Clarification: People seemed confused about the regeneration tank thing and whether or not Vegeta actually saw Bulma in the last chapter, so do let me explain. He didn't. You see the tank she was in was like the one Vegeta put Goku in on Namek (for the visual), NOT like the one Vegeta was in after he left Earth. In this case, the tank Bulma was in was completely closed in except for a circular window, which Trunks was standing in front of during the entire interaction with his unknown father. Conclusion: no Vegeta didn't and couldn't see her, but that just means he will have to see her for the first time in a more, shall we say, LavenderGoddessV short of way…

Surviving Together: A New Legacy

Chapter 5 - A Surprising Relation

"I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you recovered, sir." The medic smiled as he handed a new training suit to the ship's captain.

"Thank you." Durka nodded as he quickly dressed. "How long have I been in there?"

"Ten hours, sir."

Durka frowned, a little upset that he had taken so long. He glanced over at the blasted tank next to him. "What happened?"

"The boy blew it up." The medic explained. "He panicked when he awoke."

"Where is the boy now?" Durka asked, rather surprised the child was actually still alive. The medic pointed to the side of the room next to Bulma's tank. There, Trunks sat with his legs folded, arms crossed and eyes closed. Anyone watching would have thought he was meditating had the soft sound of his snoring not given him away.

"Why is he still here? I would have thought he'd want to be with his people." Durka said as he strutted to the other side of the room.

"The woman you brought in is his mother. He chose to stay with her." The medic explained.

"Mother?" Durka repeated as he glanced inside the tank that held the woman. "Are you certain? She hardly looks old enough to be the mother of a boy that age."

The medic shrugged. "Apparently she is, Aphara and the Emperor confirmed it themselves."

"The Emperor?" Durka repeated surprised. "He was here?"

The medic nodded. "Yes, he came to assess the situation and lucky for you the woman you saved happens to the person the Emperor came for in the first place. She's the reason we're currently on a course for planet Frost."

"Planet Frost! That's where we are headed?" The captain asked, not believing he was on course for the planet that was the headquarters for the elite of the universe.

"Yes, the Emperor didn't want to wait for the woman to recover. We have been heading there for the last eight hours."

"I see." Durka calmed as he peered back inside the tank that held the woman he had saved. "She is a scientist then?"

The medic nodded. "Yes, in fact she--" The medic broke his thought as he suddenly saw Bulma's eyes shoot open as a look of panic covered her face. "I must get her out before we have another blasted tank." He ran to the controls. He quickly punched a few buttons as the water began to drain. Once the tank was completely drained, the medic opened the top as Bulma ripped off the mask. She stepped out of the tank and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She looked down to see a small greenish lizard-like man with a white suit on standing at the controls. A taller, younger man stood directly in front of her with a dazed look on his face.

Bulma couldn't figure out why he was staring until she realized she was completely naked. She gasped as she frantically looked for something to cover herself with.

"Here, miss." The medic handed her a robe. "Where the hell am I and who are you!" Bulma bellowed as she looked up at the almost blushing man in front of her.
In truth Durka knew his control was better than that which he had just displayed but he couldn't help staring at her perfect body. "I'm sorry miss. I am Durka, the captain of this ship. I brought you here from Coolers cell to heal."

Bulma gulped as she took a step back. "Do you work for him?"

"No." Durka said in a disgusted tone at the thought. "I work for the Emperor."

Bulma sighed with a sudden sense of relief at the reality. "Well, if you helped me than I thank you." She said half-heartedly as her eyes drifted to a flash of lavender that caught her attention. "Trunks?" She whispered. She slowly walked over and knelt down next to the boy. "Trunks?" She asked again this time with tears in her eyes.

The small boy let out a light yawn before he opened his eyes to see the gentle face of his mother.

"MOM!" He cried in joy as he threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. "I was so worried you weren't going to make it."

Bulma found it hard to control her joy. "How did you get here? I was so worried Cooler had done something to you."

"My men and I found him in a cell not to far from yours. We got him out right before the ship exploded." Durka interrupted.

Bulma looked up at the man a little surprised. He wasn't exactly what you would expect of a fleet captain. She studied him for the first time since awakening. To put it mildly, he was handsome. His skin tone and physical appearance was much like a human with the exception of his yellow eyes and vibrant green hair. Bulma assumed he kept his shoulder length hair tied back away from his face for battle purposes. Wearing a pair of fitted black pants, a tight black muscle shirt and a pair of black calf high combat boots, he just oozed sex appeal. Looking past his attractive appearance, Bulma couldn't stop thinking about how familiar he seemed. His arms were caged with blue tattoos that circled each of his biceps. Strangely enough his ears were elongated and somewhat pointed, though the extension suited him. Of course nothing about him was as familiar as his eyes. His yellow orbs held a familiar intensity that she hadn't seen in ten years. "Then I suppose I owe you thanks, again." Bulma nodded as she rose to meet the man's deep eyes.

Durka only sighed as he stared back at her. "Thank me for saving the boy, but not for saving you. I only brought you off the ship because it was Zarra's wish for me to protect you."

"Zarra…Zarra!" Bulma repeated as her memory came back. "How do you know that name? I mean she was with me in the cell on Cooler's ship. Where is she now?"

Durka expression grew dark as his eyes suddenly found the ground. "Cooler sent a blast directly towards his own ship, I assume to kill you and the other scientists before we could get to them. He was too late; everyone was off, except we were still on the ship when it exploded. I only had time to protect myself with my ki before the blast hit. My ki protected you as well since you were in my arms but Zarra… there was nothing I could do for her."

"No..." Bulma whispered as she fell back to the floor and dropped her face into her hands. Both she and Trunks shed tears as the small boy moved into his mother's arms. "Aunt Arraz." Trunks moaned trying to hold back any further sign of weakness.

"I am sorry." Durka whispered as he unconsciously sunk to his knees as well. "You must have meant a lot to her, for her to be willing to die with you."

"She was a sister to me." Bulma said with a mixture of pride and regret. "She saved my life, twice now, and I'll never be able to repay her."

A silence fell as Bulma cried into her son's hair. She held on to him as if her life depended on it. She tried to absorb everything that had happened. After a few moments Bulma noticed the rather depressed state of the man across from her and became curious. "How? How did you know her name was Zarra? No one has used that name for her in ten years."

Durka blinked a moment as mother and son turned their big blue eyes to him. He hadn't realized his reaction was so visible until it was too late. In truth he would have preferred to keep the reality a secret but he had just come face to face with the only people who were left with a real memory of the deceased woman and he couldn't let that opportunity escape. He frowned as he realized he only had one choice. He wanted to know of her recent life and the only way he could do that was by reveling the truth, so he dared speak. "Zarra was my mother."

Bulma's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mother? That's impossible! Zarra never once spoke of having a son!"

"I'm not surprised." The captain said quietly. "We weren't exactly close."

"You have to be kidding." Trunks spoke as he jumped out of his mother's arms and examined the man. "You have green hair and yellow eyes like she did, but your skin color is all wrong." Trunks explained in a rather insensitive manner.

Durka however took no offense to the young child's curiosity. "My coloring is from my father."

"Your father?" Bulma repeated, as she looked at the man closer. She suddenly gasped as she realized the familiarity she had recognized earlier. "Your ears and your blue tattoos on your arms, they are from your father as well?" Bulma gulped, finally putting the puzzle together.

Durka nodded. "I suppose it is obvious, since I clearly didn't get them from my mother."

Bulma blushed deeply as she wasn't proud about what she was to admit next. "I suppose it is but that's not how I knew." She paused as she looked at him again. The resemblance was almost too much to ignore. "I don't suppose your father was a man by the name of Kerno?"

The captain blinked. "You knew him?"

"Yes." Bulma nodded, somewhat embarrassed by the memory, now realizing whom the man was. "But if you're their son then how did you end up working for the Emperor? Why did Zarra never speak of you? When--"

"She wanted to protect me." Durka interrupted assuming he could answer all her questions if he started from the beginning. "Look, I don't know how much you know of her life before moving to Merigh but to put things lightly I wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy. She and my father had an affair. When my mother found out she was with child she knew I'd end up working for Freeza just as my father had. She didn't want me to share that fate, so she hid me from everyone and decided that I should be sent to a peaceful planet so I could have a normal life. Dianor was that planet. Zarra gave me to an affluent family where I was raised with the fighting ethic of the Dianorian people. I knew nothing of my real mother or father until seven years ago when she came to visit me. I was only nineteen when I found out the truth of my existence. She told me she wanted desperately to meet me sooner, to see the man I had grown into. However the fear of Freeza learning of my existence was too great a threat, and that only at that time did she feel it was safe to expose herself. In truth I was furious and not accepting of her. I told her never to come into my life again."

He sighed as his head sunk a bit lower. "It wasn't until I cooled down that I realized my mistake in rejecting her. I offered to hear her side of the story before she exited my life again. She told me all I just explained to you, along with word of my father. I never actually met him but Zarra described him to me in detail. I was always grateful to know."

A short silence filled the room as Durka took a breath. Trunks actually released one himself as the thought made him think of his own father, the one he never met and knew nothing of. He suddenly felt jealous that Durka at least had some knowledge of his father.

Bulma was quiet as well, but not for a reason she'd ever admit to her son. She felt guilt. The thought of all those years Zarra had been so supportive of her 'unplanned' pregnancy almost brought her to tears. She had often snapped at Zarra, telling her she could never understand the pain and suffering she had been going though. She never understood why she always grew so cold. She knew now.

"We parted on amicable terms." Durka began again. "I was going into the academy and having a new mother was not the best thing for me at the time. Today was the first time I had seen her since. Though she and I were never actually close it was the energy I received from her and my father that allowed me to obtain the position of captain I have today. If for nothing else I owe her a debt for that." Durka paused as he looked up at a teary eyed Bulma. "That was why I protected you. I felt I owed her at least that."

"She was an amazing woman." Bulma sighed as she looked down. "You really should have taken the time to get to know her."

"Captain." Aphara interrupted the tender moment, as she entered the room. Though not to thrilled her leader was going to take back the reigns. "I'm pleased that you are alright."

Durka, Bulma and Trunks rose to their feet. Aphara immediately eyed Bulma suspiciously before she looked down at the boy. "Well, since your mommy is all healed, little boy, both of you can be escorted to a cell."

"What!" Trunks almost screamed. "We're not prisoners! That short spiky haired guy came for my mother's help and I'm sure he wouldn't want her being treated like a criminal!"

"Spiky haired guy?" Bulma repeated utterly confused.

"The Emperor." Durka whispered into Bulma's ear, trying to save her from her confusion.

"Oh." Bulma almost chuckled. "He came here personally? How magnanimous of him." Bulma said sarcastically.

"Watch your tongue bitch!" Aphara growled. "You dare not speak of our leader in such terms!"

Bulma's eyes narrowed as she finally took notice of the woman across from her. "I'd watch that dangerous tongue of yours. Speak that way to the wrong person and one day it might get you killed." Bulma shot back in a dangerous tone.

"Learn your place wench!" Aphara hissed as she lunged at Bulma.

"Enough!" Durka growled as she grabbed Aphara's arm. "As the boy said, she is not a prisoner. The Emperor went so far as to have us follow his ship back just for her convenience. I am sure you wouldn't want to suffer the repercussions if she is brought back damaged."

Aphara only growled in response as she ripped her arm away. "I don't see what a man as powerful as the Emperor would want with this pathetic creature." The angered woman snarled. "I am ten times the woman she is!"

Bulma let out a harsh chuckled. "Oh I see, you have a thing for his almightiness, do you?" Bulma asked recognizing the sound of a jealous woman a mile away. "Well, don't you worry your bitchy little head. I wouldn't go near the murdering bastard if my life depended on it."

Aphara smirked. "Like you'd ever have the pleasure. The man is a god and you aren't fit to lick his boots let alone have the privilege of his presence for the pathetic tasks a scientist performs. He'll use you for what little knowledge you are worth than dispose of you because you are weak. Whereas, a woman with power like mine will be an asset for years to come."

"That's enough, Aphara." Durka interrupted, not wanting to referee a petty catfight after the long day. "Go back to the main deck of the ship and I'll show them to their rooms."

Aphara begrudgingly followed orders as she shot another glare towards Bulma before heading back to the main deck of the ship. "I'm sorry about that." Durka apologized as he nodded for Bulma and Trunks to follow him.

Bulma walked next to the handsome man as Trunks held a few steps back to examine the ship a little closer. "She's awfully feisty." Bulma noted as she looked at the distracted man.

"She just wants to be on top. She'd slit my throat in a minute if it meant getting my job, but fortunately she hasn't been stupid enough to try yet."

"Why do you let her stay?"

"She's powerful and quiet battle savvy. A good combination." Durka remarked sadly knowing all to well the negative affects those two elements could have when used inappropriately. "Well, here is your room." He noted as they arrived outside a small chamber where Bulma and Trunks could rest until they landed.

"Thank you." Bulma nodded. An awkward pause followed before Durka turned to leave. "Hey wait." She called before he could get out the door.

"Yes?" He asked wondering what he had forgotten.

Bulma smiled sweetly as she walked over to him. She wrapped a gentle hand around his neck and rose on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "For everything."

Durka froze as he felt her soft lips on his cheek. He quickly composed himself as she pulled away. "You're welcome…"

"Bra." Bulma finished his thought. "Though your mother knew me as Bulma and I'd be honored if you knew me as the same."

"Very well…Bulma." The man then flashed a smile before turning and quietly heading to the main deck of the ship, unconsciously stroking the spot where her lips had touched him.

"Awwwweeeeee, Mom." Trunks grinned in a childish manner. "Playing kissy face with the Captain?"

"Don't even start!" Bulma shook her head as she walked to the closet. She ran her fingers quickly across her lips in an almost curious manner before she started looking through the clothes in the closet. "Now what can I wear?"

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"Sir." Garock cleared his throat to get the attention of his commander.

"What?" Vegeta asked, as he raised an eyebrow in the direction of the man behind him.

"The science woman from Durka's shiphas survived with no permanent damage." Garock explained hoping the King would enjoy the news.

"Good." Vegeta smirked. "Get her to join the other scientists as soon as we land. I want them working immediately. Is that understood?"

Garock blinked a moment. "Ummm…sir, I understand the importance of this project but these people have just had their family, friends and home destroyed. Don't you think they could use some--" Garock stopped as Vegeta shot him one of his deadly glares. "I will see they begin immediately." The man nodded as he turned and left the Saiya-jin to brood.

Once Garock was gone Vegeta sat down slowly as his resolve to look powerful and assured failed him. His head fell into his hands as he closed his eyes. 'What is wrong with me,' he asked himself as his free hand felt its way to his neck. The spot where his neck meets his shoulder had been itching him mercilessly ever since he left Durka's ship. As time passed, the irritation only became worse. He considered ordering a medic to examine him but decided against the idea. He refused to look weak.

Vegeta growled furiously as he rose from his seat to head to the main deck of the ship. He would be arriving on planet Frost in only an hour and he fully intended to will the mild pain he was suffering away as he vowed to let nothing get in the way of his preparations for Cooler. Nothing.

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Author's Note: Hummm…. Things are getting interesting. Let's see, in the next chapter everyone arrives on Frost, and… And I hate spoiling things, so you will all just have to wait and read!