Kirue, Supreme Tal of Atlantis, lounged in the excessively large bathtub in her luxurious home, sinking into the steaming water and pinkish bubbles. A bath was just what she had needed to erase the anger she had felt when she had learned of the death of Egrini. She didn't really feel anything special for the relatively weak soldier; however, every Atlantean counted, seeing as there were less than a hundred of them left.

"We need some way to repopulate our race," she mused to herself as the bubbles slid about her body. "Our current stock won't do it. But first we need to eliminate the Saiyajins, or use them to our own advan-"

"Uh... Supreme Tal?"

Kirue started, then jerked her head to the left, concealing her more salient features with hands and arms. She had been so absorbed in her musing that she hadn't heard the small view-window open on the edge of the bathtub. The little screen currently depicted a picture of the thin, severe face of the warrior Raileta... a face which was aimed respectfully away from the screen to protect Kirue's modesty.

"Raileta," she growled at him, blushing furiously. "Never, EVER disturb me in the bathtub again."

"Yes, Supreme Tal."

"Switch to audio only."

"Doing so... audio only, ma'am." With a flicker, Raileta's face vanished, replaced by a black screen bearing the words 'AUDIO TRANSMISSION ONLY' in bold red letters.

"Now what's so important that you feel you must interrupt my bathing, Raileta?" Kirue demanded, relaxing and sliding back into the tub.

"High Etel Banira has encountered one of the Saiyajins," Raileta's disembodied voice reported, sounding a bit relieved. "Apparently there are two groups of Saiyajins on this planet - the space force which our insider accompanies, and some sort of colonists. The one Banira fought killed two low Etels without a problem, but denied any affiliation with the space force."

Kirue was a bit surprised by the news, but kept it out of her voice. "Did Banira get this Saiyajin's name?" she asked.

"Yes. The Saiyajin's name was Raditsu."

"Look up his citizenship records. I want to find out if there IS, in fact, a Saiyajin living on Earth."

"I'm runnins a search... I've found something. Checking the files... Got it." There was a brief pause. "Apparently, this Raditsu has been living on Earth for over ten years now. He appears to be married to one Mrs. Briefs."

"I'd heard that someone from that family had married a foreigner, but I didn't think she'd marry someone THAT foreign."

"Apparently, he has-" Raileta's voice was suddenly drowned out by static.

"Dammit!" Kirue snapped, reaching over to shake the screen - rising completely out of the bathtub in the process. "Why won't you WORK, you stupid thing?!" Without any attention to her complete nakedness, she began to shake the screen harder.

Which is why Zul Awuru looked so started when his face flashed onto the screen.

Kirue stared at him for a moment, then immediately dove back into the bubble bath, hiding herself from the cadaverous summoner's gaze.

"I, uh, appreciate the revelation, my Tal," Zul rasped in his thickly-accented voice, "But we are under attack! The Saiyajins have assaulted Menod City! Banira and the Lahnus Team are holding them off, but not by very much-" With an abrupt burst of static, Zul was cut off.

"Damn," Kirue muttered, immediately rising from the bathtub, stopping only to give the viewscreen a suspicious glare. She quickly threw on a her fluffy pink robe and rushed out of the bathroom, not even bothering to drain the tub.

-----

"Keep fighting!" Vegeta roared over the noise of the battle. "Do not weaken! These fools cannot stand against us forever!"

As the five Saiyajin Elite Guardsmen, accompanied by Toma, duelled intensely with the ten platemailed warriors just outside the towering mass of skyscrapers that was Menod City, the short ruler of the Saiyajins stood nearby and watched. With him stood the tall, severe-faced Bercucum, leader of the Elite Royal Guard, and the burly Letus, an immensely powerful scout-soldier recruited as a guide. The fight seemed pretty much even for the time being.

"This is all insignifigant, you know," Bercucum addressed Vegeta without tearing his eyes away from the battle. "Our real goal is to capture the refugees who fled to this world. Conquering Earth is just a diversion."

"But it's a FUN diversion," Vegeta said sadistically. "What better way to spend a weekend than by systematically conquering a weak planet?"

"Perhaps not so weak. There are several high power levels here."

"Insignifigant. This world will be MINE, and in its taking the universe will begin to realize the power of the Saiyajin Empire!"

"Just don't lose sight of the grand scheme, Highness."

"Keh. Sometimes you're so stuffy, you make me sick."

Letus, however, remained out of the conversation, opting only to watch in sorrow as the Elite Guards slowly but surely defeated the Atlantean Etels. I could have prevented this, he thought bitterly. I could have killed Vegeta when I had the chance. I've failed Atlantis, and Kirue as well.