"Cyan, you and father should talk to Vegeta."

"Do you think the information will help?"

"I'm not sure. Still, we shouldn't be caught unprepared in the event that he does appear on Vegeta-sai." They were walking through the hallways of the castle, coming to the large throne room. Vegeta was found talking to his advisors and Bardock, heavily in debate about the growing threat of the Ice-jins. In the two months since they had first learned of Frieza and King Ice, the Ice-jins had destroyed nearly ten planets, taking few if any prisoners.

"We can defeat them!" Lema didn't like Paragus and Nappa. Every time Paragus regarded her, he sent a cold shiver of fear and disgust through her spine. Why should she fear a man that was weaker than her? This fear did not go unnoticed by her mate, who barely tolerated the space fighter.

"Don't become so arrogant of your enemy that you drop your defenses," Lema warned. Glancing at the information on Vegeta's table, Lema paled, but didn't let it show in her voice as she continued to speak. "The Ice-jins, judging from the positions that they're in, makes them an intelligent force to be acknowledged and respected."

"That's absurd! They're inferior to our power and strength!" Nappa argued.

"No offense," Lema snarled, "but when was the last time you fought with an Ice-jin?" Nappa's face reddened, but backed down from her challenge. "Cyan and my father, on the other hand, have first hand knowledge of these lizards."

Cyan flinched at the attention directed towards him, especially the intensity from King Vegeta. Remembering the advice Lema had given him earlier, he nodded. "At first glance, the Ice-jins would appear weak and inferior to our power. However, they also have the ability to transform, enabling them to increase their power levels. I've seen Frieza and his brother transform at least to two different levels."

"Where did you get your information, boy?" Paragus sneered. "Even I haven't been able to get that close to any of the Ice-jins!"

"You're not Turles, either!" Cyan shot back. "Unlike you, my father has infilitrated several of the planets that the Ice-jins have captured and occupied! Not only was I captured by these freaks, I've seen the way they've dealt with those that openly defy them."

"How powerful are they?" Vegeta asked, ignoring the challenging snarls coming from Paragus.

"Stronger than nearly all the fighters on Vegeta-sai. Father never wanted an open or direct confrontation with the Ice-jins; he choice guerilla tactics that's wiped out a good portion of the Ice-jin military."

"Lema?"

"Cyan and my father have spent the last two decades in space. If my father has reason to fear the Ice-jins, then I suggest you take it as a serious threat and prepare accordingly. I don't think they're invincible; however, that doesn't mean we let our guard down either. A saiya-jin shall never bow to an inferior or more powerful race."

"Your idea is suicide!" Paragus growled, storming out of the throne room. "No one can defeat the Ice-jins!"

Nappa reluctantly bowed and excused himself, leaving Bardock, Cyan and Lema alone with King Vegeta. "I don't trust them, especially Paragus," Lema warned.

"Lema, I suggest watching your back."

Vegeta tensed and instinctively pulled Lema closer to him. "Explain!"

"Paragus can barely hide his hatred of Lema. It wasn't until she mentioned that Turles was my father that the feeling intensified towards both of us."

"You're not thinking..." thought Lema aloud.

"It's a strong possibility. Paragus also slipped up as he left. He claims to have no knowledge of the Ice-jins, yet he assumes we can't defeat them! That would mean he's had to have personal contact with one."

"Is there something either of you should be discussing with me?" King Vegeta growled.

Lema's mood had darkned, becoming almost hostile. "Cyan and I believe that our mother was murdered, but we haven't been able to prove it."

"The doctor's said..."

"With the acception of Bardock, the doctors are idiots! Ringo and Arico showed no signs of coughing up blood during their labor. That's an indication of an internal injury, caused by broken ribs or lungs. There's no way an infant can cause that kind of damage."

"She's right," Bardock confirmed. "I've run several tests on Arico and Ringo after the birth of their babies. It completely contradicts the injuries found on Leana."

"How do you find a killer after twenty years?"

"It's much deeper than that we're afraid," Lema whispered. She didn't know how her mate would react once she gave him the news about his father. "We believe that the death of Leana was the first step to a conspiracy for the throne. We were considered threats to that plan as was our father, whom no one has seen in the last two decades. Now he's suddenly back in the royal life, as a royal guard again."

"You're saying that the throne is the main objective?"

"Hai."

Vegeta's gripped tightened around Lema's swollen waist, his rage traveling through their mental bond. She tried to block some of it out, but found it increasingly difficult. "Vegeta...?"

"Bardock, I want a full investigation!" Vegeta ordered. "The royal guards are hereby assigned to watch the infants. As for Cyan and Turles, you're new role is to find and provide me with all information on the Ice-jins. I will personally guard Lema."

"I'll be damned if I allow anyone to take this throne or my mate! You have your orders! Ringo is to stay close to the royal chambers, I don't want her anywhere near the enemy. Her healing abilities are far too valuable to loose."

Cyan and Bardock quickly scattered, leaving Lema to pacify her mate. After about an hour, she managed to calm him, but only barely as he continued to pace and growl across the throne room floor. She wasn't positive, but occasionaly, she would see a flicker of green in his obsidian eyes, and began to form a theory about the legendary Super Saiya-jin she had been investigating.

"Vegeta, do you know anything about the Super Saiya-jin? There's so little information about the legendary myth."

"It's no myth, Lema." Sighing in frustration, he leaned against a window and stared at the isolated gardens. "A thousand years ago, a Saiya-jin transformed, but his rage was so great, that he destroyed himself and the planet he was on."

The rage confirmed her theory, but Lema could never recall wanting to destroy the planet. Why would... unless... Lema started to dance in excitement, finally understanding the power and change behind the Super Saiya-jin. "Vegeta, you like to keep a tight control on your emotions, correct?"

"All warriors keep control of their emotions; it's the first and most important rule."

"Then why is it, I get most of my strength and power from the desire to protect my friends and family?" Lema purred, coming up beside Vegeta. She ran her tail beneath his chin and dug her fingers deep into his shoulders. "Can you honestly say that you would feel nothing if something should happen to me or our children?"

Vegeta whirled on his mate and quickly snatched her hands. His teeth were pulled back in a furious snarl, his eyes clouded with hatred and rage. "I'll kill anyone that dares to touch what belongs to me!" Sparks flew from his body, and as Lema tried to back away, his anger continued to mount. "They've taken everything from me, but never again!"

Lema tripped, but didn't hit the floor as a tail quickly wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a pair of strong arms. Vegeta was trying to keep control, but an image played in his mind, of the time when he had nearly lost Lema to the field masters. He could see the enemy then, but one in the castle that had killed not once, but twice...

Vegeta roared, destroying his throne room as the glass windows shattered. Terrified and awed at the same time, Lema saw for the second time the transformation that she rarely could control. His body was glowing a deep golden, his eyes an emerald green. "You're not leaving my side, little one."

"But..."

"That's an order..." he growled dangerously. "I'm not taking any more chances."

At six months, Lema chose not to argue and waited for her mate to slowly calm. She never remembered being taken to their chambers or falling asleep, only that Vegeta had remained by her side throughout the night, his hair finally fading back to it's normal black at the first signs of daylight.

Sirens blared and soldiers ran franticly down the hall. Lema managed to wake from her deep slumber, heavy with child. A few days would pass before she gave birth to both her babies, making her excited and apprehensive at the same time. Vegeta had relieved Lema of her current status as his protector, but she had ignored his command, to his frustration.

Pulling on a light uniform, Lema made her way towards the throne room, finding herself blocked by creatures she had never seen before. The hair on her tail bristled; she hated the aura that she sensed from these creatures. Ignoring their glares, she shoved them aside and quickly made her way to her mate. She could feel his uneasy anger, despite the blank expression on his face. To his right was Cyan and his left, General Bardock.

Cyan was visibly shaking, but his eyes were full of hate and steel. Turles was in the shadows, not wanting to reveal his presence to the Ice-jins that now occupied the throne room. She had heard about the Ice-jins, but it was nothing compared to actually seeing the ugly lizards. Lema hated them on sight, and made no indications to hide the fact. There were three, two of them looking in her direction. Vegeta was addressing the tallest. The purplish looking Ice-jin broke from their group and approached, a sneer on it's face.

"It must be difficult to carry such a burden, Saiya-jin?" His voice was like a hiss, cold and full of malice. There was no kindness in his facial features or movements, only a desire to cause terror and pain.

"What do you want, Ice-jin?"

"A military for the Ice-jin's."

"We're not for hire!" Lema spat.

"Shouldn't that be left up to King Vegeta to decide. It would be in his best interest to agree, for the sake of his planet."

"Are you threatening us, Ice-jin?" Lema growled. All action ceased, attention focused on Lema and the Ice-jin.

"The name is Lord Cooler, monkey!"

"The Saiya-jin race will never submit to your kind, Ice-jin!"

Cooler snarled and swung his tail at Lema. Caught off guard, she barely had enough time to block the attack from her stomach, thrown painfully against the throne. Laughter erupted around the throne room, everyone except for her uncle, Cyan and King Vegeta. Cyan was quickly by her side, but as soon as she was helped back to her feet, she pushed him aside.

King Cold, Frieza and Cooler abruptly stopped laughing, jumping back as the room exploded in light. Vegeta and Bardock trembled, taking a step towards the Ice-jins. Cyan gripped Lema's arm and watched as her hair began to rise. "He could have..." Another roar exploded in the room, Turles revealing himself from behind the throne. "My god," Bardock gasped. "He's a... Super Saiya-jin!"

"Lema..."

"I'll... never... forgive them!!!!!" Lema screamed, her hair growing past her ankles, half the castle falling to the ground. Later, she could only say that both her babies had supplied their energy to her, feeling the protective anger of their mother.

She started to charge, but suddenly found herself doubling over in pain, clutching at her stomach. Lema tried to remain standing, but the contractions continued to come. The Ice-jins and the Ginyu force would have taken advantage of her weakness, but found four Saiya-jins quickly in front of her. "This isn't over," Cooler snarled. Fear reflected in their evil eyes, never leaving Turles. None chose to challenge him.

Lema tried to think through the daze of pain, having long since lost her transformation. She couldn't say if the Ice-jins had stayed or if they continued to remain a threat. All she knew is that something was wrong. Swimming in and out of consciousness, she could recall a cold cloth being applied to her head, and someone whispering in her ear. 'Why do I sense fear and pain?'

Fighting the darkness, she forced her eyes to open, blinking several times before the room stopped fading in and out. She was in a dimmly lit room, Vegeta to her right and Bardock asleep on a nearby cot. They looked exhausted, strained and something that Lema couldn't put her finger on... It did nothing to ease the terror that was creeping into her heart.

Looking down at her stomach, Lema suddenly realized that she was no longer pregnant and bolted up, instantly regretting the feeling of nausea and dizziness. As the room started to slow in its spinning, she felt Vegeta stir beside her and brush his hand across her cheek. "My babies... where are they?"

"You need to rest..." Vegeta whispered, his voice strained. Lema carefully studied her mate and noticed the dry streaks that ran down his cheeks. Stunned, she traced the lines with her fingers and met his gaze. Her mate never cried.

"Vegeta, where are they? Why are you avoiding my question?"

"They're..."

"What?" Lema was thinking the worse, that she had lost both babies.

"Turles and Zucca went after Vegeta. Turles has the most experience in tracking the Ice-jins. But... Prince Kakarot can't be tracked."

Cold anger and despair entered Lema's heart as she dropped her head and stared at the lines on her sheet. "Who...? Why...?"

Vegeta tried to fight through the emotions that were slamming into him; how could he ease the pain that she now felt and had to live with until they were able to successfuly find their sons. "Paragus and Nappa, are the two main suspects. No one can find them on the planet. Cameras caught Nappa placing Kakarot in a space pod and sending him to an unknown location. We've alerted all military vessels to assist while Arico and Cowli immediately took their daughter and went after him."

Lema, ignoring the dizzy spells, threw back her covers and stood up. "The Ice-jins will pay for this!"

"Lema," Bardock warned, coming awake as his niece's voice started to rise, "we need to think this through."

"Like hell I will! Cooler attacks me, my sons have been kidnapped and you're telling me to calm down?" Lema tried to breath through the tears that tried to choke her, heavily falling down her face. "I will not abandon my sons! I trust my father to find Prince Vegeta, but Kakarot is another story. I will get him back!"

Bardock flinched, unable to respond to her attack. He watched her storm out of the medical lab, Vegeta close behind. 'Turles, she needs your help! You have to find Vegeta!'

'Don't underestimate my abilities, brother. I already have a lock on Vegeta's destination. I will get him back.'

Lema wandered the hallways, not certain of where she was going. It wasn't until she entered the gardens, that she came to a halt, jolting at a mental connection that was powerful and terrfying. Earthquakes, fire and an explosion that destroyed an entire system left Lema on her knees. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but it took her mate several minutes to break through the thick fog of her mind. "Lema?"

"We can't stop it!" she cried, burying her head in Vegeta's shoulder. "Vegeta, they're going to destroy us!"

He tried to rub her back, whisper in her ear, but nothing seemed to calm the hysteria that had taken a hold of his mate. "Lema, talk to me! What are you talking about?"

"Frieza, he's coming back. Every Saiya-jin will die with this planet!"

"That's impossible! He's not strong enough..."

"Don't become so arrogant that you ignore my warnings! They've never been wrong!"

"You're a psyche?" Vegeta asked in shock.

"That wasn't my vision alone; I have a feeling one of my sons have inherited the ability as well."

"What do we do?"

"First we go after Kakarot and leave Bardock in charge."

"I'm not leaving, Vegeta-sai!"

"Vegeta, I'll never abandon my children. Please, don't let me do this alone; I'll do whatever it takes to find and kill the Ice-jins."

"You're not alone." Vegeta and Lema turned, seeing Bardock leaning in the entrance way of the gardens. "Your father and I have always had the ability to see into the future. For years, the visions have been dormant, until now. Your majesty, we cannot stop the inevitable, but we can control the amount of lives that will be lost."

"You're talking about an evacuation of over five thousand Saiya-jins!"

"Don't allow the Ice-jins to use Prince Vegeta or Kakarot against us." Turning away, he headed back into the castle; "Your father says he can get to Prince Vegeta."

Lema stood to her feet, tears forgotten and a look of determination in her black eyes. "Vegeta, stay or go with me, the decision is up to you. My obligation is to the lives of our future."

Vegeta snatched her arm before she could leave, pulling her painfully close. "You're not leaving me behind!"

"But," Lema struggled, trapped as Vegeta suddenly transformed.

"Have you forgotten the promise I made? I swore to never allow anyone to harm or abandon you again! If that means following you into the pits of hell, so be it! The universe will learn to fear our name as we wage a war that none have ever seen or will again!"

"Vegeta?"

"From this moment, the Ice-jins are the Saiya-jins' sworn enemy. As for Paragus and Nappa, they are now traitors that will be dealt with accordingly if found and captured."

""I'm going with you!" Lema didn't know if she could handle anymore surprises as Cyan quickly joined them. Cyan had a feeling his sister would choose to chase after Kakarot, and after the threat from his father, he didn't dare to stay on Vegeta-sai.

"Bardock needs..."

"Bardock has Raditz and Ringo. Besides, if I don't go, our father has promised the beating of my life."

"Only if you agree to training from Vegeta."

"Hai."

Lema nodded, heading for the space docks. "Do what you have to do; we leave in two hours!"

Vegeta knew that his mate was dealing with her pain, and chose to give her time alone while he went to make last minute preparations before their departure. If Lema's and Bardock's visions were a prediction, he would do everything in his power to save as many lives as possible.