Chapter Thirty-One: Losing My Religion (Part III)
"I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Every waking hour
I'm losing my confessions
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much…
I haven't said enough…"
Losing My Religion-Lacuna Coil
DBZ
"You are relying too much on your brute strength. You have an abundance of ki at your disposal. You need to channel that into your strikes the same way you were channeling it into your speed. Do you understand?"
"Of course I fucking understand," Amotto responded in agitation. "I'm not an idiot."
Ka'bijj's eyes narrowed slightly. "You modern Saiyans are a disrespectful lot, aren't you?"
"Do you have a plan or not? I'm getting tired of these lectures."
The older Saiyan rolled his eyes and glanced to where Coola was watching with keen interest. "Coola is much stronger than either of us. I cannot honestly say that I have a plan other than be on your guard and watch for any openings you can exploit. But I do have some advice," he said as he returned his gaze to her.
"Oh yeah? And what is that?" Amotto demanded, her tone dripping with malice.
Ka'bijj sighed. "Youthful stubbornness. It is like talking with a wall."
Amotto's eyes narrowed. "Get to it, old man."
"Clear your mind. Calm the anger that fuels your power, and take control. You are letting your anger rule you and that is asking for trouble. You are high on your power, but you are holding onto your anger as a fuel-source. Let go of whatever pain triggered your transformation, and become a TRUE Super Saiyan, girl."
"What makes you such an expert on MY power?"
"Are you blind, girl?" Ka'bijj demanded in frustration. "I, too, am a Super Saiyan! I was also once a Cleric of the Old World."
"What the hell is a Cleric?"
"Ah, the youth…" Ka'bijj shook his head with a rueful sigh. "You have missed out on your true heritage living under the rule of Vegeta. Clerics were an ancient holy sect charged with the secrets of the Super Saiyan, a power gifted to our ancient ancestors by the gods themselves. Or so the story goes." He smiled sardonically. "The Clerics were simultaneously the religious leaders and the military for our people. Believe it or not, but not all Saiyans wanted to be warriors. Most wanted nothing more than a peaceful life."
Amotto arched an eyebrow and frowned.
"Our ancestors," Ka'bijj continued, "were aware that, despite their peaceful nature, there were unfriendly beings in the universe that would threaten our existence. For example: the Ice-jins. Thus the Clerics were born."
"Is there a point to this story? Or are you wasting my time?" Amotto demanded in a huff. "We have a fight going on here!"
Ka'bijj sighed again and held up a hand. "Have patience. Coola is not going anywhere, and he has quite obviously allotted us time for this conversation." He gestured to where Coola was avidly listening. "Besides, I am fairly certain he is curious about the history of the Super Saiyans." He looked at Coola pointedly, a grin appearing behind his thick beard. "I am fairly certain Cold has not filled him in."
Coola chuckled, his eyes narrowing slowly. "You are correct, Saiyan. My father has not told me much about why your race was to be kept subjugated as it was."
"Your father is an intelligent man; that is why. He was very aware of what our race was capable of; of the incredible powers that we could summon that allowed us to fight on your levels. He was also aware that our population was far greater, even if the average power of our race was much lower than the average power of the Ice-jin populace. He and his peers, at the time, feared our greater numbers. They wanted an empire that spanned the universe and they wanted no competition. The Saiyans of Saintya were one of the races they feared would stand in their way.
"The most important thing that he was aware of, however, was that the Saiyans were isolationists. Our ancestors were a highly advanced race, with a territory that spanned several solar systems. They waged no war and kept to the confines of their territory, though. They knew little, if anything, about the other races in the universe. They were aware of their existence at best, but did not engage in any kind of interaction, preferring to remain withdrawn and focused on their own problems, which were lacking. It was our indifference as a race that allowed the growth of the Ice-jin Empire to reach our boundaries. When they finally did, the Ice-jins had amassed a disposable army that they then used to slowly, but surely, reduce our numbers.
"This happened about six hundred years ago, mind you. This was before the Great War a hundred years ago. No, the first time the Ice-jins came after us, we were unprepared for a war. We were too accustomed to our peaceful lives we had lived up until then. Recognizing the threat of the Ice-jins, our Elders created the Order of the Clerics of the Old World, basing the order off of philosophical teachings thousands of years old. Their idea being to create an army of Warrior-Priest Super Saiyans."
"So your most powerful warriors were also monks?" Coola chuckled and shook his head. "What danger do monks pose? Monks are pacifists! My father was obviously a coward."
"No, you are mistaken. Your father recognized the Clerics for what they were: a threat. They might not have completely posed a threat in terms of war, but in terms of ideology…" He chuckled quietly. "The Ice-jins were notorious for making it clear that power meant control. Well, here was a race that was poised to disprove everything they had been saying. Cold saw a race that was going to introduce a military force that would show that all races could live peacefully and defensively.
"Then he learned what a Super Saiyan really was…" Ka'bijj grinned wide, his eyes narrowing slowly.
"Oh? And what is a Super Saiyan really?" Coola asked with a gruff snicker.
"A Super Saiyan is a being born of pure, unadulterated, merciless rage. Rage so powerful that, when controlled, could be used to great effect; or it could control an individual and create an unstoppable monster of pure power." Ka'bijj looked at Amotto with a frown.
Amotto returned the frown, arching a golden eyebrow slightly.
"So based on what you have told me, it is in my best interests to destroy the two of you here and now?" Coola asked as he folded his arms across his massive chest.
"If you were smart, yes. Especially this one," he said as he nodded towards Amotto, who looked surprised for a moment.
She scowled in response and her emerald hues cut towards Coola quickly.
Coola laughed. "And why is that?"
"She is new to her transformation, meaning she is the most volatile. She is at a critical stage. If she is not careful she will lose control and become a psychotic maniac hell-bent on nothing but destruction, and she will destroy you." Ka'bijj stated matter-of-factly. He then looked at Amotto again and arched an eyebrow.
Amotto's eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. "Why don't I just destroy you?! You think you're so high and mighty, don't you? Well let's go! I'll kill you right now!" Her aura suddenly exploded to life, the ground cracking beneath her feet.
Ka'bijj smiled slightly. "That is enough of that, girl. You're wasting precious energy. Focus your power on the true enemy."
"And you aren't the true enemy? You did show up and attack us! I think you're just as much my enemy as Coola is!" She clenched her fists tightly, her aura pulsing and intensifying.
"Is that so? Well, would you like to fight us both, then?"
Amotto's mouth opened and she froze. She blinked as she regarded the elder Saiyan, arching a golden brow slowly. Her green eyes cut towards Coola and she frowned. Ka'bijj was purposely egging her on and creating a scene. Why hadn't she realized it sooner?
"Do it," Ka'bijj whispered under his breath. She cut her eyes towards him. "Do it. Channel your ki into your strikes. You can do it. Boost your speed, then right before you strike focus all of your ki into your strikes."
"I can't do that," she responded back, just as quietly. "I don't have much experience with ki manipulation."
"Yes, you can," he said gently. "You are a Super Saiyan now. Things you once thought of as impossible are easily possible for you. You just have to do it. It is within your power, and you have the best chance out of the two of us at hurting Coola." Ka'bijj smiled grimly. "It is your youth. Now yell at me again before he gets suspicious."
"Fuck you, old man! Stop with these retarded lectures." She pointed a gold-enshrouded finger at him as her eyes narrowed. "I don't give a damn about what you have to say! Go to hell!"
"Not bad," he whispered with a grin. "Ready?"
"I meant every word," she whispered back coldly. Her eyes cut towards Coola quickly. "Yeah, I guess I am. Was this your plan from the start?"
"Something to this effect. Charge me and at the last second blast Coola full force. Got it?" Ka'bijj shook his head with a sigh, and raising his voice he said, "The youth today have no respect for their elders. Of course, it could just be that you are an emotional woman. Seluri had similar bursts of emotion."
"THAT IS IT!" Amotto suddenly screeched. She lunged for Ka'bijj and slammed her fist violently into the side of his head, sending him rocketing away.
Coola turned to watch Ka'bijj sail away. "Disputes between Saiyans are always entertaining."
Amotto was suddenly in front of him. She brought both hands forward quickly, and yelled, "Entertain this you big fucking lizard!"
"What?!" His gaze snapped around just as a golden beam flashed forward and engulfed him in a massive explosion. Debris and smoke erupted outwards in all directions, and he was thrown backwards violently.
His massive bulk crashed into the ground, which shattered like glass; trees and small boulders flew in opposite directions as he slid backwards through the nearly-leveled forest.
Amotto lunged after him, appearing at his side and driving her ki-charged foot into his ribs hard enough to send him flying in another direction through the ground. She briefly marveled at the fact that her power had reached a point that it was possible for her to change the shape of a planet. She grinned and flashed after the Ice-jin again.
Ka'bijj, sporting a darkening bruise on the side of his head, appeared beyond the Ice-jin and jackhammered Coola towards her.
Her feet hit the ground, digging into the solid stone as she slid towards the out of control Ice-jin. She clapped her hands together above her head, focusing her ki into the tips of her extended index fingers. Green energy shone almost as bright as the sun as she finally came to a stop; her clasped-together hands came down and a thin green beam of highly-concentrated ki flashed forward and slammed into Coola's exposed chest. It exploded violently, a massive dome of green energy expanding out in all directions and sending chunks of rock and debris flying everywhere.
Amotto grinned as her hands dropped to her sides, her chest heaving with exertion. "I bet he felt that."
Ka'bijj practically materialized beside her, his emerald hues cut towards her. "Was it really necessary to hit me that hard?"
"I had to make it look convincing," she replied with a smirk.
"Who were you trying to convince, him or me?" Ka'bijj asked with a grimace as he gingerly touched his bruised cheek.
"Both of you, I suppose." She giggled mock-maniacally as Ka'bijj rolled his eyes.
"You seem to be in a better mood," he said in annoyance.
"I just made Coola my bitch. Of course I'm in a good mood."
"I hope you realize that it is but a temporary victory. He is not yet dead." The elder Saiyan turned his gaze towards the fading dome of green energy, but all he could see were massive plumes of smoke and dust. "You did, however, make him realize that we are seriously dangerous. He may come at us full force now. I am not sure that we can stand against him for long if that proves to be the case."
The smoke and dust was suddenly swept away as a purple beam of energy lanced from the center of the devastation, making a beeline towards Amotto. She barely saw the attack before it exploded against her chest, flinging her backwards.
Ka'bijj cut his gaze towards Coola and tried to raise his guard before the Ice-jin attacked, but his hands had hardly moved an inch before a massive silver fist was colliding with his nose. His head snapped back and he was lifted from his feet, only to have an elbow driven into his gut. His back slammed into the ground, which exploded with enough force to create a crater several meters across.
Amotto skid to a stop several hundred feet way, her eyes closed in pain as she clutched her chest. Her armor, which had already taken a severe beating at Falmer's hands, was tattered and cracked. She grimaced and sat up slowly, small pieces falling loose and to the ground as she leveled her narrowed eyes on the Ice-jin standing over Ka'bijj.
Casting a quick glance down to her armor she momentarily regretted not donning upper-body underarmor.
She dismissed the thought as her green eyes leveled on Coola malevolently. Her aura returned in full force, her ki rising rapidly and powerfully enough to cause the ground beneath her feet to explode instantly. With a violent surging of her ki, she was rocketing across the ground towards the angered Ice-jin.
Coola lifted his red-eyed glare from Ka'bijj and focused his gaze on her.
He appeared in front of her, one closed around her throat and the other clenched tightly into a fist; he punched her in her stomach so hard that the back of her armor exploded from her body. Blood flew from her mouth, splattering across Coola's natural mask. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.
"You insolent little monkeys. Did you really think you stood a chance against me?" He scoffed as Amotto's eyes turned black and her eyelids drooped to a close. Her hair fell to its normal position and became green.
"I blame myself," Coola sneered as he carelessly tossed her to the ground. "I held too much of my strength back at first."
He suddenly spun around and backhanded Ka'bijj, who had been trying to rush him from behind, into the ground. He shook his head as he made a tsking sound. "Pathetic creatures you are. And you call yourselves 'Super Saiyans.' What a joke."
Ka'bijj pushed himself up slowly, groaning. He looked up at Coola and narrowed his eyes. "Had I any clue about your transformation, I would not be here fighting you." He stood up shakily, taking a ragged breath. "I know my limitations and when to not fight. But, alas, here I stand." He grinned slowly and wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. "And here I shall remain until either you die, or I die."
Coola chuckled as he turned to face Ka'bijj fully, leaving Amotto lying forgotten and unconscious behind him. "Fair enou-"
A clubbed fist suddenly impacted the side of his head sending him crashing into the ground, and sliding for several hundred feet.
Turpin touched down lightly, exhaling as he wiped his arm across his forehead. "Ah tho't ah'd neva git 'ere."
"Impeccable timing, Turpin. As always," Ka'bijj said with his grin still in place. "I suppose you have a plan?"
"Don' ah a'ways?" Turpin grinned in response.
"Yes, but they are not always well thought out."
"Ah, true." The shorter man chuckled and turned his single emerald eye to regard Coola, who was standing up and glaring daggers at the two of them.
"So what is the plan, then?"
"T' git dat gal der off'n dis plane'."
"You recognize her potential, too, then?" Ka'bijj asked as he glanced down at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Ah don' know 'bout dat. But ah do know dat she c'n help Se-ri-pa n' Bar-dock figh' Frieza lat'r."
"Hm…You place great faith in your daughter and her mate. Do you think they have what it takes to take down the Cold Regime?" Ka'bijj took a defensive stance as Coola began stalking towards them slowly.
"Yes, ah do. Dey'll b' Supa Saiyans 'fore t' lon'. Soon'r den ah'm guessin', too." Turpin mirrored his former compatriot's stance, his eye never leaving Coola.
"So then our sacrifice will not be in vain."
"Ah'm no' sayin' dat fer sure, jus' yet." Turpin grinned. "Bu' we won' know 'til we do it."
"Turpin, you have not changed in the least." Ka'bijj smiled slightly. "Forgive me for abandoning the cause of the Clerics."
"Nuttin' t' f'rgive, Ka'bijj. Da Clerics was dead. On'y stubbornness kep' me goin' fer as lon' as ah did. Ya n' Sel 'ad da righ' idea." Turpin shrugged. "Oh well."
"No. We should have remained together, as we had planned from the beginning. The three of us were the last. We should have stuck together and helped guide Tettuce. We should have remained together and rebuilt the Clerics as we had discussed. I deeply regret abandoning that plan." Ka'bijj sighed. "Tettuce, however, frightened me."
"He fri't'ned me, too, Ka'bijj." Turpin smiled grimly and looked up at his old friend. "Da boy w's d'ng'rous. Ah saw's it, jus' as ya n' Sel did. Ah jus' chose t' ignore it. N' look wha' it go' me," he chuckled wryly as he gestured at his club-fist and his scarred up eye. "Da boy damn near kill'd me. Ah w's a fool."
"Yes, I agree that you were a fool," Ka'bijj grinned again as Turpin cast him a glance. "But you had the right idea, nonetheless. Tettuce could have been a great warrior and a great Cleric."
"He w's a great war'ior. Cleric….eh, no' so much." Turpin laughed and looked at Coola again. The Ice-jin was less than fifty yards away and still stalking silently towards them. "Ah wond'r why da l'zard ain't attack'd, yet?"
"Perhaps he is waiting for us to attack?"
"Hm, me'be. Fuck it. Ah'm goin' in!" Turpin's aura exploded to life and he lunged forward, his fist flying towards Coola's exposed face.
Coola caught the punch with relative ease, but Turpin's clubbed fist suddenly slammed into his nose. He staggered back and the short man lunged forward to head butt Coola, a shockwave erupting from the impact.
Turpin dropped to his feet before Coola, shaking his head. "Oy, ya's go's a 'ard head!"
"Saiyan trash!" The Ice-jin slammed his elbow into Turpin's face, sending him flying and crashing down to the ground violently.
Ka'bijj appeared, his foot outstretched in a powerful kick. Coola looked up and snatched the man out of the air by his foot and threw him to the ground, which caved in an almost perfect outline of the Saiyan's body.
Ka'bijj grimaced and sprang to his feet. He lunged forward, his fist drawn back.
Coola growled and fired several ki blasts at him, but Ka'bijj vanished. He reappeared and drove both elbows into the top of Coola's head, the impact staggering the Ice-jin considerably. His feet touched the ground and he sprang up, with an explosion of debris, to drive his knees into Coola's chin sending the lizard flying and tumbling into the sky.
He almost immediately halted his flight and charged towards Ka'bijj quickly.
"Oh, damn it," murmured Ka'bijj as Coola rushed him. He brought both hands up and fired a massive blast at the rushing Ice-jin.
Coola effortlessly knocked the blast away and swung his feet around to crash into Ka'bijj's face, sending the elder Saiyan tumbling end over end across the ground.
"Pathetic monkeys!" Coola cried as his massive talons crashed into the ground, sending tremors through the planet. "You will die on this miserable rock today!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ground quaked violently, cracking beneath their feet.
Coola blinked and looked over his shoulder to see Amotto standing in a deepening crater, her golden aura a raging vortex.
"You are still alive? Pesky insect!"
"I'll show you an insect! Take this!" She suddenly vanished.
The Ice-jin blinked again and looked around. "Take what? You ran away. You pus-"
A gold enshrouded fist slammed into his chin, snapping his head back and sending him rocketing into the sky.
Amotto slammed her feet into the ground and brought both hands up to aim at him. "That was just an appetizer! Here's the main course!" A massive golden beam erupted from the palms of her hands and lanced skyward towards the spiraling Ice-jin. "Eat up, lizard!"
Coola suddenly came to a stop and he looked down at the approaching blast…It slammed into him and exploded violently, clouds overhead being swept away from the force.
Amotto dropped her arms and looked away as the light from the explosion approached blinding levels. As it began to fade she looked up again. "Who's gonna die today, Coola? Ha…not us." She scoffed and then spat a wad of saliva and blood to the ground at her feet. "Don't fuck with Super Saiyans, asshole."
The smoke that had been kicked up by the explosion was suddenly swept away, revealing Coola…holding a massive orange sphere over his head. And it was steadily growing.
"You Saiyans have angered me for the last time today! In my hands I hold your death! It is time I delivered!"
Amotto's eyes were wide as she watched the sphere suddenly double and then triple in size until it resembled a small sun. Coola's massive frame was easily dwarfed by the sheer size of the ball of ki. She glanced around to see that everything around her was bathed in orange light from the sphere of power.
"Shit…" she murmured as she looked up at him again. She sighed and slowly reverted back to her base form.
This was it…
DBZ
Leta eyed Etapa's empty seat for the third time in an hour, once again wondering where the girl had gone off to. She wasn't necessarily needed on the bridge anytime soon, but her absence was noticed by most of the occupants of the bridge. There were more than a few knowing glances exchanged.
Thinking of Etapa, Leta remembered that she was Broco's sister. She thought of the man's concern for her and Surah, and she smiled. She wondered how he was since they'd all gone their different directions. She wondered if that girl, Amotto, had ever recovered from her injuries. Or Falmer, for that matter.
She wondered about Seripa and Bardock. Shortly after he had spoken with his brother, he had transmitted coordinates to a spot where they were supposed to meet. They were still a day away from where he wanted to meet up the last she checked.
Ever since Turles and Bardock's "conversation" the bridge had been quiet. There had been nothing to report and Leta was enjoying the peace and quiet. She'd had enough stress in recent days to last her several lifetimes.
"Um, Lady Leta?" said Lessbru suddenly.
She glanced at him. "What is it?"
"We're being hailed. And you're not going to believe by whom." He swiveled in his chair to look at her in surprise.
She frowned and glanced at her sister, but remembered at the last second that she had gone to lie down earlier. She shook her head and looked at him again. "Well, who is it?"
"Zarbon," he said as he looked at his console again. Heads turned all around the bridge, with a few audible gasps.
Leta stood up suddenly. "What does he want?" she demanded.
"I don't know. He has only identified himself."
Leta narrowed her eyes. "Fine then. Onscreen. I'll speak with him." She couldn't even begin to guess what Zarbon was playing at here, but she knew it couldn't be good.
The main screen at the forefront of the bridge lit up, revealing the face of the Aotian. He was smiling, rather pleasantly, at Leta.
"Greetings. As you are no doubt aware, I am Zarbon. I wish to speak with Matron Aurah, of the Gylderian Empire."
Leta arched an eyebrow at the inclusion of the title. It seemed oddly respectful considering Zarbon knew what had happened to the Gylderian homeworld. She would've expected snide comments and insults, rather than a request such as his.
"I am afraid that that is no longer possible. Lady Aurah no longer exists. You must speak with either me, or my sister Lady Surah. She is now the Matron of the Gylderian Empire."
Zarbon arched an eyebrow slowly. "Well then. Who are you, and what happened to Lady Aurah?"
"I am Princess Leta, of the Saiyans. Daughter of Lord Spinac and Cleric Seluri. As for Lady Aurah, it is too complicated to get into. Let us just say that Aurah, as a whole, no longer exists. But she is still very much alive."
Zarbon blinked in response. He obviously had no idea what she meant, or to what she was referring. He cleared his throat. "I see. I think. I was not aware that Lord Spinac had any progeny."
"No one knew. I know this isn't a social call. What do you want?" Leta demanded.
The Aotian grinned and dipped his head forehead slightly. "Of course. Let us get down to brass tax. I am contacting you to tell you that Frieza knows where you are, and where you are going. You can thank Blythe for that."
Leta frowned. "I shall have to deal with him accordingly. But why are you telling me this?"
"The second reason I contacted you: I am the leader of the Galactic Band. I admit it is not the most inspiring name, but I did not want it to draw too much unneeded attention."
The Saiyan princess shook her head. "Bull shit. I know better than to fall for such an obvious ploy. Nice try, though."
Zarbon chuckled. "I expected this reaction. What if I told you that I am in a spacepod, nowhere near Frieza? Or how about this: I initiated the self-destruct sequence of Frieza's ship? He is currently floating in space, most likely very irate."
"Oh? And how do I know you are telling me the truth? You could be making this all up for all I know."
"I could be, but I am not. Whether or not you believe what I have to say is up to you. You and I both know that no one knows the true identity of the leader of the Galactic Band-"
"I also know," she interrupted, "that the Galactic Band reveals information about the Cold Regime that is largely hidden from the public. Information that can sometimes come only from an inside source. I imagine you were counting on my knowing that to help sell the ploy. As I stated, it will not work."
Zarbon merely chuckled. "You are an admirably intelligent leader, Princess. You know better than to just outright trust someone."
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Zarbon. There is nothing you can say or do that will convince me of your-"
"Lady Leta…?" Lessbru suddenly spoke up.
She looked sharply at him and frowned. "What is it, Lessbru?"
"This," he said as the main screen was divided. Half of it was Zarbon's message, while the other half had an image of a large stylized 'G' over a 'B.'
"I repeat: The leader of the Galactic Band has publicly announced himself to be Prince Zarbon, of the extinct Aotian Empire. Again: Prince Zarbon has revealed himself as the leader of the resistance group known as the Galactic Band. He is taking credit for all inside information from within the Cold Regime, and he has announced that he has left his post under Frieza. And 'with a bang' as he claims. Verification of this information is still underway, but reports are coming in that Frieza's Cruiser was sabotaged in the depths of space, resulting in the deaths of every single member of his crew. Frieza, of course, was the only known survivor aside from Prince Zarbon."
The image vanished, and Zarbon's face took up the entire screen again. He grinned as Leta narrowed her eyes at him.
"You've really gone all-out to sell this deception, haven't you?"
The Aotian prince shrugged keeping his grin in place. "I'm not asking you to trust me. I just wanted to warn you of Frieza, and to offer my assistance."
"Assistance with what?" Leta asked cautiously, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"As we speak, my people are in the process of liberating your Prince Vegeta, as well as the son of Bardock, Raditz. You will be contacted by one of my people, a man named Jeice, who will meet you wherever you feel is the safest."
Leta's eyebrows rose slowly. "Is that so? How will he feel if we show up in force?"
"It is to be expected. Jeice will be alone, save for your Prince, his bodyguard, and Bardock's son. I am aware that it is not easy to trust a turncoat, but I have been an enemy of Frieza since before I pledged my loyalty to him." He went quiet, his expression darkening. He sighed and said, "I did it to save my people, but I was foolish to believe Frieza's claims. He destroyed my people and tortured me for what felt like an eternity. He believed for a long time that he had broken my Aotian spirit, but he was wrong. I never betrayed my people. I have been biding my time, operating in the shadows to defy him. I felt his power firsthand and knew fighting him outright was suicide.
He smirked. "It was tempting, at times, to just end it all. But thanks to your people, Princess Leta, I was able to hold out a glimmer of hope. I have worked towards freedom in the universe, and now I am done working in the shadows. I should also mention that I was found out by Frieza, which is why I am now on the run." He laughed aloud at that, leaning back in his seat.
"So you were the prince of a race known as the Aotians?" Leta glanced at Lessbru. "Do you know anything about Aotians, Lessbru? I, personally, am unfamiliar with them."
Lessbru shook his head. "No, my lady. Other than that they are extinct, I know nothing."
"Few do know anything about my people. We were few in number, isolated to a single planet. My people were just beginning to construct spacecraft capable of traveling further than our moon when Frieza's soldiers invaded. We had knowledge of life beyond our planet, but it was microbial! We had seen no evidence of intelligent life…"
Leta eyed Zarbon in silence, her face devoid of expression as she listened.
Zarbon continued. "Imagine how we felt when the first intelligent life we meet wants to kill us!" He laughed humorlessly. "My people fought, however, and we fought well. We staved off Frieza's lackeys for years. We took prisoners and learned of our new enemy. We learned of the technological capabilities, the Ginyu Force, and we learned of Frieza's great power. As most people do, we underestimated his strength." He sighed and shook his head slowly. "We were foolish. Frieza himself showed up and displayed his strength…And gave us an ultimatum. Gave ME an ultimatum: turn over the strongest Aotian, or the entire planet would perish. Comply and my people would survive…"
He looked up and fixed Leta with an intense stare. "I was foolish to believe him. I would rather be dead along with the rest of my people, rather than be the last surviving member of a dead race serving that tyrant. Put yourself in my boots, Princess. What would you do?"
Leta was silent as she regarded the silent Aotian. She frowned, her eyes never leaving Zarbon's. She watched for any telltale signs of deception, but could see none. She wasn't ready to give in and buy his tale, but she did know what she would do were she in a similar position.
"I would fight."
Leta looked towards the doorway to see her sister, Surah. She blinked in surprise, wondering how long she'd been listening.
Surah glanced at her and offered a slight smile. She looked back to the screen and walked to stand in front of it, looking up at Zarbon.
"If I were in your position, Zarbon, I would do all I could to undermine Frieza. I would feel obligated to not let my people's memory be tainted with injustice. I would do all I could, through any means necessary, to hurt Frieza any way I could. I, Matron Surah of the last of the Gylderians, believe you, Prince Zarbon of the Aotian Empire, are telling the truth." She bowed her head, closing her eyes.
Zarbon mirrored the gesture.
Leta watched her sister silently for a moment before sighing. She smiled slightly and nodded her head. "I, Princess Leta of the last of the Saiyans, believe you, too." She dipped her head slightly as Zarbon lifted his to regard her in surprise. "I probably should not, but I do. Do not make me regret trusting you, Prince Zarbon."
He smiled and shook his head. "I would not dream of it, Your Highness." He bowed his head.
"So what now?" Leta asked, stepping off the dais and moving to Surah's side. "Where do we go from here?"
"As I said, I will let you decide the coordinates for where you can meet Jeice and retrieve your people."
"No, no. I mean what else do you have to say? You did not just contact us to tell us this drivel without something else to say."
Zarbon grinned. "You truly are an admirable leader, Princess! Very well! I intend to gather my forces and publicly declare war against the Ice-jin Empire. It is time the peoples of the universe rose up and defied their oppressors!"
Leta arched an eyebrow and smirked at him. "I am inclined to agree. But you do realize that is easier said than done, right? Frieza wiped out the two greatest threats to his family's empire: the Flazerians, and the Gylderians. He knew that only those two empires were capable of raising armies to stand against the Ice-jins. No one will fight for a handful of Gylderians."
"Ah, but Frieza did not wipe out the Flazerian Empire. He merely killed Ryo. Ryo's sister, Maseselyo, still yet lives. And she is not happy with the Cold Regime at the moment. I have been in contact with her and she is more than prepared to begin a full-on assault upon the Ice-jin homeworld immediately."
Surah glanced at Leta, who met her sister's gaze. "That is impressive, Prince Zarbon." She looked back at him. "Where do we factor into all this, though? The Flazerians and my people were not on the best of terms."
"A fact that I am well aware of, My Lady," Zarbon said with a dip of his head to Surah. "I have spoken with Lady Maseselyo of your plight. She has assured me that she will welcome you and your people as allies and friends. She, too, desires to see an end to the Cold Regime."
Surah nodded slowly. "I see." She looked around the bridge with a slight frown. "I will join the battle, but my people come first. I wish to see them to a safe planet, far away from the war, so that my people may live on."
"I, too, will join the battle," said Leta. "But like Surah, I wish to see the people aboard this ship safely to our current destination."
Zarbon nodded. "I fully understand. There is time yet for you to join us in this endeavor. I actually suspected as much, as I would do the same for my people."
Leta nodded. "Good. We are going out on a limb here, Zarbon. Under normal circumstances we would not believe you, let alone trust you enough to even consider believing you. We, however, do not have much choice."
"We are desperate, yes," Surah agreed with a regretful sigh. "We do, you understand, have to take into consideration your lengthy allegiance to Frieza. We cannot fully believe your story due to this fact."
"Again, I understand. I have not conducted myself in an honorable manner for these long decades. It was, you understand, necessary to execute such subterfuge."
"We do," said Surah. Leta nodded agreement. "This is why we will transmit the coordinates to you for where we wish to meet with this Jeice character. Know this, though: the coordinates are predetermined by the fact that we are meeting others there. And the people we are meeting there are more than capable of handling even the famed Ginyu Force, so any deception you may have planned will ultimately fail."
Zarbon nodded. "When I transmit the coordinates to Jeice, I shall refrain from warning him of your backup." He smiled slightly. "I do not ask for your trust at this moment, but I am confident that you shall come to trust me."
"Just don't make us regret it, Zarbon," said Leta.
"I promise you, I will not."
DBZ
Cold listened to the announcement from the pesky Galactic Band Network, the information site dedicated to spreading any news of the resistance movement known as the Galactic Band, slowly twirling a wine glass in his hand. His red eyes calmly watched the dark, swirling liquid as they announced "Prince" Zarbon as the leader. The bridge, as usual, was darkened with a viewing window showing the blackness of space.
Cold stood before this window listening to the reports with an amused smirk. He was not surprised Frieza's personal lackey ended up being the leader this whole time. The better part of thirty years they've dealt with the nuisance of the Galactic Band, and all that time the leader had been hiding right under their noses. He had warned Frieza decades ago that his obsession with exotic pets would be his undoing.
Of course he had never expected Zarbon to be the one to be audacious enough to blow up a Cruiser. A small smirk played at the corner of his lips. It was impressive, really. The Aotian had been masterfully deceptive.
Cold, however, was used to deception. Frieza was easily angry about the whole ordeal, while Cold merely shrugged it off. He liked his wits sharp and focused. If he was ever deceived, he could react easier and sooner to such an affront. Frieza could have already dealt with Zarbon if his anger had not clouded his judgment.
If he had to guess, Frieza was on his way to Cold's Cruiser. His youngest was the easiest to predict. Instead of immediately contacting him to report the occurrence, he was waiting until he arrived out of fear of punishment. Cold would come down hard on his son, but not because of the destruction of the Cruiser. He would deal with Frieza for allowing the situation to reach that point.
"Sire…"
Cold turned away from the large viewing window of space and looked at his Communications Officer. "Yes, Auguinti?"
The C.O. dipped his elongated head into a bow. "Frieza is on the com, Sire. He says he will arrive here within the hour."
"I see. Tell him I will speak with him upon his arrival." Cold turned back to the face the view screen, raising the wine glass to his lips and taking a sip of the dark liquid.
Auguinti bowed his head deeper. "Yes, Sire." He straightened up and turned to return to his station.
"Oh, and Auguinti?"
The alien turned back around and bowed again. "Sire?"
"I am assuming there has been no further word from Coola?"
"No, Sire. Not since the transmission cut out."
"I see. Hm. Are you still tracking the Armored Squadron's Cruiser?" He looked serenely upon the remaining liquid in the glass.
"Yes, Sire. I…" Auguinti hesitated.
Cold looked up and out into the darkness of space. "Go on."
"I believe I may have an idea or two of where the renegades are going."
"Is that so?"
"Possibly, Sire."
Cold smiled. Auguinti was one of the rare few crew members that was completely honest. It wasn't out of misplaced allegiance, either. Auguinti loathed all Ice-jins and made it clear. But he had initiative, too. It was he who had decided to spy into the ship to see what was occurring on that desolate rock on the other side of the galaxy. And it was he who had decided to track the ship when he discovered the renegades from Jynn-jin 13 had stolen it.
Of course Auguinti did this all with no intention of telling Cold, but Cold made it a point to always know of everything that was going on upon his ship.
"Which destination is the most likely?"
"It's a planet I've never heard of, Sire. Locally it is known as Earth, and so far I've been unable to find much, if any, information on it. All I can honestly tell you is that the inhabitants are pathetically weak, but fairly advanced. They've recently discovered spaceflight."
"I see. What of the other destination?"
"Another planet I have never heard of. I found old files on it, but they only label it as S.S.T.G. 5."
The glass shattered in Cold's hand, wine spraying all over his hand. He turned slowly to regard Auguinti. "So one of the Training Ground planets still remains? It seems more likely that they will head there. Have the pilot plot a course."
"Yes, Sire."
Cold turned back to the window as Auguinti turned away. "Oh, and have one of the cadets bring me a fresh glass."
"Yes, Sire."
DBZ
