Chapter Six
The King of Vejiitasei grumbled under his breath as he tapped the communications console with a finger, awaiting a response from his son. "Shirking his duties again…arrogant brat." It was getting late, and the Prince had not properly greeted his guests. Freeza and his aide were surely awaiting the arrival of his son to lead them from the diplomat's quarters to the royal dining hall where the two leaders could discuss trade negotiations over the morning meal. "Hmm. I suppose the Commander could fetch them." Aborting the call to his son, the King pressed a new combination into the console, hoping to reach his son's sensei. As he waited for the call to be patched through, the King idly wondered if Vejiita's defiance was an inherited trait from his mother.
"Yes, my King?" The voice that answered was not that of the Commander, and neither was the face.
"Soldier, what are you doing taking Nappa's communiqué? Aren't you supposed to be off-world with your father or something? Where is the Commander, anyway?" questioned the King.
With his eyes nervously downcast, Radditz hastily cleared his throat, "The Commander is…um…in disposed at the moment."
"Warrior, you are testing my patience. It would be in your best interest not to be cryptic. If I have to beat the information out of a second source, I will be very unhappy, so just say it. Is he out reveling or something?" asked the King, boredly. "Spawning another brat?"
Glancing up at his King, Radditz seemed to decide that whatever or whomever it was that he was covering for, his loyalties rested with Vejiita Ou - not to mention the fact that open defiance could result in his untimely and dishonorable death… Standing at attention and with conviction, Radditz looked into the face of the King and quickly blurted, "Nappa was nearly killed by the Prince. He's in the infirmary."
Vejiita mentally groaned. Even though Nappa was a moron at best and a blathering idiot at worst, he was still the most loyal and dedicated of his subjects; diligent in his duties, even if his mouth did tend to run on. "Very well, warrior. I will see to him later." The King turned away from the console, crossing his arms over his chest. "What am I going to do with him?" he muttered to himself. "I guess I cannot really do anything… The brat's going to do whatever the hell he wants to, is he not? It's not like anyone can stop him - heh, and doesn't he know it! I was never so arrogant. Hmph. He believes he can do anything with no consequences…HA! Soon the little brat will learn, eh? Maybe I should have asked Freeza to beat the snot out of him personally. Or maybe his little blue pet…" The King brought his hand up to his forehead, shielding his eyes as he choked back a laugh. "I can see it now: The strongest Saiyajin in the universe beaten to a bloody pulp by that prissy, effeminate alien that's more afraid of beetles and split-ends than of his own demise. If that would not teach him humility, I do not know what would. Yes, I think I will have a little word with that Zarbon creature over breakfast." Vejiita grinned as he turned back around to find Radditz staring at him blankly.
"My King?"
"Congratulations, warrior. You've been promoted," he replied to his subject's curious glance. "You are to meet the diplomats from the Kold Empire at their quarters and bring them to the royal dining hall at once. You are dismissed." Before he could be questioned, the King hit the disconnect button, effectively ending the communiqué prior to Radditz seeing the red tint that had begun to stain his cheeks. As he left to head to the dining hall, the King reminded himself to order all communications consoles in the palace upgraded for auto-shutoff so that he would be able to talk to himself in peace.
*******
"Kuso…" groaned the Prince to himself as he clambered back through the window to his quarters. Despite Vejiita's immense strength and natural battle capabilities, he always found the wildlife of Vejiitasei unpredictable and often returned from hunting with scores of new injuries. 'Not that any creature could hurt me and get away with it, however,' thought the young prince as he dragged the remains of a half-eaten doubutsu behind him, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. Not wishing to let his kill go to waste, he ordered his confounded bodyguards, who had only just learned of the Prince's disappearance, to store the remains of the creature so that he might have a snack later.
As the guards lumbered the mass of sinew and jagged bone into a storage container and took it to the palace's refectory kitchen, Vejiita regarded his quarters. "Hmm… I wonder what Freeza's ship is like. I cannot imagine it being much different from any other warship," he mused as he ran his fingers lightly over many artifacts he had acquired over his lifetime on Vejiitasei. An epaulette from the uniform of the first brigadier general of the Saiyajin armed forces, handed down to him from his father's father, Vejiita Ou VIII. The Utsukushii Stone; a part of the royal treasury since the time of the first Vejiita, the stone was given to the firstborn son of the royal family on his naming day and was to bring good fortune and strength for the next generation. The fragment of an ancient chestplate, taken from the body of the first commander to lead his troupes on a successful off-world purge, a glimpse into the storied heritage of the Saiyajin people.
Walking to the small desk in the corner of his room and opening the bottom drawer, he reached in and pulled out the only piece of his history he truly valued. Limp, pale, and thin, aged beyond its years from countless hours of being held and wondered at, even admired, Vejiita stroked the soft fur almost lovingly. "I cannot take you with me," he whispered to the small bundle as if expecting it to whine in protest. "But I cannot have anyone find you, either." Carrying the treasure to his bathing chambers and finding a blade, the Prince carefully cut a segment from the heirloom and placed it into a small storage case, ki-welding it to a thin chain which he wore around his neck under his garments.
Checking that the bodyguards were still away attending to his kill, Vejiita crept back into his bedchambers, the small furry object peeking out from his cradled arms. Walking to the balcony and raising his softly glowing hands, he watched as his most prized possession was engulfed in bright red flames within the crucible of his fingers. The smell of singed hair and charred flesh was enough to make someone of a lower class retch, but Vejiita never flinched from the smell or the pain. He simply watched in a revered silence as the blaze incinerated it, turning it to a stinging ash in his blistered hands. Looking up to gaze over his city, Vejiita turned his hands to the wind, letting it carry the remains to wherever it deemed appropriate.
"Goodbye mother."
*******
"I do believe our host is late, Zarbon," remarked the small alien to his aide. "I suppose it is understandable that such primitives would not be able to tell time properly. It is a wonder they are even coherent."
Zarbon could tell his master was quickly losing his patience. Not that that was anything new. Though Freeza was a master of long, drawn-out mind games, sometimes spanning many years, his patience with insubordination and those he deemed inferior...which was just about everyone...was almost non-existent. Zarbon went to tap his scouter for any sign of an escort.
"By the way...how did you sleep last night, young Zarbon? Well?" asked Freeza with a sly grin. "I do hope the Saiyajin woman was to your liking. I hear Vejiita picked her out himself."
Zarbon could not mistake the innuendo laced in his master's words. Freeza knew that such banter ruffled him, but showing his unease would only prolong the taunting. "She is very well trained in her duties, my lord. I slept like an akambou."
"Well, she must have been very good for you to have already picked up her language. To think, linking yourself to her in a mere evening.... You've been in my service for gods knows how long, and I don't once recall your utterance of my native tongue," the pale alien quipped.
"I apologize, Lord Freeza. I am versed in many languages, including your own. It is something I research prior to missions. However, I was never able to master the enunciation of your particular dialect, and I did not want to offend." Zarbon was never quite sure when Freeza was simply enjoying friendly banter or when he was seriously miffed. The alien's cool features rarely betrayed his true feelings. Zarbon oft times felt it was a saving grace that he was able to come up with eloquent recantations whenever necessary...no matter if they were warranted or not. Better to humble oneself for nothing than to be nothing.
"I see. Well, I do suppose it is difficult for one who was not brought up with it." The alien tilted his head in the direction of Zarbon's scouter. "Picking up anything yet?"
"There seems to be some miscommunication among the ranks," stated Zarbon, turning his head down the hallway as he stared through the lens. "Looks like there might be a fight…" As Freeza angled his neck to glance down the hall, a great explosion sounded in the distance, followed by a nearing stream of guttural curses as a large smoking body flew towards them.
"Oh my."
The tall Saiyajin hefted himself off the ground with as much dignity as he could muster, his long hair left smoldering in the wake of whatever had befallen him in his encounter down the corridor. Zarbon watched as the scouter fed him readings consistent with a low-ranking warrior. "I'm guessing the palace guards were less than happy about this creature's clearance. It appears we're down to a last-resort."
"Better than nothing, I suppose," Freeza mused. Smiling, he turned to the large Saiyajin who had tried to make himself as presentable as possible, taking special care to douse the remnants of tiny embers in his spiky hair. "Warrior, state your name and purpose."
Blinking, the startled soldier stammered out after some seemingly endless minutes, "Radditz, son of Bardock. I'm here to escort you to the royal dining hall on orders of his highness, Vejiita Ou."
"Ah yes, your father is making quite a name for himself, young Radditz. I can see that you are also quickly moving up the ranks. From what my aide tells me, your comrades are not taking well to your current status."
Turning up his nose in derision, Radditz snorted. "Hmph, those bakayaro… Just jealous that I have an important job while they're going to spend the rest of their lives standing next to doors barely able to stay awake." The Saiyajin stood there gritting his teeth in a feral snarl aimed down the hallway to his distant attackers. "Out of line morons…I have orders from the KING!" he shouted at them, his hands balled into fists, ignorant of his audience.
"Zarbon, do calm the boy down," Freeza remarked to his assistant with a smirk.
"Gladly, my lord." Flaring his ki, Zarbon watched in amusement as Radditz's scouter blew up over his face. Wincing slightly and blinking the smoke from his eyes, Radditz glared at the tall blue alien a moment before remembering who the dignitaries were and his duty to them. "Soldier, I believe you have a job to do that doesn't involve a midmorning brawl with your superiors. I suggest you get to it before I finish what they started."
Audibly swallowing, Radditz hastily bowed before them, "M-my apologies, my lords. P-please, this way." Turning on his heel, he started walking back from where he came, not even waiting for them to follow.
"I do believe you frightened the poor lad, Mr. Zarbon. Good work. Now let's get going before the soldier meets up with his friends again. I'd hate to have to personally break them apart. We've wasted enough time as it is and I'm famished. Saiyajin food is some of the best in the universe, you know."
"With how I've heard they eat, it's a miracle there is any food on this misbegotten mudball," mumbled Zarbon as he followed his liege through the corridor.
*******
Reaching the royal dining hall, Radditz moved aside and bowed to let the foreign dignitaries pass. "Representatives from the Kold Empire: Lords Freeza and Zarbon, my King." Glancing up from his revered stance, he watched as the pale aliens moved across the room to sit at the large table in the center. As Vejiita Ou took his own seat, Radditz went to take his leave, hoping to return to his post in Nappa's quarters before the Prince returned from wherever he was and thought him to be disregarding his new job as the Commander's nursemaid.
"Son of Bardock, come join us, will you?" queried a deep voice from behind him. Turning, he saw Freeza nod to him with a small smile; the King rising from his seat and motioning him over to the table. "After all, you have performed your duties far better than that brat of mine. Come, then, and take his place." Dumbfounded, Radditz questioningly pointed to himself. "Yes, you, Radditz. Freeza wishes it. He tells me you performed your task admirably."
"S-sir, I would be honored…b-but I was ordered by the P-Prince to watch over Nappa and I…" Stammering before greatness. Wonderful. If it wasn't bad enough being entrusted with duties far above his station, he had to be rewarded for them as well. Things were so much easier off-world. At least there he was just expected to blow things up. That he could do. This diplomacy crap was beyond him. And now every single elite was going to be on him, daring him to fail…and most likely trying to make him do so.
"Nonsense. If my son has a problem with your sharing the morning meal with us, then he can take it up with me personally. Now, come sit." As Radditz walked over to the table, Vejiita Ou guided him around to the Prince's seat at the King's immediate right. Hesitantly sitting down in the surprisingly comfortable chair, Radditz made note of his surroundings, sure that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The servants busied themselves with the preparation and presentation of the meal and various high-ranking officials and dignitaries from the four corners of Vejiitasei were talking amongst themselves, an occasional scrutinizing glare cast in his direction. Taking it all in, Radditz nearly missed the King addressing him. "Tell me, young Radditz. Why has my son deemed you to be the Commander's babysitter?"
Breaking his gaze from the splendors around him, he turned to face the proud, regal leader. "He thought I would be able to teach the Commander some manners. I guess his injuries were in large part due to impertinence."
"My son…thinks Nappa has no manners?" the King snorted in amusement. "Surely you are joking! That brat of mine is the one who needs to learn etiquette. Freeza, are you hearing this? The hypocrisy of it all." Radditz stared blankly at his king, who was at this point laughing uproariously along with a good portion of the dignitaries in attendance. Radditz glanced briefly in the direction of Freeza and his aide. While his tall assistant seemed ignorant of the clamor about them, greedily gorging himself on a red gelatin concoction, Freeza merely sat with a relaxed smile on his face…gradually forming into an amused smirk as his eyes drifted to meet Radditz's stare. Radditz felt his stomach turn at the tyrant's leer and quickly looked away, only to find the gaze of a seething Prince upon him from the room's entrance.
"Kuso…."
*******
"Ah, it's about time you joined us, brat!" chuckled the King. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show. I hope you do not mind, but we have guests this morning." His father motioned at the place to his right – HIS place. Glaring at its current occupant, Vejiita felt a small twinge of amusement at the look on Radditz's features. He considered keeping his burning gaze on Bardock's son to see if the man would indeed wet himself, but thought better of it, reminding himself that it was surely not the warrior's personal desire to be in his current predicament. No, this was definitely his father's doing. The brief mirth at Radditz's fear quickly drained from Vejiita's face to be replaced by contempt and loathing.
"You'll have to pull up a chair, my boy," mocked the King with a wry grin. "There doesn't appear to be any more room for you." By now, the other occupants of the dining hall had quieted and were watching the Prince warily. They were not stupid. Vejiita's temper tantrums did not often leave witnesses. But as the Heir prepared to deliver a scathing retort, he felt his breath leave him as if he had been struck in the back. Wincing slightly as he struggled to return the air to his lungs, he looked around his person. Finding no assailant with a deathwish about him, he glanced in the direction of the alien dignitaries. The ever-oblivious Zarbon was stuffing his face, but his master, the smaller creature…Freeza…was staring at him with a wide grin.
'He did not even leave his seat. Shimatta. He…he did not even touch me,' thought the stunned Prince. A sudden movement from the corner of his vision caught Vejiita's attention. A very blue-faced Radditz had left the spot to the right of his father and was now genuflect before him, stammering incoherently. Vejiita could feel the corners of his mouth twist into an incensed sneer; his eyebrows lower into an even deeper scowl. Unbidden, the Prince felt a great abhorrence to the man well up inside him. Glaring at his father, Vejiita spoke tersely to Bardock's son, ordering him back to the Commander's quarters. When Radditz did not immediately turn tail and run, the Prince barked at him for an explanation.
"I-I must apologize, my Prince. His Highness, Vejiita Ou, insisted I stay for the morning meal and has not yet dismissed me to return to my duties under you."
Chuckling heartily, the King stared right back at Vejiita. "Do be a bit kinder to my guests, brat. There will be plenty of time for him to cower at your feet later. As for now, I suggest you get used to him. You shall be accompanying him on a little trip, after all."
Vejiita visibly paled, yet never dropped his stern countenance as his eyes darted towards Freeza. 'What is could my father be thinking?! He cannot send me on some moronic errand now! I do not have time for his little mind games, either! Freeza will surely have my tail if there are any more delays…Kuso, I cannot do this now!' the Prince thought frantically to himself. Taking a moment to steady his voice before he stammered like the commoner still on bended knee, he glanced once more to the alien tyrant, trying to piece out his current mood. Finding no emotion other than slight amusement in the alien's cold grin, he decided to play it by ear.
"Trip?"
"Why, yes. You remember yesterday, ne? When you met Lord Freeza and…" he queried with an amused snort as he glanced over to the dignitaries and found Freeza's aide to be poking at the centerpiece with a knife, "…Lord Zarbon?"
"Sir!" exclaimed a startled and flushed Zarbon, springing to attention as he kept peering over to the table.
"Zarbon," Freeza softly chided. "Please pay attention."
The tall alien blushed deeper and lowered his voice, "But it bit me, sir."
"It is Saiyajin, young Zarbon. These things happen. You must always be on your guard," stated Freeza, trying to keep his laughter at bay, "even at meals."
"Yes…Anyway, brat," the King continued, "You have been slacking off, as I'm sure you are aware. I will not have the Heir to MY throne unprepared, let alone boorish and uncouth."
Vejiita stared, slack-jawed, at his father. He was being publicly ridiculed? In front of peasants, no less?! He was more civilized than three-quarters of all of Vejiitasei! Well…more like seven-eighths… How DARE he be insulted like this?! Vejiita could feel a small tremor and a low rumble surround him and briefly wondered if there was supposed to be any seismic activity forecast for the area. Finally realizing that he was the source of both phenomena, as his vision had started to blur from the haze of his own ki charging, Vejiita consciously made an effort to calm himself before the palace fell down around him.
Apparently quite aware of Vejiita's distress at the insult, the King resumed his speech with a mocking smirk plastered on his face. "Therefore, I am sending you on a sort of training mission. You are to accompany young Radditz here and learn from his example. He is now in charge of revising and finalizing the trade agreement between the Kold and Saiyajin Empires."
Vejiita glared daggers at the wide-eyed, trembling mass of hair before him. As if sensing his Prince's gaze upon him, the son of Bardock dared a glance up only to be met with a feral snarl. "How am I supposed to learn anything from this…this…TRASH?!" Vejiita spat vehemently. "And why am I accompanying him?! He's nothing but the bastard son of a third-class WEAKLING! I am Vejiita no Ouji, Heir to the Saiyajin Empire! He should be licking my boots! He - "
The Prince was abruptly cut off from his enraged tirade by a light blue fist connecting squarely with his face. Blinking rapidly as he attempted to regain his senses that seemed to have been knocked into the next light year, Vejiita looked up to see the tall lanky alien, Zarbon, smiling mirthfully down at him.
"Thank you, Mister Zarbon." Vejiita winced as he shook his head, trying to clear his vision of spots as his father continued. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, brat, you shall be accompanying Radditz. Even with all the duties placed upon him of late, he still managed to take over yours as well. I figure that since you refuse to take it upon yourself to learn anything about the ways of office from me, perhaps you would be able to learn them from your subject who performs them much more admirably than you. Or," asked the King with a contemptuous grin, "is my son not up to the challenge of managing an Empire? I have no qualms in promoting Bardock's son to Heir and discontinuing the royal line if you are too weak to perform the task. After all, I am Vejiita no Ou, brat, and my ties to the Empire are more important than my ties to you."
The Prince looked back down to Radditz who seemed absolutely mortified. The man was just a pawn, Vejiita knew, yet he still resented the warrior as he cowered before him. The Empire had negotiators for the duties he was sure Radditz had only just learned he had been assigned. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Vejiita calmed. It did not matter the reasons for this latest battle of wills. The Prince now had a viable excuse for leaving the planet with Freeza, which admittedly, he was having a difficult time finding. He had thought of just leaving without saying a word to anyone, but then he was sure his father would send squadrons out hunting for him, potentially causing a rift in the tenuous nature of the Kold-Saiyajin alliance.
Mentally grinning at the irony and timing of the situation, the Prince shelved his amusement for the time being. His father's assessment of their bond to each other was indeed accurate. Both served their Empire, first and foremost. The King would win this battle, but soon, Vejiita would win the war.
It was for the good of his people.
Sensing his son's acquiescence, the King grinned and continued. "Having never been off the planet, I assume you are unaccustomed with the culture of Freeza's people. Lord Zarbon has informed me that he shall be the one to give you a crash course. Young Radditz might be able to teach you a few things in that department as well, as he has had much experience with off-worlders. Granted, he blew most of them up, but I'm sure he has retained something in all of his travels." At the Prince's snort, he added, "Might be nice if you knew how to read the language as well, ne?"
That did it. His patience had worn thin long ago. "I can read the language just FINE, onore! I did not inherit your stupidity!" Vejiita spat.
"You see what I have to put up with?" his father addressed the alien visitors. "Completely out of line."
Dimly aware of others in the room and loath to prove his father right in regards to his level of civility with another verbal tirade for all to see, the Prince glowered, hurling telepathic expletives at the King's unyielding mental blockade.
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