Chapter Thirty-Four: Until It Sleeps

"So tear me open, pour me out

There's things inside that scream and shout

And the pain still hates me

So hold me, until it sleeps

Just like the curse, just like the stray

You feed it once, and now it stays

So tear me open, but beware

There's things inside without a care

And the dirt still stains me

So wash me, until I'm clean."

Until It Sleeps-Metallica

DBZ

Turles watched as a small, ovular spacecraft descended towards a grassy meadow. His eyes narrowed as the ship touched down and the engines began to power down. He glanced at Lessbru to his right to see the man sweating profusely. He rolled his eyes and looked at the ship again.

The two men had been sent out to scout the ship when it had been detected on the radar. Thankfully the ship had landed near a forest so the two of them were able to keep out of sight in the thick underbrush. The only drawback was that in order to see they had to lie down on their stomachs.

This suited Turles just fine. It may hinder them in the event of a quick escape, but they were less likely to be spotted. The gap afforded to them between the ground and the thick vines of whatever native bush they were hiding under was slim, giving them a limited view. But they could see the ship and it was unlikely they would be spotted.

Turles would have preferred for someone stronger than Lessbru to have accompanied him, but he was the only one with a power level low enough to be less likely to be detected. Not many people could control their power level like Turles.

"Should someone be coming out?" Lessbru asked in a whisper.

Turles shrugged. "They may be waiting for us to show up," he muttered. "Or they may try callin' us."

"Well…it is just one ship. Maybe Zarbon was telling the truth?" Lessbru glanced at him with a hopeful expression.

"Why don't you go find out for us? If they kill you on sight, I'll assume it's a trap." The teenager looked at Lessbru with a smirk, who only scowled.

"Very funny. What do we do, then?"

Turles returned his gaze to the ship and shrugged. "I guess we report back to the Princess and Surah, and see if they've picked up any more ships on radar."

The hatch suddenly opened and a tall, bald Saiyan stepped out. He stretched his massive arms out, yawning loudly.

"Gods!" he declared. "This ship is way too small for comfort!" He put his hands against his lower back and leaned back, crackling and popping audible even to Turles and Lessbru.

"Huh," said Turles. "That's Nappa."

"Isn't that a good sign?"

"Maybe. Hold on." Turles narrowed his eyes as Nappa stepped away from the hatch and did a series of punches and kicks.

"Damn it feels good to stretch my arms and legs. I hate being cooped up." He stopped and smiled to no one.

"The fool talks to himself…" Turles murmured.

A red alien with a mass of white hair suddenly stepped out of the hatch, giving Nappa an odd look. "Oy. You think I enjoyed being stuck in there with you bitching and moaning the entire trip? It's not like it was a picnic."

Nappa turned to face the alien and sneered. "Well Jeice, you can just be thankful I'm goin' back to my kind. I'm sick of lookin' at your face."

"The feeling's mutual, Nappy."

"Oof." Nappa cringed and cocked an eyebrow as he regarded the much shorter alien. "Low blow, ya prick."

Jeice grinned. "I had to get in a good one before ya left."

"Ah, fair enough." Nappa guffawed.

Turles blinked and glanced at Lessbru in disbelief. "The dude's actin' all chummy with him. There's no way this is a trap. It's too ridiculous to be."

Lessbru grimaced and nodded. "I am inclined to agree. What should we do?"

"I'm goin' in." Turles crawled forward out from under the bush and stood up. "Hey!"

Jeice and Nappa looked at him suddenly, both of them immediately tensing up.

"Wait a sec…" Nappa frowned and relaxed. "Ain't you Bardock's brother? Tails or somethin' or another?"

Turles frowned. "Way off dumbass. Where's the other two?"

Nappa scowled. "Big talk for lower class scum." He eyed Turles, seemingly sizing him up. After a few seconds he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "They're still in the ship obviously. Waitin' on our ride. I'm guessin' you're part of that group?" He arched an eyebrow as Lessbru crawled from under the bush and stood up. "How many more are there?"

"It's just us, Nappa." Turles walked forward to stand in front of the giant Saiyan and Jeice. He looked at the red skinned alien, his eyes immediately going to the familiar symbol emblazoned across the chest piece of his armor. "You're a member of the Ginyu Force?"

Jeice grinned. "Sure am. Freshly joined, of course. But I've been a member of the Galactic Band for a few years now, so don't worry."

Turles looked up into the sky, his eyes darting back and forth. "All the same, I'm still expectin' this to be a trap."

"Not a chance, Turtle," said Nappa, smirking.

"It's Turles, dipshit."

"Whatever. I was watching the radar the entire trip. Ain't no one followin' us."

"Idiot. Did you consider that they might be cloaked?"

Nappa blinked, his smirk fading. "What?"

Jeice laughed. "That was better than insultin' ya! Don't worry, kid," he said to Turles. "You can take these three back to your ship-"

"I have an idea," Turles interrupted. "Why don't you join us?"

"Join you? What?" Jeice frowned.

"Yeah. As our prisoner." Turles narrowed his eyes as Nappa looked at Jeice suddenly.

"Your prisoner? That's not part of the deal."

"Gesture of good faith. Let us put you in a ki-blocking cell and we'll know we can trust you." He folded his arms across his chest. "What do you say?"

Jeice arched an eyebrow at him. "I'll have to run that by the fearless leader, but whatever powers your ship, kid. I can't say I wasn't expecting something like this, though." He grinned.

Turles frowned. Jeice had agreed to that way too easily. He glanced at the symbol on the alien's chest again. "Hm. As a Ginyu I'm guessin' your power dwarfs ours. You could be agreeing in order to be led back to our ship so that you can kill everyone there."

Jeice scratched the back of his neck as he regarded Turles in confusion. "Jeez, you are over-complicating this. Next you'll probably say I'm Frieza in disguise!"

"Are you?"

Nappa laughed and clapped a massive hand against Jeice's back, staggering the shorter man. "I think he's messin' with ya, Jeice."

Turles arched an eyebrow and looked up at the taller Saiyan. "I'm serious."

Nappa blinked and looked down at the boy, startled. "You're kidding."

"I'm not. I've gone through too much crap this last year to trust just anyone. Especially someone, mole or not, working for Frieza." He looked at Jeice again. "Don't try anything. I'm more than strong enough to handle whatever you throw my way." It was obviously a bluff, but Jeice didn't have a scouter so he hoped it would hold at least until the Ginyu/G.C. member was safely in a ki-blocking cell.

Jeice grinned in response. "You know what? Fine. I won't even radio and alert Zarbon. Let me get the brats and we'll go."

"Who are you calling a brat?"

Jeice glanced over his shoulder as a young boy with a mass of black spikes for hair stepped out of the ship. He was wearing Saiyan Royal armor, with a dark red cape hanging from the guards. He scowled at the red alien and folded his arms across his chest.

Jeice chuckled. "Sorry, Prince Vegeta. I meant 'brat.'"

"Don't talk down to me. I'm not an idiot like that buffoon in there." He jerked his head towards the ship. "I'm not some lower class idiot."

Turles frowned. "Big talk for a little kid. That's my nephew you're insulting."

Vegeta looked at the teenager sharply. "Why's that matter to me? You're both lower class scum."

"The planet's gone, prince. You ain't lordin' over nothin' now. You've got a lot of learnin' to do, because thanks to the lizard you and me ain't nothin' but Saiyans now." Turles folded his arms and narrowed his eyes as he glared down at Vegeta. "So don't expect no special treatment from me."

Vegeta smirked. "You're still just lower class scum to me. Not even worth the time to dirty my gloves dealing with you."

Turles returned the smirk as he scoffed. "You've got a lot to learn, prince." He glanced at Nappa. "Our ship is just a few miles south of here." He looked at Jeice again. "From now until we say otherwise you're our prisoner. Agreed?"

Jeice grinned and shrugged. "Whatever, kid. Let's just get on with it already."

"Good. Vegeta-"

"Prince Vegeta-"

Turles looked down at the boy and scowled. "I told you already you ain't gettin' special treatment from me. That includes callin' you 'Prince' Vegeta. So deal with it."

"My father was King Vegeta of the Saiyans. I am Prince of all Saiyans, so you will refer to me as such." Vegeta took a step forward and glared up at Turles. "If you won't, then I will have to teach you a lesson in respect." He smiled. "And I'm not known for my kindness."

"Oh, gods…" Turles rolled his eyes. "Are you challengin' me?"

Vegeta suddenly leapt up, his fist flying forward.

Turles caught the punch effortlessly, scowling at the boy. Vegeta's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Don't look so surprised, kid. I've been through some serious shit lately and my power reflects it." He slung Vegeta to the ground where he landed in a heap, his cape flying over his head. "Just stay down. You don't want to do this."

Vegeta angrily tore his cape from his face and stood up. "How dare you!? I'm Prince Vegeta! You can't treat me like this!"

Turles glanced at Nappa and arched an eyebrow. "Is he always this ornery?"

Nappa grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, pretty much."

Vegeta looked at Nappa in surprise. "Nappa! What are you saying?"

"He's right, Prince Vegeta. The planet is gone, the royal family's gone. You're the last, and you're just a kid."

"Actually he is not the last," Lessbru spoke up. He'd just been watching the exchange so far, preferring to stay silent.

Turles glanced at him sourly. "You just had to spoil the fun, didn't you?"

"He would have found out about Princess Leta sooner or later. There is no point in hiding the fact." Lessbru shrugged.

Turles rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Why don't you go retrieve my nephew so we can get the hell out of here?"

Lessbru hesitated for a moment, seeming to want to say something. But he relented and nodded before heading into the ship.

Nappa stared after the man before glancing at Turles. "So how exactly did ya get so strong? Ya weren't nowhere near this strong the last time I seen ya."

"I've been busy, Nappy."

The giant Saiyan grimaced before scowling. "Ya brat."

Jeice, meanwhile, was laughing. "I like this kid. He's a bigger smart-ass than me!"

Turles smirked and looked at the hatch as Lessbru came walking out, a small boy with a mass of black hair that almost brushed the ground following behind him sullenly. The boy's face suddenly brightened when he looked up and saw the teenager.

"Uncle Turles!" He dashed forward and leapt into his arms.

"Oof. Hey there, Radish. You ready to get out of here? We're going somewhere safe."

Raditz grinned and nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

Vegeta growled. "Who is this Princess Leta? And who do you think you are treating me this way?!"

Turles arched an eyebrow at the boy. "Believe me kid, this attitude ain't gonna fly. You're gonna have to chill out."

"Chill…Chill out?! Damn you, you lower class scum! Don't you tell me what to do!"

Turles rolled his eyes as he levitated into the air. He glanced down at Nappa and Jeice. "Was he like this the entire trip here?"

Nappa grinned sheepishly, glancing down at the little prince.

Jeice laughed. "Yep."

Vegeta glared around at them all, his teeth grinding together in annoyance.

DBZ

"Ah-Ow!" Amotto cried out as her forehead struck the hatch as the Brute Saiyan lifted the pod from the ground. She stared wide-eyed into the crazed eyes and struggled against the awesome gravity to push herself away from the tiny window.

She honestly had no idea how she was getting out of this situation. She had next to no ki, and her body was too weak to endure the insane gravity of this planet. And the Brute Saiyan didn't seem the least bit affected by it, easily lifting the space pod as he did.

Despite herself she couldn't help but notice how much he resembled any random Saiyan male. Of course Ka'bijj had said the Brutes were essentially Saiyans, but she expected a more primitive-looking species.

And when he said larger, she hadn't expected the Brutes to be this big! This Brute's nose alone was as big as the pod's window.

She did not want to see how big the rest of him was.

But she also had no hopes of escape. There was absolutely no way she could generate enough ki to save herself.

The Brute shook the pod, jostling her back and forth violently.

"Ow!" she cried, despite herself, as her shoulder struck the offending alloy.

A compartment sprung open and medical supplies toppled to the floor.

And she spotted it: a small gray cylinder rolling across the floor as the pod shook.

An adrenaline shot…

The pod suddenly slammed back to the ground, jarring her aching body rough enough to cause her to black out for an instant. As her vision swam she realized that the cylinder was now in her lap, having been violently bounced from the floor with the force of the impact.

She fumbled with it, struggling to get it open.

There was a sudden thunking sound and a wrenching of metal. She looked up to see the Brute forcing the hatch open.

Her eyes widened and she quickly popped the top off the cylinder and withdrew a large, intimidating syringe.

And without even thinking she jabbed it into her bare chest, right into her heart, depressing the plunger instantly. With a screeching of metal the hatch was torn away, lightning flashing behind the massive Brute that the action revealed.

Gusting wind swept into the pod as stinging rain pelted her face and bare body, almost instantly leaving behind tiny bruises.

She yanked the syringe from her chest as her heart suddenly became ice cold. A rapid rush of cold swept through her veins, chilling her body. She looked up at the Brute Saiyan and before a thought or hesitation could cross her mind, she leapt forward with such strength and speed that she surprised herself.

She gripped the syringe tight as her feet touched the jagged edges of the pod, and she pushed herself upwards as hard as she could. Her focus zeroed in on the Brute's surprised eyes and she suddenly drove the syringe down hard into his unprotected right eye as her legs wrapped tightly around his massive neck. As she locked her ankles together, she couldn't help but to imagine that his neck was a tree he was so big.

The Brute howled in pain and anger and stumbled backwards, shaking his head violently. He reached for her but she withdrew the syringe and stabbed him again, causing him to howl again. She repeated the action, withdrawing and stabbing his eye as hard as she could. Blood splattered up her arm and onto her face with each impact.

The Brute suddenly grabbed her and threw her away, clapping his hands to his ruined eye, rivers of blood gushing from between his fingers.

Amotto landed on her pod, the ship easily crushed beneath her gravity-enhanced weight. She groaned as her head swam, and sparks danced around her from the wreckage. The incessant rain didn't help her any either.

An angry growl caused her to look up at the hairy Brute Saiyan glaring down at her with his good eye, one hand covering his other one.

"I bet your eyeball looks like jelly." She grinned weakly as he scowled at her.

The Brute growled and reached down to pluck her from the wreckage, his massive hand wrapping over the entirety of her calf. He held her upside down at his eye level, growling low in his throat as he looked her over.

"What's your damn problem? Kill me already!" She spat in his face with as much force as she could muster, but it only garnered a bearing of fangs from the Brute.

She grimaced. "Jeez. Fine then!" She brought both hands forward and channeled what ki she could muster into a blast to his face.

But all she managed to do was produce a bright flash of green light, blinding the Brute. He snarled and dropped her as he stumbled backwards, shaking his head.

As she dropped, Amotto spotted a large knife with a curved blade made of stone tucked into the Brute's loin-cloth. She reached out and gripped the hilt, yanking it free as she passed by it. She hit the ground, and couldn't help but to let out a cry of pain upon impact. Her body ached as she climbed wearily to her feet, brandishing the knife. Although it was more accurately a sword for how big it was compared to her. Her tiny hands could barely wrap around the hilt.

And its weight, enhanced by the 65 times Standard gravity of this forsaken planet, made it difficult for her to wield.

"Just brilliant, Amotto," she muttered under her breath as her arms shook with the effort of holding the knife up. What was I thinking?! I'll never be able to use this against him! She narrowed her eyes as the Brute blinked his good eye rapidly, apparently still trying to clear spots from his vision. He's not looking at me she realized with a start.

She suddenly charged forward as quickly and as nimbly as she could (which was neither quick, nor nimble, but slow and clumsy.) She stumbled to the right as the weight of the knife got away from her. Gritting her teeth as her abused muscles trembled under the strain, she managed to right herself and get back on her course towards the Brute.

But by then the Brute had taken notice of her. She grimaced as she saw the dawning recognition in his single eye as he looked upon the weapon in her hands.

He growled and lowered his blood-covered hand to his side, revealing his mutilated eyeball. It did, indeed, look like chunky jelly. A fact that actually brought a slight smirk to Amotto's face.

"How 'bout that," she mumbled as the Brute looked down at his side to visually confirm that the weapon was gone. He growled in anger as he turned his gaze on her again.

Her arms trembled more and more with each passing second, her breathing getting heavier and heavier. What little bit of strength that she had retained was rapidly leaving her. She had to act fast.

The Brute made a movement toward her, and she acted. She brought the weapon down as hard and as fast as she could, the blade cleaving into and through his hairy foot and becoming imbedded several inches into the ground. Blood and gore exploded almost instantly from the wound, and the Brute howled in agony as he dropped to his good knee.

Amotto tried to withdraw the blade, but it was too deep and too heavy for her to budge. She grimaced and reluctantly stepped away as the Brute grasped the hilt and easily yanked the weapon from his mangled foot. He fell to his backside, his devastated foot cradled in his lap.

Her knees shook as she backed away from him. Was he going to come after her?

Her question was answered as the Brute suddenly snatched the weapon up from where he'd dropped it and chucked it at her forcefully.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed as she wheeled to the side, hurrying to get out of its way. The blade sailed past her and slammed into the ground, exploding into hundreds of tiny, jagged pieces.

"Hey! That was close, damn it!" she yelled breathlessly as she bent over, hands on her knees huffing for air. How she was still standing under the intense gravity was beyond her. Maybe she was still in the throes of an adrenaline rush?

With surprising speed, the Brute suddenly lunged forward and batted her backwards. She landed violently, the ground cracking under the force of her landing, and she couldn't help but to exclaim in pain as the unyielding ground scraped her sensitive flesh nearly raw.

She lay still, stunned from the blow, as the Brute staggered to his feet. Well, he balanced on one foot anyway. Scowling he began to hobble towards her, closing the distance between them at an agonizingly slow pace. It was the anxiety of having to wait that bothered Amotto the most. It gave her too much time to imagine what horrors awaited her.

It did give her mind time to race and think of numerous, desperate, ways to get out of this situation, though.

Which were none, actually.

Fear gripped her as the Brute drew closer to her, his angered gaze locked on her unmoving form. She forced herself to look away. She didn't want to see him getting closer to her.

Almost immediately her eyes locked onto the shards of the gigantic knife lying near to her. In a flash she reached out and snagged a piece, its size and shape perfect for her small fingers to wrap around comfortably.

With strength that seemed to come from a desperate bid for survival, she jumped to her feet and sprang up to dri ve the shard into the Brute's already ravaged eyeball. She hooked her free arm around his neck and stabbed again…and again…and again.

Blood and gore splattered her frenzied face as the Brute howled louder with each penetration of the stone blade. She stabbed and stabbed until the Brute was silent; she stabbed relentlessly, losing herself to the frenzy of the kill.

It was several moments before she realized that the Brute was spread-eagled on the ground and that she was straddling his neck, persistently grinding the blade deeper and deeper into what remained of his massive face. Her arm was buried almost elbow-deep into the remains of the creature's head.

Her eyes widened at the sight as nausea and weakness overcame her.

Her untainted hand shot up to cover her mouth as her stomached churned violently.

"I'm going to be sick…" she mumbled into her hand as she closed her eyes. Lightning flashed and the rain seemed to come down harder.

DBZ

Seripa's eyes shot open as she looked up in mild surprise to see Bardock standing before her rejuvenation chamber. The hatch was open and the healing liquid had already completely drained out. She eyed him curiously as he wordlessly held out a pile of clothing for her: a new set of battle-armor in her favorite style. The underarmor, however, was red instead of pink.

She grimaced as she took the armor and then noticed for the first time that Bardock was wearing his favorite style armor in his favorite colors.

She scowled. "How is that you get the armor you want, but I'm stuck with a shitty alternative?"

Bardock grinned. "I'm just lucky."

Seripa snorted as she stood up and stepped out of the chamber. She set her armor, gloves, and boots on a stand nearby and started to pull her underarmor on.

A familiar tickling sensation stopped her and she looked down to see Bardock's tail brushing her bare stomach. She looked up at him to see his eyes looking her over carefully.

She arched an eyebrow and grinned coyly. "This ain't the first time you've seen me without clothes, Bardock."

His gaze found hers and she frowned suddenly at the dark look in his eyes. His hand lifted to her side and he sighed.

"Seripa…Amotto didn't make it."

Seripa felt her blood drain from her cheeks, and turn to ice in her veins. Her eyes widened and she gasped quietly. "What?" she whispered.

Bardock's tail was gentle as it entwined with hers. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as her hands gripped his back.

Seripa pressed her forehead against Bardock's armored chest, her eyes staring blankly at the black and green material. Amotto…gone?

"What happened…?" she quietly asked, her eyes lifting to look up at her mate.

He shook his, a grim look on his face. "I don't know. No one does. They loaded you and me up and then high-tailed it out of there, leavin' Amotto and the geezers behind with Coola."

"So Turpin is dead, too?"

He nodded with a slight grimace. "Yeah, he is."

Seripa closed her eyes with a slight sigh. Her father was dead. And she felt…nothing. Not that she was surprised by this, but she longed to feel more than just emptiness.

But then again she did feel something. She felt regret.

Regret that she'd never had a chance to slap him one good time. Regret that she'd never have a chance to get to know him as a father. Regret that she'd never pressed her mother for details regarding her real father's identity.

Would it have made a difference in her life? Probably not, but it would have been nice to have known him at least a little bit.

But it was Amotto's fate that struck her heart more than that. Her friend was gone now. For good, this time. There was no doubt in her mind that Coola had finished all three of the Super Saiyans off.

Her eyes began to sting and she opened them, tears spilling down her cheeks. She made to dash them away in embarrassment, but Bardock caught her hand. She looked up at him as his free hand gently wiped her tears away.

"We're less than an hour away from S.S.T.G. 5," he murmured quietly as he looked upon her, his expression soft.

"S.S.T.G. 5?" she echoed. "What is that?"

"It's the Trainin' Ground planet that Turpin and Seluri mentioned before. Our plans have changed apparently, and that's where we're headed."

Seripa stared up at him for a moment before nodding with a sigh. "I see. We still have no choice in what we do then…"

Bardock arched an eyebrow. "Didn't we choose to get stronger so we could kill Frieza?"

"Did we? Or did Turpin decide that for us?" she spat bitterly as she looked away.

"Wait, what's this? YOU started a campaign to kill Frieza long before I got involved. Are you backin' out?"

"No, no, I'm not. I just…I don't know." She sighed again and drew away from him, her grip tightening on the underarmor still held in her hands. "We keep losing people. Who's going to be next? You? Me? Zether?" She shook her head and closed her eyes. "No matter what we do or where we go, I can't stop thinking about Kakarrot. What of him if something happens to us?" Her shoulders became rigid and trembled a bit. "I…These emotions…"

Bardock's hands slid around her waist from behind and she felt his lips against her temple. "Welcome them, Seripa."

"I'm so used to ignorin' them, Bardock…" she whispered, her voice ringing with terror. "Why do they scare me now? Now that I know that Saiyans aren't meant to be what we've been thus far…why only now do I realize that my own emotions scare me?"

"Are you sure it's your emotions that are scarin' you?"

"What else could it be?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Simple fear."

"Fear?!" She tore away from him and spun to face, glaring at him heatedly. "I fear nothing!"

Bardock just grinned. "Bull shit, bitch. You get scared just as much as I do, if not more."

She flashed her middle finger at him, scowling as he just laughed. "I'm not scared of anythin', Bardock."

"Are you so sure?"

She lowered her arms to her side, the underarmor still grasped tight in her fingers. She met his gaze and nodded. "I am."

"What about Kakarrot dying?"

She visibly stiffened, her face instantly going pale. Her bottom lip trembled as her brow knitted together.

"That scares you. It scares me, too."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him sharply. "It does? But you…" She frowned as he nodded.

"Yeah, I know I said Kakarrot meant nothin' to me." He shrugged. "I guess I lied." He met her gaze evenly.

She frowned at him, detecting no hints of deception in his eyes. He'd never admitted that he was scared before, let alone so casually!

He smiled slightly. "I know, I know. But haven't we already agreed that we need to recognize that our people aren't the monsters we were raised to be? That we have the same emotions as other beings in this wide universe?"

She nodded slowly, her frown fading. "Yes, but…Is it really that easy?"

He shrugged. "Not really, no. It hurt my pride to admit that I fear our son's death. But at the same time…" His smile broadened. "It felt like the weight of a billion suns was lifted from my shoulders when I said it. We fight harder when we fear for our lives, don't we? I have in the past."

She nodded her agreement as she listened to him, preferring to remain silent.

"So it stands to reason that if we fear for the lives of others, people important to us, then we would fight harder then, too. Kakarrot is our son; my youngest and your only child. I honestly can't imagine how you must feel, being his mother and all. But I know that Kakarrot and Raditz are equally important to me. I would die for them, just as I would die for you."

Seripa frowned and glanced down. "Yeah, it makes sense. So we just embrace our emotions? Even though we've never acknowledged them before?"

"That seems to be the easiest thing to do. I don't see why we should fight something that seems so natural, even if it does challenge the way we think we should be."

She looked up at him for a moment. She was silent, obviously thoughtful, as she slipped into her underarmor. She didn't say anything until after she was fully clothed.

"It makes me wonder…" she began, lifting a hand to chew idly on her thumb.

"What's that?" Bardock asked.

"Are our emotions the key to becoming Super Saiyan?"

"It's possible. I've been wondering that myself actually, but if we want that question answered we'll have to ask Seluri."

"Hm. Right. Then let's ask her." Seripa turned on her heel and started for the door, Bardock following behind her with a chuckle.

DBZ

Amotto trudged wearily through the rain soaked night, her bare feet slipping occasionally in the slick mud. Her entire body was numb from the relentless chill of the rain, as well as the constant stinging gravity-enhanced rain. The shard she had killed the Brute with was clutched firmly in her right hand, though she had long since forgotten about it.

The blood from her kill had been washed away long ago.

She'd lost track of how long she had been walking, though it felt like an eternity. The gravity made progress slow, but the cold spurned her onward. Driving her to seek warm shelter.

Ka'bijj had advised her to verify her position relative to the complex she was seeking, but the Brute had made that impossible when he'd destroyed her pod. She had set out to what she thought was the east, hoping that she was going in the right direction. With the dark roiling clouds above she had no way to gauge directions. She was trusting instinct at this point.

Her weakened battered body made progress slow. But she hardly noticed where she was or where she was going, so lost in thought was she. It was dangerous to not pay attention, but she had to force herself away from the thought of what she'd done to that Brute. She was so close to giving up after everything that she'd endured thus far.

Despite herself she thought of the way that monster had looked at her. Her stomach churned at the memory. How many times had she seen that look of depravity on the face of another? How many times had she caught herself imagining that expression on the faces of the men around her?

A shudder ran down her spine and she crossed her arms over her breasts, giving herself a little comforting squeeze.

Every day had seemed like a nightmare with her mind caught in a perpetual state of fear, unable to interact with any man she met. She saw the ever-lasting hunger in their eyes as their gazes followed her wherever she went. Her skin constantly crawling with the feeling of always being watched.

Amotto stumbled, barely managing to keep from falling flat on her face. She steadied herself and continued her weary trudge.

Better than anyone she knew the atrocities men were capable of, and seeing the way the Brute had looked at her had reminded her of those facts.

But she also thought of Broco. She thought of how in one instant he had made her completely revaluate her opinions. For the first time she felt like she was being seen. It was…an alien feeling. Everything had happened so fast from that point, from her first meeting with Broco, that she'd been forced to forget her fear. Her survival instinct had allowed her some respite from the constant torture of past nightmares.

And then there was the imprisonment on Jynn-jin 13. A year's worth of time to forge trust, a friendship, with a complete stranger. For the first time she entertained the thought of loving a man, and a man actually loving her.

Would she ever find something like that again? Or had Broco been her one and only chance at love? She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to remember that he was dead. She didn't want to even think about meeting anyone else. He had been it for her. She knew that now. And she wished that she had accepted that sooner and told Broco how she felt about him.

Now she would never be able to.

She closed her eyes, a weak sob issued quietly. Was the universe tormenting her specifically? Everything she'd dealt with in her life from as far back as she could remember up until this point seemed designed to hurt her in the worst possible way. She remembered being unable to understand why she was mistreated so. She also remembered that it wasn't so bad in the beginning. It was only after her mother's death that the real tortures began.

She never could understand how a parent could treat their child so. But it all made sense the day she discovered that her father wasn't actually her father. She never told him that she knew, but it answered many questions she'd had growing up. It explained why he would allow Paragus to…

Her eyes opened and she stopped, suddenly dropping heavily to her hands and knees in the mud. The rain pelted her bare back and her head, little streams pouring off her smooth skin. Her body trembled, but whether it was from her injuries or from the sickness she suddenly felt she couldn't honestly say.

Her hatred for her uncle, as she had discovered that he was her real father's brother, burned in her chest. Her hatred for her 'brother' Paragus burned in her stomach…

Her stomach heaved, and she retched, but nothing came up. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. She continued to heave, her stomach lurching violently. After a few moments she stopped, but her stomach ached from the violent dry-heaves, and she collapsed to her side. She closed her eyes and lay there as the rain pelted her relentlessly.

Lightning flashed, burning the images in her mind against the back of her eyelids. She saw clearly the little abomination that Paragus had been so proud of. She felt her stomach churn as she recalled the day the monster had been born…

Her stomach heaved as she recalled the day she'd discovered she was pregnant with the little beast. Her skin crawled and she felt dirty just thinking about it.

"It's a boy, Little Sister." Paragus' words echoed in her mind. "I'll call him Brolly."

Her eyes burned and she opened them, tears spilling forth and mixing with the rain streaming down her face. Against her will she'd been forced to bear that child…The monstrosity that he was.

She tried, and was barely able, to take solace in the fact that the creature was destroyed with Vegeta. She would never have to see him or Paragus again.

She'd never told Broco about any of this, but she'd had the feeling that he suspected she was hiding her dark past from him. He'd never pressed her, though. Remembering that made her heart ache and her hatred for her uncle burn hotter. Why the hell had he treated her so, turning her against men for so long?

But then again, would she have told him anything at all? Would she have told him that she'd given birth to a product of incest? True she'd been unwilling, but would he have understood?

Her heart ached all the more as she realized that he would have understood. Her shoulders shook and she covered her face as she sobbed quietly.

She tried so hard to honor her mother's memory by not giving in. She tried so hard to stay strong, to keep the promise she made to her mother.

"Don't you ever give in, Amotto. Stay strong and survive."

"I'm trying, Mama," she choked out. "I'm t-trying so hard." But everything has gone to shit. It's worse than you ever could have imagined. Would you have ever thought that I'd be one of the last of a dying race?

Thunder rumbled overhead, the ground vibrating beneath her. Lighting flashed soon after and she peeked out from behind her hands as her sobs began to subside.

She was feeling sorry for herself. This much she knew. But she was so tired. She thought that by joining the Technicians she would be able to end her pain. Her respite had been brief before Vegeta was destroyed and she was thrust into this war for survival. She should have known that there'd never be an end to her pain…

But…she remembered when she first met Seripa. She'd heard about the woman before as Bardock's team had been a popular topic of discussion. She'd heard the rumors surrounding them, and like most of her peers had believed the group to be suicidal for some of the things they'd done.

But then she'd met Seripa and had gotten to see firsthand what the woman was capable of. She saw strength of character that she'd never before thought possible. Watching the way Seripa acted and how she'd dealt with the many life or death situations she was thrust into had given Amotto hope. Seripa had inspired her to strive for the impossible.

She felt a pang of regret for the way she'd last spoken to her friend, and she choked back a sob. Would she ever be able to apologize to her? Would she ever see her friend again?

Would she survive S.S.T.G. 5?

Yes…Yes, she would. She frowned. She'd survived her experience on Jynn-jin 13, after all. She looked to the scars that would be a constant reminder of that ordeal and she clenched her jaw. Slowly, and with a considerable amount of effort, she climbed to her feet. She tightened her grip on the shard and looked straight ahead. She started forward, moving slowly and deliberately.

She would survive this day. She would…She would!

Thunder boomed and then lightning flashed and she gasped, her eyes widening. She paused and narrowed her eyes waiting for the next flash of lightning. It was several minutes before thunder crashed again and then the lightning flashed.

There was no mistaking the silhouette of the complex in the distance. The apprehension of uncertainty faded and she allowed herself a weak smile as she started towards it again. There was a chance. She could still survive this day.

A vicious roar rattled her bones and she spun around quickly to see another Brute running towards her through the rain. Her eyes widened and she raised that shard up defensively, the ground beneath her feet beginning to tremble as the giant drew closer.

She had gotten her hopes up too soon she realized as her heart sank. She'd barely survived her last encounter. There was no way she'd survive this time.

"Lightning Spear!" a voice suddenly cried from the darkness.

Amotto barely had time to register the voice before a white bolt of energy blew a hole through the Brute's chest, taking the giant off his feet and dropping him to his back. She stared wide-eyed at the unmoving form.

She sank to her knees, the shard dropping into the mud beside her.

What…?

"Are you okay?"

She blinked, her vision blurring as she looked up at a figure standing over her. She noted the bright green, spiked mass of hair tied back into a ponytail first. She looked over the black and gold armor he wore, noting it was lacking shoulder guards. She looked up as intense dark blue eyes, softened by obvious concern, looked down upon her. She gave a weak bark of laughter and lowered her head wearily.

The man knelt down beside her and gently touched her shoulder with a gloved hand. She surprised herself by not shying away.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked again.

"No," Amotto said quietly. She shook her head and looked at him slowly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mejai. Look, I don't know who you are or how you came to be here, but I can tell you need medical attention. There's a complex nearby that I can take you to. Is that okay?"

She gave a weak shrug. "Sure."

The man, Mejai, quirked an eyebrow before frowning in confusion. "Uh, okay. I'll be gentle."

Amotto was surprised that she didn't resist when the man picked her up. But she didn't care anymore.

She was tired of caring. So she closed her eyes.

But not before she noticed the brown tail wrapped snuggly around the man's waist.

DBZ

Blythe's luminescent green eyes looked over the pulsating energy bars in keen interest. He watched the energy pulse and arc continuously in each 'bar.'

"Hm."

He slowly raised both hands, pausing as he watched the continuous pulse.

"Right about…Now!" Both hands shot out as one of the bars briefly dimmed, and there was a flash. He was thrown backwards forcefully, violently striking the far wall.

"Oof!" He dropped to the floor in a heap as a crackling sound reached his ears. He looked up to see the bars flashing rapidly. Then they stopped, fading from existence.

He stood up shaking his smoking hands with a self-satisfied grin. "Never underestimate raw determination coupled with desperate ingenuity."

He paused and spread his senses out, nodding when he confirmed that Turles was still gone on whatever errand the princesses had sent him on.

"Gotta act fast then," he murmured as he left the brig and limped out into the corridor. He made his way to the bridge, keeping his ki suppressed as he felt it returning to him now that he was away from the ki-restrictor. They weren't going to know what hit them until it was too late.

DBZ

It happened fast. Etapa had barely recognized the man as he suddenly emerged on the bridge and started firing ki blasts at anything that moved. Chaos ensued and explosions rocked the ship, bodies being thrown violently about. Screams and cries of terror echoed all around the bridge as she looked around in frightened confusion. Where are you Turles?

She was on her feet in a flash as she spotted the traitorous Gylderian taking aim at Leta.

"Lady Leta!" she heard herself cry as she sprang across the bridge. Blythe fired a thin blue beam.

She saw the maniacal glee in the man's face as she slid to a stop in front of his killing beam, shielding the princess from the attack. She felt a twinge in her chest.

Then darkness.

"ETAPA!" a familiar voice cried suddenly, echoing in the darkness of her mind.

Turles…

DBZ

Turles glared at Blythe, his hand closed firmly around the Gylderian's throat. His grip tightened slowly, the man's face beginning to turn purple and his lips blue.

"I'll kill you, Blythe," the teenager snarled.

His grip tightened more and he watched in sick satisfaction as Blythe's bloodshot eyeballs bugged out of his head, his mouth opening and closing furiously. He clutched feebly at the strong grip holding him off his feet.

"I'll kill you, ya bastard," Turles hissed angrily, his eyes narrowing. I'll kill him good. I'll make him suffer and then I'll wipe him from existence. And I'll enjoy every second of it.

He barely heard the urgent cries behind, the voices muffled. All he was focused on was making the man in his grasp suffer for what he'd done to Etapa.

His grip suddenly tightened and he felt something snap in his grasp. Blythe's eyelids began to flutter, his eyeballs rolling into the back of his head as blood spurted from both nostrils.

"I'll kill you," Turles whispered coldly. "As I should have killed you already…"

"Turles! He's finished! Put him down!"

He recognized the voice, but at the moment he couldn't place who it belonged to.

"No," he said quietly. "I'll kill him this time." He tightened his grip.

"Turles! He's already dead!"

"NO!" he suddenly roared, his eyes flashing. He cut them towards the source of the voice to see Leta staring at him wide-eyed. His eyes flashed again, and he was vaguely aware of a flash of light. "He has to pay for killing Etapa!"

"She's not dead!"

"Lies!" Turles spun around and threw Blythe's limp form across the bridge and into the far wall; Blythe exploded through the wall and crashed violently into the ground outside of the ship.

Leta grabbed Turles' arm before he could give chase and the teenager turned crazed eyes on her.

"Listen to me, Turles! I swear to you that Etapa lives! Peppa just took her to recovery!" She tightened her grip when she felt him start to pull away. "No! Please calm down!"

The teenager turned his dark eyes on her and they flashed again. He stared at her silently for several tense moments.

Then he frowned at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. His body relaxed and he exhaled slowly. His gaze flickered towards the newly created hole, but he merely gave it an impassive glance. Without a word he left the bridge, heading towards recovery.

DBZ

Leta watched Turles leave the bridge before looking towards the newly created hole. She grimaced and sighed, shaking her head.

"Oy, that boy is hot headed."

She looked around to see a red-skinned alien eyeing the hole, as well. She frowned.

"Yes, he is. Who are you?"

The man glanced at her and grinned. "Name's Jeice. I brought you some Saiyans," he said as he gestured to where Nappa, Vegeta, and Raditz were standing silently.

She looked the three of them over before looking at Jeice again. "So I'm assuming it's not a trap," she said heatedly, narrowing her eyes.

"Afraid not. Jeez are all Saiyans this paranoid?"

"Forgive us," said Surah as she stepped forward. She cast an eye around at the devastation left behind from Blythe's attack. "We have been less than fortunate recently."

Jeice nodded as he eyed Surah curiously. "No sweat." He looked around at the destroyed bridge. He grimaced. "You lot won't be taking this ship anywhere any time soon. Do you have anyone capable of repairing this?"

Lessbru, who was leaning over one of the consoles, looked around with a slight frown. "I can fix the electronics if I can get some spare parts. It will not be fancy, but it will suffice. The hole there," he said with a gesture, "is an entirely different matter."

Leta frowned as she eyed him. "Hm. Well, do what you have to." She looked at Jeice. "I assume your ship is not big enough for all of us?"

Jeice looked around at the bustling crew. Some were tending to the blessed few that were injured while the rest worked on cleaning up the mess. He shook his head as he looked back to the princess. "I'm afraid not. I was only prepared for a small group."

She nodded with a sigh. "I see. Well do you mind giving us a hand in helping get this ship space-worthy again?"

Jeice cocked his head as he surveyed the damage one last time. "Sure thing. We may be able to pull off a miracle."

"Maybe." Leta started towards the hole. "I'm going to make sure Blythe is really dead," she said grimly.

DBZ