Chapter three - Recovery

A ten square mile area of Planet Vegeta had been sectioned off a hundred years ago for the greatest event held on the planet. The Sai-jin Games. A fighting tournament held to find the races greatest warrior. The area includes various terrains, plains, mountains, lakes, but due to the constant fighting nothing lives in this area. The current round of the games, held every four years, was in between rounds. The current tournament has boiled down to just four warriors. Second Class Elite Syphon, First Class Elite Malice, First Class Elite Napa, and Prince Vegeta. The Victor then has the chance to challenge King Vegeta to test their strength.

Hundreds of hover cams covered the area to show the battles to other Sai-jins throughout their Empire. Suddenly cheers filled the skies of the planet as Syphon and Malice both emerged from their ships and flew into the battle area. It only took a few moments for the two to reach the center of the area, and the fight was on.

Appla could hear the explosions of battle off in the distance as the two warriors clashed. She walked over to the large windows and looked out the window at the flashes in the distance. She could see Raditz's reflection in the window, his eyes were locked on the battle a few miles away. He'd always wanted to be that strong, but had never managed to pull himself above the rank of a Third Class Soldier.

It had been Turles, their eldest, who had first broken classes. Bardock was still a Third Class Soldier then, if only just. After Turles reached the Second Class status Bardock pushed himself to follow. Raditz had tried to as well but was still a few thousand short. When Kakkarotto was born everyone had expected him to have great power, it had been a surprise to them all when they learned of his low power.

Appla sighed as she placed a hand on the window and pictured young Kakkarotto. She wondered, as she often did, how he was doing. How strong he'd become. But she never checked. If someone where to find her scanning Earth they'd get curious, and might find him. Her and Bardock both worried for his safety in the army with such a small power, that's why they'd sent him away.

Now they'd lost another son. They'd been to late returning to Planet Vegeta to save Turles, his injuries had been to great for the simple rejuvenator in his pod to mend. When she'd opened it to carry him out to a regen tank he'd already been dead. Bardock was listed in critical condition still, the doctors feared he'd been placed in the regen tank to late for it to help enough to save him. Only time would tell for certain.

Appla snapped back to reality as a bright wall of light lit up the sky in the distance. One of the battling warriors had been slammed into the barrier around the battle field. She jerked at the sound of shattering glass. Turning she saw Raditz's fist outside the hospital, the window laying in shards around his feet. "If they're so strong why don't they handle military operations?!" he demanded through clenched teeth. His fist opened and energy built in front of his palm. Then in a brilliant white flash the energy surged forward until it hit the distant barrier.

A warning siren blared loudly and Appla and Raditz made their way down the hall toward the regen room. Techs adjust the settings to Bardock's tank trying to stabilize him. "I'm reading massive energy spikes from inside the tank!" - "Pulse Rate is skyrocketing!" - "BP is dangerously high!" - "His energy level is erratic." - "Increase the H5b levels to 110%." - "No effect." - "Give me 30 cc's Kin-sol Solution, up the DNA levels by 50%, and increase the Se6K drip to fifty."

"Still no effect... wait, energy levels are stabilizing, BP returning to normal, pulse rate is still high but stable. I'm still reading random energy spikes. He seems good now."

"Appla." said a voice from behind her and Raditz. She recognized it at once and as she turned she also knelt, with Raditz following suit.

"Lord Vegeta. It's an honor." she said.

"Please, no formalities. Not in here." Appla stood with a curious look on her face, one reflected on Raditz's face as well. King Vegeta walked over toward Bardock's regen tank as he explained. "Down here, in this room, is where the truly great warriors can be found. Not out at the tournament. It's here that I find those who are worthy of my trust.

"Did you know that there's over five thousand soldiers who have never set foot in this room? It's not because they're strong enough to not get seriously injured. It's because they don't have true loyalty to the throne, and because they aren't true warriors. It's because they would have left Shirr once they realized the power difference between them and Vashon instead of doing all they could to defeat him.

"I've already had it arranged for Bardock to receive the Gold Moon, our third highest honor, once he's recovered. There are those who think he doesn't deserve it, because of his low power, but I believe he does, as do you Appla." K. Vegeta turned to look at her and Raditz. "You and Bardock have never left a mission half finished, have never backed away from a fight no matter what the odds. Were you elites I would have promoted you to my personal army long ago."

"Thank-you sir."

K. Vegeta shook his head. "It's the least I can do. Despite the low powers of your family you have served me better than many of my personal army. And now you've lost a son. He is being given the Golden Moon as well, for having helped to stop Vashon. His name will also be going on the wall."

"The wall!" Raditz cried in shock. "Amazing!"

K. Vegeta chuckled slightly. The Wall was in the entry way to the throne room. It was there that the names of the greatest Sai-jin warriors were forever engraved, the second highest honor that could be bestowed on a warrior, but only after death. "He deserves it no?" K. Vegeta asked, to which Raditz merely nodded, the statement still had his mind spinning. There hadn't been a name added to The Wall in seventy years, and certainly never before had a Second Class Soldier's name been put there.

"I hate to do this, especially while Bardock is still in recovery, but I need a favor of you Raditz."

"Of me sir?"

"Yes. I know you don't think to highly of your power, but it's perfect for this assignment. As you know the sensors in the Battle Hall, where the competitors of the tournament are staying, are set to read high powers without overloading. As a result of this anything below four thousand can't be detected. I need you to sneak into the Battle Hall and gather some information for me. I've been hearing rumors that one of the competitors from this years tournament is a traitor, a follower of Frieza. I need you to see what you can find. This is something of a covert mission, and I suggest you keep out of sight. If the traitor finds you..."

"Understood sir." Raditz said with a bow before leaving the room.

"Good luck" K. Vegeta said to the departing Raditz before turning back to Bardock.

Suddenly the sensors went nuts throughout the room. "What is it!?" Appla demanded. "What's wrong?"

"The regen tank is overloading, Bardock's power is going nuts... it's possible he's dreaming, remembering the battle. But if this keeps up he could short the system, it's not meant for powers over 15,000."

"But he was only at just over 10,000" Appla said softly.

"Perhaps." Said a tech. "But I'm reading him at around 15,500 right now. With the pounding he took it's not surprising, I'd bet he's going to get even stronger before he's done recovering."

K. Vegeta nodded. "He may come close to the First Class Soldier level before he comes to, after that battle." /And chances are, knowing Bardock, he'll be healed shortly./

"I'm reading stable!" Called a tech. "Everything's leveled out!"

"How's that possible?" Demanded another tech. "His injuries were to great, he shouldn't be healed this quickly..."

"Force of will." Said King Vegeta. "He made himself heal as fast as he could, he always has. I can remember the first mission I sent him on. Came back half dead, covered in blood, with less than a twenty percent chance of recovering. He was healed in less than a day and demanding to be put back in active duty. He has a warriors spirit, and I suggest you open the tank before he..."

King Vegeta was cut off as light flared out from the tank which then exploded. K. Vegeta erected a small KI barrier to prevent himself and Appla from being struck by the debris while the techs all took cover behind consoles. As the dust and debris settled it revealed Bardock standing at attention, fully healed. "Ho... how." a tech stammered staring at Bardock's power level which was displayed on a large monitor to their right. 18,302. As Bardock glanced at the number he smiled.

"Sometimes," King Vegeta began with a slight laugh. "I think you let yourself get pummeled just to get stronger."