Ch. 4
Day and Night,
Night and Day,
Still going your lonely way.
-Jubei-chan, Secret of the lovely eye-patch theme.
She gasped as she was shoved roughly into a quarters by the one named Zarbon.
"This is where you'll be sleeping until we get back to the planet Frieza," he said shortly. He grinned. "I daresay the men back home will be very happy to see you."
Krista flushed again, but said nothing. Zarbon considered her.
"We may have to get a uniform custom made for you."
"Uniform?" Krista asked in amazement. Zarbon nodded.
"Of course. You didn't think you were going to wear that flimsy thing, did you?" he asked, pointing to her orange jumper. He glanced up at the shift monitor.
"I've got to go. Ask a crewman for the way to the mess hall if you get hungry." He grinned again. "Like it or not, you're one of us, now."
And with that, he left her in her new quarters. Krista looked around the rather barren space, flung herself down on the bed and cried.
Ami knew that nothing she could say or do would ever cheer up Touma completely.
His worst fear had come true. Krista was gone, taken by Frieza. It had happened so fast, and so unexpectedly, that everyone had been powerless to stop it. Once Touma had realized it, it had been far too late. She'd already agreed, and Krista never went back on her word.
Still, Ami sat on the couch and hugged Touma, who seemed to be at this moment drained of all emotion. His arms were around her, but they didn't tighten, or loosen. The grip remained somewhat limp.
Vegeta, too, seemed to be in a state of shock. Ami was sure that Vegeta had come to care for her quite a bit. She'd seen it every time he looked at her; she was more than just a girl, or a student to him. He'd lost someone special, too. She sighed and sent up a silent prayer to the creator that she be watched over.
She didn't know she had fallen asleep. She was awoken by the return of Zarbon. He looked up from her closet.
"Oh, so you are awake. I thought you might wish to have your uniform. We've had it a little…altered for you." He grinned. "I hope it's sufficient." He held it up and Krista gasped. The breastplate of the uniform had been molded so as to fit her female figure from the collarbone down to the waist. Zarbon smirked.
"I also tried to have you show off those long legs of yours, but Master Frieza thought you'd be more comfortable in this," he said, holding up what looked like a pair of black tights. She saw boots and gloves stashed just inside the closet in an alcove. Zarbon set everything on a shelf.
"You'll want to change before you go out. I assume you're hungry."
Krista blinked. She hadn't realized it, but she was starving. Zarbon grinned again.
"I'll be in the mess myself. Come by once you suit up…Cadet."
He left. Krista considered. She'd agreed to come along, she might as well do the thing properly, right? She began to change her clothes.
The fit of the breastplate made her wonder if she hadn't been measured in her sleep, it was so accurate. She pulled on the gloves and boots, marveling again at the fit-she was sure many soldiers weren't nearly as small as her. As an afterthought, she pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail, a few wisps of hair escaping to frame her face. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of her quarters.
She looked to her right, then her left. She shrugged and headed to her left, intending to ask the first crewman she came across where the mess hall was. The first person she bumped into, however, was Frieza. She startled and began to bow, then salute, and finally fell to one knee with her head bowed. Frieza laughed.
"A salute will do, Cadet. Where are you headed?"
"I'm headed to the mess hall…sir" she added a little belatedly. Frieza nodded.
"In that case, I'm afraid it's in the other direction. At the end of this corridor, make a right. Go straight, you'll see it."
Krista started to bow, then saluted. "Yes. Thank you, sir."
She turned and began to walk the other way when another few words from Frieza made her stop.
"Let me know if anyone is a problem. Zarbon has been assigned to protect you."
Krista's eyes widened. That pompous blowhard was her PROTECTOR? She turned and saluted again. "Yes sir," she said with much less emphasis. She took the directions Frieza had given her to the mess hall. When she appeared in the doorway, she saw more races and beings than she'd known ever existed. The babble of talk that had been consistent moments before her arrival died away at once when she stepped through the threshold. Then it picked up again with hearty laughs, nudges and winks thrown into every other statement. She wandered nervously over to the mess counter.
"Uh…what do you have?"
The lunch clerk grinned and rattled off a list of foods that made Krista wish she'd thought enough to bring Mako-chan with her. She sighed.
"Give me…whatever you have that's closest to a soup."
This the clerk did, and Krista settled into a corner of the hall by herself to try and enjoy her meal. She sat so she could see everyone, her back almost flush up against the wall. She watched as glances , looks and the stares were thrown in her direction. She paled as a group of beings started toward her. She looked around desperately for Zarbon, but she could not distinguish his face from so many other unfamiliar ones. The four or five beings sat at her table and smiled. One extended his hand.
"I'm Musquo," he said by way of greeting. Krista considered the cat-faced being. She finally shook his hand-or paw, as it turned out.
"Hajishitemashite," she said. "I'm Krista."
Musquo nodded. "We know. Word travels fast aboard a ship. You gave up yourself for your planet?"
Krista nodded. The orange being with bright red hair next to him nodded. "Good move," it said in a deep voice. "Master Frieza always calls a being's bluff. So, I assume you're e cadet?"
Krista nodded again, still trying to work up the nerve to taste her meal. The being grinned.
"I'm a sergeant, I'm right above you. Do you know what your detail is yet?"
Krista shook her head. Musquo grinned. "Zarbon said you were quite the tough talker. What's the matter?"
Krista smiled. She was beginning to like these guys.
"I'm just trying to get up the courage to taste this…whatever it is."
Musquo wrinkled his feline nose. "Ugh. That stuff is poison. I'll go get you something you may enjoy." He stood and walked over to the counter. The orange-skinned being held out his hand.
"I'm Mere, by the way. Like I was about to say, there are several details you can be assigned to. I'm on medical myself. It's an interesting field, if you're interested."
Krista grinned. "I bet. My brother's girlfriend wants to be a doctor. I'd be one too if I were smart enough."
Mere shrugged. "It's not so hard. It's learning everyone's physiology that's the problem."
Musquo returned with a plate filled with something that looked like a cross between french fries and sushi, with a dash of wasabi mixed in. It smelled awful. Musquo grinned.
"Best food on the ship. Try some."
Krista, grimacing a bit, picked up a piece and bravely stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully for a second, then swallowed and grinned.
"This is great!" she said enthusiastically. Musquo nodded again.
"Like I said, best food on the ship."
When she arrived back at her quarters, a piece of paper had been shoved under her door. She had been assigned bridge detail. Her Commanding officer would be Major…Musquo?? He was a Major?? She blinked. She note told her to be on the bridge at the start of the next shift. Mere had taught her how to read the shift monitor. It was almost time for her to report. She stepped out the door and saw another being scurrying up the corridor.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. "But which way is the bridge?"
The being stopped and gave her directions. She thanked it and headed to the bridge. She arrived just as her shift was beginning, and was encountered immediately by Musquo. He grinned.
"Welcome, cadet. I am your commanding officer. From here on in, you will answer to me and any one above me. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir." She said. Musquo nodded.
"You will be working helm on the ship, and once we get back home, you will work tactical. Take your post." He pointed to a console in the front of the bridge in front of a giant viewscreen. She took her post, glancing out of the corners of her eyes as she did so. She gasped. Both Frieza and Zarbon were on the bridge, along with the being Rogue had fought known as Dodoria. Zarbon smirked as she took her post. She sat next to a light blue being that looked like a human, except for the ears poking out of it's pink hair. It glanced at her.
"First day?"
Krista nodded. It smiled, revealing several rows of very sharp teeth.
"I'll help you, it's not too hard once you get the hang of it."
Krista spent the next two hours learning to get the hang of the helm. It was easy as they encountered nothing during that time. Finally, when Kuao (the name of Krista's partner) was sure Krista had it, he returned his full attention to his own readings while Krista studied hers. Because their course had been locked in, she wouldn't be required to make any course corrections. She was just checking up on the vital systems when a soldier came onto the bridge with a report. Frieza looked at it and frowned.
"All stop," he commanded the helm. Kuao and Krista hastened to obey. Both swiveled in their chairs, awaiting further instructions.
"At ease. Zarbon, you have the bridge. Dodoria, with me."
Frieza strode off the bridge. Krista turned back to checking vital systems when she felt someone hovering above her. The green braid that fell just into her line of view told her it was Zarbon.
She could almost see him grinning, even though she kept her eyes glued to the panel.
"Not bad so far, cadet," he murmured in her ear. "But we'll see how you do once we get back to the planet Frieza." He chuckled softly. "I think Captain Ginyu will be very pleased to see you."
She bit her lip to refrain from slipping in a choice phrase or two. She murmured something in Japanese and kept on working. Zarbon, already getting the gist of it, chuckled again and stood up straight and walked back over to his chair on the bridge. A few minutes later, Frieza strode back in.
"Helm. Resume course."
"Aye, sir," Kuao and Krista said in unison as they resumed course. Kuao smiled at Krista again.
"You're really getting the hang of this. It took me several days to figure it out. Are you sure you haven't done this before?"
Krista flushed a bit.
"Maybe it's the shock of being thrust into this situation so suddenly. I learn things quicker."
She and Kuao laughed at this.
Five and a half hours later, boredom and fatigue were beginning to take their toll. They'd encountered nothing in Krista's entire time on the bridge, and her shift was about to end. She checked again that there were no disturbances when a flashing light caught her eye. Kuao saw it as well.
"Sir?" he said. "I'm receiving a report of a fire on deck five. Heavy casualties."
Frieza ordered an all stop again, this time opting to take Zarbon with him from the bridge, leaving Dodoria in charge. Dodoria wandered around the stations, checking up on everybody. When he reached Helm, he, too, leaned over Krista, giving her the oppressive feeling that she was about to be squashed by a skyscraper.
Dodoria reached over her shoulder and tapped a few buttons on the display, his arm pressed heavily against her chest as he worked. She ignored it until he began to withdraw his hand and gave one breast a quick squeeze before walking back to his chair. Krista sat, frozen. Her commanding officer hadn't…he couldn't have…
She looked up as Zarbon and Frieza returned. She looked at her display to see that the fire had been taken care of, and that she was receiving no more reports of injuries. She and Kuao once again resumed course. When her shift ended. She stood up and walked rather stiffly off of the bridge. She headed to her quarters, where she sat on her bed in some confusion.
Maybe it was a sign of superiority, or something. She'd misread it because on her planet, it meant something different.
She was turning over the possibilities in her mind when a bell chimed.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"Musquo," came a voice. "Can I come in, Krista?"
Krista got up and pressed a button next to her door. It hissed open and Musquo stepped in.
"So how was your first day?"
"Fine," Krista said cheerfully. She decided not to tell him about what Dodoria had done. Musquo seemed pleased.
"I'm glad. Zarbon said he was very impressed with the way you handled the Helm on your first day."
Krista flushed. Musquo smiled.
"I'm going down to the Rec. Hall. We have a few games down there, I can teach you how to play."
Krista stood.
"I'm there."
"So let me get this straight," Mere said, confused. "In this story, there is a game played on flying objects called broomsticks called Quidditch, and this main character-what did you say his name was?"
Krista smiled. "Harry Potter."
"Right Harry potter…is one of the best?"
Krista nodded. She'd been trying for the past hour to explain Harry Potter to Mere. He'd been doing fine until she'd gotten to Quidditch. Musquo and Kuao chuckled.
"I imagine it's not something you can understand unless you read the stories.", Kuao said amusedly. Krista nodded.
"Most humans have trouble with the concept as well, Mere. It's alright."
As they were laughing over this, Zarbon quietly strode up. Musquo blinked and saluted.
"Sir!"
Everyone followed suit. Zarbon grinned.
"At ease, troops. I was wondering if I could have a word or two with our new cadet."
Krista paled, but stood and went over to a vacant corner in the hall. Zarbon grinned again.
"I'm quite impressed. I'm sure your commanding officer told you."
"He did, sir," Krista said softly.
Zarbon nodded. "I've also been made your protector. Gifted fighter or not, you may not be able to compare to some of our troops back at our home base. So if you have any trouble with anyone, seriously, let me know."
Krista wondered whether to tell about what Dodoria had done. She then decided against it. Ratting out a commanding officer was no way to start a career.
She smiled as politely as she could.
"There's been nothing for me to report, sir."
Zarbon seemed satisfied with that. HE stood, prompting Krista to do so as well.
"Then you're dismissed, cadet."