"Nah."
While Recoome remained in a state of shock and Pui Pui remained in a state of confusion, Jeice said this without a moment of hesitation, the instant that he had heard the words from Salza's lips. The man in question, anticipating the former Ginyu Force members' skepticism, let out a light laugh, a vaguely mocking sound which only served to irritate Jeice further.
"I understand that it may be difficult to accept at first, but it is the truth. My lord is alive, and he has commanded me and my men to recruit you into his ranks." By this point, Recoome recovered, not sure whether to dispute Salza's claim or not, while Jeice was completely certain.
"Salza, hundreds of witnesses saw King Cold beat the ever loving crap out of the bloke, and you expect me to believe he survived that?" Recoome, still uncertain, raised a point.
"Well, it's said that Frost Demons can take an awful lot of punishment and still live to talk about it," he said. Jeice remained unconvinced.
"Even if he had lived, he can't have been conscious. Somebody had to help him escape, and I highly doubt anyone could accomplish that without being found out."
"You'd be surprised, tiny," Dore chimed in, causing Jeice to scoff at the insult. Salza pressed on.
"I was told by Jamba himself that he was the one who helped Lord Cooler escape," he said, causing Jeice to laugh out loud.
"Jamba?! That blue-skinned brown nose seriously convinced you that he committed treason against King Cold? That's ridiculous!"
"Is it?" Salza countered, giving his rival pause. "Tell me, what do you know about Jamba, really?" Jeice and Recoome looked at each other, unsure how to answer, while Pui Pui simply stopped much paying attention, knowing he wouldn't get the context behind anything they were saying.
"Well...he's got three eyes...he clones himself...he's bald...and kind of a prick," Recoome listed, to which Jeice nodded in agreement.
"And he's had his blue lips firmly planted on King Cold's arse for as long as anyone can remember," he finished. "He's as loyal to him as the Captain was to Frieza."
"Exactly what I had first assumed when he contacted me, my dear Jeice," Salza replied, ticking Jeice off. "But as I spoke with him for a long enough period of time, I began to understand how completely he has deceived the universe, King Cold included."
Jeice scoffed. "Is that right?"
"Indeed. The man is duplicitous by his very nature, although he may protest to the contrary," Salza said. "He already had a reputation for his cunning machinations on behalf of King Cold. Is it really so hard to believe he has had his own motives this whole time?"
Jeice and Recoome paused, thinking it over. It was true that Jamba was rumored to be the architect of a great many things in the empire: obstinate buyers suddenly becoming far more accommodating, troublesome individuals being swiftly eliminated, leaks of information being efficiently plugged before they can spread too far. After all, being able to be in many different places at once gave him a lot of leeway when it came to taking matters into his own hands. Both Recoome and Jeice had only spoken to the man a handful of times in their long years of service to the empire, but upon further reflection, he did tend to be a little...ambiguous in his responses. Like he somehow wanted different people to get different impressions of him, for what reason neither of them could figure out. Considering how frequently he was rumored to lie to everyone he met...was it far-fetched to assume that he was lying to King Cold as well?
Even though he acknowledged this point, Jeice still had his doubts.
"Okay, but who's to say that Jamba isn't just manipulating you all into committing treason as a test of your loyalty? Or, what if he's lying about Cooler being alive in order to use you all for his own ends? You could be walking right into a death trap for all you know, and I for one ain't letting you drag me and my friends down with you at the drop of a hat!"
Salza chuckled. "I'm hurt you have so little faith in me, Jeice. Naturally, I considered those possibilities, but Jamba provided sufficient evidence to back his claim."
"What kind of evidence?" Recoome asked.
"He was able to repeat every word that my lord had said to me during a private conversation thirty years ago, one which we had had in a room completely insulated from any possible means of outside surveillance. The only way that he could have obtained that information was from my lord's own lips, and he could not have obtained it through coercion."
Jeice and Recoome both looked at each other, more than a little skeptical.
"That's it?" Jeice asked.
"Doesn't seem like a lot..." Recoome added, to which Dore scoffed.
"Well, we're gonna be meeting him and Lord Cooler at our next assignment after this, the planet Metamor, once we've figured out what to do with you. If he's telling the truth about what Lord Cooler's been up to the last thirty years, then we're gonna be seeing a whole lot of changes happening all over pretty soon. And if not..." He glanced towards Salza, who chuckled.
"We have certain countermeasures in place," he said cryptically, to which Jeice and Recoome decided not to comment. Instead, Jeice raised another question.
"Why exactly are you going to all this trouble, even if Cooler is alive? You lot have been working for King Cold and Frieza way longer than you worked for him. If you've got problems with them, what makes you think he'll be much different?"
Dore scoffed again. "Lord Cooler isn't anything like King Cold and his brat! He ain't afraid to get his hands dirty and do some real work himself!"
Recoome cocked his head, thinking. That had been one of their main issues with Frieza.
"Not to mention, the rates that we received for conquering planets under his management were three times greater than the rate we receive now," Salza added. "With Cooler as emperor, we would be able to retire with quite some years left in our lives."
Jeice's eyes widened a bit. He knew all about the rates the Armored Squadron got for their work under the current regime. If they really had gotten three times that under Cooler, then...Jeice groaned.
"Look, mate, I'll admit, the offer's tempting, but...I just don't know. The last time we did a job in this business, all of our mates ended up dead."
Salza's eyes widened slightly before he nodded, one question answered. "Your hesitation is understandable, although I would be remiss not to point out that your options are rather limited in this situation. We still have our orders from King Cold, after all." Dore nodded in agreement.
"The way he explained it, you're either coming back as a part of the force again...or you're coming back in body bags."
Jeice winced. "Ah, bugger, he asked for proof, didn't he?" Salza nodded.
"I'm afraid so, my dear Jeice," he said, knowing it would annoy the red-skinned alien. "However...it may be fortuitous to bring you along anyway, and simply make up a story to explain your retreat. That way, you can hear Lord Cooler's offer from his own lips before making a decision."
Jeice and Recoome paused, looking at each other. Although the offer was phrased as a reasonable one, both of them saw the writing on the wall. The Armored Squadron was, on the whole, stronger than the two of them, even fighting alongside Pui Pui. If they rejected Salza's offer, he would have no qualms about killing all three of them in order to bring their bodies back to King Cold and thus keep up appearances. If they had Captain Ginyu or even just Burter and Guldo with them, they'd likely be able to ultimately triumph in an all-out fight. As it stood, however, they'd be lucky to take out either Dore or Neiz before Salza took them out. And, of course, if they died right there, they'd never become strong enough to kill the man responsible for killing their friends, or even to obtain a means of reviving them. Such an outcome was simply unacceptable. Jeice sighed, making the only choice he could possibly make under the circumstances.
"Deal," he said, to which Salza smiled, while Pui Pui looked on with doubt etched in his features.
"Excellent. We will leave within the hour," the blue-skinned alien replied. "Make whatever arrangements you need to in that time."
"One moment," Pui Pui interjected, causing everyone assembled to turn to look at him. "I have questions I must ask."
Jeice and Recoome remained silent while Salza spoke up. "Ah, yes...I don't believe I caught your name."
"Pui Pui," he said simply, to which Salza nodded.
"Right. Well, Pui Pui, go ahead. Ask your questions. From what I could tell, your power was rather impressive for a resident of a B-class world."
Pui Pui wasn't sure what that term meant, but he paid it little attention. "From what I have been told by Jeice and Recoome, Frieza wished to conquer the entire universe, as did his father King Cold. May I assume that this Cooler has a similar goal?"
Dore nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"In that case...your empire is clearly aware of my planet's existence. Their forces will attempt to conquer it at some point."
Salza nodded, figuring that blunt honesty was acceptable in this situation. "You are correct. In all likelihood, based on your own level of power, myself and my associates would be the ones sent in to do it, whether under King Cold or Lord Cooler."
Pui Pui nodded, expecting that response. "I have also been told that King Cold is very much like his second child. Is that also accurate?"
Salza grimaced. "Unfortunately."
"But you maintain that Cooler is not."
"What exactly are you getting at, flaky?" Dore asked somewhat roughly before Salza put up a hand, bidding him to be quiet. Pui Pui continued, somewhat annoyed.
"I desire to accompany you to this meeting," he said, surprising everyone.
"Wait, huh? I thought you said you couldn't see yourself serving anyone?" Recoome asked, to which Pui Pui scoffed as he turned around to face him.
"I cannot, and I will not," he said sharply. "However, if this Cooler is alive, and strong enough to achieve leadership of your empire, then he will inevitably turn his sights onto my planet sooner or later. I must learn who he is, both as a leader and as a person." He turned back towards Salza, determination in his eyes. "If what you say is true, if Cooler truly is a leader worth following, a man willing to fight and die alongside his soldiers, then although I will not serve him directly, I will not oppose him when he comes to conquer my world. If he is not...I will fight to my last breath to protect my world from his rule."
Neiz and Dore looked at him curiously, while Salza gazed directly into Pui Pui's eyes, attempting to get a read on him. "You would die," he said simply. "Lord Cooler's power is beyond your comprehension, and both me and my associates here are all more than capable of killing you in combat. Your death would accomplish nothing."
Pui Pui nodded. "Indeed...but I would die a warrior's death, all the same. That is all that matters to me."
He looked back into Salza's eyes with defiance, as if he were daring him to challenge what he had said. Salza couldn't keep a small smile from forming on his face. He was over twice as strong as this alien, by his own estimation, and yet, still the alien stood there, ready to fight him in a battle to the death. Such foolishness reminded him of how the Saiyans had been: prideful, arrogant, concerned only with growing stronger and proving themselves as warriors to be feared. It made him feel nostalgic.
"Very well," he said, a slight hint of newfound respect in his tone. "You may accompany us, Pui Pui. Make whatever arrangements you need to among your people before we depart."
Pui Pui scoffed. "I have no arrangements to make. I am ready to depart now." He turned towards his friends, who had listened to his speech with awe. "Do the two of you have anything you must do before leaving?"
The two of them thought this over for a moment before Recoome thought of something.
"We'll need to figure out where Burter and the Captain's bodies should go if you're gonna come with us," Recoome pointed out. "They've been sitting in two other pods a ten minute flight south of here, in order to keep 'em fresh."
This arrangement left Salza somewhat confused. "Well, I'm sure King Cold will be more than willing to give them a proper burial. Of course, it would be rather difficult fitting them both into one pod, but-"
"Their bodies aren't going anywhere," Jeice said firmly. "If we gotta stuff them into a single pod, fine, but otherwise, they're staying right where they are."
"Oh?" Salza remarked, curious. "And tell me..." he said, purple ki crackling over his right arm. "Just why is that?"
Jeice gulped. He couldn't allow for the Captain and Burter to be placed into capsules and launched into space, as was the custom for fallen soldiers of distinction. If they ever were revived, they would quickly suffocate, trapped in an airless capsule in the vacuum of space. It would be a horrific second death. All the same, Salza learning of the Dragon Balls' existence could be nothing but bad news. Still...it wasn't like he had a choice. He glanced at Recoome, who clearly had been thinking the same things, and took a deep breath before responding.
"It's...it's gonna take a while to explain."
Jamba leaned back in the pilot's seat of the recently commandeered Galactic Patrol ship, vaporizing his Frieza Force uniform in favor of a spare set of the unfortunate Galactic Patrolman's outfit. Having left the pilot's corpse on the planet where Jamba had encountered him, the Galactic Patrol ship was completely immaculate aside from the moderate damage that Jamba had deliberately caused to the ship's engines and exterior. To a trained observer, it would be easy to deduce that an average ship's weapons couldn't cause that kind of damage, as well as the fact that the ship's FTL drive was still operational at a reduced capacity. To Son Goku, however, someone who had had limited dealings with other life forms out in the vast reaches of space, Jamba was confident that his handiwork would convince the Saiyan that the ship really had been attacked by the Frieza Force. This would of course be helped immensely by the pulsar which Jamba had chosen to "strand" himself in, one whose regular cycle of intense electromagnetic pulses would give Son Goku hardly any time to think much about the situation. He had already sent out the message, which he calculated would reach Son Goku's ship within ten minutes. Then...all he had to do was wait.
Really, acting upon his plan had been the most difficult part for Jamba. After spending hours upon hours hearing every detail of the man's life story from Zuno, it had been incredibly easy for Jamba to ascertain what kind of person Son Goku was. He heard of his naivete, extremely prevalent as a child and never quite having gone away as an adult. He heard of his trust in the inherent fairness and goodness of people, a trait which held true most of the time, even now. He heard of his relentless optimism, an optimism which fueled his tireless, relentless push to grow stronger and improve himself, as well as his ability to persevere long past where most people would quit. And he heard of instances where his anger clouded his judgement, a risk which had only become more pronounced with his new "Super Saiyan" transformation.
Beyond all of this, however, he repeatedly heard instances of Son Goku's compassion, perhaps one of his most key personality traits. He heard time and again how Goku had gone out of his way to help others, risking his own life even when it may have been safer or wiser to leave well enough alone. He heard of how Goku had saved a turtle he had just met from a dangerous bandit who could have killed him and his friend Bulma. He heard of how Goku had saved a random mouse from being crushed to death in a cave in, simply for conveniently saving his life against the deadly General Blue. He heard of how Goku had refused to kill Piccolo Jr., a threat to the entire planet, if doing so meant that the innocent Kami would die as well, even when Kami was ready and willing to make that sacrifice for the good of the Earth. All of these choices ultimately led to a positive result, and showed both how Goku remained steadfastly committed to his principles and how those principles impacted others' perception of him.
And, yet, at the same time, Jamba had heard of his compassion's shortcomings as well. Like how his sympathy for his brother Raditz had persuaded him to release his hold on the Saiyan's tail, freeing the Frieza Force soldier and giving him reign to beat his brother into a bloody pulp as a thank you. He heard of how Goku had displayed some reluctance at the thought of killing Vegeta, a man indirectly responsible for killing several of his friends, out of the belief that he might be wrong about the Saiyan prince's ability to change for the better. And he heard of Goku's split second hesitation in killing Frieza, a man who had murdered untold billions, simply because he briefly didn't trust that he could make the right call in that situation, given how the Super Saiyan transformation was affecting his mental state. Many other people in his position would not have displayed any mercy when facing such people, nor would they think that such people could ever grow and change beyond what they were. Jamba knew at least that he had never considered Vegeta or Frieza capable of redemption. The fact that Goku could, for even an instant, be willing to consider such an idea demonstrated the validity of Jamba's own conclusion:
Son Goku was a good person.
Jamba couldn't help but chuckle at that. For as long as he had known of the Saiyan race's existence, "Saiyan" and "good person" being used in the same sentence seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. Their lust for battle and revelry in victory made them the ideal foot soldiers to Frieza's empire, which was all about crushing the weak underneath the boot of the strong. As such, Jamba hadn't particularly cared for them much, even if he had been just as dismayed and angry at their planet's destruction as he had at all the others destroyed over the years. Jamba wondered if Goku's uniquely good nature could be attributed more to his upbringing on Earth, or simply the result of traits that Jamba had not observed much in his service, but which were no less Saiyan in their origin. It may well have been both. But, in any event, how Goku had developed into such a good person wasn't nearly as relevant as the simple fact that he was one. A fact which made what Jamba would eventually have to do all the more difficult.
Jamba had already known that Son Goku would have to be dealt with simply because he was more than strong enough to kill Frieza, what had previously seemed to Jamba to be the biggest obstacle to his plans. The Chilled royal line was a threat to Jamba both through their raw power and their influence. The Planet Trade Organization's reach in terms of surveillance, even back when he had first initiated his plans, had presented a major roadblock, as did his lack of the means necessary to procure numerous ships and up-to-date maps of the universe. As the PTO offered easy access to all of these things, entering the organization's membership had been necessary, which he had managed to do early on in King Cold's reign. Rising through the ranks thanks to his abilities, he had been able to travel to many different worlds, learning the ki techniques they had to offer and growing stronger between all of his copies, some massively outpacing others. Of course, in the end, he could only reach so far with stronger individuals looking over his shoulder, making it increasingly difficult to move freely without detection. This, of course, said nothing of the indignity of serving beings as evil as King Cold and his family. Jamba knew that the current leaders of the PTO had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
And, just as Jamba had quickly deduced Goku's nature as a person, so he had also deduced that that very nature rendered his death an unavoidable necessity. Whereas the Chilled family would oppose him simply to maintain their own power, Goku would oppose him out of a sense of righteousness, a much tougher motivation for Jamba to deal with. Jamba knew that Goku could never understand why his actions up until that point were necessary, all taken in the pursuit of justice and a cause larger than himself. He'd quickly make his own conclusions without hearing everything Jamba had to say in his defense, writing him off as just another evil person for him to pound into submission. He would consider it his duty to stop Jamba, and as Goku's current course indicated, he didn't shy away from his duties. Having someone as tenacious as Goku opposing him was already a bad enough prospect, but throwing Goku's good nature on top of that just added salt to the wound. At least with the Chilled family, Jamba knew that the universe would be better off when every last trace of them was eradicated. With Goku, Jamba would be working to kill the man who killed Frieza and would go on to kill King Cold, saving trillions across the universe from a reign of terror that had lasted for centuries. He would be working to kill the kind of hero who only showed up a couple times in a generation throughout the entire universe. History would no doubt paint him as a villain.
Jamba sighed. He was hardly proud of his actions on many occasions, but he knew better than to consider himself a villain. The people of the universe would see the good that would come from all of this. Once the final stage of the plan was completed, the universe would be free of an unstoppable force of destruction, a cruelly apathetic entity with power simply beyond mortal comprehension. In one stroke, the old order of the universe would be washed away, providing an opportunity for a new universe to rise from the ashes. One where what had happened to him, and what he'd seen happen to countless others, could never happen to anyone again.
Jamba stretched his arms. The message had to have reached Goku's ship by now, meaning that the next phase of Jamba's mission to delay the Saiyan warrior would soon be underway. Taking a few deep breaths, he did his best to mentally prepare himself for the task ahead, setting his emotions aside and focusing on what he was going to do. What had to be done. So that it would all be worth it.
Goku, having been in the Super Saiyan state for quite some time, punched the wall of the training area with his eyes closed, severely denting the metal as his fist tore through it like an axe into a tree trunk. With that punch, his eyes opened, and he let out a cry of frustration seconds after he realized that he had failed yet again.
"Time?" he asked, doing his best to remain calm and failing miserably.
"Two hours, one minute, twenty-three seconds," the computer replied promptly. This did not improve Goku's mood.
"Two hours?" he muttered in a questioning tone, not quite believing he had been able to meditate for that long. When he fully processed just what he had managed, however, he only became angrier. "Two hours! Two! Hours! Two hours-!" he exclaimed, growing increasingly frustrated before finally slamming his hand against the dented wall with a cry of fury, causing a resounding clang to reverberate throughout the training area. When he had screamed out his frustrations to his heart's content, he again endeavored to calm himself down, but quickly found himself with only a few seconds in which to do so.
"Attention-" the computer began, causing Goku to turn towards the central console from which it spoke in a flash.
"What?!" he barked angrily, annoyed at the interruption. The computer continued, heedless of Goku's irritation.
"The ship's communication systems have just received an audio transmission on all frequencies. Analysis of said transmission suggests that it is a distress call, from a ship belonging to an organization known as the Galactic Patrol."
Goku sighed as he realized the importance of what the computer was saying. Clearly, he had a lot more work to do if he wanted to control his emotions in this transformation which he had unlocked. His ki decreased sharply as he returned to normal, finding it much easier to calm down.
"Can you play it back?" he asked, slightly tired.
"Affirmative. Beginning playback of recent transmission," the computer said before it complied with Goku's request.
"Mayday! This is an officer of the Galactic Patrol, calling all ships within range! I was attacked by a Frieza Force attack cruiser while on a diplomatic mission to the planet Arlia! I was able to fend off my attackers, but my ship has taken extensive damage, and I have been stranded near an unstable pulsar! If help does not arrive soon, within one, maybe two hours, I will run out of food and water! Please, I require immediate assistance! Repeat: this is an officer of the Galactic Patrol, calling all ships-!"
The sound of static rang loud and clear through the ship's speakers, preventing Goku from making anything else out.
"That is the extent of the transmission," the computer confirmed, leaving Goku with a simple choice to make.
"Can you locate where that message came from?" Goku asked, to which the computer paused for a moment before responding.
"Transmission source established. Coordinates: 468 by 327, mark 575. ETA: thirty-three minutes at maximum speed. Shall I set a course?"
Goku nodded, the correct decision obvious. "Do it."
"Adjusting course to intercept the source of the transmission..." The ship stopped in the middle of space, rotating until it faced the direction that the transmission had come from, a nearby star system which the ship had flown past the edge of. Once these adjustments were made, the ship took off from a standstill, reentering faster-than-light speeds as it soared towards its new destination. For his part, Goku sat down cross-legged in the center of the training area, thinking he could get at least part of another meditating session in before they arrived.
"Computer, alert me when we arrive and set a new timer," he said, to which the computer console beeped.
"Understood," it replied promptly, making the arrangements.
With this accomplished, Goku reentered the Super Saiyan state and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to take him to another place for a time.
When he opened his eyes again, he had just been brought out of his meditation by the computer's alarm, which Goku had designed the other day to be so loud to his slightly sensitive Saiyan ears that he would be brought out immediately. Ironically, this was the first meditation session which had not ended with him attacking something.
"We have arrived at the source of the transmission," the computer stated, to which Goku nodded, feeling more calm in the Super Saiyan state than he had before. Now that they were so close, Goku could clearly sense the presence of life nearby: a ki signature which was fading rapidly.
"Computer, can you give me a clear picture of the ship?" Goku asked.
"Affirmative. A visual image is now being transmitted to the viewscreen." As it spoke, a small screen on the computer console displayed a clear image of the ship from which the transmission came. Resembling a giant ladybug, the red, white, and yellow spaceship appeared to possess a cockpit big enough for one occupant, perhaps two with some difficulty, along with a lower level with an entrance along the back. Sections of the ship had clearly been torn off, and there were cracks in the glass of the compartment, cracks which could cause a breach if they worsened. No lights on the ship appeared to be on, but Goku could just barely make out the glow of one of the ship's control panels, which just barely illuminated a figure sitting in the cockpit, frantically pushing buttons. Goku knew he had to get that man out of there.
"Computer, can we, uh, connect to that ship somehow?" he asked, trying to figure out what to do.
"Negative. Docking system was designed by Dr. Briefs, but never implemented, as it was believed to be unnecessary."
"Damn. And we can't bring the whole ship in ourselves, it won't fit!" Goku put a hand to his face, trying desperately to think of something, his anxiety still much greater than it should be. He thought about exiting the Super Saiyan state in order to think more clearly, but decided against it for the moment. If he couldn't use this state and function well in a crisis situation, he definitely couldn't function well enough in a battle with King Cold and the rest of the empire's forces. He tried to think of what else he could do, and came to an epiphany. Instead of something he could do…
"Computer, what can you tell me about the layout of that ship?" he asked.
"The ship consists of a small cockpit on the first level and a larger second level containing simple quarters, a small amount of cargo space, and a control panel which grants access to the engine core. These two levels are connected to each other by a series of interlocking mechanisms-"
"Computer, stop for a second!" Goku interrupted, causing the computer to stop speaking instantly. "You said they're connected. Could the pilot...separate them somehow?"
The computer worked out the problem for a minute before beeping, signaling that it had determined the answer. "Affirmative. There is a mechanism capable of separating the cockpit from the rest of the ship, accessible via a control panel to the left of the pilot. The cockpit possesses its own limited engine, and thus could enter the hangar of a larger ship under its own power at a maximum speed of 50 kph. The cockpit is small enough to fit within the training area, but it would require depressurizing the entire compartment. Life support systems would require five minutes to bring the compartment back to a habitable temperature and oxygen level."
Goku nodded. "How long can we stay here?"
"Based on recorded emission patterns from the pulsar, an electromagnetic pulse will occur in approximately three minutes and forty three seconds, which will severely disrupt all critical systems."
"Got it. Reduce the gravity back to Earth levels and open the door to the training area as soon as I give the word. Plot a heading back on our original course and don't take off until the last possible second!" Goku took off from the console in a flash, entering his quarters and sealing the hatch behind him before reaching out towards anyone he could contact.
"Listen to me: I'm going to open the door to my ship, but you need to separate your ship's cockpit in order to fit, can you do that?!"
For a while, he didn't get a response, until a voice responded.
"Yes...yes, I can do that. Open the doors."
Goku nodded. "Computer, open the doors!"
"Affirmative. Training bay door is now opening."
The door, just barely wide enough for the cockpit to fit through, hissed open, leaking out air as it extended outwards. Shortly after, a series of mechanisms were activated one by one, eventually culminating in the release of the cockpit from the rest of the Galactic Patrol ship. Firing up its small engine, it rotated in order to fit into the opening the door created before slowly lurching forward, being extremely careful not to break anyway. In spite of this, the edges of the cockpit scraped against the door, which would have made a sickening screeching noise if the air had still been in the chamber. After some effort and a slight degree of further damage to both ships, the cockpit rotated back to its original position and deployed its landing gear. After registering the ship's presence in the bay, the computer began the process of sealing the chamber and restoring the air and temperature to sustainable levels.
"Galactic Patrol cockpit is now safely within the training compartment. Commencing re-pressurization."
Goku sighed in relief. "Great. Whoo! Good job," he said, not able to think of much else to say. "Okay, computer...let's get out of here."
"Acknowledged," the computer replied promptly. "Returning to original heading towards Planet Chilled."
With a slight jolt, the ship's FTL drive engaged once more, and Goku leaned back on his bed, still trying to remain in the Super Saiyan state for as long as he could. With nothing further to do but wait for the training bay to become habitable again, Goku decided to resume contact once more while having a small snack.
"Sit tight for just a few minutes, okay? The room's gotta warm up and fill up with oxygen again." After a pause, a new thought occurred to Goku. "You do breathe oxygen, right?"
This time, a response seemed to come a little faster. "Yes. I breathe oxygen."
"Phew! Alright, cool."
For a while, nothing more was said, before Goku thought of something else.
"Say, what's your name, anyway? Don't think I caught it in the message."
A handful of seconds passed before the pilot responded. "Jamba. Patrolman Jamba, at your service. And yours?"
"Goku," he replied before chuckling. "Jamba, huh? Kinda sounds like jambalaya. I like it!"
"Jamba...laya?" the pilot asked hesitantly, not sure what Goku was referring to.
"Oh, it's a dish from my home planet, Earth! See, you take some meat and vegetables, mix it all in with rice, and...oh, wait. You...probably don't know what rice is, huh? Okay, well, you get meat like sausage, pork, chicken, shrimp, and...you have no idea what any of those are." Goku paused for a moment before abruptly finishing his sentence. "It's really good."
After a longer period of silence, the pilot responded, "I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." Before Goku could come up with another good conversational topic, the computer chimed in.
"Attention: training bay now restored to habitable levels of heat and oxygen."
"Okay then!" Goku said, swiftly leaving his quarters and entering into the training bay chamber just as the pilot was opening the cockpit of his ship. He had been ready to greet Jamba with an enthusiastic hello, but stopped in his tracks when he got a good look at the pilot's face. The bald head and the three eyes immediately grabbed the Saiyan's attention, so much so that he only dimly registered the alien's blue skin color and his purple and white spandex uniform. Even with these distinctly different features in mind, it was hard for Goku not to make a particular comparison. As Goku mulled over the implications of this, Jamba turned to look at him with concern.
"Is something wrong, Goku?" he asked, all three eyes focused on him. Goku abruptly shook his head.
"Nothing, you just, uh...remind me of a friend, that's all."
Jamba smiled. He had anticipated some slight reaction to his appearance on Goku's part, given how long he had known Tien Shinhan, but he hadn't expected it to trip him up to this extent. Evidently, he reasoned, the Super Saiyan transformation heightened more than just one's righteous fury. It was understandable, of course: trying to stay in a transformation which fed off such feelings for long enough would set anybody on edge. On edge enough to make a mistake. On edge enough to not notice signs that a calmer person might have spotted before it was too late.
"I see," Jamba remarked politely. "Well...I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get acquainted."
"Well?"
King Cold sat on the throne of his flagship, it having been some time since he returned from Zuno's Planet. After dealing with some administrative matters, he was ready to rest before setting his plans into motion, his flagship being the preferred place for him to do so at the moment. It had been several years since he had launched it from the royal yard, sitting on the bridge, ordering his men around as they set about conquering planet after planet. It was almost pleasingly nostalgic, even if King Cold had never actually wanted to come out of retirement. The circumstances had forced his hand in the worst possible way. But, he reminded himself, he'd be able to correct that error soon enough.
Jamba, ever the helpful servant, stood behind him and to his right, having completed a critical task with another copy.
"The survivors of the Ginyu Force have accepted our offer," Jamba said. "Salza managed to convince Jeice and Recoome to return to your service, and have recruited an additional member: a man named Pui Pui, a native of the planet Zoon whom Jeice and Recoome befriended. They will be heading to the planet Metamor shortly, in compliance with your orders."
King Cold simply nodded. "I see. Well, in that case...have your copy tell them that they have new orders."
"Of course," Jamba replied automatically, his copy doing exactly that vast light years away, with hardly a second's pause. "The modifications to the cargo bay should give them the opportunity to grow significantly stronger than they are at present. Although, it will be some time before they are likely to arrive."
King Cold pondered this. "A fair point. I could certainly use sparring partners during my training." After a moment, he came to a decision. "Tell them to send their pods to the nearest Frieza planet for collection. You can pick them up in my personal shuttle."
Jamba nodded. "Very well, my lord. I am informing them of this arrangement presently. They will be delivered to you as soon as possible." After a moment, he dared to ask a question. "May I ask what your plans are at the moment?"
King Cold chuckled. "Well, I would certainly like to obtain the Namekian Dragon Balls as soon as possible, but at the moment, training to kill Son Goku in combat is of paramount importance. Have you managed to delay him?" Jamba paused for a couple seconds before shaking his head.
"Not yet, although I have managed to enact a scheme by which I may be able to delay him moderately. I simply need some time."
"I see. Well, if you can't manage it, it shouldn't prove to be much of a problem. Based on the information we were provided with, he does not have any means of growing too much stronger during his journey. I am confident that I will overcome him."
Jamba paused. "And the Namekian Dragon Balls, my lord?"
King Cold waved his hand. "Ah, there shouldn't be any real harm in leaving them for later. Based on what Zuno told us, there is no time limit on the resurrection of a single person, correct?" Jamba nodded slowly, prompting King Cold to continue. "In that case, whether I obtain them in a little over three months or a little over seven doesn't make too much of a difference. I'll just add it to the list of things I need to do once Son Goku is dead. I'll take care of it right after destroying this 'Earth,' wiping out the rest of Goku's inferior species, and making sure that nothing like what happened to Frieza will ever transpire again." After a few seconds, King Cold finished with, "I believe that summarizes what my plans are at the moment."
Jamba simply blinked. "I-I see," he said, noticeably surprised and internally pleased. He hadn't expected the king's plans to be so immediately accommodating to his own. It was, he thought to himself, a rather nice change of pace.
For a moment, nothing more was said between the two, until a question occurred to the old king. "Oh! Tell me, what have the Armored Squadron discovered about this 'Zoon?'"
Jamba took a deep breath. "It will take a couple minutes before I get a response, sir."
King Cold nodded, occupying himself by idly glancing around the ship and out the window, closely observing the massive star which Planet Chilled orbited. Between the size of the star and the vast distance between it and Planet Chilled, conventional scientific wisdom suggested that life should not have been able to develop on the planet's surface. And yet, develop it did, overcoming the planet's vicious cold, lack of typical nutrients, and a complete lack of anything which living creatures could breathe. These early extremophiles would give rise to a particular genus, one species of which would triumph over its rivals and achieve sapience. Naturally powerful, almost completely immune to disease, and hardly susceptible to hunger and fatigue, the Frost Demons considered themselves to be the dominant mortal species in the universe, with the Chilled royal line their greatest achievement. Generations of royalty had worked to organize an empire which would formalize this belief, which they viewed as a fundamental truth of nature. Frieza had come closer than anyone to accomplishing this goal, and may well have done it within the remainder of King Cold's life. Until...the impossible had happened.
The Saiyans were a modestly remarkable species, with a natural affinity for combat and abilities tailored towards growing stronger through survival that had made them perfect soldiers for King Cold's empire. With time, he was forced to admit, they would have become a worthy rival to the Frost Demons, at least in terms of raw power distributed throughout their population. And yet, for years, King Cold hadn't understood why Frieza was so afraid of them. Sure, he had heard the legends told about them, but there was no hard evidence that Saiyans with that level of power had ever existed. Even if one with such strength did arise, King Cold had assumed that there was no way that their power could possibly match that of the Frost Demon royal line, which had the potential to grow exponentially with each new generation. To say nothing of the simple superiority of the Frost Demons in terms of their physical abilities, abilities which no Saiyan could hope to match no matter how powerful they became. They had nothing to worry about, he had believed.
King Cold grimaced as he mulled over how wrong he had been, but also how Frieza had failed to correct such a grievous imbalance when he had the chance. Not killing Vegeta immediately after he realized that the prince had survived Planet Vegeta's destruction was the most obvious mistake, as the smoldering ruins of Frieza Planet 79 indicated quite clearly. Beyond that, Frieza seemed content not to address the possible danger posed by further stragglers outside of Vegeta's squadron, even though he was the one who had been worried about a single Saiyan rising to oppose him. And, of course, he hadn't bothered to engage in any serious effort at training himself following the destruction of Planet Vegeta, just to be safe. Such arrogant shortsightedness was one of several reasons why King Cold had made a particularly difficult decision regarding his son, one which he hoped was the right thing to do both for Frieza's sake and the sake of the empire. King Cold was so preoccupied with his thoughts that it took a couple seconds of effort on Jamba's part to return him to the present.
"Ah, right, of course. The analysis, Jamba," he said, slightly irritated at himself for getting distracted.
Jamba cleared his throat. "Salza reports a relatively primitive warrior race on the planet. The people have little in the way of organization, save a small monarchy located on the southern continent. The planet is B-class, although Pui Pui is a mutant with a power level rivaling Jeice and Recoome's. Assuming that he is a model for most of his people, he seems rather...anarchistic. He has agreed to lend his assistance purely out of loyalty to Jeice and Recoome. I highly doubt he would agree to work for us in an official capacity."
"Hm," King Cold remarked. "Still, the planet may have value. Perhaps I will send Salza and the others to conquer it once the plan has reached its conclusion."
At this, Jamba raised an eyebrow. "You shall send them, my lord? Were you not planning to return the empire to Lord Frieza once he has been resurrected?"
King Cold paused for a moment before sighing deeply. "I'm afraid not. I've been thinking about the unfortunate incident over these last few days, and I have concluded that my son simply cannot be trusted with leadership of the empire at this time. His errors have led to him being bested in combat, overwhelmingly surpassed by a warrior whose strength, and, indeed, whose very life, are a result of his own bad judgement." King Cold paused for a moment, considering how his son will react when he hears the news. "Before long, Son Goku's bloodline will be extinguished, and after I am granted the wishes I desire, I will personally hunt down every last Saiyan which has escaped my son's wrath, using the information that Zuno provided to me. Frieza will no doubt be enraged at losing his power, but...he will obey me. He always has."
"Particularly if you ultimately become stronger than him by the time he is revived," Jamba pointed out, to which King Cold nodded.
"Precisely. And, when Frieza eventually surpasses me utterly in terms of power, he will have proven that he is worthy of a second chance."
Jamba nodded before another thought occurred to him. "He may be less enraged at losing power than he will be at not being given immortality."
King Cold tilted his head, acknowledging the point. "True, but I'm sure that even he will be able to appreciate the importance of the second and third wishes I intend to make. ...He mourned as much as I did, after all." King Cold paused, the unpleasant memories coming back to him in full force. His voice hitched ever so slightly as he finished his thought. "He would want to make sure that he never loses her again."
Jamba nodded solemnly, leaving the king in silence for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Well...if you will transmit your access code to the shuttle, I shall depart for Zoon at once, my lord."
King Cold nodded dimly in response, his mind too preoccupied with unpleasant thoughts to notice the doors hissing open and shut as Jamba left the bridge.
Phew. Another chapter done.
I'm back in college now, and as I expected, further progress has been slower going. I'm at a bit of a weird disconnect to where I more or less have two chapters ready, but there's no chapter in between them, so I need to finish that in the next two weeks if I want to maintain a two chapter buffer. I have an idea of where I want to go with it, it's just a question of motivation and time in between a new load of college work. I'm not going to make any promises, save that I'll do my best to maintain the two-chapter buffer for as long as possible. I apologize for this note seeming a little rushed: I'm writing it as the clock nears 1 am the day I'm uploading this.
Anywho, let's get to responses!
Jokermask18 says:
"Another good chapter. Can I ask something: What if Chi-chi took up training and learned Max Power?"
I have given some consideration to Chi Chi asking for training at some point in this story, although I wasn't sure how far it would go. My main idea was her asking Tien, since I think it's readily apparent why no woman would want to train under Roshi, and possibly having Launch join in. I'm not sure if I'll ultimately go with that, though. I can definitely see her considering it after being helpless to save Gohan for so long.
Anonymously96 says:
"Great chapter
I think King cold might stumble across the third form bringing his power to about 150-200 million, probably more since he'll be training meaning he'll be able to actually be a challenge for Goku
Also think that King cold might send another force to earth to gather dragon balls for him or something, he seems crafty enough for that
However I also reckon that since Goku has almost 4 more months, and he's spending most of his time as a ssj, maybe he'll be able to gain partial mastery over the form, therefore improving both his multiplier and base strength
I think he might discover the super Vegeta form if the going gets tough against King Cold or something
Other than that, isn't cooler way to weak to be of any threat to Goku and company and Tien is so below piccolo atm that Piccolo would probably benefit more from training alone right now, until Tien gets to at least 20-25% of Piccolo's power
Update soon"
Well, you'll have to find out what ultimately happens with those two in the coming chapters. As for Cooler, remember, that total's only for his *fourth* form. We all know what else he's got up his sleeve.
And with Tien, although he's definitely way too weak to help Piccolo much, he's still a sparring partner, and will get a lot stronger. And he may well help out in other ways...
RKF22 says:
"Excellent work can't wait for more"
Why, thank you!
Gojiranger says:
"I wonder how Recoome and Jeice will react to the revelation that Cooler is still alive? I assume that they'll accept his offer to work for him, but how loyal they'll be is more questionable.
Also, nice reference to Pui Pui's servitude to Babidi in canon when talking about being "a solider or a servant". I like that.
Sucks that we'll have to wait a while to see what's become of Vegeta but, hey, that's cool, this arc's still looking good so far.
Good chapter, looking forward to the next!"
Well, now you have your answer to the first question, lol. And yeah, they're not all that loyal, given their previous bad experience, but they're going along with it at any rate. I didn't even really intend to make a reference there: that line was more sculpting out Pui Pui's personality in a canon where he hasn't yet been put under Babidi's control, and may never be.
Like I said, he'll be gone for now, but when he shows up again...it's gonna be a doozy.
mastercheif1229 says:
"Incredible chapter! I can't wait for the next one!"
Glad to hear it!
CosmoCatte says:
"Another really great chapter, and quite the enjoyable read!
First and foremost I want to say that I really like how Goku and Gohan are actively affected by the going-ons around them. Much like in my own story, you seem to be taking a more realistic approach on how they would cope (or be unable to cope) with certain losses and tragedies, and in the world of DBZ fanfiction, that's a surprising rarity to come by in a fighting-focal fic.
This saga is definitely starting to ramp up, and has me curious of where exactly things will go and if there will be any MAJOR twists. Given that this isn't really based on any full, established arc, I can't even take an educated guess, and I like that. It means that you're really making something of your own.
I don't know how to feel about Piccolo and Chi-Chi. I can kind of accept it on the basis that Kami and Piccolo merging canonically tames him, but I feel as if he was almost too extra with it all. I almost would have preferred a more reserved version of the same scene - the same sentiments but portrayed in a more gruff/short way on the part of Piccolo.
Still, I like that Gohan isn't being instantly allowed to train with Piccolo, as if he was I'd probably see it as a bit OOC on the part of Chi-Chi.
The Ginyus are going to side with Cooler, then, huh? Curious to see where that goes! I get the feeling that they'll play an important role in the chapters to come, even if it's more of a minor role.
I'm a little disappointed that you plan to write the Kaio-Ken and Super Saiyan as completely incompatible. It would be cool to see the Super Kaio-Ken in a story not of my own creation - even so, I understand the logic behind it.
All in all, a great chapter that I could only really nitpick in some places!"
Thanks for the long review!
Yeah, writing stuff like that, stuff which really gets into the emotions the characters are experiencing, has honestly been my favorite part of writing this fic. I'll be honest, I've always been a little doubtful in my ability to write really gripping DBZ fight scenes, but scenes like that come much more easily to me. And yeah, the arc is definitely taking some twists, twists even I hadn't expected with the first draft of it, lol.
Eh, I can understand that, but I think Piccolo would be pretty remorseful about all of that, to the point where he would make gestures he wouldn't make under ordinary circumstances in order to convince Chi Chi of his sincerity. And yeah, Chi Chi letting Gohan train with Piccolo right now would be completely out of character, in my opinion.
Yup, the Ginyus and the Armored Squadron will definitely be playing a part in all of this, although not for a bit. And as for the Kaio-ken and Super Saiyan, that seems to be the position in canon as of Super, so I elected to err on the side of caution on that front. I know Super Kaio-ken is a dope transformation, but I think I prefer it like this. Kinda lets the other characters take the Kaio-ken out for a spin, you know?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Luckily for me, there aren't really any changed power levels here, so I can leave that be. With all that said, thank you all for reading, have yourselves a fantastic day, and take care.