Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t sue.

Author’s Note: Short one, this time. This is a “meanwhile.” There will be a few of these that cover events that happen without the central cast on MARC. Um… except for that one chapter that occurred on Wycan. But, yes, these little reprieves will let y’all in one what’s going on elsewhere.

Meanwhile… (1)

Krillin read a magazine and leaned back in his chair. He was keeping an idle watch on the communication feed from MARC, from which Bulma or another traveler made regular reports.  Bulma's latest renovated technology allowed them to broadcast from amazingly far distances, but she had told him that after a while they wouldn't be able to contact each other. Krillin dreaded that day. His ability to sense ki could only stretch so far. He didn't want to ask Marron to rely on faith that Trunks and the others were okay.

Hm. When the technology failed them, they would have to rely on spirituality. Science versus religion. That's the way it always was, wasn't it? The people of Earth, even if religious, were secular in so many ways. But when reason couldn't give them an answer, it was then that they ran to their faith. It was only for the minority that it was the other way around.

Krillin missed that. He had been raised as a monk, taught the ways of Buddha. Unfortunately when he died, he saw the real workings of the afterlife and their affects on the living. In all honestly, he had been very disappointed. Regular people had a luxury he didn't; when they ran to God, they had only an abstract idea of what God could do for them. Krillin knew exactly what it was: not much. When secular ideas failed him, he had very little to go to for comfort. Even the ideals of living a good life couldn't do much when things still went wrong.

If he still had the luxury of a mysterious afterlife, Krillin decided, he would rely on his faith much more than he relied on earthly solutions. The resolutions of the earthly world always had disappointment, but faith... Ah, faith left you room to breathe. It gave you feeling that everything was going to be okay, even if things didn't go your way.

The people of earth would probably be much happier if they all ran to faith before running to technology. Of course, considering what they would find once they all died, they would probably be disappointed in the end anyway.

"Papa?" Marron stepped into the room. "Any contact?"

Krillin laughed and set down his magazine. "They did call us just yesterday, you know?" he pointed out.

“But I’m a fiancé now,” she reminded him with a giggle. “You should be happy I didn’t go with them.”

Krillin was only partially amused. “I’m glad you didn’t. It’s starting to get hairy for them.”

Marron shook her head. “Tell me about it. They’ll probably have that whole army after them eventually.”

“Paresu is probably terrified,” her father commented.

“I’m sure Goten will protect her. I’m just glad they got the ship fixed. I wouldn’t want MARC to break down on their way home.”

If they get home, Krillin thought, but kept it to himself.

“Trunks told me yesterday that Bra stood up to Serive,” Marron said, taking a seat in an empty chair.

Krillin shook his head. "She's a dangerous woman. It's not good to make friends with her anyway."

Marron shook a finger at her father playfully. "Ah, yes. It did no good for Bulma to make nice with Vejita."

Krillin grinned. "Guess I can't argue with that. But Serive isn't Vejita, you know."

"Certainly not," Marron agreed, "but she probably reminds Bra of him anyway. She just wants to help."

“Some people can’t be helped.”

“I guess.” Marron absentmindedly twirled some stray locks around her index finger. “You know Tien and Chaozu are leaving tonight, yeah?”

“Are they?”

“Yeah,” Marron chuckled. “I guess they’re not as much into mooching as Yamcha is.”

Krillin smiled. “I don’t think Yamcha is so much mooching as he’s worried about Bulma.”

“Why? I think she’s as protected as can be with Vejita around.”

“They go a long way back,” Krillin reminded her. “Yamcha has known Bulma way longer than Vejita has, and I don’t think he ever really got over losing her.”

Marron snorted. “I guess not. The guy hasn’t had a steady girlfriend for as long as I’ve known him.”

“The point is,” Krillin went on, “that Yamcha is still very dedicated to her.”

“Hm.” Marron sat with her father in silence for a few moments, before murmuring, “That’s kind of depressing.”

“Huh? Oh.” Her father had started to read the magazine article again. “It is, I suppose. But Yamcha is fine. I mean, it’s not as bad as it was when they first broke it off for good.”

“But still,” Marron said, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t know what I would do if Trunks pushed me away and married, like, Pan or someone.”

Krillin raised an eyebrow. “Why did you pick Pan?”

She giggled. “I just thought of her ‘cause, you know…” She rolled her eyes.

He stared blankly.

Marron threw up her arms in exasperation. “Come on, ‘Tousan! Ever since they came back from their space adventure she’s been all… weird around him. Always looking for his attention.”

Krillin shrugged. “I never noticed. Maybe you’re just being possessive and jealous.” He ended the remark with a grin.

“Ha!” Marron shook her head. “I’m not jealous of Pan! Maybe if she were older, she’d have a shot in hell, but it never crossed my mind that Trunks would go for her.”

“Then why would you suspect her?”

Marron smiled. “It’s a girl thing. Trust me.”

He shrugged again and looked back to the article. “Doesn’t seem like it to me. At least not as obvious as the thing Bra has for Goten.”

Marron froze and stared at her father. “You noticed that?”

“Who wouldn’t?!” Krillin exclaimed.

Marron blushed. “Yeah, who wouldn’t,” she muttered.

Krilling scrutinized his daughter. “You’ve known for a long time too, right?”

“Of course I have!” Marron folded her arms. “I’m not blind!”

“Well, that look tells me you found out last week or something.”

She frowned at him, then to herself. “Bra is kinda like Yamcha, isn’t she?”

“Oh, Bra will be fine. She’s young! She has the rest of her life to fall in love. Besides, it’s probably just a little crush.”

“My feelings for Trunks used to be ‘a little crush.’” Marron pointed out.

Krillin looked up at his daughter and set down the magazine. “Hey,” he said, getting up and moving over to her. “Bra is going to be fine.” He leaned down gave her a little hug and a peck on the forehead. “Stay here for a sec, okay? I’m gonna get some lunch.” He tousled her hair before leaving.

Marron growled half-heartedly and redid her ponytail. Once that was settled, she sat in thought for a few minutes. Then she moved to the main panel and brought up the video log. She pulled up the recording of the call yesterday, and fast forwarded to when she and Trunks had been able to talk alone.

“Hey, Marron!” Trunks exclaimed, his day-old smile still warm and reassuring.

“Trunks!” her voice on the recording exclaimed. “I’ve heard so much stuff! What on earth happened to you guys!”

“Oh, man. You won’t believe the circus we had to go through. Gohan and I had to wreck military fighters!”

Marron sat and listened, and the whole time she stared at Trunks face. She wished so badly that he was back on Earth instead of out there doing who knows what. The knot in her stomach tightened as the conversation proceeded.

A few minutes later, Trunks’ visage looked over his shoulder and frowned. “Eh, I have to go. We have to run some routine diagnostic crap.”

“Oh… okay,” her voice said.

His expression softened. “I miss you. And I love you.”

“I love you too,” Marron whispered along with the recording.

-----

In the Inner West Quadrant, at a main headquarters for the Confederation Police Force:

Wow. This was major. MAJOR! Graer rushed through the intelligence center to the office of his superior. This was almost as big as when they'd received word that the alleged Legendary Super Saiyajin had been reported dead by a nearly obliterated race in the North Quadrant!

"Serpioru-san!" Graer exclaimed as he threw open the door. "Sir!" he shouted again, waving a sheet of paper rapidly in the air.

Intelligence Director Serpioru just glanced up at his employee in annoyance and continued making notes on a recent report on the missing princess of Rattep. It was a situation they couldn’t do anything about, since the princess had left of her own free will. Upon hearing this, the Queen had tried to lie and say she’d been kidnapped. He sighed. Let the Rattepian army deal with their own problems.

"Make it quick, Graer!" he grunted.

Graer, seeing that his boss did not understand the urgency of his news, slapped his paper on top of Serpioru's work. Before the Director could bite his head off, Graer nearly smashed his forefinger to the paper above the name that had him shocked for nearly five minutes.

Serpioru smacked Graer's finger away and picked up the printout. He read letter at least twice before looking up at his subordinate. "Graer, send my secretary in here. I have a lot of people to contact."

The cubicle-filler happily hurried out of the room. Serpioru fished a highlighter from his drawer and marked one sentence in the letter: "Lio Enterprises, in our great concern for the welfare of the known universe, wishes it to be known that a Saiyajin by the name of 'Vejita' was recently present at one of our outer oil distributors."