Explosions rocked the once tranquil plains, as a green hand pushed her inside the ship. "Master Dende, come on!" the young woman with purple hair cried, resisting his efforts to make her go. "You'll be killed if you stay! There's a whole universe out there, we'll find somewhere else to hide!"
Dende gazed at the human sadly, shaking his head. "They're after the dragon balls. No Namekian is safe, and no one seen with a Namekian will be safe, either," he said, and offered the frantic girl a small smile. "If Frieza were able to force one of us to make dragon balls again, there would be no stopping him. My people have decided that we shall all reside in Otherworld, for the safety of the universe. You have to go, Pel," he said, as another explosion shook the ground, closer this time.
Pel scowled. "This is stupid! Just come with me, you can make more dragon balls, and wish Frieza was gone for good!" she protested.
Dende leveled a gaze at her. "We've discussed this, Pel. We don't use the dragon balls that way, and even if we did, it would just pave the way for someone else, someone more ruthless, to take Frieza's place." Another explosion shook the area, and he scowled. "We don't have time for this, Pel. You need to leave NOW!" he yelled, and pushed her inside with a wave of energy, closing the ramp. Quickly, he turned and flew off, not wishing to give Pel any reason to think she could stop him. She had to get off the planet, or her race would die, too.
'Master Dende,' he could hear her voice in his head, and he swallowed hard.
'I'll only speak to you if you begin take-off,' Dende warned her.
After a brief moment, she responded, 'Okay, the ship is taking off,'. He could feel the truth in her words, and see the ship beginning to lift off in the distance.
'You were always a good student, Pel. And you're a genius, like your mother had been. You will do well out there,' Dende reassured her.
Pel was crying, he could feel it. 'Master… I don't want to be alone. Please… at least let me stay with you…'
Dende smiled. 'Your time will come, Pel, and when it does, I want you to promise you'll join us in Otherworld. Don't get sent to HFIL,' he said, knowing full well his student's legendary temper might result in her doing something rash in her grief. 'If you care for Goten, if you care for us, if you care for me and all that I've taught you, promise that you will use the rest of your life to help others. Don't give in to your anger at Frieza. Don't let him make you something you're not,' he instructed. One last lesson, before he left her for good. 'Please, Pel. Promise me that. I'll be at peace, if I know that you will still be alive, helping others.'
'I… I promise, Master,' Pel's mental voice came to him, shaking in her grief, and Dende landed on the ground, closing his eyes. He focused all of his love and caring and kindness into one feeling, and sent it to her, via their link. He gathered all of his energy then, the energy that he had always used to heal others, and let it build up, more and more. His people had already done the same, and were waiting for him on the other side. 'Goodbye,' he sent to his student, then allowed the energy to explode out of him, disintegrating his body, the shockwave destroying the planet.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Frieza was screaming at the blue-skinned alien in the tactical station. "I wanted them alive!"
The alien in question held his hands up, his eyes wide. "I never fired, Lord Frieza! The explosions are coming from the planet. They… they're destroying themselves!"
Frieza glared coldly at the screen. "No… they will not take this from me…" he hissed.
"Lord Frieza… there's a ship leaving orbit – " another, red-skinned alien reported.
"Follow it!" Frieza commanded, and his men hurriedly set about changing course. Frieza narrowed his eyes. These Namekians were trickier than he had been led to believe. He wouldn't be surprised if every Namekian from the planet were on that ship, as well as the dragon balls. They would not escape him this easily. He would get his wish…
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Kress sat by the fire, hungrily devouring what was once Guldo's arm. The rest of the Ginyu force was trapped underground, in separate cages, each installed with an energy absorber. Prince Vegeta told him he could eat any of them he managed to kill, in a one-on-one battle.
It would take a while. Kress almost didn't survive his battle with Guldo, but his wits found him at the last moment, and he was able to take the green time-stopping alien down. He knew the others would be stronger, though. He would have to be stronger, too.
He would survive.
Prince Vegeta watched Kress tear at Guldo's limbs hungrily, enjoying the symbolism behind it. Kress would devour the Ginyu Force, one by one, until all that was left was a pile of bones. And then, and then, he would remove the energy absorber, and unleash the vengeance of his people all over Frieza's sorry ass.
His only regret was that he would not deliver the death blow himself. But, at least, at least he would see that backstabbing tyrant die at the hands of a Saiyan!
Vegeta didn't bother holding back the laughter that erupted from him at the thought. Kress glanced at him, startled, then continued eating, eyeing his Prince warily. Prince Vegeta only ever laughed when someone was going to die.
But he would survive.