rough pavement, iriders in colored robes swarmed over the squares and paths, at every corner and at each end one met crowds who fetched their daily ration of water and food. First one orange light shone in the sky, then two and more and more and finally the whole sky was littered with orange panes, which slowly sank down to the surface. There were thousands of giant spaceships, they landed on the outskirts of the cities. An army of blue-skinned aliens streamed out. The laser weapons made short work of the defense, which consisted largely of primitive cannons and muskets. Canisters with narcotic gases were detonated and women, children and men were herded together without consideration, collected and carried off to the spaceships.<br />
<br />
"They called themselves the Zharg and they came well prepared. Their technology far surpassed that of the Namekians in all sectors. We later learned that they had received the data about our planet and our special abilities from the Namekians. The green monsters had sold us to them. It took several decades, but the Zharg managed to track down every Irider. I was then only thirteen earth years old. Anyone who rebelled too much was killed. The Zharg sold us to various other races, I landed in the drilling mines of Yamaih, later in the spaceship yard at Dhelkatth. For almost 200 miserable years I have lived in conditions that defy description. They had slaves there from different corners of the universe, but only we Iriders were tough enough to withstand the heat, to survive the disease, the malnutrition and the toxic fumes, but in those 200 years our population fell to a rope sentth of their former number decimated.We were tough, we learned new things and in an uprising that cost many lives, we were able to free ourselves and other Irider and have defeated the Zharg with their own weapons, adopted and improved their technology and wanted to return to our planet. But it no longer existed. What we found was a heap of burned-out asteroids, clouds of dust and gas, and traces that clearly indicated Namek weapons. It was not enough for them to have driven us to the brink of extinction with their gift, no, they also had to take our world away from us ... "
<br />
"Impossible!" Exclaimed Piccolo. “The Namekians would never do anything like that.” Questioning Neil's memory, he added, “By the time we supposedly wiped out your planet, our civilization was long gone.”
<br />
<br />
"That's right," said Gokou, "the Namekians have long since run out of spaceships, they only plant trees and live as simply as you did in your earlier times."<br />
<br />
"All lies!", The Irider hissed and to Gokou, "you were fooled, look at this supposedly so peaceful Namek here, what he has done. They are all like that! Heartless monsters!"
<br />
<br />
"Stop it!" Gohan shouted, his aura flickering with anger. "Don't say that about Dende and Piccolo. They are both my friends!"
<br />
<br />
The Irider looked from Gokou to Gohan and then to Piccolo. With a sigh he took the circlet from his forehead and it grew light under the dome. "I guess you two are just too deluded to see the truth. All right. I'll wipe out this Namek here first and then I'll take the two of you. I'll still find the Namek's new planet and if I can see every cluster of stars must turn upside down in this cosmos! "
<br />
"We won't make it that easy for you," said Gokou, taking on his Super Saiyan form. At the sight of the jade eyes and the golden hair, the Irider winced briefly, but quickly collected himself.Two fleeting movements in the direction of Gokou and Gohan and both were trapped in spheres of energy. "So you don't get in my way," said the Irider, then turned to his real goal, Piccolo.
<br />
He took off his turban and threw the cloak behind. The lead-heavy parts hit the black tiles below them, leaving deep cracks and dents.
<br />
"So let's get serious," grinned the Irider. "I just don't hold back, Namekians!"
<br />
"I don't plan to do that either, not after what you did to Gohan!"
<br />
The two shot at each other and really gave nothing to each other. The exchange of blows was brutal and incredibly fast.
<br />
"Dad, I can hardly breathe!" Gohan gasped and went down on his knees. Gokou also had trouble concentrating. He had already tried unsuccessfully to teleport out of the sphere. "Don't give up," he gasped, clenched his fists and gathered his strength to try again."Came ... Hame ... Ha !!!"
<br />
<br />
The blue energy beam struck the hull of the bubble and ... was thrown back from it. Gokou couldn't evade and was caught in full.
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<br />
"Papa !!", Gohan used up the last bit of air in his bladder for a desperate cry, but the unconscious Gokou could no longer react. His energy fizzled out and his hair and eyes went dark again.
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<br />
Despite the dogged struggle, Piccolo saw what was happening in the energy spheres out of the corner of his eye. When Gohan passed out, too, his serenity was lost. With an angry scream, he swept Ramagi aside and in no time was at Gohan's sphere. He formed a blade of energy around his hand and stabbed the hull. But it was tough and couldn't be broken through easily.
<br />
<br />
Ramagi took the opportunity and shot a ball of energy at Piccolo's unprotected back. He hit and Piccolo and Gohan's sphere were thrown against the wall of the dome by the force of the hit.But the Nameican didn't give up and continued to stab doggedly at the shell of the sphere.
<br />
<br />
Again and again Ramagi shot him down, each time Piccolo gasped in pain. In addition, the Namek felt how Gohan's aura was getting weaker and weaker and so he didn't have time to use his energy on regeneration. Green blood dripped onto the black tiles.
<br />
<br />
"Do you want to go down so miserably? Don't defend yourself? Not once?" Ramagi scoffed, but Piccolo wasted no strength on an answer. His reserves were almost at the end when the shell finally gave way and dissolved with a thud. Gohan fell, but Piccolo caught him and carefully placed him on the tiles. Now that he could breathe again, Gohan's aura grew stronger too. Gokou had come to in the meantime, his attack had left a few fine cracks in the shell of the sphere and so he had just enough air that he could imitate Piccolo and blow up the sphere with an energy blade.<br />
<br />
"You won't try this trick on me again," he gasped, as soon as he was free again. “Here, Piccolo!” He threw two of the last three beans down at the two of them and built himself up as Super Saiyan in front of Ramagi. Piccolo gave a bean to Gohan to eat and then hastily chewed his own to refresh his energies.
<br />
<br />
Ramagi saw the whole thing with discomfort, but he couldn't decide whether he should give in to his hatred of Piccolo or first turn off the blond warrior. This hesitation was his undoing, because as if they had agreed, Piccolo and Gokou both set their sights on the Irider. The Kamahameha and Piccolo's devil's spiral found their destination. With a smoking hole in his shoulder and a dented chest, the Irider sagged like a stone onto the tiles. These injuries would have been enough to kill even a Saiyan, but as the Irider himself had said, his people were the toughest in the universe and he found the strength to land on their feet before he collapsed on his knees and spat blood.<br />
<br />
“Still not enough?” With grudging respect, Gokou prepared a new attack. "Came ... hame ..." The Irider lifted his head and his defiant look reminded Gokou of Vegeta. “Stop, Son!” Piccolo stood in his way. "It's enough. Do you have another bean?"
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<br />
Gokou lowered his arms. "What for?"
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<br />
"For him," said Piccolo with a nod in the direction of the Irider.
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"I hope you don't make a mistake," said Gokou and handed him the last bean.
<br />
Gohan, who had picked himself up again, looked up at them with a shining look. Piccolo couldn't explain why, but that look was all it took to know he was doing the right thing.
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<br />
"No bigger than a certain young Saiyan did after winning the big tournament," remarked Piccolo with a fleeting grin, took the bean and floated down to the Irider.
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<br />
"Here, it will cure you," he said and handed it to Ramagi.<br />
<br />
He had observed how Gohan and Piccolo had cured themselves with such beans, but he couldn't believe that his archenemy would give him something. Maybe this thing was really a poison and just looked like the miracle medicine ...
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<br />
"Eat it, or should I stuff it between your gills?" Piccolo growled at his hesitation.
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<br />
"Not necessary," groaned the Irider and chewed the bean as he had seen the two of them. No sooner had he swallowed the bean than he felt the pain disappear and his strength return.
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<br />
Slowly and confused, he got up and felt his chest. "I am fit again."
<br />
"That's what the bean was meant for," said Piccolo dryly. "Do you want to keep fighting or are you going to listen to me first?"
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<br />
Ramagi looked into the black eyes of his counterpart and slowly nodded. "I have little choice, do I?"
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<br />"You guessed it," Piccolo grinned briefly. "You know that there are beings who can switch between this world and the hereafter, right?"
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"Yeah, sure. The ferrymen, right?"
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"That's exactly what I mean," Piccolo nodded. "You know that these beings are committed to the absolute truth."
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Ramagi nodded again. "I heard about that."
<br />
"Good. So if you were told by a Ferryman that the Namekians weren't responsible for enslaving your people, you'd believe it, wouldn't you?"
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<br />
"Do you know any of the ferrymen?" Asked the Irider in astonishment, without giving a clear answer.
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<br />
Piccolo saw that he could not count on a full concession, but he