Southern Army Base, main duty room, time 15:30:

One hundred purge crews where stationed out of the southern base. While it was far from the largest base on the planet, the western base held that title, it housed the finest warriors. An appointment to the southern base was an honor. Ronit was a hard commander and ran his base with a tight fist. Slacking was not tolerated and offenders found themselves punished quickly. He was large male, at six and a half feet and weighting in at over three hundred pounds. His hair was cropped short and his eyes quick and full of intelligence. He had been in charge of the base for going on fifty years. Under his command it had rose in the standings and now only the best of the elite teams where housed here. This was just the way Ronit wanted it. Let the other bases deal with morons, he wouldn't have them here. He scanned the steadily filling room, crossing his arms over his chest. The crew commanders settled themselves in. Some in chairs but most stood, either leaning against walls or on the edge of a desk. Of the one hundred crews under his command 80 where planet side at the moment. This was unheard of, yet the reason was understood.

"When you have all settled." He stated in a clear voice and the murmuring died at once. He saw Tarma slip in last and lean against the door. He narrowed his eyes and made a mental note to speak with her about her tardiness. "I am sure you all know why so many crews are planet side instead of out on missions, so I will not insult you intelligence and repeat the reasons." He paused, letting the importance of what he was about to say sink in. "Now your probably wondering why I didn't just send out notices." There was a shifting that spoke louder than any words. They had all wondered just that. Ronit uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, eyeing them each in turn. "The brains up at the castle have discovered that someone on Vegetasei is sending information to an unknown person. The commutations are bounced thru so many hubs that it is damn near imposable to tell just where they go." He scowled hard. " In short my lovelies we have a rat on the planet." The silents of the room took on a deafening note. Everyone was still as stone, not even an eye blinked. "Sensitive data is being leaked. Now it is clear that the leak is not here at MY base. In fact this is the only base that has not been breached. All of the other four have had uplinks to this unknown person in the last few weeks. Eastern Base having the highest number of transmissions." There was a note of pride in his voice. HIS base was clean. "So my little darlings." He smirked. " It falls to us to find this rat or rats. Seeing how we are the most trustworthy." He motioned to the desk in front of him. "I have all the information that the brains could give me on these data chips. Some of you will be doing planet side investigations while some will be running down the links to find out to where and who this information is being leaked." There was a collective groan from the crew leaders and Ronit held up a hand to forestall the arguments. "There is a war brewing and you will all get more than enough action in the coming months. Now bite down and do what needs to be done. I am sure I do not need to tell you this is need to know information. Handle it yourselves as much as you can. Only if need be do you bring the rest of your crews into it. That having been said, collect your chips and you are dismissed." Ronit stepped back.

His gaze missed nothing. The commanders filed up one at a time and took a chip, most scowling. He also didn't miss Bardock and Tarma glancing at each other before they moved forward to the end of the line. Those two had started to weird him out slightly. Ever since they had come back from Gerrin they where different. True the other two from Pantor's old crew where changed as well but not like these two. His far stretching ears had heard talk that they could read each other's minds. While this sounded farfetched to him he had to admit they acted like they knew what each other was thinking.

"Tarma." He stepped forward when she reached the table. She paused with the data chip in her hand and looked up at him. Ronit met her gaze. "When I call a meeting I expect everyone to be here on time. Is that understood?"

He watched her face go impassive. Her eyes glittered.

"Yes sir." She straightened.

"Where were you? You scouter was off. During times like this none of my command is to be out of commutations reach."

Bardock moved to stand behind her and Ronit had the odd feeling that he was being pushed back but he stood his ground. This was his base damn it and he would be obeyed. The pair didn't touch, yet he could feel the air crackle with energy. They both narrowed eyes at him in disconcerting unison.

"I was running, sir."

Ronit arched a brow.

"Running?" He had heard that she was training in strange ways to regain the use of her damaged arm. But running? Tarma and Bardock moved as one to stand closer and it was Bardock that spoke.

"I don't see where this has any barring." He leaned his hip against the desk and added. "Sir."

Ronit decided right then that these two defiantly made him uncomfortable. Yet they commanded two of the top crews and he would be damned if he would let them know they gave him the heebie-jeebies. They looked at each other and if he hadn't known better the base commander would have swore they where talking or something without words. He could feel a ripple of energy pass between them before they turned back to him. Tarma pushed Bardock off the desk and laid her hands on the it, leaning closer to Ronit.

"Look, I am sorry I was late for your little meeting. It will not happen again. I had stopped in to get a shower, next time I will come sweaty and smelling like the desert." She straightened and stepped back. "Now if you will excuse me, Sir. I have things to do." She slipped the data chip into a hidden pocket in her armor and turned on her heel. Leaving Bardock glaring at the base commander.

The crew commander leaned over the desk and locked gazes with the base commander.

"You know Ronit." Bardock's lips twisted in a mix of a smirk and snarl. "You should be a bit more careful whose toes you step on."

Ronit scowled.

"Are you threatening me Bardock?"

You couldn't really call the sound Bardock made a laugh but it was an odd mockery of one.

"I never make threats. Merely giving you fair warning." He grabbed the last data chip off the table and turned on his heel.

When the room was empty Ronit let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Yeah those two weird me out." He muttered to himself.

Bardock and Tarma's quarters:

Tarma sat at the desk in the main room, her feet kicked up on the desktop, chair with the front two legs off the floor. She was watching the holo play out from the terminal. The voice that floated up was flat and clearly computerized. Her tail ticked slowly over the arm of the chair. It was easy to see she had drawn the wild goose chase duty. The mission information gave her two days before she had to start chasing down commutations hubs all over the galaxy, of course she would leave much sooner. Well it was something to do. Bardock came striding out of the bedroom and stood behind her, hands resting lightly on her shoulders and her tail wrapped around his arm. Neither spoke, just watched the holo spew out the information. This was going to be a long and more than likely fruitless search. The transmissions had been bounced from hub to hub. Covering more than thirty sectors and that was before the brains at the castle lost track of it. The last few know hubs where in the Kona sector. An area that played host to most of the space pirates. It was a lawless and hostile zone. The empire had made a deal with the pirates, they could have the Kona sector as long as they never interfered with saiyan business. Thus far it had worked well for both parties, the pirates got to plunder helpless ships and continue their black market trade, while the saiyans had one less threat to worry with. Now it looked like Tarma was going to have to not only travel thru that area but stick her nose into some of the most unsavory places as well. The holo finished playing and the desktop went dark. She felt Bardock's hands tighten on her shoulders. He wasn't happy about her drawing this duty, she could feel it rolling off him in waves. She scrubbed her face with her hands, then turned her eyes to look out the big window.

"Well this sounds like it will be fun." She commented dryly.

"Don't go alone." His voice was low. "Take one of your crew with you. Your arm…"

She got up and cut him off, still gazing out the window.

"Is much better." She stepped closer to the window and laid a hand on the glass. He moved to stand behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist and his tail wrapping around her thigh. She leaned against him.

"Don't be hardheaded with me woman. Take one of your crew." He leaned down and muzzled her neck. "That's an order."

Tarma looked over her shoulder at him, arching a brow.

"An order eh?" She eased out of his grip and he growled. Turning to face him she poked him in the chest. "And since when do I take orders from you?"

He straightened, using the few inches he had on her to loom, eyes glittering.

"That a challenge?"

She said nothing, just poked him again, her eyes snapping with mischief. He growled again.

"Woman. Don't poke me."

Tarma smirked and did it again. Bardock reached out and grabbed her, pulling her hard against him.

"I'm the one that does the poking around here." His voice was husky.

She smirked more and broke his grip. She turned her back to him and started to walk away, flipping her tail at him. He hit her from behind, bowling her over and to the floor. They tussled for a while and Tarma ended up penned under him. He bared his teeth.

"I'll teach you to flick your tail at me wench."

Tarma chuckled.

"Now Bardock I thought we covered the fact that you don't scare me long ago."

He got an evil light in his eyes, his face inches from hers.

"That's one of the things about you that I like so much, you are always up for a challenge."

A knock sounded on the door. They both bit off a curse. Going very still they glared at the door willing whoever was there to go away, to no luck. A voice came over the COM panel.

"Its Horic. I know you two are in there."

Snarling Bardock got up and Tarma ground her teeth as she got to her feet as well. She sunk back into her chair and keyed the door from there. It hissed open and Horic entered.

"What do you want?" Bardock snarled.

The younger saiyan arched a brow but mostly ignored this, turning to Tarma.

"Pantor sent me to find out what the meeting was about."

Tarma kicked back her chair once more, throwing her feet up on the desktop. She weighted her options for a moment before speaking.

"Tell him that I want you both to meet back here for evening meal. There as a traitor on Vegetasei. I will explain it all then." She turned to face Horic. "Keep your trap shut to everyone else."

Horic nodded and left. Bardock folded into a chair and resting his elbows on his knees looked at her.

"I guess this means your cooking?" He smirked.