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Warning! Life support failure imminent!

The blaring of a loud alarm filled the ears of a drowsy Tarra as she began to stir within the motionless space pod. Sparks and smoke began emit from the various controls; a red light blinds the girl’s already blurred vision as it flashes every so many seconds. A muffled groan escapes the rebreather as a hand was raised to a throbbing pain in the side of the girl’s head. The pain, akin to that of a migraine, would only grow with intensity the more awake Tarra became with each passing moment. She took a few deep breaths to try to gain her bearings, taking a calm but quick examination of the surrounding failing electronics. The cracks within the rounded glass of the pod’s escape hatch were deep, each bleeding water in trickling streams where the integrity had grown weakest. It was at this point the saiyan would notice the puddle of water that had filled the pod up passed her boots.

Well isn’t this lovely? she mused in disgusted thought; unbuckling the safety harness that had bound her to the pod’s throne. Noticeably so was the hefty amount of water beyond the compromised glass of the pod, which seemed endless in supply on the other side. Tarra would remove the rebreather to toss it aside, raising a foot from the gathered water to plant a boot sole firmly against the hatch to begin pushing it open. It was a bit of a struggle as she estimated the damned thing to weigh nearly a ton. ”Ugh…damn’s suspension’s gone out!” she growled under her breath. Just what happened with the atmospheric entry? Was the descent that turbulent? She kicked it again, nothing. Water continued to rise, now spilling into the seat with her. The pod had certainly taken a beating on the way down, yet for all accounts she couldn’t explain the amount of damage. She added a second boot to the door, and pushed again this time with a bit more force.

The hatch would budge a few inches in her favor, though more water would begin to swell in through the gaps between. “Shit, shit, shit…” she began to chime frantically as she tried again. More water came yet the door refused the budge enough to provide an escape. Tarra would cover her mouth as she coughed from the increased smoke, then throw the other hand forward as she fired off a series of ki blasts at the door. The window would shatter as some of the steel bent against the force of the blasts, the age and condition of the pod playing a factor in durability. With a few finalizing kicks the gap between the door would open far enough that Tarra would manage to ease her way out into the water. Her exit of the craft was greeted by a school of fish which darted passed her form as though she were naught but a natural obstacle. She watched them curiously until her breath began to expire, forcing the saiyan to the surface with a deep gasp as she broke crest of the stillness above.

The swim to the nearest shore wasn’t far, yet pulling oneself out of the water seemed more a chore than the simplest of actions. Fatigue was draining on her stamina badly, and there persisted the throbbing pain in the side of her head. Drenched and exhausted, Tarra rolled over on her back to catch her breath, staring up at a foreign, otherworldly sky. It was a cruel reminder that she was no longer on Vegeta, and yet she could not place just what had driven her here to begin with. Possibly she was suffering from temporary amnesia as a result from the pod’s hibernation systems malfunctioning. It was anyone’s guess at this point. None of it mattered, ultimately her focus rested on the present, and trying not to die on this alien world. Tarra laughed to herself, having remembered to imagine her first visit to another planet to go entirely different. Perhaps less pain, explosions and near death experiences rather instead replaced with smiling faces greeting her with a banquet and open arms. Expectation versus reality.

Tarra sat up to the barren shore upon which she had taken refuge, glimpsing the horizon which almost seemed devoid were it naught for the trees. The sound of voices would catch her ears, though they were distant and beyond the hill to the south. Forcing herself to stand Tarra carefully traversed the height of the slope, eventually crawling onto her stomach to avoid being seen as she reached the top. There some distance from her position stood a trio of arcosians conversing amongst each other over a slain namekian. The longer she watched this bunch the more Tarra became aware by their body language that they were discussing the surrounding environment. It certainly made sense given how surprising it was to even find such a group on Namek of all places. One arcosian was usually rare for home, at least to Tarra, yet three of them warranted some skepticism in her eyes. It was unclear if they were working with the Trade Fleet or alone from this distance, and the uncertainty really bothered the saiyan. Curious. So…why are you here fellas? Certainly a long way from Arcose aren’t we? She began to think on a number of things that might explain this unusual find. As they took to the sky and flew passed her position, the saiyan would give a sigh of relief that they continued without stopping. With any luck they had not spotted her, and gone on to their next objective. Just how long was she asleep in that space pod? Rising to her feet Tarra would make a stretch before taking to the air, hovering to touch down near where the group had been conversing.

She gave the namekian an examination, deducing by his garb and age that he had been someone of relevant importance in these parts. Village elder perhaps? The saiyan crossed her arms in thought as she speculated what the arcosians might have needed from the man; signs of a struggle indicated that he wasn’t willing to part with whatever they wanted without a fight. From the looks of it that decision didn’t really end well for him. Tarra knelt close to the corpse, and looked around his palms and near any typical pocket placement among the robes for any clues or possessions left behind. With any luck they might help identify whom and from where the namekian was. Unfortunately nothing would turn up to avail in this rather questionable turn of events. Guessing the arcosians had taken what they had sought, Tarra took to the sky in hopes to catch the suspicious aliens. With any luck she might still be able to tail that group to their destination, and maybe figure out just what in the world was going on.

thread pl: 7,000