(A week later)
(Up in Space)
In some far corner of the Northern Quadrant, inside of a cluster of planets and moons, a familiar, oval-shaped vessel with orange lights flickering along its hull could be seen drifting through the vacuum on autopilot. Far out of reach and sight of any passing traffic, the ship had stationed itself in orbit of one of the large terrestrial planets in that sector, taking on the guise of a satellite as it recharged its batteries and scanned the system surrounding it. It was here, onboard this vessel inside the main sitting area for whatever crew was assigned to it, a familiar demi-Saiyan made his appearance.
Forming out of countless photons of golden light, the cheerfully smiling Son Gohan emerged from his teleportation in the usual manner. Dressed in his orange and blue gi, and carrying his usual Saiyan swagger upon his shoulders, the spiky haired hero of earth breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the rather ordinary looking lounge room he'd entered.
Taking note of the futuristic walls of the space craft's interior, as well as the equipment and furniture lying around the place, he then took a step forward, only for his foot to end up kicking an empty drinking can across the floor. The clatter of the aluminum canister echoed loudly throughout the hallways and had the hybrid fighter cringe at the volume. "Whoops. Better watch my step."
Looking around the quarter a second time, the boy quickly acknowledged the mess that was characteristic of the owner of this ship. It certainly gave this place a more welcoming feel to it as opposed to being surrounded by silver, smooth, lifeless surfaces all the time. Of course, the real question that quickly came to Gohan's mind was the current location of his hostess.
This answer soon came seconds later when a door at the other end of the room opened up and a familiar, fiery haired girl around his age, wearing a grey tank top and underwear strolled in with a towel around her neck. Wiping her face down, the long haired, angelic traveler from another galaxy grinned when she quickly spotted her guest standing in the center of her lounge.
"Hello, Gohan. I was wondering when you were gonna come around," the humanoid alien exclaimed brightly.
The demi-Saiyan smiled at her appearance, "Hey, Kana. Had a nice shower?"
"Yeah. I just got through checking out a planet that was completely covered in two feet of water. I gotta say, that was one hell of a scavenger hunt," the glowing haired girl chirped before stopping in front of the teen with her hands on her hips. A grin slowly formed on her face when she inspected his state of dress, "Anyway, it's all over now. You got the stuff?"
Gohan chuckled and pulled a small, white Capsule with the number 'two' out of his gi belt, "Oh yeah. I got it." Clicking the device, he then tossed it across the floor and, after watching the tiny carrier bounce a couple of times, saw it explode in a cloud of blue smoke. When the smog eventually cleared, it revealed a refrigerator with a basket of snacks sitting on top of it.
Kana whistled at the sight of the 'magically' transported household appliance, "Wow. Some of your earth tech really surprises me sometimes."
"Pretty cool, huh?" The demi-Saiyan wasted no time in approaching the fridge and swinging it open, immediately pulling out a can and showing it off to his friend. "There's a great range of drinks in here. You can choose whichever one you want. I've got soda… beer… and Hetap."
"I'll take a beer," Kana exclaimed, her hand shooting up and catching the can that was tossed to her a second later. As soon as she had it, she cracked it open and allowed the foam to spill over her hand and dribble to the floor. "Ah. Nice. Now that's what I'm talking about."
Standing up with a can of Hetap and shutting the fridge door behind him, Gohan then gave his friend an amused look, "Don't you think it's a little too early to start drinking? It's only five o'clock back at my place and you're already hitting the silver bullets."
"Yeah. It's five o'clock on earth. But out here it's ten decca cycles according to the ship's clock and you know what that means? Game time," she then took a swig of the beverage and, after a few gulps of the cool liquid down her throat, removed it with a delighted exhale. "Whoot! This stuff is great!" She then pointed across at the half-Saiyan with a wicked look in her eyes. "So, Gohan-kun… are we ready to do this or what? You'd better be, because I've been waiting a month for this day and there's no way I'm letting you back out of this now."
The young warrior from earth nodded back firmly, "I'm ready whenever you are, Kana."
Both kids were riled up and ready to rock. Heck, the atmosphere was filled up with so much pent up excitement and adrenaline that it almost looked as though the two of them were going to start a fight right there inside the ship… or something else of a more conjugal nature. However, just when their little showdown was starting to heat up, the two of them then did something completely unexpected and, crashing on the nearby couch, switched on the massive hologram sitting against the wall. As soon as the screen shot up, it quickly flipped to the channel where the most unusual sport was being played.
Two teams of aliens from different planets were competing against each other inside a massive stadium in a game that was almost reminiscent of the sport lacrosse. But instead of it being on a flat field with nets on either side of the pitch, the two groups of aliens were competing on a multilayered battleground with various tracks and ramps leading up to different levels, and all of the players were wearing glowing, flexible armor and single-wheel roller blades. With them, they were zipping around the tracks at blinding speeds, pushing a silver ball around with their sticks and intercepting one another with ludicrous agility and precision.
As it turns out, Gohan's latest visit to Kana's ship wasn't just to catch up with his old friend, but to partake in a tradition that has apparently been going on for quite some time.
For the next half-hour the pair sat their chatting and watching the game, and when they saw one of the teams score a goal at the other end of the field, the two of them responded to the sight in the usual manner.
When the powerful duo watched one of the yellow team members shoot the ball through the blue team's goal, a loud cheer left Kana's lips and a low groan escaped Gohan's.
The orange haired Seirei sprang out of her seat and threw her hands in the air victoriously. Her reaction was so extreme that she ended up spilling beer all over the place, "YES! WOO! Did you see that?! That was amazing!"
"What?! Oh, come on!" the demi-Saiyan shouted, throwing his hands at the screen in disbelief. "That was totally off side! Look! His skate was over the red line!" He quickly pointed at the slow-motion replay of the event.
Kana, grinning from ear to ear, then got right into the boy's face and started teasing him, "They called it, wonder boy. You snooze, you lose. Come on. Pay up." She then held her hand out to him expectantly and waited for him to empty his pockets.
Rolling his eyes at the girl's smug grin, the young warrior from earth quickly fished inside of his belt and pulled out some coins, which he then gave to the Seirei so that she could count her prize. As soon as she set her winnings aside, the pair quickly returned to watching the game; drinks stationed on the arm rests to their left and right, and a hot tray of barbequed meat items hovering on the pad in front of them.
"I need to take you to an actual Tharnak game sometime. The main events are totally off the hook," Kana remarked, looking across at her guest sitting contently on the cushions alongside her. "The stadium is always packed with spectators from all four corners of the universe. That means you not only have the best ringside snacks to enjoy, but watching the games live next to the really hardcore fans is a blast."
Gohan chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Sure. That sounds like it could be a lot of fun. I'm always eager to go out and see new places. Visiting a different planet every now and then to check out some of the local cultures and flavors seems like a great way to get me started."
"I'll be sure to ease you into it," Kana continued, taking a quick sip of her drink and acknowledging the boy next to her with a wide smile. "As nice a guy as you are; you can't always hop from one planet to another and expect the same greeting each and every time. If you're not careful, you might end up some place really nasty and end up a prisoner, a slave, or even a side dish."
"Different planets have different rules and customs, huh?" the demi-Saiyan inquired curiously, expecting this much since he knew how diverse the cultures back on earth could be.
The glowing haired girl nodded right back in response, "Oh yeah. While there are many systems out there that are part of the same empire, there are countless other worlds that exist as independent states, and follow their own codes and practices." She then held up her hand and began counting with her fingers. "For example; there's a planet in the southern quadrant where one group of aliens rules over all others, and views every other species as inferior. There is also another world where setting foot on the ground is considered blasphemous and that everyone who treads upon the world's surface will be executed on the spot. And there's a planet where there are only two words spoken at all times, and all other forms of communication is impossible because the people of that world don't understand anything else."
"Huh," Gohan chuckled, a smile slowly creeping across his face as he processed all of the information given to him by the well traveled Seirei. "I guess you learn something new every day."
Kana beamed brightly at her friend from earth, "It's good to know as much about these things as you can. That way you won't receive any unpleasant surprises from any planet you happen to drop down on. Even if it is by accident." When she saw the teen return her smile with one of his own, the pair then fixed their attentions back onto the big screen. After watching the two opposing teams rush past each other in a heated display of skill and agility for a couple more minutes, the orange haired negotiator then took on a serious look and glanced across at her guest once more. "Hey, Gohan."
"Yeah?"
"In all the trips you've made through space so far, have you ever heard the name Varax before?" the female traveler asked, appearing genuinely curious of his answer.
Thinking on it for several moments and taking note of his friend's expression, the spiky haired warrior then shook his head, "No I… I don't think I have." His only real trips through space included his group's journey to Namek and their visit to New Vegeta where they encountered the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly. While he'd certainly heard many terms and names thrown around on these adventures, this one was a first for him.
Kana quickly reacted to his answer with concern, "Well… I think now is as good a time as any to start learning it, because sooner or later… he's going to become a big problem for everyone."
Blinking a few times in surprise, Gohan's face then became stone cold serious. "Gee. This guy sounds like he means business."
"Oh, you have no idea," Kana replied, narrowing her eyes as the game on the wall hologram continued playing out. Cupping her hands together tightly, the girl brought her knees up and pressed her legs against her chest in a very nervous manner, at the same time laying her chin to rest behind the peak. "There isn't a civilization in the four corners of space who hasn't heard of his name before. Aside from ruling over an entire empire and a sub quadrant on the very edge of the universe, his strength alone is a force to be reckoned with."
Looking at the Seirei's face, the demi-Saiyan saw how nervous and terrified Kana actually was, which brought a troubled glimmer to his own expression. "Who exactly is this, Varax?" If he was anything like what Frieza's used to be all those years ago, then he had a feeling that this guy had the potential to cause a lot of grief.
For someone to make even the powerful Seirei nervous, Gohan knew right away that he meant serious business.
"Only the most dangerous and destructive being in the entire universe," Kana said, her brow scrunching up as she continued to relay to the spiky haired fighter all the information she had on the subject. "Varax is a tyrant; cold, ruthless, and cruel… someone who even the leaders of the Planet Trade Organization are scared of. He's on a level you didn't even know existed. Heck, he's so powerful, even the Gods that oversee the balance in this reality are afraid to cross paths with him. If it wasn't for the treaty signed between him and the God of Destruction Beerus, he would've ravaged this universe billions of years ago."
"Wow. So… this guy is in a completely different league to you and me?" That much was apparent, but the demi-Saiyan still felt he needed to confirm it.
"Yeah. And he's got a short fuse to boot. The last time he threw a fit, he wiped out over a hundred galaxies in the Western Quadrant," Kana informed, at the same time showing the half-Saiyan how affected she was by this piece of info. "He's a monster unlike anything you've ever encountered before. So… if you ever happen to run into him… please… be careful."
"A-Alright. I will," Gohan murmured, tilting his head as he saw the orange haired girl look away and tense up.
From the look on her face, it was obvious she hated and feared this Varax character. Bearing in mind how strong Kana actually was, the demi-Saiyan knew that whoever she was talking about was someone he should definitely be weary of and by no means pursue with the intention of defeating. Unless he happened to run across him by accident, then he didn't have any intentions of battling this tyrant. Those kinds of actions always led to trouble.
Smiling, the demi-Saiyan then nudged the scared girl in the side and drew her gaze back up to him. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out alright. As long as we stay out of this Varax's hair, I'm positive that all of us will be alright. Besides…" He then brought his hands up and smacked a fist into his open palm, surprising the glowing haired alien. "If he ever tries anything to hurt you or my friends, I'll be there to stop him. You can count on it."
Staring across at the confident looking Saiyan for several moments, Kana then gave him a soft smile and, shuffling closer to him, jabbed the handsome warrior with a playful elbow in the side. "You know… it's a shame you didn't come with me all those years ago. We would've made an awesome team." Her cheeks warmed ever so slightly at the thought that came afterwards, "Among other things."
Gohan grinned, "Yeah. Same here."
After hearing his response, Kana beamed, rested her shoulder against his, and turned back to the television in front of them. While leaning against the hybrid warrior, she then put her feet up and relaxed, getting comfortable against the Saiyan's firm and comforting arm. When she felt Gohan lean back in response to balance out their weight, the Seirei spared him a furtive glance before exhaling deeply.
"Hey. Your shoulder feels really nice. Have you been working out?" Kana asked with a cheeky grin.
The spiky haired demi-Saiyan chuckled, "Oh yeah."
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