Chapter Text
Several years have passed since Bardock, the current King of Planet Vegeta, assumed his position among the Saiyan royalty. He was aware of his royal blood, but being named crown prince and then king came as a complete surprise. He grew up in the palace, lived in the palace, and always returned there after purging a planet.
Barack, his father and the former king, considered him illegitimate, and even if he was, he didn't have the right to spit in his face every time he saw him. Even if his mother had been of a lower class, he was born with a level strong enough to be allowed to stay on the planet.
As soon as the king learned of his birth, he locked him and his mother away in the palace, thus avoiding further tarnishing his already tarnished reputation. Saiyans are supposed to take only one mate and remain loyal to them until death, even if they have no affection or interest in each other. But Barack broke that commitment to his chosen mate and the queen of the planet. Trying to rectify his mistake, Barack made Bardock's mother a concubine, something that wasn't strictly condemned by society or the crown. Even so, the king was forever scarred by his transgression, and Bardock endured unfair stares from both elite and common warriors for a long time.
King Barack was always avoiding problems even before Bardock came into his life, for this reason the second illegitimate prince, although he was raised as royalty and had more advantages than the soldiers who did not belong to it, was actually excluded from many things, being rejected as one of them.
In the end, that didn't matter to Bardock. Since he was a child, he'd been sent on ordinary missions without being considered special or important, just another face in the crowd. That's how many ended up overlooking the second, illegitimate prince of Planet Vegeta.
As time passed, Bardock never gained any real influence in his father's world, much less in the society that treated him as a commoner of low social standing. His existence seemed an open secret, and since the royal crown took care not to create scandals or spread rumors about him, the people and soldiers, in general, continued with their normal lives. He spent his childhood on the battlefield, and when he returned from conquering planets, he only went back to his gilded cage, which he would have hated even more if it hadn't been for his mother. He lived a peaceful life there with her, and she became his only reason to survive and return to that hell he called home. When his mother, Labash, died, everything that had once made sense to Bardock shattered.
Having turned 16, Bardock did everything possible to escape his father's shadow, fleeing the palace and taking on mission after mission to avoid being easily found by going in and out of the registry. At first, this annoyed the king for disobeying his orders, although the fact that he was out of sight greatly influenced the king's final decision to leave him alone.
Years passed and the second illegitimate prince of this planet seemed only a memory in the minds of a few close to the crown, while the general population of Planet Vegeta had almost completely forgotten the entire royal scandal that once existed. Everything seemed to be taking shape and starting, until things got complicated again for the royal family.
Turles, Bardock's half-brother, was born the crown prince. Everyone on the planet considered him the next king, at least until he rebelled against Frieza's empire, and Frieza ordered Zarbon to kill him and his rebel team. The news hit the queen like a ton of bricks, and she decided to end her own life shortly afterward. Bardock had no choice but to name him crown prince before the entire planet Vegeta, which was a surprise to all the Saiyans, who didn't know for sure about Bardock's past. This appointment undoubtedly caused discontent among some Saiyans who believed him unworthy of the position; even if he had blue blood in his veins, it was tainted by his mother's common blood. Bardock easily resolved this issue by submitting to all kinds of challenges from other Saiyans, always winning, mostly without breaking a sweat. He had greatly improved in power since he spent day and night fighting to avoid returning to the palace. That's how he earned the affection and respect of the people, through hard work. He was no longer just the best low-class warrior; now he was their prince, and although some harbored resentment or envy, they knew very well his place.
How did I get here? Why was I remembering all this? Was this... my end?!
PLANET VEGETA |ROYAL PALACE OF VEGETA | YEAR 737
— Stop talking nonsense, Bardock! —The king's thunderous scream echoed throughout the hall, making the gloomy atmosphere heavy, as Bardock stared at the king with a serious and impenetrable expresión — Who the hell could believe this kind of nonsense?! Put the planet on high alert just because you had a stupid nightmare?! HAVE YOU ALREADY FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR BROTHER TURLES?! — It was obvious that reasoning with that king, Frieza's puppet ever since Turles died, would get them nowhere.
It was as if the proud Saiyan she once knew was now a damned coward. Though she hated him most of the time, she knew he was a powerful warrior, and deep down, she was even glad to have been born into Saiyan royalty. Her high expectations had been so loud, so loud, that the entire planet heard the crash when they came crashing down like a sack of potatoes. The king she once knew was gone, replaced by a pathetic, decorative puppet.
— As you wish…if your desire is to die along with this planet, so be it. But I won't let you take the Saiyan race with you because of the mere whim of your pathetic excuse for a king! — Bardock's words made the king question himself. On the other hand, he was so furious with the prince that his blood boiled. He understood perfectly well that everything was true, although of course, he would never admit it. The heir left without paying any attention to Bardock; he had much work to do if he wanted to save the entire population of Planet Vegeta.
As he walked through the long, deserted corridors of that palace, he pondered, trying to devise a clever and cunning plan. The evil Emperor Frieza had ordered every single Saiyan to return to their planet immediately; no one had disobeyed, but none of it seemed normal to Bardock. Perhaps he was the only Saiyan with any sense, but none of the others seemed concerned by this sudden order. How could his race trust a damned planet destroyer? They even seemed to have a certain degree of faith in him.
Still lost in his thoughts, a soldier in blue armor tried with all his might to reach Bardock, when he realized this he stopped and turned his gaze curiously
— Highness! — The soldier stopped, panting with exhaustion, standing before Bardock — I've been looking everywhere for you, Bardock.
— What the hell are you doing here, Tooma? I thought you were heading off on your mission — Bardock headed towards his squadmate who still looked quite exhausted
— That's right, Bardock, it's just that Fasha contacted me through the tracker and said… — As Tooma prepared to continue, Bardock interrupted him in frustration.
— Did you say 'through the scouter'?! I thought I told you that those things communicate everything we say to Frieza's army! — Tooma took his interruption lightly until he remembered the real message he was bringing to his squadron general.
— We know, Bardock, that’s why I’m contacting you through the private channel you set up for us. But that doesn’t matter now. Fasha told me that the second prince, your son, is about to be born — Bardock’s expression instantly shifted from stern and serious to one of surprise and concern. Tooma never expected to see this reaction from Bardock; the man had been stubborn ever since he’d met him. But seeing him so hysterical worried him a little.
– Why didn't you notify me immediately?! Are you sure you communicated through the private channel?! You know how delicate this situation is, Tooma! —The warrior in blue armor followed closely behind Bardock as he hurried towards the medical area.
— I know, Captain. I'm sure she'll inform me through the private channel. It seemed Fasha was more preoccupied with helping Gine at that moment; otherwise, she surely would have sent someone to let me know — The prince hurried on his way, maintaining a formal expression so that no one would notice how worried he was.
When Raditz was born, Frieza informed the royal family of the place their new favorite ape, the first legitimate heir of Planet Vegeta, would occupy in his army. He ordered that immediately upon turning four, Raditz would be sent to his spaceship for higher-ranking missions; after all, his power could not be so easily ignored, having been born with a power level of 210. Raditz was separated from his family to become their servant, a cold-blooded warrior.
Bardock didn't see much of a problem with his son becoming stronger; what truly worried him was what kind of methods Frieza would use on him. Even King Barack became concerned about the prince's safety in this matter, but he didn't let it show. The most affected was Gine, who cried day and night after her son's departure. She trusted that he wouldn't forget the small values she had instilled in him during their early years, but this confidence faded as she realized she hadn't been allowed to see the boy for over a year. It was at this point that they learned of the arrival of their second son. Everyone who knew about it kept it to themselves, even King Barack, who thought it was best to keep such secrets from a tyrant like Frieza. No one outside the royal family knew anything about the new prince's arrival, and Frieza himself was clearly unaware. This was dangerous, because the moment he found out, he would be furious with the Saiyan royalty for keeping such an important matter from him. They took the risk; after all, sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
They were almost about to cross the door of the room where Gine was, when Planthorr, Bardock's trusted doctor, came out and bumped into the Saiyan prince.
— Oh, Bardock, it's good to see you. Gine is in a recovery tank; she'll probably be out son — The doctor walked calmly, while Bardock looked at him perplexed, with Tooma at his side equally surprised.
— In the recovery tank?... Did something bad happen to him? — Judging by his expression, Bardock was prepared for anything. He followed the doctor closely, even though the doctor seemed relaxed and stopped not far from the door.
— No, Prince, nothing bad happened to her, she's simply regaining her strength — Bardock instantly seemed to feel a weight lifted from his shoulders, knowing that Gine was alright, perhaps even forgetting a small detail.
— Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Malaka, you can come out now! I think our prince will be very interested to meet his son — The reptilian alien immediately left the room carrying an incubation tank filled with some kind of liquid. Inside, a tiny newborn baby could be seen with rather peculiar hair, just like its father's.
— Here I am, Your Majesty, the second prince of Planet Vegeta. Malaka, what can you tell our prince about his son's power levels? — Everyone present turned their gaze toward the reptile, who looked at them with some nervousness.
— It seems to be something indecipherable, Your Excellency — The answer left the doctor astonished and Bardock and Tooma curious — Explain yourself, Malaka.
— Of course, sir. My records confirm that the little prince can possess an immense amount of power, Your Majesty. He is a prodigy in S-Cells. Although his power level is currently somewhat low, it's understandable given his learnability. I mean, he can learn new skills and acquire knowledge efficiently and effectively. Very few Saiyans are born with this type of ability. I suggest that once he is old enough to leave the capsule, he begin his training, and I assure you he will be a great warrior. Considering that his S-Cell count increases exponentially, he could even become the legendary warrior, the Super Saiyan — The report Malaka gave left everyone stunned. The thought that her youngest son could so easily become the legendary warrior seemed like madness to her.
Not long ago, scientists on Planet Vegeta discovered the abilities granted by S-Cells. Even so, such a level had never been seen before, not even in their own firstborn son, nor in themselves. Previously, it was thought that simply being born with insignificant or immense fighting power could place one in a certain class. However, the fact that Bardock's grandfather, King Quash, who wisely ruled Planet Vegeta, set out to discover the secret ingredient for achieving legendary status spurred a large number of scientists to uncover it. This research reached a standstill when King Cold intervened, but not before the Saiyans learned that the transformation was possible if one possessed certain single-celled microorganisms found within the bodies of all individuals with Saiyan blood or DNA. These were called S-Cells, a closely guarded secret to this day, known only to royalty and only they can measure to determine their rank.
Bardock stood for a few minutes, lost in thought, gazing at his newborn son. He was so similar to him, like looking in a mirror, but twenty-seven years younger. The fact that he had been born with such a low power level didn't bother him, but he was extremely worried about his S-Cell rank, a record that would undoubtedly be difficult to break for a long time. That made him smile for a moment, until he remembered how great Frieza's desire was to get rid of his son; he would undoubtedly consider him his greatest threat.
— Congratulations, Bardock! It seems you're the father of a very promising warrior. Your son could even be the legendary warrior that Frieza fears so much. Aren't you happy, Bardock? — Tooma smiled optimistically, which pulled Bardock from his thoughts. On one hand, they were the only ones who could know that the Super Saiyan was among them, and the power his son possessed certainly wouldn't attract Frieza's attention for the moment. But it was a fact that his power level would increase with age. On the other hand, this baby, his son, was the last hope everyone on this planet had to one day defeat Frieza. Things that are truly valuable are guarded and hidden so that at the right moment they can resurface and fulfill their purpose. Bardock was determined to preserve something, especially if it was his blood. The prince gave his son a proud look, touching the glass of the incubator. After this, he fixed his serious gaze on Tooma, who still wore a smile on his face.
— Do we still have any capsules left? — I ask his friend, leaving him with a surprised expression
— What?... But, Bardock, your son is amazing! Are you seriously thinking of sending him as a Flying Infant because of his weak fighting level? — Tooma replied with concern as the prince kept his gaze fixed on his son.
— That's not why, Tooma. I'm sure my son will become a great warrior, but I also know very well that... death for this planet is rapidly approaching. That's why I need to keep our only chance to defeat Frieza away from this planet. I... I can't protect him if that damned Frieza finds out —Tooma was stunned by Bardock's statement, clenching his fists tightly as he thought of the damned emperor.
— Well, I suppose I understand that, Bardock. Even so, it's a very drastic decision. I wouldn't want to be you when you tell Gine — At that thought, Bardock shuddered slightly. His angry wife was someone he didn't want to cross.
— Me neither. By the way, Tooma, I'll need someone to look after Kakarot while he's on another planet. Do you think you could be my son's bodyguard?
— You know, Your Majesty…although if the child turns out to be as stubborn as you, perhaps I'll have to reconsider — The comment frustrated Bardock a little, but knowing what Tooma was like, he decided to play along.
— Is that how you talk about your future King? Ha, maybe he'll also force you to tell Gine the bad news — This comment terrified his friend, who shuddered at the mere thought of how Gine would react to all this.
— It was just a simple joke, Bardock. Rest assured, I'll be the best babysitter you could find in this Galaxy — Bardock's temper softened at that comment — We'll see about that, Tom, we'll see about that.