Chapter 8: Reconnaissance
As the small ship approached the system I6, Vegeta called the others into the
control room for a briefing. Calling up an image on the large computer screen,
he indicated a reddish planet. “That is the biggest populated planet in this
solar system, Coolant48. We will head there first to reconnaissance for news on
the Saiyan rebels. As you three are unfamiliar with the other cultures, do not
leave the ship alone. I’ve downloaded the common dialects around this region
into the scouters so be sure to have them on when you leave.”
Frowning, he continued. “Do not broadcast the fact that we are Saiyans until I
say it is safe to do so. We do not know the reactions the locals will have to
Saiyans; this is an ice-jin conquered world after all. If anybody asks, say we
are humans. I doubt anybody out here would have heard of Earth, but to be on
the safe side, do not give the location of Earth.”
The other three nodded seriously. However, all four could not help feeling
excited and nervous with anticipation. “It’s at least another hour till we
land.” Vegeta was about to dismiss them when he remembered. “Oh yes. And get
changed into nondescript clothing. Not your garish orange gi Kakarotto. We do
not want to stand out. In fact, I think we should get some local clothes to
blend in.”
“Do you have any local currency dad?”
Vegeta smirked. “I am the Saiyan no ouji. All Saiyan investments and holdings
are considered royal property. In fact, accessing the accounts will alert other
Saiyans, which is a desired effect.”
-----
Two hours later, the four Saiyans were wandering around a noisy, dusty market
square. They had already been to the local version of a bank and were now
looking for clothes and food, not necessarily in that order. Aliens of all
shapes and sizes pressed in all around them and Vegeta was rapidly feeling
extremely irritated. The others were observing their surroundings with barely
concealed wonder. Dressed in jeans and plain dark shirts, the four did not
really blend in that well with the crowd. It was with relief that the prince
finally spotted a clothing store.
The store was dimly lit but blessedly quiet after the din outside. They stood
for a while, blinking at the numerous rows of fabric that hung around them and
adjusting to the change in environment. A surly green-skinned woman with frizzy
orange hair seated behind a counter at the front of the shop yelled at them to
choose their own clothing, it’s self service.
They browsed around, noting that the shop did not have much variety of styles.
Most of the local fashion seems to consist of loose shirts and pants, teamed
with either a light vest or heavier jacket. The shirts were made of a heavy
material much like linen in natural dusty cream and green hues. The only other
type of fabric the shop has is some leather hide that seemed to be used in
everything from pants to jackets, even the footwear and gloves. The leather
wasn’t dyed and ranged in hues of black and dark chocolate to creamy tans,
mostly plain but sometimes streaky. Without much choice in the styles of
clothing, they quickly made their selection and Vegeta paid for everything.
Sitting at an eatery with their bundles of clothing awkwardly piled on their
feet, they concluded that the local cuisine was as limited as the local fashion
styles. There were only a few varieties of greens and even fewer choices of
meats. The greens were all cooked in the same way; stir- fried in a huge pan
with a bit of spices and condiments and the meat was simply grilled over a
large fire. It wasn’t too bad though, relatively cheap and they bought a lot to
bring back to the ship. Anything was a welcome change over the processed food
they have been consuming for the past 8 months, barring the wonderful week they
had spent at NV, or what they affectionately called New Vegetasei.
-----
Goku looked up hopefully as a pair of dusty, tired males trooped into the ship.
The door hissed close behind them as father and son followed the tall Saiyan to
the kitchen. Goten quickly exited from the training room when he felt their ki
and headed towards the kitchen as well.
“Feh. What a waste of time.” Vegeta poured himself a cold drink before pulling
off his scouter and dropping it on the table.
Trunks reached for the jug. “Not really, we did find out a promising lead.”
“Hn.” The surly prince scowled and crossed his arms. They had taken turns to
leave each day, walking around and generally looking for any information on
rebel activity. It turned out harder than they thought and they had already
spent a month on the dusty, hot planet. Vegeta in particular was feeling
extremely bad-tempered and irritated. As the only one in the group with
experience dealing with foreign cultures, he had been out every day for the
first two weeks until he trusted the others to move out on their own. Usually
however, it was just the ouji and son team. Goku and Goten were a bit too
innocent and not as shrewd; Vegeta shuddered at the thought of sending the two
Sons alone.
“There’s a bar near the outskirts of town. The interesting thing about the
place is that it is not one of the establishments operated by the ice-jins, and
it is rumored that all sorts of characters meet there.” At his father’s rolled
eyes, Trunks snorted. “It is a better lead than anything we have come up with so
far.”
“We’ll go tonight.” The prince stood up, intending to have a shower.
“All of us?” Goten spoke up.
The prince considered for a moment before nodding.
-----
As night fell, the four Saiyans left the diner where they had taken their
dinner and headed for the bar. All were dressed in cream colored loose shirts,
tucked into fitting rough leather pants and knee high boots. The sandy grounds
of the desert like world harbored all sorts of vicious crawling insects which
left nasty bites and they were now mindful to keep their hardy high boots on
when they left the ship. While Vegeta chose a matching black vest to team with
his black pants, Goku had on a warmer jacket. The boys were dandily attired
billowing in tan trench coats and Trunks had tied his shoulder-length hair back
in a ponytail.
The bar was small and dimly lit. Music that seemed to be composed only of slow
drumbeats helped mask hushed conversations. As they entered, a hush fell
momentarily over the establishment as wary eyes and noses took stock of the
strangers but the patrons quickly turned back to their own business. The
Saiyans found a small table at the corner of the room and seated themselves
such that all four could observe the activity in the bar. When their drinks
arrived, Trunks took out a small bottle from his deep pockets and dropped a
small pill in each of their drinks. It was a standard practice Vegeta had
insisted on. There were two compounds in the small pill; one will neutralize
the alcohol and the other will turn the drink a bright red if there are any
known toxins present.
The four had been sitting there quietly for about 10 minutes when a tall
blue-skinned figure approached them. “Vegeta?”
All four tensed slightly and Vegeta shot a glare at the stranger. “How do you
know my name?”
The stranger stepped nearer to the dim light that hung over the table, flicking
a long sea-green braid over his shoulder. Vegeta widened his eyes and to the
others’ surprise, broke into a knowing smirk. “Zarbon.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for information.” The prince stated bluntly.
Zarbon hesitated for a moment, then smiled, holding out a hand. “Dance with
me?”
Vegeta looked piercingly into the other’s green eyes, trying to gauge his
intention. Apparently satisfied, he got up and followed the taller male. The
others stared, stunned. Goku in particular was writhing in jealousy.
/Kakarotto, Zarbon’s an old friend. He won’t say anything in front of the
rest of you because he doesn’t trust you and it is harder to be overheard when
we are dancing./ Vegeta’s explanation did little to reassure him however,
as he continued to stare balefully at the handsome blue-skinned alien. Zarbon
was as tall as Goku and well-built, his muscular figure obvious under the
fitting fuchsia leather vest and pants ensemble. A few pieces of jewelry
adorned his bare arms and a striking orb was centered on his smooth brow with a
thin chain.
The normally placid Saiyan nearly jumped out of his seat in anger when Zarbon
wrapped his arms around *his* mate’s slim waist as the two swayed to the slow,
hypnotic music. The boys were alarmed at the low growls rumbling from the
seething Saiyan and Goten placed a soothing hand on his father’s shoulder. Goku
tried to relax and nearly succeeded until Zarbon leaned forward to whisper in
the prince’s ear. “Dad!! Don’t draw attention to ourselves!!” Goten hissed in
alarm as the two boys moved to sandwich the furious Saiyan.
“That male in the brown jacket seems very possessive of you.” Zarbon whispered
slyly.
Vegeta smirked, his arms also wrapped around his old friend and ex-lover’s
waist. “Of course. He is my Mate.”
Zarbon looked down and examined the scar on the prince’s neck. “Ah, yes. You’ve
explained that to me before. Is he a Saiyan then? How ever did you meet him?”
“Hn. In fact, he is Radditz’s younger brother.”
Zarbon gave a rich chuckle. “Does he know about your past with Radditz then?”
Vegeta shifted uncomfortably. “Not really.”
“Secrets from your Mate Vegeta?” Zarbon tsked.
“He’s too innocent.” Vegeta warned the smirking alien. “He was raised on Earth,
he never knew what I went through. Neither do I intend to tell him, more for
his sake than my own.”
Zarbon gave a soft, mocking laugh at that reminder then the two fell silent for
a while as they moved slowly to the beat. “I had no choice you know. Frieza
damn near chewed my head off for not making sure I killed you and I had to go
back to get you. But it wasn’t a coincidence that I left you alone in the
regeneration tank with only that weak technician.”
“I know. And I appreciate it. I see you managed to survive the fall into the
lake.” Vegeta smirked. The two fell silent again as old memories flooded back.
They were secret friends when they were under Freiza together, and occasionally
lovers. Knowing that they might have to be forced against each other one day,
they made a pact. And both had kept their word as far as they could. Zarbon
left Vegeta in the lake after their first fight and helped to distract Frieza
and get the ice-jin out of the regeneration tank room. Vegeta was normally
paranoid about leaving his enemies alive, usually preferring to fry them with a
ki blast to ensure that they are absolutely dead but he left Zarbon after
hitting him into the lake.
“So what brings you to this dustball?” Zarbon leaned closer Vegeta’s ear.
“I’ve heard news about surviving Saiyans. I’ve also heard about the rebel
forces against the ice-jins.” Zarbon stiffened slightly and Vegeta picked it
up. “You know something, don’t you?”
“Tell me first. Where is your alliance? What is your goal?” Zarbon hissed.
“I am the Saiyan no Ouji.” Vegeta gave a harsh laugh. “Where do you think my
alliance lies? I came to pick up the remnants of my race, to rebuild my race. I
also share your hatred of the ice-jins.”
“So you have come to help us?” Zarbon snorted. “I must warn you, we are
fighting a losing battle.”
“But it is a worthy battle.” Vegeta smirked. “So you admit, you are involved
with the rebels.” He gave a confident laugh. “I have gotten much stronger since
we last met. And my mate is even stronger than me.”
“I’m sure you are.” Zarbon grinned. This was the confident ouji he knew.
“How did you get involved with the rebels anyway?”
An ironic snort. “Since you ‘killed’ me, I cannot exactly
return to any ice-jin employment. However, once I had my freedom of sorts – if
you can call it that, hiding on the run – I met up with some Saiyans who had
also escaped. One thing led to another and …”
Zarbon fell silent, thinking. Finally he replied. “I will bring you to the
rebels. 10 minutes after I leave the bar, follow me. You can track ki right?”
“Hn.”
Zarbon pressed closer to the lithe prince, a naughty smirk playing across his
lips. “How about a kiss, for old time’s sake?”
Vegeta smirked back. “If you dare. Kakarotto will tear you from limb to limb.”
Zarbon sighed sadly. “Ah, you Saiyans are so possessive. Radditz was just as
bad and you two weren’t even mated! Though once he loosened up, he was pretty
good. Are you sure I can’t interest you two in a threesome? If he’s Radditz’s
brother, he should be really hot in bed… “
Vegeta growled warningly as Zarbon laughed again.
The four Saiyans flew slowly through the night air, following Zarbon’s ki. Goku
flew beside Vegeta, uncertainty and jealousy boiling within him. Vegeta had
briefly explained about Zarbon when he came back to the table but Goku could
tell that the prince was deliberately leaving things out about Zarbon. Vegeta
had said that they were good friends when they were under Frieza but ‘good
friends’ don’t dance so closely! Goku’s hands fisted in anger. The way they
swayed closely spoke of ease of close contact and familiarity, and Vegeta is
not the gregarious social type. He had not missed the way their arms wrapped
intimately around each other, Zarbon’s arms tightening and drawing *his* mate
close to him at one point, nor their easy manner and light chuckles. Goku
swallowed nervously. What if… Zarbon had been more than a good friend?
/Kakarotto… Zarbon knows that we are mates./
Vegeta could feel the jealously rolling off his mate.
Unfortunately, that simple statement which was meant to reassure Goku only set
him off even further. That onore KNEW that they were mates and still kept up
those teasing touches??
They spotted Zarbon standing beside a cliff and landed softly near him. The
tall figure slipped in between the boulders, motioning the others to follow.
The pile of boulders at the cliff base cleverly hid the narrow entrance to a
cave. The narrow passageway was dark but the small ki ball Zarbon held and
their keen senses were sufficient. The passageway branched out a few times,
leading to a maze of paths but their guide led them unerringly. Suddenly, they
turned into a dead end. Zarbon rapped the stone wall sharply, flaring his ki
signature briefly.
The natural looking wall swung inwards to reveal two males. One was a
red-skinned bald alien and the other was definitely a Saiyan, his spiky black
hair and features giving him away. A glance at his waist revealed a brown tail
in confirmation. Both were dressed in a rag-tag mixture of spandex and the
local fashion of loose shirts and leather. The young Saiyan also had on
battered body armor.
The two guards stared suspiciously at the strangers and Zarbon explained in
hurried, low tones. The Saiyan gasped at the mention of Vegeta’s name and
holding up a ki ball of his own, stared at the prince for a moment before
kneeling submissively, his head bowed. “Ouji-sama.”
“Get up.” Vegeta smirked, pleased at the show of respect. “What is your name?”
“Kon, ouji-sama.” The Saiyan guard kept his head bowed even as he got up,
trembling slightly.
Zarbon led them into a large room, carved into natural rock. There were a few
more aliens in the room, all who jumped to wary alert as the strangers came in.
A tall, swarthy Saiyan stepped forward, frowning. Dressed in loose leather
trousers and worn battle armor, his face and bare arms were scarred from
numerous past fights and his wild black mane was caught up in a thick tail with
a piece of leather. “Zarbon, what is the meaning of this?”
“Gion, this is Prince Vegeta.” Some eyes widened at the mention of Vegeta’s
name but all kept quiet as Zarbon related how he met Vegeta. Vegeta then took
over, briefly explaining how and why he came.
“So you have come to aid in our fight?” Gion was slightly skeptical but kept
his tone respectful. All Saiyans have heard of Prince Vegeta but many believed
him to be dead, killed by Frieza. Still, he was glad that the ouji came; it was
a good omen and would inspire the Saiyan fighters especially. He had also heard
that the ouji had a very high power level even as a chibi. As the ouji, Vegeta
would also have tactical training and experience, a definite asset to the
guerillas.
“Hai. This is my son, Trunks. That brat beside him is his mate.” Vegeta
smirked, introducing his companions in turn. He turned to Goku, wrapping a tail
possessively around the taller Saiyan’s waist. “And this is Kakarotto, MY
mate.”
There were a few startled gasps and Zarbon spoke up curiously. “If Kakarotto is
your mate… er… how is Trunks your son? And I thought all Saiyans have black
hair?”
“Kakarotto is not my first mate.” The prince’s eyes clouded over briefly with
sadness, his brows pulled together in a frown. “Trunks’ mother was not a
Saiyan. She was a human.”
“A half-breed!” Gion blurted out, shocked.
Trunks bristled at the comment but before he could say anything, his father
snapped angrily. “He may be a half-breed but he is MY son. His power level
surpassed mine when I was at his age!” Trunks felt his heart swell with pride
at his father’s defense; praise from his father was rare. In fact, when he was
much younger, he had despaired of even getting his father to notice his
existence, much less acknowledge him.
Gion stuttered an apology as Vegeta glared at him. “Tell me more about the
rebels. Who is in charge?” Vegeta ordered imperiously.
Zarbon grinned at Vegeta. “Ah, we don’t have a strict hierarchy here but Gion
and I are in charge.”
Vegeta stared at his old friend for a while before bursting out in loud laughter.
“You? You were one of Frieza’s most trusted and elite fighters!”
Zarbon huffed in mock anger. “It’s called a survival tactic.”
“Bootlicker.” Vegeta shot back, smirking.
“Troublemaker.”
“Pretty boy.”
Zarbon glared at the amused prince for a while before breaking out in a grin.
“Ah, it’s good to see you again Vegeta.” Walking over to the large table in the
middle of the room, he beckoned the others to follow him. “Come here, I’ll
update you all on what’s happening.”
A large computer screen was set in the table and Zarbon tapped a panel on the
side of the screen. A picture of the current solar system they were in appeared
on the darkened screen. Pointing to a small blue planet at the edge of the
system, he explained as the view zoomed in. “That is Coolant51. It is in a
militarily strategic location and its main purpose is that of a defense
outpost. Much of the troops and weaponry in this sector is located on this
planet; if we secure this planet, we have more or less secured this solar
system. We have managed to infiltrate through the planetary defenses and
establish a small base there but we have not dared to launch an attack on the
ice-jin bases yet.”
The screen zoomed even further on the snow-covered planet, showing the images
of a large military base. “There are four of these, positioned around the
planet. We have to take these out all at the same time but we lack the manpower
to do so. We have enough people to attack maybe two bases at the same time.
However, that would give the other two bases not time to prepare but also to
call for reinforcements from off-planet.”
Vegeta studied the images on the screen intently. “How many fighters do you
estimate to be stationed in each base?”
“As the main purpose of this planet is that of a defense outpost and stopover,
there are only about thirty, at most forty personnel at each base. Some would
be technicians whose main job is to man the planetary weaponry, but the tricky
bit is to secure the base before distress calls can be patched out for
reinforcements.”
Trunks grinned confidently. “What do you think dad? Can we take them out?”
Zarbon laughed condescendingly. “Boy, you expect to take out one base by
yourself?”
“No, Kakarotto and I will be able to take out one base by ourselves. Each. The
boys will team up to take out the third base, leaving the fourth base for your
fighters.” Vegeta smirked, his arms crossed in his characteristic pose. Behind
him, Goku, Trunks and Goten grinned confidently.
Zarbon gaped at the Saiyans’ audacity. “Vegeta, I know you are more powerful
than me, but *really*.” The tall blue-skinned fighter drawled sarcastically.
Vegeta inclined a head towards Goku. “The rumors that Frieza was killed by a
Super Saiyan? They’re true; Kakarotto killed that bastard. And since then, we
have discovered more levels to Super Saiyan. Kakarotto would have beaten
Coolant easily, even in that ice-jin’s final form, had that coward not
escaped.”
The Saiyans in the room gaped at the mention of the Super Saiyan legend. “All
four of you… are Super Saiyans?” Gion asked in open awe.
“You are stronger than Coolant?” Zarbon was flabbergasted. The tall blue
beautiful fighter did a good job of imitating a landed fish as his mouth opened
and closed a few times before he recovered enough to speak again. “Well! That
would really put a kink in the ice-jins’ defenses!” He smiled broadly. “When
are you ready to move out?”
-----
Vegeta lay curled asleep that night, his breathing deep and even. Beside him,
Goku laid on his back, unable to sleep, his mind filled with jumbled thoughts.
On one hand, he was truly happy that they have found the rebels. He initially
came along on the trip mainly for Vegeta but the more he talked to the rebels,
the more he felt it was the right thing to do. The Saiyan warrior in him would
not also deny that he was feeling excited about the planned assault on
Coolant51 in two days time.
On the other hand, he can’t help this feeling of insecurity that was growing
within him. After they flew back to retrieve their ship, as they would be
moving to the rebels’ quarters, Vegeta had spent much of his time closeted with
the Zarbon and Gion, planning out the details of the attack. Goku and the boys
had stayed in the room with them but they had little to add to the discussion.
Goku reasoned that he should not have felt surprised; after all, the Saiyan no
Ouji would be expected to be competent in military strategy. Still, he was
starting to feel left out and stupid. His previous battles on Earth had been
pretty straightforward; basically him versus the singular enemy. He had no
experience with multiple troops nor weaponry.
Goku turned onto his side restlessly, sighing softly. That was the main reason
for his insomnia – he was starting to feel insecure. About himself and about
Vegeta. He knew he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and had always
laughed off his friends’ jokes about it, but deep down inside, it had hurt a
little. It hadn’t really mattered much in his previous battles, which largely
boiled down to a matter of brute strength in a one-to-one fight but this
current situation was something different. And for once, he was not the one
everyone looked to save the day. Left out. Was he jealous? Was this how the
other Z sensei felt? Was this how Vegeta always felt?
Another issue that was making him feel uncomfortable was the reactions of the
rebels they met. Goku was still suspicious and jealous of Zarbon; Zarbon was
much like 17, witty and urbane. Something Goku knew he wasn’t.
While Goku had been pleased to meet the other Saiyans, he
was less than pleased with their reactions towards the prince. They were all
profoundly respectful and he had noticed more than one speculative look at the
handsome prince. He was more than a little curious though; Vegeta had not met
any of the other Saiyans before, yet they have not only heard of him but were
in awe. Vegeta must have done something to merit that respect and loyalty,
perhaps he would ask Gion the next day. Would Vegeta lose interest in him now
that they are not the last two full-blooded Saiyans?
Goku nuzzled his face in Vegeta’s midnight locks, inhaling the musky fragrance
that was the prince, as he threw a possessive arm around the smaller figure.
Yet Vegeta had proudly and openly announced that they were mated. Perhaps he
was simply being a baka, as his caustic mate had remarked often. Perhaps he was
just jealous for no rational reason. He drifted off into an uneasy slumber.
Chapter 10: Momo
A small decrepit ship flew closer to the ice-blue planet and stopped. “Ok, any
closer and we would be detected by those sensors.” Gion pointed at the small
satellites that hovered around the planet in geostationary orbit. “From here,
we will have to fly in under our own power.”
The assorted fighters, dressed warmly in thick fur-lined jackets and pants, stood
in the hanger strapping on their breathing apparatus. At Gion’s signal, they
set up a ki shield around themselves protecting themselves form the bitter cold
vacuum of space. Large metal doors hissed open and the rebels drifted down
towards the planet, using the barest minimum ki to propel themselves in order
to avoid detection from the sensors. At the speed they were falling, they
should only register as space debris that regularly rains onto any planet.
Once past the stratosphere Gion led the way unerringly. Vegeta idly wondered
how he knew the way. From their vantage, the terrain was a white smooth
blanket, the relief occasionally broken by bumps and dips that were the
mountains and valleys. Coolant51 was the furthest inhabitable planet away from
the sun and temperatures on the frigid planet stayed well below the freezing
point of water. Hence security on the ground level was low; nobody was expected
to actually be able to land and survive long in the bleak snow- and ice-covered
landscape. Although Coolant51 was far away from the sun, the light levels on
the planet were almost comparable to that on Earth due to the reflection from
the snow.
Vegeta broke out of his reverie as Gion’s voice came over their scouters,
announcing that they were almost there. They landed on top of one mountain and,
almost hidden by the snow-covered craggy rocks, was an entrance to a cave. A
guard stationed at the crevice for their arrival deactivated the force field
that kept the elements out. Stumbling into the warm cave, the rebels quickly
unloaded the supply packs they were carrying and crowded around the radiators
in the middle of the cave to warm their frozen bodies.
The cave was spacious enough for the advance scouting party of five but, with
the arrival of almost twenty more fighters, it became quite cramped. However,
nobody was complaining as the extra bodies meant more heat in the frigid
conditions. Zarbon quickly brought the five scouts up to date on the four
Saiyans’ arrival and the planned assault.
Pulling out a map, the head of the scouting party reported in greater detail
what they had found out about the bases. A pretty, petite Saiyan with wavy
black locks that fell to her waist, Momo initially seemed like a giddy female,
hardly what one would expect to be a scout leader, but she quickly became
serious as she settled down to business.
“The bases are all built on the same design. The perimeter defense control room
is here, the planetary weaponry systems room is beside it, and the
communications room is here.” She pointed to marked places on the map. “The
barracks are located a distance away on the other side of the base.”
Zarbon frowned at the map. “We don’t have enough manpower to take out all three
at the same time…”
“We don’t have to.” Vegeta cut in. “We only need to secure the communications
room first. Since we will already be inside the base, we need not worry about
perimeter defense or the planetary weaponry yet. Once we have taken out the
communications, we can then quickly move to lock down the perimeter and
planetary defense before the troops can react. These three rooms are located in
close proximity while the barracks is located on the other side of the base.”
Gion nodded. “It’s a good plan. Once we secured the bases…”
“It will be quite simple to reconfigure the planetary defense systems. It
should take only a few days to reset the recognition systems and passwords,
provided the ice-jins do not attack in the meantime.” Momo stated confidently.
“That’s why it is vitally important that we secure the outgoing communications
systems.”
“Won’t the ice-jins be suspicious if there are no messages or updates in the
meantime?” Trunks broke in.
Momo shook her head. “We have been monitoring the subspace communications for
the past month and it appears that they only report once every week. Their last
update was today.”
“All right then. How shall the attack parties be divided?” Zarbon looked wryly
at the eager Saiyans. “I know you four can probably take out three bases by
yourselves but you will require a guide in.” He looked pointedly at the scouts.
“I can escort Prince Vegeta in!” Momo smiled brightly at the scowling ouji.
“Just don’t get in my way, onna.”
Momo nodded cheerfully. “Oh no, I’m not really a good fighter. My main area of
expertise is in computers. I’ll secure the systems while you keep everyone off
my back!” She scooted closer to the prince, batting her long lashes.
“…” Vegeta stared wide-eyed at the beaming female. Goku frowned.
Another Saiyan stepped forward, looking at Goku. “I can show you in. My name is
Koron.” Koron was a tall brawny male with short spiky hair. He cocked his head
in confusion. “Sorry, your name is…”
“My Saiyan name is Kakarotto but on Earth, I was called Goku. You can call me
Goku.” He smiled brightly at Koron, trying hard to ignore the equally bright
smile Momo was bestowing on his mate.
A red-skinned scout with bushy white hair called Janz offered to guide the
demi-Saiyans while the remaining two scouts would lead the fourth party.
-----
After the briefing, which in actuality wasn’t very brief as Gion and Zarbon
drilled the plan over and over again, covering every minute detail that could
possibly go awry, the rebels finally moved out. Vegeta and Goku were given the
bases that were furthest away as they had the instant transmission technique,
so the other two teams moved out first.
Vegeta, Goku, Momo, and Koron sat around the radiators, indulging in a favorite
Saiyan pastime – eating. Momo and Koron were already bundled up in warm
fur-lined suits, but Vegeta and Goku had opted to don their usual fighting gear
as they would probably generate enough body heat from the upcoming fights. Goku
was in his usual blue and orange gi while Vegeta was clad in a black spandex
tank top and leather trousers.
The slight prince shivered again, rubbing his bare arms, more affected by the
cold than his heavier mate, even with his ki raised to keep warm. Grumbling, he
popped open a capsule and rummaged through his pack of clothing, finally
drawing out a pair of long black gloves that reached beyond his elbow. He
pulled them on and fastened the thin buckles on the hem that held the floppy
material in place.
/Very sexy ‘Geta…/ Goku looked at the bad-tempered prince with
amusement.
/Bloody climate… what’s taking the other two parties so long? And how come
you don’t feel cold?/
Goku chuckled and hugged his chilled mate from behind. /Warmer?/
/Hn./ Vegeta sipped his hot cocoa, brows drawn together in irritation
but made no move to pull away from the taller Saiyan.
The scouts looked at the pair with open curiosity. Zarbon had introduced them
as mates and, now that they had taken off their coats, they could clearly see
the matching armbands and scars on their necks. The prince had a commanding
presence about him and it wasn’t until he was standing beside his brawnier mate
that they realize how slight he was.
“Tell us more about Super Saiyan…” Momo wondered. “So is it as the legends say?
Your hair turns gold and your eyes become green?”
Goku nodded. “Hai. That’s for the first level. Our hair becomes even lighter
and our muscle mass increase for the second level. In the third level, our hair
grows all the way down our back.”
“There are further levels??” Momo gaped.
“Hai. Our sons can achieve the second level while we can ascend to the forth
level. The fourth level is the most interesting – our hair becomes black again
and red fur grows all over the body. I can’t really explain it, but you will
have a chance to see later.”
Momo fiddled with her scouter for a while. “Ooo… this I’ve got to record.”
Koron shot her an amused look, but set his scouter as well.
“And how do you…” A beeping from their scouters cut off her last question and
the four quickly put away their mugs and food. That was the signal from the
other two groups that they were nearing their destinations.
“See you later!” Momo chirped excitedly, clinging tightly to the prince, as the
pair disappeared.
Goku clapped a hand on the silent Saiyan scout’s shoulder and transmitted out
as well.
-----
Lord Coolant had been in a foul mood since he arrived back on his main base in
a cramped space pod two weeks ago. Messages had been sent out constantly,
summoning all of his top fighters back and production on his space ships had
been sped up. It appeared that he was preparing for a war of sorts. Nobody had
dared questioned him, but one thing for sure, it had something to do with
Saiyans. The ice-jin had been seen raving about the tailed warrior race, and it
was fortunate that there were no Saiyan left in his service.
-----
Appearing a distance away from the ice-jin base, a pair of figures immediately
crouched low and scurried to hide behind the boulders that dotted the
landscape.
“Where’s the secret entrance you mentioned, onna?”
“Over there… Hey! Don’t move so fast!”
Vegeta rolled his eyes in irritation. “Hurry up, onna!” He hissed in an
impatient whisper.
“Excuse me…” Momo huffed as she panted behind him. “It isn’t easy to run in
this outfit, especially with the tools I’m carrying.” She grinned slyly. “Carry
me?”
Vegeta stared at her for a moment, astonished. ~ Is that crazy onna *flirting* with me? ~ He mentally shook his head. ~ No way, she knows I’m mated. ~
“I’m only doing this because it’s faster, get it?” Grumbling, he stopped and Momo gleefully leapt onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck as her lean legs fastened securely around his waist.
As he started to run again, the female scout leaned her head forward, warm breath tickling his ear lobe.
-----
“Does Momo have a mate?” Goku tried to ask nonchalantly as the two tall fighters jogged to their destination.
Koron grinned. The quiet scout had not missed the scowl the normally cheerful Earth-raised Saiyan directed towards the chirpy Saiyan female before they left. “No, she’s not. Don’t worry, Momo’s like that – she’s an incorrigible flirt. She knows you and Prince Vegeta are mated.”
-----
Vegeta began to feel really uncomfortable; the pretty female on his back kept up her assault on his ear, even nuzzling her cold nose into the crook of his neck. Once in a while, she would wriggle slightly and press closer to his back.
“Onna… could you stop that?” He meant to sound irritated but it came out more like a hoarse plea.
Momo gave a wicked smirk. “Stop what?” She squirmed a bit more and rubbed her nose in his hair.
Vegeta was *sure* that crazy female on his back knew exactly what she was doing. “Onna, in case you haven’t notice, I’m already mated.”
“Oh yes, I know.”
“Erm…” Momo was delighted to see an adorable flush creep up the prince’s cheeks. “So could you stop that?”
“Why?”
“Because what you are doing… it’s like you’re interested in me.” The flush deepened.
“I am.” A sharp nip on his ear lobe nearly caused him to stumble.
“NANI?”
“I’ll be frank. You intrigue me. I know I have no chance with you, especially since you are mated. But I would like a chibi from you.”
Vegeta fell flat on his face.
-----
Goku felt the startled shock through their bond. /Vegeta?/
/Not now… No, I’m not in danger. I’ll explain later./ The link was hurriedly cut off, leaving Goku to worry.
-----
“Say again?” Vegeta pushed himself up from the snow.
Momo picked herself up and chuckled at his stunned countenance. “I. Want. Your. Child.”
“What?? Why??” The outraged prince spluttered. “Do you think I’m some sperm bank?”
“You’re royalty. You’ve got good genes. You’re strong, a Super Saiyan four times over. You’ve got looks and brains too.” Momo enumerated calmly.
“Is this some crap about your biological clock ticking?” Vegeta had heard that phrase from Bulma before.
Momo shot him an amused look. “That’s an interesting way to put it, and it is pretty accurate.”
“Why not ask some other male?”
“I like you.”
Vegeta closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. ~ Why me? ~
“Let’s not talk about this now. We’re supposed to be carrying out an attack, not talk about… “ He waved his hand wearily, indicating that she should get on his back again. ~ Why do I care? I should leave this irritating female in the snow. ~
Momo grinned as she hopped on, noting his still crimson cheeks. “All right.”
“And no wriggling. No nuzzling.” A stumble. “No biting either! Or I’ll drop you here!”
Her silvery laughter was lost on the biting cold wind.
A/N: Thanks to chibi_vegeta, Dark Fate & Silmir for beta-reading this chapter!
Chapter 11: The Rebels’ Assault
As they neared the base perimeter, Momo took out a crinkly sheet of silvery
black cloth. “Reflective cloth. It will allow us to pass through the sensors
undetected.” Still on Vegeta’s back, she draped it over herself and the prince.
Silently, he floated them over the tall wall. Security was surprisingly lax.
Once in the compound, Momo got off and kept the cloth. Silently, she led the
way in. There were only two technicians on duty in the communications room,
which wasn’t even locked, and Vegeta took them out without any problem. Momo
quickly got to work, overriding the system and setting up her own passwords.
The entire process took her no more than 10 minutes, and Vegeta could tell by
the competent way she worked that she was almost as adept as his first mate at
mechanical stuff. Locking the door behind them, they made their way to the
defense rooms.
As they ran along the corridor, Vegeta could tell that there were quite a few
ki’s in the defense rooms. He ran the options over in his mind. Should he power
up quietly and try to take them out by stealth? Hm, what about the scouters?
Looks like a full frontal assault. He grinned in hungry anticipation of the
battle ahead, flexing and loosening his muscles.
With a loud yell, he powered up to level 2 and burst the doors inwards with a
burst of ki. Before the stunned fighters in the room could even react, the
golden prince had snapped their necks. Momo blinked in shock, all she saw was a
golden blur, then four slumped bodies.
The explosion of ki had attracted the attention of the troops in the adjoining
room, and three other fighters ran in. Although they were prepared, Vegeta had
no problem taking them out. It was a short, brutal fight. Vegeta was almost disappointed,
but he reminded himself that the priority here was to secure the base.
“Onna… maybe you should close your mouth and get to work on the systems? The
other fighters are coming.” Vegeta rasped, his attention on the doors as he
powered up yet further.
“H..Hai…” Momo stuttered, though she made no movement to turn away. She watched
in fascinated amazement as his hair exploded in a golden mass down his back and
his eyebrows disappeared into ridges. His ki was still skyrocketing, and even
though she had set up a ki shield, she still winced at the tremendous wave of
ki that washed over her. Had her scouter been set on reading ki and not
recording, it would have surely exploded long ago.
His body continued to glow brightly and expand, a image of a golden oozaru
superimposing upon his own body until with a bright flash of golden light, the
figure shrank and coalesced. His hair shrank back and turned black again,
though it now fell in longer locks down his shoulders. His tank top was gone,
and red fur lined his chest and arms. Vegeta smirked and rolled his shoulders,
his tail lashing behind him. ~ Aah… it’s been some time since I’ve last powered
up to this level… I’ve forgot how powerful this level feels… this rush… ~
Interlacing his fingers, he stretched his hands out in front of him, cracking
the joints.
“Maybe you had better take this fight outside… don’t want to damage the
equipment in this room…” Momo finally found her voice. Kami! He looks sooo
delectable in those tight leather pants! And the luscious red fur… She almost purred.
“Hn.” Vegeta turned and cocked his head to one side, and Momo noticed that his
eyes were lined in crimson. It made his already intense cyan eyes look even
more feral, more dangerous. She hurried after the prince as he flew out towards
the approaching ki’s, the defense systems forgotten.
The narrow corridors worked to Vegeta’s favor as it funneled the fighters two
or three at a time. Neatly avoiding (most of) the lashing limbs (and heads and
tails and tentacles), the smirking prince methodically cleared his way through
the melee of fighters. Quite a number of them held weapons as well, but the
small hand held weapons were proved useless. A few fighters left turned tail
and ran back down the corridor and Vegeta flew after them mercilessly. Cowards!
They ran out into a courtyard, and just as he was about to ready a ki blast, a
shimmering net fell around him. The aliens stopped and turned at him. Momo
skidded to a stop in shock and hid in the shadows of the building. Gulping, she
prepared herself to spring to his aid.
“It’s no use struggling! That’s a ki-net.” One of the fighters laughed. “It
will drain you of your ki. And now…” He tapped the metal band on his wrist, and
several large panels on the wall drew back, revealing heavy turret guns that
swiveled in the direction of the still prince.
To their surprise, Vegeta laughed confidently. “Fools. Did you think this would
hold me? Even with my ki sapped, I still possess enough to TEAR this net!” A
loud ripping sound punctuated his words, and the metallic net crackled and
short-circuited as the prince tore it apart.
With a startled yelp of panic, that fighter tapped his band furiously, and the
mounted guns fired rapidly on the slight figure. The barrage continued for a
good few minutes until the batteries were spent. When the debris settled, the
fighters’ mocking laughter died away when Vegeta stepped forth, seemingly
unharmed, just extremely dusty. With a mocking laugh of his own, the smirking
prince let loose a blue wave of ki, incinerating the remaining fighters
instantly.
-----
Goten found himself pressed on both sides as he strove to keep the base
defenders away from the communications room. Some distance away, Trunks was
doing the same for the perimeter and planetary defense system rooms as Janz
worked feverishly in the room to shut down the defenses. They were holding
their own, but tiring rapidly under the barrage of fighters.
Goten had a slightly harder time, as he wasn’t as strong as Trunks. Every hit
scored on Goten caused a wince on his lavender-haired mate; though the
demi-Saiyans do not share as strong a bond as their fathers – they cannot hold
mental conversations, but they can feel emotions and pain through their bond.
Trunks badly wanted to fly to Goten’s side but he cannot leave his position
even for a while. Gritting his teeth, he hoped Goten would be fine.
-----
Zarbon glanced around at the smoking corridors, tapping his scouter to scan for
more life forms. “Looks like this area is cleared.” Gion’s voice came over his
scouter, confirming that they have shut down the defenses.
-----
As Goku quickly mopped up the remaining defenders, a nagging memory played
itself in his mind. When he had burst into the communications room, he managed
to catch the five aliens inside by surprise. However, one of them managed to
hit a button on a panel, and the screen lit up for a moment before Koron lunged
forward to smash the panel. He hoped nothing went wrong.
-----
“Lord Coolant.” One of the faceless, nameless technicians turned nervously to
the scowling ice-jin, inclining his head in fear. “This just came from one of
the bases on Coolant51.”
It was an extremely short transmission. An image of the room in chaos… a
blurred golden figure and slumped bloodied bodies on the floor. Coolant leaned
forward in fascinated anger. “Enlarge on that golden figure.” The image zoomed
in. Coolant stared in anger and shock, even a little fear. The last emotion was
one he was not used to feeling and he tried to mask it under the more familiar
one of rage. That golden figure… that face! It was the golden Saiyan warrior
who had defeated him, humiliated him back some weeks back! He stared in icy
silence at the monitor, the image burning into his mind. The heavy mass of
golden hair, the brow ridges… the blue and orange outfit. That same visage had
haunted him in his sleep ever since his defeat; that of the golden Saiyan
appearing enraged in his space ship right after him. He had vaguely remembered
another golden Saiyan with him, but his anger was focused on the Saiyan which
had *humiliated* him!
“Contact the base.” His voice dripped with icy rage.
“There was no answer.” The technician was trembling in open fear now.
“Mobilize all of the troops that are currently on the base right now. We move
out to Coolant51 tomorrow.”
-----
It was a short and successful assault. The presence of the Super Saiyans and
the speed at which they surprised the troops on the bases turned the battle
overnight into the rebels’ favor. There were some injuries but no casualties.
-----
Goku sighed, feeling useless and bored. Vegeta and Trunks have been cooped up
with Momo and the other scouts, helping to reset the planetary defense systems.
Most of the satellite sensors have already been reconfigured to recognize any
non-rebel troops as hostile, but the weaponry was still off- line as the
reprogramming of that was dependent on the sensors. Walking absently around a
corner, he almost bumped into Gion.
“Gomen!” Goku smiled apologetically. The older Saiyan looked at Goku closely
and grinned. “Bored?”
“Yeah, how did you know? Mind if I talk to you?” Goku fell into step with the
other Siayan.
“Because I am too. Because I know Prince Vegeta has been cooped up in the
computer rooms for the past three days. Because you have BORED written on your
forehead.” The two warriors laughed.
“Gion, can I ask you something?”
“Hm?”
“I don’t understand…” Goku frowned in confusion as he struggled with his words.
“I don’t understand the other Saiyans’ attitude to Vegeta.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you all have never met Vegeta before, yet everyone automatically
accepts him as one of the leaders. Not that I do not respect him, far from
that, but…” Goku recalled the deference Radditz and Nappa had shown the
diminutive and younger prince as well.
Gion stopped in front a window, looking out. Outside, a snow blizzard was
starting to pick up. “How much do you know of our planet’s customs? Of Prince
Vegeta’s past?”
“Very little.” Goku frowned. That had been a sore point in their relationship.
Even though they were now mates and linked mentally, Vegeta remained
close-lipped about his past and kept up strong mental barriers on his memories.
Goku did not dare push his hot-tempered mate about it but he had to admit, he
was extremely curious. “I was raised on Earth, I know almost nothing about
Saiyan customs. And Vegeta does not like to talk about his history.”
Gion continued looking out at the white swirling snow, wondering what he should
or could say. Start with something safe first. “We are respectful of the ouji
because he has earned the title many times over. Saiyan culture can be harsh
and unforgiving, and it is especially so for the royal family. One is not
simply born a prince – one has to earn the title as well. Vegeta passed the
first test when he was born with the highest power level in his generation.
Normally, a Saiyan baby with a weak ki reading is sent off- planet. You can
call it a form of selection. However, among the elites, weak babies are killed
at birth.”
Goku stared at the calm Saiyan, horrified. “You mean they are not even given a
chance?”
“No. The higher one’s class, the higher the expectations. And as the Saiyan no
ouji, Vegeta was constantly trained and tested from birth. There are certain
rites of passages. For example, one is termed S’vaar, or simply Survival, where
the child is left in the jungle and expected to survive on his own for two
weeks. Most undertake that at age five; Prince Vegeta passed that test when he
was three. Another important milestone is K’lur or First Kill, and it has to be
one of the nine designated Large Predators on Vegetasei. I killed my first when
I was seven. Prince Vegeta killed his first during his S’vaar.”
Goku listened in fascinated silence. Vegeta had never mentioned those aspects
of Saiyan culture. However, he did remember Bulma complaining to Chi Chi about
the harsh training Vegeta put chibi Trunks through. Vegeta had even wanted to
bring the boy out for wilderness training but the strong-willed blue-haired
genius put her foot down at that. Now that he thought about it, the tension and
anger at the CC had been palpable during that period.
Gion took a deep breath, hoping the ouji would never find out what he was going
to say next. “But all that was nothing compared to what the prince’s sacrifice.
Frieza had developed an interest in Vegetasei and demanded the young prince as
a hostage. We Saiyans were prepared to fight, but the ouji agreed to Frieza’s
demands. He was only twelve.”
Goku’s chest constricted in agonized sympathy. “Frieza broke that agreement.
Vegeta told me that Frieza destroyed Vegetasei anyway but claimed it was due to
a meteor shower.”
“Many of us guessed as much.” Gion’s jaw clenched in hatred. “Yet what our ouji
did… knowingly going to Frieza… he has earned the title of ouji-sama many times
over.”
“What...?”
Gion turned to look intently into the younger Saiyan. “That part is not mine to
tell. I can only say, my experience as a troop under an ice-jin was an… awful
period in my life. And I was only an anonymous fighter.”
Onto the next part!
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