It was dark in Sepis's room as he entered it. That was how he always kept it, even when he turned the lights on it was still dim. Like Nevrrest, he too arranged his quarters in a way that reminded him of home. He wandered about, his eyes glowing in the darkness, switching his computer monitors on. Taking a chair, he sat before them, staring emptily into those screens, his head resting in his hands.

"I don't want to believe it…" he whispered, his antenna shivering, "But if it is…if it really is…does it still make it right? Oh friend Nevrrest, what have we done? Worse…" His visage turned to that of terror and horror. "What are we about to do…?"

His mind filled with a room…a room not a soul but he and Nevrrest knew existed. It was the kind of room that gave him nightmares. Even though he'd built it with his own two hands. It had but one purpose: the ultimate destination of Prince Vegeta. It was there, Nevrrest had promised long ago, all their pain, all their anguish, and all their hatred would be extinguished once and for all. He'd done his part. He'd built the room. He'd drawn the plans for it. He'd read the materials Nevrrest had provided and modified the archaic designs to be absolutely precise.

The perfect revenge.

Sepis shut his eyes and quivered. Was it too late…? Could they even turn back after all they'd already done? And was he being conscientious or just a coward again? He didn't know…for all his brilliance, he'd always felt much like a child to the world. He'd always needed someone's hand to hold, someone able to act where he was too afraid to. He wished it wasn't that way. He wished he was stronger. But wishing changed nothing. Only action did. And he'd never known how to act.

Surely it would be all right in the end, though. Nevrrest would find a way. Nevrrest always found a way. She'd make everything work out somehow.

Sepis sighed and reached for the computer interface. He need to fiddle. That would take his mind off things. Tinkering around with technology had always had a way of calming him. The cool darkness of his room wrapped around him like a blanket as he played with gadgets and tapped at keys, glancing between items on his lap and the data on the screens. Eventually he sat it all aside and decided to do some work, bringing up the programs he needed. Nothing heavy that evening, just some light software maintenance. Perhaps it was time he patched the system. Been a couple months since he'd done an update.

As he skimmed through data set, something caught his curiosity. It seemed someone had already installed a patch just a few days before. One of the other techies must have been working overtime. Interested to see what work they'd done, Sepis ordered himself a cold beverage and opened the files.

He blinked and squinted at the screen. "What in the worlds is this?"

(**Scene Break**)

It'd taken some time, as it always did, trying to get comfortable on that cold, metal slab, but Vegeta eventually had lulled himself into a light sleep. It wasn't the night-cycle yet, but it had been a long, eventful day filled to the brim with frustrations and surprises. Far more than physically tired he was just tired of it all. So he slept. His tail twitched and rubbed against his leg as lay there, his distorted dreams filled with the constant, dull ache that ran the length of his spine.

It wasn't the sound of his cell opening that made him stir. It was the absolute silence of the steps that crept up on him, his warrior instincts flaring a warning. Vegeta's eyes cracked open, but remained completely still and didn't adjust his breathing as the presence slipped stealthily closer, the cell closing and a hand reaching out towards him. Vegeta's brow slowly lowered as the presence came within reach and he whipped over onto his other side, lashing out with his teeth. His jaws caught a wad of black fabric and he ripped it back with a jerk of his neck.

There was a strange noise, almost like slurping, followed by an outcry by a familiar voice. "Whoa, hey, Vegeta!" complained a familiar voice.

Vegeta froze as the black robes came loose and he saw the figure underneath. "Kakarot?" he said, spitting the fabric from his mouth.

"Yeah, it's me!" Goku assured, taking a step back and rubbing his head, "Why'd you try to bite me? I mean, I know you're kinda mad at me right now but—"

"What in the blazes are you wearing?" Vegeta scowled, looking the black boots, gloves, and unitard that hugged Goku's form.

"Oh this?" Goku blinked, plucking at it. He looked up and giggled. "Hehe, well you see, I was having tea with Nettelish and—"

"Nevermind, I don't want to know," Vegeta growled. He sat up and gave him an accusing look. "Care to explain why you were sneaking up on me? Hm?"

"I wasn't!" Goku protested, holding up his hands. He looked to the side. "Well…I guess I kinda was. I just wanted to check on you, but I didn't think you'd want to see me so…"

"You're right," Vegeta growled, glaring, "I don't."

"Look," Goku sighed, "I know you're mad at me and I don't blame you. But I never meant to hurt you, Vegeta. I…I don't know how this is going to work out, but I promise I won't do anything against your wishes again."

Vegeta snorted. "Your being here is against my wishes. So you already have."

Goku was silent for a long moment and finally sighed again, lowering himself to the floor and sitting. "Well I…I didn't come here to upset you even more than I already have." He folded his legs under him and rested his back against the left cell wall. He turned his head to him and softly smiled. "Go back to sleep, Vegeta."

"And what about you?" Vegeta asked, his brow lowered slightly.

"Don't worry, I won't bother you," Goku assured, closing his own eyes as he rested his head back, "I don't how long the Justiciars will be deciding…but this is where I want to be when they do. I hope you don't mind."

Vegeta paused, watching him. "Well I suppose as long as you keep quiet I can tolerate it."

"Don't worry, I will," Goku chuckled, opening his eyes and smiling again, "You won't even know I'm here."

Vegeta grunted and lowered his shoulder back down on the slab. He was about to lift his legs up when he noticed the object lying in Goku's lap. He stared at it for several moment in shock, not making a sound. Finally, he sat up again, still staring, eyes wide.

Goku cracked open an eye. "Hmm? What's wrong, Vegeta?"

Vegeta blinked a couple times, his mouth hanging open. Slowly, his brow lowered. "Well…I can't say I'm not impressed," he remarked.

"Huh?" Goku sat up.

"Your performance," Vegeta explained, watching him intently, "It was most impressive. I can't imagine how you managed it. Not only do you look and smell just like him, you impersonated his every aspect, right down to that stupid smile of his." Goku's eyes followed him as he stood up. "But there's one problem…" Vegeta's brow lowered intensely. "Kakarot doesn't have a tail."

Goku frowned and looked down at the brown tail that laid across his thighs. He frowned further, laughed helplessly, and sighed. "Yep, you're right," he confirmed. He sighed again. "Missing limbs, body art, odd ornaments, and scars – gets me every time. Especially when I have to shift on the fly." The tail rose up with that slurping sound again as it was sucked into Goku's tailbone and vanished. Goku stood up and twisted around. "There. Much better. I'll remember that next time I use this form."

"Who are you?" Vegeta demanded.

Goku chuckled, bending about inspecting himself. "Why, I'm Son Goku, the Saiyan from Earth!"

Vegeta's brow lowered further. "No. You're not."

"Yeah," Goku twisted to grin at him, "But I sure had you convinced! And anyhow, I'm the only Goku there is now."

Vegeta's expression fell. "What are you talking about?"

"A lot of things, really," Goku answered, reaching down and grasping the black robe off the floor. He tossed it over his shoulder and smiled. "I'm not just some impersonator." He held out his wrist to him. "This is his body. Not the original, mind you, but a perfect biological replica."

"You're his clone?" Vegeta eyed him skeptically.

Goku laughed in a very non-Goku manner. "Not clone, Vegeta! Well yes, but something even better than that. I don't just have his body. I have everything. His memories. His skills. His energy. His personality – even when I'm being frank like this a little bit of him comes through. I can't help it! That's just how it works."

"So you're a pure copy," Vegeta determined, watching his every move, "But that doesn't explain what you meant by being the 'only Goku'."

Goku eyed him for a long moment then started to laugh, shaking his head. Vegeta glared at him as he continued to laugh, Goku finally sighing and chuckling. "Well I might as well tell you everything at this point – or at least whatever I have time for. You know, I don't think I've had a screw up like this in thirty years! Goes to show just how excited I am. I mean, I only came in here to get a copy of your blueprints, didn't expect you to rip off Nettelish's robe like that and I had to cover up somehow! And I have to make conscious efforts to adjust the design for things like a missing tail."

Vegeta's teeth clenched and he snarled with irritation. "Quite stalling! Who the hell are you and what have you done with Kakarot?!"

Goku started to laugh. And as he laughed, he distorted, that strange noise sounding. "Who am I?" Vegeta's pupil's turned to dots as Lord Frieza's stood before him, dressed in the same garb Goku had a moment ago. "That's a very interesting question, Vegeta. How does someone like me answer it?" He chuckled, rubbing his finger under his nose as Frieza once did. "Have I frightened you? Sorry. It's just so long since I put on this form and I couldn't resist. I always loved it best of all."

"What are you playing at?!" Vegeta shouted, snapping out of his momentary stun and gnashing his teeth, "Don't you dare toy with me, you freak!"

Frieza gave him a dry look and giggled, his shoulders heaving with the motion. "But don't you understand, Vegeta, toying is what I do. I'm a predator. And though I prefer to feed on my prey in their sleep, having a writhing one to play with is occasionally fun." He turned. "But you asked me about Goku – or Kakarot as you like to call him, I don't care either way. As it happens, I left him quite dead. So if anyone ever sees or hears from him again, it will be me, not the original."

"What?!" Vegeta gaped and then hissed, "I don't believe you – you're lying!"

Frieza chuckled again, giving him a thin smile. "I knew you'd say that. Denial. It always got you by best, didn't it, Vegeta? My master and I were very aware of your arrogance, how you actually thought you'd one day surpass him." His brow lowered. "No one surpasses Frieza. No one ever even came close. He never would have fallen for my tricks like your 'super saiyan' did. He was perfect in every way." Frieza's fist clenched and his brow twitched with contained rage. "The fact that he was taken from me by one you filthy Saiyans is unacceptable!" The hand relaxed and Frieza smiled again. "But it's all right. I'm my own master now and I dare say I'm about to do very well for myself."

Vegeta glared at him for a long moment. Clearly, this imposter wasn't going to state anything plainly, so he'd just have to try to piece it together. He looked the visage of his old master up and down, taking in the clothing and considering all that he'd said so far. His eyes shifted to the black robe, which had slipped onto the floor again. It clicked. "The Grand Judge," he stated, lifting a corner of his mouth, "Oh I see now. This is all just one big trick. Let me guess…my conviction isn't going well and you're hoping to provoke something out of me to turn it in Nevrrest's favor?"

"Not a bad guess, Vegeta," Frieza mildly praised, "But you're wrong. I have no interest in your conviction either way. You've just been a tool to me from the very begin – a way I could get the justiciars so horribly at each other's throats they'd pay me no mind while I made my move. Though, you're right about one thing – I was the Grand Judge for the past few years. I replaced her after draining all the life and energy from her body – just like I did your Kakarot."

Vegeta scowled at him. "I find it very hard to believe you could defeat Kakarot – whoever and whatever you are."

"Tick-tock, Vegeta," Frieza waggled a finger, his rigged tail sliding past his ankles, "Neither of us have time for your denial. But if it helps, I fed him a paralyzing poison before I sucked every drop of his blood and energy from his body." Vegeta's face fell and his eyes grew wide. "I could have done it while he slept, like I did Nettelish, but I wanted him conscious. I wanted him to feel what was happening to him. And I have to say…it was the most satisfying meal I ever had."

Vegeta lurched forward, snarling as his chains went taut and tail pulled. "Who the hell are you?!"

The strange sound and a distortion later, Nappa was towering over him. "The better question is who am I not?" his old servant grinned, "Back in the old days? Seemed like I was just about…" He shifted, turning green. "Everyone at some point," Zarbon spread his arms, tossing his long hair back, "Or most often…" He shifted again, this time into a little female of some species. "No one at all."

Vegeta stumbled against his cell's slab, nearly losing his balance, his eyes pupils like dots and quivering. A memory from his old days in the PTO came rushing him, something he'd forgotten about a long time ago. "You're…you're the Doppelganger! You're a myth! A campfire story made to scare recruits!"

She shifted from the little woman back into Goku. "Yeah? Who do you think spread those stories? Oh right, it was me!" He laughed. "I knew that eventually someone would notice people in the organization being in two places at once. So what better way to cover up my existence than to make myself into a silly doppelganger myth? That way, no one would take any claims of sightings seriously." He folded his arms and gave a smug little smile. "Lord Frieza sure liked it. I was always useful to him – especially when he wanted to be two places at once!"

"What's going on?" Vegeta trembled, his teeth clenched, "This is ridiculous!"

"Not as ridiculous the sudden realization I had that I'd never fed on you once," Goku remarked with a wicked little smile, "The deal I had with Frieza made it so I could feed on anyone in the organization I wanted. Zarbon in particular I liked to snack on – his energy was very sweet. Course…I never really needed to feed on you before. I did Nappa once, but that was only so I could use him to plant some suggests in your head."

He sighed and shook his head. "Ah Frieza…he worked so hard to mold you into something great. But you really were a total waste, weren't you? I mean, look at you now! A soft-hearted little do-gooder." He laughed at the look of stupefied rage on Vegeta's face. "No, seriously. I'm not kidding. You know, I was actually planning to invite you to becoming one of my minions? That was before I saw you on Earth. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you'd completely changed – knew what no one else, even Misado in all that weed's perfection, could see. It's ironic really. And funny!"

Vegeta's mind raced, trying to piece it all together.

"So anyhow…I'm afraid you're gonna have to die."

Vegeta's eyes shifted sharply up.

Goku walked towards him. "But I'm not gonna drain you like I did Goku. Not completely. I don't have time for that and I'm already pretty full from the last monkey. No, you'll die with the rest of the do-gooders when this fleet explodes."

Vegeta's brow narrowed. "So that's it. You're going to destroy The Justice. How simple."

"Eh, I'm gonna be doing a little more than that. I'm gonna be seizing ultimate power! But anyhow, I'm done playing around." He started walking forward again.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Vegeta called out, making the false Goku pause once more. He held him under a hard gaze. "Why are you here? If all I was to you was a distraction in your game against The Justice, why come here and bother with me any further?"

Goku groaned contentedly, stretching his arms over his head and smiled. "Oh it's nothing much," he assured, "I just want your blueprints."

"Blueprints?" Vegeta scowled.

"Let me put this in terms you'll understand…" He stepped towards him. "I am everyone. And I am no one. And very soon…" He stopped, cupping Vegeta's chin and smiling. "I'm gonna be you!"

Vegeta growled. "We'll see about that—HAAAA!" he screamed, slamming his shoulder as hard as he could against the false Goku's chest.

Goku barely slide back an inch. "Did I mention I have his energy?" He grabbed a fistful of Vegeta's hair and bludgeoned his fist against his stomach and face. "Skills, techniques, everything. You might as well be attacking the real Goku." He threw him back onto his slab like a disobedient child. "Now why don't you make this easy on yourself and just stretch out your neck for me?"

Vegeta growled, his brow twitching as a little blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "If you really do have all of Kakarot's memories…you know damn well I'll do no such thing."

"Well that's a shame for both of us," Goku remarked, crossing his arms, "You see, there's a reason why I always feed on people in their sleep. It's not cause I have to, it's cause I hate the taste of adrenaline in the blood when people fight back."

Vegeta smiled. "Oh really? That just makes me want to fight all the more!" He dove at him again, but this time he didn't reach him. Goku just stood there while the pacification field's energy ripped through the prince, making him scream in pain.

He watched as Vegeta's collapsed to his knees. "I could have warned you that would happen. But it was more fun to just let it." He grabbed the front of Vegeta's shirt and pinned him against the wall. "Really wish you'd just stayed asleep. But oh well. Talking to you was a lot of laughs. But…" He harshly gripped Vegeta by the side of the head and the shoulder. "Play time's over. I came here for your blood and energy and I'm not leaving without it."

Vegeta's eyes widened as Goku grew fangs. "You got to be kidding me," he scowled and strained, "First, I find you're the doppelganger. Now you're a vampire as well? What's next? Going to hide under my bed and tell me you're the boogeyman?"

"Why are you struggling?" Goku asked pointedly as Vegeta repeatedly slammed his knee against his gut, the imposter not even flinching, "You're gonna make your blood taste horrible! And then I'll have to punish you for it."

"I…don't…CARE!" Vegeta howled, driving his knee even more defiantly against him. He gasped as Goku caught his thigh in a terrible grip, gagging out a scream as there was a cracking sound.

"Told you," Goku grinned. He grabbed his head again, Vegeta hissed as he continued to thrash. His head was forced fully to the side, the fangs touching his skin.

Vegeta gasped and cried out as the flesh of his throat was punctured, his neck painfully craned back to expose the little skin that wasn't covered by his prison collar. It was a terrible feeling, his blood gushing into the false Goku's mouth, feeling his energy forcefully sucked up and out of him. "Gaaah…aaarggggh!" Vegeta snarled, still trying to break free, his weight all balanced on one leg now. But it was no good. His current strength was nothing compared to his assailant. And he was fast becoming lightheaded.

Fortunately, the assault didn't last long. After a few minutes of gulping down blood, the fangs vanished and Goku tossed Vegeta roughly into a corner, the wound in his neck disappearing before he'd hit the ground. Vegeta looked up nauseously, his vision blurred slightly as Goku licked his lips clean, spitting a little at the taste.

"Now…" he remarked, flexing his fingers, "Let's see what I can do with this…" That slurping sounded again and Goku distorted, shrinking in stature and transforming. "Not bad," said the replica Vegeta, looking himself over, "Not a perfect copy, but certainly enough to get by with. More than enough. Even got a few techniques out of the feeding. Very nice." He laughed. "Not to mention I get to be a prince now. Hahahahaha!"

Vegeta gritted against the pain, struggling to push himself up as his duplicate's shadow passed over him.

"You know, I could just finish you off right now," the other Vegeta smirked, "But why bother? I've wasted enough time on you as is and somehow I find the idea of you dying in a explosion amusing." He held up his hand and clenched into a fist, chuckling. "Anyhow, I suspect this form will come in handy someday. Pays to be prepared." He lowered his hand and stooped, picking the robe off the floor and slipping it on. He shifted again and Nettelish looked back at him with her glowing violet eyes. "Well…this is goodbye then," she remarked. She reached into her pocket, drawing out her fusion band.

Vegeta's eyes drowsily watched it glimmer as she fitted back around her neck. His brow rose. "Of course," he said weakly, "Now I understand what you're after."

She turned from him, pausing as she spotted an untouched protein tray in the corner of the cell. She kicked it to him. "Here. Have a last meal why don't you? Ahahahahahaha!"

Vegeta grunted and hissed as she left, fighting the urge to pass out. "D…damn it! Why…must I be so weak?!" His legs tensed, pushing up against the wall. "No…it won't end this way. I won't perish like this!" He growled, looking out across his cell to where Nettelish had disappeared. "This isn't over!" he shouted, "I have been disregarded, humiliated, and used for the last time…no more, you hear?!" His teeth clenched, his brow trembling with fervor. "The time has come. I won't stand it a moment longer! The Prince of All Saiyans will not fall!" He shoved his feet under him, forcing himself to stand. "I will rise from this pit. And when I do…someone is going to get hurt."

(**Scene Break**)

Sepis's digit ran around the rim of his drink, squinting at the screen and occasionally shaking his head. "This patch is so strange…only five votes needed for the Close Book Initiative? Remote access limited to justiciars alone? Five votes needed to remove locks during a breach instead of two? Even I'm not this paranoid…"

He took a gulp of his drink and continued to scrutinize the changes. Almost all of them had something to do with security measures. But the balance of them was so bizarre. Why would anyone think it was necessary to tighten one security measure so drastically while softening another? Usually, any system patch would have some kind of clear goal or purpose to it. This one seemed almost random. But there had to be some purpose behind it and it was a riddle Sepis felt driven to figure out.

At the very least, it was a good way to occupy his mind.

He left his chair for a moment to order a refill on his drink, tossing ideas around in his head. "I'm probably gonna need to ask the guy who performed the changes about it," he considered as he waited in front of his nutrition portal, "But that can wait till tomorrow…I'm sure there's good reasoning behind it. Still…so strange."

He returned with another drink, sitting and tapping a digit against the desk. Just then, an innocuous file from the patch lit up. Someone was accessing it. Curious and bored, Sepis clicked on it, taking another drink. His eyes squinted. "Nevrrest? What's she doing accessing anything right now?" And then he noticed the access point. "Prison Ship 7?! What is she doing there?" The file had a five vote counter on it. One of the green dots lit. "What in the…?" Another dot lit. "Oom'Bagu?! What he doing there too? They're all supposed to be…"

He brought up the log for the council chamber. Only one person had left that room. "How…how is that possible?! How can they be two places at once?!" With a quivering hand, he opened the file as another green dot lit. His eyes danced back and forth as he read the command set the file contained, his eyes growing wider by the second. His drink tumbled off the desk and shattered on the floor as he abruptly stood. "Oh no…oh God, no!"

(**Scene Break**)

Lacor's head jerked around as the entrance to his cell suddenly opened, a din echoing as hundreds of cells opened simultaneously. And then the most wonderful feeling in the world occurred. He felt his energy gush through his limbs as the inhibitor chip in his collar deactivated.

"Aaah…" Lacor purred, his mouth open in the biggest smile, "So I was right…it is finally time." He clenched his muscles and all at once his shackles shattered, outcries of shock, fear, and anger clattering through the air throughout the prisoner compound. A siren wailed followed by the pounding of boots as guards flooded the cellblocks. Then came the thundering of explosions. Lacor laughed, clenching his fists. "Let's see if I still remember how to do this…" He bounded of his cell.

"Stop right there!" A wall of guards stood, their palms charged with energy blasts aimed at him. "Alert! We have a breach! Repeat, we have a breach! …Computer! Why won't you respond?!"

"Hehehehehahahahaha!" Lacor cackled, saliva dripped from his long, meaty tongue, "It's just like we were promised! No inhibitors. No pacification field. No comm. system." His arm snapped forward, two fingers pressed together and charging with energy. A cloud of smoke erupted as Lacor and the guards unleashed their attacks at each other.

Three guards tackled a prisoner up against a wall as Nettelish walked past, the entire vessel turned into a warzone. There were fights on the ground and fights in the air, explosions as energy blasts flew back and forth and dusts clouds everywhere.

"Justiciar!" Nettelish turned her head as a group of guards came running up to her. "Thank God you're here! We've had a major breach! Over half the prisoners are out of the cells and none of the failsafes are working! We think it's just contained to this vessel, but we don't—" Their faces turned pale with horror as Nettelish raised a palm and turned them to dust in a violet blast.

"Oops…did I do that? Ahmhmhmhmhm!" she chuckled, slowly lowering her arm.

"Ooh, I like your bad side." Lacor emerged, stepping over a pile of bodies, his mouth painted red. He ran his wrist over his chin and grinned with a sigh. "So…what's our first move…boss?"

"No moves just yet," she assured, a twinkle in her eyes, "For now…it's time to play."

(**Scene Break**)

Laswe was about ready to jump up on the table again when suddenly the room came to life. The Justiciars lurched with surprise as the lights turned red and the council chamber's sole exist was devoured by layers of blast doors.

"What's going on?!" Nevrrest cried, spinning around the face the sealed door.

Horkion and Laswe looked at each other, immediately marching together over to the chamber's computer interface. "The room's in panic mode!" Horkion explained, giving Laswe another glance.

"Panic mode?" Oom'Bagu sounded, joining them, "How is that possible? Only we can manually activate it."

Laswe's translucent body grew even more transparent. "We…did."

"What the in the world are you talking about?" Nevrrest demanded, shoving them all aside to get a look at the screen herself.

It was there for them all to see, plain as day – commands given by each of them, excluding Misado. Energy signature, biometrics, and voice recognition confirmed. They all stared at this for the longest time possible.

"That's…not possible," Oom'Bagu slowly spoke, his eyes wide and filled with fear.

"Misado?" Horkion turned, reaching out a hand, "What's wrong?"

"Holy hell!" Laswe cried, turning as well to see Misado completely covered in thorns and dripping acid, "The avatar only looks like that when it's—"

"Near a powerful source of evil," Nevrrest completed, her eyes narrowed and plume raised. She marched towards the door, snapping out her arm and spreading two fingers. "Stand back." Her fingers glowed with red energy.

Oom'Bagu's eyes snapped over to her. "Nevrrest! Don't—!"

A siren wailed as the red ball of energy slammed against the blast doors, the energy sending a giant ripple through the blast shielding and shook the entire room. The decorative walls became wrapped in a layer of blast alloy.

"Ooooh, good job, girl!" Laswe stated sarcastically, bouncing back up into the air on his tail, "Now you put us on panic level two! Get us to panic level three, and this whole chamber gets jettisoned into space."

"Sorry," Nevrrest growled, pushing herself off the table, "I forgot about the emergency shielding."

"Guys, calm down," Horkion tried to soothe them, "It's all right. We'll just contact the computer and have her remove the locks." He touched his fusion band. "Computer! Recognition Justiciar Horkion. Requesting removal of panic mode on Council Chamber."

"Access denied," chimed the computer.

"What?!" they all cried.

"What do you mean 'access denied'?!" Laswe piped, touching his own band, "Computer! Recognition Justiciar Laswe! That's two justiciars, computer, now remove the panic!"

"Access denied."

"Computer," Oom'Bagu called out, "Why won't you remove the panic quarantine?"

"Panic mode in affect for twenty four hours. Access denied."

"What nonsense is this?" Nevrrest hissed. Her tail smacked the deck. "Computer! Recognition Nevrrest! Why twenty four hours?"

"Justiciar, please clarify," the computer requested.

"The panic mode quarantine on this room is supposed to be removable by three justiciar confirmations," Nevrrest stated, her eyes narrowed, "Why has access been denied?"

"Confirming…panic protocol modified – fleet cycle: 2-55-9-78."

"A system patch?" Horkion stared at the screen, "Why were we not informed?"

"Escape…" They all froze as the voice of Misado shuddered harshly. "We must escape…evil has come…she has revealed her true colors…!"

"Oh God, no!" Laswe cried, covering his mouth with both hands, "Misado, you don't mean…!"

Oom'Bagu's fist tightened at his side. "Nettelish. She has betrayed us."

"No!" Laswe protested, waving his arms, "She wouldn't do that! I…I know she's turned into a bitch lately, but she's one of us! She's…she's our friend!" He looked around helplessly. "We're…we're all friends, right? Right?"

"Oh no…" Horkion turned rapidly from the screen. "Guys! The communication systems have been shut down!"

"What?!" Laswe piped.

"It gets worse…I think the pacification system has been shut down too!"

"WHAT?!"

Nevrrest's face darkened, growling and digging her talons into her palm. "Nettelish…we've been played for fools."

Laswe's wings ceased buzzing, landing heavily on his tail and staring emptily ahead. "No…it can't be true…this can't be happening…" Horkion put his arm over him.

Nevrrest gnashed her beak and thrust out her arm, her fingertips charging with red energy again. "Nevrrest, it's no good!" Oom'Bagu seized her wrist and pushed her arm down, "You'll never pierce that shielding."

"I have to try," she shot back.

"If you fail there will be no second chances," he warned.

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" she hissed, jerking her hand from him.

"Wait-wait," Laswe interjected, his wings flicking up, "Goku's still out there, right? If we can contact him, he can use his instant transmission and get us out of here!"

"You're right!" Horkion brightened.

"Yes, but there's one problem with that," Nevrrest grimaced, crossing her arms and looking down, "How do we get in contact with him without the comm. system?"

"I can try," Oom'Bagu offered, "I can't send any messages, but I can try to move him empathically."

"How exactly does that work?" Laswe frowned.

"Let's say I can give him a 'gut feeling' we need his help," Oom'Bagu explained. He spread two fingers over his brow, his eyes glowing mauve. He gasped and the light went out. "No…" he whispered, his eyes quivering, "Goku…"

"What now?" Nevrrest pressed, her plume erect and tapping talon anxiously against her arm.

Oom'Bagu fell into his chair, his palm covering his eyes. "I…I can't feel him. There's…nothing."

"What do you mean?" Horkion asked, his pebbly eyes turning pale.

"Either he's no longer on this fleet or he's…"

"What?" Laswe squeaked.

"…He's dead…"

AUTHOR NOTE

Couple pieces of news for you guys :D First, the improved, revised version of Pride Before A Fall is available on Worthy of Publishing and will be coming to fanfiction soon! Second, I created a Twitter account as a news feed. If you wish to follow me on either Twitter or Worthy of Publishing, you can look me up as "SwanofWar".

Also, if you do look me up on Worthy of Publishing, PBAF is in need of some ratings ^^ Thanks for your support!