Oom'Bagu grasped Misado's vines tightly, faulting and nearly falling. "It is not enough!" he cried, his eyes clenched shut and the mauve flames flaring, "Even with all the might of your planet sphere it is inefficient against power of such magnitude!"

Misado drove her roots harder into the door, the plating beginning to crumble like sand. But her movement suggested another answer, her leaves and flowers growing up high towards the ceiling. Oom'Bagu watched apprehensively, desperate as to what aid they could provide Vegeta.

"Is this it, Misado?" he asked her, glancing back at their still barely conscious comrades, "Is this the end?" The vines arched down from the ceiling, curling around each of the still forms of the justiciars. Blue energy flowed from them. Oom'Bagu shook his head. "It will not be enough!" he insisted, "Even the combined might of the Justiciars pales compared to this monstrous force Vegeta faces." His face suddenly filled with horror as the vine channeling Nevrrest's energy erupted with boils and started to ooze. "Misado!"

"It is not the might of the Justiciars we seek…" Misado whispered in reply. The avatar grew, the beautiful foliage filling every corner of the room. "It is…the might…of the Justice!" Shimmering blue energy shot out from the avatar, seeping straight out through the walls into the fleet beyond.

(**Scene Break**)

Despite the futility of it, Dreeke found himself back inside one of the Prison Ship 1 recreation rooms, smacking at one of the screens. But the abuse did nothing to move the blaring white 'SIGNAL LOST' that hung ominously on the screen. It had been like that for hours – communications down for the entire fleet. Any information that reached them had all been word of mouth. There was rumors of a break out, an attack on the Hammer, and riots taking place on Ship 3, 4, and 5. There had been no violence on Prison Ship 1 so far, but everyone was afraid. Dreeke scowled, a frustrated crease covering his elongated head. Production lines were all a wreck, everyone was too anxious and confused to work.

As for Dreeke, it wasn't the rumors that scared him, it was the total lack of information. After all, before his arrest he had always worked as an information buff. Data and knowledge was his thing and he felt extremely uncomfortable without any hard facts to go around. He honestly felt he would better face a storm of red shirts than being forever left in the dark like this. However, there was nothing for it. The communication system was completely caput and no amount of kicking or smacking was going to change that.

"Hey Dreeke." He sighed and turned to see a couple of his friends standing in the doorway. "Warden says he's reopening the cafeteria. You wanna come with us and grab a couple of bunglies?"

Dreeke cast a forlorn glance to the inactive screen and finally nodded. "Yeah, sure. That sounds—"

WE ARE ADDRESSING THE SOULS THAT DWELL IN THIS FLEET.

All three of them immediately froze. "Did you—"

"Yeah," Dreeke answered, eyes shifting, "Yeah definitely." He pushed one of his friends aside and looked out the doorway to see every white and black shirt equally frozen. "I think everyone did."

(**Scene Break**)

Warden Davic was just inches away from losing his sense of self-control. This riot should have been put an end to hours ago. No, it should have been put an end to before it even started. But fear was like a disease and everyone had been afraid ever since the communications had gone down and the rumors had started. Then the discovery about the pacification field had been made and all hell had broken loose. The fact that neither reinforcements nor a single justiciar had appeared gave the green shirts unfounded courage. And the staff and guard's moral wasn't at its best either. If any situation could be called a disaster, this was it.

At this point, Davic was beginning to consider other solutions. Flooding the ship with sleeping gas, perhaps. It was better than just standing there watching as his men tediously worked to round prisoners up and lock them in cells while the rest of the inmates threw things at their backs.

But just as he was considering these things he heard a strong, maternal voice in his head. And all at once the rioting stopped, freezing in their tracks and staring at each other with wide eyes.

In this very moment, your life hangs in the balance. Soon, it will be forfeit.

(**Scene Break**)

The beautiful voice of Misado. Goku recognized it through his slumber, the same sweet, pure, motherly voice that had entered his mind back in the courtroom. Not only that, he could feel her presence, the powerful, gentle sensation of her ki reaching out to the fleet and washing over him.

There is but one who stands between you and oblivion. And he is failing.

Vegeta. He could feel his struggle as he battled against the unstoppable blast. Goku knew that place. He had stood in those same shoes many times before, arms braced and trembling, struggling. It was an impossible place to be – a place where no one should stand alone. So even before Misado asked, Goku was ready to give it.

Therefore, if you wish to survive this day, if you wish stand with this man against oblivion, reach out your hand now.

Even in his sleep, Goku's hand immediately rose off the floor, blue energy flowing off his fingertips. It isn't much, Vegeta…but it's all I got. So take it. Take it and win!

(**Scene Break**)

Warden Davic stood stupefied as his guards ceased their push against the prisoners and one by one began to raise an arm in the air, ki flowing out of them and into the black through every crevice. The prisoners were staring at them as well, suddenly no longer compelled to riot or attack.

RAISE YOUR HAND, OFFER UP YOUR ENERGY, AND LIVE!

(**Scene Break**)

The message was so simple and vague, and yet Dreeke felt so strongly compelled to heed it. He watched as everyone around him raised a hand in the air with him, their ki combining into a single storm that flowed off out into space.

"Who…who do you think it is?"

"Huh?" Dreeke glanced over at one of his friends.

"The one who needs our energy?"

"I don't know…" Dreeke shrugged, watching his energy take flight, "But for once…I don't need to know. If they're out there fighting for us, in the end, I guess that's all that matters."

(**Scene Break**)

The sweat rolled down Vegeta's face in mass as he continued to push everything he had into the opposing blast, fighting back the incredible kamehameha wave. But despite his best efforts, every second it seemed to creep closer to him, eating away at his own double-handed blast. Why hadn't she run out of energy yet?! Was there no end to Kakarot's power? His palms burned from the strain, his ears aching from the constant ringing of Un's mocking laughter. His struggle was so ultimate he almost felt outside himself, watching with cold concentration as his broken body steeled, his tail arched behind him, every golden hair raised.

The perfect warrior. That was what he had once called himself – that was what he had always striven to be. There had been moments in his life where he had felt he could truly claim that title, but Kakarot had always broken every barrier he set. Then had come the day when he had witnessed the greatest battle in the universe – Super Saiyan Three versus Majiin Buu. It was in those moments the fragments of that dream had last turned to dust and he had handed the title to his rival, Kakarot, the Saiyan from Earth. In that admission, he'd found a sort of peace, but an emptiness as well. Who was he if not the ultimate Saiyan warrior? And what did it all matter if now that glory had now been stolen by some petite, monstrous freak who turned it on him as though it were a gun?

It was just then that these thoughts were disrupted by a sensation – a familiar energy that seeped into his being. "Kakarot?" he said with disbelief. His fellow Saiyan's smiling face flashed in his mind. No, it wasn't possible, Un's disorienting energy had to be getting to him again. He didn't have long to think on it though cause soon he felt many other energies flow into him, the mauve flames leaping up intensely from his eyes.

"Aw, what's this?" Un giggled as the progression of the kamehameha wave slowed, "Looks like the weed found some more energy for you." She sneered gleefully at him. "It won't make a difference though! It's only delaying the inevitable! I am unsurpassable! Tehehehehe! Maybe if you had quantum fusion you might stand a chance…but I don't think even that could save you now!"

Un screamed and the blue beam intensified. Vegeta roared, his arms shaking as the wave's progression resumed, itching towards his and the fleet's demise.

(**Scene Break**)

The vines wrapped under him as Oom'Bagu slumped, barely able to sustain it all any longer. In fact, he was certain at this point Misado's energy flowing through him was the only thing keeping him conscious. Groaning with distance and strain, he lifted his head, watching as the particles of ki flowed through the walls and into the avatar, traveling up the vines into him and unto Vegeta.

"Misado…" Oom'Bagu said heavily. The plant mass swayed and shimmered, undaunted as the energy flowed. "Misado…it is…not enough."

"There is more…" the whispery voice assured.

(**Scene Break**)

It was because of his missing arm. He knew that had to be the reason those shits had left him behind. Prison Ship 7 was quiet and all but empty now, bodies littering the floor. And here he was, left to rot in his cell. As that strange voice echoed in his mind, he turned his head once again to glare at the stump that used to be his right limb. He'd lost it in the faction wars after the death of Frieza. There were rumors out there than there existed scientists would could replace missing flesh with machine, but he'd never found anything like that. Not before the bastards of the Justice had caught him anyways.

Your life is in your hands. Give him your energy and LIVE!

The one-armed prisoner of Seven growled, eyes shifting up as the voice rang in his head yet again. What kind of mess had those morons caused that a ghostly voice was about talking of energy and death? He almost wanted to pass it off as some kind of dumb trick, but there was something in that voice that made lies impossible. After all, he was a bad, bad man. He'd built his entire life on the misery of others; killed thoughtlessly wherever profit was involved. Evil was something he could taste, something so familiar he could almost shake hands with it. He still had arm enough left for that, after all, despite what those assholes who had left him might have thought.

But this voice, whatever it was, was none of that. It was the opposite of everything he knew and loved. Pure. Kind. Caring. Whatever it was, it wasn't the voice of a liar. Knowing that, he knew what it was saying was true. And if it was true, then his life was in danger. He didn't give two shits about what happened to anyone outside himself. So if the voice was merely pleading for aid he would just ignore it.

But it wasn't. It was being very personal about it. You are about to die. Someone is fighting to keep you alive. Raise your hand and give your energy so that you might live. Looking at it that way, there honestly wasn't anything to argue about.

If you wish not to perish, then raise your hand!

"Good thing it's only 'hand' cause I only got one to raise," he remarked with a grumble. He stretched out his palm towards the transparent barrier, watching with curiosity as blue particles flowed out.

(**Scene Break**)

Misado could feel its message breaking through all over the fleet. It wasn't enough to draw upon the energy of the just, but of the selfish as well. And one by one, they all reached the same conclusion – they didn't want to die. Their hands raised to the ceilings of their cells and the energy poured forth. Energy that Vegeta needed. Energy that it would send him.

Oom'Bagu felt it flow up into him, his eyes lifting as he heard a disgusting sound. To his horror, he saw hundreds of boils swell across Misado's plant-life, exploding and oozing sickening yellow-green slime. His pupils shrank as he gasped, gripping onto the avatar once more.

"Misado, NO!" he cried, almost clamoring up the vines, "The negative energy! Look what it is doing to you!" The avatar did not answer, the leaves withering and the flowers turning awful shades of yellow as the corrupted ki of the prisoners passed through its form. Oom'Bagu looked upon his comrade desperately, but knew not what more to say. His eyes watered. "Misado…"

A vine curled painfully, reaching out and slithering under his chin gently. "Do not fear, Oom'Bagu. We…will do…all we can…to preserve the avatar. But…if it perishes…it will be a small price to pay…"

Oom'Bagu swallowed his grief and nodded. "I understand." His furry brow thickened. "Do what you must, Misado. Give Vegeta every drop of energy we have to spare. Do not stop until our people are saved!"

(**Scene Break**)

The Core Chamber was crumbling around them, panels and wiring coming loose and flying into the air on the waves of energy that warped off of Vegeta and Un's bodies. The Hammer shook and quaked, cracks spreading down the halls and the shielding shooting out sparks. Only the Core itself seemed undisturbed by their battle, the energy that it zoomed and spun around it shielding it from all threats. There was no doubt about it. One way or another, this was it. This was the end.

Vegeta turned his head to the side and howled, his arms and legs buckling under the strain. Un wasn't even laughing anymore, just gaping with anticipation, her smile wide and almost salivating. The kamehameha wave pressed onwards, he could feel the heat of it burning against him now, the blue light blinding. His palms burned and tingled with pain as he held it just barely a few feet away from his body. Death was so close now. Oh, so close, he could almost feel his soul getting ready to leap out of his body.

Un watched the sweat roll down his forehead with glee. "What are you thinking about right now, Vegeta?!" she shouted mockingly down at him, "Where does the Prince of all Monkeys' mind go just before death?! Are you being a goody-boy and thinking of everyone you're about to let down? Are you thinking of your mongrel son who you're so proud of? Your pretty, little weakling wife with her baby swollen belly? Your fellow Saiyan warrior, dear dead Kakarot?" She bared her fangs. "Or are you just overwhelmed with the thought that you're about to be murdered by a fluffy little bunny?"

"I…" Vegeta managed through the strain, eyes shut and teeth gritted, "I…have…to win!"

"Oh is that what's on your mind?" she chirped, pushing her hands forward as the beam bared down on him, "Here I was thinking you'd be nobly despairing, but you're just being dolted! You can't win, Vegeta! At this point, you're just prolonging the seconds of your life." She paused, however, as she saw another wave of blue energy particles come in through the walls and begin to fill his body. She laughed. "Oh look!" she giggled, "The weed somehow managed to find you even more energy! Does that give you hope, Vegeta? How much energy do you think will it take to defeat me?" She sneered. "Or a better question…how many hours of your life did you waste trying to surpass someone? First Frieza, then Kakarot, now me! That's what you are, Vegeta, an ankle-biter, forever destined to be chasing after someone's heels."

Vegeta groaned and growled, his eyes snapping open to look at her as sweat rolled down between his fixed brows. "What did you say?" he rumbled.

Her lids became slits about her glowing green pits. "I said you're no prince."

The shimmering blue lights condensed around him as his shoulders shuddered, his legs straightening under him and the yellow beam intensifying. Un gave him a bemused look as he lifted his head. "Well," he almost chuckled, "It seems none of them agree with you."

"What?" Un wrinkled her brow.

"The voices in my mind…" He laughed and gave her a smirk. "Can you hear them, Un? The millions crying out? I can. And they are all calling for my victory and your defeat."

"What?" she said again, staring at him.

"I'd say there's enough souls in this fleet to populate a small planet," he growled, his fingers curling in as he slowly began to push more energy forth, "Do you remember, Un? How long would it take any one of us under Frieza to silence them? Days? Hours? Minutes? I remember. I took so many lives serving your lord. And I laughed as they cheered their champions on, desperately hoping to survive." His eyes burned with the memory of his first battle on Earth. "Till the day came I faced a champion who would not fall. Who would not let those cries be silenced."

Un's lips convulsed with irritation. "Rrrrr, just DIE!" Energy blazed like a hurricane around her.

Vegeta's body tensed but the beam did not progress. "You have our memories, Un. Mine and Kakarot's. But it does nothing for you. Because you fail to understand a single thing we learned in our years fighting together."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up and DIE!" she screamed, every black hair on her body erect.

"Like for example…" He glared and lifted a corner of his mouth. "Do you have any idea what makes a Super Saiyan?"

"Grrrrnnnrrrrrrnnnrrrr…!" her face twitched with rage.

"There was a time where we thought it was nothing more than channeling pure battle fury. And yes, that is part of it. But it takes far more than rage to make a Super Saiyan." A foot slide forward, his arms bracing. "My Super Saiyan form is my true self. The center of everything I am." He clenched his teeth at her. "I am not what any of you made me to be, but what I choose. I am the Saiyan Prince! And I am going to show you what an imposter you are."

"You're mad!" she accused, drooling furiously, "It's impossible! You know it's impossible! Even with the energy you've obtained your power is still far beneath mine!"

Vegeta laughed, making her eyes widen with fear. "I was hoping you'd say that!" His brow lowered. "And I'll give you an answer." His muscles swelled around him, his teeth clenched. A plume of golden energy billowed around him and then condensed, his glowing green eyes shining all the brighter. "I…don't…CARE!" The energy about his hands exploded violently, the golden beam swelling three times in girth, swallowing the kamehameha with a vengeance.

"Whaaa?!" Un shrieked as the golden ate its way up at her. "How are you—" The kamahameha wave grew thin. "SHIT!" At the last moment she dropped her attack and threw up her arms, the golden beam engulfing a storm of black ki. The ship shook, the walls ripping away around them. The two energies exploded against each other.

Finally, there was silence.

Vegeta breathed heavily, his hands still poised where the beam had been for a long moment. Finally he lowered his scorched palms, gripping his knees and trying to catch his breath. But he only allowed himself a moment, swallowing and breathing a little lighter as he glared ahead. His muscles and wounds showing through his tattered red pants, he wandered forward through the shattered metal and torn wires to where one of the containment fluid pools remained. His mouth a flat line, he dropped to his knees before it and sunk his arm in all the way up to the shoulder. Seconds passed as he gritted his teeth, yanking his arm up.

Un hacked and coughed up a green spew, her fur matted and dripping as Vegeta held her up by an ear. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal the pits of her eyes had resumed their red glow. Squeaking a gasp, she lifted her trembling little hands to see that her fur was short and white again. "Ooooh noooo…" she quivered.

Vegeta grunted and poked her in the nose. "Looks like you're all out."

"NnnnOOOOO!" she screamed, her mouth wide and eyes shut. She lunged for his arm but he seized her head and slammed her into the ground. "Grrrllll!" she gargled as she choked on blood, dripping down into the crater around her. His hand moved down and gripped her throat and her eyes bulged, tears dripping out of the corners.

"Yes, there is it," Vegeta purred with a pleased expression, "That helpless look you described in Kakarot's eyes."

"Nnn…eeggg…nnnnnoo! Vegeta…eh…ek…you…you…c…can't!" she barely made out, her little hands desperately pawing at him as his hand engulfed and crushed her chest cavity.

"I'm afraid I'm not as good as you seem to think I am," he sneered, watching her writhe, "I'm going to give you exactly what you deserve, Un. I'm going to watch you die as you squeal for just one more breath. You are going to pay for what you did to Kakarot." His brow lowered. "You're going to pay with all you have." Vegeta's golden tail flapped aggressively behind him as he watched Un suffer, struggling futilely to escape his crushing grip on her. She spat up blood and squeaked, her mouth moving in an attempt to speak again. His knuckles tightened on her throat. "No more talking!" he snarled as her eyes rolled back in her head, "Nothing more for you. No more games. No more tricks. I'm going to crush you into dust and blow away the ashes!"

Vegeta leaned closer, about to tighten his grip a little harder when he suddenly felt something inside him pulling him back. Vegeta grunted angrily, his face twitching as the mauve flames in his eyes flared. "Grrr, stay OUT OF THIS!" he snarled, Un giving a wailing squeak as he tightened his grip on her again, "Don't you dare try to divert my will this time, you damn bear! Her death is mine!" Un screamed as her bones audibly started to crack, but the flames in his eyes grew even more intense. Vegeta hissed and furiously shook his head. "No! I don't care about your ideals of justice! Slap another murder onto my record if you wish!" He bared down on her again. "But this is a Saiyan matter. It is my right as the crown prince to do this. And you will not rob that from me!"

Un's giant feet flailed, trying to speak, but more blood just poured out of her mouth. Vegeta gritted his teeth in a vicious chuckle, refusing Oom'Bagu's pull with every fiber in his body, determined to watch her die. He was so utterly focused on his goal he didn't even see the ball of red energy zooming straight at him. It lit up the side of his face just as his eyes began to shift, both the little monster and the saiyan prince blown from each other and sent sailing and tumbling across the desolated chamber floor. Vegeta tried to get up but talons sunk into his back, pinning him to the floor as he screamed.

Exhausted from the fight, Nevrrest was easily able to seize his golden tail. "Playtime's over," she hissed. Her grip tightened.

"Gaaaahhaaaaaa!" Vegeta howled, his hair fading to black. Her other hand brought out the pin and shackle, snapping it over the end of his tail. His eyes glossed over with pain as the pin sank in through the bone once again, locking it in place. Feeling dizzy, he turned his head, breathing heavily and glaring as Nevrrest stepped off him. Only then did he notice the dozens of black shirts that stood behind him, Un flopped on the ground where she had fallen.

Nevrrest folded her arms, gazing down coldly, her tail flicking. Her feathers twitched as her scaled chest heaved and she turned away. "Put them with the others."

The guards surrounded Un, blood running from her mouth as they lifted her up and lashed their electric whips all around her, her entire tiny body completely wrapped in them. Vegeta grunted as they came for him, lifting him up and binding his wrists behind him with a pair of whips. He walked as they dragged Un along, her big feet just sliding as she faced backwards. She coughed a red spray and blinked at Vegeta dizzily. But even through the blood and binds she just looked at him and smiled.

(**Scene Break**)

The moment the door had come down, the others had all escaped. With the imposter no longer projecting an energy signature, they had returned to their senses quickly and acted. But Oom'Bagu had not left to see to the fleet, even though he knew he should be. He could only sit by the side of Misado, gazing with a pained crease in his face at what had become of his comrade. The avatar still lived, but it looked anything but well. It seemed the negative energy had made it…sick somehow. Misado had often explained its necessity for purity, but none of them had known what to expect should she ever channel corrupted ki. Apparently, this was the result – an avatar that was yellow and brown and had shrunk to a size so small it could easily be fit in a bag. He reached out a hand to examine the oozing wounds and the avatar reached back out to him, the vine curling around his fingers.

"Oom'Bagu." The Gregorik turned to see little Horkion standing there with hopeful pebbly eyes. "It's done, Oom'Bagu. We've rounded up all the inmates. The Hammer is ours again." Horkion bent forward, examining him, seeing that the mauve flames no longer burned in his eyes.

Oom'Bagu noticed his look and sighed, rubbing his brow. "Something…struck Vegeta and I lost the bind."

"Vegeta's fine. They're bringing him and that…thing in now." Oom'Bagu growled softly, looking down at Misado, the leaves curled into little buds. Horkion looked around him to look at the plant-life as well. "Is…she gonna make it?"

"I don't know," Oom'Bagu shook his head, "I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for her – soaking in all that negative energy." He sighed. "Misado promised us it would do all it could to preserve the avatar…still…it grieves me to see something that has been our companion for so many years in this state."

"Yeah," said another voice. They turned to see Laswe returning as well, his wings buzzing as he hovered, "It's bad."

"But…maybe she can heal?" Horkion offered.

"I wasn't talking about the avatar," Laswe countered. He looked down at Misado. "Everyone's relaxing like the storm's over, but it isn't. Do you have any idea what we've lost? We're not even sure how long that thing has been playing dress up as Nettelish. And now we've lost Misado too."

"Don't say that!" Horkion cried, standing up.

"We have to face reality, Horkion," Laswe calmly snapped back. He sighed, folding his arms. "I don't like it either…but we're a bad spot. Worse than any of us realize."

"Then let us not delay in facing it." Oom'Bagu got to his feet, gently releasing Misado's vine. It slithered off him and curled up on the floor. He looked at Laswe. "Where are they being held?"

"Horkion and I rounded them all up in one of the lower courtrooms," he answered, cocking his head in that direction, "Until Sepis finishes fixing the computer, it's the best location we got."

"Very well," Oom'Bagu nodded, "Let us proceed."