Chapter Eleven: Vegeta And Tayla Meet Again
A day later, on the Rosetta Interplanetary Council Station #63060, in the Council Courtroom…
The windowless RIC courtroom was huge and cavernous with white walls, brass benches and other furniture, and shimmering gold tapestries behind the RIC half-circle of seats, all covered with white velvet and trimmed with gold legs and armrests behind a long, brass judge's bench. It was built like an amphitheater, with casual observer seats in the balconies above the actual courtroom.
Vegeta and Nappa had wound up with not one, but two attorneys, specifically assigned to defend them. It had been hard for the RIC to find attorneys who had no personal grudge or a conflict of interest concerning the two powerful Saiyans. In fact, the RIC had to bring these attorneys, one from the Milky Way Galaxy, and the other from the Bukata Galaxy, two galaxies that had not had as many problems with the Saiyans as the Rosetta had. In fact, one of the interplanetary attorneys had come from a planet that had never even heard of the Saiyan race while the other attorney had heard of the Saiyan race, but since the Saiyans had never harmed him and his people, he held no grudge against them. Both had come from races that had advanced technology that had enabled both lawyers to get to the RIC station floating near Grain fairly quickly.
The attorney who had never heard of the Saiyan race until now was a humanoid alien female from planet Bruschette, a planet in the Milky Way Galaxy that used the star Earthlings call Betelgeuse for its sun (Betelgeuse is part of the constellation that Earthlings call Orion). Ayala Tirstyn was a six-feet, five-inches tall, confident woman in her late twenties with a honey-brown skin, deep purple eyes, and long chestnut-brown hair swept back into a hairstyle similar to a French braid. She could have easily been mistaken for a Human or possibly even an Astorian, if it was not for her height. She had a long, lean athletic figure with medium-sized breasts and slightly curving hips, and long legs that would not quit. She usually wore tall, high-necked flowing open jewel-toned dresses of either a velvety or a taffeta material, and she was wearing such a dress now made out of lavender taffeta.
Nappa, who hadn't been with a woman for a couple of months, couldn't help admiring her body, and he would have propositioned her, if Vegeta had not forbidden it. The last thing Nappa needed to do now was sleep with their attorney, who wouldn't have taken the bald Saiyan up on his offer anyway, since she never dated or slept with her clients. Nappa had been with other women since Eclipse's death, but none of them had ever stirred anything in him besides lust, and it would have been unlikely that Ayala Tirstyn would have been the exception.
The other attorney was Matis Squatt, an alien from planet Hempsin, a planet on the edge of the Bukata Galaxy. Matis was the same height as Vegeta, and he resembled a fat green owl with a bright orange beak and big, pale blue eyes. Only unlike an owl, he had four muscular arms and hands with four fingers apiece instead of two wings, and he had orange legs and webbed feet like a duck. He wore crisp business suits similar to what Earth men wore, except that he wore a shiny metallic bowtie on his neck, and his business suits were either bright yellow, bright stop-sign red, or bright neon pink, always worn with a cotton-like black shirt. Today he was wearing his silver bowtie and a bright pink suit. Matis Squatt was in his late thirties, and he was the lead lawyer. He had been educating Ayala on the Saiyan race and culture. Matis's race was a race of scholars, not warriors, and they had spent much of their time learning about different races and cultures, even the ones that could destroy them.
Ayala and Matis had managed to procure simple, tasteful outfits for Vegeta and Nappa; Matis had warned the Saiyans that their wearing their armor in court could endanger their chances of being acquitted, or having a reduced sentence. Reluctantly, Vegeta and Nappa were wearing heather-gray trousers and long-sleeved Oxford-like shirts in colors of dark burgundy and navy blue. Matis had tried to get them to put on bowties as well, but both Saiyans adamantly refused. Brown loafers with pale-gold laces were on their feet.
Matis and Ayala already knew that Vegeta had confessed some of his crimes to Chief Gohan Chloe, but Matis was determined to prove in court that Vegeta had confessed under severe duress, and that his confessions should be dismissed. Matis was fairly confident that he could win an acquittal for Nappa and Vegeta while Ayala, younger but just as experienced as her partner was, was realistically hoping to just get their lives spared. Both attorneys came from races that disapproved of the death penalty under any circumstances. They had taken the Saiyans' case for free, despite RIC's offers to pay them, because they hoped that defending well-known alleged criminals such as Vegeta and Nappa would gain them each more cases and make them famous throughout the galaxies. They were also secretly afraid that RIC would try to influence or blackmail them if they were paying them.
Ayala and Matis had each brought a paralegal with them from their respective planets, and Matis, who had been in RIC courts before, was counseling the Saiyans on what to expect in a council trial. He told them that it had been nearly impossible to find nearby impartial jurors, so a council trial had been decided. Matis had tried to protest this decision with the RIC officials, since he felt that the RIC would be unfairly prejudiced against the Saiyans. But he could see their point: most potential jurors in the Rosetta had heard of the Saiyans and had already made up their minds that they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of committing.
While Matis was speaking to Vegeta and Nappa, Ayala was looking over the small list of witnesses who would be summoned to testify against Vegeta and Nappa. She read some of the names on the list silently to herself:
1. PRINCESS TAYLA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA-STAR WITNESS
2. PRINCESS MARYA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
3. PRINCESS GRACINA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
4. PRINCE RAAKON CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
5. SUPERIOR GRAN SHALILA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
6. SUPERIOR GRANDEN DIRKAN OF CHLOE, Astoria
7. BENDROS SAHARA OF SAHARA, ASTORIA
8. DOLLAN RUBENSTEIN OF HENSLEY, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
9. ELTYN MURSE OF DONGULLOP, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
10. SHIRVIN TOSSE OF DURR, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
The list continued up to twenty-five witnesses. That was twenty-five out of the millions of victims that had supposedly been affected by Vegeta and Nappa's actions. Ayala quietly deliberated that there were many more witnesses than there were on the list, but they were either dead now or too scared for their lives to come forward and testify.
Ayala looked up from her papers to see a group of humanoids enter the courtroom for the preliminary hearing before the grand jury, a very small panel made up of only three members from planets that had been fortunate enough not to be touched by the Saiyans. The grand jury members each wore a thin red hood over their faces with eyeholes, and they also wore red robes, so that Vegeta and Nappa could not recognize them. The grand jury members also each wore an electronic collar underneath their hoods that changed their voices dramatically. Matis and Ayala had tried to convince the RIC that the same precautions could be taken for the court jurors, and normally the RIC would have agreed with them. But many officials of the surviving races affected by Frieza's forces knew of Frieza's spy network, and they feared for the lives of any potential jurors from their planets, certain that any of Frieza's spies could expose the jurors, and so they refused to send any of their people for jury duty. And the people from stronger races such as the Astorians and the Calmagians already were convinced that the Saiyans were guilty, so the RIC had decided on a council trial.
Ayala looked at the group of humanoid witnesses and saw the simple oval gold-and-ruby crowns on their heads, and the formal dresses and suits they wore, and she guessed correctly that these people were from the famous Clan of Chloe family of planet Astoria. And she had done some research in the RIC library on the Astorian race, reading intergalactic articles telling about the good deeds of Superior Gran Shalila Chloe and her husband, Superior Granden Dirkan. She had also read some electronic literature that had been obtained from Chloe, Astoria, and a long article in that literature had told of Princess Tayla Chloe's heroic acts on Chloe, when Vegeta and Nappa had invaded Astoria to take the girl away. She had also later read a long paragraph of Tayla and Bendros Sahara, future Granden of Sahara, defeating Zarbon on planet Calmag that had been mentioned in a magazine article from Calmag.
She knew that the Clan of Chloe members had been summoned to testify against the Saiyans at the very last minute, although the RIC had been planning to call them forward for some time. Tayla Chloe and her family had barely had a day's notice before they had to leave for the RIC station outside of Grain, just outside the moon of Thresh. And Ayala Tirstyn was confident that the poised, somber-looking young girl with the long ebony hair styled into soft, cascading curls down her back and pinned back with a pearly, ridged clip, the large, round mahogany eyes, the slender, compact curves, and the ankle-length, loosely flowing, V-neckline, velvet burgundy caftan with a silk gold sash around her waist was no other than Princess Tayla Chloe of Chloe, Astoria.
Ayala watched the girl walk as tall as possible for her short height. She was trying to study the girl as intently as possible, so that she could plan a strategy when it came time for Princess Tayla Chloe to testify. What weaknesses did the girl have? What holes could Ayala and Matis poke into any stories she told? How could she break Princess Tayla down? Ayala continued to scrutinize the girl carefully.
But Ayala wasn't the only one watching her…
Vegeta quietly drank his glass of water, and he had wondered who or what Ayala Tirstyn was observing so closely. Finally he noticed the dark-haired, dark-eyed girl in the velvet burgundy caftan himself, although he did not know that Ayala had been watching her as well. He smirked to himself, as he intently watched the young girl, who didn't look much older than fourteen or fifteen or sixteen years of age. Although he had usually been attracted to curvier, more bosomy females in the past, such as Diamonique, the girl's compact curves and fluid movements fascinated him. Her breasts were delicate and small, in proportion to her petite size, and she did have a nicely rounded little bottom. And such tiny little feet encased in modest gold pumps!
And it wasn't just her looks that had caught his attention; it was the way that she carried herself, holding her little body up as tall as possible for her short height. Her confidence fascinated him, although he had not yet seen her face.
Suddenly, she inadvertently looked in his direction, glancing at him and Nappa briefly out of saucer-like chocolate-colored eyes-wait, those eyes! And her high cheekbones, the shape of her face, her neck…no it couldn't be! But it was those eyes, those brown eyes…he recognized those eyes immediately! To the casual observer, they didn't look any different from other pairs of humanoid brown eyes, but Vegeta knew better.
"No, it can't be her!" he whispered to himself. "It just can't be!"
But her clear, dulcet voice telling her birth name to the bailiff confirmed his suspicions. It was her, Tayla Chloe, his Astorian archenemy! But she wasn't supposed to look like she did now, this nearly mature young woman close to mating age, if she wasn't there already! She wasn't supposed to have curves and a lovelier face! She was supposed to be the same scrawny, big-eyed, loudmouthed, tomboyish scrap that had defeated him twice, much to his dissatisfaction! When had she turned into this poised, confident young girl who seemed to have matured greatly since the last time he had seen her?
Nappa was watching Tayla too. He leaned over and whispered to Vegeta, "Cute thing isn't she?" he said. "But I'm more partial to her blond friend."
It was only then that Vegeta took brief notice of the younger girl with Tayla; this younger female had pale gold cornsilk hair, snowy skin, and large cobalt-blue eyes. She was much curvier than Tayla was, although much shorter. She was wearing a pale pink caftan that clung loosely to her perfect curves and set off with a pale green sash around her trim waist. Vegeta knew that there were some fair-skinned Astorians, but even none of them had skin that luminescent and white. He had seen girls like that on Calmag, and he recognized the skin coloring…the girl had to have been from Calmag. A Calmagian living among Astorians, of which the majority of them were darker-skinned than she was. In honest observation, Vegeta noted that most males would have found the timid, curvy blonde to be much prettier, even himself, but there was just something about Tayla that had suddenly caught his attention.
True, the girl was from an enemy race, and if his father were alive right now, he might not have approved of his son's new interest. But at one time or another King Vegeta had wanted Astorian females for mates as Saiyan males, so Vegeta couldn't see how his father could have objected too much. Not that it would have mattered to the Saiyan prince, if his father had.
He chuckled to himself, as he watched Tayla Chloe more closely than ever; it had been months since he had been with a female. Tayla probably would have been what-fifteen by now? Sixteen had been the official age for females to be taken for mates by Saiyan males, and Tayla wasn't that far off from that legal age. Even though he knew of the no-procreation-order put upon his race, he wondered briefly if Tayla could give him strong children to be trained as warriors. He was certain that she could, and he was growing stronger every day. One day, he would be strong enough to destroy Frieza, he was certain of it, and then he could do what he wanted, rule the universe, sire heirs, whatever came to his fancy.
The girl had within two minutes gone from being the archenemy he had hoped to overcome to the becoming the object of his desire. Oh, he still wanted to conquer her; he just wanted to do so in a much different way that he had originally planned.
He smiled to himself, as he watched her with the intensity of a cat preparing to spring upon a mouse. It was mostly wishful thinking on his part to have the Astorian princess for himself, he knew, but nothing could prevent him from fantasizing about her. He stopped watching her for a few moments to close his eyes and imagine her soft, unclothed, just-maturing body pressed up against his. In his mind, he could see himself running his large, muscled hands over her satiny skin, feeling every one of her curves as if committing them to memory just by touching. He felt the silk of her dark hair running through his long fingers, and he tasted the sweetness of her young flesh, as he danced his lips and tongue along her long neck, her pulsating throat, all the way up to her tender lips. He gently cupped her miniature breasts in his hands, feeling them rub against the hardened surface of his palms; he lightly brushed his thumb against the slowly hardening nipples, as he listened to her sigh and moan softly. He felt his tail tightening around her trim waist securely, giving her body a possessive squeeze every now and then, letting her know that she belonged to him and him alone. He felt her arms around his neck, and her velvety-soft face buried in the crook of his neck, as she willingly yielded herself and her body to him…
…"Vegeta, Vegeta!"
Vegeta growled at Nappa for interrupting his pleasant daydream. "What is it, Nappa?"
"Matty, or Matis, or whatever we're supposed to call him, wants to speak to you."
"The prosecutor is getting ready to read the charges that he wishes the RIC to bring against you and Nappa," Matis told Vegeta.
"The witnesses aren't going to testify yet?" Vegeta inquired.
"Not today; they were just required to be present to give brief statements; they will give their full testimonies in the upcoming trial," Matis explained. "The prosecutor, Howles Norr, will be reading the charges."
"Are we allowed to plead 'not guilty'?" Nappa asked.
"Yes, I did confess some to Chief Gohan Chloe," Vegeta admitted.
"Of course," Matis told his clients. "In fact, I highly recommend it. It will give us more time to find ways to discredit the witnesses."
"How do we intend to do that?" Ayala asked him. "All of the witnesses here are known to be of good reputation and character. I did research on almost all of them, especially those from the Clan of Chloe."
"Then we'll find a way to discredit all of them…believe me, my dear, you can find ways to muddy anyone's reputation, no matter how shining clean they seem to be on the outside. And it is still possible to win our clients a full acquittal. For you see, Ayala, what evidence does the prosecution really have against Prince Vegeta and Nappa other than eyewitness testimony, something that can always be discredited? There are no documents, no video or audio tapes or disks, only journalistic accounts and reports by third parties, most of whom were not actually there to witness their alleged crimes. What little evidence that exists is almost entirely circumstantial. I would say that the best strategy in this case is to cast doubt upon their guilt and discredit those who are testifying against them."
"But, Matis," Ayala pointed out. "What about the DNA and the blood samples giving proof of their presence on surviving planets such as Astoria and Calmag that the people on those worlds have gathered and turned in to Intergalacticpol? You've seen that for yourself, especially the childhood garments that Tayla Chloe presumably wore eight years ago on the day that Prince Vegeta, Nappa, and their missing comrade, Raditz, allegedly abducted her. Superior Gran Shalila Chloe turned in much of that evidence to Intergalacticpol herself, and Intergalacticpol was able to gather plenty of fiber, hair, DNA, and blood samples from the battle areas on Calmag and Astoria where the Saiyans had frequented."
"You have a valid point, Ayala," Matis said thoughtfully. "That evidence is very strong, but still we can find a way to invalidate it as well. We can try to imply that Intergalacticpol could have altered some of the tests or the test results, therefore making the 'evidence' seem unreliable."
He continued to speak of ways that the evidence against Vegeta and Nappa could be invalidated or discredited until Howles Norr came up before the grand jury. Then everyone quieted, as Howles Norr, a very short, squat man dressed in a purple shirt over red skin covered with purple spots, two skinny arms, four fat legs covered with turquoise pants, and a long giraffe-like neck with a spaniel-like head, black eyes, and long, floppy purple ears, read the charges he felt that the RIC should press against Prince Vegeta and Nappa. Howles Norr, despite his strange appearance, was a well-respected prosecutor who had won many cases for the RIC in the past, and everyone in the courtroom, except for the defense team, was confident that Howles could win a conviction of the Saiyans. Howles was fairly convinced himself.
But Vegeta was paying no mind to Howles Norr reciting the long list of charges against him and his partner. He ignored entirely Howles remind everyone in the courtroom of the wicked deeds that he and Nappa had committed in Frieza's name. His mind and eyes drifted back to the little Astorian beauty that had once been the enemy he had wanted to overcome, but now had become something more. Tayla Chloe was behind the prosecutor's table with her family and friends, casting furtive, wary glances at her Saiyan archenemy when she was certain that he wasn't looking. But he was looking all right, and much more so than anyone could have possibly imagined. She then turned away from his direction and leaned over to whisper something to the pretty blond girl that Nappa had become fascinated with. Good, he could now watch her without her noticing. As the one of the RIC members read the list of charges towards Vegeta and Nappa, the Saiyan prince drank in Tayla's lovely image until a sharp voice from one of the other members of the RIC, probably the Chairman, addressed him and Nappa directly:
"Prince Vegeta and Nappa of planet Vegeta, how do you plead to these charges? Arise and give your reply."
Vegeta nudged Nappa, and both Saiyans arose, tall and proud.
Even though he had heard none of the charges that Howles mentioned, Vegeta spoke for both of them, smiling confidently, saying:
"Nappa and I both plead 'not guilty'."
After the hearing ended, pandemonium broke throughout the courtroom, as the indignant, angry voices of both observers and witnesses buzzed everywhere. No one was leaving just yet, even though the court had been dismissed for now. How dare Prince Vegeta stand there and say casually that he and Nappa would plead not guilty to any of their crimes?
"Did you hear that? Prince Vegeta pled 'not guilty'!"
"He's a lying piece of scum, just like all Saiyans are!"
"I don't know why he's even bothering to fight the charges. He and that bald guy have twenty-five witnesses against them!"
"There would be plenty more than that, if they were still alive!"
"Yeah, well don't worry, all of their victims, dead and alive, are going to have their day in court with those smelly monkeys!"
"I hope they execute them!"
"Hanging's too good for them!"
"They wouldn't hang them, you idiot! They'd blast them!"
"They should put them to death by lethal injection!"
"No, that's too painless a way to go for those apes! I say we castrate them, cut off their penises! Kami knows how many women those monsters raped! Didn't the Saiyans use to do that on Astoria when they had that planet enslaved?"
"The Saiyans did, yes, over seventy years ago," said a more reasonable person. "But none of the charges Howles Norr read today mentioned any rapes or any other sex crimes, only murders, kidnappings, and property damages."
"There aren't any rapes mentioned because all of their victims are probably dead!"
"Or too scared and ashamed to come forward."
"I should have known they were going to plead not guilty," Gohan huffed, as he sat next to his wife, Hazel, who was holding Gokaan in her lap, feeding him a chocolate bar. "And after that little prickien, Vegeta, told me some of his crimes too."
"He's a liar, like all those of his race are," Mikos sniffed.
Bendros, who was sitting between Gohan and Mikos, flinched at Mikos insulting the entire Saiyan race. He knew how Mikos truly felt about his Saiyan blood, and it disturbed him that even in this modern day and time, there were still people who thought like Mikos.
Fortunately, Gohan didn't allow Mikos's remark to pass. He said sternly, "Mikos, not all those with Saiyan blood are evil. What about those among our race with Saiyan blood, are you including Sastorians with your stereotyping? Remember, Bendros here has Saiyan blood, and all of his people are part of us, on our side. Think before you say such things, Mikos."
"Very well," Mikos sighed. He said quickly, "I wasn't talking about the Sastorians however, I was talking about full-bloods such as those two monkeys who are being tried. And to think that one of those smelly men threatened my Tayla-"
For Mikos still wanted Tayla yet, even though she had insulted his package days ago. Bendros, not knowing that part about Tayla, seethed inwardly, feeling a twinge of jealousy, not that he actually believed that Tayla would want Mikos to begin with. Mikos continued:
"And I was watching Prince Vegeta the entire time, I was. I saw how he was looking at my Tayla when she was standing up before the bailiff, giving her name. I saw him lusting after her, I did!"
"Mikos, please," Gohan told him.
"How dare he desire her?" Mikos fumed. "She's too good for him."
Bendros privately agreed with Mikos, although he thought that Tayla was too good for Mikos as well. Bendros too had been watching Vegeta watch Tayla when Tayla had given her name to the bailiff, and he hadn't liked it one bit. He was certain that Vegeta had continued to watch Tayla after the girl had sat back down; he noticed that Vegeta had continued to look in Tayla's direction. He kept one eye on the Saiyan prince, who seemed to still be watching the little Astorian princess that Bendros had his heart set on. Bendros tried to calm himself down; Vegeta was still wearing the electronic ki-restraining collar around his neck, and there was no way he could get close to Tayla to bother her.
As for Tayla herself, Bendros just had to go see her as soon as possible; he had not had the chance to speak to her since he had abruptly been forced to leave Grain. When he had ran into Tayla in the courtroom, he had tried to speak, to explain what had happened between him and Esmera, but Tayla had coolly said hello and fled away quickly, but not before he had seen the glimmer of tears in her cocoa-colored eyes…
And when he had tried to approach her again just before they all had to sit down, Dirkan had come up in front of him and quietly told him that Tayla was busy right now, and that she had things that she needed to concentrate on. He could sense Dirkan's displeasure with him, and the Sastorian warrior suspected that he had heard Tayla's version of what had happened between him and Esmera. The rest of her other family members had seemed equally as protective of her. Bendros knew that another, smaller ship of more of Tayla's relatives was due to arrive any day now, carrying Tayla's other siblings, Arlon, Lukan, Marya, Bajal and Bajal's family, which included Bendros's Aunt Alora and their two children, Rina and Handros, and a handful of the family servants. He wondered if they would all take Tayla's side and quietly put him aside the way that Tayla's family seemed to be doing right now.
But his mother, Gran Mauria Sahara, the Gran of Sahara, was coming on that same ship as well, accompanied by Gran Saturna and Granden Sternos Pearl, Gran and Granden of Pearl. Bendros was hoping that maybe his mother could give him some advice on what to do about the situation between him and Tayla.
Esmera and Shelan, Mikos's children, were not helping matters any either. Esmera had stuck to his side like a barnacle clinging to the underside of a whale, and Bendros couldn't shake the girl to save his life. Shelan had to rub it in as well, telling Bendros that he thought that Bendros and Esmera made a wonderful couple, and that he fully approved of their relationship, even if his and Esmera's father didn't. Bendros had tried to interrupt Shelan, to explain that he and Esmera were not a couple, but Shelan had laughingly told him that he didn't have to deny his feelings and relationship with Esmera any longer. Shelan also had the nerve to add that he and Tayla were close to making up, and that he was slowly working on getting Tayla to forgive him for what he had done to her in the past.
"What things does Tayla like?" Shelan had the extra nerve to ask Bendros. "You know her better than I do, give me some ideas on how to win her over!" The only things that prevented the normally even-tempered Sastorian from breaking Shelan's jaw was the fact that Shelan was Mikos's son and Gohan's grandson and attacking Shelan for a minor reason like that could get Bendros kicked off of Intergalacticpol.
Bendros had merely said, very calmly, but with a hint of fury just tangible enough to let Shelan know that he had crossed the line, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"I intend to!" Shelan had laughed nervously. Bendros had shoved himself away from both Shelan and Esmera, saying that he needed some time alone. Esmera had tried to stop him, but Bendros curtly ordered her to stay with her brother, and before she could protest, Bendros had stormed away from both of them.
Now it had been a good hour that he had managed to avoid those two pesky siblings, and perhaps he could get a chance to speak to Tayla alone. Tayla was now standing near the entranceway to the courtroom, out in the corridor, talking to Caline, who was smiling shyly and blushing. All Tayla had to do was mention Kekron's name, and a peach tinge would envelop Caline's lovely face. Bendros admitted to himself that Caline was a beautiful and sweet girl whom he liked very much, but a type better suited to someone like Kekron than someone like him. Plus, Kekron had become a good friend of his since the War on Calmag, and even if Bendros held the slightest interest in Caline, he wouldn't have pursued it because he knew that the Astorian technician prince had his heart set on the shy little Calmagian princess.
If only, he could talk to Tayla for just twenty minutes. Twenty minutes would be all the time he would need to tell her the truth about him and Esmera and to tell her his true feelings for her.
But someone would beat him to her first, especially since Mikos and Gohan called him over to them to speak with him briefly…
After the subject had long moved away from Kekron (whom Caline was still blushing over), Tayla had begun expressing her thoughts on the upcoming trial for Vegeta and Nappa. Caline was listening attentively, even though the blush remained on her soft, white cheeks.
"It feels so odd, knowing that Vegeta and Nappa are so close, and yet unable to touch any of us," Tayla admitted to Caline.
"Surely, with you and everyone else testifying against them two weeks from now, they will remain that way," Caline told her a bit nervously. "Even though they are restrained, Tayla, they still unnerve me. I can't help but fear that somehow they'll find a way to escape and come after all of us."
"Part of me can't help but agree," Tayla told her. "But those collars have proven to have worked so far, and none of Frieza's people have shown up to rescue them, so it looks like all that there's left to worry about is getting them convicted. And Caline, despite what worries I do have about them, I am looking forward to helping put those two away, to seeing them punished for the crimes they've committed against innocent people. I'm not sure if I agree with everyone who says that they should be put to death, but it would satisfy me enough if they were to be sentenced to hard labor on Zelthar for the rest of their lives. Even if they were just sentenced to Zelthar, it would put my mind at ease and help me to move on."
"So you don't necessarily support the death penalty for them?" Caline asked softly.
"I don't know, Caline," Tayla said uncertainly. "Despite being a fighter, I really don't like seeing lives taken any more than necessary. Who am I to say that Vegeta and Nappa should die? I am not a Kai or a Kami, to determine who lives or dies. I know that I sound like Raakon when I say that, but he had a valid point when he said earlier that no one should just sentence people to death like that, the way that Frieza has done to so many people. I don't think that I would be comfortable with the idea of them being sentenced to death, even though it would end everyone's worries about them on the spot. No, Caline, I think that I would just prefer for them to be sentenced to Zelthar for the rest of their lives."
"And will you say that, if they ask you what your opinion of what their sentence should be?" Caline asked her. In the RIC courts, victims had much say in how the criminals who hurt them should be punished, even though the RIC or the jury trying the criminals made the final decision as to what the sentencing would be.
"I-I think I will, Caline, yes, I think that I will. I just hope that my family understands."
"Good decision," a smooth, clear, deep voice said approvingly from behind. "It is nice to know, Princess Tayla, that you aren't exactly demanding my head on a platter."
Tayla tensed up immediately, and her heart began to beat rapidly. Caline grew paler than pale, and she inched closer to Tayla for protection. Tayla turned around slowly towards the speaker, pulling Caline behind her protectively. "Vegeta," she hissed, trying to cover her nervousness. Caline clung to Tayla, watching the Saiyan prince, terrified as a rabbit trapped in a corner, waiting for the wolf pursuing it to pounce and devour.
Vegeta chuckled, with his arms crossed confidently, as he looked down upon her from his height; he was only two inches taller than her. Ayala and Matis were standing nearby, but both attorneys had been so absorbed in planning their next strategy to save Vegeta's and Nappa's lives that they were paying no attention to their client. Nappa was leaning back against the wall next to the entranceway, behind Ayala and Matis, as the people were pouring out of the courtroom.
Vegeta grinned, still chuckling. "Long time, no see, princess. I almost didn't recognize you earlier in the courtroom until I saw you turn your face in my direction. You've grown up very well, I might add; why you barely look like that little scrap that I remember fighting those few years ago. How old are you now-fifteen?"
"What does my age matter to you?" Tayla asked him frostily. Vegeta ignored the chilliness in her tone; he smirked to himself, enjoying the nervousness that he knew that she was trying to hide from him. He could sense the hint of fear that she was working so hard not to convey to him, and it aroused him. He could smell the mild perfume of tea roses emanating from her exquisite form, and it suited her, simple, clean, and yet alluring all at the same time. With his dark, penetrating eyes, he gave her a slow once-over from the top point of her gold-and-ruby crown on her black head, down upon her sweet, heart-shaped face, past her small, delicate bosom, reaching below her compact, yet noticeable curves, all the way down to her miniscule feet.
Tayla glared at him with as much contempt as she could emit; she felt that contempt and also anger and a bit of fear towards him, but her bad feelings about him were not strong enough at this time to be hatred. Nevertheless, she did not appreciate him looking her over the way that he was. It unnerved her entirely that he was studying her with desire (yes, she recognized that look by now), and the intensity that he was doing it with sent a chill down her spine.
*He can't touch you, Tayla; you could easily kill him right now if you wanted to, if he laid a hand upon you. * For some reason, however, this thought did not ease her anxiety. She had liked it much better when Vegeta had seen her as just another opponent to overcome; at least then she had known exactly what to expect. Now that she was certain that Vegeta was seeing her in an entirely different light, a new alarm went off in her soul. Never had she dreamed that Vegeta would view her as anything other than one of his enemies to defeat; she would have never believed in a thousand years that Vegeta would want her as a male wanted a female. She did not like this new fact one bit, and it sprung a new fear in her pounding heart.
Chuckling once more, he ignored her last question. "So how have things been, princess?" he asked, his voice deepening into a purr.
"They will be even better once I know that you're on that prison planet of Zelthar!" Tayla fumed, determined now to make him forget her as a potential mate or conquest. She was going to end his newly developing desire for her before it truly begun; what she didn't know was that she had already started way too late. She took a deep breath to restrain her increasingly rising temper; Bendros, Toria, Raakon, Dirkan, and Nama had counseled her a long time ago to always speak calmly and evenly whenever confronting someone that she could not fight physically. Unfortunately, Tayla still had a long way to go in mastering this lesson, although she was better at it now than she used to be. She took another deep breath and spoke again, much more slowly and coolly:
"I am looking forward to testifying against you and Nappa, Vegeta, and knowing that you two will be put away for the rest of your lives is going to make me sleep so much better at night. In fact, I believe everyone in the entire Rosetta Galaxy, no the entire universe, will sleep better at night. You do not scare me one bit, Vegeta, and neither does Nappa. I will tell the truth on that stand, and both of you will surely be sent off to Zelthar, like you two richly deserve, if the RIC does not decide to sentence you two to death, like so many are demanding that they do. I will do everything within my power to ensure that you two will be put away where neither one of you can harm innocent people ever again. Maybe at last, some justice will be done. C'mon, Caline, let's go." Tayla took Caline's arm, and both girls would have walked away immediately, had it not been for Vegeta's next words:
"Are you really done now, Tayla?"
Tayla turned her head towards Vegeta and said, "I've been done."
"Let me ask you one thing," Vegeta told her calmly, not letting her previous words get to him. He was realistic enough to know that she wouldn't exactly fall for him, but he still wanted her to know and to see his desire for her.
"What's that?" Tayla asked coolly.
Vegeta smiled. "Are you interested in that half-breed called Bendros Sahara?"
Tayla blushed against her will, much to her fury. How did Vegeta know? And how dare he bring that up, even if he did know? She hissed, taking the bait without realizing it, "What is that to you?"
Vegeta chuckled. "Your half-breed suitor attacked me over you. In fact, he warned me away from you. But there is one advantage that I would always have over him, if I were ever to pursue you myself. Something that he can never give you that I already have."
"And just what would that be?" Tayla snapped, even though Caline was silently begging her with her eyes to leave with her.
"Why, your first kiss, of course," Vegeta said, laughing. "In case, you've forgotten, princess, to the best of my knowledge, I was the first male to ever kiss you on your lips, and you weren't bad of a kisser back then, I might add. I bet that that half-breed that seems to fawn over you so much can't boast that. In fact, I wouldn't mind reliving that memory again. You tasted rather nice back then, even though you were only what-seven-years-old at the time? I wouldn't mind having another taste."
Tayla clenched her tiny fists, for hearing Vegeta's words brought up a memory that she had been glad to forget…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nice try, brat," Vegeta told Tayla, "but we aren't going anywhere until every living thing on this planet is destroyed. Starting with you and your sister. I think we will just destroy you two first, since we can't get any information out of the two of you. But before you die, I'll give you something to remember me by." With that said, Vegeta grabbed Tayla's long waist-length, silky black hair and pulled her face to his. He then kissed her hard on the lips. Nappa and Raditz howled with laughter. Marya was horrified. Tayla responded to her first kiss by kicking Vegeta hard in his crotch…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Taste this, you son-of-a-" Tayla began, raising one of her fists, but Caline took her rising arm.
"C'mon, Tayla, let's go, please," Caline begged.
Tayla took a deep breath, quickly realizing that socking Vegeta would not be worth the trouble it could later cause. She turned towards Caline and said, "I'm sorry, Caline, let's just get out of here."
And without looking back at the Saiyan prince, she walked away with Caline quickly, leaving Vegeta behind, smirking still.
"If I want you badly enough, Tayla, I will find a way to have you," he whispered to himself. "You should just be thankful that I am unable to do anything more than speak to you at this time."
He could hear Nappa calling him, and Vegeta reluctantly went to see what his partner wanted. While he was walking to Nappa, Bendros Sahara confronted him. He had just arrived after hearing Vegeta's final words to Tayla.
Bendros hissed at the Saiyan prince, "You leave her alone, Vegeta, do you understand me? If I find out that you bothered her again, only the Supreme Kai will be able to keep me from giving you what you long have coming to you! Stay away from her!" And with that, Bendros pushed past the Saiyan prince to go find Tayla to speak to her.
Vegeta only grinned as Bendros ran further and further away. "If I were going to pursue her, half-breed, you wouldn't stand much of a chance," he said confidently, as he slowly strolled over to Nappa and his attorneys.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Okay, so now Vegeta and Tayla finally met again, with Vegeta feeling lust and Tayla feeling contempt. Will Bendros EVER get the chance to speak to Tayla, and what will happen in the next two weeks before the trial? Will Zarbon, Jaden, and Diamonique reach Grain? And will Frieza discover that "Prince Stripe" and "Princess Target" are really Raditz and Journa? Find out in the upcoming chapters of "Hope Never Dies"
A day later, on the Rosetta Interplanetary Council Station #63060, in the Council Courtroom…
The windowless RIC courtroom was huge and cavernous with white walls, brass benches and other furniture, and shimmering gold tapestries behind the RIC half-circle of seats, all covered with white velvet and trimmed with gold legs and armrests behind a long, brass judge's bench. It was built like an amphitheater, with casual observer seats in the balconies above the actual courtroom.
Vegeta and Nappa had wound up with not one, but two attorneys, specifically assigned to defend them. It had been hard for the RIC to find attorneys who had no personal grudge or a conflict of interest concerning the two powerful Saiyans. In fact, the RIC had to bring these attorneys, one from the Milky Way Galaxy, and the other from the Bukata Galaxy, two galaxies that had not had as many problems with the Saiyans as the Rosetta had. In fact, one of the interplanetary attorneys had come from a planet that had never even heard of the Saiyan race while the other attorney had heard of the Saiyan race, but since the Saiyans had never harmed him and his people, he held no grudge against them. Both had come from races that had advanced technology that had enabled both lawyers to get to the RIC station floating near Grain fairly quickly.
The attorney who had never heard of the Saiyan race until now was a humanoid alien female from planet Bruschette, a planet in the Milky Way Galaxy that used the star Earthlings call Betelgeuse for its sun (Betelgeuse is part of the constellation that Earthlings call Orion). Ayala Tirstyn was a six-feet, five-inches tall, confident woman in her late twenties with a honey-brown skin, deep purple eyes, and long chestnut-brown hair swept back into a hairstyle similar to a French braid. She could have easily been mistaken for a Human or possibly even an Astorian, if it was not for her height. She had a long, lean athletic figure with medium-sized breasts and slightly curving hips, and long legs that would not quit. She usually wore tall, high-necked flowing open jewel-toned dresses of either a velvety or a taffeta material, and she was wearing such a dress now made out of lavender taffeta.
Nappa, who hadn't been with a woman for a couple of months, couldn't help admiring her body, and he would have propositioned her, if Vegeta had not forbidden it. The last thing Nappa needed to do now was sleep with their attorney, who wouldn't have taken the bald Saiyan up on his offer anyway, since she never dated or slept with her clients. Nappa had been with other women since Eclipse's death, but none of them had ever stirred anything in him besides lust, and it would have been unlikely that Ayala Tirstyn would have been the exception.
The other attorney was Matis Squatt, an alien from planet Hempsin, a planet on the edge of the Bukata Galaxy. Matis was the same height as Vegeta, and he resembled a fat green owl with a bright orange beak and big, pale blue eyes. Only unlike an owl, he had four muscular arms and hands with four fingers apiece instead of two wings, and he had orange legs and webbed feet like a duck. He wore crisp business suits similar to what Earth men wore, except that he wore a shiny metallic bowtie on his neck, and his business suits were either bright yellow, bright stop-sign red, or bright neon pink, always worn with a cotton-like black shirt. Today he was wearing his silver bowtie and a bright pink suit. Matis Squatt was in his late thirties, and he was the lead lawyer. He had been educating Ayala on the Saiyan race and culture. Matis's race was a race of scholars, not warriors, and they had spent much of their time learning about different races and cultures, even the ones that could destroy them.
Ayala and Matis had managed to procure simple, tasteful outfits for Vegeta and Nappa; Matis had warned the Saiyans that their wearing their armor in court could endanger their chances of being acquitted, or having a reduced sentence. Reluctantly, Vegeta and Nappa were wearing heather-gray trousers and long-sleeved Oxford-like shirts in colors of dark burgundy and navy blue. Matis had tried to get them to put on bowties as well, but both Saiyans adamantly refused. Brown loafers with pale-gold laces were on their feet.
Matis and Ayala already knew that Vegeta had confessed some of his crimes to Chief Gohan Chloe, but Matis was determined to prove in court that Vegeta had confessed under severe duress, and that his confessions should be dismissed. Matis was fairly confident that he could win an acquittal for Nappa and Vegeta while Ayala, younger but just as experienced as her partner was, was realistically hoping to just get their lives spared. Both attorneys came from races that disapproved of the death penalty under any circumstances. They had taken the Saiyans' case for free, despite RIC's offers to pay them, because they hoped that defending well-known alleged criminals such as Vegeta and Nappa would gain them each more cases and make them famous throughout the galaxies. They were also secretly afraid that RIC would try to influence or blackmail them if they were paying them.
Ayala and Matis had each brought a paralegal with them from their respective planets, and Matis, who had been in RIC courts before, was counseling the Saiyans on what to expect in a council trial. He told them that it had been nearly impossible to find nearby impartial jurors, so a council trial had been decided. Matis had tried to protest this decision with the RIC officials, since he felt that the RIC would be unfairly prejudiced against the Saiyans. But he could see their point: most potential jurors in the Rosetta had heard of the Saiyans and had already made up their minds that they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of committing.
While Matis was speaking to Vegeta and Nappa, Ayala was looking over the small list of witnesses who would be summoned to testify against Vegeta and Nappa. She read some of the names on the list silently to herself:
1. PRINCESS TAYLA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA-STAR WITNESS
2. PRINCESS MARYA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
3. PRINCESS GRACINA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
4. PRINCE RAAKON CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
5. SUPERIOR GRAN SHALILA CHLOE OF CHLOE, ASTORIA
6. SUPERIOR GRANDEN DIRKAN OF CHLOE, Astoria
7. BENDROS SAHARA OF SAHARA, ASTORIA
8. DOLLAN RUBENSTEIN OF HENSLEY, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
9. ELTYN MURSE OF DONGULLOP, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
10. SHIRVIN TOSSE OF DURR, ROYALE MAGUS CONTINENT OF CALMAG
The list continued up to twenty-five witnesses. That was twenty-five out of the millions of victims that had supposedly been affected by Vegeta and Nappa's actions. Ayala quietly deliberated that there were many more witnesses than there were on the list, but they were either dead now or too scared for their lives to come forward and testify.
Ayala looked up from her papers to see a group of humanoids enter the courtroom for the preliminary hearing before the grand jury, a very small panel made up of only three members from planets that had been fortunate enough not to be touched by the Saiyans. The grand jury members each wore a thin red hood over their faces with eyeholes, and they also wore red robes, so that Vegeta and Nappa could not recognize them. The grand jury members also each wore an electronic collar underneath their hoods that changed their voices dramatically. Matis and Ayala had tried to convince the RIC that the same precautions could be taken for the court jurors, and normally the RIC would have agreed with them. But many officials of the surviving races affected by Frieza's forces knew of Frieza's spy network, and they feared for the lives of any potential jurors from their planets, certain that any of Frieza's spies could expose the jurors, and so they refused to send any of their people for jury duty. And the people from stronger races such as the Astorians and the Calmagians already were convinced that the Saiyans were guilty, so the RIC had decided on a council trial.
Ayala looked at the group of humanoid witnesses and saw the simple oval gold-and-ruby crowns on their heads, and the formal dresses and suits they wore, and she guessed correctly that these people were from the famous Clan of Chloe family of planet Astoria. And she had done some research in the RIC library on the Astorian race, reading intergalactic articles telling about the good deeds of Superior Gran Shalila Chloe and her husband, Superior Granden Dirkan. She had also read some electronic literature that had been obtained from Chloe, Astoria, and a long article in that literature had told of Princess Tayla Chloe's heroic acts on Chloe, when Vegeta and Nappa had invaded Astoria to take the girl away. She had also later read a long paragraph of Tayla and Bendros Sahara, future Granden of Sahara, defeating Zarbon on planet Calmag that had been mentioned in a magazine article from Calmag.
She knew that the Clan of Chloe members had been summoned to testify against the Saiyans at the very last minute, although the RIC had been planning to call them forward for some time. Tayla Chloe and her family had barely had a day's notice before they had to leave for the RIC station outside of Grain, just outside the moon of Thresh. And Ayala Tirstyn was confident that the poised, somber-looking young girl with the long ebony hair styled into soft, cascading curls down her back and pinned back with a pearly, ridged clip, the large, round mahogany eyes, the slender, compact curves, and the ankle-length, loosely flowing, V-neckline, velvet burgundy caftan with a silk gold sash around her waist was no other than Princess Tayla Chloe of Chloe, Astoria.
Ayala watched the girl walk as tall as possible for her short height. She was trying to study the girl as intently as possible, so that she could plan a strategy when it came time for Princess Tayla Chloe to testify. What weaknesses did the girl have? What holes could Ayala and Matis poke into any stories she told? How could she break Princess Tayla down? Ayala continued to scrutinize the girl carefully.
But Ayala wasn't the only one watching her…
Vegeta quietly drank his glass of water, and he had wondered who or what Ayala Tirstyn was observing so closely. Finally he noticed the dark-haired, dark-eyed girl in the velvet burgundy caftan himself, although he did not know that Ayala had been watching her as well. He smirked to himself, as he intently watched the young girl, who didn't look much older than fourteen or fifteen or sixteen years of age. Although he had usually been attracted to curvier, more bosomy females in the past, such as Diamonique, the girl's compact curves and fluid movements fascinated him. Her breasts were delicate and small, in proportion to her petite size, and she did have a nicely rounded little bottom. And such tiny little feet encased in modest gold pumps!
And it wasn't just her looks that had caught his attention; it was the way that she carried herself, holding her little body up as tall as possible for her short height. Her confidence fascinated him, although he had not yet seen her face.
Suddenly, she inadvertently looked in his direction, glancing at him and Nappa briefly out of saucer-like chocolate-colored eyes-wait, those eyes! And her high cheekbones, the shape of her face, her neck…no it couldn't be! But it was those eyes, those brown eyes…he recognized those eyes immediately! To the casual observer, they didn't look any different from other pairs of humanoid brown eyes, but Vegeta knew better.
"No, it can't be her!" he whispered to himself. "It just can't be!"
But her clear, dulcet voice telling her birth name to the bailiff confirmed his suspicions. It was her, Tayla Chloe, his Astorian archenemy! But she wasn't supposed to look like she did now, this nearly mature young woman close to mating age, if she wasn't there already! She wasn't supposed to have curves and a lovelier face! She was supposed to be the same scrawny, big-eyed, loudmouthed, tomboyish scrap that had defeated him twice, much to his dissatisfaction! When had she turned into this poised, confident young girl who seemed to have matured greatly since the last time he had seen her?
Nappa was watching Tayla too. He leaned over and whispered to Vegeta, "Cute thing isn't she?" he said. "But I'm more partial to her blond friend."
It was only then that Vegeta took brief notice of the younger girl with Tayla; this younger female had pale gold cornsilk hair, snowy skin, and large cobalt-blue eyes. She was much curvier than Tayla was, although much shorter. She was wearing a pale pink caftan that clung loosely to her perfect curves and set off with a pale green sash around her trim waist. Vegeta knew that there were some fair-skinned Astorians, but even none of them had skin that luminescent and white. He had seen girls like that on Calmag, and he recognized the skin coloring…the girl had to have been from Calmag. A Calmagian living among Astorians, of which the majority of them were darker-skinned than she was. In honest observation, Vegeta noted that most males would have found the timid, curvy blonde to be much prettier, even himself, but there was just something about Tayla that had suddenly caught his attention.
True, the girl was from an enemy race, and if his father were alive right now, he might not have approved of his son's new interest. But at one time or another King Vegeta had wanted Astorian females for mates as Saiyan males, so Vegeta couldn't see how his father could have objected too much. Not that it would have mattered to the Saiyan prince, if his father had.
He chuckled to himself, as he watched Tayla Chloe more closely than ever; it had been months since he had been with a female. Tayla probably would have been what-fifteen by now? Sixteen had been the official age for females to be taken for mates by Saiyan males, and Tayla wasn't that far off from that legal age. Even though he knew of the no-procreation-order put upon his race, he wondered briefly if Tayla could give him strong children to be trained as warriors. He was certain that she could, and he was growing stronger every day. One day, he would be strong enough to destroy Frieza, he was certain of it, and then he could do what he wanted, rule the universe, sire heirs, whatever came to his fancy.
The girl had within two minutes gone from being the archenemy he had hoped to overcome to the becoming the object of his desire. Oh, he still wanted to conquer her; he just wanted to do so in a much different way that he had originally planned.
He smiled to himself, as he watched her with the intensity of a cat preparing to spring upon a mouse. It was mostly wishful thinking on his part to have the Astorian princess for himself, he knew, but nothing could prevent him from fantasizing about her. He stopped watching her for a few moments to close his eyes and imagine her soft, unclothed, just-maturing body pressed up against his. In his mind, he could see himself running his large, muscled hands over her satiny skin, feeling every one of her curves as if committing them to memory just by touching. He felt the silk of her dark hair running through his long fingers, and he tasted the sweetness of her young flesh, as he danced his lips and tongue along her long neck, her pulsating throat, all the way up to her tender lips. He gently cupped her miniature breasts in his hands, feeling them rub against the hardened surface of his palms; he lightly brushed his thumb against the slowly hardening nipples, as he listened to her sigh and moan softly. He felt his tail tightening around her trim waist securely, giving her body a possessive squeeze every now and then, letting her know that she belonged to him and him alone. He felt her arms around his neck, and her velvety-soft face buried in the crook of his neck, as she willingly yielded herself and her body to him…
…"Vegeta, Vegeta!"
Vegeta growled at Nappa for interrupting his pleasant daydream. "What is it, Nappa?"
"Matty, or Matis, or whatever we're supposed to call him, wants to speak to you."
"The prosecutor is getting ready to read the charges that he wishes the RIC to bring against you and Nappa," Matis told Vegeta.
"The witnesses aren't going to testify yet?" Vegeta inquired.
"Not today; they were just required to be present to give brief statements; they will give their full testimonies in the upcoming trial," Matis explained. "The prosecutor, Howles Norr, will be reading the charges."
"Are we allowed to plead 'not guilty'?" Nappa asked.
"Yes, I did confess some to Chief Gohan Chloe," Vegeta admitted.
"Of course," Matis told his clients. "In fact, I highly recommend it. It will give us more time to find ways to discredit the witnesses."
"How do we intend to do that?" Ayala asked him. "All of the witnesses here are known to be of good reputation and character. I did research on almost all of them, especially those from the Clan of Chloe."
"Then we'll find a way to discredit all of them…believe me, my dear, you can find ways to muddy anyone's reputation, no matter how shining clean they seem to be on the outside. And it is still possible to win our clients a full acquittal. For you see, Ayala, what evidence does the prosecution really have against Prince Vegeta and Nappa other than eyewitness testimony, something that can always be discredited? There are no documents, no video or audio tapes or disks, only journalistic accounts and reports by third parties, most of whom were not actually there to witness their alleged crimes. What little evidence that exists is almost entirely circumstantial. I would say that the best strategy in this case is to cast doubt upon their guilt and discredit those who are testifying against them."
"But, Matis," Ayala pointed out. "What about the DNA and the blood samples giving proof of their presence on surviving planets such as Astoria and Calmag that the people on those worlds have gathered and turned in to Intergalacticpol? You've seen that for yourself, especially the childhood garments that Tayla Chloe presumably wore eight years ago on the day that Prince Vegeta, Nappa, and their missing comrade, Raditz, allegedly abducted her. Superior Gran Shalila Chloe turned in much of that evidence to Intergalacticpol herself, and Intergalacticpol was able to gather plenty of fiber, hair, DNA, and blood samples from the battle areas on Calmag and Astoria where the Saiyans had frequented."
"You have a valid point, Ayala," Matis said thoughtfully. "That evidence is very strong, but still we can find a way to invalidate it as well. We can try to imply that Intergalacticpol could have altered some of the tests or the test results, therefore making the 'evidence' seem unreliable."
He continued to speak of ways that the evidence against Vegeta and Nappa could be invalidated or discredited until Howles Norr came up before the grand jury. Then everyone quieted, as Howles Norr, a very short, squat man dressed in a purple shirt over red skin covered with purple spots, two skinny arms, four fat legs covered with turquoise pants, and a long giraffe-like neck with a spaniel-like head, black eyes, and long, floppy purple ears, read the charges he felt that the RIC should press against Prince Vegeta and Nappa. Howles Norr, despite his strange appearance, was a well-respected prosecutor who had won many cases for the RIC in the past, and everyone in the courtroom, except for the defense team, was confident that Howles could win a conviction of the Saiyans. Howles was fairly convinced himself.
But Vegeta was paying no mind to Howles Norr reciting the long list of charges against him and his partner. He ignored entirely Howles remind everyone in the courtroom of the wicked deeds that he and Nappa had committed in Frieza's name. His mind and eyes drifted back to the little Astorian beauty that had once been the enemy he had wanted to overcome, but now had become something more. Tayla Chloe was behind the prosecutor's table with her family and friends, casting furtive, wary glances at her Saiyan archenemy when she was certain that he wasn't looking. But he was looking all right, and much more so than anyone could have possibly imagined. She then turned away from his direction and leaned over to whisper something to the pretty blond girl that Nappa had become fascinated with. Good, he could now watch her without her noticing. As the one of the RIC members read the list of charges towards Vegeta and Nappa, the Saiyan prince drank in Tayla's lovely image until a sharp voice from one of the other members of the RIC, probably the Chairman, addressed him and Nappa directly:
"Prince Vegeta and Nappa of planet Vegeta, how do you plead to these charges? Arise and give your reply."
Vegeta nudged Nappa, and both Saiyans arose, tall and proud.
Even though he had heard none of the charges that Howles mentioned, Vegeta spoke for both of them, smiling confidently, saying:
"Nappa and I both plead 'not guilty'."
After the hearing ended, pandemonium broke throughout the courtroom, as the indignant, angry voices of both observers and witnesses buzzed everywhere. No one was leaving just yet, even though the court had been dismissed for now. How dare Prince Vegeta stand there and say casually that he and Nappa would plead not guilty to any of their crimes?
"Did you hear that? Prince Vegeta pled 'not guilty'!"
"He's a lying piece of scum, just like all Saiyans are!"
"I don't know why he's even bothering to fight the charges. He and that bald guy have twenty-five witnesses against them!"
"There would be plenty more than that, if they were still alive!"
"Yeah, well don't worry, all of their victims, dead and alive, are going to have their day in court with those smelly monkeys!"
"I hope they execute them!"
"Hanging's too good for them!"
"They wouldn't hang them, you idiot! They'd blast them!"
"They should put them to death by lethal injection!"
"No, that's too painless a way to go for those apes! I say we castrate them, cut off their penises! Kami knows how many women those monsters raped! Didn't the Saiyans use to do that on Astoria when they had that planet enslaved?"
"The Saiyans did, yes, over seventy years ago," said a more reasonable person. "But none of the charges Howles Norr read today mentioned any rapes or any other sex crimes, only murders, kidnappings, and property damages."
"There aren't any rapes mentioned because all of their victims are probably dead!"
"Or too scared and ashamed to come forward."
"I should have known they were going to plead not guilty," Gohan huffed, as he sat next to his wife, Hazel, who was holding Gokaan in her lap, feeding him a chocolate bar. "And after that little prickien, Vegeta, told me some of his crimes too."
"He's a liar, like all those of his race are," Mikos sniffed.
Bendros, who was sitting between Gohan and Mikos, flinched at Mikos insulting the entire Saiyan race. He knew how Mikos truly felt about his Saiyan blood, and it disturbed him that even in this modern day and time, there were still people who thought like Mikos.
Fortunately, Gohan didn't allow Mikos's remark to pass. He said sternly, "Mikos, not all those with Saiyan blood are evil. What about those among our race with Saiyan blood, are you including Sastorians with your stereotyping? Remember, Bendros here has Saiyan blood, and all of his people are part of us, on our side. Think before you say such things, Mikos."
"Very well," Mikos sighed. He said quickly, "I wasn't talking about the Sastorians however, I was talking about full-bloods such as those two monkeys who are being tried. And to think that one of those smelly men threatened my Tayla-"
For Mikos still wanted Tayla yet, even though she had insulted his package days ago. Bendros, not knowing that part about Tayla, seethed inwardly, feeling a twinge of jealousy, not that he actually believed that Tayla would want Mikos to begin with. Mikos continued:
"And I was watching Prince Vegeta the entire time, I was. I saw how he was looking at my Tayla when she was standing up before the bailiff, giving her name. I saw him lusting after her, I did!"
"Mikos, please," Gohan told him.
"How dare he desire her?" Mikos fumed. "She's too good for him."
Bendros privately agreed with Mikos, although he thought that Tayla was too good for Mikos as well. Bendros too had been watching Vegeta watch Tayla when Tayla had given her name to the bailiff, and he hadn't liked it one bit. He was certain that Vegeta had continued to watch Tayla after the girl had sat back down; he noticed that Vegeta had continued to look in Tayla's direction. He kept one eye on the Saiyan prince, who seemed to still be watching the little Astorian princess that Bendros had his heart set on. Bendros tried to calm himself down; Vegeta was still wearing the electronic ki-restraining collar around his neck, and there was no way he could get close to Tayla to bother her.
As for Tayla herself, Bendros just had to go see her as soon as possible; he had not had the chance to speak to her since he had abruptly been forced to leave Grain. When he had ran into Tayla in the courtroom, he had tried to speak, to explain what had happened between him and Esmera, but Tayla had coolly said hello and fled away quickly, but not before he had seen the glimmer of tears in her cocoa-colored eyes…
And when he had tried to approach her again just before they all had to sit down, Dirkan had come up in front of him and quietly told him that Tayla was busy right now, and that she had things that she needed to concentrate on. He could sense Dirkan's displeasure with him, and the Sastorian warrior suspected that he had heard Tayla's version of what had happened between him and Esmera. The rest of her other family members had seemed equally as protective of her. Bendros knew that another, smaller ship of more of Tayla's relatives was due to arrive any day now, carrying Tayla's other siblings, Arlon, Lukan, Marya, Bajal and Bajal's family, which included Bendros's Aunt Alora and their two children, Rina and Handros, and a handful of the family servants. He wondered if they would all take Tayla's side and quietly put him aside the way that Tayla's family seemed to be doing right now.
But his mother, Gran Mauria Sahara, the Gran of Sahara, was coming on that same ship as well, accompanied by Gran Saturna and Granden Sternos Pearl, Gran and Granden of Pearl. Bendros was hoping that maybe his mother could give him some advice on what to do about the situation between him and Tayla.
Esmera and Shelan, Mikos's children, were not helping matters any either. Esmera had stuck to his side like a barnacle clinging to the underside of a whale, and Bendros couldn't shake the girl to save his life. Shelan had to rub it in as well, telling Bendros that he thought that Bendros and Esmera made a wonderful couple, and that he fully approved of their relationship, even if his and Esmera's father didn't. Bendros had tried to interrupt Shelan, to explain that he and Esmera were not a couple, but Shelan had laughingly told him that he didn't have to deny his feelings and relationship with Esmera any longer. Shelan also had the nerve to add that he and Tayla were close to making up, and that he was slowly working on getting Tayla to forgive him for what he had done to her in the past.
"What things does Tayla like?" Shelan had the extra nerve to ask Bendros. "You know her better than I do, give me some ideas on how to win her over!" The only things that prevented the normally even-tempered Sastorian from breaking Shelan's jaw was the fact that Shelan was Mikos's son and Gohan's grandson and attacking Shelan for a minor reason like that could get Bendros kicked off of Intergalacticpol.
Bendros had merely said, very calmly, but with a hint of fury just tangible enough to let Shelan know that he had crossed the line, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"I intend to!" Shelan had laughed nervously. Bendros had shoved himself away from both Shelan and Esmera, saying that he needed some time alone. Esmera had tried to stop him, but Bendros curtly ordered her to stay with her brother, and before she could protest, Bendros had stormed away from both of them.
Now it had been a good hour that he had managed to avoid those two pesky siblings, and perhaps he could get a chance to speak to Tayla alone. Tayla was now standing near the entranceway to the courtroom, out in the corridor, talking to Caline, who was smiling shyly and blushing. All Tayla had to do was mention Kekron's name, and a peach tinge would envelop Caline's lovely face. Bendros admitted to himself that Caline was a beautiful and sweet girl whom he liked very much, but a type better suited to someone like Kekron than someone like him. Plus, Kekron had become a good friend of his since the War on Calmag, and even if Bendros held the slightest interest in Caline, he wouldn't have pursued it because he knew that the Astorian technician prince had his heart set on the shy little Calmagian princess.
If only, he could talk to Tayla for just twenty minutes. Twenty minutes would be all the time he would need to tell her the truth about him and Esmera and to tell her his true feelings for her.
But someone would beat him to her first, especially since Mikos and Gohan called him over to them to speak with him briefly…
After the subject had long moved away from Kekron (whom Caline was still blushing over), Tayla had begun expressing her thoughts on the upcoming trial for Vegeta and Nappa. Caline was listening attentively, even though the blush remained on her soft, white cheeks.
"It feels so odd, knowing that Vegeta and Nappa are so close, and yet unable to touch any of us," Tayla admitted to Caline.
"Surely, with you and everyone else testifying against them two weeks from now, they will remain that way," Caline told her a bit nervously. "Even though they are restrained, Tayla, they still unnerve me. I can't help but fear that somehow they'll find a way to escape and come after all of us."
"Part of me can't help but agree," Tayla told her. "But those collars have proven to have worked so far, and none of Frieza's people have shown up to rescue them, so it looks like all that there's left to worry about is getting them convicted. And Caline, despite what worries I do have about them, I am looking forward to helping put those two away, to seeing them punished for the crimes they've committed against innocent people. I'm not sure if I agree with everyone who says that they should be put to death, but it would satisfy me enough if they were to be sentenced to hard labor on Zelthar for the rest of their lives. Even if they were just sentenced to Zelthar, it would put my mind at ease and help me to move on."
"So you don't necessarily support the death penalty for them?" Caline asked softly.
"I don't know, Caline," Tayla said uncertainly. "Despite being a fighter, I really don't like seeing lives taken any more than necessary. Who am I to say that Vegeta and Nappa should die? I am not a Kai or a Kami, to determine who lives or dies. I know that I sound like Raakon when I say that, but he had a valid point when he said earlier that no one should just sentence people to death like that, the way that Frieza has done to so many people. I don't think that I would be comfortable with the idea of them being sentenced to death, even though it would end everyone's worries about them on the spot. No, Caline, I think that I would just prefer for them to be sentenced to Zelthar for the rest of their lives."
"And will you say that, if they ask you what your opinion of what their sentence should be?" Caline asked her. In the RIC courts, victims had much say in how the criminals who hurt them should be punished, even though the RIC or the jury trying the criminals made the final decision as to what the sentencing would be.
"I-I think I will, Caline, yes, I think that I will. I just hope that my family understands."
"Good decision," a smooth, clear, deep voice said approvingly from behind. "It is nice to know, Princess Tayla, that you aren't exactly demanding my head on a platter."
Tayla tensed up immediately, and her heart began to beat rapidly. Caline grew paler than pale, and she inched closer to Tayla for protection. Tayla turned around slowly towards the speaker, pulling Caline behind her protectively. "Vegeta," she hissed, trying to cover her nervousness. Caline clung to Tayla, watching the Saiyan prince, terrified as a rabbit trapped in a corner, waiting for the wolf pursuing it to pounce and devour.
Vegeta chuckled, with his arms crossed confidently, as he looked down upon her from his height; he was only two inches taller than her. Ayala and Matis were standing nearby, but both attorneys had been so absorbed in planning their next strategy to save Vegeta's and Nappa's lives that they were paying no attention to their client. Nappa was leaning back against the wall next to the entranceway, behind Ayala and Matis, as the people were pouring out of the courtroom.
Vegeta grinned, still chuckling. "Long time, no see, princess. I almost didn't recognize you earlier in the courtroom until I saw you turn your face in my direction. You've grown up very well, I might add; why you barely look like that little scrap that I remember fighting those few years ago. How old are you now-fifteen?"
"What does my age matter to you?" Tayla asked him frostily. Vegeta ignored the chilliness in her tone; he smirked to himself, enjoying the nervousness that he knew that she was trying to hide from him. He could sense the hint of fear that she was working so hard not to convey to him, and it aroused him. He could smell the mild perfume of tea roses emanating from her exquisite form, and it suited her, simple, clean, and yet alluring all at the same time. With his dark, penetrating eyes, he gave her a slow once-over from the top point of her gold-and-ruby crown on her black head, down upon her sweet, heart-shaped face, past her small, delicate bosom, reaching below her compact, yet noticeable curves, all the way down to her miniscule feet.
Tayla glared at him with as much contempt as she could emit; she felt that contempt and also anger and a bit of fear towards him, but her bad feelings about him were not strong enough at this time to be hatred. Nevertheless, she did not appreciate him looking her over the way that he was. It unnerved her entirely that he was studying her with desire (yes, she recognized that look by now), and the intensity that he was doing it with sent a chill down her spine.
*He can't touch you, Tayla; you could easily kill him right now if you wanted to, if he laid a hand upon you. * For some reason, however, this thought did not ease her anxiety. She had liked it much better when Vegeta had seen her as just another opponent to overcome; at least then she had known exactly what to expect. Now that she was certain that Vegeta was seeing her in an entirely different light, a new alarm went off in her soul. Never had she dreamed that Vegeta would view her as anything other than one of his enemies to defeat; she would have never believed in a thousand years that Vegeta would want her as a male wanted a female. She did not like this new fact one bit, and it sprung a new fear in her pounding heart.
Chuckling once more, he ignored her last question. "So how have things been, princess?" he asked, his voice deepening into a purr.
"They will be even better once I know that you're on that prison planet of Zelthar!" Tayla fumed, determined now to make him forget her as a potential mate or conquest. She was going to end his newly developing desire for her before it truly begun; what she didn't know was that she had already started way too late. She took a deep breath to restrain her increasingly rising temper; Bendros, Toria, Raakon, Dirkan, and Nama had counseled her a long time ago to always speak calmly and evenly whenever confronting someone that she could not fight physically. Unfortunately, Tayla still had a long way to go in mastering this lesson, although she was better at it now than she used to be. She took another deep breath and spoke again, much more slowly and coolly:
"I am looking forward to testifying against you and Nappa, Vegeta, and knowing that you two will be put away for the rest of your lives is going to make me sleep so much better at night. In fact, I believe everyone in the entire Rosetta Galaxy, no the entire universe, will sleep better at night. You do not scare me one bit, Vegeta, and neither does Nappa. I will tell the truth on that stand, and both of you will surely be sent off to Zelthar, like you two richly deserve, if the RIC does not decide to sentence you two to death, like so many are demanding that they do. I will do everything within my power to ensure that you two will be put away where neither one of you can harm innocent people ever again. Maybe at last, some justice will be done. C'mon, Caline, let's go." Tayla took Caline's arm, and both girls would have walked away immediately, had it not been for Vegeta's next words:
"Are you really done now, Tayla?"
Tayla turned her head towards Vegeta and said, "I've been done."
"Let me ask you one thing," Vegeta told her calmly, not letting her previous words get to him. He was realistic enough to know that she wouldn't exactly fall for him, but he still wanted her to know and to see his desire for her.
"What's that?" Tayla asked coolly.
Vegeta smiled. "Are you interested in that half-breed called Bendros Sahara?"
Tayla blushed against her will, much to her fury. How did Vegeta know? And how dare he bring that up, even if he did know? She hissed, taking the bait without realizing it, "What is that to you?"
Vegeta chuckled. "Your half-breed suitor attacked me over you. In fact, he warned me away from you. But there is one advantage that I would always have over him, if I were ever to pursue you myself. Something that he can never give you that I already have."
"And just what would that be?" Tayla snapped, even though Caline was silently begging her with her eyes to leave with her.
"Why, your first kiss, of course," Vegeta said, laughing. "In case, you've forgotten, princess, to the best of my knowledge, I was the first male to ever kiss you on your lips, and you weren't bad of a kisser back then, I might add. I bet that that half-breed that seems to fawn over you so much can't boast that. In fact, I wouldn't mind reliving that memory again. You tasted rather nice back then, even though you were only what-seven-years-old at the time? I wouldn't mind having another taste."
Tayla clenched her tiny fists, for hearing Vegeta's words brought up a memory that she had been glad to forget…
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"Nice try, brat," Vegeta told Tayla, "but we aren't going anywhere until every living thing on this planet is destroyed. Starting with you and your sister. I think we will just destroy you two first, since we can't get any information out of the two of you. But before you die, I'll give you something to remember me by." With that said, Vegeta grabbed Tayla's long waist-length, silky black hair and pulled her face to his. He then kissed her hard on the lips. Nappa and Raditz howled with laughter. Marya was horrified. Tayla responded to her first kiss by kicking Vegeta hard in his crotch…
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"Taste this, you son-of-a-" Tayla began, raising one of her fists, but Caline took her rising arm.
"C'mon, Tayla, let's go, please," Caline begged.
Tayla took a deep breath, quickly realizing that socking Vegeta would not be worth the trouble it could later cause. She turned towards Caline and said, "I'm sorry, Caline, let's just get out of here."
And without looking back at the Saiyan prince, she walked away with Caline quickly, leaving Vegeta behind, smirking still.
"If I want you badly enough, Tayla, I will find a way to have you," he whispered to himself. "You should just be thankful that I am unable to do anything more than speak to you at this time."
He could hear Nappa calling him, and Vegeta reluctantly went to see what his partner wanted. While he was walking to Nappa, Bendros Sahara confronted him. He had just arrived after hearing Vegeta's final words to Tayla.
Bendros hissed at the Saiyan prince, "You leave her alone, Vegeta, do you understand me? If I find out that you bothered her again, only the Supreme Kai will be able to keep me from giving you what you long have coming to you! Stay away from her!" And with that, Bendros pushed past the Saiyan prince to go find Tayla to speak to her.
Vegeta only grinned as Bendros ran further and further away. "If I were going to pursue her, half-breed, you wouldn't stand much of a chance," he said confidently, as he slowly strolled over to Nappa and his attorneys.
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A/N: Okay, so now Vegeta and Tayla finally met again, with Vegeta feeling lust and Tayla feeling contempt. Will Bendros EVER get the chance to speak to Tayla, and what will happen in the next two weeks before the trial? Will Zarbon, Jaden, and Diamonique reach Grain? And will Frieza discover that "Prince Stripe" and "Princess Target" are really Raditz and Journa? Find out in the upcoming chapters of "Hope Never Dies"