One Old Saiyan and Ten Teen Saiyans!

The first rays of dawn creep into the shattered pod, spilling faint light across the floor where the young Saiyans sleep. Paragus opens his eyes to find Corlan already sitting up. Their eyes meet in silence. "You are awake early," Paragus states flatly. Corlan rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah... uh, sorry. Did not mean to disturb you. Just... could not sleep." Paragus narrows his eyes. "Troubled dreams? Or a guilty conscience?" Corlan chuckles nervously. "Neither. Maybe both?" He glances away. "I guess I just wanted to see the sunrise." Paragus scoffs and rises slowly to his feet. "Hmph. The sun rises whether you see it or not." Corlan nods, then hesitates. "You know... I kind of feel safer with you around. Weird, huh?" The old Saiyan glares at him but says nothing for a moment. Then he exhales through his nose. "You are a fool. But... a fool with a shred of instinct." Corlan grins faintly. "I will take that as a compliment." Paragus does not reply. He turns his back and walks to the pod's entrance. Behind him, Corlan watches in silence, strangely comforted. Soon, the rest of the Saiyans stir. The camp becomes noisy again with groggy grumbles and chatter. "Where is breakfast?" Ren groans. "Gone," Paragus snaps. "You ate it last night, like gluttonous rodents. Kenji. With me." Kenji bows slightly. "Understood." The two head into the forest. The walk is quiet at first, until Paragus glances sideways. "Speak. You carry yourself like a monk, but you are still Saiyan. What is your past?" Kenji breathes in slowly. "I was raised in silence. My planet was ruled by tyrants—Saiyan warlords. I hid. I trained. I survived." Paragus nods thoughtfully. "Sounds familiar." Kenji continues. "They all called me weak, until I created peace in a village. With power." Paragus's brow furrows. "You are not warriors. You are children with scars." Kenji says nothing, but there is a weight in the silence that speaks volumes. Suddenly, Paragus raises a hand. "Stop. There." A massive bear is lumbering through a thicket ahead. Kenji halts. "Not yet," Paragus whispers. Then he frowns. "More to the left. Three more. This is a brood." Kenji tenses. "Orders?" Paragus pulls a box of meat from his satchel. "We bait them. When the largest is alone, strike." He throws the box into a nearby bush. The scent quickly draws the massive bear. Kenji's eyes sharpen. As the beast steps forward, he leaps up and delivers a vertical kick to its skull. The bear collapses, unmoving. "Not bad," Paragus mutters, walking over and grabbing the huge corpse. He hoists it onto his back, but the weight causes his knees to shake. "Gah..." Kenji rushes over and takes part of the load. "Let me." Together, they carry the kill back through the woods. But suddenly, a branch snaps under Kenji’s foot. A guttural roar follows. The leader bear, followed by the entire brood, emerges from the trees. "Blast it!" Paragus growls. The battle is fierce. Paragus fights with the precision of experience, dodging claws and retaliating with crushing strikes. He grabs the lead bear and drives his elbow into its skull, killing it. But a young bear claws into his side. "Grrgh—!" Blood sprays as Paragus falls to one knee. Back at the ship, Kento jolts upright. "Something is wrong. Kenji and Paragus...!" The others react instantly. Within moments, the group rushes through the forest. They arrive to see Paragus wounded and Kenji shielding him. "Enough!" Kenji yells. His aura flares. Hair turns gold. His eyes burn. "I will not let him die!" He attacks the bears, but his strength is raw, untrained. He is soon overwhelmed. "Kenji!" Corlan and Tenro roar. Their combined ki blasts tear through the forest, pushing the beasts back. Kento and Liam fire twin beams. A dozen bears fall. Lucas rushes to Paragus and begins patching his wound with healing gel. Ren supports his back. "Can you stand?" Lucas asks. "Do not treat me like some fragile relic," Paragus hisses. "Too late for that," Ren mumbles. Suddenly, Corlan releases a massive energy burst. The shockwave incinerates the remaining beasts. The clearing falls silent. Lucas finishes treating Paragus. "The wound is deep. But you will live." Paragus exhales, tired. "This meat will feed us long enough for me to recover. Next time... we may not be so lucky." The boys nod solemnly. Suddenly, Liam throws himself at Paragus, hugging him tight. "Do not die... please." Paragus freezes. Then awkwardly places a hand on the boy’s head. "I will not. Not yet." He leans against the pod and closes his eyes, exhausted. The forest is quiet once more.