A/N: Don't own DBZ or SW. Here is C2 of 3. I forgot to mention it in the first chapter but thank you to my beta reader, Caorann fridh Bronach! The flashbacks won't be there as much in the rest of the stories. They are more frequent in Revelation for a purpose.
Night was quickly coming into place, but Coruscant did not seem to change. Hundreds of starships, speeders, air taxis, and many more whizzed and swerved in and out of traffic, landing and taking to the air, carrying and dropping off passengers. Thousands of humans and aliens alike flooded the corridors and walkways, each heading to their own destinations with their own intentions whether they be good or of evil. There were the well dressed, the unfortunate, the revealing and baggy clothing, those who wanted to be seen and those who preferred to remain unseen. There was a very real possibility of becoming lost within seconds if one did not go with the flow. Very few showed any kindness or friendliness. It was each one for himself or herself. Nobody cared about the next person, which was the main reason a certain droid could go unnoticed by everyone. A certain droid en route to a secret meeting, having come from the Jedi Temple, where it had gone unnoticed as well, brushed off as being another droid sent to do a task.
The short R2 unit, known as R2-E3, rolled along the metallic pathway at a leisurely pace. It had no other choice; it could not go any faster. The droid beeped and whistled to itself, and made rude noises whenever someone bumped into it or pushed it aside. Small lights flashed from the droid but they, too, were shrugged off, blending into the larger flashes of colorful lights from the many cantinas and restaurants surrounding one of the main walkways.
At last, R2-E3 took a sharp left into the darkness, down a ramp leading to who knew where. Its destination had already been programmed into its databanks by another controller, but not of the Jedi Temple: Juuhachigou, well-known bounty hunter in the galaxy who stopped at nothing to capture her prize. It was because of being half-android, made by Dr. Gero, she was able to have access to any machinery or technology to control droid units and robots made by Gero Machinery. After being healed, she was horrified to see her artificial limbs and in her blind rage, she ended up killing him. That, too, shocked her, more so than being told she was basically half-robot.
Now someone else was in charge of Gero Machinery, someone who allied the company with the female bounty hunter, afraid to suffer the same fate. Unable to return to her old job because of being thought of as dead, Juuhachigou, her new name, decided to work as a bounty hunter. She cut her blonde hair to shoulder-length, stripped herself of her old birth name and simply became known as Android 18. With her newly-endowed strength, no one got in her way or escaped her. Especially if there was a high price involved.
The droid came to a stop in the middle of a darkened area, the only light coming from a nearby Cantina. Beeping, the droid detected a life form behind it. The detection was slightly faint because Juuhachigou was only half-human now. Dressed in a tight-fitting navy flight suit, armed with many weapons, the blonde huntress leaned down and inserted a small disk into an opening. Then she downloaded the recorded conversation between Trunks and Goten and other bits of information the droid had obtained from just being around the lavender-haired boy.
Once the download was complete, Android 18 took the disk out and put inside a pocket located in the inner lining of her suit. Taking out her blaster, she aimed at the droid and shut it down, permanently. The impact of the blast sent the droid, still beeping in surprise, over the edge. She had no more use for it.
It was time to meet with the Sith warrior.
The Saiyan Prince had contacted her while she was on Cloud City, Bespin, and had informed her of the job, promising to double her pay if she left her current bounty to do what he demanded of her. The sound of more pay definitely caught her ears and so she left Cloud City, her starship being the Fire Hawk.
The first she saw of him, well, some of him, was when he told her the first part of her assignment, through a holo-letter. A hood had been thrown over his face, his arms hidden within, and he spoke in a deep, intimidating voice. The Sith warrior wanted her to send a droid to the Jedi Temple to collect any information concerning a boy named Trunks. Android 18 asked no questions and did what was required and expected of her. And now that she had completed the first part, it was time to meet him for the second and final part of her assignment.
The bounty hunter smoothly made her way through the thick crowd, heading for the largest Cantina on the main walkway. Her ears filling with many voices in different languages, Juuhachigou stepped inside, her ice blue eyes scanning the place for any sign of security guards. Security guards were placed almost in almost every public facility, but nobody paid any attention to them. Some of them weren't even doing their job, so they obviously didn't see any need. On Coruscant, you could get away with a lot of things…
Clicking her tongue, 18 spotted a lone figure in the north dark corner of the Cantina, sitting in a booth. Satisfied, the bounty hunter began to make her way over there, ignoring the few stares and loud cheers and drunkenness of the Cantina's inhabitants. It was indeed a place for scoundrels, drunks, and any other lowlife. No wonder the Sith wanted to meet her in here. Nobody would suspect him.
Sliding into the booth across from him, 18 wasted no time. "What and when?" she asked curtly, pretending to stare at the servers and customers.
Vegeta did not waste time either. Clearly he had already forgotten about the daughter issue. There was only one person he wanted. "Capture the boy, Trunks, and bring him to me. I'll be waiting here. By now, he should be on his way back to the Sharlon Towers, ten standard minutes from here," he responded, giving the name of the apartment building. His grip on the glass of Randoni Yellow Plague, tightened.
"Done." 18 was about to stand up when Vegeta grabbed her arm.
"A Jedi will no doubt be accompanying them," he told her as a precaution, dark eyes glittering dangerously from beneath his hood. "Don't underestimate whoever it is."
"Humph." 18 jerked her arm away and stalked toward the entrance.
Vegeta took his glass and dumped it into an empty glass nearby. He had no intentions of actually consuming the drink he had ordered. He did no such things…and besides, the drink he had ordered was very strong. The bartender must've thought him to be a risk-taker or simply foolish. Anyway, he had only bought the drink in order to keep unwanted eyes away from his presence. To them, he would appear on the outside a loner of a customer, buying a drink to drown his sorrows in. Little did they know that he was no ordinary customer; if they had known his true identity, their own fear may have paralyzed them.
With a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, he headed towards a backdoor and disappeared into the night.
"But Mommy, you promised me a bedtime story!" Bra whined as Bulma brushed her own hair carefully, deciding to wear it down, long and flowing. Smoothing the wrinkles in her navy blue dress, Bulma thought about how much she looked forward to this evening. The burden of being a single parent and having nearly no time to see her children and other adults was tough. Dinner with a friend would be relaxing and then she would be home to her two children.
"I know, sweetie, but something came up. I promise, I will tell you tomorrow night," Bulma answered absentmindedly, her eyes on the control pad at the side of the door. Yamcha was going to be picking her up anytime soon and Trunks was still not back. "Oh, what is taking them so long?" she muttered, feeling the hunger pains in her stomach. Bulma was famished and longed for a good meal.
The whooshing sound of a door opening brought her attention away from the hall mirror to the entrance. "Bulma!" ChiChi called, a friendly smile lighting up the woman's face. "How are you?" she asked seriously, her smile disappearing. "I do hope you've been well."
"Oh yes, thank you, ChiChi," Bulma answered, flashing ChiChi one of her famous smiles she reserved for the HoloNet reporters. "I am doing fine. I have been very busy these days, as you know, and frankly, I'm exhausted!" Bulma sighed. "Thank you for coming over. How's my little boy?"
"Mom…" Trunks frowned at his mother, wishing she wouldn't refer to him as her little boy. For crying out loud, he was almost ten years old!
"Trunks almost beat Goten today in lightsaber training!" Krillin announced with a grin. "It was amazing to watch the sons of the two strongest Jedi Knights in the universe go at it."
"Lightsaber training!" Bulma nearly shrieked. "Are you sure he's ready for that? I mean, Trunks is only nine — he's too young for a lightsaber!"
Anger boiled up inside and Trunks had to use all of his willpower to force it back down. Why was he always treated like he was five? Granted, he was still a child but he was more than able to handle a lightsaber. He was Vegeta's son after all…
"That's exactly what I said!" ChiChi chimed in, wholeheartedly agreeing with Bulma. "But no, Goku and the Council are too stubborn to back down from their decision!"
"You got to use a lightsaber, Trunks?" Bra asked, wide-eyed. "Mommy, why can't I use a lightsaber! Trunks got to!" she whined, tugging on her mother's dress.
"Bra, stop that," Bulma said. "Anyway, where is Yamcha—"
"Hi!" Yamcha greeted everyone as he stepped into the apartment. Bulma had given him (as well as all her good friends) the code to her living quarters. "Hey Krillin, good to see you!" Yamcha had also met Bulma's friends, who had quickly become his friends as well. The only exception was Vegeta, who had remained isolated from nearly everyone. "And hello, ChiChi, Bra, Trunks." He nodded at each one with a smile.
"Hello Yamcha."
"Hi Uncle Yamcha!"
"Hi."
"Sorry to break up the party here," Bulma began, "but we've got to be going. Trunks, Bra, be good and listen to Aunt ChiChi." The blue-haired woman reached for her purse and coat. "Thanks ChiChi. Bye!" She waved and exited the apartment, Krillin and Yamcha close behind her.
When the trio reached the lobby, they split up, each saying their good-byes, and went on their way. However, Krillin paused before taking off. "Hmm…" he murmured, sensing a small disturbance in the Force…
"Hey, Vegeta, what are you doing here?" eighteen-year-old Goku asked. The tall Saiyan was curious as to why his fellow student, Vegeta, was in the Jedi Library, of all places, standing by the window, silent. "I thought you'd be sneaking out again to meet Bulma—"
Nineteen-year-old Vegeta turned abruptly from the window, shooting him a glare. "Kakarott!" he hissed.
"Oops! Sorry," Goku grinned sheepishly, hoping no one had heard. He gave a quick glance around, seeing nobody. It was night and the Library was dimly lit, a perfect time for anyone to hide within the shadows. But then, there was no reason to for anyone in the Jedi Temple. Anyone, that is, except for Vegeta. "Why are you in here though? You hardly come here!"
Ignoring the question, Vegeta demanded, "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Can't." Goku joined Vegeta at the window. "I keep having strange dreams plus I'm a little anxious to go on to my next mission."
"Anticipation is a distraction," Vegeta stated, blankly, one of the teachings of the Jedi. "The Council has already informed Zaturn and I of our next mission. You and Roshi are going with us."
Vegeta rarely called Zaturn "Master" in public. Zaturn was a serious, expressionless Jedi Master of warrior descent (from one of the sixty-three planets in the Hapes Cluster), one who recognized Vegeta's abilities by the time he was eleven, and immediately took the young Prince as his apprentice. Furthermore, Zaturn was about the only one, besides Goku, who could handle Vegeta's temper and attitude better than most. He was not harsh as Piccolo, the great Jedi Master, or as eccentric as Roshi, who was as eccentric as they come.
Zaturn was one of the very few people Vegeta tolerated and considered a somewhat friend.
"Really?" Goku nearly squeaked. "Oh wow! Vegeta, you and I get to work together again!" Though very different from one another, the two Saiyans worked well as a team even if Vegeta didn't like it very much.
"I'm ecstatic," Vegeta muttered and returned his attention to the window.
"Yeah, I know!" Goku grinned, completely oblivious to his fellow Padawan's sarcasm.
A few moments of silence passed by as Goku stared at the city while Vegeta stared past the city itself, lost in thought. "Kakarott…" Vegeta began, hesitantly.
A single feeling.
"Hmm?" Goku's ears perked up at the sound of Vegeta's voice or rather his tone. Only once in awhile would Vegeta actually start a civilized conversation with Goku.
"What is…power, true power, to you?" Vegeta inquired, still entranced by his own thoughts.
"Power?" Goku echoed and turned his gaze to his rival. "Jedi do not seek power but peace."
"I know that!" Vegeta snapped irritably. "But what if the knowledge of power had to be obtained in order to keep the peace? If the Jedi Order is all about seeking understanding of the Force and maintaining order in this corrupt galaxy…" Vegeta's voice trailed off.
Goku leaned forward slightly. "Go on."
Vegeta's brow knitted, his black bangs falling into his obsidian eyes as he brought his eyes to the windowsill. "Can not obtaining a greater power be justified by this claim, this, this rule?" he spat, not liking the sound of that. It only enhanced the thought of being a caged animal, which Vegeta sometimes felt like.
"That's a good question," Goku nodded but then offered a small smile. "But, isn't wanting power a way to the Dark Side?"
"Who's to say the Dark Side is wrong? What if the Force is not all black and white?"
One burning desire.
"Huh? Vegeta!" Goku was truly shocked. "What—how…?" How could Vegeta entertain such thoughts? "The Force is—I mean, the Light Side of the Force is the one and only right way!" he exclaimed.
"Spoken like a true Jedi." Vegeta's lips curled up in a small smirk. "I'm not going over to the Dark Side, you moron." At Goku's sigh of relief, he continued, "I am merely contemplating our purpose in life. If the way of the Jedi is to become wiser, stronger in mind and spirit, and to ensure peaceful times…" He took a deep breath. "Then why set aside other ways to reach this goal? After all, it would inevitably lead to greater understanding…" Vegeta watched Goku's reaction from the corner of his eye. "Besides, what is wrong with power and strength? We are Saiyans, Kakarott, and I'm the Prince of all Saiyans! We are a strong and respected race. A strong…and respected race," Vegeta finished softly.
The flame ignited.
There was silence, and then, "Yeah, that could lead to greater understanding, but I still say we follow the Light Side's ways." Goku's mind was still stuck on the "understanding" part. "But, Vegeta, you really aren't thinking of doing…that, are you?" he asked timidly, seeing the blazing fire in Vegeta's eyes.
Goku knew his friend had always tried to be the stronger of the two and you never could tell with Vegeta.
"No," Vegeta replied stiffly, "and I know you won't say anything to anyone of our conversation. Am I correct, Kakarott?" Vegeta placed his hands behind his back and headed for the side door, a shortcut to the Jedi quarters of the Temple.
"I…I won't, Vegeta," Goku responded quietly, hoping it was just a phase Vegeta was going through.
"Good."
"Dad!"
His eldest son, Gohan, brought Goku out of his reverie. Blinking, the son of Bardock realized he had been daydreaming, or rather re-living an old memory of years gone by. "Huh? Oh, hi, Gohan. What's up?" he asked and then noticed there was someone standing beside his son. "Videl! What a nice surprise!" Goku grinned, noting the young daughter of the famous but loud restaurant owner, Hercule. Videl had shown tremendous strength and Force abilities and had been taken to the Temple at age three, much to Hercule's reluctance, as much as the man liked to brag about being good friends with the Jedi and being the next strongest man in the galaxy.
"Hello Master Goku." Videl bowed her head with a faint smile. She was the same age as Gohan and was a friend of his.
"Dad, Videl and I were wondering if you would supervise our sparring match - before we go to bed - with lightsabers - low-powered lightsabers," Gohan asked, adding the last part in haste. "Unless of course you have something planned." Gohan was not sure if his father had been called to the Council for a new assignment. Then again, if he had, Gohan would have accompanied him.
"Sure!" Goku nodded enthusiastically. "You two probably don't need the practice but still, it never hurts to practice anyway," Goku told them as they began to walk down the hallway, passing by a few droids and padawans. "Say," Goku started, "what are your thoughts on power, Gohan? Videl?" Goku didn't know how or why but the words had formed themselves on his lips before he even knew he was going to ask a question.
"Hmm?" Gohan frowned, wondering why his father was asking such a question.
"I've heard my master say that having more power could help obtain peace and order in the galaxy," Videl answered quickly, "but he also said it could lead to selfishness and pride, to anger and fear…"
They all knew what those feelings could lead to.
"Who is your master, Videl?" Videl had been chosen a few weeks before her thirteenth birthday but Gohan and Goku had already gone on their first mission together during that time so Goku had no idea who was teaching Videl. "Is it Tien, maybe Aidan? Nah, they're both on the council. Is Aulura Wynsine your master?"
"No," Videl responded, "Master Zaturn Ukyulosei."
Goku nearly did a double take. 'Zaturn?' Goku thought, genuinely surprised. "Haha! What a coincidence!" Goku laughed nervously. "My old friend Vegeta had Zaturn for his master. How old is Zaturn now anyway?"
"Uh…" Videl was a little taken aback by Goku's sudden laughter. "He's in his late forties, I think," she answered.
Goku stopped laughing as he remembered Vegeta's master. Thinking of Zaturn brought back the flashback of his talk with Vegeta in the Jedi Library. Goku hadn't seen Vegeta all day but had seen Zaturn rush out of his room, clutching some type of object, like a data pad. Goku hadn't thought much of it and still hadn't thought much of it when Vegeta had been declared a Knight two years later, a week before Goku was. And Goku hadn't thought much of it when Vegeta had talked about the legendary Super Saiyan, a story told to children on Planet Vegeta. And finally, Goku hadn't thought much of Zaturn's expression of worry when Vegeta disappeared three years after he married Bulma.
Now, he did.
Goku sighed as he followed Videl and Gohan into the training room. Oh yes, thinking of Zaturn had indeed brought back the flashback of that strange talk with Vegeta, prompting the remembrance of his dream—no, it was more like a nightmare…
The heat was intense and it felt so real upon his skin. Sweat glistened and fires burned.
His vision was blurry but his hearing worked fine, a little too fine.
"I'm sorry!" that same voice he had heard in his dreams for the past sixteen years cried out. "But it's the only way!" It sounded resigned, determined, and sad…but brave. Goku could not see who it was.
"No!" another agonizing voice, this time beside him instead of far away, called out desperately. Goku could not see this person either. Only one voice was familiar while the other foreign.
"Farewell…"
"Welcome, welcome, welcome! Welcome to my humble, extravagant restaurant, which is rated four stars by the way, you know!" boomed the unmistakable voice of Hercule. "Welcome Ms. Briefs! Welcome, uh…welcome Ms. Brief's escort!"
"Heh, heh." Yamcha ducked his head slightly in embarrassmentas Bulma led the way into the restaurant.
"Hello, Hercule." Bulma had become acquainted with the restaurant owner when he had come to the Jedi Temple to see his "little Videl". Bulma had been there to drop off Bra for her weekly training and clearly remembered the look of embarrassment on Videl's face. "Give us a table by the windows, please."
"Certainly!" Hercule pushed aside the waiter who was to serve them and took the menus himself, eager to please the famous Briefs woman. "We have a special this evening of which I'm sure you'll enjoy! Nerf sausage served with—"
"Ugh! I hate Nerf sausage," Bulma commented with distaste. "Do you have any other specials?"
"Um, I'll have that special," Yamcha told Hercule who gave a quick nod.
"Alright sir." Hercule then proceeded to inform Bulma of the numerous specials he just happened to have for the evening. Thankfully, Bulma stopped him after the tenth special and indicated which one she desired. "I'll get them to you as soon as possible!" he assured his guests and then took off towards the kitchen.
Yamcha vaguely wondered how getting their meals "as soon as possible" could be accomplished when the place was packed.
"So, how have you been?" Bulma asked.
"Not too bad," Yamcha replied, glancing out the window at the air traffic. "When I'm not standing around doing nothing - a.k.a. protecting your mother even though there haven't been any attempts - I've been reading up on cultures and civilizations in the galaxy. I'm thinking of traveling the galaxy like I did before I came here. Anyway I came across the most fascinating and strangest thing that I have ever heard. Tell me, Bulma, have you ever heard of the Dragonballs?"
"Dragon-what?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of Dragons; they reside on Xsanoff, a planet little ways from the Corellian system. There are very few settlements there as people are afraid of the Dragons. They are fierce-looking but actually very gentle if not approached in a hostile manner and…" Bulma was definitely smart—it was as if she were quoting an entire database.
"Uh, yeah," Yamcha interrupted her, "but back to the Dragonballs. I've only seen one image of them but they are orange-colored spheres with stars on them, one star for the first Dragonball, two for the second one, and so on. There are seven in total and are rumored to be able to grant wishes."
"Preposterous!" Bulma scoffed, smirking. "Yamcha, I've heard of no such thing and frankly, nothing that powerful could possibly exist."
"You believe in the Force though, don't you?" Yamcha questioned intently. "It's a matter of believing in what you can't see. Blind faith. I've seen Goku, Krillin and even Vegeta use it at some point. I've seen remarkable things in my travels and research, Bulma. And if you believe that the Force exists, I wouldn't rule this possibility out yet."
An awkward silence descended over the table amidst the noisy atmosphere.
With a sigh, Bulma began to speak. "Yamcha…I believe in the Force. I do. I've seen it through my own…husband, and even through my children, but…if these Dragonballs can grant wishes, how come I've never heard of them till now?"
"The Dragonballs are hidden throughout the galaxy and only a handful of people have been able to find them all since the beginning of Time. The planet Xsanoff, as the data stated, holds the four-star Dragonball, the only one that always returns to its origins. That way, whoever is brave enough can start there and maybe…I don't know, construct a Dragonball radar or something. I don't know how they did it way back then, but you'd have to be a genius or something to do that," Yamcha finished.
"Very well then," Bulma said, smiling. "I'm a genius. I could design a Dragonball radar and we could go look for all seven!"
Yamcha chuckled. "I don't doubt that but you'd actually leave everything behind to search for them? And anyway, what would you wish for?"
Bulma frowned. "I don't know…but you're right, I don't think I could leave everything behind for an indefinite period of time to find them. I have a lot to do right now."
"Here you are!" Hercule seemed to appear out of thin air, bearing two trays of delicious-looking food. "Was that fast or what? Ha, ha, ha!"
"All right now, it's time for you to go to bed!" ChiChi stood up from her spot on the deep auburn-colored couch. "Both of you. I know for a fact that you, Bra, are going to be training tomorrow, and Trunks, you need your rest as well. Come on now!"
"But I wanna stay up longer!" Bra whined.
"Your mother wants you in bed by this time."
"Aw, but I—"
"Bra!" Trunks' voice rang out sharply. "Just do it!"
Bra's lower lip began to quiver. Her brother never yelled at her…
"Trunks! Don't you raise your voice," ChiChi ordered, hands on her hips. "My kids don't—"
"Whatever," Trunks mumbled and stalked off towards his room. Everyone was on his case! Why couldn't they just leave him alone! He was old enough; he could do anything!
In fact, Vegeta had acted the same way when he was younger but he didn't bottle it in like Trunks did.
"Well!" ChiChi shook her head and took Bra's hand. "Oh, he didn't mean it," she spoke in a soothing voice to the young girl with tears streaming down her face. "He's just in a bad mood."
"I am not," Trunks muttered, listening from behind his door, already feeling the guilt fill his heart. "I'm sorry, Bra, I really am." He honestly didn't know whatever possessed him to yell at his little sister, a little girl who depended on him.
"Is Trunks mad at me?" he heard her ask.
"No! Don't worry about it, Bra." Their voices became muffled as they entered Bra's room. No doubt ChiChi was going to tell her some kind of bedtime story.
'Maybe she could tell Bra about how Mom and Dad met.' Trunks sighed.
"Boy, that was a good meal." Yamcha patted his stomach as he and Bulma stepped out onto the main platform of the restaurant, directly east of where his speeder, and other speeders, was parked. "Did you enjoy yours?"
"It wasn't too bad," Bulma remarked, remembering the ever-annoying Hercule, who constantly returned to their table to check on everything.
As the two continued to chat, one pair of sinister-looking eyes watched from behind the lonely pillars of the parking area.
"Didn't take her long to find someone else," Vegeta muttered icily, obviously misinterpreting the friendship between Bulma and Yamcha. Many people did - mostly the paparazzi for the HoloNet. Nobody listened to the facts.
Vegeta watched the two as they approached Yamcha's speeder. He had forgotten how beautiful Bulma was…
'Blast it,' Vegeta snarled softly to himself.
He had loved Bulma, once. He was a warrior of the Dark Side now. That past he had shared with her…that past he had with the Light Side, was history. There was only one thing to do and that was to wait until Android 18 contacted him, alerting him that she had captured her bounty. Vegeta would have gone himself but his presence would have been too suspicious for the security guards at Sharlon Towers. Juuhachigou had her ways and it was best not to alarm the whole place or the Senate either if they found out about the Jedi's fears (Vegeta knew they had to have sensed the darkness). That time would come later.
'There has always been a master and an apprentice,' Vegeta thought. No one would get in his way and if they tried…no matter who they were, he would kill them.
A strikingly beautiful woman dressed in rich red, regal-looking robes blended in with all the other well-dressed souls. This was no surprise; after all, Sharlon Towers was home to famous, wealthy and even powerful people. And it was also no surprise that the throng of politicians, scientists, and celebrities did not notice the strange woman. Nobody really paid attention to visitors, of which the woman identified herself as. The guards maybe did, and they certainly gave her attention. There didn't seem to be anything threatening about her, though, so they let her enter the Towers.
However, had they searched her, just in case, they may have found themselves face to face with an unfriendly, hard metal object…
Aidan Bok never started conversations. He usually finished them. He wasn't much of a talker or an outgoing person. Aidan had a friendly sort of smile that put others at ease, even if it wasn't bright enough to light up a room as Goku's. Aidan wasn't a master of the lightsaber or a master of the Force as Piccolo was. What Aidan was, was a keeper of Jedi lore. He knew where information on any subject was located within the Jedi Library. Only six years older than Goku, he spent most of his time in the Library, helping and teaching others. He also had a spot on the Jedi Council, noted for his ability to look deep within a person and discover their fears and capabilities. This often happened in the first part of the Jedi Trials.
Aidan had been present at many of the spars between Goku and Vegeta and even then he had sensed the troubles that Vegeta had struggled with, day to day, and had come across them once more in Vegeta's son, Trunks. Aidan knew Trunks would have to confront these feelings, hopefully not in the way Vegeta had. Aidan was about the only one who had suspected Vegeta had gone over to the Dark Side. There simply was no other explanation. Many disagreed with him since no one felt a new power of darkness growing. But Aidan didn't need to. He had seen it coming.
You see, Aidan was also gifted with visions of the future and had seen a battle between himself and Vegeta, eleven months after Vegeta's disappearance. Obviously it had been no friendly sparring match for Vegeta wielded a blood-red blade.
Aidan had seen his own death.
But he had also seen someone else nearby – a flash of purple hair. Aidan knew of only one person with lavender hair.
The question still stood to this day: was Trunks an ally or an enemy?
The Jedi Knight sighed, holding his head in his hands. This same vision had occurred again only a few minutes ago. Something terrible was to happen – a disturbance in the Force, a small ripple, an undeniable bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Something had to be done and Aidan knew just the person to go to who would know because the vision had shown two people very dear to that person: Goku.
ChiChi sat on the couch, watching a late program, sipping on a warm drink. Her husband or Krillin would be back soon to pick her up and Bulma and Yamcha would be returning soon, that she knew. Bulma had just contacted her ten minutes ago. They were on their way.
"At Hercule's, you can always expect to have a scrumptious and tasty meal! Ha! Ha! Ha! I am the best! Come on over to—"
ChiChi muted the commercial. "My goodness, Videl's father can be quite annoying…oh!" With a twinkle in her eyes and a big smile, ChiChi squealed, "I can't wait until Gohan and Videl grow up and get married! I want grandchildren!" ChiChi knew of the rules forbidding marriage but Goku had married her and why couldn't Gohan marry Videl? Forget all the rules – ChiChi wanted to be a grandmother!
Lost in thoughts, ChiChi failed to notice the door in the hall opening…
"I'll bake them lots and lots of –eek!" ChiChi shrieked when a hand touched her shoulder. "Bra, I told you to go to bed—oh!" She gasped. "Who are you and how did you get inside?" she demanded, glaring at the blonde woman.
"I apologize but I am one of Bulma Brief's assistants," the brunette in red answered blankly.
ChiChi frowned. The only assistant she had met was Alla. "You haven't told me why you are here."
"I have finished some reports she needed."
"Oh, really? Well it just so happens that Bulma Briefs is not here at the moment and she didn't tell me of anyone dropping over." ChiChi brushed past the woman towards the table in the hall. "Maybe she left a message—" Before ChiChi could finish her sentence, she was knocked out cold, her body hitting floor and the table. Blood seeped from a cut caused by the sharp corner of a vase of Nabooian flowers that had fallen from the table, colliding with her head.
"And that takes care of that," Juuhachigou stated, pulling off her wig.
Down the adjacent hall in the room to the left, Trunks sat up instantly, sensing something amiss through the Force and hearing the crash. "What the…?" Trunks flung his legs over the side of the bed and became very still, listening for any more strange sounds.
"Aunt ChiChi?" Bra was still up!
"Blaster bolts!" Trunks cursed and jumped to his feet, knowing more than ever that something was indeed wrong.
A blood-curdling scream filled the air and was suddenly cut short.