Miura and Zellis stepped on board the Gelnika, welcomed by the old man himself.  The two Galdrians were surprised to see how short he was, for only his face had been visible during their communications.  He wore a drab, olive green jumpsuit and big black boots and gloves that would have made him look comical if it wasn’t for the large broadsword that he had strapped to his back.  He smiled as he walked toward the two hunters, arms wide open in a gesture of friendship.    

“Ah,” Seth said as he looked Zellis up and down.  “You are much more beautiful in person, darling.  The rumors of Galdrian beauty appear to be true, I see.  And you, young man,” he said as he turned his glance to Miura.  “What power you possess.  You must be a great bounty hunter indeed.”  Miura raised and eyebrow as Seth turned his back to the two hunters and began walking swiftly down a long corridor, dimly illuminated by the amber glow of the Gelnika’s emergency lights.  The Galdrian nobles stood silently for a moment, listening to the echo of Seth’s footsteps as he slowly walked out of sight.

Zellis looked at Miura and gestured for him to go first, and the half-Saiyan rolled his eyes as he began following the old man.  “What did you mean back there?” Miura asked as he caught up with Seth, Zellis following close behind.  “Surely you can’t sense power levels without some sort of device; I don’t think that’s possible.”  Seth only smiled as he continued walking, not slowing his pace at all. 

“There are many skills that one can master, if one but takes the time to try,” Seth responded as he looked at Miura out of the corner of his eye.  “I have a feeling there’s a lot that you could learn if you’d only attempt something new.”  He stopped before a large blast door with a keypad installed into the wall next to it.  He turned to Miura and Zellis, raising his eyebrows as he cleared his throat theatrically.

“Oh, sorry,” Miura said as he and Zellis turned their backs to the mysterious old man, allowing him to enter the code in secret.  Zellis looked at Miura and cocked her head to the side, frowning slightly.  The half-Saiyan hunter only shrugged and grinned.  He had already taken a liking to the old man, and he felt that there was a lot that someone like Seth could teach him.  The two hunters heard the door slide open, and they turned to see Seth gesturing to them to follow him inside.

“You’ll have to excuse the lighting in here,” the old man said as he walked into a large chamber, which Zellis and Miura assumed must be the bridge.  “After the fuel cells were depleted, the power was completely shut down, so now we’re running on backup power.  I suppose it could be worse though,” Seth said with a grin.  “We could have no power at all.”  Miura took a few steps into the chamber and halted suddenly.  He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room, for he sensed that someone was watching him, someone very strong.

Miura quickly jumped back as someone flew at him from a shadowy corner, throwing a punch right where the young nobleman had been standing only moments before.  The figure, which Miura couldn’t fully see due to the dim lighting of the chamber, appeared to be large, probably several inches taller than himself.  Miura crouched down as a leg cut through the air just above his head.  The Galdrian bounty hunter jumped back several feet, sliding across the metal floor as he quickly got into a defensive stance.  Zellis stood ready for a fight just behind and to the right of him, and Seth stood calmly off to the left, his arms crossed over his chest.  Miura’s attacker was nowhere to be seen, but the half-Saiyan could still feel his presence nearby.  Seth raised his hand to halt the assault of Miura’s mysterious opponent.

“That’s enough Clef,” Seth said sternly as he walked toward Miura and laid his arm on the young Galdrian’s shoulder.  “I think that he’s proven himself to be genuine.”  Seth, noticing Zellis’s questioning look, smiled and patted her on the arm.  “You must understand, darling.  There are many dangerous people in this universe, some of which wouldn’t hesitate to impersonate a hunter just to get their hands on my cargo.  However,” he said with a smile, “there are very few common crooks in this galaxy with enough skill to match my bodyguard.  Seth moved away from Miura and Zellis, standing in the middle of the dim bridge.  “Clef, it’s alright to show yourself now, I feel confident that these two mean us no harm.  And if they do pull anything,” the old man said with a grin, “then you may do as you please with them.”

Miura slowly let his guard down as a tall figure emerged from the shadows just behind him.  The young hunter was startled at just how close his opponent had managed to get to him, and he was more than a little embarrassed.  The clothing worn by Miura’s attacker was fairly commonplace: Dark blue, baggy pants and a long, sleeveless black jacket that hung down to his knees.  His shoes were unusual, appearing to be some kind of light colored leather, without any apparent laces.  The most striking thing about the mysterious attacker was the color of his skin, which was a dark green, with strange pink muscle patterns and striations along his exposed arms and stomach.  Miura studied the stranger’s face and noticed the thick, hairless ridges that protruded just above his dark eyes.  From out of the green-skinned warrior’s forehead there rose two short, thin antennae, and the head itself was hairless and smooth.  The assailant’s ears were pointed at the tops, as the two Galdrians noticed when he turned his head toward Seth and whispered something to the old man.

Recognition suddenly came upon Miura.  “You’re a Namekian!”  At this, Seth and the warrior he had called Clef ceased their whispered conversation.  The old man smiled at the young nobleman, but the Namekian simply glared at him.  Miura nodded as he continued, “I’ve heard of the green-skinned people from Namek, but I never thought I’d actually meet one this far from their home world.  And from the way you attacked me back there you’re obviously a warrior, which is a rarity among your people… if I’m not mistaken, that is.”  Seth chuckled and looked up at Clef, noticing for the first time the scornful look that his bodyguard was giving Miura.

Seth elbowed the Namekian in the ribs and scowled, but Clef ignored him and strode forward, stopping only a few inches away from Miura.  “You’re pretty knowledgeable for a Saiyan, which a rarity among your people… if I’m not mistaken, that is,” Clef said, obviously mocking Miura.  The Namekian warrior smiled coldly at the expression of surprise on the hunter’s face.  Miura turned to Zellis, alarm etched clearly into his features.  She was too shocked to do anything, for in all their years as bounty hunters no one had ever guessed her adopted brother’s secret.  Seth stood dumbfounded for a moment before breaking out into one of his loud chuckles.

“Nonsense, Clef.  The Saiyans are extinct, my friend; I think you’re finally losing your mind.”  Seth continued laughing, ignoring the sharp stare of his Namekian bodyguard.  “It’s been about fifty years since planet Vegeta was destroyed.”  He stopped laughing for a moment as he looked Miura over again, raising an eyebrow as he seemed to notice the Galdrian’s unusual spiky hair for the first time.  “Now, I’ll admit that for a Galdrian his hair’s a little strange, but he doesn’t look like he could be twenty years old, let alone fifty.”

Miura’s hand slowly grasped the handle of his energy rifle, which he kept concealed within his long black cloak.  Zellis noticed this as she too began to reach for her weapon. Suddenly Clef began laughing.  “Don’t bother with your weapon, I could care less whether you’re a Saiyan or not.  You know, you aren’t the first Saiyan I’ve met, although it’s been a long time.  I was just a child then…”  Clef’s voice trailed off, as if he was lost in some private memory.  Eventually the Namekian warrior strode forward, laying his hand on Miura’s shoulder.  “Actually I have some information you may be interested in, but we’ll get to that later.  For now, I’m just glad you took it easy on me earlier.”  Clef smiled slightly, seeing the relief that came over the young half-Saiyan’s face.  “Despite all of the training I’ve had, I doubt that I’d stand a chance against a Saiyan.  At least not according to the stories I’ve heard.”

“Enough,” said Seth as he made his way to a door on the right side of the bridge.  “Let’s move this conversation somewhere a little less dreary.”  Miura and the others followed the old man as he entered another room, smaller and illuminated entirely by candles.  Sitting at a short, square table in the center of the room was one of the most beautiful women Miura had ever seen.  Her light pink hair was long, flowing down her back and over her shoulders.  Her face was perfectly proportioned, and her eyes were a brilliant shade of maroon.  She looked tall, though it was hard to judge with her sitting, and she was built like a dancer: slender arms and waist, small breasts, and long, beautiful legs.  She wore a jumpsuit like Seth’s, but skin-tight and showing off her figure perfectly.  The old man smiled proudly at the girl as he walked around the table, bending to kiss her on the cheek.

“Twilight, I’d like you to meet our saviors, Miura and Zellis.  They’re bounty hunters from Galdria, and they were gracious enough to hear me out.”  Turning toward the hunters, Seth smiled and put his arm around the girl.  “Zellis, Miura, this is my daughter, Twilight.”  The girl rose from her seat and made her way towards the two Galdrians.  She smiled and hugged them each in turn.

“Thank you so much for going through all the trouble to help us.  You have no idea how much this means, since we were almost out of supplies and would surely have died if not for you.”  She made her way back to the table, gesturing for the others to join her.  After all of them were seated, Zellis spoke up.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure what we can really do in a situation like this.  We don’t carry many extra fuel cells on our ship, certainly not enough to power a cruiser this size.”  She looked down at the table and shook her head.  Everyone was silent for several minutes, not knowing what to say.  It seemed Seth and Twilight’s hopes had been crushed, and Clef merely leaned back in his seat, obviously deep in thought.  The sound of Miura clearing his throat broke the silence.

“There is one way.”  At this Twilight and her father seemed to perk up slightly.  They both looked at him, silently imploring him to continue.  Miura looked at them for a moment and lowered his eyes.  “Unfortunately it would involve you abandoning your cargo here.  The three of you could board our ship and we’d take you to the nearest planet or Way Station, from there you could hire a salvage crew to come and pick up your cargo.”  Again there was a long silence, until Seth spoke up.

“No… Leaving our cargo is out of the question.  Space pirates and privateers could easily find the ship with their deep space probes.”  He looked at Miura and shook his head.  “Besides, the Hevans won’t accept any excuses…”  Seth’s voice trailed off as he rested his head in his hands.  The two hunters looked at each other, neither of them able to think of an easy solution to the problem.  Zellis was about to speak when a soft beeping began emanating from within her cloak.  She jumped up from her seat and pulled out a small device.  Immediately Miura was up and heading towards the door, Zellis close behind.  The other three remained seated, unsure of what to do.  Seth stood and followed the hunters into the bridge.  “What’s the matter? Zellis, Miura, is something wrong?  What’s going on?”  The two Galdrians made their way back towards the airlock, readying their weapons as if in preparation for battle.

“It’s an incoming signal from our ship,” Miura said as he continued walking.  “It means that an unidentified cruiser or probe has made it through our sentry points.”  As the hunters reached the airlock, Miura stopped and turned to Seth.  “I suggest that you and your daughter get somewhere safe.  For something to make it so far into our defenses without first sending some kind of transmission isn’t a good sign.”  Suddenly the Gelnika shook violently, tossing the three of them to the ground.  The dim emergency lights flickered several times but remained on, though their color had now changed from amber to red.  Miura stood and looked at Seth.  “You have much more to worry about now than your cargo… I think your ship’s been boarded.”

________________________________________________________________________

            He slowly walked through the bridge, making his way to a large blast door several yards away.  After opening the door, Clef stepped through into a long corridor leading slightly downward, moving closer and closer to the immense power he had felt boarding the Gelnika.  The Namekian had sensed some dread drawing closer to the cruiser for the better part of an hour, right around the time that the two Galdrian bounty hunters had arrived on board.  After the explosion that had rocked the ship, Clef had commanded Twilight to remain in the room, and to lock the door behind him after he had left.  Not that a locked door will protect her from the power that I’m sensing right now, he thought as he moved deeper and deeper into the bowels of the ship.

            After creeping through the darkness for several minutes, Clef came upon one of the Gelnika’s empty cargo bays.  It was a large chamber, easily three times the size of the bridge, which was now several levels above him.  A perfect place to await my opponent… And a perfect place for a fight.

            The Namekian warrior didn’t have long to wait, for he felt the power of the mysterious invader enter the chamber through a doorway directly across from the entrance Clef had used.  The footsteps of the mysterious attacker echoed through the empty cargo hold, slowly making their way closer to the Namekian, who now stood ready for battle.

            “Well, well, what have we here?” asked a voice out of the darkness.  “A Namek, huh?  Too bad.  I was hoping that I’d get to fight someone a little more challenging.”  The intruder continued walking toward Clef until his outline could be seen by the Namekian.  It seemed to the green-skinned warrior that the assailant had hair very similar to that of Miura’s: dark, probably black, and spiked straight up, lacking only the hunter’s one small spike that hung down over his forehead.  The invader’s clothing, though hard to see clearly in the dim lighting, looked like a baggy black jumpsuit, cinched at the waist with a tight, black belt.  As he continued to approach Clef, the Namekian saw that the stranger also wore a long black cape and black gloves, whose knuckles were capped with short spikes.  Clef narrowed his eyes as the mysterious invader stepped into the red light, which was shining down from the ceiling far above them.  The Namekian gasped as he now clearly saw the resemblance between his soon-to-be opponent and Miura.  The attacker could easily have been his twin, though Miura looked slightly younger than the stranger.  Miura’s hair, while also spiked, seemed to be slightly shorter, and it had a different looking texture than the hair of the invader.  But it was clear to Clef what this stranger truly was.  Another Saiyan.

            The Saiyan warrior continued his advance, seemingly undaunted by Clef’s presence.  “Stand aside, Namek scum, you’re not the one I’m here for.”  When he saw that Clef had no intention of letting him pass, the mysterious Saiyan warrior stopped and crossed his arms, laughing.  “Very good, very valiant, I’m sure your friends would be very proud of you… But this is your last chance.”  The warrior’s face became a mask of rage when Clef still stood his ground.  “Fine!” the Saiyan shouted.  “You’ve made your last mistake, Namek!”

            The Saiyan was upon Clef so fast that the Namekian didn’t even see his movements.  It was too late to put up any kind of defense as the Saiyan warrior drilled Clef in the side of the face, his spiked gloves digging into the Namek’s flesh and knocking him across the room.  The intruder bared his teeth and screamed in rage as he flew after Clef, who was still reeling from the blow, dark purple blood running down the side of his face.  Again the Saiyan made contact as he gave Clef a roundhouse kick, smashing the green-skinned warrior into the solid metal wall.  Clef could only sit there, half embedded in the wall and in a daze as the mysterious assailant began walking toward him, cracking his knuckles and laughing.

            “Well Namek dog, have you learned your lesson yet?”  The Saiyan flashed a sinister smile at the injured Namekian.  “Now,” he said as he grabbed Clef by the face and threw him to the ground at his feet.  “You will beg me for mercy.”  The green-skinned warrior slowly struggled to his hands and knees, his body trembling slightly.  The Saiyan invader’s face, which was still set in an evil smirk, quickly changed to a look of surprise and hatred as Clef looked him in the eyes and spat on the attacker’s black boots.  The Namekian’s opponent looked down on him in disgust.  “Ungrateful wretch,” the Saiyan said through clenched teeth.  “I offered you a chance to live, all you had to do was beg, and this is how you—” He stopped short as an aura of energy began to manifest itself around the warrior at his feet. 

            Suddenly the energy exploded outward in a wave, blowing the Saiyan across the chamber as Clef jumped up from the ground and dashed at the startled intruder.  The Namek threw a flurry of blows at the mysterious Saiyan, landing several, then jumped back and fired a blast of energy at his opponent.  The Saiyan warrior gasped as the blast collided with him, exploding in a flash of light and knocking him backwards into the opposite wall.  The chamber shook from the impact, and Clef ran at the dazed Saiyan, not allowing him any time to recover.  The Namekian lashed out with a devastating kick, which the Saiyan easily blocked, surprising Clef with a left hook that smashed the green skinned warrior into the ground.  Clef screamed in pain as the Saiyan came down on him, driving his knee into the Namekian warrior’s back.

            The black-clad warrior began laughing as he ground his knee into the small of Clef’s back, eliciting more screams from the Namekian.  The intruder’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he felt a strong pressure around each of his arms.  He looked left and right, grunting in anger as he saw the source of the problem.  Clef’s arms were stretched out to unbelievable proportions, and were wrapped tightly around the arms of the Saiyan warrior.  The intruder gasped as he was pulled off his feet, and he cried out in pain as Clef came down on him with all of the strength he could muster.  The Namekian drove his foot into the abdomen of his opponent, crushing the Saiyan warrior into the ground.  The black-clad intruder spit out a mouth full of blood and clenched his eyes shut as he gasped in pain.

            The mysterious Saiyan warrior thrust his arm towards Clef, firing a blue burst of energy at the face of the Namekian.  Clef tilted his head to the side and sprang back, sliding across the floor as his arms retracted back to their original length.  The Saiyan jumped to his feet, holding his stomach and breathing heavily as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.  The mysterious invader wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand as Clef took up an offensive stance, prepared to deliver another attack.  “Tell me,” the Namekian said, not taking his eyes off of the opponent before him.  “Are you one of the Saiyans from Earth?”

            The black-clad Saiyan glared at him, slowly assuming a fighting stance of his own.  “What the hell are you talking about?!” he shouted angrily at the Namekian warrior.  “I am the last of my kind, unless you count that pathetic half-breed Miura.”  The Saiyan continued to glare at Clef.  “These so called ‘Earth Saiyans’ are nothing but a ridiculous story.”  The green-skinned warrior only smirked and shook his head.

            “Sorry, friend, but you’re wrong.”  The Saiyan said nothing as he stared at the Namekian, obvious hatred etched in his features.  Clef continued.  “Many years ago, when I was just a child, several Saiyan warriors came to planet Namek claiming to be from Earth.  There were three of them, and they saved my people from a tyrant called Frieza.”  Clef smiled when he saw the look of disbelief on the Saiyan’s face.  “That’s right, by now there may be a whole colony of your people living on Earth.”

            The intruder’s face one again became a mask of hatred and anger.  “Well, I appreciate this information, weakling.  I’d heard, of course, that Frieza was destroyed, but by a Saiyan?  How very fitting.”  The black-clad warrior slowly began gathering power to himself, forming an aura of blue energy around his body.  He let out a scream of rage as his power continued to grow, causing the entire ship to tremble.  Clef had to struggle to keep his footing as the floor beneath him began to shudder.  The floor around the Saiyan exploded into shrapnel as he dashed toward the Namekian bodyguard.

            Clef crossed his arms, forming and X, and raised them before his face as the mysterious Saiyan threw a straight punch, his fist colliding with the Namekian’s defense.  Clef had underestimated the intruder’s strength, and he screamed in pain as he was sent reeling back, only to be caught from behind by the Saiyan warrior.  He’s so fast! Clef thought in amazement.  Before the Namekian warrior had a chance to attempt an attack, he was engulfed in a powerful energy blast that plowed him across the chamber.  He slid across the floor and lay there in pain as smoke rose from his charred clothing and flesh.  The Saiyan stood on the other side of the empty cargo hold, his body still surrounded by the blue aura.

            “Well, it has certainly been fun, my green friend.”  The black-clad warrior pointed his gloved hand toward the Namekian and began to focus enough energy for a devastating blast.  “By the way, the name’s Hanzo.  Now when God asks, you can tell him who sent you.”  The Saiyan unleashed his attack on Clef, the blast of energy tearing through the air and making its way toward the Namekian.  Time seemed to slow down for Clef as he struggled to his feet, prepared to do what he could against such a powerful force.  To the surprise of both fighters, two more energy beams flew into the room.  The first, a bright green in color, collided with Hanzo’s blast and illuminated the large chamber with a huge explosion of energy.  The second, more powerful blast was purple, and it smashed into the right side of the Saiyan warrior, eliciting a scream of pain and frustration from him as it sent him crashing through the wall and into the next chamber over.

            Miura flew into the room, heading straight for Hanzo as Zellis dashed toward Clef, catching him just before he fell to the ground, overcome by exhaustion.  The room that Hanzo had been blasted into was suddenly illuminated from within by a bright blue light, and the Saiyan warrior burst through the wall with an explosion of energy.  Miura’s eyes opened wide and he stopped in mid air as Hanzo flew towards him, preparing a powerful attack.  The young Galdrian dropped to the ground as a bolt of energy tore through the air above him.  Miura had no time to react as Hanzo appeared in front of him and gave him a solid kick to the chin, sending the half-Saiyan spiraling toward the ceiling.  Hanzo immediately jumped into the air, causing the floor around him to shatter with energy.  Miura continued flying upwards, trying in vain to regain his senses as the black-clad Saiyan reached him and pulled his fist back for a devastating blow.  Before Hanzo had a chance to strike, he was aware of a new power flying up from below him, and as he looked down he was struck squarely in the face by a ball of green ki.  Three more energy orbs followed, striking the Saiyan warrior and causing him to growl in frustration.

            Miura gasped in pain as he struck the ceiling of the chamber, all of his breath knocked out of him.  He felt someone catch him as he began to fall, and he was set safely on the ground by Zellis, her body emitting a soft green glow and surrounded by an aura of Galdrian energy.  Hanzo landed several yards away, glaring with undisguised hatred at the two hunters while his scorched clothing smoked around him.  Miura took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance next to his adopted sister.

            “Finally,” Hanzo said as he flashed a wicked smile.  “I’ve waited so long for this moment, Miura.  You are going to die.”  The Saiyan warrior began to laugh maniacally as an enormous amount of power could be felt welling up from inside his body, causing the chamber to fill up with an ominous wind.  The Gelnika began to tremble slightly as Hanzo continued to draw upon some internal source of power, a power unlike anything that the two Galdrians had ever felt before.  Miura took a step forward and clenched his fists, his hair and cloak blowing wildly about him.

            “Who are you?!” Miura shouted as he began to power up also, summoning all of the energy that he could.  “Why do you have so much hatred for me when we haven’t even met before?!”  He looked at Zellis questioningly, but she merely shrugged and shook her head, unsure of Hanzo’s motives herself.  As Miura looked back at his opponent he gasped in surprise, for Hanzo’s entire body was surrounded by a bright aura of golden energy that seemed to emanate from within his body.  The Saiyan’s eyes, which before had been as black as coal, were now a chilling shade of green, and his hair and eyebrows seemed to be outlined in the same golden color of his aura.  Hanzo’s eyes clenched shut as he let out a shout of exertion, causing a wave of energy to sweep through the cargo chamber.

            Zellis and Miura were barely able to hold their ground, and were forced to shield their eyes from the bright flash of energy that emanated from their opponent.  When the light had died down, the two Galdrians looked at the Saiyan warrior and gasped in amazement.  His aura seemed to flare around him like a golden flame and his hair and eyebrows were now entirely changed from black to a bright shade of golden-yellow.  He stood with his arms crossed defiantly over his chest, a cocky smirk clearly evident on his face.

            “Now you face the power of a Super Saiyan,” Hanzo said.  “Prepare yourselves.”

________________________________________________________________________

            The clicking of the computer keys echoed through the empty, silent bridge.  He stopped for a moment to wipe sweat from his forehead.  It’s useless, the old man thought as he shook his head in dismay.  The sudden tremors of the Gelnika had knocked it too close to the planet Applicah, which now appeared to hover just below the large cargo cruiser.  Now they were caught in the planet’s gravitational pull, and soon the entire ship, not to mention Miura’s star cruiser which was still docked to the Gelnika, would be sucked into the atmosphere.  I knew I should have spent the extra money for escape pods, Seth thought as another tremor slammed him into the control panel.  The old man turned suddenly, his hand flying to the hilt of his broadsword as a loud grinding sound came from somewhere close behind him.

            His eyes widened in surprise as the floor in the center of the bridge seemed to buckle upward, forming a red hot bubble that continued to spread outward.  Seth pulled his sword from its sheath and held it before him, prepared for anything.  The grinding sound grew louder as something continued to try to burst forth from the level just below the bridge, until the floor began to crack around the bubble.  Suddenly the entire center of the room exploded upward in a bright flash of energy.  Seth looked on in amazement as Miura, surrounded by a pillar of golden light, was slammed hard against the ceiling of the bridge.

            The young hunter screamed in pain and fell to the ground as the pillar of energy dissipated.  Seth ran to Miura, skirting along the edge of the hole in the floor.  Upon reaching the young Galdrian, Seth heard another sound coming from inside the small crater.  Before the old man could react, a strange warrior, clad entirely in black and surrounded by an aura of yellow energy, burst out of the hole.  The mysterious golden haired warrior held Zellis by the ankle, and he tossed her to the ground near Miura.

            The half-Saiyan hunter struggle to his feet, his cloak charred and torn, blood running down his face from a large gash in his forehead.  “Hanzo, you bastard!  What have we done to you?!” Miura shouted as Seth ran to his side, steadying him as he almost fell to the ground.  The young Galdrian looked at him, as if noticing him for the first time.  “Seth, go!  Get Z and Twilight out of here, this guy’s a monster, he’s too strong for us!”  The old man nodded as he returned his sword to its scabbard and picked Zellis up from the floor, tossing her over his shoulder as he ran toward the exit of the bridge.

            Hanzo watched the two of them flee, not attempting to stop them.  Slowly he turned his gaze back to Miura and smiled.  “Well then, it’s just you and me now, as it should have been all along.” Hanzo glared at the young half-Saiyan.  “And you’re finished,” he said through clenched teeth.  “Look at you, you can barely stand.  I’ll enjoy killing you, but don’t worry about you friends.  As long as they stay out of this, I’ll consider leaving them alone.  No promises though.  You understand, right?”

            Miura spread his legs beneath him, trying to steady himself as his body began to tremble in rage.  Small pieces of metal and debris began to float into the air around the Galdrian, and Hanzo uncrossed his arms and looked on in surprise as Miura’s power began to slowly increase.  The half-Saiyan looked at the black-clad warrior, contempt clearly displayed on his face.  “You won’t touch any of them!  I won’t let you!”  Miura shouted in rage as a golden aura sprang up around him, causing his dark hair and the remnants of his cloak to blow fiercely around him.

            Hanzo watched in utter amazement as the Galdrian’s eyes, usually bright purple, began to change until there were the same shade of green as the Super Saiyan’s own.  He stumbled back as the Gelnika shuddered again, and this time the shaking was accompanied by an incredibly loud groaning and grinding sound.  “Fine then!” the black clad Saiyan shouted at Miura.  “Tear the ship down around us; kill us both for all I care!”  Miura let out a scream as energy exploded around him, causing the ship to tilt severely to one side.  Hanzo glared at the bounty hunter, gathering as much power as he could.  With a flash of energy, Hanzo flew toward Miura, holding a ball of concentrated ki in his right hand.  “Take this!”

            Before the Saiyan warrior could strike, Seth, who had returned to help Miura, attacked him from behind, using his broadsword to slash downward with all of his strength.  Hanzo screamed in pain as the old man’s heavy sword bit deep into his back, causing blood to splatter onto Seth’s face.  The old swordsman jumped back, tossing his sword aside as he cupped his hands around his mouth.  “Miura!” he shouted above the terrible grinding and groaning.  “Hold onto something, we’re going down!”

            The inside of the cargo cruiser became excruciatingly hot as it entered Applicah’s atmosphere.  As large pieces of the ship began to break apart, the three warriors on the bridge were thrown to the ground, and Hanzo was tossed through the hole in the middle of the chamber.  The screams of the mysterious Saiyan warrior were the last things Miura’s heard as the Gelnika slammed into the ground of planet Applicah.

To be continued…