They all slept soundly that night. The mattresses were made of a feather-light, almost liquid texture material. The only one who was not sleeping was Jason. He couldn't help but reminisce on the days events. His world had turned upside down. He had always dreamed of being somebody, other than your average Joe with an office job and a fascination for baseball. Now he was someone important. Any way you slice it, he had become one of five fighters with extraordinary power, in an epic struggle to save the Universe. The one thing that truly tugged at his mind was the fact he was part alien, though what he had heard from the Eds and the apparent fact that almost no physical difference could be made at first glance between human and Saiyan. It still bewildered him. He had taken in so much over the past week, so much information he wished he could siphon his thoughts into a bowl or something to calm his overloaded mind. He decided to take a walk, observing the many elegant, yet powerful looking ships in the monstrously proportioned docking bay. The repairs on the ships were now made, so the hiss of a blowtorch or laser cutter was no longer among the ambiance of this base. He could not believe they had set all of this up in so little time. Then again, he thought, J-Dude must have helped them with the removal of all the earth and rock that once must have occupied this empty space. Suddenly, a glow added to the surrounding area. The source of the light was right in front of him, where a black disk materialized, and fell with a light thud on the steel floor. Three beams of light had shot out, and something was taking shape. From recent experience, he knew this couldn't mean anything good. As though he had counted on this happening before hand, he silently spoke.

Jason: "Okay Payne, what do you want from me?"

The holographic Max smirked at his remark.

Max: "Your assistance. I must admit, even for someone as great as I, good help is still so hard to find. The odds, I accept, are against me. Five to one is hardly fair, don't you think?"

Jason: "Yeah, and I suppose you against all those defenseless scientists was a fair fight right! Why should I join you? Give me a reason!"

Max: "Oh, but I have many, don't worry about that. Think of the power. I am sure you wish you were someone as high up as a king for instance? My brother is too humble to even consider ruling through fairness, he just wants to be a regular old man on the streets, live the life of someone not even a millionth the quality of who he could become! That's the life he's choosing, and you truly wish to remain on his side!"

Jason: "You can't tempt me like that. I'm smart enough to see through it."

Max: "Then perhaps it's time for the more forceful tactics. Tell me; is this star at all familiar to you?"

Max stepped to the side to reveal a yellowish middle-sized star through a window of a starship.

Max: "It is the Earth's Sun. You will join my ranks, or the planet Earth will freeze to death. The button on the projector, push it…"

Jason, almost livid with frustration, leaned down and jabbed the button on the side panel. He felt as though he had grabbed on to the edge of a plane in mid-flight. He was being pulled along, an endless river of color, objects streaking past him, none recognizable for how fast he was going. He tried to scream, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. In fact, there was no sound at all. It was as if someone had pressed mute on the remote control of his life. Finally, he landed on his feet, so hard his knees buckled, and he sprawled over a black mass of cold tile, until he came to stop at what felt like someone's shoes. He looked up, dazed, seeing Max Payne with a furtive looking grin. To his surprise, he offered him his hand. He would very much have liked to deny the offer, and stand up on his own accord, but something told him he should play along, at least for now. He wasn't sure whether he would keep his word, and spare the Earth, Max's notorious reputation burning in his mind.

Max: "Welcome to the Armada. This is my flagship, the Leviathan. Come, I'm sure you would prefer a decent meal to the tasteless maggot eaten food they served in the Union's headquarters."

He followed Max to a large room with a long table and elegant, almost royal looking decorations. Large platters of delectable looking cooking were among the centerpieces adorning the table. He sat down on the end of the table, and looked around as Max sat at the other end. There were many meats on the table, one that appeared to be a turkey the size of a Mastiff, that he was certain was not from any creature on Earth. Many rather hideous looking desserts also filled the table. Max, however appeared accustom to this interstellar cuisine, and was hungrily feasting on a dessert that seemed to contain a large lobster claw, except it was green, and had more than one set of pincers. He noticed Jason's hesitation, and laughed.

Max: "I haven't poisoned that food you know. Hah ha ha!"

Rather disturbed, he picked up a chicken leg, and sniffed it while Max wasn't looking. Nothing smelled funny about it, so he carefully tore off a small strip with his teeth, and continued to gorge on the rather appetizing foodstuffs. After a particularly large mouthful, Max continued conversation.

Max: "Besides, there would be no point in killing the most valuable person ever to join my side. Don't be ashamed to truly dig in, Saiyans are particularly ravenous by nature. Besides, I would prefer your strength kept up for tomorrow. We start training then. Don't worry, it was a noble thing to do. After all, as long as the people you care about are safe, why be concerned about those millions of nameless individuals? It's not as though they truly suffer…as of yet anyway."

Jason didn't answer. Max seemed to grow impatient.

Max: "I realize you feel like going along, and mutinying, but don't worry. Everyone straightens out in the end."

Jason: "Stop talking to me like I'm some sort of dinner guest. I'm only doing this to protect my home world. I don't understand why you don't feel the same."

Max: "Because the Earth has never held any true value in this Universe. I have gone around to dozens of planets, all superior to Earth by way of technology and intelligence. I am not human, I am a Saiyan. Earth is not where I belong. The planet Vegeta was destroyed centuries before our time. That was our home. The Earth is normally ignored, or avoided. The human mind is looked at like an infectious disease, because that is what they are, a virus. Mindlessly wiping out their environments to fulfill their needs. That's how it works: destroy, build up, multiply. They are an illness to the Universe."

Jason: "How is what you're doing any different?"

Max: "I take control, build up, and multiply. I destroy only who is a threat to me. I merely control, and improve the inefficiencies of their way of life, making them better. Imagine, no poverty, no stealing. People who simply live the way they did with large perks. The reason I am hated, is that I don't allow threats to build. I annihilate the opposition, even if it is some fool in the crowd giving me the finger. I am lenient, but I do not tolerate criticism of how I run things. In fact, I only destroy planets and make suffer those whose entire populace is against me. Let me show you what I mean by that…"