Author's Note: Here it is. The last chapter in the Raider Saga.
Next Saga, the Vegeta Saga.
Dragonball Z
Alter Age
Motivations
(Flashback)
(30 Years Ago)
Deep within the bowels of a large alien palace, dominated by dozens of spires and buildings spanning across the entire estate, all of which rested in the heart of a city on a world known across the cosmos as Cold Planet 1 (aka CP 1), two very important individuals could be seen making their way down the large, citadel's corridor. Watched from the walls by dozens of sentries on full alert, all of whom were armed with large, white wrist blasters and adorned in full, RIT battle armors, the pair of alien figures strolled down the carpeted floor towards a set of large, white blast doors.
The moment they came within range of the massive entrance, the gate automatically opened- the two barriers sliding apart and allowing the alien pair access to the enormous chamber that lay beyond its threshold. Passing into the well-lit assembly hall, with a ceiling that stretched three stories above them, held up by two rows of thick, white pillars on either side of the main path, and decorated by countless red banners and flags hanging off of the window-lined walls, the two young aliens marched across the open and empty floor space. Eventually coming upon a throne elevated atop a series of steps at the back of the hall, the aliens then stopped and promptly dropped to their knees.
The duo revealed themselves to be none other than the infamous brothers Frieza and Cooler of the unofficially titled Frost Demon race. While the former was assumed in his third restricted form, otherwise known as his First Form- as evident by his light pink skin, ribbed tail and limbs, white carapace plates, and two, short horns protruding out of his crown, his older brother was currently locked in his Assault Form. Unlike his younger sibling, Cooler's skin in his first restricted form- or Third Form- was purple, and his white carapace plates had a couple extra accents growing out of his shoulders and his tail. What's more, his elongated head was a lot wider than his brother's when transformed, and sported a pair of extra white horns, with his snout being noticeably shorter.
Despite the different forms the siblings had taken- the older brother also sporting a cape over his right shoulder, as opposed to the grey and brown RIT armor his younger family member was wearing- the two of them both bowed the same way to the individual seated before them.
This person turned out to be there father, King Cold- the massive purple alien assumed in his Second, horned form reclining back in his massive, custom throne of grey and black metal. Wearing his signature black and yellow RIT battle armor and red cape hanging off of both his shoulder accents and down his back, the purple alien and current leader of the Planet Trade Organization struck a presence that was virtually unmatched by any other person in that room. Aside from his two sons, both of whom stood only about as high as his waist, and his chief advisor, the chamber was also occupied by a group of eight guards.
These guards stood to the left and right sides of King Cold's platform. All adorned in full, white suits and covered from head to toe in white armor plating, these warriors were presently at full attention, remaining as still as statues. Though their outfits possessed the same shape and style as the rest of the Cold Force, these men and women were not only more elegantly dressed than the rest of the troops, they also wore full head helmets with black visors that covered their whole faces, and were each armed with a unique weapon- either a white staff, lance or sword. To match their unique appearances, these eight fighters also sported the exact same emblem on the left of their chest plates- consisting of a black diamond with eight lines protruding from its center.
This designated them as members of the Blizzard Corp- the old guard that served under Grand Emperor Blizzard- the former leader of the PTO- and currently King Cold's personal Royal Guard.
Beside them, the tiny, yet distinct form of Berryblue could be seen floating at the great ruler's side- her hands behind her back and her signature, sly smile present on her lips.
The moment Cold saw his two sons drop to their knees and bow to him, the warlord and ruler of most of the known universe knew what was to come. He addressed them promptly.
"Welcome back, my sons," the father spoke- his voice deep, commanding, and carrying a pompous tone fit for a ruler of his supreme stature. "I trust your extended assignments to the outer rim worlds were a success?"
"Yes they were, father," Cooler spoke, his voice also low in pitch, but also possessing a very proper and honorable tone. "All inhabited planets in the outlying regions have been successfully explored and conquered, as you requested."
"All hostile forces have been vanquished and every potentially rebellious element has been effectively silenced. Their territories and resources now belong to you and the empire," Frieza followed immediately afterwards, his own tone higher and more nasally than his brother's.
The smile that appeared over the king's face was one of dark delight. "Hmm… good. Very good." Tail waving in a pleased manner, the giant of an alien drummed a finger against the arm rest of his throne, before then glancing across at his fateful assistant- who he could see was still floating in place beside him. "Berryblue, remind me again… how many planets were these two tasked with destroying over the past month?"
The blue, levitating female turned to the king and smiled. "My lord, your sons were assigned and instructed to destroy fifty planets each- many of which were occupied by small pockets of civilization."
"And how many did they manage to snuff out?" Cold asked, an expectant smile in play.
Berryblue narrowed her eyes a little in thought. "Well, according to the reports transmitted by their respective subordinates, Lord Frieza managed to wipe out all fifty of his assigned planets- including an additional ten as part of an effort to crush the rebel army that attempted to hide out in the system he was charged with pacifying. Lord Cooler on the other hand only managed to destroy twenty two of them."
"Twenty two?" Cold questioned in surprise, his red eyes quickly shifting to his eldest son, whom he saw kept his head low and his eyes closed.
Before the King could inquire any further as to this unusually low number, while at the same time giving his older son a very hard stare, Berryblue mercifully continued. "The remaining twenty eight planets that the young prince spared however have demonstrated a sharp increase in technological advancement and productivity. Upon pledging their allegiance to the empire, the communities living on those worlds have responded to Lord Cooler's actions by immediately committing a great deal of their shipments of valuable resources vital to our empire's development and infrastructure to us- including tungsten, oxium, and radonium. They have even contributed a great deal of personnel with incredibly high power levels to the Cold Force from their region. Truly, young Cooler managed to uncover a veritable goldmine during his expedition."
"Hm. Fascinating," King Cold replied, his gaze once again turning to his sons to see their heads were still bowed.
Due to the angle the man was sitting in, he completely missed the glares both Cooler and Frieza gave one another. While the latter looked at the larger, older sibling with scorn, the older one simply shot the younger one a cocky look, which in turn had the pink-skinned prince snarl and turn his attention back to the floor. From there, the duo then waited for their father's inevitable assessment of their performances.
When it came, the pair were quite caught off guard by what the man had to say.
"In light of your respective performances in the outlying regions of our empire's territories, the two of you have proven to me that you are without a doubt ruthless, capable, and effective commanders. Both of you have a firm grasp of what is required in your roles as rulers, able to follow your duties to the latter, and make your own decisions as to what the best courses of action are- traits that are ideal for helping our great kingdom and business grow and prosper in the foreseeable future. Because of the shining report given to me by my attendant, I've finally been able to reach a decision," King Cold stated, pausing for a moment as he lifted his head and beamed down at his two boys- both of whom were now waiting in anticipation for their father to finish his announcement. "I will retire from my rule as Supreme Leader and Commander of the Cold Force, effective immediately… and divide up my kingdom between the two of you."
Eyes widening at this, both Frieza and Cooler quickly looked up at their father- their red eyes wavering as their minds processed what their superior and parent had just said to them.
"Father. You don't mean-" the young Frieza uttered, only to be interrupted by his father's smile as he extended his hand toward them.
"Just like my father before me- Emperor Storm- I am passing on the keys to my kingdom to my descendants, and stepping down into a life of peace and comfort. After ruling this universe for so many centuries and witnessing countless civilizations rise, fall and burn, I feel that I have seen and done enough to warrant a quiet end to my rule. My decision on this is final," King Cold informed, lowering his arm and setting it against his arm rest. When he saw his two boys lower their heads once more, the Emperor continued. "I shall split up the territories based on the information given to me by Berryblue. For my oldest son, Cooler, I shall give you sectors forty two through to sixty eight of the northern quadrant. Lord Frieza shall receive all of the remaining central sectors in the northern and eastern quadrants, and the major bulk of the Cold Force- including the Saiyans of Planet Vegeta, and all of their outlying territories. They are an effective workforce after all, so be sure to make good use of them, child."
Grinning at hearing this news, the youngest sibling lowered his head in a bow. "I am honored, father." Seeing his parent raise his hand and bid him to approach, the horned youngster stood up and casually approached the steps to where his parent was sitting, leaving Cooler where he was kneeling.
The oldest sibling however, after hearing what his father had to say, was stumped.
When Frieza noticed Cooler remaining where he was, the youngest stopped and looked behind him inquisitively. At the same time King Cold tilted his head and gave the brother a curious look.
"What's wrong, son?"
Eyes searching the air in front of him for a moment, the still kneeling prince looked up and fixed his stare on his parent. "Father… those sectors you gave me… they are right on the edge of our empire's borders. There are hardly any major or fertile worlds out there… and barely any large communities or capitals. There's nothing but barren wastelands and wild space beyond them. So… so why…?"
King Cold smiled and shrugged, "Why? Well… the answer to that is actually quite simple, my son. Considering the incredible job you did across all of Messiah Grey 12- uniting the populaces under our banner and tapping into their people as a source of great riches and manpower- you have proven to me that you are indeed gifted with the ability to make something out of nothing. It would be a waste of your potential to put your keen mind to work on worlds that are already capable of governing and sustaining themselves. Thus I am giving you the territories along our borders to help strengthen and expand our empire. Perhaps to even the unknown regions of space."
Cooler, unable to wipe the shocked look from his face, clenched his teeth and tightened his snout. "B-But… that's grunt work… a scout commander's duty…"
"And I'm sure you'll do a great job, my son," Cold exclaimed, at the same time raising his hand and waving for his boy to head off. "This meeting is officially concluded. You may take your leave now. Be sure to link up with Captain Salza and Kikono-san, and have them assemble the seventh and eighth naval forces. I'm sure that you'll find their help to be most useful to you on your future exploits."
Hearing this and seeing the smug smile thrown back at him from Frieza, caused Cooler's fists to clench and blood to boil. When he saw his younger brother march up the steps to join their father at his side, while at the same time receive an approving look from the man himself, the older sibling snarled angrily before then standing up.
Right now, he'd had enough.
"You're always spoiling him!" Cooler shouted, at the same time reaching up and pointing at his younger sibling, causing both Frieza and Cold to look in his direction. When he saw their eyes land on him, the clearly frustrated prince growled before bringing his hand down and slapping it against his chest. "All these years… all these years… I've given everything I have to you and the empire, father! I worked! I served! I trained! I studied for hours on end, every single day- looking for new ways to expand the trade and advance our kingdom! I resolved the Red Sun Syndicate Crisis years ago, led the mercy missions to major worlds when they were struck by cosmic famine, and even stopped a massive super nova from wiping out one of your capital planets while you were off on a diplomatic mission to Beerus-sama's world!" He then stepped forward and continued his angry tirade. "After everything I did… after all the years I sacrificed for you… I deserve to inherit the major systems of your empire! Yet you give the lion's share to Frieza!" The sweat that appeared on Cooler's brow and the veins that appeared in his eyes showed how infuriated the boy now was. "I'm your oldest son! I deserve more!"
Frowning when he heard his son finish his angry tirade, King Cold glared down at the boy as he panted away. When a moment of tense silence came and went, the large emperor suddenly moved- rising up from his throne and causing a loud creak to echo throughout the chamber. Seeing the supreme leader remove himself from his seat caused Berryblue to float away, while Frieza and Cooler both dropped to their knees.
His cape falling behind him and tail waving, the hulking King Cold then proceeded down the steps- his footfalls causing loud thumps to echo off of the throne hall's stone walls.
Atmosphere intensifying, Cooler kept his gaze down while his father descended the rest of the steps. During which time, the young prince then heard the man speak.
"The truth of the matter is that you, my dear boy, aren't fit to rule the major regions and vassals of my empire. Not even close," King Cold informed, his feet continuing to stomp down the steps before eventually reaching the floor. "When you were first born, I'd hoped you would be just like our ancestors were. Cold, cruel, pitiless, and powerful- someone who possessed the same heart and resolve to become the next Grand Emperor- the next Destroyer- just like your great grandfather before you. You had all the advantages in the universe handed to you and more." Continuing across the floor, the large tyrant then stopped several feet from the boy and glared down at him. "Yet despite your great strength of spirit, drive, and meticulously sharp intellect… you lacked the same power and potential to become a true tyrant. That, along with your misplaced sense of compassion for lower lifeforms, and insufferable desire for constant improvement in all facets of existence… made you unworthy to inherit my position." The man's frown deepened. "I'd hoped that in time, you would grow out of these little flaws and immaturities polluting your otherwise promising nature. But it seems that… I was mistaken."
Cooler blinked in confusion, before then looking up at the towering alien above him. "I… I did everything that you ever wanted of me. I did everything that a leader would do… a true leader. Someone that our people would look up to and respect."
"Yes. A leader… but not an emperor," Cold replied, lifting his head and glaring down at the child beneath him. "The emperor needed to rule my kingdom is someone who strikes terror into the hearts of every living being who hears his name- someone who is willing to destroy and take innocent lives without a second thought. Your brother has proven himself to be a true master in this field- as shown by his willingness to obey my orders and wipe out all the worlds he was tasked with eliminating without a second thought." He nodded towards his youngest son, whom he sensed glance up and smirk. "His cold-heartedness, unquestioning arrogance, and raw power are all the traits necessary for him to become the next supreme ruler of the universe. Perhaps someone who can even surpass Lord Beerus someday. His potential is exceptional after all. But you… no action you ever performed in your life was without thought… and all endeavors you ever undertook were completed by your vision. Your design. Quaint… but meaningless in the big picture." The father's lips twisted into a sneer as he glared down at his now shocked son. "Your heart and mind make you soft, unbalanced, and weak. And weakness is not a trait needed in my family. You, my son, are a disappointment… and a failure."
Snapping, Cooler's expression immediately twisted into one of rage, before his power level spiked. With a howl of anger, the young prince's purple aura exploded around him and tore a crater into the floor- incinerating his cape as the carapace armor plating covering his body fractured, before exploding. When a blast of fire exploded across the throne room- warping the pillars and the air- the smoke then cleared to reveal the prince had transformed to his Fourth and Final form- his purple skin throbbing with veins, and smooth carapace plates glowing under the heat of his energy.
While Frieza appeared stunned to see his older brother jump to his last form, his father King Cold merely stood in place, while feeling the winds of his son's aura blast him in the face.
With a loud yell, Cooler sprang off of the ground and lunged at his dad in rage, drawing his fist back for a punch. But before he could even get within reach of the towering form of his parent, King Cold suddenly lifted his right hand ever so slightly, aimed his palm at the floor, before launching an attack.
In an instant, multiple pink Death Beams shot straight down from all five of Cold's fingers, which bounced off the floor and struck Cooler in the torso. All five projectiles exploded immediately on impact, filling the air with a flash of fire as they sent the oldest son flying back several yards across the throne room to crash into the hard ground. The moment the stunned alien's back slammed into the marble surface and skidded across the flat of the floor, the eight Royal Guards stationed beside King Cold's throne suddenly vanished into thin air.
The moment Cooler's smoldering body slid to a stop, the eight Royal Guards of the Blizzard Corp reappeared around the prince, dropped into fighting stances, and aimed their respective weapons at him- the ends of them lighting up red and humming brightly as they were set to skewer him should he move another inch.
King Cold however stopped them with a quick wave of his hand. The moment he gestured for the eight guards to back away, they immediately did- retracting their weapons in the process.
"Insolent child! Unsheathing your full power on me! Consider yourself lucky that you are my own flesh and blood, otherwise I would've killed you on the spot," King Cold stated, watching as the stunned and clearly shaken Cooler scrambled up into a sitting position to stare back at him. Tail waving, the completely calm and collected father grunted as he turned his shoulder to the boy and waved him off. "I will overlook this outburst today. Now take what you have earned and leave for your assigned sectors, before I change my mind. I have business to discuss with your brother."
Without another word, Cold turned his back on Cooler and marched over to his throne, where his youngest boy was waiting. Initially the older sibling wanted to speak up and call his father back. But upon feeling the pain from the blunted beams searing against his chest and seeing the eight royal guards glaring at him from behind their visors, the young princess quickly thought it best not to argue any further.
So, picking up whatever dignity he had left, along with himself, Cooler stood, turned around, and limped out of the throne room. All the while he watched from the corner of his eye as King Cold and Frieza looked back at him, observing him leave through the giant double doors at the end of the room.
That moment would be the last time the three members of the family would ever share the same room as one another for next couple of decades…
(End Flashback)
XXX
(Present)
(Orbiting Star 136)
Having been posted on the bridge of his vessel for a majority of the morning, Cooler could be found standing in front of the enormous, dome barrier of his ship's main viewing window. With his hands behind his back and tail swishing casually behind him, the young prince of the Planet Trade Organization and leader of the Cooler Force allowed his thoughts to wander.
The subjects that blinked in and out of his nebulous varied from serious to trivial. Most of the time he would be pondering over his current and next assignment, as well as the number of deals he would be able to strike with the clients looking to purchase his services. When the thoughts became dull and he found himself caught in a loop, he would then find himself briefly flickering through memories of his past- scenes and moments involving the dysfunctional members of his family, and growing up under the stern guidance of his father. Based on the expression of discomfort currently pulled across his mug, it was clear the young lord didn't quite enjoy looking back on some of these memories.
For a while it seemed like Cooler would be spending most of his day stuck in this clearly distressing meditation. But as fate would have it, the man was about to get a much needed period of reprieve, as his attendant Berryblue suddenly came floating into the room- her hands behind her back and her usual smile clearly stretched across her lips.
"Lord Cooler. Captain Salza and his team have returned," the female assistant spoke, at the same time drifting toward the side to make way for the soldiers in question.
Perking up at hearing this, the young, lizard prince did an immediate wheel around. When his eyes fell upon the floor space of the deck behind him, he was immediately greeted by the sight of the five members of his elite commando unit marching in through the main entrance- all of whom were dressed in new sets of their signature squadron uniforms and armor, and sporting newly provided scouter units. With Salza and Neiz walking at the front of the formation, Cooler also saw that the team was accompanied by the three kitsune-seijin children he remembered seeing in the hologram transmission- the trio walking in alongside the familiar, now noticeably stronger looking Son Gohan.
The moment the group stopped before the young emperor, all of them immediately set their right arms over their torsos and bowed to him- with Kida and her friends quickly copying the group's actions.
"Greetings, sire," the entire squad greeted in unison.
Feeling a smile tug at his black lips, Cooler then calmly strolled towards the group, all the while waving towards them with his hand. "At ease, men." Watching the group return to normal standing positions, the young ruler of this quadrant of space and head of the force then stopped before the group and looked between them. "I'm glad to see you all made it back to the ship in one piece. Excellent work." Taking note of the various changes they'd undergone, the alien prince nodded in approval before then turning his gaze towards the kitsune-seijin he could see peering up at him from behind Gohan. "Ah. I take it these three little ones are our newfound guests from CP-179?"
When all eyes fell on the kids, Salza nodded affirmatively. "Yes, sir. That's them. Kida, Rei and Riko."
Realizing that Cooler was studying them, the demi-Saiyan youngster standing in the way of the girls turned to them, smiled and beckoned them forward. After sharing tentative gazes with their savior, the three fox girls then slowly and cautiously moved forward, coming to stand in front of the alien ruler's shadow with their hands in front of them and nervous looks on their faces.
A few seconds then followed after that, in which the purple-skinned prince inspected the three kitsune one after the other. In that time, Rei was able to give Kida the last of the Tree of Might fruit that they had in their possession, the latter of whom then took it into two hands, moved forward, and held the prize out to the alien royal. She bowed her head at the same time when she saw the man's red eyes fix upon her.
"A gift for you, Cooler-sama," Kida said in a low voice, her eyes closed and her body stiffened in a clear sign of nervousness. "From my friends and my home planet."
Seeing the girl shiver as she held the fruit out to him, the curious Cooler reached out and took the fruit being offered to him by the girls. "So… this is the fruit that was the cause of all the chaos that unfolded on your world? A fruit born of the legendary Tree of the Kais? Otherwise known as the Tree of Might." Holding it up and turning it, looking the studded ball over for a few moments, the alien ruler smiled and lowered it to his side. "Thank you. This is a most generous gift."
Realizing the young emperor was returning her gratitude with his own, Kida nervously stepped back and turned to her friends, who she happily clasped hands with. As the trio whispered and giggled excitedly with one another in their own circle, under the watch of the moved members of Cooler's Armored Squadron, the young prince and leader of this branch of the PTO turned to his squad.
"I look forward to hearing the stories you five have to share with me of your journeys across the quadrant and outer rim territories. But right now, I wish to speak with Gohan," Cooler informed, his attention shifting from the adults in the squadron to the boy standing behind the trio of fox girls. When he saw the Saiyan hybrid straighten up, the alien warlord glanced up at Salza and Myra. "If you don't mind, I would like this to be a conversation between the two of us."
Nodding, the captain and female members of the squadron bowed. "Of course, my lord," the latter whispered.
With their request given, the group of adults then promptly left the bridge, with Neiz having to round up Gohan's newly made friends and physically lead them out. Though the girls were reluctant to leave their savior, the demi-Saiyan gestured to them that he would be fine, and Kida, Rei and Riko promptly and willingly followed Myra and her team out. Once the double-doors of the bridge sealed shut behind them and silence fell over the bridge once again, this left Gohan, Cooler and Berryblue standing alone on the deck.
As the beeping of the nearby computer terminals rung in the background, the wild-haired Saiyan boy faced down the young prince as he stood before him. Fixed with proper posture, the purple alien then suddenly stepped to the side, and nodded for the boy to follow him. As Cooler began to walk, Gohan promptly fell in step of him, leaving Berryblue to watch from behind as the pair ventured over to the bridge's main viewing window at the front of the vessel's main control room.
"Now, tell me… how have you been these past several months?" Cooler asked curiously, strolling slowly alongside the youngster. "Has working on the force been good for you? Has the team been treating you well?"
Realizing conversation had begun between the two of them, Gohan cleared his throat and smiled back at the alien prince. "Oh, y-yes. Yes, sir. All of my teammates have been incredibly fair and kind to me… especially Myra-nee. I've enjoyed working with her and every one of them, and they've done so much to help me improve my skills and become stronger." The boy looked up at the taller alien and put on a warm smile. "I don't think I ever would've come this far without their guidance."
"Good. That's very good to hear," Cooler replied, smiling to himself while keeping his gaze fixed ahead of him as he sauntered on at a comfortable pace. "It seems that I was right to insert you into their ranks and charge them with overseeing your development and education. After only a few short months, you've not only grown as a warrior, but you've also become an incredibly valuable member of their squad- someone who they can rely on and trust, especially during their most difficult assignments."
"Indeed, sire," Gohan stuttered a little, before clenching his fists and taking a steady breath to calm himself. "There were a few jobs we received that were incredibly tricky to complete. But thanks to all of us working together and helping each other out, even when we were outnumbered and outgunned a thousand to one, we were able to pull through those fights with little issue."
"Oh, I'm well aware of that," Cooler chuckled, keeping a hand behind his back as he strolled around the bridge with the child keeping pace alongside him. "The reports you and your team have been sending back to me have been incredibly well-detailed. The ops you performed and spearheaded on several hostile worlds were especially riveting… and that's not even counting your latest mission to CP-179." The alien cocked a brow as he glanced down at the child walking next to him. "The data we received from your group's battle with the Saiyan Pirate, Turles, was a real eye-opener. A power level clocking over fifty million?" The young prince chuckled. "Now that certainly caught my attention."
"Well… it wasn't an easy fight, I can tell you that. Though I did manage to overpower him later on in the fight, it was thanks to our teamwork and Kida's help that we were able to walk away from that skirmish alive," Gohan informed, wanting to put the spotlight on his friends, who practically carried most of the fight in the lead up to their opponent's monstrous power boost. It was only after that when things all went to hell. "While I may have beaten him, I was only able to pull it off after recovering and pushing my body past its limits-"
"And tapping into your fabled Super Saiyan powers?" Cooler asked, causing the youngster to stop short before shooting him a rather mischievous grin. "Thought I didn't know? Well, unlike my younger brother, I don't judge people based solely on superficial numbers and surface-level powers, nor am I so quick to dismiss the theories and ideas of common folk. I'm also far more studious than he is and prefer using my brains to solve my problems, rather than let my ego cloud my judgement. After all, you can't fix a broken down machine just by hitting it with a really large hammer and threatening it. There's a lot more to it than that." Stopping in front of the control room's main window, the ruler kept his left arm pressed behind him while the other continued to hold onto the fruit of the Tree of Might. During which time the man turned to face the child beside him properly. "Most legends in this universe are born from truth. When I look at something, I always tend to look beyond what can be seen… and try to figure out exactly what makes that thing tick. I like to break things down, analyze their true nature, and then cultivate them. Whether or not they grow into something special in the future takes time, but you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish with the right amount of work and effort."
Gohan, swallowing somewhat nervously, nodded back to the young man. "A wise policy, sir. You can definitely go a long way by acting smart and having a strong work ethic. Neiz-san and Myra-nee certainly think so… and so do I." The boy then grinned at him. "That must be why so many people look up to you and respect you. I bet you must've worked yourself to the bone building the kingdom that you now have."
A light laugh left the young lord's lips after he processed the youngster's flattering remark. "Well, politics to my family is practically the same thing as fighting- it's always a one-sided massacre. Only in my case, I didn't have to rely on my father's former prestige as Grand Emperor to construct my branch of the empire. I started building mine virtually from the ground up." Smile disappearing for the moment, Cooler then glanced out the window and started looking out across the stars. "Have you heard much about the other members of my family?"
Blinking a couple of times, Gohan then reached up and scratched the back of his head. "Only what Myra-nee and the others have told me. They said that your younger brother was incredibly feared, cruel and powerful… and that your father was the greatest of your entire race. He also controls most of the known universe, if I remember right."
"Unofficially, yes," Cooler answered, straightening his back and inhaling deeply. "The members of my family are considered some of the most powerful beings to ever exist in the cosmos- regarded as mutants by the majority of our species due to our abnormally high power levels. What's more, to accompany our high battle strength, those in my bloodline are also born with incredibly merciless natures and unbelievable levels of cruelty. While my father and brother wholeheartedly embrace these traits, I myself came to believe that relying solely on them was a flaw, as it not only limited my abilities to think and command, but also blinded me to so many possibilities- such as seeing the potential within people and giving others the benefit of a doubt. Ruling through reason and evenhandedness rather than through fear gives me far more than what I could get from simply haphazardly annihilating everything in my path- though I admittedly like to flex a small measure of terror to remind people of the consequences should they step out of line. And it was following this very view that molded me into the ruler you see today."
Nodding in understanding, Gohan allowed his mind to process the information the young prince shared with him. It was a bit unusual to the young boy to hear the leader of their forces, the prince himself, talking to him about stuff that would otherwise be considered personal. That wasn't even counting the fact that he was talking for so long and to him of all people. Now while the demi-Saiyan appreciated the time and effort the ruler and leader was giving him, talking about himself and having this brief one-on-one between them, Gohan suspected that there had to be a very good reason for it.
The answer to that question revealed itself a few minutes later. Following a moment of tense silence between the imposing alien and the Saiyan child, Cooler decided to finally get to the meat of why he asked to meet with the child personally.
"When Myra and Dore brought you to me, I first didn't think you were anything special. I thought you were just an ordinary, vagrant Saiyan child that managed to escape my younger brother's genocide of your people, and left stranded on a wild, alien planet on the edge of one of the northern galaxies. But when I heard what my two best soldiers had to say about your strength and glimpsed the fire burning in your eyes as you faced me, I knew right away that this wasn't a child that I should dismiss and turn away. This was a child that should be trained," Cooler stated, tearing his eyes away from the glass to look down at the youngster. Meeting the inquisitive stare of the youngster, the alien with white carapace plates and purple skin smiled. "Now that you've had time to adjust to your new environment, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Of course, sir. Anything," Gohan chirped, appearing momentarily taken aback that the ruler of this part of the universe was making a request to him, rather than simply giving him a straight out order.
Smiling broadly, Cooler- his face calm and collected- then spoke his next words without hesitation. "The Planet Trade Organization was a business created by my ancestors as a way to make a living off of the task given to them by the God of Destruction- Beerus."
The demi-Saiyan blinked. "Your… family were given orders by a God?"
"Yes," Cooler nodded, his smile remaining ever present across his lips. "Due to our connection to the God of Destruction's throne, my family was charged with the monitoring, conquering, and destruction of multiple worlds across the universe while the Destroyer was undergoing his regular hibernation cycle. All of the systems my family was tasked with overseeing and clearing was handed to us on a list by Lord Beerus himself. However, while I myself have been performing my part of our duties down to the exact number, my father has allowed my younger brother to go off the reservation and destroy planets not authorized by Lord Beerus. Countless races have perished because of his actions and, as a result, the number of species previously living in the cosmos has dropped considerably." Cooler's smile faded when the thought of what his parent was doing hit him hard. "My guess is that my father is grooming my younger brother to become the next God of Destruction after Beerus."
Gohan balked when he heard this, before frowning deeply. "What would you like me to do?"
Cooler then allowed a smile to form on his face. "I want you to help me to kill my brother and my father." Noticing the surprised look that came over the child's face, the alien stepped a little closer to him, while Berryblue observed the pair silently from a distance- a very mysterious smile pulled across her own lips. "I know it's a big thing to ask of my subordinate… and frankly you probably don't want to get involved in my family's personal business. But as things currently are, I don't have the strength to stand up to both of them at once. I don't have any other options."
"R-Really?" Gohan asked, while at the same time looking his superior over. "But… you're already so powerful."
"True. But while I'm confident I can defeat my brother at my current level, my father is something else altogether," Cooler replied, while at the same time swinging his tail anxiously behind him. "There are few people in our empire that are aware of this, but like Frieza, our father is actually suppressing a massive chunk of his power through various restricted forms. Though I only ever glimpsed it once, when my father reaches his final form… he's virtually unstoppable. There isn't a being in the universe capable of standing up to his might. Except perhaps… a Super Saiyan."
When he said this, Gohan's expression changed. "A Super Saiyan? You mean…?"
This in turn had the young prince narrow his eyes. "The strength of your people's legendary transformation is exactly what I need to overthrow my father and brother, and take their place as supreme commander of the organization." Cooler then lifted his head. "I know it's a retched thing to ask. I'm not a good man by any stretch, nor am I a worthy one, as my hands are also stained with the blood and death of millions. But if you join me on this task and agree to fight alongside me when the time comes, I will grant you anything you desire. Wealth, power, subjects, a home and galaxy of your choosing… anything you want. Just name it… and I will make it happen."
Lowering his head, the child pondered over the ruler's request. Carefully weighing the scales in his head and processing the information he'd been given- the situation with Cooler's family, the state of affairs within the current universe, the missions he'd been sent on to destroy hostile targets and save innocent people, as well as all the other facts he'd been made aware of over the past several months- Gohan was given a good, clear picture of the world around him.
Upon evaluating all of this, the young hero then clenched his fists and looked back up at the alien lord. "You said that your father at full strength was unstoppable, right? That he's the most powerful member of your race?" When Gohan saw Cooler nod back, the boy then felt a smile tug at his lips, which then transformed into a full blown grin. "He sounds like someone who will be fun to fight. If you'll permit me, I'd like to get a shot at him… as long as I get to keep working for you and having a good time with my friends."
This was all Cooler needed to hear, the alien warrior putting on a grin, before bringing his right hand up with the Tree of Might fruit firmly in hand. "I will be sure to reward you properly when the time comes. But, for safety's sake, be sure to keep this conversation a secret between us. Understand?" After saying this and seeing Gohan nod back to him, the prince then took a big bite out of the fruit he was holding, chewed it, and gulped it down. He then waited for a moment for something big to happen, which then led to him glancing down at the ball a few seconds later and smacking his lips. "Hm. Interesting flavor… and it's got quite a kick to it too. Though I'm still not sure what all the fuss was about." He then promptly held it out and placed it in Gohan's hand when he extended it out of reflex. "Here. As a sign of good faith between us. Tell your three kitsune girlfriends I'm grateful."
When the pair exchanged one last look, the alien tyrant then promptly turned around and walked off. At first a bit surprised by the man's offering Gohan, remained where he was for a few moments, before eventually realizing he'd been dismissed. Smile returning, the boisterous, energetic youngster turned heel and jogged out of the bridge's control room, leaving Berryblue alone with the young prince.
Upon seeing the door close behind the child, the blue-skinned attendant quietly floated over to where her lord was standing and beamed at him when she saw he was staring out into space. "That young man shows a lot of promise."
Cooler chuckled in a low voice, "Indeed. And the best thing about it is that I can tell he's only just beginning to tap into his dormant powers. Despite his immense increase in strength, we've only just scratched the surface as to what he's truly capable of." He then glanced over his shoulder at the woman behind him. "With enough training, he might even become strong enough to surpass Lord Beerus in a few years time."
Lowering her head, the levitating female then proceeded on to her next objective at hand. "Should I prepare your pod to go take care of those planets listed on the mission dossier?"
Pondering on the question for a moment, the alien warlord waved his tail and shook his head. "No. I think I'll go out and stretch my legs for this one. If I'm going to be gearing up for a battle against my family, I'll need all the training I can get."
Berryblue nodded in understanding. "Of course, sire."
OOO
(Sometime later)
Upon reuniting with his team in the mess hall- and noticing that Myra wasn't among them- Gohan was able to give Salza and the others a quick overview about what he and Cooler talked about. Though he wisely omitted all of the details regarding the young prince asking for his assistance to one day take down both his younger brother and his father, the youngster was proud to say that the lord was impressed with his work so far, and praised him openly. The feedback he was able to detail and the commendations he received had proven to be both enlightening and uplifting, which in turn earned him several well-earned pats on the back from Dore and Neiz.
Salza on the other hand merely smiled and nodded to him respectfully, as you would expect from the proud captain of the squadron.
After sharing a round of drinks with his squad- the demi-Saiyan having a juice instead of alcohol- as well as a feast in which the boy split some of the fruit left to him by Cooler with the others, Gohan then decided to head on back to his room for a nap.
Kida, Riko and Rei, wanting to stay by the boy's side, promptly joined him on his return journey to his old bunk area and allowed the youngster to lead them around the multitude of winding corridors of the large vessel. Along the way the young soldier showed the three of them all of the important areas on the saucer, including the bathrooms, the canteen area, and the sleeping quarters. He also used the markings on the signs to give them clues as to which way they had to go in order to properly navigate around the maze, so that they could return to wherever they started.
"Cooler-sama's ship is so massive," Riko commented as she gazed up at the well-lit ceiling of the hallway above them, at the same time she and her friends made their way through the officer's sleeping area. "Wow. Not even the merchant vessels and transports that came to our planet were ever this big. Even the biggest ones only carried about twenty or so people."
"And there are so many alien races wandering around that we've never seen before," Kida also remarked, watching as a green, amphibian alien in RIT armor marched past them, at the same time saluting to Gohan. When the child saluted back, the group carried on as usual, with the leader of the kitsune moving closer to the male youngster. "I guess the prince's empire truly is as large and diverse as I heard it was. The amount of people living under his banner is simply astonishing."
Gohan smiled across at her when he saw the blue-furred girl move up alongside him. "It may feel a little weird and overwhelming at first, but I'm sure you guys will get used to it in a few weeks. That is… if you're planning on staying with us for that long."
At first looking back at the boy in surprise, Kida quickly moved closer to him as they continued walking and leaned into his shoulder. The act of doing so caused Gohan to stumble into the white-furred Rei's shoulder- the most serious member of the group also closing the distance between them and sandwiching the young male in the middle.
"O-Of course we want to stay longer," the blue kitsune said.
"We don't have a people or a home to return to anymore. We have nowhere else to go," Riko said, stopping in front of Gohan and causing the hybrid to balk when she stepped right up to him. This interjection also allowed Kida and Rei to lean against his arms better, their tails wagging and eyes gazing widely and anxiously at him. "If… If it isn't too much trouble… we would like to be able to stay with you and your team on your ship."
"All three of us," the white-furred Rei said, while at the same time gazing down at the slightly shorter male warrior. "We'll do anything we can to contribute and provide for Cooler-sama's kingdom. We'll even work for your squad as servants-"
"Or soldiers," Kida also said, her expression being as firm as her compatriots as they practically swamped Gohan in the middle of that corridor and bombarded him with feelings of warm intent, causing the startled hybrid to look between each of them in a stunned fashion. "My people are incredible hunters, trackers, and fighters. The three of us can train and get stronger. Strong enough to fight alongside you and your friends, aid you in your adventures, and assist you on your assignments. All we need is a chance."
"Please, Gohan-kun," Riko said, her voice breaking as she laid her hands against the front of his body armor.
Immediately sensing the seriousness in the three girls, especially from the way all of them were looking at them with such intense looks in their wide eyes, Gohan hurriedly put on a grin and waved them back. Managing to get back enough room to breathe, the wild-haired child chuckled. "Okay. Okay. I'll ask Myra-nee… see what she can do. But I'm sure my team will be more than happy to bring you guys along on our next trip." When he saw the three initially worried kitsune-seijin brighten up, the demi-Saiyan used that moment to ease himself through and direct them down the corridor. "Come on. My room is just past that door."
Prying himself out of the circle the now ecstatic fox girls had formed around him, Gohan led his anthropomorphic friends to the very door that was the entrance to his bunk aboard Cooler's capital ship. Upon keying in the code needed for him to access the room, the hybrid smiled in satisfaction when he heard the 'ping' of approval from the touch pad before the door slid open in front of him.
The half-Saiyan then stepped into the dimly lit room, expecting to find it empty with his bed left exactly as he'd left it the last time he was here. However, both Gohan and the three kitsune following him received quite a surprise when they spotted Myra sitting the dark. Her back against the room's main window and body facing the entrance- the adolescent female was wearing a set of casual spandex, had a small table in front of her, and a candle flickering on top of it.
The instant she saw Gohan step through the threshold with his three fox friends, the orange-haired Hera then brought her hands out from under the table and fired off a party cracker. The loud pop caused Kida and her friends to jump and hide behind the Saiyan as confetti cascaded over the boy, who blinked in confusion when he saw Myra's signature, cheerful grin directed squarely at him.
"Surprise," the adolescent female chuckled, watching as her partner's friends peered out from around his arms like a couple of nervous pups. Setting the empty, smoking cracker down, Myra looked up to see her friend was still standing in place and looking completely baffled. "I figured I would come back to the room early to catch you off guard. Gods know I would never be able to do it anywhere else, since your senses are so damn sharp. But it looks like it worked."
His brain finally catching up as Kida and her friends continued to hang onto him nervously and peer around his shoulders, Gohan tilted his head at his smiling roommate and slowly asked the question, "W-What's all this, Myra-nee?" His eyes were noticeably cast down towards the metal table unfolded in front of the Hera.
Grinning when she saw the boy finally notice the small cake with the single candle burning on top of it, Myra then held her hands out. "Well… after all the time we've been spending together, shooting across the cosmos and going from one spirit-hazing assignment to the next, it just occurred to me that neither of us really, completely welcomed you into our lives. So, considering all of the months that'd passed since we first met- and since you said so yourself that you were four and a half at the time you were on that wild planet- I figured I would crack out a little something to mark this special occasion. Though I do have to apologize for how late it is."
When the teenager stopped to allow Gohan a moment to process what she'd said, the Hera then watched in amusement as the boy's ticked through his innocent, charcoal eyes. A few moments later, and after seeing Kida, Riko and Rei step out from behind him, the child finally realized what she was attempting to do, and looked up at her with astonishment reflected in his gaze.
"Wait. You mean this is-?"
Myra, shrugging her bare shoulders, then smiled happily at the boy. "Happy fifth Birthday, Gohan-kun."
Once he realized what all this fuss was about- with the party cracker being a big give away, the demi-Saiyan child was completely powerless to stop his own smile from coming back full force. Seconds later, the child found himself jogging across the room and throwing his arms around Myra-nee in a big, well-deserved hug, which the Hera happily returned and embraced the boy warmly.
After a full minute of sharing affections, the pair separated and wasted no time in inviting Kida and her friends into their room. Once the door was shut and the lights were back on, the group of five sat down around the small, metal table seated between the two bunks, where Myra and the kitsune-seijin were able to part onto Gohan their best wishes and good fortunes for passing the fifth checkpoint of his lifecycle. When he returned their praises with words and gestures of gratitude to each of them, the boy then blew out the candle of his cake, before helping to cut it.
From there, the group enjoyed their small, afternoon birthday celebration inside the small, two-person room, in which they swapped stories, played games, and enjoyed the remainder of the Tree of Might fruit Gohan had gotten back from Cooler. Though the boy didn't have a single piece of it himself, he was fully content with basking in the joy he was able to experience with the one person he was able to become so close to in his time up here in space- along with the three newcomers who'd also entered his life.
With the events of the battle on CP-179 now slowly becoming a memory that they would not soon forget, Gohan was now left to wonder what was going to happen to him next.
It was a big universe after all. But following his fight with the Saiyan pirate Turles on the kitsune-seijin's home world, the hybrid was convinced that aside from the members of Cooler's family, there was no way he was going to come across another crazy strong foe for a while…
XXX
(Meanwhile)
(Many, many lightyears away)
Panting heavily as he sprinted across a mountainous area in the center of a desert area, a battered and burnt young, adult male of lower than average height and lean build, could be seen stumbling towards a rocky outcrop near his locations. Wearing a set of white boots and gloves, tattered blue spandex, and the remains of what was originally a full set of Saiyan body armor, the black haired man with a single bang hanging in front of his short, spiky locks, and a brown tail waving behind him, gasped desperately as he clumsily stumbled between a line of rocks- clutching his side all the while.
Judging from his current state, it was clear that the stranger was in an incredibly bad way. Not only was he bleeding from multiple cuts and wounds all over his body- having obviously sustained them during a fight- he also had a massive gash in his side, which had torn through his body armor, and was causing him to leave a trail of blood with every footfall. He was also bleeding from the corners of his mouth and sporting a very bad limp, which was making fleeing a very painful exercise for him.
One eye closed as a small trickle of blood dribbled down his forehead, the young Saiyan male suddenly staggered to a stop when he saw that his path was blocked by a wall of rock. Looking up at it in alarm, he then ran up to the barrier and attempted to reach up for a groove overhead. Struggling and grunting as he attempted to climb it, the desperate, wounded Saiyan tried several times to hoist himself up.
Boots scraping and glove clawing helplessly at the cliff's face, the boy then gave a yelp as his body slid down it and his legs crumpled, dropping him to his knees at the foot of the tor. Panting as his head dipped, he then took a minute to catch his breath and regain his bearings.
That minute didn't last for long at all, as the sound of feet touching down directly behind him caused both his eyes to widen in horror and his breathing to still. Slowly turning around at the feeling of a cold shadow looming over him, the injured, barely functioning Saiyan male's gaze landed on the bare torso of the foe that'd been pursuing him.
Slowly and fearfully trailing up the taut, smooth stomach of the individual, the winded young man then saw a large, barely-covered chest situated above the torso, a set of broad shoulders blocking out the sun, and a round, familiar face glaring down at him from above them. Noting the length of long, blonde hair hanging off of their head and waving in the wind, and a pair of blood red eyes with two perpendicular lines going across them glaring at him from under the shadow cast by their long fringe, the Saiyan also noticed through his terrified gaze a series of odd, red markings tattooing their body in various places.
These markings- though appearing tribal at first- and were visible due to the person's scantily clad form, more or less resembled sets of computer lines. The person's face in fact had three of these lines evident in certain places- one going up their chin, and two larger ones tattooed over their eyes that moved across their forehead.
Recognizing the painted face of his pursuer glaring down at him, the horrified young male turned around fully and collapsed against the side of the outcrop. Gasping in panic and pain, the man clutched his side and shakily lifted a hand towards his enemy, whose eyes he saw narrow harder on his person.
"W-Wait… please… wait…" the man gasped, his voice hoarse and low, which clearly indicated how exhausted he was. "W-Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking me? I… I didn't do anything to you. I didn't harm anyone. So… why…?"
At first the dark-skinned foe said nothing and simply stood over the cornered warrior without a hint of change in their expression. After several seconds though, the figure spoke. "On the contrary… you Saiyans have attacked and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people across the cosmos for centuries- robbing them of their possessions and their lives without hesitation or remorse. As far as I'm concerned, your race has done plenty of harm… especially to my own."
The spiky haired man looked up with a start. "Y-You know… what I am? Where I'm from?" Staring up at the tall stranger in shock for a couple of seconds, the tired fighter gulped. "Who… Who the heck are you?"
Even judging their unique appearance, the boy didn't recognize them at all. They were humanoid in species and bipedal, yet their brown skin and blonde hair didn't ring any bells. Not even the red markings on the bare spots of their flesh gave any indication to what this person was. The only form of identification that the Saiyan was able to make out from his position against the cliff's base, was the black, scratched out Galactic Patrol marking on their left shoulder plate of their armor gauntlet.
Aside from that, there was nothing else.
However, as fate's cruel hand would have it, the attacker was more than happy to reveal their identity. When they did, the Saiyan felt his blood run cold.
"A remnant of a time long past- genetically engineered to be superior so as to liberate my race from extinction during a time of suffering and war… a war which we were then losing. But my conception came too late for my people and so I was cast off into the cold vacuum of space- exiled to the farthest reaches of the universe, never to see my home or family again. For centuries I slept… not knowing where I was or how far I'd traveled… until years later I was awoken… and discovered that my people were no more," the stranger spoke, her mature, womanly voice cutting through the air like ice as her red eyes suddenly flashed as they glared down at the startled Saiyan. "You monsters took them from me… and so I have come seeking vengeance."
Though it took the young Saiyan several moments of thought to realize what the female was saying, when his brain eventually clicked on an answer, his jaw dropped in horror.
"You're… a Tuffle?"
"Oh." The figure then lifted their head, at the same time clenching their right fist. "I'm much, much more than that," they hissed, causing the Saiyan male to shiver at their tone. "In me, I not only carry the will and strength of the Tuffle Race, but all of their dreams, all of their ambitions, and all of their sorrows. I am their last hope, cursed to bear the memories and hatred of my people, as well as that of my family and the great Tuffle King." The woman then narrowed her eyes as her jaw tightened, before she spoke in a deep voice with a metallic tang. "My name is Baby."
Before the Saiyan male could fully process this shock, just as he was lifting his hand to try and plead for mercy, the dark-skinned female with red face markings suddenly drew the pistol holstered on her belt, pointed it, and fired a light blue laser bolt through his chest. The round pierced straight through him with no effort, searing straight through his body and the stone plateau behind him in the blink of an eye.
Voice gone, the raven haired, wide-eyed Saiyan only had enough strength to cough out blood, before his gaze went black and his upper body hunched forward. He was dead before his hand even hit the floor.
Watching the smoke rising from the black patch over his heart, the blonde-haired Baby watched for several moments as she burned the image into her brain. Upon which she swung back her pistol and holstered it with a loud click, before giving a low, indignant grunt.
Dust rolling across the landscape under a stiff wind, the scantily clad, blonde Tuffle female then performed a quick bio-scan of the body, turned around, and walked away from the murder site. Moving out into the open away from the plateau, the adolescent-looking girl in white armored boots and gloves, tight purple thong, white collar armor that had only two purple plates barely covering her ample chest, and sporting a full arm gauntlet on her left arm, then lifted said limb up and pressed a button on her wrist pad.
The sharp beep was soon followed by a blue, holographic visor appearing over her eyes, before then being accompanied by the airspace shimmering in front of her.
When Baby looked up, she saw the solid, hologram image of an elderly-looking man with blue skin, a head of fuzzy grey hair, bushy mustache, and wearing light blue robes, white body armor with enlarged, green shoulder accents, and green pants, appear in the space in front of her. He also had a variety of unique bodily attributes, including engorged growths around his cranial area, a red left eye, and a white right eye. In addition to all of this, the individual appeared to be sitting on some weird, floating, metallic black ball with the texture of glass.
"You rang, Princess?" the old man asked in a deep voice.
In response, the blonde female sighed before shaking her head at the hologram. "Don't call me that, Raichi. I'm not a princess anymore."
"Well, you are still one to me- no matter how much you want to deny it. The blood that flows through your veins is that of the royal family's, after all," the elderly figure replied, placing his hands in his lap before leaning forward inquisitively. "Anyway, why did you summon me? Do you wish for me to bring the spaceship down to you now?"
"In a moment," Baby answered, before she then glanced back at the body she'd left back at the base of the tor. "First I want you to summon up all of the Saiyans that've died over the last decade. I want to take full stock of the numbers to see how my kill count is coming along."
The floating Doctor Raichi nodded, "As you wish, my lady." With only a wave of his hand, the hologram figure then summoned several more solid forms in front of him, all of whom quickly formed into a neat row in front of the Tuffle.
In the span of a few seconds, Baby found herself faces with over two dozen humanoid figures, both male and female alike, all standing in a straight line across the clearing in front of her. Though this collection of adults and children were nothing but mere illusions conjured out of vapor and computer code, the ghosts all acted one-hundred percent lifelike- tugging at their clothes and adjusting their postures as would any, ordinary person would. They also had their eyes glued onto the blonde, who immediately felt a surge of anger flood through her when she saw that all of them were Saiyans.
Most of them were adults and soldiers, as indicated by the trademark Saiyan battle armor that a number of them were wearing. However, as Baby started to move down the line of bodies, it soon became clear that the female had not discriminated between killing any of her targets. This was made clear when she passed not only a female Saiyan adult adorned in ordinary, civilian clothing carrying an infant with her, but a child Saiyan hybrid of only five years old. Barely flinching when she saw the ghost warriors staring back at her with sadness in their charcoal eyes, the woman then stopped when she happened upon the same Saiyan male that she had just shot minutes ago.
However, instead of appearing on the brink of death, the man now standing before her was fully healed and clothed- sporting the exact same armor he had in life leading up to his end.
Baby frowned at the ghost of the warrior she'd killed. "Give me the personal stats on this one. Who was this Saiyan that we just hunted?"
"Scanning," Doctor Raichi replied, a series of beeps ringing out before a cluster of lines and numbers appeared in Baby's hologram visor. "Subject Name: Tarble. Race: Saiyan. Gender: Male. Classification: Lower-Class Warrior- also formerly the second prince and youngest son of King Vegeta the Third."
The dark-skinned Tuffle glanced across at the floating old man in momentary surprise. "A member of the Saiyan royal family? Out here?"
The hologram of the elder responded with a nod. "Indeed. It seems you managed to reel in a big one this time."
Baby scoffed at this before she shrugged. "Hardly. He barely even put up a fight. His family probably sent him all the way to this dead-end world because his battle power was so pathetic." Taking a deep breath, she then sighed. "In any case, another dead Saiyan means a safer, more peaceful universe for everyone. The people of this quadrant can rest easy now that we've wiped another one from existence." With one last look over, the woman then took a deep breath and turned, proceeding further down the line of Saiyan ghosts.
After inspecting the familiar faces that awaited her, including a very portly Saiyan that was standing a couple bodies down from Tarble, Baby suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Looking ahead of her in confusion, she then backed up several paces and looked upon the face of one of the warriors in her collection. Blinking as she looked them over, the Tuffle then turned to her ship's A.I and pointed at the man in question.
"Who the hell is this? I don't remember seeing this Saiyan's face before."
What Baby found herself pointing at was the very dead, but seemingly alive face of a fully revived, fully armored ghost version of the Saiyan Pirate Turles, who was standing between his comrades with his hands on his hips and a confused look on his face. Since he wasn't expecting to be singled out by the blonde princess, the man's surprise was quite understandable.
Doctor Raichi, floating over to where Baby was standing, then narrowed his eyes on the Saiyan in question. "That… is a new one. He must have expired sometime in the last few weeks… probably killed on some far off and remote planet by a band of brigands." He then looked down momentarily in thought. "The Hachiyack super computer must've automatically absorbed his spiritual essence after he died and added his biological imprint to our systems."
"Who is he?" the woman snapped, at the same time frowning across at the Goku-look-a-like. She then nodded to the warrior. "Identify yourself."
The Saiyan straightened up in response. "My name is Turles, a Lower-Class Warrior born on the Planet Vegeta. Age: 25. I was dispatched on a top secret assignment years before the planet's destruction, in search of a weapon that could destroy Frieza and his family. When I heard of my race being wiped out, I decided not to return to the Frieza Force and became a mercenary instead."
Baby scoffed when she heard this. "Typical, murdering, cowardly Saiyans. All of you are exactly the same. You're a big threat when you're in a pack and fighting against a group of people far weaker than yourselves. But once you're all alone and up against someone stronger than you, you decide to show your true colors." Seeing the ghost's unflinching glare, she then narrowed her eyes on him. "How did you die? Tell me."
The spiky haired warrior in dark armor frowned. "I perished in a fierce battle on a world designated CP-179, a terrestrial planetoid residing within Emperor Cooler's territory. The individuals that killed me were members of his elite commando unit, famously known across the quadrant as Cooler's Armored Squadron."
"So you went down fighting against them, huh?" Baby remarked, before removing her hand from her hip, turning and beginning to walk away. "I guess that earns you some form of credit. At least you had a far more honorable death than most of your kin here." She was of course referring to the two dozen other Saiyan ghosts standing in the lineup- all of whom were watching and listening to her instructions. "We're approximately a full year's distance from Cooler's branch of the Empire. Even if I wanted to make the trip to find out exactly what happened from them, I don't want to start anything with a member of the Cold family. They're an important business client of mine, after all. No point in confronting them over the death of a single Saiyan. It's not worth the effort."
Just as she was making her way down the line of ghosts and preparing to order Raichi to disperse them, Turles then spoke up. "The person that killed me was a Saiyan child."
The sound of Baby's boots skidding to a stop in the dirt was followed by a moment of tense silence, in which the blonde, dark-skinned Tuffle princess found herself frozen in place. For a moment Doctor Raichi and the ghosts appeared worried, as all of them watched the back of the female bounty hunter remain stiffened.
A few moments later, the beauty of a warrior slowly turned around, and faced the recently killed Turles with a terrifying look in her wide, dilated eyes.
"What did you say?"
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note: So… two guesses to who Gohan's next enemy is going to be in the future. Lol
In all seriousness though, in integrating and mixing the different villains from the DBZ timeline into the story, I thought it would be very interesting to include a villain that has a deep-seated beef towards the Saiyans in particular. And what better enemy is there than a Tuffle- a member of the race that was outright slaughtered by the Saiyans centuries ago.
Seeing as how Tuffles continue to pop up all over the DBZ fandom, even today in Super, I wanted to include my own spin on Baby's concept- since most of his origins are a real standout. So I took the original character from the godawful GT series, and gave him (now her) a fresh coat of paint.
A Tuffle survivor- and a member of their royal family no less- scouring the universe as a bounty hunter and former agent of the Galactic Patrol, hunting and killing surviving Saiyans hiding across the cosmos. There's nothing more terrifying than a ghost coming back to haunt the remnants of a race responsible for murdering so many.
And she's not alone either. There's another Tuffle from the DBZ universe that is with her.
If you guys are wondering what my version of Baby looks like, I've done a sketch of her on deviantart and am planning on doing a colored version soon.
Also, if you want to see more of my artwork or read my Gohan X Zangya dojin that I am writing, be sure to check out my work on paetreon. I'm publishing all of my R-rated works there.
Let me know what you guys think.
Also, some more specifications below of Gohan and his friends in the Cooler Force:
The Comet specifications:
Name: The Comet
Product Line: Raider/Strike class corvette
Model: Raider I class corvette
Class: Corvette/Assault ship
Length: 70 meters
Equipment: Slipspace drive, shields, cloaking device, radar deflection, cannons, hangar bay, Attack Balls, Crew Bar – including Keback table
Armament: Dual heavy laser cannons, photon missiles
Affiliation: Cooler Force/Cooler's Armored Squadron headquarters
Navy: Cooler Navy
Commander(s): Captain Salza (Squad Leader), Lieutenant Shira (Pilot)
Crew members: 5 Elite Commandoes, 6 Naval Officers/General Crew, 3 Support Crew
-Salza, The Noble (Male – Brench-seijin - Rank: Squad Leader – Captain – Strongest member, aka Blue Dancer)
-Neiz, The Swift (Male – Zalt-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant (XO) – Second strongest member, aka Purple Arrow)
-Myra, The Fair (Female – Hera-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant – Second strongest member, aka Azure Beauty)
-Dore, The Strong (Male – Beppa-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant – Third strongest member, aka Green Bomber)
-Gohan, The Just (Male – Half-Saiyan, Half-Human - Rank: Second Lieutenant – Formerly fourth, now first strongest member, aka Golden Demon)
Regular crew:
Shira (Female – Unknown race - Rank: The Comet's Pilot – First Lieutenant)
Niyusu (Female – Brench-seijin - Rank: Comms Officer – Chief Petty Officer)
Deita (Male – Roach-seijin (Burter's race) - Rank: Maintenance Officer – Petty Officer, 1st Class)
Tol (Male – Unknown race - Rank: Head of Engineering/Hangar Officer – Petty Officer, 2nd Class)
Kiyo (Female – Unknown race – Rank: Head Doctor – Petty Officer, 1st Class)
Zara (Female – Unknown race – Rank: Mess Officer/Chef – Petty Officer, 3rd Class)