What You Will
By: Toshiba

"Welcome to Station Messaline, Chikyuu space cruiser Arion. Please disclose universal identification code, number of passengers on board and purpose of visit."

"This is the captain of the Arion, Bulma Briefs; do you copy Messaline? My registered personal identification code is 272619 under the species code 1152. I have three other passengers, all species 1152 for a short trade and research expedition."

"Thank you. Please wait for security analysis." The automated, security system voice rang out over the comm link, the sound echoing through the small cabin. Programmed only to compute the necessary parameters of ID codes, the computer performed the scheduled task, scanning the various life-signs and systems on board the sleek vessel. Four mammalian beings confirmed: one female in cockpit, three males in living quarters, all of whom exhibited unusually high energy readings. Had a reasoning person been behind the scan, a red flag might have come up at such a discovery, or at the sophistication found on a ship from a part of the galaxy still in the infancy of its space age. The security computer had no such switch, no natural judgement, instinct, or sense of coincidence, the entire transaction amounting to a simple note in the database as the computer began to process the request for landing authorisation.

"Thank you, voice match and ID has been confirmed. Welcome, Human Bulma Briefs, please continue to landing platform 16. An escort bot will assist you." With a soft click the cruiser's cabin was plunged into a heavy silence, broken only by the muted whirl and buzz of the instruments that lined the walls. Sighing in relief at the small victory, the blue haired female slumped back into the cushioned command chair as her eyes focused on the sprawling metropolis that was Messaline. Truth be told, Messaline was more than a simple fill-up station for intergalactic travel or a city, but a concrete and metallic labyrinth which had enveloped the entire planet. It was the universal crossroads, the convergence point between most of the great empires where every trader, explorer, prince, or pauper passed for supplies, new technology, and information. And, Bulma thought hopefully, it will be the starting point in her quest to save Chikyuu.

"So we're through then?" A calm and wholly unexpected voice rang out behind her. To her credit, Bulma didn't yell out in shock, but turned and smiled at her oldest friend.

"Sensors haven't picked up any of Freeza's ships or any other signs that we are being followed. Either Freeza's spy network is growing lax or Tousan is a better liar than I gave him credit."

"It's probably the latter, that devious streak had to come from somewhere and your mom's much to sweet to have influenced a hell raiser like you." Goku replied, the sweet, playful tone to his voice matching the look of childlike amusement in his rounded eyes.

"You obviously don't know my mom. There have been many a time where she's raised hell, devious to a fault too. You know what they say about the bad ones always being the people you least suspect." The picture of Bulma's blonde, ever cheerful mother as a hell raiser caused another round of chuckles between the long time friends until an interruption came in the form of the escort bot. With the reminder of the task at hand, the mood in the cockpit shifted from jovial to tense, the happy laughter replaced once more by an awkward silence.

"So, Yamcha is still bitter about the split? I hoped we had put the name calling phase behind us, or is he only civilised when I'm around? Don't give me that look Son-kun, you've never in your life used a nasty word to describe anyone, I'd be surprised if you could think them up on your own. Do I even want to know what else he's calling me?" Bulma finally replied as she programmed the auto-pilot to followed after the flashing escort droid. Her voice was no more than a whisper but the emotion and frustration in her tone was as clear as a bell and sharp as a knife. Both Bulma's question and tone caused Goku to flinch, displaying his obvious despondency over the foolish feud between two of his dearest best friends. Softening the heated scowl from her face, her repose was short lived as Goku replaced his look of gloom to one of grievous acknowledgement, confirming Bulma's suspicions.

"Kami, I can't believe he's being so petty, the possible fate of Chikyuu is on our shoulders and he is mad because we broke up. He was the one with the wandering eye, how dare he lay the blame at my feet. You'd think I had begged Zarbon to screw me the way he's going on, as if any of this was my doing. Does he think that I wanted to be chattel to be bought by the highest bidder, to take away my life, my future, my very self, like I'm some article in a contract? It's bad enough I'm suffering with the knowledge that I might have doomed all of Chikyuu by refusing to accept that demand, but to have his hard feeling forced on me is too much." Gathering her breath to prepare for another verbal attack against her former beau, she instead was met with a sigh from Goku, and the strangest look in his eyes. She had seen it only once or twice in her life, always before a battle, or a moment of clarity when the silly sweetness of the wild boy she once knew gave way to the sagacious understanding of the man he was becoming.

"Do you think it is wrong of me to put my happiness before the security of Chikyuu? I'm risking the wrath of the one of the most powerful empire in this quadrant of the galaxy and throwing our home to the wolves all because I balked at an arranged marriage." The stress of escape and discovery, coupled by a lack of sleep caused Bulma's voice to crack as the questions and emotions which had plagued her mind were finally rearing their poisonous heads. Frazzled and exhausted, she relaxed immediately as a pair of strong steady arms wrapped around her in an encompassing bear hug. For a moment she was warm and safe, protected in the powerful grip of her best friend, the greatest champion of Chikyuu.

"If it were only that point, if your marriage to Zarbon, to anyone, was a guarantee of Chikyuu's safety, I don't think you'd even hesitate. That is not the case, and you know as well as I, Nee-chan, that Freeza cares only about Capsule Corp's technology. It's too valuable a prise for him to lose. His people can't figure it out on their own so he will try any manner of manipulation and threat to get what he wants. Forcing you into an arranged marriage with Zarbon is probably the most devious to date. He knows that if he controls you or your father then Chikyuu is expendable. Both of us know it's only a matter of time before Freeza's patience runs thin and he destroys everything and takes what he can get. I don't intend to be caught unprepared and I know you're of the same mind. We might not be able to fight him by ourselves, but we have to find a way and we will." One by one Bulma's problems melted away with Goku's words, all but the most uncertain.

"How do we know that anyone will aid Chikyuu against Freeza? Kami, how do we know that anyone will help us? What if every other empire out there is just as bad, or worse, than the Colds?" At this Goku actually grinned, his expression that of a man who knew the answer before the question had even been asked. The sensation was highly unnerving, though not all together unpleasant, and Bulma pulled away, waiting for Goku's next bout of hidden intellect.

"I don't think we'd have much trouble finding anyone who would fight against the Colds. From the reports your father was able to obtain, almost every other Empire in the galaxy is either silently opposed or open enemies towards them, and at the prospect of Capsule technology, the how is taken care of. As for who we should look at as an ally, those reports were pretty light on details of the individual cultures and beliefs."

"All right," Bulma replied, her usual sardonic tone back again. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend Goku? When did you get so bright, Son Kun?" With one question the serious expression was wiped from Goku's face, replaced by his standard goofy smile, with one hand scratching vigorously at the back of his head to complete the picture. A single drop of sweat ran down Bulma's forehead at the sight, followed by a pitiful moan of exasperation before she took over the controls from the computer and manoeuvred the ship through the crowded skies of Messaline.

"You're not the only one that's scared, Bulma." Goku's voice rang out again, his tone serious and far too mature to be coming from her oldest friend. "I want to help my home and for the first time in my life my strength isn't enough, it's not enough to save Chikyuu or protect the people I care about. Your Tousan gave me something to do instead, since you were so busy with the ship. I might not be a genius with machines, or complex mathematics, but I know a good person when I see them. It's always been one of my greatest strengths, even if I did think you were a witch that first day." Smiling contented at the long ago memory, their reverie was broken by a dull beep from the escort droid, signalling from them to descend on to the waiting platform.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends." Bulma sighed to herself as she set the cruiser onto the platform with nothing more than a soft thud. Within a few minutes she had completed the after-flight checks, set the security system, and scanned over the various parts she would need to make the necessary modifications to the cruiser. Numbers, mechanics, computers and mathematical theory, those were the things that she could understand. She could never boast of having Goku's knowledge of people, but turning in her chair, she addressed that last task, dealing with the human element.

"I'm assuming Krillin and Yamcha are ready?" Bulma asked, her voice turning into a growl as she said the last name.

"The three of us were watching out the porthole since Messaline came into visual range. They know we're here but we were waiting for your instructions on what we would be doing." Goku replied.

"You and Krillin are off the hook. You guys can do what you want after you check out some of those leads you were talking about. After that you can fill up our supply capsule with food, water, medicine, another else that comes to your mind, as long as it's practical. The supply capsules," Bulma repeated, placing the four storage capsules into Goku's waiting hands along with a roll of galactic credits. "Make sure that they end up filled, not your stomach."

"And if there is anything left over?" He asked hopefully.

"Then you and Krillin have until 9:00 tonight to spend it as you wish, our clearance here is only 14 hours and I want everything secured and checked with a fine tooth comb before we go. This might be the last chance we'll have to relax and take it easy for a long time, so enjoy it. I know I will be." Halfway out the cockpit, Bulma looked ready for a hike through the wilderness more than a trek through the urban jungle, her sensors and mini-computers all secured around her waist and wrists. A woman on a mission, she was decked out in her typical mechanic's garb, dull khakis, a capsule shirt and stylish boots on her feet. The light must have went off in Goku's head, as he asked her one last question, stopping her before she reached the sliding metal doors.

"You didn't say anything about what you'd be doing, Bulma, or Yamcha. The two of you aren't planning on doing something nice together?" Was this another bout of Goku's special sense about the goodness of people, or his hope to see two people that had once cared so much for each other find the spark again, Bulma wondered. Probably the latter, though it was a hopeless cause. Not even Goku's unceasing hope could not repair the cracks in her and Yamcha's fracture relationship. There had been some good times, but the damage on both sides had been too severe, the wounds too deep, the affection and regard swept away like cherry blossoms on the wind. A tenuous but growing friendship was replacing the romance, but that didn't mean Bulma would miss an opportunity to torture her former beau.

"Yamcha and I are headed for the industrial merchants to pick up spare parts for the ship. This baby has the fastest engine Capsule Corp has ever produced, the most advanced sensor array, manoeuvres like a dream, but I've been reading about high density warp coils, and shielding panels constructed from titanium buchminsterfullerenes. There wouldn't be another ship in the universe that could match us if I could get my hands on stuff like that. Goku, this will probably make my trip, every piece of technology found within four Empires is sold in Messaline's markets, everything but Capsules that is. Can you imagine what I can get for trade with a couple of our storage units, or the cars and homes?" Even in the harsh light of the cockpit, Bulma's skin was glowing, her eyes bright with anticipation, though the same could not be said of Goku, who looked apathetic and bored to tears just listening.

"Do you really need Yamcha with you, Bulma?" He asked, suddenly feeling guilty at the prospect of leaving one of his oldest friends in that technical hell.

"Oh yes," the young woman replied with a smirk worthy of Piccolo. "Yamcha might just have to pilot the craft if something happens to me so he better be around for this. Don't feel bad for him, Goku, this is my chance to give Yamcha a taste of his own medicine. After sitting through all those boring baseball games and watching those dim-witted groupies hang all over him, spending an afternoon with several parts dealers and techs will be a small price to pay, trust me." Her smirk grown to a full malevolent grin, and Goku actually shivered in pity for his unfortunate but arrogant friend who had incurred the wrath of the beautiful woman before him.

"Just watch out for yourself, Bulma. You're the best chance Chikyuu has for survival, and you can't do that if you're under arrest for killing Yamcha." The words were hardly out of Goku's when a series of chuckles erupted from Bulma, though whether there was good or ill will behind them could not be discerned.

"For all your genius about people, I think you're seeing memories between Yamcha and I. That was in the past, Goku, and whether it was love or infatuation, it's over. The two of us are friends now, and it's definitely for the best, otherwise I would have been arrested for killing Yamcha months ago." The two of them tried to smile at the simple joke but it was overshadow by memories of the past. After all the arguments between the two young lovebirds, all the interventions and guidance given to them by their friends, nothing could stop their split or soften the fall when it all came crashing down. As one last act of comfort, Goku walked over to his silent friend and wrapped his arms around Bulma's tense shoulders. Like a brother, Goku had always been there for her and at the last lingering moments of sadness, he gave her all the succour his solid presence could provide. Pulling away, he flashed her his goofy infectious smile and she returned it with her own.

"You going to be okay?" He finally asked, releasing her from his grip. For a moment, Bulma wondering which of the dozens of problems and worries that plagued her was he referring to but in the end it didn't matter.

"I'll be fine. I won't let Yamcha, Freeza or anyone destroy me, not when I have a brother like you at my side. You're going to make some woman very happy one day." Another round of insane chuckles, all from Goku's side, ensued, followed by a round of vigorous head scratching as the mighty fighter turned beet red with embarrassment. Unable to hold unto her sombre mood, Bulma laughed at the comical display, shaking her head as she walked to the door. She would probably have to give him a few minutes. Even after all these years, Goku was still a silly, wild boy at heart. Kami help the woman he ever did marry; she had better be an exceptional cook.

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

"I can't believe you, Goku. We're in outer space, walking through one of the most exciting cities in the Galaxy and all you can think about is food. We could see come amazing sites, watch the fights in the arenas. Heck, we could even sign up and win ourselves a few credits. And let's not forget the mission, Bulma would have our hides if we don't have some information for her when we get back, if not a general direction to go then a list of areas we should be avoiding." Krillin's voice was barely audible over the din of the crowds as they walked through the open air market that made up Messaline's main shopping district. The city truly was a sight to behold, the head quarters and embassies of every major interplanetary corporation and system towered above them, seeming to touch the sky that was full of hundreds of air cars, cruisers and ships. In contrast to the grey and white world above, the streets were filled with coloured lights, strange booming sounds, and with species of every colour, size and description. As Krillin's eyes and ears were in chaos from it all, Goku's senses were tuned only to the delicacies from the food merchants. So enchanted, the large fighter could do nothing more than walk and drool for a full minute after his friend had spoken.

"Sorry, Krillin, but you know what they say: 'the longest journey begins with a full stomach'."

"No, I didn't know that, but I'm sure there's a philosopher back on Chikyuu spinning in his grave." The diminutive monk replied under his breath, shaking his head in defeat at his friend's craziness. Goku was already several metres ahead of him, the other warrior's attention focusing on the intoxicating aromas of the food stalls.

"Oh well," Krillin shrugged before taking after the dazed Goku. "When in Rome, follow the man with the money." Pushing his way through the throngs of shoppers, he finally found his friend stopped at a fruit stall inhaling a crate of purple citrus fruit while a white furred alien with a pair of very imposing coiled tusks began to growl menacingly.

"Hey you idiot. What do you think you're doing? Those Poignee fruit cost half a standard credit each. You better fork over the cash for those fruit you just stole before I count to 'go' or I'll release my chassidu. Ichi!" The merchant yelled at the pair from Chikyuu, his fur puffing up with his rage. Not wanting to cause an intergalactic incident, Krillin pulled the front of Goku's gi, robbing the other man of his meal. The merchant continued to count, pushing back a small black curtain as he reached 'yon'.

"Go!" The alien yelled out, pulling a cage from behind the screen to reveal … a small white bunny rabbit. The entire stall reverberated with a mighty crash as both Goku and Krillin fell to the ground, at first in shock at the chassidu, then in hysterics.

"Geez, you sure scared me there for a minute. I thought you were going to sic this huge, blood-thirsty beast on us." Goku replied after he had collected himself, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I know, don't scare us like that. Although, this little guy is kinda cute." Krillin piped up, inching his way towards the cage and the small white rabbit inside.

"And to think, that guy is using you as a guard dog … err, chassidu." The bald monk said as he poked his finger through the cage bars in an attempt to brush the chassidu's soft fur. The previous napping creature blinked opened its round black eyes, sniffed the finger in front of its nose, bared a set of razor sharp teeth and proceeded to rip Krillin's digit from his hand. His finger stuck in the mouth of the vicious rabbit, Krillin howled in pain, madly tossing the cage back and forth in an attempt to loosen the beast's grip and save his finger. All the while, Goku was busy counting out credits to pay for the food he had already eaten and for several crates of provisions as the furry merchant looking gleefully at the roll of crisp, multi-coloured credit bills.

Seeing that he would not be getting help from his friend, Krillin took the only recourse left to him and began to bash the cage against the concrete. With two mighty swings, the cage broke apart and the jarred rabbit stopped in its assault as if shocked by the sudden freedom. The chassidu blinked its eyes, the intensity of the light after the dark imprisonment of the cage too much for the creature. As the creature's senses slowly returned, its focussed moved away from the wounded Krillin to the form of its jailor, the chassidu's fur standing on end as a snarl worthy of a Chikyuu-jin jungle cat reverberated from its stomach.

"Ahh, sir? Sir, your chassidu … it's, it's …"

"It's what? Speak up, you little pest." The merchant growled angered by any distraction that would keep him from his money. Inclining his massive head, his look of anger turned to panic as he saw the cute, furry chassidu leap for his throat, its fangs bared and eyes snapping. Krillin could hardly bear to watch, feeling sympathy for the vendor who was about to get his throat slashed and the small creature who was attacking its capture, maybe even the man who had taken it from its native planet. Looking over to Goku, he found his friend still counting out credits, trying desperately not to lose the figure in his head.

"Ahh, Goku. I hate to bother you but don't you think we should do something?" Krillin's voice broke Goku's fragile concentration, causing the warrior's head to dart up, finally taking in the scene around him. With only inches separating the chassidu and the merchant's neck, Goku shot out his hand, plucked the creature right out of the air, and cradled it in his arms.

"You were right, Krillin." Goku replied as he stroked the rabbit's fur, all signs of hostility vanished. "This little guy is cute, rather an odd choice for a guard dog, err, bunny." Still cradling his own injured, half chewed hand, Krillin could only shake his head in amazement. Even after all these years of friendship, Goku could still surprise him, the fearsome beast turning into a harmless pet in the other warrior's arms. There weren't enough credits on Messaline to get him to touch that creature again, the little monk mused as he back a safe distance away from the chassidu. So too did the fruit vendor, the alien rushing back into his stall, only to appear a moment later with a laser weapon

"Thank you, thank you for stopping that monster. Now just hold him steady." Aiming the barrel of the weapon at the now sleeping chassidu, the white furred alien began to squeeze the trigger until Goku intervened once more. Hardly shifting his stance, the Chikyuu warrior reached out and crushed the laser with his bare hand, the demolished weapon sputtering as sparks flew in all directions, several of which hit the wide eyed vendor. The creature sputtered as well, in shock before howling in pain as his downy white coat of fur began to smoke. Krillin was amazed that the principal of stop, drop and roll existed all over the galaxy as the alien hit the ground and began to roll about wildly. Tearing his eyes away from the mass of white fur, he noted apprehensively that the scene had caught the attention of many spectators, the attention of the block now centred on them, particularly on Goku. The noisy, bustling street had gone silent, only the dying cries of the vendor and a single name that echoed on the breeze, spoken by several people who were staring at Goku.

"Bardock, he's here. Bardock, it can be no other. Bardock, how much is the bounty? Bardock, why, do you think you could last against a Saiyajin warrior?"

Saiyajin? What is a Saiyajin, Krillin asked himself, turning back to his strangely stoic friend that was suddenly the centre of attention. The former monk's curiosity was soon forgotten as he watched the stand-off between the white furred merchant and his friend. Goku's smiling eyes were narrowed angrily at the recovered vendor; the alien creature snarled in rage but was respectful enough of Goku's strength to keep his distance. Without breaking eye contact with the vendor, Goku shifted his grip on the chassidu and handed Krillin the roll of credits.

"Pay him for the fruit, three boxes of those Poignee fruit plus the four I ate before, and give him an extra twenty credits for the chassidu and the busted cage. Looking at the way he treated it, that is obviously more than what it's worth to him." Doing the math quickly in his head, Krillin counted out the exact amount of their bill, placed the total on the vendor's back table and moved over to his friend's side. The air was still tense with anxiety, the whispers about this Bardock person still echoed around them but Goku seemed only to have eyes for the merchant. Overcoming his paralysis, the creature began to growl, a chorus of what must have been curses in his native language spewed from his mouth until he switched to standard and his curses turned into threats. Against his sense of reason telling him not to worry, Krillin gulped nervously. He didn't know what he feared more, the authorities of Messaline, the attention of Freeza and his forces or Bulma's anger when she found out the danger he and Goku were putting the mission in.

"It's one thing to fight against an opponent, or even shot at an armed robber, but you aim to kill a creature which you had enslaved and used as a weapon against others. Don't worry about your chassidu, we'll definitely give it a better home than you did." With that Goku turned to his still speechless friend, the fierce chassidu now asleep in the crook of one of his large arms. Fishing out a refrigeration capsule out of his other pocket, he nodded to Krillin to secure the newly purchased supplies, ignoring the still furious vendor and the perplexed crowd as the fruit was loaded up and the fridge recapsulised. It wasn't until the fruit was loaded up and the capsule back in his pocket that the sober, completely un-Goku like expression slipped from Son-kun's face as he beamed to Krillin and slapped his short companion on the shoulder. At the break in tension the entire street sighed with heavy relief as the crowds went back to their days, the whisperings of the mysterious name still floating on the air.

"Well, where should we go next?" Goku asked, completely oblivious to the chaos he had just caused.

"Maybe we should look into some kind of pet store, if they even have pets on this planet, and if Bulma is willing to let you keep it. No offence, Goku, but I don't understand how you could save that monster. He nearly took my finger off." Krillin replied, still eyeing the now sleeping bunny. A fighter for the helpless and downtrodden as well, even Krillin couldn't always comprehend the actions of his kind-hearted friend, this case being one of those times.

At the question, Goku's exuberance faded a little, his eyes growing solemn and his voice softer in tone.

"I can't believe you can't sympathise with this creature. He was going through the same thing we are, Krillin. He had a home, his life and family and in one day his whole world changed when a seemingly more powerful, more ruthless being took it all away from it. This chassidu and I share a lot, we both want to fight against that greater power, but the smarter and far braver course is to avoid fighting and live on for another day. Besides, you still have your finger, it's nothing that a bandage and some antibiotics won't take care of." With the last comment, Goku brightened back to his normal, cheery self, though Krillin could not dismiss his friend's strange behaviour.

Always an innocent man, completely confident in himself and his abilities, the arrival of Freeza and his men on Earth must have thrown Goku's simple belief system into disarray. To learn that his own power was not enough to save his friends against the invaders had destroyed a piece of that wild simple boy Goku had once been. An unexpected maturity and intelligence had started to develop in the once child-like man. Unable to face the conundrum before him, Krillin merely sighed and shrugged as he followed Goku and the still sleeping rabbit through the market.

The trio went to nearly ever stall and shop in the open air market, led mostly by Goku's ravenous stomach. Along the way they picked up supplies and information, and, Krillin remarked to himself, a growing reputation. Two things had become apparent from the reaction of everyone they had met: word of the encounter with merchant had spread quickly and everyone was now very wary of Goku and the chassidu. Had the former monk's nervous been calmer he might have seen the hilarity of their current situation, an entire market place in fear of the friendliest man on Chikyuu and a harmless looking bunny. Neither though, was he looking a gift horse in the mouth, as they walked out of another store with a ton of now capsulised food and more information about the Cold Empire and its dozens of enemies.

As it went, Galactic politics were just as cut-throat as Chikyuu politics. Every empire had treaties and agreements with all of the other ruling powers, a system which promised peace and stability until one empire gained enough power to take over and crush the others. Hearing more about Freeza and the Colds had only justified Doctor Briefs' earlier assumption. The threats to Chikyuu were nothing more than a means to obtain the secret to capsule technology and thereby tip the balance of power on the side of the Tsiru-jin empire. As despicable as Freeza was, there was hardly much choice between the various other empires since all of them had blood on their hands. Their situation was appearing more hopeless by the minute, truly out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Of the six major empires and coalitions within the Galaxy, the Saurian-Myxini alliance was too closely related, both biologically and traditionally, to the Tsiru-jins to provide any kind of help to Chikyuu. The Myrmecols, a race of insect like creatures, were also out of the picture. Beyond the fact that the creatures devoured whole planets, he could just imagine Bulma's disgust, and his own, at having to deal with giant ants. The idea of approaching the Canii, a Spartan like, military civilisation, was soon blown to the wind. The merchants confirmed the few reporters Dr. Briefs had obtained, the Canii, though strong, were in the grips of a decades old war with a neighbouring faction, the Feles. A cunning, ninja-like culture, they were bred to be assassins, and as one frighten shop clerk revealed, practitioners of powerful magic. Another, growing alliance of planetary systems, the Tasu, was also dismissed. It was still in its infancy stages, they had been told, formed only for trade and security purposes, with no military to speak of, or the desire to throw themselves into a conflict with the Colds.

They had heard much talk about the Mammon coalition, a powerful group of merchant guilds, trade unions, and banking clans with their own military force. Krillin held a hope that they might be their ticket, a perfect ally to business sensibilities of Bulma and the technology of Capsule Corps. He didn't even get a chance to voice his consideration before Goku shook his head and imparted some of the intelligence Dr. Briefs had given him on the trade federation. Neither warriors nor diplomats, the federation was ally and enemy to all, showing no loyalty, even to its own members, leaving ruined planets in its wake.

That left only one place they could turn, though even that gave the small human pause. He had made casual inquiries all day and so far they had heard the same descriptions whispered to him over and over again from those few who were willing to even speak about the creatures.

"Butchers."

"They're nothing but murderers."

"As bad as the Tsiru-jin themselves."

"Savage Brutes."

"Why do you want to know about the Saiyajins?" The young girl at the counter of the latest shop asked him, her voice soft and confused. As with every other shop owner or worker, she eyed him with suspicion, as if attempting to gauge his motives and sincerity. Flashing her a smile, she blushed in return, the tension soon easing from her shoulders.

"It's strange that you should mention the Saiyajins. They don't come to Messaline much, thank mercies for that, but I've been hearing from just about every customer today about a Saiyajin with a chassidu that caused some trouble for one of the fruit merchants."

"You don't say." Krillin replied back, wondering at the back of his mind if she could have been talking about another incident.

"I've even heard that one of the most dangerous Saiyajin warriors was the cause of the disturbance. I can't believe it though, why would he come to Messaline of all place with the price on his head? Every bounty hunter in the sector will be after him soon, it's not surprising, with a million credit prize for his capture … or death."

"Who?" Krillin asked, no intrigued and a little apprehensive. The facts of what he was hearing contradicted everything he could believe about Goku. There was no way Goku could be a Saiyajin, much less one with a bounty on his head. He had heard about Jekyll and Hyde personalities but there was no way it could be Goku. There could have been two fruit vendors with killer bunnies that were 'accosted' today, it was a big city … planet.

"B--Bardock." The girl stuttered, her red eyes widening in terror as she backed away from Krillin. With that one word, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown in his face. Bardock; that was the same name the spectators had uttered after the 'incident'. Fighting back his own uncertainty, Krillin didn't turn around. His long honed ki sense could always pick up his best friend, Goku's massive yet peaceful aura was as familiar to him as his own. Right now, his fellow Chikyuu-jin was standing right behind him.

Pulled between the desire to learn more about this 'Bardock' and the reason for the bounty, and the fear that every hunter in the quadrant after the bounty had started tracking Goku, Krillin chose discretion. Slapping a few credits on the counter for his purchase, he turned to rush his friend out the door and hopefully straight back to the ship. Fate, and Goku, had other ideas.

"You know about this Bardock? Tell me, who is he? What is he? Why are you so afraid of him?" Goku asked, a polite yet firm tone in his voice that did little to calm the girl but definitely received results.

"He … you … he was one of the most feared invasion squad captains in the Saiyajin military…"

"Was? What do you mean 'was'? Please, tell me what you know?" Goku asked, his entire focus centred the shivering girl.

"Please, don't hurt me. I won't tell anyone that I saw you, honestly. Please, leave me in peace. I promise you, I don't want the bounty." The girl could hardly contain herself, tears streaking down her purple cheeks, her pleas for mercy hardly audible through her sobs. The sight of the distraught child was enough to bring the protective instinct out in both of the Earth warriors, but their attempts to console her only brought more tears to the girl's eyes.

"We didn't mean to scare you. I swear that he's not the person you think he is, he's not this Bardock person everyone is so afraid of. Please, you know what this Bardock did, can you at least tell us who …" Trying to make one last plea with the young alien girl, the words died in Krillin's mouth as he caught the glimpse of a face staring out at him from a wanted hologram. There, with a red scar across his cheek and the hard, determined eyes of a killer, was Goku's mirror image. Goku had also seen the hologram, but his reaction was more explosive than that of the young ex-monk. Pushing his way past the back counter, he strode up to the hologram and read the description of his doppelganger, his fists clenching tightly as his eyes skimmed over the few lines of text. It was the second time that day Krillin had observed such a change in his friend, the normally jovial nature replaced by a harshness and maturity that matched the mysterious 'Bardock' from the wanted hologram. As much as his rational mind knew that his friend Goku and this Bardock were not one in the same, the Chikyuu-jin warrior could not help but shudder at the resemblance, and the slow change in his friend. Just as his curiosity had compelled his feet to move forward and join his friend, Goku did as abrupt about face, the motion so sudden and swift it nearly sent the dozing chassidu flying out of his fellow warrior's arms. His gift for the gab at last returning to him, he was about to give his friend the third degree before he was frozen in silence but a glare worthy of the hologram's mug shot.

"Get everything in those capsules soon. We're leaving." The curt, direct orders cut through the oppressively silent shop, even the girl's sobs had died down to mere whimpers.

Krillin was hardly better. The shock of the day had destroyed all semblance of his own, normally spirited nature, leaving him wide eyed and slack jawed while he watched his friend march through the tiny shop. The sharp bang of the wooden door eased the gripping tension of the room and finally knocked Krillin enough out of his stupor to follow Goku advice, the supplies disappearing into a sleek, white capsule before he ran after his friend.

After the oppression of the small shop and the weight of the final discovery about 'Bardock', the bustling market was a comfort. Breathing in the warm, fresh, afternoon air, he looked for Goku's distinctive hair amongst the maddening crowd, and experienced a sigh of relief and a shiver of dread. The same hair, the same build, features; it was too close to be coincidence, but it couldn't mean …. Krillin's brain refused to even consider the insane opinions whirling through his head, no matter how often that ever irrational side of his thoughts pointed out another similarity between the fugitive and his best friend.

"Goku, wait a minute. Hold up." The small fighter yelled out as he darted through the crowd of shoppers to catch up with his friend. The larger man didn't stop or slow. His whole body was still as tense as a coiled spring, or a crouching animal waiting to strike and the tension in his body only increased with every step. Finally, much to Krillin's relief, Goku darted into a deserted alleyway, away from the suffocating main thoroughfare, and the young monk quickly followed suit.

"Goku, what is wrong? What did the poster actually say? Come on, you know you can tell me." Something in Krillin's plea must have finally broken through the thick mental wall Goku had erected around himself after he had read the bounty poster. He turned to his old friend, the tension in his body calming and he sighed heavily in his chest. The change in Goku's mood was so marked, even the chassidu was stirred from its endless slumber, the now timid rabbit slowly licking at Goku's fingers.

"I never had you pegged as a wanted man, Goku, unless it was a restraining order issued by every buffet restaurant in Chikyuu." Even Krillin's one liners did little to ease Goku's sudden sadness. He had only witnessed this expression once before on his best friend, on the day that Freeza's troops came and he could do nothing to protect his home. That look had shaken Krillin more than all of the Cold's military might. It was the look of a man who only knew victory and had experienced his first great defeat and lost everything he held dear. A man whose life would never return to the way it was.

"Since we first trained under Master Roshi, we've been the best of friends, Goku. I trust you with my life and I would do anything to help you. Please, you can tell me."

"It isn't me, if that is what you're wondering. According to the vitals, Bardock is over seventy years old. I guess the Saiyajins don't show their age." Goku replied, looking down at his hands as if they were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen.

"The scars are also a dead give-away. Besides, I can't see you as an invader of planets, or anything else we've heard about these Saiyajins. If you're a Saiyajin, Goku, I'll eat my hat."

"Krillin, you don't own a hat."

"It's just a figure of speech, bud." Krillin replied, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "I swear, can't take him anywhere." He murmured to himself and the small rabbit, who seemed to laugh at the Chikyuu-jins' antics.

"So, are you going to tell me what is so scary about this Bardock fellow that you practically gave that shop girl and I a heart attack?" After murmuring a half-formed apology, the larger fighter leaned back against the grey stone wall. His stance was at ease but his eyes still darting back and forth, his senses wary and alert like a hunted animal.

"I've learned a lot about the Saiyajins from the reports Dr. Briefs gave me. I didn't want to say anything to Bulma until I had learned more about them but I think they might be our best bet to defend against Freeza. They hate the Colds more than we do, and historically the Saiyajins are the Tsiru-jins greatest enemies and the most powerful rivals for control of the galaxy. There is one problem with approaching the Saiyajins…"

"I would think the fact that they are bloodthirsty, power mad savages would be a start." Krillin interjected, a little miffed at his friend's admission of keeping secrets. The fact that Goku was suggesting an alliance with a species that made a business of clearing out planets only soured him further.

"Would you rather be facing Freeza's wrath?" Goku replied, his voice growing thick with pent up frustration. About to weigh into a debate of ethics, the young ex-monk decided to follow the more enlightened approach as he nodded in understanding and bade his friend to continue.

"Your reaction is exactly why I didn't want to take this to Bulma or her father. Even as I read all of the reports and reconnaissance information about our potential allies, something about the Saiyajins struck out at to me. For all the evil they performed, there was a sense of honour about them. They are warriors, with great pride and a love for battle, not just killing but the art of fighting. I can't explain it but I felt a kinship with them. I'm never more alive than when I'm fighting, it's as if battle is an obsession in my blood, more than any other human. As much as Chikyuu is my home I …" Goku stopped in mid sentence, unable to give voice to what strange thoughts were whirling about in his head. Giving another heavy sigh, he continued on his analysis of the Saiyajins.

"Most of the reports talked about the size of their sector of space, some of the basic history and culture of Vegetasei and statistics about them, their average power levels, physical characters and abilities. Most striking is the Saiyajin tail, a furry fifth appendage that comes out from the small of their backs." As Goku spoke, Krillin's eyes went wide in shock. No way, it just had to be a coincidence.

"I've been thinking that too," Goku said, easily reading his old friend's thoughts from the expression on the ex-monk's face. "I had even heard a little bit about Bardock, a particularly powerful Saiyajin warrior who has attacked a number of Cold weapons factories. There were rumours about him aiding some of the resistance groups within Cold space. He's done more damage to the Tsiru-jin Empire than anyone else, hence the bounty on his head. He's even attacked part of the Saiyajin Empire, which led them to cast him in anger and fear of reprisal by the Colds, but he still has never been caught. I'm sure this sounds insane but I knew there was something good about these Saiyajins and about Bardock in particular. They can help us, especially with the promise of Capsule technology. Looking at that picture of Bardock, I'm sure that it isn't a coincidence…" Once again, Goku stopped in mid-thought, but it wasn't with pent up emotion as a flicker of a powerful, unknown ki touched Krillin's senses. As final verification of their fears, the previously napping chassidu tensed in Goku's arms and a low growl rumbled through its slight frame.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen, eh, Bardock? You got too cocky, Saiyajin, if you thought you could walk around Messaline as free as a bird. Then again it always was your arrogance. What happened? Didn't you see it coming?" Out of the shadows, a figure emerged, flanked closely by two others. A quick visual sweep of the alley revealed another pair of thugs at the other end, boxing the trio in.

"What to do? Oh, what does one do to repay you for everything you've done to me?" The original speaker asked again as he walked into the light. About Goku's height, the alien was unlike anything either of the Chikyuu-jin had ever seen. The exoskeleton encasing the creature was white, his body suit black, with a set of intimidating spikes protruding from his back and long oval shaped growth a top his head. The only splash of colour on the creature was a single red scar across his left eye, the mark deep and old.

The creatures around him looked as different as night and day, not one of them looked to be of the same species. Under his breath, Krillin cursed; he knew a team of mercenaries when he saw them. The fact that they had a personal vendetta against this Bardock didn't help matters. Kami, how did he get himself into these messes?

"But now you've left me with such a dilemma, take you to Tsiru-sei where I'm sure you'll suffer in writhing agony or just kill you myself? Either way, this is the end for you, Bardock and the whole galaxy will shudder at the name of Puipui." Or fall over with laughter, Krillin remarked to himself, only his apprehension at the situation held his tongue. A glance at Goku showed that his friend wasn't laughing either, already the gears of strategic thought were spinning in his head. As the five bounty hunters surrounded them, Krillin's own instincts kicked in.

The other four aliens were weak, as both his ki sense and his eyes confirmed. Each held a weapon and obviously none of them knew how to fight in a hand to hand situation. Their flamboyant leader was another matter. With the build and grace of a fighter, and the ki energy to back it up, Puupii, or whatever he called himself, was definitely going to be trouble.

"So where is that infernal squad of yours? Finally decided to save their skins instead of risking them with yours? Smart group, and far more prestigious than this midget and the bunny. Eww, I’m so scared." The obnoxious alien said, breaking the silent stand-off. One look from Goku told him to hold his ground, but it took all of his self-control not to launch himself at the sneering group. Better to wait, lull them into a false sense of security, not that they needed any help in that department.

"And once we sell you off to Freeza, we'll have a nice rabbit for a feast." One of henchmen chuckled as he walked up to them and attempted to grab the said 'feast' by its ears. Knowing what would happen by his own painful experience, Krillin didn't wait for the scream of pain before he launched himself at the pair of gunmen blocking their way to the street. Before the two creatures could even react he was on them, crushing their weapons like paper and striking them down with the deadly precision of a seasoned fighter. In under a minute they were both unconscious.

Turning to face the remaining trio, he found the creature who had grabbed the chassidu was moaning and writhing in the gutter, his face and arms covered with dozens of bite marks. The last lackey wasn't faring much better than his comrade, but unfortunately, neither was the chassidu. Its snowy white fur now red with its own blood. Not missing a beat, Krillin flew back into the alley as he kicked the laser rifle out of the mercenary's hands before swinging around to deliver a second kick to the creature's face, knocking the pink skinned Felean unconscious. Glancing back to ensure that the chassidu was still alive, Krillin ran deeper into the alley, searching out for Goku and the lead mercenary's ki. Concentrating only on their ki energies, he was almost struck from above when a body came crashing down in front of him. Before the dust could settle, the stunned warrior had gathered his wits together, erected a ki field around himself and adopted a stance, preparing for another battle.

It never came.

A soft tap sounded behind him and Krillin found himself staring at a badly bruised Goku, with the bloody chassidu in his arms. Delighted to find his friend alive and in one piece, his surprise soon turned to concern when his friend fell to his knees, breathing heavily. With the knowledge of many battles and training exercises to guide him, Krillin reached into his gi to grab the pouch of precious senzu beans that Korin had given them for the trip. Handling the bean to Goku, the other warrior proceeded to break it in two, giving the other half to the wounded chassidu before he popped his own portion in his mouth.

"Man, I don't know how we're going to explain this one to Bulma." Krillin sighed, surveying the damage as he waited for the senzu's power to take effect.

"That's because we're not going to tell her." Goku finally answered. "She has too much on her mind already, and you and I both know she hasn't slept the last few days. This 'Bardock' problem is mine, Krillin, mine to deal with, and I will." There it was again, that voice and expression that was so un-Goku like it caused the ex-monk to say a pray under his breath to anyone who got in this new Goku's way. Looking at the cracked and mangled body of the bounty hunter Piipuu, or whatever his name was, Krillin shuddered in apprehension and cursed Freeza, cursed Zarbon, the Saiyajins, everyone who had wrought such a drastic change in his once ingenuous friend.

"So what are we going to do with these five then? Whether they think you're Bardock or not, once they've healed up they'll cause us some trouble." The thought flashed in Goku's eyes so quickly that Krillin almost missed it, but it was there and it caused the former monk to say another prayer to the Gods. Never claiming to have any telepathic abilities, the small warrior could read Goku's intent: 'they can't cause us any trouble if they were dead'. The cruelty, the very malignancy of the silent suggestion was enough to shake the other fighter out of his current mindset and he sighed heavily, mentally exhausted by the weight of so much responsibility on his shoulders.

"The way that idiot went on, do you think he has a bounty on his head, or at least a warrant for his arrest?" Krillin finally asked, a cunning smile gracing his lips. At this suggestion, Goku perked up as well, his own face brightening with a large smile.

"I do believe I did see a bounty of 500 credits on his head, the other four would probably be nice window dressing for the Messaline police. But how do we take him in without having the police swooping down on us as well?"

"Oh how quickly they forget." Krillin chided, his smile now growing to a smirk. "I bet that young alien girl would be willing to help us, for the reward money of course. All we have to do is tell her where the bodies are and let her call the authorities while we slip back to the ship. With any luck, we'll be on our way and out of Messaline space before they can even mention the name 'Bardock'."

"Krillin," Goku laughed heartily. "You're a genius. Too bad we won't be able to take in more of the sights, but if those guys found us then we better keep a low profile and get back to the ship as soon as possible. No fighting in the arena this time."

"Don't worry about it, this little fight today was enough to stretch out the muscles after a week in the ship. I only hope we have enough supplies. If we have to deal with Freeza's forces and every bounty hunter looking for Bardock, we might not have the luxury of stopping for more." At that comment, Goku stopped again, his brow furrowed in deep thought. After several tense moments, the Chikyuu warrior finally calmed, his stance growing easy as he stroked the dozing chassidu in his arm.

"Come on, Krillin. Let's go. Unless I was mistaken, that shop girl had a crush on you, it might be best if you went back and told her about these five." In a perfect imitation of his best friend, Krillin blushed at the comment, his hand going behind his head. The moment of raillery soon passed as they remembered brevity of their situation.

"What about you, Goku?"

"We can't take the risk of anyone tracing my presence here back to the ship. Best thing to do is make our way back to the ship separately; the last thing we need is any innocent people sharing the fate these guys were planning for Bardock. When you finish with the girl come back to the ship, but make sure you're not followed. If anyone connects me with the Arion, Freeza won't be our only worry." Not wanting to point out that it was already too late to stop the connection from being made, Krillin simply nodded to his friend and walked back towards the bustling street. Taking one last look back when he reached the end of the alley, he found that it was empty of all but the five mercenaries, Goku already slipping into the shadows and out of sight. In that last moment before they had parted, Krillin saw that look one more time, that intelligent, heavy-hearted one that didn't belong on his friend's carefree countenance.

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

It should have been one of the truly great moments of her life, damn it. Here she was, surrounded by the most advanced technology in the galaxy, and the most intelligent inventors and engineers in the quadrant, walking through a warehouse the size of a football stadium. She was like a kid in an intellectual candy store. She should have been discussing her inventions with the greatest minds in the galaxy. She should have been the centre of everyone's attention, showing up Yamcha while she attracted every male in the room with her brains and beauty. But instead …

"Now sir, you look like a man who wants speed, especially with a little piece like that to impress." The fast talking proprietor of the establishment replied, giving Bulma the once over after the 'piece' comment. At least he didn't openly stare at her breasts and pinch her bottom, unlike when she and Yamcha first walked in.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." The greasy, blue skinned salesman said, finally acknowledging her presence in the room as an individual and not an ornament to decorate Yamcha's arm.

"All this technical stuff must be boring a pretty little thing like you." One step forward, ten steps back, Bulma growled to herself as she ground her teeth and levelled her deadliest stare at the chauvinist pig.

"If you want, Antibes," he continued, gesturing to a lowly sales attendant who paled under Bulma's withering glare. "Can show you some of our virtual pets or even let you pick out what colour you want your new cruiser to be. He'll keep you entertained until we men are finished with the difficult stuff, if that's okay with you, sir?" In one last, one might even say brilliant move, the salesman took away Bulma's chance to voice her opinion and redirected the conversation back to they now puffed up Yamcha. From the glint in his warm, black eyes, Bulma knew he loved every moment of the degrading spectacle.

As soon as she had informed him of her plans, he knew it was part of her intended punishment. It was one he was familiar with and had often suffered on Chikyuu, shopping with her until he was bored to tears while Bulma was treated like a princess. Now their roles were reversed and Bulma knew there would be some prime payback coming.

"I know she would hate to lose your company, Denaro, but she is just dying to check out colour swatches. You know women; you can't have anything that might clash with their shoes." That little remark received a loud, good-natured chuckle from the Commesian merchant and a murderous growl from the woman in question. Years together had allowed them to refine the various look, sighs, gestures and growls into a language which Bulma was using to the utmost against her former beau.

'I will get you back for this, Yamcha. You better sleep with one eye opened tonight.' Bulma silently replied with her barely contained growls, tense posture, and glares that promised pure murder.

'What's the matter, babe? Your little game of torture not going according to plan?' Yamcha fired back with a sexy, confident smirk. 'So now you're going to attack me in my sleep? I though such pettiness was beneath you, Bulma. Isn't that what you always kept telling me during our fights? Just go off and wow the extraordinary brainiacs you were so anxious to meet, I'm sure that little assistant will crumple under your will, if not your beauty. As for me, I'll just get everything we need for half the prise you would have paid.' Damn him, Bulma moaned to herself, he's gotten too good at this game; of course, it didn't help that he was holding all the cards. Everything about him was calm and collected, like a player at checkmate, his own gaze dared her to make a scene. He had won this round and they booth knew it. The engine parts were far too important, especially if Yamcha could get them for much less without arousing much suspicion.

"Just make sure you get what I want, lover. Remember, I'm the one with the credits." Bulma shot back with a sickening sweet voice. That would teach him, both of those presumptuous, arrogant males not to belittle her and inform them who wore the pants in her and Yamcha's relationship. Not bothering to look back, she turned to the stunned Saurian assistant, Antibes, if she recalled correctly.

"Lead on, good sir." She commanded him haughtily. "I'm interested in your shielding, warp conduits, and anything you have in the way of cloaking devices. And don't scrimp, I want to spend some money." Already her low spirits were forgotten. It was hard to stay mad when all the technology in the galaxy was spread out like a waiting feast in front of her. The young, green skinned assistant remained completely silent. If he was scared of another outburst or annoyed about being assigned to such a lowly post though, she couldn't say. As soon as she dismissed Yamcha and Denaro, Antibes had quickly started marching through the aisles, and Bulma soon gave chase.

The pair walked passed hundreds of shelves and stacks, the human woman oohing and ahhing at the various gadgets and gizmos but still the young assistant didn't stop or slow. As unsure as Bulma was about cultural practices, she was familiar enough with business ones to know that this was very peculiar behaviour indeed. A salesman running away from a sale, it was unheard of. Maybe she had walked through some deranged looking glass when they entered outer space, certainly nothing was as she hoped or expected it to be. She felt like the heroine of a Lewis Carroll book, finding herself in the technical wonderland and with the white rabbit … err, green lizard running away. With a choice between the mysterious and unknown and her wonderland, Bulma yielded to the same temptation that plagued Alice, curiosity. Wishing then that she had brought some shining stones or breadcrumbs in order to mark a trail for herself, she never the less threw caution to the wind and ran after her guide.

For the impatient human, minutes stretched into hours as she followed the lanky determined Saurian. In truth he led her on a merry chase, through dozens of showrooms and levels, and up countless --- well three fleets of stairs. Finally, at the moment when Bulma's tenuous patience was about to snap, Antibes stopped, turned and stared at his breathless, scowling charge. His expressionless, elongated face suddenly brightened with a wide, lipless grin that was a combination of admiration and wonder.

Bulma, on the other hand, lacking in both of those emotions, was now perilously close to tearing a strip off the unfortunate assistant. Gasping for the breath needed to scream her frustration, the precious seconds of reprieve was all that was needed for her eyes to slowly take in her surroundings and, most importantly, the door in front of her. Her blue eyes went wide then with surprise and confusion.

At the insistence of her father, she had taken the time to study the standard galactic dialect and was now proficient at it, even to the point where she had taught her friends the basics on their way to Messaline. Before her, in characters she recognised as plainly as her native Japanese, were the words 'Main Laboratory', and the names of half a dozen people who had created the wonders she had come so far to see. Already her senses were on overload with the sounds of metal against metal and fingers plugging in data, the smell of oil, industrial chemicals and hot kohi. Here she was standing in front of the most famous, prestigious lab on Messaline, but why?

"You have been especially invited by Dr. Mophostn, the Master gheijaka of this technical house. I hope you are not angered by my curtness earlier, Dr. Briefs, but my Master was very anxious to meet you and Ona Denaro is strict about not letting anyone into the labs." Still speechless, a considerably rare circumstance for her, Bulma just nodded and followed the junior tech into the busy lab. Mophostn? Mophostn? She repeated in her head, that name rang a distant bell. Her father had briefly mentioned a Mophostn as a possible contact on Messaline, but Bulma had been against the idea, the more people that knew of their flight, the more danger they were in

Once she was across the threshold, Bulma's stunned expression morphed into one of delight and wonder. All around her was the hustle and bustle of a bazaar, or a scientific symposium, with voices chattering away, discussing hundreds of thoughts and theories. Then there were the inventions, the physical manifestation of those thoughts. From the specs on the computer screens to the finished products, Bulma wanted to see it all. Never a shy or reserved individual since she hit puberty, the beautiful woman genius was reluctant to introduce herself to these titans of intelligence. On Chikyuu, she was like a shark in a swimming pool of the scientific community, but now she felt like a minnow in the deep, blue sea. Unsure of what she wanted to do, fate and a booming voice made the decision for her.

"Dr. Briefs!" The shout came from the far end of the massive, white washed room, and like Moses at the Red Sea, the mass of people in coveralls and lab coat parted to make way for the boisterous speaker. Unable to hide, and curious as who could possibly know her, Bulma watched and waited until a figure came into view. He was short and stout, with blue skin, wide, curious brown eyes, and a guileless, joyful smile on his face. The buttons of his lab coat was a mess, his shoes were mismatched, and the rims of his glasses were bound together with black electrical tape. Anyone else might look at the strange Caudata and think him a quack, but after years of living with a human version of the same, Bulma recognised the tell-tale signs of an eccentric genius. Smiling brightly, she walked up to meet her welcoming committee who grasped her in a big bear hug and wrapped her in an embrace with all the exuberance of an old man meeting a long parted friend.

"Play along." He suddenly whispered in her ear and abruptly released her as he began his charade.

"Dr. Briefs. My, how you have grown, you've become the spitting image of your mother, and with the brains of your father, from what he's told me, and from reading the some of your journal articles on propulsion and the limits of hyper space travel, I see he was being modest. But, bless me, I get ahead of myself, you probably think I'm mad, and you'd be quite right, but I have my methods and motives. If I may introduce myself, dear lady, I am Zuno Mophostn, a long time correspondent with your father. He has told me many things about you, I feel as if I know you. I'm so pleased that Antibes was able to find you and get you here. I received word from your father that you were going to be coming to Messaline to give a lecture on this wonderful capsule technology, and horrible host that I am, I didn't have someone meet you at the landing pad. I only hope you can forgive me, Dr. Briefs, and that you don't mind having the lecture given in this rather unorthodox setting." Keeping her face careful schooled to hide her complete confusion, Bulma merely smiled back and took the kindly doctor's advice to play along.

"Dr. Mophostn, it is a great pleasure indeed. I always knew my father's name was renowned in the scientific community on Chikyuu but to know that his name and Capsule Corporation extends this far into the galaxy is simply amazing. I am very sorry to say that left the bulk of my lecture notes back on my ship, I was just hoping to make contact with you today, but if you would like I can do a demonstration for you and your associates here. I have a wide range of Capsules." Soon Mophostn was commanding people to gather round, hailing her on with great fan fare as the group of scientists and inventors left their various stations and proceeded into the large lounge area at the back of the lab that made up Mophostn's office. Caught up in the fervour, Bulma played along, acting as an exhibitor at a trade show or a speaker at a symposium as she popped one capsule after another to reveal a car, fridge, and various other Capsule Corp products. The dozens of audience members were captivated, amazed by the remarkable technology and by Bulma herself, none of them the wiser that it was a dub. Soon the fridge was opened, as were several bottles of wine as the showing turned into a mini-party. In the chaos and with her capsule products still fascinating the majority of the scientists, Bulma slowly made her way to the still smiling Mophostn.

"I trust that you found everything a success." Bulma said, her tone professional but her eyes questioning the good doctor.

"Oh yes, quite so. In fact, if my colleagues don't mind, I would dearly to speak with you in private about your work for a little while. Then I believe you had expressed some interest in our own work in hull design and propulsion systems." The Caudata replied, loud enough to just be heard over the revelry. The blue skinned alien then walked towards his office with Bulma behind him, both of them silent until the door finally snapped closed.

"Alright," Bulma asked, her voice firm and business-like. "Who are you, what do you know and what was the point of that little display? And don't try anything funny; I have plenty more surprises than what is out there." If the Caudata was shocked by her sudden about face, he didn't show it. In truth, he didn't reveal any of the bumbling antics that had greeted her earlier as he slid into a plush chair and gestured for her to join him in another one. Taking the silent offering, she sat and stared over at the older man, her shrewd eyes and cunning mind sizing him up.

"Your father was right, you really are like your mother; both of you have that firebrand attitude."

"You're avoiding the question." Bulma shot back, her voice still neutral though she was becoming unnerved by everything the blue skinned alien knew about her family and herself.

"And you are everything your father said you would be, and no, that is not a lie, or some part of an elaborate scheme I cooked up. Everything I said earlier was true, I do know your father, have for many years, ever since he perfected his first hyper space engine and Chikyuu finally entered the space age. Astrometrics and long range communications have always been a hobby of mine and when I heard of your father and his inventions, I knew I had to meet him. We have shared findings, journal articles and swapped personal stories for many years now. Believe it or not, Miss Briefs, I've read your father's letters about you, your successes and adventures for the last twenty years. When I saw you today, I felt like an uncle seeing a long absent niece." On the outside she still maintained her business-like countenance, but on the inside she was furiously considering everything he had told her. It almost seemed too farfetched to be believed, but all of the pieces, her father's extensive knowledge of Messaline and all the confidential intelligence reports he was able to find for Goku. Then there was the fleeting mentions of a Mophostn before she left earth, first as a contact on Messaline, and then, then when they were working on the engine. It was Capsule Corp's most advanced propulsion system to date, her father had even written a paper on the theory of it. If she remembered correctly, she had a credit on that paper, as did a Dr. Swifts, and … a Zuno Mophostn.

"But how did you know about this mission? Don't tell me my father would risk everything to broadcast a warning to you?" With the encouraging discovery that she now had at least one ally to Chikyuu's cause, her relief was overshadowed by the all too real fear that their scheme had been uncovered. Already Freeza might have called off the temporary reprieve he had granted her father and demanded for the surrender of Chikyuu and Capsule Corp in particular. Oh Kami, Cold troops might already be on their way, destroying her home and everyone she loved dear, all because of her stubborn pride and foolish hope.

"Calm yourself, young one. Your father is a little flighty, a trait I'm afraid to admit that we share, but he would never do such a thing to jeopardise your mission. I learned about the Cold's and their plans myself; did I not tell you that Astrometrics was a hobby? If nothing else the Cold Empire is arrogant, but they are not to be under-estimated. It is unfortunate, young one, that you do so take after your father. That ship of yours is beyond anything built on Messaline, it attracted my attention as soon as you entered the atmosphere."

"Hacking into security systems another one of your hobbies?" Bulma asked, a sly, winsome smile on her face as she listened to famous scientist. Taking a sip of the dark Melwon wine that had flown so freely in the lounge, she laughed at her earlier assessment of Caudata. When she first laid eyes on him, it was like looking at her father, with blue skin, but it was her dad never the less: flighty, uncoordinated, sloppy, absent-minded. Now that she was faced with the cunning, devious genius, she could see her father again and how these two men had become such good friends.

"One that I do not proclaim as loudly, but I have been known to check out the world at large, as it were. It was your answer to the authorisation computer that informed me of your need for discretion and put two and two together to figure out why. Neither you or your father would ever accept the Cold's 'peace', but there is little that one simple planet can do against such might. I don't know what your plan is, young one, but I knew your purpose was not as simple as 'a short trade and research expedition'. After you landed I erased your entry in security computer's logs, closed off platform 16 for the allotted fourteen hour and left the rest of it to fate. When Antibes told me of a couple that Denaro was chatting up, I knew that I had to meet you, talk with you…"

"And prove my story of a trade mission." Bulma exclaimed, his words fitting together like pieces in a puzzle. "But why couldn't your assistant tell me about this beforehand? I could have done a much better job if I'd had some notice and time to prepare."

"Antibes is a wise and kind helper, but I could not trust him with any of this information. I told him the same story I gave to the rest of my staff, my only directions were that he had to get you away from Denaro and you could not be seen coming into the lab. Our 'employer' is very concerned about keeping his golden geese protected."

"Well, your 'employer' is a lot of things, and were I not concerned about keeping a low profile, I would rip of few of them off." Chuckling at her barely contained rage, Zuno swung around to computer on his desk, the top of which appeared as dishevelled as his lab coat.

"My nephew does have that effect on many women, the Commesian have never been known for respect towards the females of any species."

"Your nephew?" Bulma asked, her voice high and eyes wide with utter disbelief.

"Not by blood, I can assure you." The good doctor said, trying to clear himself of the gruesome charge lain at his feet. "I hope this rotten branch on my family tree has not soured your opinion of me and my sincerity for your plight," a quick shake of Bulma's head wiped away any lingering doubts. "Then what grand scheme is swirling through your head? How do you plan to save Chikyuu?"

Had she trusted him any less she would have not hesitated to use the few capsules she had hidden earlier to arm herself and shoot him where he stood for even speaking the words. Yet, the human woman sighed heavily, the fantasy of leaving her cares behind had ended with his question. She did want to tell him, to confide in another person, if only to lighten the planetary burden weighing down her shoulders. Maybe he could suggest another way, she replied to herself, a better way. One less liking to get them all killed.

"I wish I could boast of something more ingenious, but at the moment three of my best and most powerful friends and I are on a quest to visit the Empires in the Galaxy. We are hoping to find anyone or anything that is as strong as the Colds and asking for protection in exchange for technology, the stipulation being that Chikyuu remains free. At the moment, my home is being faced with the threat of invasion and complete genocide and anything is better than that." Tears began to form in Bulma red rimmed eyes, the exhaustion and stresses of the 'suicide' plan and the unacceptable alternative, as she had christened them, were wearing down on her. Just saying the words aloud caused new uncertainties to fill her head, the what-ifs buzzing about like flies.

"A desperate plan for a desperate circumstance. Truth be told, with a year to consider everything I don't I could come up with any better, more heart-wrenching or difficult," the engineer admitted, his fingers flitting over the keyboard with unparalleled fury. "There are very few powers within the Galaxy that can battle against the Colds, and even fewer that are less ruthless and bloodthirsty. We are in dangerous times, I fear. Money, power, greed and corruption stain everything. Everywhere planets, like Chikyuu, are falling under the control of the great Empires, being eaten up to shift the balance of power in their favour. Be wary of everyone, young one, especially for your own sake, a beautiful woman like yourself is a tempting target. You are very exotic, and exquisite, Bulma-chan, and your presence will be noted and remember where ever you go, and openly coveted by those with the power I fear." While she had thought of arming herself, and with Goku, Krillin and Yamcha at her side, the thought of being kidnapped and possibly raped was one possibility she had not considered, more for her own piece of mind than anything else. At Mophostn's warning, Bulma tensed, his words sparking a memory of Zarbon and the lewd glares he sent her way. Just the thought of being threatened like that again by anyone made her skin crawl.

"Then please, help me. I know you've done so much already and to ask for more is horrible but any help you can give would be most welcomed. You have proven to me that you are a friend not only of my family but of Chikyuu. It is truly heartening to know that my father keep such kind and generous friends. If there is anything you can do, advice, anything, I will be forever in your debt."

"The only advice I can give you is to watch out for yourself, be mindful of those you would consider friend and ally. In many cultures, women are nothing more than whores, the Feles and Myxini are known particularly for kidnapping alien women as sex slaves, though their treatment is mild compared to the Saiyajin. I do have more to offer than that, such as access to anything you wish for in our inventory; Antibes did say you mentioned something about warp coils and cloaking devices. In the back of the lab are all of my latest creations and the inventory overflows. You can take anything you wish, I've already removed it all from the database." Amazed by the kindness this perfect stranger was showing to her, the young Chikyuu-jin felt no shame as she walked around his cluttered desk and gave him a tight bear hug, ending with a plutonic kiss on his wrinkled forehead.

"Thank you, so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you. After all the trouble you've put yourself through, even to cheat your nephew." She didn't know whether it was her show of affection or her mention of the various criminal offences he had committed on her behalf, but the older Caudata couldn’t keep back his mad grin or the deep purple that stained his cheeks.

"Think nothing of it, young one. I would do anything to help the cause of freedom. As for my nephew, he is merely a relation, you I think of as part of my family." It was now Bulma's turn to blush as her eyes began to mist with tears. Wiping away the few tears that were forming, she smiled again at her benefactor. From beyond the protective barrier of the door, she could hear the boisterous, drunken voice slowly fading off, replaced with various snores. Looking back at the good doctor, she smirked at the innocent expression on his face.

"Must be something they drank," he replied as he eased himself out of his plush seat to join her by the door. Before Bulma could put her hand on the knob, Mophostn had snatched it and pushed a small device into her hands.

"It's a little thing I've been working on in my spare time, a mobile holographic projector, it can even project an image around a person, can follow and mimic motion. Just in case you ever need to disappear." Their earlier talk came back to Bulma and she quickly sobered and nodded her thanks at the gift. She quickly pocketed the device, intent on examining it later, and hopefully never being forced to use it.

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Staring hard at the dozens of wires, Bulma rubbed her sore eyes and scowled at the solution that was just out of her grasp. Was it red to green, red to white, green to white, she asked herself again, her poor brain turning to mush. After she and Yamcha had returned to the ship, the pair had been working to install everything before their time was up. It had taken them all afternoon and well into the early evening before they had finished, the last piece was Dr. Mophostn's cloaking device and at the moment it was more than Bulma could stand. Rubbing her eyes once more, she grabbed the wires and tried once more to make sense of it all. So consumed with her work as she laid under the main cockpit console, she didn't hear the set of footsteps nearing her.

"Hey Babe." Yamcha's deep, throaty voice came out of no where and Bulma nearly hit her head on the panel in her shock. Her finger wasn't as lucky as the sharp metal wires pierced her skin. Yelping in pain, she fought the urge to put the grease and dirt cover digit in her mouth as she crawled out from under the console and scowled at her former beau.

"Well the titanium panels have all been installed and your new warp coils are working like a dream. Nothing is going to be able to touch this baby when she gets goi… what's the matter, babe?" It was on her tip of her tongue to take a strip off the far too smug fighter but the concern in his eyes stayed her ire.

"Nothing," she murmured as she rolled her sore shoulders. "Installing the cloaking device is more difficult than I had anticipated. I think I need a breather before my brain just goes numb." The weight of keeping everything together, of being the central pillar of strength to save Chikyuu had finally cracked through her voice as she tried unsuccessfully to massage her sore back and shoulders. She almost moaned in relief as Yamcha took over her failed attempts, his warm strong hands rubbing away all the tension from her frame. Although the final nail had been pounded into their romantic relationship, the friendship was still there and growing and Bulma was now thankful that he was there with her. His hands and touch had always been one of his strong suits, winning her over more times than she cared to remember, but she could never deny how nice it was when he rubbed her back after a long day.

Murmuring softly for him to go lower, she realised that he was working his magic with his hands again. She seemed to melt against his touch, her eyes closing in relief.

"Have Krillin and Goku secured all the supplies?" Bulma finally asked, as much to keep a measure of formality between them as to satisfy her curiosity.

"Yep, though Krillin told me he had to take care when putting away the food. Right now they're in the training room, hiding so they don't have to help out with any of the technical stuff." Yamcha answered, his breath warm against her neck. Damn it, Bulma groaned to herself, she had forgotten how charming he was when he wanted to be.

"They didn't happen to say what happened to them? The two of them have been down right strange since they got back, especially Goku. I took his picture with the projector and he hardly smiled at all." It wasn't like him at all, she noted to herself. She had begun to worry about Goku for a while. Maybe it was time to give him back the hug he had given her.

"They haven't said a word. Just took care of the supplies, ate some supper and headed down to the training room, probably for the night. I guess it's just you and me tonight, princess." Yamcha replied, smirking at her pet moniker.

"And what about the rabbit?" Her resistance was starting to fail again so she leaped on the one subject she knew would put a scowl on his face. Much to her disappointment, and relief, his hands left her back, punishing her probably.

"I still can't believe you let them keep it."

"It's cute." She fired back.

"It growled at me." Yamcha replied, but his ire had quickly dissipated and he returned to rubbing Bulma's back. Since their official and final break up, the relationship between them had been very strained, from open hostility to the silent treatment. Being in close quarters for a week hadn't helped their situation either but right now, he could feel her anger melting away. For all of their problems, they had still been great together, in more places than one. Maybe, maybe, he thought wistfully to himself.

"You know we are on our own for the rest of the night, Bulma, and I think it's a little unfair that Goku and Krillin got to see the sites while we were stuck in that warehouse all day." Receiving a little encouraging moan, Yamcha continued, as he brushed his cheek against her ear and hair.

"We have a few hours before our time is up, a couple thousand credits left and I saw this great little bistro on our way back to the ship. The upgrades are almost done, why don't you take a shower, slip into something comfortable and we'll go out for dinner. It's been a long time, Bulma, and even you have to admit …" So caught up in getting his words just right, Yamcha was shocked as Bulma slumped against him and he finally caught her soft even breaths. Turning her body in his arms, he let out his own sigh as he cradled her limp form in his arms. The fact that she had fallen asleep on him stung a little at his pride but he was glad she had finally let herself relax and take the rest she had been denied since this whole Freeza mess started.

Walking silently through the ship as to not disturb his cargo, he walked into her room and deposited her on her bed. Even with all the practice he had with removing her clothes, Yamcha felt awkward pulling off her boots and zipping off her coveralls, leaving her in a white t-shirt and shorts. Picking her up one last time, he turned back the covers and placed her in the bed. Through the whole ordeal Bulma hadn't moved or made a sound, her soft, steady breathing the only sign that she hadn't dropped dead. So much for his last hope, Yamcha replied to himself as he smoothed back her hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"We were good together." He said to the slumbering woman before he flicked off the light and left the room.

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

"Are you sure about this?" The deep rapsy voice asked, as the Gnath's eyes glared at the blue skinned creature that dared to interrupt his supper. As much as he enjoyed the power and perks of being the Cold ambassador to Messaline, he loathed dealing with these lower beings. Finding out that it was a Commesian only increased his ire, until …

"Quite sure, Ambassador Kuwi. I saw the woman with my own two eyes, a blue haired Chikyuu-jin woman, very beautiful. My informant," the man continued, gesturing to a green skinned Saurian in the background. "Confirmed her identity as the scientist, Bulma Briefs. A woman, he tells me, the Cold Empire has much interest in." At the merchant's smug tone, Kuwi growled and tightened his hands into fists. It was taking all his concentration not to blast the creature and its slimy 'informant' to dust. Remember, he repeated to himself, an ounce of patience reaps a ton of reward, especially if what the Commesian claimed was true. His underlings routinely checked the city's landing logs in search of valuable bounties or important refugees, yet he had no idea that the little human vixen was on Messaline at all. If he didn't know, it meant Master Freeza didn't know either, for he was sure the woman would have slipped away from her planet as covertly as possible. The short reprieve Freeza had granted Chikyuu while he was dealing with rebellions within his borders had given the creature the opportunity to mount a counter strike, or cosy up to an ally. The Gnath's mind whirled in apprehension, shivering at Freeza's wrath if the Tsiru-jin lost the pivotal planet and its precious technology. Yet, if he could catch the bitch in an open attack of defiance, he could bring her to his Lord, along with an excuse to invade Chikyuu. Already Kuwi could see his position within Freeza's ranks skyrocketing, but only, he thought ruefully, if the Commesian's story was true.

"How do I know that what you say is true, you greasy little pest? My intelligence network has found no evidence of the Briefs woman, or any Chikyuu-jins on Messaline. Now if you told me the whereabouts of the Saiyajin Bardock, then we might have something to talk about." Kuwi shot back, the rumours of the Saiyajin's presence on Messaline reaching his ear this day as well but he wasn't ready to go out and risk his career on speculation, about the Saiyajin or the woman.

"If you need proof of the woman's whereabouts, then I have the surveillance video from when she visited my establishment today." The merchant replied; his smug attitude dulled a little as the capitalist came through. With a nod of the Commesian's head, the tall, silent Saurian stepped forward, deposited a holo-disk on Kuwi's desk and returned to its master's side. Looking down with disinterest at the silver disk, the Cold ambassador leaned back in his plush leather chair.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, that the little blue haired bitch was here, a blurry and possibly doctored video file is hardly worth wasting my time on, let along wasting Lord Freeza's time. Tell me, where is this woman now?" The merchant's face paled from blue to green at the question and Kuwi's ire grew.

"I am not sure of her exact location, but I know a way to find her." The Commesian stammered as greasy steaks of sweat poured down his forehead.

"Go on." Kuwi replied, giving his best impression of his Tsiru-jin master.

"With the help of my uncle, the bitch took thousands of credits worth of technology from my warehouse. I have suspected my uncle's treachery for a while so I had Antibes, my assistant, install detonation and homing devices on some of the merchandise, and he assures me that is what the woman took."

"And you will part with the tracking device for?"

"I wish for nothing more than to prove my loyalty to the Colds and to get back at the thieving bitch. As for a price, so I wish only for considerations in the future, when any new construction contracts come up." Ahh, the businessman at work, Kuwi growled to himself and the corner he had now been backed into. Either take the transmitter and be in the merchant's debt, or ignore this warning and risk suffering Lord Freeza's wrath in the future. For all it stung at his pride, he took the lesser of two evil and chose the former. The exchange was thankfully a quick affair and he stared down gleefully at the remote in his gloved hand. Watching the two creatures leave, he briefly considered blasting them to bits but he refrained. Who cared about those two, the Gnath replied to himself, he had much better prey now. With a push of a button, a holographic map of the quadrant came to life and there, moving away from Messaline, was a single red dot. And moving at a fast speed, Kuwi realised. If he didn't act soon, the ship and the opportunity could be out of his grasp.

"Hoshu," The Gnath said to the previous hidden servant. "Take this tracker to the captains of the Arashi and the Assalto. Tell them they may use whatever means necessary but I want that ship and its passengers, and I want them alive."

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Blinking his eyes opened, Krillin softly grumbled and turned over in his cot. The curse of ki training had struck again, he moaned to himself. It was the second time that night he had felt a slight disturbance somewhere in the ship, probably the stupid chassidu. Willing himself back to sleep, his eyes shot open again, but this time it wasn't just ki that forced him from his bed. He had heard a noise and whatever had caused it had just passed by his room. Visions of Freeza's lackeys, giant ants or Fele assassins flooded his head and his rational side was yelling at him to find a place to hide. Too bad he didn't listen to that side enough, he noted to himself as he slipped on the orange pants and shirt of his gi and crept out into the dimly lit hall.

Keeping his ki down and his steps silent, the monk followed his shadowy adversary through the bowels of the ship, passed the engine, cockpit and the other living quarters until it reached the small docking bay. As his quarry slipped past the sliding bay doors, Krillin hung back and tried to steady his rapidly beating heart and his frantic breathing. It was too late to call for help so he would only get one chance at stopping the intruder, whoever it was. The mini battle of rationality warred in his head again but as before, he ignored it and didn't hesitate as he ran towards the docking bay doors, a loud kiai bursting from his mouth. The sudden presence of another person must have shocked his opponent, the other person jerking up in shock as he flew at them with his fist poised to strike. The element of surprise was all he needed to slow his enemy down, the shadow's reflections too slow to counter his blow and he pounded his quarry to the floor. Twisting around to prepare for his next strike, he didn't get a second shot as a big hand grabbed him by the leg and he found himself crushed under a large, heavy body.

"Darn it, Krillin. What do you think you're doing, trying to wake everyone up? Calm down. It's me, Goku." At the sound of his best friend's whispered voice, the monk stopped thrashing and went still, his eyes wide in shock. The shock didn't last long as Goku rolled off him.

"What do you think you're doing, bud? Sulking around the ship like this, sneaking off into the docking bay when everyone else was asleep. I thought you were a stowaway, or worse. But what are you doing down here, Goku?" Krillin finally asked, his anger and sarcasm quickly wiped away as he stared into the determined, solemn gaze of his best friend.

"I have to go, Krillin. It's not safe for you three if I stay here, if what happened on Messaline is any indication." Giving his best imitation of a guppy, the former monk's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide once more at Goku's unexpected announcement. Yet, the diminutive fighter's curiosity and concern was too strong to be ignored.

"But you can't! Where will you go? And why are you leaving now? Were you just going to leave us without even saying good-bye? Whatever you are worried about isn't more important to us than you are, we've always worked out things together in the past, why now?" The larger man could only sigh in response as his once cheerful eyes reflected a heavy burden of despondency and pain. Kami, the former monk gasped, praying to the Chikyuu-jin deity for guidance. He had witnessed that look before, only ten hours ago in a back-alley on Messaline when they had parted ways after the fight. The look had stuck in his mind, and now he knew why.

"You can't possibly thinking what I think you're thinking, Goku! It's impossible! You aren't going to find this Bardock." Goku's spiked head only slowly nodded and the large man turned from his long time friend and took a capsule from the rack. Clicking on the plunger, the large fighter tossed the capsule to the floor and waited for the obligatory puff of smoke. Suddenly a small, two person cruiser appeared.

"Why are you doing this? We're your friends. We need you. Chikyuu needs you!" Krillin said, breaking the awkward silence. The shock and anger of his earlier statements had melted into desperation and confusion and it showed in his voice and on his face.

"I … I don't know." Goku replied, his voice shaking with emotion. "Chikyuu is my home, and you guys are my family, but somehow I've always thought something was missing. As much as I'm a part of Chikyuu, I have this other part to me. I … I'm not human, Krillin, I don't know what I am, but I have to find out. This man, Saiyajin, I have to find him, meet him. He can tell me who or what I am. I need to find him. I had hoped that you would understand this need to know myself. I'm sorry, Krillin, but my mind is made up." With that he stepped up to the cruiser's main entry hatch and walked into the small craft. About to close up the hatch and get the ship ready for launch, he was shocked when he felt Krillin's ki behind him, already settling into the co-pilot's seat.

"You didn't think I would let you go out there alone, did you?" The ex-monk replied cheekily. "I don't know what we're going to do about Yamcha and Bulma though? I hope they'll be okay by themselves."

"I think they'll be fine," Goku replied, a knowing tone in his voice. "We both know that Yamcha will do anything to keep Bulma safe. I left a message to all of you on Bulma's holographic projector explaining where I was going and why. I also programmed in the co-ordinates for the Planet Vegetasei into the ship's nav computer. I still think the Saiyajins are our best bet against Freeza, and if anything can win them over, it'll be Chikyuu's technology." The other warrior said his manner light and his eyes warm with happiness. The old Goku was back; Krillin realised, even if he'll never be the same.

"I hope you're right about these Saiyajins, Goku. Of course, any species that claims you as a member can't be all bad." With that, Goku flipped the ignition on the cruiser and signalled opened the outer bay doors. Soon they were drifting in open space, into the unknown. He only had a few rumours that he had picked up while they were on Messaline and his gut instinct to guide him, but with his sense of eternal optimism and his best friend by his side, he knew he would not fail. If only he had the same sureness about Bulma and Yamcha.

'They would be all right.' Goku assured himself as he watched the Arion disappear into the distant. 'What could happen?'

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Caught up in a beautiful dream about her own private strawberry farm, Bulma moaned angrily as a soft voice interrupted her fantasy, slowly forcing her to wake up.

"Please mom, just five more minutes." She groaned out, fighting against the pull to wake up. She had almost succeed before her whole room shook violently, the movement strong enough to send her tumbling out of her bed. Wide-awake now, Bulma fought to stay on her feet as the ship started rocking again. All around her, alarms were going off. The air was filled with smoke and through it all, the computer's calm digitised voice, a copy of her mother's own gentle lilt, could be heard.

"Warning, shields down 40%, long range communications are offline." Kami, Bulma screamed to herself, the unthinkable had happened and now her worst fears come true. They were under attack.

Her mind flew frantically, wondering how she had got to her room, and out of her coveralls. She must have fallen asleep when Yamcha was giving her the massage, when she was had taken a break from installing the cloaking device.

THE CLOAKING DEVICE!

Running like death was on her heels, the woman dashed through the halls that were slowly filling with smoke. With every hurried step, Bulma berated her weakness and stupidity. This mission, the safety of her friends and Chikyuu was her responsibility and she had risked it all. How long had she been out? When had they left Messaline? Glancing out of a large porthole, she confirmed her fears. The Arion was in the middle of deep space, but certainty not alone as a sleek, white destroyer swooped down and attacked. The force of the blast sent Bulma reeling into the far wall, but not for long as another blow was struck from the other side. There were two of them, Bulma's analytical mind processed, two against one, though if she didn't get to the cockpit and do something the odds would get much worse.

"Warning: shields down to 10%, outer hull holding strong. Long range communications, secondary propulsion systems and phaser weapon system offline." The main computer voice echoed through the ship, giving an assessment of the damage. At least she could breath a sigh of relief about the shielding, the titanium plates that they added were strong. If she could get to the cockpit and install the cloaking device they might have a chance.

After what felt like an eternity, Bulma finally reached the cockpit and her hopes took another downward turn. A bloodied and bruised Yamcha was at the helm, working frantically at the controls as he tried to manoeuvre the ship out of danger. The task was made much harder as sparks flew from the main console, burning the fighter's hands. Another blast hit the ship and one of the side consoles burst into flame as the main computer informed them that the shields were gone and steering controls were damaged. As if to confirm this, the ship glided through space, ignoring the Yamcha's commands from the cockpit.

It was worse than she could have hoped. With no manoeuvring capability, they were sitting ducks. Their only hope was the cloaking device.

"Yamcha," Bulma cried as she ran towards the main console. "I'm going to try and install the cloaking device and get some of our systems on line. Do whatever you can to stall them until I give you the word to activate the cloak." No matter her opinion of him as a boyfriend, she had complete trust in his ability to handle the Arion and keep them all alive.

"Don't worry. If you can get me steering, I can make this a fight they won't soon forget. You weren't the only one to get some fun toys at that technical house."

Not waiting to ask him what he meant, she slid beneath the console and frantically tried to make sense of the mess of burnt and tangled wires the primary systems had become. With fingers and a brain well-versed in working in pressure situations, she deftly began to splice and re-work the links between the console and the ship's systems. A cry of happiness from Yamcha and a quick turn of the ship confirmed that steering control was back on-line, now it was time for the cloaking device. Sliding further down under the terminal, she reached her Achilles heel and smirked at the mess of wires with unparalleled glee. Whether it was the earlier sleep or the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the complex puzzle was like a clear picture before her eyes.

Beyond the world of systems and wires, she could faintly hear the sounds of battle. Swearing like a sailor, Yamcha was in his element as he manoeuvred the ship out of harm's way, the Arion responding like a dream. The scream of sparking equipment was still going on all around her but all of the main systems were still hanging on. Most importantly though, she could hear the main computer confirming that the hull was still strong and holding.

Red to white, green to yellow, blue to red, black to green, like dominoes it was all falling into place. A few connections away from getting the cloaking device on line, she heard Yamcha laugh out like a madman as a sudden explosion rocked the ship.

"Direct hit." She heard him yell and she knew at once that he had just tested out his 'toy'. Laughing out herself with excess adrenaline, she spliced the last wires together. She could hardly breath with the emotions running through her, with the excitement and realisation that they were going too survive. Never in her wildest dreams could she image what would happen next.

A mere second after the first explosion, a second, stronger one rocked the ship, the force of it so great it could have ripped through the hull. Bulma's head when crashing against the hard, metal floor, causing her to black out for a second. When she came too, the computer was now wailing loudly.

"Warning: HULL BREACH FROM AN INTERNAL RUPTURE IN TRAINING ROOM AND LIVING QUARTERS. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS DOWN TO 70%. MAIN POWER DOWN TO 50%." Sliding out from under the terminal, her eyes burned from the heavy, black smoke belching from the hallway. The cockpit looked like a war zone, small fires burning everywhere, the main lights flickering from white to red, and in the middle of the floor was an unconscious and badly bleeding Yamcha. She felt like being pulled from every where at once, only cold, hard clarity lead her to stare back at the console and continue where Yamcha had left off. Quickly re-routing all main power that she could to the warp drive, she finally activated the cloaking device and breathed a sigh of relief as white destroyer flew right past them. It had worked, but with the extensive damage she only hoped that it would win her enough time to escape. Her eyes spied over all her available systems as she transferred all power that she could to the engines and the shields to sure up the hull.

She watched transfixed as the power percentages for the engines and shields rose and everything non-essential, the lights, gravity controls and life supports for the rest of the ship decreased to zero. Her eyes blurred in sadness as the realisation came upon her. She hadn't seen Krillin or Goku since the whole mess had started and she began to fear the worst. They must have been in their rooms, she realised, and tears filled her eyes as she listened to the computer's warning again: hull rupture in the living quarters, all life support off line. With sadness came a feeling, stark and undeniable and total new to the Chikyuu-jin scientist, blood lust. All of her pain, fear, and frustration over Chikyuu's fate, Yamcha's injuries, Goku … Goku and Krillin's death, were all Freeza's fault. The woman screamed out in rage as she slammed her hand on the control terminal and madly fired off all of the proton torpedoes they had left. The other ship, oblivious to her encroaching presence, was like a sitting duck as her shots ripped through the side of the white vessel. Her triumph was short lived as another large explosion rocked the entire ship, throwing her to the ground next to Yamcha as she landed painfully on her left arm. The cockpit went black for a moment, though Bulma wasn't sure if it was from a loss of power or the impact on her now throbbing head. Crawling on her knees to the main console, she looked out in horror as the other ship began to fly towards her, its weapons charged and ready. She had only a split second before she either passed out or was killed, and with the last ounce of energy she had left, she activated the warp drive.

Never had Bulma heard a sweeter song than the engines powering up as the battered ship shifted to speeds far beyond light. As her eyes began to close, she took a second to wonder where they were headed, the ship responding to co-ordinates she was unfamiliar with. It didn't matter, she told herself, as she hit the floor and her world turned to black. Wherever she was headed, it had to be better than the torture chambers of Tsiru-sei.

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

"Warning: power life support systems down to 10%, two hours of oxygen available, two hours of auxiliary power remaining." The computer's voice chirped, the once bright and optimistic sound was now slow and muffled as the ship continued to lose power. Two hours, Bulma repeated in her head, two hours and it would all be over.

All but dead to the world when she finally passed out, she was awaken by a warm nuzzling of her ear. Opening her eyes, she found the wily and cunning rabbit had escaped the destruction to the living quarters and had made its way to the safest place in the ship looking none the worse for wear. She, Yamcha, and the Arion were another story all together.

Forcing herself to wake, she wished she hadn't as she took in the decimation of her beloved ship. The Arion had made it several light years until the shields and hull supports could no longer handle the stresses of hyper space travel. The once indestructible cruiser was now in pieces. The cargo and docking bays, most of the living quarters and the training room had broken off and were now floating through space, along with Goku and Krillin's bodies. A sob of anguish swept through her at the reminder, her eyes still burning with the tears she had shed for them, for herself, for Chikyuu and Yamcha.

After numerous attempts to revive her former beau, she had simply run out of hope. He had several bumps and injuries to his head, most of which she wrapped in gauze and had thankfully stopped bleeding. Those, unfortunately, weren't his only injuries; he had also sustained a broken arm, a cracked jawbone and a few bruised ribs. With the medical supplies in the first aid kit she was able to clean his injuries and treat them, but he was still in rough shape and the situation wasn't getting any better. Yamcha's health was slowly fading, and he wasn't the only one.

Holding back a heavy yawn, Bulma slumped in the captain's chair, her mind fighting off her despair as her body fought out the pain of her injuries and the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. It was also a race now to see what would kill her first, the lack of breathable air or the cold of space when the two hours were up. It was only by the grace of Kami and the strength of the doors and shields that the ship was still inhabitable. Once the power finally died, she had already predicted the ship would rip apart, or the entire ship would freeze as soon as the heat died. Either way, it was a hopeless case, and made more hopeless by their location: parsecs away from any habitable planet or shipping lines, deep in the heart of Saiyajin space.

Saiyajin space, just the word brought a shudder to her already exhausted body. She had read a few of her father's reports about the inhabitants of the planet Vegetasei. They were descended from monkeys, very powerful, violent, ki-wielding monkeys, who hated and destroyed anything they deemed weak. Zuno's warning came back to her, with his talk of sex slaves and worse treatment she didn't know if she wanted to be found. What a choice, she moaned to herself; a painless death in space, or torture at the hands of flying monkeys?

"We’re not in Kansas anymore, Usagi." She replied to the chassidu on her lap, the creature ignoring her Chikyuu-jin reference. Or maybe, Bulma thought glumly, the white alien hare had already met its end, just another soul who lost their lives under her command. Krillin and Goku, how could they be gone? They were so full of life, willing to do anything for their friends and for Chikyuu. Being an only child, she had missed out on the happiness, or misery, of siblings. In a real sense, Krillin and Goku were like her brothers, the gang was her family, and Kamesennin an old, perverted uncle. Now, she would never see her family again, both the blood one and the one in spirit. All she had left of them were the last few images she took with her holographic projector, the lifelike facsimile of her 'brothers' a sorry substitute for the real thing. Even then her last memory had been distorted in the same attack that had destroyed the originals. The projector must have sustained damaged during the attack, the audio circuits fused beyond repair and several of the images were erased or the files had overlapped. There were pictures of a hybrid of the chassidu and Krillin, Yamcha and Zuno-ojisan, and a huge video of a hybrid of her and Goku. It took her the longest time to realise that it was an error in the system, and not the oxygen-deprivation messing with her head. It was still strange to see a short, blue eyed, slim built Goku.

That could have been what her future children would look like, if she could entertain the idea of Goku as anything but a goofy little brother. Not that it would matter in any event, she would never know, never experience the rest of her life. She would never know the wonder and beauty of her own children, never see her friends settle down with the same. Never would she find that perfect partner that she had gone on that first dragon ball hunt for, if such a beast even existed. During their arguments, Yamcha used to say there wasn't a human man alive who could satisfy her notion of an ideal husband, no man that could face her temper, deal with her arrogance and pride at being the best, or live up to her standards. He had proclaimed her the ice queen, and damn it, he was right. Oh Kami, she prayed, clasping her hands tightly as she pleaded to any deity who would listen to her. Please don't let it end like this, frozen or suffocated in the middle of space. She didn't want her life, everything she worked so hard and dreamed of, to end now.

"Please," she pleaded, as her breath turned to white mist in the cold air. To her amazement, something answered.

At first, it was a soft beep, just another in the dozens of dying beeps and whirls that sounded throughout the cockpit. It wasn't until she glanced over at the sensor readings that her eyes went wide with equal parts joy and dread. There was a ship in the distance that was rapidly approaching them, a Saiyajin war ship, the computer informed her, and it would be to there location in thirty minutes. The human scientist didn't know which emotion hit her first. The thought of warmth, breathable air, medical supplies for Yamcha, maybe even a rejuvenation tank, made her giddy with relief. Her happiness at the prospect of safety was quickly overshadowed by her terror at Zuno-ojisan's warning about the Saiyajins and their attitude towards alien women.

' In many cultures, women are nothing more than whores … kidnapping alien women as sex slaves … mild compared to the Saiyajin.' A cold shiver of fear had shot up her spine when she heard those words and that feeling had only magnified now that she was facing one of her worst fears. She had never wanted to admit it but one of the biggest reasons she had agreed so strongly in this mission was fear, fear of the life she would be subjected to as Zarbon's 'wife'. Just the way he leered at her during negotiations, his eyes promising all measure of depravity and abuse. It wasn't until he cornered her in a deserted hallway that she experienced a thankfully small taste of that lust head-on. The thought of a life full of rape, torture, and abuse, whether from a Changling mercenary or a horde of Saiyajins, was more than she could take.

No, it could not end like this! She had not risked life and limb to escape Freeza, only to meet her end at the hands of a race of rabid hyper apes. The Arion had nothing left, everything but life support was gone, and even that was near its end. She couldn't fight without weapons or a working ship but she would not go meekly to her fate. With all the mental prowess she still had left in her weary brain she racked furiously over the question, only to slump in defeat. She had nothing left. She was too tired, too cold, too sore, and her brain was too numb. She had not only failed herself, but Yamcha, Usagi, her parents, Chikyuu, Krillin, Goku … Goku.

"It's a little thing I've been working on in my spare time, a mobile holographic projector, it can even project an image around a person, can follow and mimic motion. Just in case you ever need to disappear," or become another person, Bulma whispered to herself as she reached out with unsteady hands for the small holographic projector. With speed that belied her exhaustion she was on her feet, disturbing the dozing chassidu, which snorting in reply and watched the strange woman rush about the dim cockpit. Taking one last look at her unconscious former beau, Bulma grabbed the first aid kit and pulled out the medical tape and a large roll of gauze. Soon she was ripping off her shirt and bra, exposing her large, round breasts. Always a point of vanity for the young woman, she knew survival was far more important than narcissism as she wrapped the gauze tightly around her breasts in an attempt to flatten out her generous chest. Securing it with the medical tape, Bulma took a deep breath and happily sighed when her handiwork held up against the pressure. It wouldn't be enough, she realised, not if she wanted the deception to work.

The transformation from gorgeous vixen to awkward boy took only a few moments, long enough for her to pin and slick back most of her long blue hair while spiking up the rest with gel. Her shapely body was further hidden under two layers of her old work-shirts and a pair of Yamcha's black training pants. Bulma grinned in delight at the strange reflection that stared back from the tempered glass window. Now that everything on her body would feel right, it had to look right at well.

In an instance features morphed. Her hair turned a dark black blue mix, adapting to the strange, thick spikes she had formed with the gel. The elegant, feminine features of her face took on a sharper, more masculine appearance, resembling Goku's cheerful countenance. Even her delicate, tapered hands grew longer, the fingers thicker. Raising her new hands, she turned them back and forth, the projector detecting her movements and readjusting the image. To her own eyes, it looked as if she had a young man's hands, as well as a slim male body and the face of a handsome youth. The only constant between her own true self and the image before her eyes were her eyes. The large blue orbs had not been altered in anyway. Though, her eyes only seemed to add to her new mystique as a boy, giving her a young, innocent, and frightened appearance. They would hopefully prove the story that was now swirling through her head, the alibi which would have to keep her and Yamcha alive when the Saiyajin war ship came and took them back to Vegetasei. If it didn't blast the Arion out of existence that is.

Focusing on the possibilities of the former prospect, she set about getting herself ready for the fate that now lay before her. It was a simple enough task to reset the holograph to show her bruises and scrapes, matching the image to the reality that was stinging her forehead and cheek. With a few more adjustments, she finally secured the projector into her watch, installing a back-up power source for good measure. She laid the last piece of the puzzle in place when she put out a distress signal through the short range channels. It was only a matter of waiting now, and praying, Bulma replied to herself, a lot of praying.

Normally not a religious person, she thanked every deity in the world beyond when she heard a booming voice throughout the cold, dim cockpit, the harsh tones of another soul were like heaven after the deadly silence.

"This is Captain Serori of the Saiyajin ship, Niwa. You are trespassing in Saiyajin space, please identify yourselves immediately or you will be destroyed … again." This was the moment of truth, at least the first one she would have to face if she hoped to stay alive. Even with her and Yamcha's survival resting on her answer, her throat clenched at the task ahead of her.

No, don't be afraid or wallow in sadness and doubt. He would understand.

After a cough or two, along with a few grumbles in an attempt to make her voice lower and more gruff, she put her plan into action and did the only thing she could, tell the truth.

"This is the Chikyuu ship, Arion. Please, help us." She replied to the threat, her voice low enough to resemble a youth, or one young man in particular. "We were attacked on route from Messaline by two Cold destroyers. They came out of no where and started firing on us. The attack was unprovoked and very brutal as you can see. Two of my companions were lost during the fight; one is in serious condition. We only escaped because I was able to activate the hyper drive. I didn't know which direction I was heading in when the drive kicked in. We might have passed harmlessly outside of Saiyajin space if our ship had not been ripped apart. Neither Chikyuu nor I mean any harm to the Saiyajin Empire. I wish only for help, medical supplies for my companion and a means to get home. I have heard that Saiyajins, above all else, have strong prides and codes of honour and I humbly submit myself to your honour, Captain Serori, to do with my life as you will." Every muscle was taut to the point of breaking as Bulma played her hand. It had been one of the hardest things she had ever done, putting her fate in the hands of a Saiyajin, even complimenting the race of bloodthirsty savages. Now she could only wait. Her fear and anxiety so strong she could hardly breath. The uncertainty was eating her up inside and only her iron will kept her from throwing up or bursting with all the emotion that was flooding her being. She was so tense that she nearly jumped a foot as the same gruff voice echoed through her dying ship once more.

"I must say, you display a wisdom and pride far beyond the years of your voice. Scans of our ship confirm your tale, the damage has all the earmarks of a Tsiu-jin destroyer, and you have no weapons left. I certainly hope they went to avenge your companions' deaths, for someone who calls on a Saiyajin's honour must be worthy of such a privilege." There was a few deep chuckles at the Captain's words, the sound only serving to make Bulma tenser, as if the Saiyajins were examining her for faults.

"One was completely destroyed, the other was seriously wounded before I escaped. Though as you can see, the Arion took the worst of it." Bulma replied to her inquisitor, her fear slowly turning into anger as she listened to another round of chuckles. A proud and stubborn woman, there was nothing that gaoled her more than to be an object of ridicule, especially by a race of knuckle draggers. Biting her lip to keep herself silent, she waited for the laughter to stop and her fate to be decided.

"I must admit, I am impressed. Few ships the size of yours could face off against a destroyer, let alone take out one, escape another and live to tell the tale." Whether there was truth in his words or just condescension, she didn't know. Her fear and anxiety, coupled with the anger at her situation, was too much to keep her silent this time.

"Whether you believe it or not, Captain, I promise you it is true. And for my troubles, my ship has been destroyed, two of my best friends are dead, and my one surviving companion and I may soon join them. I asked you, on your honour, if you would help me, and I wish to know your reply." Silence greeted her curt statement, even the condescending laughter had halted completely. Caught between her joy at shutting up the Saiyajins or panic at pounding the last nail in her coffin, Bulma winced when the Captain's voice boomed out over the com link.

"You dare to demand anything of me, weakling?" With your ship in pieces around you and an hour from death, you think you can order me about?" Even over the gulf of space, through a damaged receiver with poor reception, the anger in Serori's voice was as potent as if he were standing in the cockpit. Holding back a whimper at her stupidity, the young woman couldn't reply for fear of her voice cracking under the pressure. She could only hope the Saiyajin's reply wouldn't come at the tip of a torpedo.

"Backed into a corner and no where to go and still you fight and make demands like royalty. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a Saiyajin." At that jovial compliment, Bulma sighed in heart-felt comfort. All of the tension drained from her body and she fell boneless into the captain's chair, feeling safe for the first time since the attack. So great was her relief she nearly burst into giggles but swallowed her laughter to negotiate to the terms of her release.

"Thank you, Captain Serori, I see that the tales of Saiyajin honour are, if anything, under-exaggerated. If you wish, I still have items that would be of great value to trade for a ship …"

"I'm afraid that that is impossible." The Captain replied, stopping her in mid-barter. "You have been caught trespassing in Saiyajin space and the penalty is too severe to allow you to escape unpunished. Normally the sentence is death, but as you have proven yourself to me, I will take you to Vegetasei and the King will decide your punishment. I promise you though, death will not meet you in the court of Illyria with my support behind you." As if to confirm the nightmare, the green light of a tractor beam enveloped the remaining parts of the Arion, pulling them all towards the war ship and its open hanger bay. Oh Kami, Bulma replied to herself, talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"Tell me, boy, what is your name so I'll know how to greet you when we meet face-to-face." Boy? At least one part of her plan worked. They thought she was a boy, and with any luck, the Captain or any other member of his race wouldn’t guess the truth. The horrific vision of torture and rape that had spun through her head had been adverted. Maybe she could escape this whole ordeal alive and unscathed.

Staring out into the now green void of space, she looked into her own eyes transplanted into her best friend's face. Unable to bear that he was gone, she turned away from her new reflection and spoke the only name she could possibly use.

"Goku," she replied as she lowered her voice to resemble her dead companion's warm tenor. "My name is Son Goku."

* * * * *