BACK TO THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 1 - THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

A mailclad young man was in a hurry to warn his friends. He snapped his fingers at the caution, jumped, and flied in the low height as fast as he could. The space capsule wasn't far away. The dark night was in its head, but the fellow was a good navigator during the dark time of hour. Here's another hill and behind it...
A Ki Detector beeped suddenly. The black-haired guy stopped in amazement and looked around. The energy detector was already screeching. He peered into the green glass in front his left eye: the combat power data was waving from three to four thousand. The yellow triangular was pointing the northwest. The warrior didn't hesitate; he bolted immediately to the direction the detector was showing. He thought about everything all over again and decided his comrades were strong enough to deal with their opponents and he needed to check what kind of anomaly was in the northwest. There shouldn't have been such powerful people in this planet. The natives couldn't resist them. Even though they tried with all their efforts the energy of the strongest native fighter was only two hundred and forty.
The inborn impatience took over him and the young man speeded up even more. The distance shown in the detector was declining instantly. The landscape was changing; the hills and herbaceous plains were gone now. As far as the eye could see there was only a rockbound wasteland. A shadow passed through the land and a guy looked up worryingly: the dark, heavy clouds were gliding in the sky covering two moons. The shiver that ran over his neck clearly told that one of them was a full moon. It was hidden by the wall of grey clouds, the other one - sharp sickle was seen quite well. "Not now, not now..." he thought concerned and once again looked up into the sky. The clouds were blown West by the East wind. They shouldn't have been gone in a short run so the warrior forgot the moons and was approaching unstoppable to that strong being.
The triangle and a yellow circle in the detector fused together. That tough guy should be somewhere near. The black-haired warrior hovered in the air and looked around. The sharp seeing didn't disappoint him again, there was a figure dressed in lambent coat on a solitary rock. A warrior led by his aggressive nature got near him in a flash. He was ready to strike. The sprat in front of him didn't make a single move. The young man got angry.
"Who are you?!" he bellowed.
The strapper was standing as though he was made from stone. Black-haired guy got furious, he clenched his fists.
"Answer me! I'm talking to you!! Answer me, because... You're not going to...!"
"Do we have to end this in violence?" he heard a tender voice.
The warrior confused and lost all his caution. The human standing in front of him raised his arms slowly, took off his hood and turned around. Youth was stunned, he lowered his arms. An incredibly beautiful young woman was standing right in front of him. Her long, thick, black hair was billowing even because of a small breeze; the look of her dark eyes was boring through him.
He hiccoughed and hardly swallowed a lump inside his throat. Now he knew why the detector was showing such a high energy rating - that girl was a Saiyan, no doubt. But what was she doing in these boondocks? A guy stretched as catgut and asked as mannerly as he could, although he didn't try to hide his surprise:
"What are you doing here?"
She smiled, turned her back on him and looked up into the sky. The guy wanted to shake her, 'cause a girlie was keeping her peace, but she spoke out finally.
"I have come here to get an eyeful of a full moon," her set-up was kinda sad, "It shows itself so rarely at home," a girl turned around with a lenient smile on her face and looked up again, "but, unfortunately, my wish will not come true tonight."
A black-haired guy crossed his arms upon his chest and peered at her with a very suspicious look.
"You turn Ohzaru and get an eyeful of a moon?" he revised.
She smiled and looked down at her feet.
"I do not have a tail," she said and noticed that a guy didn't believe her, then she added, "an accident in my childhood."
The warrior raised his eyebrows. Who is she anyway? He should have heard about her before. True, his planet wasn't small, and he hadn't been home lately, but a tailless Saiyan should be notable, more or less.
His thought interrupted immediately when he saw the expression on her face. It had been soft and warm recently, but now a girl scowled and peered rudely at something behind him. The Ki Detector beeped and a fighter turned around fast. A blazing white flash was moving towards him. The number that had appeared in the detector cooled him down and guy turned to the mysterious woman. He turned and gasped with astonishment, she was gone. He couldn't believe his eyes. He looked around anxiously, but could see nothing that would remind the flash of the inner energy or a streak of a spaceship. The detector couldn't come across any tracks of Ki either. "Weird..." he thought.
"Bardock!" he heard somebody shouting, "Bardock! What captured you?"
Bardock turned at the source of the sound. Toma landed from the sky. He was wearing that serious face expression of his, which had always made everybody laugh. But Bardock didn't smile this time.
Toma was his best friend, the merest Saiyan warrior. He was different from others though, because he had been irradiated with some kind of molecule-splitting rays in his early teens, which had made his skin dark cooper.
"What happened?" Toma was worried, "How much I was supposed to wait for you?"
"Did..." Bardock finally came back, "Did you patch them up?"
"Of course," Toma grinned, "Piece of cake."
"Hmm..." a guy with green glass detector looked seriously thoughtful. "I was going to warn you, but as I see there was no need for that."
"Well, yeah," Toma scratched his hirsuit, black-haired sconce, "there was an ambush waiting for us, but could that kind of goofs measure with the Saiyans?"
The question was rhetorical and Bardock didn't answer, but that unusual silence of his made Toma alarmed.
"Hey, bro?" friend narrowed his eyes. "Are you OK? You look as though somebody's hit the hell out of you."
"Don't know," Bardock turned his back on him and looked down. "Has your detector recorded anything strange?"
"Mine?" Toma taped on the red glass in front of his left eye. "Nothing except your combat power... What?"
"I could swear..." the guy turned quickly at his friend. "Toma, there was a woman."
"A woman?" he repeated in a stolid voice. "A woman?" the pent-up laughter made Toma's face distorted.
He started to snigger and finally let out a loud laugh:
"A woman?!" every vowel was accompanied by a bout of uncontrollable laughter. "Man, you're in trouble!!! You had been on duty for TOO long. He sees women!" Toma brushed squirted tear. "You know what," he put his hand on Bardock's shoulder. "Let's get back to our space capsules and fly home, OK? Everybody else has gone already. I was the only one who worried about you. And," Toma looked up. "I wouldn't want you desolate this planet. We are going to get loads of money for it. And Ohzaru is still your weakest link, isn't it?" the companion raised his eyebrows.
Bardock thrust his lips together and looked at Toma. His friend might be right. He hasn't been home for more than five years now. He was ranging over the galaxy's ins and outs since the age of sixteen. Maybe he was really going crazy?
"OK," he said quietly.
"Great," Toma tapped on his back. "Let's go."
Bardock took the last glance over his shoulder at the place, where he saw the mysterious girl and soared after Toma who was still giggling ("A woman...").

CHAPTER 2 - THE HOME OF THE WARRIORS

He was sitting crooked in his space capsule and was flying towards in an overwhelmingly high speed. He was flying home. Finally. He felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach, but Bardock didn't pay attention to his sentiments. A real warrior doesn't give a damn about that. And the only objective of a true-born Saiyan is to become an ideal fighter.
A gentle drone of a spaceship was calming him down. Small bright dots - the long-distance stars were passing by the space capsule. Bardock crossed his arms on the chest and bended his neck. No matter what Toma was talking about, no matter if his words made sense... He wasn't hallucinating. He had dealt with that before. And THAT woman wasn't fictitious. No matter what Toma said... It doesn't matter... He was so weary of terribly mixed up thoughts, that he insensibly fell asleep.
BANG! Bardock opened his eyes. Toma was gazing through a small glassy illuminator. He smiled and pulled back. Bardock opened the scuttle of a spherical spaceship and scarcely clambered out. His face was as cold as ice although he was burning from the inside: finally he came back home, finally he was standing on his native soil - planet Vegeta. The evening glow made the sky purely red. A huge military complex was standing right in front of his eyes. It was a home of all Saiyans who were managing on planet trading. The unique Saiyan fighters were trained here since their childhood, it was also the control center and the heart of the strategy planning. The spaceships were rocketing and landing here every moment.
Guys met each other's eye and walked slowly towards the entrance. Although the complex was giantlike, its architecture was light and neat. The light grey central building was used for registration, distribution and etc, in other words - basically for administration. The east wing was used for conferences by the Saiyan brains - aliens from all over the galaxy and commanders. The west wing consisted of soldiers' dwelling places, training rooms and the main hospital of the city.
Bardock and Toma were already near the entrance door, when few Saiyans, who had been in recently conquered planet too, shot through the door. There was one girl among them whose eyes were burning with the impatience.
"Departing already?" asked Toma with a grin on his face.
"We've got a task to check some planets" said a short-haired girl. She was very happy. "Are you two coming?"
"Oh no!" Toma waved his hands as if he was defending himself from something. "It's been awhile. We want to stay here for a little bit."
"As you wish, lazybones" the girl shrugged and smiled. "More good stuff for us... Hey, wait for me...!" she ran after her fellows. Toma watched her with a look full of fancy.
"Some piece, huh?" he grinned and walked with Bardock into the complex.
Bardock stopped in the middle of a big hall and looked around. Saiyans, aliens and robots were popping in and out everywhere. There was a registration table standing near the entrance. A cute girl (clearly not a Saiyan) was sitting behind it. Toma marched a few steps to the right, towards the long corridor with the high ceilings. Bardock was standing still. Toma looked asquint at him.
"Are you coming?" he motioned to the corridor's direction.
Bardock took off his Ki detector and gave it to Toma.
"Go on, docket everything. I can't, I'm starving."
"What about me?" Toma raised his eyebrows. "Do you think I'm full?" he took the detector from Bardock.
"Comparing with me you're as thin as a stick, so you don't need to eat a lot" Bardock smirked. "Go on, deal with that shit."
"Thin as a stick" Toma sniffed. "I'm only higher than you are, that's all. OK" he waved with a detector in his hand. "I'll do it. And you... you should take a little nap, cause your skin below the eyes is completely black. Girls don't like ugly guys and insomnia kills the beauty. By the way" Toma put his hand behind his chest armour and put out an old threadbare piece of paper. "Here, take this, I've been keeping it since the day I've left Vegeta. You need it much more than I do."
Bardock took the dilapidated piece of paper, although he didn't trust Toma very much. He unrolled it and saw an address which was particularly difficult to read. He understood nothing and looked up at his pal. Toma blinked once and disappeared in a long corridor. Bardock wanted to threw that note away, but plugged it under his long, dark red forearm protector - just in case, and walked to the left - to the soldiers' dwelling places.
He was pushing through the river of people and machines. The building hasn't changed much through all these years, but the faces... Five years ago he knew every Saiyan who lived in the complex, every alien who worked here. Now unfamiliar folks were passing by. Now all his ex-classmates were either working in distant corners of the galaxy, either seeking for higher military ranks, so they took off to the capital or to any Freeza's space station.
The corridor was full of doors, so he must had reached the dwelling places. 2036, 2037, 2038... Here's his room - 2039. Bardock put his hand on a glassy scanner, a red ray went through his palm and the door was unlocked. He doubted for a second and finally entered the room.
Everything was exactly the same as he had left: the bed, small hutch, and a square window in front of him. The only exceptional feature of his room was a mirror on the left wall. He stretched himself and glanced at the bed. He didn't want to fell asleep again. He had no stomach for eating too. Probably, because of the nerves. Bardock promised himself not to tell anything about this to Toma. Obviously, he would start sneering at him again: "Little baby Bardocky doesn't have a famous Saiyan appetite".
The young Saiyan walked to the hutch and put his hand under its bottom. It was still here. He pulled his hand back, unclenched his fist and saw a small metal bar with a trapezium-form head on it. It was a key to his father's home in the downtown. Now he owed it, because his pop perished three years ago and his mom had died when Bardock was only a baby. He hadn't had any brother or a sister. Father wanted him to become a high rank Saiyan soldier, but Bardock loved to fight in the first lines more than anything. So he wasn't concerned about his career. He was quite satisfied with duties of a mere soldier.
Bardock glanced at the mirror. A rather tall, bronze-skinned guy with a disheveled black hair was looking from it. His left cheek was marked with a long scar - the proof of, probably, the only mistake Bardock had made in the battlefield. But that mark didn't bother him. Eventually, he shook down with it and that atypical scar had become his accent. Bardock narrowed his ebony eyes and scratched his head. His hairstyle became even rattier than it had been. He felt the key in his right hand and decided to get out of here.
He will find Toma, he will see how much time he is given and then he will spend it in his parents' apartment. Maybe he will come around some training club in town. Yes, he decisively turned to the door. This is exactly what he is going to do.
There were less people in the corridor than before. Only a few Saiyans passed by, apart the robots, which were shuttling there all the time. Bardock was walking forward so thoughtful that he didn't even notice when he bumped into some girl. She just measured him with her fierce black eyes, shook her thatch and went along without saying a word.
Bardock was already near the exit when he heard a sonorous voice calling his name. He turned around and saw Toma, who was grinning in a kinda weird way. A friend caught up with him by the registration table. Toma took a tossy look at a girl behind that desk and peered at Bardock with a furtive expression on his face.
"You, tricky shit" he smiled. "Why didn't you tell me, the last time you were standing on Vegeta's soil five years ago? I thought that mission, when we first met two years ago, was your first. Do you have any idea, how much vacation you've got?"
"About two weeks, I think" Bardock said simply and shrugged.
"Yeah, you wish." Toma swung his head. "While you were mooching around, everything had changed a lot here. Some new Freeza's henchman... damn, I forgot his name" Toma scratched his sconce. "Anyway, that totally green bogey had set new vacation rules: the relaxation must continue for a third of a year!"
"Third?" Bardock stirred.
"Yeah! Can you imagine that? I've counted" Toma was bending his fingers. "It goes like this: work for five days, rest for two days, work for five days, rest for two days... it's a real bughouse! So, guess how many days off did you get for a faithful five-year service?"
"A lot." Bardock wasn't a blabber.
"Five hundred and twenty!" Toma shouted so loudly that everyone who was in the hall turned at them.
"Five hundred..." Bardock was shocked. "But it's about eighteen months!"
"Don't tell me." Toma gave Bardock his ki detector. "I'm quite happy with my two hundred and eight days."
"Damn..." Bardock took the detector and peered at its green glass. "What are they expecting me to do all this time?"
"You could look for that ghostly chick from that planet" Toma grinned.
"Ha ha" Bardock made a snoot. "Very funny. Well" he gripped the detector in his fist. "I was about to go out anyway. It's a start" he stepped towards the exit.
"Wait!" Toma stopped him. "Could go to that place which address I've gave you earlier and tell that Toma's back? And you could use it too..." Toma blinked.
"OK!" Bardock nodded. He sensed nothing suspicious. "I'll do it. You still have some business here, don't you?"
"Aha..." Toma gaped. "Some small stuff. I'll see ya later."
"Bye..." Bardock waved with his hand still holding the detector and walked out of the complex.

CHAPTER 3 - THE HOUSE IN MAGNOLIA STREET

There were only a few cars in the bright, empty city streets. Humble and frightful aliens were bypassing a tall Saiyan respectfully. First evening stars were glinting in the East, but the sky in the West was still as red as a blood. Usually by that time all warriors were already sleeping after their exhausting training.
Two women dressed in robes, who had chosen coach career walked down the sidewalk. Bardock gave them a nod and stopped by the crossing. He looked around, wondering how quickly all these skyscrapers were built. Bardock plugged his hand under his red forearm protector and put out the dilapidated piece of paper. Only now, when he read this almost washed-out address written in plain handwriting once more, Bardock understood it was quite strange. First of all, the name of addressee was weird, Lena. He couldn't imagine what kind of a Saiyan would have that name.
Bardock scratched his head pretty confused while reading that note further: "Magnolia Street".
"What the hell? Asshole!" it slipped out. "What the f**k is Magnolia?" Bardock looked around. "He's gonna pay for that," he floated up and landed on the roof of the highest skyscraper standing nearby.
"How can I know where it is?" a guy asked himself. He clenched the paper in his fist and soared straight to the southwest.
Lena, Magnolia... These words were foreign. Bardock decided to look for mysterious "friends" of Toma in alien neighbourhood. He saw colourful streets: red, blue, green. Various aliens were walking down them: small, frog-like Zhookos, from galaxy's outskirt; tall, tenuous Tinnos form planet Rasto...
Suddenly the young Saiyan poised in the air. A net of pink streets was furcating just in front of him. He looked down at the note in his palm; this paper was pink long time ago. That's a fact. He didn't know whether the word "Magnolia" had anything to do with the rosy colour, but Bardock decided to have a try.
He landed on a pink pavement. One step of his was enough for all citizens who were in that street to freeze in a fright. Bardock didn't pay attention to them and walked straight decisively, looking around closely whether he would notice a house with sign "Magnolia" on it. He didn't give a damn that every alien shivered every time he made a step.
But after about half an hour, when it was getting darker, although the sky was still red, Bardock's patience ran out. He could find neither house No. 222, nor Magnolia Street, no matter how hard he tried. He thought Toma made a mock of him again (as always). Hardly controlling his temper, Bardock saw a small, orange Zhooko with bulging eyes, carefully walking just in front of him.
"You!" he yelled pointing at scared little guy.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" squealed that one and ran away from the warrior as fast as he could.
Bardock thought gallingly that the myth of "Sinister Saiyans" here, in Vegeta was over-the-top. But he didn't have other choice, so he shouted:
"Stop! Otherwise I'll really kill you!"
Zhooko froze immediately. Bardock walked over to the little guy. He was glossing nervously his robe and was looking at his toes.
"Look at me," Bardock ordered in a calm voice. All aliens were watching them. They were startled and interested in this strange scene.
Dwarf, frog-like Zhooko raised his head and looked at the Saiyan, who probably seemed like a giant to him. Bardock stretched a piece of paper to him. The alien was afraid too much to spring back.
"Where is it?" Bardock asked when Zhooko took the paper into his shaking hand. He read it quickly, babbling something and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Well?" Bardock said it with a heavy hand.
"It is not far away from here, Sir," spoke orange Zhooko blinking with his huge eyes. "Walk straight to the crossing then to the right and it will be the fifth house on the left."
"Really?" Bardock asked with suspicion.
"Really, really, Sir." Zhooko nodded hectically.
"Very well," Bardock took the paper from the alien. "Don't run away next time, understand?"
"I won't run away from you, Sir," the alien bowed, and hurried away. He was happy, that everything had ended so quickly.
Bardock ran in the direction of which he was told. He lingered here for too long. He was sleepy and wanted to get to his parents' home as quickly as he could. Probably, that little nap in the spaceship wasn't enough.
One, two, three, four... Here: the fifth house on the left. Bardock mistrusted at it. Contrary to the others, that pink shed had only two storeys and was very long. Hell with Toma, thought Bardock and walked up the stairs to the rosy door. There wasn't any bell so he knocked carefully, trying not to break the door.
It was opened immediately. A cute, fair-haired (clearly not a Saiyan) girl was standing behind it. She measured Bardock with her dark blue eyes and brightened up as though she'd just seen some fresh meat.
"Yes?" she raised one eyebrow.
"Is this here?" he gave her dilapidated piece of paper. A girl read it and opened the door widely, measuring him once again.
"Come in," she invited, turned at the corridor and yelled. "Lena! You have a visitor! He's a new one!"
Only now, when he was inside Bardock finally understood what kind of place it was. Toma had sent him to the cathouse. It was a high-class bordello. Maybe it wasn't nice from the outside, but the interior was... The big, wide corridor was full of doors, they all were opened and different girls were looking at him. Some of them were Saiyans, but most of them were aliens who looked like Saiyans (except the hair colour, of course). Bardock noticed even one Zhooko girlie with big puppy eyes.
He was walking down the corridor after the fair-haired girl. He was worried. Bardock couldn't believe he swallowed Toma's bait. He should've foreseen it. He couldn't stop wondering that every time he passed a door, an indomitable whisper greeted him. "Have you ever seen him before...?" "Hey, look, a new one..." "Rough, but rather cute..." "Well, hello there, ebony eyes..." "Saiyans really have something..." Bardock jumped when one of these girls nipped his ass.
"Girls," he heard a sonorous, pleasant voice. "Leave the guy alone. Can't you see he's like a cat on hot bricks?"
Bardock turned around: a beautiful redhead, dressed in robes was standing in the end of the corridor. Her emerald green eyes were shinning even in the twilight. A girl looked at blonde who had conducted the Saiyan.
"Is that him?" she asked.
"Yes," the blue-eyed girl nodded.
"Very well," said the redhead. "You may go," the blonde walked away, although most of the doors in corridor were still opened. "I am Lena. Were you looking for me?"
"Err... Yes, I was," Bardock walked closely to her. "Please, don't misunderstand me; I'm not looking for anything... for myself..."
"Really?" a girl raised her eyebrow measuring him. "There are a lot of volunteers who would highly enjoy... interacting with you..."
"No," he felt his face burning, "I've only came here to... I've been told to announce you... I... Oh, what the hell, you should know, that Toma's back."
The redhead was taken aback. All doors in the hall were closed suddenly. A girl dressed in robes put her hand on her chest.
"T-Toma's back?" she asked.
Bardock nodded. He didn't even notice when the lady hugged him.
"The good messenger," she said when she pulled back. Bardock was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"Are you sure, you don't wanna stay here?" she asked smiling. "I guarantee that you won't be sorry."
"No, Lena," he shook his head, "I believe you, but I'm not in a right mood for this."
"As you wish," Lena smiled. "You're a strange guy."
Bardock kept his peace. He was thinking of what he should say, when he heard a tender voice:
"Bedru, please, trust me. It is not a place for you. Please, come with me, it would be much better for you."
"No!" he heard another, assuming voice. "I'm not going to slave for homeys."
"And what are you doing here?"
"I'm...... here..."
Bardock didn't overhear anything else, because some girl in one of these rooms started to laugh very loudly. He was standing confused. He was sure; he had just heard the voice of that girl from recently conquered planet. Saiyan took one step to the end of the corridor.
"You can't go there," Lena stopped him.
"What do you mean, I can't?" Bardock frowned. "I need to," he thrust through that cute redhead.
He saw another room with the back door in the end of the hall. A Saiyan girl with a high knotted, black hair was standing in that room. Bardock remembered he had knocked at her in the complex. Yes, it was the same girl with fierce black eyes. There wasn't anybody with her, so mad-like Bardock shot through the back door, but it didn't matter how hard he tried he couldn't see anything, because the street was empty. He came back already furious.
"You!" he turned at angry black-haired. "Who were you talking to?!"
"None of your business!" she snapped out arrogantly.
"Tell me, who you were talking to! Now!" Bardock shouted.
"I don't think so!" girl yelled too.
"Bedru!" Lena said calmly, but definitely. She was standing on the door step. "Leave us."
The black-eyed girl shook her broom-like hairstyle and walked out of the room proudly. Lena waited, until she slammed the door and peered at Bardock with her green eyes.
"Bedru's friend would have a lot of trouble if anybody knew about her frequent visits. Our place isn't a palace, you see. So I would be very grateful if you kept your mouth shut. Although Saiyans aren't blabbers, are they?"
"Look," Bardock stroked his dishevelled hair. "How can I say a thing when I don't even know her name?"
"Are you serious?" Lena crossed her arms on her chest.
"Yes, I've seen her only once," Bardock was on the anxious seat. "I knew her because of the voice, but I'd really liked to meat her again. She's... she's so unusual..."
"Do you really want to see her again?" Lena interrupted him.
"Yeah!" Bardock shouted.
Lena peered into his eyes trying to see the bottom of a Saiyan's soul and smiled.
"You should go tomorrow at noon to the King Vegeta's Academy," said the redhead. "You will find her there. You should look for her in the main auditorium."
"You mean the Military Academy?" Bardock revised.
"No," Lena smiled. "The Science Academy. She works there."
"Works?" the warrior didn't believe in that.
"She's unusual, you said it yourself," Lena laughed. "Well, goodnight, lad. Thank you."
"For what?" Bardock understood nothing.
"For a message," Lena nodded and walked out of the room.
Soon a young Saiyan walked out through the high-class cathouse back door. He was tangling his terribly mixed up thoughts all the way to his apartment in the city centre.

CHAPTER 4 - THE BOLT TOWARDS SCIENCE ACADEMY

Somebody was running through the big, dark dream. And he was sinking into mushy soil more and more. The shifting sands were pulling the legs deeper, not letting to uprise. The ki flashes weren't helping too. The ground was sucking out the remainders of the vitality. A tender voice was running from somewhere not letting to give up. But the gurgling swamp was too strong. It was pulling him down regardless of warrior's efforts. They were vain. Green, slimy, hand touched the shoulder and started to shake him yelling: "You're dead, my boy, dead! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!"
Bardock sat up in the bed suddenly and caught the hand on his shoulder and his opponent's neck in reflex action. He was exhausted and enervated, but the guy could've easily strangled Toma. The young Saiyan opened his eyes; he saw a surprised face of his friend and Toma's neck in his grip. He withdrew his hand and dropped into his bed with fatigue. It was a hard, nightmarish night.
"Hey, Bardock," Toma rubbed the punched points. "Are you OK? You were raving as a loony. Don't you think it's time to get up?"
"How did you get here?" Bardock buried his face in his hands and remembered everything: how long he was wandering till he found his parents' apartment, how he was trembling while he was unlocking the door and how he finally tumbled down into a big, broad bed in a bright, square room.
"You haven't locked the door," Toma grinned. "It's a nice place," he looked up and down the white walls, a big window, the rectangular commode near the door, a mirror suspended above it and a moderate wardrobe near the wall in front of the window. "Why didn't you stay there last night? I was told you'd left right after the announcement of my return."
"There was nothing I could do there," Bardock sat up feeling as though he was beaten. He smelled a sweet redolence.
"Don't tell me you've made me a breakfast," he looked at Toma surprised.
"Are you mad?! Toma and the kitchen are two incompatible things!" the friend waved. "No. I've spent a part of my salary and BOUGHT you a breakfast."
"Well," Bardock clambered out of the bed and staggered to the bathroom. "It smells great."
He didn't hear what Toma was chattering, 'cause the bathroom door was very hermetic. He turned the cold tap on and tucked his head under the cold stream. It gave him the shudders, but the water was refreshing him too well to stop it. The small, perishing trickles were running down his face. Bardock closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had never dreamt such a strange dream before. Actually he was flying in all of his dreams, no matter what he was dreaming about. And now he couldn't even get off the ground. Maybe it was divining some changes in his life or probably he was too tired last night.
He turned the tap off and shook his shaggy head sprinkling the walls with the water. Bardock took a glance into a mirror above the sink. The distinctive feature of his home was the mirrors which were suspended in all rooms. He didn't know why it was so. Maybe because of his mother, but his father had never talked about it.
Anyway, the face he saw in the mirror didn't meet his requirements at all. He had looked better after deadly battles. The eyes have turned into the narrow crannies, the face was swollen, the hair was tousled (more than usually) and the expression needed to be changed. But Bardock had no reason for smiling. He just dried his face with a towel.
The Saiyan armour was lying on a hutch behind him. Bardock regretted he didn't take extra armour from the complex. The old one needed to be washed, it smelled not too well and he wanted to start a new day in a fresh way. Saiyan was thinking what to do. He knew that the old civvies should had been somewhere in one of the drawers of his father's wardrobe, but Bardock would had rather broken his neck (which was like wooden now) than dressed in these clothes.
"Hey!" he heard Toma's voice. "Are you going to stay there till dinner?"
"What's the time?" Bardock asked automatically brushing his teeth.
"Five past twelve!" yelled Toma.
First, he thought he had slept for too long. But then he remembered something: "At noon, King Vegeta's Academy..." Bardock looked pop-eyed at the mirror and spat out everything he had in his mouth. He stuck his head through the bathroom's door.
"Are you sure it's 12:05 AM?" he asked hoping he had heard wrong at the first time.
"Aha," Toma was eating Bardock's breakfast; his legs were sticking out from under kitchen's table, which was near the bathroom.
"Shit!" Bardock shot to the bedroom and opened the old wardrobe, 'cause he hadn't any other choice.
"What is it?" Toma came back to the bedroom holding a haunch in his hand. He looked in astonishment when Bardock was pulling out frayed clothes. "What're you doing?"
"Have you ever seen a Saiyan dressed in civvies?" asked Bardock putting on hastily the green shirt. It tattered right after Bardock stretched his arms.
"No," Toma couldn't believe his eyes.
"There's a first time for everything," Bardock threw away that tatter and found another one dark blue shirt which fitted him very well.
"What the hell are you doing?" Toma forgot how to eat. "Are you crazy?!"
"You bought me a breakfast," Bardock was putting on the socks. "But you didn't come to reason to bring me another set of armour! You're the one who's bothering about the image here."
"You didn't ask," murmured Toma looking at Bardock when he tried to put on black, baggy pants. "Listen, bro, what you gonna do with your tail?"
When he heard these Toma's words, Bardock finally understood why Saiyans were wearing only armour. It was very convenient to roll on a tail on it. And it couldn't look that good on the civvies.
"Damn," he stopped. "Really... No, wait," Bardock took a glance over his shoulder. "There's a hole. Father had thought about everything," he zipped the pants fast ant put out the tail.
"And what's next?" Toma raised his eyebrows.
"I'll leave it as it is," Bardock took a haunch from his friend and hurried to the door.
"Nobody's wearing it that way!" Toma snatched at his sconce.
"I'll start a new fashion line then," two big bites and there was no haunch left. Bardock threw the bone into the bin. "I don't have time for this."
"What's the hurry?" Toma sallied out after his friend into the stairwell of a multistorey house and watched him locking the door.
"I've found her!" Bardock put the key into his pocket and ran down the stairs jumping over two or four steps at a time.
"Who?" Toma didn't understand what he was talking about.
"That ghostly chick from that planet," Bardock repeated the words Toma had said yesterday.
"How could you found her?" Toma shot out into the street together with Bardock. "I thought she was just your imagination..." he couldn't shut his eyes to all these people outside who were staring not at Bardock, but at his outfit.
"No!" Bardock stopped. He made nothing of suspicious looks of passersby. "She's real! And only thanks to a fluke, I've found out where to find her," he jumped and soared forward.
"And where are we flying to?!" Toma was keeping up with him.
"To King Vegeta's Academy," said Bardock and took a flash turn to the left. The windows of a multistorey house vibrated when he flied by.
"But it's on the other side," Toma pointed behind his back. People in the streets were looking up; they wondered where the two young Saiyans were going.
"The Science Academy," explained Bardock and took another turn to the left diving between the skyscrapers.
"Science?" Toma stared at him with astonishment. "Are you sure, you've met a woman there?"
"It ain't funny," Bardock glanced at him as the wind was disarranging his hair.
"I know it's not," Toma looked forward; the white towers of the Science Academy were reaching the sky in the distance. "What kind of a woman is sticking in the Science Academy at noon?"
"Sticking," Bardock circled around the hundred-storied skyscraper. "The woman," he speeded up even more. "Of our kind."
"The Saiyan woman in a Science Academy?" Toma's jaw dropped. "Damn, you've really had a vision."
"Well," Bardock was landing. "We'll see about that."
They stood on a path paved with white planches. That one and the other paths were leading towards a huge building athwart. The King Vegeta's Science Academy was an interesting structure; it seemed that a few cylinders, tetrahedrons, cubes and spheres were built on each other. Every figure had many imprinted windows. The building was extremely white. And, opposite to the military complex, mostly aliens were passing through the entrance. Only several Saiyans walked out of it.
Toma looked at Bardock. That one was totally bedraggled, but he didn't want to brush up. He just walked assuredly through the entrance of the Science Academy into a hall full of sunlight. This place gave Toma the shudders; everything smelled of knowledge and genius there. His friend took a glance at the information board in front of him, but he decided not to linger and asked an alien dressed in a long cloak, who was passing by.
"Where's the main auditorium?" he was trying to get his wind back.
The alien pointed at the corridor to the left.
"Third floor, at the end of the hall, but the lecture's started already," he was gloating over the Saiyan dressed in unusual style.
"Whatever," Bardock nodded to the worthily-looking alien, took Toma by the scruff of the neck and whizzed up the stairs of the Science Academy's left wing.

CHAPTER 5 - THE SCIENTIST

A respectful silence was all over the third floor of Science Academy. It was dark; the light was wafting only from the window of the back door. Bardock pressed slowly the handle of the light door and entered a big auditorium. Toma stalked after him.
Nobody paid attention to them, nobody turned at them. The door closed itself so silently, that Bardock felt ill at ease. Some old man was standing in front of audience on a stage, near the stand and was showing at the big screen behind him. Almost all seats in the auditorium were taken. The blinds were drawn; all lights were set towards the stage. Toma tapped on Bardock's shoulder. The friend turned at him. Toma pointed at two free seats in fourth line. They pushed quietly to the forepart. The students, who were listening closely to the old man's speech, distracted for awhile watching two Saiyans walking in the hall of Science Academy, which was a very rare sight to see.
Bardock settled on a cushioned seat and looked around. He couldn't spot her. Bardock didn't mind Toma, who was shivering in his seat. He grudgingly looked at the screen behind old man's back and was stupefied. The screen was full of all kinds Saiyan data resumes: heights, weights, facts of psychoanalysis and many types of diagrams, he wasn't able to understand some of them.
He glanced at Toma. That one understood too where he got into and what this lecture was about. Bardock listened to the words of the old scientist:
"...and now, when we have explored the physical data of Saiyan race thoroughly, we shall scrutinize these warriors' psychical characteristic. Doctor," he nodded to somebody in the first line and a fine figure, dressed in white robe stepped onto the stage.
A bulky, black file was thrown on the stand. Bardock's jaw dropped; the same girl from that conquered planet was looking at the audience. Now her long hair was plaited into one long queue, but some stray strands were sticking out, showing that she was a real Saiyan after all. She put her hands on the stand and smiled. Students got cracking; obviously, they had been waiting anxiously for the speech of this "doctor".
"Thank you, doctor Keekotha," she uttered in her tender voice, which was very gratifying to listen. "Now, all of you have gathered here, so you probably know that my specialization is Distant Civilizations and The Psychoanalysis of Saiyan's tribe..."
Toma nudged Bardock.
"Fanciable chick, huh?" he smiled dazzlingly.
"That's her," Bardock whispered to him, still unable to believe his own eyes.
"Her?" Toma shouted louder than he wanted and he was hushed by some snoopy students. He cleared his throat. "She's tailless."
"Figures," Bardock raised his eyebrows.
"Bardock, she's..."
Some green-faced guy hissed awfully and both friends continued listening to the lecture.
"...so," she telescoped a long stick, which was used to point at the objects on the screen, and turned at the audience again. "I have finished my short litany. Now it is time for your questions," about fifty hands were raised. "Yes, Rory."
"Doctor, the Saiyans are termed as the tribe not the race in your discourse," said the small man with red sideboards in the fifth line. "You're going against the practice. How would you explain that?"
"Rory, the words "tribe" and "race" have some similar meanings, but in this case it is important how I reckon what two races and two tribes are," the girl was explaining kindly. "You see, in my opinion, races are two single groups of individuals, which have inherited some generic features, but they have more differences than two tribes. Of course, it is my scale and you do not have to use it while writing your term papers," she smiled leniently.
Bardock got quite interested in that lecture, but he was really surprised when Toma raised his hand. The girl noticed the curious Saiyan at once; she even spotted who was sitting near him. She blushed a little bit, but no other symptoms showed her puzzlement.
"Yes," she nodded to Toma. "Tribesman Saiyan in the fourth line."
"What have made you to conclude like that, girl?" he asked hardily.
Bardock hunched down in his seat shamefaced. But the girl didn't get rattled at all.
"An interesting question, wise guy, take a look at the screen, please," the image of a blue planet turned up on a white cloth. "This is planet the Earth situated in solar system, in the North Galaxy; it was recorded by our cosmic satellite. I am sure that it will be conquered soon, but until it is not done, we have a rare opportunity to observe this planet and its inhabitants," the image of the planet on the screen was changed by the picture of a beautiful fair-haired girl and dark-haired guy. "We have found out a lot by using the cosmic explorers of this Academy. As you have already noticed, the inhabitants of planet Earth have almost no differences from the Saiyans. True, they have no tails and are much weaker than the Saiyans, but it is so because the gravitation on Earth is ten times smaller..."
"Get to the point, toots," Toma grinned.
"All I am trying to say," she smiled. "Is that the genetic codes of inhabitants of the Earth and Vegeta are almost identical. It would be true to state that the earthlings and the Saiyans are the members of two congenerical tribes. Only the thews of the Saiyans are more developed and the earthlings are more evolved from the emotional aspect. In my point of view, the union of these two tribes would result in some very powerful beings, maybe even more powerful than pure Saiyans. Anyway, the mighty Freeza would have to fret his nails after that," somebody giggled in the audience, Bardock smiled. "There is only one problem left..."
"Which is?" Toma didn't want to let her go.
"The Saiyans' obsession to fight," the young doctor gesticulated. "The new race would have to acquire it."
"Who needs bums like that?" Toma sniffed.
"Well, you see, Mr. ..."
"Toma."
"Mr. Toma, the new race would have the whole scale of sentiments. Unlike the grumpy Saiyans. Trust me; I know what I am saying. And the Saiyan can show a piffling sign of naivety only when he gets it in the neck strongly," the audience laughed. "For more circumstantial explanation, see my published work. It has been proved in practice, but even that kind of naive and rustic Saiyan preserves the yen of a fight. My work proves the naked truth after all."
"And what's that?" Toma raised his eyebrows.
"Saiyan is able to love not only a fight," stated the girl and closed the file.
"Wow, baby, you're overstating here," Toma's smile was swept away.
"Really?" the girl raised her eyebrows in Toma's manner. "Are you challenging me, Mr. Toma?"
"I think, I'm making the right move," the impertinent fire has inflamed in his eyes again.
"But I am sure, your friend does not think so," the young doctor smiled knowingly and crossed her arms.
Toma turned at Bardock. That one was totally disappeared in his seat. There was seen only a red forehead covered by black hair. He didn't know why, but Toma's behavior had made him feel the whole normal man's scale of emotions for the first time in his life.
Bardock's friend was lost for words and the girl put the file under her armpit with flying colors.
"That would the end of our lecture today. Thank you all for attention, if you will have any questions during the writing of your term papers on this subject, please address to me immediately."
The other scientists stood up, students applauded and walked out of the auditorium in block talking lively. Toma walked down grumbling, but Bardock stood near the door waiting for that strange Saiyan girl who was speaking in correct pronunciation to show up. She walked out of the auditorium soon. The girl was arguing about something with that old scientist Keekotha. But she saw Bardock, bluffed out of a right answer mannerly and walked straight to the young Saiyan.
"Did you enjoy the lecture?" she asked smiling happily.
"What...?" Bardock wasn't expecting that kind of question. "Um... yeah, it was quite interesting," he scratched his disheveled hair.
"Great," she gave him two bulky files. "These are my graduation dissertations. One is about the Earth's civilization and the other one is about the psyche of the Saiyans. Meet me at the central training club in the city when you read this. You know where it is, don't you?" she inquired and raised her eyebrows.
"But... I..." Bardock had almost ruptured because of the heap of the paper. "Well... yeah... but..."
"Great," the girl smiled and waved to someone behind Bardock's back. "Bedru! It is great you have come, it is over already!"
Bardock turned around. The same girl with angry eyes and broom-like hairstyle was walking down the corridor. She measured Bardock suspiciously with her dark eyes, but she smirked to her friend.
"Are you ready?" she asked in a sonorous, masterful voice.
"Sure," the doctor hanged on the harpy's elbow. "Au revoir," she blinked to Bardock and walked away. "Oh yes," she added when turned around one more time. "I like your outfit," she smiled magically for the last time and disappeared behind the corner with her arrogant friend.
Bardock stood in the middle of the hall with the heap of files in his hands, totally nonplussed and puzzled. He was staring with astonishment at that spot where the black queue of mild-voiced stranger had flashed for the last time.

CHAPTER 6 - THE FEATURES OF THE SAIYANS

There were two plates on the table full of food. But the dishes weren't touched. The rays of the sun were penetrating through the big kitchen's window. They were heating the head of a black-haired Saiyan bent over the table. Strange to say, but Saiyan wasn't eating, he was reading. Bardock was lapping up the dissertation works written in scientific language. He finished the notes about the Earth's civilization which consisted of couple hundreds pages in two days. Now he started with a great interest a bit thinner "The research of King Vegeta's Science Academy's habilitated Doctor C. Magnolia" (damn those pseudonyms, cursed Bardock taking the second file) named "The psychoanalysis of Saiyans' tribe: Stable and unusual features of the temper".
Toma was standing leaned on the case with his arms crossed and was looking at his friend with a look full of worry and concern. No sane Saiyan would've read that big work so fast and Bardock has started the second already. Either he had gone mad or he really wanted to meet that chick again.
"Listen," uttered Toma peering at the plates full of food. "If you want to see her so much why aren't you going to that club?
"I can't, I have to read this," Bardock said with his nose stuck into the pages. "Take it if you want," he pushed the plate full of meat towards Toma. "I can't eat, it's too interesting."
"Your problem is," Toma sat at the end of a table and took a haunch. "You do everything according to the rules."
"Rules weren't made to break them," Bardock retorted Toma's twit.
"But you can evade them sometimes," jerked Toma eating the haunch.
"I won't deny it," Bardock nodded. "But it's unacceptable for me... Listen to this," he stopped by the line which intrigued him. "The Saiyan's temper changes completely only if he experiences a serious head injury. At this rate the whole aggressive nature disappears; the Saiyan becomes good, cheerful and naive..."
"Yeah sure," Toma sniffed.
"Wait," Bardock ordered him. "I haven't finished yet: "The Saiyan of this mild temper still has the fighting instinct, since the fight is the only avocation of a Saiyan. However, the Saiyan who has experienced a total change of the personality already dares to ask for help, values his potential rationally and loses his hot-tempered pride which is nearly the main feature of a true-born Saiyan..."
"True-born? You mean, there are also half-breeds?" Toma raised his eyebrows.
"Don't know," Bardock was keeping his beady eyes on the sentences of dissertation work. "Hmm... "The only phrase that no Saiyan, experienced the head trauma or not, would ever say is "I GIVE UP".
"Well, that is true," Toma nodded waving with the haunch in his hand.
Bardock said nothing; he just kept on reading, remembering clearly every word. Toma was noshing his friend's dinner, so he had no time for rebuking or sneering at him. He just glanced from time to time at the work of hundreds of pages lying on the other side of the table and every time the Saiyan shuddered.
The sun hid behind the horizon. Toma switched on the light in a spacious kitchen and Bardock put away the dissertation work.
"Got sicken of it?" Toma asked grinning from ear to ear.
"I've finished it," Bardock yawned and rubbed his eyes. "It's pretty easy to read."
"Well, that's something," Toma wagged his head. "It's probably the Saiyan reading record of the universe. Do you at least remember anything you've read?"
"More or less," Bardock stood up and stretched himself. "I've found out about another feature of the temper which is common to all Saiyans."
"And what is it?" Toma got ready for another bomb.
"Devotion," said Bardock.
"Wh-what?" Toma sniffed. "Where did she get that? This is the first time I hear that."
"But just think about it," Bardock sat again and looked straight into his friend's eyes. "Do you know at least one Saiyan who would've had two wives, two girlfriends or two women?"
"Um..."
"Exactly!" Bardock exclaimed. "There's no such kind. The Saiyans are faithful not only to a fight, to their lifestyle, but to their women too. Although, I must admit that at first sight it might seem strange or even... impossible..."
"Of course, that's impossible," Toma frowned. "After all..."
"Don't tell me," Bardock interrupted him, he knew exactly what Toma wanted to say. "You go only to Lena yourself. I understood that at once," he added not letting his friend to open his mouth. "And by the way, that girl cares about you a lot. Don't disappoint her."
"What happened to you?" Toma gasped. "When did you become so sensitive and discerning? And who the hell that "doctor" is?!" he changed the subject immediately.
"Don't know," Bardock looked at the cover of dissertation work with his eyes narrowed. "Some C. Magnolia."
"Well, Magnolia is a pseudonym, probably," Toma was thinking and suddenly he stared at Bardock.
He realized perfectly why Toma got the jitters. They knew each other so well, that sometimes they understood each other without saying a word. Bardock looked at his friend. Yes, he was a blabber, but he knew how to keep secrets. Bardock thought he could tell him, though he didn't know why Lena swore him to secrecy.
"She doesn't work there, but I know she's visiting that place," he said.
"But why?" Toma didn't understand. "C. Magnolia. What does a docent of Science Academy do there?"
"Have you ever heard anything about some Bedru?" Bardock narrowed his eyes.
"Be-bedru," Toma paused. "Isn't she that twiggy girl with the eyes of a killer?"
"Yeah," Bardock said slowly. "I think we're talking about the same girl. Her hair is raised up pretty high. It looks like a broom. And she's always sulky."
"Oh," Toma grasped his head. "I know her. I've seen her for a couple of times. As I've heard, she hasn't had any client yet. It seems the men are afraid of her. She's very irascible. There is a rumor that once her family was very rich and influential, but after one battle in the margin of the galaxy they lost everything: money, freedom and honor. Well, I guess she's the last one of her family who has a little bit of pride left," Toma smirked. "But why you're asking about her?"
"Well, it seems," Bardock locked his fingers. "That Bedru is the best friend of hers..."
"Are you kidding me?" Toma gasped. "Your lady and that spitfire Bedru?! The Beauty and the Beast??! You must be raving!!! Reading endangers the Saiyan's health. Damn, I need to mark this somewhere," Toma started squirming as though he was looking for a notebook and a pencil.
"No," Bardock was peering at one point of the table. "I saw them together that day in the Academy. They're really good friends. It looks like she's the only person to which Bedru feels some respect."
"You know if Bedru respects her, then that girlie must be extraordinary. Maybe there's real imp hiding behind that angelic appearance?" Toma stood up and whistled. "Or maybe," he sat down suddenly and leaned towards Bardock. "She's from the nobility caste? Don't hook up with the general's daughter. It would be a real disaster."
"If you haven't noticed yet," Bardock stood up and put both files under his armpit. "She wants to meet me too. Strange," he paced to the bedroom, Toma followed him. "How does she know so much about the Saiyans who have had head traumas? She couldn't just make everything up. It's a King Vegeta's Science Academy after all..."
"She's strange herself," Toma bit his lip. "You've noticed she hasn't got a tail?"
"Yes," Bardock nodded and put the files on a nightstand. "And she deflated you very nicely."
"That's a blow below the belt," Toma pointed at his friend with a forefinger. "OK, I'll take your advice and go back to Lena, besides, it's very late," he peered through the window, it was dark already.
"Toma," Bardock uttered seriously. "Don't joke about such things."
"I'm not playing with her, honestly," Toma raised his arms as if he was defending from something. "Listen, you're going to visit that club tomorrow, right? So I beg you, don't forget one petty thing."
"What?" Bardock angled his head.
"Ask her name, OK?"
"I'll try not to forget," the tousled Saiyan put on a serious face expression.
"Attaboy. Bye," Toma waved. "Don't escort me."
"I wasn't going to," Bardock smirked.

CHAPTER 7 - THE ORIGIN OF THE SCIENTIST

It's seemed that the morning will never come. The clock was tolling five o'clock at a snail's pace, when Bardock got into a fuss, jumped out of a bed and approached the window. It was dawning in the east. His neck was aching terribly, something was pressing his eyes, but the young Saiyan couldn't fell asleep. He backed away from the window and crept to the bathroom. The numb fingers could barely hold the toothbrush, but the guy brought himself to scour his teeth.
Bardock was nagged by doubts. When he was slipping on the new, clean armor, he was thinking of what he really needed from that mysterious girl. Why did she show attention to him? What does she want? Why does she attract him so much? What is that?
The Saiyan rolled the tail around his waist, pulled on red forearm protectors and felt that his patience was running out. He won't stand this; he won't be able to wait for so long. Bardock glanced at the clock and groaned: that stupid square box was showing only 5:15 AM. And all the athletic clubs usually open at eight o'clock. Bardock didn't even look at the green-glassed ki detector lying on the nightstand. Saiyan walked to the kitchen. But he was too lazy to open the fridge, so he just sat down on the chair and put his arms on the table.
"Nonsense," he grumbled. "I don't understand, what bothers me so much? I've never felt this way before..."
Bardock gripped his head and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. Everything is going to be alright, he said to himself. There's no need to worry. But no matter how much he puzzled over it, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand what was depressing him. The Saiyan was so tired because of difficult thoughts that he fell asleep with his head laid onto his arms...
A siren howled very loudly. Bardock sprang to his feet frightened. A dazzling light was filtering inside from the window. The young Saiyan glanced at the clock which was standing on the table. It was 12:12 AM already. He cursed silently, snapped his fingers at the door and opened the kitchen's window. Bardock looked down. There in the street a real chaos was going on. Seemingly, a few cars had crashed and now people were trying to find out who had been responsible for this madness. Probably one of them had that siren which was howling so horrifically. Not paying any attention to the yells down there, Bardock perched on the windowsill, took off and flied away.
The guy was spinning easily between the vitreous skyscrapers. The prestigious city zone was approaching inexorably. The Saiyans were flooding in the streets. They all were heading to the same direction: to the block of athletic clubs. Bardock looked forward. In the block of yellowish buildings one structure was topping higher than all the others. Yes, there was the central athletic club of the prestigious city zone.
Bardock's feet touched the pavement. The Saiyan looked around closely and paced forward. On the face of it, it was obviously, that all the Saiyans who were passing him by, were the soldiers of gentility. They didn't pay any attention to Bardock, but a few of them glanced at him with distrust, when the guy stopped by the broad, glassy sliding door. A youthful Saiyan, who was standing near the door, cast a cocky look on Bardock, stretched his arm and uttered in unnaturally strict voice:
"The access."
Bardock automatically put his hand under the chest armor and pulled out a red card. A strange square device with a small screen and a notch in the middle of it appeared in the hands of that lad immediately. Red card of Bardock was put in the notch of the device at once. The device beeped and the kid stared the small screen, unable to believe his own eyes. After a second, he retreated respectfully and the glassy door opened slowly.
"Wow, dude," the youthful Saiyan wagged his head giving the card back to Bardock. "Eighteen months... You're a patriot, a damned patriot, workaholic... You may come here every day if you want..."
Bardock took his card without saying a word, plugged it under the chest armor and stepped inside.
"Eighteen months..." the kid was still unable to recover after the shock. "He's sick, well, really dedicated... But insane, truly..."
Bardock was standing in a spacious presence-chamber. A long corridor was full of various training sounds: kicks, punches, screams and etc. Bardock was here for the first time and he didn't even have a clue where he was supposed to go. Luckily, as out of nowhere, a Saiyan-like fair-haired alien appeared near him.
"How can I help you?" she asked nicely.
"Um... yeah..." the warrior floundered. "I'm looking for..."
"Do you have an appointment?" a good-looking girl raised her eyebrows.
"Um... Kinda... There's one girl..."
"There are no women in the club at this time of a day. They usually come here in the evening," the fair-haired girl answered with a smile on her face.
"What?" Bardock's arms drooped because of despair.
"The only girls, who are in the club right now, are in the main chamber on the fourth floor..." she mentioned.
"Really?" Bardock brightened up.
"The elevator is on the left," the girl pointed. "When you are in the fourth floor, go straight down the hall and it'll be the last door on the left. I suggest you to try your luck."
"Appreciative," Bardock nodded and walked towards the elevator.
The girl was looking at him, until the elevator door closed slowly.
"Saiyans," she sighed. "I'll never understand them."
The elevator was going up in a snail's pace. Bardock thought that somebody was sticking his back with the small needles. When finally that rectangular box stopped, Bardock shot through the opened door into the corridor of sandy walls and ran down the hall. He was speeding through the half-opened entrances into the other chambers, where the Saiyans of different ages and ranks were training. The last door on the left was approaching quickly, it was opened also. Bardock slipped when he tried to stop, looked inward and his heart jumped: there was she. She and that cat Bedru. They were training dressed in Saiyan armor and the movements of them both were nimble, sudden and barely visible.
Bardock, more dead than alive, entered the chamber. A typhoon was sounding in his head. It was so strange to see a doctor of Science Academy, who now was without that white robe, fighting perfectly with her aggressive friend. He was staring in admiration at both girls. They were so scientific! The skills of two friends were hundreds of times better than the skills of many warriors, who were known by Bardock.
"Don't pull back," Bardock heard an imperative voice. "Don't let Bedru to put you in a tight corner..."
He turned his head. Right there by the wall, a tall, massive, well-built Saiyan dressed in armor was standing with his arms crossed. His long, disheveled hair was reaching the knees. His wide forehead was contracted. Laterally that hairstyle of his made the warrior look like a hedgehog, but it was obvious, that this Saiyan would never cringe.
Bardock understood that this giant was an officer of a high rank. A very high rank. What was he doing here and what did he have to do with the mysterious scientist?
"Don't let, don't let," the owner of the tender voice grumbled, trying to defend herself from Bedru's strikes. "She will defeat me, nonetheless."
"Find a way to overcome her," the Saiyan said strictly.
"It won't be easy, darling," Bedru smirked and punched her friend in the pit of the stomach.
"Don't gawk!" the Saiyan yelled angrily.
"Easy to say," the scientist furrowed and hit the spitfire in the head. "Bedru is stronger than I am."
"And you have a bigger potential," the Saiyan held his ground.
He was watching the classic fight of girls for awhile, when finally, he saw Bardock and asked rudely:
"Who, the hell, are you?"
The mysterious scientist gawked at Bardock and missed Bedru's kick into her jaw.
"Oh, you again," Bedru said disappointed looking at Bardock.
"Again?" the great Saiyan repeated incredulously.
"Hello," the scientist approached to Bardock with a smile on her face, rubbing the beaten cheek. "I did not think you would come so quickly... Oh, excuse me," she oriented noticing the severe glance of the older Saiyan. "Kabba, this is... erm..."
"Bardock," the guy introduced himself.
"Aha, Bardock," the scientist looked at him more closely when she found out his name. "Bardock, this is Kabba."
Bardock wanted to stretch his arm to him, but he froze suddenly as though lighting had just struck him.
"Kabba?" he babbled. "Kabba Parsley?"
"The same," the disheveled giant put on a wry smile.
Bardock stretched as catgut and gave honor to him. Damn, Kabba Parsley. He was one of the most highborn Saiyans, the general of the Red Squad. He led the selected, elitist Saiyan warriors, the best of the best, which were usually performing particularly secret, dangerous and complicated missions.
"At ease, soldier," said Kabba and looked at the scientist. "I'll meet you at the exit."
After saying these words and glancing again more closely at Bardock, he left the chamber. Bardock was looking dizzy at the same spot where one of the Saiyan captains had been standing just a second ago, when finally he got over and turned at the scientist. He decided to ask her a question, which had been nagging him for a long time:
"What... what is your name?"
The young scientist smiled lovely while Bedru sniffed scornfully.
"Cara. My name is Cara."
"Cara..." Bardock repeated slowly.
"Cara Parsley," Bedru added angrily.
"Parsley?" Bardock couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes," she nodded. "Kabba is my brother... Bardock, is there something wrong?"
"Or maybe she's from the nobility caste? Don't hook up with the general's daughter. It would be a real disaster."
Toma's words blustered like a wind in Bardock's head. After all, if Kabba Parsley was her brother, then her father was... Peppa Parsley... And Peppa Parsley was the member of King Vegeta's council. F**k, shit... Double shit.
"No, everything's fine," Bardock uttered slowly.
"You know, I am wondering that you have read everything so quickly," Cara said.
"It's been interesting, really. I think I'm beginning to understand why you like the full moon so much. It shows every month on Earth, right?"
"Correct," Cara cheered up. "And you have really read everything, you do not simulate... I think," she pulled out a small notepad and a pencil which were hiding behind her long, white glove. "I can show you already. Write down your address, please."
"Oh, Cara, please don't," Bedru said in a voice full of disappointment.
"Cut it out, Bedru," Cara didn't pay attention to her, watching Bardock, who was writing slowly his address on a small sheet of paper.
"What are you going to show me?" he asked and gave her back the notepad and the pencil.
"You'll see," Cara read the address thinking that the handwriting of this mere warrior is way too plain and neat. "Expect me tomorrow at about six o'clock in the evening, deal?"
"O-okay..."
"Great, and now I suggest you to train a little bit," Cara smiled. "Let us go, Bedru."
And they walked away leaving him all alone. Bardock felt as though he had been left to hold the sack again, but on the other hand, he had found out something.
"Cara Parsley," he muttered. "I'll be damned..."
Kabba Parsley was waiting for the girls outside near the glassy door. He stared with his dark eyes at his sister, as soon as they showed up.
"That guy, Bardock... What sort of man is he?"
"He is the man I have been waiting my whole life to meet," Cara said simply, untwisting her long, black braid.
"What's his last name?"
"He is of humble origins; he does not have a last name..." Cara paced down the street.
Kabba looked at Bedru with a reproach in his eyes.
"Why the hell are you staring at me?!" she got embittered. "You know, your sister doesn't listen to me! Not bloody likely!!"

CHAPTER 8 - THE TRIP

She showed up as suddenly as always. Bardock heard the bell ringing and ran anxiously to open the door. He was holding the ki detector in one hand and his chin was still smudged with toothpaste. And he was seen such as he was by the daughter of King Vegeta's council member.
"Hello," she smiled tenderly and a heart jumped in Bardock's chest. "Are you ready?"
"Umm... Yeah," the guy put the green-glassed ki detector on his left eye and walked into the stairwell. "Where are we going?" he asked locking the door of his apartment.
"You shall see... Wait," she stopped Bardock who was turning towards the stairs.
"What?"
The girl drew out a white handkerchief, licked it and rubbed off carefully the white spot from Bardock's chin. He shivered when she bent closer to him and snuffed slowly as though she had been scenting something.
"Mm... toothpaste," she stroked Bardock's chin with her finger and walked down the stairs.
He was dragging after her spaced-out a bit. The heat had come over him for a second, but it came off eventually. "Wo," the Saiyan was thinking. "Nobody has made me to feel that way before... It's something new. Interesting..." Bardock smiled when he remembered the reaction of crackpot Toma yesterday as Bardock told him who really Cara Parsley was.
"Cara Parsley?!? PARSLEY?!!! Bro, you're doomed!! Peppa's daughter! And if that wouldn't be enough, you met general Kabba!! Now they're gonna watch you, they'll observe every step of yours... Dude, you're damned. You'd better dismiss her from your head. You're nothing but a joyride for that girlie! Forget her..."
"But I can't" Bardock said to himself. "I can't. She's got into my head and I can't pick her out of there. And I don't want to..."
A small, four-seater spaceship was standing outside, near the multistoried house. It was more like a car, not a space craft. In the front seat, behind the helm was sitting... yes, yes: Bedru. She looked at Bardock with a scorn and exhaled angrily, when he sat on the back seat. No sooner than Cara sat beside her, Bedru pressed some buttons and the compact spaceship got off the ground easily, rocketed into the darkening sky and began to recede from planet Vegeta.
Bardock was sitting with his arms crossed. He dropped his head and closed his eyes. The light drone of spaceship's engine was making him drowsy. The Saiyan was used to it: to sleep during the space travel. But he was jerked back suddenly; Bardock had almost subsided into the cushioned backrest. It appeared that Bedru had turned the hyper-gear on and now the small spaceship was wafting towards in a light speed.
"But still," he uttered. "Where are we going?"
"To the same place as ever," Cara turned at him smiling. "To the planet Araya, to watch the full moon. It shows itself every other week there."
Bardock took alarm a bit. He didn't know how to tell her, so he just looked down.
"Bardock," Cara worried. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?
"No," he looked straight into her deep, ebony eyes. "It's just that... Well, you're tailless, it's easy for you to stand and watch the full moon so simply..."
"Bedru usually comes with me..."
"But... You see," eventually Bardock got used to scratch-cat friend of Cara and didn't mind her when she sniffed crossly again. "You see, Ohzaru isn't my forte. I just... get mad when I turn into monkey. Nobody can tame me then..." he was surprised, he could confide everything to her so straight.
"Do not worry," Cara smiled tenderly. "There is one very simple way to calm the giant monkey down. I know it perfectly..."
"How?" Bardock got stupefied.
"Cara's telepath," Bedru snarled.
"That is right," the scientist nodded. "I can communicate by the means of thoughts. You shall stand calmly and watch the moon even in the state of Ohzaru, you shall see..."
"Telepath," Bardock said silently to himself when the spaceship was already landing on the planet Araya. Are there any more surprises that Cara Parsley has set for him?
He got out of the spaceship and followed slowly the two girls of petty constitution. Nobody was talking, but the words were not necessary. The severe wind blew and a shudder ran over Bardock's back, but it wasn't because of cold. He knew: those big, thick clouds were hiding the pale face of a moon. Bardock dropped his head and hobbled slowly through the wide meadow.
The planet Araya was beautiful for sure. Although it had been a nighttime, the Saiyan noticed clearly, that as far as the eye could see there were flatlands and low hills covered with thick grass. There were no sign of great rocks or deep rifts. Bardock saw one or two lakes, but they were quite small. It seemed as though they were an imprints of a giant's (who maybe had walked here once) feet which had eventually been filled with water.
"What an idyllic place," Bardock said insensibly.
"Idyllic, that is true," Cara turned at him. "But nothing more. The landscape is the same all over the planet. You will find neither sky high mountains, nor river, nor the ocean here. Araya is a proper place only for the picnics. Besides, in the daytime the color of the sky is queasy sugary pink. Only at night it is like..." she hushed.
"Tell him, Cara," Bedru said calmly. "Give him a chance to understand that you are a loony. A real maniac."
"Is like what?" Bardock had almost been amused by Bedru's words.
"Like the Earth," Cara said and stepped out, forging ahead.
Bardock walked over to Bedru, who was dragging a bit.
"She likes the Earth very much, huh?" he asked.
"Oh," Bedru looked up into the sky. "She's possessed with that. She probably knows more about that damned blue planet than about Vegeta itself. Her biggest dream is to visit Earth. Luckily, it would take a few months to get there and now, when she works in the Science Academy, she can't presume that..."
Cara brought them onto the hill overgrown with thick grass. It was the only hill around here which had something of a scarp. Cara sat down on the slope. Bedru and Bardock stood beside her.
A light wind blew. A shudder ran over Bardock's neck and he looked up: the clouds were clearing. The pale, shiny face of a full moon appeared slowly. Something cracked inside the Saiyan. Any trace of his usual life evaporated from his memory. The incredible power flooded the body. It had to be... It had to be used. It was necessary to let it burst. A formidable roar escaped from the throat which had changed beyond recognition. He wanted to destroy, to ruin.
"Bardock, Bardock," a soft, sedative voice reached his mind. "Listen to me. You do not need this. Control yourself..."
The dark side of a Saiyan's nature didn't want to listen to anybody. Destroy... The red eyes of the beast were full of anger.
"Bardock, there are no enemies here, there is no one to fight with..."
Destroy!
"You cannot demolish this planet..."
DESTROY!!!
"Bardock!" the voice got stricter. "Do you want me to see you acting like this??!"
The eyes of the beast lost the fire of the fierce rage. The giant monkey retrieved the common sense back. Bardock blinked surprised. Gee, his feet were so far away! Cara was standing near him and was looking up at him. The girl was smiling.
"Wow..." uttered Bardock: his voice came back totally unconverted. "That was... Wow..."
"Welcome back," she said kindly.
Bardock tried to smile, but he just showed his big fangs. Cara took him by his huge hand, brought him to the scarp and seated him carefully. A big, but pretty Ohzaru dressed in elastic Saiyan armor was sitting near. She grouched:
"Oh, Cara, this is so stupid..."
Bedru embraced her knees and put her cardinally transformed snoot on them. But probably Bedru was always saying that, because Cara didn't listen to her at all. The scientist only propped against shaggy Bardock's side and looked up into the moon. Bardock shivered. He was trying to forget that Cara was so near him, but he failed. The Ohzaru Saiyan whined and glanced at the shining disc in the dark sky.
It was creepy to watch the full moon and not be afraid of it. The pale face of the moon was mesmerizing, luring, attracting, calming down insensibly. The dark seas' blemishes composed plumy drawings, which were making the bleary brains of Ohzaru to think. Bardock was feeling very unusually. He felt the warmth penetrating inside him through that point where his body was touching Cara's.
A full moon was shinning above their heads. This triplet had never been seen before. Two Ohzaru Saiyans and a tailless Saiyan girl were sitting on the hill. The time was passing very slowly. It had been the weirdest night in Bardock's life.

CHAPTER 9 - THE SLAVE

The quiet was ruling the big hall with high ceiling. A dim light was penetrating inside through giant, narrow, stained glass windows. Nine dour men were sitting around the long, rectangular table. All of them were wearing luxurious Saiyan armour; the cloaks were covering their backs. They all were black-haired except one, who was sitting by the end of the table. This bearded man was staring dumbly at one point of the table and was very thoughtful about something. His brown, flame-shaped hair reminded a bit the red crown which had been imprinted on his chest armour.
"Your Majesty," the youngest man with long, straight hair, who was sitting in the left, farthest from that brown-haired, uttered gingerly. "We understand that there is no need to hurry, but we can't deny the possibility..."
"I don't care!" the black eyes flashed fiercely under the brown eyebrows. "You're trying to instil me, that..."
"Vegeta, calm down," the king was interrupted by a husky Saiyan from the right; his hair was very dishevelled and reminded the thorns of a hedgehog. "Nobody says you've got old. By all means, you're almost the youngest of us, but you have to think about the heir. The risk of an ambush remains. If you died, Freeza would rule the Saiyans directly. Do you wish that?"
The king, who had been listening to his council member closely so far, sighed.
"I don't," he said calmly. "You know, I do not wish that. But..." he hushed.
"King Vegeta is right," uttered an old Saiyan with a green cloak who was sitting in front of that massive warrior, the old man's hair was still coal-black. "Where will you find a woman, who is highborn enough to match the king? Maybe you'll propose your own daughter?" the old man glanced at husky council member and sniffed. "She's a real loony!"
Peppa Parsley (and that was him!) rose from his seat furious and pierced the old man with the truculent glance of his black eyes.
"Think, what you're saying!!" he roared. "It's not Cara's fault she's become like that! At least she's dug in other sphere and yours..."
"Peppa," the king raised his hand. "Sit down. Don't dish dirt on each other."
Peppa Parsley sat down slowly, still looking straight into the eyes of the elderly Saiyan who had dared to insult his daughter.
"Now listen to me," King Vegeta viewed every member of his council. "I don't care about the origin of that woman. You demand for the heir. Fine. Find some slave and your ado will be over. There'll be less trouble with her than with a noble woman. Only she's gotta be a trueborn Saiyan," the king emphasized.
"It will be easy, Your Majesty," the young Saiyan on the left cheered up. "I can bring one to you already today."
"I'm not sure about this," Peppa doubted as if he intuited something. "Vegeta, maybe you should ascertain everything at first..."
"There's no need for that, Peppa," the king stood up. "Apply your undertakings," he ordered the young Saiyan and left the council-chamber.
The young member of King Vegeta's council ran out without any more delay, he was ready to act up to a promise. All the other Saiyans disbanded eventually. Only Peppa Parsley stayed in the council-chamber. He was sitting in his chair preoccupied. Somehow it's seemed to him that all this matter won't be that simple, no matter what the king would say.

Cara was pigeonholing the bulky files full of students' papers and discourses about Saiyans' psychoanalysis. Basically, they all were almost the same, they all were written regularly, but Cara hadn't found anything new in them. The hutch in her office in King Vegeta's Science Academy was almost full when the scientist put on the top of the papers a few unread works and her attention was captured by the upper one. Its title was screaming out with the red letters: "SAIYANS: THE SLAVES OF EMOTIONS?"
Cara took the file interested in it, closed the hutch and read the subheading under the title: "The rage of the warriors' tribe: the jail of a soul". The scientist smiled. She threw the paper onto her table and stripped the white robe. Cara put the garment on the hanger and drew the blinds of a big window. The office filled with sunlight. Cara Parsley tumbled into her cushioned office chair, sat back and took the student's paper which had engaged her so much. Its author was Roya Matsu, one of the favourite students of Cara from planet Araya...
Cara felt very strange when she had finished reading, as though she had been reading about herself. She put the work of Miss Matsu on the desk shocked.
"Oh, Roya," she rubbed her tired eyes. "Either you are extremely naive, or you have completely figured out the psyche of the Saiyans..."
The scientist opened that drawer, put out a pen and wrote the highest mark to Roya Matsu. The pen was put back in the drawer and Cara started thinking about Saiyans. About ONE Saiyan, to be more precise.
"Oh, Cara, you're completely out of your mind," the girl was talking to herself. "He's an ordinary, mere soldier, but..." she smiled. "Strange, you notice a person and you understand that he's the one... He's special. I can't get him out of my head. And I'm not going to, cuz I know... I KNOW, that he feels the same..."
Knock, knock! Somebody knocked and walked into the office without any permission. Cara sprang to her feet. A petite girl dressed in a red cloak was standing in front of her. The green eyes full of worry were flashing under the hood.
"Lena?!" Cara was deeply surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"They took Bedru!" Lena exclaimed in a voice full of fear and took off her hood. "Cara, you have no idea, it's been terrible!"
"What?" Cara didn't believe that. "Who? How? Bedru cannot go anywhere unknown to me!!"
"I guess they've had an order from a higher instance. They just came, asked where Bedru was and took her away. No explanation, nothing," Lena was explaining disturbed. "Bedru had almost demolished the building because of rage, but she didn't want to play hell with you so she accepted being taken away."
"But... who? Who could..? Lena, how did they look like?" Cara took this very seriously.
Well, normal Saiyans," the sad, green eyes were looking straight at Cara. "Mere soldiers. They were commanded by some young, noble officer in dark blue cloak..."
"Dark blue?" Cara pricked up her ears and seized Lena by her elbows. "What was his name? Did he introduce himself? How did he look like?"
"No, no," the red-haired girl was shaking her head despairingly. "Nobody introduced themselves. But the hair of that young man was incredibly straight, long, sleek, loose..."
"Tato!" Cara yelled, ran towards the coatrack and grabbed her black cloak. "That was Tato! He is the only Saiyan in the whole Vegeta who has a hair like that!"
Cara wrapped up herself with a cloak and pulled down the hood.
"Go home, Lena," she said. "I will take care of everything myself."
"Where are you going?" Lena had never seen Miss Parsley that plucky.
"To King Vegeta's residence."

Cara didn't need the pass. The guards stepped aside and let her in without any questions as soon as they noticed her. The girl was pushing through many entrances, doors and chambers. She slammed the last huge door breathless and stepped into the spacious hall. In the end of it King Vegeta was sitting on a throne. A guy with a straight hair was standing in front of the monarch. He was Tato, the youngest member of king's council. A figure behind him held by two soldiers and swathed in dark purple cloak was squirming.
"Your Majesty, I need to talk to you immediately!" Cara exclaimed.
Her soft voice echoed mysteriously in an enormous hall. It seemed that the king wasn't surprised to see her standing there. His glance showed that it was time to leave them alone and when Cara finally walked very close to the throne, Tato and the soldiers had been gone already. Only furious Bedru was standing behind Cara.
"Your Majesty," Cara was trying to get her wind back. "I think there has been made a huge mistake. What do you need from Bedru? Why wasn't I informed about this?"
"There's no mistake, Miss Parsley," the king was looking in admiration at a girl of incredibly pretty feature. "The council's decided that it's time to have an heir so I've asked to bring me... a girl."
"Excuse me?!" Cara gasped in horror.
Bedru was shocked. She stared at the king not even trying to veil the disgust.
"Your Majesty, you cannot do this," Cara couldn't believe in what was happening. "If Bedru did not have a master... But I am her patroness, you cannot... Bedru is..."
"I know exactly who she is," King Vegeta cut short her. "In this case your rights don't mean anything. The council has voted through this nem con."
"My father could not agree with that," Cara disbelieved him. "If he had known you would involve Bedru in this, he would not have let..."
"Yet it is as it is and you can't do anything about it, Miss Parsley," the king said strictly. "My word is decisive. Please, leave my residence immediately."
"But, sir!!" Cara couldn't surrender.
"If you pity your friend so much," King Vegeta pulled a wry face. "Please, take her place. I wouldn't mind."
Cara was petrified. She didn't know what to do. On the one part, she really wanted to pull Bedru out of this situation, but on the other part, her whole life would've collapsed, she would no longer work in academy... She... she would never see Bardock again... Cara dropped her head. Bedru was her best friend. The tension made the clenched girl's fists shake. She was about to utter...
"Don't even think about that, Cara," a voice behind her back said strictly.
Cara turned around: Bedru glanced at the king decisively.
"Leave us. There's no need to ruin your life 'cause of that jerk. You have your own soldier. Be with him," suddenly Bedru smiled tenderly looking straight into Cara's eyes. "You have my blessing."
Cara laughed although her eyes were full of tears and hugged Bedru strongly. When the scientist pulled back, the scratch-cat said seriously:
"Go, everything's gonna be fine. We'll see each other again."
Cara nodded and ran towards the huge door without looking back. She bolted out of the palace not trying to repress the tears.
Bedru turned at the king. That bastard... Bonehead, moron, jackass, damned idiot... He made Cara cry. A real goof, bum, gawk. Bedru was so furious, she couldn't think of any other abusive word. She looked into King Vegeta's eyes with such hate, that it would have iced the Devil himself.
"You have no idea, who you have just hitched to, Vegeta-kun," Bedru said menacingly.

CHAPTER 10 - CONFESSIONS: THE SUPREME INTIMACY

Bardock was squashing idly his dinner with the fork. He couldn't swallow anything. Just recently Toma had run out of his apartment as a madman. He had heard the voice of crying Lena in his energy detector so he simply tapped Bardock on the shoulder and shot out immediately.
Before that Toma had been marvelling heartily at the new skills of Bardock... "Who could've guessed, the baby Bardocky has learned to control himself! Damn, that Cara Parsley is worthwhile of something after all! You'll show me your Ohzaru some day, OK..?"
Bardock smiled. He decided to nosh a bit and stuck the fork into a small piece of meat. But he didn't even have a time to raise a fork when the door bell rang.
"Who comes here in this time of hour?" the guy rose from the table disgruntled.
Bardock opened the door in a wide swing and was deeply surprised. Cara was standing there; the tears were running down her cheeks.
"Cara?" he gasped.
The girl didn't say a thing. She threw herself on his neck and started weeping. Bardock floundered. He didn't know what to do. This was the first time when the guy saw a Saiyan woman crying like that. The ambivalent feelings took over him: Cara was here, so close to him, but on the other hand, something was troubling her and he couldn't understand what. Bardock clasped her with one arm awkwardly and slammed the door with the other. Cara was crying. The Saiyan's chest got moistened because of her tears.
"Cara, what happened?" he asked softly.
"They..." Miss Parsley was sobbing. "They took Bedru..."
Bardock didn't have the foggiest idea, who "they" were and how anyone could "take" such a girl like Bedru. But he didn't ask anything. Somehow he knew he should let her talk.
"It's been... it's been awful," Cara was clawing hold of Bardock firmly, her correct pronunciation was gone. "The most difficult thing was that I couldn't do anything about it. Bardock," she raised her head. "I've felt completely helpless and I've almost..."
She hushed suddenly realizing that she was standing in Bardock's embrace and was snivelling like a baby. Cara bit her lip and looked into the dark eyes of a Saiyan gingerly. Bardock couldn't resist anymore. She was much too close. He could see every tear clinging to her eyelashes...

The tender, neat fingers were fluffing gently a long, shaggy tail. Bardock, who had been watching Cara's actions intently for awhile, calmed down and closed his eyes relaxed.
Cara was lying with her head laid on his chest. Her long hair was scattered, her tears had dried off the girl's cheeks a long time ago. The twilight was covering the big, spacious bedroom gradually. The white sheets were disordered noticeably. The disorderly thrown clothes and Saiyan armour were lying on the floor.
"It's a strange thing that Saiyan tail," Cara uttered silently. "Though it's a very powerful weapon, but," she gave a slight press to Bardock's tail and he winced. "It's the weakest link of a warrior also..."
"What is the life without it?" Bardock asked embracing the girl firmly.
"Well, basically, it's even more comfortable," Cara smiled. "Only it's been quite odd at first. I had to learn to keep by balance again, but it wasn't difficult."
"How did you lost it?" the guy was fluffing her hair.
Cara sighed.
"I was about eight then. Kabba was about fifteen... He was in a very good mood that day and he arranged me a spar. I was very glad, of course..." Miss Parsley hushed, Bardock listened to her intently. "We went outside in the forecourt near a very busy street," Cara continued her narration. "I was lucky for awhile. I'd been more aggressive then, I was dealing with Kabba's attacks quite easily, but he was an extremely strict teacher. You've seen my brother alright...
So I gawked at something for a second and I missed Kabba's kick. I didn't manage to recover after it and to step aside when my brother shot me with an energy blast. It was so powerful that I flied out of the forecourt straight into the street and got under the car wheels. You can only imagine what kind of an auto catastrophe I've caused. At least ten cars collided.
During this accident my tail had been yanked off and I'd suffered a serious head injury. My trauma had affected Kabba very much. My father and he took me to the best hospital of Vegeta. My head had been swathed at once and the tail's wound had been cauterized so it never grew again. The doctors didn't believe I would survive. Father and especially Kabba were worrying over me a lot. My brother believed he was guilty for that disaster.
But I recovered from it, although the head trauma had changed my temper vastly. I've become, how I should say, pure-hearted..." Cara smiled.
"Hey, wait a minute," Bardock remembered something. "I've heard... I've heard about it... When I'd been still studying at the Military Academy there was a rumour about a wacky tailless Saiyan, but I'd never thought that loony was a girl..."
"Loony," Cara punched Bardock in the chest. "I'll give you "loony"..."
"Don't be mad at me," the Saiyan kissed her temple. "So you're trying to say that you've become a real genius after that accident?"
"No," Cara laughed. "I've had a good brain since I've been a little girl; it's just that I haven't used it... But after the recovering I've had to turn to mental work, because Kabba is mothering me extremely since that day... and he allows me to train only with Bedru..." she sighed brokenly as though she would start crying again.
"OK," Bardock pulled some stray strands from Cara's eyes. "Tell me, what's happened to Bedru? Why were you so crushed?"
"The King Vegeta's council has decided that the king needs an heir so he's taken Bedru. She will be a mother of that heir," Cara stated bitterly. "I could do nothing about it..."
"I'm sorry, but I still don't understand," Bardock said nonplussed. "Couldn't she just reject that "offer"? Such a girl like Bedru..."
"Bardock, she's a slave," Cara peered sadly into the eyes of a Saiyan.
"What?!" Bardock was totally lost. "How?"
"Have you ever heard anything about the Onioli family?" Cara asked.
"The Oniolies? Of course," Bardock shrugged. "After all, the Oniolies were the most royal family in Vegeta. Comparing with them, King Vegeta is just a mere nobleman. But about seven years ago in one battle they rebelled against their allies and suffered a crushing defeat. All men of the family were slaughtered and the women were sold as slaves. Probably, now they all are also under the sod..." suddenly he realized the truth and his jaw dropped. "Don't tell me..."
"Bedru is the last of the Oniolies," Cara confirmed and the poor Bardock hiccoughed. "Our families had been associating with each other for ages. I first met her when I was maybe four years old. Since then we've been the best friends. I volunteered to take her under my custody as soon as this misfortune happened. Because you know, the slaves cannot walk freely in the streets if they don't have a master. Officially, I am her supervisor," Cara pulled a wry face. "But she's still my best friend."
"I'll be damned," Bardock murmured. "Onioli. Bedru Onioli. I BAWLED Bedru Onioli out..."
Cara giggled.
"It ain't funny," he said, but he laughed also. "Oh my. Toma said that Bedru's family had been well-known once, but I didn't even pore upon it, because falls like that happen all the time. Man, I'd never thought she was Onioli... And you're worrying that the king can harm her," Bardock turned Cara's face at his. "I would rather worry about our lord. Hell knows what that girl can do to him..."
"You really think so?" Cara's mood got better.
"Of course!" Bardock was smiling. "Listen, maybe I haven't known her all my life like you do, but believe me, such a girl like Bedru can take care of herself. She will knock the king into a cocked hat, you'll see."
Cara laughed and embraced firmly that humble guy. She needed neither a king, nor a general. This mere soldier with a skew scar on his cheek was her prince.
"Cara, do I have to expect your brother's visit?" Bardock asked suddenly.
"What? Why?" she raised her head and glanced at him intently.
"Well, you said he was mothering you a lot... So maybe general Kabba Parsley will visit me some day to say a few sweet words..."
"Don't worry," Cara sniffed. "Kabba looks scary, but you can equal him. You have no idea how strong you are..."
"Aren't you blundering out?" Bardock raised his eyebrow.
"No, I know what I'm saying," Cara said seriously. "I'm counting everything in Earth's standards and there the power is measured not by the amount of the muscles, but by what you have here," she put her palm on the left side of guy's chest. "Besides, Bedru let me interacting with you," she smiled and put her head on his chest.
"Oh wow, Bedru Onioli has approved my candidacy," Bardock whistled.
Cara raised her head and leaned on the elbow. The long strands of her hair were falling from her shoulders down on Bardock's body. The girl was looking at him for awhile. It seemed that it lasted for an eternity. The darkness filled the room. Suddenly Cara got down to him and kissed him. The girl couldn't pull back quickly. But when she finally unbent, she asked:
"Bardock, will you leave me?"
"No, no way," he took her cheeks with his palms as if he was afraid to lose her and touched her forehead with his own. "No, no. Never. Not even if the almighty Freeza stood in my way, not for anything... I will never leave you..."

CHAPTER 11 - THE ROYALTY

Bedru was standing in a small room near the square window and was looking blankly at soldiers pacing in the estate outside. She tucked her hands in the pockets of a loose dress which she had to put on and looked around her room once more.
It was a small square box with dark walls and incredibly high ceiling. A single bed was standing near the window in which Bedru had spent the last few nights. The wardrobe had been built-in into the wall; its door's colour was the same as the colour of tapestry. And although there was a great door behind her back with a long, curved handle, Bedru's attention was invited by a bit smaller and less ornate door on the left side of the window. It was shut and could have been unlocked only from the other side. Bedru guessed that it was the door to the king's apartment, but that was only a guess anyway.
She'd been hoping to hear the lock flicking for a couple of nights, but the king didn't show up. Bedru sighed: that anticipation was depressing her.
The main door opened silently and a tall Saiyan walked in. Bedru glanced over her shoulder and peered at the window again when she recognized the newcomer.
"What did he order you to tell me?" the girl asked calmly.
"Nothing," Peppa Parsley stepped into the middle of a room. "I've just come to see how you're doing."
"You were hoping I was going to go up the walls as a loony, eh?" Bedru turned at Cara's father with a wry smile on her face.
"Not really," Peppa Parsley walked close to Bedru and put his hands on her shoulders. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing so far. Don't worry," Bedru raised her head looking into the eyes of a tall Saiyan. "I won't let being trampled. I am Bedru Onioli."
"I know," Peppa Parsley smiled. "I'm sure that you'll even suck some advantage out of this situation. But... I'm really angry because I can't help you anyhow. I had a feeling this could happen. Bedru, you know you are like a daughter to me. I'm to you as a... What's the word that Cara uses..." the member of king's council frowned. "That term of the earthlings..."
"A godfather?" the descendant of a royal family raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, the godfather," Peppa Parsley nodded.
He was looking for a few minutes at a petite girl of tough, but highly beautiful facial features. The resolution was shinning in the black eyes of a Saiyans' tribe member.
"Just don't cripple the king," Peppa Parsley recommended touching her cheek tenderly.
"I'll try not to," Bedru grasped strongly the right hand of a noble Saiyan.
Peppa Parsley sighed sadly, kissed the girl's brow and walked out of the room leaving Bedru alone with her own thoughts.

The pale light of the stars was penetrating through the window. Bedru peered into the sky looking for the moon in a reflex action. She spotted the gibbous moon suspended in the dark background. It's been three years left till the full moon in planet Vegeta.
"Oh, Cara, I wonder where you are now," uttered Bedru. "Probably with him."
She lowered her head and walked back to her bed slowly. In part Miss Onioli was happy her friend had found the fortune and she believed that Bardock was a right man for Cara. After all, Bedru didn't like him only because of his simple origin, but despite the fact he was only a mere soldier, the guy looked decent and trustworthy.
Bedru sat on a hard bed.
"And why couldn't I do the same?" the girl asked herself. "Why can't I remain proud and take from the life everything what it offers the best as well..?" suddenly she puzzled out and sprang to her feet happily. "Well, of course! Bedru, you're a genius! But," Miss Onioli punched with the fist into her palm and looked crossly at the small door. "The revenge first..."
The lock flicked loudly in the silence and Bedru clenched her fists. King Vegeta walked into her room through the small door. The girl was a bit surprised to see he wasn't wearing the armour. The king was huddled on a simple material jacket and pulled on the dark, baggy pants. The bare feet were stepping on a cold floor.
Bedru cast a truculent glance at him and turned away.
"Are you turning your back at me?" the sly voice of King Vegeta rang. "Have you forgotten why you are here?"
"I don't have to obey your orders," Bedru receded from him. "I'm here against my own will."
"You have no will," the king spat out angrily. "You are..."
"I know damn well, I am a slave!" Bedru recoiled on him sharply and peered straight into the lord's eyes. "But I am of higher birth than yourself," her voice was full of tension. "And I'll never be ruled by such a coward like you!"
King Vegeta got furious; he appeared near Bedru in a split second and thrust her to the wall clenching her wrists very tightly.
"No one, nick down, no one," he spat out through the clenched teeth. "Will call me a coward, you got it?"
Bedru didn't stand this and she spat straight into king's face. She was as angry as he was. Vegeta raised his hand enraged and slapped the girl in the face without any hesitation. SMACK! The sound of a strike echoed in a thin room.
Onioli didn't make a sound, a few strands were pulled out of her firmly tightened hairstyle, but she didn't say a word. The king felt he couldn't hold her wrists anymore. Bedru was pulling her arms down gradually when the monarch let her loose unable to bear this any longer and took one step back surprised.
"Oh, you shouldn't have done that," Bedru said menacingly, looking frowned at the king.
She clenched her fist and without any delay, punched the king in the pit of the stomach. That one doubled up because of pain. Where did that girl get so much power from?
"No one humiliates the Oniolies," Bedru said scornfully. "This is for me," she conked the king properly. "And this," the girl swung straight. "Is for making my girl Cara cry..."
WHAM! The blow was so hard, that the king overflew the whole room and smashed into the wall.
"You broke my fucking jaw!!" the king grabbed his wounded jaw.
"I didn't brake it, I only dislocated it," Bedru walked closer to him and seeing that the king was shocked (to put it mildly), she melted a bit and squatted near the collapsed lord. "Let me," she took Vegeta's face with her soft palms and twisted it sharply to the right.
A loud crack said the jaw of a monarch had been readjusted.
"Now listen to me," Bedru said quietly. "You need an heir. Fine. I'll give you one. I should even say that you've hit the highest class by choosing me, but you'll get the kid only with one condition."
"What condition?" the king was holding his jaw as though he was afraid that it can dislocate again.
"You'll grant me the status of a Wandering Saiyan after getting the heir. I'll be able to go where I want to, when I want to and I'll be completely supported. No masters and no professional obligations to Vegeta's army."
"Klayotoya? You wanna be a Klayotoya?" the king couldn't believe his ears.
"Do you need an heir or not?" Bedru snatched him at his lapels.
"OK, fine, anything else?"
"Yes, from now on I will be allowed to see Cara as well."
"What do you need from that loony?" King Vegeta couldn't understand anything.
"She is my friend," Bedru uttered trying to repress the anger.
"Yeah right..."
"Do you need another proof?" the asking eyes of Bedru glanced at the king.
She clenched the fist and her fingers' joints cracked. The king looked at her with a glance full of wild fancy.

Bedru was standing near the big, luxurious king's bed and was looking at the brown-haired man who was sitting in it. He was looking at her. The girls' eyes were slowly ascending the muscle lines of the man's arms. King Vegeta looked quite good. He really wasn't ugly. In fact, he even had some severe charm.
"Have fun, Bedru," Miss Onioli said to herself and slowly raised her hand reaching for the pin that was holding her long, black hair. A neat finger pressed it lightly and the broom of a dark hair vanished in a flash. The long, straight and broad locks rippled down the girl's back. The pulled out strands disappeared in thick hanks. Only two strands near her forehead, which had been tied up firmly before, were suspended in front of her eyes gracefully.
The sleek hair framed the beautiful face of Bedru. She slipped off the voluminous robe peering straight into king's eyes and she was pleased to see that his face expression had changed. A naked beauty was standing in front of him and suddenly Vegeta realized that he would never give her away. To no one.
He wanted to start from his bed and take her, but that wasn't necessary. Bedru climbed into the bed herself, held King Vegeta carefully by the jaw (which was still crepitating) and kissed him.

A new day had dawned in planet Vegeta gradually. Bedru was looking at the ceiling illuminated by the rosy rays of the morning sun. She was lying completely eased in a huge bed, hugging the king as a little child with his head put on her chest. The girl glanced at Vegeta, who was sleeping blissfully, and stroked his cheek gently.
"Holy shit, Bedru. Now you're really stuck," she sighed.

TO BE CONTINUED...