A/N: OCs alert! Like I said, we'll be focusing more on Universe 6 for now.

"Ahoy there!" crowed a small child, his tail waving back and forth in excitement. "I am the greatest pirate in all the universe, Kafara!"

The other children stared at him, unimpressed.

"Lame."

"What are you supposed to be, Cody?"

"What are you, six?"

"You don't even look like Kafara!"

Cody, a member of the animalistic Zoorian race, glared at his heckling audience from his makeshift stage, which was a cafeteria table. "Don't be mean, guys! I'm just having some fun."

"You dragged us all the way here to watch your two bit performance, Cody," said Rallo, a creature that heavily resembled Earth's armadillo. "I mean, come on. How do would you expect us to react?"

"Yeah, Rallo's right!" agreed one boy.

Cody groaned. "Seriously? You too, Wesson?"

"You have to admit, that was pretty bad," a pretty female alien resembling a Kai pointed out. Unlike the boys, her uniform was neatly pressed; tidiness was a trait normally associated with her species: the Memsies.

Cody looked even more affronted than before."You don't know what you're talking about, Ruby!"

"I so do," countered Ruby, miffed that Cody was dismissing her opinion as if it were nothing. "That was bad with a capital 'b'!"

"What's going on here?" demanded a soldier, making his way up to them before Cody could retort. "Shirking your duties, trainees?"

The children quickly scrambled to appropriate positions, saluting the soldier, an alien with bright red skin and horns. "Commandant!" they recited, tremors of fear in their voices. Suddenly, the empty mess hall seemed much colder.

Cody, the tiniest out of the bunch, saluted out of time with the others, something that did not escape the Commandant's hawk-like gaze.

The Commandant leaned in close to Cody, his eyes burning with fury. "What's your name, boy?"

The poor zoorian trembled under his harsh stare, his grey-white fur puffing up in anticipation. The Commandant was not a nice man, he knew. Cody was going to be in for the punishment of a lifetime.

"C-Cody," he stammered.

"What was that?!" bellowed the red-skinned alien. "Speak up, boy!"

When Cody only looked up at the Commandant with wide doe eyes, Rallo elbowed him in the side, hissing, "Answer, you dolt!"

"Cody!" blurted the zoorian. "I said my name is Cody, sir!"

"Cody, eh?" the Commandant parroted. In one swift movement, his had his broad hand wrapped around Cody's head. "Well then, Cody, pull a stunt like that again and I will slap you shitless!"

Cody screamed in pain as the alien's nails dug into his delicate skin, breaking it and causing blood to flow from the wounds.

The other children looked on in horror, Ruby seeming especially disturbed, her normally rosy complexion now pale as she balked.

The Memsie opened her mouth to intervene but Wesson stopped her by moving a feathered hand over her orifice.

"Don't," Wesson said, his eyes never leaving Cody and the Commandant. "It'll just make things worse."

"I want you to beg!" sneered the Commandant. "Beg for mercy!"

Cody did not. The zoorians were not a notoriously prideful race like the saiyans but they still had their dignity to uphold. It was all Cody had left anyway. Without his pride intact, he'd just be like the rest of the orphan refugees on Planet D-52: lost and empty.

"Oh, please just do it, Cody," Ruby was muttering under her breath. Memsies valued self-preservation and peaceful solutions over pride. "Please...!"

Rallo and Wesson did not bother to rebuke her. The Memsie wouldn't last long if she couldn't deal with extremes such as this - she'd have to learn it the hard way. Unlike Ruby, the boys were more aware of their circumstances - they would be trained and forced to kill for the sake of their own survival. Should they fail, they would be executed on the spot or dismissed back to whatever hell they came from. In their case, it was the refugee camp back on Planet D-52.

A quiet keening came from Cody. He was about to crack. The powerful instinct of survival overwhelmed all other thoughts. "M-mer -"

He did not get to the last syllable before the Commandant released his furry head. Cody blinked up in confusion and shock. "W-what?"

A soldier - a woman who was not particularly tall - held the Commandant by the head just like how the latter had done to Cody before. She had hair as dark as night that cascaded in spikes down her shoulders. The Commandant was squirming in the woman's grip.

"Let me go!" shrilled the Commandant. "I demand you let me go! Treason, treason!"

"Oh, shut up, you coward," the woman deadpanned. "At least go out with dignity."

The Commandant smirked uncertainly, trying to downplay his fear. "O-oh, yeah? I don't know who you are but I'm a high ranking officer. Lady Kafara will hear of this! A-and then you'll be sorry!"

The female soldier turned the Commandant around and looked him straight into the eye impassively. The Commandant felt a shiver run down his spine as he stared into her blind eye, an ugly scar running over it.

"Oh?" Chaya said softly. "And just how does a corpse talk?" Without any warning, she crushed his head as if it were a fruit, the Commandant's blood and brain matter flying everywhere. A drop landed on the corner of Chaya's mouth and she lapped her tongue over it with delight.

Ruby was the first to react. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

"Tch," Chaya scoffed. "What, do you want a medal for stating the obvious?"

"How could you?" cried Ruby, unable to comprehend such a sickening display of cruelty. "You just took a life!"

"And many others too," Chaya said casually, shaking the alien's purple blood off her hand. She glared at the stickiness that remained on her fingers. "What a disgusting creature."

Ruby looked like she was about to explode but Cody spoke first,"T-thank you. You saved my life."

"What?!" shrieked Ruby. "Cody get away from her, she's a murderer! The Commandant wasn't going to kill you or anything! That would be against the rules!"

"Rules were made to oppress and confine. So please, kindly do me a favor and fuck off," Chaya said crudely. "If you can't handle something as trivial as punishment, then you're better off at home, memsie."

"T-that wasn't punishment!" spluttered Ruby, flustered at the use of a curse word. "That was murder!"

Chaya did not bother to correct her, choosing to walk away instead after destroying the rest of the body, the children shouting in surprise as she shot a chi blast at the corpse. It wasn't as if the girl was wrong. Ruby had hit the nail on the head - it was murder.

"H-hey, wait!"

Chaya turned around, blinking once then twice at the small ball of fluff running after her. It was Cody, still dressed up in his uniform, his own blood nearly dry and caking his fur.

Cody halted in front of the female warrior. "That was real nice of you back there," he said gratefully. "B-but did you really have to kill him?"

"Yes," Chaya said bluntly. "I did it because it is scum like him who pollute this beautiful universe. He went against everything I believe in. He had to be eliminated. What kind of person in their right mind would torture a child?"

"Oh... Well if you put it that way..."

Chaya chuckled darkly. "You're a zoorian right?"

"Yep, that's right. The name's Cody. Who and what are you, miss?"

"My name is Chaya. And I am a saiyan."

"Nice to meet you, Chaya!" Cody chirped and Chaya had to admit to herself that it felt good not to be feared or called 'sir' for once.

"The feeling's mutual." She started walking away but was stopped when the zoorian dashed in front of her.

"Hold on," Cody said with an innocent tone, one that only a child could manage. "Where are you going, Chaya?"

"The kitchen for a bite to eat. Why?"

The loud grumbling of Cody's stomach said it all.

Chaya rolled her eyes. "Of course." She resumed her brisk pace, Cody bouncing alongside her this time. When his stomach growled again, she asked, "When was the last time they fed you? From what I know, carnivorous zoorians are supposed to have huge appetites. You look like you haven't been fed in days, I might add."

"Well, you're right about that... I don't remember the last time I ate any fresh meat. The Commandant normally just feeds us gruel."

"Well bully for him, because he's dead," Chaya said with a wicked grin. "Come on, kid. Let's go get you fed."

"Can my friends come?"

Chaya slowed down, raising an eyebrow at Cody. "You consider them your friends?"

"Well, yeah. They're all that I have on this ship. Especially Ruby. She's a lot nicer than the others, especially Rallo and Wesson."

Chaya couldn't help but scoff when he mentioned Ruby. That girl... What was someone like her doing on a ship like this? Kafara was no better than a space pirate; memsies were elites who held themselves with class and poise. Ruby had been shocked to see the saiyan murder the Commandant in cold blood and had not adjusted to the idea as Cody evidently had. Tch. She won't last very long with that attitude. For her sake, I hope she has parents important enough to pull her out of this mess.

"So can they come?" Cody was asking when Chaya tuned back in.

"No," answered Chaya.

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I don't like them. Don't ask stupid questions."

"Hey! That wasn't stupid!"

"I withdraw that statement then," Chaya said dryly, not wanting to argue with a child over the concept of stupid questions. "But do you know what's stupid?"

"What?"

"How you tried to impersonate Kafara like that. Don't ever do it again if you know what's good for you. Kafara... She's a dangerous woman, if she can even be called that. My advice is to lay low, Cody."

"Oh, okay," mumbled Cody, looking considerably more downcast. "So, um, how do you eat without any trouble from Butterbutt?"

Chaya had to swallow a laugh. 'Butterbutt' was what most of the kitchen volunteers called Midge, the Head Laundress who loved to 'supervise' the child recruits whenever she heard that they were on mandatory kitchen duty. She usually just ended up whacking said recruits with her broom and chowing on fatty, greasy foods, hence the name. Needless to say, Chaya herself did not like Butterbutt. Anyone who treated children with unjustified abuse were bad in her book. Butternut was lucky enough to have ever met the saiyan face to face before and Chaya - between all her duties and whatnot - simply did not have the time to hunt her down.

"Butterbutt doesn't show her ugly mug when I'm around," Chaya told Cody, smirking. "Instead, I have a few old friends who let me duck in to dine whenever I want."

"Wow! That's awesome! Whenever I'm in kitchen duty, it's just me and old Butterbutt. So who are these friends of yours?"

"I'll let you meet them for yourself," Chaya answered just as they reached the kitchens and pushed open the doors. "Welcome to a saiyan's heaven, zoorian."

Cody didn't hear his new friend. His senses were currently being overwhelmed - there were four cooks in the kitchen, all of them old with laugh lines on their kind faces. From what he could smell, each of them were contributing something tasty, pots and pans filled to the brim with delicious sauces and stews. A younger alien with olive tan skin and pointed ears was washing the dishes with diligent efficiency, whistling merrily as he worked. When Cody observed them closer, he realized that the chefs were of the same race as the dish-washing young male. This is nothing like when Butterbutt is here! Indeed it wasn't; the atmosphere radiated with happiness and joy as the workers did their jobs, laughing and talking with each other. Cody had never even seen them before - it was always just him, the other kids and Butterbutt. They probably can't stand the old cow either which is why they're never around when she is.

"Chaya!" the only female chef greeted, expertly spooning stew into a large bowl for the saiyan. She added to loaves of bread into the dish. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm doing just fine, Gammy," Chaya replied, smiling genuinely at the old alien and sitting down on a wooden table. "Thanks for the chow."

"Of course, dear, you're practically family for all we care!" Gammy waved the saiyan off before turning her attention to Cody, who was staring wide-eyed at his surroundings. "And who are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm Cody. Chaya brought me along with her," said the zoorian as he sat down next to Chaya, uncharacteristically shy. "It's nice to meet you ma'am."

"Now, now, none of that formal stuff," chided Gammy while preparing another bowl of the same stew for Cody. "You just call me 'Gammy', you hear? A friend of Chaya's is a friend of mine." She pushed the hot dish down the table, the bowl stopping right in front of Cody. "It's got meat, vegetables and all things good. Dig in, honey!"

The young male washing the dishes finally finished and stuffed his cleaning rag into his apron pocket before sitting opposite Chaya and Cody, who were both busy stuffing their faces like they hadn't eaten for months. "Hey," he said nonchalantly. "How's the food?"

Cody wasn't sure how to respond to the man but, thankfully, he didn't have to as Chaya piped up for him.

"It was good until you opened your big mouth, River."

"Ouch!" River said with an exaggerated whimper. "You wound me so, fair maiden!"

"Shut up, idiot. Never interrupt a hungry saiyan when they're eating."

River wisely took her advice and turned to Cody. "Hey there, lil' guy. So Gammy said your name is Cody, right?" The zoorian nodded and River continued, "I'm River. Are you liking things around here?" He clicked his tongue in what Cody perceived to be a sympathetic noise. "It must be tough to be stuck with Butterbutt all the time. She's one-of-a-kind, I'll tell you that. When I was your age, I went through the same thing. It's like a rite of passage almost."

"Butterbutt's nasty," Cody said, wrinkling his nose. "Someone should fire her."

River laughed. "Said everyone ever! But we keep her around because she's useful. Can't have a laundering team without the Head Laundress."

"Does that mean you're a soldier then?" Cody wondered. "No offence, mister, but you don't look very strong." He eyed River's wiry build skeptically. Maybe he runs really fast?

"You're right about that," River admitted. "I've always been a lover, not a fighter. Make love not war is what I always say. Like all of you, I was picked up from a refugee camp and sent here to work as a soldier. When that didn't work out..." He turned his head slightly toward where two of the three other old males were working. "Archer and Harper got me out of a bind. Without them, I doubt I'd be alive and talking to you right now. My twin sister Willow isn't cut out for fighting either. Luckily, she managed to get out of it by becoming a laundress. But man, oh man, it must suck to have to look at Butterbutt all day and take orders from her. Yecchh!"

Cody's eyes twinkled with amusement. River was fast becoming one of his favorite people. "Have you seen the way she eats those crab cakes?!"

This made River roar with laughter and bang his fist on the table. "Have I?!" He made an exaggerated eating motion with his hands and attempted to unhinge his lower jaw. "OM NOM NOM!"

Cody burst into a howling caterwaul, tears of laughter pricking his eyes. "EXACTLY LIKE THAT!"

Chaya sighed through her nose. "You're so immature, River." She handed her empty bowl to Gammy. "May I have seconds, please?"

"Of course, dear, coming right up! Why don't you try some of Emmett's steak as well? And Archer and Harper are mass producing soup for tonight that's almost ready if you want some of that too."

Chaya nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks Gammy!"

Archer poured finishing sauce on a steak while Harper sprinkled all sorts of exotic herbs over it. They grinned at each other, their old eyes tilting upward.

"You've really outdone yourself this time," Archer complimented, kissing Harper on the cheek. "The garnish smells wonderful!"

Harper blushed slightly. "Really, now Archer... We agreed on no public displays of affection, remember?"

Archer waved it off. "Ah, whatever. We're among friends here. They already know that we're together. And even if the kid noticed that little peck, I'm sure he won't snitch."

"Alright, lovebirds," Gammy mumbled, snatching the steak dish from counter and placing it in front of Chaya. "We don't got all day here. My daughter needs feeding and so does her new friend."

Chaya sweatdropped. "Gammy..."

"What is it child? You know that I don't give a rat's ass about whatever your name is supposed to mean in that saiyan language of yours. Forgive me if I only speak Universal Standard."

"It means 'child of no one'," Chaya bluntly reminded her.

Gammy was unfazed by her sudden change of mood. "Like I said, I don't care. You might as well be my daughter. You're welcome to call me 'mommy' any time!"

"You're just like me then!" Cody interrupted, blinking at Chaya. "I don't have parents either."

River raised his arm slightly. "Make that three of us. Four, if you want to include Willow."

"Same goes for me," Emmett put in, speaking for the first time since Chaya and Cody arrived. "My mother and father abandoned me at a young age in the woods of my home planet. But I say stuff 'em. I got a new family now." He smiled around at everyone. "My wife Lucinda, though most of you would know her as Gammy; my best friends Harper and Archer; and Chaya, River and Willow, my three beautiful children. And there's a place for you too, Cody," he added. "If you want it."

River released a low whistle. "Wow gramps. You don't talk much, but when you do, you really like to go all out, don't ya?"

"Sometimes, I hope a Laggerwomp eats all of you," remarked Chaya with mock irritation. "But then there'd be no delicious stew for me..."

Cody glanced uncertainly between River, Chaya and Emmett. When he got to Lucinda - Gammy - she gave him a warm, motherly smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling as her mouth turned upward. Harper and Archer stood off to the side, the pair more comfortable in each other's presence.

"Umm," Cody said hesitantly, his voice wavering. "I-I don't want to intrude or anything."

"Relax, sugar pie!" Gammy exclaimed. "Don't be so uptight about everything."

What Gammy said went against nearly all of the Commandant's teachings. Be alert; be vigilant. Confusion swam on the poor boy's face and he chose to stare at his cooling meal instead of answering.

"Let's not rush him," Chaya suggested. "You can't just push someone into a new family, Gammy." She ate her steak in a few bites. "Thanks for the food, guys. It was really good - the others will love it for dinner." The saiyan swung her legs around to remove herself from her seat, grabbing Cody with her. "I assume your done here," she told him, eyeing his near empty bowl, "So I want to take you somewhere."

"A little young for you, don't you think?" cackled River, slapping his thigh.

"If you know what's good for you River, you will shut up before I send Willow your corpse wrapped in bedsheets."

"Whoa, okay! Chill, Chaya."

As Chaya dragged Cody away, Gammy shook her head and returned to her boiling pots. "Ah, that girl." She stirred a brown gravy with a bronze ladle. "She's grown up too fast."

Emmett nodded in agreement. "Yes. But that's just the reality of the situation I suppose. It's hard to be a child in a hellhole like this."

"The whole universe is a sink or swim situation," remarked River, picking his nails with disinterest. "We all know that."

Archer paused in cutting carfots, looking up. "You don't have to remind us, River. But back to the topic at hand here, it's difficult to believe that she's only eighteen."

"Boy, you just hit the nail on the head," said Harper with a sigh.

"Is this authorised?" was the first thing Cody asked when Chaya brought him down to where all the smaller ships were kept.

Chaya climbed in a space-copter switched and flicked a series of buttons and levers, Cody hopping into the backseat, his eyes large with curiosity and a small amount of fear. His clawed hands stroked the window as he pressed his face against the thick glass, observing the rest of the hangar.

"Buckle up," Chaya warned as the vehicle roared to life. "Computer: Fuel levels."

"Recognized: Captain Chaya. My sensors indicate that the fuel tank is fifty percent full," the computer replied merrily.

"Good. That should be enough for a return trip as well."

At the back, Cody was trying to figure out how to put on his seatbelt when the side entrance opened up and Chaya flew the copter outside. The zoorian cried out in surprised as he was tossed around the back in centrifugal motion.

A few more buttons were pressed and the ship moved into a steady pace. Chaya, having turned on the autopilot, turned around to look at Cody, who was lying on the floor face-up, stunned.

"I did warn you," she mused.

"You didn't answer my question before," Cody said with a small, pained moan. "Are you sure we're authorized to do, well, this?"

"You don't trust me?"

Cody seemed to shrink within his pelt. "Uhh..."

"Maybe you'll find the computer more trustworthy then?" Chaya inquired. "Computer: Display my assignments."

"Assignments displayed." A hologram appeared, showcasing all of Chaya's missions, completed and uncompleted ones sorted into two different categories.

"Well okay then," Cody said, sounding significantly less skeptical. "But why are you bringing me along?"

"A few reasons actually. This will be your first taste of a real mission that hundreds of thousands of soldiers undergo every day. Also, the planet I'm taking you to is particularly beautiful this time of year." She glanced outside, blackness stretching everywhere. "So what if the universe dealt us a cruel hand? Doesn't mean we can't find beauty in life."

"Oh. So... What's the planet called?" Cody inquired, expecting a series of numbers and letters in response.

"It doesn't really have a name as it's not a planet per se. It's actually one of the moons of Planet Xandonia."

"A moon?! Does it have oxygen up there?"

"No, actually," Chaya informed the young zoorian. "The people that inhabit it don't have lungs; only voice sacs."

"Whoa...! That's so cool! But wait - how are we going to breathe then? I don't see any space suits around."

"We'll get to that later."

Out of the corner of his eye, Cody caught sight of a green planet as they shot through space. "Wow... The universe is so big. Hey Chaya, does Xandonia's moon have plants and water? I thought that stuff can't exist without oxygen."

"Like all its other life forms, plants have learned to adapt to the environment," answered Chaya. "As for water... Yes it exists. Don't ask me how or why. I'm not a scientist."

"Oh, okay. Umm, that wasn't a stupid question, was it, Chaya?" He looked down, ready for the saiyan warrior to berate him.

"No. No, it wasn't, Cody."

"Oh! Really?!"

"Now that was a stupid question."

Half an hour later, they circled the blue planet that was Xandonia before landing on the moon. Cody was about slide open the door to exit the vehicle when Chaya's strong hand suddenly wrapped around his wrist. The zoorian winced.

"What was that for, Chaya?"

"Imbecile!" Chaya snapped harshly. "Have you forgotten already that this moon has no oxygen?! Do you want to suffocate? If so, be my fucking guest!"

"O-oh. S-sorry," squeaked Cody, falling back on his butt. "I wasn't thinking."

A snort. "Obviously." She fished out two vials filled with a maroon liquid from one of the ship's many compartments. "Here, drink this."

Cody took a vial from her outstretched hand and uncorked the bottle, sniffing the solution. He grimaced. "Smells funny."

"Tch. Just drink it before I shove it down your throat, brat."

"Eek! Okay!"

When they had both chugged down their drinks, Chaya sat down, making a gesture to ensure Cody did the same. "It gets real funny from here. You may or may not throw up."

Cody couldn't even get a word in when he felt a tug at his navel. He groaned and the world spun before everything went black.

A/N: Just gonna end it there. It'll be continued next chapter. I promise this is actually somewhat relevant to the main plot, especially Chaya.

Yes we did not get to see anyone from Universe 7. So uh... ye.