When the four of them had finally cleared hyperspace, Sanshiva quietly thanked Bowa before she limped to the bathroom and silently closed the door. She leaned against it, panting heavily as she strained against the throbbing pain and examined the charred wound in the middle of her calf.
Sanshiva shuffled forward and turned on the sink, reaching for the towel hanging on the wall just beside it; she thoroughly wet a corner of the cloth with hot water and hesitantly bent down to clean the wound. It stung horribly against the tender skin, and she whimpered and wiped the area gently, sighing as she wrung out the towel and hung it back up. The young woman leaned against the sink and stared at her reflection, still slightly dizzy and reeling from the shock of the narrow escape from Jae-Ujani. Just on the other side of the door, she could hear her three unexpected shipmates talking amongst themselves in hushed voices.
"Is she gonna be alright," she heard Yumena ask.
"I think so," answered Hasana. "She lost quite a bit of blood back there… Bowa, that was a smart thing you did, by the way, cauterizing her wound like that."
Sanshiva heard Bowa burble contentedly and smiled. The gelatinous creature gurgled once more in a soft, questioning tone and Yumena responded, "You know, I'm not sure bud… Maybe we can ask her later."
"I didn't catch that," Hasana said. "Ask her what, exactly?"
"Well… why does she have to go to Earth?" Yumena crossed her arms and huffed. "Out of all the places in the universe, she's gotta go to the planet of space hicks? Just seems a little… odd."
Hasana hesitated and looked back at the bathroom door. "Oh… Honestly, I'm not sure it's my place to tell you that quite yet… What I can tell you is that we must get her there soon, so we won't be able to make any pit stops along the way."
Sanshiva reached for the door, sighing again as she turned the handle and walked slowly onto the bridge. Bowa immediately slithered forward and extended himself, giving the female Namekian a tight and squishy hug around the middle; he gurgled long and low into her hoodie before he looked up at her through sad yellow eyes. For a moment Sanshiva could swear Bowa sounded like he was trying to apologize for something, and she patted his head tenderly.
"I'm sorry, Bowa… I don't understand…"
"Ah, it's alright, kid," Yumena said. "He said, 'I'm sorry I couldn't help more. I should have come back outside the ship to help you fight.'" Yumena blinked and looked at Bowa curiously before addressing him directly. "Bowa, you can't fight! What were you gonna do, slime somebody to death?!"
Sanshiva giggled and said, "You know, if he held onto that other guy long enough, he probably could have. And I know if I could do anything close to that trick he pulled with the plasma shots, I'd be in better shape right now. Thanks again, Bowa."
Bowa nodded enthusiastically and warbled in satisfaction as he hugged her again before returning to Yumena's side. The two of them watched as the female Namekian hobbled over to Hasana and leaned against the captain's chair.
"So…" she paused and gave Hasana a wry smile. "Are we there yet?"
Hasana chuckled and replied, "Almost. We have just a little over two weeks until we land on Earth."
Sanshiva stood tall, wincing as she shifted her weight on both legs. "Sounds good. Hey, Yumena… If you don't mind me asking, how did you come across that map you showed us earlier?"
"I didn't find it, kid, I made it! It's been a long time since I was there, but Earth was just downright weird, I'll tell ya."
"Huh?" Sanshiva's brows raised, and she turned and looked down at the old woman in confusion. "What do you mean… weird?"
Bowa gurgled excitedly and looked at Yumena in awe as he waited for her to explain. Hasana smiled and Sanshiva heard his voice briefly in the back of her mind. 'Storytime,' he said playfully as he swiveled the chair to face the old woman.
Yumena cleared her throat and began, "So, there I was, stranded on that backwater planet with nothing but my map kit, a canteen, and a couple of feet of rope. I got kicked off a Yardratian ship for fighting with the cook, mind you, but I know I was right; that squat-faced jerk was jealous I was buddy-buddy with the captain and poisoned my soup! I swear, whatever it was, it had me on the toilet for so long I damn near forgot my name!"
Bowa wiggled and bubbled with laughter, and Sanshiva chuckled as she watched his eyes dance within the mass of his slimy head. Yumena glanced sideways at him and continued.
"Anyways," the old woman said, taking out the folded map of Earth from her utility belt, "I got stuck in a place called Yunzabit Heights." Yumena laid the map on the ground and pointed to a mountainous region at the top of the map and shivered. "Ooh, that place was frigid, and the wind! Ugh…! I thought I was gonna freeze to death! Not a single sign of life around for miles, but I kept heading south and eventually found a little village a few days later. Had to haggle with those humans a bit. They're so behind on the times… You'd think most of 'em had never seen an alien before, and they kept saying something like 'We'll never take you to our leader,' or whatever the hell they were going on about, I don't know. By then I was so hungry and thirsty I couldn't think straight."
Sanshiva and Hasana giggled together as they continued to listen to Yumena, enamored by the way the elderly alien told her tale, every syllable a buttery drawl that soothed their ears as she continued.
"But I managed to cut a deal… Told those poor hicks everything I could about how to build an atlas droid and a galactic communicator, earned myself some food, drink, and a warm bed, and got a ride out to a place called Basil Town while the droid did its thing." With her fingernail, she trailed the path they'd taken – some several thousand miles south – and sighed heavily. "Only thing is, by the time we got there, some ugly, green-speckled freak was running around blowing up these big, boxy buildings and slurping people's insides through his tail like a damn straw. Nasty stuff, I'll tell ya. So, we ran, of course, and hid for a bit. I managed to tinker with their radio enough to send out an SOS a few star systems over. Got some humans to join me and hitched a ride on a Bollejian ship a few days later. That's where I met this one," she said, pointing her stubby thumb in Bowa's direction. "Don't ask me what happened to the others. Bowa here was the toughest, and you already saw how… interesting that last spaceport was. Poor little humans," Yumena said as she shook her head and tsked. "Like letting a group o' kids play in a cave full of poisonous snakes… Oof..."
Bowa stretched himself out and wiggled as if to show off, making a happy burbling sound as he did so. Hasana chuckled and looked at Sanshiva, noticing the young woman's jovial expression had turned into nervousness.
'What if that thing's still there,' Sanshiva wondered.
Hasana asked gently, "Did you ever find out what happened back on Earth after you saw that creature?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, they took care of that pest problem, alright. I heard lots of people tried to fight him. But wouldn't you guess it?" Yumena looked at the two of them incredulously and said, "Some muscleheaded human named 'Mr. Satan' beat that overgrown roach to a pulp. 'Exterminated,' doesn't even begin to cover it. Seems to me there must be somethin' about that little blue planet that drives people crazy, though. I heard a couple of rumors about a giant pink monster terrorizing the place not too long ago."
Sanshiva shuddered and thought, 'Toriega was right. Earth sounds like a magnet for trouble and here I am… Just more trouble, on its way there.'
'You need to rest, Sanshiva. You're overthinking this,' she heard Hasana's voice in her head and smiled weakly at him.
Sanshiva shifted on her feet and winced again. "Thanks for sharing that with us, Yumena. I'm going to rest a bit, I'm… still feeling a bit dizzy from the blood loss," she said, pointing to her leg.
Yumena, Bowa, and Hasana all nodded to her as she shuffled across the floor and silently closed the bedroom door behind her. Sanshiva collapsed atop the bunk, staring blankly at the ceiling as her antennae twitched and she communicated with Hasana wordlessly.
'I'm giving you permission to answer the question they asked earlier. If they're going to be traveling with a monster, they might as well know what they've gotten themselves into.'
'Sanshiva, you're not a mon—"
'Hasana, this is the absolute last time I'm going to say this. Until I can control myself, I can't guarantee anyone's safety, including yours. Go ahead and read my mind; take a good hard look at what happened at home, and what happened during the fight with Makeru. Maybe then…' Sanshiva gulped, hesitant as she tried to finish her thought. 'Maybe then you'll understand why I call myself a monster.'
Back at Jae-Ujani…
Shards of glass exploded into the command center, eliciting shocked cries from nearby workers as they ducked to avoid the boxy projectile that came flying out of Commander Shiro's office. As the broken monitor crashed to the ground just by the elevators, the entire floor seemed overwhelmed by a tense silence, and the workers held their breath collectively, anxious for whatever might come next. Shiro's booming voice could be heard through the hole in the glass as he shouted at two younger soldiers that cowered underneath his gaze.
"ARGH! YOU TWO ARE A DISGRACE! STUPID, USELESS LITTLE—"
"But Father, we—"
"DON'T. YOU. DARE. 'FATHER.' ME."
Suddenly, the two soldiers were thrown through the glass and fell upon the ground just outside the office with pained looks strewn across their faces. As they slowly stood up, Shiro burst from the office door with his fists at the ready, and his sharp teeth bared in a look of blinding rage.
"In all my years, I have never wanted so desperately to beat the life out of you two!"
They stared at him with wide eyes, brushing the glass off themselves and quivering as they struggled to speak to their furious commander. The youngest of the two finally spoke up, stuttering slightly as he addressed the giant shark-like man before him. "P-please Father! She was just v-very fast and s-strong—"
"I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK, POGI," Shiro bellowed as he punched Pogi hard in the mouth. Pogi's knees buckled from underneath him, and he clutched at his face with tears in his eyes. "You two were playing dice games when you were supposed to be guarding your brother! And now, he's dead!"
"P-please," Pogi said through his hands. "Please, F-Father… We're sorry…"
Shiro glowered at the young soldier and growled. "Not as sorry as you will be if you talk again," he said coldly.
The eldest of the two glanced at his brother before looking back at Shiro, holding his hands tightly behind his back. "…Permission to speak, sir?" The commander nodded slowly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Pogi stood up again, still cringing from the throbbing pain in his mouth.
"It'd better be worth my while, Saba."
"During the search effort, I gathered some information I thought might be useful in the event of an… unforeseen complication."
Shiro released his fists and crossed his arms around his chest. "I'm listening."
Saba smirked and pulled out a tablet from the utility belt around his waist, and tapped at the screen a few times. A ghostly image of the planet Namek danced just above the glass, a hologram cycling through a simulation of the planet's destruction; the commander raised a brow as he watched the planet explode like a miniature spectral firework, pieces of the small green globe disappearing amongst glittering light rays and towers of hot magma jutting from its center.
"Namek was destroyed by a series of cataclysmic explosions that eroded the planet's core about sixteen years ago," Saba explained. "The problem is, like most pests in the galaxy, the natives still managed to find a way to survive. There are a few scattered across the galaxy, but for them to have evolved in any way means that those insects must have found a new planet. A new hive, as it were."
Shiro smirked, eager to hear more, and shifted his feet slightly as he nodded at Saba. Satisfied with the commander's response, Saba tapped at the tablet once more and the hologram changed to show Hasana's ship; nearly identical to Sanshiva's vessel yet clearly older, it floated in Saba's palm and the soldier smiled as he said, "Hasana arrived on Jae-Ujani several years after Namek's destruction. He may have hitched a ride with the girl, but he left his own ship behind. Pogi and I can use it to find the rest of those pests and get the information we need out of them."
"Hm…" The commander stroked his chin with a thick finger and raised a thick finger. "Tempting… But I couldn't trust you two to guard your brother. Why should I trust you with this?"
Shiro's words stung the soldier deeply, and he gulped before he spoke in a deliberate and determined cadence. "We will return with the girl, sir."
"That doesn't answer my question, Saba. Why," Shiro paused as he leaned forward, inches away from his face, "…should I trust you with this?"
The young soldier swallowed hard as he stared into the commander's black eyes, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. He knew too well that his father didn't tolerate failure of any kind, not even from his flesh and blood.
"Because we will retrieve the girl or die trying," he answered sternly. Saba glanced sideways at Pogi, who nodded cautiously in agreement.
"Damn right you will," Shiro scoffed. "And if she doesn't end up skewering you like she did your brother, I most certainly will. If I would have known you two would fail in keeping Makeru safe, I would have left you back home with that useless guppy you call 'Mother.' Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."
"Yes, sir," Saba replied.
Pogi gave his brother a worried look before bowing to Shiro and walking towards the eastern edge of the command center with his head hung low. Saba bowed deeply and followed Pogi, thumbing at a small grey button on the wall; a tall rectangular section of the metal slid back, revealing a dark walkway that seemed to stretch impossibly long before them. The two of them could feel their father's eyes at their backs; they shuddered as they walked through the doorway, and it slid closed behind them. Their steps echoed through the dimly lit chamber as they paced carefully forward, and Pogi spoke in a soft, nervous tone as he rubbed his face.
"Father wouldn't really do that… would he?" Pogi glanced at his brother nervously.
"Kill us? Tch... Wouldn't put it past him. Training with him damn near killed us when we were kids, remember?"
Pogi shuddered and stared at the ground as he kept walking. "But… I don't want to die," he whispered.
"Neither did Makeru," Saba retorted. "But I'm not about to let that bitch get away with murder."
"This is just a thought, but… Maybe if he'd just robbed somebody else instead—"
"YOU IMBECILE!" Saba turned to Pogi and slapped him hard across the face and glared menacingly at his younger brother. "You're the one that told Makeru about that damned dock manager in the first place! You're the one that said that slug wouldn't fight back! Maybe if you'd scouted out a different person, our brother wouldn't have ended up dead!"
"How was I supposed to know Hasana had friends? That guy was alone all the time! If his head wasn't in a book, it was in a ship's engine core!"
"Yeah, well he's got a new friend now and—"
"Well, how's it my fault he went and found himself a girlfriend who can fight?! I didn't even know Namekians were capable of making anything like her! She was… she was so fast! I didn't even see her!"
"Shut up Pogi."
"No, seriously!" Pogi stumbled through his words, still at a loss as to how to describe his fear. "M-Makeru was tougher than both of us and Father really expects us to bring her back?! How are we supposed to fight something like that? And… And…"
"I said shut up."
"And what happens if she kills us, too? Father won't send anyone out to avenge us, he… He doesn't even care! He probably just wants to see what a Namekian tastes like on a silver platter with some salt and pepper for all we know!"
Saba let out a long breath through his nose and said, "Pogi, I swear upon the clearest and holiest of waters that if you talk one more time, I'll punch you so hard it'll take a hundred surgeries to piece your stupid face back together!"
Pogi gulped and opened his mouth as if to reply before hurriedly closing it once more.
"Like it or not, I have no intention of dying either at her hands or Father's. One way or another, we are bringing her back here, no matter what it takes. Are we clear?"
"Mm-hmm," Pogi anxiously nodded as the two of them continued down the walkway to another hidden door.
Saba held his hand against the wall and pushed as hard as he could; a thick section of metal parted from it and slowly swung open, revealing a massive square chamber where several vehicles sat parked on the cold steel floor – a private hangar. Saba paced towards an older oblong vessel that sat at the back, his steps echoing across the hall as he quietly examined the vessel. Dingy, dusty, and clearly in need of upgrades, the soldier scoffed at the grimy Namekian ship.
Pogi stood beside his brother and blurted, "That thing's a lot uglier than I thought." He quickly covered his face, anxiously awaiting his brother's fist for having spoken out of turn.
Saba raised his brow and crossed his arms. "Hmph. For once, Pogi, I actually agree with you."
Back on Sanshiva's Vessel…
Sanshiva opened her eyes and found herself enveloped in pitch blackness. She strained her vision through the darkness, desperately searching for a source of light. She stepped forward, surprised that her shoes made no sound as she did so, trembling as she continued her cautious steps through the dark.
'Wasn't I just… on the ship?'
A deep and silken voice called out from the void, and the young woman trembled at the sound of her name as it echoed around her. "Sanshiva..."
Instinctively, she tried to call out in an attempt to get the source of the voice to show themselves. Her mouth formed the words, but no sound left her lips and she grabbed at her throat with cold, clammy fingers. Sanshiva started to panic in the silence that seemed to stretch on and strained against the invisible hold on her vocal cords. Searching through the darkness, Sanshiva spotted a single pinprick of light in the distance, a figure bathed in a soft blue glow that slowly sauntered closer and closer; she could make out the waves of light that seemed to spread in small circles on the ground with every step they took, like shining ripples through black water. Sanshiva's mouth hung open in shock and awe as the figure stopped at arm's length in front of her.
Standing tall, with a soft look of sadness in his eyes, was the spectral figure of a colossal Namekian much older than she was but still very much in his prime. His brawny form was draped in soft white and brown robes, and his squarish face and obsidian eyes seemed somehow familiar to her. Sanshiva found herself struggling to remember his name.
"Dokira," he said softly. "My name is Dokira."
As the words left his lips, Sanshiva's breath hitched, and her chest tightened.
'Oh my gods…' she thought. 'It can't be…' She hesitantly reached out for Dokira, stopping for just a moment before finally resting her hand against his face.
As Sanshiva felt the warmth of the man's cheek and took in the sight of his ghostly frame, she was overcome by crippling grief; her shoulders began to shake as she struggled to calm her frantic breathing, and her hand fell away as she cried silently in front of Dokira. Sanshiva tried to speak through her sobs, but once again no sound left her lips as she tried to mouth the words "I'm so sorry." She wanted desperately to speak; to say that she was sorry for what she had done to him; sorry that she had left his little boy traumatized, heartbroken, and alone; sorry that she'd ever been born. As if anticipating her thoughts, Dokira spoke again, his voice gentle and forgiving.
"I know, Sanshiva. I know." He held his arms up, offering her an embrace. The young woman looked up hesitantly at Dokira through her tears before throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his middle and weeping uncontrollably into his chest. He rested his head upon hers and held her tightly, rocking her gently as she sobbed against his robes. She felt the warmth radiating from Dokira's body and took in the scent of dew and ajisa blooms that seemed to linger on his skin. Sanshiva cried harder, her throat feeling hot and hoarse as if she'd been screaming for hours.
As Dokira held onto her tightly, he could feel his own heart break for the young woman, and he held his breath for a moment. He looked down at her as she held on, ran his fingers through her soft purple hair, and swallowed hard as the sound of her frenzied breaths flooded his ears. Dokira gently released his hold, lifting the young woman's gaze to meet his as he used his thumbs to wipe her cheeks. She sniffled, still silent and trembling before him.
"I want you to know that I forgave you the moment my soul became fused to yours. I've seen what you've been through so far and I've heard the way you think and speak of yourself and…" He paused and swallowed hard, nearly on the verge of tears himself. "I'm so sorry, Sanshiva, I really, truly am."
Sanshiva gave him a confused look as she mouthed the words, "But you didn't do anything."
"…Precisely," he answered.
Sanshiva blinked, still reeling from the pain in her throat and the stabbing feeling in her chest as she struggled to understand what the gentleman meant.
Suddenly, the darkness surrounding them began to melt away, gradually revealing a captivating emerald and sapphire landscape that stretched for miles in all directions. Sanshiva's eyes filled with tears again as she smelled the wet grass and floral scents mixed in the air and felt the warmth of the suns in the sky. The sounds of dragonfly wings and birdsong filled her ears, and she smiled softly as she wiped her face with the backs of her hands. Sanshiva thought she recognized the plain that spread out before them, dotted with homes of varied sizes, blooming flower gardens, and berry-laden bushes, and walked ahead across the grass to a small ring of blue stones by the base of a young ajisa tree. Dokira followed behind and wiped a stray tear from his eye, smiling as he watched Sanshiva drink in the scenery.
'Home,' she thought. 'I miss it so much…'
Sanshiva desperately craved the simplicity and tranquility, the sounds and the serene sights of New Namek. She felt like she'd give anything just to go back; to be amongst her kin like she'd always imagined she eventually would. But as she looked around at the Namekians that walked together in small groups, laughing and smiling with each other, the ache in her chest slowly devolved into pangs of jealousy.
'Must be nice, not having to hide from your own people…'
Sanshiva gulped and looked down at the ring of carved bricks on the grass, and the deep dark hole at its center; she could hear the water as it trickled into the well from the ground, drop by drop.
Dokira stood beside her and said, "This village was among the first to be built when we relocated here." He pointed ahead to three young men carrying large, weaved baskets, pacing towards them. "My friends and I started digging the well by the ajisa tree during the eclipse, and your father had paid us a visit later that evening to share a few words with us. This…" Dokira paused as he looked back at Sanshiva, "…was the morning after."
Sanshiva watched as the three Namekians placed the baskets on the ground. The shortest of them, a thickset man in a maroon training uniform, huffed as he grabbed his trowel and scooped out a deep moss-colored mortar from his basket, and carefully distributed it evenly across the ring of stones. The two young men beside him began arranging the bricks carefully, stacking them atop the mortar and pressing down to create even rows as they continued constructing the well together.
When they finished, the portly Namekian sighed again before plopping down on the ground, arms, and legs splayed across the grass as he stared up at the jade sky. "Whew! That was… exhausting. That's the last time I let either of you two talk me into building something for fun. That stone was a pain in the ass to carve!"
"Motoki, honey, if that was exhausting, then you probably needed the exercise," said another. Graceful, thin, and poised, the effeminate Namekian sat down gently by the tree and leaned back, taking in the scent of the blossoms and leaves that swayed in the breeze just above him. He brushed off specks of dried mortar and dirt from his shimmering blue robes and sighed. "The only thing I'm mad about is that now I have laundry to do."
Motoki chuckled, placing his hands on his belly as it wiggled, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Serves you right, pretty boy. Wanna wash mine while you're at it, Tobi?"
"Oh, you snide son of a—"
"Hey! Would you guys just look at that beautiful sky," interrupted the third. Dressed in the same white and brown garb, and sporting the same gentle look in his ebony eyes, Sanshiva instantly recognized the image of a young Dokira staring up at the sky, a kind smile dancing on his lips, the sunlight casting a soft glow on his vibrant green skin. The young man chuckled at his poor attempt at changing the subject and sat beside an indignant Tobi, who crossed his arms and huffed as he stared through the treetop. "At least the well's done, and it looks very good. Thank you, my friends."
"Oh, don't thank us yet. You've got some explaining to do," Motoki said slyly as he picked at a stray wildflower and began stripping its petals away.
"…Explaining?" Dokira tilted his head and blinked in confusion.
"Yeah. You're going to tell us why you got so damn quiet after Moori left."
"…Um, well, I—"
"Oh, my gods, something we agree on!" Tobi sat upright, placing his hands on his knees as he winked at Motoki, who stared back in shock. "I thought I was the only one who noticed! Dokira barely made a peep after Moori finished sharing that poem of his! What was that about?"
The young Dokira paused, hesitating as he tried to form the words to describe his feelings in the wake of Moori's departure the evening prior. "Well… after he recited it for us, I… I couldn't shake the feeling he was trying to tell us something, you know? But I also couldn't help but notice that he seemed… nervous. Scared about something he felt he couldn't say plainly. It didn't sit right with me."
"Oh, he didn't seem nervous to me though… And don't get me wrong, that poem was wonderful," Tobi said as he laced his fingers together behind his head and leaned back. "Every work of art is said to have a deeper meaning behind it, but I'm not sure if Moori was trying to convey anything in particular…"
"Nah, he was definitely trying to tell us something without telling us something, you know what I mean?" Motoki discarded the naked flower stem in his hand and sat upright, resting his elbows on his knees and cupping his chin in his hands. "My thing is, he's the Grand Elder, and shouldn't have anything to hide. With the way he's been running to Porunaga lately, it makes it seem like that old cricket's the Grand…"
"You'd better watch it, Motoki," Tobi scolded, "That's plain rude."
"Yeah, what's he gonna do if he hears me, wave his hand?" Motoki mimicked Porunaga's signature dismissal, waving his hand playfully at Tobi and Dokira. "Have you boys no sense," he mocked, imitating Porunaga's voice down to every wispy syllable, "The Grand Elder was simply providing a well-rehearsed bit of poetry. You should consider yourselves honored by his candor."
Tobi giggled and followed suit, mimicking the elder's voice as best he could. "Yes, never you young ones mind, there is no hidden meaning to be found, no subliminal messages whatsoever." He chuckled again and sighed as he stared upwards through the canopy.
"Still…" Dokira said as he twiddled his fingers in his lap, "Moori is the Grand Elder and even he has something he's afraid to tell the rest of us. I've been repeating his poem in my head and… I can't seem to shake the feeling that he really was trying to tell us something, I just… I don't know..."
"Hm… How does it go again," Tobi asked.
Dokira exhaled and closed his eyes. He spoke aloud in Namekian, soft and thoughtful as each syllable left his lips.
"For every tear of sadness is a smile full of laughter; for every moment of isolation, sweet camaraderie follows thereafter. For every dark and stormy night is a bright and golden day; for every moment spent lost, we come closer to finding the way. For every soul exists a match, hidden somewhere in the great beyond; for every person, two parts, forever joined in a fierce bond. For every light, there is a darkness, against every evil there will be good. Acknowledge the duality within, as always you should.
"My humble gift to you, these solemn words spoken; you are warrior and wiseman, head held high and heart wide open. Yours is the power of dragons and of demons; of an emerald people fair and a tribe clever and battle seasoned. Cloaked in deep shadows and armed with starlight, yours is the soul that illuminates the bleakest night. May you never surrender, never yield to the evil within, for you are the justice that stands above the lowliness of sin."
The three young Namekians sat together, silent as they mulled the words over. After some time, Tobi sighed loudly and said, "So beautiful…"
Sanshiva's heart seemed to stop as she, too, pondered the meaning of her father's words and watched the vision of the three men slowly fade away, until once more both she and Dokira were surrounded by an impenetrable darkness.
Dokira turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, and she gazed at him in shock. "We didn't know it then, but… He was talking about you!"
The young woman shook her head. "Not a chance," she mouthed.
"No, Sanshiva. Think about those words… 'Yours is the power of dragons and of demons; of an emerald people fair and a tribe battle seasoned.' That is you, and only you! You are the duality he spoke of! He was trying to tell us that a new little one, with a dark power and a heart full of light, had been born, and Sanshiva, I just… I just wish I figured that out sooner, for both of us." He lifted her face and continued, "I thought about those words almost every day for over a decade and it took this," he said, motioning to his ghostly form, "…to figure it out. I thank the gods every day that my son turned out smarter than me. It's about the only thing that makes me smile anymore…"
Sanshiva smiled weakly. 'Doji,' she thought. 'I hope he's alright…'
"I'm sure he's fine. He's a lot tougher than you might imagine. I bet you anything he's exploring all the nooks and crannies I told him to stay away from, now that I'm not there to bully him about it. He's a lot like you, you know. Scared but still somehow bold; inexperienced in many ways but a master in others..."
Her tears began to cloud her limited vision as she tried to hold them back. Dokira continued, "Sanshiva, being fused like this… I've seen every moment since your birth and Moori tried so hard to give you as close to a normal childhood as possible. He wanted you to live; live like any of us would have. He's probably back at the village right now, fielding a thousand questions about you and your powers and why he didn't just tell us all about you sooner… But he tried everything he could think of to give you a normal life for as long as he could."
Sanshiva stared back at Dokira, realizing with shame that he was right. Her heart ached once more as she remembered how horribly uncouth she'd been with her father shortly before he'd left for the meeting grounds, and she grimaced.
"If parenthood came with a manual, I'm sure a lot more of our people would be more apt to have children. But… your father gave it his all. And now, it's your turn to give it your all. Don't you remember what you told my son?"
Sanshiva's mind seemed to her a muddled mess as the pondered the last few weeks of her existence. 'I killed a man and orphaned his only child. I barely survived less than half of my trip in space; transformed again in front of who knows how many people and killed another person. I managed to blow up the elevator platform at a busy spaceport, probably killed those two guys that chased after us when I shot a ki blast at the tow ship… I don't even remember what I told that poor boy... I'm... I don't... But...' She struggled to finish the thought, and balled her hands into fists at her sides.
She had no words left to describe how she felt or what she thought she was. She stood shaking before Dokira, unable to explain the staggering wellspring of emotions and reactions the series of strange events had managed to pull from within her, but could have sworn that nearly anything that had come out of her mouth that day was surely the boy's father reaching out from within her.
"Every word and gesture to my little boy… was you," he said. Sanshiva stared at him in wonder as he repeated what she had told Doji the day she left. "…Come hell or high water, I will find a way to control this darkness inside of me, and I will come home to my people, where I belong."
"I don't think I can ever go back," she mouthed. She strained once more against the stabbing feeling in her chest and sniffled.
"Sanshiva, you belong on New Namek, and you know it. You knew it then, and you know it now. But the caveat here is that to live amongst our people peacefully, you have to master not just your power, but yourself. You cannot help any of us – not Doji, not me, not even your new friends out there – until you forgive yourself and push forward. You are not a monster, Sanshiva, you're a Namekian; the only woman of a race of proud warriors and wise wish granters, and within you lies a power the likes of which no one has ever seen."
Before Sanshiva could mouth another word, Dokira held his hand up, silently shushing her. "Your battle with Makeru was the second time you've transformed; you were able to control your body, instead of watching idly from within, as I am forced to do. You need to recognize that your desire to destroy everything in the wake of that fight was a direct response to emotional anguish; you were both angered and saddened that none of that gentleman's peers had stepped in to stop the injustices that continued under their watch; enraged that Hasana had been hurt by the same man that had tried to subdue you and upset that anyone – even Makeru – would choose death over repentance. Understand that the shadow within you is borne of the darker side of your emotions and that any actions thereof are a response to those emotions."
Sanshiva blinked and shook her head, confused that such a horrid transformation would be triggered by something as fickle as her feelings. She shuddered as she remembered the horrible rage that had consumed her during her last fight, and the scream she'd let loose in the wake of Makeru's public execution.
'That can't be how this whole thing works… Can it?'
"Your journey to Earth isn't just about landing your feet on that foreign soil. It isn't just about getting to Baba and hearing what she has to say, and it isn't about getting me back to my boy, either. No… This is a journey that will teach you things Moori never got a chance to: patience in study, grace in growth, and acceptance of both the good and bad within yourself. You might think yourself a monster, but… To our people, demons are creatures created to punish the wicked. You are not a mindless beast, Sanshiva, but an instrument of righteous fury. Remember that."
Sanshiva watched as Dokira's spectral form began to fade away; his body slowly disappeared into the darkness, and as she closed her eyes, she heard his voice one last time.
"Never surrender, never yield to the evil within. For you are the justice that stands above the lowliness of sin."
Several Hours Later…
"And that's why we have to get her to Earth…"
Hasana shifted nervously in the captain's chair and gulped as he contemplated the memories Sanshiva had given him access to. He glanced back at the bedroom door and wondered if she was alright; he could feel her energy, but in the time he'd explained the situation to Yumena and Bowa, something had changed about the young woman's life force, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"So, what you're saying is… We have to hope she doesn't transform into a giant shadowy monster during this whole trip?!" Yumena crossed her arms and gave Hasana a look of disbelief. "Nope, no thank you, I want off this ride."
"I told you, Yumena, if we're trying to play this safe, we can't make any stops. I know you'll be able to catch a ride elsewhere when we get to Earth."
"Hasana, how the hell do you feel safe around her?! You just said that she doesn't know how to make herself change, that she just… snaps, and then BOOM! Superpowered demon lady!"
"That's a crass way of putting it, but yes, she's still learning to control her powers and I am going to help her."
"Oh no, you're not. You're gonna get far, far away from her. That's what you're gonna do; it's what you need to do. She ate the soul outta one of your kind! Aren't you scared she'll do the same to y—"
"OF COURSE, I AM," Hasana bellowed. Yumena and Bowa stared back at him in shock. "…Yumena, I'm terrified. I am absolutely, unequivocally, undeniably terrified of that prospect." He looked through the windshield of the ship, watching as the stars drifted by, and sighed deeply as he spoke again. "I won't harbor any hard feelings if you two decide to part ways with us when we land, but know this: I will never, ever abandon the only woman of my kind while she struggles to carry a burden she never asked to shoulder."
Yumena tapped her foot rapidly against the floor and furiously stared out the window beside her. Bowa suddenly began to burble rapidly and slithered across the floor to Hasana, leaning his squishy frame against the arm of the chair as he continued his strange gurgling speech. He looked up at Hasana and the Namekian smiled, nodding as he said, "Thank you, Bowa. You'll make a fantastic addition to our little travel party." Bowa burbled contentedly before he spun around and stared at Yumena.
"Oh, you two must really like her something fierce," Yumena said crossly. Hasana blushed and stuttered as he tried to answer.
"N-no, no, Yumena, it's just that she helped us, and I—"
"Yeah, whatever. Never mind me," Yumena said resentfully, pointing to herself. "Never mind the fact that this old lady cares about you and doesn't want to see you die. Never mind that you'll be ditching me, someone who's known and cared for you for years, at the first sign of a pretty girl."
"I told you, it's not like that!"
"Oh yeah? If I'm your friend, you'll tell me what the hell has gotten into you. You keep going on and on about how she's the only girl of your kind, and that you feel some weird obligation to help her, but I'd put my life savings on a bet that you've fallen head over heels for her and you're too much of a scaredy-bug to admit it!"
He opened his mouth as if to respond but found himself struggling to find the words. Dejected, Hasana closed his mouth and turned back to the console, pressing a few keys to check the landing timer and flight coordinates to busy himself.
"Hmph. Some friend you turned out to be," the old woman muttered; Hasana grimaced as the words left her lips.
Suddenly, Bowa's expression changed, and he shot the elderly alien an angry look through amber eyes, wiggling as he stretched himself to stand in front of her. He made a series of deep bubbling noises, like a boiling kettle full of gelatin, and Yumena gasped.
"How dare you call me a coward! I shouldn't have to put my life on the line for some stranger! I'm nice, but I ain't that nice!"
Bowa drew his body out, making a larger, angrier version of himself, and stood at twice Yumena's size. He gurgled again, long and low, his body rippling once more as the sound traveled through him and he stared daggers at the old woman. Hasana stood up from the captain's chair and laid his hand softly on Bowa's squishy frame, desperate to calm the gigantic slime down.
"Now, now," he said, "It's alright. She really doesn't have to come with us, you know."
The massive Bollejian looked back at Hasana, and gurgled again; a distinctly deep sound, like an angry voice speaking through boiling water, emanated from his body. "Bowa not afraid, Bowa angry! Girl helped us, now girl needs help and Yumena too scared." He stuck his jellylike tongue out and made a mocking face at the old woman before bubbling out, "Coward!"
Hasana and Yumena's jaws dropped, and they looked at each other before staring back up in astonishment at the massive gelatinous alien. Yumena balled her hands into fists as she screamed back at him.
"OH, NOW YOU WANNA SPEAK THE COMMON TONGUE?!"
"Yumena, please, we don't have to fight—" Hasana walked forward and held the old woman back, Bowa still growling behind him. As she opened her mouth to launch a series of horrible epithets at the Bollejian, she seized up; her eyes rolled back and she fainted, collapsing into Hasana's arms like a shriveled doll. The young man huffed and set her down gently on the ground. He took off his jacket and folded it neatly, placing it gently underneath her head as he looked back at Bowa and reprimanded him for his harsh words.
"You shouldn't have said that, Bowa. Not everyone wants to run headfirst into danger, and none of us knows what'll happen when we get to Earth."
"San… San…" Bowa struggled with the female Namekian's name, shrinking to his normal size as he burbled it several times. His voice seemed to change, now light and soft, like a child's voice through a babbling brook. "San…shiva… is good. Sanshiva is strong and brave. Bowa wants to be like that, too…"
"You already are," said a voice from behind them.
Sanshiva emerged from the bedroom, beaming as she stepped onto the bridge. She had changed her clothes, no longer sporting the disguise Hasana had materialized for her. The young man stood up and stepped forward as he stared at her, draped in black gi and a purple belt that seemed to shimmer every time she moved, with thick black boots that shined under the lights and a deep purple cloak swathed around her shoulders. He sensed her energy, vibrant and lively, her skin seemed to sparkle. Her eyes shone like brilliant amethyst gems as she looked down at Bowa and patted his head, and Hasana's jaw dropped.
'She's… marvelous…' Hasana gulped and hurriedly closed his mouth, not wanting to seem rude, and blinked several times as he tried to stifle his thoughts.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Bowa, but was the common tongue I heard you speaking," the young woman asked.
Bowa nodded enthusiastically and burbled, "Bowa wants to speak like you."
"Well, that's very admirable of you, but I'm not sure I'd go around calling people cowards, especially not my friends," she said, pointing back to Yumena, still snoring on the ground. "Though I don't disagree with you, not everyone is made for a trip like this. So as soon as she wakes up, you owe her an apology. Okay?"
The Bollejian's smile melted into a look of shame, and he nodded slowly. He gurgled sadly and looked back at Yumena before peering up at the female Namekian. He bubbled out, "But Bowa speak… truth."
"Yes, and everyone needs a good friend like you with the courage to tell them the truth. But are you a friend enough to admit when you're wrong? Yumena was right, you know. She doesn't have to risk her life for a total stranger. As much as that hurts to hear, whatever she does with her life is her choice, and I don't blame her for not wanting to tag along."
Bowa nodded and slithered to the old woman's side, looking down at her with sad eyes. Moments later, Yumena sprang up, screaming gibberish and flapping her arms about, accidentally smacking Bowa in the face. Sanshiva chuckled as she watched the elderly alien come to her senses and smiled gently as Bowa shook his head and gurgled softly to Yumena.
"Bowa really sorry. Yumena not a coward," he bubbled.
Yumena huffed and said, "I'm too old for this! I almost get killed trying to get off a damn dinky spaceport, my only Namekian friend gets me roped into a trip with a monster that can't control herself, and you call me a coward because I don't wanna stick around for whatever weird, wild and dangerous nonsense comes next?!"
Bowa burbled sadly, apologizing over and over again as he wiggled next to Yumena. Hasana interrupted them and said, "That wasn't polite, Yumena. Don't call her that."
"No, no, she's right," interjected Sanshiva. "But she's stuck with this monster 'til we get to Earth."
'Something's changed about her,' Hasana thought. 'I thought… she hated that word…'
"Oh, well aren't you a ray of sunshine," Yumena asked sarcastically.
"Some good rest after getting shot at will do that for you," Sanshiva retorted.
"Yeah, okay, kid. For all I know you had somebody tied up back there, a snack for the ride to help you feel better. You gonna find a way to transform while we're sleeping and eat our souls, too? Hm?"
Sanshiva closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She breathed deeply, in through her nose and out through her mouth, before addressing the old woman sternly. "Listen, Yumena, I know you're scared of me, and you've got every right to be after everything he told you. But that doesn't give you the right to speak to me that way. I would never intentionally bring harm to you or Bowa or Hasana, and you should know that by now."
"Kid, I barely know a damned thing about you. I don't trust you."
"Yumena, she saved our lives," Hasana chimed in. "How could you not trust her?!"
Yumena chuckled mockingly. "Trust a monster?! Ha! You poor little boy… I thought I was crazy."
"Your distrust doesn't change the fact that this monster is the captain of this ship," Sanshiva said, pointing to herself confidently. "So, boys," she said, plopping herself in the captain's chair, "…given Yumena's stance on this whole escapade, I have to ask you… Are you two absolutely sure you want to stick with me after we land? No hard feelings if you just drop me off, you know. You can be on your way, and I'll be on mine."
Bowa burbled in an irritated tone. "No. We stay."
"That's right," Hasana said, nodding firmly. "We want to help you see this through to the end."
"…Even if you don't know when that will be," Sanshiva asked as she raised her brows. "Or if you'll be safe with me?"
Hasana and Bowa glanced at one another, and nodded in unison as they said, "Yes."
Hasana placed his hand on his chest, and the fabric of his casual disguise blended and changed to mirror the sharp, starched GA uniform he'd worn when they'd first met. Sanshiva smiled, noticing he had changed the trim and buttons to a deep purple hue and his cap bore a single violet-stitched star with a glittering spiral around it. He waved his hand in the air and a second cap materialized; he caught it and placed it playfully on Bowa's head, smiling as he bowed to Sanshiva just as he'd done on Jae-Ujani. Yumena rolled her eyes and scoffed as she sat back down, staring at the three of them with a distinct look of distrust.
"Bowa and Hasana at your service, Captain Sanshiva," Hasana said as he fixed his cap.
"At your service, Captain," burbled Bowa.
