Chapter 42. Never again
Eight moons after the Marauder embarked on the journey home from Namek, the large spaceship finally reached its destination and landed on the space docks of Vegetasei's capital city.
Most Saiyajins emerged light-footed and with but a little excitement. For them coming back here was just like returning from any other long space mission. They had been dead for most part of the history that had unfolded after the destruction of Vegetasei and not much time had passed since they last looked upon the sight of their home planet.
For Vegeta, Akane, Turles and Ringo it had been many long years since. They had spent their lives burdened with the knowledge that their people and planet had been destroyed and that the moment of returning home would never come. Yet here they were, older, wiser, bearing the indelible marks of the horrors that had befallen them after the genocide of their people. They were left with no illusions about the beauty of life for it had taught them that suffering was as much a part of it. Today they had come to the end of it all. They returned to the beginning where they were born anew with the freedom to at last shape their lives in the fashion they wished. It was today that their enslavement was truly over.
The four of them came out haltingly, almost staggering as they went, not sure what to expect and not completely trusting to be able to keep composure as they finally set foot on their birthground. Vegeta froze at the bottom of the ramp with Akane at his shoulder, their daughter sleeping comfortably curled up in the crook of her arm and the three of them flanked by Ringo and Turles. Unable to do anything but stare their eyes out, they stood overtaken by the sight of Vegetasei. The two red suns, blinding to their eyes, were set high in the pale purple sky and burned on their faces more scorching than any of them had remembered. A light breeze touched their faces and was impregnated with nostalgic scents that made breathing quite impossible. It was simply too much to all take in at once.
"We're home." Akane's raw voice was a mere whisper.
Compelled to look to his side Vegeta found her eyes shimmering with tears that would not fall. Her perfectly scarred, gorgeous face held no suffering at all and she was more beautiful to him in this moment than she had ever been. He gave her a light nod and she returned it, sharing the blessedness that washed over them through their bond. They made it. She took his hand with a light squeeze and their gloved fingers laced together in between them as their eyes were irrepressibly drawn to the future that lay before them.
Turles was swallowing so hard to keep himself from weeping that Vegeta, Akane and Ringo looked over to him incredulously. Then they looked to each other, the silence between them ready to break as they shared glances. And they broke out in laughter, unrestrained, sincere.
Akane giggled rather unlike her uncouth self as she wiped her eyes which were nearly closed so broad was her smile and Vegeta stroked the pink streak across her temple with the back of his fingers. He had promised himself to draw her out again. The real her. The one that had smiled at him on that perfect day in the glade where she had stolen his heart. Here she was again.
A collected breath was taken and the four of them turned to face the world. There, behind the rim of the space docks it enfolded itself before their feet, plunging down to meet the vast valley in the deep where lay the capital. At its heart arose the highest peaks of the royal palace on which fluttered the black and red banner of the King. Vegeta squinted and as the wind unruffled the banner he could just distinguish the two red suns against the black background and the red flame in between them, the flame that was reflected beneath his mate's left eye.
"This place is deserted." Turles concluded after a thorough look around and the smile was no longer on his face. "Why would the space docks be left unmanned?"
"They bleeding well shouldn't be." Akane snarled looking up at Vegeta. "Something is wrong."
Vegeta scanned the horizon and a feeling of foreboding took him. "We don't know in what state the planet was restored. For all we know Vegetasei has been brought back in disarray."
He reached out with his senses and felt more darting ki's around him as they probed the planet for any indication as to what was going on. He located a large cluster of battle powers near the palace.
"There are a lot of people gathered at the palace." was Ringo's same discovery.
"Soldiers." Vegeta judged from their base powers. "I think my father has them on guard at the gates."
"There are so many. The King acts as if war is still upon him." Akane was taken aback.
It made perfect sense to Vegeta however. "To him it is. Remember that he has been brought back to a time where Vegetasei was still at war with Frieza. He has no knowledge of what happened afterwards."
"That explains it then." Akane gave a quick jerk with her hand and barked: "Ringo, send a messenger ahead to announce the Prince's return."
"Yes Captain." Ringo, not at all surprised to see Akane fall back into her old role, saluted swiftly and saw to it at once.
Akane turned to the rest of the Marauder's company still forgetting that it was neither her duty, nor her place to be giving commands as their Captain. "We approach the capital on foot. Keep your eyes peeled. There is no telling what we will find upon arrival."
Her adequate deportment was so impressing that no one, not even the newly appointed Wing Ardian that had replaced Akane, could find anything out of place in this picture. They saluted her as one man, confirming once and for all that she would always remain one of them, no matter what her title.
Vegeta couldn't suppress a snicker when he watched his little mate bark commands while his daughter, untouched by the commotion, lay sleeping in the crook of her arm. Akane returned to his side with a mingled expression of determination and shame once she became aware of Aina on her arm, obviously thrown between the two.
"Let me take her." Vegeta said obligingly and when he saw her confusion he clarified: "Those bleeders obviously still need you."
Akane gave him a fierce nod and moved to hand him the tiny creature. This proved to be harder than it looked because Aina gave a savage snarl when she was awoken from her slumber and clung forcefully to her mother's arm, refusing to let go.
"Come on, kitten." Akane encouraged her, trying hard to keep the impatience from her voice.
Aina replied with a heartrending mewl, her short fluffy tail shooting out to encircle Akane's wrist. Akane lifted her in the scruff of her neck and her diminutive form instinctively grew completely limp as she was hoisted into the air. Then she was placed on her father's arm and gladly grabbed hold of that instead.
Vegeta secured the kitten on his arm and watched her mother pace away through the throng of soldiers with strong decisive strides, shouting commands in her raw voice as she went to fulfil the duty that fitted her best. He waited patiently for his daughter to get more comfortable in the crook of his arm and after some stirring she wrapped herself up in a tight bundle of chubby little limbs, her tail draped over her eyes. He covered her with the blanket when she finished.
"You're set." he agreed when she started to pur contentedly.
Aina gave a huge yawn as if to say that he couldn't have been more right, or perhaps to tell him that he should just sod off and leave her to her well deserved rest. Vegeta suspected the last. His daughter was already developing a temperament much like that of his little mate. Akane never seemed to want to agree with him on this. She kept insisting that his daughter took more after him and in his opinion the fact that she denied it only illustrated his point. Aina simply was Akane and not just in behaviour. Her little nose, delicately carved face and small pouting mouth were almost identical to her mother's.
It didn't take Akane long to finish rounding up her men and she spurred them into motion with a wave of her arm indicating the road that led off the mountain into the capital. The soldiers set off in perfect sync, moving down the path as one giant organism. Vegeta filed in at random with Turles close behind and witnessed his little mate, clad in her crimson battle suit, shining at the head of the column in all her magnificence.
.
.
.
The silence of the Marauder's company reflected that of the deserted city as they marched cautiously down the narrow streets. The windows of the houses on either side gaped down on them like dark empty eyes from which all life had passed. There wasn't a soul about and it looked like the people had left the city in a hurry. The road was strewn with possessions the people were forced to leave behind in their flight: pots, pans, blankets, clothing, rotting food, the torn off head of a ragdoll.
"I wonder where they all went." Akane had fallen back to walk beside Vegeta and she spoke in a whisper as though afraid to disturb the dismal silence that had settled on the capital.
She stooped to pick up a tiny shoe, looked at it in mute consideration while wiping off the dirt, then continued to take in the scene around them uneasily.
"I think the city has been evacuated." Vegeta said bracingly. He didn't sound too sure of his statement. There could just as well be something more sinister going on.
There was commotion at the head of the line and Vegeta made his way over with Akane at his heels. She seemed unable to let go of the little shoe she had picked up, it was still firmly clutched in her crimson gloved hand.
An old, mangled looking man was standing in the middle of the streets holding a gnarled hand against his temple in a greeting of some sorts to the advancing formation. His clothes were ripped and his long grey hair fell in greasy strands around his weathered face. The wide smile he gave the soldiers revealed that he was missing several teeth, but that seemed the least of his problems because when Vegeta looked closer, he saw that the man also missed an arm.
"Is it true?" croaked the man with a brittle voice. "Has our Prince returned? Has he come to undo our dream? Will he save us?"
The formation held halt and one of the soldiers up front, a rugged, brown haired man, disentangled himself from the mass.
"Out of the way you old fool!" he sneered at the stranger and the weathered old man was shoved aside so roughly that he fell head first to the street.
Vegeta, feeling an anger he could hardly control, elbowed his way to the front of the line, the Saiyajins parting quickly to let their Prince through.
"Get him up." he dictated with such vehemence that it startled even himself. "Now!" he growled as the soldier only gawped at him.
He was outraged. Had they learned nothing from their past? Was the destruction of their planet not prove enough that tyranny brought only suffering? He could not stand to see any more oppression or cruelty. Not even on a small scale.
"Take care of his injuries and feed him." Vegeta said, taking a breath to settle himself before he would lunge at the soldier.
"Yes, my Prince." the soldier bowed deeply and hurried to help the old man from the ground.
"Good to have you back, my Prince. Yes, very good. You will save us from the dream. We are saved. We are saved!" the old man babbled as he was hoisted upright. There was a nasty gash on his forehead caused by the fall and blood trickled from it into his brow, He didn't seem to notice as he revered Vegeta like some divine being. "Thank you, my Prince. You are a just man."
Though it had become clear that the old man was a barmpot, Vegeta felt ashamed and unworthy of his praise and he walked on without looking at the toothless smile the man bestowed him. If only the old man knew of the justice Vegeta had brought down on the people who opposed Frieza. The lasting silence of the soldiers made him very aware of himself and of the daughter he was carrying in the crook of his arm and he thought that he must look the feeblest leader they had ever served under.
His mate agreed with him though, or at least showed him her support by appointing twenty men to search the capital and the surrounding area for any others that might still be around and to tend to those who were in need of help. They were also ordered to set up a camp for the distribution of medicine and food, which they were to take from the marauder's stock. Then she nearly screamed that no Saiyajin should be made to live in such conditions and with those last words proved that this thing was quite personal. She too had seen enough injustice.
When Akane caught up with Vegeta she said nothing and she looked furious. The little shoe was no longer in her hand, Vegeta had seen her throw it in one of the soldiers' faces in her rage. She strode past him brusquely and remained two paces ahead of him as they resumed their way to the palace, the soldiers behind them coming into motion again at the command of Akane's successor.
"Akane." Vegeta said as he quickened his pace to walk beside her.
The anger that had been edged in her face had vanished and instead she looked… Ashamed? He had to check twice before he was willing to believe it, but that was exactly what it was. The feelings he could detect through their bond confirmed it.
"They don't know, do they?" Akane implored, unable to answer his stare for longer than a second. "They're just being stupid." she said to the ground. "They haven't been there… Not like us."
Vegeta put his hand to her shoulder. "You don't have to apologise. You're right. They don't know."
"But I do!" her blazing eyes shot up to look at him hard now. "You do! Why don't they? They have not changed! Nothing has changed!"
"Everything has changed." Vegeta said quietly. "These are our people. I am their Prince and I will not tolerate cruelty. And you can change everything for them, Akane. You will be their Queen one day."
There shone a whole different fire in her eyes when she looked up at him again and she brandished her fist at him. "Then I will." she said with fierce determination. "And you will lead them to peace? No more destruction? No more war?"
"Not if I can help it." Vegeta said earnestly. "Never again."