Chapter 8

"What exactly do you mean they aren't for sale?" Vegeta growled menacingly at Klep. "I am offering you more than you deserve."

"You didn't offer me anything," Klep shot back. "You just demanded I give them to you free of charge."

"I am not going to take your worthless life, fool. In addition I am willing to leave this station without destroying it along with everyone here. That is the best deal you are ever going to get for the rest of you pathetic life."

Klep considered that for a moment. He hated to admit it was true. His life was not worth risking for those two troublemakers. They had made him a lot of money over the years, but he wouldn't put his life on the line for them. They had been more than enough trouble, perhaps this was for the best.

"I see your point, my Lord. Yes, of course you are right. I release them from my service," he reached into his desk and pulled out a tablet. He pushed several buttons on it and then a few more. There was a slight popping noise behind him. Vegeta turned and looked at his sister and the priestess. They were holding the sides of the necks and had looks of extreme pain on their faces. Vegeta whirled back around and grabbed Klep by the neck.

"It will only take a moment, my Lord!" Klep gasped out. "The submission chip is shorting out. It will cause only momentary discomfort, then they will be free." Vegeta dropped him back into his seat and turned back to the women behind him. They no longer looked pained and were instead looking at each other with indescribable looks of relief. They embraced each other in a forearm grasp and leaned their foreheads against each other with silent tears flowing down their equally jubilant faces. The sight brought a rare genuine smile to his face.

Klep coughed massaging his throat. When he regained his composure he said, "It is good of you to guarantee my safety, my Lord."

Vegeta turned and laughed at him. "And when did I say I would guarantee your safety? I will not kill you, no, but that is not to say they won't." He laughed again turning away from the startled man as the two women behind him turned and began their advance.

"May you burn in Hell for all eternity for what you have done to us," Kamala said cracking her knuckles.

"Wait, I'll give you anything! Please! No, don't!" he squealed like a small child putting his arms up to shield himself from them.

Kakalina hissed at his cowardice and pulled one of his arms away snapping it backward. She heard a satisfying crack as the forearm snapped. He howled in pain. "There is nothing you can offer us to save yourself. The only thing we want from you is what you seek to save," she said calmly. "Kamala, would you do the honors?"

Kamala smiled wickedly looking down at the cowering man who had caused her so much pain and suffering. "With pleasure," she replied. She lifted her hand slowly charging it with ki savoring the look of terror in his eyes. Then she sliced at his neck decapitating him in one swift motion. She stood there for a moment looking at his headless corpse then looked at Kakalina. The priestess dropped the arm she had been restraining letting the corpse fall to the ground and moved to encircle her arms around the princess.

"It is done," Kakalina whispered in her ear. "Now let's go. I have a few guards I'd like to have a word with, don't you?" Kamala looked at her friend and nodded seriously. Then turned and followed her brother out of the room.

As they exited the office they found most of the guards running toward the office door. Klep must had alerted them all to rescue him when he realised Vegeta had deceived him. 'Unfortunately for him they got there a little too late," Kakalina thought with a rueful smiled. At least this would save them the trouble of tracking them all down.

It was a fun battle for her only because they kept on coming. There were 20 guards stationed there and only the number of them made the fight enjoyable. Vegeta just sat back and watched as Kamala and Kakalina took out the frustrations of the past 15 years on the men foolish enough to stand up against them. While they fought Kakalina noticed one guard in particular was missing from the fight. As she broke the last man's neck and tossed him to the floor she looked up and saw Jin in the doorway watching them. Kamala saw him a second later and started toward him, the bloodlust of the battle still in her eyes.

Before she really knew what she was doing Kakalina had moved to intercept her. Kamala looked at her furiously, then saw who it was that she had been attacking and glared back at the priestess. "He has never done us any harm," Kakalina said to her quietly. "Nor did he attack us while we were fighting." Kamala's look turned skeptical.

"He's one of them," she growled. "It was his job to keep us here, just like the rest of the dead bastards." She gestured around them to all of bodies of their fallen foes.

"But he was never like them. He has always shown us the respect he knew we deserved and has protected us on more than one occasion. How long has he known about our sparring excursions and our extra visits to the kitchen? He has kept our secrets loyally for years." Kamala let out a hiss and looked away. She knew her friend was right. She knew of no reason this man deserved death, but wanted to kill him anyway because of what he represented. He wore the same uniform as the other bastards that had helped to make her life terrible. Then, almost as if he had read her thoughts, he started to move toward them shedding the armor that connected him to the other dead men littering the lobby floor.

"She's right, Kakalina. I was one of them. It was my job to keep you here against your will." He stopped a few feet from them pausing, as if in deep thought, then made his decision. He looked Kakalina right in the eye and spoke again. "If she wants to kill me she deserves that satisfaction, but please let me tell you something first. Something that I have never been brave enough to confess to you before." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth, then looked at her again, directly in the eye. "Since the first day I arrived here I have wanted to help you escape somehow. I have hated watching you grow up in this place, hated myself for working for the bastard who did this to you. I wanted to separate myself from him ages ago, but I couldn't bring myself to. I didn't want to leave you. I thought if I stayed I might be able to be of some small help to you, to maybe be your friend in any small way I could." He paused again and his expression softened. "I wanted to help in whatever way I could because I love you, Kakalina."

Kakalina blinked, then blinked again at a loss for words. That was not at all what she had been expecting at all, but she saw the truth of what he said in his eyes. Thinking back over the years it was obvious. Hell, thinking back to this morning it had been obvious.

But what exactly was she supposed to do about it? There was nothing she could do she thought. She didn't want to kill him, but that didn't mean she loved him.

"Jin, I'm sorry, but I can never feel that way for any man. No man will ever touch me again." She tried to show him with her eyes that she really was sorry. "I thank you for your friendship. It did make living here a little easier, but now we are leaving this place. Please tell Von what happened and that we are indebted to him for his kindness. I don't think we would have survived without him." She paused looking deep into his eyes and thought to herself 'or you for that matter.' Then hardening her expression as she looked away. "Do what you will with the station," she said over her shoulder. "It's yours now." His face fell, but with a heavy sigh he smiled sadly at her. He couldn't have realistically hoped for anything better, but there was still an ache in his heart as she walked away from him.

Kakalina looked at Kamala silently communicating to her that this man did not deserve to die, but she would not stop her if she chose to kill him. Kamala sighed and cracked a crooked grin admitting she had been wrong and that she wouldn't take his life. Kakalina nodded, smiling her thanks. Then the two women turned their backs on the place they had lived in for what seemed like much longer than 15 years and walked toward their prince.

Vegeta had watched this exchange through narrowed eyes. He had barely restrained his rage when the last man standing in the room other than himself had admitted his love to his priestess. He knew he should not interfere with their affairs, however, he had come close. He had gotten even madder when he begrudgingly acknowledged the man's bravery of accepting the consequences of working for the fool who had enslaved his sister and the priestess. He had hoped Kamala would kill him, but for some reason Kakalina seemed to have feelings for the whelp, despite her words of contradiction. Much to his disappointment that had caused Kamala to spared his life.

Kakalina had said no man would ever touch her again, but Vegeta still desired her, even more than he had before learning who she was. She was strong in spirit and body and remarkably beautiful. In addition, she was the last Saiyan woman alive suitable to bare him an heir. His lips curled into a crooked grin as the two women turned away from the last man standing and started toward him. Yes, he would have her, but not by force. He knew that was not the way to handle this situation. He could be a patient man when it counted, but he would eventually make her want him just as much as he desired her.