Chapter 10: Needle In a Haystack

A/N: I'll assume that a majority of my readers weren't really interested in chapter 9, not that I can go back and change that. But we'll move forwards and build up just a little bit more. Hopefully you'll see a bit more of the old Chi-Chi, we know and love.

Chi-Chi blinked, the entire world having shifted through a series of colors and she felt as if her body was moving without her actually doing anything of the sort. Perhaps like a strange drug induced trip, or at least that's what she believed it felt like. Stretched pulled and dragged like a rubber ball until she snapped back into place.

But as her eyes adjusted to the dim light she felt the hand grabbing onto her wrist…

Moments Earlier

"Oh shit! Damnit we didn't jump-" A red haired man, he looked fairly close to human save his emerald green eyes. Wearing green shoulder pads, and mixed yellow and tan clothing, wrapped around his wrist was a thick block like device with a series of large buttons and monitor screen. His panicked expression now looking squarely at Chi-Chi, it was pure terror. Though before Chi-Chi could open her mouth he shouted at her first. "What the hell are you doing? We have to go now!"

"What the hell is going on, who are you and what are you doing in here!?" Chi-Chi demanded, her hands setting the large pot of soup just on the side of the stove. There had been a flash of light and then all of a sudden a red headed man had just appeared inside of the capsule house from seemingly nowhere.

His garb appeared to be that of a soldier or militia, she wasn't given too much time to analyze. The chaos of the fighting that had erupted outside, along with the sounds of panic only fueled the desperate look in the new arrivals eyes.

"We have to evacuate! Let's go!" His voice shouted as his arm smacked a tight lock on her wrist.

"Just what do you-!" Chi-Chi's free arm jerked smacking into the pot on the stove as she felt that she was turned inside out, flipped around, and then slapped back to reality all within a manner of a few seconds.

Present

It was hard to see, the lights were sporadic, her feet resting upon a cold metallic surface as she breathed in warm and dirty air, the clattering sound of a fan echoed as she could hear dozens of people coughing and wailing in the background. They were underground… it looked like a mineshaft. Oh gods, where the hell am I?

Chi-Chi's head went all around as the hand grabbing her wrist let go. "Thank the spirit! We made it! HAHA! We made it!" The man exclaimed ecstatically.

Another man dressed like Chi-Chi's abductor stormed over, a golden skull decorated a green helmet, and a thick full breastplate covered his torso and sides of his legs. His eyes weren't elated at all as he came around and grabbed the smaller man by the scruff of the neck. "Juro! What the fuck! Did you just! What the hell are you teleporting for? You know that Warping around the goddamn world is a huge fucking risk!" An older man by comparison, his face covered in partial stubble, brown eyes heavy with rings that showed his age and weariness. A head and a half taller, he was a fairly stocky build in relation to the much smaller man he was almost yanking up on to his toes.

"Sir, please it was-" Juro was being half choked by the larger man who had a grip around his throat, squeezing enough to make breathing difficult but not enough to cause harm. The larger man clearly Juro's superior was squeezing him hard.

"I don't give a damn! You know why we don't use that shit, you fucking travel through warpspace, you could tear open holes in the goddamn world and kill all of us with that heretical technology! It's the reason we stopped using that to avoid having people explode after exiting the immaterium! That reckless attitude of yours nearly killed everyone here!" The commander was practically shaking the smaller soldier with a level of violence. Though some could see it as an outlet for all of the stress they were currently being almost buried under.

With a snort he threw Juro away from him in disgust, "The only reason I don't put a bullet right in your head is because I have no other men, but so help me you use that piece of heresy again I will shoot you!"

Coughing slightly Juro rubbed the red welts on his neck, "Nice to see you to Captain Imozu," The old veteran nearly crushed his windpipe.

After the show the captain looked to the visible female standing next to him. Wearing long blue pants and a loose blue polo -not knowing she had changed from her standard saiyan attire to get into something more comfortable as Kakarot had allowed her- "Who the hell are you? You aren't guard, or one of the sisters so why in the hell are you here?" The captain thumbed a large pistol in an open brown holster.

Chi-Chi paused, her eyes able to see the nearly thirty other men dressed up in similar military clothing to the Captain eyeing her down like she were some kind of intruder. Which Chi-Chi knew she was but had no intentions of voicing any part of that information to him. "Well who the hell are you, woman, and don't make me ask you a third time damnit!" Knowing that she might be holding back her answer a little longer than he liked, but since she had no clue where she was she very much doubted Kakarot did as well.

"I am Ochi, just a housewife and I was making dinner until this-" Gesturing to the man called Juro. "Grabbed my wrist and then the next thing I know I'm here." Not the best lie, but 'What hell do I really have any better options?'

"I could've assumed you were just a fucking housewife, now why the fuck are you here?" Imozu snapped popping the top of the holster of his weapon.

Chi-Chi opened her mouth but her 'savior' opened his first. "I brought her here, I saw her when I jumped from the city and then jumped to here. I just grabbed her to save another life before those damn saiyans struck us again." The captain looked to Chi-Chi and she nodded, "I don't know where I warped because I lost contact with the team shortly after I appeared next to Ochi here. I didn't have the luxury of waiting and then I just jumped again as soon as I could."

The captain mulled over the words his tongue running along his teeth behind his lip as he thought about the idea. "So saving a single worthless civilian was more important than your team, Juro? It is practically shameful how cowardly you are, to just up and abandon your fellow legionaries to death while you ran." He spat at Juro's feet before looking to Chi-Chi. "I have no need for a housewife. Sorry but I can only manage soldiers. Please understand." His tone dropping to more serious as his hand grabbed the hilt of his pistol.

She saw it, and reacted.

Imozu's hand was pulling upwards and Chi-Chi had moved forwards to just in front of him, grabbing at his wrist. "What-!" His voice cried out in shock as Chi-Chi swept his back leg and popping both joints of his hand to cause his grip to fail him.

Juro and the few soldiers around watched as the senior soldier was sent slamming onto his back in less than three seconds. The loud thump of his head as it hit the compacted dirt, releasing a slight gaff before his vision reorientated and he looked down the barrel of his own pistol.

Several subordinates drew down on the woman who had their commander's life in her hand, the red laser sight reflected on the side of her head. A quiet stalemate then began as Chi-Chi looked down at Imozu and he back up at her.

For ten long seconds no one made a sound. Waiting for the single pull of a trigger from the woman or the soldiers. Who would blink and make that first move?

But one of them kept a calm head, "I'm not just a housewife." Then flipping the pistol handle back towards the captain on the ground. "Now will you be more understanding of me?" The gesture causing eyes to widen across all of those watching.

Still sprawled out on his back, Imozu actually laughed. "Well then I'm sorry that I pegged you for just a regular civy ma'am. You must've had some training or are you a sister of battle and not telling us?" Reaching up he took back his firearm from Chi-Chi and slowly got himself back up. "Damn that was impressive lass." The red sights dropped from his attacker as he got on both feet and dusted himself off.

Nothing compared to the saiyans but when you have to work around the house and at the pace of a saiyan you get faster and stronger because of it. "My Mother was" Chi-Chi spoke quietly earning a bit of a sullen look on the captains face.

"Then apologies, those of us in the legion would welcome any sister into our ranks though your fanatical heritage has always left us wary of your kind but since you are not wholly one you might be worth something for what is left of us." Imozu cracked his neck, "Sergeant." He barked causing one of the men off to sides to approach them.

A muffled response escaped from the plastic confines of his face. "Sir?" The man's face was covered with a thick gas mask, used as a rebreather but only showing his eyes.

"Escort the sister to a room and see if we have any power armor for her to use." The captain wasn't going to waste potential and in the dreariness of their current situation there wasn't much for him to squander a power like hers. She had frightening speed and strength and only the sisters were that strong. "A descendant might not be perfect but it's a damn waste of potential."

"Really sir?" The sergeant asked, but the captain's gold gleaming skull on his helmet dropped lower. The hardened face telling the NCO his answer. "Right away, I'll see if we have any left over rations as well."

He turned to redress Ochi, "Follow my subordinate for a brief rest. We plan on moving within a few hours."

"Thanks." Chi-Chi replied and turned to follow after the other soldier through the dimly lit tunnels. Thank Kami… Was all she had to say to herself as she slowly disappeared around a corner.

Imozu then cast his gaze to Juro, "Just what the hell is going on Lieutenant? I've got communications over half the world going to hell, massive casualties and there's such a scrambled communication network I don't have a clue as to the who, what, when, and why? Is this purely the work of alien invaders or are we looking at treason?"

Juro shook his head, "I didn't get to see much, half the city went to hell in a few minutes of aerial bombardment. Though from what our recon groups were able to determine they were in fact saiyans, how many or why they are here, I have nothing." Juro watched the captain's face fall flat.

"Saiyans… may the spirit's protect us if they sent saiyans." Thinking hard about this revelation and what his options would be. "Evacuate what remaining military personnel we can, we're going to be in for hell and attempt to gather some level of our heavy artillery, we can't have gunships flying around they are no match for a mobile warrior like a saiyan. Constant heavy firepower to hopefully suppress and decimate whatever attacks us as we make our move to the base of Corvas."

"And the civilians, sir?" Juro asked, although he expected the answer he was going to get.

"What about them?"

[***]

Chi-Chi wasn't sure what to expect but anything was better than this. Looking at the rations, she found her stomach twisting even looking at them. It tasted like garbage, like she had bitten into a rotten fruit that had the texture of cardboard.

She nearly gagged when attempting to quickly just swallow it and rid her mouth of it's putrid taste. I'd sooner eat my own feces than put that back in my mouth! Truly it was horrid, though she'd actually snacked on a few things while preparing dinner so her stomach wasn't hungry but nor was it full. But that wasn't her true primary concern. No, she needed to get back in contact with Kakarot or any members of the merry band that she had been forced to accompany.

Yet as she lay strewn across a piece of hard canvas over several uneven shipping crates as a makeshift bed, there was little she could do in hopes of finding them. They will probably find me, but they might blow me up before that.

So what were her options? Parade around with the soldiers and 'hope' they didn't realize she was brought here with the saiyans. Following the military would draw the saiyans to her location. But if she wouldn't be within a strike radius when they attacked would be another. However, if they attacked and she got away from the group she could slink away and attempt to make contact. Knowing the saiyans name and their exceptional hearing might give her that chance. The longer she stayed with the military though the greater the chance they might discover who she was and then… well she didn't have any chivalrous notions about what might happen to her.

'So, playing along is my only real option.' Then left with so few options she decided to just take the moment to rest.

Meanwhile…

"Son of a BITCH!" Kakarot roared his foot kicking the ground and cutting up a large groove of earth and rock. He was completely livid with himself, the weaklings on this planet and Chi-Chi. This entire situation shouldn't be happening and it was fraying his once nonchalant demeanor. Afterall who expected this planet to be able to stop his father's purge team? They were weak, of course they had heavy weapons but only in small gatherings. The biggest problem was going to be the massive population of nearly twenty billion lives that required purging.

However, that wasn't his worry about making the deadline that his father had set for him. "No I fucking lost Chi-Chi… god damnit the old man is going to send me to the C'tan sector!" The fear of going to that irradiated hell hole was making him sweat and panic and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. One might suggest running but that would be worse, and he wouldn't exactly prefer dying either. Not to piss poor weaklings.

"Hey-! Runt are you still reading our messages?" It was Tora's voice.

Kakarot wanted to tell him to piss off, so instead. "Yes, what!?" He snapped his hand hitting the receiver harder than needed.

"Yeesh, I still have ears, brat." The voice grumbled, "What is your plan?"

Plan? He didn't have a clue where to begin and where to stop. "I'm going to find Chi-Chi." If she was even alive, but if he didn't try something there would be only a worse waiting punishment when his father found out. But where did he start? Who did he interrogate, how did you interrogate someone properly? Fuck! FUCK FUCK! He squeezed the side of his head.

"We understand that runt, but you're not going to just zip around to find her, she's a fucking needle in the bottom of a ocean. Her features are really similar to them so we can't keep bombarding them indiscriminately and accidentally kill her." Tora said calmly, "We don't want to come back to Bardock with her either. That fuck will make our lives just as miserable as yours should we mess up."

"I'm with Tora," Fasha added jumping into the conversation. "Perhaps we look for an exchange? Demand the release of her and promise to leave?" With absolutely zero intention of the later.

"Nah, they'd kill her." Boros spoke up through the communication, his usual careless and crass tone gone with a more serious one. "We can't show her value, these are religious fanatics, they'll sacrifice her as an appeasement to their spirit gods."

"I'll agree." Tora said with a frustrated grunt.

"Worth a shot still, we just started the purge and haven't broken all communication. If we can even get a reading on her could be helpful." Fasha replied.

"Still risky, perhaps we go for the jugular and attempt to crush their military. Put them into a position where they go to open negotiations. Use that opportunity to get her back."

"But how, if she's valuable they won't give her up without a fight… maybe we demand a certain of slave that match her appearance, make it obvious in what we want but the purpose?" Sugesh offered now to the conversation.

"Not bad… that wouldn't be bad, but the problem is time… the longer she is out there the greater the risk." Tora sighed, "We need a blitz solution, or perhaps a corralling action?"

"You mean push the populace to a single point like we do for bombardments?"

"Mostly, push them to one point with three of us and leave three in a scouting position to find her. But we have to strike hard and deep into outlying points and direct the herds of weaklings without telling them that's our goal. The planet doesn't give a shit about their own weak population. So we still risk her safety and then most of the attacks will be ground based."

"All of these are ideas, but we need action fast. We can't risk Chi-Chi's safety." Kakarot added in a solemn voice.

"Our asses as well." Boros said gruffly over the scouter.

"So make a call, which idea." Tora pushing the decision to Kakarot, it was his job overall and his decision.

There wasn't time, "Corral them, attack in grid's but look for their damn warp equipment by hand and claw. If you don't find anyone with that then torch it rapidly, don't let them know what were after and if we're lucky we find her and if you do everyone breaks and attacks that location, if you locate her secure her immediately."

"Like we need you telling us that," Boros snorted.

The digits inside Kakarot's hand cracked as he tightly squeezed his fist. "Find her," He growled, "Out." Spitting out the last portion he shut off his scouter for the moment wanting to be rid of those four. Without waiting for another crisis to start up Kakarot blasted into the air and headed straight for the nearest center of people. This was going to become very up close… and very personnel.

[***]

A wave of people flowed along the main elevated highway, leading to one of the outlying military bases that the migration of civilians prayed would be their salvation. They did not understand what was going on, just the rampant news of devastation of the world, this sent everyone fleeing to shelter. Currently on a road housed by millions of people who were walking and carrying everything they could afford.

Just normal everyday people, men, women, children. All of them searching for safety. And one who was not supposed to be among them walked alongside this heard with the military convoy that had control over half of the highway and all but forced-sometimes at gunpoint- to make civilians use the other side of the road as they sped towards the base.

Openly ignoring the plight of their own people, don't look to save lives. Just your own skin and that of your floundering military.

Chi-Chi was quickly 'indoctrinated' into the local military. Serving the Steel Reserves one of three separate military factions on the world. Her savior/kidnapper was quite the vocal little man, explaining their situation to her openly. My little display of strength impressed them a little more than I thought. Or maybe…

That the people of this planet were desperate. In the short time they had been here, the small saiyan purge team had decimated almost ten percent of the total population in a few hours. Having heard the plan that the saiyans had created over a simple conversation it appeared to be entirely…

Correct. They were funneling the main escape paths and civilians towards the military installations stretching their resources and causing far more panic in the unprepared people…

Yet she was not that, the heavy pounding of her new 'power armor' it was like medieval plate but clearly made of more modern materials. Also it was designed for a woman which made sense why the men in the army weren't using it.

Polished black pauldrons covered her shoulders, wrapping to a more form fitting frame for a woman, her chest covered in the same ceramic plate as her shoulders, forming down like a V towards her hips which exposed her sides partially but didn't hinder her mobility. Long red drapes roughly half a foot long or more blew in the wind at her arms and from her hips. Their addition was more for symbolic purposes than practical ones.

Fully encased gauntlets adorned with a silver three pronged arrowhead were attached to the tops of the gauntlets. The same adorned her legs, fully enclosing her in black plate. Studded rivets touching the joints of each of her limbs. The final touch was a large backpack, it almost looked like a truster from some type of jet pack but alas it was merely a battery pack. Not like I could just up and fly away anyway, I have no idea where I am and am looking for five saiyans across an entire planet. It's not like I'd be able to find them like this without risking getting myself killed in the process.

"Everything still working out with that old armor, sister?" The shaggy redheaded Juro appeared beside her as she walked.

"You don't need to call me Sister." Chi-Chi replied as she walked on the highway. Her eyes looking to the people who walked in lines, some falling out, others being pushed out of the way as they did not match the pace of those behind them.

"You are wearing sister of battle armor and calling you by your name in front of the civilians would be disrespectful." Juro corrected, "Even if you weren't one officially being the heir of a sister of battle would still put you in their accord. Not that it won't stop the civilians should they be given the chance to speak with you."

Speaking of the people to her side, "Why are we not helping them?"

Juro shook his head, "Military takes precedent. We expect civilian casualties, and even if only ten percent make it that would be enough, the rest can provide a distraction to our attackers while we withdraw and regroup."

Those heartless words dug at Chi-Chi's heart. Ignore the suffering of millions of people, why not force mothers and fathers to stay behind to have the hope that their children might survive. Let the real heroes be the ones who put their own needs above others. Even on another world millions of miles from Earth she couldn't escape the terrible past.

'Mother, Father, why did you two have to go back. Why did you have to die?' Those soft words had kept her awake for so many nights. Being pushed to stay with the group, despite how much she wanted to stay with them.

Walking for almost a mile until her heart ripped at her chest and she ran back. Wanting to not be alone, to not be near her mom and dad.

She forgot how tired she was as she ran backwards, no one paying her any mind. No one looking out for her wellbeing as a scared twelve year old ran back to where her parents were last seen. She just kept running until… until…

She brought a hand to rub the water from her eyes. "Well then you can carry on, I'll make sure these people aren't left out here all alone." Chi-Chi spoke through her hand. A deep conflict resonated inside of her. She couldn't protect these people from the saiyans who had come here to kill all of them simply because they existed.

Taking a breath in Chi-Chi was stuck, unable to help these people from their fate. She was apart of the reason they were all dying, indirectly, but still she had come with the saiyans. Helping the monsters and murders. Creating orphans, widowed wives, and lonely men who lost everything that gave their life meaning.

Juro saw the conflict raging in the woman's eyes, there was something utterly confounding about her. A woman who was just hours ago was cooking food, had traveled with him through ancient technology, and had the power of a sister of battle. There was somethings about all of this that did not add up.

"Ochi, if I may ask, why was someone like you all alone? Do you not have a husband or children?" He had been so focused on his job he had failed to actually ask Ochi questions.

Chi-Chi didn't look at him, "If I said no would it really change anything?"

"I guess it wouldn't, but I must confess that your actions do not resonate as a daughter that came from the sisters of battle. You clearly have had some measure of training to be as skilled as you are, but unlike the few others of band of trained zealots you do not hold any of their principles at heart. Though it is rare for one of the order to have children you do not act like one."

The way she carried herself, how she spoke, and now she was putting regular people ahead of the orders and duties to the rest of their world. Sure the civilian population did matter, but if the military was destroyed what hope was there for their world?

Repopulation was always effective after this world's many wars. "The deaths of the weak and innocent are tragic but if our forces are wiped away what will be left to protect them?"

The thuds of Chi-Chi's boots grew more audible as she walked along the half separated by a thin median used for vehicle travel. I've heard these words before. "Because if you were them you would want to be protected, to know that we are willing to do what is needed to save their lives because we care and suffer with them." Readjusting her pauldron with one of her hands, Chi-Chi just looked forwards. "Because I will not accept watching another child experience the loss of that which is most precious to them while I taut some self serving excuse to justify running away from the threat while others die." She cast a hard glare at Juro even making the man flinch slightly from her look. "You can wrap whatever ideals you use to protect yourself from the heartless actions you create for yourself. I will not. I will not stand idle and watch people suffer."

The lieutenant was slightly taken back those words, it was actually shocking to hear such conviction for protecting the weak. Simple everyday folk, yet there wasn't time for a debate right now. "Forgive me then if I have offended you."

Chi-Chi looked forwards again not bothering to say anything more, not that there was anything left for her to share with him.

Juro looked back towards his wrist where he held the warp drive still, a piece of forgotten technology. He had used it despite all orders and commands to never touch these dangerous tools from a bygone age. It would be hard for him to tell Ochi that she was wrong if he himself did not follow those same adamant principles.

They continued to walk in silence, Chi-Chi's eyes shifting towards the mess of people who struggled to keep a decent pace as the soldiers and armored columns rolled by, they could easily grab a handful of people each and push right back off, alleviate some of the pain and suffering that would be endured as they were going to be marching nearly thirty kilometers to the nearest point.

Chi-Chi wanted to shout at the soldiers passing by, but she had to keep her tongue. Yet someone question her real purpose here and she fail to answer properly.

But as they continued forwards for some time, her pace slowed to a stop.

Juro who still walked beside her also stopped, looking at the raven haired woman's eyes that stopped on the side of the highway.

An exhausted woman, carrying a baby in her arms another smaller one holding onto her hand. The mother was sweating badly, her face red and showing the extreme exhaustion. The small wrapped bundle was in a mess of old clothing, the smaller child looked hungry and just as tired. The eyes of the young pleading relief from the heat and just something to soothe their parched throats and hungry stomachs.

But no one paid the woman desperate to escape with her children, passing by without even a glance.

If you didn't know them, then who cared?

The officer followed her eyes and knew what was being said. Though he did not protest as Chi-Chi approached the woman from behind. Her exhaustion and obvious emotional drain showing. Her brown hair matted with sweat and dirt clung to the sides of her neck. The signs that she had not eaten well in a long time showed with the partial outline of her frame through her clothes.

It was the child holding her hand that noticed Chi-Chi first, a little boy with short brown hair and wide green eyes stared up at raven haired woman dressed in black and red. Her face and features flawless, he would call her pretty, but the bulky armor made her not into a sign of comfort. Wearing green clothes and dirty and ripped brown shoes, no better off than his mother the small fingers squeezed tighter around his mother's fingers alerting her to the new presence.

Turning her head she almost gasped, as she looked into the face of a sister of battle. The Armor and her beauty! Spirits forgive me. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I just needed a moment I'll get moving right away." Her tone pleading, trying to ask for mercy. Her high cries though as she attempted to draw back were stopped as the woman raised her hand to her.

It was outstretched, not there to strike her. Fingers lightly curled upwards due to the armor covering them. This warrior priestess had not come with violence or malice.

A simple hand, offering something that no soldier, or person beside her would show her.

Help.

As the woman understood the gesture for what it truly ways her eyes filled with tears to be shown some level of kindness and aid in these dark hours.

There was just a few moments to let the emotions settle down. "Spirit's bless you. I can't-"

A thundering crack echoed overhead, everyone falling to the ground as just hundreds of feet up on the road a massive explosion ripped through the ranks of people. Bodies were blasted into the air, the soldiers to the other side of the road swivel their heads for a moment then began to run, the apcs and tanks that were near the rear of the column only accelerated not wishing to be left behind. Knocking anyone in their path to the ground or worse sucking them under their treads.

Chaos was absolute as several more shockwaves hit from overhead and along the line caused more and more explosions. The fire and screams of the injured, dying, and panicked population turned the once rugged march into a full blown stampede.

Any semblance of control was gone as people ran forwards, some jumping over the median where the soldiers once were and fled as the sounds of armor and mechanized vehicles roared from behind.

The sound of blaster fire quickly escalated as bolts of red and green streaked from the rapidly advancing column. Care was not given to the target as both civilian and military alike were fired upon.

Chi-Chi remained where she was ducking down as the volume of fire overtook them. Juro grabbed her shoulder, "Come on, Ochi, we have to run and give myself enough time to prep for another warp jump if we want to live through this." His eyes could see the markings rush towards them. A large silver hammer striking an anvil. As if our problems aren't bad enough! "It's the Iron Legion… And it's a full mechanized regiment. We don't have a chance." The officer lamented trying to pull Chi-Chi but she didn't budge.

"Why won't the soldiers stay back and protect the people? Why are they running?" Chi-Chi shouted over the barrage of fire.

"Orders, they are to rendezvous with the main Steel forces and not to waste their battle strength especially when we are in a march formation. It's suicide!" Juro yelled back as he looked and saw the armored columns coming closer and closer, the dirt and smoke billing up from their massive box tracked vehicles with soldiers atop firing their weapons with amusement.

"And so we're going to just leave these people to die! What kind of fucking army doesn't defend its own people?" Chi-Chi fired back, shoving Juro away from him. "If you won't do anything then I will!"

"You'll die, what good will you do if you die now? The people won't be saved and you won't be able to help anyone in the future?" Juro staggered but ducked down as two more artillery shells struck behind them knocking the mother and her children to the concrete surface screaming in terror.

Chi-Chi looked back at the woman her eyes closed as she clutched her infant daughter, and little boy to her chest and pleaded with any spiritual being to save their lives, if not her own then her children.

Without another thought Chi-Chi surged forwards as Juro called out for her to wait, the heavy rumble of her power armor wasn't able to be heard as she ran forwards through the barrage of gunfire. The powered suit kicking on as she felt the backpack begin to rumble with fresh power as it reacted to her actions. Moving faster and faster, the artificial muscles and kinetic bindings in each limb enhanced Chi-Chi's already significant physical abilities even further.

She could escape right now, she could just run and maybe even find the saiyans. But… the terrified screams of people trying to survive drove her to do the unthinkable. Risking her own life so that others might live. Mom… Dad… Watch over me, and if I don't make it I will be able to meet you with a clean soul.

The lead APC came to stop as it noticed the red and black form running towards them. The commander popped his head out of the cupola as his sensors were unable to function with all of the weapon fire. Goggles covered his face as he struggled to get a clear picture on what was approaching. Looking to his two top gunners who were hammering away with automatic fire. The shell casings spilling over the sides like water until they pulled out a fresh box of ammunition from the side compartments.

Gesturing with his hand he directed both of the gunners fire on the rapidly advancing form. Drawing down their weapons both of them unleashed a burst of automatic fire only to watch the target shift just enough to the side in the blink of an eye and avoid being hit.

Their eyes widening in surprise and their faces pulled back, clearly they weren't expecting that. Directly again with his hands he called up two more large APC's his hand waving forwards and direct the fire of six separate heavy gunners at the now even closer target.

Bullets raked down one side the gunners moving their large gunnery sights of nearly .50 caliber rounds onto the figure and began unloading more ammunition. Tearing up chunks of the concrete around the advancing red and black that dashed from side to side.

"Artillery! FIRE-!" Throwing his entire arm forward the commander gave a bellowing command to several gun motor carriages behind them that began to fire massive thirty kilogram shells which blasted apart the concrete.

The massive explosions created a thick cloud of dirt and smoke as they impacted all around the figure approaching them. "Hold!" The order given as his hand shot upwards in a flat palm as a visual signal to allow for the smoke to clear.

From the glare of the sun overhead the armored columns on the iron legion missed the shine that was now flying down from the air. The outline eclipsed by pure sunlight as red and black now rolled now aimed directly for the tracked vehicles.

A glint from the silver on Chi-Chi's pauldrons caught an eye of one of the gunners who squinted and looked up only to be greeted by the human visage that was practically atop of him.

An entire armored APC was hit by the full force of Chi-Chi's boots, slamming both down on the front angled plating with a resounding cry. With a tremendous crash as the front caved in like it were made of paper and then flipped upwards nearly twenty feet. Chi-Chi however didn't stop there, leaping towards the other vehicle and driving a powered kick into the side, the entire vehicle rocked upwards the treads and wheels shattering as it slammed into the vehicle next to it causing it to smash through the concrete highway barrier.

Panicked cries and screams came as the first APC slammed back onto the highway top first just as the second rolled off the ledge and fell twenty feet onto the ground with another devastating crash.

The commander rolled out of his own APC that was now on it's side, the few soldiers that were still conscious fell out as well their heads ringin as they looked and saw the black and red. The insignias, the silver crosses, and the face of a woman.

"It's a sister!" Another voice cried out as a barrage of red and green blaster fire rang outwards at the woman. Panicked soldiers began firing as Chi-Chi rushed one, while she wanted to avoid killing people who were innocent and avoid suffering. She did not hold such regards for these men who brutally murdered people just trying to survive.

Several rounds hit Chi-Chi's black armored form, her hands grabbing one soldier by the shirt and spinning him around a full revolution before launching him into several others their bodies having a domino effect as they slammed into one of the gun carriages carrying heavy artillery pieces.

She could feel the extreme heat as the rounds impacted on her armor, but she didn't stop. Dashing forwards she clotheslined one soldier sending him screaming off the ledge as she grabbed another and bashed him into the guardrail. Chi-Chi was in a rush as she threw one hand forwards and charged a blast of ki and unleashed it into another clump of armed soldiers that were sent sprawling all over the ground their bodies bouncing into the rough concrete while others flew off the side rails.

Few began to panic and break from their vehicles but Chi-Chi wasn't going to have that. Reaching down Chi-Chi grabbed the bottom of one of the gun carriages, and began to lift upwards. Her face contorted into a strain as she lifted up an entire vehicle up, up and over her head.

Her eyes locked on the fleeing troops who just minutes ago were happily murdering innocent women and children with their big guns now fled in panic for fear of the same fate. "Huargh!" Chi-Chi roared as she bent her knees and with a huge push threw the massive vehicle nearly twenty feet long and ten feet tall up a hundred feet before landing amongst the murderous soldiers.

Other men having some measure of a backbone rushed Chi-Chi with melee weapons but Chi-Chi caught one's wrist and bashed his throat with the other causing blood to spill from his mouth as he choked on his crushed larynx.

A knife struck out across her back, the metal blade making a horrendous screech as it dug into the armor before snapping. Chi-Chi reared her front leg forward and mule kicked the man backwards into the cab of the other truck his body cracking and slumping over from the force of her blow.

The armored woman stopped as the commander of the vehicle staggered to his feet and looked at the visage standing in front of him. His entire company… defeated by a woman…

Digging for his sidearm Chi-Chi bolted forwards but did not grace this man with the same fortune she had the captain from earlier this day. As he slammed into the ground his eyes only went dark as a massive black boot was coming down upon it.

[***]

Kakarot's scouter had flickered about an hour ago with a minor power spike, but he hadn't caught it as he was busy 'investigating' what some of the local population knew about a certain woman. Unfortunately for him and those he found they knew nothing.

But as he checked through on his scouter he found the power reading and immediately set out to find it. There was a slim chance that it might be her and that his ass might be saved.

He could smell the blood, sulfur, and iron before even seeing it as he descended from the clouds. There had been a battle… but not caused by the native people on this world. He could see the knocked over heavy vehicles and the sprawled out bodies.

His senses told him something as soon as he landed. "Their injuries… they weren't by weapon or blade." Focusing on some of the massive indentations left in some of the bodies. "No this was done by a fist… a strong one and even-!"

Taking a whiff of the air Kakarot could smell it. It was faint, so very faint but it was lingering just on the edge of his nose. CHI-CHI! He almost yelled in joy, but refrained as he didn't want to give himself so much false hope.

That scrutiny of his sense of smell then quickly directed him forwards as he saw a strange hole carved into the concrete highway. Kakarot hit his scouter immediately, "She's alive, going north on a major highway, I'm sending you my coordinates. Converge towards my location."

"Holy hell! Are you serious?" Sugesh rumbled, "How do you know she's alive and going that way?"

Kakarot looked down and saw the crudely drawn symbol in the ground. "Our crest is cut into the ground with an arrow. And I doubt anyone on this planet would know to draw that except her." It was rough, it was ugly, but he knew it when he saw it.

"Damn! I'm impressed, she's not half bad." Fasha complimented, "Alright, little Bardock, I'm heading that way now."

"Same." Tora and Boros said.

Kakarot almost smiled he couldn't believe his luck, not only had he found some hint of Chi-Chi but she had left behind a very obvious clue… but he wasn't ready to go rushing down the road blindly. Turning towards some of the soldiers left behind that were too injured to move, he might as well do some more investigating.

"Just to be sure…" He told himself.

A/N: Soon, very soon.

R&R

Kerghan