She was death. She was destruction and carnage. She was a cataclysm.

Her hands reached out before her, palms charging with violent red energy. The creatures before her cowered. They'd seen what had happened to their comrades; their remains were painted on the walls around them. They knew what she was capable of. What she was going to do to them.

The power fled her hands. It consumed the small green beings, and their screams flooded the room. Their offal splattered outwards, some of it caught in her hair and speckled her face. She spat on the ground. Messy. She had to work on concentrating her energy better, to the point where there wasn't a single trace of her enemies left.

But all the same, she smirked as the door slid open behind her and she strode out, tail curling behind her. In the white observation room, her caretaker grinned over at her from the window, crossing his massive, a laugh bursting from his chest.

"Neka, I think you beat Vegeta's time!" he said.

Neka placed her hands on her hips, casting a smirk at her twin brother leaning against the wall to her right. "Well, my skills are hard to compete with, Nappa."

"Tch!" Vegeta shrugged off the wall, rolling his eyes before fixing her with a glare and a smirk. "Gloat while you can, sister, but all it will take is for me to step into that room one more time and your score will look pitiful."

Nappa chuckled, glancing into the room where the remains of Saiybamen were being removed. "Only eight years old, and the two of you can get better time than most of our warriors."

"What did you expect?" Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms and grinning wickedly, his spiked black hair outlined sharply against the white wall behind him, his tail twisting behind him. "We're of royal blood. Really, you shouldn't even be surprised, Nappa."

Neka glanced toward the dark room. "I'm bored of playing with Saiybamen," she said.

"Hey, I haven't even had a chance to go and beat your time!" Vegeta snapped.

Neka waved him off. "You had your go before me, you can try to top my time tomorrow or something. One can only watch those creatures die so many times before it loses its amusement."

Vegeta grunted. "You just don't want me to beat your time so fast." His mouth turned up into a smirk again.

"Ha! I'm not worried about you catching up to me." Neka crossed her arms.

Nappa chuckled, stepping forward. "Well, why don't we-"

The Scouter over his eye began flashing and he frowned, pressing a hand to it.

"Nappa here," he said, then paused, listening. His face suddenly fell. "What?" he breathed. "But... sir! This is... Yes, I understand, but they're just-!" He winced. Neka guessed whoever he was speaking to had started yelling. Nappa gave a tight sigh then nodded, glaring at the ground. His shoulders were trembling.

Neka went to her twin's side, frowning. There were only a few select people that could order Nappa around, and she doubted it was their father. King Vegeta wouldn't cause Nappa to look so infuriated, no matter his orders.

"Nappa, what gives?" Vegeta demanded.

Nappa scowled and shook his head. "Yes, sir. Right away sir," he muttered and lowered his hand, looking at the two children before him. "Change of plan. We're going to Lord Frieza's ship."

Neka and Vegeta exchanged a look. They had often talked about Frieza when no one else could hear them. They hated the tyrant that oversaw their race, their planet, and their father. He treated the Saiyans with disrespect, like they were vermin or the dirt beneath his feet. Neka couldn't stand seeing her father bow to anyone.

"What for?" Neka demanded. She didn't care if her tone was too harsh, if she was being too bold. She was a Princess, and she wouldn't be ordered around like some peon.

"He saw your progress in the training room." Nappa gestured to the dark room by them. "And believes it's time you two joined his elite forces."

Vegeta's eyes widened. "His elite forces? We've already done everything he's asked us to, and now we're not even allowed to stay on our own planet?" he spat.

Nappa's eyes actually shimmered as he nodded. "It's orders from himself. We're to leave immediately. Go change."

Neka clenched her fists as she and her brother went to put on their royal attire and wash the Saiybamen remains from their bodies. She met up with Vegeta outside the showers. He was fastening his red cape on his back over his armor. Neka already had donned her own gear, cape flowing out behind her as she went to the counter. She leaned on it, glaring at her gloved hands. They itched to fight again, despite having destroyed so many Saiybamen mere moments before.

"It's not fair," she muttered.

Vegeta glanced back at her, his eyes narrowed. "That tyrant won't be around forever," he muttered. "He knows we're powerful, Neka, that's why he hangs our father's life over our heads to keep us under control."

"So now he's getting us fully under his boot," Neka snarled. "As part of his elite forces, we'll never be out of his sight. And we'll be going about doing his bidding." She pushed off the counter and slammed a fist into an open palm. "I can't stand it!"

Vegeta went to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up into his eyes. "We're the Prince and Princess of all Saiyans," he said to her, his tone laced with both fury and determination. "We're warriors, and with the royal blood of the fiercest race in the universe! We will not be under his boot for long. But for father's sake…" He looked away. "We have to play along."

"Frieza is a coward," Neka said bitterly. "How dare he threaten our father's life, just to keep us in line? If he's so worried he should face us himself!"

"Neka, don't be foolish," Vegeta snapped. "We may be strong. But we're no match for Frieza."

"Not yet…" Neka whispered.

Vegeta nodded. "One day, we will grind him into red mist."

Nappa was waiting for them in the hall. His bald head gleamed from the harsh overhead lights. He looked down at them with grave eyes once they reached him.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Do we not get to say farewell to our father?" Neka asked.

Nappa's expression darkened. He shook his head. "No, my princess. We're to report to Lord Frieza's vessel right away."

Neka glanced at Vegeta. He was scowling, but otherwise, he was composed.

"Fine," he said. "Then let's go. Best not keep Lord Frieza waiting."

The twins were placed in a room in the bowels of the vessel when they reached Frieza's ship. Nappa was separated from them, told that he was going to be sent on a mission of his own while the twins were prepared for their new role. The door to their room was locked and there were only two cots in the tiny dark room. They sat down, Vegeta glaring at the ground, propping his chin on a hand. Neka leaned back on her arms, looking out the small window as Planet Vegeta grew smaller and smaller.

"He didn't even have the gull to face us," she said.

"He doesn't think we're worth his time," Vegeta snarled. "Not allowed to say goodbye to father… I wonder when we'll even see him again."

Neka shook her head. "None of this is fair."

"Frieza isn't about fairness," Vegeta said, glancing out the window.

Suddenly, he gave sharp intake of breath.

Neka followed his gaze and felt her world tilt.

Where Planet Vegeta had been was a huge ball of fire that looked like a sun. Neka and Vegeta could do nothing but sit on their cots, frozen in shock and horror at the sight, their young faces illuminated by the light of the destruction. Neka couldn't breathe. Her father. Her entire race. Her home! In a single heartbeat, it was gone.

"NO!" Vegeta cried, finally jumping up and rushing to the window. He slammed his fist against the glass, fury bathing his features. "NO NO NO NO!" He slammed his fist against the glass with each cry.

Neka rushed to his side. "Vegeta stop! Stop it!" she wailed as the grass began to crack.

She grabbed his arm and yanked hard. For a moment, he strained with all his might, his entire body taut. Then he let out a strangles cry of anguish and defeat. He and Neka both fell to their knees, clinging to one another. They sobbed, their shoulders shaking violently as they held tightly onto the last scrap of family they had left in the universe.

Each other.

"Neka, you're needed on deck."

Neka blinked and turned, narrowing her eyes.

The twenty-year-old Saiyan had grown much from the young girl that used to just destroy Saiybamen. Though she was still the smallest of the remaining members of her race, her limbs were still toned with muscle, her aura still flexed with power. She kept her tail wrapped about her waist now, and she wore a Scouter with a red screen.

She was in her armor, the shoulder pads out to the sides, and with a blue body suit beneath. No longer did she bear the red cape she did when she was young. After all, Lord Frieza didn't see a need for a royalty line when there were only four Saiyans left alive since the meteor destroyed their planet and everyone on it, including King Vegeta.

Addressing her now was one of the surviving Saiyans, Raditz. He was the son of Bardock, a Saiyan warrior that had been one of the elites of her father's forces. Though Bardock had been low class, he still had been a valuable asset. Raditz was the weakest of the four of them, and Neka constantly wondered how better off they would have been if it had been his father that survived instead.

"What for?" Neka demanded.

"I wasn't given the details," Raditz said, crossing his arms. He had a wild mane of black hair hanging down his back. "Just that you were needed." His tone was wary. Neka knew despite her feelings toward him, he still respected her as his Princess. But it didn't do anything to soothe her irritation.

"Fine," Neka muttered. "But next time try and gleam something of value before passing orders. I prefer not to go in blind when dealing with Frieza."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind next time," Raditz replied irritably. "I'm sure I'll be much better able to deliver messages with no head."

"Tch," Neka left the lounge quarters she had been and into the hall, heading along the curved path to the main deck. She hated being on special missions with Frieza himself. She wished she could just be stationed on a base somewhere. Being anywhere near the slime made her skin crawl and anger swim in her veins. But Vegeta had encouraged her to keep up the act a while longer. Just until they were strong enough, or an opportunity presented itself to overthrow the tyrant.

Upon entering the deck, she spotted Zarbon and Dodoria on either side of Frieza himself, loyal dogs as ever. Zarbon with his pale green skin, pretty face and long braided blue hair, bearing jewelry fit for a mistress. And Dodoria, a blob of pink with spikes along his hairless head and arms.

And finally Frieza. He was small creature, sitting in a floating thrown like a child playing at King. Two horns jutted from his head and a long tail lolled out the side. His sneering, purple face did nothing but infuriate Neka.

But she dropped to one knee anyway, bowing her head, glaring at the ground.

"You had need of me, Lord Frieza?" she asked, looking up.

"Indeed, Neka," Frieza said, smirking at her as she stood. "Your brother and Nappa are busy emptying the planet below us, and I got news of something a bit interesting."

Neka perked a brow. "That being?"

"It's just a small thing," Frieza drawled. "My men have reported an apparently empty planet on the northern end of the galaxy, and while I could just send a small troop to claim it, I wanted to make sure it was really empty. I simply don't have the men to spare at the moment." Frieza smirked at her. "I wondered if you could take care of this for me."

Neka nearly growled. What was demeaning task. Frieza knew Neka was capable of going on bigger missions, of taking out fully populated planets with ease. He was doing this to irritate her- and it was working. But Neka didn't have a choice. She forced herself to bow her head. "Of course, Lord Frieza. I'll leave at once."

"Excellent," Frieza said. "There's a pod waiting for you with the coordinates already placed."

Neka nodded and took her leave, anger boiling up her spine. Arrogant tyrant bastard! She could not wait for the day when she would place his head beneath her boot. She would make him regret everything he'd done, every demeaning comment that had passed through his thin lips.

She pressed a hand to her Scouter.

"Vegeta."

It only took a moment for her brother to respond. His voice was deeper now than when they were children, and held shadows in it. They had been through so much, dwindled down to just four of their people left. Watched their planet vanish, and now were forced to work beneath a vile creature that used them both as nothing but tools for his own means.

"Neka."

"I'm being sent on a mission," Neka said briskly, careful of her words. She knew this com channel was heard by Frieza. "It should not take me long."

She heard the sounds of destruction on Vegeta's end, and Nappa's laugh in the background. Vegeta grunted and responded. "Very well. Good hunting."

"The planet I'm scouting is supposedly abandoned," Neka replied. "I doubt hunting will be necessary."

"Contact me when you return," Vegeta said, and the com cut.

Neka nodded thoughtfully. Vegeta had been all business ever since that day twelve years ago. But she could read subtle hints in his words easily. The two of them had always been able to tell what the other was thinking. The bond they shared was strong, and it was the one thing that Frieza could not take from them.

The journey was horrendously dull.

Neka sat in her pod, arms crossed, leaned back, scowling. She was still frustrated about being sent on such a mission. What did Frieza take her for? She was more than capable of leveling a planet on her own; she shouldn't be sent on such petty missions. She dozed off at one point, and her dreams were troubled ones. It started off as a memory.

She was standing next to her brother, smiling up at her father as he gestured out the large window of their palace toward the cities of Vegeta. He looked down at them and grinned.

"One day, all of this will be yours, my children," he said. "You are of the strongest blood line of Saiyan warriors. You are both destined to be great. Never forget that."

"We won't father," Neka said, smirking out toward the city. "Strength is our birthright."

"One day we'll lead the Saiyan race to even greater glory than it has now," Vegeta said, puffing out his chest. "With no weak, only strong." He clenched a small fist.

Remember that everyone serves a purpose, my son," their father said, looking down at him. "Even the weakest Saiyan is a force to be reckoned with."

But then the dream changed. Red began to rain down from the sky, spattering the glass.

Blood. It was blood, painting the windows until there was nothing but crimson. Neka stumbled backward, eyes wide as her father began to laugh. Blood poured from his eyes. His mouth. Then he crumpled into a pool of scarlet.

Neka woke with a start to hear the disembodied voice of her pod tell her she was coming in to land at her destination. She took several breaths, trying to calm her stuttering heart. A dream, she told herself. Just a dream. And a Saiyan was not frightened of such trivial things.

Looking out her window, she saw this planet was a desolate place, gray, with towering faceless buildings scattered along it. Her pod slammed into the ground, forcing her to brace herself against the padded round walls. When it finally came to a stop, the hatch popped. Neka stepped out to find she had landed on the outskirts of a massive city. The buildings looked like they were crumbling from age. She pressed the Scouter on her face, but there wasn't single reading of life. Not even a minor blip of wildlife.

Neka sighed. So she just showed up here to confirm that the place was abandoned, and now she had the pleasure spending fifteen hours in her pod returning to confirm what Frieza already knew. What a waste. Neka snarled in annoyance. Either way, she best be thorough. Her body was stiff from the trip, and she was in no hurry to get back for Frieza to sneer at her.

Taking to the sky, Neka flew along through the buildings, pressing the button on her Scouter, looking for any signs of life. Part of her was hoping she would come across someone, just so she had something to do, just so she could feel like there was some small slight purpose in coming here.

But there was nothing picking up on the Scouter.

Neka landed in the midst of one of the large cities, glaring around with a frown. These buildings had no windows, and it appeared that there were no means for transportation, no vehicles or anything of the sort. This place lacked any and all forms personality. It was a strange, desolate, gray planet. Why Frieza thought he could sell this rock was beyond her. But who was she to judge the great Lord Frieza?

Such a waste of time.

Neka turned to head back to her pod, bending her knees to take off.

A soft sound kissed her ears.

Her Scouter flickered, picking up a small signature to her right. She turned just in time to see a flash of white rushing at her. Neka let out a hiss through her teeth as a figure tackled her to the ground. A hand slammed against her face with surprising strength, pinning her to the ground. She yelped as her flesh became alight with a searing pain. She kicked out wildly, catching her attacker in the gut with her foot and pushing him off. She sat up, clutching her face, eyes shut tight for a moment as the burning slowly faded away.

"The legacy must continue," muttered a strange voice, making Neka look up.

A man stood before her, clutching his gut. He had a mane of white hair and was dressed in gray rags. He swayed on his feet, though it seemed like it was out of exhaustion rather than pain from her kick. Neka checked her Scouter for his power level again. It was ten. Pathetic, how did he even manage to tackle her? Fury bled through her veins and she held out a hand toward him.

"Insect!" she spat. "Who do you think you are, challenging a Saiyan Princess? Are you all that's left of this rock?"

The man looked up at her, his violet eyes locking with hers and he grinned. "The last. Men came in pods like yours, and cleaned our home clean of life. It was a miracle I survived. I hid… cowardly..." He looked at the ground. "I'm a coward. But I will not let our legacy die." He looked up, passion alight in his eyes. "You carry the Bond now, my people's greatest treasure. Our Elder spoke of a woman with a tail that would come. Said that she and the Warrior would be the ones to avenge our people."

Neka stared. "Deranged creature," she muttered. "What 'Warrior', what 'Bond'? You've gone mad."

"Have I?" The man laughed. "The next being with a beating heart you touch will be sealed with you forever. With a soul as cold as yours, I wonder how you will cope with living as half of one being."

Neka gathered energy in her hand. She let her eyes slide once more over the man, his wan smile.

"I've had enough of your rambling," she snarled.

The beam left her palm. It cut clean through his chest. The man coughed, dark blue blood spattering from his lips. He slumped to his knees, clutching his wound. But he did not look afraid. As he stared up at Neka, his smile remained. And in his eyes was the soft light of hope.

Then he collapsed onto his side, and his expression relaxed into death.

"Pathetic creature…" Neka murmured. She turned and kicked off the ground, leaving his body behind.

She had completed her mission, and that's all she cared about. Yet as she got back into her pod, she couldn't help but think of something the man said. Men came in pods like hers? As she left orbit of the gray planet, she pressed a button on her Scouter.

"Lord Frieza, my mission is complete."

"Oh, good," the cold voice replied, a hint of a smirk behind that tone. "Was it abandoned as I was informed?"

Neka clenched her fists. "Apparently some of our troops have been there before, and wiped the planet clean save for one deranged lunatic."

Frieza's chilling laughter rang in her ear. "Oh, my. Well, someone will have to be punished for allowing one to live. You know, Neka, I didn't want this day to come, and I tried to stretch it as long as I could. Your services have been most invaluable. But I cannot allow the risk, even though there is only two males you could possibly mate with, for more Saiyan children to be born."

Neka's eyes widened. "Frieza-!" she gasped.

Frieza laughed again. "I was hoping to prolong this, but I've noticed you becoming… rather restless. I'll tell your dear brother that you were lost in an asteroid belt, terribly tragic, these meteorites. They seem to be Saiyan's number one enemy. But who knows? Maybe you're twin will become just as troublesome as you…"

"You won't lay a hand on Vegeta!" Neka cried. "You sick bastard. I will kill you. I will ensure that there is nothing left of you or your so-called kingdom."

Laughter again, this time softer.

"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath, Princess."

Something slammed into the side of her pod. Neka braced herself, hands pressing up on the round walls around her. One of Frieza's combat vessels to her right, shooting at her. Neka was powerless- this pod didn't have defense systems, and she couldn't open it for the lack of oxygen.

She was going to die. At the hands of the tyrant she loathed beyond anything. The tyrant that held her father's life over her head when she was younger, and now, just before killing her, threatened Vegeta's.

Too far. It was going too far. Neka would not die like this!

Alarms were going off all around her. Neka's pod hurtled across the starred space- the systems were failing. With another rocket, her pod was sent lurching toward the nearest planet, spinning as it entered the orbit. The hull was breached somewhere- her air supply rushing out of it. She tried to drag in a breath, feeling her lungs ache. Gravity took hold and she was flung around her pod, spiraling down onto the blue and green planet. Another blast shot at her, shattering the pod completely, and crushing into her body.

Neka wailed in agony as her bones were crushed from that impact and burns coated her skin. Her armor fractured apart, and she fell through the clouds down to the surface of the planet. As she was thrown into open air, she saw that the last blast had been sent not from the weaponry of the ship, but by a familiar smirking figure standing by the open hatch. Zarbon. That bastard... Of course, no rocket could have damaged her so badly- but a ki blast… She didn't have the energy to fly, too injured as she fell, down, down, down, into a forest of green foliage, seeing Zarbon step back into the vessel and it fly out of sight.

She was unconscious before her body even began to snap the branches of the trees. Neka crashed into the ground with a massive clap, her tangled broken body resting in a crater that she made upon impact.

A few hundred yards away, a young man paused. He bore wild, palm-tree shaped back hair and wore a ragged orange gi. He turned toward the sound, and made his way through the trees, face pinched in curiosity. When he saw the smoke, his pace picked up, legs breaking into a run.

"Whoa!" he cried in astonishment.

His eyes darted from the girl to the sky, eyes wide as scraps of burning metal rained down around him.

Further thought was cut off when he heard the girl groan in pain. He rushed down into the crater, kneeling beside her. She was wearing some strange armor, some kind of clothing he had never seen before, but it was broken up pretty badly. Her jumpsuit was ripped and she was peppered with gaping and bleeding wounds.

But she was alive, gasping for air, one eye opened a slit and locked with his.

"Wh-who…?" she rasped.

The boy smiled at her. "My name is Goku," he said. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

"I- I don't need your help-!" the girl gasped, gritting her teeth in pain before coughing. Blood spurted from her lips.

"Hang on!" Goku cried. He reached down, cupping a hand under her neck to support her head.

However, upon touching her skin, he felt a burn rush up his arm to his chest. He yelped in pain, jerking back his hand a moment to see a strange dark mark on the palm of his hand where he had touched her- a sort of intricate design, swirling yet jagged at once. He looked at the girl, and saw that she too had this symbol on her cheek, but it slowly faded away as her head slumped back, her eyes closing.

He a strange sensation tickled him, like another presence awakening in the back of his mind- like something was seeping in. As he looked down at the girl, he suddenly realized that her name was Neka. But how did he know that? It made no sense.

Goku didn't have time to think about it. He could feel her fading fast. He hooked his arms under her form, and thankfully the burning didn't happen again. He looked up to the sky and called out, "NIMBUS!"

A golden cloud rushed down through the trees and stopped before him. He hopped onto it, carefully supporting the injured girl in his arms.

"To Korin's Tower, Nimbus, and hurry!" Goku commanded.

As the cloud hurtled the two up into the sky, Goku cradled the strange girl that fell from the sky to his chest, his eyes narrowed.

Neka...

"Don't worry," he muttered again, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "I'll save you."

A/N::: Please be advised, this story is currently undergoing a massive rewrite/edit. The story itself remains the same, plot wise; I'm just flaring up the description and fixing grammar and spelling errors. Currently all chapters up through 15 have been edited, so if you get to chapter 16 and notice a significant drop in writing quality, it's because it's from the writer in me from nearly three years ago.

I appreciate your patience with me regarding this process. Once all the chapters have been updated, new chapters will be released.

(Updated as of 8/10/18)