"Lord Frieza!" Akebi declared, rushing into Frieza's audience chamber within the ship. He quickly dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "My Lord… Captain Ginyu has just landed."

Frieza smiled faintly at that. "Very good," he replied as he got into his mobile throne and left the room, not bothering to even consider Akebi for a second more. The lookout knew his job and there was no need to heap praise on someone for doing what they were supposed to do… it was just weak foolishness to think otherwise.

Moving through the ship Frieza frowned though as he saw and heard how empty it was. He still passed several of his minions but for the most part there was utterly no one around… and that was concerning. He had brought a full battalion with him and the ship should NOT have been as sparsely populated as it was.

'Just more proof that a change was needed,' he thought darkly to himself. 'Zarbon and Dodoria were always preaching to me that our forces were the greatest in the universe… and yet they have fallen to these weak little Namekians? Whoever replaces those two will need to work ten times harder to make sure the next batch of recruits are better suited for the tasks I give them.'

It didn't matter that this was the first true failure he had ever had. What mattered was that Frieza had suffered a setback (not a failure… he decided at once that he would NEVER call this a failure!) and that shouldn't happen. He was Lord Frieza, Emperor of the Known Universe… and that meant that he never had failures. Never had issues. That everything worked out perfectly for him and he never had to deal with any problems that arose. Simple at that! Any claims otherwise, any attention to try and say that he didn't have everything always work out for him was a crime against him and he would see those that muttered the words suffer a thousand times over!

So yes… whoever replaced those fools Zarbon and Dodoria would need to work extra hard to make sure the Frieza Force was up to his high standards. Because never again would Frieza have anyone believe he was having issues (not a setback… he decided that as well; a setback made it sound like things might not work out for him and that would NOT be the case on Namek!).

Arriving outside he was pleased to see Captain Ginyu already standing there with his soldiers, their arms clasped behind their backs and their gazes straight ahead.

"Ah, I see you have arrived," Frieza said, as if he hadn't been waiting for Ginyu to show up.

"Men! Introductions!" Ginyu declared. "Ginyu!"

"Jeice!"

"Burter!"

"Guildo!"

"Recoome!"

As each shouted out their names they fell into a different pose, looking determined and proud… of their ability to make the poses.

Frieza just stared.

After a moment the five popped back to attention and Ginyu stepped forward. "Lord Frieza, we have arrived to assist in any matter you wish us to." He held out his hand. "But first, we were informed of the technical issues that you have been having and have brought new scouters. You will, of course, not be able to log onto the network with them but they will still make the search for the Dragon Balls all the easier." Jeice came forward and presented Frieza with a box containing a scouter.

"Very good," Frieza said as he accepted the scouter. Honestly he had felt naked without one and it felt good to have it once more placed around his head. "At ease," he stated, the Ginyu Force relaxing just a touch. "Now then, allow me to explain the situation we currently have. Zarbon and Dodoria have utterly failed to recover the Dragon Balls from this planet. I want those Dragon Balls." He didn't say anything else… there was no need to. That was the situation and that was what he wanted. If the dolts didn't understand that then he would wipe them out in an instant.

"Very good, Lord Frieza," Ginyu said only to speak up again, much to his annoyance. Why didn't that clod understand that- "How many Dragon Balls are we searching for?"

'Well… I suppose that is information that would need,' Frieza thought to himself. "We currently only have… one of the Dragon Balls." His jaw worked; he hated admitting how slows things had been going. "Out of Seven."

But Ginyu didn't react at all to that, other than to give a firm nod. "Very well, Lord Frieza. We will go and secure the other Dragon Balls and be on our way! Ginyu Force… move out!"

But rather than fly off right away the five gathered together in a huddle… and began to stomp their feet in unison and in place. Frieza strained and heard that they were… doing some sort of cheer.

He just watched them for several moments before, finally, the five declared "GINYU FORCE! MOVE OUT!" and launched themselves into the sky.

'They… they are your best men,' he reminded himself as he watched them fly off. 'The very best of the best. There is no force better than them.' He just had to remind himself of that. The Ginyu Force was who he sent to deal with any problem that the rest of his forces had and they ALWAYS got the job done. And with great speed and skill as well. The best of the best. 'They will secure my Dragon Balls… they will make sure that I achieve my immortality. And then nothing in the universe will be able to stand in my way!'

~MC~MC~MC~

Vegeta let out a groan as he slowly sat up. Someone was helping him and normally he would have yelled at them for daring to touch him but considering that it hurt even to think he found himself unable to even think about shoving away the pathetic little wretch that had dared to place their hands on him.

"Listen," a voice said and it took him a moment to realize that it was the woman. Chichi.

His sister.

She was talking and helping him up so… so she had survived Zarbon. She had to have. And he was still alive and she was with him so that had to be a good thing, right? Except he could also see Frieza throwing them both in a cage, thinking it would be delightfully fun to watch her play nursemaid to him before he got into the torture. Or rather Zarbon managed to convince Frieza to allow the Force to torture him, rather than just kill him outright. That would have been Frieza's first choice, he knew. Maybe some taunting and some mockery but in the end he would get bored and just kill him, simple as that.

Well… he wouldn't let them have the pleasure of mocking and attacking him without a fight. He would come at them with everything he had and he would make them suffer. Even if it destroyed every bone in his body and ruptured every organ he would fight back against them. Frieza would have to kill him and he wouldn't go down without a fight-

"I said listen," Chichi hissed, gripping onto his arms. "Stop struggling and actually listen to me, you stubborn fool! You are only going to hurt yourself worse!" Her forceful words caused him to still and actually listen to what she had to say. "We're safe. Your safe. Nail killed Zarbon."

Nail? Who the fuck was Nail?

"We're somewhere safe so we can now deal with your injuries," Chichi said softly. "Now… according to Raditz you would-"

Raditiz. Raditz was here. Probably laughing his ass off over Vegeta being injured! He would kill him! He would-

"Would you stop struggling you stupid impulsive brat!" Chichi snarled and Vegeta once more calmed down. Mostly because Chichi was drilling her fingernails into his arm so hard it was cutting through the pain that was racing through the rest of his body. "According to Raditz with injuries like this you'd have to spend several hours to several days in a healing pod."

He wanted to say he was aware of that. That he knew how this worked. After all, he'd just gotten out of a healing pod to deal with the injuries Chichi, that traitor Raditz, and that low-class bastard Kakarot had given him. 'The only nice thing about all of this is that Zarbon never targeted my tail.' Everything else on him was burning in horrible pain but his tail had been left relatively fine.

"We don't have a healing pod though," Chichi continued on and before Vegeta could consider what that meant she said, "But we have something else. Something that can heal you within seconds."

He forced one eye open but everything was blurry and muddled, like he was looking through film-covered glass. The largest pale shape had to be Chichi because it was closest to him and when he heard her speak it looked as if that blob was moving. But he couldn't honestly be for sure.

"However… the last time you were around my friends you were trying to kill us all. So I need you to swear that you will not attack anyone here. That you will not even think of striking anyone and killing anyone or anything like that. If you can't do that then we'll leave you here injured and most likely dying so think carefully about this, you stubborn man. Can you handle being around Raditz? My friends? The namekians?"

Vegeta grit his teeth. 'We shouldn't be around these fools. Even if she is a bastard my sister is better than these low class warriors and shouldn't be wallowing in the dirt and the filth with them. But… with Frieza still out there we need all the help we can get.'

"Hey," another voice called out, "let's get Avo on the line to make sure we word this right."

"I can make a promise without Avo," Chichi said and Vegeta wondered who the fuck was Avo?

"Yeah but this feels like something he would handle," the voice said.

"It really does!" A squeaky little voice declared.

"Fine!" Chichi declared. "Isco?"

"One moment," a cultured voice that reminded him a bit too much of Zarbon spoke.

"Everything okay?" a new voice said. "Goku and I are nearing the planet… we're having to weave around to avoid the Frieza Force ships so its going to take about an hour or two but once we land we should be able to be there right away with the Sling Ring."

"We're fine, Avo, at least now we are," Chichi said. "We brought Vegeta back to our-"

"Don't say a word!" another female said. "We don't want him to know where we are."

"Right," Chichi said, much to Vegeta's annoyance. He could know where they were! What, did they think he was reveal it to Frieza? He wasn't an idiot! "Anyway, we want to make him promise not to harm anyone so we can heal him up. Krillin suggested you might be able to word the promise properly…"

"Yeah," Avo said and then he grew quiet. Chichi pressed something cool and wet to Vegeta's lips as they waited and his realized it must have been some sort of cloth dipped in water, allowing him to wet his parched mouth and lips. It was undignified but he found he simply didn't have the strength to resist and he began to lightly suck on the cloth.

'This is what I have been reduced to,' Vegeta thought darkly. 'Suckling like some mewling babe… except I can't even cry out! I swear Frieza… you and the entire Frieza Force will pay for this! I will see you suffer a thousand times over for what you've done to me, that is a promise!'

"Alright," Avo said, "so Vegeta must agree to only attack those that you give him permission to attack. That will be blanket enough to protect a Namekian who isn't there or someone who arrives we didn't expect. And he is going to swear it upon his title of the Prince of All Saiyans. To break that promise is to forfeit his title."

Vegeta face screwed up in outrage at that demand.

"Perfect," Raditiz stated with a bit too much smugness. "He might not understand Saiyan honor but he does have his pride and he does care about his title. He won't break his word… not with this."

Chichi shifted him. "Vegeta… do you swear that if we heal you that you won't attack anyone without our permission?"

He swallowed at that. Oh… oh he really wanted to tell them all to fuck off, grab his sister, and get the hell out of there. To tell them that he didn't need any of them and attempting to put him in chains, even if they were only verbal ones, would only make them his enemies.

'But I can't even sit up on my own. And that boy… he's still out there.' Chichi had told him that her son was out there. 'My nephew… I have a nephew. A future Saiyan warrior. Yes, he has Kakarot as a father but Chichi has shown that she is a powerful warrior and her blood will make up for that.'

He couldn't let Frieza get to the boy.

"I… I agree," he managed to rasp out.

At once something small was placed between his lips and he swallowed without thinking. It was a bit crunchy but tasted vaguely like fish but-

Vegeta gasped at once.

"What?" he said as he felt his broken bones suddenly snap back into place, his torn flesh stitch itself together, his burns fade and his bruises reduce down to nothing. The pounding in his head was gone and he could breathe deeply without any pain. And he felt so energized! It was like he was filled with a vigor he had never known before! It reminded him of the last feast he'd had with Nappa, where they'd eaten their fill and then had a long restful sleep. Awakening to meet life head on! It… it was amazing! Incredible!

He turned towards Chichi who was watching him with a careful eye, tense and ready in case he broke his promise and she needed to go at him. Which made Vegeta roll his eyes and scoff.

"Woman, I gave my word and I will not break it," he said as he got up. "You and your… companions… are safe from me. What was that thing?"

"Just something special that we have limited supplies of," Chichi stated. "The Namekians healed me up so we didn't need to waste one on me but we decided you would do well with having one."

"Hmpf. Fine, keep your secrets." He looked around, taking in his surroundings. They were in some sort of large cave, lit with glowing fungus that didn't so much grow on the walls as it looked like it had been smushed onto the surfaces. All around him were Namekians who were staring at him with watchful eyes. No anger or aggression just… watchful. Cautious. 'Smart… they know I am a threat,' he thought. He spotted some sort of machine man standing nearby, as well as several of the Eathlings that had fought with Kakarot and Raditz against him and Nappa.

And speak of the bastard… there was Raditz himself, a glower on his face.

"I couldn't decide if I wanted you to die or to keep you alive to help us take down Frieza," Raditz stated. "That was what we talked about, wasn't it? Us working with my brother to kill Frieza? That was the plan. Well, we're going to stick with it. We're going to take down Frieza. And then we are going to settle things between all of us." He paused. "But know this, Vegeta… if you try anything during this? Try and stab us in the back or cut a deal with Frieza or anything like that? I'm coming for you. And I will send you straight to Hell." He shook his head in annoyance. "Bad enough I had to leave Nail and Senza to make sure you didn't cause us any more problems… we were doing good work out there thinning the ranks of Frieza's forces…"

That made Vegeta scoff. "There are so many errors in that little speech of yours, Raditz. First and foremost you think that you can take me on? You aren't anywhere near my level."

And that was true. Just like how he had felt after his first battle with Raditz, Kakarot, and their friends Vegeta felt utterly amazing. Powerful and strong. It was like his blood had been replacement with electricity. He was sure that no matter what he would have to face he would be able to take it down. Be it enemy… or ally… he was willing to bet he was the strongest being on Namek.

'The only reason that I'm not slaughtering him right now is that would upset my sister… and damn it all, until she realizes how things should be I need to keep her from growing upset and doing something foolish.'

Because he couldn't risk losing her. The last Saiyan female in the entire universe. A royal one, even if she was a bastard. She had no idea how many being in the universe would desire her, hate, crave her, and all three at once. It was dangerous out there and she needed to be cared for until he knew that she could protect herself.

So yes… even if Raditz WAS at his level, which he most certainly wasn't… Vegeta would make no move against him. Because unfortunately for him his little sister had decided to forge a relationship with Raditz' brother and that meant that she would side with him.

"Second, you think that I am going to ever go back to Frieza? After everything he has done to me?"

"And our people," Raditz stated.

"Of course! He enslaved us! Made us into his lapdogs-"

Raditz began to chuckle.

"You find that funny?"

"Very much so," Raditz said. "But not for the reason you think. See… I know something you don't."

Vegeta scoffed. "I find that very hard to believe."

But Raditiz merely continued to smirk at him and it was taking all his power not to snap his fist into the bastard's jaw and send all his teeth down his throat.

"You never questioned it, did you?" Raditiz said slowly.

"Questioned what?"

"You never once thought it odd that we JUST happened to get the command for all Saiyans to return to Planet Vegeta only for that meteor to strike us and blow everything up?" He gave a casual shrug. "I mean… we were never a race to remain in the same place. You know that. We were always on the move, doing this or that, because we knew that if we hung around too much with our fellow Saiyans a fight would break out. And that was before King Cold found us. After that he and then Frieza had us always on the move, dealing with this random task or that one. Then out of the blue Frieza demands we all return to Planet Vegeta? That has only happened once before, hasn't it? When King Cold retired. We… we never did find out WHY Frieza wanted us all there, did we?"

Vegeta frowned at that. "We assumed he was going to retire as well-"

"And give up the Empire?" Raditz asked. "Despite the rumors that Frieza managed to produce an heir we both know he would never be able to hand away the Frieza Force to anyone. He isn't King Cold, who grows bored and moves on. Frieza grows bored and he demands changes to bring his attention back on things." Raditz shook his head. "Besides… King Cold had meetings on every major planet that was part of the Empire. Frieza… only summoned us."

Vegeta blinked at that. 'He's right. I never heard of that bastard calling for any other planets to all rally to him. It was only us. Why… why would he do that-'

"Everyone was called back. We didn't go back because you refused to return… but we weren't the only squad that was out at that point. You really think we were the only ones to disobey that command? There had to be dozens of Saiyans who didn't listen… and yet at the end of the day the only ones to be found alive were us. So… what happened to them?"

Vegeta frowned at that. "Enough of these games. Just say what you have to say and be done with it. I don't have time for your little puzzles."

And yet, even as he said the words, Vegeta found himself thinking about what Raditz was claiming. No… none of it was adding up properly. None of it was making any sense to him.

"When that asteroid hit… wait, no, it was a meteor." Raditz gave a bemused huff. "Funny… Frieza keeps changing what it was, doesn't he? The reports keep alternating if it was a meteor or an asteroid… I read at one point someone trying to claim it was a small moon which we all know has to be a lie." He shook his head. "Though, that is curious all the same. I mean… we used to practice our Ki blasts of meteors. And an asteroid might be bigger… but with every Saiyan on the planet that day? They should have been able to, as one, fire on anything coming into our atmosphere and be able to shatter it into a trillion pieces. So… why didn't they?"

"I… I told you to stop it with these games," Vegeta said but even he heard hour unconvincing he sounded. How unsure.

Because Raditz was getting very close to a truth that was making Vegeta rather nervous.

Nervous… and angry.

"When we used to bow to him he would laugh. We always thought it was because he saw himself as so much more than us. Above us all. But that wasn't the truth of it. Not at all. He was laughing at us because he found it so hilarious that we were bowing to the one… that had wiped out our entire race!"

Dodoria's words came back to him. The claims that Frieza was the cause of the destruction. He hadn't believed it when Dodoria had told him, thinking it a final bluff to get him so angry that he would race to confront Frieza, rather than finish the battle with him. His mistake had been bringing up the idea of a Super Saiyan, something that was impossible. He had pushed too hard and made the lie clear.

But… he could tell from Raditz' tone that it was all true. And that made him wonder… what else had Dodoria been telling the truth about?

Vegeta stared right at Raditz as he walked up to him, nearly pressing his chest into Vegeta's own body.

"Chichi… Kakarot… Gohan… they don't understand. Because they grew up on Earth. But you and I do. We know what we lost that day… and now we both know who caused it." He leaned down and hissed, "And we are going to kill Frieza for that… aren't we?"

"…yes," Vegeta ground out through grit teeth. "Any feuds or disagreements we have… they are put on hold in the name of making Frieza pay."

He wanted to fly off and find the horned despot right then and there. He wanted to fly right up to Frieza and before he even had a chance to realize what was happening blow off his arms and limbs. Leave him little more than a torso rolling about on the ground, whining and whimpering over what had happened to him, unable to understand how things had gotten the way they had. And then, just as he looked up and saw who it was that had plucked his limbs off his body like they were flower petals, Vegeta would begin to cut into Frieza's soft belly with a KI blast, flaying him until the air was filled with the drifting flakelets of his form. Only when Frieza had screamed himself hoarse would he tell him just what he had learned, making sure that Frieza knew just why he was suffering before he slowly wrapped his fingers around his throat and watched the light slowly leave his eyes.

Vegeta WANTED to do that. Desperately so.

But he fought that impulse with all he could. Because he knew that racing off against Frieza was bad move.

'He might be a weakling who hides behind the powerful… but he is cunning. He managed to pull the wool over my eyes… make me do his dirty deeds while behind my back he mocked me! Laughed at me, the Prince of All Saiyans, obeying him, the one that slaughtered my people and destroyed the planet that should have been mine!' He clenched his hand into a fist. 'But no… he is a cunning creature, Frieza… and I can't assume that he won't be ready for me, even with my power having grown by leaps and bounds! I must wait for the right moment and-'

Vegeta stopped, suddenly snapped his gaze to the left. Beside him Raditz had frozen too.

"You felt that?" Raditz got out.

"Of course I did," Vegeta said but despite how fierce he was trying to make his words… there was a still a tremble there.

"What… what was that?" the bald little human said.

"They are powerful," one of the namekians, an old wrinkled one that looked like a walking green raisin, said. "One I might have expected… but… 3… 4?"

"Five," Vegeta whispered. "Five of them."

"Who are they?" the little bald one said.

"The Ginyu Force," Raditz whispered.

~MC~MC~MC~

Lord Guru nodded his head as Gohan continued his story. The little boy had managed to tell the Grand Elder many things… though he was willing to bet the child didn't realize just how much he had revealed to him. His excitement and his delight in sharing his tale had caused him to reveal much in his attitude, letting Lord Guru get a better understanding of the visitors to his planet.

'The people of Earth… they care for children just as much as the Namekians do. The boy's mother must be worried sick… I need to find some way to let the others know that I have them here. I would like to send them back… Gohan has been trained well to understand both his strengths and his weaknesses. His acts rashly… but that is just the folly of youth. In time, he will learn how to tapped down such reactions… and it will make him a grand warrior. But for now… he is still a boy and the situation has grown more dangerous. No… I can not risk sending him out… so I must reach out to Elder Sax.'

Allowing the children to continue on telling him about how they had avoided the invaders Lord Guru reached out his senses to the greatest gathering of Namekians; it pleased him greatly to feel so many of his offspring gathered together, for it meant that they had managed to avoid the invaders. Perhaps one would think that that meant the invading forces weren't a threat but Guru knew that it actually meant that they were closing the net. The fish would swim, thinking they were safe… until it closed upon them. That was Guru's worry… of what would happen once the invaders fully had control of the planet. Two village… two village were gone. Three were safe. Another was trying to make their way to the hiding spot, taking their time. They couldn't risk revealing the location. And all around the planet the invaders buzzed like bogflies.

'Lord Guru?' Elder Sax said in his mind.

'My child… it seems that you have lost two young ones?' He couldn't help but allow his thoughts to be playful, even in such a serious situation. Sometimes that was what was needed to calm one down.

'Lord Guru… you… you have Dende and Gohan?'

'They are with me now, sitting upon my knee, telling me of their grand adventure. They worried about me… wanted to make sure I was safe.'

'I will let everyone know. We can call off the search.' A moment later Elder Sax chuckled. 'We should not be surprised… they are both good boys. And though we told them that we were sending messengers to see to you I suppose the their eagerness to help out caused them to forget that detail. Nail and the messenger have arrived here with us.'

'Good,' Guru said, relieved to hear that. 'Has Nail told you the plan to hide the Dragon Balls?'

'He has, but we are waiting for now, Lord Guru. The invaders have devices that allow them to detect the energy of the Dragon Balls, finding them at once.'

Guru frowned at that. 'Then we were lucky to be able to get so many of you to safety, if such a device is available. But does that not mean that you are all now in grave danger?'

'No, Lord Guru,' Elder Sax was quick to assure him. 'One of the new arrivals, a metal being called Isco, was able to attack the devices. I don't quite understand how it works but he was able to place part of his mind into the device and then travel through it to attack the other devices. He is turning them off and preventing them from working but there is a worry that eventually the invaders, this Frieza and his men, will be able to secure more of the scouters, ones that haven't been attacked by Isco.'

Guru couldn't help but marvel at what Elder Sax was saying. It sounded so confusing and outlandish… but he also supposed that to others the Dragon Balls were confusing and outlandish, while to him and the other Namekians they were just a part of their culture. It was merely more proof that the universe was far bigger than Guru had ever realized and it made him smile to know that there were still wonders out there, even for an old Namekian like himself.

'They have done much for us,' Guru told him.

'Yes, and they continue to help. One of the humans that arrived here, Bulma, is creating a device that will allow us to hide the Dragon Balls from these devices or those that can sense them.'

Guru started at that, nearly causing Gohan and Dende to topple off his knee. He smiled though and patted them on the backs and after a moment the two continued on with their story, thinking it had been him reacting to them having to duck into a cave to avoid three of the soldiers that had startled him.

'Such a thing… I never thought it would be possible,' Guru stated. 'And it is… disheartening… to believe that we would need such a device.'

'It is a sad thing to consider, Lord Guru… but one that we must not shy away from.'

Guru could detect the pleading in his son's voice and he was quick to assure him. 'Yes… I agree Sax. This attack upon us has shown all that we must never become lax when it comes to protecting ourselves and the Dragon Balls. We must be ready to do all we can to ensure that we are safe.' He let out a sigh. 'This device, if it will ensure that the Dragon Balls are safe, will be a great benefit to us all.'

'Bulma has stated that we may keep it, and any duplicates she made. One placed in each village should be enough. And one they have been talking to the one that is coming, a mage named Avo Kayos, who has suggested we create sacred chambers under each village where the Dragon Ball might be kept during times like this.'

'Discuss such things with Nail,' Guru replied. 'It will be up to him to decide.'

'Lord Guru?' Elder Sax said, clearly surprised, and Guru shut his eyes as he realized that Nail had failed to tell his fellow Namekians the truth.

'Sax… I tell this only to you and I ask that you keep it quiet, until you think there is no other choice: I have transferred control of the Dragon Balls to Nail. He is now the Grand Elder of Namek, its great protector.'

Elder Sax did all he could not to let his shock come through to Guru. But the oldest of all the Namekians felt it at once and he sighed.

'I… if you believe…' Elder Sax was trying to get his thoughts under control, to be able to line them up and order them so he could speak with Guru, but he was so startled by everything that was happening that he just couldn't do it.

And that made Guru dip his head in sorrow.

'I had told Nail that our people would follow him,' Guru thought to himself, carefully shielding his thoughts. 'I told him that while they did not trust him as they trusted me they would learn to follow him. But now I fear that I have allowed myself to rule for far too long and they have come to believe that they can not exist without me. A touch of sorrow at the idea that my time is over? A period of mourning? I could understand these things. But my children… they simply can not grasp me not being here and reject and thought that I might be gone.

'And it isn't even a case that I am gone. Should I survive this threat I will still have years of my life left to live. To help my people continue to grow.' He had planned it all out… Nail would be the new Grand Elder while Guru would move to one of the villages… or perhaps he would travel to each in turn. And he would talk to the youngest of his children and grandchildren. He would tell them stories of Namek as it had been before the great drought, so that the memory of that world would live on with them. A peaceful life spent with the youngest of them. 'But now I fear that they will never accept this. That they will attempt to do all they can to keep me in power, an eternal ruler.'

He suddenly had the horrific vision of his children using the Dragon Balls to try and extend his life.

No one was meant to rule forever. No one.

'And the fact is… I am tired,' Guru thought to himself. 'I am ready to rest. To go to the great shores that lie beyond the living. To see my family again. I have held out for so long… but I miss them and wish to frolic with them once more in the surf and then rest in the sun, telling them of my children and waiting for them to join us all.'

'I… if you think it is right,' Sax finally said.

'I do,' Guru replied. 'It is time for Nail to lead us. And believe me when I say that only good will come of it. Tell him to look into the Dragon Balls… the strength of his soul will have changed them, giving them powers that we never thought possible.'

That startled Sax. 'I know that before you became the Guardian of the Dragon Balls they were only able to grant one wish…'

'And you believe that it was only I who was able to alter them?' Guru said, a bit of amusement returning to him. This was good… this was very good. Perhaps by breaking this first misconception he could work to break the others. 'No, Sax… every Namekian who has ever been the Grand Elder has altered the Dragon Balls, making them stronger. I allowed them to have more wishes. And while the Elder before me only was able to have the Dragon Balls produce a single wish… they were able to make it that one who had passed on was able to be returned to the world of the living. Nail may only be able to produce two wishes, or return the Dragon Balls back to a single wish… but I do not doubt that he will allow them to do far more than I ever could.'

Sax was silent for a long moment, considering that before finally speaking. 'Yes. Yes I suppose you are right. Now, we must see to getting the children to safety.'

'Of course… though I would suggest that you send your most stealthy of flyers to come and get them. One who is prepared to fight, if needed.'

'I fear you are right. We have had a new Saiyan, a different race from the Earthlings but friends with them, arrive. And he has stated along with another that a new threat has arrived. Five Warriors… known as the Ginyu Force-'

Suddenly Guru's head snapped up.

'Lord Guru!' Sax exclaimed. 'I feel your worry! What is it?'

'I fear you are correct, Sax. Warn the others that I will be send the children on their own and they must race to meet them.'

'What is happening?'

'I feel them… this Ginyu Force… they are coming HERE. To me.'