A/N: I still have dem three exams to do. Two for Mandarin and one for Geography. Goddammit.

"Uwaah!" River blurted out unhelpfully, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Another saiyan!"

Chaya whipped her head around and snarled at the older male. "Enough! He is not your friend, River, so do not treat him as such!"

"Aw, hey, I was doing no such thing, Chay — "

Archer blinked at the new saiyan, scratching his head. "Well, this is certainly unorthodox. Though I can't say I'm surprised if he really is saiyan." He probed at Goku's power level, his ears, pointed at the tip as were all the others' (save for Chaya's), twitching. "All saiyans always wander into the kitchen sooner or later. It's practically fact at this point."

"I'm Goku," said the male saiyan. "Since you asked." His stomach growled, making all of them sweatdrop. "Say... you guys have any grub I could eat?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I haven't eaten in ages!"

"As if one saiyan wasn't enough," Gammy snorted, no real ire in her voice. "Looks like you've got some competition, Chaya."

"And we have more chow to make," Archer grumbled, letting Harper rub soothing circles on his knotted back. "As if we haven't already got enough mouths to feed with this one here." He jutted his thumb at Chaya, who scoffed and began to scarf down her meal as if to make a point. "See what I mean?"

"Stop treating him like he's one of your buddies, Archer," Chaya said through a mouthful of stew. "This guy has a motive and it's dangerous."

Goku blinked. "Wow, you're good."

"See? He even admits it!" Though I'm not entirely sure just what his motive is... To usurp Kafara's throne? ... He can't be that much of an idiot, can he?

At that moment, Goku sat down opposite her on the wooden table and pointed at her food. "What's what you've got there? I kinda recognize the smell."

... I withdraw my previous statement. "Seluin stew," Chaya said shortly. "It's a saiyan delicacy." Hey, wait a minute... "How do you not know? Aren't you a saiyan too?"

"Haha, funny story... let's just say I haven't been back home for a long time."

Chaya narrowed his eyes at him but accepted his words anyway. If he was lying, she'd find out sooner or later. It seemed like Lady Fate was in a mischievous mood. There was no doubt she'd have more run-ins with this irritatingly cheerful excuse of a saiyan.

"Here you go," said Gammy, setting down a bowl of the same stew Chaya was eating in front of Goku. "Eat hearty!"

"Gee, thanks!" In a flash, the entire contents of the bowl were inside his stomach. "Can I have seconds, please?"

Gammy stared at him, sweatdropping. "Uh, sure, sugar cube. Why don't you try eating a little slower next time?"

Chaya cut in. "Word of advice, Gammy, never tell a hungry male saiyan to slow down in his eating. Or else he'll eat you."

"Duly noted. Though I doubt that this saiyan would want to eat something as old and chewy as me. He'd end up having all his teeth eroded!"

Emmett gave a brief peck on his wife's cheek as she bustled to the corner of the kitchen to ladle in more stew into Goku's bowl. As she did, River began to drown the saiyan with a flood of questions.

"So are you really a saiyan? What does Sadala look like? Are there aliens living there?! I heard the saiyans like to keep lesser races as slaves!"

Those were just a few of his questions and Goku's head was already spinning. "Slow down! Yeesh, you're not giving me any time to answer."

"Oops, sorry. It's just been ages since I've seen another saiyan and Yvonne wouldn't answer any questions I asked her. Half the time, it was like she was playing secret spy with her imaginary friend or something."

Chaya observed them with her obsidian eyes as they began to talk animatedly. She had completely tuned out of their conversation, focusing instead on savoring her meal. She could have finished the entire thing in a fraction of the time she was taking but she had learned to appreciate the more moderate things in life.

"Super saiyan? That sounds super cool. If you know what I mean."

Chaya's head snapped up. There it was again. This mysterious super saiyan. "Hey."

Both males turned to face her.

"What's this super saiyan you keep mentioning?" She calmly ate her stew in neat bites. "From what you've said before, it sounds like a transformation."

"It is," Goku affirmed, and for the first time in what seemed like eons, Chaya became genuinely invested in the conversation. "I would show you but I'd probably knock over a few things. I transform without much powering up but this is kind of a cramped space."

Indeed it was. The kitchen was likely one of the smallest facilities in the entire ship, and whenever Chaya visited, being taller and broader than the pointy-eared kitchen people, the space got a whole lot smaller. Add Goku into the mix and you might as well have shoved all of them in a small toilet cubicle.

"It's fine," Gammy said loudly, overhearing the conversation. "I have six different soups on the stove that I don't feel like remaking all over again!" She set down Goku's fifth bowl. "Eat hearty, sugar!"

"Thanks, ah, Gammy, was it?"

"That's me. If you need me, just call."

"How strong does super saiyan make you?" Chaya demanded. "Does your appearance change as well?"

"I'm not exactly sure how strong," Goku admitted, his brows knitted together in contemplation. "But, to answer your second question, yeah. My hair and eyebrows turn gold. But a quick dye job isn't the only thing that's special. I get a whole lot stronger too, obviously."

"Makes sense."

"Yo, Chay!" River nudged her and she sent him a withering glance.

"Don't call me that."

He ignored her. "I've been talking with Willow and she's heard some juicy gossip from Butterbutt. Apparently, this so-called legend's returned to Lady Kafara's beck and call. You're a soldier, yeah? Have you heard anything about that?"

Legend? The only strangers that have entered the ship recently are the Vessel and Goku. Could the legend be one of them? Goku did mention something about a legendary super saiyan. "No, I haven't. And I'm not obliged to share any critical information with you, River, so butt out."

She didn't know why she expected him to drop the subject. This was River, after all. Like he always did, he simply went on like she hadn't even spoken. That was the thing with River — his hearing was what most described as selective.

"She's called the... the Wrath or something," he rambled on, butchering the name. "Wrath? Wreath? Wrecker?"

"The Wraith," Goku and Emmett said at the same time.

And once again, Chaya's attention was sparked. "The Wraith?" she echoed, curious. Both Emmett and Goku know who she is! Which means the legend isn't Goku since 'she' obviously refers to a female. Then... the Vessel?

It had to be. That was the only option that added up. Legendary status implied strength, and, from what the Chief had told her, that was definitely what Kafara was after. It was such a simple, but dangerous driving force. Ambition.

"Destroyer of Worlds," Emmett said, his face an impassive mask, "was another infamous title of hers. No one outside of Frost's closest ever knew her identity, and Kafara made it no secret that she killed all of his advisers. Which means that she's the only one that knows who the Wraith really is. If she showed up on your planet, you were doomed. Her name isn't any coincidence, some lucky survivors reported that she appeared like an apparition and started destroying all of their fertile land, eradicating around half the planet and three quarters of the population. She was brutal but efficient. A purger through and through."

As Emmett spun his story, Chaya noticed from the corner of her eye that Goku was becoming increasingly agitated. But by what? Was it Emmett's story that was making him tick? The way he described the Wraith as nothing but an apathetic beast? The cogs in her mind began to turn.

"But," Emmett continued, "rumor has it that there is one other person that might know who she is. Apparently, the Colonel Bijou was her lover in the past and the only one she trusted enough with her secret."

Goku frowned. "He's the guy that I fought earlier."

River nearly spat out the water he was drinking. "Hold up! You fought Bijou and survived?! And without hardly a scratch too! I mean, you're clothes are kind of torn but that's it! How strong are you?!"

Bijou, Chaya thought with no small amount of disgust. If the Wraith had really fallen for that womanizer in the past, she and Chaya would definitely not get along. Right now, she was imagining some basic buxom bitch with long, flowing blonde hair with a sultry expression on her face, even though the Vessel looked nothing like what she was imagining. The kind of girl that Bijou and most of the other males on the ship liked. How did someone like Bijou ever become a Colonel? He probably has like twenty bastards with their mothers still awaiting child support. She snorted at the thought, her lip curled into a sneer.

"Someone doesn't like the Colonel," River teased, poking her arm through the material of her uniform: a black spandex suit with special armor on the upper body. The design was reportedly based on traditional saiyan armor. "You jealous or something?"

"What do I have to be jealous of?" Chaya hissed. "That fuckboy Bijou? Don't make me laugh."

"He wasn't that strong," Goku mused. "Even if he did put up a good fight. That Petra bird is stronger than he is."

"Ah, yes," Chaya said, frowning slightly. Petra was definitely not her favorite person on the squad but the avian had managed to gain her grudging respect. "She's part of my elite team. Annoying, but she does her job well."

"Goku," Harper said, speaking for the first time since the male saiyan arrived. "I'm gonna be blunt for a second since I really want to know. What are you doing here? You don't look like the type that would want to become one of Kafara's underlings, even if you're strong. And you don't look like a trader either. So why are you here?"

That's what I want to know, Chaya silently added. "Yes," she spoke aloud, "I'm curious as well, Goku. What kind of business do you have here? The Dark Lady never specified."

He wasn't fazed by the sudden onslaught of questions. He'd been expecting it to come sooner or later, Chaya realized.

"The one you call the Wraith," Goku started, gaining a lot of raised eyebrows. "Her name is Caulifla. And I came here in her place. In three days, she'll be free and I'll be turned in."

Chaya blinked in disbelief. "You're joking. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I love her," Goku said firmly, looking a little relieved after his declaration, as if he hadn't admitted this fact to anyone before; not even himself. "And I'm not going to let her go without a fight. I'm not going to lose her again."

Well, that explained a lot. Like why he grew so restless when Emmett gave some less than flattering descriptions of his lover.

"Damn," Archer interjected, letting out a low whistle. "I've gotta give you props. You e earned my respect, but I gotta say, you are a damn fool."

Goku grinned lopsidedly. "Thinking has never been one of my strong points, but that doesn't matter."

"Are you really doing to give yourself up?" Gammy inquired. "Because that's just dumb. Look how healthy and fit you are. If I were you, I'd try to find some way to try and save myself as well as this Caulifla girl."

"Hold on a sec," Emmett interrupted, his eyes wide. "Did I just hear that right? Did you say Caulifla?"

"Yeah," Goku confirmed. "Do you know her?"

"Her name does sound familiar," Gammy added, tapping her chin in contemplation. "Caulifla, Caulifla... ack, my memory is terrible. But my Emmett seems to remember." She nudged him with an elbow. "Tell 'em, dear."

"I was about to," Emmett said mildly, smiling at his wife's antics.

River, Chaya and Goku all regarded him with respect as he began his tale. Emmett always had that kind of effect on people whenever he told a tale. It was hard not to pay attention, even if Chaya always did her best to only give him half an ear lest his stories be stuck in her mind all day. His description of Caulifla as the Wraith was already enough to give her a restless mind.

So there really was nothing else to do but to sit back, relax and admire the view.

Or the story.

"I was already old when they came to see me for the first time but it went like this..."

"I don't see any reason why we shouldn't help them," Fennel sniffed as she stalked along the corridors, her husband by her side.

Beet tried to placate her. "This entire matter is out of our hands, dear. Not that I don't enjoy their company, but Lotuce and Garlik need to learn to stick their noses out of other people's business. Frost Enterprises are already working on it."

"That's what they've been saying for years and the situation still hasn't changed. The conditions of D-52 and D-53 are absolutely horrid. The refugees barely have enough food and drink to get by and hygiene is literally nonexistent over there!" As she ranted, Fennel threw her hands up in the air, exasperated at her husband's reluctance to help out.

Behind them, Emmett walked in silence, having been assigned by one of Frost's advisers to tail them as part of their policy or whatever.

As a former refugee himself, he knew firsthand just how bad the camps at Planets D-52 and D-53 were.

"All I'm asking is for you to lend some money to the cause," Fennel was saying. "They need it, Beet, more than we do."

And that was when Emmett spoke for the first time that day, causing the saiyans to turn around. "Forgive me, but I believe that is a bad idea. While Frost is undoubtedly a good man, he is still mortal. From all the donations that have been given so far, why are the camps still so terrible? I pray that I will not be destroyed when I tell you that Frost still experiences the pull of greed like any other mortal man surrounded by money and power."

"He's right," Beet said, "Lotuce and Garlik are wasting their time."

"Don't twist the memsie's words like that!" shouted Fennel, getting even more riled up. "That's not what he said!"

"I'm not a memsie," Emmett protested mildly. "But the memsie race and my race are close cousins."

"Then what are you?" Fennel asked, temporarily distracted from her upcoming tirade.

"A faerie," Emmett stated without even an ounce of embarrassment.

It was the beginning of an unlikely friendship, especially when his wife of many years, Lucinda, was added into the mix. The kitchen was always livelier when Fennel and Beet were around. Despite the latter's aristocratic status, he knew how to unwind and get along with the commoners.

"What's that for?" Lucinda asked, setting down two mugs of beers on the kitchen table. She was watching Fennel knit some kind of clothing using maroon yarn. "Ain't it the summer on that saiyan planet of yours?"

"Oh, you remembered!" Fennel said pleasantly, beaming rays of happiness.

Emmett, washing the dishes, heard his wife snort even over the gush of the rushing water.

"How could I not?" she quipped, her curly locks bouncing as she pushed her hair out of her face. "You took me and Emmett there just two weeks ago."

"Did Frost approve of your meddling this time around?" Emmett asked Beet, who was leaning against the wall and drinking his own mug of beer.

Their continual pestering of Frost to do something about the refugees was why their presence in the ship was a weekly occurrence. Sometimes, their friends Lotuce and Beet would be around to, having just retired not long ago from their duties as elite soldiers.

"What do you think?" Beet said, sighing through his nose. "He said no, of course, and warned us to back off, telling us that he had the refugee situation under control." He took a swig. "He's not a very happy man. Far from it, even if he always smiles like there's no tomorrow for the universal media."

At that moment, both Lucinda and Fennel squealed as if they were still schoolgirls. Lucinda scooped Fennel, who was thankfully petite for a saiyan, into her arms in a boisterous hug.

"I'm so happy for you!" Lucinda all but shouted. "No wonder you haven't touched the beer yet! Normally, you'd be asking for a second glass!"

Emmett's eyes widened as he processed just what Lucinda had said. "Beet, did you hear that?"

"She's pregnant," Beet confirmed. "I already knew. I could sense the chi of the child. It's a bit weak but I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Of course it will," Emmett agreed. "This is your second kid, right?"

Beet nodded. Their first child, Cabba, had just turned two this year. They were not expecting to have another but it was a welcome surprise.

Months later, the child arrived into the world.

It was stillborn.

They had not visited for months. But their place had been taken by two newcomers and, while they were nice enough, things weren't the same. Two faeries, Archer and Harper, middle-aged and healthy, were brought in from Planet D-53 to work as cooks.

Getting up, cooking, bantering, and going back to bed became the norm. Until Beet and Fennel came back, this time with two children.

Emmett nearly dropped his spoon into his soup when they entered the kitchen. Ignoring Harper and Archer's confusion, he marched up to them and grasped Beet by the shoulders. "You came back."

"With Cabba and... who's that?" Lucinda said, eyeing the girl child peeking out from behind Fennel's legs as little Cabba slept in his mother's arms.

"This is Caulifla," Fennel introduced, looking kindly at the child. "She's Lotuce and Garlik's kid. Say hello, dear."

Caulifla's eyes didn't meet Emmett's as she fixed her gaze on the tiled floor, stained with old soups and sauces. "H...hewo."

"She's missing her two front teeth," Beet said, "so she'll sound a bit funny."

"Hi there," said Emmett, his eyes kind. "The name's Emmett. How old are you, Caulifla?"

Caulifla furrowed her thin brows in a frown and held up her fingers. "Um, I'm... fwive!" She pushed her outstretched hands into Emmett's face, blinking adorably.

"Aren't you a big girl!" exclaimed Emmett. "Have you started training to fight yet?" he asked, knowing that mmost saiyans trained their young at very early ages.

As he suspected, Caulifla grinned and nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Since I was three! I think," she added as an uncertain afterthought.

"You must be very strong," Emmett praised as his wife waddled up to greet Fennel and Beet heartily.

Caulifla put up one of her little fists. "I am! I could beat you any day, old man!"

"Hey there, squirt," Beet sternly said, picking up Caulifla. "What did your mommy and daddy say about picking fights with non-saiyans?"

Caulifla pouted and crossed her tiny arms. "Yeah, yeah, that they might not have warrior's honor code. What they don't know won't kill 'em!"

An hour later, they were gone, leaving Emmett and Lucinda to fill Harper and Archer on a few details.

"I didn't see her at all after that," Emmett finished. His hands shook. "I can't believe... that she's the Wraith."

"Kids don't turn into monsters in one afternoon," said Chaya. "So don't look so shocked."

"She's changed," Goku said firmly. "Caulifla isn't a monster. I know you probably don't believe me, Chaya, but people can change." He pushed his empty bowl aside. "Thanks for the meal, Gammy, but I'm stuffed. I think I'll go back to my room now."

Chaya's eyes followed his retreating figure until he disappeared behind the double doors.

The only sound that could be heard was the hissing and sizzling of all sorts of foodstuffs.

"He's so in love with her," River blurted, breaking the silence. "Honestly, I'm rooting for the guy. Any ideas for a ship name?"

The ice was broken.

"Goku and Caulifla..." Archer mused, tossing a dirty towel over his shoulder and rubbing his chin. His voice was filled with amusement. "Gofla?"

"How about Cauliku?" suggested Gammy, joining in.

As they continued to throw ship names about, Chaya scoffed.

"All of those names sound so dumb."

"Bet you can't come up with anything better," River retorted.

"Of course I can't. Their names just don't work together. If only Goku had a saiyan name. Then the combinations might work better."

Everyone sighed at Chaya's negativity.

Goku had just found room 1408 when he sneezed unexpectedly, his thumb hovering above the identification scanner. "Huh, that's weird..."

A/N: The maroon sweater makes a return. Now we know its original purpose before complications led Fennel to pass on the sweater to Caulifla, who passed it onto Kale. Apologies for any typos as I wrote this all in one afternoon on my iPad, which has a tendency to autocorrect incorrectly.