The entire ship shook as she landed before him, his eyes glued to this tiny but insanely powerful creature. Super Saiyan Three…strength that had challenged Majiin Buu. It was a form so powerful it took an enormous amount of energy just to obtain – so he had thought he'd been safe from it. Without the ability to generate energy, Un would have surely burned up all of her stolen energy just reaching that level, rendering the form useless. But no, she'd somehow used the Core's power to achieve Super Saiyan Three without a single drop of Kakarot's strength being lost.

Super Saiyan Three…

Vegeta took a step back, his eyes wide.

Un grinned hatefully and bounded a step forward, keeping pace with him. This simple motion made The Hammer tremble once again. Vegeta's jaw set. He could feel Oom'Bagu sensing out this new power, trying to understand it. The other justiciars were completely unaware of it, still nullified under the mere sensation of Un and Misado too consumed with their escape. And still, in all the universe, only Vegeta could comprehend what he was now up against.

His other boot started to move back, but suddenly paused, returning and planting. A chill ran up his spine as he gazed down at the little mockery. A hot tingle ran over his muscles and his eyes danced as he started to grin and laugh.

Un's own grin fell slightly. "Well this is quite the reversal. What are you grinning about, monkey?"

"All that Saiyan blood running through you and you don't understand?" he remarked, his expression full of zeal.

"You do understand you're about to die, yes?" Un stated, sparks leaping off her as she rubbed her hands together.

"Oh I understand that's a very strong possibility," he returned, his fingers seeming to itch with excitement, "All the same…Kakarot never graced me with the opportunity to face him as a Super Saiyan Three. You can't imagine my disappointment, having never been allowed to taste it's power." He laughed. "And now finally I get my chance."

She sneered at him. "Oh…you'll get your chance alright." She appeared in front of him, her tiny fist planting straight into his stomach.

"Gaaaah…!" Vegeta gagged as blood flew out his mouth.

"You'll get your chance to DIE!" She leapt up, planting her feet up on his shoulder and raised her clasped hands over her head like a club. Vegeta cried out as every nerve in his body screamed in pain as the force sent him so deep into the floor that the paneling broke and he suddenly found himself braced against pipes and wires several yards below, glowing green fluid dripping down on him from above. The base of his neck where he'd been struck utterly burned with pain, his eyes shooting up as she appeared in front of him again. Super Saiyan Three strength. Instant transmission. He brought up his arms to block but was too slow, her foot slamming into his torso. His back broke through several more layers of mechanical and he struck a shielded lining wall. Coughing, he vomited up blood.

Instantly, she appeared in front of him again, seizing him by the shoulder and flying up through the impact-carved ceiling and up into the Core Chamber once again. Before he could react, she hurled him, appearing behind him as he flew and struck him the opposite direction. She repeated this several times before finally striking him with a blow that sent him splashing into the floor below, the shielding stopping his descent from penetrating the floor this time.

Vegeta groaned, his body roughed, torn, and bleeding. Un watched him, surveying the considerable damage she'd done. The green gel sleek on his body, Vegeta slowly sat up, his arms trembling with pain. He coughed, a small spray of blood leaping from his mouth as he looked up at her again. One eye squinted shut, he gazed upon her defiantly.

"Is…is that all?" he challenged.

Un's brow lowered and her fangs bared, diving at him once again.

(**Scene Break**)

Oom'Bagu's hands trembled as he pressed his fingers to his temples. Un's power had grown so great – so terribly stronger than anything he'd ever encountered – that he could barely balance the burden on the sensation of her on Vegeta's mind. But that wasn't even half of his concerns. She had somehow obtained a level of power even above Vegeta. The gap between their speed and strength had grown so great Vegeta could hardly even fight back.

Oom'Bagu hissed painfully against the strain. "I have…to raise his defenses…he has to outlast her! It's the only way to victory…and it's the only way he'll survive." His eyes opened briefly, seeing his other justiciars practically passed out on the floor. "But how can I? I'm barely still standing." He shut his eyes again. "But no…I must!"

Oom'Bagu reached deep inside himself, fighting to muster the concentration to raise Vegeta's power. Boost his defenses. Make him faster. He had to. His teeth gnashed and he growled and hissed, turning to howls as he pushed himself harder and harder.

Suddenly, he felt something slither and wrap around his arm. Oom'Bagu looked up from under his sweat to see Misado's flowers growing about him. "…You…have done all you can," the avatar spoke.

Oom'Bagu's eyes shot to the door, expecting to see it open. But no, though the cracks had turned into an entire spider-web, they were still sealed in. His head fell again and he growled. "No…I must do more…I can't stop now!"

"You…have done all you can," Misado repeated. The vines rose up and curled upon itself. "But we…have not."

Oom'Bagu froze, looking at the plant mass. "What do you mean?" Misado's vines grew up his arms and blue ki started pulsating over him. Oom'Bagu gasped and grabbed her foliage. "No, Misado, you cannot!" he cried, "I am impure, you'll risk corrupting your avatar!"

"Purity…flows to and from impurity…like fresh water to a salty sea…" it whispered, "We…will summon the energy Prince Vegeta needs. You…shall be the conduit."

Oom'Bagu's stern eyes trembled as he continued to strain the in bond, the mauve flames flickering. "I am unworthy."

"Merit is not asked for…when life hangs in the balance."

Deep in the sea of stars, a sacred green planet turned on its axis. The dance of ki that swam through its atmosphere shone and pulsated. Oom'Bagu's face lit with blue light as energy burned in a gentle flame around Misado, leaping down the vines and into Oom'Bagu. He took in a deep gasp as he felt the pure energy fill him up.

"Yes, this will do!" Oom'Bagu cried. His fingers dug into the fur about his horns, his flaming eyes intensifying. "I am the Grand Warden of the Justice and he is my ward. I have sworn to guard his body as I have to shackle it. I will not fail in my responsibilities. Nor shall I fail this fleet!" Gritting his teeth, the energy turned into a vortex around him as he roared.

(**Scene Break**)

Un seethed and sneered as the saiyan prince's legs pushed under him once again, his muscles tightening as he shakily got to his feet, blood running down one side of his face. His feet heavily shuffled forward, his tattered pants hanging about his muscular legs. "What…" he coughed and glared, "Is that…the best…you can do?!"

The golden energy raged around her. "THAT'S IT JUST KEEP GETTING UP!" she utterly screamed at him. She swooped down at him, seizing him by the hair. "I CAN GIVE YOU MORE!"

Vegeta cracked ever so small a bloodied smile before she started wailing on him again, her tiny fist impacting his face repeatedly like a freight train. Yes, that's it! he encouraged in his mind as his cheekbones cracked, Give it all you got, Un! All I got is time… But all the same, somewhere deep inside, he was afraid. He could feel his body breaking around him slowly. The gap between an Ascended Super Saiyan and a Super Saiyan Three was almost comical. He wasn't sure how much longer his body would endure this kind of punishment. Or how much energy Un still had.

But it was useless. With the speed of a Super Saiyan Three and her constant use of instant transmission, she was just much too fast for him to guard against, as hard as he tried. He had been expecting her to start using some of the other techniques she had stolen from warriors over the years at some point, but apparently Goku's were so useful that she hadn't felt the need to bother. Or perhaps she was in too much of a rage to think that hard.

But in any case…he finally knew. This was it. This was the power of a Super Saiyan Three. Kakarot's power. Power he dared to unleash on so few. Power mighty enough to vanquish the Prince of All Saiyans.

Still, despite the facts he fought as hard as he did in any battle. His muscles pulsated as he tried to dodge, block, attack – anything. But even anything was too much. A strike hit his torso so hard it was almost numbing, his back embedding in the floor again with a splash of green, the shielding hot white and sparking around him. The panels gave out and they bit into the mechanical again as both of Un's feet landed in his stomach. As a spurt of blood gagged out of his mouth, his disoriented vision saw her hanging over him, her angry fangs glimmering.

Her tiny, fuzzy hand wickedly gripped his trachea. "I'm thinking we should finish this someplace more private," she sneered, "Some out-of-the-way planet from Goku's memory that Oom'Bagu's empathy can't reach." She grinned hatefully. "There, I'll expel the rest of this energy and drain you." Vegeta's muscle tightened, fighting to get up even as she choked him. "Then, I can easily zip back here and finish the job." She bent over him. "No matter what happens after this point, I'm going to win. As long as I get the Core, damn the rest!"

Vegeta's hand tightened into a fist and struck at her. She caught it and laughed. "This is it, isn't it?!" she cried, slamming his arm against the pipes, "I'm just inches away from killing you! HAHAHAHAHA! Today I finish my lord's work and end the Saiyan race!"

Vegeta gagged, groaned, and growled, relentlessly fighting against her to no avail. His glowing green eyes narrowed, the mauve flames about them flaring. Suddenly, to both their shock, giant blue flames leapt over him.

"What?!" Un squeaked, leaping off him like she might get burned.

Vegeta's eyes snapped wide, feeling the powerful boost of energy gush through him. Suddenly, he easily found the strength to get up again and he did, studying the pure, blue power that flowed over his palms. He chuckled. "Well," he remarked, eying the horrified Un, "It looks like the odds aren't all in your favor after all."

Un's fangs clenched and face convulsed with rage. "Misado—!"

Vegeta's fist collided with her face. It only minutely knocked her back, but still her head turned with the blow. He struck again and again, his feet leaving the ground as he went on an endless power drive, not letting Un get a single strike in back, not letting her guard to catch a single blow. Roaring, he clutched his hands together over his head and drove her down into the mechanical. His boots planted, blood still running from his mouth as he panted. He wiped it on his wrist. "That was for the last five minutes, you damn, annoying, little squeaky toy."

There was a brief breath of a pause before the ground under him started to shake and the crater exploded, Un's tiny, energy sparking form shooting up like a hateful rocket. Her dark, glowing eyes narrow at him in a sneer. "Pathetic! Now you're fighting with the aid of another's energy?!"

"I'd say that about makes us even, wouldn't you?" Vegeta shot back, "Considering you don't even have energy of your own." His brow lowered. "Besides, do you really think there's anything you could possible do or say to cause me more shame…" He turned his shoulder and pressed a finger to the four glowing, aqua numbers. "Than this?"

To this she had no response. She could only scream in that shrill, angry voice, leaping down at him with a full force attack. But this time Vegeta didn't take it. He leapt and weaved to the side with each blow, bringing his leg up and cracking his boot against her head as hard as he could. She grunted with anger and irritation, squinting an eye before lashing out with a rapid serious of kicks of her own. Vegeta clenched, jerking out of the way of each one. Her speed was still incredible, but with Misado's power added to his own, he now stood a chance. He couldn't let Un do him anymore damage. His body was severely battered as it was. It was time to go heavily on the defensive and strike powerful blows where he could.

Then maybe, just maybe, he might conquer this would-be super saiyan three.

(**Scene Break**)

Goku knew in his heart that he was a selfish man. He had always done his best to be kind and caring to others, to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Some would call him a hero, and it warmed his heart that they would give him that title. But it wasn't out of heroism that he'd risked the lives of everyone on Earth by allowing Frieza to reach full power. It hadn't been out of kindness that he'd thrown Cell that sensu bean. Even asking Krillin to spare Vegeta's life had been a partly selfish act. He did it all for the love of combat, a pure, unadulterated zeal that bubbled uncontrollably inside him, that made him excited in a way nothing else could. He loved the art of fighting. He loved taking part in it. And he loved seeing others excel in the craft.

It because of this that even though he knew Vegeta and everyone else's life was on the line, he couldn't help but smile with anticipating as he sensed the fight between the monster and his fellow saiyan take place. Though he knew he should fear for the life of his friend, he felt none of that. He had nothing short of absolute confidence that Vegeta would win. He knew if Krillin or Piccolo was there, they'd be telling him how he should have eaten at least another bite of the fruit so he could recover in time to help him fight. And he knew in a way, they'd be right. But there was no way he could rob himself of the chance to see Vegeta win this fight.

After all, if what Sepis said was true, Vegeta thought he was dead. Which meant, for the first time since they'd met, Vegeta would be fighting without having to bear the weight of someone stronger than him. Goku knew very well how much that knowledge had always robbed Vegeta of. It was hard to give it your all in a fight when you knew you were just a stand in for someone stronger – he had gotten a taste of that during the Cell Games. And while Goku had eventually matched and surpassed his son Gohan, Vegeta had never known that freedom.

He wanted that for him. He wanted the Prince of All Saiyans to rise up to his maximum potential and fight without quarter until victorious. And as much as he hated missing out on a battle, he was excited to be its witness.

Content in this resolution, Goku let his head fall against the floor of his room, shutting his eyes and smiling. "I think I'll sleep," he murmured to himself, "Some rest should do me good. But don't worry, Vegeta. I'll still be watching. I wouldn't miss this fight for the world."

(**Scene Break**)

Vegeta had never before strove so hard for perfection in a fight – and it wasn't even out of hubris. This was no longer purely a fight for victory and Saiyan justice: this was a fight for survival. Despite the enormous strength and vigor Misado's power granted him, Vegeta could still feel how broken his body was beneath the blue flames. There was no more room left for error. A single misstep and he could very easily die.

Yet it was so exciting – utterly pounding on a being who could take it, who shrugged off the blows like she was truly invincible. And every time his body twisted to avoid one of the returning blows his blood gushed with vigor and zeal. This was a battle worthy of him. And he was going to win it. He was absolutely steeled in this resolve.

Un shrieked as yet another of her blows missed its mark, her face quivering in rancor. "How are you doing this?!" she screamed, striking at him even more wildly, "I am a force without equal! NONE CAN STAND AGAINST ME IN THIS FORM!" She gagged a little as Vegeta drove a full-force punch into her torso.

"Just SHUT UP!" he roared back as his fist sunk in.

He had no stomach left for games, jests, or taunts. One way or another, this battle was ending. Here and now. He drove that point hard with every blow he struck, though it seemed to do little against her defenses. It only made her angrier and angrier, her attacks growing more vicious and blind. Somehow, he had to turn that against her. There had to be a way to end this! But whatever that way was, Un wasn't going to make a second of it easy. Even in her wildness and rage, he could feel the power of each of her strikes as they whizzed past him, the very movement of the air threatening to knock him aside. At this point, it wasn't even energy or strength that was carrying him through the fight. It was sheer willpower.

She used instant transmission again, appearing behind him and moving at her maximum speed. Fast. Too fast for him to dodge. So he did only what he could. He blocked. Vegeta cried out as the blow cracked against her forearm, the limb nearly giving out under the fearsome strike. Un laughed as Vegeta was shot back several yards and left cradling the limb and hissing.

"I knew it!" she pointed, a little too excited, "I knew I'd still won! Even with Misado's aid, you can barely withstand me!"

Vegeta growled heavily but didn't answer. No, the time for talking was done. It was the time to fight. Time to fight! A plume of golden energy lashed and mixed with the blue as Vegeta screamed, shooting at Un again. He managed to strike two blows before Un started attacking again. So fast. So powerful. And still, even when he channeled all of his and Misado's energy in the strongest burst he could manage, it barely seemed to bruise her. Even Oom'Bagu couldn't make a difference. Was it impossible after all? Was there no way he could avenge Kakarot?

But no…maybe there was another way. Even in her rage, even in this form, she was still using primarily Kakarot's style and techniques. It made sense, she had made it clear how much she liked his form and since she was filled with his energy, perhaps that made her more inclined towards them as well. In any case, it gave him a thought. His mind stretched back to his last battle with Kakarot, during his brief time as Majiin. To ensure that he alone would have to chance to fight Buu, he had used trickery to render Kakarot unconscious. It wasn't something he liked to do in battle, but such a tactic had worked on Kakarot and such a tactic had worked once on Un before as Un Vegeta.

Yes…considering all that was on the line, perhaps it was time to resort to such a method. But what manner of trick could be used against a Super Saiyan Three? Between twisting and ducking through Un's blows, he searched for the answer, his eyes glancing subtly around them. The Core Chamber had grown severely damaged, the walls and floor falling away and green fluid dripping everywhere. But there would be no use in it to him, unless he was out to drown Un somehow. Then there was the Core itself. With the containments destroyed, a storm of live energy continually swirled around it, powerful bolts occasionally shooting out and further damaging the walls of the chamber.

The energy, of course! Now that gave him an idea. A dangerous idea. An idea could just as easily backfire as aid him. But at this point, what in the galaxy did he have to lose?

Un struck another blow at him. Though this one missed like the others, apparently she managed to stir the air enough that it sent the prince flying anyways. She watched with excitement as he was knocked around inside the core containment, bouncing several times across the floor with loud grunts and lying still. She gave a little gasp as his hair and tail faded to black and brown.

"Oooooh, unconscious!" she cheered, dropping to the floor and skipping after him, "Bad news for you, Vegeta. Game over!" Her shaggy Super Saiyan Three back fur shook as she jumped down into the containment and hopped up to him. She salivated as she watched him lie there, face to the ground. "Oooh, what a feast of blood I am getting today! I'll just expel the rest of this energy and make a delicious meal out of you!" She padded her fuzzy belly. "Oh I hope I have room for it, I'm going to be sooo full!" She giggled, bending over him. Her ears pricked. "Wait a minute. Why is your heart beating so fast—"

"Eat THIS!" Vegeta roared, rolling over, his hair igniting gold once again as he shoved her up right into one of the live beams that emanated from the core.

"DAAAAHHHH!" Un screamed as the mauve energy shot through her, her fur smoking and catching fire. She finally pulled herself away from bolt, the blast sending her skipping like a stone across the green fluid pools. Vegeta leapt to his feet, ready to fight again, eager to see what kind of damage that did her. One of the pools bubbled, stirring and finally busting as Un sprang forth, her fangs clenched and holding an arm to herself. "Oooh, you damn monkey," she seethed, "For that I'm going to—" Bwop-BANG! Out of nowhere, a yellow burst of energy formed at Un's chest and exploded, sending her flying backwards. "What?!" Bwop-BANG! An even bigger energy bubble detonated on her chest, embedding her in the wall.

"What's this now?" Vegeta flew up into the air, watching her.

"DA! No!" Un cried as she tried to contain the third explosion. She impacted further into the wall, paneling collapsing. Her fingers twitch with terror and rage. "D…damn it! It's happening too soon!" She looked at him, utter hatred in her eyes. "YOU STUPID APE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!"

(**Scene Break**)

"No, no!" Sepis cried, clutching his scouter to his head as he leapt from his chair.

"Damn it, what now?" Juri-dur rapidly replied, his feet firmly planted against the convulsing ship.

"It may already be too late for us!" Sepis yelped, oil running down his carapace in fright, "The…the energy! It's reaching critical even sooner than I had predicted! If it's not expelled immediately, we're all going to explode!" Juri-dur was sweating as well as Sepis turned to him. "And…and we're likely going to take any neighboring planets with us."

Juri-dur's eyes grew wider and he grabbed Sepis's shoulders, shaking him. "Then we have to move the fleet!" he shouted, "One of the planets in this system is populated!"

"There's no time, the computer is still unresponsive!" Sepis desperately replied, falling into his seat, "There's no way we could get to the navigation systems in time." His hands covered his eyes. "The Justice…the Earth…we're all finished."

(**Scene Break**)

Vegeta stared as another explosion erupted off Un's chest, this one slightly bigger than the last. He had to admit, he didn't have a clue what he'd done to the creature or what any of this meant. But he had a strong feeling it wasn't good.

Un lifted her face out of the floor, her fur smoking and blood running from a corner of her mouth. "You…have made…your final mistake," she hissed and growled. The floor cracked under her feet as she stood. "The…final…mistake…!" Vegeta barely had time to react as she flew at him, her knuckles clipping his temple. He cried out as he was sent tumbling away, splashing across the glowing green fluid and becoming a new crater in the far wall. Another burst of energy started to form on her chest, but this time she forcefully sucked it in, throwing her arms out to the side as she gave a high-pitch roar. "THIS IS IT! YOU'RE DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME, VEGETA?! YOU'RE DEAD!" Vegeta was blow from the crater as he barely twisted out of the way of an energy blast. "YOU'RE DEAD!" she screamed, her body flaming like a wildfire with golden energy, "You're family's DEAD! You're world is DEAD! YOU'RE ALL DEAD, YOU HEAR ME?!"

Disoriented and barely able to see from the throbbing in his head, Vegeta felt himself crash into a pool of containment fluid, his tail coming unraveled and trailing through the bubbles as he sank. But after only a few feet he bumped against the bottom, regaining his senses and blinking heavily. Soon, he heard a familiar sound. DwANNNG! His head jerked towards it as the sound continued to build.

"Kaaaaaa…!" warbled through the liquid.

Vegeta's eyes bulged. What?!

"Meeeehhh…!"

No! Vegeta's limbs thrust down as he swam for the surface.

"Haaaaaa…!"

Has she lost her mind?!

"Meeeehhh…!"

She'll destroy us all!

"HAAAA!"

Vegeta burst forth into the air just in time to see a full-power kamehameha come barreling down at him from the posed hands of the would-be Super Saiyan Three. Vegeta didn't have time to compose a proper counter-attack. He simple threw out both hands, pouring forth a golden beam of pure defiance from his palms. The two opposing beams connected with a violent explosion that shook and cracked everything around them. "GAAAAH!" Vegeta screamed in strain as he forced all his energy into the attack, pushing back the ceaseless kamehameha with all his might.

Un laughed. "You can't stop it, Vegeta!" she called over the din to him, "I'm putting all of Kakarot's power into this attack! You won't be able to hold it back for long!"

"FOOL!" Vegeta shouted up at her as he clenched his entire face against the force, "You'll destroy me and this vessel with that attack!"

Un's laughter grew even more foul. "You think I care?!" she screamed back at him, the blue beam growing closer, "You've left me with no choice! Besides! Frieza's blood allows me to survive in the vacuum of space!" Vegeta fell back, sweat running down his forehead. "As long as I protect the Core, that's all that matters! The rest of you can be DAMNED TO HELL!"

"Damn it…!" Vegeta choked and hissed, letting his power explode like a solar flare, his boots coming to touch the surface of the liquid below. But despite his best efforts, he was losing ground.

Fast.