Dear Readers:

I decided to post this chapter a couple of days ahead of schedule because I am *so* happy to see you're sticking with me for this ride. I'm simply over the moon at how this story has progressed and I hope you enjoy the next installment of 'Goddess of Darkness,' and stay tuned, as Chapter 5, "Absolution," will be available this weekend, as well.

Thank you so much for your patience, and happy reading!


Sanshiva winced and groaned softly as she felt the pain radiate through her bruised body; she felt sick to her stomach and the brightness of the lights above pained her when opened her eyes. She pulled her arms out from under the soft white blanket draped over her body and clutched at her head, gradually rising from the familiar green cushions and blinking rapidly to clear her blurred vision. Sanshiva recognized the books neatly stacked on shelves against the white walls, the vine-laden planters that hung just above, and the soft buzz of electricity that filled the space. Her eyes eventually settled on Hasana, who was scribbling away in a sketchbook draped across his lap. He looked up, pleasantly surprised that the young woman had finally woken.

"Ah, you're up!" Hasana gave her a tender smile, watching as she waved her hand and the blanket hovered just above them. It folded itself into a neat white square before landing beside them on the sectional. "You've been out for quite some time. Um... How are you feeling," he asked tentatively.

"I'm… okay, I guess. Thank you for helping me," Sanshiva said softly. "How did we get back here…?" She wrapped her arms around her middle and hunched over, visibly straining against the horrible aching feeling that rippled through every muscle.

He placed his sketchbook on the table in front of them and stuck a hand in his right pocket. "I'd nearly forgotten I had this until the very last minute." The young man pulled out his palm-sized tablet and held it up, smiling confidently as he said, "This whole place is extremely old if you couldn't tell. A few carefully programmed jamming signals can do some pretty interesting things around here, like… turn the lights off, stop the cameras, or even both. So, I took that last option, and carried you back here during the commotion."

"Oh, wow... Thanks..." Sanshiva smiled weakly, impressed by his ingenuity and tenacity, before realizing he'd exposed and endangered himself in his efforts to help. "But, wait! That would mean—"

"First, I wasn't clocked in last night like I was supposed to be, Sanshiva, so I'm already in loads of trouble. Second, you and I are the only Namekians on Jae-Ujani right now, which makes me guilty by association, as it were. Third…" He hesitated and bit his lip as a contemplative look spread across his face before shaking his head. Hasana continued sternly, "…screw the Galactic Alliance. They didn't do a single damned thing to stop this madness, and the only reason they'd respond to it now is that the man who'd been named in every single one of those reports was publicly executed in response to their inaction. If helping you escape is the only other way I can tell them all to go straight to hell, then count me in."

Sanshiva strained as she sat up straight and massaged the side of her head, still bruised and tender from the hits she'd endured at the bottom of Makeru's boot. "Then if the ship's ready, we should leave." She stood up and wobbled on her feet, dizziness instantly washing over her. Hasana reached out as if to catch her and she batted his hands away, frustrated by the lack of strength and coordination as she fell back clumsily and punched at the cushion just beside her. "Damn it…" she mumbled.

"If it makes you feel a little better, between the formalities and the paperwork, it'll take them half the day just to think of checking for us here, let alone stop us on our way out the front door. Rest a bit, will you?"

Sanshiva nodded and looked away from him, noticing the detailed sketch he had worked on while she had been unconscious; she studied the massive dark-skinned figure that took up most of the page, with its horrifyingly sharp teeth and flaming eyes that seemed to glare back at her.

'So, that's what I look like when that happens,' she thought. Sanshiva inhaled softly as she looked down at her shaking hands; she held her breath as the events of the day prior filled her head.

The violent anger she'd experienced during the whole ordeal frightened her deeply, and she felt sickened by the idea that somewhere deep in the darkness of her heart, she had found delight in the sounds of Makeru's pained cries, the sight of his lifeless, mangled body on the docks, and the smell of his blood lingering in the air. She knew that soon the news of her existence and her frightening transformation would be spread far and wide as people set out from the spaceport, and stared at her hands in shame.

Sanshiva thought of the night she had been discovered by her kind, and the sight of Dokira's body splayed out on the grass in the darkness. She remembered Doji and the heartbroken look that spread across his face at the news that his father couldn't be revived with the dragon balls; she recalled the feeling of the boy's little arms wrapped around her and his head resting against her chest, and the look in his eyes when she made her promise to him. Her heart ached and her stomach felt like it had been tied into a series of unforgiving knots. When she finally exhaled, she made a desperate, painful sound; a great sob that left her body shaking as tears welled in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands. Hasana watched sadly and silently as the strong young woman he'd met the day before seemed to fall to pieces beside him. He could hear her as she whispered the same phrase several times, her voice nearly drowned amidst great heaves and sighs as she held her hands over her face.

"Oh, my gods… I'm a monster… I'm a monster… I'm a monster…"

The young man reached out and gently placed his hand on her back. "No, Sanshiva, you're—"

Sanshiva interjected, stuttering through her tears as she shrugged off his hand. "D-don't lie to me! Look at that," she said, nodding to the drawing on the table, "…L-look at me!" She grabbed at her cloak and pulled it tighter around her, burying her face in the cloth, her tears cascading down her cheeks and disappearing into the fabric. "You d-don't fool me. I know you're s-scared of me. Hell, I'm s-scared of m-me, too…"

Hasana picked up the sketchbook and thoughtfully traced his fingers along the edges of the drawing. A lump formed at the back of his throat as he listened to the female Namekian whimper into her cloak, and he gulped as he looked back up from the page at her slender, quivering frame. He admitted to himself that he was, in fact, terrified of the raw, dark power she somehow had access to, but felt deep down that he had an obligation to fight that fear if only to help Sanshiva fight her own.

'I can't believe she feels like that about herself,' he thought. 'She took out Makeru like it was nothing…'

He spoke softly as he shifted closer to her and pulled gently on her cloak until it fell away from her face. "You are not a monster." The young woman blinked through her tears, doubtful of his statement. "While it's true that I was a little scared," Hasana continued, "I think that's just because I don't understand your power. And from the sound of it, neither do you. What I do understand is that you're a hero, Sanshiva, and if you hadn't intervened, Makeru would have just kept going." He rubbed his cheek gently; the swelling had subsided, but his skin was still slightly bruised and tender to the touch. "He probably would have killed me the next chance he got, and I wouldn't have been the last one, that much is sure…"

As the young woman's cries began to soften, she looked despondently at Hasana and wiped her face with the backs of her hands. "It's okay… You d-don't have to l-lie to make me f-feel—"

"I'm a terrible fibber," he interjected as he placed the sketchbook back on the table. "So, know that I'm telling you the truth when I say I thought you were magnificent."

Sanshiva sniffled and stared at the young man in shock. 'This guy has a screw loose somewhere,' she thought.

Sensing her disbelief, Hasana gave her a small smile and said, "You had skin like the night sky and a voice that could make mountains tremble! Your hair, your eyes… They were on fire! That sketch of mine does you no justice whatsoever. I could feel the energy coming off of you in waves. You were the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. You think I'd be here fixing ships if I could do that?!"

She blinked at him, cleared her throat, and said, "It's a curse, Hasana, not some stupid magic trick."

"And I think that's your problem." He put his hands on his knees and rose from the sectional, walked to the small cooler, and retrieved two bottles of water. He passed one to Sanshiva before opening his own and said, "You need to stop thinking of that power of yours as a curse. Maybe…" He paused and took a long sip as he sat back next to her. "Maybe you should be thinking of it as an ability that is… unique to you."

"Yeah, well, I never asked for it," she retorted. "I didn't ask to be a girl either, but here I am, with a frustratingly overgrown chest and stupid purple hair." She huffed, blowing strands of her hair away from her eyes, and gave him a skeptical look as she opened her bottle and took a sip of water.

"…Sanshiva, you have literally proven that your gender isn't the only thing that's different about you. It's like the gods themselves gave you the key to a door that hasn't been unlocked by anyone else. Wouldn't you want to see where that door leads?"

She stared at the bottle in her hand and considered the young man's question. "I'm starting to get the feeling that whatever's behind that door is a lot worse than anyone could ever possibly imagine. What if I can't control it anymore and I end up stuck that way? I just barely managed to get ahold of myself after what happened at the docks…"

Hasana's mind flashed the image of her demonic transformation. Her violet eyes and hair ablaze, Makeru impaled on her gigantic shadowy arm, and the piercing, dual-voiced shriek she let loose before returning to her natural form. He shuddered slightly, as if startled by the implication of a permanent transition to her terrifying evolution, but quickly shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sanshiva, the more time you spend on the what-ifs and what-mays, the less time you'll have to consider a proper course of action. What you need is to find someone who can teach you how to tap into that power of yours a little at a time, until your mind and body are ready for its full effect."

"…Baba," she said under her breath, shrugging him off again. She crossed her arms and sank back into the seat, closing her eyes as she continued. "Before I left home, the Council decided to summon Porunga. He told me to look for a fortuneteller on Earth by the name of Baba. Supposedly, she can help me out somehow with this... ability. I found out her home is in the middle of a desert, but once I land on Earth, it could take a while to find her... "

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through on your own, if I'm being frank. Doesn't the Earth have a Guardian? You don't think it would be easier to get help from him?"

"I don't want to get any more people wrapped up in this. Hell, I didn't even want to get you involved in this, Hasana. I just want to get whatever this is," she said, motioning to herself, "…under control and go home. The sooner I find that fortuneteller, the better off I'll be. I just wish I had a map or something to make this just a little easier for me. This trip's already been more trouble than I could have ever asked for." Sanshiva opened her eyes and stared vacantly at the wall.

"Hm, I wonder…" Hasana mumbled and stroked his chin. "Maybe she can help…"

She gave him a pensive look as she watched his eyes dart back and forth across the floor. Hasana abruptly hoisted himself up from the sectional and quickly paced across the room to sit in front of his computer, the bright screen once again casting its harsh glow across his face as he tapped away at the keyboard. Sanshiva slowly rose from the sectional and walked to stand behind him, listening to the soft pings that came from the computer, realizing that he was communicating with someone. He finished typing in one last message and crossed his arms while he leaned back slightly, his chair creaking from underneath him. A short while later, another soft chime emanated from the speakers, and he gave her a satisfied smile.

"A very good friend of mine says she just might have the map you're looking for."


A uniformed alien nervously tapped his shiny black boot against the elevator floor as he waited for the doors to close. He rubbed his long, thin fingers together and stared at his hands as the docking station disappeared beneath him and the elevator car made its lazy ascent to the fifth floor, and slowly cast his gaze at the glass, focused on the reflection that peered back at him as the scenery from each floor slowly passed by; thin, short, and covered in mottled purple and blue skin, the reptilian man scoffed at his nervous appearance. He fixed the wrinkles in his black suit and adjusted his cap before sticking his hand in his left pocket, fidgeting with the small rectangular data chip the dock managers had handed over only moments before. As the elevator doors began to open, his breath hitched, and he sauntered nervously into the Jae-Ujani Command Center.

The space spread out in neat rows of giant glowing monitors and communications devices of all shapes and sizes. A different worker manned every device, each one more unique in appearance than the last, their voices calm and methodical as they continued with their tasks and spoke in dozens of foreign languages. Many others darted about the area, passing thick volumes of printed reports or small boxes of data chips and discs between one another, the sounds of their hurried footsteps across the cold metal floor rhythmic and droning. The uniformed man anxiously walked past them toward the center of the room and steadied his breath as he approached an enclosed office that seemed to loom over the rest of the space. He knocked on the door and heard a firm voice answer from behind it.

"I've been expecting you, Colonel Chou."

Colonel Chou swallowed hard and pushed the door inwards; it creaked loudly as he closed it behind him and the noise from outside the encapsulated office faded to a dull hum. He stood at attention, saluting his superior, and spoke as calmly as he could manage.

"Commander Shiro, I have a report of the incident at the docks yesterday."

His commander was seated in a massive black leather chair behind an immaculately polished steel desk. Chou gulped again, slightly shaking underneath the gaze of the giant alien before him.

Commander Shiro was a colossal, shark-like creature dressed in thick black armor emblazoned with the GA symbol across the chest. He had sharp, intimidating facial features, a wide mouth with several rows of large, serrated teeth, and two big, wholly black eyes. On his face was a thick red scar that trailed from his right eye to his chin, and his coarse grey and white skin was pockmarked with dark gashes and scars; he sported several deep gouges along the bridge of the thick grey fin that extended from the top of his head and trailed down his back.

"Get on with it," Shiro commanded. "I don't have all day."

Chou cleared his throat, nodded, and said, "Reviews of the surveillance footage show that the disturbance was caused by some sort of domestic dispute involving Colonel Makeru and… a civilian. The civilian was reportedly acting on the rumors that have been circulating about his involvement in the disappearance of—"

"I've heard the rumors, Chou, and those useless gearheads are a dime a dozen. For all we know, they abandoned their stations and stowed away on departing vessels. What else?"

Chou cleared his throat and shifted nervously as he prepared to give the commander the worst part of his report.

"The responding officers confirmed that Colonel Makeru was… killed during the altercation, sir."

Shiro's eyes widened before he scowled angrily. "No," he growled. He leaned across the desk and eyed the colonel suspiciously. "Makeru was far too strong to be taken out by some random civilian! How dare you feed me such an outrageous lie!"

"N-no sir, not at all! I-it's not a l-lie, honest! I have the f-footage right here w-with me and—"

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?!" Shiro held out his massive hand and Chou warily placed the data chip into the commander's palm. The commander snatched his hand away and inserted the chip into a computer tower just underneath his desk. The monitor beside him flashed white before the footage began to play, showing the view from just outside Makeru's ship.

Shiro watched as a darkly cloaked alien approached the ship and knocked several times. He recognized the frog-like man who answered the door – Kaeru – and continued to observe their interaction. As the alien removed their cloak, the commander inhaled sharply and tapped at a button on the side of the monitor, pausing the video. He scrutinized the slightly blurry image and grinned. The monitor screen showed the image of a green-skinned female with a humanoid face and shocking purple hair and eyes. Shiro recognized the long, pointed ears and antennae, along with the lines and pink segments that ran the length of her arms, traits found only among one particular species.

"A Namekian… girl?! Now that's interesting…" Shiro mused.

"Sir… Perhaps you should finish watching the video," said Chou as he looked back at the commander.

Shiro raised a brow and nodded, and he pressed the button again. He laughed as the female Namekian punched out Kaeru and stowed his body out of sight before heading inside the ship. He soon grew impatient as the minutes ticked by and no other activity could be seen on the screen.

"Uh… Almost there, sir," the colonel said nervously as he eyed the watch on his wrist.

The commander tapped a thick finger against the arm of his chair. He waited and waited, until finally, he saw Makeru burst out of the ship's windshield and land clumsily onto the deck below, his arms uselessly dangling beside him as he slowly stood up.

"What?!" Shiro leaned forward and angrily stared at the screen as the young woman flew out of the ship and assaulted the colonel. The camera angle changed as she finished her attack and dragged him by the fin atop his head to another platform in the docking station.

Shiro's brows raised as the camera angle changed once again and he saw another Namekian – wearing the blue jumpsuit of the GA's dock workers – emerge from the vessel to look at Makeru and the girl before darting back inside. Suddenly, the female's body became enveloped in a dark shadow and he gasped again as he witnessed her transform into a terrifyingly large and diabolical entity. He seethed with anger as the dark creature beat Makeru mercilessly before finally impaling him and throwing his corpse onto the ground. Shiro's body began to shake with fury; he thumbed at the button on the monitor and forced the video to pause once more.

As the commander gazed at the image of the demonic Namekian, he rose from his seat and scowled. He pushed his chair aside and stood tall, towering over his trembling subordinate as he walked to stand in front of the glass panels by the door. He listlessly eyed the rows of computers just outside the office for what seemed like several minutes and breathed deeply before he spoke once more in a callous and measured tone.

"Colonel Chou… the sheer ineptitude of your department baffles me. You and your officers arrived just as General Makeru was brutally murdered on the very doorstep of this spaceport, and you didn't even think to bring me the woman responsible for his death, or the traitorous little slug that seems to have aided and abetted her."

Chou's bright blue eyes shot open, and his body continued to quiver as he looked at the back of Shiro's scar-marked head. He tried to swallow but his mouth went dry as the commander turned back to him slowly and menacingly, his void-like eyes sending a cold shiver down the colonel's spine.

"Sir, I c-can explain, there was a b-blackout shortly after the incident and the t-two of them—"

"You have precisely sixty seconds to give me one good reason I shouldn't just tear you to pieces and eat what's left," Shiro snarled. He stepped towards Chou and grinned, his crowded, sharp teeth glistening under the harsh lights above. Chou could feel the sweat as it formed at his brow and bowed his head as he shook uncontrollably and answered the commander.

"If y-you'll allow me, sir," Chou stammered, "...the chip also c-contains a data set that I w-was able to f-find; it reveals the identity of the w-worker seen on the c-cameras. The other d-dock managers provided m-me with some p-preliminary information if you'd l-like me to—"

Shiro frowned, seemingly disappointed that Chou may have, in fact, found a way to avoid becoming his next meal. "Oh, shut up, you spineless idiot," he spat.

The commander paced away from the scrawny alien and begrudgingly sat back down. The room seemed to shake as he did so, and Chou released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as Shiro typed loudly on his keyboard. The monitor before him flashed the image of a Namekian male – about 18 years old – sporting the black uniform and silver pin befitting higher-ranked Galactic Alliance service members. His assigned employee number, 817-DX, glowed in big, bright blue font, and the text just below showed that the young man was, himself, one of the dock managers; the resident programming and ammunitions expert of the Jae-Ujani docking team, and the only Namekian employed by the GA. Shiro growled again in frustration as he realized the employee's name was illegible to him, written in Namekian script just above the on-screen photo.

"What is this damned imp's name," he asked, annoyed, as he turned the monitor to face the colonel.

Chou quickly glanced at the image and recalled the name he'd been given earlier. "Hasana, sir. The managers I questioned confirmed he was AWOL during the evening shift."

"Hm… Strange... Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?" Chou timidly shrugged his shoulders as Shiro turned off the monitor and retrieved the data chip. The commander tossed the chip back to the colonel, who fumbled with it before finally catching it between his fingers. "You'll find those two insects and bring them to me within the next twenty-four hours. If you and your officers should fail in doing so…" Shiro paused and looked deep into the colonel's eyes, almost as if to look through him. "I will wring the blood from your limp body like a wet towel."

Shiro laughed cruelly as the smaller alien saluted him and anxiously walked away. He felt no need to watch as the colonel made his exit. He could feel the smaller alien's life force, spiking and wavering like a frenzied heartbeat on the verge of arrest, and could smell the very scent of fear left behind in Chou's wake. The commander continued to laugh as he thought of how he would punish the two Namekians that had dared harm one of his own.

"I will make those two disgusting little cretins pay," he said, still cackling to himself. "And it will be a price paid in so much blood… and somuchpain!"

Chou listened as the sound of the commander's harsh laughter disappeared amongst the noise of the command center and he raced back through the rows of workers to the elevators, his heart pounding furiously the whole way. He grabbed at his cap to keep it from slipping as he began to sweat profusely and jabbed at the elevator button several times with a single shaking finger. When the door finally opened, he threw himself inside and hurriedly tapped the down arrow.

As the elevator gradually descended, Colonel Chou struggled to slow his breathing and wiped his forehead with the back of a shaking hand. Commander Shiro made no bluffs; during Chou's time as a cadet, the commander had ruthlessly beaten and gradually devoured several other GA employees – previous colonels and several officers from his own Patrol Unit – over several weeks and tossed what he couldn't finish into the trash. His reasons for having done so were an ever-changing series of rumors, almost as mythical as the existence of the gods themselves. It was said that Shiro had secured and retained his position as GA Commander at Jae-Ujani through sheer carnivorous force, and those that fought him risked a very public – and horribly messy – execution. Those souls unfortunate enough to have truly offended him in some way risked torture so great that death itself became a welcome release.

Chou felt that he had done his best over the past few years to work diligently and rise through the ranks. He followed his orders to the letter and amassed small accolades for his deeds. He was proud that he had managed to keep the bustling spaceport running with few incidents of note, and the officers of his unit were among the strongest and brightest at Jae-Ujani. But this single lapse in attention to the shifts and locations of his subordinates had thrown his seemingly orderly world into chaos, and he prayed that he'd find the two Namekians as soon as possible.

'If I don't find those two,' Colonel Chou thought, 'I'm going to end up on the menu…'


The Namekians stood alone at the back of the elevator car, nervously awaiting their arrival on the first floor. Sanshiva looked out of the glass, watching as the third floor disappeared and the second floor came into view, and sighed as she pulled her cloak over her head. Hasana gave her a curious look and realized that, in their current outfits, they would be easily recognized if the GA's Patrol Unit was dispatched soon. He spoke quietly as he walked forward and pushed a small red button, forcing the elevator to stop.

"I should have thought of this before we left the house, but we'll need disguises to avoid drawing attention to ourselves…"

She tugged at her cloak nervously, clearly disfavoring a change of clothes. "Ugh, damn it. You're probably right, but… This is all I have right now…"

"Thankfully, materialization is one of my better skills," he said, resting a hand against his chest. His tattered blue jumpsuit instantly changed, and he sported simple cotton clothing – a black and green hooded sweatshirt and baggy green pants held in place by a black leather belt. His utilitarian boots transformed into a set of bright green and black shoes, and he tapped them against the floor as he looked back at Sanshiva. "Ta-da!" He smiled at her and struck a confident pose, resting his fists against his waist as he puffed out his chest slightly. "What do you think?"

She giggled and said, "Well, it's definitely different."

"Now, I want you to think of a disguise; hold the image as clear as you can in your mind, and I'll do my best to turn that into a reality for you."

She nodded and closed her eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Her antennae twitched in time with Hasana's as he reached through to her telepathically and viewed the mental image she had conjured. He grinned, realizing she had chosen an outfit similar to his, but in her signature colors of black and purple.

"Sorry, but the colors are going to have to change. Don't want anyone still thinking it's you under there."

The young man willed the energy forth to create her disguise, and Sanshiva looked down, realizing that he'd chosen to give her a crisp white hoodie that contrasted with the regal purple of her new shirt and pants. She sported a simple blue belt with a clean silver buckle and deep brown boots, and as she looked at her reflection in the glass, she snickered.

'That's actually kind of… cool,' she thought. 'But didn't Father tell me that these are Piccolo's colors?'

"Well, that's who I modeled it after," Hasana said as he chuckled and pressed the red button again.

Sanshiva blushed as the elevator car continued its descent and turned to him. "You… you heard me? …I thought only our parents could do that."

"Well, when you let someone read your mind once, it's like giving them permanent access to your thoughts."

She silently cursed the blood in her cheeks and shifted nervously beside him. "You wouldn't…" She hesitated, hoping he hadn't tried to view the memories of her time on New Namek. "You wouldn't happen to have poked around for anything else, though, right?"

Hasana shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They were greeted by the familiar sounds and sights of the crowded main area as the elevator car stopped and the doors slid open. Sanshiva followed closing behind the young man, mirroring Hasana as he threw his hood on and stuck his hands in his pockets. He paced towards the western edge of the first floor, past the various merchandisers that sold ship parts and haggled prices for a nearly countless amount of guns and cannons, and stopped in front of a large, aged stall that leaned precariously against the dingy metal wall, crammed full of different books and scrolls. A short, yellow gelatinous creature approached Hasana from behind a beaten table, leaving a trail of slime that seemed to fade away on the ground as it slithered forward like an oversized, semi-transparent slug. It made a series of guttural bubbling noises at him, and the young man bowed respectfully.

"Hello again, Bowa! I trust you've been keeping well," Hasana said to the creature. Bowa nodded and made another series of curious bubbly noises as if he'd asked a question. "Ah, no," he replied, "I'm not here to pick up another book, but… I messaged Yumena earlier. Is she still here?"

Bowa nodded enthusiastically and slithered to the back of the stall, where he pulled back a long black sheet draped against the wall and motioned for them to come forward. Hasana looked at Sanshiva and spoke to her telepathically; her antennae twitched as his voice sounded clear as day in her head.

'Follow me and try not to take too much offense in how Yumena speaks. She can be… a little off-putting at times. But I promise you, she's someone we can trust.'

Sanshiva stood just behind him, watching curiously as a sizeable circular section of the wall slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the entryway to a dark room. They quietly stepped through and the doorway closed after them. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, and Hasana smiled slightly as a familiar voice greeted them and their settings slowly came into focus.

"You son of a bug," drawled the coarse, high-pitched voice. "You've got some nerve askin' me for a favor when you still owe me dinner."

The young man blinked in shock before he chuckled and grinned sheepishly as he removed his hood. "I'm really sorry, I got caught up in a few things, and I—"

"Excuses, excuses…"

The voice came from behind a tattered, high-backed dark green swivel chair that sat before a curious array of weathered computers and scratched monitors lined against the dark and grubby walls. Sanshiva cocked her head to one side as the chair spun around and faced the two of them. A short, pudgy, and wrinkly woman with two black curling horns atop her head and large pink eyes stared back at them, her chunky arms crossed against her chest. She had thick, red and pink speckled skin and sported black form-fitting attire. The utility belt around her waist seemed full to bursting, with various bits of string and several pens poking out from one of its holsters as the old woman shifted in her seat and her feet dangled above the ground.

"And just who is this," the elderly alien asked as she raised her brow and stared at the young woman beside Hasana. "You never told me you had a girlfriend, Hasana! Is she the reason I didn't get my dinner before the evening shift yesterday? Hm? Is she what you got caught up in?" She winked at the young and cackled. "You sly dog, you."

He blushed profusely and stuttered as he answered and looked between the two women. "N-no, no, it's not l-like that at all! Th-this is Sanshiva. She's the one I messaged you about earlier. Sanshiva, this is Yumena; she's a cartographer and rare book collector."

Sanshiva crossed her arms, clearly offended by the old woman's assumption. "Charmed," she said grumpily.

"Hmph… someone's in a mood, huh? Hey, kid," Yumena said as she nodded at the young woman, "Don't you know it's rude to keep your head covered in the presence of your elders?"

"Who are you calling 'kid?!'" She tore away her hood and glared at Yumena as she balled her hands into fists at her sides. "He just gave you my name!"

"Whoa!" The old woman cried out as she jumped up from her seat and stood before Sanshiva, looking up at the female Namekian with interest. "That's an interestin' series of mutations you got there! What happened, your pops cracked the egg more than once or somethin'?" Yumena walked in small circles around her, scrutinizing the young woman, before she finally stopped and levitated in front of Sanshiva, hovering inches away from her face. She reached her hand out and ran her stubby fingers through the young woman's soft purple mohawk and the Namekian recoiled, annoyed at the elderly alien's invasion of her personal space.

"My father didn't do anything wrong; I was just born this way! And don't call me a kid!"

"Hmph. Seems he didn't do anything right, either. Didn't teach you how to be polite, did he?" Yumena raised her brows and turned back to her chair. She plopped down and heaved a great sigh as she rested her elbows on the arms of her seat and laced her fingers together underneath her chin.

Sanshiva's fists shook with rage, and she stepped slightly forward. Hasana gripped her arm and felt himself struggle to hold the warrior woman back. "Argh! How dare you! You insult my father, insinuate that I look… weird and meanwhile you're just a—"

Before Sanshiva could launch a barrage of insults at her, her antennae twitched, and she heard Hasana's gentle voice as he spoke to her telepathically once again. 'Please, Sanshiva, calm down… We need her help, and I warned you about what she's like, didn't I?' He gave her a somber look and she angrily acquiesced, crossing her arms as she let out a frustrated huff and turned away. Hasana addressed the elderly alien as gently and respectfully as he could.

"Yumena, I know I still owe you and you've never known me not to stand by my word. But we really need your help. You said you might have a map of Earth?"

"Yeah, I know I got a map around here somewhere. But it's gonna cost you more than just food." Yumena shot Hasana a serious look.

"Anything I have to give is yours," he said as he bowed deeply.

"Hm…" Yumena jumped from her seat and walked to the door. It slid open, and the two Namekians poked their heads out from behind the black cloth and watched as the old woman shuffled through the heavy stacks of scrolls and maps on the shelves in the stall. Bowa made angry bubbling noises from beside her as she tossed the scrolls and packs of paper to the ground in a frenzy before she finally located what she had been searching for.

"Aha!" She held up a blackened scroll tied together with frayed green rope. "Here it is!" She paced back to the hidden room and pushed them aside as the door slid closed behind her; Bowa could still be heard gurgling angrily outside as he cleaned up the mess she'd left behind. Yumena yanked the string and unrolled the large scroll on the ground in front of the two Namekians, and they inhaled sharply as they looked down at the weathered map. Hasana gazed at the strange markings in black ink along the parchment – a description of planet Earth – and seemed almost hypnotized by the level of detail that spanned each carefully sketched continent. Sanshiva quickly ran her eyes along the length of the map, searching for a strange body of water in the middle of a desert. But as quickly as she had unfurled it, Yumena snatched the map back up and re-rolled it.

"Alright, the free trial is over. Ready for my terms?"

Sanshiva gave the elderly woman an angry look before Hasana placed his hand on her shoulder again. He nodded to Yumena and said firmly, "Name your price."

"Okay, then." Yumena tapped at her chin with a stubby finger before grinning at the female Namekian. "If your girlfriend here wants the map—"

"Hey!" Sanshiva grew irritated again, shrugging Hasana off as she tried to interject. Amused at the young woman's reaction, the elderly alien raised her voice and restarted her sentence.

"If Sanshiva wants the map, she'll have to take me with her to Earth."

Hasana gasped and looked nervously at the young woman beside him. Sanshiva blinked several times, seemingly struggling to register the proposed arrangement. She recalled the computer's answer when she asked how far she was from Earth just before the slow trek to Jae-Ujani: forty-two days. With the additional ten days it had taken to get to the spaceport, Sanshiva realized that if she wanted the map she'd have to spend almost two months in a cramped space with Yumena before they finally arrived on Earth. Even if the trip was shortened by the use of the hyperdrive, Sanshiva scoffed at the idea of being stuck with anyone like Yumena for more than a few hours.

"You've got to be kidding me." Sanshiva shook her head and sneered. "Listen, one way or another I'll find what I'm looking for, with or without your stupid fucking map. I already have to bring Hasana, and I'm not looking to share any more space with anybody than I have to right now."

"You'd better watch that mouth, kid," Yumena retorted. "I want off this floating hunk of junk just as much as you do. If you don't need the map, then we're done here. The door's behind you in case you forgot." She clutched the map behind her back and smirked at the two of them.

Sanshiva guffawed and stared at the walls with a look of indignance. Hasana glanced at her before looking back at Yumena, and his throat seemed to tighten as he felt his only chance to help the female Namekian control her power slip further and further away. He could feel the tension building in the angry silence between the two women and as a bead of sweat formed against his brow, he breathed deeply through his nose and out through his mouth before pleading with Yumena.

"Is there nothing else I could offer you instead, my friend," Hasana asked anxiously. He motioned to the young woman beside him, and his voice seemed to shake as he struggled against the lump in his throat. "Sanshiva did it, Yumena… She fought Makeru; she beat him into the ground for every single one of the dock workers that went missing… and she won!" He looked at Sanshiva, noticing her scowl had turned into a soft frown as she continued to stare at the wall. Sanshiva struggled to hold her composure as she listened to Hasana beg Yumena one more time, just for her.

Hasana clasped his hands together and bowed again. "Yumena, please… You know I will do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to pay you back. But right now, Sanshiva needs that map more than you or I ever will. She saved my life and avenged so many others and I—"

"Now, wait a damn minute," the old woman drawled, "When you say… 'won,' you don't mean…?"

Hasana stood tall and nodded slowly. Yumena suddenly wheezed and clutched at her chest, dropping the map and seizing up as if her heart had stopped. The young man gasped and caught her as she fell, cradling her head in the crook of his elbow. Sanshiva stood over the two of them, panic-stricken as she looked around the walls for a medical kit of some sort.

"Relax, relax," he said gently as he picked up the map from the ground beside him. "Yumena faints sometimes when she's shocked. She'll be coming out of it soon. The two of them stood in silence for several minutes before Hasana began to countdown. "Three… Two… One…"

Yumena sprang up from Hasana's gentle grasp and waved her arms about hysterically like a woman possessed, speaking in tongues as she shook her head and blinked at the young man still kneeling beside her. She snatched the map from his hand, and he chuckled as the old woman slowly looked up at the tall female Namekian; Sanshiva raised a brow as she stared back at the two of them.

"How'd you do it, kid?!" Yumena gradually hovered off the ground until she was at eye level with Sanshiva, her mouth hanging open as she awaited the young woman's response.

Sanshiva scoffed again and kicked her boot to the floor. She watched Hasana stand and brush off his pants; he nodded to her as if to urge her into answering.

"Well… I beat him up," she said hesitantly.

"No, I need the details! Details!" Yumena leaned in closer, almost nose to nose with her.

Sanshiva could smell her breath, pungent and ancient, and reeled slightly backward. She gulped and stuck her hands in her pockets, and stared at the ground as she answered her in a soft and solemn tone, giving the woman a play-by-play of the events and finished her retelling with, "I tried to give him a chance to say he was sorry, but he refused, so… I beat him up some more, broke his back, and uh… rather aggressively… hole punched… him." She winced as the last few words left her lips.

'Maybe that was a bit too much,' she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hasana smirking in approval beside her and he winked quickly before returning his gaze to Yumena.

She heard his voice in her head and smiled weakly at his answer. 'Not at all. That was perfect.'

"So, he's… He's dead?" The old woman stared at the Sanshiva expectantly.

Sanshiva nodded slowly, still staring at the ground in shame. She knew she should feel proud of having defended Hasana and avenged his fellow workers, but remembered the terror in the crowd's eyes as she stared back at their small shaking bodies huddled together on the main platform. Tall and foreboding, she recalled looming above them and feeling the horrible urge to lick the blood from her arm; to keep going until there was nothing left of Makeru, or anyone else. She struggled to keep the horrible thoughts blocked off and Hasana glanced at her as he felt the telepathic wall developing between them. He reached to touch her shoulder again, and Sanshiva shrank away from him as she kicked her boot to the floor once more and her frown deepened.

As the Namekian's confirmation of Makeru's defeat sank in, Yumena's shocked expression slowly turned into a wide grin. She stared at Sanshiva, and the lower half of her face seemed permanently affixed in an awe-stricken gape. She looked like an entirely different person; she cackled and hugged Sanshiva tightly around the neck, and the Namekian flopped about in the elderly alien's firm and enthusiastic grasp as she hurrahed and bobbed about. The young woman struggled to breathe as she gingerly hugged Yumena back and gave Hasana a questioning look; he nodded again to her and gently smiled back.

"Ah, you did it, you did it," the elderly woman cheered. "Sanshiva, you're a force to be reckoned with if you took care of that son of a fish! You can have whatever you want from this dingy ol' place. Hell, I'll even throw in Bowa if you need him!" Yumena released her grip around Sanshiva's neck and held the young woman's face in her chubby hands as she looked deep into the Namekian's violet eyes. "You did a good thing, kid. Shoot, I'm surprised you're not bragging about—"

Suddenly, the three of them could hear Bowa making panicked gurgling sounds from behind the door, and it slid open one more time. Bowa poked his gelatinous form inside and waved about as if trying to get them to come out and see something dreadfully important. Atop the table at the front of Yumena's stall was a small beaten black radio with a tiny holographic screen hovering just above it. Bowa urgently pointed in its direction, and Yumena landed softly on the ground and paced out of the room, making a beeline for the device. She adjusted a few of its knobs at the front until all of them could hear the message that was playing. Bowa wiggled, trembling beside Yumena as he stared at the radio with lopsided yellow eyes.

"This is an important announcement from the Jae-Ujani Command Center," said a stern voice. "A red alert is in effect. Repeat, a red alert is in effect. Two Namekians have been identified as prime suspects in the murder of Colonel Makeru. If you see either of these two individuals, you are to report them to the nearest GA officer immediately. Message repeats…"

Hasana inhaled sharply as he listened from inside the room; Sanshiva followed suit, instantly recognizing the images that hovered on the holographic screen. Snapshots taken from surveillance cameras showed her and Hasana, with the word "WANTED" written in bright red letters underneath the photos. As Yumena continued to listen to the repeating message, her eyes wandered the walkway beside her, where she spotted four officers in black uniforms just a few yards away interrogating another stall owner. Panicked, she grabbed Bowa, squeezing him around his head, and hurriedly dragged him inside the secret room. As the cloth fluttered and the door closed, Yumena held a single finger to her lips and leaned back against the door, still clutching at Bowa; he lolled about in her grasp, his two eyes shifting around inside the rest of his squishy body. They could hear a series of frustrated grunts and shuffling noises just behind the door, and for a moment, the four of them held their breath together as they listened.

"Shouldn't we be searching the residential floor if we're going to find those two," asked a deep male voice.

"Yeah, but his tracker pinged him down here. Looks like this stall owner isn't around… Let's keep going," said a soft female voice.

They listened nervously, their hearts pounding furiously as the two sets of footsteps left the stall, and the other two officers joined them as they walked further away. When the four of them could no longer hear the sound of heavy boots, they exhaled collectively. Bowa gurgled softly as Yumena finally let go, and his eyes shifted back into place. He looked at Hasana and pointed a single squishy tendril at his pants. Hasana gasped again and reached for his pocket.

"…Ack!" Hasana pulled out his tablet from his pocket and stared at it in disbelief. "…How could I have forgotten about this again," he whispered.

"Damn it boy, I thought you were smarter than that!" Yumena snatched the tablet from his hand and opened a square chute next to the door, tossing it inside; Hasana gasped.

"Why would you throw that out?! How am I supposed to—"

"Hasana, you're not gonna need that damn tablet as much as you're gonna need to get the hell off this spaceport. Don't you know what it means to have a red alert out for you?!" Yumena gave him an angry look and he shook his head as he stared at the chute. He thought he could hear the tablet still clacking against the insides of the vacuum tube as it made its trip to the trash compactor. "Anyone who's ever had a red alert put out for 'em hasn't ever left the fifth floor in one piece. You get carried up there in cuffs and carried out in a body bag. Or a few trash bags; whatever's clever for that shark up there."

The Namekians glanced at one another and gulped.

"…Shark?" Sanshiva tilted her head and gave Yumena a curious look.

"Oh, no…" Hasana mumbled. "Shiro…"

"Yes," Yumena said sternly. "From the sound of it, we're all as good as dinner if we stay here."

"…Dinner?" Sanshiva blinked, her heart racing as she contemplated the situation.

"Yes, kid, dinner. He eats people."

"WHAT?!"

"But… How are we supposed to get past the GA officers," Hasana asked in a panicked tone. "We need to get back to the ship, and quickly!"

Yumena smirked. "Don't you worry your little antennas off about that, boy, I know a way." She nodded her head to Sanshiva as she rolled up her sleeve and asked, "Hey, kid... Wanna help me start a fire?"


Colonel Chou felt a vibration in his pocket as he paced the docking platform in front of Sanshiva's ship. He pulled out a miniature tablet and glanced at it, visibly irritated by the on-screen text. He shoved it back in his pocket and huffed angrily.

'First and second floor sweeps completed. Targets have still not been found,' it read.

He glanced at the three officers beside him, standing at attention, the pins on their lapels and the buttons along their chests shining in the flickering lamplight. Chou slowly paced back and forth for several minutes, awaiting messages from the officers he'd assigned to sweep the third and fourth floors. He finally stopped and stared past the officers' shoulders for what seemed like ages, scrutinizing the Namekian vessel.

'That thing's downright ugly,' he thought. Chou shuddered, realizing that the more time he spent pacing the docks aimlessly, the more likely he was to end up on Commander Shiro's plate. 'I wonder if that gear slug told me the truth the last time I asked him how to open one of these things…'

"Move," he barked. The officers stepped aside and watched momentarily as Chou stood beneath and uttered a single word, "Pikkoro." A circular metal platform descended, and the colonel stood atop it before saying the strange word once more, and the platform hovered back up. He took slow, deliberate steps and listened to the sound of his boots echo in the ovular space; the colonel scoffed as he took in the sight of the plain white walls and dark tiling and he paced towards the main console, eyeing the odd rows of buttons and dials across its surface.

Colonel Chou reached down and thumbed at a few buttons in an attempt to get the computer to reveal the flight path of the ship. A soft crimson glow began to fill the space from small inlet lights that lined the floors just beneath the walls, and the alien jumped as the main console screen changed color from black to red and a sterile male voice sounded from the speakers.

"Foreign presence detected. Password required."

Chou cleared his throat and replied, "I am Colonel Chou of the Galactic Alliance, Fleet 914. You will provide me with the flight logs for this vessel per section 55A-7b of the Galactic—"

"Negative. Password required."

The colonel squinted at the console and repeated himself, this time raising his voice, praying that the computer would obey a more commanding tone.

"Per section 55A-7b of the Galactic Alliance Code, you are forcibly obligated to provide me with the flight logs for this vessel!"

"I have no such obligation," the computer countered.

"ARGH!" Chou slammed his fist against the console, slightly denting the metal. He could swear the computer was giving him an attitude. Feeling thoroughly frustrated and somewhat insulted, he yelled back, "Damn you, you stupid computer! If you don't open up and give me the flight logs for this ship, I'll rip them out from your console MANUALLY!"

He heard a series of clicks and whirs from underneath the console and the screen flashed white before a single green iris and black pupil coalesced within the glass and stared back at him. The floor lights shut off, leaving the inside of the ship completely dark. Chou yelped as a loud, metallic sound rang out across the ship, and stumbled in the darkness.

"Ack! Wh-what's going on?!"

The computer's voice changed to a threateningly deep and digitized tone as it answered him. "THREAT IDENTIFIED. PROTOCOL 817-DX ENGAGED."

Suddenly, the overhead lights came on in a blinding flash of white, and Chou blinked and rubbed nervously at his eyes. When he opened them once more, he gasped in shock; two heavy metal arms covered in thick wires had sprouted from the panels just in front of the console, and attached to their ends were two large cylindrical blasters that pointed directly at his face. He could hear his officers just outside, clamoring for reinforcements as they struggled to force the platform to open.

Chou gulped and held his hands up, shaking as he watched the coils at the center of the blasters glow with red-hot energy as they began charging their shots. The computer once more in its strange and dark tone.

"DO YOU REQUIRE AN EXPLANATION OF PROTOCOL 817-DX?"

"Wait a minute… Isn't that number—"

The glowing light dimmed from within the coils of the blasters as they remained pointed at Chou. The eye on the console's screen disappeared, and instead, small text rolled by inside the glass. The computer read aloud, "PROTOCOL 817-DX, CODE-NAMED 'THE SANSHIVA DIRECTIVE.' ANY FOREIGN PRESENCE DETERMINED TO BE A THREAT TO THE SHIP, THE ASSIGNED CAPTAIN OR HER IDENTIFIED ALLIES, SHALL BE GIVEN TWO OPTIONS. OPTION ONE: YOU MAY CEASE ALL VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND VACATE THE PREMISES. OPTION TWO…" It paused and the text disappeared and a digitized green eye glared back at him once more. The blasters began to heat up again, and Chou watched them nervously as the computer finished its explanation. "YOU MAY CEASE TO EXIST."

Chou gasped and stuttered as he slowly reached for the blaster at his side.

"Y-you wouldn't! If you've b-been programmed by a worker from the G-Galactic Alliance, then m-my override c-code should—"

"NEGATIVE," it bellowed back. "YOUR CODES DO NOT SUPERSEDE THE DIRECTIVE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN TWO OPTIONS, COLONEL CHOU. IN TEN SECONDS, I WILL DEFAULT TO OPTION TWO. TEN…"

"Wait a second, I didn't mean any harm! I just needed to know where the captain was headed, that's all! I'm sorry about what I said earlier…"

"SEVEN…"

Chou could feel the desperation welling up inside of him as the computer continued its countdown; he needed something – any information at all – to help him find the two Namekians, or at the very least, to give himself a fighting chance to keep his head out of Shiro's mouth if they somehow managed to get away.

"No, wait," he pleaded, "I just w-wanted to help the c-captain! I think there's just been a misunderstanding here a-and I needed to see where she was headed so I could—"

"FOUR," the computer continued.

Suddenly, a thundering explosion followed by a blaring alarm could be heard from outside the ship; the ground shook underneath Chou's feet and a strange cacophony of chirps and whoops filled the air throughout the docking station. Flashing white and yellow lights could be seen just outside the windshield, and Chou gasped as he heard his officers run away from the ship, horrified screams and cries of "Fire, fire," echoing across the station.

'A fire? Now? That's… convenient,' Chou thought.

"ONE," the computer said.

"Alright, alright, I'll go! Open the damn door! Stupid crazy fucking computer—"

The ramp slammed down behind him, and one of the metal arms lurched forward, punching its blaster deep into Chou's chest. It sent the colonel flying through the open rampway and he landed on the ground just outside the ship. Chou gasped as he clutched at his chest, angrily watching as the ramp quickly shut closed and locked itself from within. He got up from the ground and looked back towards the elevators, where a massive pillar of fire and black smoke billowed from a great cavity in one of the shafts.

He panicked and ran down the dock towards the main platform, screaming, "What the hell happened?!"

A burly alien with ebony skin and amber eyes threw his empty fire extinguisher on the ground and approached Chou, saluting him as he spoke. "Sir! We found them in the elevators with two others, but as soon as we forced the door open, they—" He looked behind the colonel to the platform where Makeru's ship still stood. "Sir, the targets!"

Chou watched out of the corner of his eye as a group of four ran from the eastern edge of the docking station, jumping across the gaps between the platforms to reach the Namekian vessel.

"Oh no, you don't!" The colonel ran back from the main platform towards the Namekian ship, his subordinate trailing behind him as the others fought the raging fire in the elevators. Chou coughed as the smoke began to fill the station at an alarming rate. He pulled at his subordinate's arm, motioning for them to hide behind the parked tow ship next to the Namekian vessel. As they struggled for air, Chou could hear voices just up ahead.

"I said a fire, kid, not a damn explosion!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be if we don't make it out of here!"

They stood just underneath the vessel, and as Sanshiva spoke the command for the ship to open, she swore she heard a voice come from behind, low and breathy, just as the platform began its descent.

Chou saw his chance, and whispered to his officer, "Izule, on my mark…" He held up his hand, silently counting down with each finger. When he bent his last finger inward, they leaped from behind the tow ship with their blasters held upright, aimed in the group's direction.

"Hold it right there," the colonel commanded.

"I thought I heard something," Sanshiva said as she raised her hands above her head.

"Yeah, well, you got the ears for it," Chou said. "You and the other one there," he paused and waved his blaster in Hasana's direction, "…are under arrest."

Insulted, Sanshiva shot him an angry look and coughed slightly as she struggled to keep her breath steady through the smoke that wafted in her direction.

Izule spoke up, his voice booming among the siren sound that still filled the air. "Hands up, traitor," he roared at Hasana.

The young man's arms shot upwards, and he trembled frightfully. Bowa bubbled angrily from beside him and slithered in front of the two Namekians, blocking the officers' aim.

"Move, you stupid slime," Izule ordered.

Yumena glared at the two officers through Bowa's yellow body. "I wouldn't insult him if I were you. He's not as cute when he's angry."

"Neither am I, old lady. Those two are wanted," he said, waving his blaster between Hasana and Sanshiva. "You and your… disgusting friend there don't have very many options. You can give up and run, and you won't face charges. Or we can leave you to die here when the vacuum protocol is initiated in 5 minutes."

Sanshiva tilted her head slightly and glanced at Hasana. 'Vacuum protocol?'

Hasana gasped as he answered her telepathically, 'They're going to suck the oxygen out of here to stop the fire! Sanshiva, they won't survive!'

Bowa glowered back at Izule menacingly, his yellow eyes at a standstill within the mass of his slimy figure. He burbled before spitting a fat globule of stinking yellow slime that smacked against Izule's blaster, and the officer yelped as the gun began to fizz and melt in his hands; he threw it away, where it formed a strange amber and grey puddle on the ground before disappearing into the metal floor. Bowa gurgled again and stretched his gelatinous body to form a large, circular shield. Having transformed himself into a strange and slimy barrier between his three allies and their pursuers, he stared down at the two men and made a deep warbling noise, his body rippling with waves as the sound traveled through him.

Yumena grinned and said, "Uh-oh. Looks like you made him mad, now."

"Not as angry as you've made me! This nonsense ends now!" Thoroughly flustered, Chou let off a rapid series of shots from his blaster; the hot bullets of plasma sank into Bowa's body and traveled upwards through the creature's mass until at last, Bowa spat them back out at the two men. Izule dodged, flying up into the air and landing just on top of the Namekian vessel, and Chou barely managed to take cover behind the tow ship before barking an order at Izule. "You fool, arrest them!"

Izule grunted angrily before jumping back down and leaping towards Bowa, his giant hand clenched as he prepared to strike. When his fist landed against Bowa, it slowly sank in, stuck within the creature's slimy mass. The officer struggled to pull his hand out and thrust his other fist forward, instantly regretting the thought as Bowa gurgled once more before absorbing the man entirely, wrapping the great warrior inside of his gelatinous form. Bowa shook his body vigorously before spitting Izule back out, leaving the officer dizzy and covered in stinging yellow slime. Satisfied, Bowa burbled once more and shrank back to his original size, still growling softly as he stared at Izule. Hasana, Sanshiva, and Yumena all smiled, their hands still raised above their heads.

The officer screamed in disgust and shook the slime off his face and arms before raising his hand. Sanshiva could feel his energy gradually increase as a hot blue ball of light coalesced against Izule's palm.

"That's enough," he shouted. "Now all of you are under arrest. You can come quietly or in pieces. Your choice."

"You're missing a third option," Sanshiva said coyly.

Izule blinked in confusion. "…What?"

"Inside the ship, NOW," she shouted at the others. Hasana grabbed Bowa by the head and Yumena by her hand before launching himself back into the open ship. Sanshiva stood her ground and stared down at Izule through angry eyes.

"You're not going to survive this if you keep fighting us," Izule said as the energy ball in his hand grew brighter.

"That's funny," Sanshiva said, dropping her arms as she assumed her fighting stance. She crouched low and readied her hands; one stayed clenched by her side and the other thrust forward in front of her. "I was just about to say the same thing about you!" She lunged and grabbed him by his outstretched arm and threw him hard against the side of the tow ship, denting the metal and making the ship teeter in its parking spot.

Izule's energy blast fizzed out from his hand as he landed against the cold metal and dropped to the ground. He sprang onto his feet and ran back to her, letting loose a flurry of punches that she skillfully dodged, swaying back and forth between every attempt. Sanshiva saw her opening and kicked the officer square in the chest as hard as she could, launching him back to the main platform, where he disappeared into the thick clouds of smoke and the crunch of metal and glass could be heard as he landed hard against the broken elevators. Sanshiva turned to head inside her vessel just as Chou leaped from behind the tow ship and fired several shots, one of which caught her in her lower leg.

She cried out in agony and looked down at the hole in her calf and the blood that slowly spread across her pant leg. She looked back at Chou with angry eyes and let loose several white-hot energy blasts from the center of her palms, returning his fire. He yelped and hid behind the tow ship again as he called out to his subordinate.

"Izule! Where are you?! They're going to get away!"

Izule could be heard as he roared in anger and flew through the smoke, his fist stretched out before him as he aimed for the female Namekian. He caught her square in the jaw, and she reeled backward as he punched her again, first in the chest, then in the stomach, then once more in the chest. He kicked her hard in her side, and the force he put behind his attack tossed her into the tow ship, denting the weathered metal further. He walked towards her and picked her up by her hair, dragging her back underneath her ship. Sanshiva struggled against his grip and cursed at him angrily, kicking as she flailed about. Ignoring her, Izule yelled up the open rampway to Hasana.

"Turn this damned thing off," Izule said, as he dropped Sanshiva and raised his palm to her head, "…or your friend dies."

Hasana, Yumena, and Bowa looked at one another, and Hasana let loose a defeated sigh. As he turned to place his hand on the center of the console, his antennae twitched, and he heard Sanshiva's stern voice in his mind.

'Don't you dare listen to him.'

'Sanshiva, we have less than two minutes!'

'On it.'

Sanshiva smirked and sprang up from the ground, and the crown of her head collided hard with Izule's chin. He stumbled and shook his head, glowering at the female Namekian as she resumed her fighting stance.

"You've got less than two minutes," she yelled to Izule.

"Oh yeah? Two minutes to do what, slug?"

Insulted, Sanshiva responded, "To get the hell away from me!"

She hurled herself at him, punching and kicking at him furiously as she kept herself levitating above the ground. Her leg hurt horribly every time it made contact with his well-timed defenses – he would push her away with his hands or shins, with just enough force to frustrate her – and she winced as she continued her attack. Izule sneered as she tried to kick him again and he wrapped his thick fingers around her calf; she screamed in anguish as he squeezed hard and the bloodstain on her pantleg spread outwards. He slammed her against the floor, and stood just above her, pummeling his fists rhythmically into her face and chest.

Sanshiva struggled to breathe against his hits but pushed herself to take one deep breath in between his punches before she leaped up, using her feet together like a piston as she kicked at his face, forcing him back into the metal pillar just beside the ship. It creaked and groaned as he struggled to stand against it, and Sanshiva struggled to right her position in the air as the burning sensation in her leg turned to a horrible numbness. She flew toward him, fists at the ready before several plasma shots rang out in her direction; she looked at Chou, still cowering behind the tow ship as he attempted to shoot her again. Sanshiva roared angrily as she shot a colossal beam of energy in his direction, melting a large hole in the middle of the beaten tow ship. Chou cried out, watching as oil spilled out of the cavity like blood from a wound, and frayed wires began to discharge small sparks that fizzed in different directions.

Realizing she'd created an opportunity to escape, Sanshiva darted inside the ship, screaming the command for the platform to ascend behind her. The ramp closed noisily, and she yelled, "Get us out of here, now!" She limped forward and leaned against the captain's chair, cringing as the prickly feeling in her leg worsened and she began to feel weak.

Yumena and Bowa watched as the female Namekian tried to steady herself behind Hasana. The old woman noticed the puddle of blood forming at Sanshiva's foot, covered her mouth to stifle a gag, and fainted onto the floor with a muffled groan. Bowa rolled his eyes and stuck a tendril toward Sanshiva's leg, using a small ball of hot yellow slime to cauterize the wound. She cried out and dug her nails into the chair just by Hasana's head.

Hasana shuddered as he tapped away at the console, hurriedly attempting to start the ship's hyperdrive. The computer spoke pointedly and advised, "Hyperdrive cannot be initiated until this vessel is at a safe distance from—"

The young man huffed before bellowing back, "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, MIDORI! WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!"

The computer responded in a deep, commanding tone and Sanshiva gasped as she watched the console flash the image of a single green eye that stared back at them.

"PROTOCOL 817-DX MANUALLY ACTIVATED. INITIATING HYPERDRIVE IN THREE…"

"Hang on," Hasana cried aloud as he gripped the armrests.

"TWO…"

A massive detonation abruptly rocked their vessel as the tow ship beside them went up in flames and the four of them could hear both Chou and Izule scream through the smoke that obscured the view just outside the windshield.

"ONE."

The ship hovered and turned towards the exit; it sped forward, knocking clumsily against several of the metal pillars that lined the rest of the platform as it thrust out of the docking bay shields and disappeared amongst the stars.