Goku sat with his legs crossed under him on his chair, snacking on one of the rice bowls Chi-Chi had sent with him. Vegeta had hardly stirred since falling asleep again. It was a dreamless sleep, according to the doctor, too deep for nightmares. It made Goku glad to hear; he doubted his friend could have anything else as long as he was imprisoned here. But that in itself was a troubling thought. He knew that Nevrrest meant to kill Vegeta. But even if he stopped that, what if Vegeta was sentenced to years of imprisonment? He wouldn't see his baby born. He wouldn't get to see his son grow up. Bulma's heart would be broken all over again.

And Vegeta…his mind flashed to that time he'd seen Vegeta in Hell. He remembered the helpless, agonized tears that had run down his friend's face. Vegeta loved to fight. He loved to push himself and keep getting stronger – just as much as Goku did. It didn't matter whether it was literally so or not, to be trapped in some place where there was no opportunity for battle, frozen in a state where he was unable to test himself – for Vegeta, that was nothing short of Hell. What would become of him if he was stuck here for that long? What would become of their friends and family back on Earth if they didn't return – for it would be together or not at all.

Goku paused in his eating to scratch at the side of his neck. "That's got to be at least the fifth time I've seen you do that," remarked Dr. Tottle, looking up from the paperwork he was going through, "Which tells me either you've got a nervous tick or something's medically wrong."

"Huh?" Goku asked.

"You keep itching at the side of your neck."

"Oh that. Yeah, it's been bothering me since I woke up this morning. Not really sure why, it's kinda strange to be honest."

"Well you happen to be in an infirmary, might I look at it?"

Goku got a little sweaty and laughed nervously at the doctor. "Oh that's not necessary, really, I'm fine!"

"Don't be ridiculous, one little look isn't going to hurt you."

Goku relaxed. "Oh. Well as long as you're just looking." He anxiously laughed again.

The turtle-like man paused and got a somewhat smug expression. "You're afraid of doctors, aren't you?"

"You got me," Goku admitted, rubbing his head, "Well…more the kind of stuff that doctors usually have on them."

"Strangest Saiyan that ever lived, I swear," Dr. Tottle remarked as took Goku's face in his hands and turned his head. He pressed two fingers to a point on Goku's muscular throat. "Any soreness here?"

"Huh? No, not really."

"How about here?"

Goku blinked. "Actually, yeah, a little bit."

"And here?"

"Not there."

"How about here?"

"Yep, there too! Gosh, I didn't even notice."

Dr. Tottle hummed, inspecting the skin. "And you say it's been itching since this morning?"

"That's right."

"Any other symptoms when you awoke? Queasiness? Poor balance? Headache? Dry mouth? Lack of energy?"

Goku's eyes shifted thoughtfully. "Well…now that you mention it, I did wake up feeling pretty tired. I just figured I hadn't slept well."

Dr. Tottle released him and nodded. "I thought so."

"You know what it is?" Goku asked, giving him full attention.

"Yes and no," Dr. Tottle hesitantly replied, "It's some sort of illness or affliction my colleagues on The Hammer have reported. Been going on for at least a couple years now. We don't know the cause behind it, a virus or undetectable bacteria perhaps. But whatever it is, it results in a non-visible rash on the neck, muscle soreness in the same region, low blood pressure, fatigue – often accompanied by other symptoms I named – and, believe it or not, a temporary drop in the person's power level."

"You mean there's a disease that drains energy?!" Goku gaped.

"So it would seem. Which supports my personal theory that it's a bacteria – a microscopic organism that targets and feeds off their host's power." He turned aside, glancing at the sleeping Vegeta. "There's been a few cases where it's spread to prisoners, but mostly the disease has been contained within The Hammer…and usually on those with high power levels. Most of the justiciars have caught it at some point – more than once actually."

Goku itched at his neck again. "So am I in any danger?"

"Danger? No, no. None of the cases have suffered any real harm from it, just temporary effects. All the same, a shame we've yet to identify or treat it."

"Whew…" Goku sighed, "That's a relief." He started eating his dumplings again, watching as Dr. Tottle checked on Vegeta's injuries. "So…what should I do? I don't really get sick very often. Chi-Chi – that's my wife – she always sends our kids to bed when they get sick. But I'm not that tired."

"Well resting would help, but that's entirely up to you," Dr. Tottle replied, checking Vegeta's pulse, "It's not contagious, so no reason to quarantine yourself. Without an available treatment, all you can do is the usual – rest, good nutrition, etcetera. As always with these things, time will mend it."

"DAH! TIME!" Goku suddenly screamed, jumping up out of his seat, "Oh no, I forgot the time!" He looked anxiously at his monitor. "Oooh!" He tipped back his bowl and shoved the rest of the rice and dumplings into his mouth, completely stuffing his cheeks and swallowing it all at once. He dropped the bowl on a table. "I'm sorry, doc, but I gotta go right now! I can't be late, Laswe's already angry with me as it is! Guess there's nothing for it." He pressed two fingers to his forehead. "I'll come back later, sorry!"

"What the defiler's vomit?!" Dr. Tottle gaped as Goku blinked out of existence.

"Geeeyaaa!" Laswe screamed as the Legendary Super Saiyan suddenly materialized next to him. He flailed, wobbled, and finally fell out of his chair, a shower of papers settling atop of him.

"Laswe?" Goku looked about the suite and then down at his monitor with a sigh. "Whew, I'm not late."

"What are you on?!" Laswe shrieked, the shimmery creature's head popping out from under the blanket of documents, "I can sense energy with the best of them and you just pop in here out of nowhere! I didn't even hear the door open!"

"Oh there you are," Goku blinked, "What are you doing on the floor?"

"What am I doing?!" Laswe piped, jumping up and hovering in the air as he shook the papers from his fuzzy ears, "What are you doing – coming in here like that?!"

"Oh I'm sorry. I lost track of time and I didn't want to be late so I had to use instant transmission." He bent forward in a bow. "Sorry if I startled you."

All the annoyance melted from Laswe's visage and his glittery eyes slowly widened. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on," he waved, "You know instant transmission? One of the most difficult techniques that the Yardratians ever came up with?"

"Yeah, it was really hard too. Took me a whole year to learn it."

Laswe's wings stopped buzzing and he flopped back on his tail – which he now saw could also stretch thin behind him as well, like a slug's body. "…Oh my God. I actually owe you an apology."

"Huh? Why?" Goku blinked.

"Because…" He tittered. "Because…you have instant transmission."

"Huh?" Goku said again.

"You…you didn't need our permission to come aboard!" he cried, throwing up his arms, "You could have—hell—you could have just teleported into Vegeta's cell and been clear across the galaxy before we even knew what was happening. You could have…" He blinked. "Why didn't you?"

Goku smiled softly at the justiciar. "It's not that complicated," he assured, holding out his hands, "Like I said before, I know you're just trying to do the right thing. That's why I tried not to hurt any of you back on Earth. That's why I asked your permission to come." His brow lowered seriously. "There's no questioning it. Vegeta's done a lot of really bad things – and that's not something that's easy to fix. But—"

"I know, I know, 'he's changed' – so you keep saying."

"It's more than that. I've spent enough time learning from you guys to realize what you're all about – that when someone causes harm, harm will eventually come back to them. I've known Vegeta for a good number of years now. All the suffering he's caused, over time it all came back to him. It hit him hard, over and over again."

"Hrrm…" Laswe hummed thoughtfully, hand curled under his chin. He dusted off a shoulder. "Perhaps you might have a case after all…" He twittered and pointed. "But! Don't forget, you promised to be my errand boy for the day. So we'll talk later, but right now, I'm putting you to work!" He turned with a snap of his fingers, pointing to the papers all over the floor. "And you can start by cleaning up the mess you made. Hop to it, Super Saiyan, chop-chop!"

Goku had the mess cleaned in under a second. Less than a second later the justiciar had another task ready for him. It was almost like a race, a competition. And before long, they were both loving it. With the same tenacity and diligence that had once left Master Roshi in awe, Goku darted about the fleet, delivering missives and collecting reports, organizing shelves, and stacking textbooks for the classrooms. It went on like this for hours, neither one batting an eye or breaking a sweat. Finally, Goku returned to find not another task waiting for him, but a shiny glass sat on the table before him.

"Well, that's it, Super Saiyan," Laswe chortled, getting a bottle out of his cabinet, "You've completely run me out of work for the day. It's not often I have a folk hero as a guest, so I thought I'd crack out the good stuff."

"Really, already?" Goku blinked. He smiled. "I thought we were just getting started."

"Don't get cheeky," Laswe chided, sitting the bottle down the table.

Goku bent down, putting his hands on the table as he inspected the orange liquid. "What is it?"

"A little gift my brother Inochi sends me every month or so." He took a seat, his fat tail stretching thin again as it slithered and wound about the leg of the chair. "He's a bit of a prick, but he always looks out for the family – even a little runt like me. Well, don't just stand there. I don't offer a drink to just anyone, you know." Goku at last maneuvered into his chair as Laswe uncorked the bottle. "Neither Nevrrest or Oom'Bagu much approve of my habits, but what can I say? I'm still a prince at heart. I can't help but cling to a few luxuries."

Goku watched with curiosity as Laswe filled his glass with the orange beverage. "Well I guess this means you're not mad at me anymore. That's good to hear." He took the glass and tipped it back.

"Not all at once!" Laswe shrieked, grabbed his wrist and yanking the glass down before he downed the whole thing, "No, no! Bad Saiyan!" He flicked him in the nose and put the glass back on the table.

"Gosh, Laswe, what did I do this time?" Goku grunted, rubbing his nose a bit.

"Just like a Saiyan, showing off!" Laswe folded his arms, "I don't care how good a stomach you think you have, this isn't some tavern ale, this is kelga – finest liquor of the third Ponachi Moon. You don't chug it like that, you sip it, or else it will knock you right on your ass. You get me?"

"Oh…so you mean it's that kind of drink." He looked over the glass again, carefully this time. "I didn't know. I've never actually had anything like that. I just know it's bad for you, so I usually just don't have any."

"Well you're not declining this time," Laswe blatantly stated, pushing the glass back to him, "I'm in a generous mood and to do so would be very rude. Just…drink it slowly, okay? Cause if you get too merry on me, I'll have to do the polite thing and let you sleep it off in my bed and I just really don't want to go down that road. Not to mention you lack common sense and basic restraint as it is. Oh just…" He grumbled and filled his own glass, leaning back in his chair and taking a long, slow sip. "Ah…okay, I'm calm now. Nothing like a good kelga to take the edge off. Anyhow…" He sat his glass down again, upraising a finger. "You are here to talk me into voting in your prince's favor." Goku froze in the middle of his second attempt to take a drink. "Hehehe…there's no reason to beat around the bush. That's why you came here, right? No shame in it. And…if you indulge me a little longer, I'll give you your chance to convince me. Though, don't expect me to play defendant for him."

"Defendant?" Goku asked.

"It's an interesting role in this case." He picked up his glass again and swished the liquid about idly. "Cause he will be convicted, there's no doubt about that. He'd have to have some guts to try to plead innocent. No, this trial won't be over whether he's guilty. It's going to be over the penalty."

Goku's brow lowered. "You mean if you're going to execute him."

Laswe's eyes shifted hesitantly. "There has been talk of that, yes," he admitted, "But no. Death penalty aside, your prince is looking at spending the rest of his natural life in chains. Your job is to convince me he deserves less than that. And when a defendant steps up, that's what you're going to want to help them convince everyone of as well." He tipped back his glass gracefully.

Goku scratched at his neck with a finger as he thought. "So someone will be defending Vegeta at the trial…I missed that detail. Who is it? Do I have to find someone?"

"It will be one of us – the justiciars. Nettelish will be the judge this round, that's already been decided. Nevrrest has elected to be the prosecutor – no surprise there, I just hope she can handle it. She's been a bit…ah never mind. Anyhow, you said before you wanted us to teach you the rules of the game. You've indulged me enough that I'll do that for you. But…if you want to have any chance of convincing me, you're going to have to know who I am. And do that, you need to know my story. Am I right?"

"Mm," Goku nodded, "That's what I'm thinking anyway." He looked at his glass again and finally took a little sip. He clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide, thrashing about a bit before swallowing hard. "Gosh, that's like fire!" he cried, looking startlingly at the glass.

"Bah, you get used to it," Laswe waved, "Besides, it's got a sweet after flavor. Keep drinking, it gets better. Anyhow, the prosecutor and the defendant's votes are locked, meaning that when it's all on the table they automatically count towards the positive or negative, you get the idea. The judge doesn't vote, but they control the entire atmosphere of the court room." He leaned forward, as if telling a secret. "And then there's what we like to call the 'ghost vote' – that's the will of the galactic people. Billions will be watching, Goku. Maybe even trillions. When considering our decisions, we justiciars are expected to take the will of the people into account. That's why it's called the ghost vote."

He sat back again, fingers under his chin. "Now, Oom'Bagu, Misado, and Horkion, they all have a thing for you. But this isn't a popularity contest. We all care deeply about justice. But, earning our trust is key to making your argument believable. And I gotta give you props, Saiyan, you've done a pretty good job of that so far. But that won't be enough." His brow lowered. "Tell me, what you hoping the outcome of this trial will be?"

Goku sighed, rubbing his head. "I…well…to be honest, I'd like Vegeta to be back home within a month." Laswe's left wing lifted. "You see, he's got a baby on the way. And it's going to be born really soon according the Bulma. And he promised her he'd be there, so…"

Laswe laughed. "You got guts, I'll give you that. You got real guts. What you're talking is unheard of for someone with his record. What you're talking is like…either planetary exile or immediate parole. It's impossible…but somehow? I think I'm going to enjoy seeing you try to pull it off."

Goku gave him a soft, confident smile. "I'm pretty sure you're right, Laswe. But I've never been one to let anything hold me back. So I'm going to just do my best."

Laswe stared at him and finally just shook his head, leaning back in his chair again. "Well anyhow, that's my gift to you. You know my advice now and I suggest you take it. Now, time for you to get comfortable cause I've got a story to tell – the story of how I died."

"Yeah, I've been looking forward to hearing that," Goku encouraged, "I mean, it's not every day I meet someone else who's died before."

Laswe stopped smiling and froze. "Wait…what do you mean someone else? You're saying you've also died?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Goku cheerfully confirmed, "I've actually spent quite a bit of time in Other World. I mean, it was just a year the first time but I was there a whole lot longer the second."

"You've died twice?!" Laswe piped, "How is that even a thing?!"

Goku smiled, itching his neck again. "It's a pretty long story. I'd tell it to you, but I'd rather hear yours first."

"But eh…" Laswe stuttered then suddenly made a sound Goku had never heard before, resembling something between the low of an animal and a baby's laughter. "Well, what do you know! A fellow zombie! Always a pleasure to make the acquaintance of." He made the sound again and pushed Goku's glass closer to him. "Here, keep drinking."

Goku looked at the drink. He honestly didn't care for the stuff – which was saying a lot for him since he liked most everything when it came to eating and drinking – but he didn't want to sour Laswe's mood. So he did as he was asked, taking a drink and swallowing quickly this time, his face turning red and lips puckering again as it burned…but he did have to admit, the aftertaste was pretty nice.

"So anyhow, back to my story," Laswe continued with a flick of his fingers, "My people live on the five moons of Ponachi – lovely gas giant of a planet, dazzles the eyes to look at. We never really thought into the Planet Trade Organization showing up. Kinda like you never put much thought to the apocalypse, you know? Like most people back then, we accepted it would happen eventually, but everyone had the same attitude about it – meh, not in my lifetime though. But yeah…it happened alright. We weren't completely helpless, we had guns and tried to fight back, but it didn't even phase the goons they sent…"

The memories filled the air. Laswe stood in the Palace of the First, fists clenched and trembling with rage. His mother, the queen, held him forcefully to her chest, trembling as well, but with fear. Their people were out there dying and all they could do was hide behind their guards. It disgusted him. He wanted to go out there and fight for their home! But he didn't dare force his mother's arms to release him. He was her youngest, of course at the end of all things she would hold him close.

"Father!" The two eldest of his five brothers entered the throne room, hovering side by side. Riqué, first born, guardian of the high moon, and heir to the throne, planted his tail on the ground and lowered his fuzzy brow. "We've lost the second and fourth moon."

"Father," Inochi, second eldest, continued, "This is futile. We've been hitting them with everything we have and we've yet to so much as put a kink in their armor. The Moons are lost."

Laswe hissed, his wings thrashing against the whimpering queen.

"We have to evacuate. It's our only chance. Let the damn Planet Trade Organization have the Moons, there's no reason we should all have to die."

"No." Their father, the king, turned from the window he was glaring out of, his voice deep for a Ponachi, gems adorning his regal neckline. "I will not abandon our home to these devils."

"Father!" Riqué cried.

"Tell me, my sons, where would we go? An entire race of refugees. We would be slowly hunted and starved into extinction."

"I agree with Father!" Laswe piped, gesturing violently against his mother's hold. He clenched and upheld a fist. "We are the Unbroken Dynasty! Two thousand years of royal blood runs in our veins, our kingdom will not fall – I refuse it!"

"No! I agree with Inochi!" cried one of his sisters from where they were huddled together – he couldn't tell which one, probably either Shira or Jsaleek, "If we stay here they'll kill us! And then they'll burn our bodies – if we leave we can at least have the Death Masquerade!"

"Whoa, wait," Goku interrupted, making Laswe give him a dry, irritable look, "I'm confused, how could you not know which one of your sisters said that?"

Laswe grumbled. "I have a lot of sisters, okay?"

"So many you can't tell them apart?"

"I got five brothers and ten sisters, okay, give me a break!"

"Dah! That's a lot! How did your mother get pregnant that many times?!"

Laswe slapped a hand over his face. "I am not about to explain Ponachi reproduction habits to you. Anyhow, Ponachi don't get pregnant, we lay eggs—ggddi! Just shut up! Can I continue my heart-wrenching story, please, or do I need to give you a biology lesson?!"

"Oh!" Goku covered his mouth, "I'm sorry, no! Please continue!" He really felt guilty for interrupting like that, he normally wouldn't, but he was feeling a bit more flippant for some reason. He looked at the kelga in his hand and took another small sip.

"Anyhow, where was I…"

The throne room door exploded. The bodies of several dead guards came flying in through the smoke, screams ringing through the air. As the gasses cleared, they saw them, five monsters dressed in PTO body armor, grinning and chuckling under their scouters.

"Ah, here we are. The royal freak family," said their leader lazily.

The rest was blurred out by Laswe's rage and difficulty to breath as his mother held him close with all her might. He saw the thugs approach the throne. There was shouting, scepter waving from his father, laughing from the soldiers.

"Silence, you oaths!" Laswe shrieked at them as they laughed, his father stern but shaking, "Don't you know you're talking to a king?!"

Then he realized why his father was shaking. "Well, if you won't tell us where it is, we'll just have some fun until you change your mind." The leader turned his head, looking right at Laswe, and smiled. "That little pipsqueak there will do. Come on, boys, let's have us a game of kickball while we wait."

They moved so fast, he didn't understand what was happening at first. He only realized that his mother was screaming, her fingers digging into him as his shoulders were grabbed. "Nooo! Please no! No-no-no-noo! Leave him alone, someone stop this, please!" Suddenly, he was in the air. He hit the ground, hit it so hard that blood flew up from his mouth and rained down on his face. "Laswe! Someone, please, stop them!"

The justiciar's suite was very quiet and still. Even though it was the past, even though Laswe was alive and well, sitting before him now, Goku's fists were clenched on the table and trembling with anger. Laswe stared into his drink, his eyes hard and distant.

"…They were at it for about an hour before I finally expired. That's what I was told, anyhow…it felt like much longer." His gaze startled Goku. "I don't know how you died those two times, Saiyan…but I hoped it was better than I did. It's no way for a person to die, being slowly beaten to death, your killers knowing they could end it with lift of a finger, but instead they go easy on you. They keep going until your every internal organ has erupted and you're choking to death on your own blood. And your whole family is watching. Helpless."

Goku's fingers managed to unclench a little. "Why would they do something like that?"

Laswe smirked. "Because it was fun. And because my father wouldn't tell them the location of our sacred resource, the ybora. It's a mineral that apparently amplifies a person's energy when added to combat armor. To us, it was believed to be the crystallized remnants of the souls of an ancestors. We only ever used it in religious objects…of course my father gave in and told them about ten minute into my execution, but they kept going anyways…"

Laswe body was numb with pain, he hardly felt it this time as a boot struck his side. He rolled across the ground, lying limply on his side as the blood pooled around him, his neck and chest sticky with the webbing that had leaked from his ruptured glands. He'd never even had a chance to fight back. They'd been too strong and too fast for him to even attempt to try. He could barely see, his vision was clouded by blood. He could barely hear, his ear drums had erupted a long time ago. But through the haze, he could see his murders laughing and make out the vague peep of screams.

Her face landed next to his. Dead. Laswe's eyes widened. "Ma…augh…kkk…" Mother…

"…And that's the story of how I died," Laswe simply stated, "How my whole family, my entire race, died." He suddenly tittered and grinned. "Now, would you like to hear the story of how I lived?"

"Please," Goku encouraged.

"Hehe…so there we all were, a nice big flood of souls all waiting around in Other World like a bunch of assholes to see where we'd be spending the afterlife. Long wait, I finally get stamped for Heaven, wee-hee, on my way there. I'm finally about to get to paradise when suddenly…"

He was home. Laswe's eyes snapped opened and his head jerked up, looking around rapidly. There were finely-dressed people all around the palace, scurrying back from him shrieking their heads off.

"Laswe!"

"Mother?!" he cried back, gaping as she hovered not far from him.

"Father!" one of his brother's voices rose over the crowd of rich people.

Laswe gagged as his mother tackled him to the ground again and hugged him, crying. He blinked and slapped his hands to his face. "I'm alive…we're alive!"

"They're GHOSTS!" someone howled and the rest of the fancy crowd started to scream their heads off, running around and knocking over things.

Laswe's eyes snapped upward. His father's palace…his home…it'd been turned into a restaurant! Something awoke inside him. He broke free of his mother's grasp, darting into the midst of the panicked mob. He seized a table and turned it over, dishes shattering, food flying, and drinks spilling.

"Get out. Get out of our home. Get out! GET OOUUUTTTTT!"

"And BOOM!" Laswe pounded the table, actually making Goku jump a little, "Zombies on revolt. And I tell you, there was a fire awakened in our people that we'd never known before. I guess coming back from the dead does that to you – it takes the fear out of you. And it did more for me." He sat up, and leaned forward, gripping the table's edge. "That day and ever since I've made a vow – never again."

"Never again?" Goku asked curiously.

"Yep," Laswe nodded, his brow lowered, "Never again. Never again would I die like that. Never again would I go down without a fight. Never again would I let someone just walk it and take everything from me. Never again would I allow others to helplessly suffer, especially for my sake." He held a finger fiercely forward. "Never, ever again." He sat back and smiled, turning his glass about. "And that's who I am, Saiyan. The power level of twenty who said never again."

Goku's mouth hung open in a smile, truly amazed. "Ah…I get it now."

"Eh?"

"I used to think you were more like Nevrrest…but you're not in this for revenge at all!" His gentle smile grew. "You just want to protect people."

Laswe gave a long pause, looking at him, and his brow slowly lowered. "Now don't go talking down about Nevrrest to me, Saiyan."

"Ah—I wasn't!" Goku protested, "I was just saying—"

"I know exactly what you were saying," he irritably assured, "I know you two aren't exactly shoulder pals right now. Everyone knows about that scuffle you two got into the other day."

"They…they do?" Goku asked helplessly.

"Yeah," Laswe overtly nodded, "Word gets around the fleet fast and you aren't exactly all cloak and daggers."

Goku blinked twice. "But…I really wasn't trying to—"

"What? Say I'm better than Nevrrest?" He hovered out of his chair and Goku gulped a little. "She may have been acting like a psychotic bitch lately, but that woman is my hero. You hear me? You may have defeated Frieza, but she destroyed the world he'd created."

Goku's jaw hung for a moment, suddenly feeling cornered all over again. "I…I'm sorry. Maybe—"

"No, shut up." He dropped into his chair loudly, pressing his fingertips together over the table. "I know I promised I'd let you do your convincing after my story, but I think there's another story you need to hear. You think you know what you're talking about? You don't know anything at all…"

Goku closed his mouth and listened intently as Laswe once again took them down memory lane. It was an all out warzone, gunfire filled the air as laser bolts leapt up and down the streets of what had once been a city, now a gigantic shopping mall. All the Ponachi Moons were this way, turned into five galactic resorts, and now filled with the risen dead of its residents. Angry risen residents. This time, Laswe wasn't being helplessly clutched to his mother's breast. This time, he was out there, the biggest gun he could find in hand, fighting to take back the Fifth Moon – his moon, the moon that he and the youngest of his five elder brothers co-governed together.

Suddenly…

"No! No!" Quaadur cried, his eyes bulging as he looked up at the sky, "No, not again!"

"What ?" Lawse shouted back, shouldering his gun and running up next to his brother. He looked at the sky…and his heart stopped. There were several meteorites streaking across the sky. But they all knew those were no meteors. "PTOs! PTOs!" Laswe shrieked, darting across the line of cover, "Everybody pull back! Take cover and get ready to concentrate fire!"

"We're gonna die again, aren't we?" Quaadur despaired, hovering down next to Laswe, "Just like before!"

Laswe's eyes narrowed and he brought his fist down hard atop his brother's head. "Quit your whining, Quaadur!" He leveled his gun at the approaching pods, his finger tight on the trigger. "We might die again, but we are not dying like we did before."

But the pods never reached the ground. There was a star. A red, falling star. It was beautiful and terrible, like fire. Laswe's gun fell to his side as the star struck one of the pods, hurling it into the adjacent one. It leapt to the next pod, tearing it open like a sheet and hauling out it's occupant before blasting another with a beam of energy. Quaadur squeaked as Laswe took to the air, flying rapidly closer to the battle.

As he arrived, the three surviving soldiers had come out of their pods and were floating adjacent from their attacker – a towering bird-like creature with a long, power tail; golden red and swirling with energy. One of them tried to scan her with their scouter. It exploded.

"Who the hell are you?!" the biggest demanded.

Her brow lowered over folded arms. "Who am I?" She slowly floated closer, her tail weaving, and they coward in fear. "To you? I am death."

Laswe didn't even see her move. And neither did they, apparently, because their faces were covered with utter shock and horror as she appeared behind them and plunged an arm straight through the chest of two of them. The last one could only stare, quaking, as they slipped down her forearms and fell tumbling to the ground. Her merciless gaze turned on him. He squealed and gagged as her tail snaked around his neck, bringing him close. His pupils shrunk to dots as she reached out, plucking the scouter off the side of his head and placing it against her own.

"Now listen well, whoever's on the other end of this. I just killed four…" There was a cracking sound as her tail tightened. "Make that five of your men. If anyone else wants to die, tell them to come to the Ponachi Moons. I'll be happy to deliver." She paused. "You heard me. Your grip on this sector is over…you think I'd be stupid enough to tell you my name?" She chuckled. "Fine. Tell your master and his pet monkey something for me: I'm getting stronger. And I'm going to keep getting stronger…" Her voice rose violently, her beak gnashed and eyes wide. "Until I've hunted down every goddamn one of you thugs like the animals you are! And then I'm coming for him. Make no mistake." She removed the scouter and crushed it.

Laswe gaped at her like he was before a goddess. "Who are you?"

She powered down, her feathers transforming into a myriad of orange, yellow, blue, red, and green – her eyes slowly shifting to the prince. "To you?" She turned and held out her upturned hand. "A friend."

"So she killed them?" Goku asked.

"Eh…well yeah, of course," Laswe blinked, "They were coming to slaughter us all, what did you think she'd do?"

"I just didn't think you guys did that kind of thing."

Laswe sighed heavily. "Things were different back in the old days – I mean, do you think I was tickling people with that gun? Besides, killing wasn't all she did. I'll have you know that not long after that, she flew off, plunged straight into the enemy stronghold, and dragged out the man who'd bought our home. And believe you me, we wanted to rip him apart – there were Ponachi who had died fighting to take the Moons back from him on top of the rest. But…" He tittered. "Instead Nevrrest made him about pee himself and agree to hand over an enormous amount of funds over to my father. With it, we were able to rebuild quite nicely."

"Wow, that's great!" Goku smiled, "And the guy who bought the moons? What happened to him?"

"Eh, Nevrrest sent him and what was left of his men packing." He tittered again and then sighed happily. "After that, Nevrrest just left as abruptly as she came. But I couldn't stop thinking about what she'd managed to do. And when I discovered the miracle – that she was from a warrior-less race and could channel that much energy and strength – well…I set out to find her again." He paused and scratched at his fuzzy ear, suddenly looking embarrassed. "But I should stop there, I don't want to—"

"No, go ahead!" Goku enthused, "I can wait a little longer, I don't mind."

Laswe blinked and his wings fluttered up. "Hehe…well alright then, I suppose I can blather on for a little longer…"

He'd been searching for months, not a trace of her. She was smart. She hadn't even told the people she'd rescued her name. But in his travels, Laswe had heard whispers of his crimson savior, ruthlessly demolishing anyone who dare murder, terrorize, and oppress. There'd be other rumors as well – rumors of a super saiyan and of the death of Lord Frieza. He didn't believe those, though, far too mythological. He believed in facts, and he witnessed with his own eyes what that crimson fighter could do.

And he wanted to know how she'd done it.

Finally, by pure luck, he found her. He saw the red explosion coming from a passing planet's surface and immediately knew. Leaving his ship parked in orbit, he flew down through the atmosphere to where the explosion had occurred. There he found her. She stood on a mountain peak next to an equally tall creature with horns and covered in white fur.

"So that's it then," said her companion as the smoke below settled, "We've eliminated the problem entirely."

"On this planet, at least," she trilled back. Laswe watched her tail slither across rocks. It was so thick and muscular, so much more than it naturally would be… "So, three worlds no and still no sign of the Ginyu Force. It must be true then – they're all dead. Part of me is disappointed, they would have been a true test of my new strength."

"They are," her deep-voiced companion assured, "Dead with their master. The Super Saiyan is real. I feel it to be true."

"Well, if it is, we'll take care of him too. I still intend to surpass Frieza…surpassing the one who slew him will just be a level higher."

"Do not even think to face him without me," he sharply warned her. His lips drew back, displaying clenched teeth. "It feels me with ire to think about it…twenty years of training…to have one of those savages beat me to it. I tell you truly, if this Super Saiyan ever shows his face again, I'll make sure his path to power sends him to an early grave."

Goku gagged on his kelga, spewing it over his shoulder before turning to gape at the storyteller. "What?! No way, Oom'Bagu really said that?!"

"It was ten years ago, he'd only just broken free from slavery," Laswe mildly explained, "He was cold and angry – trying to shut himself away from his own empathy. But yeah, looking at you two now, I gotta admit, it's pretty ironic."

"So what happened then?"

"Well…"

"Are you going to keep staring at us from the shadows, boy?" the white-fur alien spoken, making Laswe choke and freeze, "I can feel your energy from here, small as it is – as well as your fear and admiration. You do not belong to this world…so you must be here for us."

Both warriors turned. It was her. It was really her: the Crimson Fighter. He approached them, his planet's savior soon recognizing him as one of the Ponachi. First, he once again offered her the gratitude of the Five Moons. She accepted it as she had before, calmly and without pride. But then the question came.

"So you're Prince Laswe…I see. Why did you come all the way out here? Surely not to reaffirm your people's gratitude."

Laswe wings buzzed nervously as he fluttered, but he puffed out his chest and steel himself. "I've come to join you in your fight. Our kingdom's safe now, so I'm taking the battle to the rest of the galaxy. I'm gonna give those PTOs what they got coming – just like you did."

"No. Go home, child," the horned-bear stated, "I cannot speak for my companion, but I can assure you are capable of aiding us little."

"Agreed." She turned from him again. "I'm a killer, boy, that's what I do, that's what I'm good at. You should return to your people and do what good you can and let me do the same."

Laswe's temper flared and he flew in front of them. "Listen! I didn't come all this way to be treated like an infant! I'll have you know I'm fourteen cycles old and fully capable of taking care of myself! I want to fight and I won't be turned away that easily!"

"And how do you propose you fight?" she countered, "With that gun?"

"I'm not stupid, okay?!" he piped. He took a moment to catch his breath and squinted at her. "I did some research. I know what you are…you're a Blecha. You're supposed to be extinct." She looked off, her brow lowered. "You aren't from a warrior race either…by all accounts, you shouldn't exist."

"A fair point," the furred one answered, "It is partly applicable to myself as well. So you realized it's possible for someone of the civil races to become a warrior…and now you wish to obtain the same status."

"Exactly!" Laswe chirped.

"Except it would take enormous amounts of training," the crimson fighter stated.

"Why do you think I came all this way to find you?"

"You have no clue what you're asking," she retorted, her sharp eyes shifting back to him, "When I say enormous amounts of training I mean enormous. And I'm at war with the Planet Trade Organization. Since I can't lay that down, I'd have to train you while fighting. You'll die. And I won't have innocent blood on my hands." She raised a hand to the side of her head. "Sepis, come pick us up. We're done here."

The two warriors flew off the mountaintop. The prince took off after them, shrieking at them all the way. They ignored him, rebuffing only occasionally, till their spacecraft came down from the sky, an insectoid opening the door. Laswe's eyes flashed and he darted in their way, yanking his gun off its holster and aiming it at the Crimson Fighter's face.

"All right, that does it!" Laswe squealed, wings buzzing loudly, "You are going to start taking me seriously right now or I'll pump your full of—no wait, start over!—you take me seriously right now, or I'll blast you one! And I don't even have to worry about killing you, but it's gonna feel like a thousand angry bees are all over your ass! And I won't stop, you got that?!"

She glared down the barrel at him, her talons stretching…and smiled. "Oh I like him," she said to her furred companion, "I like him a lot." She pushed the gun aside and leaned in close. "Okay, kid…but if you're riding with us, you're going to have to carry your own. We aren't a nanny service. So, in exchange for this training, what do you have that you can contribute to our cause?"

Laswe's eyes widened and he tittered with excitement. "Yes! Boy are you gonna be happy you agreed to this. Cause I got two things I can offer you." He held up a finger. "One, my people are experts at making traps. It comes naturally to us. I may not be able to fight anyone just yet, but I can make your job a lot easier for you. Second…" He reached into his bag and pulled out a beautiful mauve crystal. "This."

The story abruptly ended there as Laswe performed some kind of elaborate maneuver over the surface of his fusion band. Goku blinked, watching curiously as the collar unlatched itself and the Ponachi held it out to him.

"Laswe?" Goku stared.

"Go ahead," he smiled, "I trust you."

Goku hesitantly took the band from him. "Ah!" he gaped as the gem gave off a soft glow, "Amazing! All I had to do was touch it and I immediately feel stronger!" He held the gem close to his face and saw his distorted reflection…and somehow it seemed strangely hilarious. He started to laugh and giggle.

"Yeah, it…eh?" He stared at Goku as he made faces in the gem and then started to laugh himself. He took both Goku's glass and the band away. "Okay, I think that's enough kelga for you; you're starting to get a little loopy."

"What? I don't know what you mean—ehehehehe!"

"So anyhow, Oom'Bagu pressed the issue a little longer, saying that I was a prince and my people needed me. But I told him that I was the youngest of a king with six sons and only five moons to govern. So there you have it. I'm gonna insist my storytelling end there or you'll have me going all night. But in any case, you now know my big contribution to The Justice." He tittered and hummed, tapping a forefinger against the mauve gem about his neck. "Ybora, the base material for all fusion technology."

"Huh?"

"The crystal!" Laswe squeaked, "The mauve crystal? Remember what I said about ybora, how it amplifies a person's energy? Yeah, that's what this gem is. Sepis modified it with his tech-savy to…" He watched as Goku's eyes wandered about the room, giggling occasionally. "Eh-hem…you sober enough to say what you wanted about Vegeta or do you need to lie down for a while?"

"Oh! Hehe…" Goku rubbed his head and gave a big smile. "Sure I am cause I'm not going to say anything at all!"

Laswe stared. "…Eh, come again?"

"Nope!" Goku chirped happily, smiling all the way, "I wasn't ever gonna! Instead, I was hoping you'd do me a favor."

The Ponachi blinked. "Uuh…sure. Sure, what is it?"

A twinkle entered the tipsy Saiyan's eyes. "Would you come with me tomorrow to visit Vegeta?" Laswe continued to gape. "I'll be honest, he probably won't be very nice at first, but if spend some time around him and get to know him, I think you'll be surprised. So, will you?"

"I…" Laswe squeaked and made that baby-laughter sound, his eyes upturned happily. "Guts and spirit, I gotta give you that! All right, Super Saiyan, I'll bite. I'll come by your suite tomorrow and…well, we'll see what happens."

"Great!" Goku floated out of his chair.

"Um…yeah, feet—ground. That's a bad idea after a kelga."

"Huh?" Goku looked at the air beneath him. "Oh! Hehehe! Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me!"

"I do," Laswe muttered as Goku's feet touched ground again, "It's called alcohol."

"Well thanks for having me, Laswe, I really appreciate it!" Goku giggled again and waved. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"You betcha," the prince assured, smiling and shaking his head as he watched Goku leave, "Crazy monkey."