Footsteps beat their way down the hall of the station in the sound of someone running. The young Saiya-Jin was using most of her effort to get where she was going in while she ran. Inexperienced, she couldn't teleport to where she needed to be and she was already late enough as it was getting to training.

"Man, why do they have to make these damn places so big…? Master isn't going to like me being late again…" she grumbled as she came up on the main room. Standing in the center of the room, arms crossed and a very stern look on his face, Master Denkuro watches her run in. She skidded to a stop about ten feet in front of him. She put her hands on top of her knees, panting as he shook his head. Despite his stony look, his tail flicked around calmly behind him. Her tail drooped, as she stood up straight, then bowed to him. He chuckled and lowered his arms, his stern look melting away.

"Child, you're late again," he said calmly. She stood up straight again and put her hands behind her back, standing as tall as she could, her tail still drooping behind her.

"Yes sir…" she said softly.

He smiled lightly. He knew she couldn't quite get moving in a blur right yet, though she was trying. "Quist, you know you have to get better at speed. How else are you going to get ready for your trial?"

She lowered her head lightly, looking at the floor. "I know, Master Denkuro…"

"I'm going to partner you up with someone your age, to help you try to get this. It's a very important part of the trial."

She raised her head at him calling her Quist. Quist means child, but rarely used. "Sir, why did you call me Quist?"

He shook his head. "Even though it's part of custom, I still have a hard time just calling you just female…I feel you need a name, so I shall call you Quist until you earn a name. Better than nothing."

She lowered her head back down a little. "Oh…"

"Now where is she…?" he said and looked around.

"Up here, Master Denden."

Shaking his head and smirking, Denkuro looked up at the other female hovering upside down in the air above him. Quist blinked at her. No one called him Denden…it was like an insult.

"Kura…how many times have I told you not to call me by Denden…?" he asked, looking up at her. She sighed and turned right side up, floating down and landing lightly on one foot. "Sorry, but you call me 'Kura', female, so I call you Denden."

Quist looked from her to Denkuro. "Master Denkuro?" They both looked at Quist and she rubbed the back of her head. "Is she my partner? Cuz if she is…can I call her Zerra, 'ally'?"

"Hey I like that better than Kura. Alright, call me Zerra for a while," she answered.

Denkuro smiled. "Alright, we'll do that then."

Quist looked down from her bunk at Zerra. "Do you remember your parents?"

Zerra looked up at her and thought for a moment, tapping the tip of her tail against the bed. "Very little of my mom, but my dad, yea."

"Lucky, I don't remember either of mine," Quist answered.

"Believe me, I'm far from lucky. From what I heard, my dad got toasted by Freesia."

"Really? Man, that's how I heard both my folks got wasted…you remember your dad's name?"

"Bardock," Zerra replied after a moment.

"The scientist? Wow…" Quist said. "So that means you big brother is workin' for Freesia."

Zerra smirked, pushing her hair from her face. "Yea…good ole Radish-head…" she grinned.

Quist giggled at that, then looked back down at Zerra. "You think we can pass the trials?"

"Well, if they send us off to unknown planets as little kids, then call us back to beat up some metallic lizard people, yea I think we can pass the trials," Zerra joked. "Man, I forget the name of those things…" she said, lowering her eyes back down to search the floor, then back up to Quist. "Do you remember?"

"Umm…Zuum something…Nasieesa?" Quist asked.

"Uh…no not Nasieesa…Nagisa, that's it, Zuum Nagisa. Nah, just ugly metal lizard people." Zerra grinned.

"Hehe, just like Freesia!" Quist answered and giggled.

Zerra laughed. "Almost."

Denkuro stood outside the doorway of the dorm listening to the two twelve-year-olds chitchat. He hovered about an inch off the ground, knowing full well that they were far too inexperienced to sense him. Unlike the rest of the teachers in the training station, Denkuro was one of the few that deeply disliked the trials. He had lost many students to the trials in the past, but he hoped things would be better this time. He hoped. He shook his head and floated off back down the hall back to his study. I can only pray that they survive the trials…

In the morning, all the trainees gathered in the main bay of the station. Denkuro was talking to the other trainers at the far side at who would be grouped with whom when they were sent out. Out of the eighteen boys and eight girls there, Zerra and Quist stood off to one side, watching the group while the rest all talked amongst them selves.

The head master walk to the front of the group and clapped his hands, making everyone get into lines, all except Zerra, she stood right where she was, even after Quist took her place in a line. Zerra just crossed her arms and flicked her tail back and forth. The head master stared at her.

"Take your place in line, female," he growled. Denkuro shook his head and sighed, not able to interfere if anything happened.

"I didn't hear you say please," Zerra answered.

The head master blinked. "What? Oh that's right, you're the scientist's kid." He smirked. "You think you're tough shit don't you?"

She smirked back and blurred out of sight, then back in, right in the head master's face, hovering off the ground. He staggered back a little. Her smirk was gone and she was nothing but serious.

"No, I don't think I am. I know I am. I didn't spend six years being moved from planet to planet without learning anything," she said almost too calmly.

The head master smirked. "Perfect. I like you already. Now get in line, we're grouping everyone up." She just hovered there. He blinked, then sighed. "Please."

She smirked and blurred from sight again, then blurred back in, in the middle of the group, hands behind her back and tail wrapped around her waist. The head master turned to Denkuro and raised an eyebrow.

"I have a feeling that child is going to be a great fighter when she grows up. Well, if she passes the trial that is, but she has potential," he whispered. Denkuro nodded.

"She always has had a strong will, Kernuo. I don't doubt she'll fail the trial," Denkuro answered.

Kernuo sighed. "I just hope the rest can pass as well. With our home planet gone, they're all our last hope."

"I know old friend, I know."

Zerra looked over the pod she was assigned in slight distaste. They were far lower models than the pods that were given when they were sent out as babies. She looked over at Quist climbing into hers and shook her head, walking over to her.

"Don't these old clunkers make you nervous?" she asked as she leaned on the side of the pod with one arm.

"Nah, I just think of them as…Konami Hounds. The older they are the more reliable," Quist answered with a small smile.

"Heh, dogs. Never thought of it that way," Zerra said and walked over to her pod, climbing in.

Kernuo went out and stood where everyone could hear him. "Alright children, after you take off from here, it'll be about two days before you get to Zuum. I don't want any of you dying on me. Good luck." And with that, the pods closed and filled with a misty gas, putting all inside them to sleep for the two-day trip.

Zerra awoke to the sound of beeping and a sudden jolt of her pod crash-landing on solid ground. "Here already? Heh, that didn't take long. Down to business," she commented and opened the door to her pod. As she climbed out, she eyed the large crater that her pod had made, making sure that no one was going to ambush her. I hate it when they program these things to crash down like this…bah, males have no sense, she thought. She hovered up above the ground, then out of the crater, landing up on the side. From all the other craters around her, the other children did the same thing. The head of the group, the oldest of the guys, hovered up above all the rest.

"Scouters ready!" he yelled. Shaking her head, Zerra took the scouter from her side and put it on, over her left ear so the pinkish-purple eyepiece was over her left eye. Tapping the button twice almost immediately did a large number of beeps and images come up on the screen. At almost at the same instant, the leader was shot out of the sky by some kind of blast. He crashed down and moaned weakly, the blast more than a little too powerful for him. Wheeling around in a circle, Zerra saw that they were surrounded.

"SHIT!" she roared and ripped the scouter off her face, slapping it back on her side and darting away from the spot was at before a blast hit down right where she had been standing. "SURPRISE ATTACK!" she yelled at the rest of the group, from which at least six others had already been taken down by blasts. Then from out of no where, nine metallic lizard-like creatures jumped out and rushed the rest of the group.

"Mother fuck," Zerra growled and cupped her hands to her waist. Then she thrust her hands forward toward the closest Zuum, catching it in the chest with her blast. The blast went straight through the creature, leaving a hole the size of a basketball in its chest. The creature fell on its face, quite dead. Zerra turned around just in time to see another Zuum behind her with a sword coming down for her head, giving her barely enough time to bring her head back away from the slash. But not far enough, she was slashed on the face across her right eye. Then it brought the sword back up and nicked a spot on her left cheek. Holding a hand over her eye, Zerra jumped back a few feet, growling as the blood trickled down her face. Clenching a fist tight at her side and keeping her right hand over her eye, Zerra jumped into the air, her left arm bulging a bit and beginning to glow from energy. The Zuum jumped into the air after her, holding its sword over it's head, ready to slice her in half. Not taking any time, Zerra thrust her left hand at the Zuum's chest right as it got in front of her, cutting right through it. Bringing her right hand down from her face, she kept her eye closed and hoped to the gods that she wasn't going to be blind in that eye. Then a blip from her scouter startled her right before she was rammed in the back from behind.

"Shit," she said before she hit the ground on her left side, breaking her arm. Growling through pain, she turned onto her back to look up at the Zuum standing over her.

"Sssssssaiya-Jin…you and yourssssss will die today…like ssssssso many before…" it hissed to her and prepared to bash her head.

Despite the pain, Zerra smirked, then in a blur, disappeared from the ground, then reappeared in the air above and behind the Zuum, planting her feet firmly into it's neck and sending it into the ground. She felt a sickening crunch through her boots as they landed. Then she jumped off the Zuum's body and looked around at the six Zuum left fighting the dwindling fighting party she came with. Then her eyes widened as she saw a Zuum choke slam Quist into the ground, afterwards her not moving.

"OK, THIS IS PISSING ME OFF…AND THAT'S NOT GOOD!" Zerra screamed, and almost instantly appearing in front of the Zuum that felled Quist, her fist going insanely fast for its chest. Its eyes bulged out, her hand going straight through its chest, dripping green-gold blood down from the wound. Then she yanked her hand out, the Zuum falling back onto it's back, dead. Glancing around with an almost cold, wild look, her eyes narrowed, Zerra began taking down the remaining Zuum, only one other of the group left and holding his own.

Panting and unable to ignore the pain in her arm anymore, Zerra fell to her knees, holding her left arm with her other hand, covered in green-gold blood from the Zuum. The other fighter, after finishing off the very last Zuum, walked over to her, kinda fascinated by her.

"You're really something else for a female," he said with a half smile.

Glancing up at him with her good eye, Zerra smiled, then winced, "Yeah…thanks Kraal." He shook his head and took hold of her good arm, helping her up. From somewhere close the two of them heard a moan and very loud, "FUCK." Then the leader that had been taken down earlier sat up, holding his ribs, beat to all hell and bleeding all over the place. "That fuckin lizard almost killed me..!…"

Zerra smirked and weakly said, "Yep…that's Merchek…" before passing out.

Kraal shook his head and picked Zerra up over his shoulder, then walked over to Merchek. "Damn, we all thought you were dead, Merc. You sure do play possum well," he said and grinned.

"Oh fuck you too Kraal. Help me up damnit…" he groaned, then looked around. "How many of us are left?"

Kraal frowned as he grabbed Merchek's arm, hoisting him up. "You, me, and this female…from what I can see, there may be others, I don't know."

Merc's eyes went wide. "Are you shitting me? Fuck, the head master's no gonna like this."

"Dude, let's just get the hell out of here…"

"Screw that, if there are others, we gotta find and get'em outta here too. The more that get home the less of a chewing I get on my ass."

"Right right, whatever." Kraal set Zerra on the ground and pulled the scouter from her belt, then put if over his eye and tapped the button.

"Fuck…one other's alive, over…here." he said and pointed over to where Quist lay. "She's barely alive too…I don't think she'll make it home."

"You're too pessimistic. Pick her ass up and toss her in a pod and put on the life support."

"Aight aight…sheize."

Zerra woke up groggily in the dark, where she immediately sat up, then groaned, her head throbbing. She put her right hand on her head and felt a bandage there, covering her right eye. Blinking for a second, she gathered she wasn't on the Zuum's planet anymore and was back on the base. "Lights…half bright," she sighed, the lights coming on dimly. She saw that her left arm was in a cast, and most of her other injuries were patched up as well. Then she lay back down and wondered how many others made it back. Almost at the same instant the door to her room opened and she glanced over at it. It was Denkuro and he didn't look too high on spirits.

"Good to see you're finally awake Kura…" he said softly, his eyes down. She just looked at him.

"How many made it back Denden?" she asked, not really caring for formalities right now.

He sighed and shook his head. "Three…Quist had been brought back along with the others, but she didn't survive the trip home. Merchek has taken full responsibility for it too. I was halfly surprised…"

Zerra looked up at the ceiling. "So its just…me, Merchek and Kraal…?" she asked the ceiling then looked back to Denkuro, who nodded very slightly. "Damn…"

"I'm sorry Kura…" Denkuro said. Then the door opened again, the head master coming in.

"Well well, she lives. Good thing too. You passed the trials with flying colors," he smirked. Then Denkuro gave Kernuo a depressed look and Kernuo cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about your friend, female."

Zerra didn't say anything but, "Whatever." I'm leaving this dump when I'm all healed up…and I'm not coming back. Then she looked at Denkuro. Stop these trials. There isn't many of us left you know. If more happens like it did during my trial, our race is going to die out. Denkuro blinked and looked back at Zerra, his eyes looking disbelieving. She smirked very lightly, hardly even noticeable. After a few moments of silence, the head master left the two alone.

"Aww, Kura, you really leavin'?"

She rolled her eyes and looked behind her. "Yes I am Merc. Disappointed?" she smirked. He half grinned.

"Damn, I wanted to fight you. Oh well."

She almost laughed at him. "I'd kick your ass too fast. No challenge and I dun wanna hurt your pride by lettin' everyone see it."

His face turned beet red. "You just wait. One day I'll get my spar from you."

She brushed her hair from her face, briefly showing the scars left by the trials. "You're gonna be waitin' a long time. I probably won't ever see you again."

He shook his head. "Heh…never say never female. Stranger things have happened. I have a feeling I'll see you again."

She chuckled and climbed into the pod she was 'taking'. "Then go with that feeling. See you on the flip side Merc."

Ayame tossed a stick into the fire. "There…now you know a little bit more about my history…never thought I'd ever have to tell this one though," she said and looked across the fire. She almost smirked at her captive audience of Shirow, Mezek, and Raken.

Mezek sat back. "I woulda never thought…heh. Well that explains your scars, eh?" he said. She nodded lightly.

"Yea…memories."

"Heh. Well now I have something more for all my data files on everyone," Raken grinned and held up a holo cube. "Little bit more on Mom…but it's gonna take a lot more from her to match all the things I have on Mez," he said and snickered.

Mez grumbled and Ayame just shook her head.