Bardock was overjoyed when his crew returned a week and a half later. He had been slaving away on his project. It was nearly finished. Malaka had kept his word, as well, and would randomly pop in to check on him. Bardock was annoyed by the feeling of dependency, but didn't complain.

Instead of meeting him at the shipping station, Bardock's crew came to him. They were all tired looking when they filed into his home. Fasha slumped herself into a chair, and heaved a deep sigh.

"I think you'll be glad you missed this one, Bardock," she said. "It was no fun at all. And the trip took forever." Tora, Borgos, Shugesh, and Sona all collapsed in different chairs as well. They all had the same expression of fatigue and boredom stamped on their faces.

"Nothing too exciting happened while we were gone, did it?" Tora asked his best friend, grinning teasingly. Bardock rolled his eyes, smiling slightly.

"No, not really. There were just daily doctor visits. I've been working on a little battle tactic which I will show you during our next mission," Bardock said, slightly bored. "Oh, and King Vegeta is going to have an heir," he added, remembering that Malaka had mentioned it during one of his visits.

"An heir, huh?" Tora muttered. "Great. A little mini King Vegeta is exactly what we need right now."

"Well, maybe it'll be a girl," Fasha said, a hint of contention in her voice.

"What does that matter?" Tora retaliated. Bardock sighed. So it had been one of those missions. When a mission was particularly uneventful, Fasha and Tora always took up their favorite pastime; arguing. It seemed as though these battles were never ending. They certainly were irritating. Borgos and Shugesh had long since tuned out their argument. They were arm wrestling violently. Bardock hoped they didn't break anything. He cast a glance over at Sona. She smiled warmly at him.

He stood. He had to show her first. None of the others would notice they were gone. Or care.

"I have a gift for you," he told her, gently taking her hand in his. He led her along, away from the others, out to a balcony. He slowly opened his free hand, letting it fill with a shimmering light. He cast the light into the sky, and it soared along gently, until it found its place in the middle of a clump of stars. There, it took form. It was an imperfect replica of the moon. Not a full moon, but a sliver of a silvery orb. It was breathtaking.

"So this is what you've been tinkering on for the past few days," Sona smiled, staring into the sky.

"Now we'll never have to wait around for the moon again," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't perfect it before I showed it to you-"

"-Bardock," Sona interrupted, silencing him with a kiss. "It's beautiful. Thank you." The kiss was unexpected, but it was pleasant all the same. Sona rested her head on Bardock's shoulder, staring up into the artificial moonlight. She was silent.

"Bardock?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Hm?" he replied. She was hesitant to answer. He could sense her edginess, and wondered what could be on her mind that bothered her so.

Honestly, she hadn't really thought of what she was going to say to Bardock. She hadn't thought of how he would take the news. Sona heaved a deep sigh, still uncertain and afraid to speak. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She hadn't really grasped the idea yet herself. And this would change so many things. She didn't want it to change things between them. This sort of thing had split her parents up, and she was determined to not become like them. However, aside from all her doubts, she was excited and glad. She held onto that emotion and began to speak.

"Bardock," she said softly, "We're going to have a child." She looked into his face. The artificial moonlight made his somber face seem softer and gentler. She couldn't quite read his expression, but he seemed to be surprised. They stood in silence for several moments more. Bardock's blank expression slowly melted into his usual mischievous half smile.

"Oh?" he said, placing a hand upon her stomach. "Maybe our little runt can one- up King Vegeta's," he laughed. Internally, however, he wasn't so sure how to feel about this child. A small pit began to form in his stomach. He wouldn't get to know this child, or to care for it. Once the class system had begun, all lower class children were separated from their parents. The chances of them meeting again were slim to none. He didn't want his child to be fatherless. Or motherless. However, if his child should find them again, he wasn't quite sure he was ready to be a father just yet. But there was really no other option. He was going to be a father.