Kiwi sat in the lounge of the Millennium Fugu, half-asleep as he watched Broli and Stewbacca play Galactic Chess. Kakarotto, Raditsu and Bardock were off to one side, conversing quietly about some unknown topic, and Nappa was still back in the cockpit. Zarbon was quietly observing the chess match.
The relative quiet was broken by Han Soda entering the lounge. "Looks like we've shaken your little friends," he informed. "We're almost at the edge of Saiyajin space. That's about twenty minutes through the Yardratt System until we reach the Frozian Empire, and from that boundary it's four hours to Freeza Planet 1.
"So, no signs of pursuit?" Kiwi asked.
"No-" Stewbacca interrupted with a loud nurr as Broli's castle collapsed onto his queen, crushing the marble monarch. The holographic queen flickered from the board, and the castle assumed its position.
"It was a fair move," Broli rumbled.
"I wouldn't piss him off," Soda advised.
"Why not?" Zarbon inquired.
"Cookiees rip limbs off when they're pissed."
Stewbacca put both hairy paws behind his head and somehow managed to look smug.
"He could try, but I'm seventy-five times stronger than he is," Broli pointed out.
"Sure you are," Soda replied. "But we aren't here to argue over power levels. Why the hell do you people want out of the Saiyajin Empire so much?"
"None of your business," Broli replied before Kakarotto could spill the beans.
Soda merely shrugged.
-----
Nappa squinted out the viewport into the swiftly passing blackness of space. He hadn't been off Vegetasei in ages, and had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed watching the stars flash by.
Stewbacca nurred something and leaned forward, his beady black eyes fixated on four points of light dead ahead. "What is it?" Nappa blinked, following the Cookiee's gaze.
The burly general's enhanced eyesight easily picked out the four Saiyajins screaming towards the ship. He could feel that their total power level was under eight thousand... but since Saiyajins couldn't breathe in space, and these four Saiyajins were outfitted with space suits, the Fugu would have to rely on its guns for defense. "Shit," he swore.
Stewbacca nurred at him as he rose and shambled into the back.
-----
The Fugu began to vibrate noticably as Stewbacca stumbled into the lounge, but Kiwi realized that the rocking had nothing to do with the huge Cookiee. "The ship is under attack?" he asked.
Stewbacca launched into a rapid string of nurrs and barks.
"Saiyajins?" Soda nodded. "I see." He turned to the small group of warriors. "We're under attack by Saiyajins in space suits," he informed. "Can anyone here breathe in space?"
Nobody replied.
"Then you go, Stewie," Soda nodded.
THAT was a surprise. Kiwi had not known that Cookiees could survive in space.
Stewbacca nurred his agreement before shambling towards a ladder and leaping up the rungs.
"You're actually going to risk your copilot?" Bardock frowned.
"Stewie can handle it," Soda said confidently.
Curiously, Kiwi stepped up to the fair-sized porthole to watch, vaguely aware of Raditsu standing next to him.
-----
Stewbacca looked out through the shimmering shields at the zinging Saiyajins. The attackers looked like a bunch of little insects waiting to be smushed. Well, he'd smush 'em, then.
Clenching his massive hairy paws, Stewbacca roared a loud battle cry ("Nurr!") and began to gather his ki. His vision was suddenly tinted with a pale blue as ki flame burst into existence around his body. Two of the attackers stopped to gape at the hairy newcomer; the other two began to bombard the shields with ki blasts.
A moment passed before Stewbacca's ki was fully charged. Bellowing loudly, he smashed through the shields and drove one paw through the stomach of one of the Saiyajins, sending a bright trail of blood and oxygen drifting out the back of the Saiyajin's ruptured space suit. A ki blast singed across his leg, and he turned with a powerful backhand which caved in another Saiyajin's helmet. The third and fourth Saiyajins were upon him - he could get a reading on their powers now. The shorter one had been masking; his power level was eight thousand. A fitting opponent.
The weaker of the two Saiyajins opened with a small ki blast that skimmed harmlessly across Stewbacca's fur. Annoyed, the huge Cookiee crushed the weakling's ribs with his right paw, sending the wounded Saiyajin hurtling through space. Turning to the other Saiyajin, Stewbacca attacked with a powerful backhand, but the Saiyajin caught it and fired a ki blast from the palm of his glove, which hit Stewbacca in the chest and sent him hurtling backwards.
Recovering, Stewbacca braced himself and launched into Zanzoken, reappearing behind his attacker and hitting him over the head with a hammerblow. The Saiyajin descended towards the Fugu, but recovered and began blasting his hairy opponent with a flurry of red fireballs. Stewbacca battered his way through the attack with a Renzoku Energy Dan; the attack slammed the Saiyajin through space. Stewie closed in on him again, but received a knee in the stomach for his trouble.
With a loud roar, Stewbacca smashed the Saiyajin in the helmet a few times before dropping back and placing one palm forward, grasping the extended wrist with his other paw. One Bakuhatsuha would finish off this Saiyajin bug. With a nurring roar, he fired off the massive beam, which hit the Saiyajin head on, incinerating him. The smoke slowly drifted off through space.
Stewbacca lowered his paws and flew back towards the Fugu.
-----
[Not half bad,] Raditsu thought as he watched Stewbacca destroy the attacker. [Not that I couldn't have done better.]
The attack, however, served to confirm his worst fears: King Vegeta would stop at nothing to have them killed. And next time, there might not be a Stewbacca around to save their necks...