The Troubles of Intergalactic Diplomacy

A/N: The second chapter – oh geez, a back story now?

Disclaimer: Ahem. I wish.

Videl spent the earlier part of the evening researching the Saiyans. She had only encountered them once before and had been a frightening experience:

Six years ago, before she joined Earth Force, and when she was still working in a med-lab on Earth, Frieza noticed the small, but beautiful planet and had landed on it, intending to wipe out all life and sell it on the intergalactic real estate market. It was the second time the humans' very existence had been threatened. This time, however, it wasn't the entire Minbari warrior caste using their superior technology to destroy them; instead it was a single, unarmed alien with what seemed to be incredible powers.

She thought that they were doomed. The city around her was crumbling and burning, and the citizens of it were all either, screaming, injured, or dead. All the while, Frieza floated above the ruin, laughing and shooting the occasional fireball out of his hand. Videl remembered being terrified, but at the same time awestruck that he could fly and shoot what looked like fireballs from his hands.

Then suddenly, one of the blazes was heading straight in her direction. She couldn't tear her eyes away, or even bring herself to scream as death came rushing towards her. But it never hit.

A Saiyan had jumped in front and blocked the ball from hitting. She barely managed to catch a glimpse of him before he leapt into the air and flew straight at Frieza, commencing a fistfight that was equivalent, if not superior to the entire Minbari fleet's technological warfare. She was surprised, though, by how human he looked. The only difference really was the tail.

She glanced off to the side and her eyes bulged as she saw two more Saiyans lifting fallen buildings to free trapped humans.

The fight went on for several hours, until it became known to an injured Frieza that he was about to lose the battle. In an act of desperation, he was somehow able to flee the planet. The Saiyan, who was likewise injured badly, fell to the ground, and the other two Saiyans appeared at his side to help him up. Several humans rushed to him as well, many of them in tears, wanting to express their gratitude for his saving the human race and the planet Earth, and see what they could do to help – Videl was among them.

When they were able to prop him up, Videl could clearly see that in addition to the blood, bruises and cracked armor, he had also managed to receive a broken right leg, and an injury on his left arm that was bleeding rather profusely. The only part of him that seemed uninjured, in fact, was his hair, which had somehow managed to stay tied back in a messy ponytail.

The Saiyans holding up their injured companion sent menacing glares at the crowd, and the taller, bald one spoke, causing the crowd to take several steps back.

"Anyone who comes near will be killed. Now, make room so we can get the hell off this planet." His voice was rough and slightly accented.

Several of the humans looked puzzled. The Saiyans had just helped them – why were they now being threatened?

"Are you insane?" Videl stepped forward. After having seen what these guys could do, she knew she was putting herself at risk, but she felt it was necessary. "If he doesn't get medical treatment, he may not survive the trip back to your planet!"

"Who's going to heal him – you?" he scoffed.

"I work in a med-lab," she defended. "I'm not a doctor, but I can do the basic stuff. It would be enough to ensure that he returns to your planet safely, and it might quicken the healing process once he gets some better treatment!"

"We have no interest in your inferior medicine. Now, move away."

Videl opened her mouth to argue, but her judgment got the better of her and she took a step back.

The other Saiyan who was still in good health said something quickly in their native language to the taller one, who argued back for a moment, but then seemed to concede to what his partner said.

The partner this time, a Saiyan with long, spiky hair, turned to Videl and spoke. His English was worse that the tall one's.

"Our thought has changed. We accept the help."

Videl and the other humans still crowded around sighed with relief. She decapsulated a first aid kit she had grabbed out of desperation when Frieza had arrived in their city, and approached the Saiyans. The injured one had been lowered to the ground – the long-haired one propped him up.

She felt her stomach jump as she knelt down next to him. He was covered in dirt and blood – she hoped that not all of it was his own – and his eyed were closed and his breathing strained from the pain. She had never been in such close proximity to an alien, let alone one that could kill her by probably just thinking it – and even if he was too injured to do so, the other two certainly could.

She looked to the long-haired one for confirmation. Despite his battle-hardened face, she could detect an amount of worry through his eyes.

"Please, he is my brother's son."

She nodded, then with a pounding heart, pulled out a syringe that contained a numbing agent – she would have to stitch up the wound on his arm. After seeing him fight, she had her doubts as to whether he would even be able to feel the pain of the stitches without it being numbed, or whether the tremendous amount of pain he was already experiencing would cover it up, but it never hurt to take precautions.

She quickly tested the syringe, then stuck it in near the wound. She was slightly surprised to hear a sharp intake of breath from him, indicating that he did indeed feel the needle. She removed it and began to prepare the materials for stitching while the numbing set in.

Under the careful surveillance of the two unwounded Saiyans, she began to put in the stitches. As she was finishing the process, she paused as the injured one managed to laboriously speak, but continued when she realized it wasn't in English.

"Girl."

She looked up rather nervously as the tall, bald one spoke to her.

"He said that he wishes to thank you, though he's in too much pain to remember how to say so in your language."

"Tell him," she responded, quite relieved, "that I'm glad I could help out."

After it had been translated, she noticed the injured one's lips curve slightly upward in a pained, but honest smile.

The next morning, Videl reported her findings in a briefing with Commander Sinclair and Sharpener, though she chose to omit her personal experience with the race.

"So after the Saiyans intercepted Frieza's attack on Earth, Frieza fled to regain his health, then immediately went to Vegetasei to get his revenge," She explained. "He murdered half the population before anyone was able to rise up against him. There are rumors that say in order to destroy Frieza, one of them achieved a legendary transformation. However, like most of their affairs, they've kept very quiet about this. All attempts from Earth to thank them for saving our race were also ignored.

"As for information on their abilities and such, they don't interact much with us or other aliens, so the full extent is unknown. What is known, however, is that even when entirely unarmed, they can fly, shoot fire-ball like things out of their hands which will create mile-wide craters, and they can move objects as large as, and as heavy as high rise office buildings. So yes. They're dangerous."

She gave a sarcastic smile to the gaping men.

"As far as society goes, they have a class system ruled by a monarchy. The third class holds most of the working and labor positions, and the elite class, the highest class, consists entirely of warriors. Promotion or degradation between ranks is not unheard of, but extremely rare. Also, every member of the society, regardless of class or gender, is taught to fight."

Sinclair rubbed his temples.

"I knew they were considered dangerous," he said. "But wow. How about the current ambassadors' reactions to this, Garibaldi?"

"Well, I'm not sure they know the details that we've just heard," he began. "But what I got wasn't entirely positive. Kosh was silent – I never can tell what he's thinking with that suit on, but I seemed to feel like I usually got some sort of response. G'Kar seemed to accept it, but he was a bit…twitchy…about it. Londo's reaction was the severest though. The minute I said 'Saiyan," he asked his assistant Vir to set up a digital recorder so that he could log his will. He asked me if I had a death wish for everyone on this station, but I chose to remain silent on the issue, sir.

"Delenn was the only one who seemed to take it well. She was very pensive on the issue, but since the Minbari are one of the few races who have actually established some commercial ties with the Saiyans, she offered to gather some information. It should be ready by this afternoon."

"Excellent," Sinclair nodded. "I'll call you both back when I receive it. For now you may resume your stations."

They saluted, then departed the office.

"From my experience, the Saiyans," Delenn concluded her briefing later that afternoon. "Are arrogant and brutal. There is no race they consider equal to their own. However, like the Minbari, they place high value on honor, both personal and national. If not provoked, they will keep to themselves and not bother with other races. Despite their predisposition for fighting, they are not a stupid people, and are in fact very thorough and cunning thinkers. It is my personal belief that they would not send an ambassador here without a reason."

Sinclair, Satan, and Garibaldi nodded, preparing their minds for the tasks required for the following day, and the arrival of the ambassador the day after that.

End note: Well, well, well.