Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legacy of Ansai ❯ The Arrival ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: The Arrival

(Woo-hoo! Bardock's back! Bardock's back! We can get into the good stuff! Oh yeah, well I've had this bit planned ever since I started writing this story, so I'm really looking forward to it! Ok, um… updates! Ages! Everyone is now a year older. (Well duh!))

"Bardock should be landing in less than five minutes. Once they're here, I don't want them to see ANYONE. Is that clear? Not a soul until Bardock brings them to me. He knows what he has to do." Vegeta growled sternly, staring out of the docking bay into the bowels of space. "Yes sir, very clear sir, I'm certain he does, sir." The technician stammered in response, falling over his words. (Guess who?) "One more thing," Vegeta added absentmindedly. Moshqua (who else?) stood straight and his eyes opened wide. "Yes, sir?" He asked questioningly. "DON'T CALL ME 'SIR' ALL THE TIME!!!" Vegeta roared in reply; after all, he is only sixteen. Moshqua squeaked in fear and surprise, whirled around in the air and scooted away. Vegeta looked around the docking bay; everything was set. Bardock would land and escort the charges into the small battling room off the main bay. Bardock would fight with them, Vegeta would observe. Unless, for some reason, Bardock lost. Then Vegeta would have to step in; with proper dignity, of course.

"ZZZzzzz." "Bardock! Bardock, wake up!" Someone was poking his shoulder. Bardock rolled over swinging a hand behind him and half-consciously muttering, "Five more minutes, Mom. ZZZzzzz." Someone's foot collided with his shin. "EEEYOW!" Bardock leaped out of bed, conscious of the fact that he was experiencing great pain. "What'd ya do that for?" He demanded, sitting on his bed, nursing his shin and kneecap. Gohan, who had waked Bardock, smiled, "Well, you needed to get up. Besides, do you think I would let you get away with calling me 'Mom'?" Bardock cuffed him on the shoulder, chuckling, "I suppose not. Now that you've got your revenge, why did you get me up?" "We've slept a really long time. I woke up because an alarm bell or something was going. I wandered into the control room and the screen said that we were nearing a place called 'Ansai', or something like that." Gohan explained, completely mispronouncing 'Ansai'. (It sounded like Ean-sigh) "Ansai, Gohan. Ann-say. ANSAI! Oh no!" Bardock leapt of the bed again, racing down the hallway with Gohan in tow. The computer robotic voice called out, "Warning! Landing in five minutes. Destination: Ansai. Warning…" Bardock turned in circles on the spot; he didn't know what to do first. "Gohan! Go wake up your Dad. Get into some clothes from the closets! Don't ask, just do it!" He commanded, pointing down the hallway where Goku's, a.k.a. Kakarot, snoring was very audible. Gohan nodded and scooted off, charging a small energy beam as he went. (It was the only way to wake Goku, sorry, Kakarot. Yeesh! Two names!) Bardock, meanwhile, still turned in circles, forgetting all the other things he was supposed to do in preparation for landing. Luckily, the ship was smarter than the driver, (Dig AI, eh?) and had figured out exactly what to do. Coasting slightly, the lower thrusters created a cushion of air underneath the ship to ease in landing. Sinking down at a moderate speed, it disappeared into the surface underground landing bay. (Confused? Okay, the Rebels have 2 landing bays; one directly attached to the Base (that rises and falls when the Base sinks) and one under the surface of the ground that's permanent. You exit your ship and…anyway, you'll find out.) A rather fresh breeze reminded Bardock that he was dressed only in boxers. He had awoken only once after eating the drugged meal and had stumbled to his bedroom, removed his clothing and fallen back asleep. Cursing loudly, he ran back to his room, tearing through the clothing in the closet to find something suitable. He soon found his old armour, cufflinks and boots. Pulling them on as well as clean black pants, he tightened the band of material 'round his head. This wasn't going to be easy. "Gohan! Kakarot! Meet me at the door!"

~Meanwhile~

"Come on, Dad! Get up!" Gohan howled; he had blasted Goku multiple times to no avail. (Too much of the sleeping drugs…note to self…) Goku simply rolled over and snored even louder. Gohan was suddenly hit with an inspiring idea. Dashing off to the kitchen, he returned seconds later with a fork, knife and plate. "Mmm," He began loudly, making the noises one makes when eating with the fork and knife, "This is very delicious. Too bad my dad's asleep; there won't be any leftovers." That did it. Goku, leaping out of bed in the same fashion as Bardock, began whipping his head round, yelling, "I'm up! Did I miss desert?" Gohan smiled, shoving the empty and unused plate towards Goku, who looked at them in a rather dejected way. "Ohh, no fair! I didn't even get to eat anything!" He whined, dragging his finger across the plate, producing a loud, high-pitched squeak. "Dad, get some clothes on. We're here." Gohan said, tossing Goku something he had found in the closet. "Huh? We're where?" Goku asked, bewildered, yet looking down guiltily. "Oops, I guess I forgot about that. Thanks, Gohan." He muttered, blushing slightly as he pulled on some underpants. "It's ok, Dad. We're here. Ansai." Gohan replied, finding a forest green spandex jumpsuit that fit him perfectly. There were also white boots and gloves that were his size. Putting them on, he began searching for something for Goku. "What? Oh yeah, Ansai. That's where I'm supposed to be from isn't it?" Goku said distractedly, running to the window like a child would and pressing his nose against the glass. Gohan rolled his eyes and finally found what he was looking for. It was a long-sleeved reddish-orange shirt with dark grey pants. There were not gloves, nor boots in a size that would fit Goku's enormous hands and feet. Gohan turned to inform his father of that fact, and found Goku sitting on the bed, pulling on his old boots. "Uh, Dad, I think you forgot something." Gohan called, just as Goku finished tying the boots. "Really? What?" He asked, looking around, "I don't see anything." Gohan waved the pants in the air, and Goku blushed again. Bending down to untie his boots, Goku the pants landed on his head. Gohan had thrown them with very good aim, and they were now obscuring Goku's vision. "Ahh! I've gone blind! Help me, Gohan! I can't see!" He howled, waving his arms around like a zombie. Gohan walked over and pulled the pants off his father's head. "Hurry up, Dad! Stop fooling around!" He said irritably; he really wanted to get off this ship and look around his new home. Goku finished dressing just as Bardock's voice wafted through the door, "Gohan! Kakarot! Meet me at the door!" "See, he's waiting for us! Let's go!" Gohan grabbed his father's arm and dragged him down the hallway.

"Don't be alarmed. We're underground, and most of the soil on Ansai is stained permanently red." Bardock told them quietly, standing in front of the doors that would lead them to Ansai. Goku made to say something, but Gohan stopped him, violently shaking his head "No". He really didn't want to know why all the soil was red. Bardock keyed in a code on the number pad to the left of the door. He obviously knew the code very well; he typed it in so quickly that Goku and Gohan couldn't even see what the first digit was. It seemed to be a ten-digit code, since there were ten beeps, but other than that, they had no clue. The door slid open, loudly. There was a blast of steam, and Bardock disappeared. "Wait up!" Gohan called, rushing forward only to stop in complete and utter shock. Goku followed his son, only to stop in the exact same position he did. They had never seen anything so dismal; what they could see anyway. It was very dark. Dust, cobwebs, even some collapsed ceilings bits littered the area. A person came up next to them, making Gohan jump in surprise. "We keep this one 'abandoned', so that Frieza has no idea that we're here." Spoke a familiar voice. "Bardock! Don't make me jump like that! Where did you go off to anyway?" Gohan gasped, clutching his heart as if he might faint. Goku hadn't noticed any of this happening. He was simply staring around the dank landing bay, wondering what everything else looked like. Bardock looked down, as if staring at his feet in embarrassment, "I had to tell them that we're here so they could take the ship away." He said this very quickly. He had actually gone to warn all the others to clear off. Gohan might not have believed him, but he had no reason to think otherwise so he said nothing. "Where are all the people?" Goku asked, craning his neck in all directions. "They're not here. They're in the Base." Bardock replied, beginning to walk into the darkness and beckoning them to follow. "And how do we get to the Base?" Gohan demanded, dashing forward to stay near to Bardock; no one in the party wanted to get lost in this spooky place. "You'll see." Bardock replied, leading them to what appeared to be a solid wall of rock. Yet when Gohan looked closer, he noticed it was slightly discoloured and there was a large crack around it. "Plug your ears." Bardock instructed, stepping up to the wall. Goku stuffed his fingers in so vigorously he was forced to muffle a squeak of pain. Gohan simply placed his hands over his ears, involuntarily hearing the words Bardock spoke; a password of some sort. "Ash-Kinan Ith Malatar Fown-Jith Kilinan!" Bardock spoke softly, yet the words sounded extremely loud in the large room. The part of the wall they had been standing in front of rose into the air and slowly, shifted to the left. Gohan gasped in surprise as it revealed a very brightly-lit room, looking like a very advanced form of an elevator. There was a code pad, identical to the one on the ship, but there was no level selection. Gohan supposed that there was only one destination. Bardock stepped in calmly, but Goku and Gohan held back. Looking over his shoulder, Bardock whispered, "You really should come. The next ship doesn't arrive for another few months and I wouldn't want to be stuck up here without any company for that long. Besides that, you'd probably get killed by the next crew who lands, what with your not being Rebels yet. So I really recommend that you come. Trust me, it won't bite." Gohan strode forward quickly; the idea of being stuck in this desolate place for months was terrifying. Goku walked in, fingers still dug into his ears, simply following his son. "Cover your ears once again, Gohan." Bardock ordered, facing the landing bay and entrance to the elevator. (For that is truly what it was.) He typed in another code extraordinarily fast and began to speak. "Sholah Cus-Morphus Ith Pla." Were the words of instruction this time, and the opening closed very quickly, with an exceptionally loud thud. The machine gave a jerk, then began to descend slowly. It was humming loudly. "You can unplug your ears now." Bardock said loudly, not realizing that Gohan had been able to hear him the whole time. Goku couldn't hear and still had his fingers in his ears. His eyes were beginning to water with pain. Bardock reached over and jerked one of Goku's hands out. "I said you can remove your fingers now." He said, chuckling. Goku nodded and removed the other hand, sitting cross-legged on the floor and muttering to himself. They were still descending, and it was getting colder by the minute. Gohan's teeth began to chatter and their breath rose in a mist before them. "W-w-why is it s-s-s-so c-c-cold?" Gohan asked, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, causing him to stutter. Bardock, who seemed used to this, replied, "Cold? This is warm." Gohan glared at him; his lips were turning blue. "Oh, well the center of Ansai isn't molten rock like most planets. It's actually a huge ball of nothingness. There might be the smallest black hole in existence in the center, but no one's ever been able to get that close. We presume there is because of the higher gravity level we have here." Gohan nodded at Bardock's explanation, and began to stamp his feet. He felt as though his fingers and toes were blocks of ice and that soon the rest of him would be too. Suddenly, the elevator gave a jerk and began to move to the left, nearly knocking Gohan to the floor and throwing Goku off balance. Bardock had seemed to expect this and had leaned against the wall seconds before the shock. Once he had regained his balance, Gohan glared at Bardock again. "A-a-a-and t-t-t-that?" He demanded, "Y-y-you c-c-c-could have w-w-warned u-u-u-s!" Bardock shrugged his shoulders, but said nothing. Soon, the elevator began to slow down before it finally stopped. Gohan had adjusted to the cold now, and Goku hadn't moved since that jerk. Bardock tapped him on the shoulder, wondering if he was still alive. "Son? Goku? We're here." He whispered, using Goku's Earth name to penetrate subconscious. (If he was subconscious.) Goku stood, eyes open and mouth set in a firm line. "No." He said firmly, "I am no longer 'Goku'. I am Kakarot, son of Bardock, and this is my Home."

Gohan's eyes were wide as he stepped out of the elevator. Bardock's were too, but not in the same way. Gohan's look was that of wide-eyed wonder, like a child in a candy shop's warehouse. Bardock's eyes were actually brimming with tears as he gulped in what he had missed for so long; his home. There was one thing he longed to see, a person actually, but knew he wouldn't until a bit later. Goku looked around, following both of them in silence. (He is now officially Kakarot. No more Goku!) This was the first time he would have felt completely comfortable in showing his true power. He didn't want to yet; no it wasn't the time. Bardock steadily led them into a small room off the main landing bay. What puzzled Gohan the most was that they hadn't seen any people. If this place was at war, didn't they need battlers? He supposed they just weren't in a very active part of the base. (Innocent child… did I say innocent? I meant idiot child…) The door slammed shut behind them, with a rather final kind of thud. Kakarot swung around in alarm, eyes flaming with fear and anger. "What was that? Why are we locked in here?" He demanded, sounding so serious that Gohan backed away from him, stuttering, "Y-y-yeah Bardock! W-w-w-why?" Bardock turned to face them, and they were surprised to see his eyes filled with tears. Swallowing loudly, he began to speak, "I have to…" He choked off, unable to continue. Sensing Vegeta nearby, (He was actually in the room; in the shadows of course.) Bardock yelled out his thoughts, "Vegeta! I can't do it! It's too hard!" "Leaving has made you soft! Just do it, Bardock! It will be over with soon enough!" Vegeta hissed in a vicious mental reply. He had no tolerance right now; an 8-year-old had just blown up half the cafeteria accidentally. Stress and anger chewed at him on the inside, making him snappy. To add to this, something he couldn't understand was bothering him; he needed to speak with Bardock about it. Even though he was the Leader, he was only 16 and there were still many things he didn't understand. Bardock, hearing this angry reply, decided it would easier to get this over with than have Vegeta mad at him on his first day back. Ordering the tears to leave, he spoke in a strong, somewhat business-like voice, "I must battle you, to see if you are strong enough to enter the Rebels. If not, you have seen too much and will be executed. The child must battle first." Gohan stepped up, but said calmly, "What are you talking about Bardock?" The remainder of his questions were cut off by Bardock's fist colliding with his stomach, sending him reeling backwards. Even though the Saiyan air was having an effect on Kakarot and making him more serious, he was still a father. He would never let that go; never forget that. He made to move forward to block Bardock who was walking towards Gohan slowly, as he did with any children he had to fight. (He gave them more time to recover from the blow; after all, they are children.) "Don't interfere!" Echoed a commanding voice in his head. Though he had never heard this voice before in his life, Kakarot felt somehow compelled to obey it. Meanwhile, Gohan had risen to his feet, glaring a Bardock fiercely. "Fine. If that's the way you want it." He muttered angrily, clenching his fists. Bardock stopped advancing, seeing if the child would fall into the trap or wait for him to attack. Gohan fell; he launched himself forward, only to have Bardock's foot embedded in his abdomen, knocking him out cold. Bardock knelt down beside him, softly whispering, "No hard feelings, Gohan." Then he spoke into the comm box on the wall, "We need medics in here. Not immediately. Wait outside until I tell you to enter." Kakarot stared at him, saying firmly, "So it's my turn now, is it?" "Yes, but you will not be fighting me. You shall fight someone else." Bardock said quietly, thinking, "He's all yours Vegeta. Good luck." He could sense a reply coming and not wanting to fight, quickly thought, "Don't argue. I can tell you're aching to fight with him. You haven't had a good fight in months, I'd say. Just have your fun, but please, don't hurt him too badly." Picking up Gohan's seemingly lifeless body, he left the room, the door opening for him, but automatically closing after he left.

"Spacital, we've been through this before, you can't test new Rebels! That's for the Elites to do only! I know you can probably beat the us into the ground, but could you… would you do that to the Leader?" Voin argued angrily. Spacital frowned; all that Voin said was true. "Someday, I'll have to think of a better way to approach this." He thought, frustrated. Somehow, he had received word on the new ones arriving that day and had been bugging Voin all day for a chance to fight them. Voin knew that he could argue a bit longer, but that it probably wouldn't hold Spacital off long. Suddenly, Kislia skipped over, smiling for some unknown reason; she was always happy, "Hi! What's up? You guys don't look happy at all." "We're not." Voin replied angrily, just as Spacital said, "New ones are arriving today and I want to fight them." Kislia blinked in surprise, answering only Spacital, (to Voin's frustration!) "Oh really?! Wow, can I go see too?" Voin threw his hands up in the air, yelling to the ceiling, "What have I done to deserve this? Go, just go! If anyone asks, I didn't see you!" Spacital dashed past him, while Kislia skipped after him. They entered the landing bay at the same time as Bardock with Gohan's body. Spacital looked disappointed, whining slightly, "We missed it?" Kislia grinned at Bardock, saying cheerfully, "Long time no see!" Bardock smiled as if he knew they'd be there. His reply was, "The Leader's fighting now, or will be immediately. Watch if you want but don't get yourselves caught." Spacital appeared to hide laughter, and answered confidently, "We won't. At least I won't." He poked Kislia in the ribs. "Hey, I won't get caught either!" She argued, in a happy-angry way. They both ran off to the observation area, where they could watch activities in the whole base. They really only wanted to see one activity, but conveniently, there were 24 screens that could all be tuned to the same thing! Bardock rolled his eyes, muttering, "Teenagers!" just as the doctors arrived to treat Gohan. Bardock had no idea how right he was…

"Someone else, eh? Bring him on." Kakarot spoke to no one except himself, and began to stretch his stiff muscles. Vegeta was in shock; Bardock had read him like a book, almost. "He knows me too well." He thought silently to himself, but not angrily. Stepping out from the shadows, he materialized behind Kakarot, who was still stretching. "I will fight you." He said steadily, flexing his fingers in his only form of stretching. Kakarot whirled around, to see someone much shorter and obviously younger than him. He fought a smile that was threatening to cross his face. "You? Ok, if you want." He replied, sounding almost sorry for the other. There was a sudden crack as a fist hit his cheek, dislocating his jaw. Flying backwards, he was able to control himself enough that his feet, and not his back, hit the wall. Propelling himself forward into the oncoming attacker he raised his fists, ready to punch, only to find himself pushed into the ground as Vegeta stomped on the small of his back. Knowing he was vulnerable, Kakarot flipped in the other direction, hoping to avoid an attack when he heard the familiar sound of energy whistling towards him. Standing upright, he stopped the ball and shoved it back in the direction from which it had come. Knocking it away easily, Vegeta thought, "Very good. Nothing less then I expected from a child of Bardock. Nothing more either." Wanting to keep his adversary on his toes, he ran forward fists raised. To his surprise, Kakarot seemed to anticipate the attack and dodged to the right. Whipping around, Vegeta gritted his teeth and swung his cupped-together fists ferociously. Kakarot dodged again, causing anger to rise in Vegeta. Releasing it expertly, he let a blue aura surround him and blasted forward, pelting Kakarot with tiny blasts of energy that caused little damage on their own but were hard to avoid thus making many small injuries without the attacker losing much energy. Kakarot surrounded himself with the classic earth aura of white, but was still hit by the attack, though he blocked some 25% of it. The two fighters were locked in a fist-flaying melee for many minutes before Kakarot finally broke out, and flew away from Vegeta. He flew dangerously fast towards the wall of the chamber, hearing his opponent following at the same speed. "Good." He thought, putting on an extra burst of speed. Pulling out at the last second, Kakarot waited to hear the satisfying crunch as his opponent crumpled against the wall. What he heard was the sound of a booted foot smacking against his body with great momentum. Realizing to late that he had left himself vulnerable for a charged attack, he went flying to the other side once again. This time, he crashed into the wall, and fell to the ground. He was 'feigning-dead' as he called it; pretending to be out of commission so that his opponent would either drop their guard or turn away.

"No! Darn, I wanted to see more!" Kislia whined, leaping out of her seat and yelling at the screen, "You idiot! Why'd you have to go and do that! And another thing…" Spacital leaned back in his chair, knowing full well that the new one was faking; his muscles were much too tense for him to be out of it. There was a knock on the door, causing both teens to face it quickly, fists clenched. Enter Bardock, who was in a good mood considering Gohan had not been hurt badly. Kislia was still ranting, but Bardock interrupted her, "You know, that's my son you're talking about!" Kislia stopped cold and replied in a confused way, "Gee Bardock, I didn't know the Leader was your son!" Spacital bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing aloud. Bardock looked equally confused, saying, "What are you talking about? Of course the Leader's not my son!" Spacital began to cough from holding in his laughter, nearly choking as he tried to swallow; failing miserably. He staggered from his chair and pushed past Bardock, closing the door once he left. Once outside the observation room, you could hear his laughter throughout the whole base. Kislia and Bardock watched him leave each with one eyebrow raised. "Anyway," Kislia began, "I was talking about the Leader. He went and knocked the other guy, um, I guess he's your son, into the wall and now the fight's over!" Spacital walked back in, gasping slightly, but still able to talk. "The fight's not over!" He cried indignantly, "The other guy's muscles are too tense! Just look! You can see his fist clenched on this screen!" He pointed to one screen, whose monitoring device was attached to the wall in which Kakarot had crashed. Bardock peered at it intently, while Kislia put on a fake English accent and said, "By Jove, I think he's got it!" Spacital silenced her with a look that could kill, and looked back to Bardock. Bardock stepped back, nodding, "He's not out yet. But he will be soon. I've got to go now; I need to wait outside the door. Don't get caught." The sounds of slight moaning in the storage room, as well as Spacital's sly smile and Kislia's fake angelic face thoroughly convinced Bardock he had nothing to worry about.

"If he thinks I'm stupid enough to fall for that one, he needs more training than I expected." Vegeta told his tail mentally. His tail agreed, saying in an annoyed tone, "Really! I expected more than this!" Vegeta turned his back, and, in an obviously exaggerated overconfidence tone, spoke to the air, "Oh look. I've killed him. I guess I'm the winner." That was all Kakarot needed. Even though battling was his mental strength, he tended to be extremely trusting of everyone. Leaping off the ground with reflexes like lightning, he blasted towards Vegeta's 'unprotected' back. Vegeta swung around at the last second, nailing a fist square on Kakarot's nose, causing blood to flow from it freely. Kakarot took the punch full on, and his reaction was to bring his fist upwards in an arc. Now, Vegeta's groin happened to be where the fist was headed, and the Leader felt as though he had been hit by a fist of solid stone. He nearly keeled over, arms wrapped around his stomach in pain. Kakarot, seeing his opportunity and ignoring his pain, dropped to the ground. Swinging his leg out in a large circle, he tripped his adversary, who landed on his back. Standing with his boot heel on Vegeta's chin, Kakarot put on his poker face. "I suppose I'm the winner, not you." He said firmly, then, smiling, reached out with his hand to help Vegeta up. Vegeta grasped his hand, but did not pull himself up. Instead, with the other hand, he blasted Kakarot's head. Kakarot's hand went limp, and he fell backwards, unconscious. "The fight's not over until your enemy unconscious, dead, or starts to cry. First lesson. Second lesson. Don't offer your hand to someone who's not a sure ally. Could you try, next time, not to spray me with your nasal blood?" Vegeta mocked the unconscious Kakarot, casually brushing his shoulders. He was not badly injured, just slightly exhausted. A scratch here and there, a large bruise forming on his stomach, but mostly Kakarot's blood appeared on his black clothing. "Bardock, you can come in now." He called over his shoulder to the door. Bardock entered cautiously, looking around. There was a large dent on the north wall of the chamber, and scorch marks on the east. Kakarot's body lay in the middle, his clothing drenched with blood, staining it red. "Bring them to my office when they're both conscious. It should be in less than 24 hours." Vegeta ordered, leaving through the shadows, scribbling notes down in his memory. Bardock nodded without verbal reply, and picked up his son's body, taking it to the Healer. The Healer was an old female who had clerical-type powers. She could easily heal flesh wounds and exhaustion. Bones, internal bleeding and such were best left to the Regen tanks. It was to her that Gohan had been taken. This was obvious now, as the high-pitched wailing of a 12-year-old floated to Bardock's ears, "I don't know who you are, but just let me go! My Dad's in a fight, at least I think he is! I need to see!" The strong, stern voice of the Healer was also heard, "You are to remain here. Such are my instructions, and such shall happen." Bardock pushed the door open with his foot, just to see the Healer about to wrap Gohan's mouth with bandages to keep him quiet. Gohan's jaw dropped, and he pushed past the old woman with strangled cries of, "What happened? Why's my Dad all bloody? Why'd you tell them to keep me here? Is he going to be ok?" "Shh, Gohan, he'll be fine, just calm down. I need the Healer's help now." Bardock whispered to Gohan, just as the Healer pushed the child out of the way. "Lay him on the table. Quickly!" She hissed, pointing. Bardock did as he was told, carefully laying Kakarot's motionless body on the spongy surface of the table. The Healer stood over his body, chanting strange words and sprinkling stagnant powder over his body. "What…?" Gohan asked, unable to finish the sentence in the felt importance of the ritual. "Crushed Saiyan bones. Don't ask about anything else." Bardock replied out of the corner of his mouth, causing Gohan to pretend to gag. An extremely bright white light covered Kakarot's body as the chanting came to a close. The Healer began feeling along Kakarot's jaw line, asking Bardock, "Did his jaw become dislocated? It does not seem to be in the right place…" Bardock dipped his head, and there was a sudden loud 'CLUNK' that made Gohan jump, as the Healer moved the bone back into place. Less than 2 minutes later, Kakarot sat up, scratching his head confusedly and asking, "What happened? All I remember is that guy blasting my head and, oww…" Bardock smiled first to him, then the Healer, quickly saying, "You were in a fight, Kakarot. Your fight of acceptance. We've got to leave now, Healer. They're expected." The Healer nodded knowingly, and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "Where are we going?" Gohan demanded, excited. Bardock firmly replied, "We're going to see the Leader."

"Where are we going? And why so fast? Spacital, slow down! Why do we have to go so FAST?" Kislia demanded, racing after the 13-year-old. "Because!" Spacital replied fiercely, "If we don't go fast we'll miss it! Just shut up and come on!" He quickly added the final command, seeing that his 14-year-old friend had more questions. Even though Kislia was older than he was, Spacital still gave her orders and she still obeyed. Kislia shrugged and tried her best to keep up. She wanted to see whatever Spacital was so interested in. He and herself had become friends by a peculiar twist of fate. Since there was no one else in the Base in their immediate age group, they had no one else to hang out with. Oh, there was always Filay and Rownack, but neither got along with their training partner very well. (Actually, Spacital graduated from Rownack months ago. Just thought I'd let you know.) Somehow, Spacital knew something she didn't, and she was determined to find out what it was. Suddenly, Spacital skidded to halt, causing her to nearly crash into him. "Why are-" Kislia's question was unfinished by Spacital's hissing whisper, "Shh! They'll be here in a minute!" Kislia knew better than to ask who 'they' were, so she remained silent, peering over Spacital's shoulder. He elbowed her lightly in the stomach, an action telling her to back off Voices floated around the corner; the voice of Bardock was one and the only they recognized. There was the higher voice of a child, and another that sounded somewhat like Bardock's, except that it was more innocent. As the males turned the corner, the unknown male yelled in surprise, " Holy Kami! What are you doing there? Who are you?" Bardock glared at them, saying, "What have I told you about sneaking up on people?" "Oh, but we weren't sneaking! Spacital said…mmph!" Kislia's honest reply was cut off by Spacital covering her mouth with his hand. "We were waiting for you. And them. So we could, uh, welcome them to the Base. Yeah, welcome!" Spacital said quickly, hoping to cover his friend's actions. Kakarot began to reply but Bardock interrupted him, saying, "You can come. Just don't try to stay if the Leader tells you to leave." Spacital nodded and fell in line behind the child, who watched with a confused expression as he nearly dragged Kislia behind him. The other male watched too, but Bardock told him not to bother and they continued walking. Spacital poked the child in the ribs to set him moving, finally removing his hand from Kislia's mouth. "What did you do that for?" She demanded furiously, as they walked behind the adults and the child who was almost walking backwards trying to watch them. "You would have ruined everything! When I say shut up, you shut up! Whenever you talk, something goes wrong!" Spacital scolded, then cast an annoying glance at the kid in front. "What do you want?" He snapped; he was in a very bad mood. The child was obviously surprised by Spacital's speaking to him, and he stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What?" Spacital demanded in an exasperated tone. Kislia elbowed him out of the way, saying, "Spacital! He's new here, give him a break!" Turning to the child, who was very near their age, she said, "Don't mind him. He's a little uptight. So, what's your name?" A smile brightened the child's face and he replied, "My name's Gohan. My Dad and I just arrived here from Earth." "Why were you staring at us?" Spacital snarled, looking behind Gohan to see if the adults were still in sight. Fortunately, Bardock had spotted a problem between two of the older rebels, and was having some time fixing it. Gohan shied back a bit, muttering, "I've never seen anyone like me before." "What do you mean?" Kislia asked slowly in a confused way. She had only ever known one type of person in her life, and that was Saiyan. Anything else she had seen (Dodoria and Frieza, for example), did not qualify as 'person'. "Well, all the people on Earth are different. I was the only one with a tail and the only one as strong as I was." Gohan said, and went on to explain the different races, skin tones, eye shape and culturalism on Earth. Spacital and Kislia grew more and more astounded at every word. They suddenly realized what a very sheltered life they led. But they shook it off. No biggie. The life they had was fine with them. (Besides, Spacital had travelled to other planets (against orders, of course!) and seen more things that did not qualify as 'people'; just aliens and/or allies!) "Come on! We have to get going, or you're going to be late!" Spacital finally spoke, beginning to walk at a fast pace. As he passed Gohan, he thwacked him on the back of the head, causing Gohan to stagger. He stared after Spacital with a look of hurt confusion, when Kislia whispered into his ear, "Don't sweat it. It means he accepts you!"

"Late. They're late. Why is Bardock always late? He's the one who's worried about my stress level!" Vegeta muttered, pacing his office, which was connected to his living quarters by a door. He did not do much sleeping, what with training and the Base to run; he had only 4 short hours set aside for sleeping. (Maybe that's why he's always in such a pissy mood!) "Calm down! He probably found some problem and had to fix it!" His tail suggested, trying to keep Vegeta in a decent mood. No new Rebel needed to see him when he was angry; they would NEVER join if they did; they'd be dead! "There's always problems! And who has to deal with them? Me! Always! It's always up to me!" Vegeta argued, still pacing in a circular pattern. "That's what you have Elites for!" His tail replied sternly, "Will you stop?! You're making me dizzy!" Vegeta did not stop, saying, "Tails can only get dizzy if their Saiyan is dizzy. I am not dizzy. Therefore, you can't be dizzy!" "Yeah, well I'm the exception! Just stop please!" His tail wailed. Knock, Knock, Knock. "Finally! They're here." Vegeta muttered and stopped pacing. His tail was about to whisper a prayer of thanks when the door burst open. Who should march in but Bardock, with the strangest expression on his face. "Leader, presenting the new recruits." He said in a forced deep voice that made him sound extremely stupid. Vegeta lifted one eyebrow and Bardock dropped the act. "Kakarot, Gohan, come on." He muttered out the door. Kakarot walked in with a slow pace (a snail going backwards was faster than he was), but that was nothing compared to Gohan. He was trembling from head to toe, extremely nervous to see the man who had beaten his Father so easily. He had always believed that his Father was the strongest man in the universe! In his nervousness, he stumbled forward half an inch before he stopped again, forcing himself to breathe. After five minutes of this with only a few feet to show for progress, Spacital finally grabbed Gohan by the shoulders, turned him around and punched him across the face. Shaking him forcefully, he said fiercely, "Look, Gohan, you have to do this! You have no choice! If you don't go through with this you die. End of story. That's it. You're dead. And here's a little secret," Leaning closer to Gohan's ear, Spacital whispered, "I'm the executioner." He added a crack of his knuckles for effect. Gohan started as if an electric shock had been jolted through his body. He practically ran through the door to Vegeta's office. Kislia smiled, and casually asked, "You're not really the ex, are you?" Spacital grinned evilly, "Well a little lie doesn't hurt here and there. Besides, I got him moving, didn't I?" Calmly walking through the door, he beckoned Kislia to enter. Walking through the door, they discovered that Gohan had run into the back of his Father, causing Kakarot to rush forward, which in turn made Bardock grab both of them by the material of their clothing at the backs of their necks and tell them to calm down. Vegeta watched with no sign of his thoughts on his face. He actually found this quite amusing, as it is to many people when someone is obviously scared of you. He watched as Spacital walked in; that was no problem. But when Kislia came into view. Vegeta glared at her, a steely glint in his eye as he remembered that day a few months ago when they had had that confrontation. Kislia returned his angry gaze with a defiant one, staring straight into his eyes. A short staring contest was held until Vegeta broke off, saying, "So, you are the new recruits." Sarcasm was given on the last word, as well as a smirk. Kakarot began to give an angry reply, but Bardock cut him off, saying, "Yes, sir. They wish to join the Rebels." Vegeta turned and walked to sit behind a desk that was littered with papers. Waving his hand as an indication for them to sit down, he asked Kislia to shut the door behind her…if she was staying. This was an obvious demand for her to leave so, naturally, she shut the door and sat down beside Spacital. "Story." Was the curt order form Vegeta, so Bardock launched into the tale. I will not put it here, what with interruptions from Gohan and Kakarot and questions from the other Saiyans, it took quite a long while. Eventually, Vegeta knew what he needed to know: That Gohan and Kakarot had no military training whatsoever and that they were easily trusted. The child, Gohan, was decently smart, but would remain, as most children did, in the Mass Army. Kakarot, whose brain could easily be spared, would be placed in the Kamikaze Order. This would come later…first would be vigorous training, sharp reprimands, and one chance to prove themselves. One chance was all they got, and if they failed… well let's just say they wouldn't be so helpful to the Rebels anymore. Perhaps to the Healer who could always use extra Saiyan bones to be crushed… After approximately an hour of explanation, as well as Vegeta having fifteen minutes to consider while watching Gohan and Kakarot sweat, Vegeta rose from the desk. A dagger glittered in his palm. He walked with deliberate slowness to stand directly in front of Kakarot. "Stand." He said shortly. Kakarot quickly rose to his feet, where he stood above Vegeta by about a head. Thus far, he had come to respect this youth for his combat ability and intelligence. But now, now he almost feared him. He saw something hidden behind those dark eyes, and this something frightened him. This was not a Saiyan to cross. Vegeta met Kakarot's gaze easily, and began to speak in a soft, lethal tone, "By me doing this you shall swear allegiance to the Rebels for your entire life. You shall constantly be against Frieza. You shall not trust those outside of the Saiyan race. One chance will be given, or none if the treachery is too severe, so watch your back. Do you agree to this? Will you take the Oath of the True Saiyans?" Kakarot swallowed loudly, stammering, "What is the Oath? I have not seen it." Vegeta sighed, and snatched a piece of paper off the desk. It was very old by the look of it, and the writing was hardly legible.

Oath of the True Saiyans

I shall always remain loyal.

I shall always keep my pride.

I shall always strive to be stronger.

I shall always try to survive.

I shall always battle my enemy.

I shall always flames smother.

I shall always show respect to superiors.

I shall never love another.

I swear all these things upon my life to one that worthy of my services. I swear to be a True Saiyan, always. I swear all these things in the names of

The remainder of the text had been ripped off. Kakarot swallowed loudly again, and whispered, "I swear." He suddenly gasped in pain. A dagger had cut an 'X' into his right palm, and blood was seeping onto the skin. Vegeta's eyes glittered with malice, and a small smile was on his face. "Scarred for life…" He said in a nasty voice, as if he were mocking Kakarot's decision, "Never cover this marking. If you do, your life is forfeit. You will die." Kakarot nodded grimly, gritting his teeth to keep from gasping aloud. Usually, something like this would have bothered him less than a pinprick, but this dagger was different. It seemed to house incredible power, as did the one who wielded it. Secret power; one the owner himself did not seem aware of. "Now the child." Said Vegeta sharply, as Kakarot slowly sat down once again. Gohan stood, trembling like a leaf, and managed to walk over to Vegeta. The Leader did not ask him anything, which surprised Gohan. He had expected the same treatment as his father. Nonetheless, he too had an 'X' sliced into his hand, accompanied by a gasp of pain. The dagger disappeared and Vegeta asked Spacital to show them to two empty rooms; near each other, if possible. Spacital answered this with a nod, and he led them out of the room. The arrival of the new Saiyans over, Kislia went to leave. Vegeta shot a quick glance at Bardock who, after noticing the strange look in Vegeta's eyes, quietly said, "Kislia, you're not leaving yet." She turned around slowly, looking at both of them with suspicion. "Why can't I leave?" She asked, staring at each one in turn. "There's something you need to know." Bardock whispered, his voice actually rather squeaky. "Ok, shoot!" Kislia said cheerfully, never one to be in a bad mood for long. "It's vitally important. You must be serious." Vegeta put in, voice hard. "Oh…alright then, what is it?" Kislia faked seriousness on the outside, but was in reality was very excited. Bardock had turned away, staring at a wall. Memories flooded over him in a torrent that threatened to wash him away. He couldn't do it. Not today. "Are you going to tell her, or should I?" Vegeta was speaking in his mind. "No, I can do it…" Bardock thought to himself, hoping Vegeta would pick it up. In case he hadn't, Bardock turned around with a determined look on his face. In reality, he was scared. "Why today?" Bardock couldn't help thinking, "It's hard enough I just got here and now I have to go through this!" Vegeta's eyes narrowed swiftly. "Kislia, you're dismissed." He spoke near silently, but his words seemed to echo in the room. Kislia opened her mouth to argue, changed her mind and left through the already open door. Vegeta went to the door and shut it, while Bardock collapsed onto a the chair Kakarot had been sitting on, breathing heavily. "Why? Why, Vegeta? Just, why?" He kept repeating the same phrases, over and over again. There were actually quite a few "Whys?" he had in mind. A few are: "Why did you put me through this? Why today? Why did you send her away? Why did you change your mind? Why didn't I stop her? Why haven't we told her before now?" The only full sentence he managed to get out was, "Why did you send her away?" Vegeta did not look at his old friend, and replied rather quickly, "You weren't ready." He actually had his own reasons for sending her out, but he wanted to talk them over with Bardock before he said anything to anyone else, in case it was a mistake. He was extremely confused over these issues, and Bardock was likely able to help. "Come with me Bardock. I need to speak with you." Vegeta walked through the door connecting with his room, indicating that Bardock should follow. Bardock stood from his chair and followed Vegeta with mild surprise. It was not often Vegeta asked him 'advice', if you could call it that. Bardock had no idea what he was in for…

"Hey! Gohan! Wait up!" Kislia called down the hallway after her newest friend. He turned around and greeted her with a smile, "Hi, Kislia. How are you doing?" He was still trying to figure out his way through the Base, and was glad to have company to help him out a bit. "I'm fine thanks, but something really weird just happened. I was-" Kislia began to explain, but Gohan cut her off, "Please, not now, okay? I have to get to a class with someone named Voin, or something like that. He said he's going to evaluate me to see what classes I should be in, besides discipline and military tactics." Kislia nodded, "Yeah you've got it right. We all have to take military and discipline classes, and 'Voin's Evaluation' is standard procedure to newbies. Your dad will have to go through it too, but yours will be less intense. I'll come along; we're allowed to watch." Gohan turned red in the face. Lowering his head, he muttered, "I don't really want to be watched... What if I mess up?" Kislia punched him on the back of the shoulder, "Don't worry about it, Gohan! We've all been through it and besides, no one really cares. Come on!" Gohan smiled gratefully and they both began walking down the hall, heading outside. They were shortly joined by Spacital, who came up behind them and said one word to find out what was going on, "Voin?" Kislia only nodded, and Gohan appeared to be growing more confident with each step. (The air of Ansai had that effect on you…) His mind set was changing from that of a schoolboy to more of a Saiyan warrior's. The three rounded a corner together and stepped out into the open air. Voin stood waiting. Gohan's honor began here.

"Close the door behind you." Vegeta muttered on off-hand command. Bardock did not feel the need to mention that the other door was already closed and closing this one would make no difference, so he remained silent and shut the door. This was very unusual behavior for Vegeta, and Bardock was growing more bewildered by the moment. Suddenly, Vegeta collapsed on his bed, face up, and loudly announced, "Something's bothering me." Bardock had guessed this quite a while ago, but it was not the time to mention this fact. The first rule of accepting something was admitting it to yourself. Vegeta's voice changed and became somewhat angry, "I can't stop thinking about her!" That was it. That sentence. Bardock knew exactly what Vegeta's problem was, and exactly what was going on. He would just let Vegeta rant, get it off his chest, and then explain it in a very calm manner. It was very normal. Nothing to be worried about. Very common among sixteen year olds. So simple, too. Vegeta was in love.

"Name?" Voin demanded. "Gohan." Was the strong reply. "Age?" "Twelve Earth years, sir." "Pardon?" "Well, I said Earth years because I'm not sure if Ansai years are the same as Earth years." Was the innocent explanation from Gohan. "Spacital?" Voin questioned, still not sure of what Gohan meant. "He's twelve, Voin, that's what he said." Replied the bored Spacital, eager to see how Gohan would fare. Into Gohan's ear, Kislia whispered, "Yeah, they're about the same. At least, I think they are 'cause you look like most twelve year olds around here. Don't mention 'Earth' anymore, okay? Most people here don't care much for other planets." Gohan nodded curtly, and looked back at Voin, who was scanning him up and down. "Good height, average power level, smart enough…" He went on listing a few things to himself, before straightening up and saying, "Fine. First trial: Agility. I'm going to fire at you. You must dodgethe blasts. Understand? No blocking." Gohan nodded once, and readied himself. Voin started out very easily, throwing mild level Ki blasts at speeds that would have made a two year old look fast. Gohan was almost falling asleep, when Voin suddenly threw a faster one. Gohan's eyes snapped open from their half-closed state and he barely managed to dodge left. "In the air!" Voin shouted, now throwing four or five at once. Gohan spiraled upwards and did not get hit by any. Stopping to turn and look at Voin, who had stopped for a second, he saw Kislia and Spacital standing just outside the door. He smiled quickly at them, but refused to lose his focus. Voin began to throw faster, stronger blasts now, keeping Gohan in constant movement. Gohan was hit by a few, but he still tried and didn't land until Voin stopped and beckoned him to come down. Gohan was suspicious of this and he did not approach Voin in the air. He instead went straight down and walked forward, keeping his guard up. "Drop your guard, kid, the trial's over." Voin said, only slightly out of breath. Gohan shook his head 'No', and drew back a step. "It's done. Drop your guard. I'm serious. I swear I won't attack." Voin used a firmer tone this time, telling Gohan that he was in charge and that Gohan better listen. Gohan finally nodded and dropped his guard, but still seemed wary. "You passed the first trial with flying colours. Congratulations. You get a ten minute break." Voin turned his back and walked slightly farther away, scribbling a few things down on a sheet. Gohan walked over to Kislia and Spacital slowly, his right arm had a slight burn on it, and he was slightly exhausted. Kislia beamed at him. "Great job! You're really fast, even with new gravity!" She exclaimed happily, watching him walk over to them. Gohan looked bewildered, saying, "New gravity? I never noticed…"

"She's just there. Not because I want her there, she just is. I can't focus, she's always there distracting me! I'm getting so frustrated and I don't even understand why! I want her near me, and I don't want others to be with her! Just me! It's so confusing! What's wrong with me? I've never been effected with emotions as strong as this before! I can't control them! Grr! What do I do, Bardock? Why do I feel this way?" Vegeta ranted, looking as though he was going to destroy something. "Calm down, Vegeta. It's normal." Bardock muttered, not particularly paying attention. He was trying to figure out a way to tell Vegeta about this without getting himself hurt. "It's not normal! It can't be!" Vegeta cried indignantly, reaching the brink of insanity once again. "Have you listened to your tail lately?" Bardock asked, still not answering Vegeta's earlier question. Vegeta looked very bewildered. "No…not really…why?" He stammered, looking at his tail, who was holding a very heated conversation with Bardock's tail. "You should sometime. Mine taught me a lot." Bardock replied, staring into space. "But… he's stupid… why?… I don't understand Bardock… what do you mean?" Vegeta stuttered, eyes widening. This was very new to him; getting advice from is tail and Bardock did not happen often. It seemed somewhat overwhelming. He was only a sixteen-year-old with too many responsibilities. Life was just as confusing to him as to most other people' he simply had to act like it wasn't. Bardock sighed loudly. "Vegeta," He began, "I know what the problem is. I've experienced it myself, a long time ago…" He sighed again, "Vegeta you're-" "Don't tell him!" Yelled his tail suddenly. (Please remember that no matter how I say it, you *cannot* hear what tails say, unless it is your personal tail.) "What? Why not?" Bardock demanded, he was also not speaking aloud. "It's funny! His tail's going to tell him!" Bardock's tail replied, "Watch!" Bardock, having nothing better to do, looked at his friend's face. At first, it appeared frustrated, and angry, but then suddenly, it turned chalk-white. "What? No, that's not possible… It can't be… Me? But, we don't feel such emotions… Love? It can't be, it just can't…" Vegeta choked, shocked to the core of his being.

"Alright, Gohan. Your next trial is blocking in melee combat. Do you know what that is?" Voin gave his instructions, watching to see Gohan's reaction. He asked if the children knew what 'melee' was because some of them had never fought before. Gohan slowly nodded, replying, "Yes, it's basically a fist fight. Let me guess, no dodging, right?" Voin dipped his head for a reply, and told Gohan to ready himself. At this moment, Spacital openly yawned, and Kislia suddenly gave a sharp gasp. Spacital looked at her strangely and asked, "What's up with you?" "What? Nothing, I'm just feeling kind of dizzy…I think I'll go get some water or something." Kislia lied, staggering slightly into the Base. She felt horribly confused all of a sudden, and the pain she had felt did not feel like her own. It felt like someone else's, someone who was connected to her. Strange… "Dizzy, my foot. If she's dizzy, I'm the weakest in the Base." Spacital muttered, deciding to watch Gohan's next trial, then go see if Kislia was still 'dizzy'. Gohan prepared himself, getting into fighting position. Voin waited, wondering how patient Gohan was. Attacking first was never the best move. Gohan, remembering his earlier fight with Bardock, waited for Voin to attack first. Five minutes later, Voin shot forward, fist swinging forward. Gohan's first reaction was to duck, but his second reaction was to block, so he ended up getting hit pretty squarely in the nose. Voin did not pause, and aimed his next punch for Gohan's gut. Up came Gohan's knee and a small Ki bubble burst at the connecting point. Gohan threw a wild punch at Voin's arm, but Voin dodged it easily. The fist-flaying continued for a few minutes before they started to rise into the air. Spacital watched closely; this was what interested him. Would this Earth child be able to keep him occupied? (Okay, so Gohan's only one year younger than Spacital. He won't be considered anything but a child until he's had some training.) A circle of energy began to build up between the two fighters as they rose higher into the air. Gohan was holding his own pretty well, but he was taking about twice as many hits as Voin. Eventually, Voin dropped to the ground leaving Gohan floating in mid-punch. "Trail's over! Fifteen minute break!" Voin called, gasping slightly. He was getting too old for this, he thought. Kids these days were getting stronger and stronger. Gohan dropped down, wiping his forehead with his bare arm. He would have a bunch of bruises tomorrow. He slowly walked over to Spacital, still trying to catch his breath. "Hey… how'd I …do?… Where's… Kislia?" He gasped, looking around. "You did fine, I guess. Kislia wasn't feeling all that great so she went inside." Spacital replied to Gohan, looking and sounding bored. "Oh…" Gohan muttered, feeling somewhat hurt that Spacital wasn't the least bit interested. But, cheering up with an idea he got, a smile crept onto his face. "Now, I just need to get my breath back…"He thought to himself, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Three, two, one!" He thought, blasting forward with a quick spurt of energy. His punch was blocked, but he could see by the look on his friend's face that Spacital was surprised. Not giving himself any time to recover, Gohan swung again, this time aiming for Spacital's face. This punch was also blocked and a hungry look appeared in Spacital's eyes. "Perhaps this might be interesting." He thought, "A different style of fighting, someone with no Saiyan training." Pulling away from Gohan, he shot into the air, flying backwards so he could still face his opponent. Gohan smiled and blasted forward, flying in a zigzag pattern so Spacital had no chance of getting in an energy attack. A furious punch-out began, and Voin turned to see Gohan, a newbie, keeping Spacital, of all people, occupied. (A rare feat, indeed.)

"I don't understand, Bardock. Why me? Why must I suffer such a weakness?" Vegeta mumbled, after calming himself from his tail's startling news. "It happens to lots of people, Vegeta. And it's not a weakness. It is an amazing strength, if used properly…" Bardock's answer trailed off, and he was lost in his precious memories of Milana. Vegeta would not properly understand this statement for a very long time, so he put it to the back of his mind. "How will I tell her?" He choked, thinking of great humiliation. "You don't need to. Not yet, anyway. She doesn't need to know yet. It would probably cause her some problems. But you will have to tell her someday. She needs to know, and it won't do you any good to keep something as strong as this bottled up inside. Besides, eventually something will have to change." Bardock replied with a small shrug of his shoulders, "It's probably a good thing you told me. Otherwise, you might have done something stupid." Vegeta looked angrily at him, thinking that 'stupid' was not a word to describe something he would do. But he shook it off, remembering that Bardock knew what he was talking about. "Fine. Bardock, leave now." Vegeta said suddenly, with a hard tone. Bardock looked slightly surprised, but he recognized the tone and was quick to obey. He glanced over his shoulder as he left, seeing Vegeta's back was to him and that his head was down; an indication that he was thinking. Vegeta heard the door shut with a snap and let a deep breath escape him. "I won't give in to it." He told himself sternly, "It will not effect me. I don't care for anyone."

Kislia had wandered through the Base, and now was nearing her room. There was a bit of a throb in her Rebel Scars, like they were poisoned. She also had a stinging pain in her heart, and knew that she should probably report it for a scan. But something told her that she shouldn't; that it wouldn't make any difference. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. She flopped down onto her bed, face up. Crossing her arms over her stomach, she closed her eyes to try and figure out what this could be. Sleep stole over her and she would not awake for at least three hours later when Spacital came to find her…

Gohan flew out-of-control through the air, blasted backwards by Spacital's energy blast. He crashed through a large mass of boulders, sending them flying in all directions. Blood flowed onto his torn clothing, and his vision was practically nothing, but he wasn't beaten yet. Spacital waited up there in the air, thinking that Gohan would attack with energy from where he lay. Gohan had different ideas. He slowly allowed his strength to trickle back, and zanzokened behind Spacital. Spacital was taken aback by this move and received a very strong punch to the back. It sent him flying forward, but he was able to regain control and turn around. He saw that Gohan had sunk to the ground, and was having trouble even lifting his head to look at Spacital. It was now the first time that Spacital saw the extent of Gohan's injuries. Comparing them to his own, he realized that he had been pushing Gohan a bit too hard, and that his friend deserved a break. He allowed himself to float slowly down to the ground, a smile flicking about his mouth. "Good job. You kept me busy more than five minutes. Not many single fighters do that." Spacital said, and he saw the pride in Gohan's eyes before he passed out. Gohan knew he had tried his hardest, and was pleased with the praise. Voin walked towards them both, looking at Gohan's tattered clothing in dismay. "I think the exact time was four fifty-six, Spacital." He said near silently. Spacital began walking towards the Base, casually throwing over his shoulder, "Seemed longer."