoria's involvement in the activity too, probably knowing her utter disdain for him.

Still, she owed the barkeeper for letting her in on this opportunity. Although she didn't really need the money, as the jobs that Chia undertook more than covered her food, armour, drinks and usually her ships bills. But with such a prize at stake and the skills she could draw upon, combined with the prospect of adventure and remedy to the futility of her, Chia relished the opportunity for this challenge. If anyone could win the prize, it would be her. The warrior felt confident in her abilities, but getting in a little extra training never hurt, well not too much anyway.

Besides, from what she had seen of the other competitors, she may be in for a few battles. Especially with Prince Vegeta involved. Throughout her life, he was always known to be the mightiest of the Saiyans, their strongest and most powerful warrior, the heir to the coveted throne. Well, he certainly was before the unfortunate destruction of Planet Vegeta years ago.

Chia and her friend Launch had been young warriors back when that happened, with freshly completed training, battle ready and eager to prove themselves in every circumstance. They had grown up around the Saiyans, living on their moon for most of the time. Whilst they were never fully accepted and were often looked down on by the elites - having received a dire warning about the consequences of mixing the bloodlines. The two young female warriors knew that they didn't belong to their race and couldn't explain how they came to be there; but they continued to stand their ground; they fought valiantly and repeatedly showed their potential by meeting every single challenge. Eventually, being part of many successive missions, the Saiyan commanders could no longer deny their abilities and allowed the alien warriors to be assigned to the full roster of missions alongside the Saiyans.

At the time of Planet Vegeta's decimation by an alleged comet, both Chia and Launch had been assigned to clear a distant planet. It was a long and arduous mission, with a few extra injuries collected along the way, but it was well within their capabilities. While they were informed through their scouters of their Planet's demise - it truly shook them to their core - they were not made part of any plans to regroup with the remaining Saiyans. Which firmly cemented their position outside of them, despite everything that these two female warriors had achieved. At that point, they agreed only to trust and prioritise one another.

Finally being released from the restraints placed upon them by Frieza, allowed for an untold wave of relief to wash over them, enabling the free thinking thoughts of the endless freedoms they could at last enjoy. However, the entire sense of purpose of these two warrior women had been destroyed alongside their homes, their friends and their comrades in that one instant. Without knowing what to do beyond that, it left them floundering for a period of time. Drifting through space, fighting aimlessly, Chia and Launch didn't know what to do without their chain of command. Sure, they could easily take care and provide for themselves, but they longed for the pride they felt in the race that they had come to belong to. The race that no longer existed, apart from a handful.

As they continued to hop from one bar, planet, outpost to another, they began to notice the types of jobs and roles they were regularly being offered and how well they were being paid for their expert services. This presented itself as an opportunity to establish themselves as mercenaries to enjoy the adventure and get paid extremely well for the privilege. Being a mercenary was far from their intention but it checked all the boxes that they had been searching for since the destruction of their home. Whether they were Saiyan or not, it still hurt.

It had been a long time since Chia had thought about her home and her previous life, but seeing the Prince had brought up long buried emotions. Including those surrounding her friend Launch, good and bad, it was a painful set of memories that she'd sooner forget. Moving forward was the only way to deal with them, lest she be accused of weakness. That would never happen again.

Coming back to her senses, the blinking lights on her console alerted her to the proximity of her chosen first destination, the planet Popol. Chia would need to retrieve some Popolian Frog's Legs for the list, a bizarre choice by the creators and she could only think that they were some kind of delicacy, but then again this whole situation was rather odd to begin with. It would've been more helpful for them to have included an image, but I'm sure I can hazard a guess at this one. She chuckled to herself. This was certainly her closest item in terms of distance from what she could tell. Plus, it seemed like collecting it now would give her the best opportunity time wise; because if she had to come back for it later on, it would be well out of her way and would cost her valuable time. However, what this did mean was that the risk of bumping into the other competitors was great, the other teams would have likely considered the same information logistically and come to the same conclusion. But it was a risk Chia was willing to take.

She would have to be cautious and avoid being eliminated, especially so early on. One of the so-called forfeits stated that withdrawing from the competition was punishable by death, as was not attaining all of the items. Although Chia would rather die than surrender, her Saiyan upbringing being woven into the very fabric of her being, believed it to be an unforgivable act of cowardice. There were a few other stipulations amongst the list of forfeits and consequences, a lot more of the same outcomes and then others that were inconsequential, leaving her to wonder what their purpose even was.

With the greenish glow of the planet Popol coming into view, Chia began to prepare herself. She repeatedly stretched out her arms above her head and brought them back down to slowly stretch the muscles in each of her legs, every movement was accompanied by deep and long breaths. This process allowed her to prepare her body and more crucially her mind for battle of any kind. Once finished, she adjusted her black Saiyan-like armour that protected her majority of her torso; meticulously running her hands over it, checking for weak points and that her straps that were firmly affixed. Over the years she had come to favour the cobalt blue under-armour that she now wears, it perfectly highlighted any attacks that had broken through her main armour aiding her in better protecting herself. The prominent and contrasting red trim on the collar and sleeves were more for personal taste than to do with utility. Not that this mattered a great deal to Chia, but she did feel it was indeed a flattering combination for her.

Walking over to peruse her small armoury, she picked up her favoured energy gun and thoroughly checked the components. In her former life, weapons were frowned upon and deemed unnecessary, especially as the Saiyans had their own source of energy - something that Chia had to forcibly learn, as it didn't come as naturally to her. Now, in her years as a mercenary, she had come to appreciate the advantage of having such a weapon. It produced a very similar controlled blast to that of her Saiyan counterparts and those of her own, but it would also ensure that she did not take from her own reserves that were not as easily replenishable as her previous comrades'.

Securely attaching her holster just above her hips and the support belt around her thigh, Chia fastened her energy gun in place. The weight of the weapon caused it to hang slightly lower on one side, so she tightened it again in an attempt to counteract it. She finished her routine by putting on her black scuffed knee guards and retying her silky raven hair back up with a red strap into a high ponytail, letting her fringe fall to the front and sides of her face, inadvertently framing it perfectly.

After diligently rechecking the contents of her DynaCaps - primarily consisting of the food and emergency kit that she shouldn't need, but would never be without - she tucked them firmly into a pouch between her armour and under-armour. Chia encapsulated the rest of her supplies, collecting all the capsules and then ensuring that they were secured, she placed the rest of them in the safe by her bunk.

Sighing heavily and contemplating the mission ahead, she placed herself back down into the pilot seat. Chia began tapping and adjusting the settings on the main console. With a sudden lurch of the ship being shifted into manual piloting, the unfazed Chia took a hold of the grips used to fly the craft and began to guide it through the hazy atmosphere towards the vibrant green and yellow streaked planet below. As she concentrated, she lightly bit her lower lip, likely to ground her senses so that she could focus on the task ahead. Planet Popol.

It had been yet another seamless landing for Chia. She has never been one to compromise on her skill - any of them. As a warrior, a pilot, a cook or a lover, every single thing she excelled at and was keen to maintain every standard.

Before she departed her ship, Chia had been alerted by the ship's computer about the composition of the atmosphere; and that while the air on the planet's surface would be breathable for a short amount of time, it would begin to cause side effects and damage if inhaled for a longer duration.

Making a mental note of her computer's warning, she left hurriedly. On this occasion Chia had opted to forego her usual breathing apparatus, as she only intended to make a brief stop on the planet. With her equipment being a finite resource available to her, choosing to save it for when she didn't have any other option seemed like a smart decision. Although, running down the walkway, quickly exiting the ship and she immediately felt the difference in air. It had a weight to it, not too dissimilar from Planet Vegeta but it also produced an odd sensation in her mouth and nose.

With the destruction of the terraforming station and planet - courtesy of Zarbon - Chia took the opportunity to briefly cast her eye over the external surfaces of her ship and check for any damage that required immediate attention. Thankfully nothing concerning at this time, that would be the last thing she would need being far out in this sector.

Deciding to make this stop as quickly as possible, she walked back up to press a button beside the walkway of her ship and encapsulated itself once more. After scooping up the DynaCap that now laid on the ground and tucking it securely away, Chia properly surveyed the lands around her.

With no clues as to what the Popolian Frog looks like or where it might be located, the warrior decided to start by searching for likely habitats. Chia launched herself into the air and began scouting for clues; as she flew, the raven-haired woman began to notice lines of gold in the countryside. This enticed Chia's inquisitive side, so she changed her course to descend to the lush green ground and inspect this phenomena.

Landing with a slight stumble, she was beginning to notice the effects of the atmosphere, as this had not been an issue since she first learnt to fly as a child. Shaking off the feeling, she began to walk at a quickened pace in the direction of this odd sight. As she drew nearer she could see that perceived strips of gold were actually an abundance of tiny golden yellow orbs. Chia let out a small laugh for mistaking them. She wasn't entirely sure what they were or what they were even made of; they could be seeds or even eggs. There were swathes of them littering the landscape, which was otherwise quite serene and peaceful. Checking her surroundings before she moved - wary of potential inhabitants and other competitors - she leant over and collected a handful of the unique orbs to inspect. They shimmered perfectly in the daylight as she rolled them in her hands, examining each of them. They could be berries of sorts. She pondered and moved on to walk around further to see if she could identify them. She didn't want to leave without some kind of explanation, as they seemed far too interesting, unique items and a potential source of income to leave behind.

Continuing her walk, she was met with a stark reminder of her computer's warning as she came across the recently deceased corpse of a competitor she had recalled seeing at the initial gathering. Chia noted that it was a rather tall being and questioned whether the composition of the atmosphere was more toxic further from the ground. Or perhaps it was its species. The spacecraft in the near distance was certainly a tempting find, in any other situation she would have searched the craft for anything of need or value, but Chia was conscious of the limited time she had on this planet and did not want to repeat the mistakes of the fool that lay before her.

It really was a pleasurable place and if she had a choice, she would likely choose to delay her departure. Instead she took in the sights of the shifting grass blades; the abundance of lush trees that lined the extending fields of green and glistening gold that gave way to distant views of equal beauty to lock away as a memory.

As she walked steadily, gazing at her surroundings, a movement caught her eye, but when she looked in the direction, there was nothing there. A few more steps and the same happened again. Chia edged herself towards the perceived movement, beginning to question her senses. Until she came upon an area just beyond the border of the trees, that looked something like a swamp. As she made her way towards it, the luscious landscape faded away as she came closer to the new environment, she could barely see any sunlight penetrate through the dense canopy causing a dank atmosphere below. There right in the centre of her view perched on a mound of detritus, was a vibrant green and black patterned frog-like creature. This must be the Popolian Frog. Thrilled at her timely discovery, Chia stepped forward to attempt to capture it. The creature didn't even flinch as she stepped forward and wedged her foot with a loud squelch into the boggy ground. Oh fuck.

Trying to keep herself stable and avoid any other missteps, Chia couldn't quite understand how she could have made such a foolish mistake, as her expertise and capabilities far exceeded her current situation. She began yanking at her leg, trying to free it from its embrace in the sodden ground, whilst being mindful of her positioning.

Looking around her for an option to aid her escape, she locked eyes on the Popolian Frog still in it's position but now small golden orbs began emerging from the back end of it, cascading down the mound and rolling in her direction. She grimaced at the sight, now knowing what she had recently been handling. Oh that's nasty.

Bringing her attention back to her situation, she reminded herself that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly more toxic to her body with every breath. The metallic taste in her mouth and nose were clear signs, she had to leave immediately or she would continue to lose all sense of reason and be unable to protect herself from suffering the same fate as the corpse she had seen only a short while ago.

As she continued to writhe her leg around trying to free it, she felt the eyes of the Popolian Frog on her. Looking up at it again and feeling its taunting glare, she lifted her hand and with one quick and decisive movement, she blasted the damn thing clean from the mound.

This action caused a deep laughter to emanate from within Chia, a kind of laugh that she hadn't experienced since before the death of her friend. It hurt in every way. Logically she knew she was being consumed by the effects of the atmosphere, but found herself becoming less bothered by it all, not even with the feeling of her energy draining from her. Stumbling around her trapped leg only increased her laughter, causing her to draw in extra breaths, making the progressive effects of the surrounding air on her more apparent.

This couldn't be the way that she dies, she deserves a warrior's death. Not asphyxiation, secondary to laughter.

In an attempt to regain her rationality, Chia balled up fist ready to strike herself. Poised in position, she saw movement from her peripheral vision. Aha multiple of the little fuckers! So instead of striking herself, the raven-haired woman quickly launched a barrage of very little and purposefully weak energy blasts, careful not to cause a repeat of the exploding frog. The thought alone required her utmost will and strength to stifle a laugh once more. Completing the action, she looked at the semi-cooked bodies of several Popolian Frogs strewn in a semi-circle around her. Not a bad haul.

With the clarity that she had gained from the moment, the Saiyan-like female utilised fallen branches by sliding them down close to her leg and foot, creating an air pocket next to her leg. The action worked exactly as she'd hoped, it quickly released the suction and finally gave her the room to manoeuvre her foot free.

Being unsteady, Chia was mindful of her footing, keen not to cause a repeat. She proceeded to pick the longest branches up, gingerly using them to collect the cursed amphibious creatures she had lightly blasted. Once she had retrieved each one, for a total of five, she placed them in a small DynaCap promptly, not wishing to waste anymore time or breath.

Turning around to see the exact path she had made when she had first walked into the densely covered area, the warrior stumbled her way back out onto the vast and open fields.

As soon as Chia was clear of the wooded area, she took out the DynaCap containing her ship; she depressed the plunger and threw the capsule onto the ground ahead of her. Out of the smoky residue and immediately beginning to unfurl was the vessel she had come to trust.

In the near distance, another ship landed and almost instantly it's crew began to depart. She weakly positioned herself in a fighting stance, prepared to defend herself, as she was well aware that each party pursuing the contents of the list was out for themselves. She wouldn't hesitate to get rid of competitors if necessary, so wouldn't put it past the newcomers to do the same, especially in her current weakened state. Keeping an eye on them and their movements, Chia listened intently but couldn't decipher the language, although she could see their sheer amazement at the vast streaks of tiny golden orbs on the fields. She must have looked rather similar when she had first arrived on the planet. Chia shook her head at her own naivety.

Wearily, the exhausted warrior began to board her craft when she glanced back over to the other crew. What she saw momentarily shocked her, the other competitors were now openly stuffing their faces with the tiny golden orbs of frog shit. She contemplated shouting over to inform them, but instead a hearty laugh emerged from her throat preventing her from verbalising anything at that moment. So she just staggered up the walkway barely able to contain herself instead.

Back inside the ship, her head began to clear once the walkway had shut behind her and she was finally breathing air that wasn't trying to kill her. However, Chia was now nursing an extreme headache that pounded with every blink.

Barely able to stand, as her body fought against the exhaustion that was now threatening to overwhelm her. She quickly and almost aimlessly jabbed at the main console, plotting the course to the next location in pursuit of the alleged prized items. Once the directions were all set, Chia slumped back down into the pilot seat, still breathing hard. She had hoped to at least briefly rinse off from the day, especially her leg and whatever debris still clung to her. Instead she closed her eyes with the intention of only to blink, but felt the pull of exhaustion call to her, hoping the pain in her head would alleviate soon, she accepted the beckoning slumber.