In Search for Home
Chapter 4: Earthward Bound
A few days later, news traveled around Frieza's ship the Planet Vegeta had been destroyed by meteors. Vegeta knew it was a lie. He knew Frieza had destroyed the planet, but he kept quiet. He knew if he said something, Frieza would surely kill him. But Vegeta was devising a plan, hoping to eventually free Nappa, Raditz, and himself from Frieza's control. Vegeta waited a couple of weeks after the incident with Frieza before approaching Frieza with his idea. A few years ago, the saiyans had been sent to Yardrak to conquer it, but they had made friends with the inhabitants instead of destroying them. Once the saiyans brought news of the peaceful conquer of Yardrak, Frieza decided the planet was unimportant to his overall plan of conquering the universe. At that news, Vegeta asked to have Yardrak for the saiyans; Yardrak then became a safe haven for the three saiyans.
Vegeta now approached Frieza for permission to go to Yardrak. Surprisingly, Frieza agreed, all too ready to get the saiyans away from him. He was still reeling about Vegeta attacking him, and if it weren't for the saiyans' strength and strategical genius, Frieza would destroy the last three saiyans he thought to be alive. The next day, Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz left Frieza's ship to go to Yardrak; they arrived two weeks later.
The people of Yardrak welcomed the saiyans with warm greetings, happy to see their friends again. The saiyans received the greetings and the meal which was soon prepared; then they turned in for the evening. They had a permanent residence there, as if it was their home. "I don't like this," Nappa said, "Frieza seemed too eager to get us away from him."
"Don't worry about it, Nappa," Vegeta ordered, "He's playing right into my plan." Vegeta smirked. Other than Planet Vegeta being destroyed, he was happy the way things were turning out. He had gotten the better of Frieza in their skirmish, though he wasn't sure how, and now, they were out of Frieza's sight. He could continue planning uninhibited.
"What plan?" Raditz asked; Vegeta hadn't told Nappa and Raditz about trying to get out from underneath Frieza.
"Boys, you are experiencing the first steps of our freedom," Vegeta said, standing up and walking around the room, "Two weeks ago I learned Frieza is venerable and we can beat him. We just have to buy a little more time. We will stay here, training and gaining strength. We will go to some of the nearby planets where we can fight strong warriors. While we gain strength, Frieza and his men are lazy. But I still don't want to put all of our trust in just out strength. For this reason, in one year, Raditz, you will go to Earth."
"Earth? Why in the world go to Earth?" Nappa and Raditz both said, also raising to their feet.
"Have you both forgotten what happened the day before Frieza took us?" Vegeta said, stopping in front of the two other saiyans, "We are not the only saiyans still alive. Remember, Vichell and Kakarot were sent to Earth just one day before we left. Frieza never discovered they left, I know that for sure. We' will give it a year; by then, Frieza will have forgotten about us, or at least, he won't be sending us to other planets to do his work. Raditz, you will go to Earth, find Vichell and Kakarot, and try to bring them back here. You are not to kill anyone. I will remind you of this again before you leave."
"Sure, Vegeta," Raditz said, not enthused at having to go to retrieve the little brother he never knew and the countess he never liked.
A year later, a stronger, but still unhappy, Raditz left Yardrak to go to Earth; it would take him one year to get there. "Now remember, Raditz, do not kill anyone you meet on Earth. Simply find Vichell and Kakarot and bring them back. If they have married, bring their entire family with you, we can use their children, too," Vegeta said. He wouldn't be surprised if growing up together, Vichell and Kakarot had married.
"I know, Vegeta," Raditz said, annoyed. Vegeta had reminded him of it several times in the past couple of days. Raditz climbed in his spaceship and took off to retrieve Vichell and Kakarot.
"Think he'll make it?" Nappa asked sarcastically.
Vegeta's tail twitched nervously. "He has to," he replied seriously. He remembered something Bardock had told him the night Kakarot was born. Bardock had the ability to see the future and he had seen Vegeta and Kakarot working together and beating Frieza. Vegeta knew in order to beat Frieza, it was going to take all of the remaining saiyans, including Vichell and Kakarot.
For the next year, Nappa and Vegeta continued to train. They knew it would take Raditz at least two years to get to Earth and back with Vichell and Kakarot. They kept in contact with Raditz through the scouters and just about the time Raditz was supposed to make it to Earth, Nappa and Vegeta went to a nearby planet for training. While Nappa and Vegeta sat eating, they listened to the conversation between Raditz and Kakarot, who had not grown up with Vichell, and therefor did not know about his saiyan heritage. Just as Vegeta was wondering what happened to his best friend, Raditz's voice came across the scouter, "I'm taking your kid, Kakarot, until you decide to join us. You have twenty-four hours to kill one hundred of the species on this planet."
"Raditz! You idiot! What are you doing!" Vegeta yelled, though Raditz could not hear him. Raditz was disobeying orders. Vegeta calmed down; maybe Raditz would retract the order. However, he didn't, and in the end, it cost Raditz his life. He was killed by Kakarot and another man named Piccolo. Before he died, Raditz thought he had gotten the last laugh because Kakarot was dying from the attack as well; however, Piccolo told Raditz it would be different because of the dragon balls. These dragon balls sparked Vegeta's interest, and he wanted to find out what had happened to Vichell. He stood up. "Let's go, Nappa; we're going to Earth," Vegeta ordered as he got into his space pod.
"But, Vegeta…" Nappa began to argue.
"Nappa!" Vegeta warned. Nappa crawled into his spaceship without further argument. Nappa may not have been the smartest saiyan, but he knew better than to get Vegeta mad, for Vegeta was the strongest saiyan alive. As they were leaving the planet, a female voice came across the scouter. Vegeta knew she was not Vichell, but there was something enticing about the voice. Vegeta now had time to think about what might have happened to Vichell. He was worried, for not only was she his best friend, but she was also supposed to be his queen. From the day they were born, they were betrothed. He doubted they would ever get married now, but he was still worried. He hoped she was okay.
For a year, Vegeta wondered about Vichell as they traveled through space. When they arrived on Earth, Nappa and Vegeta found six people with powers high enough to be saiyans; they went toward the highest two powers, who were together. By the time Nappa and Vegeta reached them, one more of the stronger powers had joined them. Vegeta looked at them: a bald-headed human, a Namekian (who he would discover later was Piccolo, the one who had killed Raditz), and a kid, obviously Kakarot's son. Soon, the other three strong powers joined them, another human, the weakest of the six, a three-eyed, bald human, and a short, china doll-looking human. Two people who did not show up were Vichell and Kakarot. Vegeta checked his scouter; there were no other fighting powers on Earth strong enough to be saiyan. Vegeta was dismayed; they had not been able to bring Kakarot back and Vichell was gone as well. However, Vegeta had little time to think about it as a battle soon began.
The battle was fierce. The earthlings proved themselves, particularly the Namek and Kakarot's son, named Gohan. By the time Kakarot, who the earthlings called Goku, joined them, only Gohan and the bald-headed human named Krillin were still alive of the Earth's Special Forces, the Z Fighters; all the others had been killed by Nappa. Vegeta didn't get involved until Nappa could not defeat Kakarot. Then, Vegeta killed Nappa for being weak and went after Kakarot. After the battle was over, Vegeta, Kakarot, and Gohan were badly injured; only Krillin was able to walk. Kakarot let Vegeta escape from Earth, and as he was blasting off, Vegeta saw her, a blue-haired human, the owner of the voice he had heard a year ago. She wasn't Vichell, but there was something about her, something which drew him to her. Vegeta concentrated on her to keep from slipping into unconsciousness while he hooked himself up to the rejuvenator. His last thought before going unconscious was wondering if he would ever see her again.