Author's Note: So yeah… this chapter is a week late.

I do live reads of most of my stories for my discord, where it is my last chance to do edits and changes. I was going to do one last Saturday… and woke up with my jaw locked up. Was then going to do it Monday… and Jaw locked again. Multiple trips to Urgent Care and my Dentist, a diet or steroids and other pills, and now I am nearly back to 100% so I can do the live reads again.

We'll make it up at some point by doing two chapters in two weeks.

~MC~MC~MC~

"What… what is that power?" Elder Sax said as he looked skyward. The rest of the Namekian Village joined him in staring upward, seeing without seeing the gathering forces that had suddenly appeared above their planet.

"I don't know but I don't like it," Krillin murmured, swallowing as he felt the energy levels increasing. Not in terms of one growing stronger and stronger… that would have been distressing, yes. But Krillin had come to understand, thanks to his training with Rouge, that a sudden display of power didn't mean that much. Anyone could wastefully shoot off a bit of energy, after all.

But what he was sensing now?

Krillin suddenly flashed back to one of his earliest memories. He had been sitting under a peach tree, happily munching on the fruit, letting the juices dribble all over him without a care in the world. A heap of peach skins had slowly grown around him like leaves falling from the very tree whose shade he had been enjoying. Whenever he had hit upon a pit he had, without a second thought, tossed them far away from him, giggling as they hit the bushes and other trees in the orchard he had snuck into; because he had snuck into the orchard to steal the fruit.

His face has been coated in sticky juice and bits of the pulpy peach meat, belly bloated with fruit to the point that he had ended up just sucking on the fruit, drinking the juice before tossing away the half mauled fruit without a care. He had been an utter sight, with his little shorts clinging to his chubby legs, fat little toes wiggling in delight with each bite, half dazed thanks to the sheer amount of food he had consumed.

The last pit… the very last one… had soared through the air and he'd giggled as it reached a far off tree, striking a bit of bark that had stuck out from the tree like a wart. Only it hadn't been bark… it had been a bee hive.

The buzz that had filled the air had shaken him from his lethargy, causing him to struggle to his feet and waddle away as fast as he could. But the thrum of the swarm's wings had continued to grow and Krillin had screamed in a panic as he had raced for shelter, finally managing to find a barn. He had thrown himself him in and laid on the ground, feeling the dirt stick to his skin thanks to all the half-dried juices on his face, his guts cramping from his gluttony and the sudden movement. But he had escaped the swarm and he had laughed, twisting onto his back and kicking his little legs in delight, not even caring that he'd knocked over some rakes.

That is… until one had hit a wasp's nest.

That was how Krillin felt now, staring up at the sky and feeling more and more and more of the invaders popped into existence and begin to descend upon Namek: a swarm of wasps had been unleashed and now they were coming at him, growing in number as they sensed an easy target.

He wished he was back on Earth. He wished Goku was there. He wished…

'Stop it,' he thought. 'You aren't a pudgy little baby anymore.' He balled his hands into fists, jaw tightening. 'You are a warrior. One of the strongest humans on the planet. Yes, it would be nice if Goku were here but you are no longer the little weakling that is chasing after him, constantly in his shadow. You know things he doesn't… can do things he can't! You aren't his sidekick… you are his equal! And these people, these Namekians, they don't need Goku… they need you!'

He knew what he needed to do.

"Isco!" he declared forcefully. "Is your other body near Raditz?"

"It… it is," he stated.

"Contact him."

"I-"

"Now."

Isco stared at him for several long moments before giving a sharp nod. "One moment… sir."

"What is it, Krillin?" Chichi asked as she gathered with the others.

"We can't just rush off without a plan," Krillin said. "That's what got Yamcha killed… I went rushing after Raditz without a single thought. But when we worked with a plan? We took him down with only a few injuries."

"Hey man," Yamcha said. "It wasn't your-"

"Yeah, it was," Krillin said, shutting his eyes and dropping his head. "Even if you chose to do it. Even if it was Raditz who fired that blast. It was my fault because I went in without a plan. Just like it was your fault. And Tien's. Chiaotzu. Piccolo and Goku. Even Kayos and that's only because he didn't have time to scheme." He gave a soft laugh. "Yeah… I'll admit it… Kayos has a point with all his schemes and plots. I might not agree with his plans and how underhanded he gets but maybe it is better to bend a bit if it means that the people we care for are protected."

"Now you're thinking like a survivor," Raditz said via Isco's speakers. "And we're going to need to think like survivors. Because that energy you are sensing? That's the Frieza Force."

Krillin swallowed hard at that. 'The Frieza Force. Raditz told us that Frieza is the one that destroyed his and Goku's home planet. An army filled with the meanest, nastiest, more vicious warriors in the galaxy. And the upper forces… I can tell some of them are twice as strong as we are. Except… for one.' He focused on one particularly bright yet also wicked energy source. One that he couldn't help but detect, that did nothing to hide itself, but was also so soaked in evil ki that it made his stomach tremble in agony. 'Frieza… he's like a hundred Vegetas.'

"I don't think I need to tell you all how fucked we are," Raditz stated. "Even if we had Goku around AND Avo to pull some trick that would most likely get him killed in seconds but also buy us a moment to get off a single attack… Frieza is not someone we have any hope of defeating."

"Then we don't worry about defeating him," Krillin retorted. "Like you said… we need to think like survivors." He looked to Elder Sax. "I'm sorry… I truly am… but your entire planet is in grave danger."

"An old enemy?" Larin said darkly, taking a step towards them, hands balled into fists. "Did you bring your war to our planet, invaders?"

"We've never even met this Frieza guy!" Yamcha complained. "Raditz has but not the rest of us! And as far as we all know Frieza didn't know Raditz was with us."

"As far as you know," Larin charged, eyes narrowed in anger. "Meaning you most likely DID bring him here-"

"That is enough, Larin!" Elder Sax snapped. "Such words do not help us. It doesn't matter if they brought this Frieza here or if it was just cruel luck that caused him to arrive when he has… he is here now and if our new friends can aid us then we must hear them out."

"New friends?" Larin exclaimed, waving his hands of Krillin and the rest of the Z Warriors. "How do we know this isn't some trick by this Lord Frieza to subjugate us? They come here, their enemy just so happens to arrive at the same time, and now they are the only ones that can "save us". This Frieza could really be one of their members and this invasion a lie so they can trick us into giving them some reward. Or they lead us into a trap! Have you thought about that?"

Elder Sax stared down the younger Namekian, his face utterly stern. It was such a contrast with the fuming warrior and Krillin saw the Namekians who had been clearly listening to what Larin was claiming had begun to have doubts in the face of Elder Sax's resolute refusal to even react to his charged claims.

"And have you taken a moment to think at all? Because to me it is clear you have allowed your rage to get the better of you." He gestured at Krillin and the others. "Can you not sense the goodness in them all? What evil may exist within them is no different than what exists in all of our hearts. No one is pure, Larin… but our new friends-" Larin flinched at that, "-are not evil. They are soaked in good.

"They clearly came to this world… and I imagine that they could just as easily leave it. Abandon us to our fate. Instead they are willing to stand with us and protect our world. At the very least we can listen to them without accusing them of being allied with this wicked being. One whose energy is so tainted it is making my head spin."

Though he never raised his voice his condemnation caused the younger Namekian to stand down.

"Now then… what do you suggest?" Elder Sax asked.

Krillin nodded, his mind quickly racing to come up with plans. He knew that of all his friends only Bulma was more educated than him. It was easy to forget but all of them had been raised in the wilds. For the most part abandoned to fend for themselves. Bulma had been schooled by her father and he had been taught by the monks. And while they had been rather cruel (okay, hellish and frustrating and traumatizing so that he still had issues if he heard ritual chanting and smelled burning incense) it had taught him far more than the others. And while his friends weren't dumb… sometimes they could become far too focused.

"Is there a way to reach the other villages and warn them?"

"They can sense what is coming," another Namekian pointed out. "Even the smallest child could."

"But they won't know how dangerous these new arrivals are," Elder Sax said, looking at Isco.

Raditz responded. "They will think nothing of slaughtering you all to get what they want. And that is assuming they are kind. There are members of the Frieza Force who just go in for the kill… but there are others that will want to torture and maim even the youngest of you just for their sick enjoyment. The only hope you have if you encounter them and they are too strong to be defeated in battle is to surrender and hope they induct you into their ranks. And that is a BIG if. Frieza has destroyed entire races without taking a single member into his service."

"No Namekian would ever join with a being such as this Frieza!" one of the villagers called out.

"Then we need to let the other villages know that," Krillin said. "Do you have any device or magical way to communicate with one another?"

Elder Sax sighed. "Sadly we do not. Messengers are the only way to communicate with one another."

"Then we need to send the messengers," Senza stated. "Ones that will know that they must not engage Frieza or his forces unless they have no choice."

"How many villages are there?" Tien asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Six villages, counting ours," Elder Sax said. "So we will need to notify five of them. And Lord Guru."

"Lord Guru isn't in a village?" Senza asked.

"No. He keeps his own residence, protected by his chosen successor, Nail."

Bulma's voice suddenly chimed in. "is there any place that would be safe for all of you to hide? Hidden caverns or the like?"

Elder Sax considered that. "I am not completely sure, to be honest. But Guru would know."

Krillin looked to Isco. "Could we safely create a place like that without altering Frieza?"

Isco tilted his head, reclaiming his speakers. "You mean drilling into the bedrock? It is… possible, I suppose. Especially if Frieza is not heading towards us. But if he can sense energy-"

"He can and he can't," Raditz stated. "None of the Frieza Force can sense energy unless it is right on top of them, much like Bulma can get a sense that someone who is rather strong has suddenly decided to flare out their aura. He however has scouters."

"That's the thing you were wearing, right?" Yamcha asked. "That weird device that went over your ear and eye?"

"Mine was a stripped down version so not to let Frieza eavesdrop on me but yes," Raditz replied. "Every member of the Frieza Force has one and not only can it detect distant energy but it can measure and filter. If Frieza gets to one Dragon Ball then he can detect the others."

Krillin frowned at that. 'So… that will make things more difficult. Frieza has a way to find the Dragon Balls, no different than our Dragon Radar. He just needs to calibrate it… and I don't know if we have time to hide all the Dragon Balls… of even how to-'

He blinked, two ideas suddenly striking him in quick succession.

"Raditz," Krillin said, "the scouters are linked?"

"They pull from the same database," the Saiyan informed him via Isco's speaker. "And they have communication features."

At once Isco straightened. "If someone were to provide me one I could hack it."

Krillin grinned. "That was what I was thinking. We get a scouter and you take it over. Cripple them completely."

"Frieza would order more and switch the channel," Raditz warned. "But it would buy us some time."

"Which is better than nothing," Krillin said. "Bulma… the Dragon Radar is wired to detect just the dragon balls?"

"Well… yes, it is."

"Then it can tell you what energy its giving off?"

"Yeah. You know this Krillin," she said confused and getting a bit annoyed.

But Krillin didn't rise to the bait like he normally would have done when Bulma got a bit too huffy. Instead he declared, "Then you should be able to work out how to shield the Dragon Balls."

"I…" Bulma trailed off and though he couldn't see her Krillin knew she had gotten a thoughtful look on her face, pondering his suggestion. "I'm not sure if that can be done… after all, the Dragon Balls have been found in caves and the like and the radar was able to detect them."

"BUT no one ever tried to actively shield them," he argued.

"That's true," she admitted. "If we can get a hold of one…"

"We have one," Elder Sax stated, much to every member of the Z Warrior's surprise. The villagers murmured at that, startled by his statement though it was clear to Krillin it was more that he had spoken the words than the knowledge they held. "The Dragon Balls are sacred on our planet. But we understand that sometimes the temptation to use them, even for the most pure hearted, might be too much for even us. Thus we keep them separate, with each village and Lord Guru protecting a single Dragon Ball." He looked to Isco. "If I brought our Dragon Ball to you would you be able to… shield it… as you suggest?"

"I will try," Bulma said earnestly.

Tien gave a nod. "And worst case it will make Frieza work to find it. If he figures out the villages have the Dragon Balls he will look there first."

"Why not take it into space?" Isco suggested. The others looked at him and he let out a sigh. "For once I am not trying to flee from a fight."

But Yamcha shook his head. "They have space ships and I'm willing to bet they have fire power on those things."

"They actually don't," Raditz stated. "BUT they do have ways of drawing in ships. Ours would be easily be brought inside one and then we'd be done for."

"So we have to make our stand here," Chiaotzu commented, clearly considering what that meant.

Krillin turned to Elder Sax. "With your permission I would like you and any villager not going to warn the other villages to go to our ship. You can help us figure out the best place to begin moving all the younger Namekians so they are protected. We can send out messengers to the other villages and also work to try and get one of the scouters."

"We should also investigate what forces Frieza has brought with him," Senza stated. "Raditz, am I correct in assuming that the Frieza Force is large enough that you can't simply tell us who is on the planet?"

"Unfortunately that's correct. And who he brought with him varies. At minimum Dodoria and Zarbon are with him. The Ginyu Force is a possibility but we need to hope that isn't the case. Vegeta-"

Raditz suddenly stopped.

"Raditz?" Bulma said over the speaker. "What is it?"

"Vegeta… he's here too."

Krillin's heart sunk but he forced himself to take a breath. "Okay… so we need to send people with the lowest power levels or who are best able to hide it to scout. Chichi, Senza, you two are going to stand out like a sore thumb. Same with Raditz. Chiaotzu, you can draw on Tien's energy so you're with us. Isco-"

"Yes, I do believe you are right, as much as I am loathed to admit it," the robot stated. "My true self will remain behind at the ship while I-" he gestured at his Fighter Form, "-will go with you."

"You?" Yamcha said. "Krillin…"

"We need to be as stealthy as possible and I am best hiding my energy," Krillin stated. "Yamcha-"

"I'm coming with you," the Bandit said. "I can hide my power level and even if they detect me they won't see the Kaioken coming."

"Me too!" Gohan chimed in.

"NO!" Chichi thundered.

"Absolutely not!" Krillin said in agreement.

"But I-"

Chichi though ran right up and hugged him. "Don't you dare! This is FAR too dangerous for you!"

"But mom!" he whined even as Chichi continued to scold Gohan and tell him that he shouldn't even THINK of going off anywhere. Krillin felt bad for the kid as he knew that he wanted to help and was desperate to prove he wasn't the crybaby that he'd been when the Z Fighters had first met him… but…

"Gohan, things are different now," Senza said calmly. "We brought you to Namek because we believed that we would be able to ask for their help and that would be that. But with Frieza and his forces now here… things have become far more dangerous."

"But-"

Tien shook his head. "Senza's right. We're also down two fighters with Goku and Kayos doing… whatever it is they are doing."

Gohan muttered… something… but nodded. Krillin turned to the Namekian Elder who, thankfully, hadn't shown any signs of being upset with their distractions.

"Our own youths are much the same way," Elder Sax stated before squaring his shoulders. "I will select the messengers and they will set off."

Senza looked over at Krillin as Elder Sax began to discuss just who would go and to what village. It didn't miss Krillin's attention that Larin wasn't selected, which was probably a good thing. "You are doing well, Krillin."

"well…" he rubbed the back of his head. "Just trying to do what I think a good leader would."

"And you are doing it well," Senza repeated, earning a grin from Krillin.

But that grin fell as he nodded to the others. "Isco, Yamcha… let's go get Chiaotzu and get started."

With that the three blasted off, Krillin hoping that his plans would work and they'd be able to avoid Frieza and his forces.

'Unfortunately,' he thought, 'I have no idea what we are going to do once Frieza realizes he can't collect all the Dragon Balls!'

~MC~MC~MC~

Vegeta snarled as he tore through the remains of the village. "Where is it… where is it…"

Once he had sensed Frieza and his Forces approaching he had realized he didn't have time to toy with the green little worms that called the planet home. So he had unleashed his full power and made clear that if they didn't get out of his sight and leave him to his search, or if they tried to stop him, he would just slaughter them all and be done with it. The few remaining Namekians had clearly been angered by that but had realized they had no hope of standing against him and fled.

And now Vegeta was tearing through their homes, looking for-

"Finally!" he proclaimed as he hefted up the large orange orb. "A Dragon Ball… the key to me achieving my wish!" He laughed to himself but only allowed a few moments of pleasure at his success before he began to consider his next move. 'There is no way that I can take this with me,' he thought. 'If there are Seven of these damn things it will be impossible for me to carry them around. I'll need to hide it somewhere… hmmm…'

Not even bothering to use the door Vegeta blasted his way out of the house, causing it to collapse as he raced away from the village. He didn't dare fly high, as that would alert Frieza to his presence on the planet and while it was possible he may be able to convince a few of the dumber members of the army that he was there on Frieza's orders it would get reported soon enough and Frieza would realize the game was up.

'No… I need to be clever about this,' he thought. 'Just like I need to find the perfect place to hide this Dragon Ball. Someplace that won't be easy for Frieza or his pathetic minions to find… ah, of course!'

With a sharp descent he slammed into the green ocean.

'Frieza would never think of going to retrieve this ball himself. If it were on dry land and required only the barest amount of effort, perhaps, but not this deep.' He cut through the water, a bit disappointed that the ocean wasn't as deep as he would have preferred. It only went down about 20 to 30 meters… he had been hoping it would be at least a hundred. Dark and dangerous so that any that went down there, other than himself, would be instantly crushed. Still, it would work. 'Zarbon is far too vain to go into this brine and Dodoria can't swim at all. So they'd have to send a flunkie… and I doubt Frieza brought anyone that can handle even going down this far.'

Coming to the ocean floor Vegeta charged a Ki blast and fired. The water become cloudy as the rock was turned to dust that mixed with the water and he waited a minute more before he nestled the Dragon Ball in the crater, taking a moment to push more debris and rock around it so there was no chance of it rolling away. He briefly thought about burying it but decided that it would take too much time and effort.

'I need to get the other Dragon Balls,' he thought to himself. 'And pick off a few of Frieza's soldiers so that his numbers begin to dwindle. If he is seeking out the Dragon Balls he won't risk destroying the planet but if he thinks the danger is too great he will pull back and call for reinforcements. And that will give me time to get to my pod and escape with all seven Dragon Balls. Let Frieza eventually become frustrated and destroy this pathetic little planet; that will just cover my tracks!'

Vegeta smirked as he burst out of the water and looked about.

'And then I will be able to return with my Saiyan army and crush him and all others that oppose me under my boot!'

~MC~MC~MC~

"You sensed it too then," Rombo, one of the Namekian messengers that Elder Sax had sent out, asked Krillin as he landed near him. The Namekian had landed on a small plateau that was just above the village that he had been sent to warn, hiding amongst some of the long grasses. He wasn't the tallest Namekian, or the strongest. His body was beginning to slowly condense down upon itself… he wasn't as stocky as Elder Sax but he had developed a bit of a belly. But while he would never make someone scared with just a glower he had been one of the best in the village at hiding his power levels, which was why he had been selected to head out west, since that was the direction Frieza and his forces had originally landed. The hope was that he would be able to get there and help the villagers evacuate before Frieza arrived.

But… he'd been too late.

"We did," Krillin said as he settled in next to Rombo. "Damn, I was hoping we'd make it in time."

"What do we do?" Chiaotzu asked as he looked down at the village. The Namekians that lived there had all stopped what they were doing, turning as one to facethe west where several POWERFUL energy sources were rapidly approaching. "Can we get down there and warn them?"

"No," Rombo muttered, shaking his head. "We wouldn't get back up here in time and there is a risk that they might sense us. As much as I hate to say it they're on their own."

"We can't let Frieza and his men get the Dragon Ball!" Yamcha declared only to drop his voice when the others shushed him.

"As loathed as I am to suggest it…" Isco said softly, "perhaps I can use this tragedy that is about to occur as a distraction."

"What do you mean?" Krillin asked.

The robot stared down at the village. "I still have the Dragon Radar Bulma built into my being… I insisted this body have one as well. I know right where it is and I have no energy for Frieza to detect. One moment." He grew quiet. "Raditz confirmed that it doesn't work on machines, so they won't know I am down there."

"You go down and get the Ball," Krillin whispered. "I hate using those poor villagers as a distraction but… its better that at the very least they don't die for nothing."

"And we can always bring them back," Yamcha argued.

"Rombo?" Krillin asked. "Its your planet and you were supposed to go to this village. What do you think?"

The Namekian sighed. "Its… it's the only option we have."

Isco nodded, handing over a small comm unit that Krillin put into his ear before he began to scale face first down the plateau.

"I wish we could warn them somehow," Krillin said.

Chiaotzu perked up. "Maybe if we speak JUST loud enough for the elder to hear? Namekians have really good hearing…"

But Rombo shook his head. "We can't risk that this Frieza also has good hearing."

"Right, no comments then. Stay quiet and suppress your power levels." Krillin took a deep breath. "And I hate to say it but… we need to stay here and watch. What we see may very well help us figure out how to deal with Frieza and his men."

Rombo placed a hand on Krillin's shoulder. "I know it is hard for you. Your first reaction is to save those villagers. But please know that no one is expecting you to sacrifice your life needlessly." He let out a sigh. "They… are going to suffer. We can only hope that Frieza will show some mercy." But based on what he had been told by Elder Sax, and by the Evil Energy that he could sense racing towards them, that was very unlikely. "A fool tosses their life away on something they can not change purely because they can not accept it. We must not be fools. It is the only way we will survive. How we might win."

The human swallowed and nodded at that but didn't say no more… for suddenly the three new arrivals had appeared on the edge of the village.

The first had pale greenish skin and green hair on top of his head and stood tall and proud. The smirk on his face spoke of raw arrogance, unfiltered and untempered. It reminded Rombo of a few youthful Namekians who had been VERY close to falling and becoming part of the Demon Tribe; they had only been drawn back from the brink through intervention by those that loved them. But the figure before him… he had had no one to get him to see that there was more to life than himself and Rombo knew at once that he would forever walk a dark path. After all, it was impossible to light all the ways if you only had yourself to carry the lantern.

His counterpart was the complete opposite of the green and clearly vain warrior. Stocky where the other was trim, short where the other was tall, pink and covered in bumps and nubs where the other was smooth. The pink invader wore a smile too but it was far more of a sneer than a smirk, one that spoke of pain. Perhaps mostly pain for others… but Rombo knew that it would lead to pain for its weater as well. When one made their lives all about dishing out suffering upon others the only thing they could look forward to was eventually that pain coming back to them. Everyone got old. Got slow. Got weak. And when that happened there would be no one to stand up for him because he had knocked them all down. He wondered if the warrior understood that… perhaps he was arrogant enough to believe that wouldn't happen to him.

Perhaps he simply didn't care.

But for as intimidating as those two were it was the final member of their group, the one sitting in the strange round hoverpod who looked upon the villagers with a bland and bored stared… that truly worried Rombo.

'That… can only be Frieza,' he though as he looked at the alien that clearly thought that the difference between being alive and being dead wasn't the whims of nature… but himself and HIS choices.

Elder Moori stepped forward, doing his best to remain calm in the face of one so evil that just to look upon them was to know the darkness within their heart. Rombo had heard that Moori was one of the greatest Elders, with some whispering that perhaps he would surpass Guru one day, but in that moment Rombo knew that he truly was beyond a mere Namekian for his faced down Frieza without showing the terror that must have been gripping his heart.

"You are not from our planet," Elder Moori stated. "I am Elder Moori, leader of this village. Might I ask who you are?"

"You might," the one Rombo pegged as Frieza said. This was confirmed a moment later when the alien stated, "I am Lord Frieza, Emperor of the Known Galaxy. These are my servants Zarbon-" the green vain one reached up and brushed his long locks with the back of his hand for no other reason that he wanted to, "-and Dodoria." The large pink warrior let out a huff that might have been a laugh. "As for why we are here the matter is quite simple: as I stated I am the Emperor of the Known Galaxy. And this little squalid mudball is PART of the Galaxy… and is known to me. As such all that lies here is mine. The water. The grass. The trees. And all of you." He paused. "Now, luckily for you I have no interest in any of that. Your water looks sour, your grass is unkempt, your trees are stunted, and your people are cowering little wretches that would probably mess up dusting my room.

"However… luckily for you, slug, you showed me respect. That is… very lucky indeed. Zarbon, do you remember the Sugaras of Molas 2? The ones with the funny little heads that were all squished in on the top?"

"I do, Lord Frieza. They were quite rude to you."

"Very very rude!" Frieza declared with a chuckle. "And… what exactly happened to them, Dodoria?"

Dodoria smirked before opening his mouth wide and, to Rombo's horror, fired on three villagers who had just been standing there. The screams of the three only had an instant to be heard before they were silenced and when the beam of energy Dodoria had fired disappeared their burnt and twisted corpses laid on the ground.

"That. That is what happened." Frieza though shot a side look at Dodoria. "Though, as I was saying, they have been POLITE to me. There was no need to be so… vicious… yet so soon, Dodoria."

"Apologizes my Lord," Dodoria said though Rombo knew he didn't mean it and Frieza clearly wasn't that upset at all.

"And apologize to our new acquaintance," Frieza declared.

"My… apologizes… Elder Moori," Dodoria rumbled, still wearing a vicious smirk, clearly daring Moori to speak up. "To be fair… considering you all look the same I don't think its much of a loss to trim your numbers down by a few."

Moori though pressed his lips together and said, "Apology… accepted. So long as it doesn't happen again."

That made Frieza laugh. "my my my. I must say you are a delight to talk to. Most of the leaders I tend to interact with are so hoity. 'This is my world!' 'These are my people!' 'You can't do this or that or this other thing!'" Frieza paused. "Of course the next words out of their mouth tend to be pleads for mercy followed by screams. But you? Oh… you are doing so much better than them."

Moori took a deep breath. "You are… clearly here for something."

"To the point." He looked to Zarbon. "I like this one. If only all the peasants I dealt with understood their place things would be so much simpler." He turned back to Moori. "I have been informed that you hold something known as a… Dragon Ball."

Beside him Rombo felt Krillin tense. Though none of them had said it he knew there had been the hope that Frieza didn't know about the Dragon Balls and was on the planet for some other reason. Now that hope was shattered.

"They are sacred relicts. They are to be treasured and protected."

"And I assure you I will do just that." Frieza waved with his hand and Zarbon stepped forward. "Now then… we have had a lovely conversation so far… it would be a tragedy if you were to ruin that. So be a good little pissant and give me what I want."

"I-"

"Stop right there!"

Rombo snapped his head to the North and barely managed to stifle his gasp.

"What is he doing?" Yamcha hissed.

"Krillin," Isco said, it only Rombo's enhanced hearing that let him follow the robot's comments. "What is going on? I have made it into the area where they keep the Dragon Ball but I am detecting new Energy Sources approaching."

"Its Larin," Krillin said as quietly as he could. "He's arrived with the other Namekian Warriors."

"…well… fuck us then," Isco replied.

Frieza smirked as he looked over at Larin and the other Warriors. "And just what is this here?" He slowly glanced at Moori. "Certainly not reinforcements YOU called for… you didn't have the time and I can tell by the squalor you live in that the technology to summon ones such as these pathetic little wretches doesn't exist on this planet."

"We're here to stop you," Larin declared. "Others might be too cowardly to stand up to you but we aren't going to let you terrorize our people!" He fell into a fighting stance. "We are some of the greatest warriors on all of Namek and when we are done with you the only thing you'll be feeling is pain and regret."

"My my my," Frieza said, a slow bemused smile forming on his lips. "You know I was wondering if I would encounter yet another delusional fool that thought themselves the hero. One can never be too sure, after all. But here you are, almost right on time, give or two a small delay. I suppose this is where I should ask about what you can do? What special abilities or powers you might have, that old cheerful tune? Give me own boasts about how you are doomed to fall against me while you counter it concerning comments about your warrior pride or the secret techniques of your ancestors? Perhaps you are something special amongst your people? That gets brought up a lot.

"But you see… you are nothing special at all. On a thousand different planets there are a thousand different warriors who all thought themselves the hero. That they, and they alone, could do what no others had ever managed to do and be able to bring me low."

Frieza paused.

"Did I fail to mention that those thousand warriors on those thousand planets are now in a thousand graves?"

Larin though merely balled his hands into fist. "Talk all you want… I know you're bluffing!"

That made Frieza chuckle. "Let me assure you, hero… I NEVER bluff." He turned to his right. "Dodoria?"

"Yes'em?"

"Kill them."

"'kay." The squat warrior slowly began to walk towards the three Namekian warriors. "Now… I know what you must be thinkin': ain't no way that ol' Dodoria has a chance against us. We outnumber him three ta one. No way can he stand against us! But see, that's where you're makin' your mistake."

And suddenly Dodoria had gone from lumbering towards them to appearing right behind the one warrior that was just left of Larin. He grabbing onto his antenna with one hand and then clamped the other hand onto his shoulder before giving a vicious yank. The warrior screaming as his antenna were ripped clear of his head, purple blood gushing from his forehead. He bent down, pressing his hands to his face, even as Dodoria reached out and wrapped a meaty hand around his wrist and tossed him over his shoulder.

It was so quick that Larin and the other warrior didn't have time to react and when they finally did realize what was going on they twisted around only for Dodoria to have appeared behind the second unknown warrior, lashing out with his foot and kicking his head clean off his shoulders. The warrior's body stood there for a brief moment before it realized that it was dead and collapsed to the ground. Dodoria once more moving away in the blink of an eye, now catching the head and with a smirk smashing it into a pulpy mess with his bare hands.

"I ain't gonna be 'standin'' against ya."