"Closing in on Sarn," Kale spoke into the comm. He leaned back in the pilot's chair, grinning wickedly. Though it had cost him a fortune to tailor this thing to fit his body exactly, it was worth every penny. At the moment, however, he was wishing he had put some kind of noise barrier between the cabin and cockpit... Those kids just didn't stop asking questions.
"How much longer?" Piccolo asked, joining him in the seat to his right.
"Just a few more minutes until we close in on the atmosphere."
"Good."
Thus far, their flight had been rather uneventful, several hours suspended in gate transport, a mode of flight that moved the ship at the speed of light across a given vector. They had just come out of gating when the computer notified Kale that Sarn was only moments away.
"What do you have to do here, anyway?"
"Visiting an old friend," Piccolo muttered thoughtfully.
"Does this 'friend' expect a visit from you?" Kale questioned.
"Nope."
"Lovely," he answered, taking a hold of the controls. "Well, you'll be seeing them momentarily." With that, they began their descent onto Sarn's sparsely populated countryside overgrowth.
-------
"Gokan, Vegeta, Boxers... Wait here," Piccolo instructed upon touchdown. "Kale, come with me."
"Sure thing."
The kids nodded in obedience, looking rather bored despite these new circumstances. "It'll only be a minute, I promise," Piccolo encouraged them. He nodded towards Kale, and the two stepped foot from the Dissenter into Sarn's waist high yellow grass, rippling with a steady wind that seemed to constantly grace it. The Namek squinted under the hot afternoon sun, making his way towards the quaint hut that was before them. From past experiences with this particular acquaintance, he expected a not-so-quaint basement that accompanied the rustic picture, complete with the latest smuggled materials, and a hangar somewhere nearby. With this individual, nothing was as it seemed.
"I've seen that mark before," Kale guestured at a carving engraved almost unnoticably into a tall tree that was only a few feet away. "Why didn't you tell me this is where we were going?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Oh, and you know how I just adore those..."
Piccolo grinned as they came to the thick wooden door. Here goes nothing. He raised his green hand, knocking loudly three times consecutively. From inside, he heard a quiet stirring...
"How many times have I told you kids-" the door flung open quickly, the insider being met with obvious shock to his visitors. "Aw, hell."
"Hi, Goten," Piccolo flashed a smile. "Long time no see."
"Nice little set up you have here," Kale poked his head inside, stepping past the surprised saiyajin as he looked around. "Where's the hangar and the storeroom?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Goten replied quickly.
Kale said nothing, only gave him a look as if to ask "Oh?"
Goten sighed. "There's a hidden compartment in the kitchen area."
"Mind if I take a look?"
"By all means, make yourself at home," Goten added sarcastically.
Kale grinned. "Don't mind if I do." He left them alone, exiting quickly towards the kitchen.
"So are the rumors true?" Goten asked without haste, disgust in his voice.
"That depends," Piccolo answered. He made his way towards a small wodden shelf, observing the pictures that decorated it. "I don't associate with the vagrant community."
"Word on the market is that you and freelancer here have gone and attempted the impossible."
"That's what they're saying?" Piccolo continued to meander across the various photographs, small reminders of the past life that he had once lived. Things were so much easier back then. He looked towards Goten, who nodded in response to his question. "Then, yes, the rumors are true."
Goten shook his head then, staring out the window towards Kale's ship. "You're a fool, you know that?"
"I"m the fool?" Piccolo growled. "My apologies if I'm trying to avenge the deaths of your father, your brother, and your best friend."
"I've at least come to terms with the fact that it can't be done," Goten spat. "And now what, you risk their children?"
"Whether you like it or not, you're going to be involved in this."
Goten didn't like it. "And what makes you so sure?"
"For starters, we need you," Piccolo said, growing more serious. "In order to mobilize against a race like the Galactics, we need connections, which is something you have plenty of."
The saiyajin eyed him curiously, seeming to ponder what Piccolo was getting at. "Continue."
"You know the vagrant community, and if we're going to even stand a small chance against the armed forces, we need their help as well. You're a smuggler, Goten, and a good one at that. You can get us anything and everything we need at a moment's notice."
"I'm trying to settle down," Goten said dryly.
"That's what I've heard, and I'm sorry to do this to you," Piccolo continued. "And your daughter."
"Leave her out of this," the son of Goku replied without hesitation. "She's not going anywhere with you."
"You seem to think that you stand a chance against the Galactic army alone," Piccolo mused smugly.
Goten stopped, raising his eyebrows fractionally. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it," the Namek stated. "There is going to be a massive purge all over the sectors for anyone who knows about, or is a saiyajin." That one got Goten's attention. Piccolo chose to press his verbal advantage. If Goten didn't come with them...
"And they'll start with the fringe. The smuggling community. Anyone that has known you are saiyajin will spill their guts for the highest price, and they'll come looking for you anyway. If you can give them notice in time, they can join us before the Galactics get to them. Either way, you're about to get involved."
Goten whispered a quiet curse, knowing full well that Piccolo was in the right on this one. Suddenly, a kind of sadness swept over his face that the Namek had not seen before on this particular individual. It's as if he finally realized what he was missing out on... "Are they with you? The kids, I mean." Piccolo nodded. "What are they like? Is there hope?"
"Why don't you come meet them, and see for yourself?"
"Is something wrong, dad?" A young girl's voice asked from the hall. Piccolo observed as the young teenager walked into the room. He recognized Pana, though it had been quite awhile since he had last seen her. How time flies...
"Remember how I told you we might have to leave some day?" Goten asked her over his shoulder. She nodded in understanding, her face a look of tranquility and calm despite the fact that she knew what was happening.
"I'll go get my things."
"You told her about this?" Piccolo asked in shock. It wasn't that he minded, he just expected Goten to never even mention it to his daughter. After her mother had run off the way she did, who would blame him?
"I explained that something like this might come," Goten conceded. "I even taught her a few things... she can go super-saiyajin."
Piccolo furrowed his brow. "Really?" Goten nodded. "Maybe you can learn with the kids while I train them."
"We'll discuss that later... Right now, I'd be more comfortable running my connections through with the smugglers."
"Understandable." Piccolo cocked his head towards the kitchen "Kale!"
"You dog," Kale elbowed Goten as he stepped back into the room. "You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he's hiding down there."
"He'll tell us all about it on the way to Thorbos, I'm sure," Piccolo assured Kale.
"So you're in?"
Before Goten could reply, Piccolo cut in. "Yeah, he's in."
"Hallelujah," Kale smiled. "Finally, another person in the freelancing business to talk to." He began to make his way for the door. Pana came into the room then, sporting a small pouch with various items bulging from it.
"Ready?" Piccolo looked to Goten.
"As ready as I'll ever be..."
"Good. Why don't you come and meet your relatives?"
"How much longer?" Piccolo asked, joining him in the seat to his right.
"Just a few more minutes until we close in on the atmosphere."
"Good."
Thus far, their flight had been rather uneventful, several hours suspended in gate transport, a mode of flight that moved the ship at the speed of light across a given vector. They had just come out of gating when the computer notified Kale that Sarn was only moments away.
"What do you have to do here, anyway?"
"Visiting an old friend," Piccolo muttered thoughtfully.
"Does this 'friend' expect a visit from you?" Kale questioned.
"Nope."
"Lovely," he answered, taking a hold of the controls. "Well, you'll be seeing them momentarily." With that, they began their descent onto Sarn's sparsely populated countryside overgrowth.
-------
"Gokan, Vegeta, Boxers... Wait here," Piccolo instructed upon touchdown. "Kale, come with me."
"Sure thing."
The kids nodded in obedience, looking rather bored despite these new circumstances. "It'll only be a minute, I promise," Piccolo encouraged them. He nodded towards Kale, and the two stepped foot from the Dissenter into Sarn's waist high yellow grass, rippling with a steady wind that seemed to constantly grace it. The Namek squinted under the hot afternoon sun, making his way towards the quaint hut that was before them. From past experiences with this particular acquaintance, he expected a not-so-quaint basement that accompanied the rustic picture, complete with the latest smuggled materials, and a hangar somewhere nearby. With this individual, nothing was as it seemed.
"I've seen that mark before," Kale guestured at a carving engraved almost unnoticably into a tall tree that was only a few feet away. "Why didn't you tell me this is where we were going?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Oh, and you know how I just adore those..."
Piccolo grinned as they came to the thick wooden door. Here goes nothing. He raised his green hand, knocking loudly three times consecutively. From inside, he heard a quiet stirring...
"How many times have I told you kids-" the door flung open quickly, the insider being met with obvious shock to his visitors. "Aw, hell."
"Hi, Goten," Piccolo flashed a smile. "Long time no see."
"Nice little set up you have here," Kale poked his head inside, stepping past the surprised saiyajin as he looked around. "Where's the hangar and the storeroom?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Goten replied quickly.
Kale said nothing, only gave him a look as if to ask "Oh?"
Goten sighed. "There's a hidden compartment in the kitchen area."
"Mind if I take a look?"
"By all means, make yourself at home," Goten added sarcastically.
Kale grinned. "Don't mind if I do." He left them alone, exiting quickly towards the kitchen.
"So are the rumors true?" Goten asked without haste, disgust in his voice.
"That depends," Piccolo answered. He made his way towards a small wodden shelf, observing the pictures that decorated it. "I don't associate with the vagrant community."
"Word on the market is that you and freelancer here have gone and attempted the impossible."
"That's what they're saying?" Piccolo continued to meander across the various photographs, small reminders of the past life that he had once lived. Things were so much easier back then. He looked towards Goten, who nodded in response to his question. "Then, yes, the rumors are true."
Goten shook his head then, staring out the window towards Kale's ship. "You're a fool, you know that?"
"I"m the fool?" Piccolo growled. "My apologies if I'm trying to avenge the deaths of your father, your brother, and your best friend."
"I've at least come to terms with the fact that it can't be done," Goten spat. "And now what, you risk their children?"
"Whether you like it or not, you're going to be involved in this."
Goten didn't like it. "And what makes you so sure?"
"For starters, we need you," Piccolo said, growing more serious. "In order to mobilize against a race like the Galactics, we need connections, which is something you have plenty of."
The saiyajin eyed him curiously, seeming to ponder what Piccolo was getting at. "Continue."
"You know the vagrant community, and if we're going to even stand a small chance against the armed forces, we need their help as well. You're a smuggler, Goten, and a good one at that. You can get us anything and everything we need at a moment's notice."
"I'm trying to settle down," Goten said dryly.
"That's what I've heard, and I'm sorry to do this to you," Piccolo continued. "And your daughter."
"Leave her out of this," the son of Goku replied without hesitation. "She's not going anywhere with you."
"You seem to think that you stand a chance against the Galactic army alone," Piccolo mused smugly.
Goten stopped, raising his eyebrows fractionally. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it," the Namek stated. "There is going to be a massive purge all over the sectors for anyone who knows about, or is a saiyajin." That one got Goten's attention. Piccolo chose to press his verbal advantage. If Goten didn't come with them...
"And they'll start with the fringe. The smuggling community. Anyone that has known you are saiyajin will spill their guts for the highest price, and they'll come looking for you anyway. If you can give them notice in time, they can join us before the Galactics get to them. Either way, you're about to get involved."
Goten whispered a quiet curse, knowing full well that Piccolo was in the right on this one. Suddenly, a kind of sadness swept over his face that the Namek had not seen before on this particular individual. It's as if he finally realized what he was missing out on... "Are they with you? The kids, I mean." Piccolo nodded. "What are they like? Is there hope?"
"Why don't you come meet them, and see for yourself?"
"Is something wrong, dad?" A young girl's voice asked from the hall. Piccolo observed as the young teenager walked into the room. He recognized Pana, though it had been quite awhile since he had last seen her. How time flies...
"Remember how I told you we might have to leave some day?" Goten asked her over his shoulder. She nodded in understanding, her face a look of tranquility and calm despite the fact that she knew what was happening.
"I'll go get my things."
"You told her about this?" Piccolo asked in shock. It wasn't that he minded, he just expected Goten to never even mention it to his daughter. After her mother had run off the way she did, who would blame him?
"I explained that something like this might come," Goten conceded. "I even taught her a few things... she can go super-saiyajin."
Piccolo furrowed his brow. "Really?" Goten nodded. "Maybe you can learn with the kids while I train them."
"We'll discuss that later... Right now, I'd be more comfortable running my connections through with the smugglers."
"Understandable." Piccolo cocked his head towards the kitchen "Kale!"
"You dog," Kale elbowed Goten as he stepped back into the room. "You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he's hiding down there."
"He'll tell us all about it on the way to Thorbos, I'm sure," Piccolo assured Kale.
"So you're in?"
Before Goten could reply, Piccolo cut in. "Yeah, he's in."
"Hallelujah," Kale smiled. "Finally, another person in the freelancing business to talk to." He began to make his way for the door. Pana came into the room then, sporting a small pouch with various items bulging from it.
"Ready?" Piccolo looked to Goten.
"As ready as I'll ever be..."
"Good. Why don't you come and meet your relatives?"