"So, she told you her story in confidence and the first thing you do is run and tell me?" Gohan's mouth quirked at the irony.

"Well, it only made sense," Goten said defensively, "If she's really dad's sister, then she's related to you just as much as she is to me. Besides, I know she'll want to hear all about the battle with Freiza, and you were there! Trunks and I just heard about it, we wouldn't be able to give her details like you could."

"Okay, stop the sales pitch already," Gohan laughed, "I'm here, aren't I?" He stretched out his arms to indicate the huge empty field.

"You are--but where is she?"

"She'll be here," Trunks murmured, "Soon. I know it."

Gohan turned and squinted in the direction of the city. "Hmm. Well, Trunks, you may just be right. I think I see her now." He pointed. "Man, she's coming fast. What's her hurry? We're not going anywhere." Trunks spoke up suddenly.

"You know what, guys, maybe I'd better meet her partway and explain why we've added a third to our party," he said, glancing at Gohan, "So she doesn't get any ideas about trying to kill you."

"Fair enough. Go ahead, Goten and I will wait here."

Trunks flew upward and intercepted her. Nothing in her appearance seemed to have changed, until he noticed with a shock the things she'd brought from her "place of residence." A wide leather strap, arranged diagonally across her chest, secured to her back a double scabbard, housing two samurai swords, a katana and a shorter wakazishi, the grips wrapped in well-oiled but obviously long-used leather. Takira gave Trunks a lopsided grin.

"Guess you're not the only one with a preference for bladed weapons, hmm?"

"Guess not," he said. "Before you go any further allow me to explain the other man down there with Goten. That's Gohan, his older brother. We told him your story; we figured as Goku, er, Kakarot's other son, he had a right to know."

"Nice of you to ask my permission," Takira huffed, "How many kids does Kakarot have, anyhow?"

"Just those two, unless you count his daughter-in-law, Gohan's wife."

"No Saiyan blood?" asked Takira.

"Um--no, she's human."

"Then she doesn't count." Takira paused. "Well, now that I've been briefed, can we get down there? I'm ready to go; I haven't had a real fight in a long time."

"Fight? We were going to talk first."

"I know, but I get the feeling that once I hear your story, I won't be able to think of much else for a while, and that would hamper my fighting skills. Besides, this way I enter the fight with no preconceived notions and you can't try to psyche me out ahead of time."

Trunks sighed. "Fine, okay. I can see there's no arguing with you, so let's go." He led the way and formally introduced Takira to Gohan.

"Pleased to meet you," he said politely. Takira only nodded, eyeing him. The whole setup looked suspiciously like a trap to her.

"So," she said, rubbing her hands together eagerly, "This is as good a battlefield as any. Who's up first?"

"I'll go," Trunks offered as he unsheathed his sword. "I'd like to see if you know how to use those things," he said with a nod toward the scabbard on her back. Takira grinned at the challenge and drew both her swords. As they prepared to square off, Gohan spoke up.

"I don't know if this is a good idea. I didn't come out here to watch you two slash each other to bits." Goten nodded, looked worried.

"Ah, ye of little faith," sighed Takira, "You don't carry these things if you can't control them, right Trunks?"

Trunks nodded. "I have to agree with her there, guys. There's no guarantee that nobody will get hurt, but if we both agree to strive * not * to kill each other," he said emphatically, with a serious look at Takira, "the chances of real injury are pretty slim."

Gohan was still clearly uncomfortable, but decided to let it go.

"Okay, you win. But at the first sign of blood, you stop. Got it?" Both combatants nodded, and Gohan seemed a little more satisfied. "All right. I don't want to have to intervene."

"Fine, fine, can we get on with it?" Takira cried impatiently. She gestured with her katana. "You two scoot back and give us a little room. Wouldn't want to accidentally lop off your heads." She grinned.

Gohan and Goten exchanged apprehensive looks and backed away. Satisfied at last, Takira turned to face Trunks.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I think we can start now."

"Gladly." With that, Trunks leaped at Takira, bringing his sword down for her neck. She deflected it with the wakazishi, and with the katana, slashed at his legs. He darted out of the way and broke free, landing behind her. She turned and jumped for him, but instead of raising both blades for an attack, she planted the tip of the katana in the dirt and used it to swing herself around, dealing Trunks a brutal double-kick in the face and using the wakazishi to deflect his sword again, though she only barely managed it. Tugging her katana from the dirt, she faced him again, swords crossed in front of her.

Trunks rubbed his aching jaw. "Not bad," he said, "For a warm-up."

"That's all it was," she assured him. "There's a lot more where that came from."

The battle began in earnest, as a series of furious skirmishes marked by the sound of clashing metal. Takira used her two swords as extensions of her arms, manipulating them with accuracy and precision. Trunks, however, had size and strength on his side, and Takira was pressed to the limits of her strength to parry his heavy blows.

At times is seemed that Trunks was winning; then Takira would take the upper hand for a while. As the battle dragged on with no clear winner, the two fighters began trying riskier attacks to see if they could catch their opponent off-guard. With a savage clang, Trunks knocked the wakazishi from Takira's hand and rose into the air to attack. Instead of retreating, Takira lunged forward, bringing her katana across in a wide arc. Trunks managed to twist his body out of the path of her blade and immediately swung downward to where Takira now crouched on the ground, reaching for her wakazishi. She leaped aside, Trunks' sword coming within a hair's-breadth of her before slamming into the ground. When the two faced off again, Takira had both her swords.

Gohan and Goten watched from the sidelines, wincing at close calls and gasping at the apparently matched skill of the pair. They both knew that Trunks was holding back for Takira's sake, though. Whatever soul possessed it, her body was nevertheless human, and had its limitations. She was certainly holding her own, however; several of her attacks had caught Trunks by surprise, forcing him to take evasive action to escape.

It seemed like the fight could go on forever, and Gohan considered whether he should call for an end to it. Just then he saw Trunks' expression change from simple concentration to deadly intent, and Gohan knew he meant to end the fight with his next attack. 'Look out, Takira,' Gohan thought to himself, 'You'd better hope Trunks is as good at controlling that sword as he thinks he is.'

Goten glanced at Takira. She'd had that sort of half-smile on her face the whole fight, but it was beginning to look more like a grimace. Suddenly she went serious, her jaw set and eyes stony. Tightening her grip on her weapons, she lunged forward to meet Trunks' final attack.

The conflict was suddenly much more close-contact, and neither opponent backed away. In a flurry of flashing steel and flailing limbs the battle reached its climax--and froze.

Takira stood stock-still, breathing hard. The tip of Trunks' sword dimpled the fabric of her shirt below her breastbone. One good thrust would drive it through heart and lungs and out her back, but she was smiling--because Trunks couldn't move either. With the katana at his stomach and the wakazishi at his throat, one wrong move could leave him simultaneously eviscerated and exsanguinated. A grudging smile touched his lips.

"What do you say we call it a draw for now?"

"Okay," Takira said breathlessly. She drew back, re-sheathed her swords and propped her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. She look up at Trunks, frustrated.

"I didn't even really make you work, did I? Damn this weak little human body. If I'd had my Saiyan body back, you'd be as good as dead."

"Don't count on it," said Gohan as he walked over to them. "If you'd made it too hard on him, he could have just transformed."

"Transformed?" Takira was confused. "But--he doesn't have a tail! How can you transform without a tail?"

Goten grinned. "By going super Saiyan, of course."

Takira's jaw dropped. "You mean--the legend--those things Koretz said about Kakarot--they're all true? A super Saiyan does exist?"

"More than one, actually," said Trunks, "Sit down and we'll tell you all about it."