A Race's Hope

by FanFictionTheory

Makoto Naegi, Class 78th resident Lucky Student. The most average person at a glance, but he was destined to be his world's pillar of hope when the world plummetted into despair. If his flame snuffed out at the cost of everyone's salvation, would he receive one for himself? In the wake of Planet Vegeta's destruction, a few saiyans survived. Some did by will, and some by Luck...

AGE 739

Out there, in the vacuums of space, where millions and millions of stars laid to shine for times larger than even their lifespan, a spaceship could be seen flying. This one had a clear destination in mind. Planet Vegeta, home to all Saiyans.

Inside the pilot's cabinet of said ship had two people seated there. The pilot was maneuvering without a problem. His companion however, was deep in rest. Both eyelids closed to have some rest after their tiresome endeavour.

–"Bardock. Bardock!" The sleeping man heard besides him. This man, who was named Bardock, was a saiyan with rough features, a scar with an "X" shape on his left cheek and spiky dark hair, turned to his right, his sight greeting that of the ship's pilot, Leek.

The pilot had rather short hair, and he too had a scar, except his was on his head. All the way from the upperleft side of his forehead, ascending diagonally over his head.

–"What is it?" Bardock asked

–"We've almost arrived at Planet Vegeta." Leek informed to his squad leader, who turned to gaze the sight of Planet Vegeta.

–"Feels good to be home, huh?"

–"Yeah…"

–"What do you figure this is about?" Leek asked, wishing to have Bardock's mind on the matter. "Must be important if Frieza ordered all the Saiyans to assemble."

He gave a little chuckle.

–"Maybe the bastard has some big plan he needs us for."

–"Your Scouter's on, watch your mouth." Bardock reminded him of the devices they used all the time. It's a bother that their communications can't be tampered nor muted with those around.

–"Ah, that's right!" The pilot quickly removed it from his ear. Thankfully they had discovered that their microphones didn't have infinite range. Putting it away would be enough for them to not be heard.

At that, the shuttle behind them opened, revealing a third man walking in the room. The pilot's chamber only had two seats, so this third person had to stay in their small resting chambers.

Neither pilot reacted much to his entrance though.

–"Had the feeling we were closing in. Seems about right." The third man said behind the two pilots. At that, Leek turned around to greet the visitor.

–"Hey there sleeping beauty. Were you able to rest for a bit?"

–"Like a baby. I really needed that shut-eye after that scuffle." The man said, placing his hand on Bardock's shoulder.

–"Good to see you in optimal shape, Toma."

–"The pleasure is all mine, Captain." Replied the saiyan named Toma.

He was a tall saiyan with decently grown hair tied in a pony-tail, however little spikes still remained at the upper part of his hair. He bore the same uniformed armor that his comrade Bardock did. Between them, Toma definitely was the taller one of the group, with Bardock following behind.

The newly arrived Saiyan gazed into space, noticing the quantity of ships being called in to return to Planet Vegeta.

–"Seems like we are right on schedule."

–"Seems like the party may have started without us." Leek laughed out loud.

Bardock however…

–"Frieza is already here?"

–"Huh?" Leek mumbled out in confusion, whilst Toma scanned their surroundings to find their 'Emperor's' ship.

–"Uh-huh. Seems like his fleet has also arrived." He added as Bardock frowned.

–"I wonder why he's still waiting up here when he could have landed already?" Leek asked in the dark. The truth was that no saiyan knew what Frieza had planned to happen.

–"Something about this is strange. If he wanted to talk to us, man, he could have just used the radio and saved everyone a whole lot of time." Bardock decided to comment his mind on the matter.

–"It is rather strange…"

–"And if he's got new weapons for us there's no reason we'd need to pick them up together."

He frowned even deeper. Not liking one bit any of these.

–"I've got a bad feeling about this. None of it makes any sense."

Leek chuckled nervously, not really liking anything that was being said.

–"Look, come on! What do you mean, a bad feeling?"

–"Look, we conquer planets and sell them to whoever will pay us. That's how the Saiyans made our fortunes, how we've always existed. But then Frieza's father, King Cold, made us serve under him, forcing our people into slavery, reaping the benefits of our work."

–"That was a pretty long time ago though." Leek tried to argue, however Toma quickly quipped.

–"And Frieza's reign started just 5 years ago… In all our lifetime with Cold, nothing like this ever happened. This is unprecedented."

–"Yeah, and all this time we've never been happy working together, have we?"

–"That's true. I can't think of any Saiyan who likes Frieza." Leek added offhandedly, whilst Toma laughed at that comment.

–"Yeah, and I'm betting he probably feels the same way about us."

–"What?" Leek turned to Bardock about it, however it didn't seem to be a surprise for Toma.

–"The Frieza force has grown extremely large. They could probably get by even without us annoying Saiyans around."

–"Wait, hold on! You're not suggesting that Frieza is planning to exterminate us?"

–"It's a possibility. Am I right?"

–"Huh? Come on, quit playing, Bardock."

Toma decided to put in his two cents.

–"Being honest, I don't trust Frieza one bit. I think we all agree on that, right?"

–"Yeah." Leek said, Bardock simply nodded.

Toma took this time to continue.

–"What Bardock says is only logical so far. Still, I don't think we'll be exterminated outright. We've proven ourselves to be an effective force for his planet-conquering operations. I like to think we still hold value to him…"

That seemed to calm Leek down a little, though Bardock could see through Toma's words. He wasn't entirely convinced either.

His tone carried a faint undercurrent of doubt, and Bardock could read between the lines.

–"But…"

–"But. Frieza doesn't like us. Add that with how much the Frieza force has been expanding and adding recruits to its list… It leads me to believe how in due time we'll be replaced."

Leek gulped at the idea. If they ran out of use for Frieza… everyone knew what that would mean.

–"H-However, much like how Toma says it, we are still useful to him! We can still fight our way to conquer more planets for him, can't we?"

–"...Yeah, we can..." Toma said, placing his other hand on Leek's shoulder. "For now at least."

Bardock however, was still completely unconvinced… Something WAS happening behind the scene.

Something deadly.

Once they had landed on Planet Vegeta, Bardock and Toma left Leek to handle the ship's accommodation after dispatching. Carrying their bags with their few bearings, they were greeted by one of their squadmates. Taro.

–"Yo, it's good to see you. Didn't think you'd make it back alive." He greeted to his squad leader.

Who promptly quipped in…

–"Shut up." He grumbled. Meanwhile Toma simply stood besides Bardock.

–"Any clue on why we got the order to return so fast?" Toma decided to try and ask.

–"Beats me. Maybe they found a fortified world they need all of our help with. One so protected it will take every Saiyan alive to conquer."

Bardock and Toma looked at one another. Neither really bought it.

–"Thank you Taro. We'll be off then." Toma waved off and the both of them turned to leave.

–"Yeah, yeah…" He was about to let them leave, but then remembered something real quick. "Oh, and Bardock! Frieza's people have been asking around about the Super Saiyan lately. Not sure what that's about."

–"...What do you mean, the Super Saiyan? Like the one in the legend?"

They both turned at the mention of the myth. Toma could see how Bardock's features shifted and even the gears of his brain completely convinced him on something that he's been holding in.

–"That's it!" Bardock declared with a frown. He left them both in the dust, not even caring to wait for his closer comrade.

Both Toma and Taro could only gawk in amazement with how quickly Bardock stampeded out of there.

–"Damn. What's up with him?" Taro asked, however Toma kept his gaze on Bardock's fleeting form, mentally debating if he should try to catch up to him or not…

–"...I have an idea… Or at least I think I do." Toma said, but didn't reveal anything.

–"Tsk. Fine then. Keep things hidden from your brother. No harm in that."

–"...Take care Taro." Toma said as he turned to his older brother. His tone was serious, one of someone that expected the worse. "I think we'll all need to be careful from now on…"

–"Huh? What are you…" Taro wanted to probe more information out of him, however Toma quickly walked away, intending to catch up to his leader.

–"...Those two… " With a scoff, Taro left to be with his own devices.

---

Bardock basically ran away once realization kicked in. His guts were telling him that something deadly was bound to happen, and it was that instinct of his what lead to him to survive for as long as he did…

He could always be wrong… But the problem lay on what if he wasn't.

Bardock managed to reunite with his wife, Gine. Which yes, wife. Saiyan 'couples' usually don't stick together nor hold exclusivity with their mate for the most part. Bardock and Gine definitely were the outliers about that, as they practically stayed glue to each other. It was practically in an instant that they had decided to couple up with the other, pretty much since she joined Bardock's squad.

They were in the middle of what normally would be a heartfelt reunion after not seeing each other for so long, however, Bardock decided to spill what he had on his mind with Frieza and everything that was happening around them.

–"Have you gone insane?!" Gine shouted in disbelief.

–"Why would we abandon our son like that? He hasn't even learned how to talk yet!" She argued, and Bardock couldn't blame her. He didn't like this one bit.

But it had to be done.

–"With his latent abilities, he's destined to be sent away. Probably somewhere horrible." Bardock began. What he had said is something that Gine knew, yet hope for it to be different for her younger son.

–"So we're going to see to it that he at least grows up in a decent planet."

–"No! He's far too young for that!" She tried to refute, however when she saw Bardock's face…

–"I don't think we can afford to wait much longer."

–"And what does that mean?"

–"Because of Frieza." He turned around towards where the emperor's ship could be seen, up there in the sky.

–"I think he is afraid of the legendary Super Saiyan appearing one day."

–"Hold on, the Super Saiyan? But that's only... that's just a children's fairy-tale, Bardock!"

Bardock turned to her and opened his mouth, however, no words managed to leave as he was beaten to it.

–"But that doesn't mean that he doesn't believe in it."

A new voice called from behind them both. Turning to see that it was Bardock's right hand, Toma.

–"Toma! Strike some sense into Bardock for me, will you?!"

He chuckled, however he couldn't grant her wishes to do so.

–"I'm afraid I can't, Miss Gine. We both know how stubborn Bardock gets when he wants."

–"Hmm." A grumble was his only reply.

However, Toma couldn't stop there.

–"And, I'm afraid that… He just might not be too far off."

–"What?!" Hearing Toma support Bardock's beliefs was…. concerning to Gine.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her husband, but Toma was more often than not the voice of reason within his squad. He had always been ever since she took part in it.

–"The problem is that I think he's still bothered by the legend. And I can't imagine he'd want to take any chances."

–"Huh?"

–"I get the feeling that death is on its way for us." Were Bardock's words, and they hung them up in silence for a good second there.

Gine wasn't sure how to even refute or even acknowledge everything that her lover just said. Whilst Toma… He rather held the same beliefs Bardock did.

–"Then… why don't we all escape? If you are so certain, then can't we do something about it?"

–"We can't. They'd use their damn Scouters and be able to track us down in no time."

–"Gine potentially could…" Toma suggested. "No offense, but you have the lowest battle level of us three. With any luck, you'd be able to pass by unnoticed."

She frowned… She didn't like the idea of leaving Bardock behind… It would feel… wrong…

–"I refuse… I don't want to leave Bardock nor you to die here. There has to be a way for all three of us to escape!"

However, the moment she said that, both men held the same identical look on their features.

They didn't want to leave. Neither wanted that.

–"W-Why that look? Do you two really want to die here?!"

–"It's not that Gine… I… I want the best for our kids… I want them… to become something larger than anything that we could be out there."

–"Bardock…" Gine could still not believe to this day how much he cared for his sons. It's very unlike any saiyan to think that way. Either they are proud that their off-spring is strong enough, or they leave them alone, to destiny's luck.

Gine was different though. Ever since little she felt things differently. She was, without a doubt, born in the wrong race so to speak, as nothing she did or was reminiscent of a regular saiyan.

However, she turned to Toma, who also had the same look in his eyes. One that hoped for a better future, a better tomorrow.

…But… not for him…

Gine gulped, daring to ask her ex-teammate.

–"And you Toma? Why are you… so keen on it as well?" She asked him, her voice quieter this time.

Toma hesitated, his gaze falling for a moment before locking back onto hers. His face was stoic, but there was a weight in his words that struck Gine harder than any battle could.

–"I'll tell you why," Toma began. His voice was steady, measured, yet laced with a quiet bitterness. Not directed towards her, but rather… himself.

–"I've been a soldier my whole life, Gine. A conqueror. A raider. A murderer. It's all I've ever been, all I was ever supposed to be. That's what it means to be a Saiyan, isn't it?"

Gine's breath hitched. She could hear the disgust in his tone, but it wasn't aimed outward. Hearing him say these things were… New for her.

–"I've told myself time and time again that it's just how things are. We're born, we fight, we die. But... recently, I've started to wonder if that's really all there is. If that's all we have to be... I don't want that. I don't want our past to define our future. Could there ever be something better for us? For our children?"

At that, Gine blinked. Something in his voice shifted when he said our children. She stared at him, piecing together the implications.

–"Toma... you… Do you have children?"

He let out a small, humorless chuckle. "I do. Two. Komaro and Tomako."

Gine's eyes widened. She had known Toma for years, fought beside him, trusted him. Yet this was something he had never shared.

–"I… I never knew…"

He smiled at her, wishing to ease her worries.

–"You were never meant to know… No one was." He said as he turned to his squad leader. Gine followed suit and noticed how his husband also looked flabbergasted at this revelation.

–"And… you never told us?"

Toma stared at the ground, his smile turning bittersweet. But he had to press on with what he meant.

–"Komaro... She is my eldest daughter. She's strong, independent. She's already carved her place in this life, even when she's so young. And while I'll always wish I could've been there more for her, I know she'll be fine. I hope for it. I can hope for it." He paused, his gaze hardening.

–"But Tomako... he's just a newborn. He's also inside his own incubator. Much like how Kakarot is." He turned to their kid.

Gine realised that Toma saw his son much like how she did with hers. The realization struck her hard. If then he's anything like her, then how much has he been bottling it all up?

–"And he's not like me or Komaro. He doesn't have the makings of a fighter."

Gine's lips parted, but no words came. She wanted to ask, but she could feel the weight of his words, the unspoken pain behind them.

–"I've been told I should be ashamed of him," Toma admitted, his voice low but steady. "That he's a failure. Weak. But I don't see it. I don't believe it." His eyes steeked to one of conviction, of belief, of…

–"When I look at him, I see someone who deserves a chance to live. To grow into something more than a soldier. And I know—I know—he'll never have that chance if he stays under Frieza's rule."

He clenched his fists, his voice firm now, resolute.

–"That's why I believe in this, Gine. Why I believed in Bardock all this time. I want something better for our sons. For Tomako. For Kakarot. Even if we can't change our fate, at least we can give them a chance to escape it. That's more than we ever got, and it's worth everything to me."

Gine felt a lump form in her throat, but she swallowed it down. Toma wasn't crying, wasn't breaking. He stood tall, proud, and unyielding, even as he spoke of such deeply personal truths.

–"Toma..." she whispered, her heart aching for him, for Bardock, for the children who didn't deserve this cruel fate.

Bardock stepped forward, placing a hand on Toma's shoulder. No words were exchanged, but the shared understanding between the two warriors was clear.

–"We may not make it out of this." Bardock said, his voice rough but unwavering. "But at least our kids will. And that's enough for me."

Toma smiled at his leader. His features showed how much he believed in his captain,

–"And it means everything to me."

–"Then it's settled. Tonight, we steal two pods and we'll send them both away. Far far away from here."

Gine was still unsure, about Frieza, about sending her son away, about everything. However there was no place for doubt within Toma. He trusted, no, believed in Bardock. If anyone was able to do this, it would be him.

The three of them were about to leave their place to continue with the day. Perhaps Bardock and Toma could scout ways to steal the pods, however they would be stopped after meeting face front with yet another visitor.

–"Oh. I didn't expect to see you all three here." The newly arrived saiyan greeted.

–"Shugesh?" Bardock asked to his teamate. Not knowing his reason to be here.

–"Well, this eses things for me. We got a new batch of orders. The higher ups want us to go liberate another planet. Cassava I think it was called."

Gine was surprised and Bardock raised an eyebrow, however Toma decided to ask about it.

–"Wouldn't you mean, Kanassa? It's a planet we've been scouting for the past few months. Perhaps we've gathered more intel to attack it?"

–"I don't know, and I don't care. I was given the order and I was told to get everyone from the squad for it."

Gine and Toma looked at one another. An attack that required the entirety of Bardock's squad? This wasn't very uncommon, but it was fairly specific. Especially considering the circumstances they were dealing with just now.

–"Really?" Bardock had no reason to doubt his squadmate, however he did have a stink eye for the orders itself. "Just as we are told to reunite in Planet Vegeta?"

–"It seems to be an urgent mission that was settled last minute. We'll probably be told to return right after."

Bardock didn't like this one bit, however, orders were orders. He wasn't anyone to defy commands from up above. Not from their command, not from King Vegeta and of course, not a chance to defy Frieza.

–"Alright… Have you informed everyone of it?"

–"Mostly. I'm missing Leek and Taro. Fasha and Borgos are already aware of it."

–"Good then… When do we part?"

–"Tomorrow morning. We'll be the first to take off."

–"More squads are being sent off?" Toma asked. Being the first meant that there were seconds and so on.

–"Yeah. More squads are being deployed to conquer multiple planets. Just a few select squadrons though. "

Toma and Bardock gazed at one another yet again. They weren't sure what this meant, however, it was clear that this placed a time limit to their previous endeavour.

–"Alright. Go look for the other two. We'll go and conquer Kanassa as fast as we can."

–"Aye aye…" Shugesh said, as he left with a waving arm. Once he left the scene completely, The three remaining saiyans had a silent understanding of what they had to do. They had no more time. If they wanted to send their kids away, it had to be tonight.

They had no other choice.

---

Behind the imposing silhouette of Frieza's throne, his loyal advisor Kikono stood, nervously clutching a data tablet. The faint hum of the ship's control systems filled the room, amplifying the suffocating tension. Kikono's voice wavered slightly as he began his report.

–"Regarding the Super Saiyan and the Super Saiyan God..." Kikono hesitated before continuing, his words careful. "We've researched them extensively, but they appear to be nothing more than myths."

Seated languidly in his throne, Frieza didn't so much as glance at Kikono. A small smile curled on his lips, and his tail flicked idly against the cold floor.

–"Oh, wonderful," Frieza said, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. "I expected as much."

There was a brief pause. Frieza's crimson eyes glinted, and his smile widened into something that could only be described as unsettling.

–"But I can't afford the least bit of anxiety right now, so I had to be sure. Not that they'd be a problem."

Kikono shuffled nervously, daring to voice a cautious question.

–"So then… are you canceling the attack?"

Frieza let out a sharp, theatrical laugh, leaning forward slightly in his chair.

–"You are hilarious," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Not after I went through the trouble of assembling all these monkeys."

He gestured dismissively toward the holographic map of Planet Vegeta projected in front of him. Kikono adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, emboldened enough to press further.

–"Still, my lord, I must point out… there are certain Saiyan warriors whose strength and ambition might pose a problem if left unchecked. If they were to suspect anything, they could organize resistance."

Frieza's smile faltered, only slightly. He stared at Kikono with the kind of bored amusement one might reserve for a particularly persistent insect.

–"Oh? And what would you have me do? Wring my hands in fear? Cancel my grand plan just to cater to these hypothetical concerns?"

Kikono swallowed, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his temple. He quickly shook his head.

–"N-no, my lord! Of course not. I only suggest we take precautionary measures to avoid unnecessary trouble. Perhaps dispatch the stronger Saiyan fighters to remote and dangerous missions, far from their home. If they survive, we could always... ensure they don't return. Quietly, of course."

For a moment, Frieza said nothing, his tail swishing lazily behind him. Finally, he chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

–"Oh, how thoughtful of you, Kikono. Fine, do whatever you like. Thin the herd, send them off to meet their doom, or whatever else your paranoid little heart desires."

Frieza leaned back in his chair, his grin returning in full force.

–"Just don't expect me to lose any sleep over it. After all, this is the perfect plan to get rid of the Saiyans, planet and all. Wouldn't you agree?"

---

Only the footsteps echoed faintly, making it the only sound that Toma could hear. Once he entered the quiet and dimly lit room he called 'home', Toma felt a fleeting sense of escapism.

The silence was almost suffocating, the kind that made the walls feel as though they were holding their breath alongside him. It was logical, after all this place had become empty for so long. He paused for a moment, letting his gaze sweep over the empty space, trying to anchor himself in the here and now. The house felt lifeless, but not abandoned. An eerie and complicated in-between where the past lingered, yet the present made no help to be more bearable.

The faint hum of an incubator resonated softly from the adjoining room, pulling him forward towards it, like a magnet.

He stepped inside the self-made nursery. The glow of the incubator bathed the small chamber in a soft, sterile light, the only warmth coming from the faint pulse of life contained within. Toma's face softened, the hardened expression of a warrior melting into something far gentler as his eyes landed on his son.

The boy lay curled up in the incubator, his tiny body perfectly still yet thriving within the nutrient-rich liquid that sustained him. Tomako looked so much like him. No, Toma corrected himself. Not him. Someone else entirely. The resemblance was uncanny, a reflection of a face Toma had seen countless times in his dreams—a face that haunted and inspired him in equal measure.

The boy's features were impossibly gentle, his expression serene even in the artificial womb. His small, rounded face was framed by a wild tuft of jet-black hair sticking up at odd angles, a stark reminder of his Saiyan lineage. Yet, there was something else. That softness, that fragility… it was almost out of place among the rugged warriors of their kind.

"That hair…" Toma said in his mind, a bittersweet smile curling his lips. "You're just like him. Exactly like him."

He crouched down, placing a calloused hand against the glass. His palm seemed so large against the small figure inside. Tomako's faint heartbeat flickered on the monitor, steady and strong, and Toma found himself lingering on the rhythmic sound.

–"Hey there, Mako," he said, his voice uncharacteristically tender. "You may not realize it, but I'm home." He scanned his son up and down with a soft smile.

Glancing downwards for just a moment, Toma spotted a nursing scouter left on the floor. a device used to measure the power levels of infant Saiyans. He picked it up, gripping it tightly as if it were a fragile treasure. For a moment, he hesitated, then activated the device and aimed it at the incubator.

The beeping was brief, and the result was what he hoped for.

Power Level: 1.

Pathetic. A shame for any Saiyan.

But Toma didn't see it that way. Instead, his smile grew. Tomako was still the same, still his son.

–"Everyone might have written you off," Toma whispered, "but I know better. You're going to be strong. Strong in your own way. Stronger than I'll ever be. And far kinder too. You'll need that."

Someone like him had no room for kindness or mercy… And neither does he deserve them.

His voice wavered slightly, but he steadied himself. This wasn't the time for doubts or weakness. He wasn't just fighting for survival—he was fighting for a future where his son wouldn't have to grow up in a galaxy dictated by tyrants. By Frieza.

He stood up, his hand lingering on the glass. He had stayed too long already. Taking a deep breath, Toma glanced at the monitor one last time.

The boy was still too young to survive outside the incubator for too long without help, but in time, he would grow strong. Stronger than anyone could imagine.

He hoped– No. he knew he would. He just had to get him out of here.

–"Take care, son. I'll soon be with you for probably… the very last time." Toma said quietly, the resolve in his voice betraying the ache in his chest.

He knew what was coming, knew that this was a path he couldn't turn back from. But even so, he had no regrets. Everything he had done, everything he would do, was for this moment. For the faint pulse of life within that incubator.

He didn't hear when he arrived, but he didn't question it either way. As he knew that they both had to do this.

–"You ready, Toma?" Bardock's voice could be heard at the doorway. Toma was still gazing at his son within that incubator.

–"Yeah…" He closed his eyelids and pressed his forehead against the incubator. A farewell to his son in his own way.

Once he was done, he turned from him, meeting face to face with Bardock.

–"It's time," he said, his voice firm now. Reassured of why he was doing this, for his son, his hope, his reason.

With that, Toma followed Bardock and left, leaving the faint hum of the incubator and the steady heartbeat of his child behind.

He couldn't fail.

He wouldn't.

---

The night was quiet, unnervingly so. Gine stood at the rendezvous point, her arms crossed tightly against her chest as the cold breeze brushed against her skin. The stillness felt wrong, as though the universe itself was holding its breath. She glanced up at the stars, trying to find some comfort in their eternal glow, but even they felt distant tonight.

Her thoughts swirled in chaos. Bardock's dire warnings about Frieza, the plan to steal pods, the idea of sending their children, her children, off into the unknown. None of it made sense. None of it felt real. And yet, here she was, standing in the middle of the night, waiting for Bardock and Toma to arrive.

A faint cry broke the silence. She looked down at the bundle in her arms. Kakarot, her youngest son. His cries were soft but insistent, as though he could sense the tension in the air. She gently rocked him, whispering soothing words, though they did little to calm either of them.

In the distance, two figures emerged from the shadows, their steps purposeful yet heavy. Bardock led the way, his expression as sharp and determined as ever, while Toma followed close behind, carrying a pod on each shoulder as though they weighed nothing. But Gine could see it in their eyes, the weight they carried was far heavier than just the pods.

–"Gine," Bardock greeted her, his voice low and urgent. He glanced at Kakarot, his gaze softening for just a moment before snapping back to the task at hand. "Are you ready?"

She hesitated, clutching Kakarot tighter.

–"Bardock... are you absolutely sure about this? What if you're wrong? What if Frieza isn't planning anything?"

–"If I turn out to be wrong, I'll go and rescue him myself," Bardock said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. He nodded toward Toma, who had already begun setting the pods down with care.

Toma stepped forward, his gaze shifting to the second pod he carried. He placed it gently on the ground and glanced at Gine, his expression softer than Bardock's but no less resolute.

–"Tomako's pod is ready too." he said, his voice calm. "He'll be safe, Gine. They both will, I promise you."

At the mention of Tomako, Gine's heart ached. She turned toward the second pod, its sleek surface glinting faintly in the starlight.

–"He's so small, Toma. What if he–?"

–"He'll survive," Toma interrupted gently, his hand resting briefly on the pod. "I know he will. This will… only be a stepping stone for him. For us. They'll both survive. I'm certain of it."

Gine was astonished. Not once had she seen this side of Toma's… He sounded like a completely different saiyan.

–"Toma… You've changed so much…" She had never seen him so inspired, so… hopeful.

The second in command smiled.

–"He changed me." He said as he looked at his son's pod. "He might be small, but I know he can grow to become larger than life. Or larger than me at the very least."

Bardock grunted in agreement, crossing his arms.

–"It's not about what he is now, it's about what he can become. Both of them. Kakarot, Tomako… they'll have a chance to grow, to live, to fight back when the time comes."

Gine's eyes filled with tears as Kakarot began crying again.

–"If we're so worried, why don't the three of us just run off somewhere together? We can hide, start over somewhere far away."

Bardock shook his head.

–"You know that's not an option. They'd use their damn Scouters to track us down in no time." He stepped closer, his hand resting briefly on her shoulder. "This is the only way, Gine. You have to trust me."

Her voice wavered as she asked,

–"Bardock… why are you going through so much trouble? It's not like a Saiyan man to worry about his children. What's gotten into you?"

He hesitated, glancing away as though searching for the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost vulnerable.

–"I don't know. Maybe it's because I've spent my whole life fighting, destroying… and for once, I'd like to save something. Especially someone who's judged to be weak, a lower-class warrior like my Kakarot."

–"And like my Tomako," Toma added, his voice carrying a rare edge of emotion. "People might see him as weak now, but I don't care what they think. He's my son, Gine. And I don't give a damn about what anyone says. He'll prove them all wrong. He'll outlive me. He'll outlive us all."

Gine looked between the two men, her heart torn in two. Finally, she nodded, though the tears continued to flow.

–"If you're wrong about this, we'll come and get them. No matter what."

–"We will." Bardock assured her, his hand brushing against Kakarot's head for a brief moment before he turned to the pods.

–"I've programmed this pod to head to a distant planet called Earth. The people there are weak, technologically primitive. They'll be safe, Gine. It's not a valuable world, so Frieza's forces won't even bother with it."

Toma knelt beside the second pod, adjusting the controls with practiced precision.

–"For this pod, I programmed it to head somewhere in the opposite direction. We cannot risk them being found together. If they fly close to each other and spot on of them, they might find the other by proxy."

–"Good thinking. Do you have a planet in mind?" Bardock asked Toma, who didn't seem to be so certain.

–"There are a few options but… I don't like any of them."

Bardock knelt next to his comrade to see the options, and he immediately realised why he was so bothered by it.

–"They have to travel far, far away from Frieza's reach. Places that hold no value to him are key. The first choice is planet Vampa… the planet where Col. Paragus' son was exiled to. I don't think I need to explain why it's not a good idea."

–"No shit…"

At that, Bardock tried to search for himself, and he too found it complicated to pick.

–"After that…there are seemingly better choices but… I still don't like them still."

–"Which are they?" Gine asked.

–"There's Tech-Tech. Its species are far too weak, but they are very advanced technologically. One day, Frieza could be interested in their technology, head there… and find a straggling saiyan living there among them…"

–"Tomako could kill them all, couldn't he? If they have no technology to offer, Frieza won't go, will he?"

Toma nodded, somewhat agreeing, but he still had more to say.

–"But what if Frieza goes BECAUSE there is no technology there. If whoever we send there doesn't leave fast enough, then they would be waiting for their demise like some lower species."

–"Huff…" Bardock grumbled, however he knew his friend was right.

Bardock kept a mental note about it, however, he swore he heard the name of that planet before for some reason… but what for?

Toma didn't pay any mind to it, as proceeded.

–"After that, the only options that remain are Ankoku, which we know is filled with only darkness and beasts, or Arli, which we know nothing about…"

They stood in silence there. The choice wasn't easy. They weren't even sure where to send the second pod, much less could they decide WHO would go in which.

–"Tomako will grow strong…" Toma tried to argue. "I… I believe he will be able to handle the beasts in Ankoku once he grows. That is better than sending him to a completely unknown planet, right?"

Bardock didn't like the sound of that. He honestly didn't like any of the options Toma listed. He wished for an alternative, but they were running out of time.

–"Tomako will live. Besides, we were never able to learn the rest of that planet. I'm sure that he'll–"

–"...Stop with that." Bardock shut Toma up, not wanting to hear any of it anymore.

–"Bardock?"

–"Tomako has a power level of 1, right?" He asked, which surprised both Toma and Gine.

Toma realized that he must have seen the scan he did to his back at his home. He sighed defeatedly.

–"He does… "

–"Then he's going to die if he goes to Ankoku."

–"Then what do we do?!" Toma exclaimed. "Do we send him to die in Arli?! We don't even know what's there."

–"No." Bardock refuted.

He turned to Gine and stretched his arms towards her, wishing to hold Kakarot. Gine was surprise, as this would be the first time he'd ever do that.

She handed their son to Bardock, who then ordered Toma the following.

–"Pull your son out of that pod."

Toma didn't understand why he asked him that, but he complied nonetheless.

Toma opened the gate of the second pod, revealing the form of a peacefully asleep Tomako. He ran a hand over that strand of black hair that refused to go down, which bounced off freely oncw freed of his father's palm. Then did he grab Tomako to pull him out of the pod.

Once he did, Toma asked.

–"What for?"

And Bardock replied with.

–"I'll be sending Kakarot to Ankoku."

This alarmed both Gine AND Toma. Bardock had just explained how Tomako wouldn't survive some planet like Ankoku, how could Kakarot!?

–"Bardock! This is not funny! You can't send him to die like that!"

Bardock gritted his teeth, but he couldn't contain the anger that bubbled up inside him.

–"And what else can I do, woman!? Send HIS kid to die like that?" He glared at Gine, however Toma didn't seem to like the sight of the two of them fighting because of his kid.

–"Don't fight you two! Mako is my kid! let me send him to Ankoku! If he dies, then I'll–"

–"He won't die." Bardock cut him off. "And neither will Kakarot! He has a power level of 2, he practically has double the chances to survive there than Tomako has."

–"Bardock… this isn't… This was your plan, I can't let your kid live in danger for mine to live…"

Bardock then placed a hand on Toma's shoulder.

–"As a father, I refuse to send someone else's kid to die. Much less yours."

Toma was left in awe. He couldn't believe how Lucky he was for having a friend like Bardock. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him. They both deserved to live, why did this have to come to be this way.

Silence fell between them until Bardock finally turned away, his voice snapping the tension.

–"We don't have time for this. Let's get the pods ready."

---

The two men worked quickly, their movements efficient but laced with an unspoken urgency. Gine stood back, clutching Kakarot as she watched them prepare. When the pods were finally ready, Bardock turned to her, his expression unreadable.

–"Listen, son," he said, his voice firm but tinged with a rare tenderness. "You do whatever it takes to survive, got it? We'll see you again. I promise." He said with his palm placed against the pod's glass.

Toma glanced at his friend, a hurt smile betraying his determination, yet, he couldn't stay idle. He did the same as he placed a hand on the second pod, his eyes lingering on it for a moment longer. His eyes met the dormant figure of his son. Even, he remained in peace. "Tomako… you're going to make me proud. Just stay alive. That's… all I ask of you."

His arm retracted, shaking. Severing their bond.

–"To live a life. One that I could have never given you…"

As the pods' engines roared to life, Gine's tears flowed freely. She leaned over Kakarot's pod, pressing a kiss to the glass.

–"Don't forget us, Kakarot," she whispered, her voice breaking. "We'll see you soon."

The pods rose into the air, their lights cutting through the darkness as they disappeared into the night sky. Gine watched them go, her heart shattering with every passing second.

When the silence returned, Bardock stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We did the right thing, Gine."

She nodded, though the pain in her chest remained. "I hope so, Bardock. I really do."

Bardock tried his best to comfort his wife. The easy part had been done, now everything depended on what happens tomorrow.

Toma stood with a high head, staring at the now gone pods. They had left their sight, yet Toma felt that if he tried hard enough, he could still spot his son's ship. With a bitter smile, relieved that his son got to escape, but disheartened of their forced separation, Toma could only stay there, alone once more. He muttered under his breath.

–"Goodbye… my son..."

---

The hum of the barracks was alive with the sharp clicks of armor plates snapping into place, a routine almost comforting in its familiarity. Bardock stood at his locker, fastening the last of his boots. He closed his locker, keeping the black and yellow battle suit he had been using yesterday, the one with the annoying shoulder guards. He was now wearing his green plated battle-suit, which lacked said shoulder guards. Made things easier.

Nearby, Toma was finishing up as well. Gone was his old armor, similar to bardock's but with pointier shoulder guards and white parts. He was now using his light blue combat gear, preparing a few finishing touches, though his movements were slower, almost distracted. His gaze occasionally drifted off, as though his mind was somewhere far away.

Around them both was the rest of the squad also getting prepared. Changing out of their 'formal' battle suits so to say and equipping their preferred battle suit for conquests. Those were Borgos, Shugesh, Fasha, Taro and Leek

The only female in the squad Fasha, tugging her gloves snugly onto her hands after adjusting her lower part of her battle suit, narrowed her eyes at the second in command.

–"What's with you today, Toma? You've been spacing out since we got here. This isn't like you."

Toma blinked and shook his head, forcing a grin.

–"I'm fine, Fasha. Just… thinking."

–"Thinking?" Shugesh chimed in, adjusting his waist guard. "Since when do you do that? You're usually the first one cracking jokes."

–"And look who's talking." Fasha quipped quickly as the ample saiyan rolled his eyes in a deadpan.

–"Not all of us need to crack jokes to mask our nerves, Shugesh…" Toma shot back, smirking faintly. "I've just got… a lot on my mind."

–"Yeah, like what?" Taro leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "You're acting weird, man. If there's something going on, spill it."

Toma glanced at Bardock, who was watching him quietly, and then back at the others. He hesitated for a moment before sighing.

–"Fine... I'll tell you. I was thinking about Tomako."

–"Tomako?" Fasha tilted her head, clearly confused. "What the hell is a Tomako?"

–"A kid, MY kid." Toma said, his voice steady but softer than usual. The room went dead silent.

–"W-Wait, what?" Leek was the first to speak, his wide-eyed stare darting between Toma and Bardock. "You have a kid?"

Toma nodded, fastening the last strap of his armor.

–"Yeah. I never told you because… well, why would I? It's not exactly squad business." He averted everyone's gazes.

–"Not squad business?" Shugesh scoffed, incredulous. "You're out here dropping life-changing bombs on us like it's nothing! Since when have you had a kid?"

–"For a while now," Toma said with a shrug, trying to play it off. "I've got two, actually."

Fasha raised an eyebrow.

–"Two?! You're joking."

–"No joke," Toma replied, grabbing his scouter and placing it over his eye. "Komaro and Tomako. Komaro's fine. She's off in a military assignment, away from planet Vegeta. But Tomako… I can't stop wondering how he's doing. He's young, So young, I can't help but worry, you know?"

The squad exchanged glances, still processing the revelation. Some of them were genuinely flabbergasted at this revelation, much more at the fact of how Toma seemed to genuinely worry for his kids. A trait normal saiyans don't normally have. Bardock, however, remained silent, his expression unreadable as he finished preparing his gear.

–"So let me get this straight," Taro said, breaking the silence. "You've been flying missions with us this whole time, keeping it under wraps that you've got two kids running around somewhere?"

Toma chuckled lightly.

–"What, you think I'm the only one with secrets here? I bet half of you have something you're not telling the squad."

Fasha looked elsewhere. Leek seemed to chuckle while Shugesh and Taro grumbled in compliance. The only one left unperturbed by this whole matter was Borgos, who remained calm as stone.

–"Not like this, we don't!" Leek muttered, still looking flustered. "I mean, two kids? What's next, Fasha has five?"

–"Watch that mouth of yours." Fasha warned, not liking his words.

–"W-What? What did I do?"

–"Stay focused," Bardock said gruffly. "This isn't the time for distractions."

–"Bardock's right," Toma said, his voice firm now. "Look, I'm not distracted. If anything, thinking about Tomako just makes me more determined. That's all there is to it."

Fasha crossed her arms, still skeptical.

–"You've got guts, I'll give you that. But don't let it mess with your head out there."

–"It won't," Toma said with a small smile. "Besides, it's not like I'm worried about Komaro. That girl's got a better survival instinct than half of you lot."

–"Not exactly a high bar," Shugesh quipped, earning a few chuckles as Borgos grumbled.

Toma made a last knot, tying a white armband to his arm. Then he stood up to turn to all of his curious teammates.

–"Alright, are we done here you drama queens?" Toma asked with a light smirk.

–"Yeah, I'd like to get to the part where we actually blow something up." Taro had his fist meet his palm, pumped for a fight.

–"Typical Taro," Fasha rolled her eyes. "Always eager to make a fool of himself."

–"Let's move," Bardock said, tightening his red gloves. His tone was now commanding. "The mission comes first. Anything else can wait."

The squad fell in line, the earlier tension replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. As they walked toward the launch bay, Toma lingered beside Bardock, his voice dropping to a quieter tone.

–"Thanks, Bardock. For everything," Toma said.

Bardock gave him a sideways glance.

–"Don't mention it. Just remember why we're doing this."

Toma nodded, a determined glint in his eyes.

–"I won't forget."

---

The Saiyan pods rained like falling stars over Kanassa. their trails cut through the night sky above them. The capital city sprawled below, bathed in a faint blue glow from the Kanassian outposts. That glow would soon be replaced by fire and ash.

The pods slammed into the outskirts of the city, sending shockwaves that shattered nearby structures and left craters in the ground. The Kanassians, premonitioning the arrival of the invaders, were already on the move, their forces converging toward their landing.

Bardock's pod door hissed open, and he stepped out first, cracking his neck as his scouter began to beep, registering multiple lifeforms closing in. His second in command stepped out next, followed by the rest of the squad shortly after, all scanning their surroundings as the Kanassians approached.

–"Looks like they're preparing to welcome us." Fasha said with a smirk, tightening her gloves.

–"They're fast," Taro observed, his scouter picking up blurred movements in the distance. But his grin couldn't be wider. "But they don't stand a chance."

Bardock raised a hand to silence the chatterbox that Taro was.

–"Enough talking. You all know the plan: spread out, keep them distracted, and make them regret resisting. Once we've thinned their numbers, we go all out. No survivors."

A Kanassian squadron appeared on the horizon, their energy blasts lighting up the darkened fields as they opened fire.

The Saiyans sprang into action, splitting off in different directions to engage the enemy.

Bardock charged headlong into the first wave of Kanassians he could see, effortlessly weaving through their energy attacks before slamming his fist into the closest one's face, sending him flying into a nearby mount. His fiery yellow aura charged up again, meaning to follow up this routine as much as he could with all the cannon fodder they were sending to them.

Staying behind, Toma strategically fired his blasts from a distance, giving cover to their squad leader. He struck any and all opponents that threatened to stop Bardock's momentum. A beautifully charged Flame Bullet flew right past their captain, connecting with a Kanassian sniper, lighting him on fire as the blast struck his chest.

Fasha laughed as she launched into a group of soldiers, spinning mid-air and delivering a kick that shattered one Kanassian's skull.

–"Is this all they've got? I expected more of a challenge!"

Shugesh was less elegant but no less effective, using his sheer bulk to overpower his enemies. He grabbed one Kanassian by the throat, using him as a shield to protect him from incoming energy blasts before tossing the lifeless body towards another soldier, gifting them both an energy bomb that ceased them to exist.

–"Keep 'em coming!" he roared. "They are no match for me!"

Borgos meanwhile picked enemies troops one by one. The giant of the squad had no trouble resisting their attacks, as any punches thrown to him bounced off him. His dominance was so clear that, as a rapid energy ball was sent his way, all he had to do to stop it from being a threat to him was catching the projectile as if it were a ball, and squashing it, all energy evaporating out the raw power Borgos held.

–"Weak." He was the least bit impressed. He lunged straight at the one that had blasted against him, gripping him from the face with only one hand, raising him from the ground level to deliver a brutal strike to the Kanassian soldier's chest, breaking whatever skeleton structure he had.

Taro and Leek worked in unison, a rare show of coordination between the newer squad members. Taro made his way through a horde of Kanassian with his raw fists. This gave Leek some room to keep away from any enemies, as he blasted them from afar. Their synergy was spot-on, even though it was made on the spot.

Despite the Kanassians' best efforts, their forces began to crumble under the relentless onslaught. Desperation set in as they unleashed larger energy waves, hoping to halt the Saiyans' advance. But it was no use. It was exactly as they had foreseen it.

However, more Kanassian troops began to be more noticeable as the squad raided their capital. The city that was home to all Kanassian was the last bastion of their forces, and the Saiyans knew that very well.

The squad regrouped near the city center. Bardock's scouter pinged with new readings, detecting the Kanassian reinforcements closing in from all sides.

However, he smirked.

–"Looks like they're bringing out the big guns. Perfect timing."

He pointed to the sky, where the Kanassian moon hung full and bright.

–"You lot know what to do!" He said, staring directly onto the moonlight.

The entire squad raised their heads and followed in. Bardock's fangs began to grow, and so did his entire body. His muscles pulsed as it took the blutz waves from the Kanassian moon. Lastly, his pupils began shrinking, to the point that they looked like they had disappeared. Right after, his eyes began glowing red, and his body morphed to be furred, hair growing more as he too grew in size.

And, one by one, the others did as well. They all began to change, to the horror of the Kanassians. Their bodies expanding, their muscles bulging, and their features morphing into the monstrous forms of the Great Apes.

The Kanassians froze in terror as the Saiyans unveiled their full power. The city's once-proud skyline would crumble beneath the onslaught of the Great Apes, their massive fists smashing through buildings and their energy blasts reducing entire districts to rubble. Screams filled the air as the Kanassians met their fate.

Toma, now fully transformed, roared as he stomped through the city, his enormous hands sweeping aside entire squads of Kanassians. For a brief moment, even in his primal state, his thoughts turned to Tomako. "Live strong, kid. That's all I want for you.". Were his thoughts before he breathed in air, exhaling blue flames to scorch the city with.

Bardock, towering above the ruins, let out a thunderous laugh as he crushed another building beneath his feet. He howled with his now deep "voice". His roars echoed across the desolation, a proclamation of their dominance.

Fasha and Shugesh reveled in the destruction, their smashes shaking the ground as they laid waste to the remaining Kanassians. Borgos was a wild beast, differing from the calm giant, here, he sought only to maim. He grabbed what looked to be a Kanassian building and ripped it off the ground, only to throw it to ONE Kanassian soldier that had dared to shoot a blast at him. Taro and Leek followed suit, their Great Ape forms no less ferocious as they joined in the carnage with bulking fists and energy barrages from their mouths.

It was a total wreckage.

---

The burning remains of Kanassa stretched far into the horizon, the air thick with the stench of smoke blood (or whatever the Kanassians had) and ash. By the time the sun began to rise, the city was nothing more than smoldering ruins. The Saiyans stood among the wreckage, their mission complete. The night had long passed and they returned back to their normal selves,

They were sitting on a makeshift crater, one made by the building Borgos threw to that one soldier. They were sitting there, resting as they awaited for their notice to command that Kanassa had been successfully liberated.

–"That was one heck of a party, wasn't it?" Taro asked his squadmates.

–"If you say so. I don't remember a thing."

–"That's because you're a typical ape, Fasha." He continued to tease, angering the female warrior.

–"Shut up! I don't see how you guys remember anything anyway. I think you are just pulling on my tail at this point."

–"I'm with you, Fasha." Borgos tried to quell Fasha's annoyance. "It's like waking up from a dream. You kind of remember it, but then it all slips away."

–"Yeah, but I remember the crusty little devil that gave me this!" Shugesh joined up, scraping his thumb over a scar on his face that he got in the battle. He immediately regretted doing so, as contact with fresh skin made it sting.

–"Bardock says he remembers everything." Leek added, perhaps hoping to learn how to handle his transformation into a Great Ape.

–"Don't make me laugh, Leek. Bardock might remember every second of every battle, but I bet he doesn't remember a thing about his personal life! Allow me to show you." Taro said as he turned to a Bardock lying face up to the sky. "Bardock, do you even remember what day your son was born?"

–"Which one?" Was all he asked.

Fasha laughed out loud at that.

–"He remembers that he has two kids! Does that shut you up, Taro?" Fasha mocked him.

–"Whatever."

–"Talking about kids…" Leek spoke up. He turned towards the second in command. "Hey Toma. What were you worrying about with yours?"

Toma was sitting on his corner, not paying too much attention to his team's banter. However, once mentioned, he decided to leave his musings aside and socialize with the rest.

–"I was worrying about my son, Leek. Do I need another reason?"

–"Well, yeah." Taro joined up. "Our offspring that's worth keeping around is born with a decent amount of power to care for themselves. Otherwise, they are a waste."

Toma's eye twitched at the words of his brother. He didn't like that one bit.

However, he held up. He knew that his smooth-brained brother wouldn't understand a thing about paternity… No average saiyan would.

Bardock, the only saiyan that remotely understood his friend, sensed the core of the problem and decided to address it himself.

–"You don't have to worry about a thing, Toma. He'll complete his task successfully."

Toma turned to him with a confused look whilst the rest of the team just asked more about it?

–"Task?" Taro dumbly repeated

–"Wait, what? Already?" Leek was surprised as well.

Fasha however, caught what Bardock's words entailed.

–"Hold on… you knew Toma had a son, Bardock?" She asked.

–"Yeah." Their leader started. "His and my son were dispatched to conquer some planets."

The squad had varied reactions to that.

–"Really? So soon?" Leek asked.

–"Wasn't your kid three years old, Bardock?" Borgos asked. Which he nodded.

–"Yeah. Old enough to conquer a small planet. He must have arrived already." He said with a false shrug of disinterest.

–"So, Toma's brat was also sent? To where?" Shugesh asked, even though he'll probably forget later.

–"They were both sent off yesterday. They went to different planets though, right Toma?"

–"Y-Yeah. e-Arth or something like that." Toma tried to capitalize on his friend's lie

–"I can't believe you've kept this to yourself all this time," Borgos confessed, his deep voice tinged with disbelief. The idea of never knowing that one of his closest comrades had offspring struck him like a blow out of nowhere. "And two kids, no less."

–"Yeah! How long have you been hiding this, huh?" Taro asked, crossing his arms and giving his brother a sharp look. "Two years? Three?"

Toma scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

–"Four, actually. Komaro was born Four years ago, I heard she was taken in as a recruit in training… Meanwhile Tomako came along two years back."

–"Four years?! And she's already been sent off for training?" Leek exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Your kid must be a prodigy or something."

Toma's expression softened the slightest bit, only to immediately wave it off with a shrug.

–"Eh… she's a survivor alright."

–"Alright, enough about the brats. Who's the mother of these nurtured Saiyan gems?" Shugesh interjected with a coy grin, leaning in with mock curiosity.

Toma scoffed and waved him off.

–"Someone smart enough to stay light-years away from the likes of you, Shugesh. So don't even dream about continuing your bloodline through either of them."

Shugesh raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning mischievously.

–"Aw, come on, man! Let me have the—"

–"Hold up!" Fasha cut him off with a sharp glare, her gaze now locked on Toma. "What do you mean by 'either of them'?"

The room went silent, all eyes now on Toma, even Bardock's. The co-leader chuckled at their expressions, clearly enjoying the dramatic tension.

–"What I meant…" he said with deliberate slowness, "is that Komaro and Tomako don't share the same mother."

The reactions were immediate. Taro's jaw dropped. Leek choked on his drink. Borgos raised an eyebrow that seemed to reach his receding hairline. Even Fasha blinked owlishly, struggling to process the revelation.

Shugesh, of course, was the first to recover. He slapped Toma on the back, laughing loudly.

–"You sly dog! Two kids from two different women? You've been holding out on us, man! You gotta share your secrets!"

–"Not happening," Toma said flatly, shaking his head.

–"Come on! Just a little!" Shugesh pressed.

Fasha pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated by the idiocy on display. But curiosity got the better of her.

–"Okay, seriously—how? No offense, Toma, but I didn't think any Saiyan woman would look twice at you, let alone two."

Shugesh grinned.

–"Maybe they had bad scouters, huh?"

–"Alright, enough," Toma said with a mock glare, though his tone remained light. "If you're asking because you think you'll have a chance with them, then let me save you the trouble: it's never happening. Your bloodlines end with you."

Leek, Taro, and Shugesh deflated visibly,

–"Damn, women really have no taste these days." Taro muttered.

–"Alright, alright, fine," Bardock cut in with a grin of his own, raising a hand to quiet the group. "But seriously, Toma… how did it happen?"

Toma hesitated, his usual confident demeanor giving way to a more introspective look.

–"The first time… it just happened, I guess. A spur-of-the-moment thing. Komaro was born, and after that, we all went our separate ways. Even Komaro."

The room quieted, however, not much attention was paid to it.

–"And the second time?" Bardock asked, his tone softer now.

Toma took a deep breath.

–"It was different. Everything about it was different. I… don't exactly know how to put it but…" He trailed off, searching for the right words.

–"She was special." Bardock finished for him, a knowing look in his eyes.

And Toma nodded.

–"Yeah. She was."

Fasha rolled her eyes, muttering something about "sentimental idiots," but Borgos gave Toma a faint smile.

–"Then Tomako was born and… Things haven't been the same since." He said with a duality of emotions, however, pride overgrew whatever ate Toma alive.

–"I'll admit." Borgos said, his deep voice cutting through the silence, "I never thought I'd see you become a father before the rest of us."

–"Same here," Taro chimed in, shaking his head. "Seriously, Toma, I'm still in shock. How dare you keep this so long from your own sibling in the flesh and blood?!

–"Yeah." Bardock chuckled. "And to think, we all figured you and Fasha might…"

–"As if!"
–"Yeah, like that'll ever happen."

Both saiyans scoffed at the thought.

–"I would never mate with someone like him." Fasha nudged her elbow at Toma, who simply chuckled with how well they understood the other.

–"Sorry to disappoint you captain, but Fasha only has eyes for–"

A hand quickly went his way, aiming to block that cave of 'lies' Toma had that was named "Mouth". Fasha's hand shot out, clamping over Toma's mouth.

–"Shut it before I shut it for you!" she growled, her glare promising violence.

Toma chuckled, swatting her hand away as the rest of the squad erupted into laughter, to her dismay.

–"In any case," Toma said, regaining his composure, "if you're hoping for me to hook you up with someone, don't bother. It's pointless."

The group fell silent after that, the conversation winding down.

–"Hey, speaking of pointless things… why'd we fight for this dump anyway? Huh?" Shugesh said in between chuckles. "Is Frieza out of his tiny little mind, or something?"

–"Yeah, he's a paranoid freak… but not without reason this time. Word is this planet's got some kind of special energy." Toma said, going over some mental notes.

–"Yeah, I heard the same thing." Leek jumped in. "Supposedly, if you live here long enough, you develop psychic powers. Mind reading, seeing the future, that kind of thing."

–"Wait, really?" Fasha chuckled in disbelief. "There's no way something like that happens."

–"Figures." Bardock muttered. "Frieza would jump at the chance to be able to read minds."

–"That's a scary thought." Borgos admitted. "Frieza reading minds? That would–"

However, he pauses, suddenly alert.

Bardock, Toma and Borgos stood up. All of them watching over different sections of where they were.

–"Something's not right…" Borgos said, as he glared at some rubble near them. Toma and Bardock both felt the same.

The group turned as a battered Kanassian warrior jumped out of some rubble into view, his robes scorched and his body trembling but defiant. He glared at the Saiyans with unyielding hatred.

–"I wish you baboons could read minds, so you could have heard the thoughts of my troops as you slaughtered them!"

Toolo, the commander and sole survivor of the Kanassian forces, lunged forward to engage the saiyans in battle. He had the element of surprise at his aid, so most of the squad hadn't even moved in to interfere. If he was quick, he could kill one or two of them!

Toma lunged first, fist meeting fist, however before they could clash any further, Bardock jumped in as well, about to deliver a powerful blow at his side.

Toolo pushed Toma away, making him lose his balance, to free himself to meet Bardock's assault. He managed to avoid his strike by sidestepping just slightly to have room to flank his body. Toolo moved so fast, he surprised the squad leader. Bardock barely had enough time to move his neck just slightly, however, he would quickly lose sight of the Kanassian as he fully got behind him.

With a ruthless swipe, Toolo delivered a crushing strike with the tip of his finger, landing right at the end of Bardock's neck. The Saiyan captain gasped out for breath after receiving the brutal attack, falling on the ground.

Toolo enjoyed the sight of Bardock lying on the dirt where his people were slaughtered, however, he was not prepared to receive one bull out of Borgos, as he struck at Toolo's face, cranium meeting cranium.

The Kanassian commander staggered back in pain, his hands brought to his head, as if any of that could dissipate any of the pain he felt. However, he would be given no time to even process this ache, as both Shugesh and Fasha jumped in to kick right on his stomach in unison, sending him away to crash against one of the borders of the crater they were in.

–"You disgusting freak! That was for Bardock!" The female saiyan roared in anger. Shugesh however kept his cool, for once.

–"Even after death… My will will not crumble!" Toolo grumbled. while struggling to stand straight.

With gritting teeth and a frown that channeled all of his anger into his hand, Toma raised his left palm at the coward that hurt Bardock. In an instant, Toma's palm flared up blue flames.

–"We'll see about that." He said and with pure hatred, launched his Flame Bullet at Toolo, incinerating him alive. "Burn in hell, you freak." He murmured in satisfaction.

–"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The screams of the Kanassian commander echoed, as a blaring scream showing the pride and joy of the saiyans to take down their foes in a fight.

Bardock's eyes opened at the sudden scream. He quickly stood up, seeing how his attacker burned alive.

–"Bardock!" Fasha jumped first next to him, trying to sense if any damage was critical, however she would be given no time to inspect.

–"What the heck?" She heard Bardock say. When she turned to the Kanassian, she saw how he stood straight once more, his screams halting, yet he was still lit up in blue flames. However he did not reel in pain for it.

–"What in the–" Toma blurted out utterly surprised, however, Toolo decided to speak, interrupting him

–"I have transmuted your destructive force into a more tolerable energy…" Toolo said, as he took little steps, even with his whole body being on fire. He angrily growled. "Soon… you will all die!"

–"Yeah?" Bardock annoyingly asked. He brought one of his fists up, preparing to decimate him. "We'll see about that... goodbye!"

–"Wait! You have come here seeking psychic power." He said as he pointed at Bardock, halting his blast. "Well, I have given it to you, Bardock… Saiyan of the lower-class."

–"He reads minds." He warned the rest of his crew. Frowning at the prospect.

–"You can too now, Bardock! You have the power now, too!"

–"Me? What are you talking about?" With squinting, yet confused eyes, Bardock asked.

–"The one who seeks the power, Frieza, will never have it! But I have given it to you as a gift, Bardock! So that you could see!"

–"See what?" He asked in a frown.

–"See the horror of your end, just like we had to! Ahahahahahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Deciding not to listen more to this mad bastard, Bardock took upon his own hands to put that annoying voice of his to silence for eternity.

–"Shut up!" Bardock screamed, as a blue energy charged on his right hand. He threw it forward with all of his angered might, and the Kanassian commander met his demise, with a final scream.

Once Toolo was finally silenced, his body dropped to the ground, with some piece of him even crumbling upwards. Charred black like coal, the last known member of the Kanassians met their extinction.

–"Instant bar-b-que!" Shugesh stepped up beside Bardock with a laugh as he cleaned his nose. "You never know what you're going to find under a rock these days! Pretty freaky creature, aye?"

However, his captain simply would not be able to join up on his banter, as Bardock fell to the ground, quickly losing consciousness. This scared the crew to no end, Shugesh being the first to react.

–"Hey! Yo! Hello?"

–"BARDOCK!" The rest of the squad shouted, worrying for their captain.

–"Bardooooooock!" Toma's voice boomed in the air, as they all fidgeted to nurse their captain to health, wishing that their leader wouldn't meet an early demise.

---

Toma stood patiently, with a hand grasping his scouter, attentively hearing their incoming orders.

The rest of the squad were surveilling their surroundings Fasha keeping herself in extra guard out for Bardock. They weren't expecting the sudden attack from that alien freak, and sadly it was Bardock who took the blow full front.

They were under-resourced and barely even had medical equipment to treat Bardock's injuries. As they waited for Toma to tell them what command had in mind, they shared some words with one another.

The squad huddled close, with Bardock lying unconscious on the ground. Fasha knelt beside him, her brows furrowed with worry as she checked his pulse for the third time.

–"Damn it, Bardock, you stubborn bastard," she muttered under her breath. Her tone wavered, betraying just how shaken she truly was.

Shugesh, standing over them, tried to lighten the mood, though his voice lacked its usual mirth.

–"Relax, Fasha. The guy's tougher than a dozen Oozaru. He's probably just… uh… napping, right?"

–"Napping?!" Fasha snapped, glaring up at him. "He took a direct hit from that freak! His vitals are all over the place. Does that look like a nap to you?"

Leek crossed his arms, glancing nervously at the horizon.

–"Fasha's right. This wasn't just some lucky shot. That thing knew what it was doing, and Bardock… well, he didn't see it coming. None of us did…"

Borgos, ever the quiet one, frowned deeply as he replayed the events in his mind.

–"I apologize. I heard the rocks move, but I was too slow to help Bardock and Toma against the Kanassian… Had I not let that happen…."

Leek placed an hand on him, silently telling him to not blame himself.

–"We all let it happen. What we can do now is to never allow it to happen again. Right Borgos?" He asked,

However the tower of a saiyan didn't feel like answering him.

Fasha clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger.

–"He's never gone down like this. Not once! I—" She stopped herself, biting her lip as if to hold back something she didn't want to admit aloud.

Shugesh raised an eyebrow, a sly grin creeping onto his face despite the tension.

–"Oh, now you're all choked up, huh? What, you got a thing for him or something?"

Fasha shot to her feet, her face burning with embarrassment and fury.

–"Say that again, Shugesh, and I'll make sure you're the next one flat on your back!"

Taro laughed nervously, stepping in before things escalated further.

–"Alright, alright, calm down, both of you. Let's focus on getting Bardock patched up, yeah?"

Before anyone could respond, Toma approached, lowering his scouter with a grim expression. His tone was calm, but there was an underlying urgency in his words.

–"I've got our orders."

The squad turned to him expectantly, the tension thick in the air.

–"We're to leave this planet immediately and head to Planet Meat. Frieza's got another conquest lined up for us."

Fasha's eyes widened.

–"What about Bardock? We can't just drag him along in this condition!"

–"We're not. Command's ordered me to send him back to Planet Vegeta. His attack ball should keep him stable until he gets there. Once he's safe back home, the medics can take over."

–"So we're just… dumping him off and moving on?" Fasha growled, stepping closer to Toma. "He's our captain, damn it! He should be with us! And us with him!"

Toma's fists tightened. He believed the same but… He was more concerned with his friend's well-being. Screw being a Saiyan.

–"And what's your plan, Fasha?" Toma shot back, his voice firm. "Haul him around half-dead and hope he magically wakes up? Sending him back is the best shot for him that we've got."

Fasha left a "tsk" out of her mouth, irritated, but didn't fight with the newly appointed captain.

–"We were sent under-resourced, if only we had some medical supplies, we could've patched him up." Fasha let out a frustrated sigh, turning away.

The tension between them hung heavy for a moment before Leek decided to ask something more.

–"What about the rest of the mission? Anything we should know?"

Toma glanced around, grasped his scouter and threw it away. Only then did he lower his voice.

–"Take off your scouters. All of you."

The squad exchanged wary glances but did as they were told, placing their scouters in a pile on the ground before stepping a safe distance away. Once they were in the clear, Toma spoke in a hushed tone.

–"This stays between us. King Vegeta is planning something big. A rebellion. He's gathering forces to raid Frieza's operations."

Borgos raised an eyebrow.

– "A rebellion? Against Frieza? Has he lost his mind?"

Toma turned his head, fleeing his gaze.

–"Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, if word gets out, we're all as good as dead. That's why I needed you to ditch the scouters. We can't risk Frieza's goons catching wind of this."

Shugesh scratched his head, a skeptical look on his face.

–"And how do we fit into this? Are we supposed to just charge in with the king, guns blazing?"

–"No. For now, we keep our mouths shut and follow orders to keep that lizard happy." Toma said firmly. "But keep your eyes open for once the king makes his move. We're allowed to go AWOL and ditch the mission entirely by then."

The squad fell silent, the weight of Toma's words sinking in.

After a long pause, Fasha broke the silence.

–"Fine. But if we're going to Planet Meat, we better not run into another ambush like this one. Not a single one is left alive!"

–"Yes, ma'am, sir." Toma smirked faintly.

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue, which Shugesh took as a small victory.

–"I'll put Bardock up in his pod, the rest of you begin preparing. We're still a long way from home."

With a nod, the squad was dismissed, each of them grasping their scouters again. Toma walked up to his unconscious friend, carrying him over his shoulder to his attack ball. Once he did, he took Bardock's green scouter and put it on himself, as instructed by command.

–"I'll give it back to you, old friend. Just wait for us back at home." He send him off with a proud smile. He loaded the coordinates for Planet Vegeta and soon enough, Bardock left to safety.

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad boarded their pods, ready for yet another skirmish. Hopefully, it would be the last, should King Vegeta's forces succeed,

Their pods turned to life as they all took off, back into the vacuum of space. With the deafening silence that invaded him, Toma couldn't help but think about his friend.

He felt that he had done everything he was supposed to. Both as a leader and a friend. He can only hope now that Bardock gets the treatment he needs to continue leading them to battle.

---

Arrival on Planet Meat was… something.

From their first step onto the crimson soil, it was clear something had gone horribly wrong. The planet wasn't just desolate, it was a graveyard.

Bodies and corpses littered the ground, sprawled in grotesque, unnatural positions. Some were burnt beyond recognition, while others bore wounds so precise they looked surgical. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of dried blood.

This wasn't the clean extermination mission they'd been briefed on.

Toma crouched beside one of the fallen, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the armor. It was unmistakable, Saiyan battle gear.

–"These are ours," he muttered darkly, more to himself than anyone else.

The squad exchanged glances, their earlier banter fading into grim silence.

–"Guess we found out what happened to the last team," Shugesh said, his voice low as he nudged a broken scouter lying next to a charred body.

Fasha's gaze swept over the scene, her lips curling into a frown.

–"What the hell could've done this? These weren't just locals, they wiped out Saiyans as well."

–"Not just wiped out," Leek interjected, his tone grim. "Slaughtered." He gestured toward a Saiyan who'd been impaled on a jagged piece of terrain. "Some of these wounds… it's like they were toying with them."

Taro, who'd been quiet until now, finally spoke, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by unease. He asked his brother.

–"Do you think command knew?"

Toma straightened, wiping his hands clean on his armor.

–"If they did, they didn't tell us. Either way, we're here now. Focus."

–"This doesn't sit right," Fasha murmured, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. "It's too quiet. Whoever or whatever did this, is still out there."

Toma nodded, scanning the horizon. The wind stirred, carrying the faint sound of something shifting in the distance. It was barely audible, but to a trained Saiyan's ears, it was enough.

–"Stay sharp," Toma commanded, his voice firm. "No one lets their guard down. We're not here to join them."

The squad moved forward, stepping carefully around the carnage. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the planet itself were dragging them into its despair.

–"Whatever wiped out these guys…" Shugesh muttered under his breath, gripping his weapon tighter. "Let's hope we don't run into it."

The unspoken fear hung in the air as they pressed on, the weight of the mission growing heavier with each step.

The squad moved forward, their steps cautious and deliberate as they weaved through the carnage. Each step felt heavier than the last, the oppressive silence of the battlefield wrapping around them like a vice. Toma's sharp eyes darted in every direction, scanning for even the slightest movement. His tail swished behind him, coiled tight with tension.

Shugesh shifted uncomfortably, gripping his weapon tighter.

–"Toma, you're acting like something's gonna jump out of the ground and eat us."

–"Maybe it will," Fasha muttered, her gaze locked on the jagged cliffs ahead. "This place reeks of death."

Taro, walking near the rear, glanced at his younger brother, whose body language was screaming unease. He couldn't help but speak up.

–"Little bro, you've gotta ease up a bit." Taro said, flicking his tongue with that familiar mix of teasing and exasperation. "Nothing good will come if you stay hyper fixated in this edge of yours, you won't get out of this alive, man."

Toma didn't look at him, his focus fixed on the horizon.

–"I'll ease up once I get all of you back to Planet Vegeta safely with Bardock. Only then I'll rest…" Even though Frieza's is looming in. Not one person knows what could he want back in Planet Vegeta.

He thought his words carried enough conviction to end the conversation, but, as always, Taro had more to say.

–"C'mon, man. Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'The more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen'? It's like that verse I read the other day." He said as he walked up to the front next to Toma.

–"You can read?" Fasha quipped, her tone as dry as the wastelands they often fought in.

A ripple of laughter passed through the squad, everyone except Taro, cracking a grin.

–"For your information, Miss 'I Have Eyes for Only One Tail.'" Taro shot back with mock indignation. "Unlike you brutes, I actually nurture my brain."

Fasha rolled her eyes, and Toma sighed. This old dance again…

–"Seriously, have none of you heard of 'First you feel in hell, then you are in hell'? Do you even know what that means?"

Leek brought a hand to his neck to scratch it, unimpressed.

–"Not gonna lie, I think every Saiyan's gonna end up in hell anyway. Blood-soaked hands and all."

Taro ignored him with a dramatic sigh, like a scholar surrounded by savages.

–"It means, when you start feeling like something terrible is about to happen, you invite it. Fear becomes the door that lets it in."

His brother scoffed at his comment.

–"And you're saying what? Me being cautious invites… who? The devil? Frieza?" Toma challenged, glancing over his shoulder.

–"Don't get clever with me, brat." Taro snapped, wagging a finger. "The transition is seamless. Once you admit you feel like you're in hell, that's when hell actually happens. First you feel in hell… then you are in—"

THRM.

The sound was deafening, a thunderclap that seemed to freeze time itself. A shine so bright, they thought they were all going blind first. No one had seen it coming. The energy blast streaked past them, close enough to singe for some, before landing with devastating precision.

Toma turned first, his instincts screaming at him to look.

The sight stopped his heart.

Taro stood there, his armor pierced clean through. Blood poured from the gaping hole in his chest, pooling at his feet. His arms trembled, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

–"…Hel…" He tried to speak, but blood filled his mouth, choking the words. "…p me…"

And then he fell.

Lifeless.

Gone.

It had happened in an instant—so fast it could've been anyone.

Time slowed for Toma, every second stretching into eternity. A storm of emotions crashed over him. Fear, Anger, Sorrow, Sadness, Rage, Cowardice, Rage, Panic, RAGE.

However, his voice would be the first that he'd let out.

–"AMBUSH!" Toma roared, his voice cutting through the paralysis that gripped his squad.

Bardock's training kicked in immediately. Without hesitation, the team scattered, moving in a blur to avoid becoming easy targets.

Everyone but Toma.

He lunged for his brother's body, snatching it up with trembling hands. The warmth was already fading.

–"Not here," he muttered, his voice cracking as he blasted into the air, seeking cover. "Not here, not now…"

The battle raged around him, but all Toma could hear was the sound of Taro's last, broken breaths replaying in his mind.

He pushed through the haze clouding his thoughts, his instincts driving him forward. With his brother's lifeless body cradled in his arms, he tore through the air, leading the squad to safety.

The plains stretched endlessly below them, but Toma's sharp eyes caught sight of a rise in the terrain ahead—a cluster of piled dirt and rocks jutting from the ground. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

–"Over there!" he barked, his voice sharp and commanding despite the lump in his throat.

The squad followed without hesitation, weaving through incoming blasts. Explosions shook the ground as they landed behind the cover, dirt and debris raining down around them.

Toma landed heavily, his back pressing against the dirt mound as he held Taro's body close. For the first time since the attack, the urgency of survival gave way to the crushing weight of loss.

Fasha stood beside him, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of their attackers. Energy blasts still rained down, but her grip on her weapon never wavered as she searched for an opening to fire back.

–"How is he?" Fasha asked, her tone softer than usual, betraying her concern.

Toma didn't answer immediately. His teeth clenched as he fought the tide of emotions threatening to consume him. With a heavy sigh, he forced himself to focus. This wasn't the time to lose control.

He lowered Taro's body gently to the ground, his trembling hand brushing over his brother's face to close his eyes forever.

–"Gone," Toma said, the word a bitter weight in his mouth. He lingered for only a moment before forcing himself to stand. Mourning would have to wait—his squad's survival depended on him now.

–"Orders, captain?!" Leek called from across their makeshift cover, his voice cutting through the din of battle. He was crouched alongside Shugesh, while Borgos held position in between them, ready to move.

Toma's jaw tightened. He looked at his squad, each of them relying on him to pull them through this. He would.

He had to.

Toma could see the attackers advancing steadily, brazenly, without using cover. They were still far off, but it was only a matter of time before they closed the distance. The only thing slowing their advance was the relentless exchange of ki blasts between both sides. A single, well-aimed shot from either side could easily turn the tide.

The squad had the advantage of cover for now, but Toma knew it wouldn't last. If the attackers managed to regroup or launch a coordinated assault, they could overwhelm them in no time.

The worst part? They still had no idea who they were up against. Was this an ambush by the locals? A military force stationed here? Mercenaries? Toma's mind raced, but no answers came.

He clenched his fists, his sharp eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. Waiting wasn't an option—they had to act before the enemy could organize.

–"Borgos!" Toma barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Cover me. I'm taking the fight to them!"

The tallest squad member gave a curt nod. "Yes, boss!"

Before Toma could leap out of cover, Fasha's hand shot out, gripping his shoulder and pulling him back down.

"Hold it!" she hissed, her piercing gaze locking with his. "That's a two-person job. You won't make it there alive without me."

Toma smirked at her confidence, shaking his head lightly but not disagreeing. Fasha always had a knack for throwing herself into danger, but this time, he welcomed it.

–"Alright, fine," he relented. "You know the mark."

Fasha's lips curved into a daring grin. "You bet I do."

The two of them crouched low, preparing to launch their counterassault. The tension in the air was thick, but their resolve was even stronger.

Shugesh and Leek continued to fire barrages of ki blasts to reject their enemies' offense. This allowed Borgos to prepare himself for what he was about to fire.

The usually silent saiyan stirred all of his anger within him. The death of Taro was one that he would forever hate them for.

With clenching teeth, and a popping vein, Borgos jumped out of cover.

–"YOU. WILL. PAY!" He raised both arms for inertia, and blasted the most powerful blast he knew that he could muster from his mouth. A large yellow beam quickly fired at the enemies, big enough for their forces to force to avoid the attack, if they could even react to it, that is.

–"Now!" Toma shouted and both him and Fasha flew out of cover to give chase to their attackers. Using Borgos' suppression with his attack, both fighters were given space and time to hunt down their oppressors.

Toma flew with unmatched speed, target already locked in, all that he had to do was to get close enough. He raised a leg and with a spinning hook kick, he struck at a soldier's helmet, instantly crushing his cranium. He then raised a palm at another target close by that had been staggered by the ambush. Toma fired a Flame Bullet, which incinerated the soldier to blue ash. Toma then turned to look for another opponent, leaving the bastard to scorch in the ground.

Fasha meanwhile, before she even preyed on a target, she fired an Energy Ballet in the air mid-flight in order to strike as many people as possible from her side. This managed to easily wipe around four foot soldiers whilst only two survivors remained.

One of them had barely grazed the previous attack by jumping away in time. Once he started to recover though the first thing that greeted him was the figure of Fasha right before she delivered a devastating blow to his chin.

Once Fasha managed to reach him, she jumped overhead to him and grabbed his neck with her knees, choking the soldier, and in a frontflip, flung him in a frontflip towards the other roaming survivor. Their bodies crashed and they limply fell to the ground.

Disinterested in even finishing the job, Fasha turned on them, but not before firing an energy ball at them both that would end their lives.

Toma delivered a brutal punch to one of the soldier's helmets, instantly shattering it and killing the footman wearing it. He catched a leg throwing a kick his way and slammed his elbow onto it, crushing the kicker's tibia to immobilize him on the ground. Toma raised a palm and fired another blue flame, scorching him to death.

–"These are…" He said with gritting teeth.

Fasha landed right next to him, wishing to inform Toma of the now deceased opposition.

–"They are all dead. But they aren–"

–"These bastards!" Toma kicked the corpse with the heel of his boot. He was not one to let out his anger in front of others, or even like this, but Toma's vicious kicks told the whole story of it.

He was angered.

–"Toma? The heck got into you?!"

–"Look at them!"

Fasha raised an eyebrow in confusion. He glanced down to see the shattered helmet Toma broke, and realization struck in fast.

She quickly turned around in order to confirm if what she saw was true, and it indeed was.

–"Th-These aren't Meateanians." She said out loud, seeing the problem.

–"These are Frieza's men!" Toma growled with a last kick that shattered the fallen soldier's armor.

The rest of the crew catched up to them, and saw the state both saiyans were in. It didn't need much for them to understand though, as Toma was being loud enough for them to hear.

–"What? But… Why?! They were the ones that sent us here." Leek said as he scanned every corpse, not believing this.

–"H-How?" Shugesh asked. "How could they?! We did everything they wanted!"

–"Perhaps it's a misunderstanding! We might not be charged with treason!" Borgos tried to reason as he carried the corpse of Taro.

However, it was clear for Toma.

–"The Frieza force is here, and they've come to get us." Toma stated, as he glanced at the dead body of his brother for emphasis. "They know. They know about the King, they know about his rebellion and they know that we are here."

And lastly, most damning of it all.

–"They are going to kill us."

The squad fell silent, the harsh reality sinking in. Some of them tried to shake off the dread, but others couldn't hide the doubt creeping into their eyes.

Leek, still not fully convinced, shot a glance at Toma.

– "But... Toma, how do you know that? What if we're just caught in something bigger than we realize? We've done nothing wrong! This doesn't make sense." He backed away slightly, the anger in Toma's voice unsettling him more than he cared to admit.

Toma didn't answer at first, instead kneeling beside the bodies. His anger was still bubbling over, but there was a hint of something deeper in his eyes. He reached for the nearest scouter still intact on the body of one of the fallen Frieza soldiers and crushed it with his bare hands as it fell on it. The loud crack echoed through the clearing.

–"Break all of their scouters. Even ours! They can hear everything we say!" Toma said as he grasped Bardock's scouter that he had been using off of his ear, and crushed it under his hand. He almost regretted it, as he would be unable to fulfill his promise now.

Fasha's voice cut deep through the tense silence that followed.

–"Wait a minute, Toma, are you sure about this?! If we don't use our scouters or our pods' nav systems to signal for backup, we're done for!"

Leek, clutching his own scouter before asking Toma, trying to avoid doing anything rash.

–"Yeah, what if this is just some rogue unit or a mix-up? Frieza's men have operated on their own before. Maybe… maybe they thought we were threats?"

Toma glared at him, his eyes steely.

–"You really think Frieza makes mistakes like this? That he lets his men act out of line without orders?" He stepped forward, looming over Leek. "Listen, Back when we were returning to Planet Vegeta, don't you remember what Bardock said?" He asked to Leek."They were expanding his ranks. And they called ALL of us back to Planet Vegeta? Halting on-going operations? Only for them to send us here, as well as a bunch of more squads? This didn't happen by chance, Leek."

Leek lowered his head, knowing full well Toma was right… He reluctantly raised his hand with scouter before smashing it against a rock.

–"Damn him…" He murmured with gritting teeth.

Toma began firing blasts at the multiple corpses, aiming at the ones that had their scouters intact. The rest of his squad followed suit by destroying their own.

Shugesh hesitated however, as he scratched his head nervously, still carrying his own doubts. His scouter still on his hand.

–"Yeah, but Bardock's been acting like Frieza's out to get him since day one. What if this is just his paranoia rubbing off on you?"

–"That paranoia saved our hides more than once," Fasha interjected, folding her arms. "Bardock's instincts have always been sharp. And I hate to admit it, but… Toma's got a point. This doesn't feel like a mistake. It feels like a setup."

Borgos grunted, his voice low but steady.

–"Even if this wasn't intentional, do you really think we have time to sit around debating? If there's even a chance that Frieza's men are after us, we can't afford to wait here and find out. We need to move."

Shugesh left out a sigh as he threw his scouter under his boot and crushed it.

–"Alright! So we fly back at full speed! Got it!" He prepared to power up.

–"No, Stop!" Toma shouted, interrupting Shugesh. "Flying will make it too easy for their scouters to pick us up.

–"Eh?! Then what the heck do we do?!"

–"We run. We stay low, and we get back to the pods. If we're lucky, we can take off before more of them show up."

Shugesh let out a frustrated sigh, clearly still uneasy but unable to argue with the logic.

–"Fine. But if this turns out to be nothing, you owe me a drink."

Toma smirked grimly.

–"If this turns out to be nothing, I'll buy everyone a round. But I don't think it's going to be nothing."

Scanning their surroundings, Toma began his mad dash, followed up by everyone else. As they started running, their nerves between them didn't ease. Fasha glanced at Toma, doubts creeping in.

–"You really think Frieza knows about King Vegeta's rebellion?"

–"He has to," Toma replied without hesitation. "The timing's too perfect. Ever since he gave that recall order, Bardock hasn't been able to sit still. He kept saying Frieza was planning something. That he didn't trust him. And now, out of nowhere, his troops show up here instead of Meateanians? You tell me what that sounds like."

Leek, keeping pace beside them, muttered,

–"A death sentence."

–"Exactly." Toma clenched his fists as they continued to sprint. "Frieza's cleaning house, and we're next on the list. If Bardock's right, he's not just after rebels now. He's after ALL of us."

His words felt heavy, not just for Toma, but for the group as well. For a moment, the only sounds were their boots pounding against the ground and the distant howl of the wind.

Borgos, always the most stoic of the group, finally broke the silence.

–"Do you think Bardock knew of this?"

Toma gave it some thought, but it was logical.

–"He couldn't have. I just learned of King Vegeta's attempt myself. I was told to keep it under wraps, I doubt they would have repeated that to me had Bardock known already." He reasoned. "They said he was onto something big. Something he couldn't explain. But now…" His voice faltered as his gaze drifted toward the horizon. "Now we might never know…"

They kept moving, the landscape blurring around them as their thoughts raced. Fasha, her voice quiet but firm, spoke up again.

–"You think Frieza's really planning to wipe us all out? The Saiyans, I mean?"

Toma didn't answer immediately. When he finally did, his voice was low and grim.

–"I don't know. But if he is… then Bardock was right. And we're in more trouble than any of us realized."

As the group neared the location of their pods, Toma raised a hand to signal them to stop. He crouched low, scanning the area for any sign of movement. The others followed suit, their breathing heavy but controlled.

–"Stay sharp," he whispered. "If Frieza's men are here, we won't get a second chance."

The crew understood his words, their doubts set aside for the moment. Whatever lay ahead, they had to face it together.

Toma's mind raced as he began to plan their strategy. His eyes flickered between the others, calculating the best approach in the heat of the moment.

–"Fasha, Leek. You two are fast. Flank around the area, try to check if there's anything nearby." His voice was steady, commanding. Fasha and Leek nodded without hesitation, their Saiyan instincts kicking in as they prepared to move swiftly and silently.

–"Shugesh, Borgos," Toma continued, turning to the two larger Saiyans. "You two are with me. We go head-on. If we meet resistance, we wait for them to expose themselves for Leek and Fasha to counter."

Borgos and Shugesh nodded firmly, ready to charge forward at Toma's command. The silence between them was heavy, a mutual understanding hanging in the air—this mission, like all their others, would rely on precision, and their lives would depend on it.

Fasha and Leek exchanged a look before springing into action, taking off in opposite directions, their movements swift and precise. Toma watched them for a moment before turning to Shugesh and Borgos, who nodded at their silent command.

The three Saiyans swiftly advanced, trying to use the nearby rocks as cover to hide behind. This led them to be stuck between an 'either or'.

Either they went fast, risking detection, or they went slowly, assuring their infiltration… They couldn't take any risks! But taking their time was a risk itself! They needed the best of both worlds.

A faint noise caught his attention. Footsteps. In the distance, a patrol. Their power levels barely flickered, too low to be noticed unless they were close, but Toma's senses were sharp enough to detect them.

–"Patrol ahead," Toma muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. –"We'll need to move quickly." He said, turning to the other two.

It was then that Toma's eyes lingered on Borgos, who was still carrying the lifeless body of his brother. The sight of it hit Toma like a blow to the gut, another reminder of that wretched Frieza and his betrayal. Toma was strong, but the grief was unmistakable. even if he tried to tough it out.

Right then, he devices a plan. One so stupid, but that could potentially work…

–"Borgos, hand over Taro. I have a plan in mind."

He closed in, followed by Shugesh as well, hearing Toma's mad scheme.

---

A squadron was stationed to guard the attack balls, their posture relaxed but their eyes ever vigilant. Frieza's orders were clear: the Saiyans would be dealt with. They were to guard the only escape route and ensure no one slipped past them. It was a simple task, and the soldiers had been standing watch for hours, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

Their patience was soon tested.

From the distance, one of the guards caught sight of a figure emerging from behind the rocky terrain. At first, the shape was indistinct, just a dark blur against the rocky backdrop. But as it drew closer, the soldiers' eyes sharpened. The figure was unmistakably Saiyan—a Saiyan warrior dragging something behind him.

It was Toma.

The moment they saw him, the soldiers' eyes narrowed, but they didn't immediately raise their weapons. Toma, covered in dirt, was dragging the lifeless body of his brother, Taro, through the jagged rocks. His posture was hunched, his every step slow and heavy. The soldiers could see the weight of Taro's body bearing down on him, and though they knew it wasn't unusual for a Saiyan to be tough, the sight of Toma struggling with the load caught them off guard.

"What's this?" one of the soldiers asked, squinting against the distance as he saw Toma stumbling toward them. His voice held a trace of skepticism, but the confusion in his tone was clear. "A straggler?"

Toma's only response was to drop to his knees, the weight of his brother's body dragging him down. His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, his body trembling with the effort. For a moment, there was nothing but the heavy silence of the rocky terrain and the sound of Toma's labored breaths. He let the body fall next to him with a thud, his hands shaking as they gripped Taro's still form.

"Please…" Toma's voice broke through the silence, ragged and desperate. "You've got to help me… My brother—he's… he's dead! I need help!" His voice cracked, raw with grief. He looked up at the soldiers, his eyes wide with frantic, tear-streaked sincerity.

The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. The sudden shift in Toma's demeanor—his apparent breakdown—made them hesitate. It was enough to make the patrol falter, uncertain of what they were seeing. One soldier shifted on his feet, unsure whether to raise his weapon or approach.

"…That's one of them, right?" a younger recruit muttered, his voice small and anxious. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked back at the lead soldier. He wasn't used to seeing a Saiyan up close, and certainly not one in such a vulnerable state. The terror of facing one of Frieza's enemies was a real thing for him, but this felt different. This Saiyan was... pleading. Was this an act? Or was it real?

The lead soldier's expression hardened, though a flicker of doubt crossed his features. He was more seasoned than the recruit, and his experience told him to be cautious. He kept his weapon lowered for now but did not take his eyes off Toma. He took a slow step forward, keeping his distance but observing the Saiyan carefully.

He had no doubt that the body at Toma's side was that of another Saiyan, and the plea for help... well, it was convincing, almost too convincing. His instincts screamed that this could be a trap.

"Check him out!" the lead soldier barked, his voice sharp with authority. "It could be a trick!" He gestured to the nervous recruit, his tone making it clear that he wanted no mistakes. "Get closer. See if you can get him talking."

The young recruit swallowed hard, his grip tightening on his blaster. He shot a pleading look back at the lead soldier, uncertainty written across his face. He was young, barely out of training, and the idea of getting close to a Saiyan—especially one like Toma—terrified him. But the orders were clear.

He took a hesitant step forward, his hand shaking as he approached the kneeling Saiyan.

Toma remained motionless, his posture now one of submission. His eyes stayed fixed on the approaching soldier, his expression still strained with grief. He took a deep breath, steadying himself for whatever came next. He knew that if the soldier got too close, the plan would be set into motion. But for now, he needed them to see him as vulnerable.

As the recruit took another step, Toma's eyes narrowed slightly, and he forced the words out in a strained whisper. "Please… you have to believe me. My brother… he was just—I just…"

The recruit faltered, eyes darting between the lead soldier and the grieving Saiyan. He could hear the desperation in Toma's voice, the way his words stumbled over the grief. It almost sounded... genuine.

THIUM

A pink blast pierced through the chest of the lead soldier, blood immediately dripping out of his mouth as he dropped dead.

The recruit stared in sheer horror how each of his squadmates fell limply bt the setup.

–"Ambush!" One soldier screamed, however he was put down quickly by a yellow energy barrage, ending with his life.

The troops scrambled away, some firing some shots as they did, trying to save themselves.

The recruit saw this, and he slowly turned back to see the kneeling saiyan. He no longer held grief on his features, no.

He held anger. Fury.

The recruit quickly moved his arm to point his blaster at the saiyan, however, Toma was faster, standing up faster than the speed of light, getting in close range with the recruit.

SPLAT

Mouth agape, frozen in trembling fear and a paralyzing pain, the recruit slowly glanced down to see how Toma's hand connected with him.

How his hand ripped right through him.

Staring up at Toma's eye for the last time, he swore he saw fire in his pupils. A blue fire that burned harder than the hand he had been stabbed with.

–"I just want you dead." He heard him mutter next to his ear.

Toma mercilessly pulled back his hand, now tainted in the recruit's purple blood, causing the Frieza soldier to drop to his knees before plummeting to the ground to bleed out to death.

The saiyan quickly gazed at the battleground, seeing how his squad had quickly thinned through the patrol stationed here. The last soldier of them brought a hand to his scouter as he ran away, only to have his head completely melted by one precise shot from Leek, halting his attempt at calling for backup, hopefully.

Toma then gazed back at his now bloody left hand, blue flames embedded on it to cause the maximum amount of damage possible with one strike. He calmed himself down, and the flame lighted off. He quickly called out to his squad for a status report.

They had quickly destroyed most scouters, and there were no other forces in their vicinity. However, they were forced to use their energy, so their energy signatures for sure must have spiked up. Meaning that they wouldn't be alone for long.

–"What the hell was that, Toma?" Shugesh asked. "That wasn't how a saiyan fights."

Toma glared at Shugesh, annoyed at such a pointless critique during the dire situation they were in.

–"I'm doing what's needed to keep us all alive! If we went headfirst, the battle could have dragged too long, just like this conversation!" Toma barked, seeking Shugesh's silence.

With time on the clock, Toma snarled orders once more.

–"Borgos, Leek. You two set the pods to function. We need to move, now!" Toma barked, his voice a sharp command, cutting through the tension of the moment.

–"Sir!" Leek responded, his voice tight with urgency. He shot a final glance at Fasha, and then rushed toward the pods, ready to do his part in getting them airborne.

–"Shugesh, Fasha! Keep guard for any incoming forces!" Toma continued, his tone cold and precise, not giving room for error.

Shugesh huffed annoyed, but complied nonetheless.

–"Aye, aye," Fasha responded, as she flew away to gain some distance to stay in guard, already on high alert.

There was a moment of tension as Toma moved toward the last of the fallen soldiers. His eyes were locked on the scouters they had dropped, his mind working fast. One of the soldiers lay half-conscious, a pitiful groan escaping his lips as he clutched his head.

–"What about you, captain?" Borgos asked, his tone still thick, all the urgency getting to him. But Toma wasn't slowing down however. Borgos had never seen his now-captain so focused, so ruthless.

So different.

Without responding, Toma crushed the soldier's skull under his boot, the sickening crunch of bone breaking resonating through the silence. He then reached down, tearing the scouter from the soldier's head.

With a cold, emotionless look in his eyes, Toma crushed the scouter beneath his boot, making sure it shattered into pieces, rendering it useless. The subtle hint of static that had filled the air was gone.

–"I'm tying up all loose ends," Toma muttered. His voice was low, determined, and his next words were heavy with finality. "We have one chance."

Borgos nodded, not letting any distractions fill in again.

With that, Toma joined in on the guard of the perimeter. They had managed to get to the pods, now all it took was being fast enough to use them.

Toma quickly got beside Fasha. He wasn't seeing anyone. Without scouters, they were as blind as bats.

–"See anything?" He asked her. To which to his pain, Fasha denied, having the same problem he did.

–"No. Everything looks clear. However, anyone could be hiding the same way we did. We don't even have scouters for that matter,"

–"Damn" The current leader growled. "I'll ask help Shugesh. Don't doubt to ask for help, don't be stubborn."

–"Tsk." Was all she replied with.

Toma quickly switched sides, trying to get across the field as fast as he could. He finally reached the large figure of Shugesh. He quickly asked the same question he did to Fasha.

–"Nothin'" Shugesh replied with. "I'm starting to regret crushing all scouters."

–"We had to. We would be far more open than we currently are…" Toma argued, but Shugesh didn't seem so convinced.

–"There's something I wanna talk to you about." He said with a demeaning gaze at him. One that showed a sudden lack of respect. "That stunt you pulled to those soldiers. That was a cheap trick."

Toma's eyes filled with confusion about what he said, however it was quickly replaced by a rising annoyance.

–"This is not the time to talk about this, Shugesh!"

–"Where is your pride?!" He snarled. "We are the strongest of the universe! proud warriors! We don't need such low-life tactics to win!"

–"I don't give a damn about any of that right now, Shugesh!" He barked louder, trying to shut Shugesh up about something as pointless as this. "Right now, we have to focus on how to get out of this hellhole!"

–"How could you!?" Shugesh asked, majorly offended by Toma's words. "It is everything that matters to us! Our pride! Our heritage! It's our pride to battle what makes who we are! Saiyans!"

Toma was not getting through his thick head, and he knew it very well. He left out a sigh, calming himself.

–"Listen, Shugesh. I'm prioritizing our survival. Right now, we just can't charge in head-first to battle. To ANY battle for that matter. For as much as we know, The Ginyu Force could be hunting us down right now. Can't you see how deep we are?

–"No. I don't." Shugesh antagonized him.

The substitute leader felt how Shugesh stood opposed to him. He was bringing his arms up, decided to make an example of what he was talking just now.

–"You are no saiyan!" He tightened his fists, anger swirling through him. "You are a stain to all of us!"

Toma glared him a hole as a last warning.

–"You have 5 seconds to calm down, Shugesh" Toma threatened, venom coming out his mouth in the form of words. The last ounces of his anger bubbled in. "Because If you owet lev spikes because spike up your power level because you can't control your anger issues, I'll shove my boot so far up your rectum, you'll beg Frieza himself for a more bearable execution."

The fatter saiyan didn't reply.

–"Am I understood?" Toma asked, wanting to make sure his point was received.

Shugesh took in Toma's threat, but didn't look any less angry. However, something within him made him back down. Perhaps it was fear, perhaps it was the feeling of chewing on too much, or even mayhaps Toma's threat made Shugesh recognize why he was their leader, and that he too was a saiyan. In any case, it didn't matter.

–"This one's finished!" Borgos called out from afar. His voice cut through the tense air, catching Toma and Shugesh's attention.

–"Don't do anything stupid," Toma warned Shugesh with a firm shove, keeping him in place to guard their position. He then sprinted to Borgos, the larger Saiyan towering over him.

–"This pod's ready," Borgos said, stepping back from his handiwork. "Leek is finishing his. Who do we send first?"

Toma's mind raced, but the answer came quickly.

–"Fasha. She's got the lowest power level among us. Leek needs to stay and prepare at least two more pods. Borgos, I need you to start on another right away."

Borgos nodded, the tension visible even in his massive frame.

–"Understood."

–"The next one's yours," Toma added. "I'll give Taro to Fasha to preserve his body. I'll leave last."

Without another word, Borgos hurried to the next pod, ready to set to work.

Toma didn't waste time, sprinting to where his late brother's body lay. His heart pounded as he carefully lifted the lifeless form. His voice boomed across the area, desperation creeping into his tone.

–"Fasha! Get back here!"

He searched frantically, but there was no sign of her. He couldn't afford to wait. Gritting his teeth, he carried Taro's body to the prepared pod.

–"Finished!"

Leek's voice rang out, and Toma's chest tightened with a sliver of hope. Two pods down, three to go.

–"Great job, Leek!" Toma called out. "Set up one more and then leave!"

–"Right!" Leek replied, leaping out of the pod and rushing to the next.

Toma placed Taro's body into the pod with care, his hands trembling slightly. He had failed to keep his brother alive, but this was the best he could do. At least Fasha could fit in the pod with him to protect the body. Without her, he might have been forced to leave Taro behind entirely.

–"FASHA!" Toma shouted again, jumping out of the pod to search for her. "Where are you?" But before he could move far—

BOOM.

A deafening explosion rocked the ground behind him. The force hurled Toma forward, his face slamming into the dirt. He lay there, stunned, as the world spun around him. His ears rang, and his limbs felt sluggish.

When his senses returned, Toma rolled onto his back, his breath ragged. He looked toward the source of the blast, his chest tightening in horror.

The landing site where the pods had been, gone. Black smoke billowed into the sky, and the ground was scorched and charred.

For the first time in years, Toma felt genuine fear. His hands shook uncontrollably as the realization hit him like a blow to the gut. They'd been found.

–"BORGOOOOS! LEEEEK!" Toma screamed, his voice raw. He scrambled to his feet, sprinting toward the danger.

The burnt ground beneath him reeked of scorched earth, melted metal… and burnt flesh.

The first pod Borgos had worked on was obliterated, a twisted mess of blackened fragments. With it, gone were their chances to escape.

Toma's eyes darted to the second pod and runned there. Once he raeched there, his stomach dropped.

Borgos's body lay slumped inside of it, his form charred beyond recognition. His head lolled back, frozen in a final, agonized expression.

Toma froze, his hands twitching. The sight of his fallen comrade slicing through his resolve. Borgos, the towering muscle of the group… reduced to ash.

–"Help… me…" A weak voice snapped him out of his daze.

Toma spun toward the sound, spotting Leek sprawled on the ground. His body exhuded trails of smoke… He was burnt, and every breath seemed a monumental effort.

–"Leek!" Toma spotted their pilot and quickly went his way.

–"Toma…?" Leek's voice was barely a whisper.

Toma's chest heaved as he knelt by his broken figure. The smell of burnt flesh stung his nostrils, bile rising in his throat. His eyes darted over what was left of his friend, his skin blackened and reddened to various degrees, his armor fused to his skin, and the once sharp, observant gaze of their pilot now replaced by empty, lifeless white.

Leek was blind.

–"T-Toma…?" Leek's cracked, hoarse voice reached him, trembling like a flickering flame. "Is that… you?"

The words hit Toma like a dagger to the heart. His knees wobbled, and his throat tightened as if an invisible hand was choking him.

–"I'm here, Leek." His voice was quiet, cracking under the weight of the scene before him. He reached out, hesitating for a second before resting a trembling hand on Leek's shoulder. The searing heat radiating from his friend's body made him flinch, but he didn't pull away. "I'm here. It's… it's going to be okay."

Even as he said the words, they tasted like ash in his mouth. Lies. Every word a cruel lie.

Leek let out a small, rasping laugh that quickly turned into a painful cough.

–"Don't… d-don't lie to me… M-Man. I c-can't… I can't see. Everything's…" His voice faltered, his breathing shallow and erratic. "Everything hurts. I… I-I think I'm dying, Toma…"

Toma's jaw clenched. Guilt surged through him like a storm, the echoes of his decisions pounding against his skull. He had sent Borgos and Leek to set up the pods. He had asked–Ordered– them both to stay behind to work on just one more pod. Instead of making them leave. Had he done things differently, had he not told them to stay… Maybe, just maybe, they could'va stayed alive…

This was his fault.

–"Leek, listen to me," Toma said, trying to keep his voice steady, though it cracked with emotion. He gripped Leek's hand—what was left of it—and squeezed gently. "You're going to be okay. Just… just hold on, alright? We'll figure something out."

-T-Toma… it hurts so much…" Leek's body twitched, his blind eyes darting aimlessly, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "I… I don't wanna die. I don't want to—"

–"Shh. Don't talk," Toma interrupted, his voice trembling but firm. He had to keep Leek calm, had to give him even a shred of comfort in these final moments. "Focus on my voice. You're not alone, okay? I'm right here. I'm not leaving you."

Leek's lips quivered, tears mixing with the soot and grime on his face. "Toma… I'm scared. I'm… I…" His words broke into incoherent sobs, his body convulsing weakly 20.

Toma swallowed hard, his own vision blurring as tears welled up. He hated this. Hated the helplessness clawing at him, hated himself for putting Leek through this. But there was nothing he could do now. No pod to save him, no miracle to fix him.

And then, amidst the chaos of his thoughts, he heard it.

–"INCOMING!" Shugesh's voice roared from the distance, followed by the unmistakable sound of energy blasts tearing through the air.

Toma's head snapped up, his senses sharpening with the adrenaline surge. They were out of time. The enemy was closing in.

–"Leek…" Toma's voice dropped to a whisper, trembling with the weight of the decision he was about to make. "I… I'm so sorry."

Leek's blind eyes widened slightly, his expression twisting in fear and confusion.

–"Toma? What… what's happening?"

–"I can't leave you like this," Toma said, his voice breaking. "I can't… I won't let them get to you. I won't let you suffer anymore."

–"N-No… n-no, Toma, p-please—" Leek's voice was raw with desperation, his charred hand weakly grabbing at Toma's arm.

–"Don't… don't leave me. I… I don't want to die!"

Toma's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He wanted to scream, to cry, to beg for another way. But there wasn't one. There never was.

–"I'm sorry," he whispered one last time, tears streaming down his face.

He placed his palm gently on Leek's forehead, the same way he'd seen so many warriors do for fallen comrades. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, he summoned a small, focused burst of energy to his hand.

–"Rest now, Leek," he said, his voice barely audible over the distant sounds of battle.

–"You're free from the pain."

BLAM

Before Leek could say another word, Toma released the energy. It was quick, painless. A mercyfull end. Leek's body twitched for a moment before going still, his expression softening as the pain and fear finally left him.

Toma stood unmoving, his hand still resting on Leek's forehead. He closed his eyes, his tears falling freely now.

–"I'm so sorry…"

But he didn't have time to mourn. The sounds of battle were growing louder, closer. The enemy was upon them.

Toma stood, his fists clenched, his body trembling with a mixture of rage and grief. Most of his crew was gone. Most of his friends were gone. And now, the only thing left for him to do was fight.

He turned toward the sounds of approaching enemies, his jaw set, his eyes burning with determination. If this was the end, he would make sure that everyone that made them suffer paid for every life they had taken.

Not one death will go unaccounted for!

No longer holding, Toma took off high on the sky. With the height advantage, he quickly scanned the area, taking in his enemies' whereabouts.

–"All of you will PAY!" He roared as he flew diagonally to the ground getting closer to each once of them.

A soldier's scouter beeped, alarming of a signature above him. Just when the soldier managed to raise his head, he bore witness to a blue storm of fireballs rained upon them. He barely managed to squeak a sound out before getting desintegrated.

So many more shared his same fate.

Flying as fast as a speed devil couls, Toma bombarded the terrain beneath him with a suffocating barrage of his Flame Bullets. As if he were a war machine designed to wipe out all grounded hostiles, Toma held nothing back.

He didn't have breathing room to even try again, as two soldiers began to chase after him. Flying hot in his trail. They aimed high to takw him down in the sky.

They opened fire first, and Toma swiftly outmaneuvered their blasts. To his advantage, Toma performed best in fireflights.

He performed an evasive spin to dodge oncoming shots, spinning left to right and alternating did the work wonderfully.

Exploiting his inertia, he spinned around to now face his two pursuers. With a precise left hand, he shot at one of the pilots, his shot hitting straight and calcinating him.

The second soldier turned away, attempting to flee away. Toma wouldn't allow him.

–"Oh no you don't!" Toma flared up as he flew in the opposite direction, hunting the soldier down. The hunter becoming the hunted.

The fleeing soldier tried his best to shake Toma off of him, however he chased him regardless while aiming a couple of shots ait him.

He fired once, he misses. He fired twice, he doesn't hit him. Growing angry and channeling a bigger attack on his left palm, Toma prepared to fire thrice.

–"PERISH!" He shouted as a large fire ball was launched from his hand. The shot heading straight to his target.

–""N-NOO-AAAAAHHHH." The shot landed,a nd the soldier was sent reeling to the ground at a high speed, crashing onto the ground.

Toma followed after him, landing on the soil. He saw how the soldier desperately crawled backwards trying to save his life from Toma's hands.

–"N-No, wait! Wait! Don't kill me please!"

Toma ignored his pleads as he raised his palm, prepared to hit a 4th and deadly shot to calcinate him.

However, just as he did, Toma was struck at his side. He was lucky that the movement of his arm lead to the shoulder guard of his armor to move, leading to them taking the full-front of the attack.

Toma turned and realised that his left shoulder pad was completely gone now. When he did, he noticed four men at his side, just a couple of feet away.

He knew these men. They were part of Dodoria's squad. Some elite forces from the regular ranks of the army that Dodoria himself recruited under his belt.

This was bad. If they were there, then Dodoria most likely was here to lead them…

They were 4. The leader of this sub-squad, the horned red skin warrior Krumbo. The second in command Matabi, with green skin and a red cap. Bergo, a regular trooper with potential that had been hired. Green skin and an even greener head to match with, and one of Appule's goddamned kind, Boysenberry, wearing an advanced scouter, the kind that Frieza never gave to the saiyans.

Krumbo had his palm raised. He had sent the shot to stop Toma from killing the pleading soldier.

–"Th-Thank you…. Thank yo-!"

BLAM

He dropped dead

A Ki blast was quickly fired at the soldier in the ground, and after that, at them, who quickly held their guard up to protect themselves. Before Toma realised, Shugesh was back to his side.

–"About time you showed up." Toma said with a half-grin.

Shugesh's smirk didn't falter, as he had a retort of his own.

–"I could tell you the same thing y'know? You left me to die for a good minute." He said with a laugh, but he still standed. "At least you dropped the sun on them."

Now with an ally to his aid, Toma glared back at Dododria's men. it would be hard, but they weren't out of the fight just yet.

–"Leek and Borgos died." Toma revealed to his squadmate. "And I don't know where Fasha is. It's just us now, and the attack pods were completely destroyed."

Shugesh took in this information, however, he didn't let his guard to be broken down by any of that.

–"Good then. I wouldn't have it any other way." He proudly declared with a grin. "We'll have a warrior's death! You and me both!"

–"I'm sorry Shugesh…" Toma started…

However, he wouldn't give up.

He would NEVER.

–"But I have a son that I need to get back to. So I don't have any plans on dying just yet!"

Shugesh turned to him, and he bore witness to the sheer determination that his leader had.

–"I won't die here! All of them will pay!"

Shugesh had to say, he was a little surprised himself. With a nervous laugh, he chuckled out.

–"Heh, crazy bastard. I don't know if you went insane… Or you always were." He confessed.

But Toma didn't take any offense to it.

–"So we will see." He grinned.

Enough downtime had passed, and the two jumped in together to strike the leader of Dodoria's forces down. The red horned fighter managed to block both attacks, but the sheer pressure they caused to him was big enough to force him into a grapple lock, even if he overpowered them.

Krumbo's men though didn't stay idle, as Boysenberry and Bergo side stepped their leader in the hopes of striking both saiyans down. They both reacted in time, dodging with a backstep to gain distance from them.

Matabi surged from behind them, aiming to land a blow on Shugesh's neck. Toma was faster though, as he deflected his punch with one of his own, landing straight at his jaw.

It was a good hit, but not good enough. Now with some distance, Matabi cleaned the blood that dripped from his lip and fired a volley of attacks at them. Toma and Shugesh flied high to avoid them, however, they had fallen onto their trap.

Bergo performed a Life Risking Blow, hitting Shugesh straight in the face with his elbow, easily shaking the tiny brain the saiyan had. Toma meanwhile, was met face first by a combined effort to strike him down by both Krumbo and Boysenberry. Toma received the attack fully, a combined kick to his gut, sending him reeling back.

Both Shugesh and Toma took control over their flying forms, now annoyed and ready to prepare a counter attack.

Toma knew that if they fought on their own, they wouldn't last for long, so he had to fight alongside Shugesh if he wanted them to survive.

–"Shugesh! Behind me!"

–"Sure thing captain!" He screamed behind him.

They both lunged at Matabi, who was the closest to them. Toma flew straight to him, only to side step him, allowing Shugesh to land a full blow at Matabi with his to fists, using the inertia of his flight to his advantage. Toma didn't stay idle though, as he moved to Matabi's side and Shugesh struck him, he took advantage of his inertia as well, delivering a powerful bicycle kick that sent the lackey down to meet the ground.

However, they wouldn't go scot free for that, as they met opposition from Matabi's squadmates. Bergo and Krumbo lunged head first as Boysenberry shot energy shots where he could to slowly break their guards down. Shugesh's fists met Bergo's and Toma's arm met Krumbo's, they all clashing with the other.

Toma sent a haymaker meant for Krumbo's face, but he wouldn't allow for it to happen, as he grasped Toma's hand.

–"Lord Frieza wants you all dead!" He declared with a grin plastered of his face. "Your doom is near, saiyans!"

–"Shut up!" Toma roared loudly trying to break free. With his leg, he stepped on Krumbo's body and pulled as hard as he could to get him freed.

Krumbo however, proved to be stronger.

–"But don't worry! Soon, you'll get to meet all your brothers and sisters in hell. Lord Frieza will personally take care of that!"

Toma took his words in, doubt surging in.

–"What do you mean by that?"

–"You'll see, once you are DEAD!" He threw Toma's fist aside, and spinned his body in order to deliver a kick to Toma's face.

However, Toma saved after Shugesh was sent flying towards them, crashing against the horned leader.

–"Shugesh!"
–"Lieutenant!"

Both Bergo and Toma screamed, realizing they were now closer to the other than what they expected. Their reaction was the same, as they both went in to strike down the other, fist meeting foot, kick meeting arm and swipe meeting palm.

They eventually got into a struggle with the other, as they both grabbed their opponents hands, now locked in place until one managed to overpower the other. However, it wasn't an entirely equal match, as Bergo slowly gained pressure over Toma.

–"Just accept your fate, saiyan! You are no match for us!" Bergo chuckled as he slowly managed to win terrain over Toma.

Toma gritted his teeth at how he slowly lost to this Dodoria grunt… Toma's mind began racing to find a way to overpower him.

–"Just… Why are you… doing this…?" Toma asked, hoping to get an answer out of the jobber, however, he wasn't very lucky.

–"That's for me to know, and for you to find out! If you somehow get alive out of this, then you might learn. Ehehe, Ahahahaha!"

Toma growled at his annoying voice, decided on pulverizing this joke of a soldier.

His hands began to glow heat, as the saiyan's fingers, palm, the entire hand erupted into blue flames, this immediately scorched the hands of the Dodoria's lackey, forcing him to let go of their struggle.

–"Argh! You son of a–" However, he realized he'd made a big mistake at giving his back to Toma for just a moment, as he capitalized on his momentarily distraction to deliver a swift quick to his head, sending him far away.

Toma had just a moment to breath before he immediately started to search for his last teammate and the sub-leader of this rag-tag darned team they were fighting.

–"Did you forget about me?!" The voice of Boysenberry suddenly filled in. Toma kept his guard up, as the soldier that has been keeping distance the whole time now closed in to beat him up. His foot met his arm, barely reacting in the nick of time.

Just by feeling that kick of his, Toma immediately felt more confident, as he could feel how their power levels were much even between the two of them, compared to the other three.

Toma grabbed Boysenberry's foot and started to spin with it. Boysenberry was now being dragged in circles, leaving his completely at Toma's mercy. He threw him away and aimed his left palm in order to blast him down for good.

–"Eat this!"

He fired his Flame Bullet at him, quickly travelling fast to hit it's target.

But a familiar, and equally annoying red figure stepped in just in time, deflecting the projectile away. Krumbo had returned in the nick of time so save his comrade.

–"I ain't letting you do that to my men in my guard!" He exclaimed as he stood defiant in the air.

To Toma's annoyance, Krumbo was one hack of a fighter. Everything he did, Krumbo would just do it better.

Much like before, Shugesh appeared at Toma's side, severely scuffled and bruised. Krumbo only dropped his fight with him because otherwise, one of his men would have perished. Shugesh meanwhile was severely injured now.

–"Shugesh! You–"

–"Our fight isn't over yet!" He shouted at the horned leader. His pride hurt and humilliated at how quickly he beated him down to a pulp. The only reason he was still alive was because of Toma, and he knew it.

He hated it.

Toma recognized the glare he had. Pure hatred, fury…

Anger.

Shugesh couldn't control his anger.

–"Hey, stand back! You are in no shape to keep fighting like that!" Toma placed his hand on Shugesh, trying to get him to calm down and avoid him doing anything that would cost him his life.

But Shugesh simply didn't listen to reason when he got like this. He angrily wiped his hand away, as his act only infuriated him even more.

–"To hell with that, and to hell with you! You might have forgotten, but I am a saiyan! The strongest race in the universe! And I'm going to kill each and every single one of you with my bare two hands!" The pure ire that he held in his words…

It was all over for them.

–"Nothing will stop me!" He exclaimed as he propelled himself forward with all of his speed, wishing to hit Krumbo with all of it.

–"Shugesh! No!"

–"Shugesh YEEEES!" He shouted with a mad grin on his face, flying the fastest he had ever done in his life, with only one target in mind. Krumbo.

The closer he got, the more did Shugesh sweat. He just couldn't think of any way that Shugesh could beat someone like Krumbo. He himself struggled with the THIRD strongest out of four in the food chain, Toma barely had any chance against Krumbo, much less Shugesh!

But all of that didn't matter to him, as Shugesh would end that horned bastard in one pun–

KAPLAM

He wasn't anywhere near hitting Krumbo, but a blur of motion crossed the sky. In an instant, Shugesh's charge was halted mid-flight as something—someone—collided with him. The impact sounded like an explosion, a thunderous BOOM that echoed across the battlefield. Toma's eyes widened as he watched Shugesh's massive body plummet from the air, slamming into the ground with a force that sent rocks and dirt flying in all directions.

When the dust began to settle, Toma's gaze shifted upward, and there he saw him. A towering figure hovered ominously in the air. His purple skin glistened under the fading light of the battle, his bulky frame clad in the unmistakable armor of the Frieza Force. His face, twisted into a permanent sneer, radiated an aura of cold authority. A single horn jutted from his bald head like a dagger, and his heavy, muscular arms hung loosely at his sides, as though he hadn't exerted any effort at all in his attack.

Toma wanted to rush to Shugesh's side, however, he felt that if he did, he would've died in an instant. The figure slowly descended, landing with deliberate, almost taunting grace. He stood over Shugesh's crumpled form, his expression unchanged. With a sudden, vicious motion, he raised one foot and brought it down hard on Shugesh's chest. The Saiyan let out a strangled gasp, blood spurting from his mouth as ribs audibly cracked under the pressure.

Toma's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. The sheer force of this stranger's presence paralyzed him. The way he looked, he acted —so calm, so confident, and utterly unbothered by the carnage around him—was unnatural. This was no ordinary soldier.

Shugesh coughed weakly, trying to lift his arm, but the figure pressed down harder, grinding his heel into the Saiyan's chest. The ground beneath them cracked under the force. Toma could only watch in horror from afar as the life drained from Shugesh's eyes, his once indomitable comrade reduced to a broken shell.

The figure finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant, carrying an air of disdain.

–"Is this the best you monkeys can do?" His words were calm, almost bored, yet they cut through the battlefield like a blade.

Toma clenched his fists, his mind racing. "Who is this guy?" He had never heard of this BEHEMOTH within Frieza's ranks- The sheer strength he displayed in just one kick at Shugesh's stomach draw enough of a picture of the difference in power between the two. For a moment, he thought that his eyes were deceiving him, and that this was the leader of these troops himself, Dodoria. But that just couldn't be. They were… far too different. This guy wasn't just bigger, he even thought that he was stronger than that pink menace.

The purple-skinned warrior turned his gaze to Toma, his piercing eyes locking onto him like a predator sizing up its next meal. Toma froze, a chill running down his spine. Whatever this thing was, he knew one thing for certain: this wasn't a fight he could win.

He was all alone now.

Toma slowly descended from the air until his feet touched the ground. His body trembled, though not from exhaustion or pain. Maybe it was the shock. Maybe it was the crushing weight of despair clawing at his heart. The sight of Shugesh, lifeless and crumbled under the monster's foot, was etched into his mind like a wound that wouldn't heal. He couldn't tear his gaze away. The proud warrior he had fought beside so many times, reduced to nothing in an instant.

Around him, the sound of footsteps echoed like drums of death. One by one, Dodoria's soldiers emerged from the shadows, a resurgence of the forces he and Shugesh had fought desperately to keep at bay. Krumbo stood at the center, his shit-eating grin plastered across his face like a victory flag. His laughter, joined by the jeers of his comrades, rang out in cruel unison.

Toma's mind raced, but his body refused to move. Slowly, more of Frieza's soldiers surrounded him, their scouters beeping as they assessed his faltering power level. If he had cared to count, he would've filled both hands with the number of enemies. But what did it matter? Everything looked so bleak. So… hopeless.

And then, that voice. Mocking, cruel, and all too familiar.

–"Nice seeing ya, Toma!"

Toma's head snapped toward the source of the voice, his heart sinking as his eyes confirmed what he dreaded. Dodoria stood there, that smug look on his face as though he were presenting a prize. At first, Toma didn't see what the brute held in his grip, but when he did, his chest tightened.

–"Fasha!" he exclaimed, disbelief and dread choking the word from his throat.

In Dodoria's grasp was Fasha, her battered form dangling like a ragdoll. Blood streaked her face, and her armor was shattered, exposing bruised and bloodied flesh. She looked barely alive, her head limp, her body unresponsive. Toma could feel the bile rising in his throat as he realized how far gone she was.

–"Oh, you want her back?" Dodoria taunted, his grin widening with sadistic glee. "Well then... FETCH!"

With no care for her life, Dodoria hurled Fasha through the air, her limp body spinning like a lifeless projectile. Toma barely reacted in time. He caught her, stumbling backward under the weight and impact.

Her body landed in his arms, fragile and weak, yet still breathing. Toma froze as his eyes scanned her features. She was alive. Barely. Her shallow breaths were uneven, each one a fight against the encroaching void.

–"Fasha…?" he whispered, his voice cracking as he cradled her closer.

Her eyelids fluttered weakly, and her lips parted, her voice a faint whisper, like the final flicker of a dying flame.

–"To...ma...?"

–"I'm here," he gasped, his chest tightening with grief. "I'm here, Fasha. Don't—don't try to speak… You will be…"

…

be…

…

He didn't even try…

After Leek… He couldn't even lie for her anymore…

This was… All of this was…

–"Toma…" Her voice was so faint he had to lean in to hear it. "Don't… die here…"

Her trembling hand rose, pressing against his chest with what little strength she had left.

–"You have to… go back… to your kids..."

Those words struck Toma harder than any physical blow. He gasped, his lungs refusing to draw breath for a moment. Fasha… the Fasha he knew never spoke like this. She was a warrior, hardened and proud, no nonsense. No feelings attached… for the most part...

But now… she was so vulnerable. So...

–"I've… always wanted one," she murmured, her voice breaking as tears slipped from her eyes. "I… wanted to… have one… with…"

Her voice faded. Her hand fell limp against his chest, and her head lolled to the side. The warmth of her presence began to slip away as her body grew still in his arms.

–"No…" Toma whispered, shaking his head. "No, no, no… Fasha…"

The tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. He could feel the darkness creeping in, the overwhelming tide of despair threatening to drown him. Shugesh was gone. Fasha was gone. Everyone he fought alongside…

Gone.

But then, deep within him, something stirred. A faint light, a flicker of memory.

Fasha's voice echoed in his mind. –"Don't die here… go back… to your kids..."

The image of Tomako came into his mind. He saw him as his baby, the one now sent to eArth. Then he saw him as a man, an adult, one that did look like him… him him. His hair grown, like his own. His hair tied up, like he did with.

But, different from him, his kind eyes. Those eyes he saw so many times before. So many times in his dreams.

And his unyielding spirit, the one that didn't give in when all odds were against him. Even in fear and anguish, the one that let him stand up every time with that larger than life belief of hope for others.

He saw his son, with all of these features inherited from him…

…Couldn't he inherit some from him?

Toma clenched his fists, his beliefs burning into his soul. His desire going in flames to make them a reality.

And his hope, erupted like a volcan.

He raised his head, his tears streaming freely but no longer blinding him. He looked around at the soldiers closing in, at Dodoria's mocking grin, at the behemoth who had taken Shugesh's life. The darkness was there, clawing at him, but he refused to let it take hold.

He refused to fall at the hands of despair.

He wouldn't.

–"I won't die here," he said, his voice steady, defiant. "I won't let you take everything from me." He said, cleaning the tears he spilled for his fallen comrades.

Dodoria laughed, bringing his hands together to crack them.

–"Big words, Saiyan. You really think you've got a chance?"

Toma's gaze hardened, and he shifted Fasha's body gently to the ground, placing her down as though she were made of glass.

–"I'm not fighting for a chance," he said. "I'm fighting because I can. I'm a saiyan, after all."

For Fasha. For Shugesh. For Leek. For Borgos. For his brother. For everyone who gave their lives so he could stand right now.

He rose to his feet, his ki flaring around him like a beacon in the darkness. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was steady—unbreakable.

–"You think you've broken me?" he said, stepping forward. "You think you've won? As long as I'm still breathing, I'll keep fighting. And even if I fall, even if you tear me apart, my will goes on! Even beyond me! Even beyond all saiyans!" He roared, as his energy boomed the hardest he ever did… And ever will.

–"I'll make damn sure you remember my name, Dodoria!" Toma roared, his voice cutting through the jeering laughter of the soldiers. His aura crackled to life around him, a violent energy that pushed back the blood-soaked air. His fists trembled, but not from fear, but from the overwhelming power surging within him.

–"My blood will spill yours! In the name of all saiyans!" he declared, his voice carrying the weight of his fallen comrades, the weight of a race that refused to be forgotten.

The soldiers hesitated, their jeers turning into murmurs. They could feel the shift in the air, the oppressive weight of Toma's unyielding will bearing down on them. The ones closest to him instinctively took a step back, their confidence wavering against the force of his fury.

Even Dodoria frowned, his smug grin faltering. For a moment, he said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him. Toma's battered body was barely holding together, yet the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever, defying the inevitability of death.

Toma's heart burned with determination, a fire that no amount of darkness could extinguish. The faces of his comrades flashed before him, every saiyan who had been cut down by Frieza's forces, both his comrades and those that fell before them. This isn't the end. Not for him. Not for his people. Not yet.

His breath steadied, his stance firm.

–"This isn't just my fight," he thought, his eyes locked on Dodoria.

–"It's ours. It's for every saiyan who refused to kneel, who died with their pride intact." And as long as he could stand, as long as he could move, Toma would not let that flame go out.

–"NOT ONE DEATH WILL GO UNACCOUNTED FOR!" His voice boomed in the air to ring all of the soldier's ears. He quickly shot up in the sky, where he could aim to deal the maximum damage.

Plenty troops boosted after him, but it was no matter. Wether they were 10 or 10.000, he would fight them all.

With a swipe of his left hand, he shot multiple Flame Bullets at the ground beneath, an airstrike aimed at the cowards that didn't chase after him. Those valiant enough to face him engaged in battle. Toma met every single one their fists, but he stood unflinching, as he returned each attack with one of his own. Some grounded survivors would open fire to the sky, aiming to blast him down from there, Toma deflected with little effort each attempt on his life, and when he had breathing room to do so, he fired back, incinerating those bastards beneath him.

–"Flame Bullet!" His screamed were heard as blue fire rained.

However, the frieza force wasn't made purely out of pushovers. Just when Toma had a little victory at thinning out most of the grunts, he quickly saw a knee sent his way. Toma barely had time to react to see Dodoriia's men sprung into action. The first perpetrator was Bergo, who after failing to hit with his knee, he fired a blast with his open palm, scuffing Toma's face.

Sent flying back, he was catched and hold in a full-nelson by the second in command of the grunts.

–"Fancy seeing ya here." His annoying high-pitched voice mocked him before sending a knee to his back, hurting it harshly as his eyes went wide.

–"Darn you…" Tora quickly noticed at his front how the rest of Dodoria's fleet were charging their blasts at him. WIth quick thinking, Toma bursted his hands in flames, as he grabbed onto Matabi's own. Quickly startling him as he burnt, involuntarily letting go of Toma. His ki spiked up and he flew away from them the fastest he could.

That didn't stop them from firing after him though, as multiple beams cutted through the sky, wishing to take down the bird that Toma was. With evasive maneuvers, he just barely managed to evade them until he saw Krambo, their leader, on his path.

With a malicious grin, he fired a red flame at him. Toma didn't have enough time to react accordingly, the best he could do was to spin to avoid a direct hit that would for sure leave him down for good. He managed to turn his body just enough for the side of his armor to hit, and not his whole chest. The blast was strong, the strongest he had received yet, which showed in the way that his armor crumbled at his right.

But he was still standing.

Not stopping even after the hit, Toma flew head first onto the red leader, who was caught off-guard by Toma grazing his blast. This gave Toma enough time to reach him, and hit his jawline with his elbow, a crushing blow if he ever dealt one.

Krambo was sent reeling away, but this fight wasn't over, no. Toma quickly turned to be greeted by both Boysenberry and Bergo, once again. Flurries of punches sent his way from the both of them and Toma was forced to stay on the defense. He managed to parry every single attack sent by the relentless pair, their punches and kicks meeting every time with the wristguards he wore. However, things eventually give in.

Bergo dealt one to many powerful attacks, finishing with a kick that Toma was able to protect himself from, raising his left wristguard, however, just as things felt that he could begin to counterattack, his wristguard cracked, and gave room for the green clad alien to land a devastating blow to Toma one that he couldn't afford to receive more like, crushing it whole.

Toma was finally striked down from the air, being sent flying to the ground, about to crash with Meat's red soil. He opened his eyelids just before that, and quickly backflipped to stand on his feet. Looking up, he saw a volley of energy being sent his way, all of them coming from one Boysenberry. Toma was able to save himself from the blast by side stepping away, however, he wouldn't be able to avoid them completely, as one lucky shot was being sent, predicting his move. Tora brought his right wristguard up, trying to use it as a shield, and while managing to protect himself from the shot, his last wristguard broke while being sent away by the force of it.

His back met the ground as he was dragged through the soil. He quickly placed a hand on the ground to support himself with, finally being allowed to stand in the ground.

The four of them, Krambo, Matabi, Bergo and Boysenberry descended to the ground. Their smirks unchallenged and barely breaking out of their sweat. Toma took in some breaths for air, rather painfully. His side hurt and his arms felt like they had been hammered for far too long. He could taste his own blood by now, but his posture never faltered from his defiance.

However… not one of them moved. Toma was prepared for any of them to attack him, even if that meant for the four of them to attack him at the same time.

But they held in place, with satisfied grins plastered on their faces.

Something was not right.

Then he heard it. Heavy steps behind him. Toma turned his head to behold the hulking figure of the purple behemoth that had killed Shugesh. His lips formed a smirk, promising challenge.

–"You face me now, Monkey." He confidently challenged him.

Toma's eyes quickly went behind the group behind him, distrusting that they would just stay aside to watch. The monster realized that though.

–"You fools. If any of you step in, I'll kill you." He warned to his own teammates, which the three underlings staggered at his words, only Krambo stood proud in place, unbothered. It would seem that they were satisfied with their fight with him…

Then, Toma fully faced the purple skinned warrior, even if he was battered down, his armor broken and his breaths rougher, Toma looked no less dispirited than when he started his fight.

–"Whoever you are, I'll make sure you pay for what you did to Shugesh!" Toma snarled, his anger overpowering him for just a moment. "I will never forgive for what you've done! You will pay with your life, all of you! You all will die by my kin! The very same that you hunted down!"

Toma lunged forwards in the air, quickly stepping in front of the warrior, eager for revenge. He delivered a strong punch aimed at his face, but the purple warrior deflected his hand with his palm. Toma followed with another, and another, and another and another and another punch, a flurry of attacks, all carrying all of Toma's unyielding spirit, one that refused to give up. When enough was enough, the monster within frieza's ranks grew tired and after deflecting another attack, he decided to lunge his arm at Toma, trying to grasp his head Toma was fast though, as he quickly disappeared from his sight, only to appear behind him, delivering an ax-kick that very well could have killed another mid-ranking soldier from Frieza's army.

But not this one.

–"Hehe, I actually felt that one." His deep voice said, unstaggered by the kick. Toma went wide eyed as he was grabbed from the same leg and thrown, ironically similar enough to how he had done so to Boysenberry.

Toma opened his eyes to see how his opponent was preparing a breath cannon of his own, firing a powerful green blast directed at him. Toma was not fast enough to dodge out of the way, and he didn't have enough time nor strength to meet the blast with one of his own.

All he could do… is to take it in, and endure the most he could. With a pleading guard to save his skin, Toma stood against the blast that flew his way, with no other option in hand.

The green blast struck him hard, cracking the last of his armor piece. He now wore nothing but the lower battle garments most of them wore. All traces of his armor, all of them, gone. His handwrists were the last piece that remained from his wristguards. Tattered and burnt, filled with holes after the countless times it ripped a new hole open. His boots, the last trace of him ever wearing armor, as no attack had been directed there. His white armband was the only piece of clothing he still had that was relatively intact. It suffered through all the battles of today, and he always wore it as a reminder of who he was and what he stood for. What he was doing this all for. That white armband represented Toma's hope at facing the improbable outlets he was forced to meet, but it was still there.

Toma was still there.

To the surprise of all Frieza's men, the saiyan wasn't dead just yet. He stood with both arms raised, struggling to heave the air in for his lungs, but he was alive, tanking the green bomb.

–"Now that's a first, I'll admit, he." The purple behemoth chuckled when all the smoke cleared from Toma's whereabouts.

He looked worse for wear. Broken, torn,

But he hadn't yielded just yet.

He never would!

–"For…" Toma paused, his breath ragged as he steadied himself, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "For as long as I'm alive, I will never give in to despair." His words rang clear, unwavering, cutting through the mockery and bloodlust around him.

He planted his feet firmly on the ground, a faint blue glow beginning to emanate from his left hand. His enemies sneered, but Toma's voice rose above their scorn.

–"I am not going to lose to you, and I won't EVER give up!" he shouted, the glow intensifying into a fierce flame that seemed to ripple with his heartbeat.

Dodoria's men shifted uneasily, their instinct urging them to pounce, to end this desperate saiyan before he became a threat. But Dodoria raised a hand, halting them with a twisted smirk, eager to see how this would end.

–"As long as there's hope, I will never give up!" Toma's flame surged brighter, an inferno roaring to life in his hand. It began as it always did—blue, vibrant, and wild—but this time, it burned hotter, more ferociously than ever before.

–"I refuse to give up!" he roared. "I refuse to rot here! I refuse to throw it all away!" His hand trembled, but not with fear—it was the strain of holding back the energy that threatened to consume him, a power he had never dared to wield.

–"Because all I have going for me… is this desire to keep moving forward!" His voice cracked with the weight of his resolve, his body searing under the heat of his own energy.

–"This is my will! My conviction! And it will also be your…" His hand blazed, the flames shifting, darkening into a deep, unnatural purple, as if the fire had devoured the very air around him.

–"PERJURY!"

The energy gathered at the tips of his index and middle fingers, the flame coiling tightly into a singular, devastating point. The heat was unbearable now—his palm felt like it was being scorched, the searing pain almost causing his hand to falter. But Toma held on, his gaze locked on the purple behemoth that had stolen Shugesh's life.

With only two fingers raised, using his thumb to aim as if by instinct, Toma unleashed his final attack. The fireball tore through the air, a comet of pure destruction that burned with his every ounce of conviction.

The blast erupted from his fingertips with a deafening roar, the shockwave rippling across the battlefield. The soldiers could only stare in awe and terror as the purple inferno raced toward its target, faster and stronger than anything Toma had ever unleashed before.

The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of the attack. The behemoth eyes' sparkled, his glowing eyes narrowing just as the fireball collided with him. A cataclysmic explosion followed, engulfing the battlefield in a blinding, fiery storm.

Toma stood firm, his arm falling limp at his side, the remnants of purple embers dancing in the air around him. His body screamed in protest, every muscle on the verge of collapse, but his spirit remained unbroken.

This was his resolve. This was his final stand.

And he had unleashed it all on that bastard! With shaky breaths, Toma smirked in satisfaction, seeing the killer of one of his friends go down in flames would be… a great sight for him.

However, as the smoke cleared, Toma's heart sank, as he immediately knew he wouldn't be given that luxury.

Not even for consolation.

–"Amazing! That was incredible!" One voice was heard, his figure still clouded as smoke hadn't left in its entirety.

–"This is the first time we were forced out of our fusion." Another voice, different but similar, said with a harsher tone. "We can't allow that."

Before he knew it, Toma felt how he was quickly flanked by two small figures that surrounded him. Red and Blue, he saw a pair of short aliens pounce on him, all traces of the purple fighter missing.

They both delivered their attacks to Toma, who had no way to defend himself any longer.

–"It was fun while it lasted." Red said.

–"But it's about time that we end this." And Blue followed.

The both struck Toma hard in the chest in full synchronization to send the saiyan flying away. However, his flight would be interrupted, as he felt how a burly hand grasped him from the back of his neck.

–"I'm impressed, Toma!" Dodoria cackled as he squeezed harder. "I never expected you saiyans could reach a level vocabulary like that! Much less someone like you."

Breathing became difficult, a monumental task, as his windpipe was currently blocked by the one soldier he hated the most. The one that had clearly been pulling the strings for the other pieces to follow, even that purple monster

–"Too bad that none of that mattered, right? Where's that conviction now, eh?" He asked in mockery, believing that Toma's spirit was now completely broken.

And despite not having any air to do so…

Toma managed to speak out.

–"It… lives… on…"

–"Huh?" The pink menace asked as he brought Toma closer to him.

–"In… all…. of… us… I…" His face began to grow glue, and Dodoria decided to open his hand for just a moment to let him breath some air.

Toma gasped, until he felt his windpipe crushing again. Dodoria turned him around to now face him,

–"Speak. I dare you." He barked, and Toma relished the challenge.

–"I… won't… be… the… last… of… my… kind."

Dodoria's eyes glew with anger, but Toma didn't care about any of that.

–"More… will… rise… in… my… place… to…. wipe… you… out."

Toma smiled, as he proved how unbreakable he was.

Dodoria's sneer widened as he brought Toma's battered body closer to him, his hulking frame casting a shadow over the defiant Saiyan. The frustration and hatred in his eyes flared like a furnace.

–"Oh, yeah?" Dodoria growled, venom dripping from every syllable. His lip curled, exposing sharp, jagged teeth. "Abo! Kado! Get over here now!"

–"Sir!"
–"Sir!"

Abo and Kado snapped to attention, rushing to their captain's side. The two soldiers stopped where they were ordered, their faces alight with anticipation.

"Grab his tail," Dodoria commanded, his tone cold and final.

The two exchanged a brief glance, an unspoken understanding passing between them, then moved quickly to obey. Abo's long fingers wrapped around the base of Toma's tail, his wiry frame trembling slightly as he tightened his grip. Kado, stockier and more brutish, clutched higher up, his meaty hands gripping the Saiyan's tail with the strength of a vice.

Toma's body tensed instinctively, his remaining strength surging as he thrashed against Dodoria's iron grip. His muscles screamed in protest, and a desperate snarl escaped his lips. But it was futile. Dodoria's hold was unyielding, and the two lackeys pinned him with ruthless efficiency.

"Ready!" Abo barked, his voice tinged with both eagerness and cruelty.

"And now, sir?" Kado asked, a wicked grin spreading across his face, his fingers twitching with impatience.

Dodoria loomed over them, his smile twisting into something monstrous.

–"Pull," he ordered, the single word carrying a weight of malice that seemed to suck the air out of the room.

–"Wait—!" Toma gasped, his voice cracking with desperation as realization dawned. He thrashed harder, his battered body arching in a final, futile attempt to free himself. "Don't—!"

But there was no mercy to be found.

Abo and Kado pulled.

At first, it was a steady, deliberate motion, like predators savoring their kill. Toma's eyes went wide, a strangled cry ripping from his throat as the initial surge of pain tore through him. The pressure was unbearable, like his tail was being stretched beyond its limit, nerves screaming in fiery agony.

Then came the tearing.

–"Go on." Dodoria cheered. "Rip this butterfly's wings." He darkly grinned, and both underlings asked for no more.

RIIIIIIP!

–"AAAA"

The sound of sinew ripping and bone snapping reverberated through the air, a grotesque symphony of destruction. Toma's scream erupted, primal and guttural, a sound so raw it seemed to echo across the battlefield. His body convulsed violently, his back arching as every nerve in his body was set alight with searing pain.

Abo and Kado didn't stop. They yanked harder, twisting cruelly as they wrenched the tail from his body inch by agonizing inch. Blood spurted from the torn base, staining the ground and their hands in dark crimson.

Toma's vision blurred, the edges of his sight darkening as shock and agony consumed him. Every fiber of his being screamed in protest, his mind begging for it to end.

With one final, sickening pull, the tail came free.

The severed appendage was held aloft like a trophy, blood dripping from the ragged end. Abo and Kado tossed it aside carelessly, the limp, blood-soaked tail landing in the already red soil with a dull thud.

Toma's scream faltered into a choked gasp, his body trembling uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his face, unbidden and unchecked, as the overwhelming pain reduced him to a shuddering, broken shell.

Dodoria stepped forward, his massive hand clamping over Toma's mouth, silencing his ragged breaths. His other hand gripped Toma's neck, lifting him effortlessly as the Saiyan's body hung limp and defeated.

–"Look at you, a monkey with no tail!" Dodoria sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "How pathetic."

Abo and Kado stepped back, their faces twisted into cruel smiles as they admired their handiwork. Toma's blood dripped from their hands, staining the ground beneath them, but they didn't care. To them, it was just another victory.

–"Now you two, disappear from my sight. I want you to head back to Lord Frieza's ship. We'll have some more fun with this broken toy."

Both midgets frowned at the orders of being sent away, however, they didn't dare defy their commanding officer, so they silently complied, as they left the scene. Krambo mockingly smirked them both.

Dodoria's hand shifted from Toma's mouth to his throat, hoisting him higher as his other fist clenched.

–"Now then… Let's see how much fight you have left." Dodoria snarled maliciously.

BAM.

The first punch slammed into Toma's face, snapping his head back violently. Blood sprayed from his nose, the crimson droplets painting Dodoria's knuckles.

BAM.

Another blow followed, then another. Each strike was heavier than the last, the sickening sound of bone meeting flesh echoing through the battlefield.

BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM.

Dodoria's assault was relentless, each punch a calculated act of cruelty. Toma's face became a bloodied mess, his once-proud features unrecognizable beneath the torrent of blows. His nose was shattered, his lips split, and his eyes swollen nearly shut.

The Saiyan's body hung limp in Dodoria's grasp, but the tyrant didn't stop. His fists continued to rain down, the blood from his knuckles mingling with Toma's.

When Dodoria finally ceased, his chest heaving with exertion, Toma was barely conscious. His head lolled forward, his chin resting against his chest as blood dripped from his face in steady rivulets.

–"Worthless," Dodoria spat, wiping his bloodied hand on Toma's chest, wishing to get rid of his filth.

But even now, in the face of such overwhelming brutality, Toma's spirit refused to break.

He thought of Tomako. Of Komaro. Of the life he had dreamed of for them, far from the violence and oppression that had plagued their people for generations. Even if it was on their nature, Toma knew they could be so much more

He couldn't die… Not… yet…

He had to… To find his kids… Find Tomako…

His ideal version of his son already grown came back to his mind. He focused on how big he would become, in how much he would surpass him. How much stronger could he become, freed from the chains of his race's prejudice of the weak, of the lower class.

And he saw, in that version of him, someone that could beast even the greatest of tyrants like Frieza…

In comparison, Dodoria was…

Dodoria prepared to finish him off, Toma's lips parted, and with what little strength he had left, he whispered:

–"Your… days… are… counted… Dodoria…"

…A small fry...

Dodoria's eyes flared with rage, his hand tightening around Toma's throat. But Toma's faint, bloodied smile remained, defiant to the bitter end.

The last thing Toma saw was Dodoria's fist looming in closer for another beatdown.

Guess he brought that one to himself, huh?

BAM

…

…

…

---

Consciousness came back to him, however it felt like he was groggigly waking up, as if he had one to many booze last night, but without any of the benefits.

This lead to his vision being obscured, black dots everywhere, grantin him multiple blindspots.

However, his body reacted to one noise.

–"T..o .or..s F…. ….esh… ..ek!" The words were unrecognizable, but the voice… his… voice….

Even though his body's pleading to not do it, to stay still and pass away in the slightest not pf comfort that he had reached, he just couldn't do it. He had… He had to let him know…

–"B- Bardock?" He gasped, his voice cracked and weak. Desperate, hoping that he was right

–"T..a!" He heard, he assumed it was his name, but he wasn't exactly sure.

It was only after he felt how his body was tampered with that he knew that he wasn't going crazy… again…

His vision slowly cleared, and through all the black dots, he could see him. His captain. His leader. His closest friend…

–"Bardock…" He left out a small smile at seeing him.

The captain of his late squad held Toma in his arms, he didn't feel when he did. he removed him from all the rocks that he was thrown under of.

–"Who did this to you?! He asked loudly, disbelief in his features, and a slowly trace of anger circling within.

Toma never saw Bardock get like this before.

–"They… did this to us… they.. hunted us down, Bardock…"

–"Who were they!"

Toma slowly grew a smile, a bittersweet one.

–"You were right… Bardock…" Toma said in between breaths.

–"...What?"

–"Frieza… is out to get us…"

Bardock's eyes widened. As if he needed any more proof… the bodies of his men laid scattered over their own blood! That bastard! That ruthless bastard!

–"He's… going after everyone… He's… going after every saiyan…" He felt how Bardock's hands tightened, even if it hurt him ,he didn't have enough energy to even wince in pain any longer.

Twas but a scratch, after all…

–"How did this happen?" He asked, and Toma breathed through the pain to answer.

–"We... we were ambushed by Dodoria and his men… We…"

Bardock didn't interrupt him. He stood waiting for Toma to finish.

–"We didn't stand a chance…" He said through gritting teeth and watery eyes.

But not because of hopelessness.

But because he failed his men…

He failed to protect them.

–"They got… Taro first… He didn't even… see it coming." Bardock's eyes widened. Toma's voice spoke, as if he felt the need to explain himself.

–"Borgos and Leek suffered because of… my orders. Borgos died inside… his ship… a-and Leek…" His voice broke. Every name he mentioned, his words would just crack once finished naming them. He didn't continue, but Bardock saw the body of the pilot. He closed his eyelids, understanding.

–"Shugesh was… struck down with just one hit… and Fasha… Fasha was battered by Dodoria himself…"

–"And you were…" Bardock muttered, gazing at his wrecked body. Thrown almost naked, with only his lower clothes from the battle suit. His tail ripped from his body, and his face… stained with all of his puring blood.

This sight was a hard one for Bardock, not because he wasn't accustomed to what happens in these battles, as a member of a warrior race, he knew it too well. What irked Bardock was how his men, his comrades, his friends even, weren't just killed, but some even tortured. Both actively and passively. Borgos and Leek were scorched, granting them painful deaths. Shugesh's crushed and dislocated body showed how bad he had been pummeled. And Fasha… Fasha was simply battered, her body showing a far cry of the fire she once had in her eyes… Taro had a quick death, at the very least.

But his friend Toma… He was… brutalized.

But he didn't seem to care about any of that.

He then moved his arm the most he could, trying to reach out for Bardock, despite how weak his body was. His arm trembled like a leaf, and he looked like some broken glass shard that was about to shatter anytime soon.

–"I'm sorry… I'm… Sorry…" His world began to weaken, as his arm dropped back to himself, never reaching the destination of his friend's shoulder.

–"No, No! Stay with me!" He called out to his friend, trying to keep him hold onto his consciousness. "Toma!"

–"I'm sorry… I…"

…

He never ended his words. He never mentioned his last thoughts.

And no matter how hard one shouted for them to come back.

–"TOOOMAAA!"

The dead never returned.

…

…

…

…

…

…

"I'm gonna kill him."

Bardock thought, as he carefully placed his late friend's corpse down to the ground. As he did, he grabbed his white armband and cleaned the blood off his resting face. Pure white turned to soaked red, his blood now followed him.

-"Ehehehe…"

Bardock side-glanced to his right, spotting four men that were watching him.

For how long? He didn't care.

Who they were? He didn't care

What they were doing there? He didn't care.

As he already knew.

Their mocking smiles…

They angered him.

–"I don't think I need to ask if this was your doing, do I?"

–"Heh!" The horned leader scoffed with his smile unchanged. "Bardock… You crack me up." He replied.

But Bardock only replied with a frown.

–"Yeah. We had some good laughs with your crew earlier. You should've been there."

At those words, the four them cackled in laughter as Bardock glared in silence.

Bardock glanced back to Toma, gritting the soaked armband with all the fury he was feeling in. He brought it up and tied the blood-stained armband on his forehead, using it as a headband. This way, his friend could still accompany him.

Even after death.

–"Yeah… I agree." Bardock says in defiance. "I should have been here earlier."

That shut them up for good, as Bardock threw them one last glare before their fight commenced.

–"Because you wouldn't have stood a chance against us had I been here."

–"Do you really think there would have been a difference, Bardock?" The green skinned alien wearing a red cap asked, belittling him."I mean… Really?"

His energy fired up, quickly getting their scouters to activate and beep, letting them read his new power level.

10.000

–"How about you find out?" He roared, with one pure emotion.

Hatred.

---

The cold, sterile air of Frieza's flagship hummed with a faint mechanical drone. The observation deck, lined with polished steel and glass, offered a clear view of Planet Vegeta below, its crimson hues glowing faintly against the abyss of space.

Frieza sat comfortably in his floating chair, one leg crossed over the other, a gloved hand resting lazily on the armrest. His tail swayed slowly behind him, a predator fully in control of its domain. Beside him stood his trusted advisor, Kikono.

–"Our fighting force will be drastically reduced, almost by half," Kikono stated, half hoping that Frieza would reconsider, but it all seemed to late. Or if anything, inevitable.

Frieza's lips curled into a smile, his crimson eyes narrowing with amusement.

–"My troops will still be able to get by. These barbarians pretend to be submissive," he said, his voice dripping with venom, "but they're dangerous."

At the center of the room, King Vegeta's lifeless body lay sprawled across the pristine floor. His regal cape, once a symbol of authority, was torn and smeared with his blood. His amulet had been shattered, utterly destroyed, left on the ground as some stowaway stone, much like how all them monkeys should be. Around him were the scattered remains of his royal guard, their armor scorched and smoking from a brutal and brief exchange. The stench of death lingered even in the artificially purified air, yet it bothered them not.

–"They could bare their fangs against us at any time…" Frieza added, his gaze flicking briefly to the fallen Saiyan king.

–"Eh?"

–"They are, after all," Frieza continued, without paying him any mind. "a species completely comprised of warriors. It's always best to put a sleeping beast down before it can awaken."

Frieza chuckled softly, the sound reverberating ominously through the room. His gaze drifted to Planet Vegeta, a cruel glint in his eyes.

–"And soon, this beast will slumber... forever."

Below the planet that Frieza talked about, the form of Gine cooking food like it was any other day was seen. She hadn't known nor heard anything of her Bardock returning, so to ease her mind, she decided to cook a meal for the two of them to share, once he returned hom.

She could feel how the kitchen rised in temperature, but she was sweating profusely, more than what one deemed normal.

However, she immediately started to feel that growing heat coming from behind her. Looking into the sky, she could see a giant supernova descending onto their home planet.

…Bardock was right, after all…

Even with all her doubts…

He was right, all along.

–"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Bardock saw how the full heat of the falling sun was about to hit him. With a final attempt to fight back the freeze tyrant, his ki bursted all out like a cannon, one that represented his unyielding spirit to fight until his final breath. The blue wave connected with the supernova, but it seemed pointless, as he easily lost the struggle against Frieza. As the giant fireball fell, it consumed all of his blast, dissipating his energy, and it too started embracing him in, quite frankly, the most burning feeling that he guessed could come only from the deepest pits of hell. A fitting death for a saiyan like him.

His armor broke down, and his voice eventually ran dry as he screamed in agony. Even if he wanted to, he just couldn't scream for all eternity.

Then, those pictures that had been tormenting the whole day, begin to draw on final scene in his eyes.

–"Yes…. I…. See…."

An orange clad warrior, one with black hair, standing in opposition to Frieza. Elsewhere, far away from this planet. Far ahead of today.

Bardock closed his eyes. and his body slowly turned to ash. Accepting both his fate, and the destiny shown to him.

---

–"Could you hear that? Elsewhere, a group of saiyans officers stood on a distant planet. One of them had their scouter on, receiving the news.

–"Something wrong?" An almost bald saiyan officer with a goatee asked, only to see his partner stay silent again, keenly listening in.

–"We got a message from the Frieza force. A meteor collided with Planet Vegeta and... WHAT?!"

The bald officer turned to another that accompanied them, they exchanged glances before the one with the scouter spoke up again.

–"O-Our whole world was obliterated!"

Only then they shared his look of disbelief.

–"Impossible!"

–"That means most of the Saiyan race was completely wiped out."

–"But how? They should have detected the approaching meteor."

Far from them, a group of young saiyan children saw the officers grovel around.

–"Well, I guess we're pretty lucky, aren't we?" A kid with long hair asked. "It's a good thing we decided to ignore Frieza's order to head home."

–"Now I'll never get to be King Vegeta." The prince of all saiyans said in annoyance, staggering the other kid byt his lack of interest on his race's fate.

As they tried to reason things out, the three officers walked to the kids.

–"Vegeta, you have a brother, don't you?" Nappa, the officer with the goatee, asked the prince.

–"Oh, yeah, I wonder if he got blown up too?"

–"Huh, not that it matters. And didn't you two have a sibling as well?"

–"Hmm... Yeah, but he was just gonna be a lower-class warrior. He was still at home sleeping in a nursing capsule. The disgrace." The other two officers exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether to reprimand the young Saiyan or laugh at his arrogance. Before they could decide, another voice cut through the tension—sharp, bold, and laced with disdain.

–"Yeah. About the same here."

The voice belonged to a smaller figure—a girl no older than four, yet standing with a confidence that dwarfed her size. Her spiky hair flared out like a wild mane, and her piercing eyes carried the same fiery arrogance as her tone.

Raditz turned toward her, and his smirk faltered for a moment before returning, though not as confidently.

–"Although I think I heard something from my dead-beat father that he sent him away..." she added, her voice dripping with both boredom and scorn as if the topic was beneath her.

Raditz scoffed, crossing his arms.

–"Yeah, same with Kakarot. Mum said dad and her sent him off the planet in a pod."

The girl tilted her head, her expression unreadable for a moment before a smirk curved across her lips, eerily reminiscent of her father's.

–"Figures. If he was weak, then good riddance. Better for him to rot somewhere else than drag us down."

Raditz grunted in agreement, though the subtle edge in her voice kept him on guard.

–"Oh well, I couldn't care any less," he added, shrugging.

The girl gave a low chuckle, shaking her head.

–"That's because you don't think much, Raditz."

The officers shared a look, unsure whether to stifle a laugh or recoil from the child's cutting remark. Raditz glared at her, but the girl didn't flinch, her smirk only growing wider.

Her pride and sharp wit filled the room like a storm cloud, leaving no doubt that despite her young age, she carried the fiery essence of a true Saiyan warrior.

–"Well, at the very least, we might not be the very last of our race…" One of the officers chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't that successful.

–"We'll have to be extra careful for now…" Nappa commented, now knowing they were the last of their kind. "We'll go to the closest planet under Frieza's jurisdiction and ask for our next orders."

–"Yes sir."
–"Yes sir."

Both officers replied to their commander. Nappa was still in charge after all. He turned to the saiyan kids.

–"We'll prepare things and make sure you grow strong. Leave all of the planning to me!"

–"Hmm!" The prince didn't care for his words, not even bothering to reply to him.

–"Sure thing." Raditz muttered, with similar uninterest.

–"You are in charge." the girl shrugged without much care.

–"Very well. You two, help me out count or resources."

–"Yes, commander." One officer said as the other followed, the three of them leaving to count stock.

And then, the prince stood up, his social battery depleting as he didn't wish to deal with these fools for any longer. He didn't even spare them a greeting, a goodbye, not even a glancing. After all, he was the prince, he didn't own anything to nobody.

–"Guess that means we have some off time for ourselves, huh?" Raditz asked, noticing how everyone left him and the girl alone. "At the very least, we won't have to deal with that training anymore, huh?"

–"...Yeah." The girl stretched as she stood up. "I'm gonna go check something. You aren't scared of being left alone, are ya Raditz?"

–"S-Silence you wench! Stop bothering me, Komaro!"

The saiyan girl grinned as she turned around and gave her back to the older kid.

She didn't go very far, she simply went to a spot she had found yesterday, one where everything was quiet and where she didn't have to hear anyone's voices. Komaro, although unlike her, appreciated the silence for a change. It felt comforting to be left alone to her own devices at times. Her being the only female of the group also bothered her, as she didn't exactly connect with her male peers.

Glancing at the weird sight of her, two suns beginning a sunset, she sat down just to stare at it. When she did, only one thing came to her mind.

–"...You're dead, aren't you?" She asked, to no one but perhaps the air, glancing over the horizon.

She would never get an answer to her question.

---

It was but a regular day at Mt. Paozu. An elderly man walked through the bamboo forest that was placed near his home. Much like how he did every day, he walked through the forest to gather some materials he needed in a daily basis. Usually, he collected water first, but he felt like gathering some bamboo wood as the morning started.

He collected a decent amount, but nowhere near enough, however, just as his concentration was broken from chopping down the bamboo trees with his hands, he felt… something.

Very faintly, he felt someone's ki.

He didn't see anyone around and this felt very different to the energies he felt from the wild life. They were… 'stronger' to say the least.

He strapped the backpack that he used to collect the bamboo branches with and began walking towards it, or at least, where he felt the energy was.

It wasn't that far, he simply walked through some bushes until he made his way through a slight tall bush and, there he saw it.

–"Oh my goodness!"

There was a child, peacefully sleeping in the green grass.

–"A little boy?" He asked in genuine surprise. He walked forward until he knelt before him. "Oh, what are you doing here you little fellow?"

Hearing the elderly man's voice close, the young kid's sleep was interrupted. He began crying loudly, feeling his peace disrupted.

The man however was no scared of his wailing. He gently took hold of the kid and raised him to the air, standing up as he did. Gazing the kid, he could deduce that he was young. Not a baby, but definitely not very old. He'd say that this was around a year old, if not older. However, after he finished scanning the kid, he noticed how a tail trailed down behind the kid. A monkey tail, of all!

–"Whaddya know? A tail?" He mused to himself, finding it a little weird for a kid to have one. "Strange fellow. But don't worry, I'm a little odd myself, believe it or not, ehehehe…"

He then brought the little kid closer to his face, and the little kid stopped crying to see the man closer. The moment he did, his crying ceased and his two eyes widened in surprise

–"Oh! You have such kind eyes!" The old man chuckled when he saw the little kid's pupils.

In turn, the little kid smiled. Pure joy plastered on his small face. All his tears stopped and began to disappear.

–"Now… let's see…" The elderly man began to think of how to call the little kid, however, seeing him, nothing came to his mind.

The man always wanted to have kids of his own, and he had a name he'd always want to use for one, however, it didn't feel like the name fitted the little kid in his arms.

–"Haaah…" He sighed, and decided to ask out loud without expecting anything in return.

–"Do you perhaps have a name, little one?" The old man laughed with the energy of a grandparent, as he tickled the kid's navel, causing him to giggle.

–"ehehehe… t-to… to…".

–"Hmm?" The old man tilted his head at the sounds that the baby was making. He felt that he he could understand him.

–"What was that, little one? I couldn't catch that." He asked, not even expecting that he would get a reply.

But he would. As the baby beneath him would speak the first words he'd ever say after getting to his planet.

And it was an answer to his question.

–"M-Ma…ko…to"

Makoto.

His name.

CHAPTER END

---

Notes:

Worldbuilding;

As you probably noticed, this is inspired after both canon and non-canon iterations of the same worlds and characters, as I felt that they both had great elements to pull out from.

Toma is returning with both Bardock and Leek at the start of the DBS Super Broly. Take that as you please…

Taro is the same character from both the DBS Broly movie and the manga, only that he is Toma's brother now. See the clarifications down below.

Clarifications:

For most of this story's lifespan, Toma was named and written as Tora, as I wished to stay true to the english localization of the names of the saiyans of Bardock's squad. That was going to be the case after I decided that keeping Toma's original name over Tora was the best case for the naming convention for his kids.

You see… Tomako was originally Katora, and Komaro was originally Karona… Yeah, this simply worked better.

The single casualty of this all would be… my decision to make Taro Toma's brother, which at first might not make sense, but as I said, I wrote almost the entire chapter with TORA in mind, and when I saw that TARO was a thing… I just felt that I had to justify it. However now Taro is Toma's brother, which raises some eyebrows now, I know…

But I regret nothing.

Techniques:

Toma:

-Flame Bullet
-Flaming Breath Cannon (Blue version of the fire breath inspired after Flame Bullet. Made up for this story)
-Flame Burst (Blue flames on his hand. Made up for this story.)
-Perjury (Made up for this story.)

Bardock:

-Rebellion Spear
-Tyrant Lancer
-Final Spirit Cannon

Borgos:

-Angry Launcher: Borgos channels all of his pent up anger into a devastating Wave fired from his mouth. He bottles in his emotions to keep this as a trump card.

Fasha:

-Energy Ballet
-Strangling Knee Throw (Part of her Histeric Saiyan Lady ultimate from BT3.)

Shugesh:

-Shugesh Kick (Literally all he does.)

Taro:

-Death (Lol)

Power Levels: (For these, I do a mix of both Old Canon and New Canon, plus a couple of my own beliefs and interpretations. Take them all with a grain of salt, as I'm not a serious powerscaler myself and I don't think I'll ever be.)

Prominent Characters (Even if they didn't appear.)

-Frieza (1st Form): 530.000
-King Cold: 600.000
-King Vegeta: 12.000
-Prince Vegeta: 6.000
-Prince Tarble: 6
-Badock (Pre-Zenkai): 6.000
-Bardock (Post-Zenkai): 10.000
-Toma: 5.000
-Shugesh: 4.200
-Borgos: 4.000
-Fasha: 2.000
-Taro: 1.800
-Leek: 1.100
-Gine: 1.050
-Nappa: 3.800
-Raditz: 800
-Komaro: 777
-Kakarot: 2
-Tomako: 1

Honorable Mentions:

-Toolo: 5.500
-Abo: 6.000
-Kado: 6.000
-Abokado: 18.000
-Dodoria: 15.000
-Krumbo: 7.750
-Matabi:6.000
-Bergo: 5.500
-Boysenberry: 4.500
-Average Frieza Soldier: 1.000
-Scared Recruit: 200
-Grandpa Gohan: 135

Power Levels Notes:

Firstly, I'm sorry, but I don't believe that Bardock gets such a minimum zenkai of 600 when wwe've seen other before him have larger buffs through much lesser yeah, here Bardock is closer to his squad in strength, but grows heck of a lot stronger. Almost everyone else that is more prominent are mostly left unchanged. Except for a few mentions

Also. King Vegeta stronger than Bardock? Whaaa? Yeah, King Vegeta is mentioned to be the strongest saiyan of his era, so… Bardock can't be as strong as him, even If I wanted him to be. I hope I get to write something with King Vegeta though, it's the lesser characters that I'm actually more interested in exploring myself.

Also, ALSO! HOLD ON! TOOLO? HE'S HELLA STRONGER NOW! This is in, retrospective a pretty meager change when you think about it, as it really doesn't change anything. Toolo canonically has a power level of 1.100 and he's even named COMMANDER in the transcript for Bardock's special, so, while it's a personal believe, I believe him to be among the stronger fighters of Kanassa. With this mentioned, A Kanassian was able to hurt a Giant Ape Shugesh with a power level of 42.000 (x10 multiplier), despite in canon being… what? 1.000 strong? I like to think that they have very tough techniques to deal with, which is why people like Zarbon and Dodoria are impressed by the saiyans conquering it during the special, despite it all. Therefore, I made it so Toolo can go hand-to-hand with someone like Bardock here, while he can shrug off Tora's blast like he does. So yeah, I'm probably the ONE Toolo fan in the world that rizzed him up to be on Tora and Bardock's level here, but yeah, I really had a lot of fun writing this whole thing down.

I hope I got at least one person to enjoy this schizophrenic rambling of mine. If you did, I hope I'll have more to share.

And hey, that's just a theory! A FANFICTION THEORY.

Thanks for reading!