AN:  OK, I lied. One chapter after this.  I promise.  I needed to break this one up. 

Anyone not trained to see movements done at such a rapid pace could accidentally miss crucial, pivotal moves that were happening right before his or her eyes.  Twin blurs of power rocketed around the stark room, their lights trailing behind them, throwing off anyone attempting to properly observe the interactions.  A feminine whine sung out from the red blaze, as a masculine chuckle preceded the blue one.  Next thing anyone knew, the blurs had stopped to reveal a purple-haired youth perched on top of a dark-haired female, as he effectively pinned her to the cold, hard ground.

"Pinned you," Trunks taunted, eyes shining with exhilaration and laughter.

"Gee, thanks," Kameko sarcastically responded, "I never would have known that without you telling me."  She squirmed a bit in his grasp, trying to break free.  Finding she could not even lever so much as a pinky free, she pouted.  "Get off!  You're a heavy oaf.  I can't support your fat rear on my nice, feminine body."

Trunks rolled his eyes and let her from the ground.  "Kameko, you're about as feminine as Nappa."  Before she could sneak in a retort, he amended his statement.  "No, wait."  He tugged on a lock of her hair.  "As feminine as Nappa with a black wig on."

Scrunching up her features, Kameko attempted to look angry with the Prince, but his amused cerulean eyes tipped her hand into giggling.  "Trunks!"  She pouted, then raised the crimson energy around herself again, launching at Trunks for round two.

_______________

"Vegeta?"

"Yes?"

"Where are you going, dear?"

"To make Trunks a Super Saiyan."

_______________

The door's soft hiss and whisper of boots on the tiled floor caused both Kameko and Trunks to pause in their sparring match, suspended in midair.  As they saw the tall, wild upsweep of flaming black hair, they both dropped to the ground, Kameko on one knee, with Trunks on his feet.

Vegeta nodded his head in recognition, and motioned for Kameko to stand.  "I have a mission for you, brat."  Cape swishing around his feet, Vegeta strode past the two friends, back to them.  "There is a planet not far from here that has recently arrived at the unfortunate conclusion that they can overtake us."  Kameko looked over to see Trunks' tail whipping about behind him in obvious irritation at being prevented from continuing their match and being sent off to fight a pithy battle.  She grabbed it, and gave his tail a quick, sharp squeeze.  "Therefore, boy, I wish for you to take a small squadron and reassure them through force that their hopes are unfounded.  Do you understand?"

Eyes impassive and voice tight, Trunks replied, "Yes."

"Good.  And take the girl with you."

Trunks' power shot up, a blue haze surrounding him as a prelude to power.  Kameko merely looked stunned; who had ever heard of sending a False Saiyan to fight royalty's battles?  "Father, are you insane?  She will be slaughtered out there!"

"Not if you prevent that occurrence."

"What good would she do out there?  If this is such a hard battle that you require sending the Prince, why are you sending a hu…False Saiyan?"

Vegeta stared Trunks down, eyes and energy all directed at boring into his son's eyes.  "Are you questioning my orders?"

Trunks crossed his arms over his chest and returned the stare.  "I am questioning your wisdom, not your orders."

"You leave in four hours.  Be ready at Hangar One then."  Vegeta silently dared Trunks to contradict him, but when Trunks did not rise to the challenge, Vegeta stepped around the two friends and left the room.

As soon as the door's murmur signaled that the King had left the room, Kameko's legs gave out from under her, and she sank to the floor, hyperventilating and hands trembling.  Eyes wide and blank, Kameko stared at the retreating door in unabashed horror.  Finding her voice again, Kameko looked up at the tense and angry Prince.  "Why?" she managed, a squeak hiding the threat of tears.  She, a False Saiyan!  What did she ever do to be sent off on this suicide mission?

Without removing his eyes from the door, Trunks squatted down behind Kameko and pulled her head back into his chest.  His breathing reassured her, even as the hostility rolled off him in palpable waves.  "Don't worry.  I'll protect you.  I swear it."

__________________

As Vegeta reentered the bedroom, a paper shoved in his face greeted him.  Bulma poked him in the shoulder while holding the flight schedule up to his line of vision.  "What are you doing, sending Trunks off on a mission?  And this Kameko with him!  There's no reason for this!"

Growling, Vegeta yanked the document out of his wife's hand and threw it aside, brushing past her to step fully into the room. 

"Don't think you can ignore me this time!"  Bulma spun and stepped up against Vegeta, her blue eyes inches from his dark ones.  If she had been stronger, she would have shoved him down onto the bed, but she settled for standing uncomfortably close and shouting.  "You have sent the crown Prince, your only heir off to a 'cleansing' mission where he could be killed, and you think I will idly stand by as you threaten my son's life?"  Vegeta opened his mouth, but adrenaline flowing from a motherly protection and anger over being shut out purchased her the temporary strength to actually shove Vegeta onto the edge of the bed.  Looming over him, she continued her tirade.  "I don't know what you think you are, but whatever it is, it is not in any sort of position to do something this drastic without consulting me!"

"I have set the course for Trunks to become a Super Saiyan," Vegeta simply stated.

"How?"  Bulma raged.  "By making him kick the asses of some aliens?"  Taking a deep breath, Bulma gathered up oxygen for her next verbal assault when the realization of what was happening struck her.  Backing up, she stumbled into the overstuffed plush chair in the corner, disbelief and astonishment making their mark on her face.  Looking up at the now standing Vegeta, her voice barely broke a whisper.  "It's to kill her, isn't it?  It's to have one of those aliens kill her, and Trunks gets so enraged he transforms.  I can't believe you."  Still in shock, her voice rose, warbling in pitch but regaining some of her strength.  "You're going to sacrifice Trunks' only friend for power."

Vegeta reached for her, but she recoiled from his touch.  "No, woman.  You think so little of Trunks to think he would allow some lower creatures to kill that helpless girl?  My aim is to have his desire to protect her force the transformation."  He slipped his arms around her now still frame, and kissed the nape of her neck. 

"Really, Vegeta?'

If Bulma hadn't been preoccupied with the fire building from her husband's caresses and kisses, she might have noted the lack of conviction and dead tone in his voice.  Her light moans masked that, though as he said, "yes," before silencing the both with a kiss.

________________

Three and a half hours later, Kameko paced outside Hangar Four, her bag already on the plane.  Numbly, she had flown home and gathered clothes and supplies for the weeklong trek.  Unfortunately, her father had not been there, so she could not wish him goodbye.  Possibly for the last time.  A scrawled note had informed him what was happening, and ended with "I love you!"  Under her name, if he paid much attention, he would note a slight dampness where a tear had tumbled out onto the page. 

A snort in her direction snapped Kameko back to reality.  Leering at her was one of the Saiyans assigned to the Sendi mission along with herself.  She straightened her back, eyes daring him to do something.  Bastard.  "So, girl, you're here on the trip, also?"

"Yes," Kameko sharply replied.

"Good.  I needed some," his eyes raked up and down her body, "entertainment." She growled, the flashes of red signaling that she was ready to fight.  "Oh, so you fancy yourself a fighter?  I like it when they fight back."  Kameko's hair whipped around her, the ends lashing her body as she grew more and more angry at the snide comments and stares.  "Come on, you think you can do anything to me?"

Underestimation was a common Saiyan downfall, as this man suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a thrusting sidekick to the bladder area, followed by a reverse punch to the sternum.  He roared in pain and anger, and took a powerful swing at Kameko.  But, all those months of training with the Prince had not gone to waste.  Ducking under his arm, Kameko came up behind the hulking man and delivered a sudden punch to the kidney.  He coughed and spit out a bit of blood before fully powering up and turning to strike this pest down. 

Before he could do so, though, an authoritative, strong voice echoed over to his ears.  "Maizer!  What do think you are doing?"

"Sire!"  Dropping down to his knees, and powering down, Maizer pleaded his case.  "She attacked me and I was defending myself."

"Kameko?  Is this true?  Did you strike first?"

A crimson barrier masked the sneer Kameko aimed at Maizer.  "Yes, your Highness.  I struck first."

Pointing toward the vessel, Trunks instructed for Kameko to board for takeoff.  Maizer sighed in relief; it appeared that the Prince understood.  Once Kameko had disappeared out of sight, Trunks reached down and gripped Maizer's neck in one hand, lifting him up above Trunks' eye level.  "If I ever see you speaking one word or even looking at her funny, I will not hesitate to dismember you and leave you for the scavengers to feed on your still alive carcass.  Do you understand?"  Maizer screamed as Trunks' hand flared with sudden power, burning the skin on Maizer's neck off.  "Answer me!"

"Yes," Maizer screamed again as another flash of energy seared into his flesh, "I understand."

"Good."  Releasing Maizer, Trunks stalked off to the ship.  Maizer gripped at his neck, and looked down at his hand after pulling it away.  The blood that had collected was bubbled.  Standing, Maizer entered the ship, and walked over to the regenerative chamber, preparing to heal himself.  As he entered the room where the chamber was kept, he saw the Prince leaning coolly against the metal door.  "No.  Your wound will heal naturally."  Stepping quickly up to the visibly scared Maizer, Trunks lowered his voice.  "I want there to be scars."  Allowing his shoulder to thud into Maizer, Trunks strode out of the cramped room, ready to prepare the ship for the trek to the planet Sendi.

AN2:

K. Nightwing:  Does this count as Vegeta being mean?  ;)  Yeah, I agree with you on guy friends.  You can play around more sometimes with them, and they're always helpful re: guy help.  Yup yup yup, when this ends, I'm off to begin at least one B/V fic.  (A short one is kicking around, also.)