4: Crash Landing
"So...you've been here...all by yourself...for 50 years?" Jaco said incredulously, then chuckled. "I wouldn't make it one week."
Basil didn't reply. She was too busy devouring the small bag of snacks that Jaco had kept stored in a small compartment in his ship. She was like an animal, throwing manners aside and giving in to her basic survival instincts, which told her to eat every single crumb. Her stomach grumbled in starved happiness, her tongue finally tasting something other than dried seeds and spoiled meat.
She demolished the small bag in a matter of seconds, then looked at Jaco eagerly, as if she expected him to magically whip out another bag of treats. Jaco shook his head. "Sorry. That was all I had. I guess I'll remember to keep more food on my ship in case I ever run into someone like you."
Basil pouted, but only for a second. She then launched into excited questioning, leaning close to the foreign alien who sat across from her. "What's a Galactic Patrol?"
"Space cops, basically. I turn in dangerous aliens on the rampage." He said proudly. as if his job was something amazing.
"Space cops?" Basil raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of that. Where do you come from?"
"Another planet, pretty far from here, might I add." Jaco replied.
"What was that machine that girl spoke from?" Basil pointed to Jaco's phone. "Is it powerful or something?"
Jaco laughed. "Not in the slightest. It just allows me to talk to people who are far away, like Bulma. It's called a phone."
"Phone," Basil said thoughtfully. "What a weird name. Never heard of a 'phone' before. Who's Bulma? Is she like you?"
Jaco shook his head, then stood up. "No, she's human."
Basil perked up. "Human? What's a human?"
Jaco thought for a second, fumbling around in his brain for a good definition, then found one. "A human is, to put it quite bluntly, an inferior being lacking in power but smart in technology." He looked down at her, hands on his hips. "You've never left this planet in your life, huh?"
Basil shook her head, then began to fiddle with her tail, playing with the end. She had never been anywhere. Trapped on a dismantled dust bowl with no one to talk to and no one to help her. She was angry, which was expected. Everyone she had ever known was dead. Her parents. Her friends. She was too young at the time to understand why it had happened, and even now, she didn't possess all the facts. All she knew was that Frieza no doubt had something to do with it. He had to.
She suddenly jerked up, jumping to her feet and grabbing Jaco by the shoulders, staring into his large, round black eyes. "Jaco Galactic Patrolman, do you know where we can find Frieza?"
Jaco quickly shook his head and wriggled out of her grasp. "Oh, no way! Frieza is a big no no!"
"What?" Basil said, her voice a mixture of confusion and impatience. "He destroyed my planet, I know it! You have to help me find him! He needs to pay for what he's done."
"He's a lot more powerful than you think," Jaco began, starting to pace back and forth. "He's cunning and conniving and pure evil all the way around. He beat the snot out of both Goku and Vegeta when he got resurrected, and he even obtained new forms. Goku has been fighting him for years, and he's proven to be quite a match. You don't have any battle experience, so for you to try to fight him would be like writing your own obituary. "
"You keep talking about this Goku and this Vegeta. Who are they?" Basil asked.
Jaco stopped pacing and smiled. "Oh, they're just like you! Saiyans, I mean, not girls. They're really strong, too. They'll be here any minute to take you to Earth."
Earth, Basil fumbled around with the word. It was unfamiliar to her. Everything was unfamiliar to her. The only planet she knew was the dead one she stood on now. There was so much she still didn't know, and that made her anxious. As she stood still, she took in everything she had learned in the past few minutes. Bulma. Earth. Space cops. Goku and Vegeta. Frieza, now with more forms. Treats. Jaco. It was almost too much to take in. Her head was spinning with so much new information that it made it hard to process. She smiled to herself, her chest getting warm. This is it. Am I finally getting off this wasteland?
"So, Jaco Galactic Patrolman, if I may ask, these other Saiyans you mentioned...are they cute?"
Jaco nearly choked on air and laughed nervously. "Uh...I guess? But they're already married, so tough luck."
"Married?" Basil said, then shrugged. "No idea what that means."
Jaco sighed. "I'll explain it later."
...
Vegeta steered the ship away from a large rock formation, his gloved hands gripping the wheel tightly. I can't believe I was actually talked into this. I swear to god, if it turns out to be nothing, Bulma will hear about it. In a very aggressive manner, might I add. This planet can't possibly support life. It just can't. There's no way. It's been dead for far too long to be rehabilitated. Even if someone had been there since the destruction, they would eventually die out of either starvation or insanity.
He sighed, closing his eyes. I don't remember much about that planet. I was young at the time. One of my first missions was with that clown's brother, Raditz. My father is only a blurry fragment of memory, but regardless, returning to that planet is like pouring salt on an old wound. I'm not sure what we'll find there, and I'm not sure I want to find out. If the space pirates haven't already picked the place clean, maybe I could take a souvenir home. Not for Bulma, but for myself. A memento. A memory to help piece things together, refill the broken shard of what little memory I retain from that planet.
"Is there any food on here?" Goku asked, going through every compartment he could find. "I'm hungry,"
"I was hungry once," Goten muttered, curling into a smaller ball in one of the seats. There weren't exactly any seat belts, so he had to press himself against the back to keep himself in place.
Trunks leaned toward Goten, patting his shoulder sympathetically. "Keep it together, buddy."
Vegeta reached over to press some buttons, saw Goku trying to pry open something that wasn't a cabinet and was actually part of the ship, and threw his communicator at him. It nailed him directly in the side of the head, causing him to cry out and stumble to the side.
"Ow, Vegeta! What was that for?!" Goku whined, rubbing his head.
"Stop going through everything and just sit. You'll tear this thing apart." Vegeta snapped, then looked over at Trunks. "Trunks, get me my communicator, I need that back."
Trunks sighed. "Then why did you throw it at him?"
"'Cause he's mean." Goku huffed, dramatically throwing himself into a chair beside Goten, who flinched and tried his best to stare straight ahead.
"I needed to get his attention somehow, and lord knows he wouldn't listen if I just called him." Vegeta rolled his eyes and held his hand out unexpectedly. Trunks grabbed the small device off of the ground and tossed it to him.
They sat in silence, the only sound coming from the gentle hum of the engine. No one said anything because there wasn't much to be said. None of them had had much in the way of action and fighting, and there was an awkward atmosphere that swallowed the ship. Not only had Goten seen his parents doing it, which made it awkward for him, but Trunks and Vegeta weren't exactly on the same page when it came to father-and-son connections. To say the least, they were a motley crew of fighters who were brilliant when it came to combat, but clueless when it came to family relations. Vegeta wasn't the best family man, that he'll admit, but at least he had an excuse. Goku was just plain stupid, oblivious to the fact that he needed to be there for his family 24/7. Vegeta had started being around more, giving into the "family man" role Bulma so desperately wanted him to play. Trunks and Mai were on a rather smooth path, though they were young and still had yet to say "I love you." Goten and Valese were new to relationships greater than just those enclosed in family, and though Goten didn't want to admit it, he was terrified that he would accidentally do or say something stupid. It was obvious that none of them were experts when it came to love, though their intentions were well placed.
Goku slunk down in his chair, letting out a long breath. "This is boooooring." He whined.
Vegeta bit back a harsh retort and sighed. "We'll be there shortly. Just sit quietly." If you can manage, Vegeta thought to himself.
Trunks sat down in the co-pilot chair beside Vegeta and peered through the front window. "I think a see a swarm of rocks over there, Dad. Maybe we should check that out?"
"We're staying on course." Vegeta said curtly. "If we veer off, we might lose the location, and Kakarot will end up eating the ship."
"Or one of us," Goten added.
"I wouldn't eat you guys!" Goku laughed, then patted Goten's head. "That would be weird."
"Speaking of weird..." Goten's voice trailed off and he slumped further into his chair. I've had a rather weird day today. But I can never tell you out of pure shame.
Vegeta steered the ship away from a cluster of aimlessly floating rocks, then drove the ship to a screeching stop. It was so abrupt that Goku fell right out of his seat.
"We're here," Vegeta said quietly, putting the ship on autopilot. He stood and walked to the back of the ship, pressing even more buttons.
Goku groaned as he clumsily got to his feet. "Already? That was quick!"
"Time flies by fast when you're complaining." Trunks chuckled. Him and Goten stood motionless, staring out at the disaster of a planet that lay before them. They had heard many a story about what this planet used to be like. but seeing it in person, for real, made their stomachs feel tight, and they glanced at each other. This was where their descendants lived. It was their past. What connected them to the Saiyans. Regardless of the fact that they had Saiyan blood in them, it was the planet that tied them together.
Trunks ran a hand through his hair, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at Goten and nudged his shoulder. "Well. Home sweet home, right?"
"Right." Goten nodded.
The ship soared downwards toward the bombed planet, maneuvering past large chunks of debris with smooth grace. The engine thrummed quietly as the speed slowly decreased the closer it got to the few landing spots available. The only colors visible were dark purple and a burnt grey, a deep contrast to the once green-filled home it once was. The ships's lights illuminated dark crevices and large overhangs of rock and stone, but not a single sign of life was evident. Vegeta looked closely, his dark eyes examining every inch of the planet. Goku, meanwhile, was distracted trying to figure out how the ship was able to drive itself.
"When we touch down, I want you, Trunks, and Goten to stay with the ship. Me and Kakarot will have a look around." Vegeta said, turning on his heel and heading towards the doors that would soon open.
"What?" Trunks said, dismayed. "No way, we're going with you guys."
"Yeah. We didn't come all this way to babysit a ship." Goten agreed.
"All four of us clambering around a desolate wasteland will only be a distraction. Besides, I have no doubt that pirates saw our ship, and if they come here, you need to protect the ship." Vegeta argued. "Plus, you're too young."
"Oh, throw that in my face again." Goten huffed.
"Dad, we know what we're doing. I'm not a little kid anymore and you need to stop treating me like one." Trunks crossed his arms, and Goten did the same.
Vegeta looked over his shoulder at the two, and simply shook his head. "No."
"Why?" Trunks pressed. "You said so yourself that you highly doubt anybody would be on this planet, and that space pirates wouldn't even be interested in a wreck like this. You just want us to stay with the ship because you like Goku more than us."
Goku perked up at that, having been staring at the stars for the whole argument. "Huh?"
Vegeta whipped around, shooting a glare at Trunks that was usually only reserved for Goku. "What?"
"You like Goku more than me." Trunks repeated. "Admit it. I ask you to train with me, and you go right to Goku to train like I never asked. You're always together, I hardly ever see you by yourself 'cause Goku's always glued to your hip like a puppy, and he's the only person who you'll fuse with, Potara or otherwise. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were married to each other, not to Chi-Chi and Bulma."
Vegeta was speechless. He wanted to argue, and he would have...if Trunks hadn't brought up resounding facts against him that prohibited him from having a good comeback. He looked at Goku, who had no clue what was going on, then looked back at Trunks. Finally, after racking his brain for five whole seconds, he found a good retort. Or, at the very least, an acceptable remark that would drop the subject. "Shut up,"
"I'm confused," Goku chimed in.
"You need to show me respect, Trunks." Vegeta snapped, shoving Goku aside to stand face to face with his son. They stood so close that their noses were mere inches from touching. "Has it ever dawned on you as to why I always train with Kakarot? Why I only allow myself to fuse with him and no one else? Why he's, as you put it, 'clued to me like a puppy'?"
Trunks stared into his father's eyes, unblinking.
Vegeta continued, ignoring Goku tapping his shoulder. "I only fuse with him because we are equals. Not only that, but we fight the same opponents and fusion is always a last resort. And I only train with him to make sure he doesn't surpass me. Whatever training he gets is the same one I get. And lastly, he's glued to me because he doesn't have anyone else to bother."
A silence took over the ship. The tension was so thick that Goku could cut it with a knife and eat it. Vegeta and Trunks stared each other down, none of them showing any signs of backing down. Goten looked between the two, nervous that they would break out into a fight right in the middle of the ship.
Goku tapped aggressively on Vegeta's shoulder, desperate to get his attention. "Vegeta?"
"WHAT!?" Vegeta shouted, whirling around to face him. "What is so important, Kakarot? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"
Goku pointed out the ship's front window. "I think we're gonna crash."
"Huh?" Vegeta and Trunks turned towards the main console of the ship, out the front window displaying the dead planet before them. Sure enough, the ship was aimed downwards and was heading straight for the ground.
"What the hell, Kakarot! Why didn't you take up the wheel?" Vegeta ran to the steering wheel and gripped it tightly, jerking it upward, only to succeed in yanking it right off the control panel. Wires hung from the base of the wheel that Vegeta now held in his hand, he eyes wide. "Shit."
"Dad, did you mess with the autopilot?" Goten asked, his voice panicked.
Goku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hehehe, maybe?"
"Hold onto something!" Trunks shouted, and he clung tightly to one of the chairs. Goten did the same.
"I'm going to kill you, Kakarot!" Vegeta lunged at Goku right as the ship crash-landed. A boom shook the planet remains harshly, sending dirt and rocks flying in all directions. The ship rattled, the crash sending a strong reverberation throughout the small ship. The console beeped an alarm, and a holo-display popped up, pinpointing the most damaged areas of the ship. An automated female voice spoke, loud and clear above the aftershock.
"Attention all passengers. We have experienced some damage to the hull, as well as the landing gear, fuel tanks, and the east and west sides of the ship. Immediate examination and repair recommended. Ship will power down in approximately 10 seconds."
Trunks slowly opened his eyes, looking around before coughing. Smoke filled the cockpit, and sparks shot out from the control panels and console. A small fire burst to life, and Trunks quickly set to putting it out by smacking it with his Capsule Corp jacket.
Goten unsteadily got to his feet, stepping over fallen wires to join Trunks. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Can't say the same for the ship. Man, your mom is gonna be pissed."
"Tell me about it." Trunks sighed as he slid his jacket back on. "Hey, where are our dads?"
Goten didn't need to answer. Through the smoke, they could make out two distinct and familiar shapes. Upon closer inspection, both Goten and Trunks laid their eyes upon Vegeta sitting on top of Goku, who lay on his back, practically strangling him out of pure rage.
"You idiot! We needed this ship to get home! How stupid are you, Kakarot!?" Vegeta shouted, tightening his grip on Goku's throat.
"I didn't mean to!" Goku choked out. "All I did was press one button. ONE BUTTON!"
"I'm literally going to kill you and send you back to Earth to your wife in a little box!" Vegeta hollered.
"Don't do that! I'm sorry, Vegeta! I'M SORRY!" Goku cried.
"Should we do something about them?" Goten asked.
Trunks shook his head. "He's already latched on. The best thing we can do now is pray Vegeta takes mercy on him."
"I have no more mercy!" Vegeta shouted at the top of his lungs.
Goten and Trunks sighed.
"Well," Trunks began, putting his hands on his hips. "At least we still know how to make an entrance."
Five seconds later, the ship plunged into darkness, for it had powered down until it was repaired.
