Special: Saiyan Genocide
An: This chapter is meant to be a "special" in the vein of "Bardock:Father of Goku" and "History of Trunks." In fact, this is meant to be a retelling of one of those specials from a rather unique point of view. I'll let you guess which one. In response to an anonymous reviw, I say yes. I will be incorporating Gine into this fic, in fact this very chapter. Goku finally has a canon mother and I can't pass that up even if her character didn't amount to much. I'll also be incorporating elements of Jaco, the Galactic Patrol Man and Neko Majin Z into this. On a final note, {} will determine the beginning and end of flashbacks.
While Earth dealt with the manace of the Red Ribbon Army, others in the Northern Galaxy suffered at the hands of Frieza and his Planet Trade Federation. Though the ruler of the Planet Mars had long ago established his own Galactic Patrol to fight against Frieza's tyranny, the Arcosian tyrant sold thousands of newly cleared planets daily and his own collection of worlds grew larger and larger. His latest acquisition made Planet Frieza Number Four Hundred and Fourty Eight!
But Frieza was not on his new planet at that moment or any others he owned. He currently sat in his hover-chair aboard his personal ship, looking out at one of the worlds he'd annexed into his organization. This was Vegeta-sei,home of the Saiyans.
Frieza and the Saiyans shared a long history. It was their world that he annexed as one of his first outings as head of the Federation. His father, King Cold had just entered retirement and now ran his empire as a seldom seen figurehead. This was Frieza's time to prove himself the superior leader of his family and improve an already thriving business venture.
He had first heard of the Saiyans through rumors, some of which involved his late mother Tundra. He had never believed them however until his father requested he investigate Planet Plant, home of their long lost tech suppliers, the Tuffles. His forces arrived on Plant to find the Tuffles gone and their world under Saiyan rule. Though "rule", Frieza supposed, was a rather generous term for the civil war that the primitive monkies were engaged in.
Had his father been there, King Cold would have simply focused on the loss of the Tuffles and destroyed Vegeta-sai right then. Frieza however, was different. He knew a business opportunity when he saw one and a warrior race of the Saiyans' caliber seemed a worthwhile investment at the time.
After ending the civil war wih a mild display of power, the Arcosian warlord sought out King Vegeta II. The so-called "ruler" was smarter than the rest of his people and saw that forming an alliance with the Planet Trade Federation would benefit all involved. It hadn't mattered at the time that he was forfeiting any real authority he'd had up until that point. All that mattered was that the Saiyans would be free to travel the stars in search of battle and conquest.
That had been centuries ago, decades by Arcosian standards. Since that time, the Saiyans had proved quite useful in Frieza's endeavors. They were stronger than anyone else save for his most elite warriors and their natural love of battle kept them loyal without the need for threats. Even the Scouter Technology and "attack ball" space pods that they had adopted from Tuffle technology before the civil war had been rediscovered and adapted for use by the Federation.
But nothing lasts forever. Rebellion had been stirring on Vegeta-sai for the past few years, whispers of treason by higher ranked Saiyan soldiers and the handful of nobles within the royal court. Some of the Elites had even talked of overthrowing King Vegeta, sighting him as too weak to rule over them any longer and enabling Frieza to enslave them.
The Arcosian Warlord chuckled at that. The current King Vegeta was the sixty-third in his line and no more "enabled" Frieza than his ancestors had. Every last one, both male and female, had been his to command. They all knew the price to pay if they didn't.
In spite of this, Frieza sometimes felt the need to exercise his power. This was why he had come to Vegeta-sai to collect the young Prince Vegeta for his forces. Leaning back in his chair, the Arcosian warlord remembered how the arrangement came to pass.
{Flashback}
The day that Prince Vegeta was born, all of Vegeta-sai held it's breath. His power level as a newborn was five hundred according to scouters, higher than his father's or any Saiyan Prince born in at least a thousand years. Many took it as a sign that the next King Vegeta would be challenging his father for the throne much earlier than his predecessors. Others said it was something more. Others said that the Prince was destined to become the Super Saiyan of legend.
The legend had only become more wide-spread since the days of the Saiyan-Tuffle War. The Kings and Queens who had ruled over Vegeta-sai secretly coveted the mythical power and sought to achieve it though none had ever succeded and many died trying. Even other Northern Races had heard the legend thanks to the Saiyans' brutal interactions with other worlds and the tales that followed. Grand Elder Guru of the Planet Namek believed that such a warrior was the only one who could've defeated the lost Son of Katas, who had become something of a legend himself since the Great Cataclysm. Only the North Kaio himself knew the full truth of the legend for he had seen the monster that was Broccules long ago and the idea of someone else achieving his power frightened him even more than Frieza.
Though whether the newborn Prince was a Super Saiyan or not quickly became irrelevant. Mere days after the birth, the Arcosian Warlord himself visited Vegeta-sai and demanded an audience with King Vegeta. Planets employed by the World Trade Federation rarely saw Frieza in person. He preferred to issue commands and receive reports from the comfort of whichever of his four hundred of so personal planets he chose to occupy that week. A personal appearance usually meant something dire was about to happen. That day was no exception.
Frieza floated into the palace on his hover-chair and made his way to the Thone Room. His personal aids and highest ranking officers, Dodoria and Zarbon, followed closely behind. "Lord Frieza! Sire,y…you honor us with this unexpected visit." King Vegeta stood up from his throne and bowed in a uncharacteristic display of humility. It was these kinds of displays that had lost him the respect of most of his subjects.
"Do skip the pleasantries,won't you Vegeta? I'm here to speak with your wife." King Vegeta suddenly grew very nervous. "S-she isn't here Sire, she's tending to our son."
Frieza suddenly smiled. "Ah yes, the little Prince. I heard his power level was quite exceptional. I think he'll do quite nicely."
"Nicely for what exactly Frieza?" The group turned to see a short Saiyan woman dressed in royal armor enter the room. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail and her dark eyes flashed with anger. This was Queen Ohkra, a woman whose short stature hid great strength.
She had won her throne ten years prior in a fighting tournament, defeating some of the the strongest females in the Elite class. Even then, she was well known for her beauty and her ferocity on missions. She seemed the ideal mate for a Saiyan King if not for her great temper and immense pride. It was these things that left her far more outspoken than her predecessors and often led her to openly berate her husband for his servitude to Frieza. She stared down the Arcosian warlord in a way few could.
Frieza met her glare with one of his own and his smile vanished. "Ohkara" he greeted tersely "you've recovered remarkably for so soon after your pregnancy."
"Saiyan women are far more resilient than most" Ohkra replied with equal terseness "particularly your own." There was even more venom in the Saiyan Queen's voice at this statement and King Vegeta felt a wave of horror rush though him. What had his wife done?
"Quite resilient it seems." Frieza said in agreement "since not less than a week ago, you lead an attack on my personal property." King Vegeta looked at his wife with a mix of shock and anger, silently pleading with her to deny these accusations. She said nothing but instead crossed her arms and gave a satisfied smirk.
In respose, Frieza motioned for Dodoria to step forward. The fat pink warrior sat what looked like a miniature "Attack Ball" on the floor and pressed a button on top. Instantly, the world around them blurred until they stood in what looked like a very advanced city surrounded by a frozen wasteland.
"What is this!?" King Vegeta exclaimed "where are we and why don't I feel the cold?" Even Queen Ohkrah couldn't hide her shock.
"This is a virtual simulation provided by the new surveillance drones developed on my home planet of Arcos. They are still too fragile for use in our operations but excellent for keeping track of my other possessions. The ones that this model was chosen to watch over were most valuble not only to me, but my entire family line."
King Vegeta was confused at Frieza's words until everything suddenly clicked. He was about to speak when he caught sight of a squadon of "Attack Balls" entering the atmosphere. His eyes widened when he saw that one of them was marked with the royal insignia.
The round little ships crashed down in the heart of the Arcosian city. A minute later, they opened and five or so Elite female Saiyans stepped out. The last to emerge was Queen Ohkrah herself. King Vegeta watched as his wife mouthed something to her second in command but no words were heard. Apparently, these simulations couldn't mimic speech.
The Saiyan King was soon rendered speechless himself as he witnessed Ohkrah lead her squad through the city on a rampage. Arcosian soldiers arrived to confront them but they were no match. The power wielded by King Cold and his family was the result of a rare genetic mutation while the average member of the species was about equal to a third class Saiyan. Against a squadron of Elites, they were soon slaughtered.
The simulation continued as Ohkrah's forces moved deeper into the city, towards what looked to be the slums. Amidst the ruins of decaying buildings, a single huge tower stood out. It was dark purple in color with an open roof and decorated with snow-white stones that were not quite diamonds. In each stone, the Cold family crest was carved in the center and the front of the tower was marked with the Planet Trade Federation logo.
King Vegeta forced himself to look at his wife then. The Ohkrah that stood beside him now wore a smile identical to her simulated counterpart as the later blasted her way into what was obviously Frieza's property. He had seen that look quite a few times over the years but only after a particularly satisfying kill. This one was apparently such that even the memory brought her such pleasure.
The all female squad entered into a massive room lined with beds. A provocatively dressed Arcosian woman lay on each one, making it obvious to King Vegeta that the place was Frieza's personal harem. However, just as the building that housed them stood out amidst the ruined neighborhood it was built on, a single female Arcosian stood out from amid the rest: the one who was pregnant.
King Vegeta's worst fears about the source of Frieza's anger were about to be realized but then, something worse happened. With her smirk growing wider, Queen Ohkrah ignited a ball of chi in her hand and tossed it skyward. This was the opening move for the False Moon technique, the most valuble move in a Saiyan's arsenal.
Because even the most powerful Saiyan sometimes faced overwhelming odds, the Oozaru transformation was often the ace in the hole when clearing exceptionally strong worlds for sale. Sadly, no such world was foolish enough to wait until nightfall and sometimes had no moon at all. This caused a decline in Federation profits for a while until King Vegeta developed a way to produce artificial blutz waves and trigger his race's primal transformation. He taught it to his Elites and knowledge of it soon passed down to the lower classes, though only a select few could do it properly.
This development had put King Vegeta in Frieza's good graces for a time and even earned the Saiyans a raise in their pay. Now though, it seemed it would be their doom as he watched a simulation of his wife use it in direct defiance of the Arcosian Warlord.
The ball of chi flew up through the harem's open roof, mixing with the atmosphere as it dispersed. True to it's name, an illusion of the full moon was produced and the transformation began, the squad's specially treated armor expanding with them. The five female Oozaru obliterated the harem in what appeared to be seconds. The final scene before the simulation ended was Ohkrah roaring in self-satisfied triumph.
King Vegeta turned to his wife in outrage and horror. "You idiotic fool! Are you at all aware of what you've done!? You have doomed us all!"
"I've redeemed us!" Queen Ohkrah retorted with just as much anger "you've grown soft, weak! The one thing a Saiyan always keeps is his pride, yet you grovel before this pompous reptile. I destroyed his spawn and all who would carry them to prove that our race will endure anything, even a pathetic fool like you!"
"ENOUGH!" King Vegeta roared "I am your king and will no longer allow you to embarrass me! You will learn respect or you will die!"
Ohkrah scoffed. "You are no longer fit to rule! That honor has always gone to the strongest amongst us, a title you can't claim anymore. Do you know that there are rumors that a third-class oaf named Bardock is close to surpassing you? I am Queen of all Saiyans and it's time for your reign to end and mine to begin!"
Now it was King Vegeta's turn to scoff. "You would think to challenge me?" Never before in the history of Vegeta-sai had a Queen contested her husband's right to the throne. The only known exception was when a Crown Princess battled her father or mother in the traditional rite to ascend, something that hadn't occurred in over a century.
Queen Ohkrah didn't answer. She merely powered up to her max and launched herself at her husband, puches and kicks flying. Zarbon and Dodoria moved to stop the fight but Frieza stopped them, his earlier anger now replaced with amusement at the sight.
The fight hadn't lasted long when King Vegeta realized something: he was losing. How could this be? He hadn't trained in several years, this was true, but surely no woman stood a chance against him
Ohkrah finally kicked her husband into a nearby wall and he collapsed to the floor. As her husband attempted to stand, the Saiyan Queen began charging her finishing move. "Goodbye Vegeta, I'll make sure that MY son is a better man than you ever were. Final Strik-!" Ohkrah was cut off as an attack came from nowhere and pierced her heart. She fell dead seconds later, her face a mix of shock and outrage.
King Vegeta rose shakily to his feet and saw that Frieza of all people had been his savior, having lazily ended the Queen's life with a Death Beam. "Well, that was mildly amusing but really Vegeta, did you have to hold back that much? I always enjoy seeing my men at their best."
"Uh…Lord Frieza, I gave you my word that the rest of Ohkrah's squad will be executed immediately." King Vegeta replied after a moment, attempting to steer the conversation away from his near-defeat. "Of course they will, but that's not important at the moment. What is important is that I'm compenstated for what I've lost."
"But my Lord, I don't how I could possibly compenstate for the loss of your unborn heir." King Vegeta replied, although he had a sick feeling he knew what the Arcosian warlord had in mind. Frieza rolled his eyes. "I want your new son" he said as though it were obvious "little Vegeta will make a worthwhile addition to my forces, don't you agree?
"You can't! King Vegeta yelled out in horror before shrinking back a bit. "Uh…what I mean to say Lord Frieza is that the boy is still quite young. I believe it will be sometime before he is worthy of such an honor."
"No excuses!" Dodoria yelled as he stepped forward "go get the brat or else!" King Vegeta stepped back, feeling truly afraid. Even in Oozaru form, he doubted he could match one of Frieza's elites.
For the second time that day, the Arcosian warlord was a savior: "stand down Dodoria! The king has a point. His son is not yet properly trained and father always said that training another's offspring is even more tedious than your own. Besides, his latest display of loyalty entitles him to a show of faith." With a sinister smirk, Frieza turned his hover chair around and started to leave but not not before one final warning: "I withdraw my request for now but my interest in the Prince will peak again before long."
{End flashback}
Five years passed after that day. Frieza kept close tabs on Prince Vegeta and watched him grow even stronger than his father, though he was still too young to realize it yet. King Vegeta folstered his son's talents as best he could, even allowing him to join his father and a group of Elites on a purging mission. The Arcosian warlord chuckled at the thought of the Saiyans' supposed monarch doing the work of soldiers. It seemed getting beaten in combat and nearly killed by his wife was enough to get the elder Vegeta off the throne and training again.
It had not been long after that when Frieza decided to renew his request. King Vegeta agreed {of course} and was currently on route to deliver the Prince at that moment. The Arcosian warlord was pouring himself another glass of wine while he waited and not for the first time, felt a sudden surge of discomfort at the thought of a Saiyan serving him directly.
Why had he been so eagar to use the Prince as compensation for his lost heir? He would never dare name a Saiyan as his successor, no matter how many of his children were lost. If he were that desperate, he'd go to Planet Frieza Number Forty-two and fetch his long-lost son, Kuriza. The little chestnut shaped freak had to have grown into something resembling a warrior by now, hadn't he?
'No' Frieza's inner voice hissed 'you want the Prince for something else entirely. You want him here so you can watch him and make sure he doesn't become a threat. We can't have a little Super Saiyan on our hands, can we?'
The Arcosian warlord fought back a sneer as his inner voice, which always sounded like his older brother, said the words "Super Saiyan." That damned legend always made him think of his mother for some reason and he loathed his mother. Queen Tundra had never given him the same praise that Father had and always sided with his brother when her husband wasn't there to see it. Oh, Frieza supposed he'd held a begrudging respect for her once upon a time, her being the only one besides King Cold who could actually injure him in a sparring match, but that was long ago. Frieza was the strongest in his family now and that made him the most powerful being in the universe.
'Well, most powerful for now. I wonder who will take the crown when you die? After all, even you can't beat death and with no heir, your empire will eventually crumble. That's what you're really afraid of, isn't it?'
"Shut up!" Frieza growled, actually replying to his inner voice now. "I fear nothing, even death!" Why should he? After all, his species was already one of the longest-lived in the universe and Frieza himself was still rather young by his race's standards. His physician had even stated more than once that his mutation might increase his longevity.
Despite this, the Arcosian warlord secretly was weary of his mortality. His son had proven too weak to be a fit heir and he'd lost the possibility of another thanks to Queen Ohkra. It was because of this that he'd ordered his best scientists and researchers to find the one thing everyone in existence craved: the secret of immortality.
The latest efforts had uncovered legends about a planet called Namek. The people there were said to possess seven magical orbs called Dragon Balls. Once all seven were gathered together, a great dragon would appear and grant whoever found the Balls three wishes. It was a strange tale and last Frieza had heard, the Namekians had perished in a natural disaster. There were rumors of survivors however and though it would take at least a decade, the scientists of the Planet Trade Federation were determined to find Planet Namek's exact coordinates.
"Lord Frieza, is everything alright? I heard you shout." Frieza turned to see Zarbon standing in the doorway. The blue-skinned humanoid looked concerned but remained weary of approaching his master while he was angry.
Frieza turned to his subordinate with a cross look. Better to make him belive he was angry rather than insane. "What's the meaning of this Zarbon? I gave orders not to be disturbed."
"Forgive me sire, but King Vegeta has arrived with his son." Zarbon explained with a bow "shall I tend to them?"
"No!" Frieza replied more sharply than intended "I'll see them now. Send the monkies in."
"Uh…yes Lord Frieza." Zarbon said with some nervousness as he ushered the Saiyans in. King Vegeta was doing his best to look compsed while the young Prince wore a scowl on his face reminiscent of his late mother. His arms were folded across his chest and he glared at Frieza as though he were little more than something to be scrapped off his boot.
The Arcosian warlord tried to think about how much fun it would be to break the Prince's spirit but his inner voice wouldn't allow it. 'He's not like his father, or any other Vegeta. This one's going to cause trouble, just you wait.' Frieza was almost about to retort when he saw a third Saiyan dressed in yellow and black Elite armor enter behind Prince Vegeta.
"What is this Vegeta?" Frieza addressed the Saiyan King in an annoyed tone "you and your son were to come alone." He eyed the new arrival as he spoke, taking in the Saiyan's every feature: big and muscular even for a Saiyan with a pencil-thin moustache and hair that seemed too small for the head it was on, almost as if it was never meant to be there.
"My lord, this is Nappa." King Vegeta explained "he served as my General when I first took the throne and now serves as Prince Vegeta's caretaker. He wishes to continue his duty with your permission."
Frieza raised an eyebrow. "You made your General a nanny? How very…progressive of you, Vegeta."
The large Saiyan, Nappa, bristled at Frieza's condescending tone. He looked ready to attack the Arcosian Warlord had King Vegeta not held him back. "I suppose it's alright." Frieza conceded after a moment "so long as the General pulls his weight. No one can live aboard my ship for nothing."
"He's at your disposal my Lord." King Vegeta promised as he glanced expectantly at Nappa, who gave a brief nod. "May he serve you as well as he has me."
"Very good." Frieza said with a slight nod of his head "our business is completed then. Oh, one more thing before you go: Planet Tazbah. Has it been cleared for sale?"
King Vegeta bristled at the name "Tazbah." He could still remember the day Frieza had humiliated him before his court, sat in his throne and casually made him agree to surrender his only son, all while chastising him to "be more lenient" after witnessing the execution of a first-class soldier who failed to purge a planet the tyrant supposedly valued within the promised amount of time. "Uh…not yet my Lord. I fear I may have to handle such an assignment myself."
"Oh, no need. I'm sure a solution will present itself in time." Frieza's cheery tone made King Vegeta wary, but he nonetheless took his leave. Not long after, the Arcosian warlord summoned some soldiers.
"Gentlemen, please escort our new guests to their rooms. Make sure they are comfortable until I call on them again." The soldiers moved to comply, only for Prince Vegeta to fire a chi blast that killed the nearest one.
Nappa looked on in shock. "My Prince,don't!" The young Vegeta ignored his caretaker and proceeded to kill the other soldiers in quick succesion before attacking Frieza himself. The Arcosian warlord smirked in amusement as he easily blocked every attack thrown at him.
When Frieza grew bored, he struck the young Prince with a vicious backhand that sent him into a wall. A panicked Nappa rushed to his charge's side but the young Vegeta roughly shoved him back and climbed to his feet.
"Just you wait Frieza! My father may be too weak to challenge you but one day, I will become the Super Saiyan of legend and you will regret ever crossing me!" The Prince stomped off after this proclamation and Nappa looked nervously at Frieza. "Forgive him sire, he's young and eagar to prove himself. I'm sure he'll adjust soon."
The former General rushed after the young Prince before the Arcosian warlord could respond. Zarbon and Dodoria approached their master from behind and glared at the retreating Saiyans. "Should we teach Vegeta's brat some manners, Lord Frieza?"
"No need to stifle youthful energy." Frieza said dismissively "we simply need to direct it. Have the Prince assigned to a squad tomorrow. We'll see if those rumors about his power have any truth to them." The Arcosian warlord heard his inner voice snicker. 'For your sake, I hope not.'
Some months passed and Prince Vegeta quickly became feared by all but the highest ranking members of the Planet Trade Federation. His first mission, Planet Tazbah, ended with him single handedly clearing the world for sale while the rest of his squad was slaughtered. Any new squads he was assigned to met a similar fate, sometimes by the child's own hand. Nappa was made leader of the last squad the Prince worked for but the five year old was much stronger than the former General and intimidated him far too much to be ordered around.
Eventually, it was decided that the Prince worked better alone. Frieza declared he would handle all assignments by himself and take only a group of Saibamen. Saibamen were footsoldiers bio-engineered by Frieza's scientists to test the strength of a planet's inhabitents. They could be planted in the ground like seeds and were formed by a special chemical reaction in the planet's soil. Prince Vegeta used them as sparring partners more than anything else.
Frieza felt an almost fatherly pride in the young Prince's performance and was confident that any childish notions of rebellion had been quelled. His inner voice didn't agree. 'He's becoming too strong. It's almost like you want him to become a Super Saiyan!'
"There's no such thing as a Super Saiyan!" Frieza snapped back one day as he sat in his private chambers "it's only a myth, childish old stories. Saiyans transform into Oozaru and nothing else."
'That's true.' Frieza's inner voice conceded after a moment 'but Oozaru are dangerous as well. Their strength is considerable and can surpass most of your best soldiers.' "So what?" 'So King Vegeta knows how to simulate a full moon and he has complete control of himself when transformed, same as all Elite Saiyans. Suppose he gathers an army and they all transform at once? Even your true form would have a difficult time against their combined power.'
Frieza was silent at that, then he laughed. "You give Vegeta far too much credit. He's as cowardly as his ancestors were and his son is too busy with his new toys to think about trying anything."
The Arcosian warlord turned to a nearby monitor and watched Prince Vegeta sparring with Nappa. The former General was clearly not holding back and yet could just barely keep up with the Saiyan child. When his inner voice didn't respond, Frieza was sure he'd won the argument and smirked in satisfaction.
….
The next day, Frieza's ship was boarded by a squadron of Attack Balls. One of them bore the royal insignia of the Saiyan royal family. It seems King Vegeta had finally found his lost pride and was leading his Elites in a bid to rescue his son. They defeated the guards easily enough and soon stood before the entrance to the warlord's quarters. Ignoring his inner voice's gloating, Frieza calmly stepped out to face the invaders.
"Really Vegeta, is this anyway for a guest on my ship to beheave?" King Vegeta faced down the warlord who'd ruled his ancestors with a courage he'd never displayed before. "Your time is over Frieza! We have come to end your reign and take our place as the strongest in the universe!"
Frieza raised an eyebrow. "Who exactly is 'we' Vegeta?" The Saiyan King turned to see his strongest Elites, the pride of Vegeta-sai, frozen in fear behind him. "Cowards." King Vegeta hissed in disgust, trying not to acknowledge the fear that had ruled him for so long.
The Saiyan King turned back to Frieza and powered up to his full strength, aura blazing around him. "I will end you myself! I am the King of All Saiyans!" With that, King Vegeta threw a punch. Frieza easily ducked it and delivered his own punch to the ruler's jaw. King Vegeta was klled instantly as he crumpled to the ground.
"The King!" Frieza turned his attention to the shocked Elites. "Don't worry guys, you'll be joining him shortly." Twin beams shot from the Arcosian Warlord's eyes and vaporized the terrified Saiyans before they could scream. The great rebellion of Vegeta-sai was over before it began.
'You got lucky.' Frieza's inner voice chided as he looked down at the Saiyan King's lifeless body 'if Vegeta hadn't been so reckless, he would've thought to confront you on his own planet and turn himself and his army into Oozaru. Do you see now that you can't underestimate these monkies?'
Frieza was silent. He then turned to look at the approaching Zabon and Dodoria and said "set course for Vegeta-sai. We must inform the Saiyans of their King's tragic passing."
…
Six months later, Frieza's ship once again hovered above the Saiyan homeworld. The Arcosian warlord was now constantly on alert for signs of rebellion after killing King Vegeta, even after issuing a fake statement that his death was in battle while on special assignment. Spies had been sent down to infiltrate the scientists and workers who assisted the Saiyans and report back findings every few days.
The monkies seemed tame thus far. King Vegeta was little more than a puppet ruler after all and few of his subjects actually respected him. Even his own son seemed to feel nothing at his passing. The younger, and now the last Vegeta had spent that day in his chambers, a holding cell in all but name, fighting boredom by killing stray rats. If he had even the most remote knowledge of the King's rescue attempt, it didn't show.
Even so, Frieza's private war continued. He even had some of the more ambitious high-ranking Saiyans secretly murdered by having the Ginyu Force, his elite band of mercenies, ambush them while on missions. This was a simple matter to cover up as death on missions happened twenty-four hours a day and left Vegeta-sai's population in a state of flux.
The Arcosian Warlord's inner voice seemed satisfied by his efforts but reports of the newborn Saiyans left him worried. Each new generation was stronger than the last and Vegeta seemed to have sparked an epidemic of babies that surpassed all others. There were even rumors of a child who had been born with a power level of ten thousand!
With such evidence on hand, Frieza began to wonder if his current strategy was sound. What if his current strategy of hunting down the strongest Saiyans wasn't enough? What if wiping them all out was the only way to ensure success?
The Arcosian warlord was unsure until the day that Kanassa was cleared for sale. Kanassa was a mysterious world said to be inhabited by a race of psychics. They were supposed to be able to read minds, see the future, and even bestow these same abilities on whoever they chose. Frieza's new paranoia caused him to secretly covet these powers almost as much as immortality and he was anxious to hear of the planet's fate.
The news came in that no natives of Kanassa survived the puge, dashing Frieza's hopes of recruiting one for his forces or taking their abilities for was also shocked to learn that the Saiyans who accepted the mission were low-class soldiers. The people of Kanassa were average warriors but their unique abilities should've made them a challenge worthy of the Ginyu Force. Who were these strange Saiyans?
Frieza was about to personally investigate when Vegeta, bored with sparring against enhanced Saibamen, barged in and demanded an assignment. Frieza absent-mindedly assigned the brat to clear the nearest planet and retired to his chambers to continue his secret plans. He called on his spys to send him all available data on the squad who purged Kanassa and spent at least three days pouring over it.
The Arcosian warlord learned that the squad in question consisted of five, formerly six, third-class Saiyan warriors. There was Toma, a Saiyan with an odd, spiky hairstyle that ended in a ponytail, Panbukin, a fat Saiyan with short hair and a pencil-thin moustache, Toteppo, a tall, balding Saiyan who never spoke, and Celipa, a female saiyan with short hair and pink armor.
Finally, there was the squad leader, a man whose name Frieza had heard more than once in the past few years: Bardock. Orphaned at birth alongside his twin brother Tullece, Bardock was known for refusing to let his low ranking define the limits of his power. He took missions that no one believed he could complete and did so, even if he barely survived each time. He had a wife, Gine, who has been the sixth member of his squad before her retirement. Her reputation and power were almost equal to her husband but she was unusually gentle for a Saiyan woman, hesitating to kill even in Oozaru form and never able to finish a fight despite dominating her opponents. This lead to Bardock having to rescue her often and ultimately convinced her to leave the military and become a butcher. Frieza caught himself looking at two photos of Gine, one from before and after her retirement. He almost couldn't belive that the woman with long, ragged hair and the short-haired butcher were one and the same.
The Arcosian warlord read on to find that Bardock and Gine had one son, fourteen year old Raditz. He had his mother's hair from before she cut it and had accompanied his parents on missions up until he was eight. He apparently idolized his father and had once done the same for his mother until her retirement, now being resentful of her butcher job and embareassed by her gentle nature.
The last of the reports were mere rumors and speculations. They talked of possibilities like Bardock being the true inventor of the False Moon technique, his ability to remember his time in Oozaru form, and how his brother had vanished mysteriously on a mission to Planet Amirissu, home of the legenday Tree of Might. Frieza ignored them, too disgusted to read further. How could he have missed such an obvious threat?
This Bardock was already rumored to have been stronger than King Vegeta half a decade ago. Given a Saiyan's natural ability to grow stronger after near-death experiences and the fact that he barely survived each mission, who knew how powerful he was now? His squad was obviously fomidible as well and if such a group were to rally the Saiyans, Frieza would be faced with the possibility of a true defeat.
The Arcosian warlord scowled at the report in his hand for a moment before destroying it with his eye beams. He then did the same to every other scrap of information his spies had gathered. As far as Frieza was concerned, Bardock didn't exist but there was only way to make this a reality.
Taking a moment to compose himself, the Arcosian warlord marched out of his chambers with new orders in mind. He was so focused on this goal that he failed to notice the one report he'd missed. It was the actual last report and spoke of Bardock and Gine's second son, born mere days ago.
…
"Forgive me Lord Frieza but I don't quite understand. You want us to dispatch the Ginyu Force to attack a squad of low Levels?" Zarbon looked puzzled by his master's request but quickly shrank bank under Frieza's glare. "I have reason to belive this Saiyan squad will cause us trouble if not dealt with swiftly. Do you question my instincts Zarbon?"
The blue-skinned humanoid blanched. "N-no sire, of course not. I just don't think the Ginyu Force is necessary. They are far too elite to bother with what should be a simple task."
"Yes Lord frieza, let us handle this." Dodoria piped up "I'll assemble some men and be on my way."
Frieza was about to kill them both for questioning his orders but a voice in his head stopped him. It was not the inner voice that had guided his paranoia, but the voice of his pride, the one he had temporarily forgotten. It always sounded like his father.
'These fools have a point you know' it said 'this Bardock is low-class scum. Why waste your top men on baseless rumors? If you react this way to every perceived threat, they may start to believe you're afraid. Do you really want that?"
Frieza warred within himself for a moment, then said "you two may have a point. Very well Dodoria, take some men and report to Planet Meat. Be sure no Saiyan is left alive."
"At once, Lord Frieza." The fat pink warrior made a hasty exit and Frieza returned to his chambers before he regretted his decision. He soon found himself feeling rather tired, a rare thing for an Arcosian, and closed his eyes for what he thought would be a few moments.
…
Frieza next found himself back on his homeworld of Arcose, somewhere in the Blizzor mountain range. He stood before the mouth of a massive cave, ice cicles dangling from it like a set of fangs. The Arcosian warlord didn't know why he was there but something was drawing him inside. It was impossible to resist and he hated it. Nothing and no one had ever had true power over him before, not even his parents.
Frieza entered to find the cave was filled with ancient hyrogliphics. They depicted the story of his ancestor Blizzor, for whom the region was named. Blizzor was the son of Chilled, a feared space pirate whose exploits had supposedly inspired the Planet Trade Federation. After his father's death, Blizzor was shipped back to Arcose and sold into slavery to King Frost, the ruler of that era.
Frost had a love of gladiatorial combat and regularly pitted Blizzor against the Subzerons in the arena. Subzerons were a now exstinct species of Arcosian animal that had a uniquely humanoid appearance. They were known for their savagery and often used as soldiers once they were tamed. Frieza himself had been so impressed by the stories that he modeled his first surpressed state, what people today knew as his third form, after their appearance.
The story continued to show how Blizzor eventually grew strong enough to kill King Frost and take the throne for himself but something was wrong: the hyrogliphics showed Frieza's ancestor undergoing some kind of transformation before his eventual victory.
"That can't be right." Frieza muttered to himself "Blizzor had no surpressions." The Arcosian warlord knew his ancestors' history as well as anyone and knew that both Chilled and his son might have been stronger than average, but they lacked any sort of mutation and were nothing compared to their descendants.
"Quite right little brother, Blizzor had no surpressed states. The form you see is the result of ascension." Frieza turned and his eyes narrowed at the sight of his brother Cooler staring back at him. "What are you doing here!? What's going on?
Cooler folded his arms over his chest. "I'm simply here to show you that you're not as invincible as you think, that you ignore the threats presented by your own family."
Frieza suddenly laughed, forgetting the strangeness of what was happening to him. "What's that brother? Are you saying you're a threat to me? You'd be nothing without me and don't you forget it!"
If there was one thing that the Arcosian warlord loved, it was reminding Cooler of long ago, when he had broken away from the Planet Trade Federation to carve out his own empire. Unfortunately, his followers were few and the quadrant he'd chosen to conquer was well-prepared for invaders. It had taken his father's insistence on family loyalty and Frieza's subsequent aid to prevent Cooler from being driven away and gaining him two hundred and fifty personal planets. Such loyalty came with a price however and King Cold's eldest son was forced to rejoin his family's business as an enforcer, destroying planets that the Federation deemed unfit to sale or employ. It was made worse by the fact that he lacked his brother's resources and had to rely only on his Armored Squadron, a trio of warriors who served as Cooler's own answer to the Ginyu Force. They were formidable but weak compared to his brother's mercenaries and often failed to work together effectively.
Cooler knew all this and hated it. But at that moment, he wasn't looking at his brother in envy. It seemed more like…pity? "You've got a lot to learn Frieza. Do you know that I've been coming here for years, trying to unlock my true potential?"
Frieza scoffed in response. "You have no potential, you mastered your power years ago. That's why you can remain in your true form indefinitely and I stll need surpressed states. It's a sign of my greater strength and another reason why Father favors me."
Cooler smirked now and gestured towards the hyrogliphics. "Oh yes, it's certainly true that I haven't needed any surpressions in years and for a time, I thought it meant I had reached my limits. Then I learned the story of our ancestor Blizzor and how he lacked any surpression at all. He trained to gain strength, something we've never done in recent history. This training was what allowed him to undergo the transformation you see here and bring out power rather than restraining it. That is what spawned the mutaion in our family and gave us the right to rule."
"An amusing story to be sure brother," Frieza said dryly "but what's it got to do with you and so called 'potential' ? I've certainly never see you train. The only one who ever did was Mother."
"Yes, and it was Mother who first found this place and learned of Blizzor's ascension. She believed our natural changeling abilities would allow her to create a similar form, unaware that her training had already unlocked it for her. I believe she ascended just before she disappeared."
Frieza rolled his eyes, remembering his brother's affection for Queen Tundra. It was a particularly strong mother-son bond for a family of tyrants and in King Cold's eyes, a weakness that his heir couldn't afford. "Mother was a fool Cooler, nothing more, nothing less. Father would have killed her himself eventually. Do you really think you can gain anything from following her example?"
Cooler was grinning broadly now. "Oh dear brother, I already have." The elder Arcosian began powering up, his muscles bulging out as he did so. Frieza was genuinely shocked to see his brother transforming, growing before his eyes.
Cooler soon stood a full head taller and his skull had elongated to sport a crown-like structure with two points that extended upward and two that jutted out from the sides. Blade-like extensions sprang from his wrists and his eyes glowed pure red in their sockets. He grinned at Frieza just before a mouth guard automaticly slid over the lower half of his face, hiding it from view.
"Behold brother, the true power of our ancestors! Do you still believe you're so superior?" Cooler's voice was much deeper now and seemed to shake the cave, but Frieza barely registered it. He was still in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.
It simply wasn't possible for a member of his family, or any Arcosion, to transform beyond their natural state. Despite this fact, Frieza found himself being forced to notice the resembalance between his brother's new form and the depiction of Blizzor in the hyrogliphics. This realization filled him with awe, then envy, before finally giving way to anger. "No! You will not…surpass…me!"
Frieza powered up with an enraged yell. He began to transform, shifting through his surpressed states in minutes. There was a burst of light then and the Arcosian tyrant stood revealed in his true form. It had been some time since he'd needed to use it in combat and the very fact that his brother, always weaker, always second best, was the cause of this extreme measure enraged Frieza to no end.
He lunged at his brother without a word and the two burst from the mountain a moment later, locked in ariel battle. The first clash of blows sent a tremor through the area and sent Frieza flying backwards. The Arcosian warlord righted himself and and unleashed a barrage of death beams towards his elder brother. Cooler smirked beneath his mouth guard and positioned two fingers to the side of his head, vanishing a moment later.
Frieza was shocked to see his attacks hit nothing until his brother appeared from nowhere and unleashed his own devasting energy wave. It sent the younger Arcosian back through the opening they'd made in one mountain and crashing into another, making it crumble on top of him.
"How do you like Instant Transmission brother?" Cooler called from above "it's just something I was taught in exchange for sparing Planet Yardat. See what happens when you accept that you have more to learn?"
There was no answer for a while, then the rubble began to move. It floated upwards and stated suspended in mid-air, looking like a giant spear aimed right at Cooler. Frieza floated up just behind it and smirked. It seemed his brother had forgotten about his true form's telekenitic capabilities.
With a gesture, the Arcosian warlord sent his assault towards his brother. King Cold's eldest son lacked any telekenis of his own and thus, no way to counter such an attack. Still, Cooler remained calm.
"Speaking of 'learning', let me a show you a technique I learned from one of my men: Salza Blade!" An aura of purple chi ignited around Cooler's left arm and ended in a point. He rushed forward and used this new blade to hack his way through the onslaught of rock, carving a clear path towards his brother.
Frieza was so surprised by this maneuver that he left himself open to attack. His brother slashed him swiftly across the stomach and he heard himself cry out in pain for the first time in years. Clutching his wound, the Arcosian warlord backed away from Cooler with eyes narrowed. "That actually hurt….it hurt!"
Frieza let out a low growl as he began powering up once more, ready to unleash his full power. His muscles swelled tremendously and his aura raged about him as he counted down. "Ninety-eight…ninety-nine…one hundred percent!"
Cooler chuckled at the display. "So, going all out now, are we? Good. I was growing bored with this warm-up."
The sons of King Cold clashed once again, their power being felt across the planet. Frieza found himself faring little better even at full strength and was desperate to devise some kind of strategy. It was only through a stroke of luck that the Arcosian Warlord was finally able to trap Cooler with his Imprisonment Ball Technique.
"Do you remember this game from our childhood brother?" Frieza asked as he forced himself to smirk. He had to convince both Cooler and himself that his confidence had never left him. "I used to hurl you from one end of the planet to another."
"I remember." Cooler said calmly "that was a long time ago." Frieza ignored this statement and prepared to send his brother flying, He was horrified as the elder Arcosian broke his prison with no effort before slamming him into the ground.
Keeping his brother pinned with a grip on his throat, Cooler retracted his mouth guard to sneer at his sibling. "To think Frieza, all those years thinking you were untouchable, never training, and ignoring the threats around you have finally come back to haunt you. Oh well, it could be worse. You could be facing a Super Saiyan right now."
"That's just a legend!" Frieza spat despite his brother's vice grip. "those monkies are no threat to me, not anymore! I have weeded out the most dangerous of the lot."
Cooler frowned deeply at his brother's smug tone. "Have you? What of the Prince, the one who has already surpassed his father and already vowed to destroy you? What of the third class warrior whom you deemed worthy of assassination?"
"One has already been pacified and the other is a mere precaution." Frieza retorted "I'm quite confident that Dodoria will prove those rumors are as mythical as the Super Saiyan."
Cooler's frown became even more pronounced. "Just when I think you're learning, you prove how dense you truly are."As he spoke, The elder Arcosian's mouth guard clamped shut and he began rising into the air. He raised his arm dramiticly and a sudden tremor shook the planet, snapping off bits of mountain and making them float off into space. Frieza realized he was seeing his brother display telekenesis for the first time.
"You see before you an example of a true threat emerging from a former subordinate." Cooler exclaimed as he raised his other arm and unleashed yet another telekenic assault. "You were always stronger brother, always had the edge, but I was willing to wait and learn and train. You ignored all this and allowed me to unlock my new form, my true potential! How long do you think it will be before the Saiyans do the same and become something greater than they are? You may think you're wise to eliminate those you see as potential threat, but you fail to realize that they are all potential threats!"
Frieza felt the force of his brother's words crash down upon him and winced as if struck. He opened his eyes just to time to see a sphere of orange chi ignite on the tip of Cooler's finger and begin to rapidly expand. This was the Supernova, a stronger variation of the Cold family's planet destroying Death Ball technique. Frieza never thought his brother would seek to destroy their own homeworld but nothing about their encounter had been normal thus far.
The Arcosian warlord suddenly became aware that he felt fear, fear of his own death, more honestly than he ever had at that moment. He had survived the explosion of planets before, almost casually floating in space until his ship arrived. But his current condition and Cooler's new power seemed more than capable of surpassing his natural ability to survive in most atmospheres.
This thought stung, but not nearly as much as much as knowing where his end was coming from. Cooler, the black sheep of the Cold family, his father's greatest shame, had triumphed over his younger brother, the one who had all but proclaimed himself the undisputed ruler of the universe.
Frieza was so lost in these thoughts that he barely registered his brother's words to him: "Destroy Vegeta-sai. Slaughter every man, woman and child born from there or a new Super Saiyan will soon rise and destroy all we've built."
Cooler hurled the completed Supernova towards his brother. Frieza was consumed by the energy and manage to utter only a single word: "No!"
The Arcosian warlord's eyes snapped open. He was on his ship, back in his surpressed form. Was it all a…dream? Yes, it had to be. But it was so real and vivid that what he saw stayed with Frieza and he now knew what he had to do.
A few days later, Frieza had sent out the order that all Saiyans return to their homeworld and all upcoming missions be suspended indefinitely. Dodoria and his men had reported the successful elimination of Bardock and his crew though Frieza suspected he had failed somehow even as they picked him up and set course for Vegeta-sai.
This was proven correct when Bardock himself, now wearing a headband that was soaked red with the blood of his comrades, flew towards the ship to challenge his former master directly. Soldiers were sent out o subdue the rebel but the vengeful Saiyan fought on. "It's me he's after, isn't it? Frieza muttered rhetorically before commanding "prepare my transport Zarbon."
"Sire…you wish to leave the ship?" "Are you questioning my orders?" A short time later, the Arcosion warlord sat on top of his ship in his hover chair. The Federation soldiers, still in battle with Bardock, froze at his appearance and began stammering praise. "We salute you sire!" "Yeah,long live Lord Frieza!"
It was all meaningless to him, as were Bardock's rambling about fate as he ignited a ball of blue chi in his hand and hurled it at his nemesis. Frieza calmly unleashed a Supernova and that exact moment, letting it absorb the harmless attack before plowing Bardock and his soldiers, incinerating them before plowing through Vegeta-sai's core. The Saiyan homeworld and all upon it were soon destroyed in a fiery eruption.
Frieza, overcome with a newfound sense of relief, laughed outloud at the destruction he wrought, calling it "fireworks." The Saiyans were gone and he was safe. No one left alive could ever pose a threat to him now.
It was a week or so later that Frieza discovered that some Saiyans had escaped his grasp. Prince Vegeta and Nappa had been too far out to recieve his summons to return home, as was the fourteen year old Raditz. The Arcosian Warlord was preparing to rectify this mistake the minute they returned when his father paid him a visit.
"Really Frieza, must you be so rash? I'm sure you could still get a few more years out of the three Saiyans that are left." King Cold chided his youngest son as they walked along the halls of the palace on Planet Frieza Number Four-hundred and Forty-eight. The Arcosian warlord rolled his eyes in response. As much as Cooler said their father had always spoiled him, he never failed to chastise his youngest for what he felt was wasting something, be it time or resources.
"I did what I had to Father. The Saiyans were growing too strong and could've been a serious threat if not put down." King Cold laughed in response, a sound that made Frieza's blood boil.
"A threat? To us? Frieza my son, your humor is inspiring. No one can come close to our power, least of all a band of monkies."
"What about the Super Saiyan?" Frieza asked, sounding more frightened than he meant to "the Prince believes the legend and may seek to oppose me as long as he thinks he's the one."
King Cold waved a hand dismissively. "Don't trouble yourself with fairy tales my boy, every culture has such a legend. Those Namekians you're searching for apparently turned into Super Namekians from what I hear and even our own people talk about a mythical transformation."
This gave Frieza pause, memories of his dream flooding back. "What!? Y-you mean a form beyond our natural state?"
"It's two forms, actually." King Cold said with a brief chuckle "the second one is supposed to turn your body gold. Your mother believed in such nonsense and even claimed she was close to ascending before she vanished. It's a wonder I didn't kill her for speaking such nonsense."
Frieza was curious now, though he tried not to show it. "Do you suppose it may be possible to unlock some kind of new form if we trained? Legends do have some some basis in reality after all." The Arcosian warlord couldn't help but wonder how much more powerful he'd be if he transformed the way Cooler had, or even to this form beyond it his father had just mentioned. "Golden Frieza" had a nice ring to it.
Cold scowled in annoyance now. "Of course not! The only transformations we have are used to contain the power of our natural states, same as it was for your great-grandfather and his grandfather before him. This power is all we will ever need." The Arcosian ruler removed his cape then and assumed a power-up stance. Despite only having one surpressed state, it took several long minutes before his purple-skinned form shattered in a burst of light to reveal his true self.
King Cold now resembled Frieza's true form except for being larger and more intimidating. The colored areas on his body and head were pitch black in color to contrast to his alabaster skin. Frieza hadn't seem his father transform in years, the last time having been when he was a small child and Cold had needed to stop a rebellion led by his former general. It took a very long time for this transformation to occur and Cold was hesitant to use it in battle, almost as much as he was to battle at all.
"Come spar with me." Frieza's father said with a smirk "take your mind off Super Saiyans and forms that don't exist." It was as fatherly as the old ruler would ever act and his son felt compelled to accept. Without transforming once, Frieza beat his father when the later was at full power. This was enough to give the Arcosian warlord an ego boost that caused him to forget all his dream had taught him. By the time he and his father parted company, he'd decided to spare the last Saiyans for the time being.
It was a day or so later when Prince Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz returned to Frieza's ship. Vegeta was the same brat as always but Nappa's head was now completely bald, an unfortunate result of a poorly aimed chi blast fired by his Prince in battle. Saiyan genetics were unique in that hair growth was nearly impossible save for the rare bit of facial hair, meaning the former General would remain this way for the rest of his days.
Raditz was the only newcomer, having encountered his two superiors by pure chance. All three were bound together by a single goal: finding out the fate of their homworld. Frieza casually replied that dspite his best efforts, Vegeta-sai was destroyed by a passing meteor. All three, particularly Vegeta, were devastated by the news, though he refused to show it. The Arcosian warlord then added insult to injury by declaring that the old ranking no longer mattered and that all three would work together from then on.
This was the way of things in the Planet Trade Federation for many years, with Frieza blissfully unaware of the error he'd made, the error in allowing the ever ambitious Vegeta to live and plot his downfall. He was also unaware that the dream he'd had was a warning sent by his ancestors, a warning of a future that had been foreseen by Bardock, having been given such abilities by chance on Kanassa, just before his death. This future foretold that Kakarorotto, Raditz's newborn brother and the only one to slip by both Frieza and Cooler, would oneday become the Super Saiyan of legend and end the Cold family once and for all.