Dragon Ball: Pain and Providence

by TophFan1

What if Bardock did one little thing on a whim that resulted in several more Saiyans surviving? How do you think things will shake out?

This is an idea that I have had bouncing around in my head for a while. A what if fanfiction where a few more Saiyans survive the annihilation of the Saiyans. I will try to follow canon, but fair warning I will insert original content to plug blank spots never adressed in cannon and with the exception of Brolly's new backstory and a little bit of Bardock's backstory, I really don't like a lot of Dragon Ball Super even more than i dislike some parts of GT, so I will probably disregard some canon mainly because universe 6 is just too cringe for me to handle among a few other gripes. I will use Super's Bardok though. Also, because it wasn't totally specified in Minus my take on Kakarot being in the nursing capsule for three years is a combination of Gine having kakarot placed in the gestation tube as an embryo during her first or second trimester (I think it is probably illegal to was a natural birth on planet Vegeta) and Saiyan gestation being a little longer than human gestation. But anyways, if this story has enough steam I'll take it all the way to Super with a mix of GT but lets not get ahead of ourselves because I am starting this story all the way back during the destruction of planet Vegeta and even if I get that far the story will have diverged quite a bit by then.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based work of fiction. Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT & Super are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama(RIP). Please support them.

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Chapter 1

Age: 737

"I wish for my sons to thrive."

A muscular man in Saiyan battle armor slumped forward, his broad shoulders and face coming into the light as he stepped out of an attack pod. Scratching an "X" shaped scar on his cheek, he thought aloud, "Hmm, been a while since I thought about that wish... Wish, maybe..." as he nealt reaching for the scouter off a small green four-eyed woman wearing a black undersuit with unisex black and gold armor over it. If he remembered correctly, the creature was known as a Boulean. He snapped her neck a few minutes earlier. 'Just as well,' he thought. 'Can't have any witnesses. Besides, her armor will fit my son perfectly.' After a few minutes of fiddling, he grinned, confident he had successfully disabled the monitoring device in the scouter without sending a tampering alert. It would just look like the device had been turned off or destroyed to anyone monitoring the scouter's signal. Normally, attempting to disable Frieza's listening feature would earn you a swift death, but now, with things as they seemed, he figured he would risk it. After all, this wasn't the first time he had altered a scouter, and it certainly wasn't the first time he had broken one of Frieza's rules. Besides, if he was right, it soon wouldn't matter anyway. Then, holding the scouter to his ear, he spoke, "Monaito, this is Bardock, can you hear me?... Monaito, can you hear me?..." A few moments passed.

"worth a shot," he spat as he dropped the scouter and returned to the work of readying the stolen attack pod for his son and stripping the clothing off the tiny alien's corpse silently greatful the creature didnt evacuate her bowels when he snapped her neck. "well that should do it. I better get back to Gine with this thing." he muttered as he closed the pod after tossing the armor and bodysuit in it and began to lift the pod up.

"Is that you, Bardock? I'm here."

Bardock dropped the pod and looked around, startled by the voice until his eyes fell on the scouter on the floor. He walked over to, and picked up the scouter once more. "This is Bardock. I can hear you."

"Bardock!" Came the voice from the scouter "Forgive me I am unfamiliar with this device. It has been sometime since I have heard from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"No pleasure I'm afraid. In fact I'd like to ask you a favor or more specifically a wish. Are you in a position to grant such a request quickly?" said Bardok

The scouter remained silent for several seconds. Perhaps it was the delay of communicating over vast distances or maybe it was Monaito mulling over what to say. "I may be able to but what is it you want to wish for?" Came Monaito's response.

"If I'm right and I know that I am, Frieza is about to destroy our planet with all my kind on it. So, I wish for my people to be saved from Frieza and his forces." Came the immediate response of Bardok without a drop of hesitation.

A few more seconds passed then Monaito's voice came through the scouter again. "I have the balls but I'm quite certain that wish would be impossible. Stopping an extinction level event by one so powerful goes well beyond Toronbo's power."

Silence fell and Bardok dropped to his knees with it. "Well thank you for hearing me out old friend. I guess this is goodbye." He said breaking the silence as he reached for the red button on the side of the scouter.

"Wait Bardok! ..." Monaito declared mere moments before Bardocks finger reached the button that would terminate the call. "While I dont know all the details of what is going on where you I can wish for you to be transported here so at least you may live." Monaito finished."

Bardok frowned at the unintended swipe at his sense of honor. "No. You should know me better than that! I will not run away. I certainly won't abandon my family or the few people I actually give a damn about. Thanks for nothing Monaito!" He growled before terminating the call and grumbling "waste of time!" Under his breath as he lifted the pod and grabed the little green corpse, worried incinerating her with a ki blast would alert anyone nearby but also concerned that leaving the corpse here would raise too many questions." I guess I can throw it in my spaceship and dispose of it somewhere tomorrow". Finished with his task here he flew off, to collect his wife Gine.

Meanwhile on planet Cereal

"Thanks for nothing Monaito!" Chimed the scouter before falling silent.

'Goodness, I seem to have struck a nerve.' Thought the Namekian known as Monaito as he stared at the now dormant scouter on the table in front of him. 'I shouldn't be suprised. Running away is not in his character but I feel I owe it to that impatient jerk to do something.' His thoughts continued as he made his way to a drawer and pulled out two large marbles. He then walked outside and took flight, taking a moment to savor the view of the valley below as he hovered above his quaint home before moving on to a secluded clearing near his home. Landing he pulled the two orbs from his pocket and placed them on the ground. "takkaraputo tottoronbo pupirittoparo" spoke Monaito in namekian and in a flash of light the axolotl-like dragon Toronbo appeared. "I have a wish to make on behalf of a friend. Will you hear my wish Toronbo?"

"Yes I will hear it, and if it is within my power I will grant it as well." Replied the eternal dragon.

"Ah, yes... well my friend's people face genocide and I wish to help him and do what I can. Can I wish that all of his people be transported to another world?" asked Monaito earnestly.

"Im afraid not." came the dragon's response. "Might I suggest you narrow the scope and broaden the nature of your wish to increase it's effectiveness?" It continued.

Monaito paused in contemplation. 'It's as I feared. A great deal of restriction is incurred when dealing whith a two ball set versus a traditional seven ball set of dragon balls. I'll have to settle for bending fate rather than outright denying it.' he thought. Then as his thoughts continued he remembered Bardocks last words to him

'I certainly won't abandon my family or the few people I actually give a damn about. '

'that's it!' Monaito thought. "Eternal dragon. If not that wish then how about this? I wish for those closest to Bardock's heart to be given the best possible chance at escaping Frieza and his forces with their lives."

There was a pause of serveral seconds thats seemed to stretch on for minutes before the dragon with now brightly glowing eyes responded "YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED" before the dragon disappeared and two dragon balls to shoot off in separate directions, one of which Monaito was able to fly into the air and catch.

"I hope you're happy Bardock. It will take me forever to find the other dragon ball again." exclaimed Monaito to nobody while smiling, hopeful that he had made a difference on his friend's behalf.

Back on Planet Vegeta

The Saiyan known as Leek stepped out of the gestation clinic cursing his luck. It had become a masochistic ritual of sorts for him. Everytime he got shore leave back on planet Vegeta he would go to the gestation clinic to get his power level measured, to submit a sperm deposit and to learn that nobody had deigned to make use of his previous sperm deposit and like that offering, like every prior offering, had been found substandard and thrown out. His story wasn't all to uncommon. It was the lot in the life of a low-class warrior with a low power level. At 950 he was just below Taro as the weakest member of Burdock's crew, even weaker than Fasha, the only female warrior on his crew who sat third from the bottom power-wise at 2,000. That being said the rest of the crew were veritable freaks who where only considered low-class by circumstance of birth. Honestly speaking even an elite like Commander Nappa would probably get his ass handed to him if he fought Bardock or his second in command Tora.

"Shit this sucks!" He grumbled in exasperation. 'At this rate I will never have a legacy. I'd settle for that cow that works with Bardock's wife entering a reproductive agreement with me; shit I'd even marry if thats what it took. Avaca. I think thats the woman's name. Maybe I'll...' He thought as he made his way to the second stop in his masochistic ritual, the bar. Just as he began to round the second corner of his backalley shortcut to the bar he heard someone shouting.

"Parma! What have these monkeys done with my sister!?" Came a frantic shout of a little green four-eyed Boulean in Saiyan, or rather Frieza Force armor.

"Fucking tourists." cursed Leek as he looked at the commotion taking place a good distance away. Looking at the group he decided it best not to get involved. Individually, he felt he could take any one of them but there where a half dozen of them and he didnt need the hastle so he elected to hang back for a moment hoping they would move on.

"Take it easy Guldo. Im sure she just turned her scouter off to have some fun at the cathouse near the spaceport you know." said a blue skinned alien with a reptilian tail.

"Fool! Bouleans dont have intercourse. We fertilize our females' eggs after they are deposited in a tub of stagnant water." Stated Guldo with a strange air of smugness.

"No wonder you're green." Said the blue reptilian.

"No! something has happened to her. While her powers are weaker than mine all Bouleans have basic psychic abilities. That means we can sense one another but I can't sense her anywhere now! I'm glad Lord Freiza is planning to wipe these monkeys and their whole damned planet out. I can't stand these filthy apes!" Screamed Guldo as a the viens bulged on his head.

"Shutup you fool!! You know that is classified! Do you want to get us all killed?!" Said third member of the group a roughly humaniod fellow save for an extra set of arms.

Opon hearing Guldo's outburst Leek felt a cold chill run down his spine. It was all he could do to force himself to tip-toe away until he felt he was out of earshot at which point he took off flying away as fast as he could, praying to all the gods he didn't believe in that he hadn't been noticed. 'Shit, Bardock was right.'

Guldo took a moment to calm himself. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry for my outburst. Just to be safe we should be sure that nobody is nearby. Ah Recoome, you're the only one who has his scouter on. Were there any readings in close proximity to us?"

"Sure, I'll check little buddy. Just give me a second to turn it on." Said a large mountian of a man with a mop of red hair on his head.

"Why is your scouter turned off?" Deadpanned Guldo

"I thought we where going to a cathouse. Also, hey um Guldo... I cant read." Answered the big redheaded brute, Recoome innocently.

"Give me that!" Demanded Guldo as Recoome offered the device for Guldo to impatiently snatch it away. Guldo held the device to his face and focused on the information scrolling across the device's HUD. "Ok, it looks like the nearest reading is well over a kilometer away. I'd say we are clear." Stated Guldo as he returned the device to Recoome.

"Say, Guldo you're really smart but you're puny. What if you teach me to read and I'll help you come up with a workout plan?" Said Recoome with some enthusiasm.

Guldo blushed for a moment as he considered his his powerful friends offer. "Ok...sure. But I really must see to my sister's whereabouts first."

"Maybe she's just out of range. She did tell you she was returning to Frieza's ship. Right? Maybe they gave her an assignment and she's off to another world." Recoome said playing to his one and only mental strength; not overthinking things.

"Ah, that must be it. You're a lot smarter than you put on Recoome." Guldo praised, his spirits now greatly lifted.

"Thanks! Say Guldo. Why do we have to turn our scouters off to go play with cats?" Asked Recoome as the began making their way back to their ships.

"I take back everything I just said about you." Guldo deadpanned as the group continued on their way.

Meanwhile on Planet Meat

Four Giant apes at least 20 meters tall with long prehensile tails where laying waste to the population of planet Meat. There was a large orb of energy flickering in and out in the sky like a dying flame. The first ape was wearing a pink bodysuit without legs or sleeves with white gloves and boots. One leg sheathed in a golden legging and gold and black armored torso piece held up by a single golden shoulder strap. It open it's mouth and unleashed a beam of energy that annihilated the mountain obstructing its path. The second of the four great apes wearing light blue battle armor with shoulder hip and crotch gaurds came up behind the first ape and placed its hand on the first apes shoulder.

The first ape turned back and saw that the third and fourth ape had ceased their assault. The first ape growled out the word "F-iy-N" with a deep and horifiyng grumble. The four apes then closed ranks and turned their backs to one another and scanned the horizon for several agonizing minutes, and waited.

A time had passed and the apes began groan and shrink, hair and fangs receded to reveal not four giant apes but four fearsome saiyan warriors. The first was a female with short cropped hair, a well defined musculature and heavy build almost out of sorts with her petite frame. Her name was Fasha. The second was a tall man with a well defined physique and short black hair. His name was Toma. The third was a tall, bulky, muscular Saiyan wearing shoulder gaurdless battle armor but no undersuit. He had big strands of black hair on the sides of his head, but was bald on top. His name was Borgos. The fourth and final saiyan had bowl shaped hair with a thin mustache and was bulky with large powerful arms but clearly obese was named Shugesh who like the third Saiyan prefered to forgo the use of an undersuit.

"That was good work today guys." Stated Toma as he turned and gave Shugesh a pat on the back.

Shuggesh chuckled in camaraderie "Fasha wasn't half bad herself. Were my ears decieving me or where you speaking in your ozaru form. Say, why don't you let me father your children when we get back to planet Vegeta?" He teased, chuckling as he wrapped a hide skirt around his exposed lower half.

"Get in line scum! As if I'd ever let one of you clowns reproduce with me." She growled while she nonchalantly stretched the collar of her suit and armor down exposing her breasts as she dug for and produced two golden earrings that she always took off before transforming, then attached them to her ears. Truthfully her time in her ozaru form was still pretty blurry, but lately she'd started to get a better handle on the form to the point, with a bit more practice, she was sure she could obtain total control.

The others clearly unfazed by her exibition continued their chat. "She only has eyes for Bardock don't you know." Chortled Borgos. "And she won't settle for a reproductive contract either. No, she wants to be made a wife! Ha Ha Ha ha ha" continued Borgos, dangerously close to striking a nerve while stepping into a pair of baggy pants.

They weren't wrong but they where really rubbing salt in a old wound. She briefly thought about ripping Bogos's momentarily exposed manhood off. He was twice her power level but she just might be able to pull it off while his guard was down. Known throughout the lower ranking Saiyans for being particularly vicious and cold blooded she just might've done just that but her crew knew her well, perhaps too well.

-several years ago-

Their crew landed where they where greeted by the royal family of who's planet they where about to destroy. Bardock offhandedly made a comment about the queens earings looking nice and Fasha proceeded to pilfer them from the decapitated queen's head when their work was done.

--

She began to tighten her hands into fists. Her one sided love for Bardock was clear to all. There where even Saiyan elites who had proposed exclusive breeding contracts that came with the caveat of offering her class reassessment. By Saiyan standards she was an absolute bombshell that almost any Saiyan man would give his tail to lay claim to but the problem was that she didn't want a man to lay claim to her ovaries; she wanted a man to lay claim to her heart. Unfortunately, the only Saiyan man sentimental enough to pursue a womans heart already found what he wanted in the form of a tender hearted compassionate and kind woman. In short Bardock was drawn to the most un-Saiyan of her kind and woth the exception of her aberrant desire to be loved she was a quintessential Saiyan and simply couldn't compete.

She took a step forward intent on attacking but Tora stepped forward. "Thats enough you two." He said immediately diffusing the situation. "We need to contact Bardock and see if we have any further orders before returning.

"Bardock's going to be bummed to hear he missed all the fun. He was supposed to join up with us when he and Leek finished up with those weaklings on the last planet. Wonder whats holding them up?" Interjected Borgos.

Tora frowned as he produced his scouter and placed it on his ear with the lense covering his left eye. "This is Tora, second in command of team Bardock, we have completed our cleansing of planet meat. I repeat. We have completed our mission."

"Ah... Tora is that...you?" Came the scouters response

"Leek! Good to hear you but where is Bardock? By the way you sound a little winded. The natives giving you trouble?" Toma asked with a smirk.

There was a long pause before leeks voice came frome the scouter again. "Not at all. We finished up there a couple days ago. Bardock said he had something to do with his wife so he has me manning our frequently. We are actually back on planet Vegeta, everyone is, didn't you know?" Said Leek, a hint of urgency in his voice.

"No I'm afraid it's hard to use a scouter or answer calls when we're in our ozaru forms." Said Tora, he smirk beginning to slip a bit.

"There was a an order for everyone to return to planet Vegeta. Something about Frieza wishing to address all the Saiyans." Said Leek.

"I see. Then we will be along shortly. " Said Tora after a short moment of consideration.

There was a long pause before Leek's voice came through the scouter once more. "Hey Tora... well... um it's a real Sadala bowl over hear ya understand?... just don't want you to be suprised by um how crowded it is. I uh gotta go Tora."

"So it's a little crowded. When did that runt become so timid?" Said Borgos.

Tora held out his hand as if to demand silence and with his other he removed his scouter and crushed it by closing his fist around it. He then looked up and held out his broken scouter. Satisfied they all understood and at least turned off their scouter he addressed the crew. "He didn't say salad (a common pejorative for too many Saiyans in one place). Saiyans eschew that vulgar term. He said 'Sadala' our original homeworld which was rendered uninhabitable if not outright destroyed." Said Tora.

"What do you think he was trying to tell us?" Inquired Shuggesh.

"Isn't it obvious? Bad shits going down and he didn't want Frieza to know that he knows." Offered Borgos.

"Hmm. Whatever the case I think it best to hold off on returning to planet Vegeta, at least until we know more. I'll turn my scouter back on and listen for any incoming transmission. Everybody keep your mouths shut and no outgoing calls. With any luck we can pretend we've been indisposed and unable to hear any transmissions in our ozaru forms if questioned later. Got it?" Replied Tora in his most commanding voice.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The waiting game it was.

back on planet Vegeta

"... I uh gotta go Tora." -click-

Leek shut off the scouter and put it away as he silently cursed himself,concerned he may have tipped his hand to any of Frieza's lackeys that might be listening in.

(little did Leek know the surveillance officer's where short-staffed that night as a Boulean named Parma didn't show up for her shift leaving his call and a few others totally and serendipitously unmonitored that night)

He was in his apartment, rifling through his things, haphazardly throwing items he deemed important in a duffel bag. Realizing he didn't have a plan, he stopped what we was doing and took a moment to calm down and collect his thoughts. "I hope Tora caught on to what I was trying to tell him though." Leek thought aloud. "Either way, I gotta get off this planet somehow. But first I should find Bardock. Im sure he has a plan. He always has a plan."

Coming to the conclusion that Bardock would know the best course of action, given what he learned, he grabbed his duffel bag and left his apartment, setting out for Bardock's home. As he arrived he spotted Taro the only other member of Bardock's crew currently on planet Vegeta standing at the door of the ship Leek and Bardock arrived on.

"Taro what are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey Leek. All missions are currently on hold so I just came to get a few things from Bardocks ship since it looks like we'll be here a while." Taro replied with a half annoyed expression. "Frieza isn't allowing any ships to leave until all the Saiyans are gathered so he can inform us of his plans for us going forward." He continued as he closed the bag he had been collecting his effects in before standing with the bag slung over his shoulder and finishing his thought "I don't mean to sound like a kook or a coward but something doesn't smell right."

Leek froze in a moment of indecision before deciding to share what he learned. "Hey before you take that bag home you really need to hear something" trying to compose himself and hold the most no nonsense face he could muster.

Sensing the seriousness in his friends voice he sat his bag down and nodded. Leek carefully told Taro everything he had overheard while hoping it didn't sound as outlandish to Taro as it did in his own head.

Having recounted the events leading up to their meeting at Bardock's ship Leek scratched his head and finished, "Anyway, thats why I'm here. I figure if I told Bardock he'd be able to come up with a plan.

Taro just stood there for what seemd like minutes before responding curtly, "I believe you." Which caused Leek to let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. Taro continued. " I'll go with you Bardock's home is just across the promenade and I see the light still on at the entrance. Let's go now.

Leek hesitated for a moment then nodded as they both started walking towards Gine's butcher shop. Bardock and Gine lived at the back of the shop and the entrance was still lit so it was safe to assume they where home. "Say Taro do you have any family?" Leek asked carelessly.

"What, that's an odd thing to ask? Well, I was born at the gestation clinic same as you. ...I recently learned me and commander nappa share a mother." He paused to shiver at what must no doubt be a horror from his memory. "Some woman who used to be a warrior but after being crippled she's just a whore who lets any warrior, elite or low class, take a shot at impregnating her and producing a legacy, provided they can pay. She has no pride,...filth! Far as I'm concerned she's not even a Saiyan and she's no more my mother than the nursury pod I gestated in." ~pauses~ "She drops by the gestation clinic every so often to have her uterus cleaned out and to have the contents droped into a gestation pod. I'm sure your origins aren't much different right?"

Leek was shocked by the candidness of what Taro had said. Privately he thought it likely he learned of his heritage because he probably visited her to make use of her services only to learn why he was one of the few people she couldn't offer her services to. What a way to meet your mother. "Actually my birth didn't involve any couple's interaction. My zygote was formed from the start in a gestation tube and transfered to a nursury pod later." It happened every few years to a decade. In order to maintain genetic diversity certain sperm and eggs where selected from the clinic's banks to produce offspring from fallen warriors to ensure the gene pool of the Saiyan race never grew shallow. "So, does your biological mother still 'work' or ... well, still do that?" Leek finished immediately feeling like a fool while also fearing his comrades response.

"Why? You want to fuck her? Hahaha." Taro cackled in a somewhat forced manner suggesting his pride may have been forcing to conceal his true feelings.

"Anyway we're here." Leek said hoping desperately to end the conversation.

Taro nodded. "Right." He confirmed as he stepped forward and announced their presence. "Bardock. It's Taro and Leek. Sorry to bother you but we have an important matter to discuss."

A short obese woman stepped forward from behind the counter. "Hello, Im sorry you just missed him. He came here and left with Gine and their son about an hour ago." She said kindly.

"What!" Inquired Taro as he shoved past the rotund little Saiyan woman causing her to fall. As he stepped into Gine and Bardock's chambers what he saw confirmed what he was told. Bardock and his wife weren't there and a nursery pod in the corner sat empty.

"It's as she said. They aren't here." Said Taro addressing Leek.

"You both need to leave right now!" Demanded the weaker Saiyan female from the floors.

Leek turned and looked down at the rotund woman. "Listen woman did Bardock say anything else. Did he give any indication of where he might be going?" He addressed her as he offered a hand to help her up.

She took his hand but her cheery expression had completely left her face at this point. " My name isn't woman. It's Yam!" She spat venomously.

At this point Taro had made it back to Leek's side. "Fine Va-ca-da. Answer our questions and we won't kill you." He said menacingly as he grabbed her by the collar with his fist cocked back.

Leek, started by how quickly things seemed to be escalating interjected, "Whoa, Taro don't you think that's a little extreme?" As he raised his hands placatingly.

"You're bluffing." Yam taunted defiantly.

Before Leek could do or say anything Taro slammed a ki enhanced fist into her face, launching her like a projectile throught the wall into Bardock and Gine's chamber at the back of the shop. "What the hell Taro!" Leek exclaimed disapprovingly as he ran ahead of Taro to check on Yam. "Don't you think you're being a bit excessive?"

"Our entire race is at risk of being annihilated and you want me to be nice? Fuck that. She's gonna tell us what we need to know now" Taro shot back impatiently and borderline crazed; fear clearly creeping into his voice.

"She can't tell us anything if you kill her," Leek said as he stepped through the large hole in the wall made by Yam's body. Leek spotted Vacada in a pile of rubble. She was writhing on her back while clawing weakly at her throat. "She's choking!" Leek explained, in a somewhat condescending but undoubtedly worried manner.

Taro stepped forward and sharply stomped on her chest inadvertently or perhaps intentionally causing her to cought forcefully thereby dislodging two teeth that had been obstructing her breathing. The undeniable look of fear was present in her eyes at this point. Tears were running down her face mixing with the blood pouring from her mouth. Her front teeth where gone causing her to speak in a lisp and the blood pooling at the back of her throat kept causing her to cough. "Why are you doing this? I thought Bardocks friends conducted themselves with honor."

Taro was quick to respond, "We might not have much time left woman. What do you know about Bardock's whereabouts?! Tell me what I want to know and we'll let you get back to eating yourself into oblivion"

The will to be stubborn and defiant had finally left the plump Saiyan woman and she tearfully acquiesced, "All I know *cough* is Bardock came to the door and told Gine the ship was ready and it's time to go. Gine assured me there was nothing *cough* to worry and that she'd be right back but I saw she brought her son which I thought was odd."

"Where did they go?" Taro pressed further.

"*cough* I don't know *cough* I swear!" She pleaded as blood poured down her chin.

Leek stepped between Taro and the prone Vacada, having finally found the courage to do so. "Thats enough Taro! She told us all she knows! Besides what do you think Bardock's going to do to us when he sees what we've done here?"

Taro stood there motionless and scowled at his friend before speaking. "Fool. Isn't it obvious. Bardock has abandoned us with his precious family. If I where to guess, he's found a ship to stow away on! He'll be long gone when this planet is destroyed"

Leek and Yam's eyes widened. "He wouldn't abandon his crew!" Leek declared with less vindication than he intended.

Taro responded without hesitation. "Bardock has a sentimental weakness for his family but he is a supremely practical Saiyan. If abandoning a few comrades secures his and his family's future he'd do it in a heartbeat. Go on tell me I'm wrong." He challenged.

Leek had a horrified look on his face. He felt ashamed to admit it but part of him believed what Taro said. "If what you say is true where does that leave us? What should we do?"

Taro smirked. "Ive been giving that some thought and I think we should jump in Bardock's ship and leave right now."

"Are you insane? Freiza has a blockade surrounding the planet. We'd die before we made orbit." Leek said doubtfully.

"It's a longshot but if we stay here we are guaranteed to die. Hear me out. Several non Saiyan members of the Frieza force are still on the planet but their a far fewer than ussual. Thats part of why I believed you in the first place. Now we just need to fly directly towards one of the motherships and with a little luck they will assume we're non-Saiyans returning aboard our ship. We take a chance or we die for sure. Either way Im going."

Leek paused for a moment contemplating before giving his decision. "Alright, we'll probably die but at least this way we have a chance."

Taro smiled ominously. "Good let's go then. But first take care of tubby for me then we'll grab as much meat as we can carry. If we're going to die it wont be hungry . Besides if we make it through the blockade there's no telling when we'll be able to safely stop for supplies."

Leek nodded and turned back to grabbed the grievously injured Yam by the waistband of her armor, causing her cough up a gullet of blood and moan. Taro noticed and held his hand out to stop Leek before saying, "What are you bringing that for? We dont need another mouth to feed."

Leek answered. "She heard everything it would be more dangerous to leave her here. What if she reports us taking Bardocks ship?"

"You're right. That's why we should kill her. One less thing to worry about." Taro stated emotionlessly.

"No!" Leek exclaimed "That...would be a waste..." He said trying to come up with an excuse for his actions on the fly, "even if we succeed in escaping, uh..., once planet Vegeta is destroyed we'll be a severely endangered race. Shouldn't we try to bring at least one female with us."

Taro paused for several moments before finally speaking "Huh. You're right. I was beginning to worry you where going soft but then you go and suprise me." Taro then looked at the grievously injured Yam and said. "Congratulations woman, you've just been promoted from butcher to breeding stump."

Leek felt a pang of guilt for the position he put this woman in but surely it must be better than the alternative. Maybe Bardock had rubbed off on him. He was a destroyer of entire civilizations but for some reason his actions this night twisted his gut and filled him with shame. For now at least he'd have to set those feelings asside. Now wasn't the time for second guesses and doubt. "I'm...sorry about this." He said but she didnt respond.

They both made their way to the ship carrying what they could. After depositing Yam and the meat they pilfered from the Gine's butcher shop on the floor Leek returned to the ship's hatch to fetch his and Taro's bags when he heard a shout coming from inside the ship. With the bags in tow he rushed back in, closing the hatch behind him.

"Fucking hell!" Shouted Taro. He was standing in the cockpit area when noticed a little green body stuffed beneath the copilot's console.

"What is it?" Shouted Leek as he bounded to the cockpit area.

"There's a little green corpse under the the console. Bardock must've killed and hid the body here. I'll toss it out." Answered Taro

"Hold on a second." Leek said as he drug it out "Im pretty sure this is a Boulean." He continued.

"A What?" Said Taro.

"The race of the big mouthed little imp who was looking for his sister. I think it said its sister's name was Parma." Said Leek as he picked it up by one of its ankles and began to walk to the door with it.

"Wait. I have an idea." Said Taro as he stopped Leek at the door before continuing to speak. "You hurry and prep the ship for launch. I'll take that creature." Taking the creature off Leek's hands Taro smiled deviously as he walked to the back of the ship.

A few short minutes later, Leek was finishing the final adjustments when he was alerted by the sound of a scream and a thump heard over the sound of the engines winding up. Concerned, he jumped from his seat only to turn and see Taro coming through the door holding the corpse, except it was dressed in Yam's bodysuit and armor. "The woman donated her armor to help. It only took a headbutt and a knee to her gut to persuade her, though I suppose I did have to grab her tail so she'd quit squirming. Haha" Taro laughed. "Now put this in the other pilot chair and crouch behind it. We need to get moving."

Leek bristled as he nodded in understanding and said,"I get it. It's a good idea..." as he spoke he walked to the other chair snatching the corpse from Taro and sat it in the other chair. "This way we might actually be able to bluff our way through if we're hailed but why do I need to operate the puppet..." he paused to launch a spearhand through the back of the chair and the creatures skull creatures skull and he carefully pushed his hand deeper into her skull causing a wet crunching sound. "It was unnecessary for you to harm Yam further. She's a Saiyan like us." Turning back to his task he moved his hand around until he was successfully operating the creatures skull like a sock puppet. "We should treat her as an ally." Leek said finishing both his task and his thought.

Taro scoffed and said,"First of all, because you're a much better puppeteer and second, that pitiful excuse for a Saiyan's reproductive organs are the only reason she's even here. So, when she decides to be more cooperative she will receive better treatment." Punctuating his final statement by punching the final key on the console to start the takoff and grabbing the joysticks, pulling both back evenly as the ship rocketed towards space. "Which ship should we fly toward?" Asked Taro as their trajectory leveled out and the blockade started coming into view.

"That one. Dead center." Said Leek, pointing to an icon on the display.

"Are you nuts? Thats Frieza's ship." Argued Taro.

"Call it a hunch but I thing flying towards Frieza's ship is the last thing they'd expect fleeing Saiyans to do. We should head straight for it like we belong there." Said Leek somewhat apprehensively.

Taro nodded as he punched in the coordinates and said "It's a terrible plan but its the best one we've got."

They continued flying toward the blockade with their new heading. As the flew closer and closer the tension grew thicker. Sweat could be seen beading up on the Saiyan men's heads. As they drew near Friezas vessel, less than a minute from the point where Taro planned to gun the engines, a call came in. "Hold. I repeat hold your position." It said. A second later a button on the console started flashing; indicating Frieza's vessel was trying to establish video.

Taro gulped hard before nodding at Leek who was still squatting behind the other chair occupied by the small corpse. "Hope you're ready Leek, cuz it's showtime."He said as he leaned over to the console in front of the corpse and pressed the blinking light before quickly leaning back out of the way.

An image of a short stocky orange alien in frieza force armor appeared in the view screen. "Saiyan vessels are not permitted offworld." It stated gruffly.

Leek swalled hard, took a deep breath, and did the best most high pitched impression of a Boulean he could while simultaneously trying to make the corpses mouth move naturally. "Hello, this is Parma. Yes I suppose this ship did belong to a Saiyan but my ship was malfunctioning so I thought it best to steal one rather than be late." He lied hoping his improv skill would be sufficient to fool the communications operator.

"Parma... hmm records indicate you where supposed to arrive for your shift two hours ago. You can expect severe censure. Also, who else is aboard?" The communication officer said flatly.

Leek was ready to piss himself at this point as he desperately tried to think of how he might talk his way out of this situation. 'Crap. Of course they scanned the ship for power levels. Come on; there has to be some excuse that will buy us more time! I know...maybe. I just hope he buys it.' His thoughts in order he began to speak. "Uh, I'm not sure who they are. They where passed out drunk at the bar and it didn't seem like a good idea to leave them there with all those Saiyans around and they'd be in a real bad situation if they missed their flight."

The communication officer nodded, "Hmm, yes our records show a handful that still haven't returned from leave. Very well. Once you are aboard we will identify them and administer the appropriate punishment. Move directly to the loading bay and hold position. As soon as Commander Dedoria's ship has departed you will dock there."

In a moment of inspiration Leek decided to push his luck and took a gamble that, if it paid off, would see them right past the blockade and one step closer to freedom. So, as Parma, he said "If it would please Lord Frieza, I request to assist Commander Dedoria as restitution for my tardiness." The screen went dark as though the call had ended but the communication indicator was still illuminated, indicating the call was still open.

There was a long pause. Taro shot a dirty look at Leek that all but said you overplayed your hand. Leek grimaced fearing he was right. Taro's hand creeped toward the controls prepared to make a run for it when when video feed flicked back to life with a different alien on the screen. "You are to follow Commander Dedoria to planet Meat." Said the alien on the other end of the call before the call ended and the communication indicator went dark.

"I can't believe that worked!" Said Taro stunned by their luck.

Before Leek could respond a transmission came in and it said, "It's my understanding you three have been assigned to assist me on this assignment. Follow along and await further instructions. Our destination will be planet Meat to do a little cleanup." Then the transmission ended.

Leek was the first to speak. "I vote we play along."

"Absolutely not, we've pushed our luck far enough!" Taro quickly retorted.

"Our friends are on that planet! We should at least try to warn them. Either way it would be wise to play along for now at least until we are far away from here." Leek pleaded.

"Fine but first sign of trouble we're making a run for it." Taro conceded.

A few moments earlier aboard Friezas ship

"My lord. It seems some of the away Saiyan teams still haven't responded. There's half of Bardock's team still on planet Meat, and Prince Vegeta's team still hasn't responded." said a diminutive orange-skinned peon in what looked to be Saiyan battle armor, only without a hole to accommodate a tail.

"No matter. Dodoria, do take care of those straggling monkeys, won't you? But leave Prince Vegeta's squad alone. I think I will keep him as a pet." Came the androgynous voice of a small pink and white alien that seemed to practically ooze malice and authority in equal measure.

"It would be my pleasure, Lord Frieza. The planet Bardock's crew are 'preparing' is nearby. I shall be back in time to enjoy the fireworks," replied a rotund pink alien covered in bumps and spikes, wearing, like the rest of the assembled crew, armor that seemed identical to that worn by the Saiyans.

The diminutive monster known as Frieza chuckled as the obese pink monster took his leave. The orange alien at the communications console turned toward Frieza and spoke, "Lord Frieza, there is an unscheduled vessel approaching from the planet."

Frieza grimaced. The communication officer's breath and potentially unwanted visitors both served to irritate the little tyrant. "Then face your workstation and find out who they are!" He demanded.

Frieza watched the orange alien quickly comply, and moments later, it was conversing with a small green female alien on its monitor. Apparently, this trooper was supposed to have reported in some time ago, and there were two other drunk troopers on board. Frieza told the communications officer to make sure this girl knew to expect punishment. Losing interest, Frieza turned his attention to other areas of the bridge, only to once again have his nose assaulted by his orange subordinate's halitosis.

"Lord Frieza. Trooper Parma requests to make amends by assisting Commander Dodoria~." The communication officer was cut short by a beam of red energy piercing his skull.

"Someone clean up this mess! And Zarbon, fetch me another communications officer! One with better breath." Frieza demanded.

"Yes Lord Frieza" said a handsome, well built young man with blue skin and long green hair. "And what of the situation outside with trooper Parma and her two drunk troopers?" He continued.

"Ah, them. What are their power levels?" Frieza asked.

"According to our scans, the three of them are 150, 950, and 1000." Zarbon replied.

"Oh, rather weak. Then let's grant their request. Tell Dedoria he will have some cannon fodder tagging along, and that when he's done with the monkeys, he can use them for target practice. That can be their punishment. Hahaha," Frieza cackled.

"Yes, sire," said Zarbon before turning to the console of the slain officer and using it to pass along the relevant commands to Dedoria and Parma.

Back on planet Vegeta

Bardock, holding a Sayian attack pod, with the sound of a baby crying emanating from the it, and a female Sayian known as Gine were dashing and leaping across the desert away from the city while trying to stay low. The female Sayian had a messy mop of dark hair and was wearing a paldronless variant of the standard Sayian armor with an armored skirt section and an under suit for the lower body only, leaving her shoulders below the armored shoulder straps exposed.

"Is there another option? Let's think about this!" Said Gine in a worried emotional tone.

"No! It's the only choice. If I turn out to be wrong I'll go and rescue him." Replied Bardock in a somewhat frustrated manner.

"In that case. Why don't the three of us run off somewhere together?" She begged.

"We can't. They'd use their damn scouters and be able to track us down in no time." He said as they slowed to a walk confident nobody saw them leaving the city.

"Bardock...why are you going throughso much trouble? It's not like a Sayian man to worry about his children. So, what's gotten into you?" She asked as the thought of her husband's poorly hidden compassion brought a smile to her face.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm constantly fighting, destroying. And I'd actually like to save something for once. Especially someone who is judged to be a lower class warrior, like my Kakerot." Bardock said as a half cry half koo emanated from the pod he was carrying on his shoulder just before he sat it down. "I've programmed this to head to a distant planet called Earth. The people on that world have low power levels and aren't technologically advanced. I think he will be able to do well there Gine. Good thing is its not an extremely valuable world. So, I'm hoping it wont even show up on the Freiza Force's radar."

"If your father is wrong about this then we'll come and get you immediately." She said to baby in the pod.

"Listen son. You do what it takes to survive, got it?" Said Bardock wish to give his son one last piece of advice.

"We'll see you really soon." Said Gine as her voice began to crack in anguish fearful that the last words spoken to her son were a lie.

Bardock placed his palm against the glass portal of the closed Sayian space pod and said "Goodbye." To which the young Kakarot, no longer crying, responded by placing his palm against his father's palm through the glass.

"Dont forget us Kakarot!" Screamed Gine as the pod lifted away and shot off into the depths of space. Gine then broke down crying as Bardock put a hand around her shoulder and attempted to console her by bringing her in for a hug.

"Well." Gine began trying to distract herself from her sadness, "We better get back before that thing you threw in your ship starts to stink." The odd attempt at adding levity fell flat.

Sometime later on planet Meat

Fasha was sitting on a rock next to Tora, who was intently watching the heads-up display on his scouter. Shuggos and Borgos were both eating a Meatian man or woman. Actually, she wasn't sure; these aliens all looked the same. This was happening on the other end of the clearing. Per Tora's instructions, they moved their attack pods from their craters and changed their remote frequencies. They kept one of them partially burried in rubble a few feet away so Tora could make use of the sensors on board. They couldn't do anything about their power levels giving away their position, but at least this way, if trouble came while they were here, they wouldn't have to worry about their means of transportation and potential escape being easily found and destroyed. Like Bardock, Tora was a very practical man and very intelligent when it came to matters of war or combat in general, plus the wellbeing of his squad mates was always a top priority to him. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities ended. Moved by the care he showed his teammates and hoping to cure her loneliness she once even asked him if he would want to be with her. To her suprise and eventual shame he said yes. Fasha still remembered that awful day, and a part of her would always deeply hate him for it, no matter how much she still respected him.

"Fasha." Someone said shaking her from her musings.

She looked up. It was Shugesh. "Hey Fasha. Are you done dreaming about Bardock?" he said with a snicker.

"What do you want?" Fasha asked angrily.

"I just wanted to know if you're going to eat that." Shugesh replied

She looked down and realized she was holding the dismembered thigh of a Meatian "Here. I've lost my appetite. Go choke on it." she said

"Thanks. Hope I didn't interrupt you during the good part." Shug said, chuckling as he walked away. To which Fasha just glared at him.

'geez, the damn pig ate at least a dozen of those creatures when we where ozaru' she thought as she watched him return to his seat near Borgos.

She hated missions like this. They never ribbed her about her one sided crush when Bardock was around. Sometimes deep down she wished they would though. 'At least then Bardock would know. Then he would reject me so I can quit dreaming. I'm such a coward.' she thought.

'I wonder what Bardock's doing now.' She thought about when she last had a chance to spend time with him as she drifted off to sleep.

They where all on their way back from a mission. This time she was riding aboard Bardocks ship since Leek didnt come on that mission. So Fasha was volunteered to be his copilot. Curiously Bardok was doing something she had never known him to do at least not for so long. He was reading. "Whatcha doing boss?" Borgos asked Boisterously. He was riding back with them since he accidentally destroyed his attack pod wile fighting on the last mission.

Bardock glanced up at him and then to Fasha and tapped the corner of his eye. They both nodded in understanding and took off an deactivated their scouters. Bardock was always like that. Even if he wasn't speaking about something that might get them in trouble he felt it best not to discuss his personal life with Frieza or his spys listening. "I'm looking at planets." he said.

"What for? You looking for one that will fetch a good price?" Asked Borgos.

"Not quite. I'm looking for one that might be a good fit for my youngest son. It's actually because of you that I thought about doing this." Bardock said to Borgos before turning and directing his last sentence at Fasha.

"Me? How do you mean?" Fasha asked a little suprised and slightly blushing at what very nearly sounded like praise to her.

"Before we left you told me I needed to go see the little tyke. Anyway that got me to thinking. He's been deemed low class like us so not long after he leaves his nursery pod he will be sent to conquer a planet just like we did. Only about a third of Saiyan children survive their first mission. I'd like to see him again and see him grow but I can't do that if his first mission were to be his last. I'm planning to request that Kakarot be sent here. E-arth I think its called" Bardock said with a look on his face that somehow conveyed both sadness and hope.

Fasha looked at him in awe. He was an amazing man in her eyes. What he just said would never cross the mind of another Saiyan man. In fact most Saiyan men and women for that matter would laugh in your face for expressing such sentimentality. The only reason Borgos wasn't laughing was because he knew how strong Bardock was but that didn't stop him from rolling his eyes when he thought nobody was looking. "Huh, it says average inhabitant's power level Is appropriately 4. Pathetic. Its in the middle of nowhere too. Doubt it would fetch a good price." said Borgos in a dismissive tone.

"Shut up Borgos. He's -

"Wake up! Fasha wake up!"

Fasha lifted her head and rubbed some spittle from her chin. "Huh? I must have fallen asleep."

"Look alive Fasha. We've got company." said Tora.

"Coma more like. You've been out for nearly a day." jeered Borgos.

Fasha quickly shook off her fatigue. Ignoring Borgos, she addressed Tora. "What's the situation?"

"We aren't sure. The pod's sensors just picked up two ships. Whoever they are they'll be here soon." said Tora.

Aboard Bardock's stolen ship

Leek and Taro where standing in the cockpit. The ship's autopilot was on which was good since they where both standing with their back to the controls arguing. "Im telling you right no. We may still need it." yelled Taro while Gesturing to the green skinned corpse slumped over in the pilot's chair.

"I was just going to take the armor off and give it back to Yam." said Leek

"And what if Dedoria tries to establish video communications? You want to explain to him that Parma prepares for battle by getting naked. Besides Yams a Saiyan. Saiyans don't have a sense of modesty. That's why since back when King Cold was in charge armor has been issued to all Saiyans, even civilians!" Yelled Taro even louder this time.

He was right. Before battle armor was issued to all the Saiyans on planet Vegeta, it was practically a guarantee that half or more of the civilians who hadn't been issued armor would be walking around either totally or very nearly naked as a matter of convenience. King Cold was so disgusted by the sight he demanded King Vegeta fix it or he would. Thankfully, providing the population armor instead of clothing did the trick. As a warrior race where even among civilians a violent death is likely, armor was appealing. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it cut down on the streaking by quite a bit.

Leek looked through the door toward the back of the ship and saw Yam, now conscious, sitting with her butt planted firmly in the corner. Her arms were braced against the walls as though her life depended on not being budged from that spot. Leek frowned and turned back to Taro. "It's not a matter of modesty. You basically threatened to rape her and you stripped her of her only protection. She's vulnerable and scared." Leek said accusingly.

"So you would endanger us all just because that bitch is scared?" Taro asked pointedly.

Leek scoffed and snatched the little corpse out of its chair. He then made a knife edge wrapped with ki before cleanly chopping the alien in half with a quick chop. "I don't suppose we need the bottom half, do we?" he asked, not really looking for an answer. Leek then glared at Taro in contempt as he dropped the top half of the corpse in the chair, snatched up the lower half, turned, and walked to the back of the ship where Yam was sitting. She stared at him cautiously. He then began to pull off his armor. Seeing this, Yam started hyperventilating as she squeezed her eyes shut. He then tossed armor on her lap and dropped the alien's lower corpse on the ground by her. "Here. Take these. Sorry I can't give you the rest of your armor back now. When we get out of Frieza's territory I promise you can have it back. In the meantime you can borrow my armor." Leek said.

Yam worked up the courage to speak. She may have been an overweight weakling but she was still a Saiyan and she was feeling defiant. "You made a mistake you know. I'm barren so I'd make a poor breeding stump." She said grinning with hate in her eyes.

It was true. In fact, she was a low-class Saiyan deemed unfit to serve on account of her extremely low power level, low enough that she considered herself blessed to be born, and her bad habit of being compassionate. It's what led her to her friendship with Gine. However, unlike Gine she had another shortcoming that combined with her low power level made her all but worthless as both a Saiyan and a woman in the eyes of most Saiyans. She was in fact barren. This was the final insult to her pride. So despite her friendship with Gine she was a very depressed woman and food was her comfort which only lead her deeper in depression. Now this man knew and he would end her, and her sadness along with it. She closed her eyes and braced herself for him to end her life but the killing blow didn't come. Instead what happened was much more shocking.

Having heard what Yam said Leek hesitated a moment, suprised by the revelation but he quickly, as though by reflex, crouched down and clasped his hand over her mouth. Carefully he turned his head and looked toward the cockpit. He saw Taro was fiddling with the controls at the copilots station. Leeks let out a sigh of relief. He then returned his attention to Yam. "Don't say that again. If Taro finds out he will kill you." Leek said quietly.

She was shocked. She was certain the other one was truly evil, but this man, had he been trying to protect her? "Why are you protecting me? You know I'm worthless, right?" she said timidly.

"I don't know. I guess I know how tough life can be when you're deemed weak and I like to think that if I where strong I would treat the weak more fairly." He answered.

She paused for several moments before responding. "You better get back up there before he comes looking for you. And, um, thank you."

Leek nodded and stood to take his leave. He paused. Looking back, he spoke again, "We're going to get through this. Don't give up. If you do, every risk I take to keep you alive is wasted."

For the first time in her life since she learned of her condition, she wasn't sad. She had every right to be sad given her predicament, but until this very moment, she never had someone see enough value in her to risk their own wellbeing. And this man was very likely a brute as well, but he was a brute who wanted her to live. She was resolved to survive. No matter what, she was going to survive. So, for the first time in years she felt a smile creep across her face. Not the fake forced smile she painted on her face every day but a genuine smile.

Leek stepped back into the bridge and was greeted by a nod from Taro. "Did you take a shot at breeding her? You were certainly gone long enough. Could have put your armor back on though," Taro joked crudely.

"Shut it Taro." Leek said. 'I never realized how awful Taro was. Without Bardock around to keep him cowed I'msee a whole other side to him and I'm not liking it.' Thought Leek as he took his position behind the corpse in the pilot's chair.

~beep beep~

Both Leek and Taro turned their attention to the beeping light on the console. It was a transmission audio only. Taro nodded to Leek and pressed the key to answer the call.

"We are on final approach for planet Meat. It seems the Saiyans have moved their attach pods from where they landed and hidden them. We suspect they may have been warned we are coming. Our scouters have located a group of four power readings likely to be the Saiyans we where sent to deal with. You will go in first from North of their position we will trail behond you and land south of their position. From there we will attack. Is that understood?" Came the voice of Dedoria through the coms.

Leek inhaled audibly and doing his female Boulean impression he spoke, "Yes commander Dedoria. Understood.

The Illuminated botton went dark again and the two Saiyan men let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. What's the plan now because you have another thing coming if you think we're going to land." Taro said adamantly.

Leek stood silently for a moment, clearly thinking. Finally, he said, "No, I agree. Dedoria has a power level of well over 20,000 and any cronies he brought along are likely to be in the range of 10,000 or more. Even in our Ozaru forms, we wouldn't stand a chance. The best we can hope to do is warn Tora and the others properly before fleeing. If we send a tight beam communication to them from close range Dedoria probably wont pick it up. We will warn them as we pass over their position then we will break off and flee as fast as we can." He hated doing something so cowardly as abandoning them but against those odds he and Taro would just get in the way. They where simply too weak. Not to mention the matter of the Saiyan woman Yam. He didn't understand why but he felt obligated to see her to safety now more than ever.

"We could have sent them a warning at any time. If that's your great plan we should've fled earlier like I wanted and we could have sent them a warning when we were safe." Taro said.

"There's no gaurantee we could outrun Dedoria and a long range communication to Tora and the others would be intercepted. Something tells me we have a better chance at escaping if Freiza and Dedoria don't know we are Saiyans. Hopefully, this way they will think we got one look at Tora and the others' power levels and deserted after realizing we were nothing more than cannon fodder.

"Hm, fine." said Taro nodding in agreement. It hurt his Saiyan pride knowing that being weak relative to the rest of Bardock's team was what might save them but the plan was sound.

Meanwhile on planet Meat

Toma intently watched the screen in his attack pod displaying to quickly approaching ships. Then as one was directly overhead a transmission came in through his scouter. "Tora this is Leek! Can you hear me?" It said.

"Leek? Are you aboard that ship? What's going on?" Taro responded as he relayed the call through his attack pod so the rest of the team could hear.

Leek brushed off Tora's inquiry and continued. "I've only got time to say this once so listen closely! Me and Taro managed to slip through Friezas blockade in this ship. If you make it out of hear don't return to planet Vegeta. Freiza is going to destroy it. In fact, it may already be gone. Dedoria is on the ship behind me. He and his lackeys where sent here to kill you. You know what that means. Get a power ball in the sky now. It's your only hope! I'm sorry this warning is all I..." the transmission cut out as the first vessel was now out of range for secure communication, rocketing back out into space.

"Leek! Leek!" Tora shouted but it was no use. The ship Leek was on had likely turned off all nonessential systems and was pouring everything it had into its engines, no doubt fleeing Dedoria's ship. 'Well the coward did warn us at least' looking up he saw the whole team was gathered around his pod. "I take it you heard that." He said.

"We got the gist of it." Said Borgos. Him arms crossed.

Tora nodded his head. "Then you know what this means. We have nowhere to go, and we are no longer part of the Frieza Force. Even if we manage to get off this planet, without the Frieza Force or the Saiyan army around anymore, the Galactic Patrol will hound us to the ends of the galaxy. So let me ask you, do we make a break for it, or do we fight? As of this moment, I am no longer your vice captain, so you can all decide for yourselves."

Shuggesh stepped forward. He had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "I don't know about you but this feels like one fight I cant walk away from." He said with fire burning in his eyes

Next Borgos uncrossed his arm and rubbed his balding pate thought fully before letting his hand down to his side and saying, "I'd say our chances are about the same either way. If we run we will just get picked off one by one before half of us can even board our attack pods. If we stay and fight an attack ball would let us transform and take the edge in raw power but Dedoria knows our weakness. He would just use his goons to flank us while he cuts off our tails. Six of one and a half dozen of the other, am I right? But if you want to know what I want to do; I want to FIGHT AND KILL THOSE MOTHER FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT!" Through his monologue Borgos had worked himself up to the point of several veins bulging on his forhead.

Last was Fasha's turn to speak. She was visibly shaken. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes but she forced them back. It wasn't fear that shook her though. No. It was confusion, sadness, and hate all rolled into a ball of rage. She thought of there leader Bardock who wasn't on that ship; she thought of all the years her people spent beneath Frieza and his father's boot for nothing; but more than anything she thought about the life Frieza was denying her, both on off the battlefield. Finally, with her emotions in check she spoke, "I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Shuggesh and Borgos. Let's stay and fight."

Tora smile before contradictingly cursing, "Damn, I was realy hoping y'all would vote to run."

Borgos grinned fiercly and said, "And let you get all the glory covering our escape? Not a chance."

"No fooling you." Said Tora with a smirk. Quickly his smirk faded and he spoke again. "Alright then since y'all are all so eager to die here's the plan. Fasha, you're the only one here besides me that knows the power ball technique so hurry and get one in the sky, but don't look at it. Borgos Shuggesh as soon as she gets it in the air I want the two of you transformed. Fasha, once you have that ball in the sky you take cover. I'll use hit and run tactics on Dedoria and try to keep him off your tails. Lets move now!"

"Wait. Take cover? Are you kidding me?" Said Fasha defiantly.

Tora put a hand on her shoulder placatingly as he spoke. "Listen you're the only one here besides me who knows the attack ball and that technique uses a lot of energy. I need to be at full strength just to distract Dederia. However, Even at full strength you'd just get in the way."

"Then I'll go Ozaru!" Fasha countered.

Tora quickly shut her argument down. "No! I cant gaurd three tails at once and you need to save your strength in case the fight drags on or the first power ball is destroyed."

Fasha was furious but she nodded. "Fine! But if you die don't go expecting me to mourn you." She said as she poured her energy into her palm and launched a ball of energy into the sky.

On Dedoria's ship

"What the hell is that Boulean doing?" demanded Dodoria furiously.

The grunt operating the control answered, "It seems as soon as they were over the target, within standard issue scouter range, they fled. The strongest on that ship had a power level of right at 1000 while the weakest target according to the long range scope was a bit more than double that."

"What should we do commander Dodoria?" Asked the second grunt.

"Nothing. The Saiyans take priority. I'll notify Lord Frieza of the troopers desertion and have the duty roster checked to determine the identity of the other two once we get back. Land here."

The first grunt nodded and brought the ship in toward the selected landing area. As they came in for their final approach a massive beam of energy grazed the ship. "What was that?" demanded Dodoria.

"It looks like two ozaru, Sir!"

"What?" said Dodoria. He was very familiar with Saiyans and as such he knew that almost universally they used their transformation as a last resort, especially if they had to do it without a moon. Never as an opening act with an unknown enemy. He felt he was beginning to understand how a team of low-class Saiyans had been managing to take jobs normally assigned to more elite warriors. Fortunately, it never occurred to him that the real reason he already had two Ozaru trying to bring down his ship was that the deserters weren't deserters but escaped Saiyans who had warned his would-be victims.

"It's gonna be a bumpy landing." said the pilot as the ship chipped a stone outcropping. Finally the pilot managed to bring the ship down behind a ridge.

Dodoria quickly ordered everyone out of the ship and to follow him toward the ozaru.

On the surface planet Meat

'It would be a real pain in the ass if one of those apes destroyed my ride off this rock.' Dodoria thought as he flew to engage his foes and put distance between himself and his ship. As he got close enough to join the fray he slowed his approach to take stock of the battlefield. 'Ah, I see one of them that still hasn't transformed.' He thought before issueing his command. "Aim for their tails. If you cut off their tails they'll shrink back down." His small squad of three grunts immediately complied. The first was snatched out of the air by a hand that moved faster than it had any business moving before the owner of the offending hand ate the screaming trooper. It took three agonizing seconds of being chewed for the blood curdling screams to stop followed by the stomach turning sound of the beast swallowing. The second was slapped out of the air like an insect by the other ape creating a small impact crater in the ground. The third made it past the first ape's defenses only to have his energy attack countered by the untransformed Saiyan. 'So thats why one of them had neglected to transform.' Dedoria deduced. 'Clever monkeys.'

Unfortunately, knowing the Saiyans' strategy and countering it where two different things. It looked like he'd have to step in. This job was clearly too much for his underlings. He was going to have to get his hands dirty too. He was aware the current model scouter probably wouldn't be able to read the ozaru power level without blowing up given how they usually did when someone tried to check his. He judged that they where stronger than him but as low class Saiyan they didn't have full control of theirs higher faculties in this form. Their actions said as much based on how they reacted like an animal responding to stimulus. He knew based on the team dossier he glanced at on the way over that the strongest member of this team barring Bardock was Tora at a power level of roughly 5,000. Strong enough to be an annoyance but far to weak to pose a threat. Safe to assume that Tora was the one who hadn't transformed as he was the only one in the group to stand up to his underlyings without transforming. Dodoria then looked st the fake moon, no doubt the result of the power ball technique, and smiled. "I know just what to do." He thought aloud menacingly.

Fasha looked on with a mix of pride and jealousy. Tora's plan seemed to be working well but she hated not being in the thick of it. So far they had managed to kill one, perhaps two of Dedoria's men without even getting scratched. The first seemed a little weak. It was likely he was the pilot and unforseen circumstances brought him to the battlefield. She saw Dodoria across the field from her hiding place and she could swear he was smiling. He was just standing back and looking around. The last of Dodoria's men was busy chasing Tora around Borgos's legs while Shuggesh was scooping the second of Dodoria's grunts out of a crater and eating him when Dodoria quickly took off into the sky and opened his mouth wide before firing an energy cannon at the power ball in the sky. 'Shit!' thought Fasha.

Destroying the energy ball wouldn't immediately end the transformation of Borgos and Shuggesh but it wouldn't be long if she didn't get another power ball in the air soon. Borgos and Shugesh immediately reacted to the stimulus and began attacking Dodoria. With everyone occupied Fasha began charging another power ball while cursing at how long it was taking and how draining the technique was. The first drained nearly a third of her energy reserves, and the second seemed like it was going to drain her of about half of her remaining energy. As she focused her energy in her hand, she noticed Borgos had lost his tail to the last of Dodoria's subordinates. However, while too slow to stop Dodoria's man from severing Borgos' tail, Tora was able to get behind and fire a point-blank ki blast into his back and out his chest, killing him instantly. Finally, when it was ready, she launched the power ball into the air. She could have sworn Dodoria noticed her as she ducked back behind cover but he was quickly drawn back into the fight now that his last subordinate had fallen.

Tora, despite being severely outclassed, was doing an admirable job of keeping Dodoria busy. It was a delicate dance. Tora dove in to send a powerful kick into Dodoria's back as Dodoria tried to attack Shuggesh's tail with a ki blast. This caused Dodoria's attack to go wide. Dodoria turned and chased after Tora, who in turn fled. This cycle repeated itself several times until Dodoria overtook Tora and sent a vicious roundhouse kick into the fleeing Tora's side, slamming him into the ground about 3 meters from Fasha's hiding place. Just as Dodoria was charging his ki for a finishing blow on the fallen Saiyan, Shuggesh successfully grabbed Dodoria and began squeezing him with both hands.

With Dodoria occupied, Fasha jumped from her hiding place to check on Tora. Arriving at his side, she noted his breathing was labored, and blood was trickling from his mouth and nose, but he was alive. "I told you to stay back!" Said Tora betwen hard gasps.

Before Fasha could reply, a mighty howl of pain issued from the mouth of the ozaru Shuggesh. Apparently Dodoria had used a mouth blast in Shuggesh's face, temporarily blind Shuggesh, and now Dodoria was free as Shuggesh reflexively brought his hands to his eyes. Next Dodoria was flying around to the back of Shuggesh to take his tail but in a surprising turn of events Borgos, no longer an ozaru came up from under dodoria to deliver a vicious knee to Dodoria's groin from behind. Despite his effort Dodoria quickly recovered and spun around, drilling Borgos in the gut with an uppercut causing Borgos to double over allowing Dodoria bring his elbow down on his neck, snapping his neck and sending him falling toward the ground. However, before Dodoria could appreciate his own handiwork Shuggesh managed to spin around and hit Dodoria full force with the back of his massive hand, sending Dodoria flying into a nearby mountain like a shooting star.

Now with a few seconds reprieve Tora reassessed their plan. With a pained expressionge looked around. "This isn't working. I'm in no shape to gaurd Shuggesh's tail, Borgos is dead, and you don't have enough power to even make Dedoria flinch, especially after using two attack balls." Tora said to Fasha.

"Then lets all transform!" Fasha suggested frantically.

"Do you think you have enough energy for one more power ball?" Asked Tora.

"Definitely but we already have a ball in the sky. Just let me fight." demande Fasha.

"No. Dodoria has already destroyed one power ball. There's no reason to think he won't try again. I want you to get back to cover. I'll transform to heal some of my injuries and get back into the fight. You hang back. If Dodoria destroys the second attack ball I need you to get a third in the air. After that you can transform and join the fray." Said Tora, doing his best to remain stoic despite the incredible amount of pain he was in.

"No buts! This is our best shot at survival. Now get to cover now!" Demanded Tora.

Reluctantly,Fasha complied. Satisfied, Tora turned his attention to the power ball in the sky. It took a few seconds but soon he felt a surge of energy,followed by several boken bones and dislocated joints painfully realigning and mending. His transformation was now underway.

Unfortunately, Dodoria had made it back earlier than expected and he anounched his presence with a full speed headbutt in the back of Shuggesh's neck where the spine and skull meet followed by him quickly spinning in the air to face the sky and delivering a power ki blast towards the power ball up above. By the time they saw it, Shuggesh's colossal form was collapsing, unconscious, and it was too late to stop him and Tora was mid transformation and in no position to do anything. Shuggesh had absorbed enough Blutz waves that he'd be able to maintain his transformation for a while without it but Tora only mid transformation was already shrinking back down to his normal form. In a hurry to do something Fasha made a critical mistake as she flew into the air while changing up a power ball a fast as she could in her left hand while her right hand was outstretched in front of her. Just as she began to thrust her right hand forward she heard Dodoria yell "Maximum Buster!" causing her to slow down for a split second in apprehension as a wave of red and yellow energy incinerated her right arm nearly to her elbow. She screamed in pain but quickly grited her teeth and marshalled the last of her dwindling energy to maintain focus and launch the power ball but she was too slow as Dodoria appeared right in front of her and snatched her left arm in a vise grip causing the energy ball in her left to dissipate.

"Damn I only grazzed you. That's ok though. This time I won't miss." Dodoria said with a truly horrifying smile on his face before he lifted Fasha up by her remaining arm and impalled her with a spear hand thrust through her chest, missing her heart but piercing a lung. Next he threw her to the ground and flew down after her using his signature headbutt on her chest nearly the instant her back hit the ground causing her to cough up blood as she began to slip in and out of consciousness. Now furious at how much trouble a hand full of low-class Saiyans had caused him and wishing to vent his frustration Dedoria decided now would be a good time to engage in a little sadism and grabbed Fasha's left leg. He then pressed her shin into his armpit and clasped her lefth thigh with both hands, planted his left foot firmly on her crotch and pulled hard while pressing his foot down hard against her crotch. This caused Fasha to abruptly return to full consciousness as she started belting out blood curdling screams of pain and terror. Within seconds their was a wet tearing sound followed by a sickening pop as her entire leg came free of her body at the hip. Fasha then grew quiet as she fell into shock only twitching slightly as her life blood flowed from the hole in her chest and the ragged wound where her leg once attached to her body. He would have been plesed by her managing to scream so loud with only one lung had he not been so upset to notice that she urinated on his boot while he was busy ripping off her leg. "The nasty bitch pissed on me! Filthy little monkey!" Dodoria cursed.

Unknown to Dodoria, Fasha's cries of anguish had roused her comrades. Tora was the first to stir. Partially recovered from his injuries but his energy still depleted he came to his senses to see Dodoria tearing off Fasha's leg only to give his catotonic ally an angry stomp while dropping her leg and shouting something about piss. At that very moment Shuggesh's eyes shot open. In an instant Tora shot forward in a blind fury, somehow catching Dodoria off gaurd with a lariat. Then in the heat of the moment Tora grabbed Dodoria by the ankle and tossed him with all of his might into the air screaming "Shuggesh NOWWW!"

Shuggesh, still in his ozaru form, seamed to have instinctually understood his comrade and, having sat up, delivered a full power mouth blast which landed directly on Dodoria, blasting him into the stratosphere.

Unfortunately,Tora was pletty sure that wouldn't be enough to finish off Dodoria. To make matters worse Shuggesh began shrinking back down to his base form and Tora no longer had enough energy to create an power ball to facilitate his or Shuggesh's transformation. To make matters worse both of them where at their limit. Tora sighed in frustration.

"Any ideas boss?" Said Shuggesh, now back to normal size and clearly uncaring of his exposed lower half.

"Just one. I hope you don't have any objections." Replied Tora as he charged his hand with the little ki he could muster and used it to grasp and cauterize all of Fasha's horrific wounds to which she barely responded as she was already in shock. He then scooped up Fasha's twitching body and placed her in his nearby attack pod, activated the life support system and stroked Fasha's hair as his way of telling her goodbye. Tora crouched there for about a minute while saying something but he was too quiet for Shuggesh to overhear. He then placed his scouter in her remaining hand and closed the attack pod before blasting a large rock above the pod to cause a collapse, hiding the pod altogether.

Shuggesh nodded in agreement chuckling darkly before he said "If I can't live to see tomorrow, living on in the memory of that mean little bitch is the next best thing but do you think she'll live?"

Tora shrugged his shoulders and said "It's doubtful. She's very weak. That may be what saves her though. My scouter can't even pick up her power level which means Dodoria can't detect her either. With any luck he will assume she is already dead." while grabbing Fasha's detatched leg and dragging it to a huge pile of rubble to create the illusion of a blood trail before tossing the leg back in the clearing.

Shuggesh grunted in acknowledgment and turned toward the direction his blast had sent Dodoria flying. Tora walked forward to stand beside his comrade to which Shuggesh grinned and said "It's been a wild ride. I'm glad I'll get to die doing what I love most."

"What, eating?" Tora asked jokingly.

"Hah! Fine. What I love second most." Conceded Shuggesh, now thoroughly amused.

Tora and Shuggesh then laughed together as they braced themselves for the end.

Planet Vegeta

Gine returned home with her husband from their clandestine mission early the next morning after sending her youngest son on his way. They would have returned that night, but as they embraced one another, seeking comfort, one thing led to another, and she was happy to let it happen. After all, as inappropriate as it may have seemed, she wanted to feel something good to push the grief out of her mind; and it was certainly better than looking for respite at the bottom of a bottle. She suggested they continue this at home, but Bardock felt the moment would have passed by then, or Yam, her employee, would almost certainly ruin the moment. Obviously, he won the argument without a retort. After all, Gine definitely agreed with the second part. She chuckled, remembering how annoyed Bardock became when Yam kept coming into their bedchamber to ask a question about their work, even once deeming it appropriate to come in while they where mating to make small talk during her break. Even among Saiyans, who have very little in the way of shyness or modesty, she was regarded as being spectacularly tone deaf.

As Gine and Bardock stepped onto the promenade adjacent to her home and business, her glowing smile faded as it was immediately clear that something was amiss. There was a group of Saiyans gathered in front of her home. The two of them waded through the crowd to find her home and business in ruins. Looking to the far end of the promenade, she saw her husband's ship was also gone. Having already pushed through the crowd, they stepped into her business and home. "What happened here? Oh no, Bardock! Look here." She said as she gestured to their bedchamber, which now had a large hole in the wall. "There's blood on the floor, and teeth! We should report this. Yam might be in danger, or hurt!"

Bardock placed his hands on Gine's shoulders and locked eyes with her to calm her down before he spoke, "No Gine. With my ship missing and the nursing capsule empty. We need to slip away before the authorities come asking questions."

Gine knew beyond any doubt that her husband was right but she was a compassionate woman and couldn't help but worry about her friend. She turned away from her husband and knelt to the ground to scoop up the two teeth she saw lying on the ground before she, still kneeling with her back turned, said "Oh Bardock. Sometimes I hate it when you're right. Ok then, what should we do?"

Bardock frowned. "I think it best if you close the shop, at least for now. You should also get out of town. Your power level is only 260. That's low enough for you to pass as an outcast." He finally said.

Outcast. The word itself cut Gine deep, though she knew he meant no harm. It was a known but rarely spoken of fact that Saiyan children are carefully monitored during their gestation and those deemed too weak for even infiltration where discarded before their gestation was complete; an awful hurdle her youngest son barely cleared. This was not always the case though. Before King Cold introduced and mandated the use of nursing capsules there was was a class of Saiyan beneath the low class. They where the known as the Outcast. Now a dwindling population due to the policy change; they where originally made up of natural birth Saiyans who where found to weak to be of any use. They still existed in small numbers despite often being killed for sport or falling victim to the hardships of a barren and irradiated world, an unfortunate side effect of the Saiyan-Tuffle war.

As if on queue, Gine's musing was cut short. "Gine, we're out of time." said Bardock as he pulled her by the wrist toward the back of their home and, using his fist like a hammer, busted a large hole in the wall. Looking back she saw a Saiyan in the garb of Vegeta's royal gaurd stepping through the entrance to her business. "Take this, don't worry the surveillance device in it has been disabled." he continued as he placed a scouter in her hand before roughly shoving her through the hole. As she did the wall collapsed behind her and so she was alone. Little did she know that would be the last time she saw her husband alive.

That was a few days ago. Gine followed her husband's instructions. Getting out of the city was surprisingly easy. She just picked a section of the city perimeter and walked out. The automated ray gun batteries around the city only monitored incoming power levels starting about one hundred kilometers from the city. Anyone could leave; weaker low class Saiyans just kne better than to leave. If your power level was below 1200 they would fire at you. They were primarily to keep the wild Saibamen out but King Vegeta's litle joke to those cast out was that if you're strong enough to freely walk into the city you're at least strong enough to be low-class instead of outcast trash. If Bardock where here Getting back in would be easy and the batteries wouldn't even fire but with her power it would be nigh impossible to return. The day had become night and the lights of the city where just a speck of light on horizon and then day and night came again. She reached what looked like the ruins of an old Tuffle city. She began to feel a creeping sensation crawling up her spine as she made her way down a broken old street. Nervous, she reached for the scouter Bardock had given her. Attaching it to her face she activated the device and read the readout. 'Six signatures. All of them about 1000.' They were all around her, hidden among the wrecked buildings that lined the street. She started walking faster, then running, before she knew it she was flying as fast as she could. She chanced a look back to see if whatever was following her had broken off their pursuit. To her horror a pack of wild Saibamen were hot on her tail, and they were gaining on her. Just as all hope appeared lost she heard a voice.

"Over here child." the voice called out.

Alerted by the call Gine spotted an old man peering out of a large hanger door sticking out of the ground and it was cracked open. With no time to think she flew toward the old man and dove into the opening. The old man promptly pressed a switch that closed the door behind her.

At first it was dark and the only sound she heard was the incessant scapping of the feral Saibamen outside the door. "I see you've met the Saiyan contribution to the local wildlife. Don't worry. The Tuffles designed this bunker to withstand the mouth blasts of an ozaru." Said the old man whimsically.

"who are you?" said Gine, still unsure of the elderly Saiyan.

"The names Tato(Tay-toe). I'm a scientist and archeologist!" declared Tato proudly

"Scientist, arky-what? Not many saiyans pursue brainy work. Wait, how would an outcast get the education to be a scientist." She said, a little confused.

Tato laughed, half crazed, half jovially. "I'm not an outcast. Not many of them left. I was away for some time studying the ruins of the dead world Salada; that's our original home world, don't you know? Oh, and seeking knowledge about our ancestors. I even found a cache of ancient Saiyan stuff... ha ha! It's in the ship. Ah, but that was..." Tato said as he activated the lights, revealing an expansive laboratory with computer interfaces lining the walls and what seemed to be an old model of attack pod, before trailing off with a vacant expression. "You are lucky. I was actually just returning from an excursion. The last one, I hope. Finally found the part I was looking for." he rambled.

Gine noted that this man had a few screws loose but seemed harmless enough so she would be kind. "That all sounds very impressive but what are you doing out here?" She asked politely.

"Oh, I crashed. I tried walking to the gate but they keep assuming I'm an outcast and shoot at me. Ha ha. You probably dont know this, after all I'm the first elder I've ever seen, but when Saiyans become old our power drastically declines." he answered casually.

She vaguely remembered hearing that before but so few Saiyans lived long enough for it to be a concern. Trying to think of something help to say she responded "Did you try using your scouter to call for help?"

"My what?" said Tato.

Noticing his confusion she began wondering just how long he had been out here. So she asked "Just how long have you been out here?"

"Oh, about ten years." He said while he began fiddling with what looked to be a very old model attack pod. It was oblong and a little larger than the current model.

"Oh, I guess that explains why you wouldn't know about scouters. So, what are you working on?" said Gine.

"I figure if I can't get in through the gate I'll land at the spaceport. I simply can't let my life's work fade away out here in the wastelands." said Toto seriously.

He was an odd Saiyan but Gine decided she liked him. "If it doesn't work out maybe I could contact my husband. His power level is over 10,000. Getting us back in to the city would be a simple matter for him." she offered, hoping to help the old man.

"That's very kind; and you said husband? A kind-hearted Saiyan committing to a lifelong bond with another. You, my dear, are a very weird Saiyan, like in the old stories."said Tato in such a way that is was unclear if it was a insult or a compliment.

"You aren't exactly a normal Saiyan yourself." said Gine ammused.

Tato smiled kindly as he stood up satisfied with his job of installating the scavenged part. "No, I'm just old, too weak to behave like a warrior and old enough to relize our kind have some serious personality flaws." he said, somehow seeming more lucid than he had earlier.

She watched him busy himself with various tasks and tinkering for several days. She swore he seemed so engrossed in his various activities he may have forgotten he had company. She really liked the eccentric old Saiyan and began to see him as the grandpa she never had. "Oh goody!" exclamed Tato. "According to the scopes it seems the saibamen have moved on. I will be leaving soon. Only room for one I'm afraid but if you want I'd be happy to try and locate your husband so he can fetch you."

Gine was suprised but a little sad he was leaving. "Oh, so soon I guess I moved in just as this place was becoming vacant. But no please don't trouble yourself. When it's safe to return he will contact me with this" she said gesturing to the scouter on her face. "And Mister Tato. Please don't tell anyone I'm here."

"Hmm" vocalized Tato with a thoughtful expression before saying "Very well. Us weaklings gotta look out for one another right. Hahaha." Tato returned to his work of preparing is old ship while Gine watched the kindly old man. He was now in the cockpit when he called out to her again. "I'm gonna need you to press that switch over there to open the door. Be sure to close it as soon as I'm clear or those saibamen will get in."

Gine nodded and walked toward the switch along the wall. As she approached the switch a blinking red light caught her eye. "Um, Mister Tato. What does this light mean?" she asked.

Tato furrowed his brow and hopped out of his pod to investigate. As he approached the console he quickly realized this computer monitered tectonic activity. It indicated an earthquake. The epicenter was the capital of planet Vegeta and IT WAS MASSIVE. "Gine grab on to something now!" was all Tato had time to say before the power went out and an earthquake shook the whole room so violently that Tato's head was knocked throught the computer monitor and Gine was knocked unconscious by flying debris.

"Wake up. Hey wake up." Tato said as he firmly patted her cheek several times.

She cracked her eyes open as she felt a large headache coming on. Looking around she saw the lights where out and the room was illuminated by a strobing red light. As her vission cleared she saw the room was a wreck. "What happened?" Gine asked as she held a hand to her aching head.

"Earthquake but nothing like I've ever..." he paused as something caught his attention. Everything in the room including them was beginning to float. Something else more pressing caught his attention. A sound. It wasn't all that loud but it was an unmistakable hissing sound that he immediately recognized. They where leaking atmosphere. "That was no earthquake." Tato said, correcting himself.

Gine understood immediately. She didn't want to believe it but it looked like her husband was right and Frieza had wiped out the Saiyans, in grand fashion no less. "Planet Vegeta is...gone." She wispered, her voice cracking.

Tato nodded. "Yep, Looks that way." he said. "I say we have about an hour before all the air gets sucked out of here and we suffocate." he said without much emotion. But his face painted a much different picture. He was a man broken. His entire life's work, his contribution to his people, everything had persevered for just evaporated on the day of his triumph.

"I'm so sorry Tato." said Gine reflexively.

"Foolish girl. You've lost as much as me. You should be focusing on who gets in that pod. At my age you could probably overpower me." he said ominously.

"I can't do that. I won't! There has to be a way we can both get out of here." Gine said as tear streamed down her face.

Tato smiled and closed his eyes thoughtfully before speaking. "Fine I understand. Let's see what we can figure out. You really are a terrible excuse for a Neosaiyan." he said in a placating manner while embraced her.

Accepting the hug in part do to the hopelessness of the situation she questioned him about his terminology. "I'm sorry a Neo-wha...?"

Before sha could finish asking her question she was immobilized and drained of energy. Tato had grabbed her tail. Before she could so much as protest he delivered a sharp knee to her solar plexus, leaving her totally winded. He then pushed off the wall causing the two of them to drift to the Saiyan attack pod. He then tossed her in the pod before reaching in and pressing a couple keys. Then pod then closed as he pushed himself away from the pod and drifted back the the wall. "Sorry bought this," he began to say as he grabbed a panel to make himself stop drinking near the hanger control switch. "My findings and research are already onboard but the life support systems are only designed for one person. Two people would overwhelm the airscrubbers before the week is out. I would ask you a favor in exchange for saving your life twice though. Everything I have discovered or learned is on that vessel. Please take good care of it and share it with our people. I'm certain this won't be the end of Saiyan-kind. Also, try to be a little more selfish, okay? Being good isn't as simple as being kind and the privelege of self-sacrifice belongs to old farts like me. Even the weakest and meekest of Saiyans have a warrior's spirit. Thank you for letting me feel like a warrior one last time." He said with a somber smile as he flipped the switch causing the air to rush out of the room.

Gine, now partially recovered, sat up and pitifully began to pound on the viewport of the attack pod, screaming for Tato to close the hanger doors, but he just smiled as blood began leaking from his eyes and boiled away in the vacuum until the hanger doors where fully opened and he stood there frozen like a monument to what the nearly extinct race should have been. Still sobbing, she looked down at the controls and found the coordinates for Earth on the computer database. The ship began to propel itself away from the large metal box floating in space as the life support system activated, and a respirator descended from the ceiling. She prayed that the induced hibernation en route to her youngest son would be a dreamless slumber.

Earlier Aboard Freiza's ship

Frieza was sitting in his hovering pod, enjoying a discussion with his two most trusted subordinates.

"But without the Saiyans, our fighting force will be drastically reduced, almost by half." said a diminutive yellow alien with a large head and antennae. It was wearing battle armor shoulder gaurd with a dark robe flowing from underneath.

"My troops will still be able to get by." Answered Freiza dismissively before pausing for dramatic effect. "These barbarians pretend to be submissive,but they're dangerous.They could bare their fangs against usat any time."

"Eh?" vocalized the little alien in response to his lord.

Frieza continued, unperturbed. "They are, after all, a speciescompletely comprised of warriors.It's always best to put a sleepingbeast down before it can be awaken." Frieza said while finishing his monologue with a cackle.

Thoughout the whole discussion the second alien, a diminutive female withe blue skin and light purple and similar armor to the first attendant, hovered silently. Only speaking up to announce the entrance of another. "It seems you have a visitor, Lorm Frieza." Said the blue skinned woman.

"Thank you Blueberry. So who seeks to grace us with their presence?" asked Frieza playfully.

A pink skinned brute stepped forward. He was covered in bruises, ladden with deep cuts, walked with a limp and was missing an ear. "Lord Frieza. I have returned. The mission was a success." said the pink brute.

Freiza chuckled, amused by the state of his subordinate. "Dodoria! You certainly took your time returning and you look like something I excreted last time I had a meal that disagreed with me."

Dodoria knelt submissively; in doing so he revealed a sack slung across his back. "My apologies Lord Frieza. They where unusually strong for low class Saiyans and the help you sent along got one look at their power levels and deserted like a bunch of cowards."

"Oh? That's unfortunate. I do hope you at least took care of the monkeys." said Freiza with a clear hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

Dodoria faltered momentarily at the malace seeping through in his master's voice. Dodoria swallowed before mustering the curage to speak. "Of course Lord Freiza" he said as he placed the bag in front of himself and pulled it open to reveal it's contents, three heads with defiant expressions and a leg.

Freiza's expression shifted from mild irritation to genuine amusement. "Souvenirs. Oh, Dedoria you shouldn't have," said Freiza playfully. "but shouldn't there would be four heads?"

Dedoria began to sweat, fearing his laziness was about to bring consequences. So, Dodorie lied and said "I'm afraid that this is all that remains of this one. I may have have gotten carried away."

Freiza's grin returned before he began laughing. "Very well then. Go and find me a taxidermist then and tell them to do something with those expressions. I want those three monkey heads to look terrified and hoples next time I see them. Be on your way. I have business to tend to." he said.

Dodoria stood and took his leave, somewhat disgruntled at being given an errand boy's task, while Freiza flew out of an airlock above them. A bright red light began shining over his shoulder as he walked away causing Dodoria to look back toward the veiwport and to his amazement a red ball of energy the size of a moon, a death ball curtesy of Lord Frieza now doubt, was hurdling towards the planet. Squinting he could just barely make out what looked like Bardock and a phalanx of King Vegeta's royal gaurd impotently firing their strongest energy attack at the death ball before themselves being subsumed and disintegrated by Freiza's attack. A few seconds later the death ball hit the planet causing the planet to fracture and a few seconds after that explode. Suddenly being an errand boy didn't seem so bad.

Meanwhile on planet Meat

Fasha began to stir. She was so sore she could barely move. It was dark. Reacting to her movement dim lights came on inside the pod. "Was that a dream? When did I get in a pod?" she thought allowed. Slowly, she blinked her eyes for her vision to clear. As she looked down she nearly puked, a warning light started beeping to her her of her elevated heart rate before a robotic arm came out of the wall of the capsule and injected her with something. As the drugs coursed through her veins a sense of euphoria washed over her and her heart rate settled back down. Terrified, she looked at the state of her body again. It was horrific. She looked like a mauled corpse. Her right arm was gone from just past the elbow down. There was a hole in her chest where she had been impaled. Her left leg was completely gone, along with a sizable chunk of her left ass cheek. She could feel the nausea coming up again. Gritting her teeth she fought it back down. She should have been in crippling pain but the pod had likely been injecting her with pain medication while she was unconscious. Satisfied that she wouldn't die immediately, she noticed she was holding a scouter. It wasn't hers. Not sure what the ramifications of that where she placed it on her ear and turned it on. 'No power readings around.' she noted. So, she was alone. Again she inspected her wounds, more carefully this time. It looked like someone had hastily cauterized her wounds but the wound through her chest and the narled mess where her leg once was needed mor attention. Blood was still leaking from both wounds. First she had to get out of her armor.

Carefully, and with great effort she succeeded. The body suit would be trickier. It seemed in their haste whoever attempted to treat her wounds had melted parts of her bodysuit into the wounds. She tapped a section of the wall and a panel folded open to reveal a first aid kit. She grabbing what looked a two pronged fork and pressed an indentation on the side of the handle, causing it ignite a beam of enegy that passed between the two prongs. Using this device she carefully cut the waistline of her body suit and then performed the same cut around her chest, just below the wound in her chest. Next she very careful cut the frabic around the wound in her chest. As she feared there was a lot of fabric fused into her wounds. for the wound on her back she couldn't see back there so she set aside a dressing with a bottle of disinfectant before ripping the top of her bodysuit in a swift motion. This cause a pain so sharp she almost passed out. She then poured some of the disinfectant down her back before putting the dressing in place and laying back to hold it in place. Next, she carefully picked out the melted fabric in her chest, pouring disinfectant and packing the wound with dressings as she went. She frowned noting how the impalment had destroyed the bottom of her right breast. Finally, she took the makeshift bra she had cut out of her bodysuit and put it on to hold her bandages in place.

Now, it was time for the bottom injury. She repeated the same process of cutting around the wound. Then she carefully pressed her remaining foot against the floor and pushed her back against her seat to lift her hips. She then carefully slid her bottoms off before sitting back down. Using the same process as she used on her chest, she cleaned and dressed the wound. Finally, she lifted her hips again and slid down the tube-shaped section of suit down over her hips like a makeshift miniskirt to hold her hip bandages firmly in place. Inspecting her work, she cursed. "I look like a deformed mermaid. If I ever get the chance, I'll give Dodoria the cruelest death ever conceived by a mortal mind." She declared balefully.

With her body as well tended to as she could manage, she began to break down. It finally hit her. Her squad was probably dead. Tearfully, she punched a few keys on the console, which caused the pod to rise up and break free of the rubble it was buried under. With natural light now filtering into the capsule, she could see the battlefield she fought on in the viewport. Looking out, she saw the headless corpses of her three comrades, confirming her fears once and for all. "I swear I will avenge you one day. I don't know how or when, but on my honor as a Saiyan, I swear to one day avenge you all." she swore as she opened the attack pod hatch and fired a ki blast at the cliff at their back. The cliff collapsed, burying her friends as Fasha allowed hatred to bury the sadness in her heart.

Not wanting to spend another minute here on this battlefield of bad memories, she thought about where she should go. Almost any world with the technology to bring her even close to recovery would be under either Freiza's control or the domain of the Galactic Patrol. Landing on a planet in either's territory would result in her being summarily executed; especially now that she was nearly defenseless. Then she thought about the world Bardock was looking at for his son. If Bardock where still alive maybe she could find him there. It was a long shot but if nothing else she should be able to recover for a time there in relative safety, and if not Bardock then perhaps his son Kakarot. "Fine, Earth it is. Ah, yes it's cordinates are in the computer." she said to herself as she silently made another promise to herself that if she found Kakarot but not Bardock she would watch over him on Bardock's behalf. In fact she was resolved to preserve any vestage she could of those for whom she cared. Just as she was about to press the final key for the attack pod to launch she noticed a little red light blinking in the bottom right corned of the scouter's view screen. A voice recording if she remembered correctly. She decided to play it as she went ahead and pressed the final ignition key. The attack pod began shooting into space as she idly listened to the recording.

"Hey Fasha, this is Tora, incase you couldn't tell. If you're listening to this then I'm probably dead but you're still alive so at least I haven't totally failed. Consider this scouter a gift. I've disabled the communication system and positioning system in it so you wont be able to talk to anyone or determine your location with it but you wont have to worry about Frieza tracking you down or spying on you. Call it a farewell gift. I wanted to tell you I understand now why you were so angry since that day. I see now that you weren't being unreasonable or ridiculous. You where seeking a sense of connection that the Chilled family had stripped from our race. I'm sorry, I'm only just now realizing how foolish I, no, all of us Saiyans have been. Only now after pushing past my limits on behalf of the people I care about do I realized that your feelings weren't a pitfall of sentimentality but a wellspring from which true power may be drawn. I want you to know that had I not at some point lost the capacity for such emotions, I could have returned those feelings. I wish we could try again but its probably better this way. You deserve someone who can return those feelings. Live well Fasha."

Fasha sat there stunned by the message before she began to break down and scream hysterically. "You fucking idiot. A lot of good that does me now! You're dead. You're fucking dead. Your feelings dont do me any good now!" she cried as she slumped back in her seat and just cried and kept crying until gases in the respirator mask put her into a coma like sleep and supended her animation.

Okay. Congratulations on making it through the first chapter guys. I know that was a long chapter by most fanfic standards but I really wanted to go all out setting the stage. I'm not sure if I will continue with chapters this size but if I get the impression you guys like it I will try to continue making big meaty chapters. Also I feel I should warn you this isn't gonna be the kind of fanfic where Gine or Fasha takes center stage as the main protagonist. I want to give every z fighter screen time and character development which to me means at most Goku/Kakarot sharing the spotlight a little more but still generally being the central protagonist. PM me or post your thoughts in the reviews guys.