Disclaimer: No owny DBZ. Yadda yadda. Blah blah. Poo.

Author's Note: Long time, no see. Much pride, no apology. Just kidding. Sorry for the loooooong delay. This is a fairly long chapter (19 pages in Word), so maybe that will make up for it? ;;; Oi. Anyway, hopefully it won't take another 8 months for the next chapter to come out. And to add to that, I hope I actually finish this before I die. ;;  By the way, since can't freaking read the code in this right, major scene changes will be denoted by a series of marks. Grr.

Chapter Twelve: The Empire's Legacy

"Hmm. Maybe I should try fashion design again," Bra commented. "These are so… plain." She stuck her tongue out as she looked down at the dark blue jumpsuit she'd pulled out of her drawer. The Capsule Corporation logo was stitched into the right breast. Her mother had supplied each person with about a dozen of these to wear during their journey, though Bra didn't know what Paresu was supposed to do.

Serive looked down at her similar black outfit, which she was already dressed in. She herself felt satisfied. "If you're so unhappy with this, didn't you bring clothes with all your luggage?"

Bra stared at nothing for a moment as she thought. "… I'm not sure…"

Serive sweatdropped. "What is in those suitcases anyway?"

The girl's expression didn't change. "Hmm…"

The Wycanian snorted. "Humans."

Bra glanced at the older woman out of the corner of her eye.  "Serive, last night…"

Serive set her jaw and looked back at her warily.  Had the girl seen her breakdown the night before?

"You… I mean… You didn't really kill a woman over a guy, did you?"

Serive blinked.  She wanted to talk more about that?  "I was never challenged," she answered, taking Jinja from the night table and slipping the doll into her right pocket. "I would if I had to, though."

Bra's expression suddenly brightened. "Oooh, so you do have a guy!" she exclaimed, her girlish side overtaking her entire demeanor.  "What's he like?"

Serive replayed the expression she had given Bra last night over the subject.  "There is nothing to discuss about that."

Bra frowned, put off at being denied gossip.  Then her eyes widened at some realization and she looked down at the floor.  "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I should have guessed, with the war…"

The princess was confused, but then she recognized the sympathy in the half-Saiyajin's face.  "He's not dead," she snapped.

"Oh!" Bra looked relieved.  "Well, that's good--"

"He will be when I find him," Serive added with determination.

"… You don't mean…"

Serive grabbed Jinja from the night table and tucked the doll into her right pocket. "What don't I mean?"

"He joined Kouruji?"

"Well, he's not here with me, is he?!" Serive growled.

Bra gulped, hating the change the conversation had taken.  Deciding to change the subject, she turned to the mirror with a hair tie in hand.  "Once Wycan is liberated," she said in a brighter tone as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, "I would like to stay and see how things work there.  I doubt we'll stay much longer than a few minutes after 'Tousan takes care of your problem, though."

Serive laughed, though her mood was still stormy.  "I don't see why you'd want to stay."

"Oh, I know you'll be busy rebuilding." Bra examined her hair and smiled, nothing that the plain jumpsuit did accentuate everything just right.  "But a more in-depth culture-- compared to Earth's-- would be interesting.  Something of a vacation, really."

"A vacation?"

"From all the superficial, material crap!" Bra exclaimed, wondering if she should bother with make-up.  "People on Earth are so petty!"  She decided a girl should always look her best and reached for the concealer on the nightstand when Serive started laughing.

"You want a vacation from materialism?!" she chortled.

Bra turned to the older woman and blinked obliviously.  "What's so funny?"

Serive shook her head in disbelief.  "Look at you!  You're the pinnacle of superficiality, admiring yourself in the mirror like that!  Putting on make-up! Who are you trying to impress?  And you reek of materialism! You brought so many bags you can't even remember what's in them! And your family's entire livelihood depends on technology, not just economically, but in your everyday lives!  That's the worst kind of materialism: that which has been so ingrained into your lifestyle that you can't survive without it!"

"That's not true!" Bra blurted out defensively.  "I just want to look my best! What's wrong with that?"

"The point in looking your best is to impress," Serive pointed out.  "That's something royalty learns early on.  And don't even try to argue your way out of the materialism."

Bra was ready to do just that, but she hesitated as it all sunk in.

"It's nice to appreciate depth," Serive said, "but it's hypocrisy when you have none yourself."

"I have depth!" Bra retorted.  "It's just… like you said, you know.  It's a part of my culture.  I can't help it.  I know having things and looking good aren't the most important things in life, but on Earth… The way things work on Earth, looks and possessions trump everything else anyway."  Bra stared at the concealer in her hand and sighed as she unscrewed the cap.  "Maybe I just need a vacation from myself."

Serive snatched the bottle from her roommate and placed it back on the table.  "You can't have depth if you're not comfortable with yourself."

Bra looked up at her and giggled.  "You are so strange.

"What do you mean?"

"On second you're threatening people and upholding your culture as superior, and then you're lecturing me on depth."

"I don't see the strangeness."

Bra shook her head and screwed the cap back on the make-up.  "Well, you think your way is the only way, so that doesn't surprise me."  She tossed the bottle back into the drawer.

"If I'm so difficult, why do you put up with me?"

"I understood, remember?  I'd do anything to save my family if I needed to.  And you haven't hurt anyone yet.  Plus…"

"Plus?"

"Okaasan told me what Papa was like before he really settle down on Earth.  Having people who took the time to understand him helped him become a better person and have a better life."

"I'm a bad person?" Serive said, with some offense.

"What have we been talking about?" Bra reminded her with annoyance.  The woman couldn't accept that she was as much of a hypocrite as Bra.

Serive waved her hands in dismissal.  "Let's not discuss it again.  Besides, I'm sure another part of the reason you keep me company is to spy."

"I am not spying!" Bra shouted indignantly.

"Really?"

"Well… you must know that if I knew you were going to do something bad to my family or friends, I'd have to stop you one way or another."

"And you must know that I'm not as stupid as to let you know if I was going to do anything."

"And you must know that it'll be hard not to let anything slip if I'm around a lot."

Serive smirked.  "True, but you do know that I--"

"You won't do anything if not provoked," Bra finished.  "Yeah, I know.  And oddly enough, I trust you on that."  She smiled at Serive.  "You know you can trust me a little too, right?"

The Wycanian looked at the girl solemnly before turning away and walking to the door.  "I don't trust anyone," she said as she vanished into the hall.

Serive entered the control room of the ship to find Bulma and her son already at the helm. To her relief, Vejita was not there to see what she was about to do. Granted, there was nothing he could do about it lest she take advantage of her control over Bulma, but it was quite irritating to have him burning holes into her with his eyes.

Serive approached the head of the room, keeping her eyes on Bulma's form and away from the starry view, and held out her hand in front of the human woman's face. "Here."

Bulma blinked, her eyes needing a moment to focus on Serive's palm. A single dark pletel sat on white flesh. "Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow at the lava-haired Wycanian.

"Obviously pletels can't stay in your system forever," Serive replied. "So I need you to take more. And you will take it, since I currently am still in control and will make you take it if you don't do it willingly."  The sound of Trunks pressing keys to their right was noticeably louder, and Serive looked over her shoulder to see him glaring at her. "Careful," she said pointedly, "don't want to break anything and make me upset."

Bulma sneered at the woman and snatched the plant product from her hand. She grimaced when it dissolved in her mouth and left a bitter aftertaste.

"Good girl." Serive smirked.

Bulma's smile was distasteful like the pod she'd just ingested.

The large metal doors in the back of the room slid open and two more of the travelers entered. Trunks glanced over and his expression lightened. "Hey guys."

"Hey," Goten replied with a nod. His hand was entwined with Paresu's, and the couple glanced at each other conspiratorially before breaking into grins.

Serive frowned. She didn't like secrets, but she doubted anything the two were keeping to themselves was at all a danger to her own goals.

Bra soon entered with her father. The girl raised a hand in greeting to the pale woman, but Vejita only gave her the usual scowl, which deepened when he noticed the friendly exchange. The doors opened again to allow Gohan access, and once he had assumed his post on the left of the main panel, Goten cleared his throat loudly.

"I have an announcement," he said. At his side Paresu smiled shyly and clasped her hands together.

The room gave them the attention they desired, though when Bra stared at Goten she felt like her stomach had twisted itself around her intestines. Announcements when given by smiling couples were usually good things, but not when Bra associated them to the Son boy she was hopelessly infatuated with.

"Everyone…" Goten put an arm around Paresu's shoulders. "We're getting married."

Bulma and Gohan stood up immediately and offered congratulations to the pair. Trunks only winked at his friend from across the room, as he had already been privy to this information. Vejita, as expected, did nothing more than absorb this information with mild interest, while Serive did much likewise. As well-wishes were offered, Bra could only stare at the two and try her best to smile in case either Goten or Paresu glanced over at her.

"My planet's mating customs don't seem so awful now, do they?" Serive said in a low voice to the girl.

Bra was about to snap at her roommate, but she was cut off by her mother's anxious voice.

"We are now approaching Elufer!" Bulma announced to the group.

The view above the controls showed a small, tan planet with a sparse amount of clouds in the atmosphere and only a few spots of blue here and there. As they quickly approached, they observed that it wasn't that much bigger than the moon of Earth. An area of the control panel lit up and a speaker crackled to life. A deep voice spoke, but most of MARC's passengers stared at the speaker in confusion.

Serive sighed. "It's one of the other standard languages." She looked down and made sure Jinja was secure in her pants pocket, and then began giving instructions. "You," she said, pointing from Gohan to Bulma to Trunks, "sit up front and get ready for the landing procedure. I'll direct you." She waved a hand at everyone else. "You all sit down and strap in."

Everyone followed her instructions begrudgingly. The exception, of course, was Vejita, who made sure to glare at Serive until she bent over the speaker on the main console and began conversing with the other being on Elufer. With a snort, the prince sat in a seat next to Bra, who eagerly stared out the windshield so she could see the planet as they landed.

"Nervous?" Vejita asked her.

Bra shrugged, still staring straight ahead. "It's just a new planet, yeah? I'm sure we'll be fine. We can protect ourselves."

Vejita smirked. "I'm well aware that Elufer will give us no trouble at all. That's not what I meant."

Bra frowned and turned to look at her father. "What do you mean?"

"We'll finally get to some physical training," he answered, resting his head on the headrest and closing his eyes.

Bra gulped. With an insecure posture and her hands clutching her seatbelt, she turned back to the window.

Serive finished speaking through the communicator and put a hand on Bulma's shoulder. "Stay on this course and you'll see the landing platform." She moved away to get to her seat before the expected turbulence began.

Bra, along with a few others, cried out as the ship lurched when it hit the atmosphere. Serive had to cling to Vejita's seat to keep from falling over, but only wound up in his lap. They blinked at each other for a moment before Vejita sneered and she snickered and patted him on the cheek. Before his fist made it to her face, she quickly made it to her own chair and strapped herself in just as MARC jerked again.

The passengers gritted their teeth as the ship began to vibrate violently.  Outside the ship they could see the atmosphere flaring a bright orange with their descent.  Their uneasiness only lasted a few minutes, however. The rattling subsided and the craft flew smoothly in Elufer's sky. Multiple sighs and mumbles filled the room as the ship headed to a gray platform with a bright orange X in the center. The marking became larger as they descended, then finally disappeared below them as MARC hovered over the landing pad. Bulma gave the cue, and Trunks struck a few keys to activate the landing gear, and all the while Gohan was watching the readouts to make sure everything was operating properly. A screen noted that all legs had successfully emerged. The craft lowered, and Bulma held her breath, waiting for the injured leg to collapse.  There was an ominous creaking sound, but that was all, and the screen confirmed that the landing had been successful.

Gohan studied his screen, tapping a few keys now and then.  "Everything looks good, Bulma."

Bulma turned in her seat to the others. She sighed and smiled with blatant relief. "Well, here we are." She unbuckled herself and stood up. "Let us greet the natives."

The only "native" in sight when they exited their ship was a single rather cranky-looking being. His build was humanoid and dressed in plain brown clothing, though his skin was a murky blue. Between dark, squinted eyes beneath a thick brow, his nose was elongated and rectangular, with no indentation for the bridge.  His thick lips were pressed together in an annoyed frown while he watched them exit their craft. As they approached him, Paresu warily clung to Gohan and made him stay at the back of the group with her.

"Are you sure we're welcome here?" Gohan said softly to Serive.

"What can I do for you?" the being said in a rather hostile manner.

"I guess," Serive muttered back to Gohan.  She walked up to the being.  "We're in need of some repair," she said bluntly.

He gave her a once over with open disdain and said nothing.

Serive was unpleasantly surprised at his rudeness.  "Is there a problem?" she snapped.

"No problem at all!" another voice said.  Another alien of the same origin, dressed in similar attire, approached from the large main building.  He stopped beside the other and glared disapprovingly at him.  "Cinkame, don't be so disrespectful of our visitors."

Cinkame did not lessen his ill-feelings towards the newcomers.  He instead began growling to the other in a different language and making clearly unfriendly gestures towards the group.

"Jeez," Bra whispered to herself.  "And I thought Serive was judgmental." She looked to her father and the Wycanian to see if they could understand what Cinkame was saying, but by their bewildered expressions she could tell it wasn't a familiar dialect.

The other dark blue being finally interrupted the rant with a few unfamiliar words of his own.  Whatever he had said, Cinkame was now silent, though he seethed to himself with his arms folded over his chest.

"I am Creogin," the friendlier creature introduced himself.  "Please excuse my brother.  He and my other kin are rather unwelcoming to people of other species.  They have been mistrustful ever since our home world, Lauvern, was destroyed back during the Kold reign."  He laughed in an attempt to lighten the uncomfortable atmosphere.  "They are not as wise as their older brother."

Vejita did not change his impassive expression, but in his mind he searched his memory.  Was Lauvern one of the worlds that he had taken care of all those years ago?

"Well, I guess we can understand that," Bulma replied.

"Thank you," Creogin said with a small bow and an appreciative smile.  "Now, what is it you need help with?"

"Kahliola ji oden," Cinkame suddenly spoke up, staring at the ship.  He pointed to the dented leg.  "Ooda."

Bulma nodded.  "Yes, we need help reconstructing that part of our landing gear."

Creogin gestured to his brother, who had wandered over to the ship and was inspecting the leg.  "Cinkame is the best ship repairman we have here on Elufer.  He'll know exactly what to do."

After a minute or two, the Lauvernian returned to the group, looking thoughtful.

"So do you think you could help us fix it?" Bulma asked Cinkame hopefully.

He gave her an irritated look; she had apparently broken his train of thought.  He made some calculations using his fingers, then turned to his brother and began speaking in his native tongue.

Creogin shook his head and signaled for his brother to stop.  "What have I told you?! Tell our customers the problem, not me." 

Cinkame glared at him, but turned to the group.  "We don't have the supplies for the new endoskeleton this leg requires," he said gruffly.  "I can order them and they'll probably arrive in a couple weeks."

"TWO WEEKS??" Serive exclaimed. "We don't have that long!" she snapped threateningly.

Cinkame shrugged. "I don't know what you expect me to do," he grunted. "You want me to order the parts or not?"

Serive's expression was such a combination of anger and distress that Bulma felt sorry for her. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe the parts will get here earlier than that," she offered.

Serive slapped her hand away. "Be quiet, you foolish Earthling!" she growled. The angry noise changed into a yip when Vejita grabbed her arm.

"Don't ever strike my wife," he said dangerously.

Serive returned his expression. "What are you going to do about it?" she countered.

"Please, please!" Creogin exclaimed. "Don't argue. I understand it's a stressful situation, but fighting won't help." He smiled. "I have a solution you may consider."

Bulma rubbed her slightly throbbing hand in annoyance. "And what is that?" she asked, though her glaring eyes stayed on Serive.

"Cinkame can patch up the damage as best we can here, and then you can make a stop on Svaeg."  Creogin pointed off to his right in the sky.  "It's somewhat of a trash yard planet, but the natives do quite well bartering the useful items they receive. They'll likely have materials you can use to fix your landing gear."

"They've helped you before?" Serive asked.

Creogin shook his head.  "We've mostly stayed on Elufer ever since we received this job."

"That's what?" Gohan spoke up.  "Five years?"

Creogin laughed.  "More like fifty."

"Fifty?!" Gohan exclaimed.  "You've stayed here for half a century??"

The Lauvernian shrugged.  "More or less.  We didn't travel much back on our homeworld.  Of course, our people's ignorance is what left us vulnerable to the spread of the Planet Trade, but that is the way we are.  We prefer to be settled down.  Not much left to worry about anyway."

"I'm sorry," Bra said softly, looking down at the ground.

"Oh, it was a long time ago," Creogin assured her. "You can't live in the past forever." Cinkame sneered at him, and Creogin frowned. "Unless you're my brothers," he amended.

"Alright."  Serive folded her arms.  "We'll let you guys do the best you can with our ship, and then we'll go to Svaeg and finish things up there."

"While you're waiting, you can sit in our motel lounge, if you like," Creogin offered. "One of my other brother's can make you a meal, if you're hungry."

"Why, thank you!" Bulma replied with a smile.

"I am taking a break," a stoic voice stated.

It was another of Creogin's brothers. He was shorter than his siblings and his gaze was more severe than Cinkame's hard glare.  The sleeves on his plain outfit were rolled up and he was wiping his hands on a soiled apron.

"A break, Ghelain?" Creogin repeated.

Ghelain's irritated stare wandered to their guests.  "Yes. I'm afraid they'll have to fend for themselves if they want food now."

Creogin's confused expression changed to anger.  "Don't be difficult, Ghelain," he snapped.  "You never take a break this early.  Your attitude is clear."

"And yours is remarkably unsound," Ghelain snapped back.

The argument reminded Vejita of something that at the moment concerned him more than food.  "Is there any place around here to fight?" Vejita asked, not caring that he was interrupting the hostile conversation.

"Oh, yes!"  Bulma nodded, eager to avert the tense situation.  "Vejita is teaching our daughter how to fight."

"Did you say Vejita?" Creogin said with some surprise.  His brothers reacted in the same shocked way.

Bulma's eyes widened; she'd completely forgotten her husband's history. She quickly forced a laugh. "Vejita? Who's that? This is… uh… um…" She glanced at Bra for help, but her daughter only shrugged. "His name is…" Bulma finally turned to Vejita and gave him a look. "Honey, tell him your name."

Ghelain rolled his eyes. "And you managed to fly a spacecraft."

Creogin smiled and shook his head. "You needn't worry, friend," he said to the human. "We hold no ill will towards Saiyajins."

"We?" Ghelain repeated with a snort. "You and I have very different opinions on that, Brother. Simply because those who decimated Lauvern were not of a particular origin doesn't mean I don't despise all their mercenary brethren." He aimed the remark directly at Vejita, who showed no reponse. "I should-"

"You should go take your break then," Creogin snapped. His disappointed glare followed his brother to the front door of the largest building and then returned to his guests. "Don't worry. We will not say anything, but you should be cautious in the future. Many others would not hesitate to turn the Saiyajin no Ouji in to the Confederation Police Force."

"The what?" Vejita asked. He'd never heard of the organization.

"He still has a file?!" Serive exclaimed in surprise.

"You never mentioned goddamn intergalactic law enforcement!" Vejita growled at her.

The Wycanian princess kept her concerned gaze on the Lauvernian. "Don't files expire after thirty years?"

Creogin shook his head. "Many particular soldiers have files with much longer lives."

"When the hell did this happen?" Vejita snapped.

"Don't you know anything about the rise of the Confederation and the fall of the Kolds?" the blue man asked in disbelief.

Vejita frowned and crossed his arms. "I spent little time in space after Freeza died."

Creogin turned back to the Wycanian. "And you don't even know the basic warrant protocol." He held up his hands to stop Serive from angrily responding. "I don't blame you. You're from Wycan, after all. I know you've basically isolated yourselves." He looked at the others. "What about the rest of you?"

"I was around a couple years ago," Trunks offered, "but I never encountered any kind of Confederation or their police force."

Their host shook his head. "I'm not about to let you folks go on your journey without a short history lesson." He gestured to the seating area. "Why don't you all sit down? I'm a bit hungry, so I'll get some drinks and food and we can talk."

Gohan nodded. "Sure. Information is always useful."

"Cinkame, get to work," Creogin ordered.

The other grunted and headed back over to the marred leg. When reached out to examine the metal with his hands he realized that someone had followed him. Turning, he spotted the lava-haired visitor setting a small doll down on a nearby rock.  It faced him, and he couldn't help but feel disturbed by its stitched eyes.

Serive looked at the repairmen and said, "Hope you don't mind a little monitoring."

As she walked away, Cinkame stared at the small brown figure. He finally snorted and turned away after a few moments, muttering something about "strange, stupid foreigners" in his native language.

Creogin swallowed his drink and set down his glass. He rested his hands in his lap and began. "Well, you all seem to know about Freeza. He was reported to have died in the Namek explosion, much to the collective glee of the universe, but long months later it was reported that he had been recovered and reconstructed. Hope was destroyed again, as the resurgence of efforts from many rebellion organizations and private parties now seemed worthless."

"Rebellion organizations?" Serive and Vejita both repeated at the same time, exchanging a look.

Creogin nodded. "Multiple rebel groups had been discreetly formed over the years, and many had managed to keep their activities a secret from Lord Kold and his awful sons." He laughed a bit. "I suppose from your reaction you didn't think they existed?" He took another sip of his drink. "Can't blame you for it. They were so secretive that it was only their members that didn't doubt their existence."

"What do you mean by 'private parties'?" Serive pressed.

Creogin looked at Vejita. "He can tell you."

Vejita was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I used to doubt it because of the reports that you may be dead, but here you are, living and well," Creogin explained. "Some time after the explosion of Namek, many of Freeza's battalions were wiped out by unknown forces. Some desperate reports to bases from those battalions were recovered, however, and many of them detail that the Saiyajin Prince was mercilessly destroying them."

Vejita remembered now. He had stolen the ship at Capsule Corporations to search for Kakarot, who he wound up never finding. He did find, however, forces still loyal to the Kolds, mindless soldiers who knew nothing of Namek's destruction, likely because the higher-ups wanted to avoid pandemonium. Of course, Freeza would turn up alive later, but at the moment Vejita had been disgusted by the leaderless soldiers who couldn't wipe their own asses unless they'd been ordered to. He'd killed them all, more than happy to obliterate the followers of the creature that had made his life a living, breathing, laughing Hell for thirty years.

"You weren't the only one who took independent action," Creogin continued. "Many who heard of Freeza's apparent death rose up and annihilated those still loyal to them, even though his father and brother were still alive. The remaining Kolds managed to put down many revolts, but a few were still successful, and former Kold bases transformed into rebel refuges." A breath. "Freeza was finally repaired, and all feared that the reign of terror would continue on worse than ever. But then the Ice-jin and his father made a trip to Earth and never returned."

Bulma nodded. "They both died there."

Creogin looked to Vejita. "Your doing?"

Bulma sweatdropped. "No, but it's a long story. Please continue with yours."

The Lauvernian raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "This left the elder Kold brother to manage the entire empire on his own. It had been somewhat difficult when his father was barely around and his brother was on the verge of death, but now completely alone it was nearly impossible." He smiled. "Now sure that there was only one Ice-jin left, the rebel groups were more inspired than ever. After only a year, Cooler retained only the faction of the empire that his father had originally assigned to him. The rest of the universe had banded together, as had the secret groups, which assimilated into a single Rebellion. The Rebellion was now quite open with its activities, except for the plan to assassinate Lord Cooler."

Vejita smirked. "But that didn't happen."

Creogin laughed. "You knew more of this than you thought you did." He took another sip of his drink. "The reports that Cooler was dead were barely believable. No one could accept that they had been that lucky. But the Ice-jin never showed up again, and it was with fervor that the Rebellion acted to dissimilate all the remaining Kold forces. The dead empire's warriors were now very much divided because their loyalty was now with the hundreds of lieutenants who commanded them, though after a short time many soldiers abandoned their battalions for independent purposes. The separate factions were unable to find solidarity, so it was only a short time before the Rebellion had apprehended almost all of the Kolds' forces."

"I assume they were punished," Gohan said.

Creogin nodded. "Of course. The Kold reign had been a universal nightmare, and everyone demanded that their employees get what was coming to them. But the Rebellion, which had managed to form itself into the governmental Confederation, wanted to be careful with the consequences they dealt to the soldiers. Many things had to be taken into consideration. While some fighters were truly loyal to King Kold, Cooler, and Freeza, there was a considerable amount who had served them out of fear or to protect their kin. Many had even been raised in such a way that they could not comprehend the difference between right and wrong. It also needed to be determined how much damage each soldier had done, which wasn't too difficult considering that the Kold empire doubled as a business, so they were very particular about documentation and organization."

"What about the buyers?" Bulma spoke up. "The people who bought the planets from them?"

"Don't worry. The paperwork found on Kold bases was useful for that too. Buyers were put on trial along with the mercenaries." Creogin sighed and folded his arms in disapproval.  "But I'm sure you folks can't be too unfamiliar with corporate manipulation.  Most of the buyers were companies that managed to finagle their way out of charges.  Independent buyers were also very powerful, and had little trouble wheedling their way out of trouble.  No, it was the warriors who took most of the blame for what the Kold's had done."

"What happened to them all?" Gohan pressed.

"A minority that had experienced the forced compliance was dealt minor sentences, like short prison terms or an assigned time of missions of good will.  Most were not seen in a sympathetic light, and they received long or lifetime sentences.  Of course, any soldiers who had helped the Rebellion had greatly reduced consequences for their actions."

"What about death sentences?"

Creogin nodded. "Also a minority. That punishment was only used for the most unrepentant and dangerous of Kold soldiers.  There were many soldiers that were never found, however, and most of them were those most in danger of receiving the highest condemnation." He glanced at Vejita at this point, but quickly looked away and continued on. "Of course, all the trials of the soldiers in captivity took years. I believe they finally finished about ten years ago, though they are always on the lookout for fugitives, even today."

Serive frowned and looked over at the Saiyajin Prince. "That's not good at all."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Creogin said, "unless there are still people who would recognize him."

"I'm sure he's left a lasting impression on many," she scoffed, ignoring Vejita's scowl.  "Well, I suppose we'll be fine.  I mean, how can they capture warriors as powerful as him?"

"They have ways," Creogin cautioned.  "The Confederation is not foolish; they realized they needed a way to stand against powerful fighters, and still have an entire department dedicated to energy-quelling solutions."

"… You're kidding, right?" Serive asked.  "You can't just suppress energy!"

"You would think that," Creogin replied, "but the government knew that there had to be a way to apprehend strong warriors, and brought the greatest minds together to come up with a solution." He shrugged. "Wouldn't you know it, you can suppress energy."

Trunks snorted. "Looks like we finally got to the part that's gonna screw us over later."

"Anyway," Creogin went on, despite the many unnerved expressions staring back at him, "while the soldiers were being taken care of, the Confederation was also concentrating on rebuilding a free universe, through such tasks as returning sold planets to anyone who was left to inherit, encouraging free trade and enterprise, or restoring any damaged ecology.  People of all species were so eager to have peaceful, good lives that prosperity came quickly and hasn't wavered much since." Creogin sighed. "You know, you might not run into much trouble. People are so eager to forget about that terrible reign, they might just pretend they never saw you, especially since you haven't made a peep in the last thirty years or so. All of Freeza's bases were destroyed, almost all the companies that affiliated themselves with him- willingly or not- changed their names, and space pods aren't even manufactured anymore."

Serive laughed bitterly. "Oh, believe me, I'm well aware of that last part. Hmph. At least it was cheap. The new solitary travel crafts cost quite a bit when merchandisers have to come into dangerous areas."

"Well, perhaps if your race was more open to technology, you would have already had ships to use," Creogin pointed out.

Serive glared at him. "And maybe if your kind had been more aware of current events, they would still be--"

"WELL!" Bra chimed in over-exuberantly. "That's some pretty interesting history!" She nudged her father with her elbow. "You know, 'Tousan, maybe the Confederation wouldn't be so eager to prosecute you if they knew about you helping to get rid of Cooler. I mean, if it weren't for you and Goku-san, the Confederation might not even exist today!"

"Well, you'd have to be able to prove that he helped with that," Creogin replied.

Paresu had paid much attention to the kind creature's retelling of the empire's aftermath. Goten had barely mentioned it. It was only now that she understood Vejita-san's former life. He had killed people, planet-loads of them. He must have done so for years upon years for everyone to be so concerned about an outstanding warrant. A genocidal murderer.  She squeezed Goten's arm and leaned over so her lips were by his ear. "You didn't tell me Vejita-san was so dangerous, Goten-kun." she whispered.

Goten hushed her, but the prince had heard her fearful comment clearly. Vejita stood up. "Is there any place where I can train with my daughter?" he asked abruptly.

"Well, off to the east there are some flat plains that are never really used for anything. I suppose there would be fine, as long as you're careful."

Vejita nodded quickly and walked over to the door, gesturing for Bra to follow him. "Let's go," he grunted, noticing how Paresu stared at him with a meek expression.

"Well, alright." Bra obeyed and followed him outside.

Bulma smiled apologetically.  "Sorry, Creogin, about his… brusqueness.  Vejita doesn't really like talking about anything to do with Freeza."

Creogin smiled to himself and picked up his glass. "No one does," he said simply, before taking a gulp.

Her father was definitely being more aggressive in their training, and Bra was a bit surprised at how Creogin's narrative had gotten to him.  Was he really that regretful, or was he just unknowingly regressing  into the state of mind he once had?  Or maybe he was unnerved that he might have a warrant on his head and the police force actually had ways of dealing with powerful felons?

Well, whatever the reason, Bra thought it was good for their physical training sessions.  Despite Vejita's guarantee that he wouldn't baby her, she had noticed that in their previous fights he wasn't as tough on her as he could have been.  Now, though, his punches and kicks were a bit more forceful and somewhat faster.  Bra had definitely developed a Saiyajin's desire for a challenge ever since they began her training, so even though  she was getting more beat up than usual, she was enjoying it.

She understood so much now.  She finally knew what people meant when they claimed their hearts sang and their spirits soared…

========================================

"Trunks?"

"Yeah? What?"  Her brother towered over her as he toweled the sweat off his face.

But his height never made her feel insignificant, even if she was sitting on the floor as she was now.  Her papa had once told her that just because someone was taller, it did not mean that you were not just as great or greater.

"Why do you like fighting so much?"

He shrugged.  "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because it hurts and you get all icky and there's no point," Bra replied simply.  She scribbled with her crayons on some paper.  A stuffed elephant sat next to her.  "Why should you fight?"

"It's a heritage thing, really."

"Her-a-tige?" Bra repeated slowly.  She was fairly intelligent for a seven-year-old, but she'd never heard the word before.

"Heritage is, like, the traditions and customs of relatives that were alive long ago."

"Ooooh…"  She picked up a yellow crayon to add a sun in the corner of her picture.  "So you fight because they did?"

"Not really…  I fight because I take the same enjoyment from fighting that they did."

"How come I don't? I have the same heratige that you do."

"Maybe it's 'cause you're a girl."  She frowned at him and he laughed.  "Kidding.  I'm sure if you got into it, you'd like it."

"I don't like getting hit."

"It's more than that," he said, kneeling down to watch her scrawl.  "When I fight, it's like there's electricity in my blood that doesn't go away no matter how much ki I use.  And I don't want to stop until my opponent is defeated.  Even if I'm completely outclassed, I feel like I'm going to live forever."

She looked up from her picture. "… I still don't get it."

He smiled at her and mussed her hair.  "You might one day."

The gravity chamber door opened behind them and a short yet authoritative figure stepped into the hallway.

"Papa!"  Bra hopped to her feet with her picture in one hand and her stuffed animal in the other.

Vejita reflexively knelt down and caught her when she leaped to him.  He straightened and she held up her picture for him to see.

"See, Papa?"  She pointed to each object.  "This is our house and this is my swingset and this is me and this is you and this is Mama and this is Trunks!"  She looked down at her elephant.  "Oh, and Lua wants to give you a kiss," she added, brushing the fuzzy trunk across her father's cheek.  She quickly commanded his attention back to her drawing.  "I like the colors."

Vejita nodded, face still tinged red from the stuffed toy's affection, and as Bra examined her creation with pride he spoke to Trunks.  "Your progress is lacking."

Trunks purple brows furrowed.  "I'm sorry, 'Tousan.  Okaasan is really upping my office hours.  She really wants to retire soon.  I don't have much time for training anymore."

"Hn."  Vejita frowned.

Bra noticed her papa's expression and copied it.  She shook her head at her brother.  "What about your herry-tige, Trunks?"

Her brother's face turned noticeably red and he gave his little sister a look. He obviously didn't have an answer for her.

But their father did.  "Trunks' Saiyajin heritage isn't the only ancestry he has.  You both also have human heritage: your grandfather's legacy of a successful company based on diligence and intelligence.  Trunks just had to choose between them, and Capsule Corporation is much more suited to Earth life."  It sounded like the speech was directed not only to his children, but also to himself.

The young girl was not ignorant of her papa's subdued disappointment.  She looked down at the crayon masterpiece still clutched in her hand and held it up to her father again.  "You can have my picture, Papa," she offered.

"Hm?" Vejita looked at the picture and smirked.  "Oh, no, I wouldn't dare take such a magnificent piece."

"Take it!" she insisted.  "I can make another one."

Having no such condolence to offer his father, Trunks coughed nervously.  "I have to go.  Okaasan is waiting for me in her lab."  He quickly left.

Still holding her drawing, Bra leaned in close to her father and smiled.  "Papa, how about you make a drawing for me and we can trade?" she coaxed, eager for her father to accept her gift.

He laughed lightly and set her down.  "No, I'm going back into the gravity room to train for a bit more."

Bra glared at him.  She knew that really meant he wouldn't be out until supper.  Stupid Trunks.  He made her father sad, and now he wanted to be alone.  Bra didn't understand that concept.  When she was sad she went to her Papa or her Mama, but Papa reacted differently.  She didn't understand how anyone could get through sadness by being alone, therefore she concluded that his behavior wasn't good.

Not to mention that it always bothered her that he wouldn't accept her little presents.

"Don't give me that look," Vejita half-heartedly chided.  "We'll do something later."  He moved across the hall and opened the bathroom door.  "Be a good girl.  Go play with your dolls," he suggested before stepping in and closing the door.

Bra kept her angry expression and looked down at her drawing again.  Her mood lightened when she remembered that he had at least seemed pleased with it, as he did whenever she tried to present him with something.  Maybe it would make him feel better if he would just keep it around.

Bra reached into her pocket and pulled out a wrapped stick of chewing gum her Mama had given her earlier.  She removed the silver foil from it and popped it into her mouth.  She chewed vigorously and stepped into the open gravity chamber, setting her picture face down on the floor.  She stood for a few moments, and when she was sure the gum was moist and elastic, she pulled it from her mouth and tore it into two pieces.  She placed one pink glob on each of the top corners, and then she picked it up and pressed her art to the gravity room wall.  Hearing the toilet flush, Bra hurried from the room, hoping her papa would be happy with the surprise.

All days after, Papa always accepted Bra's gifts.

========================================

Pain was no stranger to the soldiers' lives. Whether it was theirs or another's, anguish was always horribly present. Some ignored it; they carried out their orders as quickly as they could. Others reveled in it, causing more pain to sedate their own, going as far as possible until their victim died, then searching for another, preferably more innocent than the last.

They indulged their anger and humiliation by tearing out screams from men, women, and children. It was so easy to get lost in the howls, to be caught up in the thrill of control, but oddly enough the obvious pain in the writhing forms was never prominent. Its existence was present in a warrior's mind, but he or she could never feel it. The mercenaries were numb to all angst but their own. They would vent their ire and fear endlessly to the point of madness, but the pain was always theirs in the end. It hadn't gone away. It never would. It was a permanent mark.

Vejita would never tell anyone of what it was like. Everyone he knew now would never understand what it was like to be in Freeza's ranks. How he could still feel those horrible thoughts and feelings somewhere deep inside him, in a place where he had banished many things about himself years ago.  Many Earthlings believed that things like pain and hate subsided over time, and there was no doubt that they figured he was completely done with that book of his life.  But it was a book he often reread, no matter how much he hated it.

"You didn't tell me Vejita-san was so dangerous, Goten-kun."

           

Why did it bother him that Goten's silly mate was afraid of him? When he was younger, fear made him proud. It meant he was strong, and strength was everything.  Of course, that was probably it.  Strength was still important to him, but only because he had a family to take care of now.  It was only necessary for enemies to fear him, not for innocent girls like Paresu.

The terror of an innocent girl… A memory came back to him, a strange one of a time back when he was young.  One of the few times back then when fear of him had unnerved him…

When he felt his mind going back to those days, those old, red days, he tried his best to occupy himself with anything else.  Training with Bra had only amplified his thoughts, and in turn he was much harder on her than he probably should have been.  Of course, it was probably good for her; Vejita knew he babied her too much.  He had never been that way with Trunks, though of course things with the boy had been much different.

Speaking of the boy, he was alone in the control room when the prince wandered in, expecting Bulma to be there.  He had left her without his protection for far too long.  He knew she was probably fine, as Serive had no reason to harm her, but he still felt uncomfortable leaving his wife alone in their precarious situation without his supervision.

"Hey, Otousan!" Trunks greeted him.

"Where's your okaasan?" Vejita asked.

"Eating dinner." He watched Vejita wipe his face with a towel. "Or maybe bandaging Bra. How did it go?" he said skeptically.

"I didn't go as easy on her as I thought I would, but she took it. She's persistent."

"As is the genetic trend."

Vejita chuckled. "She's still hurting though. I'm probably going to get an earful later about the cuts and burns."

As if on cue, the wail of a familiar voice echoed throughout the ship. "NO MORE BACTIIIIIINNE!!!"

Trunks shook his head while his father sweatdropped guiltily. "This is gonna be a long trip," he snorted as he brought up screens and made notes on a clipboard.

Vejita raised an eyebrow at his son's back. "You don't think she can do it?"

"It's Bra," Trunks said simply.

"I think she'll surprise you."

"Whatever," Trunks muttered dismissively, bending more over his notes.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-OW!!" Bra shrieked.

"Oh, calm down!" Bulma exclaimed. She set the antiseptic-soaked cloth on the counter and began to wrap the burn. "I'm going to have a word with your otousan. This is a little too rough for my tastes."

"He wouldn't have gone any further than he thought I could handle!" Bra defended. "I can't improve if he babies me!"

Bulma frowned as the abrasion vanished beneath the bandaging. "Even so. You're just starting out. You're not your brother."

"There's little time to take it easy," Bra pointed out. "And while I whole-heartedly agree that I'm NOT Trunks-" she mentioned the comparison with distaste- "I am half-Saiyajin, aren't I? I can do this."

Bulma glanced up at her daughter, who held her chin high with what was apparently Saiyajin pride. "I guess so," Bulma said, shaking her head but smiling. She taped up the bandage and moved to a cut on Bra's calf.

"No more…" Bra whined when her mother reached for the bactine again. It seemed Saiyajin bravery hadn't caught up with the arrogance yet.

Bulma smirked and said innocently, "Oh, I don't remember Trunks being such a baby when I would bandage him."

Bra didn't make another sound.

"'Tousan, what Serive said before…" Trunks stared at the floor, biting his lip. Should he continue? It was such a sensitive subject. But it had been stuck in his mind for so long now, and if he were to get any impression of his father from it, he would rather it be true and not speculation.

Vejita stared at his son blankly. "She's run her mouth a lot. What are you referring to?"

"About… how you and mom were consensual."

Vejita's chest suddenly felt very tight and he felt his face harden. "What could you possibly want to know about that?"

Trunks raised his head and looked his father in the eye. "I'm not stupid, Otousan. I know that a life of purging planets isn't all fine and dandy. I know that you've done things that don't necessarily make you proud today." He gripped Vejita's shoulder and tried to smile. "I just want you to know that despite everything, you're still my father. I can tell that you've changed a lot since before I was born. I hope you know that I'm proud of you."

Vejita couldn't hold his son's gaze and ended up looking at the floor. He nodded slightly, and muttered, "Thanks."

Trunks lowered his hand. "Well, I'm going to get 'Kaasan so she can mind the controls while I get something to eat."  With that, the young man turned away.

Before Trunks move to the doorway, he heard his father say, "It's not an accusation I'm proud of," he suddenly snapped.

Trunks was taken aback at his father's reaction. He turned to face him. "'Tousan… You don't have to-"

"I want to explain." Vejita said, turning away. "If Serive is going to say what she wants about me, I'd rather have you know the truth."

"…Okay."

"It only happened once, and it was while Serive was still working for Freeza.  It was on one of the few missions that Nappa, Raditz, and I were sent with other soldiers to purge a planet.  After we were finished, the other members of the group decided to celebrate on a job well done. Liquor was highly available on the planet, and it was quickly dispersed to everyone.  Suddenly there were drinking challenges and everyone was… not quite themselves.  Then there were challenges about things other than drinking, and… Some very unlucky residents happened to be around during the binge…"

"Otousan-"

"I have never been boastful or proud about it," Vejita continued at a rushed pace. "I have always enjoyed fighting and have been proud of my skills in that area, but… taking advantage of someone was never remotely related to any of my intentions.  I am far too aware of how it feels to be humiliated and exploited."

It was quiet for a moment, as Trunks considered his father's words and how he should respond, if at all.  Finally, he said, "I understand, 'Tousan. I… I hope you felt better getting it off your chest."

"I haven't told you it yet."

"Huh?"

"I never had a taste for alcohol. Turns people into jibbering idiots, so I didn't have nearly as much as the other soldiers. I wasn't compliant when a dare was given to me, but Nappa- the drunken fool- was more than happy to push me into a closed off room with a young girl.  I didn't want to do anything with her, but because of the liquor I didn't really think to just walk out.  She, however, thought I was going to… take her. She started screaming hysterically, even though I just stood there and stared at her. I didn't know how to make her stop, so I just held my ears and prayed her voice would give out. The whole ordeal with the planet purge must have caused her to completely lose her mind; she screamed until she finally passed out." His gaze was even with his son's but the flicker in his eyes gave away the uneasiness most would have with such a story.

Trunks believed him, but he didn't understand. "But if you didn't do anything, then why would Serive say that?"

Vejita looked away. "Reputation was very important. Letting the other men think I'd done to that girl whatever they liked to think I had done, saved me from future harassment."

"I see.." Trunks muttered, biting his lip. His expression openly revealed that the truth-- while it was more favorable than the story he thought he'd hear-- still disturbed him. His father had felt it was necessary to pretend to rape the girl instead of just forgetting what the other warriors thought. He thought it more like his father to correct the other men's assumptions and call them weak for giving into sexual urges, not for him to give into conformity.

Then again, how much did he really know about his father at all?

Vejita didn't go on, so after a few moments the half-Saiyajin turned to leave the room.

"Trunks."

The son stopped again and turned back to his father. "Yes, Otousan?"

"Nothing happened then, but many different things happened before and after.  Whatever happens out here…" Vejita's eyes were focused on something very far away, some scene he could only see in his mind. "Make sure it stays out here."

Trunks stared at his father, easily understanding what he meant. Finally he answered with "Yes, Otousan."

The temporary repairs hadn't taken long, so the visit to Elufer was a short one.  Gohan and Bulma sat in their seats on the bridge preparing for take-off.  Bulma made an announcement through the speaker system that all the passengers should make their way to the control room.

Gohan had smile on his face, and Bulma didn't know why.  She stared at him for a few moments before he realized she was scrutinizing him.

"Sorry," he chuckled.  "I was just thinking that Krillin should have come along.  Woulda been like the old days."

"Heh."  Bulma leaned back in her chair.  "The old days," she repeated with a grin.  "You were only a chibi back then."

"Time flies…"

"I'll say," she agreed. "It's been, what, thirty years?"

"About that," Gohan agreed. "Heh, back then who would have guessed you would have two kids with the enemy who almost slaughtered my 'Tousan?"

Bulma laughed. "Who knew? And back then who knew that you'd be teaching at a university with a doctorate?"

"Ha!" Gohan grinned. "I had a pretty good idea I'd be doing something like this. Okaasan would never have it any other way."

"True," Bulma said nodding. "Well, thank God you know so much about medicine," she commented.  "I know a bit, but my area is more mechanical than biological, you know?"

Gohan nodded, "Yeah. At least with a medical officer you won't have to worry about doing a bunch of jobs at once."

"Yeah, now all I have to worry about is the danger we're all in."

"Nah, we'll be fine," Gohan tried to assure her, but his eyes turned back to the panel as he pretended to review the diagnostics.

Bulma easily saw through the unconvincing façade, but she played along.  "Oh, yeah, we'll kick Kouruji's ass," she said with a smile.

Gohan laughed.  "Most definitely."

"No doubt about it."

"For sure."

"Absolutely!"

"Positively."

"Oh, man," Bulma snickered, covering her face with her hand.

"Yeah, we might be screwed on this one," Gohan admitted.

"Well," Bulma sighed, looking up at him and giving him a true smile, "we'll deal, right?"

"Right," Gohan nodded, returning the sincere grin.

"Let's launch this puppy."

"Team Dragonball has to get here first."

Bulma was nearly guffawing. She activated the intercom system and leaned towards the mic. "Team Dragonball, get your asses in here!" she exclaimed.

Elsewhere on the ship, Serive looked at Jinja and said, "What?"

Ghelain was sitting in the fueling station's small communications room when Creogin found him. The younger Lauvernian's disappointment with his elder was still thick between them, and Creogin sighed.

"We cannot fully heal if we hold onto our hate," he reminded his sibling in their native language.

"How can I heal when those who have wounded us are not punished?" Ghelain replied quietly as he prepared the day's report.

"They were not responsible for our pain."

"If they had been assigned to Lauvern, the outcome would have stayed the same."

"How long will you be angry with me?"

"Not very long."

Lauvern was quiet. "As your superior, I order you to refrain from mentioning their presence to the Confederation forces."

Ghelain stood up so quickly that his chair fell over. He should have known his wise brother would suspect his intentions. "Do you have any sense of justice at all?!"

"Do you have the strength to rise above your pain?"

"You could speak of rising above pain all day, and I will never understand. You've spoken of it for the last fifty years, and your words have been useless." The younger sneered and righted the chair. "Such droning is nothing to me," he finished, sitting back down.

"Will you at least follow my order?"

Ghelain was still for a moment. Then his form hunched a bit. "Of course, Brother."

"Thank you."

Ghelain listened to his brother's soft footsteps until they faded away. His returned his hard gaze to the report on his screen, and his sight immediately latched onto the words, "EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS." He stared for a moment, then placed his hands on the keyboard and began to type. He finished his addendum quickly, and then sent it off to be reviewed.

Elufer was one of quite a few refueling stations under Lio Enterprises, so the report was unseen for one week. Eleven minutes after a reviewer selected it from the incoming files, it was sent to the Confederation with an urgent message highlighting a specific sentence:

"…A member of the party was a Saiyajin who went by the name of Vejita…"

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And that's chapter 20! Woooooooooooooooooooooo! Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you did! Seriously. At least let me know someone is reading this. That'd be nice. Uwah..