Burori staggered back into the cell, the grate slamming shut behind him. Krinis caught him as he collapsed into her arms, his breath coming in short gasps.

" I have to get you out of here," he whispered to her, his voice straining under the pain in his chest.

" What's wrong?" she asked as she laid him down on the cold floor. She could not help but look into his dark, mysterious eyes, and she felt almost as if she was drowning in them.

" Zaros is mad," he answered, his brow furrowed with conviction. " He's going to use as all as pawns in his insane plan unless we escape."

" Burori no," she said, her voice stern. " We can't escape. We'll be killed." She stroked his face with her soft fingers, marveling at his hard, animal beauty. " I can't let you get hurt. I'm not going to lose you like I lost my mother."

" Krinis, I need to do this," he stated firmly as he stood, his eyes flashing darkly. " I've always been swept up by fate, tossed this way and that by chance, and never once have I been given the power to choose my own destiny. Well, I choose today that I am not going to stand by and let this tyrant rule our lives any longer. We are going to be free."

" Burori, there's no way out," she pleaded, trying to reach out to him. " Just let it go. Happiness isn't found in rebellion, it's found in friends, and family, and loved ones."

" And what if those people get hurt?" he asked, his fists clenched. " What if those people are being used by a monster, and are in danger of being lost forever? I have to do this."

From the back of the cell, the old man shifted in his pile of rags, his eyes locked on the huge warrior. His stomach turned to see his daughter, the only person he still cared about, infatuated with a man who was a beast.

" You can't escape, Burori," Yanorik groaned with contempt. " The gate's too strong to bash down, and the walls are solid metal. Without your ki, you're powerless."

" There has to be a way," Burori muttered, looking around the cell frantically. "Zaros told me that if you really wanted to escape, that there was a way."

He stalked around the room, looking for some sort of hatch or door that would lead to freedom. He gripped the grate with both hands, feeling the cold, hard metal between his fingers. He let his ki spark inside him, giving him warm strength. He squeezed the metal mesh of the grate, and he knew that there was no way he could be able to smash it down with brute strength.

" There has to be a way-" he muttered to himself as he shook the grate, feeling it rattle in its frame.

" Burori, you don't need to prove anything to me by being a hero," Krinis said as she walked over to him and put her hands on his muscled back, feeling the knots of tension wrapped around his spine. He turned to look at her, and saw the sincerity transparent on her face.

" I never said I wanted to be a hero," he sighed. " I just want to be free."

" You're still a beast, aren't you?" Yanorik asked as he rose from his pile of rags, pointing and accusing finger at the Saiya-jin warrior. " You yearn for that wild freedom of battle, to kill again. That's why you want to be free. You're just an animal."

" Don't you understand that being a beast was the only freedom I have ever known?" Burori asked as he glared at the old man. " I didn't ask to be a monster. It was the only way I could find something to hold onto in the chaos of the world around me. If I could have known peace without death, then I would have taken it gladly, but I have never been given the choice."

" Stop it you two!" Krinis yelled as she stepped in between them. " Is this fighting going to solve anything? Haven't you learned yet that fighting never solves anything? Just stop it, and forget all of this."

Yanorik stepped back, stunned that his daughter would yell at him so harshly. He felt a twinge of pain in his old ribs, a sting that came with the realization that he was no longer the one that his daughter loved the most.

Burori turned away from them both, staring out blankly through the metal grate. He ran his hands over the metal, trying to find some way to breach the barrier and find the freedom that had eluded him all these years.

" There has to be a way-"

He shook the grate again, hearing the rattle of metal upon metal. He felt the weight of the grate in his powerful hands, trying to find a way to move the enormous obstacle.

" Burori, stop it," Krinis said as she walked over to his side. " If you make too much noise, the guards will come."

" They'll come anyway," he replied. " They'll come tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, until we are dead husks. They'll always come, unless we find a way out."

His muscles flexed as he tried to push the grate forward, the metal screeching as it ground upon the slit that the grate rested in. His eyes squeezed shut he strained to rip the grate from the doorway, but his efforts were in vain. He relaxed his body, his chest heaving in exertion. The flicker of ki within him calmed his body, rejuvenating his tired muscles and giving him new strength.

" Burori," Krinis said softly as she looked up at him. " There's no way to break down that grate."

He looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise. She stared back at him, confused at the enthusiasm that spread across his face into a determined grin.

" Of course," he whispered, gripping the grate with his worn hands. " I can't break it down-"

" Burori, what are you doing?" Krinis asked as the mighty Saiya-jin bit his lip and heaved with all of his might.

Burori gripped the metal with his powerful hands and lifted upwards with all of his might, feeling the incredible weight of the metal grate and the resisting pull of a network of gears below it. The machinery cried out in protest, but the huge warrior squatted down low and lifted with all of his might, his ki bleeding into his muscles as they strained against the weight. With a shriek the gears holding the grate in place gave way, and Burori staggered backwards, letting the massive piece of metalwork slide into the floor with a crash.

" It was only held in place with a few gears," he panted as he rubbed the palms of his sore hands. " Zaros really did think we were stupid monkeys for never realizing it."

He turned to his companions, holding out his hand to both of them.

" This is it," he whispered, his voice full of nervous excitement. " This is our chance to escape."

" Burori, no," Krinis whispered as she stood beside her father, who looked out at the open doorway with awe. " There's no way we can make it. Zaros will hunt us down; we'll never know peace. You may be strong, but I'm not, and my father is old. We don't have a chance."

" We have hope," he countered as he looked at the young woman and her old father. " We have hope that we can win, that we can find happiness, that we can live without fear. This is our one chance for freedom."

" Burori-" Krinis began to protest as she looked up at him with sorrowful eyes.

" No, he is right," Yanorik said as he walked towards the cell's entrance, looking with wide eyes out into the corridor beyond. " We have lived too long as slaves. We are Saiya-jins, Krinis, and we are a proud people. I was proud once. I want to be proud again."

Krinis looked at her father, amazed at the determination in his voice. She began to speak, but realized too quickly the futility of protest. With glistening eyes she stood and joined them at the threshold, her heart filled with hope and fear.

Burori stepped out of the cell, looking left and right to check for guards. The cellblock was deathly quiet, so much that even his breathing seemed to disrupt the morbid calm. He began to walk down the cellblock hallway, eyes and ears alert for any sign of approach by the slavers. As he passed by the cell next to his, Burori looked in to see the Namek sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking at Burori intently with his fanatic gray eyes.

" Azlan," Burori whispered.

" I am Azlan," the Namek replied. " It is time."

" We can't take him with us," Yanorik whispered to Burori as he eyed the Namek suspiciously. " You can't trust that sorcerer. He'll betray us at the first chance."

" He can help us," Burori said as he walked up to the control panel next to the cell entrance. " Together we can set free the engineers that run the ship, and cripple Zaros's plans for conquest."

Azlan didn't blink as the cell grate slid into the floor. The Namek calmly stretched himself and jumped to his feet, his incredibly muscled green body flowing with power.

" We must move quickly to the docking bay," Azlan stated flatly as he stalked down the corridor in front of Burori and his companions. " The engineers will meet us there, and we can use the space pods to escape."

" How will the engineers know to be there?" Burori asked as he rushed forward to keep pace with the calm green warrior.

" They will know," Azlan said as he continued to walk briskly forward, gray eyes lit with determined fire. " We must make all effort to avoid Zaros. We have no way of killing the monster."

" But you said that we could defeat him," Burori hissed as he stayed in step with the Namek.

" I said defeat, not kill," Azlan crisply replied. " There is a distinct difference between the two."

" You tricked me!" Burori snarled.

" It was necessary. If you have any further doubts, you can still go back to your cell, and explain to the guards how you broke down the door."

" I told you we couldn't trust him," Yanorik hissed as the four stepped through the airlock out of the slave deck.

Goybi scuttled around the engineering wing of the Zarastros, working feverishly to repair one of the ki extractors that had malfunctioned on the reactor. Zaros was pushing the ship far too hard, and the technology Goybi and his comrades had designed wasn't meant to deal with this sort of strain. He knew it was pointless to protest. Zaros would mercilessly hound them to improve the design, to force the parts to work, but Goybi knew that the mad tyrant was going were mortal creatures were not meant to go. He was terrified of the monstrous reactor that he had helped build, that every passing year absorbed less healthy ki and produced more corrupt, black waste. He shook in cold horror as he thought of the mechanical armor that he had helped to forge for Zaros, with which the evil fiend could use that corrupted ki and make it his own strength. Goybi had been in the servitude of a monster for far too long, and he fondly wished for better days.

The little lizard wiped oil on his clothing, trying in vain to keep his hands dry. If he slipped up on this repair, the punishment would be great. He might even be stripped of his title as chief engineer and thrown into the reactor like his predecessor. There was very little good to hope for in this bleak existence. The only thing left to hope for was that somehow Azlan would find a way to save them all.

Goybi.

" Azlan," Goybi whispered as he dropped his wrench, sending it skittering across the floor.

Goybi, you need to get the others and bring them to the docking bay.

" Azlan, is it time?" Goybi whispered, his tiny heart fluttering in excitement.

Yes Goybi, it is time to go home.

Goybi smiled and turned to the engineer next to him, whispering into the lizard's ear the news that the time was finally at hand. The word spread amongst the bay like wildfire, and it seemed like nothing could stop the wave of enthusiasm that swept over the room until Goybi heard the airlock swoosh open.

The little engineer turned and shivered as he saw Voma storm into the room, the alien warrior's face stern and cold. Goybi could see the scars where the medics had opened him up and filled him with vile chemicals that swelled his body and poisoned his blood. The lizard shuddered as he thought of what a monstrous toll Voma's transformation must have taken, and he swallowed hard when he thought of what the warrior might do to exact revenge.

" Goybi," Voma growled, his voice deep and menacing. The little engineer shivered, cringing before the awesome might of the fierce creature.

" Lord Voma, it is most fortunate-" he began to sputter.

" Shut up," the fighter hissed as he glared down at the chief engineer. " You're coming with me. Bring the heart controller. We need to get the slaves out of the cellblock and fuel the ship for the final stretch of travel through space."

Goybi nodded nervously and grabbed his things. The other engineers looked on silently, each hoping that their comrade would somehow find a way out of fate's trap. Goybi knew that he had to meet up with Azlan, but it appeared that he had a meeting with a different sort of destiny first.

Burori could see his breath hanging in the frigid air as they walked down the slim corridor connecting the various sections of the enormous spaceship. Krinis stayed close to his side, her breath coming in short, nervous gasps. He squeezed her hand gently, trying to infuse her with his own confidence and strength. He knew it was a vain gesture, for he did not have confidence in his own abilities anymore. His mind felt the pull of a thousand jagged pieces of his shattered memory, and still he could not find the warrior spirit that lay far down beneath the surface of his consciousness. Zaros was out there somewhere, and if Azlan was right then the evil little alien had enough power to destroy all of them without breaking a sweat. Burori cursed himself for letting the Namek pull him into this mad plot, but when he looked at Krinis, and saw the nervous glitter of hope in her eyes, he knew that he was doing the right thing.

Azlan led the four, the Namek being guided by some mysterious other sense that allowed him walk hallways that he had never set foot in as if he had tread through them every day of his life. The green warrior stealthily moved from airlock to airlock, passing by security checkpoints as if he was a ghost to their sensors. Burori allowed himself to hope that they might actually survive. The airlock ahead of them slid open, and standing astride the entrance were two figures, one a squat little lizard and the other a tower of muscles. Burori braced himself, stepping in front of his companions.

" You," Voma growled as he called forth his blood red ki, which now pulsed with newly invigorated strength.

" I'm not letting you hurt these people," Burori declared as his eyes flashed blue.

" Goybi, give me the heart controller," Voma demanded as he locked eyes with his old foe. The little engineer hesitated, looking up into the cold gray eyes of Azlan across the portal. Goybi turned and looked at Voma, then looked at the Namek once more.

" Goybi, give me the controller!" Voma roared as he picked the little engineer up by the throat. Taking a deep swallow the little lizard tossed the heart controller into the air, where it was immediately snatched up by Azlan's deft hand. With a snarl Voma slammed the lizard's head into the wall of the corridor, crushing the life from him.

Burori darted forward, his hair streaking into golden locks. Voma caught the raging Super Saiya-jin, and the two of them tumbled down the hallway, raining fists upon each other's bodies. Voma screamed furiously as he lashed out with all limbs at the Super Saiya-jin, blocking his enemy's blows and having his own strikes blocked in return. Burori roared his own battle cry in frustration as he realized that he was now equally matched with his foe. Green and red ki from the two combatants whirled in the chill air, making a graceful dance of death across the bodies of the warriors.

Voma caught Burori in the throat with a flying elbow, and the Super Saiya-jin gagged as he reared back to launch a ki blast at the alien warrior. A green blur sped across the hallway, and Voma cried out in pain and surprise as Azlan kicked him in the gut, sending the proud fighter skidding down the hallway. Azlan turned to Burori and stabbed into him with his piercing gray eyes.

" We have no time for this," Azlan grunted as he rushed down the corridor, making a sharp right turn to come to the docking bay airlock. " This is our only chance to escape before Zaros comes and kills us all."

Burori roared his defiance as Voma as he dashed in along with Azlan, Yanorik and Krinis following fearfully behind. The docking bay was filled with hundreds of space pods, almost all of which were filled with pairs of little alien engineers. At the sight of Azlan the engineers closed the hatches of their pods and sent them tumbling into space. Without hesitation the Namek jumped into the nearest pod.

" Hurry!" the Namek yelled as he sealed the pod shut and plunged into the vastness of space.

Yanorik slid into one of the pods, his old frame resting uneasily in the machine. He made a weak smile at his daughter, and gave the huge Super Saiya-jin a nod of respect, then closed his pod and escaped into the void.

Burori turned to Krinis, his glowing white eyes staring deeply into her soft brown ones. He could see that she was nearly in tears, and he wrapped his massive arms around her, being careful to hold her gently.

" Soon we will be free," he whispered into her ear as he reverted to normal, his body relaxing back into its natural state.

" Burori, we can't- there's something-" she stuttered as she looked into his calm, beautifully dark eyes.

" It will be fine," he assured her as he kissed her on the forehead, brushing away a few stray strands of her straw colored hair. " I will be here to protect you."

She looked up at him, and his confidence washed over her like warm rain. She smiled and broke their embrace, stepping into one of the space pods with a heavy heart. Her eyes ached to see him this way, so innocent and trusting. She cursed Zaros as she shut the pod and ejected into space.

Burori entered the pod as Voma rushed into the room, the enraged fighter still ready for battle. Burori's pod went sailing off into the black emptiness of space, and Voma howled in impotent rage. From within his pod, Burori looked out into the blanket of stars and could see the motion of the other pods in the velvety darkness. Gripping the controls he piloted his capsule to follow theirs, wondering which one his companions were in.

He was finally free.

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